Ten for Tuesday - Overrated Hall of Famers

Hey everyone, Drew back here. This week, I decided to write the riskiest post in the history of drewscards. Feelings will be hurt. People will be up in arms over some of what will soon follow. But I have to decided to make my case for ten players in the National Baseball Hall of Fame who I find overrated. Keep in mind, I already wrote a list a few weeks ago about who should not be in the Hall of Fame at all, and none of those players will be featured on this list today. Every single player on this list is worthy of induction, and some may very well be considered some of the greatest to ever play the game. You may not agree with everything I say, and you may let your biases and personal ties to players get in the way of the cold hard facts. However, if I can name three former Yankees on this list like I'm about to do, you are all more than capable of throwing all of your ties aside for the sake of what I'm attempting to achieve with this column.

There is a difference between being worthy and being overrated. Remember that.

Top 10 Overrated Players in the Hall of Fame

Honorable Mention - Pete Rose
Utility, Cincinnati Reds / Philadelphia Phillies / Montreal Expos

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Pete Rose will have a place on this list if and when he is inducted into the Hall of Fame. This man's name alone has been hyped up ever since he was banned from baseball, and he even uses that to his own marketing advantage. He has built up a huge crowd of baseball fans, myself included, who view baseball as the villain after he broke the rules. Rose is a genius for what he has been able to do; parking next door to every Hall of Fame induction and constantly making headlines.

But if he never cheated, and he went into the Hall five years after his retirement on his first ballot, how often would he stand out to this extent? Sure, he is the all time hits leader, and there is something to be said about that. 3,215 of those 4,256 hits were singles, and he was never much of a power threat. He prolonged his career by becoming a player-manager, which helped him manipulate his team to collect more hits even if it meant benching someone more deserving of a place on the lineup card. He was never a great fielder, and despite playing like his hair was on fire for almost a quarter century, he came up short of 200 stolen bases.

I'm not trying to say this man is not a Hall of Fame caliber player. But only a select few players should receive the attention that Rose currently receives, and he does not belong in that upper echelon. Without cheating, he would get one of the better applauses at each year's Hall of Fame induction, but never much more than that. I hope Pete finally gets his wish from Commissioner Manfred one day for the sake for baseball, but it will forever be easy to call "Charlie Hustle" overhyped and overrated.

10 - Ozzie Smith
SS, St. Louis Cardinals

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The first player on this week's list was one I had a very difficult time configuring. I have always loved watching Ozzie Smith's highlight reel plays, and I view him as the greatest defensive shortstop in history. But when comparing his statistics alongside Pee Wee Reese, who, although rated poorly with advanced fielding statistics, was a much better offensive producer with an above average glove, I could not keep "The Wizard of Oz" off this list. Smith's career on base percentage was .337, which ranks closely to Ernie Banks and Cal Ripken Jr. among shortstops, but when you fathom Banks' inclusion in the 500 Home Run Club and Ripken's in the 3000 Hit Club, their statuses are boosted up a notch.

Ozzie was a slightly above average hitter for shortstops of his era, and the best defensive player around. He is adored in St. Louis and is one of the nicest men I've ever met. Just watch the Pepsi Max commercial from a few years back and tell me he didn't steal the spotlight with his signature flip. And unfortunately, it's things like that which bring him onto the overrated lists. He is generally comparable to almost any other shortstop in the Hall, yet his persona and likeness as a Fan Favorite bring his stature to a level higher than what his performance may have yielded.

It isn't a bad thing for us to love Ozzie, just as it isn't for Brewers fans to love Robin Yount, Padres fans to love Tony Gwynn, and Tigers fans to love Al Kaline. But you need to be careful analyzing these players and avoid common biases when deciding who belongs more than another. Smith is an unquestionable Hall of Famer, well deserving of his place as an immortal. But every player has its downfall, and considering he only batted over .300 once in his illustrious 19 year career; offense was certainly that.

9 - Rollie Fingers
CP, Oakland Athletics / San Diego Padres / Milwaukee Brewers

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Speaking of signature attributes, what would Rollie Fingers be without his handlebar mustache? Sure, Fingers had a dominant career, and was one of the first relievers to revolutionize the closer role into what it has since become. I view his career as perhaps the greatest of any of the closer-type pitchers currently in the Hall, as his period of dominance is the longest (until Mariano Rivera is inducted). Many know him for his impressive MVP and Cy Young victories in the 1981 season. What many don't realize is that he was 34 years old at that time, and had already pitched effectively for thirteen years!

