‘Same Card, Different Paths’ – Card #15

‘Same Card, Different Paths’ – Card #15

1965 Topps - Card #16 – AKA – ‘The Joe Morgan Rookie Card’

Joe Morgan – Hall of Famer Morgan, was an integral part of the 2-time World Series champion ‘Big Red Machine’.  A solid all-around player whose career lasted 22 major league seasons, Morgan left behind a very admirable resume.  2,517 hits, 1,650 runs scored, 449 doubles, 268 home runs, and a very impressive 689 stolen bases all lead to Morgan being a 10-time All-star and 2-time league Most Valuable Player winner.

Sonny Jackson – Jackson played 12 seasons in the big leagues.  A well-rounded defensive player, Jackson used his speed to his advantage when playing both infield and outfield positions.  Jackson’s best year came in his rookie season of 1966.  He finished in 2nd place for the Rookie of the Year award that season due to his amazing 174 hits, 49 stolen bases and just 53 strikeouts with 670 plate appearances.  Jackson’s rookie year was the best of his career, and soon he was relegated to a bench role as a utility player.

1982 Fleer Eddie Murray

1982 Fleer Eddie Murray

 ”Boring, Boring,  Boring” – A chant usually reserved for wrestling, boxing, and now MMA fights when there is a long stop in the action.

Well, for this 1982 Fleer card of Eddie Murray, the same can be said!!

There is absolutely nothing going on in this picture.  The photographer has captured nothing for us to enjoy, and he even did that poorly as he is zoomed in too close to Eddie and his famous sideburns.

A complete dud, this card ranks near the very bottom of my list.  I am happy that I no longer have to hunt for it, but I am completely unimpressed too…

Contest Update – Here Are The Players And Their Picks!!

OK.  We’re ready for the contest to begin. 

Here are the players and the guys that they picked.

Good Luck to you all!!!

Tim - Andrew Bailey, Andrew McCutchen, Zack Greinke, Chris Carpenter, Joe Mauer, Derek Jeter(2nd), Albert Pujols, Chase Utley(2nd)

WickedOrtega - Matt Wieters, Chris Coghlan, Zack Greinke, Chris Carpenter, Joe Mauer, Ben Zobrist(2nd), Albert Pujols, Hanley Ramirez(2nd)

Jordan - Matt Wieters, JA Happ, Zack Grienke, Chris Carpenter, Joe Mauer, Derek Jeter(2nd), Albert Pujols, Raul Ibanez(2nd)

Dan - Andrew Bailey, JA Happ, Zack Greinke, Adam Wainwright, Joe Mauer, Mark Teixeira(2nd), Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard(2nd)

Charles Beatley - Andrew Bailey, Chris Coghlan, Felix Hernandez, Adam Wainright, Derek Jeter, Joe Mauer(2nd), Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard(2nd)

unclemoe - Andrew Bailey, Chris Coghlan, Felix Hernandez, Tim Lincecum, Joe Mauer, Mark Teixeira(2nd), Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard(2nd)

Dave R - Andrew Bailey, Chris Coghlan, Zack Greinke, Tim Lincecum, Joe Mauer, Mark Teixeira(2nd), Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard(2nd)

BroadStreetBully - Gordon Beckham, JA Happ, Zack Greinke, Chris Carpenter, Joe Mauer, Mark Teixeira(2nd),  Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder(2nd)

And don’t forget what you may win…

Even though I am not eligible to play, I love contests like this.  My picks are : Bailey, Coghlan, Grienke, Lincecum, Mauer, Mark Tex(2nd), Pujols, Hanley(2nd)!!!

1990 Score Greg Maddux

1990 Score Greg Maddux

 What a great picture!!!

Here we have one of the game’s elite pitchers hurling another pitch to a batter that most likely has little chance of producing offense.  The photographer that shot this picture was able to catch the ball just milliseconds after it left Maddux’s hand – nice work!!! 

1990 was a decent year for Maddux.  He started 35 games and finished the year at 15-15.  He threw 8 complete games in ‘90 while also compiling a 3.46 ERA.  1990 was also the first year that Greg Maddux would capture the Gold Glove award; his first of eighteen!!! 

Halloween Was Last Week Sammy!!!

This picture has created quite the buzz over the last few days on the Internet.

And by now, you guys should all know how I feel about Sammy Sosa.  I don’t care for him.  I don’t care for his tricks.  I don’t care for his place in baseball history.  And I really just want him to leave us alone…

In this picture, he kind of reminds me of Jack Nicholson in the original Batman when he had no make-up on.

