#63 Jonathan Villar - Milwaukee Brewers

Player: Jonathan Villar (Baseball Reference) (Wikipedia)

Card Number: 63 (Trading Card Database)

Team: Milwaukee Brewers

Division: National League Central

Position: 2B

Jersey Number: 5
RC/Future Stars/Topps Rookie Cup: No

MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 09: Jonathan Villar #5 of the Milwaukee Brewers flips the ball to second base for the force out during the eighth inning of a game against the Chicago Cubs at Miller Park on April 9, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Game Date: April 9, 2017

Opponent: Chicago Cubs
Stadium: Miller Park
Home/Away: Home
Game Outcome: Cubs 7, Brewers 4
Win/Loss: Win
Player Game Line: 0-4, 3K
Photographer: Stacy Revere (Twitter) (Instagram)
New Team/Photoshopped?: No

Birthdate: May 2, 1991

Birthplace: La Vega, Dominican Republic

Bats: Both

Throws: Right

MLB Service Years: 5

Social Media Handles: (Twitter) (Instagram)

This is Villar's second appearance in the Opening Day set following last year's debut.

Topps used the same photo for Series 1 and the Factory Team Set, but Villar did get a short print photo variation in Opening Day.

Something I learned because of this card: After coming over from the Astros, Villar led the National League in stolen bases (62) and caught stealing (18) in 2016. I don't really pay much attention to other teams unless they are playing the Cubs, but I was a bit surprised to see Villar listed as a second baseman as I've always thought of him as a shortstop. According to the interwebs, he was bumped out of that spot by top prospect Orlando Arcia and moved to third. The Brewers signed Travis Shaw and Villar took over at second base. And then, after acquiring Neil Walker for the stretch run last year, Villar got some looks in the outfield as well. Walker did not re-sign with the Brewers so Villar has gotten his second base job back in the meantime.

Opening Day Stars #ODS-OR Orlando Arcia

The weekend begins now so that means it's time for an insert! I wasn't going to do the Opening Day Stars because I only pulled about half of the 44-card checklist in my full case. But they aren't too pricey so I might end up finishing the set through trades and the secondary market. Plus, I noticed a few players were represented as an insert but not as a base card, like today's card. Weird.

Player: Orlando Arcia (Baseball Reference) (Wikipedia)

Card Number: ODS-OR (Trading Card Database)

Team: Milwaukee Brewers

DENVER, CO - AUGUST 18: Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia (3) throws to first during the Colorado Rockies game vs. the Milwaukee Brewers on August 18, 2017 at Coors Field in Denver, CO. (Photo by Kyle Emery/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Game Date: August 18, 2017

Opponent: Colorado Rockies
Stadium: Coors Field
Home/Away: Away
Game Outcome: Rockies 8, Brewers 4
Win/Loss: Loss
Player Game Line: 1-3, 1 HR, 1BB, 1 Run, 1 RBI
Photographer: Kyle Emery (Website)
New Team/Photoshopped?: No

The backs are kind of plain so I'm not showing the demographics typically included there.

Something I learned because of this card: Long ago, I was led to believe certain things about uniforms. The home team generally wore white (or pinstripes), while the road team wore something else in their team color palette. The home team had their team nickname or logo across their chest while the road team had their location spelled out. Baltimore. Los Angeles. Chicago. New York.

Color me confused then while researching this card, I found out the Brewers are oddballs. The road jersey featured on this card reads Brewers, instead of Milwaukee (see his OD card from last year below which features their blue road jersey).

Was I wrong in this assumption? Are there others? Has my whole idea behind what makes up a uniform been a lie?

Despite being left out of the OD base set this year, Arcia did have one in last year's Opening Day.

Not only that, but he was featured on a Future Stars card in Series 1 flagship AND had a photo variation. I've wondered who the unfortunate soul was that got booted out of the 200-card base set to fit in Shohei Ohtani. Could it have been Arcia?