TOPPS CARDS & THE OHTANI OFFER!

A new Topps offer is coming. Check this out from Topps Cards:

"Baseball fans looking to collect the rookie cards of Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani won’t have to wait long. The Topps Company, the exclusive trading card partner of Major League Baseball, is proud to announce it has signed Ohtani to a trading card and long-term autograph deal for the upcoming MLB season.

His first pack-pulled trading card will appear in late spring, just in time for Ohtani to join the Los Angeles Angels in Spring Training. His cards will be featured in Topps® products throughout the year, including cards that will be autographed by the 23-year-old star.

Shizuo Kambayashi/Associated Press

'Getting a deal with Shohei Ohtani was a priority for us because we want the best for our Topps fans,' said David Leiner, Topps Global General Manager, Sports & Entertainment. 'Ohtani is a dynamic two-way player who has gained a lot of attention because of his incredible talent. We are thrilled to offer his trading cards and autographed cards to baseball fans.'

Ohtani was a much sought after player from Japan. While he is known for his pitching – he had 624 strikeouts in 543 career innings in the Japan Pacific League – he is also quite the hitter, which made him a hot commodity this offseason. Over the last two seasons in the JPPL, Ohtani hit .322 with 30 home runs and 98 RBI in 169 games.

Ohtani will have some of the most highly coveted baseball cards and collectibles on the market in 2018, and Topps is the only place where baseball enthusiasts will be able to get his officially licensed MLB trading cards. 'He’s an incredible talent that transcends baseball and we’re exciting for him to join a long list of great baseball players who have Topps rookie cards,' Leiner added."

Nice. I hope I can snag me some Ohtani.

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JUDGE & MONTGOMERY GET THE 'TOPPS' TREATMENT

Get it? Topps? Like Topps Cards? The latest press release from Topps is right here:

"Yankee standouts Aaron Judge and Jordan Montgomery were today named among the 11 MLB players selected to the Topps All-Star Rookie Team.

The right fielder Judge, the presumptive candidate for A.L. Rookie of the Year and a finalist for league MVP, slashed .284/.422/.627 with 52 home runs and 114 RBI in his first full season in the big leagues. The 25-year-old also won the Home Run Derby and was selected to the All-Star Game.
Montgomery, 24, a surprise addition to the rotation out of spring training, pitched to a 9-7 record and 3.88 ERA, starting 29 games and tossing 155 1/3 innings, both third on the squad.

Photo: Getty Images

'This is one of the most impressive Topps MLB All-Star Rookie Team classes I have seen,' said David Leiner, Vice President and General Manager of Topps North American Sports & Entertainment. 'It shows how incredibly popular baseball was this year with its young breakout stars. They join an incredible group of players who have won the Topps Rookie Cup in the past and will have the special logo appear on their Topps trading cards next season.'

For the second year in a row, baseball fans can get special TOPPS NOW® cards of the Topps MLB All-Star Rookie Team immediately with an exclusive set available on Topps.com.

Photo: Getty Images / Rafael Devers

Two other MLB teams had multiple players named to the Topps All-Star Rookie: the Boston Red Sox with outfielder Andrew Benintendi and third baseman Rafael Devers, and the Milwaukee Brewers with catcher Manny Pina and relief pitcher Josh Hader.

The members of the Topps MLB All-Star Rookie Team will have their 2018 flagship trading cards feature a 'Rookie Cup' logo depicting the honor.

Past honorees of the Topps MLB All-Star Rookie Team have included former MVPs such as Buster Posey, Ichiro, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Cal Ripken Jr. In addition, more than 20 former Topps MLB All-Star Rookie Team members have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame including all three 2017 HOF inductees Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan Rodriguez.

Here's the full list of the 2017 Topps All-Star Rookie Team:

C – Manny Pina, Brewers
1B – Cody Bellinger, Dodgers
2B – Ian Happ, Cubs
SS – Paul DeJong, Cardinals
3B – Rafael Devers, Red Sox
OF – Aaron Judge, Yankees
OF – Andrew Benintendi, Red Sox
OF – Trey Mancini, Orioles
RHP – German Marquez, Rockies
LHP – Jordan Montgomery, Yankees
RP – Josh Hader, Brewers"

Pretty cool. Check out all this stuff at Topps.com.

