tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17602659639543977242024-03-05T02:38:08.675-08:00Lets Play 2toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.comBlogger115125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-29584413458480552262014-01-20T10:26:00.001-08:002014-01-20T10:26:40.685-08:001961 Fleer Baseball Greats #46 Miller Huggins<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDAy0uIT06stAye4zrD16ymnDgZ6vi2uJihYJWY5evTAHi7G3fGlx6yO2Y2FGVbnKzVkL5A7Tz8-asxpTontU-sbvaeZdql-bJibAD0HzyipM829lECVMjNgo1jP0Y1rJi0u7lOnyO5Pl/s1600/1961+Fleer+%2346+Huggins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDAy0uIT06stAye4zrD16ymnDgZ6vi2uJihYJWY5evTAHi7G3fGlx6yO2Y2FGVbnKzVkL5A7Tz8-asxpTontU-sbvaeZdql-bJibAD0HzyipM829lECVMjNgo1jP0Y1rJi0u7lOnyO5Pl/s320/1961+Fleer+%2346+Huggins.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Miller Huggins is featured on card # 46 of the 1961 Fleer Baseball Greats set. Huggins may be best known as the manager of the New York Yankees of the 1920’s. The teams of the late 1920’s were also known as Murderer’s Row featuring the hitting of Earl Combs, Mark Koenig, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Bob Meusel and Tony Lazzeri.<br />
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But, Huggins was also a quality second baseman during his playing career with the Cincinnati Reds (1904-1909) and the St Louis Cardinals (1910-1916).<br />
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Huggins also earned a law degree from the University of Cincinnati. However, he realized he could make more money as a baseball player. So even though, Huggins was admitted to the bar, he never practiced law. <br />
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While, he was in the minor leagues, Huggins pulled off the first recorded delayed steal in baseball history. In 1910, as a Cardinal, Huggins set a MLB record with six plate appearance but no official at bats (4 walks and 2 sacrifice flies).<br />
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Huggins ended his playing career in 1917 as Rogers Hornsby took over second base for the Cardinals. <br />
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Huggins managed the Yankees from 1918 to 1929. During his time as manager, the Yankees won three World Series (1923, 1927 and 1928). Huggins fell ill late in the 1929 season and died shortly thereafter.<br />
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Huggins was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee in 1964.<br />
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toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-67137582250524643332014-01-19T10:42:00.000-08:002014-01-19T10:42:26.313-08:001961 Fleer Baseball Greats #87 Hack Wilson<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwvlRR_jNMyoOS8N5GOJguLKaBHvMaEMdEbrlCecS28L3QLA7q8KI_sq3A98JnwCPekthY3lRbHSW8iMDs38eUBGhl1noXC6SAhOfLzVQsUTjo9Cug31kBg1Tl3xZ2h3vzX75JVejrXTa/s1600/1961+Fleer+%2387+Wilson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwvlRR_jNMyoOS8N5GOJguLKaBHvMaEMdEbrlCecS28L3QLA7q8KI_sq3A98JnwCPekthY3lRbHSW8iMDs38eUBGhl1noXC6SAhOfLzVQsUTjo9Cug31kBg1Tl3xZ2h3vzX75JVejrXTa/s320/1961+Fleer+%2387+Wilson.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Card #87 in the 1961 Fleer Baseball Greats set is another Cub – Hack Wilson. Wilson is known for his combative style and for his heavy drinking. But even with these faults, Wilson (for a short period) was one of the greatest hitters that baseball has ever known. If not for his life style, he might have been an equal to Babe Ruth. <br />
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Wilson’s 1930 season for the Cubs still ranks as one of baseball’s greatest hitting seasons. Hack Wilson hit 56 HRs with 191 RBI and a batting average of .356. The 56 home runs stood as the NL record for many years and the 191 RBI is still the record. <br />
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In 6 seasons as a Cub, Wilson hit 190 HRs with 769 RBIs and a batting average of .322. If he could have maintained that pace for 18 seasons, Wilson would have career numbers of 570 HRs, 2,300 RBIs and 3,000 hits. But, the great 1930 season seemed to intensify his drinking and led to a rapid decline in his statistics.<br />
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Wilson’s MLB career ended in 1934 at the age of 34. After a number of business failures, Wilson who was once the highest paid player in baseball, died penniless. Ford Frick, sent money to cover his funeral and the gray suit that he was buried in was donated by the funeral director. Hack Wilson died in 1948 only a few months after Babe Ruth.<br />
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Wilson was named to the Hall of Fame in 1979 by the Veteran’s Committee. <br />
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For anyone interested in learning more about Hack Wilson and his great 1930 season, there is a book titled Hack’s 191 by Bill Chastain that covers the season in detail. This book is well worth your time if you have an interest in the history of baseball.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtF9JK4CiQxWlzVFOxVOUfQ4Pr852leD0QS_YuwGPA4jjf-ZJscS52OMkkH5iri1ZdzbnSPLty37H-UTjlOzDVKt8RaiuZnoi2kKXzcVvEnV5re6a6Wrxo9xjTYT6Bmeq_mORb4zHW9b54/s1600/Wilsons+191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtF9JK4CiQxWlzVFOxVOUfQ4Pr852leD0QS_YuwGPA4jjf-ZJscS52OMkkH5iri1ZdzbnSPLty37H-UTjlOzDVKt8RaiuZnoi2kKXzcVvEnV5re6a6Wrxo9xjTYT6Bmeq_mORb4zHW9b54/s320/Wilsons+191.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-89099948354394410732014-01-08T10:33:00.001-08:002014-01-08T10:33:35.727-08:001961 Fleer Baseball Greats #56 Dolf Luque<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3wcpTdEi8Qvfscc4GvcNK46dah5GDSAL-KzF-vSbK6E9wpcrrDyWe9dfEGdhjbnmqwGB2yPyCGGUyy-u8lYCQkmrvsSWxpvi4AGgkYZ1vUvpPx_XOr58rZJlAY9-rz0ko9TGpi4dL3YF/s1600/1961+Fleer+%2356+Luque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3wcpTdEi8Qvfscc4GvcNK46dah5GDSAL-KzF-vSbK6E9wpcrrDyWe9dfEGdhjbnmqwGB2yPyCGGUyy-u8lYCQkmrvsSWxpvi4AGgkYZ1vUvpPx_XOr58rZJlAY9-rz0ko9TGpi4dL3YF/s320/1961+Fleer+%2356+Luque.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Dolf Luque appears on card # 56 in the 1961 Fleer Baseball Greats set. My card, pictured above is graded PSA 8.5.<br />
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Dolf Luque was one of the early “white” players to come from Cuba during the period when baseball excluded blacks from playing. He played for the Boston Braves (1914-1915), the Cincinnati Reds (1918 – 1929), the Brooklyn Robins (1930-1931) and the New York Giants (1932 – 1935).<br />
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Luque led the NL in losses in 1922 with 22 losses and then turned around to lead the league in wins and ERA the next year. In 1923, he had 27 wins with a 1.93 ERA. Luque also led the league in ERA in 1925 with a 2.63 ERA.<br />
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Luque became a very good mentor in his later playing years and became a pitching coach for the Giants after his career ended.<br />
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Luque had a career record of 194 wins and 179 losses with a 3.24 ERA. He played on 3 different World Series champs in 1914, 1919 and 1933.<br />
toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-60169801387617591902014-01-07T09:40:00.001-08:002014-01-07T09:40:53.899-08:001961 Fleer Baseball Greats #39 Chick Hafey<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0R7aQfbVwiF-vmTtDujP2hb8yF8htnKFfugzHZaYo5qsX7LRybXqpoHXJ8SCGV7ZHCvB2l8A809wKNlNC7EuOyPMcejA9Iz0nEKJUz6IYKnXLX_oA67Ty9rgLhWLeB4H-aAcFfEOHMTOh/s1600/1961+Fleer+%2339+Hafey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0R7aQfbVwiF-vmTtDujP2hb8yF8htnKFfugzHZaYo5qsX7LRybXqpoHXJ8SCGV7ZHCvB2l8A809wKNlNC7EuOyPMcejA9Iz0nEKJUz6IYKnXLX_oA67Ty9rgLhWLeB4H-aAcFfEOHMTOh/s320/1961+Fleer+%2339+Hafey.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Card #39 in the 1961 Fleer Baseball Greats set is Chick Hafey. My card is graded PSA 7. Hafey played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1924 to 1931 and for the Cincinnati Reds from 1932 through 1937. He was on two World Series Champs with St Louis (1926 and 1931).<br />
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Hafey was a line drive hitter who hit for average. His career batting average was .317. Hafey won the NL batting title in 1931 by just .0002 over Bill Terry and .0007 over Jim Bottomly. It took a hit in Hafey’s last at bat to secure the title. This batting race still ranks as one of the closest in history.<br />
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In July of 1929, Hafey tied an NL record by hitting in 10 straight at bats.<br />
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Hafey suffered several beanings in 1926 and as a result developed sinus problems which led to him needing to wear glasses. Hafey was one of the early baseball players to wear glasses. He is also one of two players in the Hall of Fame to wear glasses. Reggie Jackson is the other player.<br />
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Hafey was traded to Cincinnati as a result of a salary dispute with Branch Rickey. Hafey played 13 years and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1971 by the Veteran’s Committee.<br />
toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-68386166297872924302014-01-06T10:25:00.000-08:002014-01-06T10:25:33.764-08:001961 Fleer Baseball Greats #55 Ernie Lombardi<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHBNm1wMGXtJ5S8T5OYQM326hdz8xqVsMrPZMvupK-j0SkSi8mv6wKH60zyntRx6KU8jLtmcbqOzVWFebIrXqF9CFMqZhJrUk6a3dMbHgdWq4UKyIL3uyfRkjNOC0fAWqcqtZOU9_beVn/s1600/1961+Fleer+%2355+Lombardi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHBNm1wMGXtJ5S8T5OYQM326hdz8xqVsMrPZMvupK-j0SkSi8mv6wKH60zyntRx6KU8jLtmcbqOzVWFebIrXqF9CFMqZhJrUk6a3dMbHgdWq4UKyIL3uyfRkjNOC0fAWqcqtZOU9_beVn/s320/1961+Fleer+%2355+Lombardi.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I picked up a PSA 8 version of the 1961 Fleer #55 Ernie Lombardi. Lombardi’s most productive years were with the Cincinnati Reds from 1932 to 1941. As the catcher for the Reds, Lombardi batted .300 or better 7 of 10 years. In 1938, Lombardi was league MVP while batting .342 with 19 home runs and 95 RBI’s. During that same year, Lombardi caught both of Johnny Vander Meer’s back to back no-hitters.<br />
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Lombardi played a total of 17 years for the Brooklyn Robins (1931), the Cincinnati Reds (1932 to 1941), the Boston Braves (1942) and the New York Giants (1943 to 1947). Lombardi was a 7 time All Star. He had a career batting average of .306. H also won a batting title for the Braves in 1942. Lombardi used an interlocking golf type grip throughout his career. Lombardi was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1986 by the Veteran’s Committee.<br />
toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-62949619878563778662013-12-30T11:36:00.001-08:002013-12-30T11:36:59.575-08:001961 Fleer Baseball Greats #84 Lloyd Waner<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2JaPhUa3cWBICCibdOn3hyphenhypheng0HOI3Wce8_VbTo30fh3lzRkdq1uYSXfhT3IwSgPhkunTEeDIgd0YNfR-eXOrKQDKoCtXN0PZOeDnhNmXT4LCbeCk-dwZzKo5IGgs6HRD791oymQGubgt7/s1600/1961+Fleer+%2384+Waner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2JaPhUa3cWBICCibdOn3hyphenhypheng0HOI3Wce8_VbTo30fh3lzRkdq1uYSXfhT3IwSgPhkunTEeDIgd0YNfR-eXOrKQDKoCtXN0PZOeDnhNmXT4LCbeCk-dwZzKo5IGgs6HRD791oymQGubgt7/s320/1961+Fleer+%2384+Waner.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The latest card that I have added to my graded 1961 Fleer Baseball Greats set is #84 featuring Lloyd Waner. This card is graded PSA 7.<br />
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Lloyd Waner was a mainstay of the Pittsburgh Pirates outfield from 1927 through 1941. Along with his brother, Paul, the Waners gave Pittsburgh All-Star caliber players throughout the late 20’s and during the 30’s. In his rookie year of 1927, Lloyd hit .355 with 223 hits. He continued to be an offensive weapon throughout his career. His career batting average is .316 with 2459 hits. He and his brother hold the record for most hits by brothers (5611).<br />
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Lloyd was nicknamed “Little Poison”. His brother, Paul was of course “Big Poison”. The nicknames came from a Brooklyn accent pronunciation of Little Person and Big Person.<br />
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Lloyd was named to the Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee in 1967. <br />
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toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-10947948613786330762013-12-30T06:09:00.001-08:002013-12-30T06:09:24.871-08:001961 Fleer Baseball Greats #79 Tris Speaker<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxr9DRbWvBjzueAD1BS-Gz7qjT0qfC4knUmVUTMn4iJKQ7GwsYBcMPHiZ7ousyuizV8bdZYz6pMy8VY5r31PoZVqn-EIxojx3Wlc39LXPBM40sVd_QXwiDup2TXHMcYDSc25H1U3fDG7f/s1600/1961+Fleer+%2379+Speaker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxr9DRbWvBjzueAD1BS-Gz7qjT0qfC4knUmVUTMn4iJKQ7GwsYBcMPHiZ7ousyuizV8bdZYz6pMy8VY5r31PoZVqn-EIxojx3Wlc39LXPBM40sVd_QXwiDup2TXHMcYDSc25H1U3fDG7f/s320/1961+Fleer+%2379+Speaker.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I recently added a PSA 7.5 version of a 1961 Fleer #79 Tris Speaker to my collection.<br />
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Tris Speaker played baseball from 1907 to 1928. His career matched that of many more well-known players. He had a career batting average of .344. He only hit below .300 in one season. Even with this lofty batting average, Speaker is more known for his defensive skills a an outfielder. From 1910 to 1915, Speaker was a member of the “Million Dollar Outfield” for the Boston Red Sox. The other members of this outfield were Duffy Lewis and Harry Hooper. Grantland Rice said that this was the greatest defensive outfield that he ever saw. The “Million Dollar Outfield” was broken up before the 1916 season when Speaker was traded to Cleveland. Speaker was traded by Red Sox owner Joe Lannin over a salary dispute.<br />
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In his first season with the Indians, Speaker won the batting title hitting .386. He played for Cleveland from 1916 to 1926 and is a member of the Indians Hall of Fame. Speaker also played for Washington in 1927 and Philadelphia in 1928 before end this great career. During his career he hit .380 or better five times. He also collected 3515 hit and 793 doubles during his career. Speaker was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1937.<br />