Did You Know…

Dave Stewart of the Oakland A’s and Fernando Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Dodgers both threw no hitters in 1990 – on the same day(June 29).

 

**factoid courtesy of ‘Armchair Reader – Grand Slam Baseball’

My take – I do remember this.  And at the time, I thought that this was a pretty cool day for the sport.  19 years later, I appreciate these two guys a lot more and consider this to be one of the most historic days in the sport that I have enjoyed during my lifetime.

5 New TTM Requests Are In The Mail!!!

I’m Back!!!!

Back into the game of TTM autograph collecting that is…

It took some time to get organized, and I still have a ton of shopping to do for the next few rounds of cards I want to send out for autographs this off-season, but these 5 letters along with the 3 TTM/Interview requests I sent out a few days ago have gotten the ball rolling.

I’ve got a pretty exciting list of guys that I want to go after and I will do my best to chronicle this journey as the mail goes out and hopefully autographs come back home.

For this round, we have:  Charles Johnson, Jim Palmer, Bobby Richardson, Roberto Alomar, and Duke Snider!!!

Wish me luck!!!

1982 Topps Jim Palmer

1982 Topps Jim Palmer

 Hmmm…  I wonder if this photo was taken during Spring Training…

What gives it away, you ask??  Let’s see.  Maybe it’s the refreshed look on Palmer’s face.  Or the sunburn.  Or the senior citizens crowding in the background.

Look, I like the 1982 Topps set.  The cards look good for the most part and Topps did a good job of working with the border colors, lettering, and team colors to add nice symmetry to the cards.  But this photo just really stinks.  I know that Jim Palmer was considered to be a sex symbol during his career and even afterwards.  I’m ok with that.  But let his Jockey ads attract that kind of crowd, not his baseball card!! 

We want dirty uniforms.  We want action photos.  We want sweaty guys playing the sport we love.

Sometimes being a player collector is tough.  I am thrilled to add this card to my Jim Palmer collection but I don’t see it making my ‘Top 5′ list anytime soon.

1985 Topps #1 Draft Pick – Shawn Abner

1985 Topps #1 Draft Pick – Shawn Abner

Very few players can live up to the expectations of being a #1 draft pick in any sport.  Those that do, quickly become sport royalty.  Those that don’t, typically suffer constant criticism and hardly live up to any of the lofty goals their drafting team had for them.  Now add the part about being drafted by a New York franchise and BOOM!!!  More hype, more media, more craziness.  More, more, and more…

Shane Abner was in this class.  The #1 draft pick of the 1984 baseball draft, Abner remained in the Mets farm system for two years prior to being dealt to the San Diego Padres in an 8-player deal.  Abner never suited up for the Mets, and he finally made his major league debut in 1987, 3 years after being tabbed as the game’s top prospect.

Abner managed to play in 6 big league seasons.  He played for 3 different clubs in that time and never hit the 100 games mark in any of those years.  He is a lifetime .227 hitter and his resume boasts 11 home runs, 191 hits, 71 RBI, and 6 stolen bases.

1 out of 10.  1 points earned for being selected as the #1 pick. 

Contest Time – ‘Pick The Award Winners’

Yep.  Another fun contest being held by your good friend at ‘30-Year Old Cardboard’.

I did this contest last year and it was very fun to see who everyone was predicting to win the post-season awards.  So this year I’ll be holding a similar contest with just a slight change in how it will be played.

Onto the rules.  To qualify for the contest all you have to do is select who you think will win the Rookie Of The Year awards, Cy Young Awards, and Most Valuable Player award in both leagues.  Each correct answer will earn you 2 points.  To make things interesting, I will also award an additional point if you correctly name the second place player for the 2 MVP awards.  In total you have to submit 8 players and designate who will finish in first and second place in the MVP race.

A correct entry will look something like this:

AL ROY –

NL ROY –

AL Cy –

NL Cy –

AL MVP Winner –

AL MVP 2^nd –

NL MVP Winner –

NL MVP 2^nd –

Entries are due by midnight on Tuesday so get your homework done and submit your picks quickly so you’re eligible to win.

And what is the prize, you ask?

Oh, I don’t know.  How about a smattering of autographed baseball cards that I have picked up over the last year. 

Sound like fun?  Then submit your picks into the comments section of this post.  Good Luck!!!