Now that the MLB postseason is finished and hot stove discussions are in full swing, fans are looking towards the top prospects honing their skills in the Arizona Fall League and the various winter leagues throughout the Caribbean for their baseball fix. Topps has saved their classy 2018 Topps Heritage Minor League Baseball set to coincide with baseball’s fall shift from now to next.
2018 Topps Heritage Minors / Topps
2018 Topps Heritage Minors Base Set and Parallels
Set in the design of its 2018 Topps Major League Heritage counterpart, 2018 Topps Heritage Minor League provides tomorrow’s stars with the big league stage that they have been waiting for. The 220-card base set features 20 short-prints, as well All-Star and League Leaders subsets.
2018 Topps Heritage Minors / Topps
Topps hits all of the major talents in the MLB pipeline in the base set, featuring the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Eloy Jimenez, Royce Lewis, Estevan Florial, and yes, even Tim Tebow. For those looking to corner the market on their favorite up-and-comer, colored serial numbered parallels run aplenty, and a new twist for 2018 Topps Heritage Minors is the inclusion of one three-card glossy card pack per box.
2018 Topps Heritage Minors Parallels / Topps
2018 Topps Heritage Minors Inserts
The inserts are where 2018 Topps Heritage Minors starts to percolate. The 1969 Deckle Edge inserts cast the prime performers in vintage black and white shots, and limited edition color parallels even further spice up the design. The 1969 Collectors Cards inserts capture the quick and dirty about the next 20 minor league stars that you need to follow. Each box also contains two chances to win a one-day contract with the Richmond Flying Squirrels that includes your own Topps Pro Debut baseball card.
2018 Topps Heritage Minors Inserts / Topps
2018 Topps Heritage Minors Autographs and Relics
Each box guarantees one relic card and one autographed card. The Real One autographs are the most common, and as with the base set, there are colored serial numbered parallels of each. Collectors with a luckier hand can score signed base image variations numbered to 50, autographed deckle edge inserts, and signed 1969 Mint Coin relics.
The box Topps provided for this review uncovered a Brendan McKay Real One autograph, and a Justus Sheffield Clubhouse Collection relic. McKay, the Tampa Bay Rays 2017 first-round selection, is following Shohei Ohtani’s footsteps as a two-way threat on the mound and at the plate.
This year’s Topps Heritage Minors is an enjoyable break due to the exciting future stars, the sleek insert sets, and the guarantee of both an autograph and a relic from next season’s coveted prospects. With boxes of 2018 Topps Heritage Minors under $50, now is a great time to get familiar with the next wave of MLB talent.
The tragic news of Roy Halladay's death has sent shockwaves throughout the baseball community. The two-time Cy Young award winner died at the age of 40 when his plane crashed in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday. Frank Catalanotto, Halladay's teammate for four seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays from 2003-2006, was suddenly frozen when a co-worker relayed the news while he was giving a hitting lesson.
“I was shocked and I couldn't believe it,” Catalanotto said in a phone interview on Wednesday. “Obviously, I was very saddened.”
Roy Halladay / Keith Allison - Flickr
Catalanotto arrived in Toronto in 2003 after the Blue Jays signed him as a free agent in the offseason. He was relieved that he no longer had to face the 6'6" right-hander.
“I hated having to face him,” he said. “He had a nasty sinker, he cut the ball, and he had a great breaking ball as well. He could basically put the ball wherever he wanted; one of the few pitchers in the league that was able to do that. I remember facing him when I was with the Tigers and the Rangers and it was never fun. If you went into Toronto, you were hoping that you missed Roy Halladay. [He was] one of the best during my time in the big leagues, probably one of the top two or three best pitchers that I had faced.”
Coming together for the 2003 season, Catalanotto watched as Halladay's blazed through the American League en route to his first Cy Young award. The late pitcher posted a 22-7 won-loss record with nine complete games, while only walking 32 batters in 266 innings. His mound dominance gave his Blue Jays teammates the confidence that they were never in danger of going on an extended losing streak.
“We knew whenever he was pitching he was going to bring his 'A' game,” he said. “During those times, whenever you lost a game or maybe two-to-three games in a row, you knew that Roy was going to be pitching and that streak was going to stop. You always had that in the back of your head. We never went on big losing streaks because we had this ace that we knew that we could fall back on. It was great.”
While Halladay worked his magic on the mound, his teammates were often able to just sit back and admire his wizardry as he sent most challengers back to the bench with their hopes of getting on base dashed into oblivion. He was so stingy on the mound that Catalanotto likened it to having a vacation defensively whenever he pitched.
