Hobby Quick Hits Ep.163 MLB Season Hobby Wrap-Up

SPEAKER 1: Hobby quick hit, delivering that breaking hobby news to, directly to your, I know those had dropped from the car shaft.

SPEAKER 1: We've got your help.

SPEAKER 1: Yeah, John, new name.

SPEAKER 1: Hey, everybody. Welcome to Episode 1 63 of Hobby Quick Hits, which is gonna be a wrap up of at least the regular season of major league baseball.

SPEAKER 1: But with, with a hobby spin to it, gonna talk about the years some guys had or didn't have, we're gonna go back and to revisit episode 1 49 which was my major league baseball pre show where I picked playoff, teams and award winners and we're gonna review that and see how bad or accurate, I was.

SPEAKER 1: And so we're gonna kind of just wrap up. I know it's still going on the postseason, best time of year major league baseball postseason. But, we're gonna kind of just, put a little bow tie, on the season, as it winds down.

SPEAKER 2: Ok. Now, a quick word from our great sponsor, followed by the new product release schedule. Then we'll go around the hobby verse to tell you all the latest hobby happenings. And news. Then we'll tackle today's topic of discussion.

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SPEAKER 4: Let's check out this week's hobby. Wax releases. Take it away. Max.

SPEAKER 4: Hey, guys, it's Max from the sports card shop in New Buffalo. Michigan. Bringing you guys and, oh, of course, Valparaiso and bringing you guys the weekly releases for the next two weeks here from the sports car shop.

SPEAKER 4: Starting off on the 11th. We have 2023 Bowman Chrome University football, 2023. Pan select baseball, 2023 tops update series, baseball. Hobby and Jumbo 2022 23 Upper Deca lure, hockey and 2023. Top update series, baseball Hobby and Jumbo.

SPEAKER 4: All right. On the 13th we're starting off with 2023. Panini gold standard football. 2023. Panini chronicles UFC.

SPEAKER 4: On the 18th here we got 2023 tops from Mcdonald's all American basketball. 2023 upper deck. A ew allure wrestling.

SPEAKER 4: 2023 tops, pro debut. Baseball. Hobby and Jumbo. 2023 Gilded collection. Baseball. 2020 three upper deck ice hockey. 2023 top stadium club baseball. And on the 20th we have 2023 Panini Don Russ, FIFA, women's World Cup soccer hobby blaster. Thank you guys for tuning in the podcast. Enjoy the rest of the show.

SPEAKER 1: Let's go round the hobby verse and catch up on this week's hobby news.

SPEAKER 1: All right, let's, a lot of Panini News, in the pipeline, for this episode. Let's, knock that all out. Let's start with their recent nil signing Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton, the third will be added to their stable of exclusive athletes along with others. And as the Harvey Lansky eventually changes, although fanatics is trying to change it ahead of time.

SPEAKER 1: You know, the nil players at Panini's inking are gonna be very crucial, to their continued, success. Which frankly, I'm hoping for as someone that knows people who, who work there, great people, who work there. Full disclosure.

SPEAKER 1: Also along those lines, we know, you know, the, the attempt by the NFL P A and the WW E to cease and desist on the contract that they have with Panini with two years left. Well, an arbitrator in both of those cases has ruled in Panini's favor. So for the time being, Panini can continue to make WWE an NFL products.

SPEAKER 1: So she shouldn't see any halt in that at this point. But again, these co court battles continue and there'll be more to come along those lines, we'll have Paul Les go on Sports Carnation here in a few weeks kind to give us an update of the legal terrain there. Panini also signed a multiyear deal with the Euro League, a basketball pro league.

SPEAKER 1: You know, not as talented as the NBA, obviously, that's the, but right there where some, some players do come from the Euro League. So again, Panini knowing kind of what's, you know, coming down the line is sort of getting their ducks in the row with some new deals with leagues and nil individual athletes and good to see that they're, you know, trying to think one step ahead.

SPEAKER 1: So cops who like to pick on, you know, or, or fanatics who like to pick on P Panini and said that they want the, the contracts to stop cause the mistakes they were making or they breach a contract, bad luck for them cause they just screwed up in the 2023 Bowman chrome product where 101 super refractors were multiple printed.

