2020 Topps Now: Juan Soto Ties Some Guy Named Mantle

2020 Topps Now Baseball: 76 Juan Soto

Young Slugger Ties Mickey Mantle for Home Run Mark

So I got this card via Ebay, which is my main source for Topps Now cards it seems. Lets see it was $5.50 Free Shipping but plus some tax so a grand total of $5.83

2020 Topps Now Baseball: 76 Juan Soto Washington Nationals

Young Slugger Ties Mantle For Home Run Mark

Senators Singles: 1959 Topps Hal Griggs

 

1959 Topps Hal Griggs

OK so here is a single card post. I got this card from a Sportlots auction for the 25 cents opening bid. I won 3 other auctions and mentioned the hole lot over at my regular card blog. So here we go 1959 Washington Senator Right Handed Pitcher Hal Griggs.

1959 Topps Baseball 434 Hal Griggs

Joy Of A Complete Team Set: Well A Complete Rookie Prospect Team Set

Joy Of A Complete Team Set:

2007 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Gold Parallel Washington Nationals Team Set

I got this set from Ebay a month or so back for just a little over 9 bucks (five cents technically) shipping included in the total. I was so excited because it was a “full team set”. Well this set is the 2007 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Full Washington Nationals Team set. I forgot that Bowman separates the sets into 3 or 4 min-sets. I was a little disappointed because it was just Rookies and Prospects no Vets 8 cards total, I was thinking it was the regular Bowman set. Well the regular Bowman set for 2007 only has 3 players/cards. I have the regular versions of them (I think) but this is the Gold Parallel Rookies Set that I got. I don’t think I have any gold parallels of the veteran players (Ryan Zimmerman, Austin Kearns and Nick Johnson), I may have all of them in the regular issue but not the Gold parallel. OH well. Anyway here are the Rookies and Prospects:

2007 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Gold Parallel Team Set

(8 cards)

BDP9 Jesus Flores

BDP38 Kory Casto

BDPP23 Derek Norris

BDPP35 Steven Souza

BDPP63 Jake Smolinski

BDPP67 Collin Balester

BDPP70 Emiliano Fruto

BDPP91 Brian Bocock

So yeah there are the youngins from the 2007 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Gold Parallel Washington Nationals Team Set. Now I need to locate the regular Gold Parallels of the veterans; Zimmerman, Kearns & Johnson for the true complete TEAM Set.

*Due to the new formatting of Blogger scans in future posts might be delayed since I have to use a completely new process to get the images from my ancient laptop to my work laptop to be able to add images or to find another way to get the images up on the web to access from work 'putter.

Senators Singles: Tony Two-Bags Walks It Off

2019 Topps Now: 770 Anthony Rendon

A one card post this month.One of the last of Anthony "Tony Two Bags" Rendon in a Nationals uniform Unless he does one of those "retire as a ___" one day contract with the Nats in about 10 years. I hope he does well with The Angels.

Anyway here is Tony's 2019 Topps Now card from 30 August vs The Marlins noting his 2 Run game winning single.Putting the goodguy Nats up on the bad fish Marlins 7-6.

2019 Topps Now Baseball: 770 Anthony Rendon Washington Nationals

Blast From The Past: Nationals 2005 Inaugural Season Pocket Schedule

Here is a blast from the past. I stumbled upon these while looking for something to blog about this month. Well today the last day of the month. Once again I am cutting things a little short.

Since the schedule for this particular season has been royally messed up by the virus thing I decided to show the pocket schedule for the Nationals 2005 Inaugural Season that was distributed by McDonald's.

I got two of these I think from Ebay for like five bucks. They fold up to about the size of a standard trading card and unfold to 6 panels that are approx. 12 and 3/4 inches so it didn't quite fit my 12" x 9" flatbed scanner. UGH. Here are all the panels as the scanned parts the first 5 panels of a side followed by the final panel. As you can see the "front" with the Nats logo is the first panel followed by the "back" McDonald's logo panel.

I then quickly "combined" the sixth panel to the other five to give the illusion of how it looks in hand. I didn't bother matching them up perfectly mostly because I didn't have the time to do that since this was a quick "OH I can blog about this" decision. Hey you might have gotten some 2018 Topps Now card of Bryce Harper. Here is the mock "in hand" images.

