I may rip on the home run derby as being a brainless gimmick, but I'm not a total wet blanket. The Derby can be fun for what it is. It actually is enjoyable to watch in small bites. But, honestly, unless a hitter is really tearing it up, it gets monotonous.
I don't really care who wins home run derby tonight, but I think I have a sign that Cody Bellinger might be the guy to do it.
Today, the first Topps Now card that I have ever ordered showed up. And it's of Cody Bellinger. On the very day of the home run derby. How's that for a sign?
I've held off on buying a Topps Now card for a year and a half. But that Bellinger is a crafty salesman. The only way he was able crack my Topps Now boycott was by being a rookie with virtually no cards and then hitting an amazing 24 home runs since April 25th. OK, Topps Now, you got me. I'm buying his card.
I'm happy to say I didn't pay $9.99 for this. It was $5.99, which is my upper threshold for a price on a super-modern card. Again, it's Cody Bellinger during a crazy, never-before-seen season. If I'm going to make an exception, this is it.
There are lots of Cody Bellinger Topps Now cards. I selected one that kind of summed up his first half, what makes him a sensation. It's not a bad-looking card, although I like the first year of the Topps Now design better.
This isn't my first Cody Bellinger card though.
Just a couple days ago, another Bellinger card arrived in the mail.
This is the "yellow paper" parallel (I have no idea why we have to throw in "paper") of Bellinger's 2017 Bowman card.
This was very generously sent to me by Doug from Sports Cards From The Dollar Store. Pretty cool, huh? Parallel cards of Bellinger are going for some pretty hefty coin. I'm grateful to have this.
So I will be thinking of these two Bellinger cards as I half-pay attention to the home run derby.
Meanwhile, Doug sent me a few other cards that I need. I'm going to show them in reverse order of how I think they'd do in home run derby:
It's a Panini sticker of Buffalo Bills lineman Fred Smerlas. Smerlas could probably crush a baseball, but with his bare hands, not a bat.
I don't ever remember seeing Jose DeLeon bat when he was with the Dodgers.
A Topps Now card of Kenta Maeda's home run last year is on my short list of "if I were to get another Topps Now card it might be that one."
Fernando could handle a bat in his day.
Here is Maeda again paired up with Justin Turner. I'd like to see Turner in home run derby. Like many batters these days, he swings with an uppercut and does quite well with it.
Panini sure does love Puig. Yasiel Puig in home run derby might last until 2 a.m. He'd have to keep retrieving his bat after each blast.
Raul Mondesi was elected to just one All-Star Game, which is a crime. I think he'd do quite well in home run derby.
But I bet Jackie Robinson would do best in home run derby. He'd also do great in stolen base derby.
OK, I've got to get back to work, so I can put this Made For TV event in the paper. When I come home, I'm glad my two new Cody Bellinger cards will be waiting for me.
Can you imagine if Bellinger won the home run derby and I had no cards of him?
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