“It was almost like a day off defensively,” he said. “Playing behind him, you didn't get a lot of work in the field because he was striking guys out, and when you did get work in the field, it was never pressure situations because he very rarely had guys on base.”
Even though Catalanotto acknowledged that Halladay made their jobs a little bit easier every fifth day, there was no chill when it came to what Halladay did to create his electric nature on the mound. Early in Catalanotto's tenure with Toronto it was evident that Halladay's focus on preparation was unparalleled.
“I quickly realized that he was an intense individual and extremely focused in what he did every single day,” he said. “There wasn't a time when I ever saw just him sitting down doing nothing. He was always trying to get better whether it be through watching video of the hitters that he's going to face or video of himself and his mechanics. Whether [he was] going through scouting reports or working out and working on his mechanics and things like that, he always seemed like he was dedicated to his craft and left no stone unturned. For me, he was the biggest competitor that I have ever played with and it rubbed off on other guys on the team.”
When Catalanotto was able to get Halladay away from his intense moments on the mound, he found a different side of the pitcher that was hidden to baseball fans. Halladay had a jovial nature that included pulling pranks on his teammates, especially the rookies.
“The more you got to know Roy, you realized that he had a lighter side,” he said. “He wasn't always just ultra-focused on pitching. He did have a lighter side. And he was a jokester. He loved pulling pranks on the younger guys.”
Reflecting on Halladay's tremendous accomplishments that included multiple Cy Young Awards, a lifetime .659 winning percentage, and a postseason no-hitter, Catalanotto cited how Halladay's 2001 demotion to the low minor leagues fueled his transformation into an elite pitcher. Catalanotto feels his eventual selection to the Hall of Fame will vindicate Halladay's tremendous life and career.
“He accomplished a lot,” he said. “I know that early in his career he got sent down to Single-A to work some things out. He took that personally and he wasn't happy about it. I know that he wanted to prove a lot of people wrong, and that's what he did. He became one of the best pitchers of his generation and I do think that he deserves to be a Hall of Famer.”
More of Catalanotto's interview is featured in the video below.
Flagstaff Films recently released a rare video of Satchel Paige warming up in the infield during the 1953 All-Star Game. During this clip, Paige made two throws by the flick of his wrist, opening a brief window into his hallmark control and flair for the dramatic.
Seeing Satchel makes for a better day. 1953 AS game, Crosley Field, pre-game. Not sure why he's at 1st base, but that's Satchel. (from the Flagstaff Films baseball home movie archive) pic.twitter.com/i1703eB2c1
Earl Hunsinger was Paige's teammate with the Miami Marlins in 1956 and 1957. He explained how Paige would routinely make no-look throws during infield practice as his way of staying loose.
"A lot of times he'd show up early at the ballpark during batting practice," Hunsinger said via telephone in 2009 from his Alabama home. "He'd go out and take ground balls and he was a pretty good infielder. He used to take balls and throw to first without looking. That was his way of getting in shape."
Satchel Paige / Topps
During the course of a six-month season, players are apt fool around with trick plays to break the monotony of pre-game practice, but rarely would one dare to improvise during a Major League game. Ol' Satch however, marched to a different drummer as his St. Louis Browns teammate Jim Dyck noted.
"We brought Satch in relief to pitch to one hitter, like with the bases loaded with two outs, and we had to get the hitter out or they were either going to tie or win the game." Dyck told Gene Fehler in "When Baseball Was Still King."
"The guy hit a one-hopper right back to Satch. He fielded the ball, and he never even glanced towards first. He threw it under his left arm and he threw a perfect strike to the first baseman."
Paige, ever the showman, added to the drama by walking off the field as his throw was en route to first base. While his antics certainly captured the crowd's attention, he also grabbed that of his manager Rogers Hornsby. The curmudgeonly Hall of Famer immediately let Satchel know he wasn't happy.
"When he threw the ball, he turned and started walking to the dugout, never looked to see where it went, and of course he threw it right, a perfect throw, without looking," Dyck recalled. "I followed him from third base into the dugout. Hornsby was on the top step and he said, 'That just cost you five hundred dollars. You ever do that again and I'll see that you never play for me again.'"
Most players would have exchanged heated words with their manager over such a significant fine; however, Paige defied convention. Without breaking stride, he continued down his path and let out one of his signature lines.
"Satch never even slowed down," Dyck said. "He just walked on by, and I walked up the runway behind him, and I could hear Satch saying, 'That crazy old man, what'd he think, they's going to move first base? It's been there ever since I've played.'"
