The 1984 Fleer baseball card design may very well be the most boring of all issues during the 1980s.  With just two horizontal stripes of Royal Blue  running at both the top and bottom of the card, there was very little time or thought put into this one.

But, every once in a while, a simple graphic design works.  And if you happened to be a Chicago Cubs player during the 1984 baseball season, then you had the best looking cards in the ’84 Fleer set.

Proof of that is in this card of newly acquired Cubs’ pitcher, Dennis Eckersley.

Take a peek:

Ah, perfection!!

I am expanding a bit with my Andre Dawson autograph collection this year.  I have a few new tricks up my sleeve, and I am ready to get down to it!!!

This is the first of what I hope will be many shipments that I send Andre’s way this year.  And when returned, I am hoping that I have some great stuff to show off to the ’30-YOC’ faithful.

Here is the package:

A flat bubble mailer, there are no hints this time around.  Just wait with me and as soon as the items inside are returned to me, they will be shared with you.

I promise.

Wish me luck!

That’s right folks, another player collection from the ’30-YOC’ roster is complete and in the books.   Not a bad way to start off the collecting year, huh??

This collection of Bo Jackson really brings back some great memories from my youth.  I spent a good amount of time collecting Bo as a kid, and still have some very vivid memories of watching him at the plate, in the field, and on the base paths.

Bo Jackson was a player unlike any other – he truly helped take excitement about baseball to another level.  And his effect on sports marketing and advertising should be noted as well.

So, here is it.  A full collection of every major brand release of Bo Jackson baseball cards from his time with the Kansas City Royals:

And remember, as I do with all of my newly completed player collections, next week I will unveil my ‘Fab Five’ cards from the set.  The fun begins next Monday.

Thanks for reading!

Topps did it right with this baseball card of Reggie Jackson!!!  As part of their ‘Legends of the Game’ series issued in 2009, this set contained all of the great stars, so naturally Reggie was a solid choice for them.

And I am very excited to see him in his Angels uniform too.  While he was much more successful during his tenure in Oakland and New York, his career with the Angels should not be forgotten, and I happy that Topps awarded us with a card to honor that time of Reggie’s career.

Here is the card:

Now all we need is some more card featuring Reggie in his Orioles uniform.  The time spent in Baltimore was brief – but still worthy of some cardboard in this collector’s opinion.

It’s quite simple really, in 1992 Kirby Puckett had three cards in the Topps set: base, ‘Award Winners’, and Gold.

And as a player collector with a slight pattern of obsessive compulsive disorder when it comes to collecting, I figured that I should have all three versions in my collection that honors Puckett.

Well, now that goal is complete.  You see, I already owned the base and Gold versions of the card.   And now I have obtained the ‘Award Winners’ version too.

Have a look:

On this day in 1982, Ryne Sandberg became a Chicago Cub.

The Cubs sent Ivan DeJesus to the Phillies for Sandberg and Larry Bowa.  Prior to the trade, Sandberg played in 21 games for the Phillies and made 6 plate appearances.  For the record he has 1 hit as a Phillie and a batting average of .167.

What the Cubs got over the next 15 major league seasons was brilliance.  Sandberg immediately filled a void at second base and quickly became the star and leader of the team.  With excellent defense, superb base running, and skill at the plate, Sandberg’s talents made #23 a fan favorite very quickly.

During his time in Chicago Ryne Sandberg was a 10-time All-star, 9-time Gold Glove winner, and a 7-time winner of the Silver Slugger trophy.  He also won the National League MVP award in 1984 due to his .314 batting average, 200 hits, 114 runs scored, 19 triples, 19 home runs, 84 RBI, and 32 stolen bases. 

Sandberg was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.  His #23 waves proudly in the air above Wrigley Field!!!

Thank you Philadelphia!!!

Alright everyone, I have spent a lot of time with my camera and I think that you are going to enjoy the results of those efforts.

I have added a bunch of new pictures to my ‘Ultimate Dawson’ page, and I am very happy with the results.  Click here to check out the new look.

This collection is always a work in progress, but I will continue to add to it as I acquire new cards, autos, and memorabilia that is worthy of being shown off.

In the meantime, head over to ‘Ultimate Dawson’ to see what a dedicated player collector can do with some intense focus while sticking to a tight budget.

Just as a teaser, here is a picture of my signed baseball card collection of ‘The Hawk’.

Thanks for reading!!

random Palm Beach County hotel

4:15-7:15 p.m.

Wednesday, January 25

They’re at a new hotel and it was obvious right away that it wouldn’t be long before things got dicey. My graphing partner and I decided that we would have to isolate ourselves because hanging with the other three people in the lobby just wasn’t a good idea. We made the right decision.

Lou Brock: 1/1 (SS of ROMLB) in blue ink. I had nothing better to do at the time so I figured I would try to break him down so I started talking to him about something that is very dear to his heart and it actually worked lol. I’ve been told that he wouldn’t have done a photo. A 2-on-1 situation and Lou really had nothing else to do but sign. LOL

Ozzie Smith: 1/2 jersey in sick silver paint with ‘The Wizard’ inscription.

Other: Saw Brian Jordan and Dave LaPointe but didn’t need them. … Never saw Bruce Sutter. … Was told that Whitey Herzog won’t be at this camp but will be here for spring training.

Paul Molitor played in the majors for 21 seasons.  Of those 21, he spent three in Toronto.

The three years that Molitor spent as a member of the Blue Jays organization were full of great stats and winning ways.  Molitor collected 508 hits with the squad while compiling a .315 batting average.  He hit 98 doubles, 11 triples, and 51 home runs during that time while also stealing 54 bases, driving 246 runs, and scoring 270 times.  Molitor was an All-Star twice during his stay in Toronto and also won a Silver Slugger award with the team.  Most importantly, he was part of the 1993 World Series championship team – winning the World Series MVP for his amazing performance over six games.