2013 Topps Update ‘Postseason Heroes’ Subset – Evan Longoria

2013 Topps Update ‘Postseason Heroes’ Subset – Evan Longoria

The 2013 Topps Update baseball card set includes a subset tagged as ‘Postseason Heroes.  And with that theme, you would expect to find cards of modern players like Albert Pujols, Edgar Renteria, and Pablo Sandoval but none of these guys made the checklist.

That does leave room for some nice surprises…

This is the card of Evan Longoria from the set:

 

While he has yet to win a World Series title, Evan Longoria has certainly provided his share of highlights in postseason play.

Longo has been a major factor in the success of the Tampa Bay Rays and their ability to land in the postseason.  In his first six seasons in the majors, the Rays have been to the playoffs four times and to the World Series once.

In postseason play, Longoria has not hit the ball at the same level he has during the regular season, but when he does connect – it counts.  In 30 games, Longo has launched 9 home runs while driving in 21 runs and scoring 16 times.

With the right pieces around him, Longoria could very well be a future World Series MVP.

 

 

Jose Fernandez 2013 Pinnacle – ROOKIE CARD!!!

Jose Fernandez 2013 Pinnacle – ROOKIE CARD!!!

Come on, let’s hear it one more time, ‘THREE CHEERS FOR THE 2013 NATIONAL LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR, JOSE FERNANDEZ’.

‘Hip Hip Hooray, Hip Hip Hooray, Hip Hip Hooray’.

 

I got this card a few weeks ago when I was trying to haul in a few more Fernandez rookie cards for my collection that had gone under the radar.

The card is from the 2013 Pinnacle set, and I have to say that I am impressed.  Sure, team names and logos are missing, but if you can get past that, check out how nicely the angled player name, team city, and position work with Fernandez’s leg – they’re all relatively at the same angle.  And that makes for a very nice blend of design throughout the card.

Oh, and the added ‘Rookie Card’ badge is pretty nice too…

I like it!!!

Reggie Jackson 1983 Donruss

Reggie Jackson 1983 Donruss

As we prepare for the closing of 2013, I thought it would be fun and fitting to show off a card from a 1983 baseball card set.

I opted for the 1983 Donruss set, and I chose the Reggie Jackson card (which I recently picked up for my Reggie PC).

Have a look:

 

It’s hard to believe that this set is thirty years old – and that really makes me feel old.

As designs go, the ’83 Donruss design, in my opinion, is a timeless one and one of Donruss’ best from that decade.

As for Reggie, he too is a timeless player and I am always excited to add another card that features him to my collection – whether modern or vintage!

1972 Headline: ‘Roberto Clemente Dead At 38’

1972 Headline: ‘Roberto Clemente Dead At 38’

From Wikipedia:

Clemente spent much of his time during the off-season involved in charity work. When Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua, was affected by a massive earthquake on December 23, 1972, Clemente (who had been visiting Managua three weeks before the quake) immediately set to work arranging emergency relief flights.  He soon learned, however, that the aid packages on the first three flights had been diverted by corrupt officials of the Somoza government, never reaching victims of the quake.

Clemente decided to accompany the fourth relief flight, hoping that his presence would ensure that the aid would be delivered to the survivors. The airplane he chartered for a New Year’s Eve flight, a Douglas DC-7, had a history of mechanical problems and sub-par flight personnel, and it was overloaded by 4,200 pounds.  It crashed into the ocean off the coast of Isla Verde, Puerto Rico immediately after takeoff on December 31, 1972. A few days after the crash, the body of the pilot and part of the fuselage of the plane were found. An empty flight case apparently belonging to Clemente was the only personal item recovered from the plane. Clemente’s teammate and close friend Manny Sanguillen was the only member of the Pirates not to attend Roberto’s memorial service. The catcher chose instead to dive into the waters where Clemente’s plane had crashed in an effort to find his teammate. Clemente’s body was never recovered.

At the time of his death, Clemente had established several records with the Pirates, including most triples in a game (three) and hits in two consecutive games (ten),. These include tying the record for most Gold Glove Awards won among outfielders with twelve, which he shares with Willie Mays.  He also became the only player to have ever hit a walk-off inside-the-park grand slam.  He accomplished this historic baseball-event on July 25, 1956 in a 9-8 Pittsburgh win against the Chicago Cubs, at Forbes Field. In addition, he was one of four players to have ten or more Gold Gloves and a lifetime batting average of .317.

Andre Dawson 2005 Upper Deck Trilogy Certified Autograph!!!

Andre Dawson 2005 Upper Deck Trilogy Certified Autograph!!!

As we prepare for the end of the 2013 baseball card collecting year, I really wanted to go after a nice certified autograph to end my year on a high note.

I believe that I have accomplished that task with this new acquisition.

This card comes from the 2005 Upper Deck Trilogy set, and it is serial numbered as 57/99.

Buckle up, she is SWEET!!!!

