Inserts for the sake of inserts

I'm an idea guy. It's not that I come up with great ones all the time, I just like there to be some thought behind whatever someone is trying to get you to read/view/buy.

In the sportswriting business, you are constantly watching a game you've seen a 100 times before or writing a feature you've done a 100 times before. It's your job to find something different in that game or person and write about that. That's what I tell the people on my staff. If you mail it in, you're going to be bored, the readers are going to be bored, and nobody's going to be happy.

And that brings me to the 2008 "Infield Power" Upper Deck insert here, which, by the way, was part of nice, unexpected card package sent by Ed of Roll Out the Barrel. The card looks nice, but the thought process? Meh. I guess they were going for a subset of infielders who could hit for power. Thrilling. That was a big deal when Cal Ripken was playing, but does anyone care anymore?

I pull a lot of inserts like this. They seem to exist just so card companies can have an insert. Is there a required number of insert sets that Topps and Upper Deck believes will be cost effective? Because if you're going solely by what inserts are a good idea, I think you can cut that number in half.

Here are some of the recent insert ideas in the flagship sets that I thought were nice ones:

1. Distinguished Service set (2007 Topps): You can't go wrong honoring those who served our country. Although I wish Topps had kept it to just ballplayers.
2. Legends of the Game set (2009 Topps): Any insert set featuring old-time greats is a good one.
3. Flashbacks (any Topps Heritage set): Getting new cards of players like Bill Mazeroski or Luis Aparacio is always cool.
4. OPC (2009 Upper Deck): I am forever looking at UD inserts and asking "what's the point?" At least with this one, they came up with a nice retro-design, even if it landed them a lawsuit from Topps.
5. Year in Review (2008 Topps): I know some collectors didn't like these, but as a newspaper fan, I thought they were cool. If I had a bit more money I would have pursued every single date in the set.

Here are some recent ones that I thought were stinky:

1. Upper Deck "Star" anything (Star attractions, Star Power, Starquest). Yes, I get it Upper Deck. These players are "stars." But making a subset of randomly chosen top players means nothing to me. Even if you make them shiny.
2. Generation Now (2007 Topps): Ugh. This thing was like collecting grains of sand in hopes you would have a beach one day. Why?
3. Hit Parade/Own the Game (Topps): Topps' answer to Upper Deck's "star" inserts. I know card companies want multiple cards of the stars, but I no comprendo. Then again, I'm not a player collector.
4. Anything that commemorates a large number with a card for each of those numbers (i.e. every Mantle HR, every McGwire HR, every Rodriguez HR). Here's what I want: An insert set that commemorates every home run that Buddy Biancalana hit. I can handle a six-card insert set.

Here is another insert card that Ed sent. I don't know what to think of the Ring of Honor cards. It's a neat idea, honoring the top teams in history. The card design and photos are lacking, though. Isn't this a hobby issue-only set? I'd expect more out of that.

How about some good, old-fashioned base cards. Ed sent a few of those, too. Dodgers, of course:

Omar Daal, 1993 Fleer. This is actually from the traded set, or as Fleer called it then, the "Final Edition" set. This is the last card I needed to complete all the 1993 Fleer Dodgers.

Ed sent over a bunch of 1991 Bowman Dodgers, so I'm very close to finishing those off. Here is Greg Smith, who didn't even come close to making the All-Greg team. And he should not be confused with the Colorado Rockies pitcher of the same name. This Greg Smith played all of 27 games in his major league career. That's an insert set! A card for each of the 27 games that Greg Smith played!

The last two cards I'm showing are Mike Piazzas from the late 1990s. This one is from 1996 Leaf, a design I do not understand. The photos seem faded and the giant foil "L" kills the whole card.

Lastly, a 1998 Score Piazza card. Mike looks like he was just informed he was traded to the Marlins. Don't worry, Mike, you'll be traded to the Mets in a week. They'll love you in New York. You'll shave your mustache, Roger Clemens will whip a bat at you. Everything's going to turn out fine.

Ed, you'll be getting some Brewers, um, when I can get to them. (I've got stacks of cards I need to send out, but I can't seem to get around the great big elephant called "work" that's plopped down in front of me). I'll see if I can track down an insert, too. Maybe one with an actual idea behind it.