Ball Game Tonight!!!

My buddy called me last night with an offer I just couldn’t refuse-

2 FREE tickets to Monday night’s Marlins game and a FREE parking pass!!!

So, I will be on my way to Landshark Stadium in a few hours to enjoy a contest between my beloved Florida Marlins and the Atlanta Braves.  We’re battling for playoff position, specifically for the Wild Card spot, so I am hopeful that my team can pull out a victory.

This is also a neat event.  The pitchers tonight are Marlins’ ace Josh Johnson and Braves’ hurler Tim Hudson.  These guys share a common story – both had Tommy John surgery and missed extensive time.  Josh Johnson has become an All-star and Cy Young award candidate since his return to the sport and tonight marks Hudson’s first game back in the big leagues since his operation.  I wish ‘Huddy’ well, just not well enough to defeat ‘The Fish’!!! 

I cannot think of a better way to spend a Monday night.  GO FISH!!!

Darryl Strawberry 1989 Topps All-star card

Darryl Strawberry 1989 Topps All-star card

Of the 12 packs I ripped through of 1989 Topps, I only pulled 1 card for my player collections.  In total there are 11 cards of the guys I collect in that set, so I was a little surprised that I only scored 1.

Here it is:

I have always been a big fan of All-star cards.  I mean, these guys are the game’s top players and they have been celebrated and honored as such.  So of course it makes sense to celebrate them with a nice piece of cardboard to capture that moment.

In ’89 ‘Straw’ had what could be considered a ‘down year’ statistically compared to what he had done in prior seasons.  Still, he earned an All-star roster spot and finished the ’89 season with 29 home runs, 77 RBI, 69 runs scored, and made his 6th of 8 All-star teams.

Happy Birthday Frank Robinson!!!

Frank Robinson turns 74 years old today.

Still one of the most underrated players of all-time, Frank Robinson compiled a career of accomplishments that are on par with the game’s greatest offensive players.

2 of the more notable feats are his 2,943 career hits and 586 home runs.

In baseball, the measurement of an excellent hitter is the 3,000s hit plateau.  Robinson fell just 57 hits short of that mark.  And the measure of a supreme power hitter is the 500 HR threshold.  Robinson crushed 586 and fell just 14 dingers short of the rare 600 HR club.

For his birthday, I would like to give Mr. Robinson another half season’s worth of games in his prime to try to amass both of these incredible records.  His numbers are extraordinary now, but if he were to join the 3,000 hits and 600 home run clubs, his numbers would rank him as extra-extraordinary and that is a place I think he belongs!!

Happy Birthday Mr. Robinson!!!

Andre Dawson 2005 Playoff Prestige

Very few cards issued in this decade can be labeled as a ‘Work Of Art’. 

But for this one, I have to think that it earns a vote for that category. 

I love everything about this card.  The action photo of ‘The Hawk’ is perfect.  The photographer did a wonderful job of capturing the ball just inches away from the powerful swing of Dawson.  The bold colors of the Cubs’ Blue, the Orange baseball dirt, and the Green of the artificial turf really add a nice splash of color to the card.  And I also think that the Playoff Prestige logo adds a major touch of class to the card as well…

Check it out.  It’s a beauty!!

Did You Know…

Juan Marichal was in the top ten in ERA seven times, in the top four in wins six times, in the top four in fewest walks eight times, in the top five in innings pitched five times, and in the top two in complete games six times.  However, only once did he finish in the top ten in the Cy Young award voting, placing eigth in 1971.

**factoid courtesy of ‘Armchair Reader – Grand Slam baseball’

My take – I love numbers like these.  Marichal is just another one of the great pitchers of the ’70’s that never got the credit he deserved for being a superb pitcher!!

My ‘Player Collection’ Page Has Been Updated!!!

Finally.  After an exhausting effort I have completed the 4 checklists needed to get my new player collections ready to go.  Right now you can see where my starting points for these 4 collections are by clicking here.  And as always, I will keep this list as a ‘Top Page’ on my blog and will make my best effort to keep the page updated regularly.

It took quite a bit of time, and a ton of double and triple checking, but I believe I have a solid start to these 4 new collections.

So, stay tuned and be prepared because I am about to go on a full fledged mission as I go after cards for my Eddie Murray, Darryl Strawberry, Jim Palmer, and Greg Maddux collections.

Let’s go shopping!!!

1985 Topps #1 Draft Pick – Tim Foli

1985 Topps #1 Draft Pick – Tim Foli

I finally got around to grabbing a few of these cards after I declared that I wanted to collect this subset just a little less than a month ago.

Tim Foli was the #1 draft pick of the New York Mets in 1968.

Foli enjoyed a 16-year career in the majors, yet he never quite lived up to the elite status of being the 1st player chosen in the annual baseball draft.  A lifetime .251 hitter with 1,515 career hits, Foli’s career highlight was winning the World Series in 1979 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Never an All-star.  No individual awards won at the big league level.  And hardly worth the 1st pick in the draft.

Overall ranking – 2 out of 10.  Points earned for eclipsing the 1,500 career hits mark and for being the member of a World Series winner.

When Prince & Cecil Were Friendly…

The world was a better place.  A place where dads and kids got along.

Cecil Fielder and his son Prince were 2 peas in a pod during Prince’s youth.  In fact, I recall several times during Cecil’s home run hitting days in Detroit that we would see a young Prince around him and the team.  Who knew some twenty years ago that these two would be our first ever Father/Son 50 HR club members… 

It’s a shame that these two can’t even be in the same room together…

Hat tip to Mario from Wax Heaven for the video clip!!  Thank you.

1989 Topps – Pack #6

Here is what I pulled from pack #6 of the 6 that I will be opening today:

 

Notable:  Doubles, doubles, doubles…

Pick of the pack:  Kevin Elster – just because of the great photo!!!

1989 Topps – Pack #5

Here is what I pulled from pack #5 of the 6 that I will be opening today:

 

 

 Notable:  Tony Fernandez, ROY winner Walt Weiss, and Braves monster Ron Gant

Pick of the pack:  No contest – Kirby Puckett All-Star!!!