1990 HEADLINE: Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. Are First Father-Son Combo To Hit Back-To-Back Home Runs

1990 HEADLINE:  Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. Are First Father-Son Combo To Hit Back-To-Back Home Runs

On this day back in 1990, Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. became the first ever Father & Son duo to hit back-to-back home runs in the major leagues.

An event that must have been extremely memorable and enjoyable for the duo, the Griffey men certainly had a great evening.

Ken Sr. went 2-for-5 on the day with a home run and 3 RBI.  The younger Griffey went 1-for-4 with his solo home run.  Their combined offensive output was not enough to hold of the Angels as the Mariners lost 7-5.

Still, a very memorable and historic night in Anaheim!!!

Congratulations to 2 class acts!!!

1975 Topps Set Card 206/660 – #531 – Cincinnati Reds Team Card

1975 Topps Set Card 206/660 – #531 – Cincinnati Reds Team Card

Progress: 206/660

Card Number:  531

Team:  Cincinnati Reds

Manager: Sparky Anderson

Notes From The 1975 Season:  The Cincinnati Reds were an offensive powerhouse in 1975.  Led by three future Hall of Famers and several other top-notch hitters, the Reds scored a ton of runs, 840 to be exact which was 254 more than their opposition.  The Reds had a record of 108-54 in 1975, winning their division by 20 games.  The dove into the playoffs full of steam and wound up winning the World Series 4 games to 3 over the Boston Red Sox.

Ken Griffey, Jr. 2014 Topps Archives – Base

Ken Griffey, Jr. 2014 Topps Archives – Base

Well, my shipment of singles from the new 2014 Topps Archives release has arrived and I am ready to start showing off some of the spoils from that shipment.

While I normally try to stick to only nabbing cards that feature the legendary and modern players I actively collect, I let that rule loosen up when it comes to Topps’ Archives brand as I am a sucker for the designs.

Among the cards that I hauled in was this card of ‘The Kid’, Ken Griffey, Jr.

Pretty sweet – gotta love 1980 Topps.

And while the image is far from the best one I have seen used of Griffey in modern releases, I will say that I am happy that he was featured as a Seattle Mariner.

Though I would have really liked to see an image of a very young ‘Kid’.

Maybe next time.

1987 HEADLINE: Ken Griffey Jr. Is 1st Pick In Amateur Draft

1987 HEADLINE: Ken Griffey Jr. Is 1st Pick In Amateur Draft

On this day back in 1987, Ken Griffey Jr. was selected as the 1st pick in baseball’s professional draft. At just 17 years of age, the sky was the limit for ‘The Kid’ that was born to play professional baseball.

Having grown up around big league players and ball parks during his entire youth, Griffey had the rare advantage of knowing what the daily life of a big leaguer was about well before he suited up for one. And even with all eyes on him, Griffey excelled and certainly lived up to the hype of being the first pick in the draft as well as the son of one of the game’s former stars.

Did Griffey accomplished everything that was expected of him? Probably not. But I don’t think anyone can live up to some of the tags thrown at him from such a young age. Still, Griffey Jr. had a brilliant career and should be named amongst the sport’s greatest players of all-time, and certainly of his generation.

Happy Anniversary Ken!!!! See you in Cooperstown.

2014 Topps Series 1 “Topps All Rookie Cup Team” – Ken Griffey Jr.

2014 Topps Series 1 “Topps All Rookie Cup Team” – Ken Griffey Jr.

Topps’ All-Rookie Team means a lot of different things to a lot of different collectors.  But, one thing is for certain – If your card is tagged with the All-Rookie Team logo, you did something during your first season in the big leagues to make yourself stand out from the rest.

And for that reason alone, I can totally support a set of cards that picks ‘The Best Of The Best’ from these teams.

In 2014, Topps issued a subset in their Series 1 release that took one player at each position, naming them to the ‘Topps All Rookie Cup Team’.

Representing the catcher is Ken Griffey:

 

Ken Griffey Jr. has a lot of lofty expectations placed on him prior to his first at-bat as a major league player.

And during his debut season, he did not disappoint.  He played in 127 games for the Mariners during his rookie campaign.

The numbers:  120 hits, .264 batting average, .329 on-base percentage, 23 doubles, 16 home runs, 16 stolen bases, 61 runs scored, 61 RBI.

A very solid debut for Junior!