Pretty Neat Huh? OK Phillies fans maybe next month I'll get around to the Harpers I haven't shown yet. Don't be disappointed if I don't.

Senators Singles: Ryan Zimmerman 2009 Oddball

RYAN ZIMMERMAN 2009 Enterplay MLB Fan Pak Baseball

Here is a quick Senators Singles post. I am not sure when or how I acquired this card whether it was from a trade or a purchase. I think it was from a purchase from someone on a trading forum and I think it was one of 3 or 4 cards/items. If it was a purchase I paid somewhere between $5 to $10 for it maybe shipping added. Then again it could have been from a trade.

It is an Oddball card meaning it is from a manufacturer that is not your regular trading card maker it is also an oddball size 3 and 3/8 inches by 3 and 3/8 inches, plus this particular card is also one of those standee cards that has perforations that allow you to fold and bend the card so that it stands up (and thus reducing the value and more so the condition of the card)  It is from the 2009 EnterPlay MLB Fan Pak set The Trading Card Database (TCDB) has the checklist. I noticed there are some cards from the set I will need to get sometime.as there are one or two of my PC guys and a few guys who were future Nationals. The only "National", that is the only player who was on the Nats at the time the set was released, is Ryan Zimmerman which is the card I have and am featuring in this post. In the photo Ryan is wearing a throwback cap that is sort of an homage to the Original Senators team circa the 1920s except it is more modernized with a red bill that makes it a weird combination era hat.

Anyway I don't have a story to yarn about so here is the card:

2009 EnterPlay MLB Fan Pak Baseball: 60 Ryan Zimmerman Washington Nationals

Get Back On Your Bikes

OK so this is another quick and dirty last night of the month post. The card I'm featuring came just in the nick of time. I got it from Ebay I had been watching it for a while and pulled the trigger on it. I got it for $5.99 Free Shipping. I think I had been watching one copy of it that sold out from under me. A few of these Topps Now Cards have done that to me. So in a way this card is sort of part two. Due to the achievement that was accomplished. So many moons ago I had posted about when Trea Turner hit for the cycle for the first time in his young career (Something Bryce Harper has yet to do, he came close a few times here in DC but didn't do it here, maybe sometime in Philly.) Back then I made the post "Get On Your Bikes And Ride" Which is a tribute to the rock group Queen in a way. Even though I showed a couple of cards highlighting that first cycle at the time I didn't have the card. I have since gotten that card.

In the meantime once again in his Career Trea Turner hit for the cycle. His second time but he also tied a record of sorts. He hit his second cycle against the same team he had hit for his first cycle 2 years previously. The Colorado Rockies. Trea is just the 3rd MLB player to do that. Very cool.

So here is the card commemorating that which I got this afternoon (Monday 30 Mar 2020).

2019 Topps Now Baseball: 559 Trea Turner Washington Nationals

3rd player in MLB history to hit for the cycle against the same team twice

Sentators Singles: 2019 Topps Now Juan Soto 1038

2019 Topps Now Juan Soto 1038

I still need to make my World Series "review" post. In the meantime here is an event that happened during the Nationals Record Breaking 2019 World Series. Juan Soto who was 20 at the time (He would turn 21 a few days later during the WS) becomes the 2nd youngest player to hit a Home Run in his World Series Debut.

2019 Topps Now 1038 Juan Soto Washington Nationals

Joy Of A Full Team Set 2018 Topps Washington Nationals Team Set

January crunch time. I still have my 2019 World Series post to work on. Maybe it will be ready for February, maybe not. Anyway this team set is a true team set not just the team subset from the Flagship base set. This set I'm featuring is the 2018 Topps Washington Nationals Team Set. The set consists of 17 cards. Instead of just numbers (1-17) the set numbers are WN-xx. (WN-1 to WN-17)

2018 Topps Washington Nationals Team Set

WN-1 Bryce Harper
WN-2 Anthoney Rendon
WN-3 Ryan Madson
WN-4 Gio Gonzalez
WN-5 Adam Eaton
WN-6 Ryan Zimmerman
WN-7 Daniel Murphy
WN-8 Wilmer Difo
WN-9 Stephen Strasburg

WN-10 Sean Doolittle
WN-11 Max Scherzer
WN-12 Tanner Roark
WN-13 Michael Taylor
WN-14 Trea Turner
WN-15 MattWieters
WN-16 Erick Fedde RC
WN-17 Victor Robles RC

OH I was going to mention that one of my friends gave me this set. Sometime late summer early fall last year. It may have even been as late as during the Nationals Post Season Run to The World Series. I think somewhere I may have had one or two cards from this team set from previous sources, but maybe not.

