Minor league baseball cards from the past can include some weird stuff ... stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card. Here are some some new oddities in this latest edition of MiLB Madness. 

BO KNOWS MiLB
The Card: Bo Bichette 2018 Topps Heritage Minor League (image variation)
The Buzz On This: My most-collected active player bats lead-off this time as I just wanted some MLB star power here -- he has that despite a down year in 2024 -- and this one also is a reminder. Of what? That, while the MiLB options in packs are not what they used to be right now, you can find a lot of today's younger stars on Heritage MiLB cards that ran from 1962 to 1973 on cardboard -- that's 2011 to 2022 in reality -- before the line was shelved last year. This was a slightly pricier pick-up vs. my typical stuff dropped here (oddball finds from team sets) as this is a photo variation SP ... a little tougher find but not an impossible one. What might be impossible finds at some point soon or the next few years? Unopened Heritage MiLB boxes and perhaps even some earlier editions of Pro Debut ... they have to have the smallest print runs of anything from Topps in recent years. No new stuff to open in box form has had me looking at singles more and more, despite many older MiLB boxes having affordable prices ... I may dabble with both more next year.

Keep reading for more examples of some weird or fun baseball cards you can find in MiLB.

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Minor league baseball cards from the past can include some weird stuff ... stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card. Here are some some new oddities in this latest edition of MiLB Madness. 

NEXT STOP, COOPERSTOWN?
The Card: Joey Votto 2006 Grandstand Southern League Top Prospects
The Buzz On This One: Votto's Rookie Card comes way back in 2002 Bowman Draft -- years before the RC logo cards and him having those, too -- but since he didn't rocket to The Show immediately he does have a few MiLB cards fans can track down that have him in familiar colors and unis but not those he has worn for his Hall of Fame-caliber MLB career. (Note: Why a lame photo? I had this in a semi-rigid for picture time since I contemplated grading it -- just for fun -- but a different one made the cut.) Why go here? These team set cards -- this is from a more-plentiful prospect All-Star set -- are overlooked and cheaper than a lot of stuff. There's also a lot less was likely made, too, vs. stuff in packs. Obscure, cheaper and more unique all make my cardboard collecting radar go off a little more 15-plus years later.

Keep reading for more examples of some weird or fun baseball cards you can (almost) only find in MiLB.

Continue reading →