Ten for Tuesday - 10 Greatest Yankees

Hey guys, Drew back here. It's safe to say that this week hasn't gotten off to the brightest start, but that's okay. My contest idea of having an All Time Re-Draft didn't seem to catch on to you all, so I decided to let it go and forget about it. Lately I've been putting a great deal of work into this site and improving my writing to help diminish some of my previous posts when I was younger and evolve as a writer, so with this failure I decided to just keep on going, and work harder towards giving you the best quality I can provide.

This week, I decided to take a week off from roasting the Hall of Fame, and instead thought it would be necessary for you all to know my stance on the ten greatest players from the team I have studied religiously and adored for now over a decade: The New York Yankees. Love 'em or hate 'em, they are perhaps the most famous professional sports franchise in the world, and have had some of the greatest players in history come through the organization. Although I was not there to watch a majority of the men I'm about to speak about, I've done my share of research, watched Yankeeographies and documentaries, and can say that I know more than the average fan does about them all. We'll begin with those who just missed my cut.

Top 10 New York Yankees of All Time

Honorable Mentions - Thurman Munson, Red Ruffing, Lefty Gomez, Reggie Jackson

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Thurman Munson was the most tragic Yankee in history. A perennial All Star and fan favorite; Thurman never got to reach the Hall of Fame level he could have gotten to thanks in part to his early death at the age of 32 in a plane accident. Munson was a 7 time All Star, 3 time Gold Glove Winner, 2 time World Series Champion, and the American League's Most Valuable Player in 1976. He was the leader, the captain, and was far beyond simply "the straw that stirred the drink".

(Dis)Honorable Mention - Alex Rodriguez

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Rodriguez is officially the most hated Yankee of All Time, topping Bucky F*****g Dent, Roger Clemens, and ruthless owner George Steinbrenner. I personally do not root for him as a person but will root for him as long as he is in the lineup helping the team win. A-Rod is a 14 time All Star and has won 3 MVP's, 2 of which in New York in 2005 and 2007. He's attempted to sue the team, was suspended for all of last season for being involved in the Biogenesis scandal, and simply put; is a douchebag. He is far from the epitome of a Yankee, but I'll give him credit for how he has responded to all of the criticism he has faced this season. Finally, as the man is closing in on 40 years old and 3,000 career hits, he is growing up. Unfortunately, it is too late for him to fully recover for his wrongdoings, and he will never make this list, even if he wins 3 more MVP's in pinstripes before he hangs up his $300 million dollar cleats.

10 - Don Mattingly
1B, 1982-1995

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There may have been a few players listed in my Honorable Mentions who were better than Don Mattingly. But few could resemble a Yankee in the way that our former superstar first baseman could. Mattingly was at the top of the game for about a six year stretch, until a nagging back injury ended his career prematurely. Unfortunately, this situation will likely keep "Donnie Baseball" from reaching the Hall of Fame (although his statistics are very close to HOF'er Kirby Puckett), unless his managerial career in Los Angeles boosts him up higher on the pedestal. Players, coaches, and fans absolutely loved #23 in New York, and he deserves a place on this list solely because of his leadership and work ethic.

9 - Bill Dickey
C, 1928-1943, 1946

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Can it be set in stone that Bill Dickey is the most underrated Yankee in the Hall of Fame? As much as we all love Yogi Berra, it was Dickey that taught him the tools to become a legendary catcher. He made 11 All Star teams and was a part of 14 World Series teams. I don't know much about him to be frank, but I don't think many people do. That, is a problem.

Dickey was mostly known for his presence behind the plate, but he was just as good at the dish. He was always outshined by Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio, but he can not be forgotten. Some of his offensive seasons rank among the best ever for a catcher, and being able to pair that with his defensive ability makes him one of the greatest catchers in history.

In no way do I feel that Dickey is better than Berra for teaching him the way, but he does deserve more respect than he gets for it. I feel like sharing a retired number with Yogi does take away from his legacy, because most Yankee fans associate the number with the more modern Berra.

