Happy Birthday George “Sparky” Anderson!!!

Hall of Famer and legendary manager of the ‘Big Red Machine’ turns 76 years old today.  Always a fan favorite, Anderson provided some great quotes during the course of his coaching career.

Here is a small sampling:

“If I ever find a pitcher who has heat, a good curve, and a slider, I might seriously consider marrying him, or at least proposing.”

“I understand people who boo us. It’s like going to Broadway show, you pay for your tickets and expect to be entertained. When you’re not, you have a right to complain.”

“The day I got a hit off (Sandy) Koufax was when he knew it was all over.”

A true character and a legendary personality in the sport, Sparky Anderson is 1-of-a-kind!!!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Anderson!!!

Signing Results: 1988 National League MVP Kirk Gibson!!!

Signing Results:  1988 National League MVP Kirk Gibson!!!

A few weeks ago I read online that Los Angeles Dodgers World Series hero Kirk Gibson was going to be appearing at a Grand Rapids Griffins minor league hockey game.  The promotion was that anyone that bought a ticket to the game was entitled to a free autograph of this former big league slugger.

I had just a few days to react, but after a few emails to the team, I was hooked up with their Sr. VP of Marketing.  And after a quick email exchange with him, we had agreed that my donation to the team’s charity would be exchanged for a Gibson autograph.

And look at what showed up in the mail the other day:

Pretty awesome, huh???

Kirk Gibson owns one of the greatest baseball memories of my lifetime.  And now I own a piece of memorabilia that I will use to honor that very special moment!!!

Thank you Mr. Gibson!!!

2 More Andre Dawson 2004 Donruss Pass The Torch Cards!!

2 More Andre Dawson 2004 Donruss Pass The Torch Cards!!!

Part of my “Andre Dawson Grab Bag #2″ purchase, I received 2 more Pass The Torch cards. 

Rounding out this insert set, I have now added the Yellow card numbered 80/100 and the Red one, numbered 136/500, that features Vlad Guerrero on the back.

I like the card.   I like the look.  And together, the 5 cards of this set that I now own look great togther.

One question - how many more versions are there???  Who knows…

1985 Topps Record Breakers – Card #2 – Steve Garvey

1985 Topps Record Breakers – Card #2 – Steve Garvey

Headline – Garvey’s Streak of Consecutive Errorless Games Sets Standard

The Story – Atlanta, Georgia, September 30, 1984:  Padres’ Steve Garvey has finished the season with streak of 188 consecutive errorless games, a new record for 1st basemen.  The former mark of 178 consecutive errorless games at 1st base had been set by Mike Hegan of the Brewers and A’s, September 24, 1970 through May 20, 1973.

My added notes – A very well rounded player, it’s nice to see such an offensively skilled guy like Garvey take pride in his defense.  Who is the best defensive 1st baseman in the game today?  How long can he go without committing a blunder??

Did You Know…

New York Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford has the most World Series wins(ten).

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

My take – With just 5-6 real contenders each year for the title, this is a record that will not last too much longer.

Happy Birthday Alan Trammell!!!

Alan Trammell turns 52 years old today.

A very accomplished and undervalued player during his career and afterwards, there is not much that Alan Trammell did not accomplish during his playing days as a member of the Detroit Tigers. 

A solid defender, Trammell was part of one of the most successful and longest running double-play tandems with Lou Whitaker.  He won 4 Gold Glove awards due to his performance at shortstop.

And way before shortstop became an offensive player’s position, Trammell put up some nice numbers.  His career batting average of .285 is coupled with 2,365 hits, 1,231 runs scored, 185 homers, and 236 stolen bases.

Trammell is a 6-time All-star, 3-time Silver Slugger winner, and was the MVP of the 1984 World Series.

Happy Birthday Mr. Trammell!!!

A Great Stack Of Eddie Murray Cards From Another Loyal Murray Fan!!!

1 thing I have been very surprised by while getting re-acquainted with the hobby of baseball card collecting is how many loyal Baltimore Orioles fans still exist.  For a team that has been on the outside looking in on their division for the past 20+ years, the Orioles have maintained a very strong base of fans in the collecting world. 

