Happy Birthday Dave Parker!!

Happy Birthday Dave Parker!!

Dave Parker turns 62 years old today.

Dave Parker’s career defines the word ‘steady’. While Parker had some monstrous seasons during his 19-year career as a professional baseball player, it is amazing at how well he played each and every year. With a career batting average of .290, Parker eclipsed the .300+ mark 6 times. As consistently good as anyone in the game, Parker finished in the Top 16 for the MVP award 8 times, while capturing the title in 1978. His numbers in ’78 were pretty awesome – .334/30/117. His approach garnered 7 All-star appearances and 3 Gold Glove awards. ‘Big Dave’ competed in 3 World Series match-ups, and won 2 titles – 1 in 1979 with the Pirates, and 1 ten years later in 1989 with the Oakland A’s.

Happy Birthday wishes for ‘The Cobra’!!!

Reggie Jackson 2003 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites

Reggie Jackson 2003 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites

Now talk about a great image!!!

I’ve been in a bit of a funk of adding new cards to my collection that don’t feature the kinds of images that I like the best.

Well, that streak comes to an end with the addition of this Reggie Jackson card to my collection.

Call it a ‘Slump Buster’ - this card from the 2003 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites set is perfect!

Have a look:

Featuring the 1980 Topps design, this card captures Reggie in the midst of a huge swing.  And the angles of the both the position and team name banners work perfectly with the angles of Reggie’s leg and arm – AWESOME!!!!

Rickey Henderson 2013 Topps Gypsy Queen ‘Sliding Stars’

Rickey Henderson 2013 Topps Gypsy Queen ‘Sliding Stars’

If you’re going to have a subset of cards in your set that is tagged as ‘Sliding Stars’ you had better have included Rickey Henderson in the checklist.

Cheers to Topps’ Gypsy Queen for doing it right!!!!

And what an excellent image for the card – Man, O Man!!!

Rollie Fingers 2002 Topps Archives Reserve – Chrome!

Rollie Fingers 2002 Topps Archives Reserve – Chrome!

I’m in a bit of a funk when it comes to pulling in new cards for my almost completed Rollie Fingers player collection.

And when I say ‘New’, I actually mean ‘Old’.

You see, of the cards I still need for this set of cards, they are the more expensive, older ones. 

I will continue to seek them out and patiently wait for affordable ones to come my way.

In the meantime, enjoy this card of Mr. Fingers from the 2002 Topps Archives Reserve set.  This is the Chrome version.

 

‘Laid back, with my mind on my money and my money on my mind’.

Reggie Jackson 2008 Upper Deck Heroes – 1977, Named World Series MVP

Reggie Jackson 2008 Upper Deck Heroes – 1977, Named World Series MVP

Any time that I can add a card of Reggie Jackson to my collection, I will go for it.  And it said card happens to celebrate Reggie’s grand performance in the 1977 World Series, I will put in a little extra effort to bring the card home.

So, that is what I did with this card from the 2008 Upper Deck Heroes Of Baseball set.

Well, actually, it was not hard work at all.  I simply added it to my order from www.sportlots.com.

Check it out:

I’m digging it – especially the 3-D effect that the card has with Reggie coming out of the circle in the center of the card.

A very nice addition to my Reggie Jackson collection!!

Happy Birthday Manny Ramirez!!!

Happy Birthday Manny Ramirez!!!

Manny Ramirez turns 40 years old today.

One of the most exciting players to have suited up over the last twenty years.  Ramirez blended the perfect amount of contact hitting, power hitting, and clutch hitting into his repertoire that made him a lot of fun to watch.

Unfortunately, suspension for the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs tarnished his image almost overnight and Manny went from being heralded as one of the game’s greatest offensive talents to a joke rather quickly.  A second suspension for the same infraction almost surely ended his route to the Hall of Fame and immediately changed the way he was viewed by the sport and its fans.

A 1-time shoe-in for the 3,000 hits club, the 600 home runs club, and the Hall of Fame, Ramirez is not battling for his image; an image that has been destroyed by failing two drug tests for steroids.

We wish you well Manny.  Thank you for the fun times while they lasted – it was a blast.

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday Frank Thomas!!!

Happy Birthday Frank Thomas!!!

‘The Big Hurt’ turns 45 years old today.

I have to say that of all of the players in the 40-ish age group that are no longer active, I think that Frank Thomas still could be a great contributor in the majors today. Thomas was a rare player and his offensive abilities were limitless. Had it not been for injuries that effected his daily performance and eventually prematurely ended his career, Thomas would certainly have gone down as one of the greatest ‘Big Men’ in the sport.

His resume is impressive – a 2-time MVP, 521 home runs, .301 lifetime batting average, 1,704 RBI, 2,468 career hits.

Next up for ‘The Big Hurt’? Cooperstown!!!

Happy Birthday Mr. Thomas!!

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’!!!