8 - Whitey Ford
SP, 1950, 1953-1967

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"The Chairman of the Board". As you would assume, the highest ranked starting pitcher in my opinion is the man who dominated with control and finesse throughout a period of time the Yankees owned more than any other period. He is not the highest rated pitcher here, but if I were to put any pitcher on the mound over the course of a season who have ever donned the pinstripes, it would be difficult to argue against this guy.

While I'm discussing Ford, if I were to build a rotation off of former Yankees starters, it would most likely be lefty heavy. Literally. Following Ford would be Red Ruffing and "Lefty" Gomez, two more obscure pitchers from the earlier generations. The final two I would choose are Ron Guidry and Andy Pettitte, which would make a rotation consisting of four left handed pitchers. Maybe I'd throw Pat Venditte in there just for kicks.

The all time franchise leader in wins would be higher ranked if it weren't for some of the best position players in baseball history that deserve it even more-so. Be on the lookout for Ford on a future list honoring some of the more underrated players in the Hall of Fame, as well as perhaps Dickey as well (hint, hint).


7 - Mariano Rivera
CP, 1995-2013

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Call it controversial, I don't care. Mariano Rivera is the most dominant relief pitcher ever, and there's really no argument otherwise. He had his moments that proved that he was human after all, but for the most part there was no other reliever who was on top of his game for as long, and as well, as Mo was. I know I've been frequently debating amongst myself how I feel about where relievers stand in comparison to not only starting pitchers, but position players as well. I've called Rollie Fingers and Dennis Eckersley overrated, and Bruce Sutter and Hoyt Wilhelm downright undeserving of being included in Cooperstown. Rivera may be a little overhyped because he was a Yankee, under the bright lights in the media capital in the world. Most Yankees are; let's be honest. But there is nobody I've ever watched in my lifetime as a fan who could end a game before even entering it. Some may say he belongs even higher on this list, but my bias against relievers is probably the reasoning for this placement.

6 - Derek Jeter
SS, 1995-2014

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We now come to my favorite player, the most recent Captain, Derek Jeter. Jeter was the face of baseball during a period in which players that would have been were cheating. Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Roger Clemens were better players. But as far as anyone can tell, Jeter did it the right way. He has forever been my role model, and despite perhaps being a little overrated towards the end of his career; it was for the right reasons. I remember meeting one of my Little League teams while in middle school, and my coach asked everyone who their favorite player was. Almost all of them said Derek Jeter. Not Bonds, not Clemens, not Sosa, not A-Rod. Jeter. Major League Baseball has done a fantastic job marketing a man who did it right for 20 years.

And to any of you who think Jeter doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame at all, and I've seen you out there; I'm sorry, but that's ridiculous. If it weren't for Derek Jeter keeping my fandom for the game alive during one of the darkest periods of baseball history, I may not be writing this post right now. Maybe I'd be attempting to be a musician. Maybe I'd be studying engineering. Luckily, Jeter kept my dream for a life in the sports industry alive.

5 - Yogi Berra
C, 1943-1963

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Despite my love for my Captain, I did not have it in me to place him ahead of the man who has been all over the news in recent weeks. If you haven't heard, Yogi Berra's family organized a petition to President Obama to give Berra the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The award has been given to former icons in all realms of pop culture, including Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Stan Musial, and several others. On the final night of the petition, fans everywhere were able to gain 100,000 total supporters, enough for it to be considered. There is no living player more deserving of this honor than a man who served in World War II and will forever live on for his baseball skill and hilarious philosophy.

The three time MVP falls just outside of my Yankees "Mount Rushmore", which has been a recent hot subject of debate among different sports and teams. The four you are about to see are the four you most likely expected to see at the top, and most likely in the order you assumed them to be in. But that's not the point of the Yankees list. What most people are curious in are where the top eight players are ranked, particularly 5-8. With Jeter and Rivera being more recent, it's hard to not over-rank them. Also, the final two choices are always interesting to see.