SPEAKER 1: They are trying to rectify the situation with buying back the, the extra prints for significant amounts of money from anywhere from $3000 for the card that they mistakenly multi printed to $75,000 depending, I guess on prospect level.

SPEAKER 1: And that's, that would be my question to fanatics is why is one double printed card worth $75,000 and the other only 35 or $3000 Is it solely based on the prospect and you know, trying to pry that from getting someone to sell that rather than keep it and, and have the error be in rotation.

SPEAKER 1: And the, you know, the obvious thing is they're not gonna be able to buy all these cards back, you know, product, people say product, I'm looking at my wax shelf right now. I have boxes, see a wax box, some people sit on seal. So all these may not see the light of day, at least right away. So they're not gonna be able to clean up this mistake fully.

SPEAKER 1: And I think they're just trying to do as much damage control with these buybacks as they can. I've been asked if, if this has ever been happened before where they brought back errors, not to my knowledge where there's a, a monetary price, you know, we've all seen errors where they've made corrective cards but the errors are still out there.

SPEAKER 1: The Billy Rep, Ripkin, bad, bad word ba comes to mind, you know, but, they didn't buy, you know, flare, didn't buy him back. They just made 14 different corrected of versions which created a chase in itself for, for each, for each version.

SPEAKER 1: But, this is the first time I'm aware, someone if, if I'm wrong, someone, someone send me the, the, the correction, but the first time a company has paid for their mistakes to get them off the market. CDC and, and mascot have announced a partnership where you can get your grade cards graded through CDC and then streamlined to be listed for sale via mascot on multiple selling levels.

SPEAKER 1: So mascot is, is starting to create relationships in the marketplace which is, you know, obviously important for them to survive. And our last story is and you can see this one sort of coming lids fanatics and Mitchell Nests have combined to create a hat and card product.

SPEAKER 1: So they're, they're, they're major league baseball hats with the team logo kind of unique color schemes and on the sides of the packs or the sides of the hat, I should say are an embroidered pack from the vintage Error of Cops.

SPEAKER 1: It also comes with a commemorative pin, which you can keep on the hat or remove. And every hat comes with a pack, a lids pack. It's a, 50 card set. They have parallels and numbered cards including one on one and autos. And, they're producing 97,000 packs.

SPEAKER 1: You get one card or I should say one pack, three cards, three cards, I believe, in the pack you get one pack with every hat purchase, I believe. Hats range from $37 to 45 dollar. So, you know, we know fanatics owns lids and so they're incorporating their businesses.

SPEAKER 1: And, and again, as they said, they're trying to grow the hobby, 10 per, by 10 fold. So, here's one of those sort of attempts to, mass market, you know, the hobby to maybe someone just looking to buy a baseball cap.

SPEAKER 1: Now, our feature presentation.

SPEAKER 1: All right, let's, kind of wrap up the 2023 major league baseball hobby season, if you will. I know we're in the postseason, right now and it's ongoing and some more heroes can be made, during this postseason. But, you know, it, it's winding down, it was a great year.

SPEAKER 1: We've seen some incredible performances. Let's kind of merge this hobby and the sport itself and, and do a wrap up. I did a preview show, as I said in the intro on episode 1 49 and, let's, let's go over those picks and kind of see, sort of where I got it right and where I get, got it wrong.

SPEAKER 1: So, in those picks I took or I should say I picked these six playoffs teams from both leagues and I batted about 500 here. So let's go over those revisit those, the American League. I said it would be, Toronto Minnesota and Houston winning the division with the Yankees, Seattle and Cleveland winning the wild cards. So, I did get, not, not as division winners, but I did get Toronto Minnesota and Houston right in the playoffs.

SPEAKER 1: The Yankees had a terrible year. Then they're looking at some probably changes here in the off season, Seattle who I picked just missed. So I wasn't that far off with my Seattle pick and Cleveland wasn't terrible, not a great year but not terrible. So half right there also half right in the National League. Let's, let's go back to what I said or what I thought would happen.

SPEAKER 1: I picked for division winners, I was a homer and took my Mets, the Saint Louis Cardinals and the San Diego Padres for wild cards. I took the Dodgers, Atlanta and Philadelphia and again, kind of similar deal.

SPEAKER 1: I, I reversed though, the wild card teams that I took, did make the playoffs, with the Dodgers and the Braves winning their division, not wild card teams, but winning the division and I had Philly, right, making the playoffs.

