Just Two More Fergie Jenkins Cards To Go….

With the acquisition of this card I am now just 2 cards away from completing my Fergie Jenkins player collection.

When I set out to collect every card issued by a major card company from Fergie’s playing days, I never knew how enjoyable this goal would be.  Starting with zero cards, it was fun to shop for my ‘needs’ and along the way my appreciation for Fergie and his stellar pitching career sky rocketed.  This collection has taken longer to complete due to the age and condition of the cards I needed, but this extra time has allowed me more opportunities to learn about and enjoy stories focusing on Fergie.

Today I can proudly say that Ferguson Jenkins is my favorite pitcher of all-time!!!

And these are the final 2 cards I need to complete my player collection that honors his legendary career:

1966 Topps - Rookie card

1969 Topps

I have every intention of completing this collection by the end of the year.  It won’t be easy, but it will be fun!!!

 

 

1968 Topps Fergie Jenkins – YES!!!!

1968 Topps Fergie Jenkins

Finally I have added this card to my Fergie Jenkins player collection.  The ‘68 Topps card is not an easy one to find with good centering.  And while this card is far from perfect, the corners are solid and the centering is probably close to an 80/20.  I would love to have brought home a more well-centered card, but I am very aware of my spending limits so I got the best that I could currently afford.

1968 was a solid year for Fergie.  In his second full season with the Cubs, the Hall of Famer started 40 ball games for the team en route to a 20-15 record along with 20 complete games.  Fergie was progressing nicely at this point and he recorded a 2.63 ERA due to his hard work.  The efforts of training on his mechanics in the off-season began to pay off too as he finished the year with 260 strikeouts while allowing just 65 walks.

I am thrilled to add this ‘68 Topps card to my Fergie Jenkins collection!!

And now I am just 2 cards away from calling this player collection complete!!!

Did You Know…

There are only two pitchers in major league history with more than 3,000 strikeouts and fewer than 1,000 walks – Ferguson Jenkins and Greg Maddux.

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

My take – 2 of my favorite pitchers of all-time, these two players and their magnificent careers are intertwined for life!!!

My Balls Look Bigger And Better As Time Goes By!!!

Obviously the person who stated that ‘Size Doesn’t Matter’ was not an autographed baseball collector!!!

My collection has grown to 15 signed baseballs now and as the quantity increases, the quality continues to soar as well.

I still have a few tricks up my sleeve in obtaining more, but for now I am very pleased with how this has turned out.  Collecting these baseballs has been a ton of fun, and I look forward to adding a few more quality pieces during this off-season.

A breakdown:

Billy Williams, Andre Dawson w/89 NL MVP inscription,  Fergie Jenkins w/HOF 91 inscription, Tim Raines w/#30, Mark Grace, Pete Rose w/#4256 inscription, Jim Palmer personalized w/1973,74,76 CY and HOF 90 inscription, Jim Abbott w/9/4/93 No Hitter! inscription, Ron Santo, Lee Smith w/478 saves inscription, Ryne Sandberg, Cameron Maybin w/#24, Jeff Conine, Tony Perez, and Dan Uggla w/#6.

If you like this, just wait.  I am hoping to add some great stuff in the coming months!!

The Evolution Of My Collection – Part 5

My collection has really started to take shape over the last few months.  And if you had asked me 1 year ago what I collected and why, I would not have been able to supply you with a good answer.

But now, things have changed quite a bit.  My answer is simple – ‘I am a player collector’.  And I am proud of it!!!  I choose to pay homage to the guys that mean something to me.  While some were the sport’s biggest stars, that doesn’t matter to me.  Give me the guys that made an impact on me during my youth.  Give me the guys I heard stories about while growing up that still remain in an elevated status in my heart.  I’ll take the hustler that would stretch a double into a triple.  I want the guys that will get back on the mound with the same fire and energy when their team is trailing as if they were winning.

Since starting this blog and getting back into the hobby I have completed 3 player collections – Andre Dawson, Rickey Henderson, and Dave Winfield.  My Fergie Jenkins collection is just 3 cards away from joining that group as well.  And my Eddie Murray, Darryl Strawberry, Greg Maddux, Billy Williams, and Jim Palmer collections are coming along very nicely!!!

