Wade Boggs 1987 KayBee ‘Superstars Of Baseball’

Wade Boggs 1987 KayBee ‘Superstars Of Baseball’

I have to guess that the people at Kay-Bee Toystores though that creating a baseball card set like many other big-box retailers was simply a way to keep up with the competition.

But, they put out a set in 1987 that I think is one of the best oddball sets of the year.

Here is the Wade Boggs card from their 1987 release:

 

Yes, it may not be as lively as some others or feature some ‘Collector’s Edition’ attention grabbing headline, but the card is very nice and clean.

I like the look of the card with the 2-row headline, and the Kay-Bee logo on the bottom is pretty neat as well.

I especially like the large image that was saved to show off the player – and this picture of a young Wade Boggs is both neat and unique!

1975 Topps Set Card 306/660 – #106 – Mike Hargrove, Rangers

1975 Topps Set Card 306/660 – #106 – Mike Hargrove, Rangers

Progress: 306/660

Card Number:  106

Player Name:  Mike Hargrove

Team:  Texas Rangers

Position:  1st Base

Image Style:  Posed Portrait

Years In The Major Leagues: 12 seasons, 1974-85

Notes From His 1975 Season:  Mike Hargrove played in 145 games for the Texas Rangers in 1975.  He hit .303 for the team with 157 hits in 519 at-bats.  Of his 157 hits, Hargrove connected for 22 doubles, 2 triples, and 11 home runs.  He drove in 62 runs in 1975 while also scoring 82 times.  He was selected to the AL All-Star team for the only time in his career.

Notes From Career:  Mike Hargrove is an All-Star and former Rookie Of The Year award winner that played for three different teams during his 12-season career.  He has a lifetime batting average of .290 with 1,614 hits in 1,666 games played.  Hargrove has 686 career RBI with 783 runs scored.

1974 Headline: Hank Aaron Traded To Milwaukee

1974 Headline:  Hank Aaron Traded To Milwaukee

On this day in 1974, the Atlanta Braves traded Henry Aaron to the Milwaukee Brewers for Dave May and Roger Alexander.

The aging Aaron was nearing the end of his major league career, and played just two more seasons before retiring in 1976.  Still, he was a huge attraction in the sport, and continued to build on his legendary status while playing for the Brewers.

Happy Birthday Willie McGee!!!

Happy Birthday Willie McGee!!!

Willie McGee turns 56 years old today.

A true baseball star that consistently excelled for the duration of his career, McGee put on quite a show for 18 major league seasons.

A player with all-around skills, McGee was able to change the games in which he played with his multi-faceted talents.  He was a great contact hitter and finished his career with a batting average of .295 alongside 2,254 total hits.  He was also a threat on the base paths as he stole 352 bases during his career en route to scoring 1,010 runs.

In his best season of 1985, Willie McGee dominated the National League and won the MVP award.  During that season he collected 216 hits and finished the year with a .353 batting average.  For the year he hit 18 triples, 26 doubles, stole 56 bases, and scored 114 times.  Additional hardware that McGee picked up in ’85 was a batting title, a Gold Glove, an All-Star roster spot, and a Silver Slugger award.

For his birthday, I give Willie McGee my vote.  There are a few petitions around on the web trying to get enough votes to retire number 51 in St. Louis as a way to honor McGee.   I’m on board!!!  And if you are too, please submit your vote here.

Happy Birthday Mr. McGee!!!

1986 Topps Sealed Cello Pack With Andre Dawson Card On Top!

1986 Topps Sealed Cello Pack With Andre Dawson Card On Top!

I am really excited about this pick-up for my ‘Ultimate Dawson’ collection.

Two weeks ago, I found a seller on Ebay that had listed hundreds of sealed cello and rack packs from the 1980’s featuring the game’s top stars and rookies right on top in the pack’s window.

I was able to but three for myself – and all of them feature Andre Dawson as the stand-out card.

The first one I will show off is from the 1986 Topps set release.

Here it is:

 

Pretty neat, huh?!?

While Dawson’s 1986 Topps baseball card is one of my least favorites from the 1980’s, I will let that pass as this is a very cool collectible for my collection.

And for now, it is the oldest, sealed pack of cards in my collection that features an Andre Dawson baseball card as the centerpiece.

I LOVE IT!!