ebay buys

Recently I was looking at baseball cards on ebay.  I came across a 1985 Topps Circle K Home Run Kings card of Lee May.  The bid on the card was at a penny, shipping included.
 

I liked the card so I figured I make a offer.  I upped the bid to six cents and then ended up winning the auction.  I have added the card to my Lee May collection.

 

 

So I figured I'd look on ebay and bid 25 cents for any card, with shipping included, if I felt that I would buy that card if I found it in a quarter box. 

 

So here are some of the cards I won.

 

1991 Sportflics 3D Kellogg's Corn Flakes Baseball Greats Ralph Kiner (Card #15, 24 cents).

 

 

I have a few of these Kellogg's Corn Flakes Baseball Greats and add this Kiner card to my collection.

 

 

 

2015 Topps Gold Brandon Crawford  (Numbered 1250 of 2015, Card #159, 22 cents)

 

 

I liked this 2015 Topps Brandon Crawford numbered gold card.  Crawford was an all-star, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger shortstop with the Giants last year.

 

2016 Panini Donruss Optic Diamond Kings Billy Burns (Card #20, 21 cents)

 

 

Billy Burns had a good rookie season for the A's last year, when he finished the season with 26 stolen bases, a total which tied him for third in the American League .  However, he struggled with the team early this season and was optioned to the minors in July and then was sent to the Royals in a trading deadline deal.  As Panini is unable to show team insignias, this card reminded me of the Topps 1968 set, the season the A's moved from Kansas City to Oakland, as some cards in that set blacked the KC lettering on player's caps.

 

Topps 1968 Jack Aker Card #224 

(This card always made me think that Aker was pitching in the yard of my childhood home)

 

Topps 1968 John Donaldson Card #244

Topps 1968 Dave Duncan Card #261   

 

1999 Upper Deck Challengers for 70 Mark in History Mark McGwire (Card #M9, 22 cents)

 

 

I added this Mark McGwire Mark In History card with eight other cards from the set that I had picked out of dime box at a card show earlier this spring.

 



 

2007 Topps 52 Chrome Joba Chamberlain (Card #TCRC95, 25 cents)

 

 

Although Chamberlain never lived up to the hype he garnered when he first came to the majors with the Yankees, I still nabbed this card for a quarter.

 

2005 Upper Deck Bound For Glory Albert Pujols (Card #451, 15 cents)

 

 

This card is from 2005, when Pujols won the first of his three Most Valuable Player awards while he played with the Cardinals.  Pujols' next home run will be his 583, which will tie him with Mark McGwire for tenth on the all-time career home run list.  

 

2016 Stadium Club Greg Maddux (Card #122, 23 cents)

 

 

 

This 2016 Stadium Club Greg Maddux joins another former Braves' Hall of Famer hurler, Phil Niekro, as part of my collection of Stadium Cards from this year. 

 



 

1999 Upper Deck Decade Dominators Roberto Alomar (Card #X3, 10 cents)

 

 

2006 Bowman Chrome Howie Kendrick (Card #BDP40, 15 cents)

 

 

2009 Topps Ticket To Stardom Dustin Pedroia (Card #118, 10 cents) 

  

 

These cards are of second basemen including Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar, Howie Kendrick, who is currently playing for the Dodgers, and Red Sox 2008 Most Valuable Player, Dustin Pedroia.

 

I was able to snag these 11 cards for less than two bucks.    

Bob Smith and Bobby Smith from the Topps 1959 set

Sometimes I'm not really sure what Topps is thinking when they issue some cards.  Check out these cards of Bob Smith and Bobby Smith from the Topps 1959 set.

 

Recently I was looking through some Topps 1959 baseball cards and came across the card of

Bob Smith.  Smith was a left handed pitcher who played in the major leagues between 1955 and 1959 for the Red Sox, Cardinals, Pirates, and Tigers.

Topps 1959 Bob Smith Card #83

 

 

Overall for his career, Smith appeared in 91 games and finished with four wins and nine loses.  He pitched two complete games with three saves.  His best year was in 1958 when he appeared in 35 games for the Pirates and won the two games of his career, and had two loses, with two saves.

