1997 Topps #532 Bucky Buckles/Eric Dinyar/Roy Halladay Prospects

Today's card is a prospect card of 2 guys who should've made the Majors but got injured, and a guy who I think would've been a Hall of Famer if he wasn't injured and played maybe 4 more years.

Bucky Buckles is a guy in my Favorite Player Collection. I followed him in the minors, got his 1995 Topps card out of a pack that year, and besides having a cool name, he was a nice closer.
I actually saw Dinyar pitch a few times in 1996. I was 13, so I didn't pay attention to stats and players as close as I should have, but I went to enough Lakeland Tigers games that year that I'm sure I saw Dinyar pitch, and I probably have his autograph about 5 times between baseballs, a pennant, and random checklist/team cards (if I didn't have a card of a certain player when I first started getting autographs, I would have them sign a checklist card or a team leaders or team logo card).
Halladay is one of a select few players to throw 2 no-hitters in a season, and he is one of only 2 players to throw one in the playoffs. I saw the tail end of both of them. It's a shame that he didn't win a World Series with Philly, and although he was dominant, I don't think he will get voted in to the Hall because he was closer to 2000 K's than 3000. If he wasn't injured and played a couple more full seasons, I think he'd be a lock for the Hall. Maybe the voters will consider this and vote him in, because he was dominant for a 10-year stretch.

I've added some new names and a new template to the 2001 Topps Page, and did a ton of customs for the 1994 set today. Finished all of the season/postseason highlight cards, finished the All-Star cards, and did a few random ones as well. I think I'll probably work on some more '94 cards tomorrow and also try to add a team or two to the 1999 Topps Page. If things keep going at a steady pace, perhaps my goal of every player in the '90's getting a card will happen sometime in the next 5 years. Thanks for checking out my latest post.
-Jeremy

Missing Topps Cards Part 5: Vladimir Guerrero (1995 and 2012)

Vladimir Guerrero played in the Majors from 1996-2011. He spent 1996-2003 with the Montreal Expos, 2004-2009 with the Anaheim Angels, 2010 with the Texas Rangers, and 2011 with the Baltimore Orioles. He finished his career with 449 Home Runs, and I think has a good case for the Hall of Fame. He could hit any pitch, had great power, a cannon arm, and I believe that he could've played for someone in the 2012 season, perhaps more, and that the owners colluded to keep players such as Jermaine Dye and Guerrero out of MLB for some reason. They were productive hitters, and I think they could've hit 15-20 Home Runs with a team, but never got a solid opportunity. 

Vlad got his first Topps card on a 4-player prospect card with Andruw Jones in the 1996 Topps set. He appeared in every Topps set through the 2011 set. He is in the 2012 Topps set, but it is a highlight card, and not a true sunset card. I chose to give Vlad the sunset card, as well as a 1995 Topps prospect card with Orlando Palmeiro, Alex Ochoa, and Mike Darr, Jr. to finish his career Topps run.

Work has been zapping my energy as well as life, so I haven't made a ton of customs lately, but I still am working on the 1994 set, and am finished through card 1004 now. I'm hoping to get a chance to work on more customs for a good while on Thursday night. Maybe I'll sleep too. Thanks for checking out my latest customs.

-Jeremy

1996 Topps #534 Eric Dinyar/Bucky Buckles/Todd Revenig//Ryan Dempster

Today's card features 4 players, 3 of which put up great stats in the minors, and 1 who put up great stats in the Majors, and who could be seen pitching just a few weeks ago for team Canada in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

Eric Dinyar appeared in the last post featuring a single card, and as mentioned there, in 1996 set a Lakeland Tigers record with 27 Saves. I got a few autographs of Eric on baseballs while seeing him pitch in Lakeland in '96.
Bucky Buckles has one of the greatest names ever, and had some decent seasons in the Minors for the Rangers organization. He had 18 and 16 Saves during his first 2 years in pro ball, The next 2 years, he didn't close, but did make it as far as AAA before getting hurt. He started back in rookie ball, and made it to AA before being released. I was fortunate enough to get an autographed cards of his online a few months ago. If anyone is interested, he does have a Twitter page.
Revenig made it to the Majors in 1992 with Oakland, and had some mind blowing stats in the minors. In 1990, he had a 0.81 ERA in 44.2 Innings, and in 1991 he had a 0.96 ERA in 47 Innings. In 1992 his ERA skyrocketed to 1.70 in 63.2 Innings, but he did have 33 Saves. He was injured in 1993, but came back and tried to make it back to the Majors 2 seperate times, but never did. He signed a card for me through the mail, and added an extra one for me in 2007.
Dempster pitched in the Majors from 1998-2013 with the Marlins, Reds, Cubs, Rangers, and Red Sox. He won the 2013 World Series with the Red Sox, and had career single-season highs of 17 Wins and 33 Saves. I got an autograph of him through the mail sometime between 2004 and 2011.
Topps could've made this card for us collectors in 1996 and give us a look at 4 guys who put up some great seasons, and who if not for injury, could've had a good shot at reaching the Majors.

