Rookie of the Year Spotlight: Bob Hamelin

Some of the collections I have been working on over the years are starting to get filled out and my goals are being reached. As a result, I'm starting to slow down a little when it comes to acquiring many cards for some of my mini-collections. Now that the collection is feeling more and more complete, I wanted to start showcasing the cards I have, player by player.

One such collection is my Rookie of the Year collection. I love collecting players who have won the award as the top newcomer in each league. This wasn't born of hot rookie hype and the desire to prospect. Rather, I became fascinated thinking about the careers of guys like Eric Karros, Jerome Walton, and Tim Salmon, who experienced varying degrees of success but may not have become superstars. I thought it would be fun to have a collection that chronicles the individual career journeys of rookie stars--whether they burned bright and flamed out quickly, regressed to the mean, or wended their way to Cooperstown.

 

My goal has been to fill a binder page for each player who won the award in my lifetime and to fill a row for older players. I may expand that later as I expand my vintage collection. The ultimate goal of my binder is to show a card from every different uniform the player wore, from fresh-faced rookie to grizzled vet. This series is to commemorate each Rookie of the Year's career and show my collection of their cards. I placed all of the past winners into random.org and got my order. The next player up is:

 

Bob Hamelin

 

After toiling in the minor leagues for six years, former second-round pick Bob Hamelin got the call to the Majors in 1993. In his first taste of the Bigs, he made 55 plate appearances in 16 games. The results were underwhelming; he slashed .224/.309/.408 with two home runs and 15 strikeouts. In 1994, he was markedly better. He improved his average to .282 and started slugging a few homers. He hit 24 dingers in his first full season, increasing his slugging percentage 191 points and posting a healthy .987 OPS before a strike cut the season short. He won the American League Rookie of the Year easily, taking home 25 of 28 first-place votes. The remaining three first-place votes went to Rusty Greer, who finished third. Sandwiched between them was Cleveland outfielder Manny Ramirez.

Ironically, the 101 games of the strike-shortened season would be the most he would play in a season for the Royals. Over the next two seasons with the club, he would play almost one full slate of games: 161. After a horrendous start to 1995, slashing .168/.278/.313, he was sent back to AAA Omaha. 1996 wasn't much better. After winning ROY, slugger Bob Hamelin would only hit 16 more home runs for KC. He was released during Spring Training in 1997.

He signed with Detroit a month later and bounced back somewhat with the Tigers. He had his best season post-rookie year in 1997, hitting .270 with 18 homers in 110 games. The next year he signed with the Brewers and slumped again. As Milwaukee's regular DH, he put up a paltry .699 OPS with seven home runs. In 1999, he was back in the minors with the Tigers organization when he decided to hang 'em up.

 
Hamelin was a bit of a cult hero during his rookie season, probably due to the fact that he didn't look the part of elite athlete. He looks more likely to finish his shift at the plant and knock back a couple of cold ones while watching the game than to hit home runs on the field at said game. In six Major League seasons, he hit .246 with 67 HR and 209 RBI. Baseball-Reference gives him a WAR of 2.5. It's players like Hamelin that make my ROY collection interesting to me. A player that otherwise would have been largely forgotten by history has one shining breakthrough season and gets the spotlight. The subsequent and varying career trajectories are fascinating to me.

Since I scanned these cards, I've added this Tigers card to my Bob Hamelin page. I still need one to rep the Brewers and complete his career documentation in my collection.

The Franchise 9: Miami Dolphins

 

I haven't posted one of these since the Super Bowl, when I shared the top nine players from NFC Champion (and eventual Super Bowl Champ) Tampa Bay. Now that football season is back in full swing, it's time to finish off this series that has been years in the writing. We'll keep it in Florida and travel south to Miami. It feels like it has been a while since the Dolphins have been good. Indeed, the majority of their Franchise 9 comes from the 70s and 80s, when they were consistent title contenders.

1. Bob Griese, QB (1990 Score)

Bob Griese quarterbacked Miami to three Super Bowls, winning two of them. That alone should probably land him a spot on the Dolphins' Franchise 9. But let's just throw in eight Pro Bowls, two Super Bowls, an All-Pro season, and a Hall of Fame induction. And he was a lifetime Dolphin, to boot.

