1993 Topps Manager’s Card With Detroit’s Sparky Anderson & Houston’s Art Howe

1993 Topps Manager’s Card With Detroit’s Sparky Anderson & Houston’s Art Howe

Of all of the multi-player cards issued over the years, it is the manager’s card that I care for the least.

Actually – let me say that differently, I REALLY DON’T LIKE THESE MULTI-MANAGER CARDS!!!!

The reason?

The team set!

Imagine yourself as a team collector, a team set builder.

And let’s say that you are working on the 1993 Topps Detroit Tigers team set.

And this is your manager card for the set:

 

FAIL!!!!

 

TTM SUCCESS: Another Fantastic Andre Dawson Baseball For My Collection!!! Y-E-S!!!

TTM SUCCESS: Another Fantastic Andre Dawson Baseball For My Collection!!!  Y-E-S!!!

I have been craving a few more signed baseballs for my Andre Dawson ‘Ultimate Dawson’ collection so I put a plan in place a few weeks ago to work towards that goal.

Ultimately, I am trying to seek out and find new inscriptions to ask for – and I have some really great ideas to request for future signing options.

This time around, I went with the request of a ’4X Sillver Slugger’ option.

And Andre did not disappoint (he never does).

Have a look:

As always, the ball is signed perfectly – and is so neat and clean!!!

Dawson won four Silver Slugger awards during his major league career and I find this to definitely be an inscription-worthy feat.  At the peak of his career, he had some major competition for the award so walking away with four of these honors is a great, great accomplishment.

This is the 11th Andre Dawson signed baseball in my collection and I am so very proud of how it all looks together.

And the next few I hope to go after will only help take ’Ultimate Dawson’ to the next level.

Thanks for reading!!!

Willie McCovey 2013 Topps Gypsy Queen – Base – Mehhhh….

Willie McCovey 2013 Topps Gypsy Queen – Base

Well, I have found my first card from the new 2013 Topps Gypsy Queen that does not thrill me.

Unfortunately, it features one of my favorite legends – Mr. Willie McCovey.

Have a look:

I like the setting of the card.  And I really like that vintage Giants uniform that McCovey is wearing too.

It’s the image that does this player and set no justice.  Did he hit a foul ball?  Did he pop one up behind first base?  The shot used leaves a little to the imagination, which is ok, but it is not a supremely positive question that other cards conjure up…

1985 Fleer Super Star Special – ‘NL Pitcher’s Nightmare’ – Starring Mike Schmidt & Ryne Sandberg

1985 Fleer Super Star Special – ‘NL Pitcher’s Nightmare’ – Starring Mike Schmidt & Ryne Sandberg

Fleer did a great job of pairing up players with their ‘Superstar Special’ sets from the mid-1980′s.

And this card from the 1985 Fleer set is no exception.

The card tagged as ‘NL Pitcher’s Nightmare’ features two future Hall of Famers, and two great sluggers – Mike Schmidt and Ryne Sandberg.

Of the pair, I would have to think that at the time this shot was snapped that Schmidt was the more feared hitter.  He was a veteran by the time the 1985 baseball season rolled around while Sandberg was still getting his feet wet.  Still, Ryno mashed a ton of homers early in his career and this is a magnificent pairing.

A great addition to my Mike Schmidt player collection!!!

Fergie Jenkins 2013 Topps Tribute – Base

Fergie Jenkins 2013 Topps Tribute – Base

It is so nice to see that Fergie Jenkins made it into a few 2013 Topps sets so far this year.  It gives me the chance to build up my collection a bit while also showcases him to new collectors that may not know his great history.

This card is from the 2013 Topps Tribute set; it is the base card from the set.

Time for me to start going after the colored parallel versions now.

Stay tuned!!!

