MiLB Madness: Kyle Schwarber, young stars, a Canseco & more

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Minor league baseball cards from the past can include some weird stuff ... sometimes stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card. Here are some some new fun cards and oddities in this latest edition of MiLB Madness. 

WELL BEFORE PHILLY
The Card: Kyle Schwarber 2015 Topps Heritage Minor League
The Buzz On This: This MiLB card isn't one that came from a team set since Heritage is an in-pack brand of the past (it was killed off in recent years) and it was one that revisited old MLB designs with today's printing and today's stars. This is a re-do of the 1966 Topps set showing Schwarber after his first season as a minor-leaguer. Schwarber has got plenty of prospect cards showing him in a Cubs uniform and his college colors as well -- those arrived the year before this one and his USA Baseball stuff actually arrived two years before this. In short, he's got a lot of cardboard -- and that's a good thing for collectors who like his slugging ways (I do). He doesn't have as much cardboard in actual MiLB uniforms, so that's why I picked this off on the night of his All-Star Game heroics. This was my first target but you'll see more of him on his few minor-league cards here in the future.

Keep reading for more examples of some weird or fun baseball cards (and other stuff) you can find in MiLB.

SO CLOSE TO MLB VISUALS
The Card: Denzel Clarke 2022 Topps Pro Debut Chrome Refractor (/99) & 2022 Topps Pro Debut Chrome Aqua Refractor (/75)
The Buzz On This: This card shows Clarke with the Arizona Complex League A's and I picked off this pair of Refractors since he's been a bit of a defensive star for the Sac Vegas A's (that's what I'm calling them for now) this year and because this one is as close as it gets to looking like MLB cards in 2022 Topps Chrome. The only difference here between a Chrome MLB card? That tiny ACL logo above the Oakland logo and the Pro Debut logo that notes this being his first (in-pack) MiLB card. These also look clean enough where I may grade one if he continues to play well going forward. The Sac Vegas A's have several young names worth watching.

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REMEMBER ME?
The Card: Ozzie Canseco 1987 Fritsch Madison Muskies
The Buzz On This: This old team set card is, oddly, one I don't remember having ever seen before until I recently spotted it and grabbed it for a modest price. Why? I used to "supercollect" Jose Canseco (mostly in the pre-hits era of cards) and would actively (but not as hard) grab cards of his twin brother, Ozzie. I like how this one -- at least on the back -- echoes a 1983 Fritsch card of Jose Canseco, which was his very first baseball card of any kind. (This is not an Ozzie debut -- his also was in 1983.)

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ON THE JOB
The Card: John Liburdi Jr. 1986 TCMA Albany-Colonie Yankees
The Buzz On This: I picked off this card -- one that doesn't have much info -- because I found it amusing being a simple photo perfect for a member of the grounds crew. As it turns out, this isn't even his first baseball card -- his debut was likely from TCMA in 1983 and that card's cooler as it showcases a nickname, "The Rock." This is his best of the three cards he had as the other two are basically mugshots. What's not on the card? Much of what came after this. Liburdi worked at the Colonie (N.Y.) Recreation Dept. for 30 years and was the head groundskeeper for Heritage Park. How do I know this? His obituary from 2018 used one of his other baseball cards.

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SO CLOSE TO MLB VISUALS II
The Card: Darren Baker 2022 Topps Heritage Minor League Green parallel (/75)
The Buzz On This: Like The Great Schwarbino card up top, this one is from Heritage MiLB set and it showcases the 1973 Topps design but with a colored border for a parallel. This card from the Heritage Minor League finale was dirt cheap -- probably correct as Baker isn't exactly a dominant player these days -- but worth it to me as a low-volume card. An added plus here? He looks almost the same as he did as a member of the Washington Nationals with just that helmet and sleeve logo being different. Another reason I added this? My cool find earlier this year. I won't say I'm starting a collection but I'll look here and there.

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