JUDGE'S TOPPS NOW CARD SOLD BETTER THAN EXPECTED!

BYB is not a mouth piece for Topps Cards.  We do however love Topps. And we wrote JUDGE SCORES 7 OF TOP 10 TOPPS NOW CARDS! yesterday, we helped Topps share the following about an offer:

"The latest Judge card is available through 3 p.m. Wednesday RIGHT HERE. CLICK."

Well, since that promotion, this happened...

"Judge 50th Home Run Card Breaks Single-Card Topps NOW Mark At More Than 16,000

Aaron Judge continues breaking records -- and this one isn't even on the field. The Topps NOW card commemorating his 49th and 50th home runs of the season, which was available to fans for 24 hours through Wednesday afternoon, sold 16,138 pieces, the most ever for Topps NOW, the joint venture between Topps and MLB that provides the best images to fans on a daily basis.

The previous high in the two-year history of the program had been Ichiro Suzuki's 3000th MLB hit in 2016 (11,550 cards). Judge's Home Run Derby championship card is third all-time (8997).

The 16K plus cards moves the all-time total sold to nearly 1,000,000, a mark which should be eclipsed before the end of the 2017 season.

Judge's likeness has now been featured on eight of the top 11 Topps NOW cards this year, and on 26 cards total for the season, far more than any other player in 2017."

Judge is a freakin' animal, huh? Congrats to Topps for that.

TOPPS & NEW ERA PARTNER UP

Here's the latest from Topps on a new and exciting project!

"New Era Cap®, the official cap of Major League Baseball®, and The Topps Company, Inc., the exclusive trading card partners of MLB, today launched a cap collection to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the memorable 1987 Topps® wood-grain trading card design and a modern update showcasing new technologies used in the 2017 Topps Chrome® trading cards.

The 9FIFTY® snapback caps, which are available at NewEraCap.com, Topps.com, MLBShop.com, Lids.com, retail locations within select MLB ballparks and a handful of other retailers throughout the U.S. beginning the week of July 31, will feature all 30 MLB teams in both styles and retail for $34.

The New Era MLB 1987 Topps 9FIFTY cap features a team-color crown with the team logo used in the 1987 card design embroidered on the front, a wood-grain applique on the visor and the Topps’ “The Real One!” tagline on the back. The New Era MLB 2017 Topps Chrome 9FIFTY features a team color crown with a LiquidChrome™ team logo on the front, a chrome sublimation print on the visor featuring the team logo in the 2017 Topps card design and a silver snap closure on the back."

'This collaboration between two heritage brands aligned with Major League Baseball allows fans to rekindle their baseball memories from the past while also offering a modern twist to create additional memories for the future,' said Tony DeSimone, Baseball Category Director at New Era Cap. 'Topps has been a great partner in helping us design and produce these caps that will surely resonate with both longtime and newer baseball fans.'

'The New Era caps are a great way to bring many baseball fans back to their childhoods while showcasing the new technologies that Topps has to offer on modern cards,' said Dan Kinton, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Topps. 'Seeing the Topps designs brought to life on New Era caps has been nothing short of amazing. The New Era caps really capture the essence of the card designs.'

The two iconic baseball licensees also announced they are partnering on an exciting 32-card trading card set that will be available exclusively at MLB ballparks when purchasing select Topps and New Era product beginning on Aug. 1. Fans will receive one pack including eight limited-edition cards when purchasing a New Era cap and Topps Team-Card set at any participating MLB ballpark retail location. Fans will receive one card pack per purchased cap and team-card set, while supplies last.

Fans will also be able to collect cap memorabilia cards in select card packs, as New Era and Topps will be offering swatches of player-worn MLB Authentic Collection 59FIFTY® caps in relic cards (numbered to 99) randomly inserted into the card packs. The relic cards include swatches from caps worn by New Era ambassadors Jose Altuve, Dellin Betances, Mookie Betts, Josh Donaldson, Bryce Harper, Rick Porcello, Buster Posey, Kyle Schwarber, Corey Seager, Dansby Swanson and Noah Syndergaard.

National Baseball Card Day celebrates the fun of baseball and card collecting on Aug. 12. Topps, Major League Baseball, and the Major League Baseball Players Association have partnered to make National Baseball Card Day an unforgettable event with hobby shops across North America and all 30 MLB teams taking part in the festivities with in-store promotions and in-stadium giveaways.