 

The cartoon on the back of Smith's Topps 1959 card seemed to be a little out of place.

 

 

 

Topps notes that Bobby is fleet-footed and covers lots of outfield space.  So unless Smith was an amazing defender who could cover lots of outfield space from the mound, this is obviously on error made by Topps.

 

As I continued to look through my Topps 1959 cards, I found a card of Bobby Smith.  Smith was an outfielder who played seven seasons in the major leagues from 1957 to 1962 with the Cardinals, Phillies, Mets, and Cubs, and a final season, in 1965, with the Angels.

 

Topps 1959 Bobby Smith Card #162

 

Smith finished his career with a batting average of .243 (234 hits in 962 at bats) with 13 home runs and 96 runs batted in.  His best season was in 1960, while playing in 98 games with the Phillies, Smith batted .286 (62 hits in 217 at bats) with four home runs and 27 runs batted in.  In October 1961, Smith was selected by the New York Mets as the 32nd pick in the 1961 expansion draft.  As an original member of the 1962 Mets, Smith played eight games with them before he was traded on April 26 to the Cubs for catcher Sammy Taylor.

 

Bob Smith and Bobby Smith each played as rookies with the 1957 Cardinals.  Bob Smith (the pitcher) pitched in six games for the Cardinals during the first month of the season.  Bobby Smith (the outfielder) was in center field for all of the 9.2 innings that Bob Smith pitched.   On May 14, 1957, the Pirates purchased pitcher Bob Smith from the Cardinals.  During the 1957 season, Cardinal manager, Fred Hutchinson, was probably Smith challenged, as their catcher was Hal Smith.  Hal Smith, who was a 1957 All-Star, played all but four games of his career with the Cardinals, and should not to be confused with the other catcher named Hal Smith, who homered in the 8th inning of the game seven victory for the Pirates in the 1960 World Series over the Yankees. 

 

Here is a look at the cartoon on the back of Bobby Smith's Topps 1959 card.

 

 

 

This cartoon is very similar to the one that is on the back of pitcher Bob Smith's card, as it says that fleet footed Bobby covers lots of outfield space. 

 

 

So is it possible that Topps, in error, put the cartoon used for Bobby Smith's card also on the back of Bob Smith's card???    

Topps 2015 Update

On the Halloween night that just passed, my daughter and son-in-law came to my house to watch Game Four of the World Series.  It was a big night of baseball, as a Met victory would have put them back into the series and a Royals win could put them on the cusp of their first World Series Championship in 30 years.

 

In anticipation of their visit, I got a box of the recently released 2015 Topps Update set.  For many years, I have let my daughter open packs of new baseball card product.  For some people, they find great joy in opening a pack of new cards.  For me, I have just as much fun watching my daughter open a pack of new cards.  In the past, I've bought boxes of Heritage and always waited and let her open the cards.  This Saturday evening was going a first for me, to have my son-in-law open new packs of cards.

 

I didn't tell them ahead of time that I was getting the cards, so as they were settling in to watch the game, I pulled out the box of cards.  So the two of them took turns opening the packs, they turned it into a competition, as to who would get the better card.  The winner was clearly me.  I got a box of new baseball cards and spent the evening watching a baseball game with my daughter and son-in-law.

 

Some of the cards that were pulled from the box were:

 

My son-in-law pulled a Troy Tulowitzki All Star Work Out Jersey card.  This was a first for me.  I've seen jersey cards, but now a "Work Out" jersey card.  Wow, what's Topps going to come up with next? 

Topps 2015 Update All Star Work Out Jersey Troy Tulowitzki Card #STIT-TT

 

My son-in-law also pulled a Etched in History of Yankee great Mariano Rivera.

 

Topps 2015 Update Etched in History Mariano Rivera Card #EIH-7

 

My son-in-law pulled a card of a couple of Silver Slugger Giants.

 

Topps 2015 Update High-Voltage Card #US-21

 

Topps continues its practice of including many different insert sets.  Here are a few of those inserts.

