Welcome to our community

Be apart of something great, join today!

HOBBY speaking, is delmon young the biggest bust?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

CubsfanP

Active member
May 21, 2012
1,067
1
Greenwood, IN
I don't recall Sizemore having much hype at all until about 2007 or so when people said he was one of the best young players, which he was. But he was always a long shot at having a HOF type of career. Was never on track for either 3000 hits or 500 homers, just a good all-around power/speed combination, with a startling number of strikeouts for a leadoff hitter. In the end, he got seriously injured a couple times, which I don't think is the same as not being able to perform at the highest level. And, supposedly, he's looking to make a comeback this year, which would be sweet.

Hype

ImageUploadedByFreedom Card Board1389717337.552786.jpg

ImageUploadedByFreedom Card Board1389717369.732229.jpg

ImageUploadedByFreedom Card Board1389717391.266017.jpg
 

mudflap02

Active member
Jan 23, 2009
3,039
3
Daytona Beach, FL
All those mid-00s Beckett-group fueled BC/BDP guys like Butler, LaPorta, Tuiasosopo, Einertson, Gordon, Upton (pick one) etc., way oversold on a willing group of youngsters who every year would become enamored of the next big thing. Even if there wasn't a truly great prospect in a particular product, the market treated whoever the best guy out of that particular group like he was.

But a baseball career is long, and the market is always evolving, leaving the last next big thing behind. A guy like Ryan Zimmerman, who was the big autograph in 2005 BDP, IIRC, has had a fine career, but he's no more an HOFer than Billy Butler, and the $90 or whatever his BC autos sold for at one point sure seem farcical now. I wonder what they would have sold for if he had gotten a few less hits in 2005, so people didn't spend all winter staring at that ".397" on his statline and dreaming of things to come.

If you listen to enough prospectors, on the other hand, no prospect is ever a bust, because there's always one guy who claims he knew that the guy was going to crap out and sold his stash at the height of the market before it happened. Someone had to be selling all those Young gold refs, after all. If you're doing it right, you'll never have to deal with a bust, either. I say this as a guy still holding onto the Joel Zumaya TC blue refractor, waiting for him to make his big comeback.

The worst bust of all time, sorry to say, is someone like Nick Adenhart, who literally had no time to decline before his market was upended.

The bold part really stood out to me. 2007 BDP Michael Burgess, anyone?
 

mudflap02

Active member
Jan 23, 2009
3,039
3
Daytona Beach, FL
Let's also not forget Billy Rowell. Still holding out hope!

2006bowmandraftredrefractorsDP6.jpg


Plus about 30 Sterling Refractor autos /199.

I mean when your RC is basically a reversed version of the 1952 Topps Mantle, what can go wrong?
 

BBCgalaxee

Well-known member
Sep 9, 2011
6,475
59
But isn't Chris Marrero the next Pujols??????

Sent from my HTCONE using Freedom Card Board mobile app
 

smapdi

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
4,397
221
Meh, positive press doesn't equal hype. The Sizemore SI cover was from 2007, 7 years after his RC. At that point, he was 24, had already played 350+ games over more than 2 full seasons in the majors, been an all-star, and was blossoming right on schedule into a good/potentially great player. Not exactly Bryce Harper in the summer of 2009. Of course, whoever supplied that cover quote was, charitably, a bit more optimistic about his abilities than I was, and I was the guy buying his cards. When I think of hype, I think of predictions about performance and achievements before any reliable projections can be made. I simply don't recall in the summer and fall of 2000 anyone mentioning anything about him or the magical future he held, though obviously I don't read everything. Once he started playing pro ball, he stood out, and people started talking about him. Even then, I don't recall seeing any widespread predictions of Cooperstown.
 

HPC

New member
Aug 12, 2008
6,709
0
Phoenix, AZ
My vote goes to Delmon.

His Gold refractor autos used to touch $2000-2500 routinely.

Lastings Milledge would be second, IMO
 

jcmint

Super Moderator
Aug 7, 2008
5,677
2
Alex Gordon is a good player. Wasnt he also an ALl Star?
There were a few whose hype coincided with bubbles in the market and that made their collapse so huge.

Alex Gordon
Joba Chamberlain

And not quite as huge dollars-wise (because the market was not quite as crazy then) but Mark Prior, partially because he had one insane season before injuries largely did him in.
 

jcmint

Super Moderator
Aug 7, 2008
5,677
2
If the Mattinglys were mint or gem mint especially the 1984 donruss they would have made money.

I would say either Jose Canseco or Don Mattingly. Back in the heyday of massive overproduction, there were times that both of their rookie cards commanded over $100. Neither had Hall of Fame careers and those same rookies can now be had for a few dollars. Having grown up in NY during the 80's, I know a number of people who bought huge quantities of Mattingly at near peak prices and pretty much lost their entire investment. Most of the recent guys are really just a few people paying big bucks for the really scarce, low # stuff. Back in the 80's, there were people who knew nothing about cards throwing money into Mattingly and Canseco rookies hoping to strike it rich.
 

SINFULONE

Active member
Sep 26, 2008
5,691
0
Its not that I have a lot. I collect anything Yankees but I dont have a ton of there autos or higher end because back when there was all the hype with those two guys it was too expensive to get the higher end items. I have not looked at Joba lately but Hughes autos are not all that expensive. He is not yet in the dollar box yet but when he is I will fill some slots in the binders.

I remember years ago when Hughes and Bailey were the best pitching prospects in the game.They were both in seemingly every MLB magazine or publication.
 

Members online

Top