I still haven't really made up my mind over how/if closers should be chosen for the Hall, but I think even if I tightened the group, Fingers would still make the cut. However, it must be said that he played in an excellent pitcher's park in Oakland and was a part of some fantastic teams. Winning does increases relevance in mainstream society, but closers typically don't have the biggest say in that (except when Kirk Gibson or Luis Gonzalez stepped up to the dish). I think the entire closer position is overrated, and this is coming from someone who watched Rivera pitch at the top of his game. 

And, I'll ask again. How would Rollie Fingers be viewed today if he didn't have that mustache? Among the hardcore fans like myself and a majority of you, he is placed correctly in the Hall, despite what anyone says about the closer position. But it really surprises me how many non-hardcore, young baseball fans know about Rollie Fingers, and nothing in his statistics really prove why that may be. It may sound silly, but Fingers' career simply does not measure up to what grew above his upper lip.

8 - Reggie Jackson
OF/DH, Oakland Athletics / Baltimore Orioles / New York Yankees / California Angels

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I can already smell the hatred spilling out of some of your eyes as you glance over the names I have thus far deemed to be overrated. The first Yankee to make the list, Mr. October transcended the game in a unique way. He, along with contemporaries Dave Kingman and Bobby Bonds, reinvented the slugger in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Players now did not have to excel defensively to earn playing time, as long as they were capable of hitting the ball out of the stadium at the right time. This change even called for the Designated Hitter rule in the American League, which some people have hated from the very start. Now, players did not even have to play the field if they were liabilities on the defensive side. Jackson was a horrible outfielder, retiring with 142 errors as an outfielder, despite playing over 600 of his 2,820 games as the DH.

Jackson's offense was completely one dimensional, as seen from his 563 career home runs, and all time record 2,597 strikeouts. Approximately 40% of his plate appearances resulted in either a home run, strikeout, or walk; the epitome of the three outcome slugger. Nowadays, the Chris Davis', Mark Reynolds', and Adam Dunn's of the world are keeping Jackson's legacy alive, and strikeouts are more prominent than ever before. He retired with a lifetime batting average of .262, one of the lowest career marks among position players inducted. His clutch performances and legendary moments, along with his absurd strength make Jackson a fan favorite, even through his terrible reputation with fans. His ego has clashed with some of baseball's finest, and on occasion his blunt comments have put his name in the next day's newspaper. 

I grew up absolutely loving Reggie Jackson, especially after watching ESPN's "The Bronx is Burning" series. But after meeting him, I really changed my mind about the way I felt about October's former hero. My personal opinion about the man himself did not bring him onto this list, but it certainly made it easier for me to feel comfortable about the decision. 

7 - Dennis Eckersley
CP, Cleveland Indians / Boston Red Sox / Chicago Cubs / Oakland Athletics / St. Louis Cardinals

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The hate parade for closers is not finished yet, unfortunately, although I can say that Dennis Eckersley is ranked as my most overrated closer in the Hall of Fame. "Eck" was a troubled, inconsistent starting pitcher for much of the first half of his career, until Tony LaRussa moved him into the bullpen with the Oakland A's. From that point forward, he was indestructible for about a six year stretch. But like newly inducted HOF'er John Smoltz, he may receive a bit too much credit for having retired with almost 200 wins and 400 saves. Some give these pitchers credit for being able to make a "significant" adjustment, and if that is any part of the reason they are rewarded, that is absolutely bogus. Even Eckersley said that the closer position is overrated, saying that it isn't as hard to transition into as one may think. 

Eckersley was not a Hall of Fame starting pitcher. He is a Hall of Fame reliever, but only for that six year span. He belongs as a whole, but was no Rivera, Fingers, or even Gossage.

6 - Don Drysdale
SP, Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers

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Here is where things begin to get a little dicey. Don Drysdale was as dominant as can be when he was on his game. However, the simple fact that he shared the spotlight with Sandy Koufax is his ultimate downfall. Some may view Koufax as overrated because he didn't have the longevity, but this doesn't matter to me when it comes to starting pitchers. In fact, I'm much more content in knowing that we never got to experience Koufax past his prime, as it could have partially diminished his legacy.

As for Drysdale, he was always a very good pitcher, but he may have been forgotten had he pitched in almost any other city. His career ERA of 2.95 is good, but not great. His career record of 209-166 is good, but not great. With the exception of his fantastic 1962 campaign in which he finished with a 25-9 record, 2.83 ERA, and a league leading 232 strikeouts, Drysdale belonged in the Hall of Very Good. He wasn't the best postseason performer, either. Basically, the guy earned his place in the Hall, but he's closer to Juan Marichal and Fergie Jenkins than Whitey Ford and the aforementioned Koufax that he is more frequently mentioned among.


