Yeesh, this was a while ago by now. But yes, I was in Walmart when I found this nifty pack of 2021 Nippon cards for under eight bucks, so of course, picked it up.
I don't remember exactly how many cards it came with, but considering my unwillingness to trade them to a friend (ha ha), I bet it was the fourteen I possess now. I was actually not going to make this a post at all, but, well, changed my mind. And now we're here.
I really like these cards, but of course, have the same beef with the 2021 design. I like that the patterns match each other up when the cards are side-by-side, but the print is too small and the front of the cards are a little bit boring. However, I actually like the look of them better on the Japanese cards.
On the right we see 24-year old Kaima Taira, who has a 2.03 ERA as a reliever in seven seasons in Japan (1.94 in the Nippon Professional Baseball League), striking out about 10 batters per nine innings.
Favorite Card: I gotta go with Kodai Senga. He's looked great at the big league level (though injuries devastated him this year), and he has a great picture for the card.
Least-Favorite Card: Eigoro Mogi's card is a little bit boring. Not much of an action shot out of the utility infielder.
A few of these guys are really young and performing well in Japan. I wonder if any of them will get the big league call and join the majors (with either the Dodgers or the Yankees, coincidentally). I don't know all of the rules for foreign players, other than being 25 years of age to come over, and I'm not going to look it up at the moment.
Looking back at these cards reminds me of when I used to be able to watch Nippon games on my television. Those were the glory days (though we usually only watched a few innings). Maybe I'll see if I can find them on TV again. I'd be interested for sure.
Speaking of foreign players, rising star Yoshinobu Yamamoto is slated to start Game 2 of the World Series, behind Game 1 starter Jack Flaherty. I could go into detail about the filthy talent this kid possesses, but that would take a whole other post. And, sadly enough, I don't have any of his cards.
Hopefully this World Series will be an exciting one. Have a great rest of the week, happy collecting, and, as always, thanks for reading. I'm out.
Can't wait for Munetaka Murakami to play in the MLB. That 2022 season he had was insane.
ReplyDelete