4 - Mickey Mantle
CF, 1951-1968

3 - Joe DiMaggio
CF, 1936-1951

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One debate I did have to have was whether I considered Mantle better than DiMaggio or vise versa. I have always loved Mickey Mantle, despite his being plenty of years before my time. I even placed Joe DiMaggio on my overrated list last week, and of these final four he is easily my least favorite player. But, that doesn't mean Joe D wasn't really, really good. I placed him on the Overrated list because he was voted "The Greatest Living Player" while Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Ted Williams were all alive. It was only for that reason why he was even considered for the list. Because let's face it, if DiMaggio had played the three years he missed in the thick of his prime rather than serve our country; he may have ended up with more comparable statistics to the aforementioned Mays, Aaron, and Williams. With that argument, you can also say that if Mickey Mantle didn't face the injuries he struggled with his statistics would rank among the very best. 

What places DiMaggio ahead of Mantle slightly on this list is that his dominance over his first seven years in the Majors was one of the most dominant stretches ever. Mantle retired with 201 more hits than DiMaggio in 1,281 more at bats. He scored 286 more runs. Considering how much more Mantle played than "Joltin' Joe", those comparisons are not that impressive. However, Mantle was a better power hitter and reached base at a higher rate than DiMaggio. It cannot be determined which defender was better, even with sabermetrics. It is difficult to coin anything from that era to be true, even with the most advanced statistics. No statistic can value a player's impact on a team, and both players did more than that throughout their spectacular careers. 

It isn't easy, and if I had to choose, I would be biased towards Mantle. But, in terms of being politically correct, DiMaggio may have been a slightly better player. Not many people alive today were able to see both men play, and an even fewer selection of those people know about today's metrics well enough to make a decision on who was better without letting their biases get in the way. Many felt slighted when Mantle came in and stole DiMaggio's spotlight. Many loved Mantle because he had a better reputation with the fans and media. It will always go both ways. That's baseball, for you. There will never be a right or wrong answer to these questions, and that's what is so amazing about this sport; what makes it stand out among other sports.

Who was better?

Joe DiMaggio

Mickey Mantle

Poll Maker

2 - Lou Gehrig
1B, 1923-1939

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1 - Babe Ruth
RF, 1920-1934

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A debate that is much easier to agree upon is Ruth vs. Gehrig. Lou Gehrig can be made a case for being the second best player ever. But only one player put baseball on the map, and that achievement alone gives Ruth an edge. There isn't much to be said about these two men that hasn't already been said. So, I'll leave it at that. Babe Ruth is easily the greatest Yankee, and player, ever. If it weren't for him, baseball could have just been a phase.

I want to apologize for getting this out so late today, it has been a very busy past few days, and I hope this doesn't feel rushed. If you would like to discuss the rankings in the comments below, as well as anyone I may have missed, feel free!

See Ya!

2013 "Parade of Legends" Recap!

Hey guys, Drew back here! For as long as I've lived, I've wanted to see a parade. No, not one of those local town ceremonies highlighting the mayor and local boy scout troops, but a real top of the line parade (nothing wrong with boy scouts of course). When I first heard of the "Parade of Legends", the new Cooperstown Induction Weekend tradition, I knew the trip would be worth every penny. We didn't expect to get any autographs there, as the players all were atop beautiful new Fords. Apparently, a few of the players signed when they got off their cars, but I'm going to pretend I never heard that for my own sake.

Kicking off the parade were some of the Hall of Fame board of directors, followed by a car starring Tommy John along with the man behind "Tommy John Surgery", Dr. Frank Jobe, who was honored earlier that day. The parade went down Main Street and parked at the Hall itself, where the players gathered for a nice dinner. I could only imagine some of the stories they had to tell. After my experience with Tommy John earlier this year, I would have paid good money to get into the Hall that night.

