2002 Topps Super Teams ‘Super Teammates’ Starring Lou Brock & Bob Gibson

2002 Topps Super Teams ‘Super Teammates’ Starring Lou Brock & Bob Gibson

It would be very hard to note like a card that featured Cardinals legends Lou Brock and Bob Gibson.  And if you’re a St. Louis Cardinals fan, you would probably tag this card as a ‘Must Have’.

Check it out:

While the design is not thrilling, in my opinion, it is still a pretty nice looking card.  I would have rather had seen this one feature a bit more of St. Louis in the card – maybe Yellow instead of Blue, and the arch implemented into the design would be pretty nice as well…

Still – anytime you can add a card of these two great HOFers to your collection, it is worth doing.

Rollie Fingers 1974 Topps Baseball Card

Rollie Fingers 1974 Topps Baseball Card

It has been roughly six weeks since I last featured a baseball card of Rollie Fingers on the blog.

It is not because I do not want to, it is because my at-home supply of cards that feature Mr. Fingers has been exhausted.

I am getting very close to completing the collection I am building of Fingers that honors his fantastic career.

I am left chasing a few of his early-issue cards from the 1970′s.  And the chase is rather fun too.

My most recent purchase has landed me his base card from the 1974 Topps set.

Check it out:

I am just a few cards from the finish line – but they are the tougher ones.

Wish me luck as I continue on this journey!!

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’!!!

Reggie Jackson 2011 Topps Triple Threads – SWEET!!!

Reggie Jackson 2011 Topps Triple Threads – SWEET!!!

I need to go find the expected release date of the 2013 release because I really like the Triple Threads set.

The cards are always crisp and clean, and in my opinion the images being selected for this brand are getting better with each passing issue.

This card is from the 2011 set and it features a very young Reginald Martinez Jackson from his first stint with the Oakland Athletics.  Reggie wore the jersey number 9 back then, and I truly appreciate Topps celebrating the early years of Reggie’s career.

This one is serial numbered as 428/625 and is known as the Sepia version.  The coloring of this Sepia version is especially nice with that old A’s uniform.

Have a look:

Baseball Card Show Purchase #1 – Wade Boggs & Rickey Henderson 2012 Topps Triple Threads Base Cards

Baseball Card Show Purchase #1 – Wade Boggs & Rickey Henderson 2012 Topps Triple Threads Base Cards

I’ve long been a fan of the Topps Triple Threads brand and I eagerly await the 2013 issue to hit the streets.

I’m always willing to sift through a stack of cards from this set, and I found a healthy helping of them in a ten-cent bargain bin.

I rescued the base cards of Wade Boggs and Rickey Henderson from that stack.

Check ‘em out:

1991 HEADLINE: Rickey Henderson Passes Lou Brock On The All-Time Steals List

1991 HEADLINE: Rickey Henderson Passes Lou Brock On The All-Time Steals List

On this day in 1991 Rickey Henderson became the All-time leader in stolen bases. As Rickey passed Lou Brock with steal #939 of his career, it was obvious to all watching live and on television that this was a baseball record for the ages.

Henderson’s talent is very rare as his body, specifically his legs, was able to withstand the punishment it takes to steal 939 bases. Amazingly enough, Henderson was not even close to being done with running. By the end of his 25-season major league career Henderson would finish with 1,406 stolen bases.

Personally, of all of the records in baseball today I think this one is the safest of them all. Home runs records will be broken. Hit streaks may not last. But this record is truly amazing. Players that steal 60-70 bases a year would have to have that kind of success for 20 straight years to challenge Rickey’s record. If you look at the great base stealers in the game today, each of them hits a pinnacle and then a sharp and rapid decline. This record is safe, and will not be challenged ever!!!

Congratulations Rickey. Truly an original, and truly a baseball legend!!!

Hall Of Fame Debate: Rank ‘Em – Joe Torre VS Bobby Cox VS Tony LaRussa

Hall Of Fame Debate: Rank ‘Em – Joe Torre VS Bobby Cox VS Tony LaRussa

I think that it is safe to say that in time the trio of Joe Torre, Bobby Cox, and Tony LaRussa will all be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

If I was a betting man, and this was a bet with any kind of odds, I would bet the house on this one.  Each of these managers left an impression on the sport, on the fans of the teams that they coached, and maybe most important – they left impressions on the teams and fans that were battling against them.

I could comfortably state that Torre, Cox, and LaRussa are the cream of the crop as it relates to successful major league managers from their eras.

With that all being said – how easy is it to say which one is better?

It’s not.

Because what the manager does is not measured in numbers.  At least not in any numbers in which they are awarded for good decisions and penalized for bad ones.

But the good ones, the really good ones, seem to get the best out of their best players and the best out of the ones that are lower on the totem pole as well.