 

Topps 2015 Update Rookie Sensations Cal Ripken, Jr. Card #RS-17

Topps 2015 Update Whatever Works Joe DiMaggio Card #WW-7

Topps 2015 Update Rarities George Brett Card #R-9

Topps 2015 Update Tape Measure Blasts Ted Williams Card #TMB-14

Topps 2015 Update Highlight of the Year Hank Aaron Card #H-69

Probably my favorite Topps 2015 Update insert is Pride and Perseverance set.  I had heard about the Pete Gray card and I was also happy that my daughter pulled one of his card and I was glad to get a William Hoy card.  Hoy, noted for being the most accomplished deaf player in Major League history, had a colorful career at the turn of the 20th century and was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2003.  I always like Jim Eisenreich's story and got one of his cards.  Eisenreich played in the Major Leagues for 15 years.  He has Tourette syndrome and in 1990, and was the first recipient of the Tony Conigliaro Award, given annually to a Major League Baseball player who has overcome a significant obstacle in life.

 Topps 2015 Update Pride and Perseverance William Hoy Card #PP-11

Topps 2015 Update Pride and Perseverance Pete (Wyshner) Gray Card #PP-9

Topps 2015 Update Pride and Perseverance Jason Johnson Card #PP-5 

Topps 2015 Update Pride and Perseverance Jim Eisenreich Card #PP-7

 

Topps continued to include original cards in the Update Series packs.  Some of the cards aren't in great shape but they are still pretty cool.  I don't know if young collectors would know about any of these players' careers, but they might recognize that a surgical procedure that is extending pitcher's careers is named after the Dodger left handed pitcher, Tommy John, or maybe that Nationals outfielder Jayson Worth's grandfather, Dick Schofield, was a major league infielder, or that Royal great George Brett had an older brother, Ken, who played in the major leagues and who, as a 19 year old, pitched in two games for the Red Sox during the 1967 World Series.  

 

Topps Original Card of Tommy John from the Topps 1974 set Card #258

Topps Original Card of Dick Schofield from the Topps 1968 set Card #18

Topps Original Card of Ken Brett from the Topps 1971 set Card #89

Topps is really selling the Cubs young third baseman, Kris Bryant.  His rookie card is a part of Series Two, and Topps also included new Bryant cards in the Update set.  Bryant had a pretty good year and is likely to be named National League Rookie of the Year.  In the Update Series, Topps issued these four cards featuring Bryant.

 Topps 2015 Update Rookie's Rising Card #US79

Topps 2015 Update Kris Bryant Card #US78

Topps 2015 Update Kris Bryant Card #US242

Topps 2015 Update Kris Bryant Card #US283 

 

Also, a few other rookie cards were pulled from the box, including a couple of parallel issues. 

 

Topps 2015 Update Gold Parallel Byron Buxton (#1087 of 2015) Card #US25

Topps 2015 Update Big Parallel Daniel Norris (#04 of 64) Card #US53

Topps 2015 Update Carlos Correa Card #US174

 

I also got a snow camo of former A's catcher, Derrick Norris, wearing a camo jersey for his new team, the Padres.

 

Topps 2015 Update Snow Camo Parallel Derrick Norris (#86 of 99) Card #US167 

 

I've included a list of cards that I have for trade from the update set on my blog. I need a card to complete the set and would like to try to complete the Pride and Perseverance set. If you are interested in trading, just let me know. Thanks for looking.

 

While watching the 8th inning of game four of the World Series, my daughter invented a new verb that should be added to the English language.  "Murphyed": when an infielder muffs what appears to be a routine ground ball.  An example of usage of the new verb, "Oh, the second baseman murphyed that ball."  Then here is a video example of "murphyed".  No treats, just tricks, for Daniel Murphy on that night.

 

  

  



The Mad Dash

As we await the beginning of the 2015 World Series, I reflect back on the winning run that Lorenzo Cain scored in game six of the American League Championship series and I am reminded of St. Cardinals Enos Slaughter's Mad Dash in the 1946 World Series against the Red Sox.