The parade started from the earliest inducted players that attended all the way to the most recent electees. Whitey Ford was in town for the night, so he was the first player to stroll by! I was really glad to see Whitey, as he appeared to be looking relatively good for his age. I met him last summer, but he's one of those guys you can never meet enough.

Ralph Kiner followed up Whitey, and he appeared awake, which was a good thing. The marquee player of the event however, was the true Home Run King, Hank Aaron! Aaron looks great for his age, coming from a guy who has never seen him in person before. He looked really happy to be there, although had he done an autograph signing earlier that day, his attitude may have been a bit different.

Frank Robinson is in my opinion one of the most underrated players of all time. He just never seems to get the credit he deserves. William's son Chris was as loud as ever throughout the parade, screaming out the players' names. He probably won't remember it since he's only 7 years old, heck I'm 17 and I don't remember what I did when I was 7, but Chris got a reaction out of almost every single player there. At least one member of our group was spotted out by a majority of the Hall of Famers!

Johnny Bench

Joe Morgan

Jim Bunning

Tommy LaSorda

Ozzie Smith

Eddie Murray

Wade Boggs

Believe it or not, this has been the third different occasion I've gotten to see Cal Ripken Jr. in person this year. Every time I see him I gain more and more respect for him also. Chris screamed "CAL!" until he got his attention, and Cal talked to him a little bit. That had to have made his day.

I'm sure Goose Gossage has met thousands upon thousands of fans in his lifetime, but I have a funny feeling that he recognizes my Dad and I at this point! Each time we've gotten the pleasure of meeting him, my Dad has brought up hunting and got to talk a good bit with him. He thanked us for coming out, and posed for a pretty awesome photo. Maybe one day I'll have him sign this, who knows. 

Here's classic Rickey taking all the glory in, enjoying the fact that he's finally among the greatest of all time (although he may argue that he was the best). I'll give him a spot in my top 15 ever, but I don't know how much farther I'd be willing to go.

However, probably the most memorable moment in my eyes from the event came when Bert Blyleven passed us by! Sure, Roberto Alomar snapped a picture of the crowd next to us, Phil Niekro showed Chris his knuckleball grip, and numerous players waved to us and thanked us for attending, but this one took the cake. William recently bought a baseball signed by Blyleven with the "I Love to Fart" inscription, which exists because Bert frequently wore a shirt in the locker room saying just that. My dad yelled to Bert "Pull my Finger!" Bert looked puzzled for a second... and then cracked up. My dad made a Hall of Famer laugh! 

I'm so glad we took advantage of going to the parade, as we all seemed to really enjoy ourselves. I love collecting autographs but sometimes it's nice to take in a special event like this without having to worry about being at the right place at the right time. Before I go, I'd like to send my best wishes to Tony Gwynn and his family, because while he was there, he sure didn't look very healthy. It appears as if his cancer may have reappeared, and he also gained back a lot of the weight he lost when he underwent his radiation treatment. I'm not sure if we just made some assumptions or not, but he didn't look all that well, so I'd like to wish him all the best going forward.

Well, that'll officially conclude my recap of Day 1 of the Cooperstown trip! It was hard for Day 2 to top this incredible day, but I've got plenty more to share with you all. Stay tuned for the next part! 

See Ya!

Trip to a New Collectible Shop!

Hey guys, Drew back here! This post has been long overdue; in fact, this happened before the most recent card show and the Knicks game and everything! After one of my SAT prep courses, my Dad took me to this local collectible store he had gotten his Christmas gifts for me at! It had all sorts of various odds and ends, and surprisingly had a solid selection in cards and memorabilia! After shopping around for a little while, I bought two really nice cards to add to my collection, along with a couple ball cubes!

I hadn't added to my Don Mattingly PC in a while, so this 2005 Playoff Prestige Mattingly/Dave Righetti dual relic looked appealing to me. Numbered out of 250; the card shows two of the Yankees best players during perhaps the team's worst decade. It's really a bummer that Mattingly struggled through back problems, because he certainly had the talent to make the Hall of Fame. 

