Pitchers and catchers, reporting for duty!
The sporting world has been rather rough to me lately, at least when it comes to my rooting interests. After sitting through another agonizing Trail Blazers loss last night, a card arrived in the mail from Peter of Baseball Every Night, reminding me that pitchers and catchers were due to report the next day and everything would soon be alright with the (sporting) world. True, last Cardinals season left a bit to be desired, but there's nothing so exciting as a brand new slate of 162 games out on the green grass and occasionally springy domed surface.
Or so I thought. Some terrible news hit this morning when the words "elbow discomfort" and "MRI" were used in connection with one Alex Reyes, one of the shrinking number of reasons to get excited about Cardinals baseball (and baseball in general, to be honest.) Every one of his appearances on the mound last season was must-see-TV in a season that was trudging towards inevitability (i.e. Cubs title.) But now, it is all but certain the next time we see the kid put on a baseball uniform will be in 2018, and that's one of the bitterest pills to swallow.
It's also a new year of cards (and Cards on cards), and I am less than impressed with Topps once again. There's a good reason parallel and perpendicular is a tried and true design element while weird angles is a turn off, and this is a good example. Based on exactly one card available for review, it seems like the background photo effects aren't as pronounced as last season, but that's all I can really say for this card. And yet, it's the back of the card that really gets me. As someone who grew up with Topps baseball cards as the official statement of record for baseball player statistics, it's beyond saddening that we no longer get to see a player's complete Major League Batting Record anymore. These card get the crappy '88 Donruss treatment, which just plain sucks. I know that almost everyone is just a few key presses away from baseball-reference.com these days, but I hate this. No, no, I really hate this. This is now my lone 2017 Topps baseball card, and I will need to get all of the other Cardinals cards in this set somehow, but I can't support this.
Well, here we are. Baseball will go on in 2017. Some will be ecstatic and many more will be disappointed. Brandon Moss signed with the Royals, I think? Cool for him.
I'm glad the card arrived. I'm hoping to post on the Strawberry tonight. I was bummed by the prognosis on Reyes. This kind of thing is wiping out young pitchers too frequently. I also agree on the design flaw and the flimsy stats on the back. I don't really care about Twitter handles and Instagram whatevers, or, because Moss isn't seemingly on either, the in-your-face Topps twitter hashtag thingmabob! I want the stats: that's something all baseball players have... instead, they are making it easier to troll the players. Maybe they'll correct it in 2018?
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