#46 Miguel Cabrera - Detroit Tigers

Player: Miguel Cabrera (Baseball Reference) (Wikipedia)

Card Number: 46 (Trading Card Database)

Team: Detroit Tigers

Division: American League Central

Position: 1B

Jersey Number: 24
RC/Future Stars/Topps Rookie Cup: No

DETROIT, MI - JUNE 2: Miguel Cabrera #24 of the Detroit Tigers watches his fly ball against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park on June 2, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)

Game Date: June 2, 2017

Opponent: Chicago White Sox
Stadium: Comerica Park
Home/Away: Home
Game Outcome: Tigers 15, White Sox 5
Win/Loss: Win
Player Game Line: 3-3, 1SF, 1 R, 4 RBI, 2 Doubles
Photographer: Duane Burleson (Website)
New Team/Photoshopped?: No

Birthdate: April 18, 1983

Birthplace: Maracay, Venezuela

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

MLB Service Years: 15

Social Media Handles: (Twitter) (Instagram)

This is Cabrera's 14th year in Opening Day. He has been in every set since 2004 (there was no set in 2009).

Cabrera has had short printed photo variations in 2014, 2017 and this year.

Topps used the same base photo for Cabrera's cards in Series 1 and the Factory Team set, but he also had a short print variation in Series 1.

Something I learned because of this card: Cabrera might have the most base cards in Opening Day history. He certainly has a long consecutive strak going. I look forward to finding the answer to this as the season goes on and I can evaluate each set. 

Supplemental Sunday - 1998 Opening Day Page 1

Some of the data I'm analyzing is collected straight from the cards while other stuff I have to go digging around for as I write each post. So to help fill the Sunday slot for posts while I compile, I've decided to make this blog an all-encompassing tribute to the Topps Opening Day brand. As this is the 20th edition of the set (debuted in 1998, but Topps skipped 2009), I will supplement the Sunday Stats with a binder page set from the original set. If I decide to continue the blog with next year's set, I will also move on to the 1999 set and so on.

The 1998 set was a bit smaller than this year's 200-card set. It contains 165 cards and no inserts. Similar to the current edition, the cards seem to generally be the same as the flagship set (I haven't compared every card).

According to the Trading Card Database page for this set, there are 24 Hall of Famers. However, due to the way they code their site, there are actually 23 MLB Hall of Famers and one NFL Hall of Famer.

This first page is a pretty impressive one in terms of a who's who in 1998.

Tony Gwynn is a Hall of Famer with a batting title award named after him. He was a 15x All-Star, 8x Batting champ, 7x Silver Slugger and 5x Gold Glover.

Larry Walker was the reigning MVP (1997), 5x All-Star, 7 Gold Gloves, 3 Silver Sluggers and 3 batting titles.

Billy Wagner was 7x All-Star and Rolaids Relief award winner. Not to mention a snazzy photo of him with a fire extinguisher.

Denny Neagle was a 2x All-Star and a 20-game winner in 1997.

Vladimir Guerrero is one of the newest Hall of Famers and was the 2004 NL MVP, 9x All-Star and 8x Silver Slugger.

Kevin Brown won 21 games for the Rangers in 1992, was a 6x All-Star and twice led the NL in ERA. He was on the World Champion Florida Marlins in 1997 despite him going 0-2 with an 8.18 ERA in the series.

Mariano Rivera will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2019. The career Saves leader, Rivera was a 13x All-Star, 5x World Champion, World Series MVP, All-Star Game MVP, ALCS MVP and 5x Rolaids Relief award winner.

Tony Clark played for 6 teams over 15 seasons and was an All-Star in 2001. In 2013, Clark was elected the Executive Director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, the first former player to hold the position.

Wrapping up the page is NFL Hall of Famer Leon Sandcastle Deion Sanders. He was an 8x Pro Bowler but never made an MLB All-Star team. He is the only player to have appeared in both the Super Bowl and World Series.

Definitely not too shabby of a page!

Opening Day Stars #ODS-BD Brian Dozier - Minnesota Twins



Player: Brian Dozier (Baseball Reference) (Wikipedia)

Card Number: ODS-BD (Trading Card Database)

Team: Minnesota Twins

MINNEAPOLIS, MN- AUGUST 17: Brian Dozier #2 of the Minnesota Twins bats against the Cleveland Indians on August 17, 2017 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Indians defeated the Twins 9-3. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)

Game Date: August 17, 2017

Opponent: Cleveland Indians
Stadium: Target Field
Home/Away: Home
Game Outcome: Indians 9, Twins 3
Win/Loss: Loss
Player Game Line: 0-4, 1 BB, 2 Ks
Photographer: Brace Hemmerlgarn (Personal Website) (Twitter) (Instagram)
New Team/Photoshopped?: No

Dozier was left out of the base set this year after having appeared in 2014, 2015 and 2017.