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toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-53427878573673648422013-12-23T07:36:00.000-08:002013-12-23T07:36:45.788-08:001961 Fleer Baseball Great #67 Bobo Newsom<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuZxQ4SnEIHjzRcnJrfff1RMOOqZ57PBCJ_Mp02L5rzPnSjLoh7lk4jtRhL6_m04nYpOmydm2fXSqrVFWHCeMWsFc-MZup3Bx5TxCEEQX3H7z5RhNnZn_RGP8_Xj9j6Yivcyjty6Y_4QO/s1600/1961+Fleer+%2367+Newsom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuZxQ4SnEIHjzRcnJrfff1RMOOqZ57PBCJ_Mp02L5rzPnSjLoh7lk4jtRhL6_m04nYpOmydm2fXSqrVFWHCeMWsFc-MZup3Bx5TxCEEQX3H7z5RhNnZn_RGP8_Xj9j6Yivcyjty6Y_4QO/s320/1961+Fleer+%2367+Newsom.jpg" width="195" /></a></div><br />
My latest 1961 Fleer Baseball Great card is #67 Bobo Newsom. This card is a PSA 8. Newsom’s debut in MLB came in 1929 for the Brooklyn Robins. Newsom played for a number of teams during his 20 year career. His last game was in 1953 for the Philadelphia A’s. During his career Newsom won 211 games and lost 222 games. He is one of 114 pitchers to win at least 200 games during a career. Newsom’s best year came in 1940 as a Detroit Tiger. That year he won 21 and lost 5 with a 2.83 ERA. As a result Newson became the highest paid pitcher in baseball in 1941. That year he made $35,000.<br />
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Newsom earned a World Series ring as a Yankee in 1947. The Yankees beat the Dodgers that year. 1947 was Jackie Robinson’s first year.<br />
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Newsom is also one of two pitchers whose careers spanned both Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle. The other pitcher is Al Benton, who actually pitched to both Ruth and Mantle. Newsom did pitch to Ruth but never faced Mantle in a MLB game. toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-18863859280090878012013-12-22T09:26:00.000-08:002013-12-23T03:34:20.485-08:001961 Fleer Baseball Greats #33 Warren Giles<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxHo3keS-1X9DlghrDmanRdjx39QtFvG6flpyxcNtAZUC5bFi9JzJDQc0frDoK7Qo4jSfcirjMhsHGks9y1ptVv8YuLcjYsvID7-mUdYIsmVljM5l-4S9vwj7ojnvjrWFnZT_JF3j6L5-/s1600/1961+Fleer+PSA+7+%2333+Giles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxHo3keS-1X9DlghrDmanRdjx39QtFvG6flpyxcNtAZUC5bFi9JzJDQc0frDoK7Qo4jSfcirjMhsHGks9y1ptVv8YuLcjYsvID7-mUdYIsmVljM5l-4S9vwj7ojnvjrWFnZT_JF3j6L5-/s320/1961+Fleer+PSA+7+%2333+Giles.jpg" /></a></div>
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Warren Giles is featured on card #33 of the 1961 Fleer Baseball Greats set. Giles was not a player but rather he had a 50 year career as a baseball executive. Giles joined the Cincinnati Reds in 1936 as a Vice President and General Manager. During this tenure, the Reds won pennants I 1939 and 1940. He was elected President of the club in 1946. <br />
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In 1951, Giles began an eighteen year reign as President of the National League. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1979. His election to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee is not included on the card since it occurred well after the card was produced.toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-43204913833838042062013-12-21T10:00:00.000-08:002014-01-06T10:26:16.880-08:001961 Fleer Baseball Greats #30 Frankie Frisch<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqC5TOOiQ9gMHFy9XVwBY168w7VO07BnnIPp6tpQoTLGYMaqCOxH6DgMajq4rp-tAF0ZdwosTqq9kYyvSDQOGIN7DDNpTLvS-lqEC2bzdAlTKXE_dxDSffN2ZQg85UNQ9MfDG0kIMQM3D/s1600/1961+Fleer+PSA+8+%2330+Frisch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqC5TOOiQ9gMHFy9XVwBY168w7VO07BnnIPp6tpQoTLGYMaqCOxH6DgMajq4rp-tAF0ZdwosTqq9kYyvSDQOGIN7DDNpTLvS-lqEC2bzdAlTKXE_dxDSffN2ZQg85UNQ9MfDG0kIMQM3D/s320/1961+Fleer+PSA+8+%2330+Frisch.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The second card that I added to my 1961 Fleer Baseball Greats set also has a Cubs connection (Manager 1949 to 1951). Frankie Frisch is #30 in the 1961 Fleer set. Frisch was nicknamed the “Fordham Flash”. He was a four sport star for Fordham University where he earned the nickname.<br />
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Frisch primarily played 2nd base for the New York Giants from 1919 to 1926. After the 1926 season, Frisch was traded to the Cardinals for Rogers Hornsby. In august of 1926, Frisch missed a sign which cost the Giants a run and the ballgame. Frisch’s relationship with John McGraw went downhill quickly, leading to the trade.<br />
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Frisch was an integral member of the Cardinal’s Gashouse Gang and played in 3 world series as a Cardinal. Frisch finished his career in 1937 with a career batting average of .316 and 2880 hits. His hit total was a record for a switch hitter until Pete Rose broke it in 1977. <br />
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Frisch went on to manage the Cardinals, Pirates and the Cubs. He managed the Cubs from 1949 until 1951. Frisch was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1947.toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-76912104580954886312013-12-20T17:16:00.000-08:002014-01-06T10:26:37.582-08:001961 Fleer Baseball Greats #23 Johnny Evers<br />
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The first card that I added to my PSA Graded 1961 Fleer set was very appropriately a CUB. #23 in the 1961 Fleer set is Johnny Evers who manned 2nd base for the Cubs from 1902 through 1913. Evers appeared in over 1400 games as a Cub and had a batting average of .276. <br />
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Evers will always be remembered as a member of the remarkable double play combination of Tinker to Evers to Chance. These players were immortalized in a poem by Franklin Pierce Adams in 1910.<br />
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These are the saddest of possible words:<br />
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."<br />
Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,<br />
Tinker and Evers and Chance.<br />
Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble,<br />
Making a Giant hit into a double-<br />
Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:<br />
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."<br />
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Adams was a New York Evening Mail sports writer but had been born in Chicago and was reportedly a Cubs fan. <br />
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That entire double play combination was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1946. Only Evers lived to experience this honor.<br />
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Evers was also the player who called attention to the fact that Fred Merkle never advanced to 2nd base as he should have in a September 23, 1908 game that ultimately decided the pennant. Merkle was called out which negated a run that would have won the game for the Giants. Instead the game was declared a tie and the replay was won by the Cubs giving them the pennant.<br />
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Evers went on to play for Boston Braves, Phillies and the White Sox. He also managed for the Cubs and the White Sox.<br />
toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-46984934066696921632013-12-20T07:08:00.000-08:002013-12-20T07:08:22.770-08:00Back Again With A New Quest!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumBwIUF-HeEHlG3Fqh4EGt7k6eg-eGOBlwe0H4NRa8K6eEPQY09dctuSoY_mrWI2BFl0AbHxUiNqvirEgF0cR4r2sOzZPAF8ndcTzJj4-gVGST4dR7BXZ0FrL_RsmQXZzszqtx6oHHbiu/s1600/1961+Fleer+Wrapper.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumBwIUF-HeEHlG3Fqh4EGt7k6eg-eGOBlwe0H4NRa8K6eEPQY09dctuSoY_mrWI2BFl0AbHxUiNqvirEgF0cR4r2sOzZPAF8ndcTzJj4-gVGST4dR7BXZ0FrL_RsmQXZzszqtx6oHHbiu/s320/1961+Fleer+Wrapper.JPG" /></a></div>Recently, I have not been very good at keeping up this blog. But, I am going to try again. I have started a new project to write about, so I am hoping that I can be keep this going on a regular basis. <br />
My new project is really an old project. I first collected the 1961- 1962 Fleer Baseball Greats set as a student at Elwood Haynes Middle School in Kokomo, Indiana. At the time, I remember going across Markland Avenue at lunch time to buy these cards at a gas station. I cannot remember the name of the gas station at the SW corner of Markland and Cooper, but that is not important and the station is long gone.<br />
I am not sure why I collected this set except that it was different. I am sure that most collectors of my age were more interested in buying Topps to collect cards of the current stars of the day. Players like Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Willie Mays were a lot more interesting to collect than Chick Hafey, Bobo Newsom and Ki Ki Cuyler. But for whatever reason, I collected nearly a full 1st series set. I don’t remember collecting cards from the 2nd series. The 1961 – 1962 Fleer cards were also the last cards that I collected as a youngster. I did not restart an interest in baseball cards again until I was in my mid-50’s.<br />
Unfortunately, I discarded the cards that I collected in 1961, when we moved from Kokomo to Michigan. Too bad, because I can clearly remember having at least two #75 Babe Ruth cards. <br />
When I began collecting cards again in 2005, I completed a set of the 1961-1962 Fleer Baseball Greats. It was a nice mid-grade set that took about a year to finish. Completing a set has always been my interest, so in 2006, I sold the entire set on Ebay. <br />
Now again in 2013, it seems important to assemble a full, PSA graded set of 1961-1962 Fleer Baseball Greats. So for at least awhile, I will try to report each of the cards that I get during this quest. I will probably buy a lot of these cards on Ebay as reasonably priced cards are available. However, I am also collecting raw cards from this set so I can send them into PSA for grading. I am expecting that this quest will take about 1 and ½ years to complete. So if this endeavor sounds interesting stop back once in a while to see how it is going.toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-11762632376361620302013-02-24T07:13:00.000-08:002013-02-24T07:13:33.278-08:00Two Completed PSA Cubs SetsThe two graded cards that are pictured in this post represent a momentous achievement for me. These two cards were the last cards that I needed to complete my 1975 and 1964 graded sets. One of my collecting goals is to complete as many Chicago Cubs graded sets as possible. I am keeping these graded sets listed in the PSA Set Registry.<br />
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The 1964 Topps #550 Ken Hubbs In Memoriam card is difficult to find in high quality condition. The card is from the rarer high number series (523 – 587) and is more highly sought because of the subject matter. Ken Hubbs had finished his second full year for the Cubs in 1963. His potential seemed high. However, as he was piloting his plane on a flight from Provo, Utah to Colton, California, his plane went down in a snow storm. Hubbs’ 1964 card was issued in memorium.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqKZ0pF_e6KF0EzKyH7nbY7ga1ncG081MX2PDjAcOMZlPI90ADZd7fuK4IGY1SEDEdMGZEdG7S67TE84MwBDfAAMGhaoHMyijGRJVMO5yQepY7UdI7rPqKZgB4yTmfg15moseqGX3U7Ju/s1600/1964+Topps+%23550+Hubbs+PSA+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqKZ0pF_e6KF0EzKyH7nbY7ga1ncG081MX2PDjAcOMZlPI90ADZd7fuK4IGY1SEDEdMGZEdG7S67TE84MwBDfAAMGhaoHMyijGRJVMO5yQepY7UdI7rPqKZgB4yTmfg15moseqGX3U7Ju/s320/1964+Topps+%23550+Hubbs+PSA+7.jpg" /></a><br />
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My 1964 Cubs set is the 8th best in the current listings. My set currently has an average grade of 7.634 out of 10. When one is looking for PSA 8 or better the price and bidding activity increases dramatically. I would like to slowly improve the average grade for this set to 8.00. But that will take some time and the inclination to spend additional cash.<br />
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The 1975 Topps #15 Jose Cardenal was also difficult to add to my collection. It was not because of being a high number but rather it seems that graded 1975 Jose Cardenal are hard to find in PSA 8 or higher condition. When they appear on EBay, there is always a lot of interest and bidding.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxU2CBqFD8Iej4qqNBMMcbAWT1u0V2XKDocVAngo8t_J94jjc7Z-BfbCWNb9hFX5ahtoyfd9w7ONtdn0JH6x2Tilb4vKPymmc-ZrdFJjkxbXSxr5CmXIT4_x_F3hznBV1tKwqjL-3eR42D/s1600/1975+Topps+%2315+Cardenal+PSA8.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxU2CBqFD8Iej4qqNBMMcbAWT1u0V2XKDocVAngo8t_J94jjc7Z-BfbCWNb9hFX5ahtoyfd9w7ONtdn0JH6x2Tilb4vKPymmc-ZrdFJjkxbXSxr5CmXIT4_x_F3hznBV1tKwqjL-3eR42D/s320/1975+Topps+%2315+Cardenal+PSA8.jpg" /></a><br />
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My 1975 Cubs set is also the 8th best in the current rankings. The 1975 set has an average grade of 8.32. I am actively looking for 1975 Topps Cubs with a PSA grade of 9.0. I buy most of the PSA graded Cubs from EBay but will from time to time send some in to PSA for grading.<br />
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I am now seeking graded 1978 Cubs in hopes of completing that set next. I currently have 13 of the 30 required cards with an average PSA grade of 8.94. toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-42521498072879349932013-02-03T14:36:00.000-08:002013-02-03T14:36:20.521-08:00Another Card Show - Redford, Michigan VFWI was able to make time to go to another card show this weekend. In southeast Michigan we have at least three quality card shows every month. Two of the shows are at the 2 Gibraltar Trade Center locations. The third show is smaller but still has several quality dealers in attendance each month. The third card show is held at the Redford, Michigan VFW Hall. This month, the show was held on February 3 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. They always have some signers. This month it was Gates Brown and Skeeter Barnes. The show was crowded while I was there…partially because of the signers and also because it is held in a much smaller hall than the Gibraltar Trade Center. You can see in the photos that there was a lot of buying, selling and trading happening. There were several dealers with the low cost boxes of cards, but for someone like myself, there were several dealers with high quality 1950’s and 1960’s card available. Of course, since we were in southeast Michigan there was a lot of Tigers and Red Wings items.
