Happy Birthday Alex Rodriguez!!!

I cannot believe it, but Alex Rodriguez is turning just 34 years old today.

34 is one of those birthdays in which nothing really happens.  But in the world of baseball it usually means that a decline is in the near future.  Had it not been for A-Rod’s recent hip surgery, we would not even be thinking of his decline as a player.  But to be fair, his numbers this season are not A-Rod-esque and his future output as one of the game’s biggest stars may not be what we were probably all thinking we’d be seeing.

At the age of 33, A-Rod has already eclipsed 572 home runs, 2,462 hits, and 1,661 RBI.  He should have no problem reaching baseball immortality by eclipsing the 700 home run mark, 3,000 hits plateau, and the 2,000 RBI milestones.

Happy Birthday A-Rod.  I wish you years more of baseball excellence and perfect health!!  Go Get ‘Em!!! 

My Rickey Henderson ‘Fab 5′ – Card #5

Now that my Rickey Henderson player collection is complete I wanted to take the time to show off my favorite 5 cards from this set.

Card #5 – 1988 Fleer

The 1988 Fleer card is not a classic by any stretch of the imagination.  But with cards of the New York Yankees, the card look fabulous.  The team colors are strongly presented with the Red, White, and Blue theme that Fleer adopted for this set.  I like that Rickey is wearing the team’s grey uniform in this picture as it allows his image to pop and not get blended in if it were white and matching the border color.

And the photo used for this card is close to perfect.  With both of Rickey’s feet in the air, the card gives you the impression that Rickey is indeed flying around the bases.  You can see the look of strict concentration on Rickey’s face as he appears to be rounding second base and headed for third. 

Today Belongs To Rickey Henderson!!!

No disrespect meant to any of the other players getting enshrined into Cooperstown today, but when you’re sharing the stage with a player that has the skill and personality that Rickey Henderson has, you will get overshadowed quite often.

Rickey is by far and away one of the most talented players to have played this game.  With a skill level that has been matched by few, Henderson’s game had very few flaws.  His ability to change the game with his hitting, his base running, his defense, his challenging the opposing pitchers – all of those incredible skills are what made Rickey fun to watch.

As he gained his official entry into Baseball’s Hall of Fame this afternoon, I have to say that it was pure joy to watch him play the game.  At times(quite a few) I really did feel like I was watching and cheering for a player whose talents will never be matched.  And while never is a very long time from now, I have yet to see another guy come close to capturing what Rickey Henderson was able to do on a baseball field.

Congratulations Mr. Henderson - A spectacular career by anyone’s standards!!!

1992 Headline : Nolan Ryan K’s 100 Or More Batters For 23rd Straight Year

Truly amazing!!!  What a testament to Nolan Ryan’s ability to dominate and stay healthy for such a long time period.

While Nolan Ryan rarely gets mentioned in the conversation of the game’s greatest pitchers, he should definitely be considered when it comes to the game’s most dominant.  Ryan’s ability to overpower batters year after year during his 27 year stay as a major league pitcher is phenomenal.  It says a lot about his character, his drive, and his dedication to himself and the game.

Happy Anniversary Mr. Ryan.  You are 1-of-a-kind!!!

Happy Anniversary Billy Williams!!

It was 22 years ago today that your election to Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame became official.

While today belongs to Rickey Henderson, I will still take a few moments out of my day to remember how special of a player you were!!!

Happy Anniversary Mr. Williams - we still love you!!!

Celebrity First Pitch – Derek Fisher

Derek Fisher is one of the classiest guys you will find in the NBA.  A true ‘workhorse’, Fisher has been a solid contributor over the span of his career and he has helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to 4 NBA championship titles.

It’s only fitting that he has had the chance to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Los Angeles Dodgers game!!!

Clay Zavada And His Amazing Mustache!!!

Let me preface this by saying that I know very little about Clay Zavada.  But I am eager to learn more as I, like many other baseball fans, am suddenly drawn to him.  I have always had an affinity for players that sport unusual mustaches.  From Goose Gossage to Dave Winfield to to Reggie Jackson to Rollie Fingers and even Andre Dawson; these guys stood out at times during their careers for having a unique style.

I was first introduced to Clay during a Marlins/Diamondbacks series earlier this season.  He had made a relief appearance against ‘The Fish’ and while he was on the mound I noticed this:

Although smaller in size than some of the more famous mustaches in baseball history, this is a wonderful looking, perfectly neat handle-bar mustache.  Again, I was immediately drawn to him and he quickly reminded me of Rollie Fingers, who happens to own the greatest mustache in sports history.

It’s possible that Clay is on his way to earning a spot next to or ever surpassing Rollie’s spot on this list.  Only time and genetics will tell.  One thing is for sure, Clay Zavada stands out as a man amongst boys and I for one became an instant fan of his and will do my best to support him by staying loyal to him and his facial hair. 

A true blast from the past, Zavada and his mustache are a match made in facial hair heaven.

Clay is seeing steady work in relief efforts for the Diamondbacks this year.  Hopefully his efforts will bring a little more  attention to him.  From there, the mustache should take over and bring him to baseball stardom.

One more look please…

Thanks Clay!!!

Andre Dawson : Powered By Duracell!!!

Yep, you’ve guessed it.  I have another classic ‘oddball’ card of ‘The Hawk’ to share with you.  And this time the famous battery maker, Duracell, got in the action with this 1993 release.

The card looks great and has a nice, bright feel to it’s overall design.  I like the way that they incorporated the Duracell logo into the picture without making it the centerpiece of the card.  It’s the headline, and they need to advertise their brand, but they did a good job of giving the baseball card collector a card that they would want to add to their collections.

And now I am proud to say that this one is mine!!!

Celebrity First Pitch – Vice President Dick Cheney

Although we never see if former Vice President Dick Cheney hit the target with his pitch before a Washington Nationals baseball game, I have to guess that his aim with a shotgun is better than his pitching arm!!!

Did You Know…

The 1991 World Series between the Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves is considered one of the toughest and tightest ever.  To some, this series was the greatest in history.  Three games went into extra innings, four games ended with the winning run scoring on the final pitch, and five games were decided by one run.  Best of all, the series brought together the previous season’s last place teams, the first time in modern major league history that a team had gone from worst to first.

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

My take - Each of these rosters were loaded with stud players.  I too have a ton of fond memories of this incredible ‘Fall Classic’!!!