 

2. Dan Marino, QB (1995 Collector's Choice Players Club)

Through the 90s--and maybe even halfway into the 2000s--there was a large portion of football fans who would tell you that Dan Marino was the best to ever sling the ball. Perhaps there are still some, though I think the triumvirate of Brees, Manning, and Brady have pushed guys like Marino aside. Unfortunately, it feels like his legacy is that of "best to never earn a ring," but he was so much more. He was an All-Pro three times and MVP once. Five times he led the league in passing yards and three times in TD passes. That includes his jaw-dropping 1984 season, when he became the first QB to throw for 5,000 yards in a season and the first to throw for over 40 TDs. In fact, his single-season TD record of 48 smashed the previous record of 36 and wouldn't be broken for 20 years. His ghost has been hanging over the franchise since he retired.

 

3. Larry Csonka, RB (1974 Wonder Bread All-Star Series)

Forty-two years after Larry Csonka retired, he is still the franchise leader in rushing yards. And, considering that the closest active player trails him by nearly 6,000 yards, he is likely to remain in that spot for years to come still. He played eight seasons in Miami, making the Pro Bowl in five of them and the All-Pro team twice. His 145 yard, two TD performance against Minnesota in Super Bowl in Super Bowl VIII earned him the MVP award for the game. Csonka is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

4. Jim Langer, C (1978 Topps)

The third member of the Dolphins' perfect 1972 season on this list, Langer anchored the offensive line for ten years. He made six consecutive Pro Bowls from 1973-1977 and was a 1st-Team All-Pro in three of those seasons.  For his career, he earned a spot on the 1970s All-Decade Team and in Canton in the Hall of Fame.

5. Larry Little, G (1980 Topps)

Yet another 1972 Dolphin here. Larry Little played 12 seasons for Miami, being named to five 1st-Team All-Pro teams. He is the highest-rated Dolphin lineman in franchise history, going by Pro Football Reference's Approximate Value score. He joins linemate Jim Langer on the 1970s All-Decade Team and the Hall of Fame.

6. Dwight Stephenson, C (1986 Topps)

When Langer left, the Dolphins didn't miss a beat at center. Dwight Stephenson was right there to continue the positional dominance in Miami. From 1974 to 1987, the All-Pro team was manned by Miami Dolphins at center seven times. Stephenson played only eight seasons in the NFL, but he was an All-Pro in half of those years. It was enough for him to be named to the NFL All-Decade Team for the 1980s and the Hall of Fame.

7. Jason Taylor, DE (2007 Topps Chrome)

Since Marino retired, the Dolphins have fallen on hard times. Jason Taylor has been one of the brightest spots in this era. Taylor was a six-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro, NFL Defensive Player of the Year, All-2000s performer, and Hall of Famer. He leads all Dolphins in sacks . . . by 31. He also leads the team in forced fumbles (by 21) and defensive touchdowns (by 4). He ranks second behind only Dan Marino in franchise AV.

8. Zach Thomas, LB (2006 Topps Chrome)

Taylor's defensive teammate, Zach Thomas, was also a wrecking crew. His 1,107 tackles not only top the franchise's all-time list, but also rank 5th all-time in the NFL. Seven Pro Bowls and five All-Pro teams earned him a spot on the All-Decade Team of the 2000s, but he is still waiting to get the call to Canton. He is undoubtedly one of the top nine Dolphins, though.

9. Jake Scott, S (2005 Topps Chrome)

The perfect 1972 season was capped off with a victory in the Super Bowl over the Washington Redskins. Leading the team in that game was Super Bowl MVP Jake Scott. His 35 career interceptions still rank #1 in Dolphins history. He had a fairly short career in Miami, but he made the most of it. He is the team's all-time leader in AV/game, which indicates to me that his presence was felt every time he took the field. In just six seasons, Scott made five Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams.

Like many teams, there were some obvious, must-include choices and some that required some internal debate and data analysis. The Dolphins had some incredible, nickname-worthy defenses that feel underrepresented here. Unfortunately, their "No-Name Defense" didn't even lift a single player out of anonymity on this list. Dick Anderson, Nick Buoniconti, and Bob Baumhower were all considered on that side of the ball. One constant that I found in the Dolphins' most successful eras was an outstanding offensive line. I could name Richmond Webb and Bob Kuchenberg as offensive linemen on this team and feel good about it. And what about Marino's favorite Marks Brothers (Mark Duper and Mark Clayton)? I didn't find room for them over these players. The most recent Dolphin to be considered was Cameron Wake, but he just didn't have quite enough of a career impact to crack this lineup. It may be many more years before anybody else does, judging by the current roster and longevity each player currently has with the team. Let the debates begin in the comments!