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I did find some nice cards. I found a 1955 - #7 Gene Baker. This one looks to be a bit better that the one I found last week. The same dealer also had a great looking #88 Steve Bilko. However, if you look closely at the scan of both cards, it is pretty obvious that the Bilko card has been trimmed off of the right side. The dealer agreed and threw the Bilko card in for free. I will use it as a place holder until I can find a better version.
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I also picked up four 1951 Bowman Cubs. The dealer said that he had just gotten a bunch of 1951 Bowmans from an estate. The previous owner obviously took great care of his baseball card collection. I took the four Cubs that were included in the lot. The dealer also had a very nice bunch of 1959 Ted Williams cards.
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It seems that every time I go to a card show like this one, I find other baseball related items to acquire. This show was not any different. I found two books the add to my collection and hopefully read some day. The first was “Hawk” by Andre Dawson with Tom Bird. Andre Dawson played six seasons for the Cubs. So I look forward to reading this book.
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I also found “Campy” by Neil Lanctot. This is the story of Roy Campanella. The book talks about Campanella’s success with the Brooklyn Dodgers and then his courageous fight to recover from an automobile accident in 1958 that left him paralyzed below the neck.
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I also found a program from the 2012 Hall of Fame Induction. That was the year that Ron Santo was finally given the honor of induction. It was too bad that his widow had to accept the honor. This program carries a stamp and cancelation from the day of the Induction ceremony (July 22, 2012).
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The last thing I picked from a dollar stack of magazines was the 1990 Sporting News Baseball Yearbook. The magazine features a photo of Ryne Sandberg on the cover.
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The February Redford Card Show was great entertainment. There will be another on March 10. So if you live in southeast Michigan, you might want to give it a try. The announcement for the next show is below.
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toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-62829106060037905162013-02-02T12:43:00.001-08:002013-02-02T12:43:42.067-08:00Another Cubs Program for my Collection
I recently added another Cubs program to my collection.
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This program is from the 1952 season. This program is another great example of the artwork of Otis Shepard, who is responsible for the Cubs program covers from the 1940’s through the late 1960’s. Each cover is unique and makes a great framed addition to my Cubs collection. As I get Cubs programs, I am framing them and using the framed programs as a border around the top of my room.
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This is one of many Cubs programs to use the Shepard "Fatman" on the back. Shepard's name also appears in the upper left corner.
toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-41573221918348969782013-01-30T16:44:00.000-08:002013-01-30T16:44:04.629-08:00Gibraltar Trade Center Card Show - Part 2I did buy one fun thing that was not related to my Cubs collection. One of the vendors had an unopened box of 1992 Conlon Collection available for $10.00. He was probably very happy for someone to take these cards off of his hands and I was equally excited to get a box of cards that had never been touched by human hands. There were several sets of these cards available between 1991 and 1994. The complete 300 card 1992 set lists for about $15.00. My purchase contained 36 cello packs of 15 cards each. So I got 540 cards for my $10.00.
The box promised that 20,000 cards autographed by living greats and that one of my packs might contain an autographed card. I opened all 36 packs and there was not an autograph in the bunch.
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There was one card of interest. My last name (High) is not as common as Smith or Jones. Now there have been roads that carried my name (Highway) and even many schools (High School). But one card from this box featured a MLB player with my last name. Card number 648 (shown above) in the 1992 Conlon set features Andrew Aird “Handy Andy” High. He played several years for the Dodgers, Braves and Cardinals. His best year was 1928 with the Cardinals when he played in 146 games and batted .295. He also led all NL 3rd basemen in fielding percentage. My brother is the genealogy “expert” in the family, so I will leave it to him to discover if we have a distant relative who played MLB.
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This card show was so much fun that I may take the time to go the the show at the Redford VFW this Sunday. The Redford show is not as big as the Gibraltar Trade Center show, but there are several quality dealers that regularly attend this show. Gates Brown is going to be there to sign autographs.toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-39881416359399409522013-01-27T06:39:00.000-08:002013-01-27T06:39:47.882-08:00A Day At The Card Show - Southeast Michigan StyleYesterday was a “free” Saturday. My wife was in Saginaw presenting talks at a conference. The grandchildren that had been a big part of most Saturdays for many years, have recently moved to Texas. So, most of the day was not committed to anything or anyone.
My choice of what to do was to go check out the card show at the Gibraltar Trade Center. Here in Southeast Michigan, we are very fortunate to have several, regular card show featuring a large number of high quality dealers. There are two Gibraltar Trade Centers. One is located on the north side of the Detroit area in Mount Clemens and the other is located on the south side in Taylor. There is generally a high quality card show at each location, every month.
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I spent several hours looking at vintage cards from many different dealers. I generally find that the selection at these card shows is much larger (both in quality and variety) than on Ebay. You have the opportunity to examine the cards in person. I have often been disappointed in purchases from Ebay, when the quality is not nearly as good as the pictures show.
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The big buzz around yesterday’s show was a 1952 #311 Mickey Mantle card that was being offered to the highest bidder. It was not in great condition. The upper left corner was in particular was very worn. But it was the 1952 Mantle card.
I was hoping to pick up a few vintage cards for my Cubs collection. My long term goal is to build a collection of graded Cubs cards from 1948 (the year of my birth) through 1970. I like to pick up ungraded Cubs cards in excellent to NM condition at these shows and from Ebay. From time to time, I will send the cards to PSA for grading.
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After looking at all of the dealer’s tables, I that I would focus on 1955 Bowman cards. There were 4 or 5 dealers that had a substantial supply of 1955 Bowman cards at this show. All together, I bought eleven, 1955 Bowman Cubs. Six were low quality and will merely serve a placeholders until a better card comes along.
