Monday, March 24, 2025

What 2024 Topps Heritage Update being released now means (and a quick look at the Checklist)


I think releasing 2024 Update (1975 version) in 2025 may mean one of two things.

1. This is all the Heritage that we are going to get this year. I think that the 1976 design will come out next year. This way it is match up to a perfect 50 year anniversary.  It is sort of like Topps Platinum Chrome which leads me to 

or

2. Topps will end the brown card board Heritage brand (sorry 1976) and just stick with Platinum Chrome - Platinum Chrome is so confusing - 2023 Platinum chrome actually get released well into 2024 but it features 1954 design which matches with the 70 anniversary. When 2024 Platinum Chrome is released this year, you will get the 1955 design and the last rookie card of Elly De La Cruz and every one else who part of that great rookie class. 

2024 Heritage update will be the first update set I ever bought of these Heritage brands. I guess I will be looking forward (if  either exist) to 2028 or 2029 Topps 1979 Heritage or 2028 Chrome Platinum with the 1959 design. Hopefully at least one of these will exist. 

As to the checklist - They got  the rest of the big stars - Tatis, Guerrero and Bregman in them (as they were missing in series one). Update is big on rookies (which is cool - to see a lot of players probably get their only card) and no big names for the short prints - 

For the Collector we get the best of both worlds - 1975 Topps design is so great that they needed 2 different years to release it in. 








BACK OF THE BASEBALL CARD STAT TOURNAMENT WILLIE MAYS (1965) vs BARRY BONDS (2001)




 Until about 1980 there were 8 basic stats on the back of baseball cards.  In 1976 I created a tournament among the TSN all-time all-stars – I picked what years I thought were the best years for Ruth(1927) Williams (1941) Cobb (1911) etc… and had them compete. I remember who won - Rogers Hornsby 1922 -I decided to recreate the tournament and expand it to see if Rogers Hornsby 1922 season will still win.

 

Willie Mays 1965 vs. Barry Bonds 2001

Mays was 34 and Bonds was 37 at this time

 

Mays

Bonds

 

AB

558

476

Mays

RUNS

118

129

Bonds

HITS

177

156

Mays

2B

21

32

Bonds

3B

3

2

Mays

HR

52

73

Bonds

RBI

112

137

Bonds

BAT

317

328

Bonds

 

 

 

Bonds 5-3

 

Bonds with a great comeback


Bonds takes out the Godfather


THE BRACKETS

 

Hornsby

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mantle

Helton

 Hornsby

 

 

 

 

 

 Mantle

Pujols

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cochrane

 Bench

 

 

 

 

 

 Clemente

Brett

Bench

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clemente

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cobb

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aaron

Musial

 Cobb

 

 

 

 

 

 

Banks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gehrig

 Gehrig

 

 

 

 

 

 Bonds

Mays

Suzuki

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bonds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ruth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rose

Sosa

 Ruth

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stargell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traynor

 Carew

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jackson

Carew

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Killebrew

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Williams

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yaz

Ramirez

 Ramirez

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cabrera

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wagner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

McCovey

Robinson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snider

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday, March 23, 2025

BACK OF BASEBALL CARD STAT TOURNAMENT HANK AARON (1959) vs ERNIE BANKS (1958)




 Until about 1980 there were 8 basic stats on the back of baseball cards.  In 1976 I created a tournament among the TSN all-time all-stars – I picked what years I thought were the best years for Ruth(1927) Williams (1941) Cobb (1911) etc… and had them compete. I remember who won - Rogers Hornsby 1922 -I decided to recreate the tournament and expand it to see if Rogers Hornsby 1922 season will still win.

 

Hank Aaron 1959 vs. Ernie Banks 1958

Aaron had so many consistent years – I went with his highest batting average year

 

Aaron

Banks

 

AB

629

617

Aaron

RUNS

116

119

Banks

HITS

223

193

Aaron

2B

46

23

Aaron

3B

7

11

Banks

HR

39

47

Banks

RBI

123

129

Banks

BAT

355

313

Aaron

 

 

 

4-4

Hank and Ernie Advance to face the winner of Willie and Barry


THE BRACKETS

 

Hornsby

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mantle

Helton

 Hornsby

 

 

 

 

 

 Mantle

Pujols

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cochrane

 Bench

 

 

 

 

 

 Clemente

Brett

Bench

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clemente

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cobb

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aaron

Musial

 Cobb

 

 

 

 

 

 

Banks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gehrig

 Gehrig

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mays

Suzuki

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bonds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ruth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rose

Sosa

 Ruth

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stargell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traynor

 Carew

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jackson

Carew

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Killebrew

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Williams

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yaz

Ramirez

 Ramirez

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cabrera

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wagner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

McCovey

Robinson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snider