Card Spotlight: 6-10-11

2010 National Chicle #195 - Alex Rios

I am a big fan of art cards. It comes from my fine arts background. Art is subject to criticism. No two people have the same taste in artwork. Artists are free to take certain liberties with their art because it doesn't capture a subject like a photograph would. The artist can change and manipulate a drawing or painting to fit their vision. This is part of the reason why National Chicle was so polarizing last year.

The effort was there, but the results were not to everyone's liking. An artist's interpretation is likely to have both fans and detractors. This is why art can be so volatile, in the right artist's hands.

Ultimately, the final product of National Chicle received more positive reviews than the previews. The firestorm mostly surrounded a certain player featured in an unfathomable uniform, that slightly resembled another player that did wear that uniform. Lesser controversies included re-staging famous cards and trying to fit modern players in those slots. These were not received well.

The main reason for showing this card of Alex Rios is not to highlight the card. It is to show support. Alex Rios and Adam Dunn have been involved in major slumps that have taken up the majority of the season that has already been played. I showed my support of Dunn earlier this week. Now, it's Rios' turn.

I'm confident that Alex can turn his season around. Most of you probably remember the awful start to his White Sox career. Switching from a team in Toronto that remains largely under the radar to a team that gets national headlines, mostly from its outspoken manager, can be jarring for some. That case can be applied to Rios, but I think it was mostly Alex trying too hard to impress his new team.

Chicago fans have seen Alex bounce back before and I expect him to do the same during this season. Starting off any season poorly can have a profound effect on players. It can seem like a hole is being dug deeper and deeper. Every player goes through something like this at some point in their career. The measure of a player is how they respond to it and if they learn things from the slump.