Reggie Jackson 2010 Topps – ‘Cards Your Mom Threw Out’

Reggie Jackson 2010 Topps – ‘Cards Your Mom Threw Out’

I love this set of cards.  It could be one of Topps’ most clever issues to date!!

Reggie’s card in this series features his 1976 Topps baseball card.  By this time, Reggie was already a 3-time World Series champion, a 6-time All-Star, and a league MVP!!!

As for the baseball card itself, I like the simple design from the ’76 set.  But I have to admit that the picture used is lousy.  Reggie was such a personality and force in the sport – surely better photos of him in his Oakland Athletics uniform were available…

You be the judge:

Tony Gwynn 1989 Upper Deck Team Checklist

Tony Gwynn 1989 Upper Deck Team Checklist

Such a nice change of pace from cards that were usually pretty boring…

In my eyes, Upper Deck produced the best checklists I have ever seen.  No longer sporting lists of card numbers and the player associated, these checklists were art!!!

In the 1989 set, Upper Deck issued team checklists, 1 for each ball club.  And fittingly so, Tony Gwynn was given the honor of being the Padres’ ‘Cover Boy’.

Great job UD!!!

Happy Anniversary Bill Buckner & Mookie Wilson!!!

Happy Anniversary Bill Buckner & Mookie Wilson!!!

On this day in 1986 you made the most famous error in baseball history.  Although many 1st baseman prior to you have seen ground balls accidentally roll through their legs, none was on a bigger stage than your error in game 6 of the 1986 World Series.

Errors occur all of the time in baseball.  But, in the bottom of the 10th inning with runners in scoring position and the game tied the impact of this accident was magnified.  Mookie Wilson’s ground ball would have been handled by Buckner with ease the next 100 times without question, but with the pressure on, it was Buckner that failed and Wilson that prevailed.

I remember watching this game as an 11-year old.  I was pulling for the Red Sox and wanted to see Wade Boggs win his first ever World Series title.  What I ended up seeing was baseball history of another kind that has no equal within the last 30 years.

This error made Bill Buckner and Mookie Wilson one of the most famous pairings in baseball history!!

Happy Anniversary Mr. Buckner and Mr. Wilson!!!

Happy Anniversary Gaylord Perry!!!

Happy Anniversary Gaylord Perry!!!

On this day in 1978 Gaylord Perry was awarded with the National League Cy Young Award.  Winning this individual award marked the first time in major league history in which a pitcher earned that honor in both leagues.

Here is a quick peek at Perry’s two Cy Young Winning seasons:

1972 – AL – 24-16, 1.92 ERA, 29 complete games, 5 shutouts, 234 strikeouts

1978 – NL – 21-6, 2.73 ERA, 5 complete games, 2 shutouts, 154 strikeouts 

Congratulations Mr. Perry!!!

1973 Headline: Fergie Jenkins Traded To The Texas Rangers

1973 Headline:  Fergie Jenkins Traded To The Texas Rangers

On this date in 1973, Fergie Jenkins was traded from the Chicago Cubs to the Texas Rangers, of the American League.

The trade was a 2-for-1 deal with Jenkins going to the Rangers in exchange for Bill Madlock and Vic Harris.  At this point, the Cubs were in a major re-building phase as Ernie Banks was retired and their core of Billy Williams, Ron Santo, and Jenkins were all considered as being ‘too old’.

Jose Bautista & Matt Kemp Win Hank Aaron Award For Offensive Excellence

Jose Bautista & Matt Kemp Win Hank Aaron Award For Offensive Excellence

ARLINGTON, Texas (Reuters) – Jose Bautista
of the Toronto Blue Jays and Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers were named winners Monday of the Hank Aaron Award as the outstanding offensive players in their respective leagues.

Bautista led the majors leagues in home runs (43), slugging percentage (.608)
and walks (132).

Kemp narrowly missed winning the Triple Crown, leading the National League in home runs (39) and runs batted in (126) while finishing third in batting average
(.324).

Bautista was the first American League player since Babe Ruth in 1930 to
record at least 40 home runs, 130 walks and nine stolen bases in the same
year.

The Blue Jays slugger also won the award last year with a breakout 2010
season in which he hammered 54 home runs and batted in 124, and was able to
silence those who did not believe he could follow it up.

“More satisfying to me was just to be able to get on the field and be out
there with my team mates and contribute on a daily basis to try to help the team
win games,” he said.

“It’s not really my goal to prove anybody wrong or to come out and show the
critics wrong.”

Despite Kemp’s offensive fireworks, the Dodgers missed the playoffs after
finishing 82-79.

“Your goal is to make it to the playoffs and to get a chance to make it to
the World Series,” said Kemp. “Unfortunately our team wasn’t as good as some of these other teams that made the playoffs this year, but you want to showcase
your talents.”

“It was just one of those years that didn’t happen. There’s always next
year.”

The winners were selected through a combination of fan vote and a panel of
Hall of Famers, including Roberto Alomar, Tony Gwynn, Paul Molitor and
Aaron.

Ken Griffey Jr. Receives Baseball’s Historic Achievement Award

Ken Griffey Jr. Receives Baseball’s Historic Achievement Award

Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Texas – Ken Griffey Jr. was presented  with the Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award on Sunday in an off-field  ceremony before Game 4 of the World Series.

Griffey became just the 12th person to receive the award, which was created in 1998 to recognize achievements and contributions of historical significance.

Griffey was a 13-time All-Star in his 22 major league seasons for the Mariners (1989-99, 2009-10), Reds (2000-08) and White Sox (2008). He hit 630 career home runs, won 10 Gold Gloves and was the 1997 AL MVP.

It was also Griffey who initially had the idea to wear No. 42 on Jackie Robinson Day.

“He asked my permission to do that, and I of course granted it. It told me a lot, however, about Ken, about how much he understood the history, how much he understood the impact of Jackie Robinson,” Commissioner Bud Selig said. “I’ve often gotten credit for something, but really he made a phone call to me on a Sunday night at home that I’ll never forget. So with Ken leading the way, it began to catch on with other players.”

Now all on-field personnel in baseball wear No. 42 once a season, a tradition Selig said will continue “at least as long as I’m around.”

The Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award was last given in 2007, when Rachel Robinson was honored for her work to preserve the legacy of her late husband, Jackie.

In a statement, Selig said: “Ken Griffey Jr. was a gifted all-around player with a perfect swing, a brilliant glove and a childlike joy for the game. From the time he was just 19, Ken represented Major League Baseball with excellence and grace, and he was one of our sport’s greatest ambassadors not only in Seattle and Cincinnati, but also around the world. I am most appreciative for all of Ken’s contributions to our national pastime.”

The trophy, which stands 12 inches tall, has a sterling silver base with a baseball mounted at the top. The words “Commissioner’s Historic Achievement” are engraved around the base of the trophy with the Major League Baseball silhouetted batter logo above the type.