We Shouldn't Be Here. Should We? NLCS EDITION

WOW! We shouldn't be here. Should we?

NLCS EDITION

Friday 11 October to Tuesday 15 October 2019

Sneaking into the playoffs the Nationals beat the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card game and went on to beat the 106 game winning Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS. To be painfully honest, the Nationals should NOT be in the position they wound up in. They started off the 2019 season dismally in what looked like it was going to be another sub par season. After 50 games and some early injuries always the injuries at inopportune times, they were a measly 19-31. Hardly a team that could make it to the playoffs. Then...

They started following skipper Dave Martinez's policy of going 1-0 every game. Don't worry about last night's loss, don't anticipate tomorrow's win just concentrate on the here and now one game at a time and "Stay in the Fight" and have fun. From mid May to the end of the season (and into the Playoffs) the Nationals got RED Hot and finished the regular season 93-69 and got the number one Wild Card spot with a 4 game lead ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Nats beat the Brewers in the Wild Card game 4-3 in a very unorthodox way with a Juan Soto bases clearing single with the help of a fielding error. They then beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the best of 5 NLDS 3-2. Game 5 was saved by a Howie Kendrick Grand Slam in the top of the 10th inning. Now they face the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS, who beat the NL East Leading Atlanta Braves 3-2 in their NLDS (the 2 and 3 seeds). The Cardinals were 91-71 in the 2019 season 2 games worse than the Nats but in 7 regular season games they bested the Nats 5-2. Again the Nats are up against a team that had beat them not just in the regular season but in previous postseasons. The Cardinals stole the 2012 NLDS away from the Nats in a comeback game 5. The Cardinals had been down by 6 runs. In the 9th several times the Cardinals were down to their last strike and managed to gain a base, then tied it up and ended up winning 9-7.

Game 1: Friday 11 October 2019: Miles Mikolas vs Anibal Sanchez
Game one started off a bit slow, top of the first the Nats struck out swinging with a lone single by Anthony Rendon. The Cardinals strike out swinging, ground out and fly out during their half of the inning. Second Inning the Nats get things going. Howie Kendrick starts the inning off with a double, Ryan Zimmerman grounds out, Michael Taylor strikes out, Yan Gomes doubles Kendrick scores Nats on top 1-0. Anibal Sanchez grounds out. Then things settle down for a few innings. Top of 7th: Trea Turner lines out, Adam Eaton triples, Rendon intentionally walked. Two men on base. Pitching change Andrew Miller on mound Juan Soto strikes out swinging. Cardinals change pitchers again to John Brebbia, Kendrick singles Eaton scores Rendon to second. Score now 2-0 Nationals. Zimmerman walks bases are loaded. Taylor flies out. Bottom of the 8th pinch-hitter Jose Martinez gets the Cardinals their first and only hit of the game. Anibal Sanchez went 7.2 hit-less innings, Sean Doolittle came in and finished the game. Nationals win 2-0.

WIN: 2-0
SERIES: Nationals lead 1-0

Game 2: Saturday 12 October 2019: Adam Wainwright vs Max Scherzer
Game 2 an amazing Pitching match-up Adam Wianwright vs Max Scherzer. The scoring wouldn't get started until the top of the 3rd Michael A.Taylor hits a lead off homer to put the Nats on top 1-0. The game settled down to basically a pitching duel. The Nats got a couple of hits in the 5th and 6th innings but no runs. The Cardinals got their first hit bottom 7th. Then during the 8th some more action happens. With one out and men on 1st and 2nd  Adam Eaton doubles scoring Matt Adams and Trea Turner Score 3-0 Nationals.Bottom 8th Sean Doolittle comes in to pitch. Cardinals have 2 outs and a runner on first Jose Martinez hits a double scoring is Paul Delong. Score is 3-1 Nationals. Fort the 9th both teams change pitchers and get a 1,2,3 inning. Nationals win 3-1 Wow Nationals take the first two games of the series on the road.

