2001 Topps Hobby Masters
I’m not sure what qualifies someone as a “hobby master.”
But, I’m quite positive that Pedro Martinez met those requirements in 2001.
Coming off two of the best seasons a pitcher has ever had, he was a major force
in the hobby. Assuming, I suppose, they’re referring to the “baseball card
collecting” hobby. The model train collecting hobby? Maybe not so much. But, as
far as baseball cards, he was one of the most popular players in the game. So,
naturally, Topps included in this insert set.
Which makes sense. The set is so uninspired, it’s only
logical that the player selection would be obvious choices. You know someone
made a list of the players that they thought would sell cards. Then, instead of
trying to sort them into theme sets like “blazing fastballs” or “power packers”
they just lumped them into one set. That meant that the design had to be pretty
generic, and it is. Pedro set against
some squares and colors. No rhyme or reason. Just background clutter.
The photo selection? Bleh. A generic shot of Pedro getting
ready to pitch. Just something Topps had sitting in a file cabinet somewhere.
Again, Topps feels that the name of the set is the most important part of the
set. Pedro’s name is in the tiny type. Can you find it? Now, hoe about the name
of the set? Do you see that? It’s impossible to miss as it takes up about a
quarter of the card. Terrible.
And to think…people were supposed to “chase” these inserts.
I would have really loved the photo selection... had Topps not cropped out the rest of his leg.
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