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!

A Trip to the Yogi Berra Museum!

Hey guys, Drew back here! So, as I mentioned in the last post, the day following Jets camp was quite busy as well. My family went over to Hoboken, New Jersey to check out Carlos' Bake Shop, where the show "Cake Boss" is filmed. I don't really watch the show, but my sister does, and she wanted to see if she could meet anyone on the show. Sure enough, she did, and we came home with a lot of good pastries that won't last very long! But, since this is a sports blog, I'd prefer to go into what we did after visiting the bakery.

About 20 minutes out of Hoboken, on the campus of Montclair University, there stands a museum dedicated to one of the greatest baseball players of all time! In 1998, Montclair officially opened the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, right next to their baseball field, which was named "Yogi Berra Stadium". Not only is it the home of the Montclair team, but the Canadien-American league New Jersey Jackals as well. Fortunately, we were able to visit the museum on our trip, and I'm going to try to take you through a bit of it.

As I said, the entrance to the museum is right next to Yogi Berra Stadium, and the gate was open to the field. It was just about empty, despite a few people taking care of the field, and let me tell you, it's a beautiful park. I wouldn't have minded catching a game there, but it was a little too early for all of us to wait for one, and well, I'd be the only person interested.

Also on the outside of the museum is this statue of Berra kneeling, with the famous #8 on the back of his Yankee jersey. To put the size into perspective, I'm 5'11, so, it's a pretty good size. 

The building has a very nice lobby, which eventually leads into the actual museum. A good majority of the beginning of the exhibit had to do with Yogi's personal life with his wife Carmen and his 3 sons, including Dale Berra, who played in the Majors in the 1980's. He wasn't quite his father, but he was good enough to make the big leagues as well. 

One thing you can point out immediately is that it wasn't just all about Yogi. He featured a lot of other player's autographs and memorabilia, such as Jeter, Jackie Robinson, and of course, the Bambino you see above! The signed Ruth ball is definitely one of the nicest ones I've seen, and I've seen at least 4 or 5 in person in my lifetime.

What is a museum of the most quoted baseball player ever without a little fun? There were a few TV's set up with commercials featuring Yogi and his "Yogiisms", which I found very entertaining. I don't think I have a particular favorite quote of his, but I mean, he didn't say everything he said; so that made it a bit more difficult to choose. 

Also on display were 2 of his 3 MVP Awards, the ones from 1954 and 1955! He had a few of the best seasons ever by a catcher in those years, first batting .307 with 22 home runs and 125 RBI in '54, and .272 with 27 home runs and 108 RBI in the following year. Not only was he beloved by baseball fans, but he was a pretty darn good ballplayer too. 

He was good enough to receive two of the biggest honors you could get in baseball, a Hall of Fame plaque and his number retired by the Yankees organization. Here are a few momentos he took home from those special events, that found their way into the museum. 

One of the biggest features of the museum was his display of World Series rings. Whether he played, coached, or was an honoree to receive a ring, he deserved every one of them, and went down as the player with the most rings in MLB history!

I figured it would necessary to capture the Maris newspaper photo because of how involved I've been with the 1961 Topps set over the past year or two.

These are indeed, Berra's jersey and glove that he wore during Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956! The tour guide there told us that Berra confirmed the right glove is indeed here, not in Cooperstown, and boy was it nice! Apparently they have the jersey on a loan as of now, because it was recently bought for $600,000! The Larsen jersey is currently in an auction now, and people expect it to sell for over $1,000,000!

Speaking of Perfect Games, here is the hat David Cone wore during his special game, signed and inscribed with the date. Of course, the special thing about Cone's perfect game was that it was on Yogi Berra Day at Yankee Stadium, which made the perfect game turn into an odd but incredible coincidence!

This picture will most likely end up being the most perfect picture of all time (pun intended). It is all 3 battery mates from the Yankees Perfect Games: Larsen/Berra, Wells/Posada, and Cone/Girardi! Not only that, but everyone is in uniform, and I believe it was taken at the 2008 All Star Game if I'm not mistaken. That would be a cool picture to have signed.

After Yogi's firing as manager of the Yankees, he swore he'd never step foot in Yankee Stadium again. That is, until George Steinbrenner came to this museum and met up with Yogi to publicly apologize. As part of a welcome back present, Steinbrenner gave Yogi the 1951 World Series banner that used to fly in the old stadium. Here it is, now as part of the theater room, which was used to showcase rare Yankees footage, including of Babe Ruth.

And for my card collecting readers out there, I didn't forget about you! One wall in the exhibit featured cards of Berra from all of the major issues during his career. I had 5 of the cards, and if it weren't for the binder Dad got from a yard sale a year ago, I'd have none. 

One day, his 1948 Bowman rookie card will be mine. Just saying. 

Finally, as we exited the museum and headed back into the lobby, we were greeted by a giant cow, signed by hundreds of Yankees players, including Jeter above. I didn't quite get the reference somehow, until I saw Rizzuto's signature with the "Holy Cow" inscription right above the horns.

