Cal Ripken Jr. 1992 Donruss Triple Play

Cal Ripken Jr. 1992 Donruss Triple Play

I’m not a huge fan of the Donruss Triple Play brand.  Personally, I did not find that the cards were very exciting.  And I also thought that the large, shifted frame that held the player’s picture took up too much space and limited the effectiveness of a nice, larger image.

But, this Cal Ripken card from the 1992 set escapes that criticism.  This card is sweet!

Have a look:

 

I love the image that was used of Cal for this set.  Not only is the card action packed, but you get a good idea of what is happening.  It appears that Rickey Henderson (#24) was either picked off or an attempt to pick him off occurred.  Cal’s got the ball in his hand and based on the direction that Henderson slid, he looks like he is headed back to 2B.  Either that, or Cal snagged a liner off the hitter’s bat and tried to chase Rickey back to second…

A fine addition to my Cal Ripken Jr. player collection.

Cal Ripken Jr. 1992 Fleer Superstar Special ‘The Indispensables II’ With Joe Carter

Cal Ripken Jr. 1992 Fleer Superstar Special ‘The Indispensables II’ With Joe Carter

Man, I really like these two guys…

 

Both of these guys, in different ways, have cemented themselves in my baseball memory and built images in my head that will last for my lifetime.

Joe Carter hit the home run that all kids dream of as a kid.  World Series drama, walk-off game winner, series clincher – You name it!  With one swing, Joe Carter cemented himself as a baseball legend who shined the brightest when all eyes were on him.

Cal Ripken built such an incredible baseball resume, and he did it the right way.  A consummate professional, Ripken played the game the right way and he did it for the pure love of the sport.  A tremendously skilled all-around player, Cal has no weakness on the field, and he took that to his off-the-field persona once he retired from the sport.

1996 HEADLINE: Derek Jeters Wins Rookie Of The Year Award With Unanimous Vote!

1996 HEADLINE: Derek Jeters Wins Rookie Of The Year Award With Unanimous Vote!

On this day in 1996, Derek Jeter won the American League’s Rookie of the Year award in a unanimous vote!

Capturing all 28 first-place votes, Jeter set himself apart from the rest of the 1996 rookie class.  And he did it all with the enormous pressure that comes with wearing Yankee pinstripes.

During that season, Jeter collected 183 hits en route to a .314 batting average.  He scored 104 runs for the team while also driving in 78.  And while fielding the toughest infield position, he compiled an 96.9% fielding percentage.

Oh, and he also helped the Yankees capture the 1996 World Series championship too!

Happy Anniversary to Derek Jeter!!!

SIGNING RESULTS: 1962 NL MVP, Dodgers Great Mr. Maury Wills!!

SIGNING RESULTS: 1962 NL MVP, Dodgers Great Mr. Maury Wills!!

Wow, this former player has been on my ‘want list’ for years.

And after having a few shots to get him and missing out on the opportunity, I finally jumped in with both feet and registered myself and my blank baseball for a private signing event with the former NL MVP.

And the results are perfect.

Have a look:

He’s got a pretty neat looking signature, doesn’t he?!?!

I’m digging it, and the added #30 and MVP NL ’62 inscription as well.

Maury Wills is the man.  He is a former league MVP, stolen base champ, 5-time All-Star, 2-time Gold Glove Winner, and 3-time World Series Champion!

Before Rickey Henderson, there was Lou Brock.  And before there was Lou Brock, it was Maury Wills!  He was an offensive machine, a true spark-plug for the Dodgers franchise – a career .281 hitter with an on-base percentage of .330.  Wills has 2,134 career hits with 586 stolen bases and 1,067 runs scored in 1,942 games played.

This is an autograph that I am super excited to have in my collection.  And it will rest with some of my other Dodgers’ balls – Duke Snider, Kirk Gibson, and Orel Hershiser.

Yeah Baby!!

Cal Ripken Jr. 1991 Upper Deck

Cal Ripken Jr. 1991 Upper Deck

The 1991 Upper Deck design still offered quite a bit of similarity to the 1989 and 1990 products that preceded it.

But, I am not complaining!  The 1989 Upper Deck set is a classic with a timeless design.