Cain should be applauded for his play when he scored from first base on Eric Hosmer's 8th inning single, as he scored the decisive run to end the Blue Jays post season.  Earlier in the series, Royals third base coach Mike Jirschele had noticed when a runner on first headed to third on a single, Blue Jays' right fielder Jose Bautista would throw the ball to second base.  Bautista had done it before during the series, but the runner coming into third on that play was Royals designated hitter Kendrys Morales and Jirschele couldn’t take advantage of Bautista’s throw as Morales wasn’t fast enough.

However, Jirschele remembered that play and thought that if Bautista did that again and if the Royals had a fast runner coming into third, he would send that runner home.  There could not have a more opportune time for Jirschele to send a runner home when Cain motored into third base and Bautista throw went to second base.  Bautista intentions were to hold Hosmer to a single; however, when Jitschele saw Baustista's throw, he sent Cain home.  Cain speed pressured the Jays defense as they make two long throws and when shortstop's Troy Tulowitzki's throw to the plate was late, the Royals took a 4 - 3 lead.  After Royals reliever Wade Davis worked a tense ninth inning and the Blue Jays failed to score, the Royals won their second consecutive American League championship and are now headed back to the World Series.

This was not the first time in the state of Missouri, that a runner, in the bottom of the 8th inning, scored from first base with the run that won a post season game and series. 

 

The 1946 World Series matched the National League Champion Cardinals, against the American League Champion Red Sox.  The series featured future Hall of Famers, Stan Musial, Red Schoendienst, and Enos Slaughter from the Cardinals, and Ted Williams and Bobby Doerr for the Red Sox.   In the series, the club's star outfielders, Musial and Williams, who each won the Most Valuable Player award in their respective leagues, didn't match the batting averages they had during the season.  During the series, Musial hit .222 (six hits in 27 at bats) and Williams batted just .200 (5 hits in 25 at bats).  For the season, Musial had lead the National League with a .365 batting average and Williams, who had batted .342, finished second in the American League to Senator's Mickey Vernon's .353 average.  Williams, who had played the Series injured, refused to use his injury as an excuse.   

 

After six games, the series was tied at three games.  The Red Sox had won games one, three, and five. The Cardinals followed each of those Red Sox victories with a win of their own, as they won games two, four, and six.  Game seven was played in St. Louis on October 15.

 

So the 1946 World Series come down to a Game 7 and one of the most discussed plays in World Series history, "The Mad Dash".  After Red Sox center fielder, Dom DiMaggio's eight inning two-run double tied the score at 3, the Cardinals came to bat in the bottom of the inning.

 

The Cardinals Enos Slaughter opened the inning with a single but the next two batters failed to advance him. Then with two outs, Harry Walker stepped to the plate and hit a ball over Red Sox shortstop's Johnny Pesky's head and Slaughter started his dash. As Pesky caught the relay throw from the outfield, he turned and saw that Slaughter had rounded third base.  Although, Cardinal third base coach Mike Gonzalez threw up a stop sign, Slaughter ignored it, and he headed to the plate.  Pesky hesitated a split second before throwing home, and his throw was late as Slaughter slid into the plate safely.  Cardinal hurler, Harry Brecheen, who won three games during the series, pitched a scoreless 9th inning.  Walker was credited with a game winning RBI double and the Cardinals won the game and the World Series.

 

Baseball cards have been issued memorializing Slaughter's Mad Dash.

 

In 1970 and 1971, Fleer issued a set of Laughin World Series cards.  In each set, Slaughter's Mad Dash is depicted on the front of the cards.  The cards use cartoon drawings of Slaughter.  The 1970 card shows him sliding across the plate as the 1971 issue has him running through a stop sign. 

1970 Fleer Laughin World Series Card #43

1971 Fleer Laughin World Series Card #44

 

Then during the 90s, Upper Deck and Fleer each issued a card of the Mad Dash.

