Reggie Jackson 2014 Topps Allen & Ginter – Mini Base

Reggie Jackson 2014 Topps Allen & Ginter – Mini Base

It’s only fitting that I feature a Reggie Jackson baseball card after showing off one of Thurman Munson, right??

Well, if you know the Yankees history and you know of these two players and their fiery personalities, than you know that they were not the best of friends, not by a long shot.

Each guy had their temperaments, and each one wanted to win.  They just approached it differently, which is what led to multiple blow-ups between the two.

But, they succeeded – winning back to back championships at the conclusion of the 1977 and 1978 World Series’.

2 guys with 2 very different personalities, but they did find a way to win together!

 

And that is one way to write a blog post that has nothing to do with the card you are featuring.  And I am OK with that since this A&G product is a major yawn…

1975 Topps Set Card 235/660 – #20 – Thurman Munson, Yankees

1975 Topps Set Card 235/660 – #20 – Thurman Munson, Yankees

Progress: 235/660

Player Name:  Thurman Munson

Team:  New York Yankees

Position:  Catcher

Image Style:  Posed Batting

Years In The Major Leagues:  11 seasons, 1969-79

Notes From His 1975 Season:  Thurman Munson played in 157 games for the Yankees in 1975.  He was chosen as an All-Star, won a Gold Glove, and was an MVP candidate due to his solid performance during the year.  Munson hit .318 on the year with 190 hits including 24 doubles, 3 triples, and 12 home runs.  Munson drove in 102 runs in ’75 while also scoring 83 times.

Notes From Career:  Thurman Munson spent his full 11-season career with the New York Yankees.  He was a Rookie Of The Year winner, an AL MVP, a 7-time All-Star, and the winner of 3 Gold Gloves for defensive excellence at catcher.  Munson is a career .292 hitter with 1,558 career hits on his resume.  Munson is a member of the 1977 and 1978 World Series championship winning Yankees teams.

1989 HEADLINE: Nolan Ryan Becomes 1st Pitcher To 5,000 Strikeouts!!!

1989 HEADLINE: Nolan Ryan Becomes 1st Pitcher To 5,000 Strikeouts!!!

On this day in 1989 Nolan Ryan recorded the 5,000th strikeout of his professional baseball career.

During a game in Arlington Stadium in front of 42,000+ fans, Nolan Ryan became the first player to ever eclipse the 5,000 strikeout mark.  And to do this in front of his home fans in the state he grew up in was especially monumental!!

In the top of the 5th inning with his team trailing 1-0, Ryan struck out All-star Rickey Henderson to capture #5,000!

Amazingly Ryan struck out 13 batters in this game.  And although his team lost 2-0, this was Ryan’s night.  Oh, and he was 42 years old at the time and still dominant as ever!!

Happy Anniversary Nolan Ryan!!!

Happy Birthday Paul Molitor!!!

Happy Birthday Paul Molitor!!!

Paul Molitor turns 56 years old today.

Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004, Paul Molitor had a brilliant 21-year career.  Never getting the opportunity to showcase his talents in front of a consistently large crowd, Molitor spent most of his career as an unheralded superstar.

With 3,316 career hits and a lifetime batting average of .306 Paul Molitor is one of the greatest hitters of the last 40 years.  For a player that was not classified as a ‘power hitter’ Molitor quietly bashed 234 home runs.  And while also never being classified as a ‘speedster’, Paul also accumulated 504 stolen bases.  This multi-dimensional player was a 7-time All-star, and he won 4 Silver Slugger awards as well.  Molitor finished in the Top 20 for the MVP award 9 times over the course of his career where his highest finish was coming in at 2nd place in 1993.

Happy Birthday Mr. Molitor!!!

Happy Birthday Carl Yastzemski!!

Happy Birthday Carl Yastzemski!!

‘Yaz’ turns 75 years old today!!

Best known as ‘Yaz’, Carl Yastrzemski personified what being a consistent leader was all about.  ‘Yaz’ spent every minute of his 23-season long career in a Boston Red Sox jersey.

Along with the droves of fans he established during his career, ‘Yaz’ put up some amazing numbers too.

The stats : 3,419 hits, 452 home runs, 1,844 RBI, 1,816 runs scored, 168 stolen bases, and a career batting average of .285.  In Yaz’s 23-year career, he finished in the Top 20 for the MVP award 12 times, while earning the award in 1967 with his .326/44/121 performance.

Happy Birthday ‘Yaz’!!!

Andre Dawson 2005 Upper Deck SP ‘Glory Days’ Red Border Game-Used Patch Card!

Andre Dawson 2005 Upper Deck SP ‘Glory Days’ Red Border Game-Used Patch Card!

I’ve got a small stack of cards featuring Andre Dawson from the 2005 Upper Deck SP set tagged as ‘Glory Days’.

I’ve always been a fan of the card design and colors – I’ve got the base card, some serial number cards, a relic card, and even a certified autograph card.

Well, now I have a card that features a sweet patch too.  The card is serial numbered to just 50 copies, with mine being #40/50.  It’s a Red-border parallel and the Red is a perfect complement to the patch that is featured on the card.

Have a look:

 

 

I’m really digging this one.  The card is so nice, and it all looks very good put together as UD did in 2005.

I really like how the Red from Dawson’s jersey and helmet pop as they are a much lighter shade of Red than the jersey patch and Glory Days border.

A fantastic addition to my Andre Dawson relic collection, indeed!