TTM #88 & Birthday Gift! Brooklyn Dodgers Edition!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Lately, as most of you have seen, I've been really getting into pictures and memorabilia, almost to the point where I'd rather have photos over cards. I can see why people think otherwise, as Night Owl wrote in his post the other day, but I just feel like it would be cool to clutter my wall with all sorts of awesome autographs I can stare at all day long. And, I have to say, it's refreshing to hear a "I'm so jealous" by my friends once in a while, but I'll keep that between us! Anyways, sometimes I don't even ask for something and I ended up with it, as in this case. My dad's uncle received a picture from my Grandpa about 20 years ago, and for my birthday, he thought it would be fitting to pass it down to me, given I'm such a big baseball fan.

The picture was this team photo of the 1955 World Champion Brooklyn Dodgers! I am in no means a Dodgers fan, but I am a baseball fan, and I think it's awesome to now have a piece featuring legends like Koufax, Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, and of course, Jackie Robinson. 

I don't know how soon it will be before this goes on a wall in my house, but if it doesn't have a good spot here, it will definitely one day. I dream of having a mancave when I'm older at my house so I can show off my collection even more. Hopefully that dream will come true, and if it does, I'll certainly find a spot for this. (even though they beat my dang Yankees in the World Series) Thank you Uncle John for thinking of me, and giving me this sweet gift. 

But, we're not done here. I found it fitting that the other day I happened to get a TTM success from one of the players in this picture- the guy to the left of Sandy Koufax. The success took only 9 days, and well, it was even better than I expected!

 

Yes, those are all autographs of Carl Erskine, a former Dodgers pitcher! Erskine was never quite Koufax, Drysdale, or even Newcombe, but he was certainly one of the more consistent pitchers of his era. The 1 time All Star finished his 12 year career with an ERA at exactly 4.00, compiling 122 wins and only 78 losses. He signed 4 items for me, even though I only sent two! He is now one of 6 autographs I own from the 1988 Pacific set, which I've been using a lot lately for TTM requests. The card below that is some sort of personal card he included, with a bunch of advice on the back. Also, he signed my index card and pimped out a nice inscription without a doubt, and he wrote "Hello Drew, Thanks for writing and for your interest, Regards, Carl Erskine" on my letter! I'm really happy with the success, and I'm glad I'm beginning to broaden my horizons with my baseball knowledge.

Again, a big thank you to my Uncle John for the great picture, and to Mr. Erskine for being such a class act! See Ya!

Ancient Baseball Card eBay Pickup! Yankee Stud!

Hey guys, Drew back here. Well, I tried making a big comeback, but so far with so many plans and camp and stuff in the way, looks like it's not gonna work too well. Well, I guess its the thought that counts. I've definitely got a sweet post coming soon based off of tomorrow, but otherwise there's a lot to post in not a whole lot of free time. Guess that's never a big problem, its better than having nothing to write about. Anyways, check out this awesome card I just bought!

Out of the 1934 National Chicle/Diamond Stars set, I got card #12, of former Yankees outfielder Fred "Dixie" Walker. While Walker was known mostly for his days with the Brooklyn Dodgers, he also began his career in 1931 for the Yankees! To be honest, I knew absolutely nothing about this guy until after I won the card, but immediately researched him. Dodgers fans gave him the nickname "The People's Cherce", cherce basically meaning choice in the "Brooklynese" language. He won the batting title in 1944 with a .357 batting average, and also made 5 All Star teams in his 18 year career. 

Walker is especially famous for being the only player in baseball history to be teammates with both Babe Ruth, and Jackie Robinson. An interesting story to relate with Robinson, was that when Jackie was about to be called up by Brooklyn, many Alabama natives pressured him to make a statement by asking to be traded. Having negro league players being called up in the Majors was obviously a new thing, and at the time many players didn't want to associate themselves with Robinson. After never being traded, Walker was forced to play with Robinson, and for Jackie to avoid being embarrassed he would not look in his eyes when they shook hands and what not. Eventually he gained a lot of respect for Jackie, saying that Branch Rickey was 100% correct with the idea to sign him. He went on to coach in International Leagues with players of many races!

I found that to be a really interesting story, and it's definitely neat to own a card of his. He retired with a .305 lifetime batting average, over 100 home runs, and was often considered for several MVP awards. 

The card certainly is not in tip top condition, but it almost looks weird to own a mint condition card from this time. Its got a few decent creases, but I spent under $10 on it so it'll definitely be something I want to hang on to, and get in a nice screwdown. This is now my oldest card by about 19-20 years, and I hope to find stuff for good prices even older than this! They're definitely pretty cool to own!

What is your oldest card and how did you get it?

See Ya!