1989 HEADLINE: Ken Griffey Jr. Hits First Big League Home Run!!!

1989 HEADLINE: Ken Griffey Jr. Hits First Big League Home Run!!!

During the collecting days of my youth, I cannot recall a rookie that received more attention from the hobby than Ken Griffey Jr.  And it all started before he suited up for one game.  Now I saw my share of rookie phenoms – Dwight Gooden, Roger Clemens, Jerome Walton…  But none of these guys carried the hobby prior to making their major league debuts.

But Griffey did!!!

So when Junior stepped to the plate in just the 7th game of his big league career and belted a home run to deep left field, collectors around the world sighed.   At home, and in front of close to 34,000 fans, Griffey launched home run #1 off of White Sox pitcher Eric King.  And as they say, the rest was history…

Today, Griffey sits in 5th place on the all-time home run list with 630.  Exactly 30 homers behind one of his baseball idols, Willie Mays.

Happy Anniversary to ‘The Kid’!!!

Happy Birthday Ken Griffey Sr!!!!

Happy Birthday Ken Griffey Sr!!!!

Senior Griffey turns 64 years old today.

Ken Griffey enjoyed a very successful 19-year major league career.  Littered with both team and individual achievements, the elder Griffey tasted success from his early twenties into his early forties.

At the team level, Griffey was a proud member of one of baseball’s grandest dynasties – Cincinnati’s ‘Big Red Machine’.  He competed in the playoffs 3 times during his 12-year stay with the Reds, and he walked away with 2 World Series championships!

On an individual level, Griffey was a 3-time All-star, with each appearance coming from his time in Cincy.  He sports a lifetime batting average of .296 with 2,143 career hits.  In total, he scored 1,129 runs, drove in 859 RBI, and crushed 152 home runs.  A solid base runner, Griffey stole 200 bases too.

A talented and speedy defender, Griffey spent time playing all three outfield positions as well as first base towards the end of his career.  He even did a little DH’ing when he played in the American League.

A marvelous 19-year baseball career!!  Congratulations and Happy Birthday to Ken Griffey!!!

Ken Griffey Jr. 2013 Topps Allen & Ginter – Base

Ken Griffey Jr. 2013 Topps Allen & Ginter – Base

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I completed a nice purchase of 2013 Allen & Ginter base card singles that would add a little A&G bulk to my collection.

Of the cards I bought, all were legends – either current or sure to be Hall of Famers!

First, I showed you the Johnny Bench card.

I also showed off the Joe Morgan mini no-number card.

And then I showed you the Eddie Murray card.

Three Hall Of Famers – and three ’30-YOC’ favorites!!!

Well, now it is time to feature the card of a future HOFer – Ken Griffey, Jr.

Have a look:

I like the card.  The Blue tones from the card’s border and text are nice complements to the Navy Blue of the Seattle Mariners uniform.

I just wish that Topps chose a better image to offer – this one makes me yawn a bit.  And that is tough when the player was one of the most exciting from his, or any, era.

Maybe next time!

Baseball Card Show Purchase #6 – Ken Griffey. Jr. 2013 Bowman Sapphire Rookie Re-Print

Baseball Card Show Purchase #6 – Ken Griffey. Jr. 2013 Bowman Sapphire Rookie Re-Print

Wow, talk about a card that stands out, this one is the shiniest card that I spotted at the show.

 

This card is from the 2013 Bowman Sapphire Rookie Re-print set, and it features his famous 1989 Bowman rookie card.

The shine is unreal – between the shade of Blue chosen and the high-gloss finish, the card actually reflects light!

I paid $1.00 for the card – not sure if that was over or under-paying, but I was not going to simply pass this one by.

Finally, I Have Landed A ‘Holy Grail’ Baseball Card – The 1989 Upper Deck, Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card!!!

Finally, I Have Landed A ‘Holy Grail’ Baseball Card – The 1989 Upper Deck, Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card!!!

That’s right, baby, I have finally brought one home.

One of the most iconic, and collected, baseball cards of all-time – the 1989 Upper Deck, Ken Griffey Jr. rookie baseball card.

Check it out:

 

I’ve seen it a million times on the web, and in print, but it has been more than 20 years since I have held one in my hands and called one my own.

But, things have changed – and I am now a proud owner if this fantastic, and historic, baseball card.

Back when the 1989 Upper Deck set debuted, this card was HOT!  As an avid collector, I built the full set so I was able to nab one Griffey that way.  And over time, I know that I ha at least 2 more in my collection.

But, that was a long time ago and those cards are unfortunately long gone.

Of all of the cards that I got rid of when I trimmed down my collection from tens of thousands to less than fifty, and of the cards that were spared, this is definitely one that I welcome back with open arms!!

HIGH FIVE!!!