TBNL: Rare Paul Skenes card found; 4,000 pro hits; Ippei Mizuhara's sentencing

Innovation in baseball cards is tough.

Topps achieved something pretty unique when they introduced the Rookie Debut Patch Auto (RDPA) in 2023. 91 players received such a card that first season. That number grew to 251 this past season.

Topps created a Rookie Debut patch, which is sewn directly onto a player’s jersey and worn during his MLB debut. The patch is then inserted into a card and signed by the player. Only one copy of each patch is produced.

Cards can be found randomly inserted into packs of 2024 Topps Chrome Update, which hit stores in mid-November.

The hype surrounding the cards increased exponentially this year, thanks largely to a bounty placed on one. The Pittsburgh Pirates put forth an incredible offer to whoever comes up with Paul Skenes’ RDPA, which included:

• Two season tickets behind home plate for the next 30 years

• A meet and greet with Skenes

• Two autographed Skenes jerseys

• A softball game at PNC Park with coaching from Pirates alumni

• A private tour of the Pirates’ spring training facilities

• Take batting practice and warm up with the team

In December, I estimated the package could be worth at least $250,000.

Topps revealed on Tuesday that the card had finally been found — by an 11-year-old collector who purchased a box from a card shop in Los Angeles.

It’s unclear if the kid (and his family) will keep, trade, or sell the find.

The 4,000 hit club

Sports Reference’s Adam Darowski pointed out a very exclusive club that many don’t know exists. Just ten players have reached the 4,000 professional hit plateau. Adam’s totals include regular season games, postseason games, and All-Star Games across the major leagues (MLB, NPB, KBO, NLB) as well as the minors, independent, and other international leagues.

Some of the names on this list are not surprising. Pete Rose, Ichiro Suzuki, Ty Cobb, Henry Aaron, and Stan Musial are among the most well-known hitters in MLB history and each had lengthy careers. Derek Jeter’s inclusion when you factor in his minor league and postseason numbers is also not a shock.

Minnie Miñoso and Julio Franco both played forever and played nearly everywhere.

That just leaves two “unknowns” — Arnold Statz and Héctor Rodriguez.

Arnold “Jigger” Statz was a journeyman outfielder in the 1920s and 1930s who spent 18 years in the minor leagues, mostly in the Pacific Coast League, and accumulated 3,356 hits. He added another 737 in his brief time in the majors with the New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, and Brooklyn Dodgers.

Rodriguez, a Cuban-born third baseman, picked up 108 hits in his lone season in MLB (1952 with the Chicago White Sox) but enjoyed a 23-year career that saw him play extensively in Cuba, Mexico, and the minors with a stop in the Negro Leagues.

600 steals

Since we’re on the subject of combined professional milestones, Jonathan Villar recently stole his 600th base. Villar is playing for the Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican Winter League. The infielder has stolen 101 in Mexico and the winter leagues, stole 263 in the minors, and another 239 over his 10 years in the major leagues.

More fun with numbers

Ichiro’s election into the Hall of Fame means we can include him in some statistical oddities (and fun trivia). For instance:

Most career games played for the Marlins among Hall of Famers:

1. Ichiro, 432

2. Iván Rodriguez, 144

3. Andrew Dawson, 121

4. Tim Raines, 98

5. Trevor Hoffman, 28

6. Mike Piazza, 5

Most career innings pitched for the Marlins among HOFers:

1. Hoffman, 35.2

2. Ichiro, 1.0

No. 21

A player changing his uniform number upon being traded to a new team isn’t often news. In Jake Burger’s case, his reasoning is unique.

Burger was traded from the Marlins to the Rangers early in the offseason but only made his first public appearance with the new team last week where he debuted the new number. Burger had been in the process of requesting a change before the trade, according to MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry.

Burger and his wife Ashlyn welcomed their second child in October, who was born with Down syndrome. As Landry notes, the genetic condition occurs when a person has an extra copy of their 21st chromosome. Choosing to wear no. 21 was something Burger wanted to do to honor his daughter and help raise awareness.

He is the only known player to have a child with Down syndrome.

Elsewhere, around the league …

• San Diego is pretty desperate for catching depth and the Twins have been hoping to unload Christian Vázquez’s remaining contract. The Padres are trying to trim payroll so taking on the $10M even for a minimal return seems to be a sticking point between the sides, who have been talking off and on since the Winter Meetings.

• The relief pitching market has finally started to move. Tanner Scott, A.J. Minter, Jose Leclerc, and Paul Sewald have all signed recently and Kirby Yates reportedly has a deal with the Dodgers that just needs to be finalized. Carlos Estévez and Kyle Finnegan should both likely sign soon.

• Nearly two-thirds of Anthony Santander’s $92.5M deal with Toronto will be deferred. See, it’s not only the Dodgers who do this. People are very much up in arms about LA seemingly using a loophole (i.e. deferred payments) to land so many free agents. Nothing about this is new though. Teams have been deferring payments going at least back to the 1980s (Atlanta did this with multiple players). Bobby Bonilla’s famously deferred payments stem from an agreement reached in the ‘90s.

• Atlanta has had a quiet offseason but finally added a bat to their outfield, signing Jurickson Profar to a three-year, $42M deal.

Sentencing is coming up

It’s been a while since there was news about Ippei Mizuhara’s pending sentencing. Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter pleaded guilty in June to charges of bank fraud and for filing a false income tax return. A federal investigation found that Mizuhara had stolen and gambled away millions of dollars of Ohtani’s money.

Mizuhara is expected in court next on February 6, according to reporting by Evan Drellich and Sam Blum of The Athletic.

Federal prosecutors will reportedly seek a five-year sentence and ask Mizuhara to pay $18.1M in restitution ($17M to Ohtani and $1.1M to the IRS).