5 - Dizzy Dean
SP, St. Louis Cardinals / Chicago Cubs / St. Louis Browns

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Dizzy Dean has one of the stranger stat-lines of any pitcher in the Hall of Fame. And, upon further review, it feels like something is left to be desired, especially since he has always been so highly regarded among baseball historians. Dean's career was ruined by injuries, and he only managed six full seasons. Granted, they were six phenomenal years, especially his MVP winning performance in 1934. He won 30 games that season with a 2.66 ERA, and followed up the next year with another 28 wins to bolster his statistics. But as we know, the "What Could Have Been" players generally have never produced enough to be considered for the Hall of Fame. Thurman Munson, Dwight Gooden, Dave Parker, and modern day stars like Josh Hamilton all had the talent to one day be enshrined, but the tragic truth to it is that they fell short.

It's one thing to feel for someone who was one of the more colorful men in the game in the early 20th century, but it's another to honor him for what he did not quite achieve. I have no problem with Dean being in the Hall of Fame for his dominant short career and legacy as a color commentator, but I do think he is over-recognized by fans. He may have been one of the best, but he wasn't, so he should not be spoken of as if he was.

4 - Joe DiMaggio
OF, New York Yankees

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Woah, boy. I bet you didn't see this coming. Joe DiMaggio is one of the most famous baseball players in history. Heck, he dated Marilyn Monroe and Paul Simon wrote a song about him! For a while after his retirement, he was voted baseball's greatest living player, ahead of Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Ted Williams. After comparing his statistics alongside those three, I would have to take all 3 before choosing DiMaggio. Now don't get me wrong, "Joltin' Joe" would easily fall in my All Time Top 25, but advanced metrics as well as a shortened career would move him closer to my #25 than to my #1. His 56 Game Hitting Streak is one of the most impressive milestones throughout sports history, but some of the older folk will say he is the greatest player of all time because they had the pleasure of watching him play. I've seen Derek Jeter do some impressive things at games I have attended, but I cannot say he was better than Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, or even Joe DiMaggio for that matter. Sabermetrics have also hurt his case for being one of the greatest to ever take the field, as they say he was not quite as spectacular a defender as he was praised to be. I always take sabermetrics with a grain of salt, but this may make sense considering how people have practically described the man as a superhero prior to these further evaluations.

If DiMaggio was able to play in his prime rather than serve in World War II, perhaps he would deserve the enormous amount of baseball respect he already has. This sacrifice he made should be recognized and appreciated; don't get me wrong. He's as surefire as it gets for the Hall of Fame, but his reputation as one of the most famous sports figures ever should be up for debate.

Sorry, Yankee fans. It hurt me to say all that. Sorry Joe.

3 - Cy Young
SP, Cleveland Spiders / St. Louis Perfectos / Boston Americans/Red Sox / Cleveland Naps / Boston Rustlers

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Denton True Young was baseball's first ace. Perhaps this is why the annual Cy Young Award is named in his honor, but I always got the impression that it was because some believed he was the greatest pitcher of that era. Winning 500 games is a ridiculous accomplishment, one I believe will never be paralleled thanks to the way baseball has changed since his retirement over a century ago. When Young pitched, he would often pitch consecutive days in a row, not receiving much rest between games. He threw the most innings of all time at 7,356, and it really is marvelous that his arm didn't fall off (talk about Tommy John Surgery). Let's not forget that along with those 511 wins, he is one of only two pitchers to lose over 300 games (316) as well. There were some good hitters in that period of time, especially Ty Cobb, Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker and Honus Wagner; but it was called "The Dead Ball Era" for a reason. Until Babe Ruth came around, pitchers rarely allowed home runs, which helped glorify their ERA's in the history books.

There is nothing we can change about Cy Young. We cannot say "He wouldn't be in the Hall of Fame if he played today," because we simply do not know that. Pitching has endured several recent hardships, but Young would appreciate some rest between starts. The Hall of Fame doesn't embark on hypothetical journeys. His 511 wins should not be held against him, as he did earn them, after all. But they should not help his case either.

What I'm trying to say is; if you think Cy Young is the greatest pitcher of all time just because the award is in his name, you're probably wrong. I understand that the award was named in his honor after his death, and I have no problem with that sentiment. But Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, and possibly even Grover Cleveland Alexander may rank above him on most all time pitcher rankings, so I in no means consider him the greatest pitcher in history. 