We love to celebrate Topps here at BYB and the beginning of the year we made a commitment to helping promote the Topps brand.  It just makes me feel all fuzzy inside.

For more information, go to Topps.com.

CHECKLIST REVEAL FOR TOPPS & SERIES 2

Gotta share the next installment of Topps baseball cards.  Check this out:

"The Topps Baseball flagship brand continues with the release of 2017 Topps Baseball Series 2 on June 14.

The base set consists of cards No. 351-700 featuring stars such as Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, Salvador Perez, Justin Verlander; and Rookie Cards of Mitch Haniger, Hunter Renfroe, Trey Mancini, Amir Garrett, Jorge Alfaro and more.

Series 2 sees the continuation of the Topps Salute insert set that started in 2017 Topps Baseball Series 1.

This year’s Series 2 insert sets include Memorable Moments, Major League Milestones and a look at the greatest All-Star moments with a celebration of MVP Award Winners, HR Derby Champs and All-Time All-Stars.

The 30th anniversary celebration of 1987 Topps sees the inclusion of the All-Star and Rookie designs including retired stars, veterans and the top rookies in baseball.

The MLB Network Collection returns with 10 more on-air personalities and MLB Network shows to collect. The final nine cards of the collection will appear in 2017 Topps Update Baseball, which comes out in October.

Take a look at the full checklist for 2017 Topps Baseball Series here."

$99 Sale at SteinerSports.com! Up to 68% OFF sports and entertainment signed memorabilia, no code needed, ends 6/11/17.

A GREAT NEW TOPPS CARDS ADDITION!

Hey gang,

As you know, we promised to share some of the great Topps Cards offers for all of our Bleeding Yankee Blue audience this season. It's exciting. After all, I have been collecting cards since I was a kid. 

I even wrote a story about Topps a while back when Topps Founder, Sy Berger passed away.  Read BECAUSE OF SY BERGER & TOPPS, I'LL ALWAYS BE A KID.

Anyway, I wanted to share the latest from Topps.  Check it out:

"Cubs rookie Ian Happ is the 2017 Bowman Baseball Lucky Autograph Redemption.

In 20 games with the Cubs, Happ has four home runs, giving Chicago versatility in the outfield and infield. In Sunday’s game, Happ hit two home runs out of the leadoff spot, becoming the youngest Cubs leadoff hitter to do so since 1958.

The 22-year-old is ranked No. 21 by MLB Pipeline, no. 55 by Baseball America, and the second-ranked prospect in Chicago’s system.

Pick up packs of 2017 Bowman Baseball to find your Lucky Autograph Redemption. "

Enjoy this! Man, I love Topps Cards!

TOPPS EXCLUSIVE: JETER #2 RETIREMENT CARDS!

Quick note about an incredible deal.  Topps let me know about their latest release!

I just received this note from Topps Cards:

"Derek Jeter Yankees Topps Now cards are live! We made two base cards for the ceremony last night."

If you are interested in buying these cards, don't be shy, you can do it by clicking HERE.
Shop Away!

Nice offer. I love helping out Topps!

TOPPS CARD COMPANY: INCEPTION BASEBALL

Topps Cards has another great collection that is about to hit shelves.  I wanted to share the latest press release with the Bleeding Yankee Blue audience and once again thanks Topps for allowing us to do this:

"Topps Inception Baseball hits shelves on May 19 with dynamic cards featuring a slew of autographs and player-worn relics.

 Inception Baseball was born out of the previously popular Topps and Bowman products that featured stars on the rise – and Inception Baseball is no different. Aaron Judge, Andrew Benintendi and other top rookies are featured in this stunning set.

SEE THE FULL CHECKLIST HERE

 Check out the gallery of images for the upcoming Topps Inception Baseball."

I hope I can snag that Judge one!

$500 OFF Framed Derek Jeter Signed Yankees Home Jersey with Career Moments Images and 5 World Series Patches! Use code JETER500 at SteinerSports.com to save through 5/15 midnight.

TOPPS & THE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC!

