Donruss announced Monday Morning that they have completed production of a special limited edition NFL football card set to celebrate this week's National Pop Warner Football Championships. Donruss will be on hand for the entire week long event, during which time they will doling out thousands of packs of Donruss Trading Cards to children of all ages.
The limited edition football card set will be distributed to more than 1,000 people who attend the final games of the Pop Warner Super Bowl on Friday and Saturday. The set includes Rookie Cards of 1st Year NFL Sensations Darren McFadden, Matt Ryan and Felix Jones. Rounding out the checklist are NFL Stars Adrian Peterson, Peyton Manning and Devin Hester.
Mike Anderson, Vice President of Donruss, had this to say regarding his company's participation in the event,"We are proud to be associated with such a great name as Pop Warner Little Scholars. We have been focused on introducing trading cards to kids and our relationship with Pop Warner allows us to reach thousands of youth football organizations across the country."
The Pop Warner Football Championships (referred to as the Pop Warner Super Bowl) are divided into teams competing in Division I and Division II. Sixty-four football teams compete for National Championships in four different classes. The teams that compete in the tournament are divided into one of these four classes (Jr. Pee Wee, Pee Wee, Jr. Midget & Midget) based on the ages and sizes of its players. In order to advance to the Pop Warner Super Bowl, a team must win its respective League Championship as well as the Regional Championship. Each advancing team is guarenteed to play two games at the Super Bowl, with a Tomlin and Warner Champion being crowned in each age / weight division and competition level.
This year's Pop Warner Super Bowl is already in full swing down at its perennial stomping grounds at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. The tournament will conclude on December 13th, at which time the 2008 Pop Warner Super Bowl Champions will be crowned.
Donruss included a limited edition rookie card insert in this year's Leaf Rookies & Stars Football. The 34-card insert features the top rookies from this year's NFL Draft, on the die-cut Rookie Crown design. The cards card be found exclusively in Wal-Mart blaster boxes.
The checklist for the 2008 Leaf R&S Rookie Crown Collection insert set is as follows:
1. Brian Brohm
2. Chris Johnson
3. Darren McFadden
4. Devin Thomas
5. Donnie Avery
6. Earl Bennett
7. Eddie Royal
8. Harry Douglas
9. Jamaal Charles
10. Jerome Simpson
11. John David Booty
12. Jordy Nelson
13. Kevin Smith
14. Malcolm Kelly
15. Matt Forte
16. Rashard Mendenhall
17. Steve Slaton
18. Glenn Dorsey
19. Ray Rice
20. Matt Ryan
21. Mario Manningham
22. Limas Sweed
23. Kevin O'Connell
24. Jonathan Stewart
25. Joe Flacco
26. James Hardy
27. Jake Long
28. Felix Jones
29. Early Doucet III
30. Dustin Keller
31. Dexter Jackson
32. DeSean Jackson
33. Chad Henne
34. Andre Caldwell
Randomly inserted autograph variations of this set will be available in a future Donruss product, the specifics of which have yet to be announced.
The 2008 HWL season has come and gone and some intriguing prospects had solid performances over the past five weeks. This article will chronicle the top 10 offensive performances as well as the top 5 pitching performances from this year's HWL league. While not all of these prospects are, or ever will be, household names, their performances deserve some notice.
Offensive Performances:
#10) Ryan Kalish---Boston Red Sox OF
.282/.446/.366 1 HR 9 RBI 13 SB (21 BB/14 K)
Kalish is a highly talented OF whose skill set is a cross between fellow Red Sox Jacoby Ellsbury and J.D. Drew. He will likely begin the 2009 season at hitters paradise Lancaster where his numbers will blossom. His 2008 Bowman Chrome autograph is a popular card that can be had at $13-16 each right now on Ebay.
Durham finished second in RBI's but his status as a top prospect is limited due to the fact that he will be 26 years old by the start of the regular season. With the presence of Adam LaRoche and Steven Pearce ahead of him, Durham will have a tough time earning a big league job.
8.) Kyle Peter---Detroit Tigers OF
.370/.416/.467 1 HR 12 RBI 11 SB 20 R
Peter has top of the order speed (he stole 42 bases at Low-A Western Michigan) and a solid line drive bat. Don't expect much power from him, but he could provide value to a club down the road as a speedy, defensive 4th outfielder.
7.) Todd Frazier---Cincinnati Reds SS/3B
.295/.375/.547 3 HR 22 RBI 19 R
Frazier has a potent bat that produced 19 HR and 74 RBI over two levels this past season. Frazier has more value if he can stay at SS, though his defensive range and strong arm will likely land him in the crowded 3B mix in Cincinnati's farm system. Frazier's 2007 Bowman Chrome and Bowman Sterling autographs can be bought on Ebay for $8-10 each.
#6.) Brad Emaus---Toronto Blue Jays 2B/3B
.333/.447/.494 2 HR 12 RBI 18 R (17 BB/7 K)
Emaushas a solid line drive bat withgap power. He played well in his first full pro season at High-A Dunedin hitting .302 with 12 HR 71 RBI and 87 runs scored. He controls the strike zone very well and grinds out AB's. He has much more value if he can play at 2B instead of 3B as his 10-15 HR power is below average for a corner infielder. He profiles as a solid #2 or #6 hitter in a MLB lineup.
#5.) Dominic Brown---Philidelphia Phillies OF
.389/.506/.542 1 HR 8 RBI 3 SB (15 BB/14 K)
Brown led the HWL in hitting this year though his power has yet to fully manifest itself. Brown has a 6-5 200 lb. frame that oozes athleticism. In addition, his strike zone acumen is extremely polished for his age. Brown is one of Philly's brightest talents and he has a long way to go before reaching his considerable ceiling. Brown has autographs in the 2008 Donruss Threads set (#'ed to 999) that sell for $6-9 each on Ebay.