2 - Phil Rizzuto
SS, New York Yankees

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The final Yankee inclusion on this list just so happens to be one of our most beloved, Phil Rizzuto. "Scooter" was an electrifying player on one of several of baseball's all time greatest teams, and added to his resumé much like Dizzy Dean, as a broadcaster. In 1950, he was the American League's MVP; his .324 average, .418 OBP, and 200 hits far exceeding any of his previous heights. Unfortunately, one season of this caliber is not normally enough for any player who did not take the spotlight of New York. Rizzuto was a wonderful baseball man who could have been a Hall of Famer for his broadcasting exploits alone, but by putting him in the Hall of Fame for his playing career, it opens the floodgates to the "if Rizzuto is in, then ______ should be in as well". While it is more than okay to honor players of the past, there simply is not enough room in the Hall of Fame for all of the players with similar career statistics to Rizzuto's. 

Again, much like DiMaggio, his numbers were affected by his serving in World War II. There is no denying his legacy as an American citizen, but he should have been denied for the Hall of Fame. Some may say the Fame in Hall of Fame is what keeps him in ahead of Marty Marion and co., but fame should not be what bases upon player's election. There's Hollywood for things like that.

I slipped up by not mentioning Rizzuto in my Undeserving Hall of Fame players list, but this list applies equally as well. "Scooter" simply does not compare to the greatest shortstops of all time, and it's unfortunate considering how fantastic a person he was.

1 - Nolan Ryan
SP, New York Mets / California Angels / Houston Astros / Texas Rangers

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I now introduce you to the most overrated player currently in the Hall of Fame. That, my friends; is Nolan Ryan. There is an aura surrounding the man who has struck out more batters than anyone before, and I'm going to testify against that very aura. I am well aware of his 7 no-hitters, long-term stability, and knack for the strikeout. There may have never been a more dominant pitcher when he was on his game. But let's take notice to how I worded that statement. When he was on his game.

"The Ryan Express" was a work horse like no other. He battled for every out, pitcher vs. batter; almost like something from an old western. If he didn't bring his best stuff to the ballpark, he was prone to being tossed around. If I could choose one pitcher to start a game deciding my fate, I would have a tough time choosing between Ryan and Bob Gibson. 

This does not make Nolan Ryan the best pitcher of all time. Most competitive? Perhaps. But best? No. Ryan only won 20 games twice in his 27 year career that ended when he was 46 years young. He never won a Cy Young Award, ridiculous as it may sound, while his modern-day counterpart Roger Clemens (with the use of steroids) was awarded with 7 such trophies. He walked a ridiculous 4.67 batters per nine innings pitched, and retired with the all time record of 2,795 walks allowed. In 1974 and 1977, he walked over 200 batters! He tied or led the league in Wild Pitches in six seasons. His ERA often sat in the mid 3.00's by the conclusion of most years.

For anyone who claims Ryan to be the best they ever saw, they can say that. With his command, Nolan Ryan was as unstoppable as a pitcher could be, which led to some of the best pitching performances ever recorded. But someone with such wishy-washy command should not be viewed as the greatest hurler in the history of the game, because he was dependent on his control in order to determine how he would perform. The best pitchers in history did not need to depend on anything that critical in order to be successful.

Who is the most overrated player in the Hall of Fame?

Nolan Ryan

Phil Rizzuto

Cy Young

Other - Comment Below

Poll Maker

Phew. The roast has finally come to a halt. Let me conclude by once again saying that I'm not trying to tear apart any of these players in this post, because they were all much better baseball players than I will ever be. All 11 should be in the Hall of Fame, but there should be some more attention spread out to other members of the Hall. I will soon return with a more positive spin on the Hall, focusing on which members are criminally underrated among their peers. 

Until next Tuesday, See Ya!

Taste of Gypsy Queen + Why Matt Carpenter is the Worst

Hey guys, Drew back here! It may or may not be a good thing that my new job is located at my local mall, along with my closest Target. I've been tempted for over a week to check out the new Gypsy Queen product, and I finally got around to giving it a try; purchasing a hanger pack with 3 retail packs and a 3 card pack of Target exclusive parallels. I could not resist Ozzie Smith being on the pack covers, and I've always liked what Topps has done with the set year after year.

Pack 1:

- Matt Carpenter

- Ty Cobb

- Mookie Betts Mini

- Yan Gomes

- Starling Marte

- C.J. Wilson

Matt Carpenter and I are foes all thanks to fantasy baseball. I really want to like the guy, he's a great run scoring leadoff hitter on a team I have always found respect for. However, in September of 2013 I was playing in my main fantasy baseball league championship against the kid comparable to Ruxin from "The League"; who had won two consecutive seasons and was seeking a three-peat. On the last day of the season, I was barely ahead, until the Cardinals played that Sunday night. My opponent played Matt Adams and Carpenter while I had Yadier Molina as my final player of the season. I was winning the batting average category by percentage points, and Molina's 1 for 3 performance that night put me up just enough where I thought I could hold on. I also was winning by 1 home run, and was worried that Matt Adams could be the guy to hit the tying bomb, since he is more of a power hitter and was on a tear at the moment.