Speaking of the Hall, the second card I added was this beautiful Whitey Ford autograph from 2002 Donruss, numbered 44 of 250! The price on this card was really affordable for a Ford auto, and the scan definitely doesn't do it any justice. It's definitely one of the nicer certified autographs I own, and it features the same picture of Ford that I have signed as an 8x10. 

Overall, I was really impressed with the selection this random shop had to offer! They also had a lot of boxes and packs, and their prices were competitive with other shops around here. I'll definitely consider going back there at some point! Thanks Dad for showing it to me!

See Ya!

Christmas Splurge: Chairman of the Board Edition

Hey guys, Drew back here! As was promised yesterday, here is the second of the three signed baseballs I managed to win on collectauctions.com as part of my Christmas gifts!

Yesterday I mentioned how on the auction site, I won a lot of two signed baseballs, and a third separate ball. This fantastic Whitey Ford baseball came in the lot along with the Nolan Ryan ball, and I got the lot for $100 total! Normally, it's hard to find a Ryan ball alone for less than $100, but I managed to get him and perhaps the greatest pitcher in Yankees history for one Franklin! Both balls came with a PSA/DNA pre-certification paper, rather than having actual stickers on the balls. 

I met Whitey Ford over the past summer, and I hate to say that the experience was pretty terrible. Mr. Ford seemed like a real nice man, however the guy in charge of the company really disappointed us, giving us literally seconds to speak to one of the most legendary figures in baseball history. However, having this beautiful baseball now sort of makes up for the mediocre visit I had with the "Chairman of the Board", whose stats don't speak for how terrific of a pitcher he was. 

Ford has become the 3rd member from the Hall of Fame that I own in my signed baseball collection! I never really wanted signed baseballs, however, I've been looking to add some variety in my collection. It's pretty difficult to keep adding huge signed pictures, there simply isn't enough room for that.

Be on the lookout for the third and final Christmas baseball! See Ya!

July 14th MHCC Card Show Recap Part 3!

Hey guys, Drew back here! So, jumping right back into my review of the Mid Hudson Civic Center baseball card show; I went for one main reason. A Yankees legend, joined by two other former greats was going to attend the show. And that legend just so happened to be the Chairman of the Board, Whitey Ford! The Yankees all time best starting pitcher just so happened to take a stroll through our area and made a rare autograph signing for all of us in the upstate area! Joining him in this signing were former Yankee outfielder Shane Spencer and utility man Joe Pepitone! I never met any of them before, so I was reluctant and extremely excited to get my opportunity so closeby to home!

Unfortunately, in order to get my chance, I had to wait in a long line with my friends Schuyler & Connor. Connor had to go to work and rush out within the next half hour we were in line, so he never got a chance to meet Pepitone, however, we got him some autographs anyway. He did get to meet Whitey and Shane though, so it certainly wasn't a total loss for my good friend! 

Ford seemed to be a really nice guy. It appeared as if he enjoyed coming out and signing autographs, however the guy handling the line and tickets was a real jerk. He hardly allowed us to get a word in with Whitey, and we were lucky we even got a picture with him. However, we still get a few seconds with one of the greatest pitchers to take the mound, so I was still more than content with the result. It was just annoying, because the line was done within an hour, and only a few occasional people took the short line opportunity that remained for the next two hours. I don't think he was in much of a rush, but I guess the ticket dude must've really wanted a hot dog or something. Oh well. 

Next in line was legendary postseason performer Shane Spencer! Shane only charged $10 an autograph, which was pretty good for a guy who did so many great things for one of the best teams in sports history, the 1998 Yankees! He seemed like a nice guy as well, and after he signed my Mantle photo, he tapped on The Mick on the photo as if he was blessing him or something. You don't see athletes doing things like that often, so that was kind of neat. 

As much as I love meeting legends like Ernie Banks, Ralph Kiner, and Whitey Ford, the new guys always feel more relevant for me, especially since I grew up with them. I wish the Yankees dynasty could've waited for me to get a little older than ya know, 2, 3 years old, but I guess I shouldn't complain. 