And now a word from Topps on an exciting offer:

"The Topps Company, the exclusive trading card partner of Major League Baseball, and the World Baseball Classic™ are teaming to bring baseball fans exclusive, tantalizing Topps Now™ cards starting today.

The World Baseball Classic tournament is a perfect avenue for this exciting program, as Topps Now, the revolutionary on-demand trading card program, captures amazing moments for baseball fans to collect as they happen, which are offered exclusively on Topps.com.

The first Topps Now cards of the tournament include three cards of Israel’s 2-1 extra-inning win over Korea.

Topps Card: Scott Burcham

For the first time, Topps Now will be offered in Spanish for cards that highlight players from predominantly Spanish-speaking countries. Topps has offered cards in Spanish dating back to the 1960s and as recently as 2011, which commemorated the original Topps Venezuelan sets.

“We’re excited for the progression of the Topps Now program and bringing these cards to a wider audience of baseball fans,” said David Leiner, General Manager and Vice President of North American Sports and Entertainment Division at Topps. “This program has been a lot of fun since its inception to see what great moments and milestones we can capture on cards. The World Baseball Classic is a natural fit because it offers great plays from international stars, and there are also players whose cards you might not be able to get anywhere else.”

Topps Card: Josh Zeid

The World Baseball Classic Topps Now program will offer daily cards of the top highlights as they happen for just a 24-hour window. Once the window closes, the cards will no longer be available on Topps.com. Team sets will be created once the quarterfinal round begins with a bonus card offered for each team as they progress through the bracket, similar to what Topps created for the Major League Baseball Postseason team sets.

Topps will also capture game-used items to be used in cards such as game bases, baseballs, jerseys and more.

Visit Topps.com daily to see the daily World Baseball Classic card offerings from Topps Now."

TOPPS CARDS: ULTIMATE CARD GIVEAWAY!

And now a word from Topps Cards about a great offer this season!

The latest from Topps:

"Baseball season is back, and it begins with the launch of 2017 Topps® Baseball Series 1. Every year since 1952, The Topps Company, the exclusive trading card partner of Major League Baseball, has released its annual baseball card set that includes fan favorites, superstars, up-and-coming rookies and the recent addition of popular First Pitch™ inserts.

Today, baseball fans around the world can start ripping packs and collecting cards of amazing moments, rookies and superstars. As announced last week, Chicago Cubs third baseman and 2016 NL MVP Kris Bryant was voted by fans to be on Card No. 1 for 2017 Topps Baseball.

Bryant joins a long list of great players who have been represented on the first Topps card of the year from Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams to Mike Piazza and Derek Jeter. Also included in the series are special cards depicting on-air personalities from the MLB Network, including Hall of Famer John Smoltz, hosts Greg Amsinger and Lauren Shehadi, and former players Harold Reynolds, Sean Casey and more.

The first 10 cards of this 29-card set will appear in 2017 Topps Baseball Series 1 and the rest within the June release of 2017 Topps Baseball Series 2 and the October release of 2017 Topps Baseball Update.

Additionally, Topps is giving away two million cards in The Ultimate Card Giveaway, giving baseball fans a chance to find original Topps cards from throughout its 66-year history. There will also be opportunities to win great prizes including Topps Now™ and Topps BUNT® cards as part of The Ultimate Card Giveaway.

'Topps Baseball Series 1 is the official launch of the baseball season and a part of Americana as generations of fans eagerly await the annual baseball card release,' said David Leiner, General Manager and Vice President of the North American Sports & Entertainment Division at Topps. 'Each year, Topps Baseball includes the best players and must-have rookie cards. Collecting cards is the perfect hobby to enjoy with friends and family, and we are proud to keep that tradition alive.'

Photo: Getty Images

Much of what makes baseball and Topps cards great is celebrating what happens on the field. This year’s annual release looks at memorable moments and milestones including Jackie Robinson Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorial Day, and special throwback nights showcasing Clubs’ classic uniforms. Topps is also honoring MLB’s award winners from 2016 with special cards made for the AL and NL Most Valuable Players, Rookies of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year, among others.

Topps’s popular First Pitch™ insert cards also return, depicting newsworthy moments of celebrities throwing out first pitches prior to games. The set’s popularity has grown since its inception two years ago.