Adams stunk it up on Sunday Night Baseball, striking out 3 times in an 0-5 performance. However, Matt Carpenter did just enough to crush my spirits. In his first at bat, he barely knocked the ball over the fence to tie the home run category at 12 each. At this point, I had the score at 5-3-2 (our league plays Head to Head based on categories), and after Molina's hit I thought I would still be able to hang on. But Carpenter wasn't done, and in one of his later at bats he knocked a base hit barely above a leaping Scooter Gennett at second base that gave him a batting average lead of .3121 to .3117, which he was able to hold on to to tie the overall score, 4-4-2. Yeah. A tie. In the championship. And since his team had a better overall regular season record than me, he won the tiebreaker, and the championship.

But that's not all. After having to hear him brag about Matt Carpenter winning him the cheapest championship in fantasy sports history, I decided to give him a shot the next season. If anyone else reading had Carpenter on their team last year expecting what he did in 2013, you can see why I still couldn't change my mind about him. This year, he's back on the dark side, and of course, he's performing whenever my arch rival wants him to. So, long story short, Matt Carpenter, you're the worst.

Pack 2:

- Cal Ripken Jr.

- Matt Adams

- Johnny Cueto Mini

- Mike Moustakas Glove Stories

- Daniel Murphy

- Jake Odorizzi

Sorry for the rant before, I just can't help but get frustrated whenever I see Matt Carpenter dominating. As for the Gypsy Queen set itself, I'm a fan of the base cards with the exception of that distracting loop on the upper left side of each card. It bothers me, especially when they don't make use of it to include more of the photo in it. The Carpenter and Marte cards in Pack 1 look better to me than what Topps did with Daniel Murphy and Cal Ripken's cards, because the space is unnecessary and takes away from the overall design. I think they wanted to make a substantial change this year because the product was beginning to lose its appeal, and I really have to be honest, I'm not sure if it worked well at all.

Pack 3:

- Howie Kendrick

- Allen Craig

- Matt Garza Mini

- Alex Gordon Walk-Off Winners

- Jean Segura

- Anthony Rendon

I'm also starting to get a bit sick of mini cards. I have never known what to do to store minis properly, and I've had stacks of different years of minis laying around in my basement for a while now. I always have to put them separately in card boxes because if I try to put a player's cards in order, the minis always seem to fall out and it becomes a process. If anyone wants a significant amount of my mini cards, feel free to comment on this post. 

One thing I can say Topps does a good job with in Gypsy Queen is how they can photoshop players in new uniforms. Obviously, there is no perfect way to do this, but I think the Howie Kendrick card looks presentable without a doubt, and it was my favorite card of the pack. A lot of this has to do with the artistic approach to contrast and shadows that has been Gypsy Queen's draw for years now.

Retail Exclusive Parallels:

- Mookie Wilson
- Yu Darvish
- Satchel Paige

Call me hypocritical, but the weird loop in the design looks fantastic on these parallels. The pictures are set into the cards and these are on thick card stock, and I think the shining gray foil used displays the pictures really well. The Satchel Paige is a beautiful card, and the other two don't look that bad either.

Something did feel a bit off with Gypsy Queen this year, and I can say of the three products I've checked out in 2015, it has been my least favorite. I'm looking forward to Series 2 of the flagship set!

What do you think about this year's Gypsy Queen? And, do you have any players you can't like no matter how hard you try?

See Ya!

2013 All Star Fanfest Recap! Part 3!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Well, considering this is a continuation of the past few posts, I'm left without much else to say. Enjoy what's left of our adventure!

I left off yesterday after I was able to add George Foster to my signed baseball collection, and from that point forward I was relatively content. Just kidding, because if you could identify either or both of the men above you knew I was hungry for some more signed balls. I came across a Q&A session in the clubhouse with none other than Cardinals legends Ozzie Smith and Lou Brock! I listened to a very small amount of the conversation, as I was more focused on trying to prepare for their exit. I overheard the security guards say that they would go out the back entrance, and considering I thought I knew the place, I headed over to this "back entrance". Sure enough, they left out of another door, and I was left chasing down Ozzie Smith along with an enormous mob of people. Smith was in the midst of signing a few autographs when security told him to stop signing, and he seemed a little annoyed about that. 

