Manny Machado, 2013 Panini Triple Play #8

It's pretty damned fun watching Manny Machado play every day. He won't be able to legally buy his own beer for another month, and yet he's batting .317, leading the league with 27 doubles, and playing highlight-reel defense at third base. Manny is even running second in American League All-Star voting at his position, although it looks like Miguel Cabrera will run away with the contest. No worries; soon enough Machado will be back in his natural position of shortstop, where the competition will be less stiff. There could be lots of Midsummer Classics in his future.

Adam Jones, 2013 Panini Triple Play #7

I was picking up some necessaries at Target when a rack pack of 2013 Triple Play jumped into my hand. Naturally, I bought it. I can't get enough of these goofy pop-art caricatures, and buying a non-MLB licensed card product makes me feel like I'm sticking it to The Man. The crab-and-bird-and-sailboat backdrop is just the icing on the cake. I'd like to think that posting this bobbleheadish Adam Jones avatar will spur him to lead the O's to a skid-snapping victory tonight, but I may just have to accept that I have no control over the things that happen on the baseball diamond.