Some notes on this series:

1. This includes Super Bowl Era players only.
2. The "nine" in Franchise 9 is to fill a page in a binder. There is no intent to fill a roster or even a starting lineup.
3. A player can represent multiple teams.
4. I tried to find a balance between steady producers with longevity and explosive players with shorter careers. Time with the team does count for something, as does impact with the team.
5. For a link to Franchise 9 lists that I have already posted, click here.
6. This is all subjective, so I'd love to hear whom you would choose!

2021 Football Packs: Panini Prestige

Last week, I wrote about a create-your-own blaster I put together from eBay. I still haven't found any blasters on a shelf for a while, but I did manage to stumble across some packs at Wal-Mart a month ago, to my great surprise. I found fat packs of A&G and Prestige. It wasn't hard to decide which to get. I'm not an A&G collector, but I wind up completing the Prestige football set about every other year. I chose two packs of Prestige.

The base cards are a little busy with all the white lines running everywhere, but it's not too bad. Definitely one that I have no problem putting together the set. In my two packs, I received 33 of the 200 veteran base cards and 4 dupes.

Each pack contained four rookie cards. No huge names, but some first round picks. I know Matt likes that Toney kid. Throwing the rookies into my set build, I have 41 of 300 base cards (13.7%)--still a ways to go.

Each fat pack had two Xtra Point Sunbursts. Jones and Henry on the top join my collection. Hardman and Shenault are up for trade.

I decided two insert sets were worth chasing. I really like the Living Legends set and the Power House has a nice look and an interesting checklist. Here is my start.

These inserts are all up for grabs. I just now am noticing all the initials in this group. CeeDee, DK, and TY FTW!

I really would like to complete this base set and the two selected insert sets. I don't have my wantlist up yet, but I don't own too much, so it's all pretty much a need. I haven't seen another pack to buy since then, which is frustrating. Needless to say, this set build hasn't reached priority status yet. But if you have some you'd like to trade, let me know!

Big XII, Here We Come!

This has been one heck of an exciting week to be a BYU fan. For those of us who have been following closely, it has seemed like a done deal. But I couldn't make myself fully believe until it became official today.

BYU IS JOINING THE BIG 12.

Eleven years ago, TCU and Utah bolted the Mountain West for P5 conferences. BYU took a gamble and decided to go independent in football rather than stick around with the leftovers. There were some rocky years, for sure--especially during the first few years before they had scheduling partners. We were subject to multiple FCS opponents per year. And once there was one loss on the record, the bowl destination was already confirmed due to exclusive tie-ins with certain bowls. Spoiler alert: they were never good bowls. But the past few years have been fun as AD Tom Holmoe was able to make scheduling deals with more and more programs, resulting in a schedule that includes 4-6 P5 teams that we would never have seen otherwise--Wisconsin, Michigan St., Tennessee, to name a few. But we still faced the same "lose one and what is left to play for?" predicament and a very "blah" schedule from mid-October on. Now, after a couple of flirtations with Power 5 conferences that failed to end in invites, BYU has schedule stability and a conference with better bowl tie-ins. And I am pumped.

To celebrate the day, I'm posting my self-created eBay blaster that I received about two weeks ago. I've made COMC blasters before, but never eBay. I was searching for a Dax Milne auto and came across a seller who had a deal that was something like "buy 20, get 40% off," so I started looking through his singles. The cards I picked out cost me $24 shipped, about the same as a $20 plus tax blaster.

It's BYU's big day, so let's show off some new BYU pick-ups. Congrats to Dax Milne, who was the second-to-last pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and ended up making the roster for the Washington Football Team. He's a great story: he went from walk-on to 7th round draft pick to NFL roster spot.

A good chunk of my blaster went toward my refractor frankenset. Brett Kennedy and Robbie Ray are serial-numbered to boot.

I bolstered my ROY collection, especially my cards of last year's winners, Kyle Lewis and Devin Williams.

I also took advantage to add to my most recent PC addition, All-Star Game MVP Vlad, Jr. Cronenworth, Houck, and Colon were just cards that I thought would be worth owning, even if they didn't have a specific place in my collection.

I picked up some shiny NFL All-Decade performers.

And oh, yes, I did find a Dax Milne auto.

I haven't seen any blasters in a store for a while, but I have seen them being sold on eBay for more than $30 apiece. Some of those blasters have 20 cards in them. If I could see a blaster that contained 34 cards, 18 guaranteed refractors, and three autos, I would jump on it. And if I was guaranteed to have all 34 cards be keepers in my collection? That's a no-brainer. I think I did pretty well for myself with my faux blaster.