Frank Robinson 2011 Topps Gypsy Queen ‘The Great Ones’

Frank Robinson 2011 Topps Gypsy Queen ‘The Great Ones’

It is so nice to see Robinson included in a set of this magnitude.  I find him to be one the most underrated players in the history of the sport, yet his accomplishments are on par with the elite legends of the game.

Here is the card of Mr. Robinson from ‘The Great Ones’ set:

Man, I wish that they used a better image of Robinson for this card.  I am not complaining about him wearing his Reds uniform, not by a longshot, but I am just way to used to seeing this specific shot used by Topps over and over.

For me, when tagging a set as ‘The Great Ones’ I would prefer something that just had an image to match such a great theme.

Maybe next time…

2010 Topps ‘Legendary Lineage’ With Bob Gibson & Tim Lincecum

2010 Topps ‘Legendary Lineage’ With Bob Gibson & Tim Lincecum

I really like cards like these and I am always eager to see who Topps pairs with some of the great players from our current era of baseball.  And while it would be impossible to reach a 100% consensus on a topic that can be so opinionated, I think that they do a pretty good job with their pairings.

This card features legendary Bob Gibson and a modern-day phenom, Tim Lincecum

A few years removed from the 2010 release, we have seen a sharp decline in the dominance of Lincecum over the last few baseball seasons.  Sure, he is still striking out a very respectable number of hitters, but his dominance on the mound is not what it once was – the wins are down and so is the overall effectiveness.

But, back in 201o, Tim Lincecum was the real-deal!!  His ability to cruise through innings as he mowed down batter after batter was unparalleled – and it all led to wins.

I’d love to see him bounce back to his original form!!!

Hank Aaron 2000 Topps Commemorative Set – Card #4 – 1957 Topps Design

Hank Aaron 2000 Topps Commemorative Set – Card #4 – 1957 Topps Design

This is the third card that I have obtained for this set since officially declaring that I wanted to build the full set as one of my 2013 collecting goals.

This is the 4th card in the set, a re-print of Aaron’s 1957 Topps baseball card:

Hank Aaron’s greatest individual season came in 1957.  He captured the league MVP Award in 1957 as well as his lone World Series championship.

Some of Aaron’s amazing numbers from that 1957 baseball season include: 198 hits, 27 doubles, 44 home runs, 118 runs scored, 132 RBI, 369 total bases and just 58 strikeouts in 675 plate appearances.

And he did all of this at the age of just 23 – WOW!!!

Jim Rice 1980 Topps

Jim Rice 1980 Topps

Jim Rice’s card from the 1980 Topps set is a nice one.

And as you can se, it looks like Mr. Rice is prepped to unleash a fierce swing.

Check it out:

By most measures, Jim Rice has a nice season in 1980.  But by the standards he had set in prior seasons, it was a down year for him in 1980.  Still, the numbers are far from poor – .294 batting average, 148 hits, 81 runs scored, 86 RBI, 18 doubles, 17 home runs, and 254 total bases in 124 games played.

Happy Birthday Reginald Martinez Jackson!!!

Happy Birthday Reginald Martinez Jackson!!!

You may know him as Reggie or as Mr. October or as 1 of the greatest World Series heroes in baseball history. However you know him, Reginald Martinez Jackson turns 67 years old today!!

I unquestionably consider Reggie Jackson as being one of the most dynamic players to ever play the game of professional baseball. On the very short list, I think that Reggie during his prime was one player that was worth the price of admission alone. His persona and ability were head and shoulders above most of his teammates and competitors and when Reggie got the chance to shine, he took full advantage… The result is one of the most impressive careers in baseball for a player playing in a major market city.

Quite simply, Reggie Jackson lived up to the hype he built for himself and not too many players can do that. For his birthday, I would like to give Reggie a hidden microphone and let him coach a high-profile game. Maybe the All-star game. Maybe the ‘Home Run Derby’. Something good but not too serious. Let Reggie have fun, and I am sure that hilarity would ensue…

Happy Birthday ‘Mr. October’!!!