I was able to find five 1955 Bowman Cubs that may end up going to PSA for grading. These five included #7 Gene Baker (showing a large bandage over his right eye. Cost $4.00.
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#8 Warren Hacker Cost $4.00
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#52 Hal Rice Cost $4.00
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#87 Randy Jackson Cost $4.00
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#273 Bubba Church Cost $6.00
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKvi1vFwXWJno1SDwhiSRjzowLlLt0bpAXVNXC5dZxdSf13Ufodp9MtcW4AUUKZ6AGN4yoijr1644rkl_ZCwwF8Ls3LFZHdkDC486KmXC9WDP60nF63fQBh9YvXEGEbWIDZp1W5bxPpnn/s1600/1955+Bowman+%2523273+Church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="232" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKvi1vFwXWJno1SDwhiSRjzowLlLt0bpAXVNXC5dZxdSf13Ufodp9MtcW4AUUKZ6AGN4yoijr1644rkl_ZCwwF8Ls3LFZHdkDC486KmXC9WDP60nF63fQBh9YvXEGEbWIDZp1W5bxPpnn/s320/1955+Bowman+%2523273+Church.jpg" /></a></div>
So, for about $35.00 including entrance fee ($2.00), I was able to a enjoyable time at the Gibraltar Trade Center Card Show yesterday.
toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-28995772900199363822011-10-18T10:30:00.000-07:002011-10-18T10:33:35.308-07:002002 UD Piece of History Phenom #126 Rene Reyes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkPq4M_FRLo3bMOjfA50ONKc5Cbx2E64qRYec1VuhHmvzOR6IauWqsRrbeS9RSz2K52hFedIQCawSxq4OQdPLnXVYT2-DLRGGOysTcnD8Kx2GOXDDjom1uF66VyjKtVgrJRPq9IIjbSGC/s1600/2002+UD+Phenoms+%2523126+Rene+Reyes.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 179px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkPq4M_FRLo3bMOjfA50ONKc5Cbx2E64qRYec1VuhHmvzOR6IauWqsRrbeS9RSz2K52hFedIQCawSxq4OQdPLnXVYT2-DLRGGOysTcnD8Kx2GOXDDjom1uF66VyjKtVgrJRPq9IIjbSGC/s400/2002+UD+Phenoms+%2523126+Rene+Reyes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664886343336585538" /></a><br />Rene Reyes was signed as a free agent by the Rockies in 1996. He was viewed as a top hitting prospect with above average speed. However, he played two seasons with the Rockies and struggled at the major league level. In 2003 and 2004, Reyes played in 81 games for the Rockies. During his stay in the majors, he hit .220 with 2 home runs and 8 RBIs. He was granted free agency in October 2004. Later that month he signed with the Cubs but never played for them. <br /><br />He dropped out of baseball during 2005. He returned to the Mexican League in 2006. Since 2008, Reyes has found his niche with Puebla of the Mexican League. During his stay in the Mexican League, he has batted .334 with 60 home runs and 298 RBIs.toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-40252892857029737152011-10-01T12:26:00.000-07:002011-10-01T12:29:21.567-07:002002 UD Piece of History Phenom - #95 Reed JohnsonReed Johnson has been a solid outfielder for nine years at the major league level. After he was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 1999 MLB Draft, he debuted for Toronto in April 2003.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOksc96qLtkF518m1Cu9sjkC-lFc62Gk8_AtFbQu85GFTntCYhT_6XCFF1bgUtrHFy8WeMiI-IlHWrexBBT9pXqanSKoWzIQm7a0aG8YUPJdJoV6G1YFZtDWXwY1mwyFt_G5XAW7fSqXE/s1600/2002+UD+%252395+Reed+Johnson.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 182px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOksc96qLtkF518m1Cu9sjkC-lFc62Gk8_AtFbQu85GFTntCYhT_6XCFF1bgUtrHFy8WeMiI-IlHWrexBBT9pXqanSKoWzIQm7a0aG8YUPJdJoV6G1YFZtDWXwY1mwyFt_G5XAW7fSqXE/s400/2002+UD+%252395+Reed+Johnson.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658607761714217410" /></a><br />For Toronto, Johnson played all of the outfield positions and was often their lead-off hitter. He appeared in an average of 122 games each season through 2007. During his stay in Toronto, he batted .281 with 42 HRs and 234 RBIs. He was released near the end of 2008 spring training because other players made him expendable. He was immediately picked up as a Free Agent by the Cubs.<br /><br />He platooned with Felix Pie and Jim Edmonds. Johnson played in 174 games as a Cubs during 2008 and 2009. He was a reliable and effective backup for the Cubs hitting .303 in 2008 and .255 in 2009. He became a Free Agent at the end of 2009 and was signed to replace Juan Pierre as the Dodgers fourth outfielder. Johnson played 102 games for the Dodgers and once again became a Free Agent at the end of 2010. <br /><br />He signed with the Cubs for the 2011 season and again was a solid backup in the outfield. In 2011, Johnson hit .309 in 111 games. He will be a Free Agent again but has expressed a desire to return to the Cubs for 2012.toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-25136933254317285772011-09-29T17:21:00.000-07:002011-09-29T18:00:28.434-07:002002 UD Piece of History - First Complete Page of PhenomsToday marks a milestone in my quest to collect all of the 2002 UD Piece of History Phenoms. The Phenoms subset was a short printed insert set in this set. All of the Phenoms were serial numbered cards with print runs of either 625 or 950. Either way they are not as readily available as the base set cards. Today I filled out my first page in the ring binder. Only thirteen more pages to go.<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDr9HsBMiltBiVPYKzjOOCl_ih-tkm82SDNayi96ykl9ioKL32AuXUH3UipVoGyVbw4kW9ZgR23PNAPgvx9YYDvDvaU6XBSHXi42Ok5HYoXXqAnQfXOp5cwTw1zYf3u5aBmNEwazBOfAwV/s1600/2002+UD+Phenoms+1st+Complete+Page.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 290px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDr9HsBMiltBiVPYKzjOOCl_ih-tkm82SDNayi96ykl9ioKL32AuXUH3UipVoGyVbw4kW9ZgR23PNAPgvx9YYDvDvaU6XBSHXi42Ok5HYoXXqAnQfXOp5cwTw1zYf3u5aBmNEwazBOfAwV/s400/2002+UD+Phenoms+1st+Complete+Page.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657943282874928226" /></a><br />I now have all three of the Phenom cards for Corey Thurman, Reed Johnson and Gustavo Chacin. I have already posted about Thurman and Chacin and will complete the posts for with one about Reed Johnson within a few days.toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-3112534100794094572011-09-29T09:59:00.000-07:002011-09-29T10:06:49.922-07:002002 UD Pice of History - Phenom #103 Doug DeVoreDoug DeVore was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 12th round of the 1999 MLB Draft. He had just concluded his junior year at Indiana University, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABKtF6ybOIgX7SpVsSMpwFC0o3f5Qg8H2NrALtM6-InM-UHp5S4jlry1tyDOwQHE8ukBelOAzchyJzgMkTzG67VHJ8204-sD-6idwHrDI4cbyHXu0P-w_B2U-rX0kN8H6upi1onUJ0fms/s1600/UD+Piece+of+History+Phenom+%2523103+Doug+DeVore.