2021 Topps NPB

 

I was at a Walmart in El Paso when I saw a pack along with 5 cards in it. I bought it and would like to buy more, but I would end up broke if I did. Topps joined BBM and Epoch on producing cards of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league. There are 14 cards in a pack of the 216 card set. Let's rip

97 - Nien-Ting Wu - 2021 card design with the back of the card in Japanese and nice touch of a logo on the back. For translation on the stats it goes by game, AB, runs, hits, double, triple, homerun, RBI, stolen bases, BB, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and batting average. As for the player NTW still playing for Seibu Lions and on this year's Taiwan WBC team.

143 - Takuya Kai - still playing for Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. Part of this year's tournament winning Japan WBC team.

179 - Shunpeita Yamashita - they even put the rookie logo on NPB card. He's still playing for Orix Buffalos and currently got a 1.64 ERA as of this moment

136 - Tatsuya Imai - still playing for Seibu Lions

1 - Masahiro Tanaka - got a NPB legend and former MLBer in this pack. After 7 year stint with the Yankees he returned back home playing for his original team Rakuten Golden Eagles.

192 - Kosei Yoshida - still playing for Nippon-Ham Fighters.

130 - Ryosuke Nishikawa - still playing for Chibi Lotte Marines

86-TY - Tetsuto Yamada - insert of 1986 design card. The back is lacking as it shows the team logo. One of top players in the NPB. Still playing for Yakult Swallows

32 - Nori Aoki - second card of a player with MLB experience. After six season in the MLB he return back to Japan in 2018 playing for his original team Yakult Swallows. Part of 2006 and 2009 Japan WBC team who won the tournament both years.

103 - Yoshihiro Maru - a star player of NPB. Still playing for Yomiuri Giants.

24 - Tyler Austin - third MLBer in this pack as well former Yankee. One of few north American players in this set. After 4 seasons in the MLB bouncing between the main club and the minors he decide to play in Japan for Yokohama Baystars where he remains. Compared to baseball pay in the minors and Japan I don't blame him playing in Japan to make a living.

19 - Yuya Yanagi - had a career year in 2021. Still playing for Chunichi Dragons.

12 - Shota Dohbayashi - still playing for Hiroshima Carp

22 - Daichi Ishii - still playing for Hanshin Tigers.

Hope you enjoy a pack of Topps NPB. Got three former MLBers including Tanaka in this. Hopefully I find more of these packs at random Walmarts that isn't a pack of Topps Gypsy.

1983 Fleer Stickers

Sticking with the 1983 theme, here's a pack of stickers I picked up at a recent card show for a buck. Inside the pack is one continuous strip of stickers, strategically folded inside the pack. These are meant to be detached along the perforations, but for ease of scanning I left these in three chunks.

48 - Jack Clark

83 - Bob Watson

44 - Willie Randolph

- Pirates sticker

Clark and Randolph are the big names here, but Watson was a 2-time all-star in his playing days and went on to a highly successful post-playing career. We also get one of the two promised team logo stickers.

23 - Cecil Cooper

201 - Tippy Martinez

234 - John Stearns

163 - Charlie Hough

Here it's a toss-up between Cecil Cooper and the ol' knuckleball-tossing Charlie Hough.

126 - Dick Tidrow

- Cleveland sticker

93 - Bob Walk

122 - Ron Cey

Ron Cey is the big name here as he sits alongside blog favorite Bob Walk in his pre-Pirates days.