Ron Guidry cemented his place in the hearts of Yankees fans when he spun an almost perfect 25-3 season in 1978; however, just two years earlier he was ready to throw it all away. In 1976, Guidry sat idle for 47 days in a row in pinstripes while Billy Martin leaned heavily on his relief tandem of Sparky Lyle and Dick Tidrow. Martin tagged Yankees pitching coach Bob Lemon with the responsibility of telling Guidry he was going back to the minor leagues. That’s when he snapped.
“I had made up my mind. I wasn’t going back to Syracuse.” Guidry said in his 2018 autobiography, “Gator: My Life in Pinstripes.”
“I had proven everything I needed to prove in the minor leagues. I was going to turn left on Interstate 80 —quit the New York Yankees and professional baseball.”
Gator - Crown Archetype
After his wife Bonnie talked him off the ledge, Guidry decided against making that left turn and forged ahead with his baseball career. In “Gator” Guidry exposes the wild ride of his 14 seasons on the hill with the New York Yankees by pulling back the curtain on the Bronx Zoo, George Steinbrenner's impossible expectations, and his kinship with Yogi Berra.
As Guidry leaned on the guidance from his aforementioned bullpen mentors to develop his devastating slider, he still had another hurdle to overcome — his manager. After Martin left Guidry in the freezer during the 1976 season, he was determined to earn the trust of both his ornery manager and owner. On May 17, 1977, Martin reached for Guidry after Catfish Hunter complained of shoulder soreness. This was his chance to prove his worth.
After holding the dangerous Kansas City Royals to a shutout after eight innings, Martin made his way to the mound. When Thurman Munson saw Martin leaving the dugout, he pushed Guidry to stand his ground. When Martin arrived, he asked, “Well, what do you think?” Guidry seized the opportunity to stand up to his manager.
“I think you oughtta get your a** off my mound so I can finish my damn game,” he said.
Now with his manager's confidence confirmed, Guidry blossomed. He quickly became the ace of the Yankees pitching staff and dominated the American League in 1978 en route to both the American League Cy Young Award and a repeat World Series victory. For over the next decade, Guidry proved to be a stable force in the Yankees rotation.
Even though he reaped the benefits of his veteran status, there were many obstacles for Guidry to navigate. Fresh off his magical 1978 season, he anticipated even greater success in 1979; however, fate would soon intervene. On August 2, 1979, while enjoying his day off, Steinbrenner called to inform him that his beloved catcher died in a plane crash. "Gator" devotes an entire chapter to explaining how deeply Munson's death affected both him and the franchise for years to come.
As Guidry worked himself up to recover from his devastating loss, Steinbrenner rewarded his loyalty throughout the turbulent times by serving up a four-year contract in 1981 for $3.95 million. Guidry was now on the path to financial freedom, or so he thought. By the end of 1983; however, Guidry was almost bankrupt.
A series of failed investments by his agent done without his knowledge sent the creditors swarming for Guidry's checkbook. He opens up about how the ordeal took a tremendous toll on his family and how Steinbrenner’s guidance helped him to make good on his debts.
After arm troubles forced him to retire in 1989, Guidry remained a franchise fixture as a spring training instructor and a coach. In 2003, the Yankees retired his number 49, placing him among the legends in Monument Park.
Closing out “Gator,” he dedicated the final chapter to his relationship with Yogi Berra. In heartwarming fashion, he reveals a lesser-known side of the Hall of Fame catcher that grew from their relationship of Gator serving as Berra’s spring training “chauffeur” in the late 2000s.
The often-reserved Guidry has peeled back a hidden layer by revealing the intimate details of his playing career. “Gator” serves readers with honest storytelling that strays from the typical play-by-play details that hinder most baseball stories by focusing on the relationships he built away from the watchful eyes of those in the crowd.
2018 Topps Archives Signatures Series Retired Player Edition Baseball offers fans the opportunity to score a guaranteed autograph from a potent lineup that includes over 30 Hall of Famers. Each box contains one encased serial numbered autographed baseball card with the Topps 2018 postseason logo.
2018 Topps Archives Signature Series Retired Player Edition / Topps
Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax, and Tom Seaver lead the list of signers for 2018 Topps Archives Signature Series Retired Player Edition. In addition to the 77 different retired player Topps recruited for this year’s release, there are also 38 special autographs from deceased legends such as Ted Williams, Pee Wee Reese, and Don Drysdale.
In the video below, we reveal the autograph that came in the review box that Topps provided.
This box delivered an encased Andres Galarraga 1993 Topps autograph, highlighting his lone season with the St. Louis Cardinals. While Galarraga is going to need a ticket to get into the Hall of Fame, the “Big Cat” enjoyed an esteemed career that included five All-Star appearances, two Gold Gloves, and the 1993 National League batting title.
