Cedar Rapids Kernels
MiLB Madness: A Roady, a team owner, a camera-loving mascot, Missile & more baseball cards to make you go nuts
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.
A LIFE IN THE GAME & A LOT GOING ON HERE ...
The Card: Ron "Roady" Plein 2011 Perfect Game USA Cedar Rapids Kernels #31
The Buzz On This One: There are a lot of guys like Ron Plein out there in the baseball world -- on MLB payroll and not on MLB payroll -- who have a lifetime spent in the game but never, ever appear on baseball cards ... except maybe in MiLB releases. This card? It's not his first as he was 67 years old here and in his 37th year in baseball. (Learn more about him here.) Check out that card back -- peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! Random fact about this team? One of its players the previous season was Mike Trout ... this guy probably made him sandwiches and fixed his gear quite a bit after all those stolen bases that season.Keep reading for more examples of weird baseball cards you can (almost) only find in MiLB.
Carding Baseball America's MLB Prospects Hot Sheet (July 30)
Here's a look at the top five players on this week's Baseball America Top MLB Prospects Hot Sheet and their seasons so far. It's a little something to help those who might want to dabble with prospecting -- some basics on their baseball cards alongside a highlight line from those more scouting-minded. We may not do this every week, but we'll check in on BA's top crop from time to time for the remainder of the season.
1. Trevor Rogers, SP, Marlins — Low-A Greensboro Grasshoppers
Season so far: 1-4 with 5.13 ERA, 65 strikeouts and 20 walks in 54.1 innings (12 starts)
Baseball America’s highlight line: “Rogers has worked six or more innings in his last three starts, culminating with Sunday’s gem, where he struck out a career-best 12 batters and carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning."
CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): 300
First Chrome auto: 2017 Bowman Draft
One auto to consider: 2016 Leaf Metal Perfect Game
Buzz’s card take: His season numbers look a little LaLooshian but he was the 13th overall pick in last year's draft and he's on the Marlins so they'll take it -- and the potential. The recent games look relatively solid, so if you're sold on the potential of a Marlins pitcher then you might want to bite.Keep reading for the rest of the top five ...
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