C.A.: 2024 Topps Update Josh Gibson checklist

 (Greetings. It's that time of year when pumpkins share the same space with Christmas decorations, at least in my neighborhood. At least the 12-foot tall motion-sensor talking Halloween decorations are gone. It's time for Cardboard Appreciation. This is the 344th in a series):

I have not bought a single pack of Topps Update this year. It's not doing it for me. I've seen too many sloppy photoshop jobs in the set and I don't want that sullying what has been one of the best flagship designs in decades for Topps.

I know there are shopped photos in Series 1 and 2 but somehow they seem worse in Update. So nothing for me thanks. (And the same goes for Stadium Club, but that's a rant for another post).

I did get this interesting Josh Gibson card from Johnny's Trading Spot recently. I'll show off the main goods another day but this card was randomly included and I appreciate it. I've seen it displayed on social media a few times. It definitely stands out as unusual and there are good and not-so-good points about it.

First off, I'm happy that it was included. Good idea. I love cards that capture a notable moment in the sport's history. When Major League Baseball decided earlier this year to incorporate old Negro Leagues stats into Major League stats, that definitely changed how MLB history is being presented. No matter what you think of that decision, it is one of the biggest moments in the baseball year of 2024. It's worth chronicling, just like any record broken or milestone reached.

Secondly, it's pretty cool to pull a card of Josh Gibson -- a man who has been dead for 80 years -- from a pack of 2024 cards that are all about living and thriving individuals. Yeah, yeah, it's colorized and kinda weird but still awesome. And it's a great shot. I think dirt takes up 20 percent of the photo, that's how you know it's great.

Now, for the not-so-good parts.

The one that jumps out for me is no graphic mention of the team (or teams) Gibson played for -- the Homestead Grays or the Pittsburgh Crawfords. All you get is an MLB logo, which I guess signifies that now Gibson is under the MLB umbrella, but you've already got "MLB" in "neon" at the top. A little redundant. I would have loved to see a large black "G" for the Grays or an orange "C" for the Crawfords on the front of the card.

 

The back is pretty disappointing. It's just a checklist, with a short blurb expanding on the blurb on the front. But it doesn't explain much.

A year-by-year list of Gibson's stats would be perfect. Instinctively I think if Topps added career stats to the back, it would automatically turn this card into a short-print, so maybe it's cool that the lowly masses have access to this card.

I know I appreciate its inclusion.