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 193px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABKtF6ybOIgX7SpVsSMpwFC0o3f5Qg8H2NrALtM6-InM-UHp5S4jlry1tyDOwQHE8ukBelOAzchyJzgMkTzG67VHJ8204-sD-6idwHrDI4cbyHXu0P-w_B2U-rX0kN8H6upi1onUJ0fms/s400/UD+Piece+of+History+Phenom+%2523103+Doug+DeVore.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657828963716447346" /></a>where he hit .360 with 19 HR and 65 RBIs. DeVore was also named to the All Big Ten team. His university time is of interest to me because I am an Indiana University graduate. Of course, I graduated from IU about seven years before DeVore was born.<br /><br />Doug Devore made his major league debut on May 6, 2004. During 2004, he split his time between the Diamondbacks and Tucson of the PCL. He played 61 games for Tucson hitting .269 with 14 HR and 43 RBIs. With the Diamondbacks he appeared in 50 games hitting .224 with 3 HR and 13 RBIs. Devore did not play in the major leagues after 2004 but played in the minor leagues through 2006. <br /><br />More recently he has been playing in the Columbus (Ohio) Men’s Senior Baseball League.toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-72674293503243165922011-09-23T10:32:00.000-07:002011-09-23T10:35:35.499-07:002002 UD Piece of History Phenom #94 Corey ThurmanCorey Thurman was a 4th round pick of the Kansas City Royals in 1996. Thurman has played in 14 minor league seasons for many different teams. In 2002, Thurman played the entire season with the Toronto Blue Jays as a relief pitcher. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7tvVetCOGCYQfXg3-9SgZ6m8oQFoFRqsGbyb4AyXUZ9UaqMe6gdMboBR35x3SjoP3ke3oeqhjQDVvKzYYn4KJ4CuykxdMkZVBHbho8eSZ6Sd72NaogTCn9DAJaYmD28e5ZYrNM-7Gsed/s1600/2002+UD+%252394+Corey+Thurman.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 183px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7tvVetCOGCYQfXg3-9SgZ6m8oQFoFRqsGbyb4AyXUZ9UaqMe6gdMboBR35x3SjoP3ke3oeqhjQDVvKzYYn4KJ4CuykxdMkZVBHbho8eSZ6Sd72NaogTCn9DAJaYmD28e5ZYrNM-7Gsed/s400/2002+UD+%252394+Corey+Thurman.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655609797598053842" /></a>He also played for Toronto during part of the 2003 season. During his short major league career, Thurman appeared in 49 games with a record of 3 wins and 4 losses. His major league ERA was 4.75.<br /><br />Thurman played for several different major league organizations through 2007 but has not appeared in the majors since 2003. In 2008, Thurman joined the York Revolution in the Atlantic Independent League. It seems that he has found a home in York. He has become a fan favorite and an effective pitcher for the Revolution. In 2011, Thurman was second in the league in Wins (13), Strikeouts (111) and ERA (3.33). He was selected to the league all star team and was the starting pitcher for the Revolution in the Divisional Playoff series against the Lancaster Barnstormers. He tossed 5 2/3 innings in the playoff game but did not get a decision. York came from behind in the last two innings to win the game 3-2.toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-19775838317269983142011-09-20T12:37:00.001-07:002011-09-20T12:41:25.996-07:00Childhood MemoriesI think I will take a day off from the 2002 Piece of History set and write about the card that I got at the Redford, MI card show Sunday. I have been looking for this card off and on for several years because for me it represents collecting baseball cards during my childhood. I would guess that most of us have particular baseball cards that are more meaningful and that bring back strong memories of our childhood.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCi8OYRB6zp0RHSaVl27Dc4ZxbrQNVUf66iyaKCaaOlOcII93tzT6h3fpIlVtYPNlQSQfLrQy99-U15LCYn5eFH6CAJfCcufIeCGRIN3I4DksqQemK7Q1gLT396sok_GIxzU82Yw05G9W/s1600/1955+Billy+O%2527Dell+-+FRont.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCi8OYRB6zp0RHSaVl27Dc4ZxbrQNVUf66iyaKCaaOlOcII93tzT6h3fpIlVtYPNlQSQfLrQy99-U15LCYn5eFH6CAJfCcufIeCGRIN3I4DksqQemK7Q1gLT396sok_GIxzU82Yw05G9W/s400/1955+Billy+O%2527Dell+-+FRont.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654528818699808626" /></a><br />Like many of us, I am in my second round of baseball card collecting. My first collecting period began about 1955 and lasted until about 1963. If I had known back then what I know now, I certainly would have kept all those Mickey Mantle cards in mint condition. I remember having multiple copies of the 1957 and 1958 Mickey Mantle cards. I gave all of my baseball cards away when I was no longer interested in collecting.<br /><br />But when I think back to my childhood baseball card collecting days, there is one card that brings back strong memories. Memories for me are of buying packs of cards at Ollie Limp’s Hilltop Grocery in Delphi, Indiana and sitting on the porch at David Issac’s house trading cards and playing Ed-U-Card baseball games. <br /><br />The card that brings back these memories is a 1955 Topps card - #57 – Billy O’Dell. I am not sure why this card is so meaningful. Billy O’Dell was not a major star. The 1955 card is actually his rookie card. The Baltimore Orioles were not my favorite team. In those days I liked the Chicago White Sox. He was not even from my home state of Indiana. O’Dell lived in Newberry, SC. I clearly remember having this card and liking it even back in the 1950’s.<br /><br />Billy O’Dell was the Orioles first “Bonus Baby” signing for a huge sum of $12,500 in 1954. O’Dell never played in the minor leagues. After playing in 7 games in 1954, O’Dell spent most of 1955 and 1956 in the military. After returning from the military in late 1956, O’Dell was a solid pitcher for the Orioles, Giants, Braves and Pirates in a career that lasted until 1967. He won 105 games while losing 100 during his career.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAyUbTKmnjUBN5cSAgd7Y4_OzDUq_QtZdrjGi9NyV1G-WiR_r3QLQUT2MdqxrgUszjvn3yZ3C3uM2KPe1Oo9zj4ILHYiKZ86B6ElM8UjAnxfwR82qkrjwtY0LaTGxprGHRkKkmunsfUS3/s1600/1955+Billy+O%2527Dell+-+Back.