SPEAKER 1: My Mets imploded as did the Padres and Saint Louis had one of their worst years in a long time. So I, I was way off on my divisions but I'm still, you know, I still feel good that I got half of the playoff teams. Right. Although you probably should, now that, I think about it going back to that episode, I said teams to keep an eye out on in the American League.

SPEAKER 1: I said the White Sox, that was not a good pick, although my Lewis Robert pick for bounce back looks like a great, a great pick. And, you know, I love Lewis Robert big, big year from him. He'll be, he'll get some MVP votes or he'll be in the, the mix. And, you know, it's, it's one of those cautionary tales when everyone sort of panic sells when somebody, gets hurt another team.

SPEAKER 1: I said to watch, at the beginning of the year was the Baltimore Orioles and we see where they are. They won the A L East and, look like they're built for some long term success. They have some great young nucleus. They got guys still in the, they still got a great minor league system even with the young talent they have on the major league, level.

SPEAKER 1: I mean, the, they got Jackson, how, who might arguably be the best prospect in base baseball who's not quite there yet, but maybe as early as next year. So Baltimore is gonna be in this mix for a while and, and good for them. I don't have a second favorite team really, but they probably would be right there if I did.

SPEAKER 1: As far as that goes on the National League side, I said to be on the lookout for the Brewers and the Reds and the Brewers did make the playoffs but they have been eliminated.

SPEAKER 1: Craig Counsel might be the next Mets manager. We'll have to wait and see how that shakes out. And the Reds, you know, I said, keep an eye on them and they made an incredible run. They just fell short of the playoffs, but they look like a team that's up and coming, as well. So, kind of spot on with my, keep an eye out, for, let's go over my MVP picks.

SPEAKER 1: Now they haven't, announced any of the awards yet that won't be done until, a little bit later on here in a few weeks. But, let's see, we kind of can see what, who we think is gonna win. Now that the seasons played. But, on that preview episode, I picked in the A L Jordan Alvarez who actually played well when he was on the field. The problem was he got hurt for an extended period of time. So he will not be your A LMVP.

SPEAKER 1: Shohei, will be in the mix there, among others. And my NLMVP pick will probably finish second in the voting. I think Ronald Ker had one of the best baseball seasons, in quite a while. I think Kuna wins the NLMVP. But Mookie Betts, who was my pick, I think will be the runner up. So it wasn't far off, I don't think with my bets pick, let's go to rookies of the year.

SPEAKER 1: Again, these have not been called yet but, let's see who I, I picked and I think I got the National League. Right. I picked Corbin Carol. He had a great year for Arizona. They made a, a threat and playoff run.

SPEAKER 1: I think Cor Corbin Carroll wins. So I, I called that one and I picked, Tristan Casas in the American League for the Red Sox. He's, you know, he had a pretty good year. I don't know if he wins the award. We'll have to see.

SPEAKER 1: But, I'm, I'm not down on that pick. I think he's going to be, a player for, for years to come. My Cy Young picks, weren't even close even though I felt good about him.

SPEAKER 1: Obviously when I made him and so in the American League I took Dylan C, he went seven and nine with over four.

SPEAKER 1: A, not a great year for the White Sox, they didn't get the pitching, they needed to compete. So, Dylan C will not, will not. I didn't get that one. Right.

SPEAKER 1: And the guy, I like a lot, lot, who I, who wanted the previous year, I thought he would repeat. Corbin Burns. He didn't have a terrible year. Went 10 and eight with a 3.39. Er, a, but that's not going to get him the national, National League Cy Young this year did. So he won't be defending his Cy Young title there.

SPEAKER 1: So, swung and missed on those two picks. But you know, that's, that's the fun. We'll, we'll do these episodes or we'll try to do these episodes each year and then kind of come back and see if you know, I hold my skills at all and, and got the got the, how close my picks actually were.

SPEAKER 1: But I tell you what thing that I'm excited about as a baseball fan and a collector is the great young talent we've seen really pick it up this year and, and still more to come, like I said, with, with Jackson holidays and, and others, but let's talk about some young players that are doing some damage.

SPEAKER 1: You know, we saw the emergence of Ellie De La Cruz for the Cincinnati Reds. Now I'm a little cautious on him. He started to sort of kind of slow down, on the second half of his season, I think pitchers started to figure out what he could and couldn't hit and what kind of zones he was sus suspect on and he struggled.

