Topps trots out the major league version of their acetate card series with 2018 Topps High Tek Baseball. The box highlights the 2018 American League Rookie of the Year Shohei Ohtani, who is also the cover boy for 2018 Topps Update Baseball, and 2018 Topps Chrome Baseball. Capitalizing on his international appeal, Topps takes a large bet on his star driving interest towards the set’s futuristic design.
2018 Topps High Tek Baseball / Topps
2018 Topps High Tek Base Card Variations
Each box contains 40 cards, giving collectors one oversized pack to devour. High Tek’s signature has been its base card designs, each created in eight increasingly hard-to-find patterns. Topps has added to the chaos by creating separate designs for the American and National Leagues. Below are the four major patterns of the set with examples for both leagues.
Pattern 1 (10 Per Pack)
Pattern 2 (8 Per Pack)
Pattern 3 (6 Per Pack)
Pattern 4 (4 Per Pack)
2018 Topps High Tek Parallels
Topps brings color to the acetate designs with their parallel inserts. Topps' vivid palette makes the designs pop in an attractive way that plays in 2018 Topps High Tek's favor. Player collectors will have their hands full with 18 different variations to track down. The box provided for this review delivered five Rainbow Foil Parallels, ranging from the rarer Red (#/10) to the more common Blue (#/150). The amounts for each parallel card are listed below.
Rainbow Foil Parallels: Blue #/150, Green #/99, Black #/50, Orange #/25, Red #/10, Gold 1/1.
Magma Diffractor Parallels: Green #/99, Black #/50, Orange #/25, Red #/10, Gold 1/1.
Orbit Diffractor Parallels: Black #/50, Orange #/25, Red #/10, Gold 1/1.
Galactic Diffractor Parallels: Orange #/25, Red #/10, Gold 1/1.
2018 Topps High Tek Parallels / Topps
2018 Topps High Tek Autographs
Topps makes hefty promises with two on-card autographs in each box. There is a smooth blend of prospects, current and retired stars, and Hall of Famers available as signers for 2018 Topps High Tek Baseball. Staying in tune with the base card set, the autographs also come in six different numbered parallels. The box provided for this review yielded a Dwight Gooden base autograph and a blue Keon Broxton autographed (#/75).
2018 Topps High Tek Autographs / Topps
Opening a box of 2018 Topps High Tek Baseball is a wild rollercoaster ride, as it is an exciting, but confusing journey to figure out each variation’s place within the set. The lack of a readily available guide without the internet is a source of frustration, hence why you're here.
After sorting through the 40-card aftermath, I was left with little direction on what to do next. Pursue a set that you are miles away from? Track down a rainbow of your favorite player? At $100 per box, neither option seems palatable.
While the on-card autographs were a plus, collectors will have to weigh the time and energy needed to pursue 2018 Topps High Tek Baseball this off-season.
The annual Baseball Hall of Fame elections are popular topics for hot stove discussions across the country. Currently, the Eras Committee (formerly the Veterans Committee) is debating the merits of those whose careers peaked after the late 1980s. While Gil Hodges is not eligible for this current vote, the mere mention of any Hall of Fame committee meeting is still a hot button issue for many baseball fans.
Gil Hodges 1967 Topps / Topps
Fred Valentine should know a thing or two about Hodges’ Hall of Fame worthiness. He played under Hodges for four seasons (1964-67) with the Washington Senators and recently sat down with Baseball Happenings at the Firefighters Charitable Foundation Dinner in Long Island to express support for his fallen manager.
“He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame,” the 83-year-old Valentine said. “The biggest thing I remember from Gil was that when I came [to] spring training, the only thing he asked was for 100 percent. Regardless of how the game turned out, he just wanted a hundred percent from his players, and I always felt I didn't have any problems with that. He was going to give me an opportunity to play, and I told him that I was going to give him a 110 percent, and I think I did.”
While Valentine’s hustling spirit resonated with Hodges, he suggested that his leader’s stoicism might have contributed to his early demise. He said too often, Hodges would bottle up his emotions when players made boneheaded plays, and on those 1960s Senators teams, they were aplenty.
“He was a great manager,” he said. “The only problem I could see he had was that he wasn't another Earl Weaver. He kept so much in [when] players would make all kinds of dumb mistakes. Instead of throwing them out or cursing them out, he held it in, and I think that was his downfall from holding stuff in like that.”
Testa’s lone major league game came on April 23, 1958, when he pinch-ran for Ray Jablonski in the 8th inning. He remained in the game as the catcher, where he was charged with an error in the 9th inning when the San Francisco winds blew a pop-up out of his reach. That error made his only mark in the record books, as he was two batters away when Daryl Spencer launched a two-run home run to cap the Giants’ comeback victory.
