My Fergie Jenkins ‘Fab 5′ – Card #4

My Fergie Jenkins ‘Fab 5′ – Card #4

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

Card #4 – 1973 Topps

This baseball card fits every stereotype of 1970′s fashion!!  From Fergie’s extremely large Afro hairstyle that is tucked under his cap…  To his pork-chop sideburns…  And you cannot miss his oversized butterfly collar that is protruding from underneath his Cubs jersey.  And lastly, check out the Cubbie Bear patch on his left sleeve – a perfect throwback to the 1970′s!!!

Thanks Fergie.

I Am Going To Attempt A ‘Rainbow’. And I Need Your Help!!!

I am Going To Attempt A ‘Rainbow’.  And I Need Your Help!!!

I have wanted to attempt this for some time, so I have finally given in to those thoughts and I am now ready to act!!!

One of my newest collecting goals is to collect the 2008 Upper Deck Heroes cards of Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks. 

Over the last few months, I have gotten myself pretty familiar with the cards from this set.   But I am still not 100% certain that I know  of each and every version that was issued…  Between the colors of the various versions, the game-used cards, and the certified autographs, I know that this task is an impossible mission.  But that doesn’t mean that I am not up for the challenge.

My biggest struggle is the checklist.  I know that there is a large handful of colored parallels in this set, but I am having a hard time finding a complete list.  Ideally, I would like to see a list of all colors and what they are numbered to.  I can find the Green, Grey, Red, Yellow, Sea Green, Brown, etc on various sites, but I cannot find 1 source that gives me all of the info at once.

I am hoping that a fellow reader of this site can help.  You guys have been great with information like this before, and your help would be greatly appreciated again.

Also, are the game-used relic cards and certified auto’s color-coded and numbered in the same manner as the base versions???  Please help.

Thanks!!!

Tim Raines 1989 Upper Deck – Front & Back

Tim Raines 1989 Upper Deck – Front & Back

Upper Deck got it right with Tim Raines’ card in their 1989 issue.  They just didn’t execute it as properly as they could have…

This is the picture they went with on the front of Raines’ card…

Terrible, I know.  And when compared to the image that they used for the back, it makes the front image look even worse.

Check out the back…

See what I mean?  The front of the card is one of the worst card fronts that UD issued that year.  And the back is one of their best…

I just don’t get it.  But I guess that is why I am messing with inventory numbers for a medical supplies company while some Marketing and Advertising geniuses are saying ‘YEAH’ and not ‘NEY’ to issuing this card to the collecting world…

1981 Topps ‘Record Breakers’ – Card #201 – Johnny Bench

1981 Topps ‘Record Breakers’ – Card #201 – Johnny Bench

Headline – ‘Bench sets home run mark for backstops’

The story – Cincinnati, Ohio, October 5, 1980.  Reds’ catcher Johnny Bench has finished the season as the all-time leading slugger among backstops.  Johnny belted 23 round-trippers while catching in 1980, giving him a lifetime total of 323 4-baggers while wearing the ‘tools of ignorance’.  The former major league record for home runs by a catcher was 313 held by Hall of Famer, Yogi Berra.

30 years later – Bench ended his career with 389 home runs; 326 of which were hit while catching in the game.  The game’s new leader is Mike Piazza who hit 427 career home runs, 396 of which came while catching.

My Fergie Jenkins ‘Fab 5′ – Card #5

My Fergie Jenkins ‘Fab 5′ – Card #5

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

Card #5 – 1983 Topps ‘Super Veteran’

We here at ’30-YOC’ love the baseball subset.  And the first subset I collected when getting back into this hobby was the 1983 Topps ‘Super Veteran’ set.  The set has everything a collector like me craves – tributes to legendary players that built the sport into what it is.  This Fergie Jenkins card features Fergie during his rookie season with the Phillies and then again during his second stint with the Cubs.

Truly classic, the 1983 Topps ‘Super Veteran’ subset is and will always be a ’30-YOC’ favorite!!!

Contest Players And Their Picks…

Thanks to everyone that made picks in my contest. 

Here are the players and the total number of runs that they predicted for the upcoming Braves/Cardinals series that begins on Monday:

Player	# of Runs
rod	10
eli	17
daniel	18
wickedortega	19
brent	20
wax wombat	21
dan	22
steve	23
olivia	24
matt a	25
don sherman	26
geard	27
zman40	28
ken klaus	29
night owl	30
craig	31
drew	32
scott mccloy	33
hackenbush	34
longflyballtobeacuse	35
unclemoe	36
charley	37
david	38
singledaddyof2	39
play at the plate	42
dion	44
sewingmachineguy	45

 

And don’t forget that we have 2 boxes of 2007 TriStar ‘Prospects Plus’ up for grabs!!

A special thanks goes out to Atlanta Sports Cards for sponsoring this contest on ’30-YOC’.

1990 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes Nolan Ryan Subset – Card #9

1990 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes Nolan Ryan Subset – Card #9

The final card of this subset.  And what a beautiful piece of artwork it is!!

What a great way to end this set and capture the legendary Hall of Famer by giving us a visual timeline of his magnificent baseball career.

Man I wish Upper Deck still made these sets!!!

1990 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes Nolan Ryan Subset – Card #8

1990 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes Nolan Ryan Subset – Card #8

This card is appropriately titled ’1990, and still counting’.

I love this set.    I love the design.  I love the concept.  But to be honest, it feels incomplete.  While Ryan had a career worthy of this type of tribute by 1991, there are still some major accomplishments that I would have loved to have seen incorporated into this set to make it truly a timeline of his historic career.  Win #300, the 7th and final no-hitter, and his induction into the Hall of Fame would have rounded out this subset perfectly.

I do understand that Ryan was on top of the world when this set was created, and Upper Deck wanted to take advantage of that by making this set of him.  For me, there are so many other players that I would have liked to seen honored in this fashion.  They could have held onto Nolan Ryan for a few more years to give us a more finished and polished product…  but I’m just saying…

1990 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes Nolan Ryan Subset – Card #7

1990 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes Nolan Ryan Subset – Card #7

At the time that this set of cards was produced, Nolan Ryan had 6 no-hitters on his resume.  This card pays tribute to that 6th ‘No-No’. 

En route to the 300th victory of his career, Ryan notched #6 on June 11.  And he did it in grand fashion – he beat the World Champion Oakland A’s!!  Ryan struck out 14 batters on the day while walking just 2.  He also became the oldest player in major league history to throw a no-hitter – he was 43. 

1990 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes Nolan Ryan Subset – Card #6

1990 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes Nolan Ryan Subset – Card #6

This card honors the 5,000th strikeout of Nolan Ryan’s pitching career. 

Already the sport’s ‘Strikeout King’, Ryan conquered this major milestone against the game’s most talented offense – the Oakland A’s.  On August 22, 1989, Ryan struck out fellow Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson to capture #5,000!!!