Bobby Cox, Joe Torre, and Tony LaRussa can all take great pride in the team and individual successes of the players that the managed as they certainly had a hand in that success.

For tonight’s ‘Hall of Fame Debate’ I am asking for you to give me the order in which these three great coaches should be inducted into the Hall of Fame.  They’re all going to get in – it’s just a matter of time before that happens.

But, who deserves to get in first, second, and third??

While you cannot judge all that a manager does by the numbers his teams put up, it is nice to compare both players and managers in similar categories.

So, here is a side-by-side-by-side comparison of the trio:

	Cox	Torre	LaRussa
Years	30	30	35
Wins	2504	2326	2728
Losses	2001	1997	2365
Win %	0.556	0.538	0.536
100-win seasons	6	4	4
1st place finishes	15	13	11
Last place finishes	4	4	2
Division Championships	15	13	11
League Championships	4	6	6
World Series Titles	1	4	3
Manager Of The Year	4	2	4

*

The numbers stack up pretty well for these three guys, huh?  For me, the only thing that really stands out is how close to a .500 winning percentage each manager is over the course of their careers.  Deemed as uber-successful, they are all very close to 50%.

And now, time for me to divulge my rankings.

First, a little chatter about each guy:

• Cox – you cannot ignore the consecutive seasons in which his Braves teams won their division.  I find it to be one of the most impressive feats in baseball history.
• Torre – he had to manage a ton of egos during his run as the manager of the Yankees. He did it with grace, and it looked like all of his players valued his style.
• LaRussa – he did it twice, with two clubs.  And he did it with the game’s greatest players on his roster both times (Canseco & Pujols).  His bullpen use is highly criticized, but it resulted in a lot of wins.

But who ranks the highest? 

If you had to select the order in three consecutive induction years in which these three former managers would be inducted, what order would you place them in??

Here is my ranking:

1. Tony LaRussa
2. Bobby Cox
3. Joe Torre

When I think back to LaRussa, I never saw him as a ‘losing’ manager.  He took hold of the A’s and Cardinals franchises and took them both to the pinnacle.  I witnessed both Cox and Torre manage losing clubs before they got their ‘breaks’ with the Braves and Yankees.  And while they both had a ton of success, they also had ridiculous lineups – Cox with his Hall of Fame pitching rotation and Torre with his All-World offenses.

For me, LaRussa did the most with the least.  He gets top-billing in my book!!!

How about you?  How would you rank these managers if you had to pick the order in which they entered the Hall of Fame?

Yes, it is splitting hairs as all are deserving – but it is fun nonetheless!!!

Thanks for reading.

Happy Birthday David Justice!!!

Happy Birthday David Justice!!!

David Justice turns 47 years old today.

Starring for four different teams during his 16-season big league career, David Justice was a baseball superstar for most of his playing days in the major leagues.

A player with a tremendous swing, Justice was able to hit monster home runs while maintaining a healthy batting average.  On 11 different occasions, Justice collected 20 or more home runs, including 2 seasons with at least 40 dingers.  He also compiled a .300 or better batting average four times.

Justice made the All-star team 3 times.  He won the Rookie of the Year award in 1990 with the Braves.  And most importantly, Justice competed in 6 different World Series match-ups, ultimately winning two championships.

Dave Justice was an impactful player for all of the rosters he was a part of.

Happy Birthday Mr. Justice!!!

Dennis Eckersley 2002 Topps Archives Reserve – 1993 Topps Design

Dennis Eckersley 2002 Topps Archives Reserve – 1993 Topps Design

I haven’t picked up too many cards of Dennis Eckersley since I completed my player collection of him several months ago.

It is not for a lack of interest, I just would not know where to start.

Actually, I do.  I would only go after cards of him wearing his A’s uniform.  That is the ‘Eck’ that I know; and that is the ‘Eck’ that more than likely landed him in the Hall of Fame.

I was able to pick up this card of Dennis Eckerlsey for just fifty cents.

And I would say that it was well spent!!

Reggie Jackson 2003 Fleer Flair Greats

Reggie Jackson 2003 Fleer Flair Greats

I’m very happy to see that Fleer chose a picture like this of Reggie for their 2003 Flair Greats baseball card set.

The picture features a very young Reggie Jackson during his first stint with the Oakland A’s.  My estimation is that this picture was snapped in either the very late 1960s or very early 1970s.

Have a look:

 

One thing that really stands out about this card for me is Reggie’s arms.  You can get a good idea of the kind of physical shape that Reggie was in just by looking at the amount of muscle he has in his forearms.  Reggie’s physique was not common back during the early years of his playing career – as a matter of fact, I would guess that other players that encountered him would think his look was ‘odd’.

Reggie was certainly ahead of his time!!!