Cards of the Week - 4/2/14

This week, we are going to take a trip down memory lane.  I want you to think back to the very first time you were introduced to MLB Showdown.  Where did you buy your first starter set?  First booster pack?  Who was your first foil card (other than Greg Maddux/David Cone/Darin Erstad/Vlad Guererro)?

For me, the first starter set I got was a 2000 set on clearance at Wal-Mart.  It was the winter of my freshman year of college (December, 2000).  I saw this game I knew nothing about, but it was a baseball game, it was on clearance, and I had Christmas money...so I bought it.  My brother bought a starter set as well, and we were immediately hooked.  The rest of that winter, I spent all of the money I had on booster packs, venturing into hobby stores (for the first time) all around central Minnesota looking for a great deal.  Sometimes, they were full price.  A few times, I found packs for $1.00.  But everywhere I went, that is all I looked for.  I think my first foil was either Derek Jeter or Bernie Williams.

The reason I bring this up is I want to talk about two catchers from that 2000 base set.  I know I got one of the two in that first starter set, and got the second shortly after.  These two catchers went on to, at present, be manager for the team that they played for on their 2000 base set card.  Can you name them?If you haven't figured it out yet, the two cards are 2000 Mike Redmond and 2000 Brad Ausmus.

 

Personally, the thing I want most out of a catcher is defense.  I want him to be able to make the opposing manager second guess as to whether or not attempt to steal.  Both of these catchers at +7 do that well enough, but they also provide enough offense to make them reasonable deals.

I am a big fan of the Redmond card, and I know others are as well.  Getting an OB 9 who singles on a 9 is a great deal at 200 pts.  The speed C is more of a negative for me than his no-homer chart, but with the points I save not reaching for Pudge or Kendall in the earlier rounds should allow me to bat him lower in the order.

The Ausmus card gives you more extra base hits and greater speed, but you lose the OB and singles one later.  I wouldn't want to spend the extra 40 points on this card if Redmond were still available, but if I found myself 'stuck' with Ausmus as my catcher, I wouldn't be disappointed.

Trivia question: there are 5 other current managers who had MLB Showdown cards made in either the 2000 or 2001 sets, but only one manages the the team that his card is Showdown card is for.  Name him.