Opening Day #OD-CI Cleveland Indians

Host Team: Cleveland Indians

Card Number: ODB-CI (Trading Card Database)

Division: American League Central

CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 11: General stadium shot of Progressive field during the Cleveland Indians home opening game against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field on April 11, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Indians defeated the White Sox 2-1 in the 10th inning. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Photo Date: April 11, 2017

Actual Opening Day or Home Opener: Home Opener

Stadium: Progressive Field

Opponent: Chicago White Sox

Game Outcome: Indians 2, White Sox 1 (F/10)

Photographer: Jason Miller

#9 Jake Lamb - Arizona Diamondbacks



Player: Jake Lamb (Baseball Reference) (Wikipedia)

Card Number: 9 (Trading Card Database)

Team: Arizona Diamondbacks

Division: National League West

Position: 3B

Jersey Number: 22
RC/Future Stars/Topps Rookie Cup: No

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 03: Jake Lamb #22 of the Arizona Diamondbacks reacts after striking out in the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on May 3, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Game Date: May 3, 2017

Opponent: Washington Nationals
Stadium: Nationals Park
Home/Away: Away
Game Outcome: Nationals 2, Diamondbacks 1
Win/Loss: Loss
Player Game Line: 0-2, 2 BBs, 1 K
Photographer: Greg Fiume (More Getty Images)
New Team/Photoshopped?: No

Birthdate: October 9, 1990

Birthplace: Seattle, WA

Bats: Leftt

Throws: Right

MLB Service Years: 4

Social Media Handles: (Twitter) (Instagram)

This is Lamb's third year as part of the Opening Day set. His rookie card appeard in 2015, was skipped in 2016 and came back in the 2017 set.

The same photo was used for both Series 1 and the Diamondbacks Factory Team set. However, he did have a batting practice photo variation in Series 1.

Something I learned because of this card: Third base in the National League is loaded as evidenced by the three of the five candidates for the final spot on the 2017 National League All-Star team manning the hot corner. Jake Lamb bypassed that by already being the backup. And he wasn't even the token Dbacks representative as they had three other players selected.

#189 Steven Souza Jr. - Tampa Bay Rays



Player: Steven Souza Jr. (Baseball Reference) (Wikipedia)

Card Number: 189 (Trading Card Database)

Team: Tampa Bay Rays

Division: American League East

Position: OF

Jersey Number: 20
RC/Future Stars/Topps Rookie Cup: No

BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 22: Steven Souza Jr. #20 of the Tampa Bay Rays catches a fly ball during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 22, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Rays won 8-3. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Game Date: September 22, 2017

Opponent: Baltimore Orioles
Stadium: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Home/Away: Away
Game Outcome: Rays 8, Orioles 3
Win/Loss: Win
Player Game Line: 1-5, 2 Runs, 2Ks
Photographer: Mitchell Layton (Website)
New Team/Photoshopped?: No

Birthdate: April 24, 1989

Birthplace: Everett, WA

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

MLB Service Years: 4

Social Media Handles: (Twitter)

This is Souza's first year as part of the Opening Day brand.

Though he was featured in some of the insert sets in the Series 1 set, Souza did not have a base card. This may have been a Series 2 preview, however, just prior to the release of this set, Souza was part of a three-team trade that landed him with the Diamondbacks. His card may be pushed back to Update or for all I know, Topps could feature this card anyway. He is currently on the disabled list and has yet to debut with his new team.

Something I learned because of this card: Nothing really. Souza is one of my unofficial PC guys because he played for my local minor league team, the Potomac Nationals, the high-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. I lost track of him a bit after he left the Nationals organization, but still put his cards aside if I pull them.

He'll probably be best remembered among Nats fan as saving Jordan Zimmermann's no-hitter on the last day of the 2014 season. It would turn out to be his last play with the Nats as he was traded to the Rays in the offseason.

#86 Wil Myers - San Diego Padres

Player: Wil Myers (Baseball Reference) (Wikipedia)

Card Number: 86 (Trading Card Database)

Team: San Diego Padres

Division: National League West

Position: 1B

Jersey Number: 4
RC/Future Stars/Topps Rookie Cup: No

CLEVELAND, OH - JULY 05: Cleveland Indians left fielder Michael Brantley (23) beats the throw to San Diego Padres first baseman Wil Myers (4) for an infield single during the fifth inning of the Major League Baseball Interleague game between the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Indians on July 5, 2017, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Game Date: July 5, 2017

Opponent: Cleveland Indians
Stadium: Progressive Field
Home/Away: Away
Game Outcome: Padres 6, Indians 2
Win/Loss: Win
Player Game Line: 1-5, 1 2B, 1 Run, 2 Ks
Photographer: Frank Jansky (Website) (Twitter)
New Team/Photoshopped?: No

Birthdate: December 10, 1990

Birthplace: Thomasville, NC

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

MLB Service Years: 5

Social Media Handles: (Twitter) (Instagram)

This is Myers' fourth year in the Opening Day set and fifth card overall as he doubled up with a short print photo variation in 2016.

The same photo was used for both the Series 1 and Padres Factory Team Set card, but he did have one of the workout/batting practice short print variations in Series 1 as well.

Something I learned because of this card: My American League knowledge is straight up so bad that I forgot he was the 2013 AL Rookie of the Year. That's one of the reasons I like doing this blog and giving each card some individual attention. I was also reminded that he hit for the cycle in April of 2017. I would have thought he'd have more All-Star selections under his belt, but first base is stacked in the National League .