Sunday, December 14, 2008
Card Of The Week December 14
Since there's been a bunch of stuff in the news lately about this, I thought I'd show this card of Ayumi Kataoka (2007 BBM 2nd Version #737). Kataoka is an infielder for the Ibraki Golden Golds, who I think are some sort of semi-pro celebrity team (I'm looking forward to the next installments of Deanna Rubin's very informative primer on all levels of Japanese baseball and hoping that she'll explain what this team really is). Regardless of the level of baseball, it appears that Kataoka is the only other female player in professional baseball in Japan. (As always, please correct me if I'm wrong.)
Monday, December 8, 2008
Nippon Series and Eric Schullstrom
Two quick items:
- BBM has announced this year's Nippon Series set. The 60 card box set apparently was released last Saturday (12/6) but only appeared on their website today. As is the case with all the Nippon Series sets, the set contains 52 cards for the players who actually played in the series, cards for each team's manager, three cards for the "Outstanding Player" award winners, one card each for the "Fighting Spirit" and "Series MVP" award winners and a card for the champion Lions. I like the look of the cards this year, especially compared to this year's All Star set.
- NPB Tracker has posted an interesting interview with former Nippon Ham and Hiroshima pitcher Eric Schullstrom who is currently a scout for the Carp. This gives me an excuse to show a card of Schullstrom:
2001 BBM #123
- BBM has announced this year's Nippon Series set. The 60 card box set apparently was released last Saturday (12/6) but only appeared on their website today. As is the case with all the Nippon Series sets, the set contains 52 cards for the players who actually played in the series, cards for each team's manager, three cards for the "Outstanding Player" award winners, one card each for the "Fighting Spirit" and "Series MVP" award winners and a card for the champion Lions. I like the look of the cards this year, especially compared to this year's All Star set.
- NPB Tracker has posted an interesting interview with former Nippon Ham and Hiroshima pitcher Eric Schullstrom who is currently a scout for the Carp. This gives me an excuse to show a card of Schullstrom:
2001 BBM #123
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Everything you ever wanted to know about Korean baseball cards
To put the title more accurately, this post is really everything that I know about Korean baseball cards.
After reading the recent news that former Doosan Bears pitcher Lee Hei Chun had joined the Swallows, I thought it'd be good to write a little something about Korean baseball cards. From what I can tell, there haven't been a lot of baseball cards for the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO). The KBO started in the early 1980's, so obviously there's not a huge stretch of history to be wondering about. My biggest reference on this (other than just what I've seen out there) is Rob Fitts' Korean baseball card page.
So anyway, as far as I know, Korean baseball cards were limited to team issued sets - kind of like American minor league sets until 1999. That year, Teleca issued the first "American style" set - a 232 card set sold in packs (with various insert cards including autographed cards). They also issued a 100 card high end set called "Premium" and a 23 card All Star set (that I assume was sold in a box like the BBM All Star sets, but I don't know that for sure). The packs of the Premium set were interesting as they were little boxes rather than the traditional packs. The following year (2000), Teleca issued another 200+ card pack-based set, although I have no knowledge of them doing either a Premium or All Star set. After that, it does not appear that anyone has issued any Korean cards. Rob has nothing later than the 2000 cards on his website, and I've never seen anything else on Ebay (at least nothing I could date).
So, in a nutshell, other than some team issued sets, the only serious Korean baseball cards were produced by Teleca in 1999 and 2000. If anyone has more information than this, please let me know.
I like the two "regular" sets a lot. The 1999 cards have no borders and the 2000 cards only have a border on the bottom, so I find them very attractive, even if I have no idea who 95% of the guys are. The Premium set...not so much. They're silvery with no backgrounds to the pictures, kind of like Diamond Heroes or Topps Finest. They just aren't my cup of tea.
Here's some sample cards. First, from the 1999 regular set, the aforementioned Lee Hei Chun (#11) and Lee Seung Yeop (#80):
From the 1999 Premium set, Felix Jose (#47) and Koo Dae Sung (#75):
From the 2000 set, Kim Min Jae (#41) and Charles "Bubba" Smith (#71).
Bubba Smith is a legend in minor league baseball and it was because of him that I ended up getting some Korean cards in the first place.
After reading the recent news that former Doosan Bears pitcher Lee Hei Chun had joined the Swallows, I thought it'd be good to write a little something about Korean baseball cards. From what I can tell, there haven't been a lot of baseball cards for the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO). The KBO started in the early 1980's, so obviously there's not a huge stretch of history to be wondering about. My biggest reference on this (other than just what I've seen out there) is Rob Fitts' Korean baseball card page.
