Who in their right mind thought it would be good for baseball not to include Sammy Sosa in the All-Star game? Is this punishment for his ability to pack a bat with cork for his home run hitting during BP? Whether you agree with that story or not is not important. What is important to remember is that Sammy is one of the best names and players in the game right now. He has brought us so much and given us a reason to be excited about baseball when it endured a rough period. Sammy brought life back to the Cubs. I have to disagree with his all-star snub. Some other notables who I think got a raw deal include Dontrelle Willis, Orlando Cabrera, Jose Vidro, and Eric Byrnes. I am a big fan of getting the stars there and showcasing them but this year the new format is to line up your best nine versus my best nine. The last thing I have to say about the All-Star game is this: in no way should the winner be allowed to determine which team in the World Series gets home-field advantage. It is a pure slap in the face to the team who posts the best record and is rewarded with playing possibly four games in another stadium. The team and their supportive fans should be rewarded for having the best record.

This is one of the oddest eTopps weeks in recent memory. We have two print runs at 1,500 and all the cards are $6.50 cards. I can only assume eTopps is gunning for more shutouts to improve prices on the secondary market. This would in turn build confidence in buying at IPO and allow them to slowly and steadily increase print runs going forward. I’d still prefer to see lower prices while keeping print runs at a reasonable level. Well, enough of me this week. Let’s get on with our picks.

Brian Giles (1,500 @ $6.50)

Our first 1,500 PR and all I have to say is BUY THIS CARD. Brian is a future star for many years to come with the Pirates. One can only hope that after this year he wanders south and links up with his brother and the Braves. Wouldn’t that be something? Now Brian already has two eTopps cards but to look at them both evenly is not fair. Last year’s boon and subsequent swoon allowed eTopps to catch on and give Brian a quality card (2,000 print run) that is selling for 5 dollars. His 2001 card is a chase card (though this card may drive down the 2001 card’s price a bit). Brian is not likely to meet his PB numbers so don’t buy it for that reason. He is also not going to have one of the stellar years he usually has but he sure has been hot of late. Don’t lose the faith. This card will sell out and jump 10 - 35% within the first week. This is a flipper’s dream card. BUY THIS CARD.

Lance Berkman (2,000 @ $6.50)

The 2002 NL RBI king is having another good year, though not as good as last year. Don’t expect him to earn his PB this year. Also don’t expect this card to sell out. Expect it to sell 1,700 – 1,999 cards. He already has two cards and this one fits nicely in the middle. It will stay there until next year. Don’t expect anything great, as far as returns, from this card. I like Lance as a player. He is good in the field and good at the plate. However, he is striking out a bit too much. He needs to work on his eye at the plate and raise his average a bit (to at least .300). It is hard to be compared with rival Pujols but he should be putting up better numbers since he has a dedicated position and slugger-friendly ballpark! Not much to say about Lance except DON’T BUY THIS CARD.

Mike Lowell (2,500 @ $6.50)

Mike is the one player I have been rooting for since the season started. As of late he has been the subject of numerous trade rumors. Don’t let that scare you off. Management is not going to let this guy go just yet. They think they have a shot at the wild card so they might hang on to him the full season. Mike is no doubt having his best year ever and this is his first eTopps card! His career numbers are getting a huge shot in the arm this year. He has never hit more homers than he has so far this year (26). He averaged just 19 each year the past four seasons. His average right now is seven points higher than his career average (.281). I like this card from front to back and top to bottom. Now as far as his PB goes, Mike has NEVER stolen five bases in any year! So don’t look for him to meet that number this year. However, this card will sell out and rise 5 - 10% this year. BUY THIS CARD.

Mike Piazza (2,000 @ $6.50)

I am a bit upset with the performance bonus given to Mike. There is no way he is going to meet those numbers. Right now he has 7 home runs and 15 RBI. What makes anyone think he can hit 10 more home runs and knock in 30 more runs before the season ends? I know the rumors are out there that he might be back in July but how reliable are they? Mike is getting older and it is taking him longer to recover. He already has two cards out there. Both sold for $9.50 so good lesson learned there eTopps... His 2001 IPO sold 1,379 cards and is selling for around $18. That is the card to have -- bottom line. His over-inflated 2002 card is a straight-up flop with a PR of 4,202 and a price of $3.80. You wanna buy a card? Buy his 2001 card or buy some of my 2002 cards at IPO price. This card is not going to sell out. It should sell about 1,500 – 1,800 cards. This might make it more attractive than the other cards but it comes at a cost. In other words... buy it on eBay! DON’T BUY THIS CARD.

Roberto Alomar (1,500 @ $6.50)

What is the difference between Alomar and Giles? One is on his way up and the other is on his way down. When you put them both at print runs of 1,500 they make for an interesting comparison. If I had my choice between the two cards this is definitely not the card I would choose. Playing for his third team in as many years, Roberto is struggling to find his groove. On the field he went from an all-star second baseman that was a defensive rock and offensive threat to a player you wish you could platoon with a younger rookie (whom he could help teach and mentor). Don’t look for him to even come close to his performance bonus. Another aspect that makes this card less appealing is the fact that this is his third card. His 2001 card had a PR of 448 and is selling for 39 dollars. His 2002 card had a PR of 2,711 and is selling for three dollars. The card to get is no doubt his 2001 card. Most cards with a PR that low are selling above $40 and even $50. So the potential is there. Am I attracted to this card because it has a sexy PR? NOPE! Will this card sell out? Yes! Will it rise in price? Not much, if at all. DON’T BUY THIS CARD!!

Roy Halladay (2,500 @ $6.50)

Roy is one of the stellar young arms in baseball right now. He currently is leading the Blue Jays and most pitchers with 12 wins. He is a much more complete pitcher than his counterpart Lidle. Halladay is a good control pitcher and can control batters on the plate. He has great command of his pitches and they carry a lot of zip. I would compare him to Prior and Mulder as one of the top young guns out there. His performance bonus is within easy grasp. If you’re looking for a PB card this is it. If you’re looking for a straight-up quality player on a good card, here you go again. There is nothing I don’t like about Roy. His PR is right on target as is his price here. I expect this card to sell out since it is his first eTopps card. Expect this card to sell out and gain about 5 - 15% from now until the season ends. BUY THIS CARD!