Last but certainly not least was the guy you can't miss at a party, Joe Pepitone! The colorful character certainly made people notice he was there, being the true Italian he is. You have to love guys like that, especially when they're signing autographs for free. The 3 time Gold Glove winner was a very nice guy, and gladly signed my picture for me. 

Apparently he was wearing the same hat as I was, the "retro" Yankees hat that he wore at the Old Timers Day game one year. I've been to 2 Old Timers games in my life, and I'll always remember him crushing the ball. He's still got it for a 71 year old, which is pretty awesome.

As I aforementioned, I got all three of the signers on my photo I previously won from JP's Sports of Mickey Mantle, which was already signed by 29 former Yankees. I decided since Cecil Fielder's autograph was already on the picture, I'll allow any Yankee who started their career before the turn of the century to sign the picture. Whitey is easily the biggest name on it now, but I'm certainly hoping that can change in the future!

I had Ford sign around the lower middle area, so his signature will stand out when the project is eventually completed. Pepitone's signature is right below Mantle's right knee, and Spencer is right above Rafael Santana's! All three autographs came out great in my opinion!

With these 3 signatures, I now have 32 on the photo. The certification will not cover the whole photo, but I don't care considering all the autographs will be real. I hope to one day fill the 16x20 up with as many signatures as I can, and hang it up on the wall next to a picture that I have not yet revealed to you guys yet. It's epic, is all I can say for now. 

Before I let you all go, I wanted to inform you guys that Dad and I made the larger local newspaper in an article about the show! Here is a link, check it out to see our appearance! 

Okay, I'm done now. See Ya!

Extremely Unexpected and Awesome Stuff from Dad's Friends!

Hey guys, Drew back here. I have no idea why, but I've had these stacks of cards sitting around for an awful long time, and it's about time I got to posting them. About two months ago, Dad showed up for work early on a Monday morning to find a few binder pages filled with cards that were supposedly for me. Dad brought them home to me and I was shocked, and although he had no clue who gave them to me, he thought it was awesome. He found out the next day that the cards were from his friend Tim. I recognized the name because I remember giving him a tour of my collection one time when he was over our house. Apparently he had no need for these, and he decided I would make use of them more, which was really nice of him! A few weeks later, a different work friend of his, Johnny T.,  also gave him some stuff to give to me, which was equally awesome as well! We'll start with what came from Johnny!

First was this cool "Sport Flix"-type photo of Jeff Bagwell! I hardly have anything of Bagwell in my collection, but I guess this would be a pretty good place to start! I feel like he should have gotten into the Hall of Fame this year, because the steroid rumors are ridiculous when it comes to his case. His name was hardly ever mentioned when steroids came up, and he was one of the more talented players in baseball during the time. I predict he'll go in next year with Craig Biggio, which would be awesome to see.

Also, he gave me this Alfonso Soriano key chain. Boy has Alfonso been forgotten since his tenure with the Cubs began. He's had a very good career without a doubt, and I wish I could've seen more of his best years with the Yankees. Once he was traded for Alex Rodriguez his career went downhill after a few more big years, and now Chicago wished they never signed him to that contract in the first place. This is a pretty cool piece, and I might just keep it unopened because I don't have a whole lot of things that have keychain hooks. 

Thanks a lot for the stuff Johnny, I really appreciate it! Moving on to the few binder pages I received from Tim, take a look:

We start with some of the better names of the 1980's, such as Rickey Henderson; Don Mattingly; and Darryl Strawberry. Throw in a Dave Parker, Yaz, and a Mark McGwire rookie card and you have me interested! Here and there I find it cool to add some of the 80's cards, but in bulk, no thank you. 

Next was where I became really excited, when I discovered 2 1961 Topps cards I needed for my set, in Gordy Coleman and Al Neiger! They were on the same page as a few 1970's cards; a 1971 George Scott and a 1975 Brooks Robinson! It was only fitting that 2 of the 4 1960's cards were part of the set I'm collecting. 

