Joe Morgan 2003 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Classic Chicago Cubs Manufactured Patch Card

Joe Morgan 2003 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Classic Chicago Cubs Manufactured Patch Card

The Houston Astros have been getting a lot of attention as of late…

New team colors and logo…

New league – AL West…

Lowest payroll in baseball…

When I saw this card of Joe Morgan, there was no way that I was not going to make an attempt to bring it home.  The card features a very similar logo to what the 2013 Houston Astros will be wearing, and it takes me back the beginning of the career of one of my favorite players of all-time!!

Couple all of that with a sweet looking baseball card, a manufactured Astros patch, and a hand numbered serial number of 81/350, and you have a really, really nice looking baseball card!!!

Gotta Love It!!!!

Joe Morgan 2012 Panini Cooperstown – My Favorite From The Set So Far!!!

Joe Morgan 2012 Panini Cooperstown

Of all of the singles that I have purposely bought, and of all of the cards that I have pulled from packs, this card of Joe Morgan is, in my opinion, the best looking card in the set.

Have a look:

With no obvious cropping, and no intentional picture selection in which you can hardly make out the player, this image is perfect for a set like this.  The Reds logo on Morgan’s helmet and jersey are hidden from view, but not in a way that takes away from any of the great action being presented.

I am loving this one!!!

Joe Morgan 2012 Topps Archives ’77 Cloth Sticker

Joe Morgan 2012 Topps Archives ’77 Cloth Sticker

Of all of the 2012 in-set subsets that I have yet to collect that interest me, the 2012 Topps Archives ’77 Cloth Stickers subset is very high on the list for me to go after.

I love the design.  I love the shout-out to the vintage sets of the late 1970′s.  And I love that Joe Morgan was included in the set.

I picked up this card for the low, low price of just $0.18 on www.sportlots.com.

Take a look:

This card will serve as a reminder that I eventually want to collect the full set.

Until I make that a mission of mine, I will keep it on my desk as a reminder…

2003 Fleer Double Headers ‘Keystone Combinations’ Featuring Pee Wee Reese & Joe Morgan

2003 Fleer Double Headers ‘Keystone Combinations’ Featuring Pee Wee Reese & Joe Morgan

When I saw this card I immediately scooped it up just based on the looks alone…

The card was printed in 2003 by Fleer and is a part of their ‘Keystone Combinations’ set.  The set is a 10-card set, and I am guessing that Fleer paired some of the greatest second basemen and shortstops in the history of the sport for each card.

The set is a pretty neat idea, but the baseball purist in me would rather have seen the ‘Top Ten’ double-play tandems paired up in a set that was tagged as ‘Keystone Combinations’.

I’d like to see the rest of the checklist to see who else made the cut and who they were paired with…

Oh, and the card is a mini as well.

Joe Morgan 2005 Donruss Greats

Joe Morgan 2005 Donruss Greats

It hay been waaaayyy too long since I have added a Joe Morgan card to my collection.  I need to focus on adding some more Morgan cards in 2013!!

This card comes from the 2005 Donruss Greats set.  And while is it not as bright and vibrant as many of the other Donruss releases from 2005, this one does look great.

Have a peek:

I really like the image that Donruss selected for this set.  Morgan was one of the best base runners from his era, and he does not get enough credit for that part of his game.

Morgan stole 689 bases during his playing days, including nine seasons of 40 or more steals.  He currently ranks in 11th place on the all-time list.

Go Get ‘Em Joe!!!

1990 Headline: Jim Palmer & Joe Morgan Voted Into National Baseball Hall Of Fame

1990 Headline: Jim Palmer & Joe Morgan Voted Into National Baseball Hall Of Fame

On this day in 1990, both Jim Palmer and Joe Morgan were elected into the Hall of Fame as part of the ‘Class of 1990′.

Jim Palmer was the heart and soul of the Baltimore Orioles pitching staff for the better part of three decades.  Capturing 268 wins en route to a 64% winning percentage, Palmer captured 3 Cy Young Awards and three World Series championships.  He is a 6-time All-Star and 4-time Gold Glove winner.

Joe Morgan personified the term ‘team player’ as he used his skills to help his team win and win big!  A 2-time World Series champion and 2-time MVP, Morgan set the bar for offensive output for second basemen.  Morgan was a 10-time All-Star and 5-time Gold Glove winner.

Jim Palmer & Joe Morgan – 2 favorites at ’30-YOC’

Joe Morgan 2003 Topps Tribute Game-Used Bat Relic Card – 1st All-Star Game!!!

Joe Morgan 2003 Topps Tribute Game-Used Bat Relic Card – 1st All-Star Game!!!

I fell in love with this card the moment that I saw it!!!

Yes, I may have paid a little more for it than what I normally would have liked, but that is alright.  The card looks great and is a perfect addition to my Joe Morgan player collection.

Have a look:

There are so many things to like about this card.  Instead of trying to rank them, I will just list them instead.

1. my first relic card of Morgan in a non-Reds uniform
2. commemorates Morgan’s first all-star season of 1966 (Morgan’s second year in big leagues)
3. Topps Tribute is a beautiful set
4. I love those old Astros uniforms
5. nice chunk of wood from Morgan’s bat
6. the scripting of Morgan’s name, done in a color that complements the Astros colors

AWESOME!!

Joe Morgan 2012 Topps Deckle Edge

Joe Morgan 2012 Topps Deckle Edge

I tell you what, if this set was full of legends of the past it would have been a candidate for a future subset that I would want to build.  As a matter of fact, the set was on my list until I reviewed the checklist.  Had it not been for Jose Bautista, Mike Napoli, Evan Longoria, and David Freese, I think that this one would have made the final cut.  Nothing personal against those players, they are solid, but this set takes me back to an era of baseball that I love and I just don’t see the need to include those guys in it…

Instead, I will scoop up the players in the set that I enjoy.

And of course, that takes me to Joe Morgan!!

I was very happy to see Mr. Morgan featured in his old Houston Astros uniform.  It is a very welcomed change of pace from all of the recent cards that I have grabbed of him wearing his Reds uniform.

Have a look:

Joe Morgan 2004 Topps Tribute – 1990 Hall Of Fame Commemorative

Joe Morgan 2004 Topps Tribute – 1990 Commemorative

Cards that commemorate baseball history or achievement hold a special place in my collecting heart.

And when said card happens to feature one of my favorite all-time players, the love grows.

In their 2004 Topps Tribute set, Topps issued a commemorative card to honor Joe Morgan’s 1990 Hall of Fame induction.

The card is sweet, and I really like the coloring that Topps used for the card.  Between the sweet Red accents and Golden lettering, this one is a winner!!!

Enjoy.

Joe Morgan 2012 Topps Update – ‘Golden Greats’

Joe Morgan 2012 Topps Update – ‘Golden Greats’

I really like Joe Morgan.  He is one of the most well-rounded offensive talents from the 1970′s and many of the numbers that he put up were unheard of for a second baseman. 

I firmly believe that even with his 2 MVP Awards and Hall of Fame election that Morgan is very underappreciated.  So, I was very excited to see that he was included in Topps’ Golden Greats subset.

I was even more excited to pull this card from a pack!!!

 

 

The card honors a game played on July 1, 1975 in which Morgan hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 15th inning to secure a win over the Houston Astros.

Atta Boy Joe!!!