Player’s Name: Hank Blalock
Player’s Position: 3B
Player’s Current Team: Texas Rangers
Price I Paid for the Card: I got this from a pack that I bought at Target
Set it’s from: 2007 Topps Turkey Red
What it’s Worth: Beckett has it listed for $10.00.
Why I like this card: I like the card because it’s part of the Topps Turkey Red set and I am a big fan of that set. There is a certain classiness that the card just oozes. As far as the player goes, well, you can read more about what I think of him below. However, the look and feel of the card is why I enjoy having this one in my collection. Also, it isn’t often that you get a jersey of color, usually you are stuck with gray or white and to get a blue one is pretty cool.
Why it’s a Bad Hit: If I got this card in 2004, I would be so excited, but the sad truth is, I think what we are seeing with Hank is what happens when you cycle off steroids. I don’t usually like to sread rumors, but just look at the stats. In 2003 he went 0.300/29/90, in 2004 he went 0.276/32/110, and in 2005 he went 0.263/25/92. He was on one of the worst teams as far as steroid abuse. His numbers have steadily decreased. Either he had a tiny peak window from when he was 22-24, or he never had the true talent to begin with. Although his name was not on the Mitchell Report, there is definitely evidence from his stats alone that would indicate to me that he might have been using. I am curious though what do you think?
Will if ever be worth more? I doubt it, he’s only 27 and he plays like he is completely out of his prime. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was out of baseball by 30. I definitely think it won’t be worth more.
Dude, your guessing is waaay off base. Blalock’s numbers went down because of other things, not steroids. First, he’s been injured. Often. When he came back from his first injury, he had changed his mechanics in a way to ease the pain caused by swinging the bat. Second, his numbers were staggering his first couple of years because pitchers didn’t know how to pitch to him. Now they know he will crush anything left in his zones. I agree that he may be through his peak, but that shouldn’t be terribly surprising. He’s getting up there in age (he’s been playing pro since he graduated high school – no college), and you only have a handful of players who actually stick around into their 30′s (in comparison to the thousands in the MLB system). Before you jump to the steroids conclusion, consider all the things that have happened to him. Thanks, and God bless.
-jmeeks