SPEAKER 1: I think he batted under 200 for the kind of the second half of the season. Now, I had a great year overall but, you know, just keep the tabs on him early in 2024 to see if he made any readjustments back to sort of threaten his, his weaknesses to, you know, be a bit all-star.

SPEAKER 1: I'm a little bit, cautious on him that, you know, maybe like he just caught lightning in the battle in the first half. I don't think he's a bust. I just, I don't know if he's gonna be what some people are pegging him as, you know, it's, it's baseball. I gotta be a homer with my Mets here.

SPEAKER 1: A guy I really love, you know, the, the become the baby Mets with a lot of the rookies, right. We saw the debut of Brett Beatty, Francisco Alvarez and this guy who was the last guy called up who I think might be the best player of all those baby Mets. And that's Ronnie Mauricio, kind of a 52 guy, an infielder.

SPEAKER 1: They, they got him some outfielder time. They know they want to have his bat in the lineup. And so I, I'm a big Ronnie Mauricio guy, I think he's going to be, in it for the long haul, you know, that the, the Orioles, right? They were loaded, for bear this year with young talent and, and more in the pipeline coming.

SPEAKER 1: But, you know, Gunner Henderson, 28 home runs, 10 steals, looks like he's going to be a major league player for a long time. Ay rush man. Arguably one of the best catchers, in baseball, whether he stays at that position for the long haul, we'll have to, we'll have to wait and see.

SPEAKER 1: And, again, Jackson, how they come and, the, or probably have one of, or, and Mets probably have one of the biggest, and best, I should say best, not biggest, they should all be about the same size but best minor league farm system, with, with talent in the pipeline, to come.

SPEAKER 1: You know, Jason Dominguez, I think made his Yankees debut, earlier than people expected and showed out pretty well. He got, got injured, but he should be fine, but wound up in a brief, you know, cup of coffee betting 2 58 with, with four dingers double digit, release. And so there's a guy to keep an eye on that.

SPEAKER 1: You know, a lot of people kind of wrote off, it's just Yankee hype, but kind of lived up to it in a short, sample size and the guy who I think might be one of the best players in baseball, just not quite yet, but eventually I think he's on that track.

SPEAKER 1: He's a guy when we talk about cars that even though he's not necessarily cheap, I, I do try to acquire, quite a bit of, of this guy and that's Bobby Witt junior 30 for 30 season in his first full season, as an everyday player, 30 home runs just got to, to the 30 home run Mark, but 49 steals and this guy can play defense again, another 52 guy.

SPEAKER 1: Now, whether, you know, Kansas City, backs up the Brinks, he's going to get paid when his initial con contracts up.

SPEAKER 1: You know, if the Royals are smart, they'll lock him up and, and pay him money to have him there for the long haul because he's the kind of guy people pay ticket money to go see, he's the kind of guy.

SPEAKER 1: I would, you know, I'm not a Royals fan, but I would Ro Royals game to watch him play. That's the kind of player he is. I, I'm a huge Bobby Witt junior guy. So, but the, the nice thing over a lot of young talent, in baseball, some have not even made it to the major league level yet.

SPEAKER 1: So there's more, more talent in the pipeline for, for a lot of teams and it's gonna, you know, I think that's what baseball needs. I think they could market themselves better.

SPEAKER 1: But, I think they're gonna have the talent, if they market themselves better, I think they're gonna be all set up, for the next, you know, good 20 years with some, some major league baseball, young talent that, legit and real and that, that's gonna be fun because we had some years where, you know, there's always young players don't get me wrong.

SPEAKER 1: This is not a new phenomenon, but it's been a while since I remembered this many, creating this kind of buzz. And so it's fun to watch, easy to get excited for as a baseball fan and a collector. All right. Thank you for listening to another episode of hobby Quick Hits. Wanna give out our Social Media starting with our website, which is www dot Sports Carnation podcast dot com.

SPEAKER 1: Facebook. You can follow us at www dot Facebook dot com forward slash Sports Card Nation Podcast, forward slash Twitter. We are at Sports card, nat T one. So it's Sports card.

SPEAKER 1: Nat I one Instagram at Sports Card Nation Podcast. Or you can email the show hobby quick hits at gmail dot com again. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next week.