Oh, and I am also a lover of the autograph.  And while my technique may not be conventional, it works for me!!  I enjoy the entire TTM process and look to get back into that part of the hobby very shortly.  And my autographed baseball collection has grown by leaps and bounds too – now sitting at 15 great-looking pieces!!!

Lastly, I have gotten back into reading about this sport and it’s great players.  While doing so I have become a follower of the book tour.  And in the last year, I have picked up signed books by Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins(2), Darryl Strawberry, Johnny Bench, and Ron Santo.

Here is what my entire collection looks like today:

While nowhere close to the size of many of my fellow collectors, quantity is not my goal.  I want and hope to obtain a very specific and concise collection. 

I hope you agree that I am well on my way!!!!  Thanks.

1967 Topps Fergie Jenkins

1967 Topps Fergie Jenkins

 This is the ‘oldest’ card that I have added to my collection since getting back into the hobby a little more than 1 year ago.

The 1967 Topps Fergie Jenkins card is his second-year card and his first as a member of the Chicago Cubs.  In that ‘67 season, Jenkins went 20-13 while starting in 38 games.  Amazingly, he pitched 20 complete games that year while also striking out 236 batters.

1967 was Fergie’s first full season in the big leagues and he surely left quite an impact.  Finishing second for the league’s Cy Young award, Jenkins also started a string of 6 consecutive seasons with 20 or more wins!!

I an thrilled to add this card to my Fergie Jenkins collection!!!!

More Wicked Cards From Alfredo…

Always the generous blogger, Alfredo from the blog ‘My Past Time, I Love It’ sent over the below 6 cards.

And they’re all perfect fits for my player collections!!!

3 more Andre Dawson cards – 1 of which is a new addition to my collection.  The 1992 O-Pee-Chee base card is on its way into a top-loader as my Andre Dawson player collection adds its newest member!!!

3 cards of 3 other guys that I have tabbed as my favorites.  Fergie Jenkins, Eddie Murray, and the newest member of the Hall of Fame, Rickey Henderson!!

Thanks again Alfredo.  Your generosity is unmatched!

Happy Anniversary Fergie Jenkins!!!

On this day in 1972, Fergie Jenkins recorded his 20th win of the baseball season.  This victory gave Fergie 20 wins, or more, in 6 consecutive seasons and solidified him as one of the most dominant and consistent pitchers of his era.

Here is a quick look at Fergie’s amazing 6-year run:

Year	Wins	Losses	Win %
1967	20	13	61%
1968	20	15	57%
1969	21	15	58%
1970	22	16	58%
1971	24	13	65%
1972	20	12	63%
Totals	127	84	60%

 

Not a bad run at all!!! 

I was trying to find out how many 1-run games Fergie lost during that time.  I know that I have heard the number before, but I don’t want to mis-quote it.  I have searched around a bit but have not come up with an easy way to find that number.  If I recall correctly, it was somewhere in the neighborhood if 15 or so…

Happy Anniversary to my favorite pitcher of all-time, Mr. Ferguson Arthur Jenkins!!!

Fergie Jenkins – A 1970’s Retrospective!!

With the purchase of this card, I have now collected every card issued of Fergie Jenkins during the 1970’s.

Now I want to ‘borrow’ an idea from one of my favorite bloggers, Night Owl, and use one of his more recent posts and throw a little ‘30-Year Old Cardboard’ twist into it…

So, here we go.  A Fergie Jenkins 1970’s Retrospective.  Enjoy!!!

Results: Fergie Jenkins Book Signing!!!

My signed copy of Fergie’s new autobiography was delivered last night!!!

And just like the first book, this one is a beauty. 

Fergie Jenkin’s life story is a fascinating one, and those thoughts extend well beyond his professional baseball career.  Fergie is my favorite pitcher of all-time, and once you learn more about his personal life from before, during, and after his playing days, you will find it hard to not have more respect for this baseball legend than you did prior to opening his book.

I have a few books liked up ahead of this one that I want to read, but I may have to shuffle them around a bit as now that I have possession of this book, I don’t know if I can put it on the side…

Here are a few pictures of my newest Fergie Jenkins acquisition. 

Too Sweet!!!  A special ‘Thank You’ goes out to the great people at Anderson’s bookstore in Naperville, IL.  And a very special ‘Thank You’ goes out to Fergie Jenkins for making this fan’s day!!!