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAyUbTKmnjUBN5cSAgd7Y4_OzDUq_QtZdrjGi9NyV1G-WiR_r3QLQUT2MdqxrgUszjvn3yZ3C3uM2KPe1Oo9zj4ILHYiKZ86B6ElM8UjAnxfwR82qkrjwtY0LaTGxprGHRkKkmunsfUS3/s400/1955+Billy+O%2527Dell+-+Back.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654528570720432098" /></a><br />Now that I have this card, I think I will frame it and hang it on the wall of my baseball room.toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-87863832414753519572011-09-16T10:30:00.000-07:002011-09-16T10:59:02.703-07:002002 UD Piece of History - Early WynnThe 2002 UD Piece of History set features about 30% Hall of Famers and other old timers.These cards are always bound to bring back memories of when I was younger. I picked several of the cards that have the strongest memories to post over the next several days. The first card that I selected is #10 Early Wynn.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyrc14UsB4rADw5FyrcVtm-ZDsNow9HkOnNQNoMmyi2sconojh4jpD_13j7zqdfzNdjGJiPdSZKlbg24Qsrcm6PKMsieHSV_SS-iDIXiNlUQPpqsnNVpy2JzC_qYwTN6lG_P9PElnCE-d/s1600/Wynn+2002+UD+Piece+of+History+%25231.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyrc14UsB4rADw5FyrcVtm-ZDsNow9HkOnNQNoMmyi2sconojh4jpD_13j7zqdfzNdjGJiPdSZKlbg24Qsrcm6PKMsieHSV_SS-iDIXiNlUQPpqsnNVpy2JzC_qYwTN6lG_P9PElnCE-d/s400/Wynn+2002+UD+Piece+of+History+%25231.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653017702038173074" /></a><br /><br />Early Wynn was one of baseball's most feared pitchers. Wynn learned how to pitch back when pitching inside was just a basic part of the game. Mickey Mantle once said that Early Wynn was so mean that he would knock you down in the dugout.<br /><br />Wynn was stubborn. He pitched for 23 years, refusing to quit until he had won his 300th game. At age 43, the Cleveland Indians signed Wynn to give him a chance to win his 300th game. After several failures, he finally won number 300 with a 5 inning outing against Kansas City.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLYs6eyus9vl7nLV6GsxmfpeB3PBLR9n10Y1qhbhMWgqxWnr0719FoiyG16dqGmd2TYbel2wjGGC-anP3FVdqjRMnLn7rxvuRNsufXweqfdZy6vcUk7LTUeNQoJobZyugVUyPAxH2PP9B/s1600/Wynn+2002+UD+Piece+of+History+%25231+back.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLYs6eyus9vl7nLV6GsxmfpeB3PBLR9n10Y1qhbhMWgqxWnr0719FoiyG16dqGmd2TYbel2wjGGC-anP3FVdqjRMnLn7rxvuRNsufXweqfdZy6vcUk7LTUeNQoJobZyugVUyPAxH2PP9B/s400/Wynn+2002+UD+Piece+of+History+%25231+back.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653017461861710354" /></a><br /><br />My memories of Early Wynn are from 1959. I have posted some time ago that I was a big Luis Aparicio fan in the late 50's and early 60's. In 1959, Aparicio and the White Sox won the AL pennant and went to the World Series against the Dodgers. Early Wynn was the stopper for the White Sox that year. At the age of 39, Wynn won 22 games and was named the winner of the Cy Young Award. He shut the Dodgers out in game 1 of the series but his arm stiffened and he was not effective during the rest of the Series. I will always remember Early Wynn as a part of the magical Go-Go-Sox in 1959.toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760265963954397724.post-55332687364426873912011-09-14T12:21:00.000-07:002011-09-14T12:42:50.741-07:002002 Pice of History Insert Set - 500 HR ClubThe 2002 Upper Deck Piece of History set had several insert sets that are quite interesting. Each of the insert sets followed along with the historical theme. The first insert set that I want to talk about is the 500 Home Run Club set. The front of the cards in this insert set showed an picture of the player. 8 of the nine pictures showed the player‘s home run swing. The only exception is the picture of Jimmie Foxx. The back of each card featured a short home run history of each player. This set featured 9 of the 16 members of the 500 Home Run club as of 2002. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-pcn5c4pxfGaZiuEvLxk6wm3ATNtu7W_lX8f3PNqkqiFeYQcxeHubAajVoLrGnK4DLDSlv1rleOlBS-KMjDxmz77QfYoSxhWriQqoSdPD9DE3EmJlPGX6VP9zSqlBFmdx9CsVH_kjQyf/s1600/UD+Piece+of+History+500+HR+Club+-+Ernie+Banks.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-pcn5c4pxfGaZiuEvLxk6wm3ATNtu7W_lX8f3PNqkqiFeYQcxeHubAajVoLrGnK4DLDSlv1rleOlBS-KMjDxmz77QfYoSxhWriQqoSdPD9DE3EmJlPGX6VP9zSqlBFmdx9CsVH_kjQyf/s400/UD+Piece+of+History+500+HR+Club+-+Ernie+Banks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652298744262066546" /></a><br />Of course, I am always looking for Cubs cards for my collection. The 500 Home Run Club set featured one Chicago Cubs – Ernie Banks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwNtN1snhP1PFWaERrrCeEBJH4EY4luHy2dH0NHy7VxHhwpzm7lV1U-tT7Q3fzAIOGMMNDRFWdJUbgIeIJcuRVqiu4nOXkDjExGSs27bjKFulq8Qs4GGdTRzoo9y9Oc_iYR7ocIvs_r5S/s1600/UD+Piece+of+History+500+HR+Club+-+Ernie+Banks+-+Back.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 294px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwNtN1snhP1PFWaERrrCeEBJH4EY4luHy2dH0NHy7VxHhwpzm7lV1U-tT7Q3fzAIOGMMNDRFWdJUbgIeIJcuRVqiu4nOXkDjExGSs27bjKFulq8Qs4GGdTRzoo9y9Oc_iYR7ocIvs_r5S/s400/UD+Piece+of+History+500+HR+Club+-+Ernie+Banks+-+Back.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652298529023091282" /></a><br />The other players in this insert set were Mickey Mantle, Eddie Mathews, Harmon Killebrew, Jimmie Foxx, Mark McGwire, Willie McCovey, Reggie Jackson and Mel Ott. Other members of the 500 Home Run Club that were not included in this insert set were Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, Mike Schmidt, Ted Williams, Barry Bonds and Eddie Murray.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lpAcYNV8ugtTXZHXlclrSoqirmkJt2pUlyx-PphJ3OhLW3tFs946OlVh41heFCrrLepQLdHlSU6iqYPqqtlJFjIEmLRk9zcFSqTUa0YzU33taLQz-mRC9DVqoPqVklWm01TwkkXpJM7d/s1600/UD+Piece+of+History+500+HR+Club+%25231.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lpAcYNV8ugtTXZHXlclrSoqirmkJt2pUlyx-PphJ3OhLW3tFs946OlVh41heFCrrLepQLdHlSU6iqYPqqtlJFjIEmLRk9zcFSqTUa0YzU33taLQz-mRC9DVqoPqVklWm01TwkkXpJM7d/s400/UD+Piece+of+History+500+HR+Club+%25231.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652298239128545170" /></a>toghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088894751546253873noreply@blogger.com0