Card of the Week - 7/30/14

With the non-waiver trade deadline tomorrow, I am intrigued by some of the trades being discussed.  Is Tulowitzki on the move?  Where is David Price going to end up?  Is your favorite team buying or selling?

I am very intrigued by the teams looking to 'rent' players for the final 1½-2 months as part of a playoff push.  We saw the Pirates make trades for Justin Morneau and Marlon Byrd last year.  Jon Lester looks to be on the move with the possibility of re-signing with the Red Sox in the off-season.  But one of the greatest non-waiver trade deadline moves of all time was for this week's card of the week,...

#ShotsFriday: Trade Deadline

The trade deadline is an exciting around here like everywhere else. For those who are unfamiliar to answer the most asked question: We always put the player in the uniform of the team they ended the season with. It simplifies things. We also try and give more emphasis on the stats for the team they ended with. So last year Soriano was more powerful with the Yankees than Cubs so his card reflected that. I thought I would show how some of last year’s trades worked out.

Bud Norris from the Astros to the Orioles

Card of the Week - 7/23/14

I had planned on a different card for the Card of the Week this week, but after seeing the events of the past 24 hours unfold, I had to change my mind.

In the first big trade leading up to the deadline, the Yankees traded away their best player from the month of April (a player who faded since then and had been demoted) Yangervis Solarte for a player who had once been the future of the Padres franchise,...

MLB Showdown 2013: Starters 310-350 Points

Bronson Arroyo

4

350

6

0

19-20

17-18

0

12-16

6-11

3-5

1-2

Jarred Cosart (custom)	3	350	6	0	20	19	17-18	13-16	6-12	3-5	1-2
Wei-Yin Chin	3	340	6	0	20	18-19	17	11-16	7-10	3-6	1-2
Andy Pettite	3	340	6	0	20	18-19	17	12-16	6-11	3-5	1-2
Paul Malholm	3	340	6	0	20	18-19	17	13-16	6-12	3-5	1-2
Jon Niese	3	340	6	0	20	18-19	17	13-16	7-12	3-6	1-2
Dillon Gee	3	330	6	0	20	18-19	17	12-16	7-11	3-6	1-2
Kyle Loshe	3	320	6	0	20	17-19	0	11-16	7-10	3-6	1-2

Travis Wood	2	350	6	0	0	19-20	18	11-17	7-10	3-6	1-2
Hiroki Kuroda	2	340	6	0	20	19	18	14-17	7-13	3-6	1-2
John Lackey	2	340	6	0	0	18-20	0	14-17	8-13	3-7	1-2
Trevor Cahill	2	320	5	0	20	19	18	15-17	7-14	3-6	1-2
Eric Stults	2	310	7	0	20	18-19	0	12-17	7-11	3-6	1-2

Cliff Lee

1

320

8

0

0

19-20

0

12-18

9-11

3-8

1-2

#ShotsFriday Updated Scores Derby

10: @TomWyliehart – 2012 Champ

8: @Roktikitiki5 (Rizzo X2, Derby)

7: @BucNforthecard (Tulowitzki 11^th)

6: @Orioles881  (Abrue 11^th)

4: Kris_Barnes7 

4: @MLBShowdown247  (Goldshmidt and Stanton and derby)

4: @Avery25

3: @MLBShowdownguru 

3: @Youngfarm

3: @Benboozer623 

3: @JMoeller05 

2: @TherealJohnR 

2: TweeterLeGrand

1: @Piatz1019

1: @KyleVanPelt – 2011 Champ

1: @GregLeasure

1: @Landerulo (Goldschmidt)

Playerboard

16: Jose Abreu

8: Giancarlo Stanton 

4: Pedro Alvarez

3: Josh Donaldson

2: Mark Trumbo

2: Miguel Cabrera

2: Chris Davis

2: Nelson Cruz

2: Edwin Encarnacion

2: Paul Goldschmidt

2: Anthony Rizzo

2: Troy Tulowitzki

1: Albert Pujols

1: Josh Hamilton

1: Mike Trout

1: Justin Upton

1: Yeonis Cespedes

1: Starling Marte

1: Joey Votto

1: Yasiel Puig

1: Scott Van Syke

1: Brandon Moss

1: Adam Dunn

1: Jose Bautista

1: Khris Davis 

1: Adrian Beltre

1: Corey Dickerson

Card of the Week - 7/16/14

I am glad that we had an exciting All-Star game/weekend up here in Minnesota.  I wasn't able to attend the festivities, but I had friends who did and they had a blast!

One part of All-Star weekend that I never really got into was the Home Run Derby.  But my friends who went said that it was so exciting and the whole crowd was into every fly ball and it was just an exciting time.  Because of that, I wanted to recognize the HRD winner...

#ShotsMonday Home Run Derby Edition

Tonight is the annual Home Run Derby. We are offering a point to whoever can pick the home run derby champ correctly. Choices are:

Bautista

Cespedes

Donaldson

Dozier

Jones

Frazier

Mornueo

Puig

Stanton

Tulowitzki

#ShotsFriday: Icons

         We had a light showing last week on the Fourth. I will shoulder some of that for my spastic use of the internet this month. I also think that everyone's routine may also have been a bit off. Since there was less work I assume there were less work appropriate beverages. Hopefully everyone still enjoyed baseball. The only person who enjoyed a shot last week by my count was @BucNfortheCard with his 6th with the Abrue kid's like 50th homer or something. Make sure to send your twitter picks in today. I know we had a couple games postponed last week so if you picked a player in a game that wasn't played make sure to make an additional pick. For those who are new. If you tweet @MLBShowdownguru or use #ShotsFriday to tweet a player you think will homer today you get a point. If you are right you get an additional the next week. The player with the most points at the end of the year gets a free 2014 color set. Second place gets a free 2014 black and white set. 3rd place gets 5 holo David Cones and 5 holo Greg Maddux.

Also for the Home Run Derby Tweet @MLBShowdownguru or #ShotsMonday who you think wins the derby. It is worth 1 point and a free pick.

Card of the Week - 7/9/14

As we approach the All-Star break, there are a few players who were selected for the game who have made great strides since last year (or are in the middle of a fluke season).  The improvement (and decline, for that matter) from one year to the next can be pretty obvious when you compare MLB Showdown cards from season-to-season.  The infamous Scott Elarton decline from his 2000 to 2001 card is a great example.  One player who was selected to this year's All-Star team and is destined for a much better 2014 card than his 2013 card is...

MLB Showdown 2013: Starters 360-400 Points

Mark Beuhrle	4	380	7	0	20	17-19	16	11-15	6-10	3-5	1-2
Jeremy Guthrie	4	380	7	0	20	17-19	16	11-5	6-10	3-5	1-2
AJ Griffin	4	370	6	20	0	19	17-18	11-16	7-10	3-6	1-2
Yovanni Gallardo	4	370	6	0	20	18-19	16-17	13-15	7-12	3-6	1-2

Chris Sale

2

380

7

0

0

18-20

0

14-17

10-13

3-9

1-2

#ShotsFriday

Think I am caught up. Need to do the math this week. I have the week off so hopefully we will be up to speed and ready for the second half of the season.

July 4th

5: @RokTikiTik with Beltre 

5; @BucNfortheCarf  with Encarnacion

4: @kris-Barnes7 with Encarnacion

June 27th shots

3: @Youngfarm (1) With Corey Dickerson

3: @JMoeller05 (1) With Jose Abrue 

Correction from June 20th

5: @orioles881 with Jose Abrue