 

I told you, this card is simply beautiful to look at.  The design is sharp, the colors are absolutely crisp, and the action image of Andre Dawson that Upper Deck chose fits the space perfectly.

Oh, and that mint, Blue signature is the icing on the cake – crisp, clean, and matches the Blue of the card almost perfectly!

I’d say that I ‘nailed it’ when trying to add one more sweet Dawson auto to my collection before the year ended…  Don’t you think?

2011 Topps ‘Prime 9 Players Of The Week’ Redemption Set – Hank Aaron

2011 Topps ‘Prime 9 Players Of The Week’ Redemption Set – Hank Aaron

I had such a good time building the ‘Prime 9 – Home Run Legends’ set that as soon as it was completed, I jumped right into the ‘Prime 9 – Players Of The Week’ set.

The set was issued in the same manner – through exclusive redemption cards that could only be processed through hobby shops.

The set is ten cards deep, and features a great graphic display as well as a super-glossy finish.

This is the Hank Aaron card from the set:

 

The back of the card features ‘9 Prime’ facts about Hank Aaron.

A few of my favorites are:

• Played shortstop in the Negro Leagues
• Joined Braves after being unsigned after Dodgers tryout
• First member of the ‘3000/500 Club’
• MLB’s leaders in career RBI and Total Bases
• Only player in MLB history with (15) 30-Home Run seasons
• Awarded ‘Presidential Medal Of Freedom’ in 2002

Bryce Harper 2012 Bowman’s Best – ROOKIE CARD!!!

Bryce Harper 2012 Bowman’s Best – ROOKIE CARD!!!

Yeah baby!!  I’ve been scouring Ebay over the last few weeks with the goal of adding a few more 2012 Bryce Harper rookie cards to my collection.

And while I still have quite a bit of work to do to nail down as many of the new 2013’s that I can find, working on the 2012’s is just as tough.

So, for more than three days I just shopped 2012.  And it paid off rather well.

As the cards trickle in, I will start to show them off on the blog.  The end result is that I have a few more Harper rookie cards in my collection – and I did not break the bank in the process.

Smart shopping and patience has paid off.

And now I can proudly show you my newest Harper rookie card – 2012 Bowman’s Best.

Have a look:

 

NICE!!!!

Stay tuned for some more sweet 2012 Bryce Harper ‘Nectar’.

 

Joe Morgan 2013 Panini Cooperstown – Colgan’s Chips Disc – Cincinnati

Joe Morgan 2013 Panini Cooperstown –  Colgan’s Chips Disc – Cincinnati

Finally, after landing the ‘Houston’ version of this card a few months back, I have also brought home the Joe Morgan Cincinnati card.

Have a look:

 

I love this set.  And even with all of the obvious work it took to hide the team logo from Morgan’s cap, I am happy with the end result.

The cards remind me a lot of the ‘coin’ shaped oddballs that littered the 1980’s, and ever earlier.  This Panini product may be larger than some of those coin cards, but I really like the throwback style.

A great addition to my Joe Morgan collection – and now my Colgan’s Chips Rainbow of Joe Morgan is complete!!

Giancarlo Stanton 2013 Topps Allen & Ginter ‘Across The Years’

Giancarlo Stanton 2013 Topps Allen & Ginter ‘Across The Years’

After securing the complete Marlins team set from the 2013 Topps Allen & Ginter set, I set my sights on any/all Marlins inserts that were part of the issue.

And that task was rather easy…

Of all of the non-relic, non-auto cards that are additions to the base set, there was just one card to go after.

Yep, one.

It was the ‘Across The Years’ card of Giancarlo Stanton.

And now, I have bought one for my Stanton PC.

Have a look:

 

These cards are pretty neat – I really like the design and attention to detail in the graphics.

I have to guess that next year there will be a few more Marlins in the A&G product.  Between the emergence of Jose Fernandez and a few others that may have some collecting appeal, maybe the team set will be enlarged to include more players and maybe a few more inserts too.

A team collector can dream, can’t he??

Happy Birthday Sandy Koufax!!!

Happy Birthday Sandy Koufax!!!

Today, Sandy Koufax turns 79 years old.

Koufax’s name is often mentioned in the same breath when people speak of the greatest pitchers of all-time.  Truth be told, during his 12-year career with the Brooklyn and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Koufax did not shine until the last 6 seasons he played.  But boy did he shine…  From 1961 to 1966, Koufax won 3 Cy Young awards and finished in 2nd place 1 time.  He also won an MVP award and finished 2nd twice for that honor.  It can be easily argued that Sandy Koufax was elected into baseball’s Hall Of Fame for this short, but incredible 6-year span.

So what do you get a guy that has so many accolades to his credit?  Sandy Koufax retired at the age of 31.  In today’s game there are players that have yet to hit their prime by 31…  I would love to see what Sandy could have done with 5 more seasons.  So that is my gift, 5 more healthy seasons as a pitcher for the Dodgers.

Happy Birthday Mr. Koufax!!!