Bryce Harper 2014 Topps Opening Day ‘Fired Up’

Bryce Harper 2014 Topps Opening Day ‘Fired Up’

There is no doubt that Bryce Harper has a fiery personality on the baseball field.  His desire to win and help his team excel is obvious with his outward displays of emotion both at the plate, on the base paths, and in the outfield.

This set tagged as ‘Fired Up’ from the 2014 Topps Opening Day set is a perfect fit for a guy like Harper.  Have a look at his card:

 

I’m eager to see what other players were chosen by Topps for this subset.  I can think of a few more guys I would add, and I want to see if I am close to what they chose…

Wade Boggs 1995 Bazooka Baseball Card

Wade Boggs 1995 Bazooka Baseball Card

As a collector that solely focused on Wade Boggs cards that were issued during his early playing days, I had no cards of him in my collection that featured him in his Yankees or Rays uniform.

Until now that is…

Within my first bulk purchase of cards from Sportlots that was geared towards bulking up on my expanding vintage player collections, I made sure that I grabbed a few cards of Boggs from his time with both the Yankees and Rays.  In the coming weeks and months ahead, I will showcase them on the blog.

Here is a card of him from the 1995 Bazooka baseball card set:

 

I like it!  I love cards that feature a player waiting in the on-deck circle, and while this is not exactly that, it is pretty close.  You can see the intensity in his demeanor – my guess is that he got a hit the next time he got to the plate.

1975 Topps Set Card 256/660 – #170 – Bert Campaneris, A’s

1975 Topps Set Card 256/660 – #170 – Bert Campaneris, A’s

Progress: 256/660

Card Number:  170

Player Name:  Bert Campaneris

Team:  Oakland Athletics

Position:  Shortstop

Image Style:  Posed Portrait

Years In The Major Leagues:  19 seasons, 1964-81, 1983

Notes From His 1975 Season:  Bert Camaneris played in 137 games for the Oakland A’s in 1975.  He hit .265 during the season, connecting for 135 hits in 509 at-bats.  Of his 135 hits, Campaneris amassed 15 doubles, 3 triples, 4 home runs, and 113 singles.  He stole 24 bases in ’75 en route to scoring 69 runs.

Notes From Career:  Bert Campaneris is a 6-time All-Star with 3 World Series championship rings from his time as a member of the Oakland Athletics.  He is a lifetime .259 hitter and connected for 2,249 career hits in 2,329 games played.  Campaneris led the league in stolen bases a total of six times, and has amassed 649 career steals – good for 14th place on the all-time list.

1992 HEADLINE: Robin Yount Joins The ‘3,000 Hits Club’

1992 HEADLINE: Robin Yount Joins The ‘3,000 Hits Club’

On this day back in 1992, Robin Yount collected hit number 3,000 of your career – a true testament to his talent and dedication to the game of baseball.

At home, and in front of 47,000+ Brewers fans, Yount took center stage as he entered the game with 2,999 career hits.  All of the fans in attendance were there to witness baseball history and it would not take too long for that to occur.  In the bottom of the 7th inning, Yount hit a single off of Indians pitcher Jose Mesa as he collected hit #3,000.

What is also extremely impressive about this feat is that Robin Yount routinely had 150+ hits per season.  He was a skilled and patient hitter and never struck out more than 94 times in a single year!!

Congratulations Mr. Yount!!!

1988 HEADLINE: Bruce Sutter Notches Career Save #300

1988 HEADLINE:  Bruce Sutter Notches Career Save #300

On this day in 1988, Bruce Sutter recorded the 300th and final save of his career.

With a career that spanned just 12 big league seasons, Sutter was the master of the ‘close’ for the majority of that time.  He recorded double-digit saves in 11 of his 12 seasons while eclipsing 27 saves in a season 6 different times.  He also amassed a win-loss record of 68-71 during that time.

Sutter’s Hall of Fame career lands him in 21st place on the all-time list for career saves.

Happy Anniversary Mr. Sutter!!!!

1977 HEADLINE: Alan Trammell And Lou Whitaker Set To Debut For The Tigers

1977 HEADLINE: Alan Trammell And Lou Whitaker Set To Debut For The Tigers

On this day in 1977, both Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell made their debuts for the Detroit Tigers.

Nearing the end of the 1977 baseball season, and well out of contention for a playoff chance, the Tigers brought up these two rookies to see what they could do at the big league level.

And how did they fare??

Well, let’s just say that for the next 19 baseball seasons, the Detroit Tigers management and front office did not have to worry about their middle infield.  Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell transformed how double-play tandems were viewed due to their ability to play as a cohesive unit.

And the results of their work together?

Whitaker was the Rookie of the Year in 1978.  He also made the All-star team 5 times while winning 3 Gold Gloves.  Trammell was a 6-time All-star and earned 4 Gold Glove awards.  And most importantly, this duo helped lead the Tigers to the World Series championship in 1984.

Happy Anniversary to Mr. Whitaker & Mr. Trammell!!!

Baseball Card Show Purchase #5 – The Single Largest 1975 Topps Lot I Have Bought Yet!!

Baseball Card Show Purchase #5 – The Single Largest 1975 Topps Lot I Have Bought Yet!!

I could easily estimate that I spent 80-90% of my time at the card show with just one seller – my vintage dealer.

I got to the show at 850 in the morning and headed straight for his display.  He knew what I was seeking and after a quick greeting, I pulled out my checklist and began hunting through his two boxes of 1975 Topps cards.

And I hauled away a huge stack of cards – 116 in total.  And the mix is pretty sweet – some commons, some team cards, some MVP cards, and some superstar cards as well.

The price was superb.  The condition is fantastic.  And the set build continues!!!

Time to fire up the scanner to keep my set build going.