Shortly after his cameo, Giants manager Bill Rigney made Testa an interesting offer. With Bob Schmidt and Valmy Thomas holding down the catching duties, it was clear that Rigney did not need a third-string receiver.
“About a month into the season the other two catchers were doing so well, there was no way I was going to play,” Testa said to Steve Bitker in The Original San Francisco Giants. “So he says, ‘Would you consider being a bullpen coach the rest of the year?’ And I says, ‘Oh, sure, I’d love to.’ I was probably the youngest bullpen coach in the majors at 29.”
Testa finished the season as their bullpen coach and in 1959, he returned to the minors, where he played through 1964. During this period Testa became part of the early group of Americans to play in Japan when he spent the entire 1962 season with the Daimai Orions.
Nick Testa 1962 Japanese Baseball Card
While Testa was no longer playing affiliated ball, it was far from the end of his time on the field. He returned home to the Bronx to work as a health and physical education instructor at Lehman College, where he piloted their baseball program to the 1974 CUNY Baseball Championship. During his summers off from teaching, Testa played in the Canadian Provincial League well into his 60s, often facing high-level competition half his age.
Testa catching at 45 in Canada / Attheplate.com
The professor was a fixture for both of New York’s professional teams, serving as a batting practice pitcher for the Mets and the Yankees. Testa continued with the Yankees through their championship run in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Jose Reyes hit a whopping .189 for the New York Mets in 2018, so naturally, his next move is to make a music video, right? Reyes has actually been making reggaeton music since 2011 through his El 7 imprint.
Reyes can be seen flaunting some of the $140 million in riches that he's accumulated during his MLB career in the visuals for his new song, "Vivimo Caro."
The release of 2018 Topps Update Baseball completes Topps’ annual flagship set trifecta. With post-season attention squared on Rookies of the Year Ronald Acuña Jr. and Shohei Ohtani, Topps doubles down on their star power with this set. This strong 300-card collection makes a robust case for Topps’ best 2018 issue for these five reasons.
2018 Topps Update / Topps
5) Stellar Photography
It is obvious after reviewing all of this year's Topps products that 2018 Topps Update contains some of Topps’ highest quality action shots. The photography rivals Topps Stadium Club, which is known for its hallmark landscapes.
2018 Topps Update / Topps
4) Mother’s Day / Father’s Day Parallels
What a better way to celebrate Topps’ place in the family with a special nod to all of the parents out there. Limited edition parallels numbered to 50 exist in both Mother’s Day Hot Pink and Father’s Day Powder Blue. The box provided for this review sided with the matriarchs, producing this Javier Baez Home Run Derby Mother’s Day Hot Pink Parallel.
2018 Topps Update Javier Baez Mother's Day Parallel / Topps
3) Crisply Designed Inserts
This 1983 Topps 35th anniversary and Topps Salute series lead the way for 2018 Topps Update’s inserts, continuing the tradition of Topps Series 1 and 2 releases earlier this year. The International Affair and Storybook Endings inserts are new to this release, both providing interesting facts on foreign-born players, as well as those who had a fond farewell in their final MLB season.
2018 Topps Update Inserts / Topps
2) Guaranteed Autographs and Relics (One Per Box)
With 17 different signature series and 7 patch / relic variations, 2018 Topps Update has a boastful assortment of signatures and relics that will keep collectors ripping open packs in search of the next big hit. This review box yielded an attractive Gleyber Torres All-Star Stitches relic.
2018 Topps Update Gleyber Torres Relic / Topps
1) A Coveted Rookie Lineup
This set has all of the top 2018 rookies together minted in the traditional Topps flagship design. Rookie cards of award winners Acuña Jr. and Ohtani, as well as Juan Soto and Gleyber Torres, populate the set. These four upstarts are featured twice, once with their rookie cards, and again on their MLB debut cards.
2018 Topps Update Rookies / Topps
As if these five reasons aren’t enough incentive to get on the bandwagon, an entire hobby box delivered a complete base set among the myriad of inserts and parallels. With prices hovering around $60, Topps creates both an exceptional value and experience for 2018 Topps Update Baseball.
Collectors looking to follow the postseason gold rush will set their next destination for the hobby-only 2018 Topps Gold Label Baseball. The product's signature gold framed autographed and relic cards create a premium piece worth chasing.
2018 Topps Gold Label
2018 Topps Gold Label Base Set
The base set contains 300 cards, each 100-card series organized in a tiered system. The three tiers (Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3) are differentiated by their label and their image variety. The Class 1 cards are the most abundant and increase in scarcity as they ascend in the system.
