One year ago, Citi Field hosted Major League Baseball’s All-Star festivities. You might remember seeing the All-Star apple that was on display outside the ballpark, or the New York Mets apple outside SNY’s Manhattan studio.
Those artifacts now reside in an out-of-the-way corner of Citi Field’s Bullpen Plaza, along with the giant All-Star Game sign that used to hang in the outfield stands.
Congratulations to Trenton Thunder players Matt Tracy, Ben Gamel, Peter O’Brien and Gary Sanchez who were selected for the Eastern League All-Star Game on Monday. The Altoona Curve will host the game on Wednesday, July 16, at Peoples Natural Gas Field in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
I picked up the 2014 Trenton Thunder baseball card team set last week when I went to see the Portland Sea Dogs play the Thunder.
Several of the New York Yankees’ top prospects are included in the 36-card set, including Sanchez, Mason Williams, Slade Heathcott, Tyler Austin, Manny Banuelos, Bryan Mitchell, and O’Brien. You also get a card featuring Trenton Thunder mascots Boomer, Derby and Rookie, and a tribute card for the team’s original bat dog, Chase, who died last year.
The cards again feature action photos with the original background removed and replaced with a generic gray background featuring the Thunder logo. While this is a very striking look the first time you see it, the concept gets a bit tired after using it for several years in a row. How about a more traditional design next year, guys?
Congratulations to Daniel Murphy, who will represent the New York Mets at the 2014 All-Star Game.
A first-time All-Star, Murphy is tied for second in the National League with 106 hits, two behind league leader Casey McGehee of the Miami Marlins. He is hitting .294 with seven home runs, 35 RBI and 11 stolen bases.
Murphy is one of three second basemen on the National League roster, joining starter Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies and fellow reserve Dee Gordon of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Major League Baseball provided the first update on 2014 American League and National League All-Star voting this week. David Wright trails Colorado’s Nolan Arenado and Milwaukee’s Aramis Ramirez at third base, but he’s the only Met who’s in the top five at his position.
In 2006, circumstances were very different – the Mets had six representatives on the All-Star team, including three members of the starting lineup. So baseball cards commemorating that All-Star Game have much greater potential to be interesting to a Mets fan than any for this year’s contest.
Topps produced a series of 12 All-Star insert cards that were included in 22-card Series One rack packs in 2007. Some of these packs recently resurfaced at select WalMart stores for the discounted price of 98 cents. Night Owl was kind enough to send me seven of the All-Star cards, including Carlos Beltran, one of two Mets players on the checklist.
I don’t remember seeing these cards before, but it has been seven years. Then again, I’m sure I would have made some kind of effort to collect the set. The bright, cartoon background reminds me of the spirit of the early 1990s oddball cards that I still love. Continue reading “Collecting some All-Stars, 7 years later”
The Brooklyn Cyclones will host the 10th Annual New York-Penn League All-Star Game on Tuesday, August 19th, team and league officials announced today.
“We are excited that the NYPL All-Star Game is coming back to Brooklyn,” Cyclones Vice President Steve Cohen said in a press release. “It’s been almost 10 years since we hosted the game, and we are excited for the opportunity to show the fans, players, and executives from around the league the transformation that Coney Island has undergone.”
The team also unveiled the uniform designs that the All-Star players will be wearing. In a nod to the 75th anniversary of the New York-Penn League, the All-Star jersey will include the names of every NYPL player who went on to the major leagues.
People who buy full or partial Brooklyn Cyclones season ticket plans will be guaranteed tickets to the All-Star Game. Individual tickets will be placed on sale in April. For more information, visit BrooklynCyclones.com.
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