WIN: 3-1
SERIES: Nationals lead 2-0

Game 3: Monday 14 October 2019: Stephen Strasburg vs Jack Flarhety
Series moves to DC Stephen Strasburg starts on the mound. The scoring fun starts bottom of 3rd. Victor Robles gets a lead off single, Stephen Strasburg sacrifices Robles to 2nd, Trea Turner strikes out swinging, Adam Eaton singles Robles scores 1-0 Nats. Anthony "Two Bags" Rendon doubles sending Eaton home score now 2-0. Juan Soto draws a walk, Howie Kendrick up to bat a wild pitch puts Rendon on 3rd and Soto on 2nd, Kendrick doubles Rendon and Soto score 4-0 Nationals. Ryan Zimmerman grounds out to end inning. 4th inning Cardinals make some noise with back to back two out singles but next batter flies out. Bottom 4th Kurt Suzuki singles but only gets as far as 2nd base on a Strasburg sacrifice. Bottom 5th Eaton grounds out, Rendon singles, Soto flies out, Kendrick doubles Rendon Scores 5-0 Nationals. Zimmerman doubles Kendrick scores 6-0 Nationals. Suzuki pops out ends inning. Bottom 6th Robles lead off homer Nats up 7-0. Strike out, ground out and fly out ends inning. 7th inning Cardinals make a little more louder noise, 2 singles a swinging strike out, followed by another single, runners advance bases loaded Jose Martinez scores on Juan Soto throwing error. Score now 7-1 Nats. Cards strike out two more times. Bottom 7th Kendrick doubles with two outs, Zimmerman singles Kendrick scores 8-1 Nationals, a Suzuki strike out ends the inning. A quick 1,2,3 top of the 8th, only a walk in the bottom of the 8th and another 1,2,3 top of the inning (the 9th) ends it. Final score 8-1 Nationals win now lead 3-0.

WIN: 8-1
SERIES: Nationals lead 3-0

Game 4: Tuesday 15 October 2019: Patrick Corbin vs Dakota Hudson. 

First inning Cardinals top of the inning complete strike out. Bottom of the 1st Nationals: Trea Turner lead off single, Adam Eaton doubles Turner to 3rd, Anthony Rendon sack fly Turner scores 1-0 Nationals, Juan Soto doubles Eaton scores 2-0, Howie Kendrick intentionally walked, Ryan Zimmerman reaches 1st on a fielding error Soto to 3rd Kendrick to 2nd bases loaded, Victor Robles singles Soto scores, Kendrick to 3rd Zimmerman to 2nd, score 3-0, Yan Gomes singles Kendrick and Zimmerman score Robles to 2nd, score 5-0, Patrick Corbin sacrifices Robles to 3rd Gomes to 2nd, Turner singles Robles and Gomes score 7-0 Nationals, Eaton lines out ending inning. Top 4th Yadlier Molina gets two out homer score 7-1 Nats. Top of the 5th Cardinals make more noise Lead off walk from Harrison Bader, followed by a Kolten Wong single moving Bader to 3rd. Dexter Fowler walks loading the bases, Tommy Edman grounds out, Bader scores, Wong to 3rd Fowler to 2nd, Score 7-2, Jose Martinez doubles, scoring Wong and Fowler.Score now 7-4 Nats still on top. Cardinals strike out swinging two more times to end inning. Bottom of the 6th baby shark appearance Geraldo Parra pinch hits and singles, no runs scored. Nats get another hit in the 7th the Cardinals hit in the 8th. No more runs scored. Nationals win 7-4 to win and SWEEP the Series.

WIN: 7-4
SERIES: NATIONALS WIN 4-0

The NATIONALS WIN THE NLCS!

We are the NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONS! Nationals WIN FIRST NL PENNANT in team and franchise history! The last time a DC baseball team won a Pennant was 1933 Senators in the American League. They lost the World Series though to the New York Giants.

NLCS MVP: Howie Kendrick

So it is on to THE WORLD SERIES. Next Opponent Houston Astros.