Ozzie Smith 2014 Topps Archives – Base

Ozzie Smith 2014 Topps Archives – Base

After ripping through my shipment of cards from the new Topps Archives release last night, I quickly scanned the card of Ken Griffey Jr. and showed it off on the blog.

Well, fast forward 20 or so hours and I have scanned the remaining cards from that bulk purchase and I will do my best to show them off to you in the coming weeks.

Here is the card of Ozzie Smith that I picked up.

It’s always great to see Ozzie featured in modern baseball card sets, and I have never seen this image used before (though that does not mean it has not been used prior).

The picture of ‘The Wizard’ looks like one from the end of his career.  And while I know that I should not be too picky when reviewing and analyzing new baseball card releases, I do wish that Topps did a better job of finding images that work a bit better with the period of the design being used.  If that means a young image of Ozzie in his San Diego Padres uniform, I am OK with that!

1982 HEADLINE: Ozzie Smith Dealt To The St. Louis Cardinals!!!

1982 HEADLINE: Ozzie Smith Dealt To The St. Louis Cardinals!!!

On this day in 1982, Ozzie Smith was traded from the San Diego Padres to the St. Louis Cardinals.  Part of a 6-player deal, the 2-time All-star and 1-time Gold Glove winner was the focal point of the trade.

And as they say, the rest was history…

For the next 15 years, Ozzie Smith was the centerpiece of the Cardinal team as well as the face of the franchise.  Amazingly enough, he captured the hearts of the Cardinals’ fans with his amazing defensive play, and not his career .262 batting average.  ‘The Wizard of Oz’ was truly a wonderful sight to see as he covered more ground, made more plays, and solidified the entire right side of the Cardinal infield for one and a half decades.

While Ozzie will never be noted as one of the better hitters in the Hall of Fame, he did excel in certain areas of offense.  A speedster, Smith tallied 580 career stolen bases which puts him in 21st place on the all-time list.  He also scored 1,257 runs in his career.

Ozzie went on to capture 13 Gold Gloves, 15 All-star selections, and 1 World Series Championship!!!

Ozzie Smith’s Tough To Find Mint 1979 Topps Rookie Card

Ozzie Smith’s Tough To Find Mint 1979 Topps Rookie Card

There is no bigger card in the 1979 Topps set than Ozzie Smith’s rookie card.

I had one of these cards as a kid and eventually traded it away(I’m sure that I got the short-end of that stick!).

It is very hard to find a well centered Smith rookie card for some reason.  I don’t know if it was a manufacturing defect, but most of the Smith rookies I was able to find back then, and now on eBay as well, are cut pretty badly.  With a large and uneven border on the left, and a thin and slight border on the right being the norm, if you were able to find a well-centered Ozzie Smith rookie card, it carried a hefty price tag.

Today there are no less than 250 of Ozzie’s rookie cards circulating on eBay.  And if you look closely, probably 95% of them are badly centered.

For this card, the quest to find a nice one is certainly worth the wait!!!

Nice ‘Chops’ Ozzie!!!

Ozzie Smith’s Hall Of Fame Plaque

Ozzie Smith was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.  With 91% of the votes captured on his first ballot, Ozzie was the sole member of the class of 2002.

His career spanned 19 years and 3 decades.  He compiled a lengthy list of amazing baseball accomplishments and earned the right to be classified as one of the game’s great players.

Ozzie was a 15-time All-star, a 13-time Gold Glove winner, and a World Series champion.  And while his offensive numbers may not be staggering, he certainly left a big impact on the game!!!

Ozzie Smith Provides A Perfect Signature!!!

Ozzie Smith Provides A Perfect Signature!!!

Truth be told, I respect a player that delivers a consistent autograph.  And if said player happens to deliver a great looking signature, I hold them in even higher regard!!!

Ozzie Smith easily accomplishes that task.

Check out his beautiful signature:

While I cannot tell if he signs quickly or slowly, it’s very obvious that ‘The Wizard’ tries to deliver for his fans.  His signature has some great loops and swirls, but what is most remarkable is how straight Ozzie signs.  It’s almost unheard of that a player gives you such a clean, and sharp ‘graph.

And those ‘Double Z’s’ look amazing!!!

A Statue To Honor Ozzie Smith!!!

A Statue To Honor Ozzie Smith!!!

Shortly after being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002, the St. Louis Cardinals unveiled this status as a tribute to one of the team’s greatest players – Ozzie Smith!

And of course, the sculptor had to feature Ozzie doing what he did better than anyone else, playing defense at shortstop…

What a great piece, huh??  The next time I am in STL, I am going to have to go check this out.  I have seen a small handful of sports statues in person, but never one that appears to literally leap right at you!!!

Baseball Card Companies Love Ozzie Smith!!!

Baseball Card Companies Love Ozzie Smith!!!

Ozzie Smith’s baseball cards are rare.  Rare in the fact that may of them feature him playing defense.  With set after set littered with cards showing offense, it was nice to find an Ozzie Smith card, and more often than not, he was being featured playing ‘D’.

Here he is blocking the sun from his eyes as he prepared to catch a pop-up…

…and here he is bolting to his left in an attempt to stop the ball from leaving the infield.

Here we have Ozzie calling off either a third baseman or left fielder as he prepares to catch a lazy fly ball at Wrigley Field.

And last but not least, we have ‘The Wizard’ turning two as he completes his part of a double play.

See what I mean??  The card companies were probably thrilled that Ozzie was so photogenic while in the field.  It gave them something new to offer everyone!!

Ozzie Smith And The 1982 World Series

Ozzie Smith And The 1982 World Series

Ozzie Smith played in three World Series match-ups, winning just one.

In 1982, his Cardinal teammates took on the Milwaukee Brewers.  It took 7 games, but Ozzie’s team was victorious and came away with the championship!!

Ozzie played in 21 World Series games.  And in those games, he compiled a .173 batting average with 13 hits, 7 runs scored, and 4 stolen bases.

Ozzie’s Defense Earned Him 13 Gold Glove Awards!!

Ozzie’s Defense Earned Him 13 Gold Glove Awards!!

Make no mistake about it, Ozzie Smith is one of the greatest defensive infielders of all-time.  And for shortstops, he ranks as #1!!!

Ozzie made playing defense cool.  As a kid, I played first and third base.  But that didn’t mean that I didn’t want to roam around between second and third trying to replicate what Ozzie was doing in St. Louis.  He made playing defense a respected part of the game during the 1980’s and he took the expectations of what a shortstop can do to a whole new level.

Ozzie won 13 consecutive Gold Glove awards, from 1980-1992.  It was said that his range was so vast that he could cover any ground ball hit between the second base bag and third.  With lightning quick reflexes, and feet to match, Ozzie was spectacular in the field.

And while he may not have effected each game he played in with his bat, his glove certainly did the job on a nightly basis!!!

Ozzie Smith Was An All-Star 15 Times!!!

Ozzie Smith Was An All-Star 15 Times!!!

Making the All-star squad in 13 of his final 14 major league seasons, Smith was a fan favorite and an annual selection as one of the league’s best shortstops.

Ozzie Smith was one of the most liked and respected players in the game during his era.  His love for the game was evident each and every time he took to the field.

Smith’s dedication to defense as well as his talent for base running is what made him a perennial All-star selection during baseball’s mid-summer classic.  And like may of his counterparts, Smith took the role of being an All-star very seriously.

13 All-star selections in 19 seasons – not too shabby!!!