- A bit hard to see due to the scan, but that is mid-America in behind Thome in map form. The concept of the Bowman International parallels has kind of grown on me over time.
- Jim finished 2nd in OPS during the 1998 season, with a .997 mark. Only Albert Belle at 1.055 was better that season.
- Jim was drafted 333rd overall in 1990. There are only two other names that I recognize that were drafted in that same spot. Mat Latos was drafted 333rd in 2006, two years before that Michael Saunders (who played with the Jays last year) was taken by the Mariners in spot 333.
- Robert
- Mini-milestone. This is post #350 for the blog. Averaging 1 post a day for the entire year is almost achieved. It will be a bit of a push to hit 400 by December 31st, but I'm going to try to get there....
- Jim was the 11th of an 11 card insert set featuring players that won a minor league MVP award. Jim's MVP award was won in 1993, when he hit .332 and drove in 102 runs for AAA Charlotte. The Knights won 86 games and the western division of the IL that year.
- This insert set features a whos who of '90s MLB stars, Manny Ramirez, Tino Martinez, Tony Gwynn, Derek Jeter, and Vladimir Guerrero to name a few.
- Robert
- '98 Bowman, a solid effort. Got everything you would want in a card. Great shot, team logo, facsimile signature (I've always liked those) and a border that doesn't overrun the card.
- Stats on the back: No bio on Bowman, just stats versus every team. Jim rang up the White Sox to the tune of a .326 average, 8 HR and 18 RBI. The only two teams in '97 that Jim didn't hit a HR off in the AL were the Angels and Orioles.
- '98 Bowman=441 card set. Lists in Beckett magazine for $50, while the Thome card is at just 75 cents. Jimmy Rollins and Magglio Ordonez are the biggest RC's in the set, listing for $5 each.
- Robert