Unfortunately, Yogi wasn't there the day we went, so this will have to be the closest I'll get to a picture with him for now. I downloaded a Bucket List app today for my iPod, and one of the first things I added was to meet Yogi Berra and shake his hand. Hopefully it can come true one day. As for the museum, well, my whole family, including my sister enjoyed it, which really meant it was good! It was a great experience and I highly recommend it to anyone in the area that hasn't gotten to check it out yet!

Thanks Yogi! See Ya!

An Amazing Christmas Gift from an Amazing Friend!! Must Read!

Hey guys, Drew back here. I've blogged here for over 2 years (yes I always miss the anniversary, whoops), and I've met a lot of great people in the hobby. I have over 100 subscribers and have achieved thousands of views, but above all, this guy has always been one of my top followers. He and I have traded a countless amount of times, and we exchange comments on our respective posts an awful lot. His name is William, from the blog foul bunt.

Outside of our card hobby, William has given me so much great advice and help over the past year or so. We have become great friends, even though we live hundreds of miles away. Cards bring us together but both of us have a unique passion for the game that can not be taken away from us. Anyway, this Christmas, we both got each other gifts. Me, being the lazy person I've always been, haven't shipped it yet but don't worry I will! Well, I got his gift yesterday and I was amazed at the stuff waiting inside this Lou Gehrig Sweet Spot Classic Tin.

He first included a bunch of mixed Yankees cards and 2010 Topps cards. The Heritage Chrome cards are really nice, as seen on the AJ Burnett card. Also, some sweet Canos and Hughes for the player collections.

It's Swish overload! Here are 7 Swisher cards he gave me, the big one being the Co-Signers insert numbered to 250. I know I have a few of these, and I know I needed some of these, but I love any and all Swishers!

Lastly were these 3 2010 Topps Pro Debut Hudson Valley Renegades cards! When him and Max (Knuckle Ball Blues) opened some boxes of this product, I asked them if any Renegades were found. Derek Dietrich, Jake Thompson, and Chris Murrill were found. Of course, over any of them, I was most excited about Dietrich, considering my friend and I hunted him down at a game this year to get his autograph, and we succeeded.

The first of the two final, big cards, was this 1959 Topps Virgil Trucks card! This is my 1st Trucks card, outside of the custom I made of him a while ago, so I was really excited to find this card! Also, its his only Yankees Topps card, which is awesome. It's in nice shape, and is a beautiful looking card of a great man. If you don't remember, I received multiple autographs and a hand written letter back from Mr. Trucks just a few months ago, and I got both him and I into his cards and career. So, this card means a lot to me and it's a sweet addition to my small Yankees vintage collection.

The big gift, was certainly big to say the least! HOLY COW!!! It's a 1953 Bowman Color Phil Rizzuto card! This card is the second card I own from this set, and this and that card (Larry Miggins RC) are the two oldest cards I own! The card displays Rizzuto bunting, which was a specialty of his throughout his career! Rizzuto won 7 World Series with the Yankees, and made 5 All Star teams. He's been regarded as one of the top Yankees shortstops ever, well until Jeter came into baseball. The card is not in mint condition, there are some creases, and some corner damage, but it is in good enough condition for me for sure! It's a very valuable card, and books over 200 dollars, but can be found for a little cheaper.

All I know is dude, you did too much! This is unreal! Thank you so much for the gifts, I really appreciate it. What I want the rest of you to do is PLEASE go check out and subscribe to his blog if you haven't already. If you love baseball history, then that is a place to go!

Thanks again dude, you're the best!

See Ya!

eBay Pickup from foul bunt!

Hey guys, Drew back here. Just a quick little eBay post, William had some cards on the bay and I decided to help out, and made out well. As most of you, we're good buddies, and I try to help him out whenever he needs it, so here's what I bought:

First off, he included these for no cost, that he got at his card shop! Awesome! Only complaint is Topps, please never use that Gehrig picture again. NEVER. It seriously looks like he's taking a kick to the crotch! Anyways, the Munson and Mantles look great though.

I got these four for about $5, some 2010 Tribute cards! I love 2010 Tribute, and these are my first cards from it, and as you know, I loved 2009 Tribute. Examples: 1, 2, 3, 4. Well, anyway, that Gehrig is by far my favorite card of his I've ever seen, it's beautiful. The Ruth is up there on his list too, love the new shot, but I know I'll hate it by next year when Topps uses it for every single product he's in because people LIKEd the picture. The other two are masterpieces too, unbelievable, never seen anything like it! (tv reference)

And this was the main reason I had to help him out. This is my first Rizzuto relic card, a piece of bat, or wait, is it a Stadium seat? We may never know. If it is a bat, it sure is a great looking card, numbered to 99.

Overall, well, I like this year's set, but I might like the design of the hits from last year better than 2010, even though both would easily beat a Peak Performance jersey, or some of the other uglier designs of relics these days.

Thanks so much William for the great cards, I'm glad I can help! See Ya!