I haven't really did much with customs lately, just because of commitments and work. Work has been hell the last 3 days, but I just got to get through tomorrow, and get everything baked as quick as I can, and then I get a nice day off and it won't be crazy for at least a week or two before the Mothers Day sale starts. I'll probably work on a few more 1994 customs tonight and maybe try to work a little more on the 1999 checklist. I'm also going to a Daytona Tortugas game in a week and hope to try to get a few autographs. If Brody Koerner is able to make the trip in a month or so (he's currently on the 7-day disabled list, don't know what for), then I'll probably try to see him play in Daytona as well.
Thanks for checking out my latest card.
-Jeremy

1995 Topps #700 Mike Myers/Scott Sullivan/Eric Dinyar/Danny Graves

Today's card features 4 players. 3 of them were valuable relievers in the Majors, and 1 of them was a great pitcher I saw play in the minors that had an injury cut his career short before he reached the Bigs.

Mike Myers pitched from 1995-2007 with a number of teams, and won a World Series title with the Boston Red Sox in 2004.
Scott Sullivan had a 3.98 ERA in 10 seasons in the Majors, mostly for the Cincinnati Reds. He went to Auburn University, and gets bonus points for doing so.
Eric Dinyar pitched in the minors for the Detroit Tigers from 1994-1997. In 1996, I saw him pitch a few times, and he set the Lakeland Tigers single-season record for Saves with 27. He was injured in 1997, and retired shortly after. He was elected to the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Hall of Fame in 2014.
Danny Graves played for 11 seasons in the Majors, making the All-Star team in 2000 and 2004 with the Cincinnati Reds. He finished his career with 182 Saves.

The next few cards coming up will be prospect and draft pick cards. Hopefully you will enjoy them. I have been working on finalizing all of the checklists that I have done by adding team photos that I could find, stadium cards, and notable draft picks that Topps missed. The 1989-1994 sets are done, as well as the 1996 set. I chose to make some customs tonight rather than doing the 1995 set, but I'll finish it soon enough. I think I will do the 2001 set and then just hold off with the '97-99 sets until all of the players are done for those. The 1999 set will be first (already have the Blue Jays and Rangers teams done), then 1998, 1997, and 2000. I'm hoping to finish a set or two by the end of the year and possibly more. Thanks for checking out my latest card.
-Jeremy

1992 Topps Mike Piazza/Carlos Delgado Prospects

This card could've realistically happened. Both Piazza and Delgado appeared in the 1992 Bowman set, Lopez made it on Bowman a year earlier, and Wilson appeared on the 1991 Topps set in the #1 Draft Picks subset. They weren't as far along in the minors as Brad Ausmus and Dave Nilsson (who appeared on the original 1992 Topps Catchers Prospect card), but all 4 had potential. Piazza is a Hall of Famer in my mind, and I really think he should already be in. You could make a case for Lopez and Delgado. Lopez was the #1 catcher for most of the successful Atlanta Braves teams of the '90's, and he hit a good amount of Home Runs. Delgado had a 4-Home Run game, and he was at the top of the charts in HRs and RBIs at his peak. While probably not a Hall of Famer, Wilson played a good decade as the Seattle Mariners #1 catcher, and was an excellent defensive catcher. Finishing this card means there are only 4 more cards left in Series 1. There are some fun cards coming up, and I can't wait to get started.

1997 Topps 1st Base Prospects

Topps made a card of Daryle Ward in 1996, but not in 1997. Topps made a card of Sean Casey in 1996 AND 1997. Topps didn't make a card of Big Papi in 1996, or 1997, but they did in 1998 (alongside Ward). I decided to put them all together on one card in 1997. Who knows, if this card was around, maybe it would be the key David Ortiz rookie.

1993 Topps Outfield Prospects

This was a difficult card to make. I was hoping GIMP would have a wider variety of fonts, but it didn't, so it was difficult to use fonts on the back that were true to the original set. I don't know what I'm going to do for the 1994 Topps fronts...Topps left Manny Ramirez and Shannon Stewart off their 1993 set. Manny had a card in 1992 when he was drafted, and in 1994. Stewart was a high Draft Pick that year, but Topps chose to give Todd Steverson a card instead. Now they, along with Rondell White and Kevin Roberson (the best guy in AAA that I could find that didn't debut in 1992) have a card.