2018 Topps Gold Label Base Cards / Topps
One box guarantees 35 cards, which puts set collectors far away from a base set. With the three different classes for the base set, collectors are going to have to think hard about whether pursuing a base set is a challenge they want this off-season.
2018 Topps Gold Label Parallels
Each series has four colored parallels (Black, Blue, Red, and Gold). These inserts become harder to find by class, with the odds sharply decreasing as between Class 1 and Class 3. The parallel odds are listed below.
While the image variations and designs will attract collectors, the true gems in 2018 Topps Gold Label Baseball are the framed autographs. They are guaranteed one per box and have limited edition parallels that add even more value to a desirable product.
2018 Topps Gold Label Chris Sale Red Parallel / Topps
2018 Topps Gold Label Autographs and Relics
Topps gives collectors a ready-made collectible by framing their autographed cards. The thick gold border creates a card that demands a display, not one destined for a binder like most traditional signed trading cards. The box provided for this review uncovered both a Scott Kingery rookie framed autograph and a Lewis Brinson blue parallel autograph redemption.
The relics are even harder to find, with their Golden Greats Autographed Relics and MLB Legends Relics all numbered to 75 or less. Lucky collectors will rejoice in finding a black (#/5) or gold (1/1) parallel.
After opening a box of 2018 Topps Gold Label Baseball, it is apparent that the framed autographs will be the key driver of interest to this product. One question that collectors will have to answer is if they want to hold on to the base set. The images are crisp, and player collectors will enjoy the variations; however, the prospect of opening ten or more boxes to complete a set will send the average collector to the secondary market.
Despite the challenges of finishing the base set, 2018 Topps Gold Label Baseball ranks highly among Topps' guaranteed hit products and is worth checking out a box or two for the framed autographs alone.
As we celebrate Veterans Day across the country, here is a look at the top five books about baseball during World War II. At a time when our entire nation was focused on the war, President Roosevelt ordered the game to continue for the morale of citizens everywhere. These five books illuminate the efforts to preserve the game on the home front, as well as the experiences of those who traded their baseball uniforms for military ones.
Roger Gogan’s “Bluejackets of Summer,” details the Great Lakes Naval Baseball team, a unit so strong that it was often referred to as the “17th Major League team.” The Great Lakes Naval Station hosted an array of All-Star talent from 1942-1945, led by Hall of Fame manager Mickey Cochrane. The team included Hall of Famers Bob Feller, Johnny Mize, and Pee Wee Reese, as well as All-Stars Schoolboy Rowe, Virgil Trucks, and Dom DiMaggio.
When the draft took many of the major leaguers from their teams, players who were exempt from service stepped up to the plate. These included teenagers such as Joe Nuxhall and Tommy Brown, as well as post-retirement forty-somethings Babe Herman and Clyde Sukeforth. Craig Allen Cleve interviewed nine wartime baseball players for "Hardball on the Home Front," who generously shared their experiences playing baseball after President Roosevelt ordered Judge Landis to keep baseball going.
When President Roosevelt made his decree, players mulled the decision to enlist (before they were drafted) or to stay home and play. Author John Klima penned “The Game Must Go On,” to tell the story of American baseball during World War II - of both the players who left to join the war and the ones who kept the game alive stateside. Klima provides a deep look at the stars that left and the players like one-armed Pete Gray, who fought to inspire others on the field. The book finishes with the 1945 pennant race where Gray’s St. Louis Browns fought mightily to upstage Hank Greenberg’s Detroit Tigers.
Moe Berg was a major league catcher for 19 seasons, but his true fame came for his work as a spy during World War II. The Office of Strategic Services sent Berg to investigate Germany’s Atomic Bomb developments. After the war, he helped draw European scientists to the United States. The President awarded Berg the Presidential Medal of Freedom; however, he refused to accept the honor. Author Nicholas Dawidoff digs deeply into the mysterious life of one of baseball’s enigmas with "The Catcher Was a Spy."
Lou Brissie was an All-Star pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1949, but his road to stardom was marred with hurdles unlike any other major leaguer has ever faced. To call Brissie's experience in the war remarkable would be an understatement. Life changed drastically for Brissie on December 7, 1944. While serving in Italy, an artillery shell exploded on his squad leaving him for dead with his left leg tattered from the explosion. Doctors wanted to amputate, but Brissie pleaded with them to save his injured appendage.
“The Corporal Was a Pitcher,” is an intense look at the horrors of war, as Brissie waited over sixty-years to tell the painful details of the carnage he witnessed while he managed his own suffering.