When I Was a Custom Card Designer: 2009 Twins – Part I

With BoBuBingo wrapped up, it’s time to get back into some blogging. Pitchers and Catchers will be reporting in no time at all and the 2013 baseball card season will be ramping up as well. While we’re all waiting to see how the Topps ’13 design will look in person, I decided to dig back into the old retired custom card bag and share with you my own personal designs from yesteryear.

While you’re browsing through these cards, please feel free to entertain your ears with the very first solo recording I ever made. Yes, it’s actual music. No, I’m not singing. Yes, the recording is homemade. No, I cannot guarantee you will not die of laughter or ear trauma.

While designing my stack of Twins cards throughout the year, I would typically wait until either a major signing event (i.e. TwinsFest or an Autograph Party) or until a given player accomplished something of note before cranking out a card for them. In some instances, players accomplished very little before I was able to complete a full card for them. In those instances, I hastily whipped up a front-only card and brought it along with me to signing events. Only one front-only card went unsigned.

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DELMON YOUNG

BOOF BONSER

BRIAN BUSCHER

MATT GUERRIER

BRENDAN HARRIS

There are also instances when I’ve designed the full card, front and back, and was unable to get the cards signed. You’ll notice with the card backs that, in most cases, I decided to dedicate each card to a specific day–emphasizing the “Day” in GameDay. Other cards feature general write-ups and statistics.

LUIS AYALA

SEAN HENN

FRANCISCO LIRIANO

JOSE MORALES

NICK PUNTO

Of course, none of the above players whose cards have gone unsigned are still with the Twins. Since I’m not as into TTM autos as I used to be, and since I’ve already sent Punto his GameDay Grapher on three separate occasions with no success, it seems highly unlikely I’ll ever see those cards get the ink treatment.

The next “WIWACCD” post will feature some of the 22 2009 GameDay Graphers that were completed in full AND signed. Some cards even feature the old “Rookie Card” logo. I’ll even throw in one of the Memorabilia cards that I cranked out featuring a patch commemorating the final Twins season in the Metrodome. Needless to say, that sucker won’t be moving from my personal collection any time soon.

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DON’T FORGET!

Topps ’13 S1 Jumbo Case Break Raffle There are still plenty of great teams left to choose from, such as the Angels, Blue Jays, Rangers, Red Sox and Yankees!