            1994 Upper Deck All Time Heroes Baseball Card #14

 

1998 Sports Illustrated World Series Fever #26

 

These cards use two different photographs of Slaughter sliding across the plate.

 

In 2010, Topps issued a History of the World Series card of Slaughter.

 



2010 Topps History of the World Series #HWS8 

With this issue, Topps used a color enhanced photograph of the picture Fleer used with its their 1998 Sports Illustrated card. 

1994 Upper Deck Collector's Choice

In 1994, Upper Deck introduced a new baseball card, Collector's Choice.  For five years, through 1998, Upper Deck produced the Collector's Choice card.  In the early 90s, card companies began to issue premium baseball cards.  Donruss was the first card company to introduced a premium card with Leaf in 1990.  Fleer followed up with Ultra in 1991 and then Flair in 1993. In 1992, Topps switched its Bowman card to a premium product and introduced Finest in 1993.  Upper Deck issued its first SP set in 1993.  By the mid 90s, sports card collecting was forever changed and was never again the same. 

1994 Upper Deck Collector's Choice Silver Signature Mike Piazza Rookie of Year Card #310 

 

The 1994 Collector's Choice set has 670 cards and was issued in two series.  The first series has 320 cards and the second series has 350 cards. A pack of Collector's Choice had 12 cards and cost 99 cents.  Each pack had a Silver Signature card (card with a silver facsimile of the player's signature) and each box had Gold Signature card (card with a gold border and a gold facsimile of the player's signature).   Sets of Collector's Choice included five Gold Signature cards.

1994 Upper Deck Collector's Choice Silver Signature John Kruk Card #168

When Collector's Choice was first issued, it really wasn't a premium product.  I feel it was more like the current day Topps Opening Day card.   Collector's Choice was a nice card available at a more affordable price. 

1994 Upper Deck Collector's Choice Silver Signature Shawn Green Card #9

Currently, blogger buckstorecards is writing 1994 Collector's Choice - Card by Card.  The blog is providing a written description about each player card in the set.
 

1994 Upper Deck Collector's Choice Silver Signature Cecil Fielder Card #100

Since Collector's Choice was introduced, I have found boxes of both the first and second series for sale at card shows.  If I find a box of the cards for less than $20, I will usually purchase it.  Today, you can find first series boxes on ebay in the $20 to $25 range.  The second series box is a little harder to find and when I checked ebay today there were no second series boxes being offered.

1994 Upper Deck Collector's Choice Silver Signature Edgar Martinez Card #480

 

Back in 1994, I worked on completing a Collector's Choice set.  Upon finishing the set, I began working on a Silver Signature set.  I've continued to collect the Silver Signature cards and now have the set about 95% complete.  Are there are any other baseball card collectors out there who are trying to complete the 1994 Collector's Choice set?

1994 Upper Deck Collector's Choice Silver Signature Matt Williams Card #299

I've included a list of the Silver Signatures duplicates on my blog page.  I also have many duplicates of the Collector's Choice regular issued cards.  I have not included a list of these cards, but if you are working on the set please check with me and I will see if I have the cards you need.  If you want any of these cards, let me know and we can make a trade.  I have also listed the Silver Signature cards I need.  If you have any of these cards and can help me complete my set, I would like to possibly make some kind of arrangements and get those cards from you.  Please let me know. 

Happens to every guy sometimes this does

I recently completed a trade with JediJeff from 2 x 3 Heroes.  I had written a blog seeing if there was anyone out there who was interested in trading for some 2015 Topps to help me complete my set.  JediJeff contacted me and offered me some of the cards I needed. 

 

To work the trade, I sent cards to JediJeff from his White Sox team want list.  He wrote about those cards on his 2 x 3 Heroes blog entry titled "That Which I Covet"  He did a great job describing the cards I sent to him.  I was happy to trade these cards with JediJeff to help him get closer to completing his White Sox team sets.

JediJeff sent me a package of cards that I received this past week.   JediJeff passed on some of the Topps 2015 cards I needed plus some great A's cards.  

Yoda, as one of the most renowned and powerful Jedi Masters in galactic history says "Happens to every guy sometimes this does." 