He wound up joining Cal Ripken Jr. at the MLB TV station, where we had previously gotten Frank Thomas and Jack Morris. But, since Ripken had already been sitting there, we were camped out way in the back of the enormous crowd. I decided to leave because I figured it was all a lost cause, but Mike and Vinny decided to try a little longer. They were unsuccessful again, unfortunately.

By the time I came back to the station, Ripken and Smith had exited and Brock was being interviewed. But, the huge crowd was still there, so I again, decided to leave. Dad and I went for a little stroll around the building, and all of a sudden we caught a monster roaming around. Andre Dawson was walking around in the store with security guards, picking through some shirts. When he came out from the aisle, I politely asked him if he could sign for me, considering there weren't many people around. Before Dawson had the chance to open his mouth, the security guard said "No, he can't". Andre gave me a look as if to say "I would if I could, kid". It was really disappointing to see the security as difficult as it was at the show. I mean, had they been more open to allowing players to sign at FANfest, I may have been able to go home with signed balls of Ozzie Smith, Andre Dawson, Andrew McCutchen, and quite possibly Cal Ripken Jr. I understood that players have schedules and what not but I didn't think it could've killed Mr. Dawson to sign one ball in a relatively empty store. Whatever. 

Dad and I came back to the MLB station to find Vinny and Mike, and as we came across them we also came across a familiar face entering the building, at least for me. Mike, Vinny, and Dad had no idea who it was, but I knew the face when I saw him. Mr. Marlin himself, Jeff Conine! Conine was a solid player in his day, and I guess he decided to show up for some particular reason (we didn't follow him around). Before he entered the room, he signed for Dad and Vinny, because Mike and I didn't have anything to really add him on. Conine would be the last player to sign for my Dad, so he left with this beautiful custom made (by me) picture of Citi Field celebrating the All Star festivities!

The picture is signed by Frank Thomas, Gaylord Perry, Jack Morris, Jeff Conine, Jim Leyritz, George Foster, and Rollie Fingers! Leyritz' autograph came with the MLB authentication sticker, so it made the photo look pretty legitimate. I'm glad I decided to customize a picture, because it sure did come out nicely, even though nobody signed to like the right field bleachers. I'm planning on framing this and hanging it up, in commemoration of the event!

Following Conine's autograph, we decided to start wrapping things up. Since the building had been basically divided into two huge rooms, we finally got to check out some of the side we entered through. Most of this side was composed of memorabilia/card dealers and some exhibits/fun family activities. However, ESPN Radio was also staged over on that side, and it had previously had Gaylord Perry and Tim Teufel as free signers earlier on. My favorite author Mike Lupica was doing his radio show earlier as well, but at the time we got there his show was long over. Instead, Don La Greca and Yankees announcer Michael Kay were doing their show! I have grown up with Michael Kay as the Yankees announcer, and since he's about 100 times better than John Sterling, I've always respected him. He isn't Bob Uecker or Vin Scully, but he definitely holds his own and knows what he is talking about.

A fan standing to the side of the booth waved to Mr. Kay during his break as if to grab his attention for autographs, and Kay gave him the "one minute" signal. Mike, Vinny, and I joined in behind the fan in line, but we knew we had to hurry because he probably would have to go back on air shortly. However, we all got a chance to go up on stage, greet him and talk to him. Unfortunately this was where wearing a Pirates jersey did me wrong, but I explained to Michael that I wore it to get McCutchen's attention and that I'm a diehard Yankee fan, and that I really enjoy listening to him. He was really cool about it and appreciative, and he signed my ball on the sidepanel. It still looks pretty awesome to me, but say what you want!

Although I wasn't wearing the proper attire, I'm really glad we all got to meet him! It was so surreal hearing his voice as he talked to us, considering I've listened to him as long as I've been a baseball fan. We all agreed that he was a good way to complete the day, and that from that point on we could have a little fun before we made the trek over to our next stop (see next post)! As we talked about the rest of the plan, Dad came back over from the Topps booth with a handful of cards, topped by this one:

The special at the Topps booth was one All Star commemorative card per every 3 packs bought by customers. I planned to take part in this but I completely forgot about it, but I'm glad Dad wasn't shy! He bought 3 packs of 2013 Bowman, the first tastes I've gotten of the product. Well, it looks nice to me, and take a look at what I ended up getting!

I'm not really into cards as much as I used to be, but I will never really turn them down, unless they're commons from the junk wax era. I plan on using many of these for future through the mail requests, so again, this was definitely appreciated Dad!