Go Cougs! If we can beat Utah tomorrow and end the streak, this may shape up to be one of the greatest weekends of my fandom.

Wolverine Pride Fantasy League, Year 5

As always, I have multiple fantasy leagues, but the one league that really counts is our school league that I started five years ago. Entering our fifth year, we have a new defending champ. Actually, we've never had somebody win our league twice. I'm looking to be the first one after having won it in 2019. I had a great shot at it last year, but lost in the first round in the playoffs, despite that week's score being the second-highest point total in the entire league last season. Yes, my opponent happened to put up the highest total against me in the same week. What are the odds?

This year, I'm not as confident in my draft. We had a couple of new players last year who figured things out and drafted much better this year, making our auction a lot more competitive. But that's good; competitive is fun. Here is my roster for 2021.

 

QB: Dak Prescott, Dallas

I wasn't expecting to spend as much as I did on a QB, but when Dak came up on the board, I had him highly rated and an excess of budget. So I took a bigger QB than I intended. If he's fully healthy, I think he'll have a big year.

I don't have a Gibson card. Image from TCDB

 

RB1: Antonio Gibson, Washington

When I do a standard draft, I target RBs in the first round. For an auction draft, I just make a list of top-tier players that I would like and give myself a budget. Typically what happens is the top running backs go for far beyond my budget and I get the top receivers in my budget. It also means I can find ball carriers who are "the guy" in their backfields for a good price because everyone's money is gone. Gibson is the undisputed guy in Washington, so I'll take him as my RB1.

I don't have a Robinson card either. Image from TCDB

RB2: James Robinson, Jacksonville

I found another workhouse back for my team. Neither Robinson nor Gibson are spectacular, but to have two running backs who aren't part of a committee in my fantasy backfield is a win to me. On a card note, I haven't found many cards to buy on the shelves in 2020 and 2021, so I don't a card of either of the second-year RBs on my team.

 

 

WR1: Stefon Diggs, Buffalo

 

Diggs was on my shortlist of top-tier players to target. I got him within budget after all of the other top-tier players had been bid up. Again, the lack of card purchases in the past two years means I don't have a Bills card of him.

 

 

 

WR2: DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona

 

So I'm sitting there bidding on Hopkins, thinking I was only going to bid him up to certain point and let somebody spend their money on him. Suddenly, I have a bid of a mere $20 in and the time is ticking down. With one second on the clock, I'm thinking I just got him for $20?! I'd take that any day. Then somebody bid it up at the last second. In the end, I got Nuk for $24, which is still a major steal to me.

 

 

TE: Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay

 

Last year, I wouldn't have touched Gronk. Now that I know he is back in football shape after his retirement, I think he still has major value working with Tom Brady. I'm banking on that at least, as I elected not to spend big money on a tight end.

 

 

FLEX 1: Calvin Ridley, Atlanta

 

I make my list of top-tier and set my budget, hoping to get at least one. Then I get my second-tier list and hope for one or two. I got two of my second-tier receivers this year: Ridley and Hopkins. With Julio Jones gone in Atlanta this year, Calvin Ridley will end as a WR1 this year. And he's my WR3. I'm set at receiver, barring injury.

 

 

FLEX 2: Darrell Henderson, Los Angeles Rams

 

Our league got rid of the kicker position this year in favor of another flex. As commissioner, I just decided that kickers were too unpredictable, so to use a little more fantasy skill and knowledge, we put another flex on the field. Henderson is a borderline RB1 in LA. Many people are worried about Sony Michel taking carries from Henderson, but I think he'll still command the majority of the touches.

 

DEF: Indianapolis . . . 

for now. I will stream defenses through the season.

Bench:

Myles Gaskin, RB, Miami

Phillip Lindsay, RB, Houston

Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas

Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco

Laviska Shenault, WR, Jacksonville

Marquez Callaway, WR, New Orleans

What I really learned from my fantasy draft this year is that I need some 2020-2021 football cards. I don't have last year's rookies and Diggs, Hopkins, and Gronk are on teams that I don't have cardboard representation for.

How do you feel about my team? This is how Fantasy Pros graded it:

Last year, PoinkDaChamp and I were flipped, and Poink won. So maybe I'm just where I need to be.

Yahoo's not quite as bullish on my draft:

 

I want to hear your thoughts in the comments. And how does it stack up against your team? And are you ready for some football?!