Other Ideas, Maybe 18.2

How 'bout Bobby Grich 1973

Only 5 errors, 107 walks, and plays all 162 games. It's nice that we added the power cards, but Grich was at his best in mid-70s with Orioles. Per Baseball-Reference.com, 1973 was highest WAR of his career!

I rarely lobby for player cards. Folks submit so many worthy cards without my adding to it.

I'm a Cardinals fan. My SOM Cardinal teams always play to mediocre results. They need pitching help.

Please consider:
Harry 'the Cat' Brecheen, 1948: 1.04 WHIP, 20-7, 2.24 ERA,
1st in ERA, ERA+, K, FIP, WHIP, ShO, 8.9 WAR, 5th in MVP
1 card in SOM
a lefty, an excellent fielder, 0.83 World Series ERA, 41.4 career WAR
Bill Doak, 1914: 19-6, 1.72 ERA, 1.09 WHIP
1st in ERA and ERA+, 5.4 WAR, 13th in MVP
2 cards in SOM
had a long career, 'Spittin' Bill' was one of 17 pitchers allowed to throw the spitter after 1920
Adam Wainwright, 2010: 20-11, 2.42 ERA, 1.05 WHIP
No cards in SOM
He has 4 years of WAR above 6.0. It's hard to choose one year. In 2010 he did not lead the league in any
category. In other years he has led in IP, W, CG.





Also 2 pitchers in the 18.1 group that won't get chosen (I wish Brecheen had been nominated instead):
Jose DeLeon: 16-12, 3.05 ERA, 1.03 WHIP
1st in K and H/9
No cards in SOM
Not a stellar career, but had a 3.76 lifetime ERA: DeLeon and Kerry Wood are the only pitchers in major league
history to record fewer than 100 wins and still get 1500 or more strikeouts. He also led the league in losses
twice. Will be at least 6R card.
Dick Hughes: 16-6, 2.57 ERA, 0.95 WHIP
1st in WHIP, H/9, 2nd in ROY (to Tom Seaver), 17th in MVP
Appeared in 40 games, started 27 games (he replaced Al Jackson in rotation in late May). 222 IP, 12 CG, 3 saves.
In spring training of 1968, Hughes was warming up in the bullpen when he felt pain in his throwing shoulder.
Though un-diagnosed at the time, the injury was later determined to be a torn rotator cuff. At the time, there
was no surgery to fix such an injury. 1968 was his lat year. Apparently a phenom cut down pre-Tommy John, but
he did not appear in the majors until his age 29 season.




I understand the bias against pre-1900 or pre-1893 stats (the rules were remarkably different, and there are arguments both ways on their inclusion). If we do include them, i would put forward James 'Silver' King, 1888: 1st in ERA, ERA+, IP, WHIP, FIP, K/W (he was very dominant). No cards in SOM. Known for his fastball he had unusually large hands, worked without a windup (it was a different game!), and threw sidearm.

Sorry, it's DeLeon 1989 season and Hughes 1967 season.

I wish every once in a while ATG would add a whole season at a time.
For example...all the players from the newest 1968 set.
To just add a ton of variety and options to ATG.

Is this impossible?

I wish we could get the super advanced versions of current cards in atg.

Another idea would be to have half the 18.2 add be players who don't have a card and the other half be players who need a upgrade. There are lots of players on here who need a upgrade. George Watkins, Jesse Burkett, Curt Flood, and many more.

How 'bout Bobby Grich 1973

Only 5 errors, 107 walks, and plays all 162 games. It's nice that we added the power cards, but Grich was at his best in mid-70s with Orioles. Per Baseball-Reference.com, 1973 was highest WAR of his career!

I second this nomination.

Willie Crawford (still no card)

2002 Barry Bonds

(Sure, we have Bonds' great 1992, 1993, 2001, and 2004 cards, but the highest priced card we ever saw for the steroidal homerun king was his $17.38m card for the 2002 season: http://365.strat-o-matic.com/team/real/535365)

Another idea would be to have half the 18.2 add be players who don't have a card and the other half be players who need a upgrade. There are lots of players on here who need a upgrade. George Watkins, Jesse Burkett, Curt Flood, and many more.

I like this concept! Putting it simply, it would guarantee 50% new cards. And it would guarantee 50% upgrades.

I would think, for the latter, we would be looking for MBC or MMBCs (Much or Much Much Better Cards). A few more players who need an upgrade include Lou Piniella, Leon Wagner, Tony Phillips.

But perhaps deserving an upgrade most of all might be—Manny Mota.

Mota is a guy with a .304 lifetime BA, and his two cards in the set have him at .176 and .281. How about his 1966, when he hit .332 for the Pirates and covered CF, LF, RF and 3B?

Manny's teammate and near doppelgänger Matty Alou also has two inadequate cards. How about Matty's own 1966 Pirate card, where he led the league with a .342 average? In his next 3 years Matty hit .338, .332, and .331. Any of these cards would be more representative than the ones he has.