The mega-posts continue, this time with just a couple years of cards. However, you'll get a decent variety of sets here!
This is the 2007 CPBL set. The design is attractive and modern, looking something like a BBM issue (instead of feeling like an MLB issue like Fleer or Upper Deck.
The backs still look Fleer-like. The hologram here is in a circle.
I picked up a few extras again for trade. I like this color better.
The colors are team-oriented. Being a Western player, Brian Rodaway's name appears in English on the back.
And another for trade for a team that no longer exists.
Here is a different 2007 set, apparently issued by TSC, whoever that is. It has a nice design again reminiscent of BBM recent issues. It seems to be a team set, and issued in the 18th year of CPBL (I'm guessing based on the information at the bottom of the front).
The backs look more BBM than anything again, and the notation at the bottom is similar to BBM issues. I believe this is a La New Bears team issue, as the card number carries a L prefix.
Not an insert, this Pitcher Strategy card is a subset of the La New set seen above.
The card numbering indicates it comes towards the end of the set. The backs show grips for several styles of pitches, and notations indicating what this pitcher throws. Plus, the graph at the bottom shows the pitcher's average and top speeds for (I'm assuming) fastballs. He has an average of 85 mph with a top speed of 88.
We now move on to the 2008 CPBL issue, a set of at least 318 cards. The fronts use a basic banner over the full-bleed photos.
The backs use the now-fairly standard layout, and this year has a diamond-shaped hologram.
This is a subset card honoring an achievement the prior year.
The back explains the record or event - the player is Pete Munro and with the black borders some of the card image was cropped by my scanner.
Again I have a duplicate.
Finally, a really lucky (IMO) pick-up. This is a card from the 2008 Chinese Taipei Olympic team that was sent to Beijing. Interestingly, this card uses cursive English on the front. It was produced by TSC.
The backs use a mix of English and Chinese designations and statistics for each game the player was in, plus total stats for the Olympics. I'm not sure why runs weren't included in the total stats at the bottom!
I picked up an extra - this player (Chen Feng-Min) batted twice in each game but managed only one hit (a double which scored two runs). This card is for trade.
We end here, in 2008. CPBL has had a release titled "Player of the Year" since 2009 with several insert sets featuring relics and autographs. I didn't find any 2009 or 2010 cards, though I lucked into a handful of 2011 cards. Those will be in my next, and final post. Until then...
For me, the most noticeable improvement starting in 2009, was the inclusion of all player names in English on the front. I really like that 2007 design and wish we could get more full-bleed designs in American cards. I don't understand why Topps feels the need to slap a border on everything.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to make the effort to get my hands on some 2009s and 2010s at some point. The 2011s I have are pretty nice looking, though.
ReplyDeleteI have been asking since, well, 2011 (when Upper Deck's full-bleed flagship disappeared) for the return of a full-bleed set like Stadium Club. In fact, it was last year that I decided to retroactively collect sets like Ultra, Upper Deck, and Stadium Club.
In fact, I bet making a set like Stadium Club is easier than something like Allen & Ginter. A minimalistic design photo-focused design with just a couple basic parallels, a few topical insert sets, and pack it out for the masses... The only real difficulty will be working to get a real awesome photo for all the players in the set - maybe 450 cards (plus any SP retired stars they'd like to throw in, if they must).
I just realized, the 2008 CPBL design remins me a lot of 1993 Leaf.
ReplyDeleteHm, maybe a bit. The Munro awards card certainly does.
ReplyDelete