B.J. Surhoff, 2000 Upper Deck MVP #125

I can appreciate the effort that goes into selecting just the right photo for a baseball card, and it sounds like a dream job for a cartophile such as myself. There are only so many times you can see an outfielder tracking a fly ball, a slugger unleashing a power swing, or an ace pitcher in the midst of his windup before it all starts running together. There's a desire for the creative and unconventional. With that being said, there's probably a reason you don't see many cards immortalizing the batter as he loosens his stance and glances back to see whether the umpire has called a ball or a strike. It's not terribly dynamic. Still, it seems somewhat fitting for B.J. Surhoff. I remember him as a player who was deadly serious, and often let his frustrations show. Mercifully, he wasn't as temperamental and demonstrative as certain other players of his ilk (*cough cough Paul O'Neill cough*).