'As the game has evolved so has our product offering,' said Clay Luraschi, Topps Vice President of Product Development. 'This year’s release features a modern design and includes players’ social media information on the backs of cards, all while celebrating the rich history of Topps and Major League Baseball.'

Opening a pack of cards brings joy to long-time and new collectors alike. Parents and grandparents can share the thrill and excitement of a lifelong hobby with younger family members. They can also teach them about Topps’ history with special cards dedicated to 1987 Topps, featuring the memorable wood-grain design that can be found in the new packs. Topps Baseball blends its rich heritage of traditional cards with new technologies including Topps NOW, on-demand trading cards, and digital cards from Topps BUNT®, which can also be found in the BUNT app.

The celebration doesn’t end there. With The Ultimate Card Giveaway, Topps is randomly inserting two million original Topps cards into packs beginning with 2017 Topps Baseball Series 1. Fans can find cards from The Ultimate Card Giveaway throughout the year in other products, including Topps Baseball® Series 2, Topps Baseball® Update, Topps Heritage® Baseball, Topps Allen & Ginter® Baseball and Bowman® Baseball.

The Ultimate Card Giveaway includes a great blend of new and vintage cards, giving collectors a taste what Topps has offered throughout its 66 years of creating baseball cards. Many of the cards will include a special foil stamp to celebrate the joy of rediscovering Topps Baseball, from fabulous memories of the past to the game’s greatest moments as they happen.

You can also find rookie cards of the newest rising stars, including 2015 No. 1 Draft pick Dansby Swanson, 2015 No. 2 Draft pick Alex Bregman, international star Yoan Moncada, and New York Yankees standout Aaron Judge. Don’t miss out on the thrill of opening new packs of 2017 Topps Baseball Series 1 starting Feb. 1.

Celebrities and newsworthy moments depicted on the First Pitch collection insert set:

Judd Apatow

Deshauna Barber

Stephen Colbert

Luis Coronel

Brett Eldredge

Lou Ferrigno

John Goodman

Joan Jett

Leslie Jordan

Victoria Justice

Jon Lovitz

Bethanie Mattek-Sands

Keegan-Michael Key

Chris Lane

Joe Mantegna

Mase

Bob Odenkirk

Jeremy Piven

William Shatner

Paul Wall"

Be sure to check out Topps at their website: TOPPS.COM.

TALKING TOPPS: A NEW SERIES

I am happy to present a new series at Bleeding Yankee Blue. In coordination with Topps Card Company, whenever they send us new info on new baseball cards, we'll post the story about it here.

This makes me very happy considering I have been such an avid card collector all my life and so, it's an honor to do this with Topps.  

We'll do this from time to time. We begin today.  Enjoy this, I know I will!

-Casey

Courtesy: Topps / Tyler Austin

From Topps:

"Every time baseball fans open a pack of cards, they search for the rookie cards.

Historically, these have been the most popular cards during a player’s career – and none are more exciting than their Topps rookie card. Topps has been creating an annual release of baseball cards since 1952 (with 1951 meant for playing a game) and have made rookie cards for so many amazing players including Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Eddie Mathews, Nolan Ryan, Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax, Ken Griffey Jr., Reggie Jackson, Dave Winfield, Derek Jeter, Mike Trout, Kris Bryant and so many more.

This year’s cards installment of Topps Baseball Series 1 has an impressive group of youngsters who get their rookie cards starting with 2017 Topps Baseball Series 1, which comes out on Feb. 1. The group of 30 players getting rookie cards in the first release of 2017 feature recent first-round draft picks, international stars and future stand outs.

Courtesy: Topps

Some of the bigger rookie cards in the set include Dansby Swanson (2015 No. 1 Draft Pick), Yoan Moncada (Cuban star), Alex Bregman (2015 No. 2 Draft Pick), Aaron Judge (2013 first-round pick), Andrew Benintendi (2015 first-round pick), and David Dahl (2012 first-round pick).

Courtesy: Topps

Of course, that doesn’t mean you can sleep on the other rookies. You just never know when a youngster is going to break out and become a huge star.

Players who were traded in the offseason (see: Moncada) are featured on a card with their original team. Rookie cards with their new teams will be in 2017 Topps Update Series Baseball, which comes out in October.

Click here to see the full list of rookies in 2017 Topps Baseball Series 1. "

Go to Topps.com for more.