From there, we basically just walked around, snapping pictures in every direction, and as we headed out, we posed for a photo with the Fanfest "World's Largest Baseball", which is below the header of the post. I want to thank Dad once again for everything he did for me at this show, along with my buddies for accompanying me, although they seemed to have had a great time as well. But this trip wasn't over yet...

See Ya!

August 20th White Plains Card Show Review Part 4

Hey guys, Drew back here! Time for you guys to see the 2 big Hall of Famers I added to my custom Hall of Fame set! Take a look...

PART 4:

HALL OF FAMERS

This has been a post I've been dying to write for months now, because I couldn't wait to talk about my story of meeting these former greats to you all. We all had to wait quite a long time because, considering its one of the biggest card shows in the country and many people were there, a lot of people were in line to meet these guys too. 

The first Hall of Famer I met that day was former Cardinals All Star shortstop, "The Wizard", Ozzie Smith! Smith, known for his trademark backflips and incredible defensive plays, was larger than life back in his playing days. Fortunately, throughout his popularity and fame, he hasn't changed his personality one bit, as he was by far the nicest and most down to Earth player I've ever met. Before us in line was an older guy with his little son, holding a little toy when he shook hands with Smith. Smith proceeded to have the kid pose on the table while he held his little toy for a picture, and it looked like it was a cool memory for those people for sure. 

I came up to Ozzie and greeted him, and did the usual "I made this card of you on my computer, in your honor" deal, because it's always the shy guys way out of being loud and obnoxious to players. He responded by saying that I'm a really creative young kid, and it meant a lot for me to hear that from a guy who was certainly a unique baseball player:

So, I got him to sign my Hall of Fame card and we posed for a picture. Following that Mike did fellow blogger William a favor and got his baseball signed for him by Ozzie, giving him a chance to meet "The Wizard of Oz". We both strongly feel like he was the nicest baseball player we've ever met, and it was a great opportunity and memory for both of us.

My autographed card came out good, and my only complaint is that I didn't reprint it before I got it signed because the printer started to run low on ink as the card completed. You can tell by looking at the color comparison on the far right side of the card. Otherwise, the autograph, plus his Hall of Fame inscription came out awesome, and I'm extremely psyched to add it to the set! Before I get to the other guest we met, here are a few pictures of some of the other signers at the show:

Ralph Kiner

Fay Vincent

Mets Rookie Justin Turner

Mets Rookie Dillon Gee

Anyway, the second autograph guest was none other than "Mr. Cub", Ernie Banks! When I saw that Banks was on the lineup, I knew for sure I wasn't going to get a whole lot of "gifts" for my birthday, as I instead asked for money so I can save up to meet the legend! I eventually compiled the money, made his card, and went off to wait in line for him in the afternoon. Boy was he slow at signing autographs! It took Mike and I over 2 hours to wait in line just so we could make use of my autograph ticket. Mike ever so kindly stood in line for me since he was done buying stuff and had nothing better to do, as I ran out to buy more before the show ended and I came back with more money than I hoped to have had. The show was about a half hour from ending, with many more people still to go, Banks already having been way past his time allotment, and he decides to get up, and walk around a little bit...

I swear, I have absolutely no idea how I felt at this moment. I thought it was absolutely hilarious some of the stuff he was saying, and the fact that he decided to get up and personalize with a lot of the people still waiting for him, but on the second hand I was worried that he wouldn't finish in time and I ended up losing the price of his ticket! Fortunately, he soon finished joking around asking who was married and who has considered divorce, murder, or suicide, and finally returned to his signing table. (PS, turn up the volume on the video above, so you can hear him!)

So, about a half hour later it was FINALLY our turn to meet him. His price was $90 an autograph, so I guess he was trying to make it worth every penny! The lady in front of us worked in the media section for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and she decided to have a long conversation with him about the old Pirates teams, etc etc. I'm standing there, right in front of Mr. Banks, while he's holding my card and about to sign it, while not having said one word to me yet and continuing the conversation with that lady. He finally turned to me and I said hello, and the usual, custom card deal, and I asked him to inscribe his Hall of Fame year on it. He responds to me by saying, almost as if he was in awe, "You made that?", and I said yeah, and he told me he was really impressed. He finished signing my card and the 3 of us, dad, Mike, and I, all went around the table for a photo opportunity. My dad decides to be the funny guy he is and says "See that kid there (pointing to me)? He's 15, married, and murdered his wife!" Banks turned and stared me down for a good 5 seconds with his jaw dropped until dad said he was kidding and that I would never do that. Banks knew and just said he was going with the joke basically. What a hilarious and memorable meet with "Mr. Cub"!