And the 1991 version, looks just as good.

Here is further evidence – the Cal Ripken, Jr. card:

 

I told you – it is a beauty!!

In today’s collecting world, this would not work as collectors demand innovation and new designs from card companies with each and every new release.

I wonder how this went over back in 1991 when collectors first discovered that the 1991 set design was just a tad different from the previous 1989 and 1990 releases…

1975 Topps Set Card 307/660 – #64 – Dave Chalk, Angels

1975 Topps Set Card 307/660 – #64 – Dave Chalk, Angels

Progress: 307/660

Card Number:  64

Player Name:  Dave Chalk

Team:  California Angels

Position:  Shortstop

Image Style:  Posed Portrait

Years In The Major Leagues: 9 seasons, 1973-81

Notes From His 1975 Season:  Dave Chalk played in a career high 149 games for the California Angels in 1975.  H hit .273 for the club, collecting 140 hits in 513 at-bats.  Chalk had 56 RBI and scored 59 runs in those 149 games while also striking out just 49 times.

Notes From Career:  Dave Chalk is a 2-time All-Star that played for 4 teams during his 9-year major league career.  He has 733 career hits in 903 games played with those four teams.  Chalk is a lifetime .252 hitter with 107 doubles, 9 triples, and 15 home runs to his credit.

Cal Ripken Jr. 1992 Score All-Star

Cal Ripken Jr. 1992 Score All-Star

Baseball caricatures became all of the rage in the late 1980’s.

I know that I had a few t-shirts that sported some of my favorite players likenesses on them.  And I believe that I had a pennant or two as well.

Well, Score took it to another level in 1992 when they inserted an All-Star set in their 1992 flagship set that honored the best players in the game.

This is the card of Cal Ripken from that set:

 

Certainly deserving of a spot on the checklist, this card of Cal is super.  I love the details, and even more, I love the fact that I absolutely recognize the caricature as #8.

Oh, and I really like the background too – having a ‘real’ group of seated fans makes the card come to life just a tad bit more…

Nicely done by Score.

Cal Ripken Jr. 1996 Upper Deck – Home Run Trot OR Base On Balls??

Cal Ripken Jr. 1996 Upper Deck

Well, I have another card here where I cannot tell what the outcome of the action is.

Have a look:

 

What do you think is going on here?

Is Cal Ripken getting into his home run trot or has he been walked to first base?

The card you are looking at comes courtesy of the 1996 Upper Deck set.  And it has left me scratching my head.

Cal Ripken Jr. 2012 Topps Golden Greats – ‘Stopping The See-Saw’

Cal Ripken Jr. 2012 Topps Golden Greats – ‘Stopping The See-Saw’

I don’t know about you, but I am a huge fan of the baseball card that celebrates a team or player achievement.  Regardless of the scale of the event, if the moment is worth mentioning and getting  a card, I am in favor of it.

In 2012, Topps gave us the ‘Golden Greats’ set.

This is the card of Cal Ripken, Jr. from that set:

 

This card celebrates the game-winning home run that Cal launched against the White Sox on July 13, 1984.  The 3-run blast came in the bottom of the 11th inning after the White Sox scored in the top of the inning to take the lead.  With the home run, Ripken secured victory for his team and sent all Orioles fans home with smiles on their faces.

Cal Ripken Jr. 1991 Topps ‘1990 Record Breaker’

Cal Ripken Jr. 1991 Topps ‘1990 Record Breaker’

Now this one is a sweet one!!

Check it out:

 

This card comes from the 1991 Topps baseball card set and it is part of the ‘Record Breakers’ subset.

I like the look of the card with the 40th Anniversary logo in place in the upper-left corner, and the prominent ‘Record Breaker’ tagline at the bottom truly calls out what makes this card special.

For me, the only thing that is missing from the front is some kind of hint as to what the record was.  I like the way that it was done in 1985, and I wish that Topps carried that style forward with other issues.  A little hint or tease as to what is printed on the back would have been nice – give us a reason to pause and read the back of the card!

As an FYI, this card is celebrating the fact that Ripken had an errorless games streak of 95 consecutive games at shortstop in which he handled 431 plays before making another error.