And while some of their young stars of today are worthy of attention, it is their superstars from decades ago that still get tons of admiration and respect.  From Brooks to Frank to Cal to Jim and to one of my favorite players from the 1980′s - Mr. Eddie Murray!!  Collecting Murray was an easy choice for me.  He put together rare skills and made himself into one of the best hitters this sport has ever seen.

And I am not alone with this view.  Jon from the blog ‘The Fleer Sticker Project’ agrees as well.  He, too, is a Murray collector and when he saw that I had finally completed my collection he offered up a few more Murray cards that did not fit my original realm of my player collection.  And of course I jumped at adding more cards of Eddie in his wonderful old-school O’s uni!!!

Here are the gems that Jon sent my way:

And just for kicks, he threw in 2 Jim Palmer goodies too…

A perfect mix of old and new – these cards are going to make a fantastic addition to my tributes to my 2 favorite Orioles players of all-time!!!

Thank you, John.  Your generosity is greatly appreciated!!!

‘Same Card, Different Paths’ – Card #43

‘Same Card, Different Paths’ – Card #43

1973 Topps - Card #609 – AKA – ‘The Davey Lopes Rookie Card’

Larvell Blanks – A 9-year veteran, Blanks started and ended his career in Atlanta with stops in Cleveland and Texas in between.  A solid defender with a fair bat, Blanks spent time in the majors as both a starter and reserve.  He has a career batting average is .253 and other notable stats include 57 doubles, 20 home runs, and 172 RBI.

Pedro Garcia – Garcia’s career in the big leagues lasted just 5 seasons, but he got regular work in that time.  A low .220 hitter, it was Garcia’s defense and ability to score runs that kept him in the rotation.  In 558 career games, Garcia scored 196 runs, drove in 184, and hit 37 home runs. 

Dave Lopes – The speedy Lopes was a terror on the base paths.  Stealing bases and scoring runs was something that Lopes did very well during his 16 years as a major leaguer – even past his 40th birthday!  A 4-time All-star, Lopes scored 1,023 runs during his playing days along with stealing 557 bases, which is good for 25th on the all-time list.  He recorded at least 40 or more steals in a season 7 times.  Lopes was a member of the 1981 World Series championship LA Dodgers.

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #656 – Bill Plummer

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #656 – Bill Plummer

I have to imagine that the most secure roster spot in all of baseball during the 1970′s was that of catcher for the Cincinnati Reds.  Johnny Bench had that spot locked down for close to 20 years.

But every team needs a reserve catcher, and for 8 seasons, Bill Plummer did the job very well.

Noted as a defensive specialist, Plummer was a great back-up player.  His solid play behind the plate kept him employed as a major league player for 10 seasons.  Offensively, Plummer struggled.  A career .188 hitter, he never had more than 38 hits in a season.

Bill Plummer was on the Reds’ roster for both the 1975 and 1976 World Series contests.  He did not see any playing time in either.

Progress 10/34

New Player Collections Added To The ’30-YOC’ Arsenal!!!

New Player Collections Added To The ’30-YOC’ Arsenal!!!

It is time!!!

As I get very close to completing my Fergie Jenkins, Darryl Strawberry, and Greg Maddux player collections, I look towards the future to see who else I want to honor that holds a special place in my collecting heart. 

And I didn’t have to look very far…

Here are the next guys I will devote some of my collecting time to:

Ron Santo – Every major brand issue from his playing days.

Paul Molitor – Just the ‘Brew Crew’.  All major brand issues from his days in Milwaukee.

Tim Raines – Expos only!!  All major brand issues from his time in Montreal.

Dale Murphy – Each and every one of his major brand releases from his days in Atlanta.

Orel Hershiser – Dodgers only.  Every major brand issues from his time in LA.

So there you have it!!!

I have already spent some time preparing for these new and exciting additions to my player collections.  The checklists have been built.  My ‘Player Collections’ page at the top of this blog has been updated.  And new links have been added to my ‘Categories’ sidebar.

I am eager to get going on these so stay tuned as I plan to attack these new collecting goals with intense focus and energy!!!