I'm sure you were wondering what other 1960's cards were included in the binder pages, and well, I was in shock when I saw them! None other than a 1963 Topps Eddie Mathews and a 1966 Topps Whitey Ford! I went crazy when I noticed them hidden beneath a few pages of 1980's goodness! Anytime I am able to add two vintage Hall of Fame cards for no price at all is a great, great thing! As a telemarketer would say though, "But wait, there's more!"

..... Woah. Tim, if you're reading this, I want to tell you that you went way too far with these inclusions! These two Cigarette cards are absolutely beyond awesome, and I honestly don't know what else to say other than thank you so much! Given they are legitimately from the tobacco era (which I'm 99.9% sure they are), they are now the oldest cards in my collection and perhaps the coolest ones also! They are both from the 1909 T206 card set, which is now 103 years old, which explains the extreme amount of wear on the two cards. They don't sell for a ton in rough shape, but I would buy them in rough condition just because of how awesome they are.

Otto Knabe was born in 1884 and began his career in 1905 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a decent player through most of his career, succeeding most in his 7 year tenure with the Philadelphia Phillies. He has maintained his team record of 216 sacrifice hits to this day, which is absolutely insane, although it isn't necessarily a key statistic. He also managed the Baltimore Terrapins for two seasons (1915-1916) before his retirement, and eventual death in 1961. The back of his card reads "Sweet Caporal Cigarettes, The Stamdard for Years" followed by "Baseball Series 350 Subjects", and the bottom is very difficult to read. It's in much better shape than the other card, and I love the artwork on the front of the card. It really goes to show how well history has evolved over the years in baseball. 

David Beals Becker, known better as Beals Becker, was born in El Dorado, Kansas, all the way back in 1886. He was part of the Bugle Corps at the Wentworth Military Academy, while starring in all three major sports and eventually winning the Wentworth's Champion Athlete Award in 1903. He turned out to be a fairly solid power hitter for 5 teams throughout his career, which ended following the 1915 season. He retired with 45 career home runs, having been in the top 10 in the NL Home Run leader list 4 times! Of course, he played during an era in which not many balls left the yard, until Ruth came about, but nonetheless he was a very good player. He became the first player with multiple pinch hit home runs in the same season, and also set a record for 2 inside the park home runs in one game! He passed away in 1943, at the age of 57. His card is the Cycle variation, which Topps did a great job of using back in 2009 when they did a remake of the T206 set. 

Overall, again, thank you so much to both Johnny and Tim for the amazing cards and pieces to add to the collection! I really do appreciate it, especially those tobacco cards. They're in good hands, without a doubt. 

See Ya!

Revealing the Rest of the Mysterious Binder...

Hey guys, Drew back here. I figured, with the rest of the day with nothing to do, why not finish off this binder series with a bang? I scanned the rest of the bigger cards, and while I would've scanned them all, I figured you would all prefer to see some of the other ones I didn't get to show yet.

Well, why not start with the Babe? Sure, it's 27 years after his retirement, but still, it's my oldest Ruth card in my collection. It's part of the Babe Ruth Special that Topps threw into the 1962 set, honoring him. This card shows him and Hall of Fame manager Miller Huggins, which is perhaps my first card of his. Pretty sweet for sure.  

From my 1961 Topps set I'm trying to build, here are 3 of the cards in the "Baseball Thrills" subset. I already posted the card highlighting Mantle's 565 foot home run, which is also part of the subset, but these are awesome too. My favorite of these 3 is the card that dedicates Rogers Hornsby's .424 batting average in the 1924 season! Just thinking of how impossible it sounds to hit for that good of an average in the major leagues makes me think even better of Hornsby and the card. 