Overall, Banks really made my day, and it was definitely something I'll never forget. He seemed like a real gentle giant, and had one of the better personalities I've came across in a long time. The autograph came out beautiful and is easily my favorite of the set so far. You can't get a whole lot better than a 14 time All Star who slugged 512 home runs, winning 2 MVPs along the way!

So, my advice is this. If you ever see one of these guys, Smith or Banks, coming around your area for a signing, don't miss out! Both of them are complete gentlemen and class acts, and it was a day I'll never forget...

See Ya!

August 20th White Plains Card Show Review Part 2

Hey guys, Drew back here. So, last night, I went to the Yankee game, and it sure was a nailbiter. I don't know if I've ever been to a closer game, as the Yankees wound up losing 6-5. I'll have more on that including some pictures sometime soon. For now, let me reminisce of dad and I's vintage pickups at the White Plains show this past weekend.

PART 2:

VINTAGE PICKUPS

Yeah. I just went there. I started off a "vintage" post with a 1984 Donruss Don Mattingly rookie card. I know what you're saying. "THIS ISN'T VINTAGE?!?!" Well, it isn't necessarily vintage, but it had to go here. So, deal with it. Anyways, I got this card for $12, since it was in great shape but was the only one of the major rookies Mattingly has that I didn't have yet. Always nice to mark one off the list. Oh, and this one's my favorite of the 3!

Next was a very off centered, but cheap, 1979 Topps Ozzie Smith rookie card! I'll have more on Ozzie before this series ends, but for now I'll just write about this one. His rookie was one that I've wanted to add to the Hall of Fame rookie collection for a while now, no matter what the condition was. 

Now onto the picture I took rather than taking each card out of their holders and scanning them and putting them away. Boy was I lazy the day I scanned these. Anyways, oh yeah, the cards. Dad got me these, and I needed most of them, and even if I had them, definitely happy to add seconds of them! I've really taken interest in 60's and 70's cards, recently buying a huge box just to hold them in. My favorite of these is probably either the 1979 Willie Stargell (Pirates!) or the Bob Allison card, from 1961, that I'm pretty sure is not a Topps card. Interesting...

Also included in dad's little vintage bunch were these 2 1967 Topps League Leaders cards, both featuring Frank Robinson on them. It's funny because Robinson also was the first one on the Home Run Leaders card. Oh thats right, he won the Triple Crown that year! I should probably add the home run card sometime just to finish off the trio of Robinson-leading cards. 

HOLY 1961 TOPPS! Yeah, Dad wasn't done with the vintage shopping, to say the least! Between the two of us, we combined for just under 90 new cards to add to our set. I picked up a lot of 20 cards for $5, while I only had 2 of them already. Dad got all the ones in toploaders, and I can't wait to add all these into my box of 1961 cards!

Those were just some of the bigger cards of the bunch. Most of the cards were just commons, but a few cards stood out, such as the Dick Williams card, the Whitey Ford postseason highlight, Johnny Podres, Elston Howard, and a MVP card of Jim Konstanty, my ex-little league teammate's grandfather. The condition of most of these are decent, some could be better, but for now they'll fit for sure!

.... we're not done with 1961's. Here we have the Yogi Berra base card, as well as the Rizzuto MVP card. I bought the Rizzuto and Dad got the Berra as well as the following two cards. Yogi's card from that year is one of my favorite cards he has, I'm not sure why though. It just really pops though. 

Dad also got me the Ron Santo Rookie Card, featuring the famous Topps All Star Rookie trophy. Santo surely was an All Star throughout his career, and possibly should've been considered a lot more for Cooperstown. A career .277 hitter with 342 home runs, as well as 9 All Star selections and 5 Gold Gloves makes me wonder why he's not in when guys like Orlando Cepeda, Jim Rice, and Bill Mazeroski are in. The card is in great shape and is definitely one of the best looking cards in the entire set. 

 But wait, there's MORE! The final 1961 card I obtained at the card show was the rookie card of Hall of Fame pitcher, perhaps the best pitcher throughout the 1960's, the Dominican Dandy, Juan Marichal! Marichal, as well as Santo and Billy Williams, was the last top rookie card to acquire for the set! Marichal was a 10 time All Star with a career record of 243 wins and 142 losses, and an ERA of 2.89. He won the most games throughout the 1960's, using his intimidating leg kick to put a scare in some of the best hitters in baseball. This card is a little off center but otherwise the corners are sharp and it's perfect! No need for a replacement with this one!

So, well, Dad and I really did some damage with that set we're building. If any of you have any 1961 Topps cards laying around, please check out my have list and let me know what you have that I may need. Thanks so much once again to Dad, I wouldn't be nearly as close if it wasn't for him!

See Ya!