Though I am no Jedi, Yodi's words have shown me, through my blog that I have happened to find sometimes, trades and have acquired new cards for my collection.

Some of the cards JediJeff sent to me include:

Topps 2015 Needs

These were the cards JediJeff sent me from my Topps 2015 want list.
  

Giancarlo Stanton Card #150

James Jones Card #494

Brandon Finnegan Card #154

Derek Holland Card #357

Michael Saunders Card #424

Albert Pujols Card #600

 

Giancarlo Stanton hit some long home run this pass season before his year ended on June 26 when he broke the hamate bone in his left hand on a swing and miss.   One of his long home runs was hit on May 12th, when a 467-foot blast cleared the left field stands at Dodger Stadium.   It was the fifth time that a ball had been hit out of Dodger Stadium.  On May 15th, 2015, Stanton hit a 474-foot home run to center field in Marlins Park. Then on May 30th, 2015, Stanton hit a 466-foot home run, the longest home run in the history of the Mets' home park, Citi Field.

 

A's Stars

 

JediJeff included cards of four players who, in 1989, helped the A's to their last World Series Championship.  

 

1997 Pinnacle Mark McGwire Card #188

1995 Emotion Rickey Henderson Card #71

1991 Fleer All Star Team Jose Canseco Card #6

1993 Leaf Rickey Henderson Card #291

1988 Topps UK Minis Dave Parker Card #55

1993 Topps Black Gold Mark McGwire Card #39

 

Jose Canceso, Rickey Henderson, Mark McGwire, and Dave Parker were members of the 1989 team that defeated the Giants during the 1989 World Series.  This series was postposed for ten day due to the Loma Prieta earthquake that struck the San Francisco/Oakland area. During the series, each of these players hit a home run during the four game sweep of the Giants.

 

Autograph Cards

 

JediJeff added a couple of autograph cards of A's pitchers who have pitched in the minor leagues for the A's.

 

2002 Select Rookie and Prospects Bert Snow Card #8

2014 Bowman Chrome Chris Kohler Card #BCAP-CK

 

Bert Snow was the A's 10th round draft pick in the 1998 MLB June Amateur Draft from Vanderbilt University.  The right handed pitcher spent six years in the minor leagues playing for affiliates of the A's.  Chris Kohler was the A's 3rd round selection in the 2013 MLB June Amateur Draft.  After sitting out 2014 due to an elbow injury, this season, Kohler pitched for the Vermont Lake Monsters of the New York-Pennsylvania League.  The 20 year-old left handed pitcher struck out 37 batters in 38.1 innings pitched. 

Home Town Heroes

 

JediJeff added a couple of cards from the 2013 Panini Home Town Heroes set.

2013 Panini Home Town Heroes Dwayne Murphy Card #110

2013 Panini Home Town Heroes Reggie Jackson Card #200

 



Reggie Jackson exploits on the baseball diamond are well documented and earned him a plaque in Cooperstown.  In 21 seasons, Jackson lead the American League in home runs on four different occasions.  He also was a four-time World Champion, winning the World Series twice with the A's and Yankees.  Dwayne Murphy played parts of nine season with the A's.  He was a Golden Glove center fielder, as he won the award six consecutive times, between 1980 through 1985.

 

Vintage Athletic

JediJeff included a Topps 1964 card of Jim Gentile.

Topps 1964 Jim Gentile Card #196

 

Jim Gentile was acquired by the Kansas City Athletics during November 1963 from the Orioles in a trade for Norm Siebern.  In the 1964 season, the A's finished in tenth place in the American League and Gentile was their regular first baseman.  Gentile had 28 home runs and 71 RBI during the season, second on the club in both categories to the A's starting right fielder, Rocky Colavito, who lead the team with 34 home runs and 102 RBI.  After being replaced at first base at the beginning of the 1965 season by Ken "The Hawk" Harrelson, Gentile was traded to the Astros in June.  Before leaving for Houston, Gentile played in 38 games for the A's and hit 10 home runs in 118 at bats.