Though I will bet basically no baseball card collectors uttered those 2 words about this baseball card back in 2013. Writing here from the future, this has become a bit of an iconic baseball card baseball playing situation, thanks to the 2018 Series 2 Ronald Acuña short print RC that I both love & hate (hate because I hate artificial scarcity created by Topps, and my deep down knowledge that I will never own a copy of that card).
But now I have my own Bat Down card to enjoy and appreciate instead. I would also bet very few collectors in the 2020s wishing to afford the famous Bat Down card will instead simply enjoy other examples of it in the history of baseball cards. I have a feeling I will be trying to assemble 9 examples of them in my binder of miscellaneous baseball card fun that needs a far better name than that.
On this card, I like how the wrinkles on Colby's uniform draw the eye into the rotational force he has just released, leading the viewer all the way back around to the bat, OR to Colby's eyes now admiring the flight of the ball just like we do when able to see some live baseball action.
And that bat...a 2 tone special. I used to collect cards with a black bat, just to see what would happen later, in terms of who all would end up on that checklist together. I should probably revive that little effort. The hieroglyphics on the bat do invite inspection, now that I can zoom in on the scan. The bat proves to be a Marucci, a brand new manufacturer in the 21st Century, and probably one of the forces in the game behind the ever stronger use of Maple bats. Their story can be found here.
This card is definitely re-awakening my interest in the lumber, and the mystery of who uses Ash, Maple, or Hickory.
As for the over-arching mystery of this card — Fly Ball? Home Run? This card's not telling, but that's OK.
Uniform Hero? Clearly a No. But a little intriguing nonetheless, in that Rasmus clearly is #28, and is card #68 - is this a sly use of a hero # akin to the way even, say #35 was a better player than #34, in really old Topps sets? Topps isn't saying, and I basically doubt that possibility here, but I will be watching.
Where’d the egg hatch? Rasmus was a first rounder for the Cardinals originally, as the 24th pick in 2005; right out of high school, so
How about the migrations? he did not debut in St. Louis until 2009. Which wasn't a particularly remarkable Rookie campaign except to remark that playing 147 Games in a debut season is a strong accomplishment in and of itself.
He was then able to defeat the sophomore slump that hits so many Rookies (and keeps Topps making Rookie Cards), on the field of play at least. Things in the dugout & clubhouse weren't so good as Rasmus didn't get along with St. Louis or St. Louis didn't get along with Rasmus, probably depending on which party was asked about it all.
In mid-2011 Rasmus was traded to Toronto in a rare 4-for-4 swap of all active Major Leaguers, no prospects. Headed back to St. Louis were both my man Octavio Dotel _and_ Edwin Jackson, the latter being the player who would eventually break the former's record for Most Teams in a career. And to think they were both traded together at one point, huhh.
Like several Sea Turtles in this prestige filled checklist portion, Rasmus was headed towards the year of the Sea Turtle being the year of his career.
He was then able to defeat the sophomore slump that hits so many Rookies (and keeps Topps making Rookie Cards), on the field of play at least. Things in the dugout & clubhouse weren't so good as Rasmus didn't get along with St. Louis or St. Louis didn't get along with Rasmus, probably depending on which party was asked about it all.
In mid-2011 Rasmus was traded to Toronto in a rare 4-for-4 swap of all active Major Leaguers, no prospects. Headed back to St. Louis were both my man Octavio Dotel _and_ Edwin Jackson, the latter being the player who would eventually break the former's record for Most Teams in a career. And to think they were both traded together at one point, huhh.
Like several Sea Turtles in this prestige filled checklist portion, Rasmus was headed towards the year of the Sea Turtle being the year of his career.
Don’t flip over real Turtles.
This could be yet another example used to illustrate a baseball card textbook. Of course most baseball fans, or at least most long-time baseball card collectors, know than most baseball players experience an unusual achievement every single year, if you look for the unusual carefully enough. Like Topps does.
Can the Turtle Catch the Rabbit?
CAREER CHASE: With 76 home runs, Rasmus is 686 away from Barry Bonds' all-time record of 762.
Topps doesn't seem to have really gotten along with Barry Bonds all that well, and the instant Bonds' career ended, so did any and all Topps Baseball cards. So I have to wonder how often this particular comp will be pulled out as this set progresses. But then on the offensive side of the game, they also have difficulty using the Hit King here. Perhaps, Hank Aaron's RBI record will win out in total comparisons.
As for this comparison on this card, I guess that traces to 2010, when Rasmus had that .498 Slugging % and hit 23 Home Runs, as he had also just done in 2012. Way back then, i.e. before MLB changed the baseball manufacturer in Central America which in turn lowered the seams on the ball and in turn made every utility guy everywhere a 20 Homer masher, well, 23 Home Runs was more of a deal and a sign of optimism. And we do have that sweet bat down optimism on the front of the card.
Rasmus would play 6 more seasons; his stops included Houston, where he became the first player in MLB history to sign a "qualifying offer," but his career had a very ragged ending as he stepped away from the game during the season, twice, first with Tampa, and finally with Baltimore in 2018.
Subspecies? Colby Rasmus probably (unwittingly, probably) provoked too many fans to then make it onto as many baseball card checklists as he might have; this is his only Sea Turtle designed card.
Bling That Shell Mmmm-mmm, anyone got some bubble gum? This card makes me fondly remember Maple flavored bubble gum, which like most Maple flavored items didn't last long on the American market place. But we all know a country where it probably can still be purchased.
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