Johnny Manziel Autographed Cards Coming To Bowman

Have you heard the news? One of the Padres recent draft picks (albeit a wasted one), Johnny Manziel is going to have an autographed baseball card released by Bowman. Manziel was drafted in the 28th round by the San Diego Padres in the 2014 First Year Player Draft, and is listed as a shortstop. He is also a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns in the NFL. His limited edition autographed baseball card will debut when brand new packs of Bowman Baseball Cards come out on December 10th.

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Manziel has previously been involved with the Padres, when he came to Petco Park and threw out the first pitch prior to a ballgame earlier last season. Many wonder to this day what former Padres’ GM Josh Byrnes was thinking in drafting the mobile signal caller, since he hasn’t played an inning of baseball since his senior year of high school. If it was a publicity stunt, fine, but why waste a draft pick? Sign the kid to a one-day contract, do some promo and be done with it. The Padres even sold Johnny Manziel baseball jerseys that have since been pulled from store racks.

The issuance of an autograph baseball card for a guy that isn’t a baseball player, and has yet to prove himself at the professional level of football, just goes to show what card companies will do for the almighty buck. It was one thing to have special set for Michael Jordan, because he was attempting to play minor league baseball. Hell, even a Russell Wilson baseball card would be understandable given that he was in camp with the Texas Rangers for about a week last year, but for Manziel to have any part of a card set, let alone an autographed, limited edition card, is just once again showing why the hobby is no longer what it once was.