The Show Recap Begins (Part I)

Hey everyone, Drew back here. Yesterday we went down to White Plains for the annual East Coast National, one of the bigger card shows in the country! A nice full lineup was there waiting for us, as Grandpa Roy, Dad, Mike, and I entered the doors. Mike will have some guest commentary of his own to come and we'll have plenty of coverage of what I bought and the stories from the great day that was August 22nd, 2010. Let's get started!

PART 1:

THE BEGINNING

9:45 AM

Dad dropped us all off by the front of the Convention Center in White Plains, while it was a dreary rainy day outside. Fortunately, it was a beautiful day inside! On the walk over, there, sitting in a puddle, was a 1979 Eddie Murray card, in a penny sleeve and soaking wet. Mike took the card and kept it, and somehow the sleeve prevented the card from future damage, and it is now in almost perfect condition! What a cool way to start the day!

Coming in to the building, with a short line ahead of us (we like to get there early), we got our tickets, and supplies for the autograph guests. Of course as usual, JP's Sports and Rock Solid Promotions hosted the show, and they gave each of the first few people that bought tickets a Sports Collectors Monthly magazine, which was cool. A guy stood outside of the show room, next to the 8x10 pictures and baseballs to order, with a beautiful painting of Bernie Williams. He said he was a new artist and he was going to have Bernie sign his painting and auction it off to charity. He gave us a card with the painting on it, which was pretty cool.

10:00 AM
Now that we're ready, we entered the room. As usual, that first breath of fresh air in the room that is all things sports cards felt extremely good. Over 450 tables were waiting for my precious wallet to drop money on them, which is a great feeling. This time rather than showing each card by groups I'll go in order with a storyline behind them all. We looked at the tables of the cards in which we knew we couldn't afford, the 53 Mantles, Mays, Williams, you know, those cards, and we all oooed and aaaahed.

We found a seller that sold only 8x10 photos, and he was pretty cool. We looked through plenty of cool pictures for sale, non authenticated but they looked real. There was some that I liked, Joe Klecko, Don Maynard, Bob Feller, and a few more. Mike liked a few Giants guys, Chris Canty, and a Super Bowl picture signed by a few Giants players, the best being Kevin Dockery. When we saw this special though, I jumped out of my pants almost! For $15, we could get a signed picture of Phil Rizzuto! It wasn't authenticated, but with pictures of the seller with Phil all over the place made it a great buy. He had a few, so Mike got one too.

After we bought that, we looked at a few tables, but then came across a table with a $10 jersey/auto sale. Mike got 2, and I got 1.. to start. I came back later! But to start, I picked up this card for $10.

I didn't have an auto of Carlos Pena previously, so I thought it would be a nice pickup. It's a rookie card jersey auto from 2001 SPX. Carlos is having a down year batting average wise, but is always a tough power threat for the Yankees to face.

10:30 AM
I picked up a few minor cards I needed for sets, and some future TTM cards, and got some decent deals along the way. I ended up buying one more card before the first signer at 11:00, after looking around for a while.

This is my second auto of Sparky Lyle now, and it's a really nice one too. At $10, I thought it was a good enough price to do it. It's from 2009 Goodwin Champions, and it's nice and on card. I think I'm starting a trend of buying on card autos, unless it's a Topps Tribute or Bowman Sterling. You'll see why I think so as the day rolls on.

Before we met the first guest, we entered in the first door prize. Last time we got extremely lucky and each of the 3 of us won something. Each prize today was for a Willie Mays autograph. This first had autos of Bobby and Barry Bonds and Mays on it. We didn't win.

11:00 AM
Now Grandpa Roy and I are in a waiting room, waiting to meet the first autograph guest of the day. They called us a little at a time by the number on our tickets. Our number I believe was around the early to mid forties. The line took forever, and eventually we got into the room where he was signing. I got out all my equipment, including baseballs to get signed for William of foul bunt, who sent me money and the baseballs to get signed because he really wanted an auto of him. Dad and Mike actually showed up a little before we met him, and dad helped out with pictures and stuff. Well, I gave Grandpa Roy the baseballs for him to get signed, and as this player took his time to sign, they had an in depth conversation about the weak Pirates teams during his playing days. This was Ralph Kiner he was talking to! Ralph took hours to sign, but he has a great signature and was a very nice guy. Grandpa Roy told me afterwards that he'll always cherish the moments he got to talk to Mr. Kiner.

Now that the baseballs were finished, it was my turn to meet Mr. Kiner. I said "Hello, how are you", and he responded "Good, you?". I said I was doing well, and then I told him I made the card in his honor, and he said thank you, it looks very nice, around those lines. I thanked him and said goodbye. What can I say, I shy up in those moments! I got a picture with Mr. Kiner, and the card looks great signed!

12:00 PM
Well, it took a while to get Mr. Kiner, but it was well worth it. Coming up on 12:00, we decided to get some lunch at Nathans, the only food place in the building. My Philly Cheese steak was pretty good I must say, it got me full and more awake (maybe that was the soda). After lunch, we got in a bunch of lines and bought much more! We'll have all that and more to come in the next post!

See Ya!