Nonsense Newsletter No. 173: Horizontal Gems, the MLB's top rookies and nostalgic vibes!
Yo! Happy Friday Nonsense Newsletter fans! Welcome to yet another incredible edition of the only sports card newsletter that matters! This week, special guest Sean Ulman talks things that are horizontal! John Dudley chimes in on the MLB’s top rookies of the last five years, and I ramble on about the nostalgia of trading cards. I know, sounds amazing doesn’t it? Oh, and the Quick Hits section is dope, too! So, you know how this goes after 173 editions — sit back and enjoy the heck out of another amazing edition of the Nonsense Newsletter.
By John Dudley
Is 2024 the best MLB rookie class since the storied 2018 class? That question is asked frequently and sparks a lot of debate. In order to answer it myself, I decided to rank the top rookies of the last five years to see how the classes stack up.
This first part focuses on 41-21. I wound up with 41 as I skipped a player initially and couldn’t bring myself to bump a Braves player off the list. Next week will be the top 20, and a look at how the different years stack up.
By Sean Ulman
I'm still thinking about horizontal cards. How classic they are. How different.
What if this sideways format was the norm?
Are there any Pokemon cards laid out the long way? I doubt it, but what an opportunity. Same goes for Magic the Gathering. Just imagine panorama'd mana.
I wonder why these classic gaming cards as well as modern sports cards, for the most part, ignore the innovative opportunity to go horizontal.
I picked up a Blaster box of 2024-25 Donruss basketball last weekend. The Rated Rookie stamp always gets me. Plus I've yet to pull a Victor Wembanyama card from a pack. If there was ever a fit for a broadside it'd be the Vic-ster at full wingspan.
I was drawn to cards in this set that featured straight-down angles on rim attackers. Base issues of Andrew Nembhard and Scoot Henderson isolated in the paint amidst snow flurries were my two favorites out of 90.
By John McTaggart
Lately, I’ve been feeling quite nostalgic and often find myself drifting back to times gone by whenever I hear a song or stumble upon a television show that was from a different era.
The majority of my life I have been a part of this hobby in some way or another. And unlike many folks out there who collected cards as a kid then moved on from the hobby — I never really stopped.
From that first pack of 1979 Topps baseball to the box of 2024-25 Skybox Metal Hockey I opened this morning — trading cards have marked the passage of time in my life.
I literally equate eras in life for me with cards.
Quick Hits
Hobby News- Topps has Series 2 is up for pre-orders. The set is supposed to have the traditional Black parallels for both Series 1 and 2 that were omitted from Series 1. My favorite new addition are going to be the All Kings insert set, which looks to be a hitters version of the wonderfully popular All Aces set. Series 2 almost always has the weakest checklist of the Flagship offerings, and this year looks no different. As in years past, Topps will beef up the product with some RC SPs. This year’s subjects are Kristian Campbell, Matt Shaw, and Cam Smith.
Vintage- I’ll admit, vintage football is not my Kung Fu, and likely won’t be anytime soon. That said, there are those out there who dig it, and that’s cool. If you are one of these folks, then you need to check out this article for some super-cool info on some super-cool vintage sets.
Hobby News- Pat McAfee doing a backlip off the top rope in a WWE match is not something I thought would happen, or would end up on a Topps Now card, but here we are. Topps Now has been bringing the variety recently. While the McAfee will surely sell well (still time to order if you hurry and get this in the morning), it will surely fall short of the Topps Now card everyone is talking about: the first American Pope. In addition to being the first American pope, Pope Leo XIV knocked off Dr. Anthony Fauci for the highest print run Topps Now card of a news figure. Sales were aided in part by the “white smoke” parallels which are absolutely over-the-top nonsense… I want one.
The Sports Card Nonsense newsletters reflect the opinions of only the authors and contributors. They are for informational purposes only and are not a recommendation for purchases or of an investment strategy or to buy or sell any assets.