.351/.428/.431 1 HR 18 RBI 16 R
Posey could have been the MVP of this league if he did not take time mid-season to head to the Giants' winter training camp. Posey emerged from relative obscurity to hit .463 with 26 HR 93 RBI and 89 runs scored for the Florida State Seminoles before becoming the Giants' 1st round pick. Posey will have autographed cards in the upcoming Bowman Chrome Draft, Bowman Sterling, and Donruss Elite Extra sets. Posey is the perfect backstop to manage the stable of exciting young arms that will be pitching in San Francisco within the next couple of seasons.
Alonso did quite a bit to prove that he was worthy of being a 1st round selection by the Reds. Alonso demonstrated good power and advanced plate discipline. Alonso had a big year at the University of Miami hitting .370 with 24 HR 70 RBI and an incredible 76 BB/35 K ratio. Alonso will have autographed cards in the much anticipated Razor Draft Picks set as well as the minor league Tristar set (I like the design this year!)
#2.) Mark Hallberg---Arizona Diamondbacks SS/2B
.362/.423/.483 3 HR 21 RBI 24 R
Hallberg demonstrated better power in Hawaii than he was able to muster in a full season at High-A Visalia. Hallberg is a scrappy, over-achieving middle infielder who has good baseball intangibles, but limited talent. Hallberg sprays the ball to all fields and is a tough guy to strike out. He will never be a power hitter at the MLB level and likely won't ever earn a full time opportunity. That said, he plays with grit and determination and could stick as a part-time utility infielder.
#1.) Cyle Hankerd---Arizona Diamondbacks OF
.318/.392/.545 5 HR 30 RBI
Hankerd led the HWL in RBI and was second in HR. His total in Hawaii matched his total in a disappointing season at AA Mobile. Hankerd has a big strong frame that should hit the ball for more power than he did this year. Hankerd has the ability to hit for good average though his power is below average for a corner outfielder. His ceiling is as a 4th outfielder at the major league level. His second tour of AA should be more successful.
Top Pitching Performers:
#5.) Jeremy Papelbon---Chicago Cubs RHP
1-0 2.45 ERA 1.16 WHIP 9 BB/16 K (14.2 IP)
Papelbon did much to follow in his brother's footsteps by leading the HWL in saves. Papelbon, at 26, is too old to be pitching at High-A though he did have a solid season. Likely, Papelbon will be a middle inning pitcher at the big league level. If his older brother Jon wasn't so stinking good, Jeremy would not garner nearly as much attention.
Bleich was a supplemental 1st round pick by the Yankees out of the University of Stanford. Bleich did not pitch overly well in college, but the Yankees like his competitive demeanor and array of off-speed pitches. Bleich seems to be a finesse lefty who could put up better numbers as a pro than he did as a collegian. Bleich will have autographed cards in the upcoming Razor Draft Picks set.
#3.) Scott Shaw---New York Mets RHP
2-2 2.51 ERA 0.65 WHIP 9 BB/35 K (32.1 IP)
Shaw, like Bleich, did not have a sterling collegiate career, yet he has performed much better as as pro going 6-3 with a 2.80 ERA and 79 K's in 74 IP at Low-A Brooklyn. Shaw has a thick 6-5 230 lb. frame that looks to be able to handle a sizable workload as a mid-rotation starter. He is a long way off and is by no means a sure thing. He is one, though, that is worth keeping an eye on this coming season.
#2.) Kyle Bloom---Pittsburgh Pirates LHP
2-0 1.50 ERA 0.86 WHIP 11 BB/32 K (30 IP)
At 26, Bloom was one of the older players in the HWL which may be why he had so much success. Bloom's '08 regular season at AA Altoona was quite pedestrian, going 5-8 with a 4.19 ERA and a 55 BB/93 K ratio in 109.2 IP. Bloom has rookie cards in the 2004 Bowman Chrome Draft and SP Prospects set, though, his ceiling as a middle reliever and spot starter are not worth getting too excited about.
#1.) Satoshi Nagai---Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles RHP
4-2 1.94 ERA 0.86 ERA 10 BB/48 K (41.2 IP)
Nagai was a 1st round pick in Japan and he demonstrated his worth by being dominant in several outings in Hawaii. The demure 5-10 160 lb. Nagai has a deceptive delivery and good control of his off-speed pitches. That helped keep many HWL hitters guessing at the plate.
I hope you enjoyed a closing glance at some of the top performers from the 2008 Hawaiian Winter League. Stay tuned for my synopsis of the Arizona Fall League shortly after the AFL championship game. Until then, happy prospecting!
Preview: 2008 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects Baseball Cards
Description:
Topps gives us a quick look at 2008 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Baseball. This year's installment of Bowman Draft is currently scheduled for release in early December.
It took a year, but Greg Oden will make his rookie debut this week when the Portland Trailblazer's season tips off. Oden was the first pick in the 2007 draft, but suffered a knee injury the following summer.
Without Oden, the Trailblazers managed to reach 41 - 41, but missed the playoffs for the fifth straight year.
The last time a rookie waited this long with this much potential was David Robinson. "The Admiral" brought a San Antonio team back to respectability and eventually helped turned them into NBA champions. David Robinson took the Spurs from 21-61 the year before he arrived to 56-26 the following season (an NBA record turnaround at the time).
Is Greg Oden the next David Robinson? That's probably not a fair comparison, but Trailblazer fans are hoping. Oden's rookie card prices are still pretty fair. Take a look at his cards before the season is in full swing. If Portland can finish at .500 without Oden, where will they finish with him?