So anyway, as far as I know, Korean baseball cards were limited to team issued sets - kind of like American minor league sets until 1999. That year, Teleca issued the first "American style" set - a 232 card set sold in packs (with various insert cards including autographed cards). They also issued a 100 card high end set called "Premium" and a 23 card All Star set (that I assume was sold in a box like the BBM All Star sets, but I don't know that for sure). The packs of the Premium set were interesting as they were little boxes rather than the traditional packs. The following year (2000), Teleca issued another 200+ card pack-based set, although I have no knowledge of them doing either a Premium or All Star set. After that, it does not appear that anyone has issued any Korean cards. Rob has nothing later than the 2000 cards on his website, and I've never seen anything else on Ebay (at least nothing I could date).
So, in a nutshell, other than some team issued sets, the only serious Korean baseball cards were produced by Teleca in 1999 and 2000. If anyone has more information than this, please let me know.
I like the two "regular" sets a lot. The 1999 cards have no borders and the 2000 cards only have a border on the bottom, so I find them very attractive, even if I have no idea who 95% of the guys are. The Premium set...not so much. They're silvery with no backgrounds to the pictures, kind of like Diamond Heroes or Topps Finest. They just aren't my cup of tea.
Here's some sample cards. First, from the 1999 regular set, the aforementioned Lee Hei Chun (#11) and Lee Seung Yeop (#80):
From the 1999 Premium set, Felix Jose (#47) and Koo Dae Sung (#75):
From the 2000 set, Kim Min Jae (#41) and Charles "Bubba" Smith (#71).
Bubba Smith is a legend in minor league baseball and it was because of him that I ended up getting some Korean cards in the first place.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Goodbye Hiroshima Shimin Kyujo
New BBM set announced today: a commemorative box set for Hiroshima Municipal Stadium. The set features 46 cards - 3 "history cards", 6 "victory cards", 18 OB Carp players and 18 2008 Carp players plus one parallel/photo/autographed/memorabilia card. Suggested retail price in 4200 yen (~$45).
Update - I forgot to mention that it will be in stores on December 11th.
Update - I forgot to mention that it will be in stores on December 11th.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
A Prediction
See this card?
This is a 1989 "Big League Starz" card of Cecil Fielder. There were cards of Fielder in the 1989 Calbee, Takara and Lotte sets (as well as a rumored card in the 1990 Lotte set). Those cards were all licensed by NPB and (I assume) the Japanese Pro Baseball Players Association (JPBPA). The "Big League Starz" card was not. Someone printed up the cards in 1990 and sold them wherever they could, probably to people who didn't know (or really care) any better.
I picked the card up on eBay for next to nothing (and I knew at the time it was unlicensed). I have noticed every year since Ichiro came over that there have been cards on eBay for the new Japanese players that I've never seen before. Cards like this one of Akinori Iwamura:
Now, I don't understand all the legal stuff that goes on with licensing and baseball cards, but I strongly suspect that cards like this are unlicensed.
So anyway the big news right now is that Junichi Tazawa is officially signing with the Red Sox tomorrow. As far as I know, there are no baseball cards that exist of Tazawa. I do not believe that his industrial league team has any baseball cards. But I predict that before spring training, someone will be selling a baseball card of Tazawa on eBay. It'll say "Future Star" or something like that on it or possibly the seller will claim it's a Japanese card of Tazawa. But it'll be unlicensed and essentially worthless.
This is a 1989 "Big League Starz" card of Cecil Fielder. There were cards of Fielder in the 1989 Calbee, Takara and Lotte sets (as well as a rumored card in the 1990 Lotte set). Those cards were all licensed by NPB and (I assume) the Japanese Pro Baseball Players Association (JPBPA). The "Big League Starz" card was not. Someone printed up the cards in 1990 and sold them wherever they could, probably to people who didn't know (or really care) any better.
I picked the card up on eBay for next to nothing (and I knew at the time it was unlicensed). I have noticed every year since Ichiro came over that there have been cards on eBay for the new Japanese players that I've never seen before. Cards like this one of Akinori Iwamura:
Now, I don't understand all the legal stuff that goes on with licensing and baseball cards, but I strongly suspect that cards like this are unlicensed.
So anyway the big news right now is that Junichi Tazawa is officially signing with the Red Sox tomorrow. As far as I know, there are no baseball cards that exist of Tazawa. I do not believe that his industrial league team has any baseball cards. But I predict that before spring training, someone will be selling a baseball card of Tazawa on eBay. It'll say "Future Star" or something like that on it or possibly the seller will claim it's a Japanese card of Tazawa. But it'll be unlicensed and essentially worthless.
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