Next were some of the base I needed in the 1961 set, from left to right: (top) Bobby Richardson, Tony Kubek, Batter Bafflers (Cardwell/Hobbie), Bobby Shantz MVP, (bottom) Eddie Yost, Billy Martin, Brother Battery (Norm/Larry Sherry), & Dodger Southpaws (Koufax/Podres). Most of the cards are in awesome shape, and I love the player selection. Glad to have these ones knocked off the set list. 

Also from 1961, I got 5 of the 8 World Series highlights cards. It's cool, because even though the Yankees wound up losing the series, I got a chance to watch the game that Mazeroski hit the winning home run on an MLB Network special, and it was really fun to watch. I have a lot of the Pirates autos from TTM's, and I'd say it's safe to say they are my new favorite National League team, as tough to watch as they normally are. The Game 1 "Virdon Saves Game" card isn't in great shape, but it will still join me in the pursuit of the set.

The final card from 1961 to show is this NL Home Run Leaders card, featuring Ernie Banks; Hank Aaron; Eddie Mathews; and Ken Boyer, all pictured on the front. Banks led with 41, while Aaron trailed by 1 and Mathews trailed by 2. Sounded like a close race to the Home Run crown for sure!

Next are some cards that probably should have deserved their own post, and I forgot to give him that post. None other than "The Chairman of the Board", Mr. Whitey Ford! In the binder, I found his 1959 Topps, 1961 Topps, 1962 Topps Postseason Highlight, and his 1965 Topps! All 4 are absolutely beautiful cards of perhaps the greatest Yankee to ever take the mound. 

Here are some of the other Yankees I found too, ranging from 1959 Topps to 1967 Topps. One set I could try to build following 1961 Topps is 1967 Topps, because there were plenty of them in the binder. A thing I picked up on recently that I love about vintage is the colors and just the way players stick out on the cards. The cards have a 'pop' to them that most modern day cards don't seem to carry.

Here's a scan of all Orioles, for William and all my other Orioles fans out there! I've always had a soft spot for the Orioles, as they probably would be my second favorite team in the AL East. They've had some great history and great players come through, such as the Robinsons, Brooks and Frank! Both of them were unbelievably talented, Brooks more with the glove and Frank with the bat. But you all know that. These are some great looking cards for sure!

Well, here are some more of the best cards I found in the binder. Many Hall of Famers and 1 should be Hall of Famer (Hodges) are on this scan, my favorite being the 1959 Topps Ernie Banks, but I also love the 1962 Topps Al Kaline! I would love to try the 1959 set one day, because I think it's one of the greatest sets of all time, without question. That Banks card really pops in person, and it's probably one of my favorite vintage cards. Also, did I mention I like the Pirates uniforms? And Willie Stargell? Well, now I did.

I guess this card is a good way to finish off the series. Nothing like a 1958 Topps "Sluggers Supreme" card of Ted Kluszewski and Ted Williams! I make a few exceptions to Red Sox players in terms of likeability. I like Ted Williams, David Ortiz (what a fantasy helper), and Jon Lester (since he's a warrior and beat cancer, I respect him a lot). This is my first vintage Williams card, of hopefully a few more to come. As for Kluszewski, he seemed like a pretty cool player, cutting off his sleeves to show off his muscles to the fans every game. 

I think if I had to pick one word to describe this binder, it was just simply unbelievable. It was full of firsts for me, including giving me my first vintage cards of Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, and many, many more. Other than their dollar value, these cards are certainly special, and they tell a story better than many manufactured patch or any gimmick short print card can do today. The hobby has really changed in the past 40-50 years, for the worse? Maybe. Topps will never be able to create a nostalgic feel to their sets like they did back in the 1950's and 1960's. That's for sure. 

I hope all of you guys can some day find an opportunity this amazing to add these cards to your own collection. I think in every lifelong collector's journey through the baseball card world, they'll have at least one big moment like this that they'll never forget. Unless I find a 52 Mantle rookie laying on the streets one day, I doubt dad and I could ever do this well again! I'm happy to share this collection with you, and I feel bad for the poor people we took the cards off of for a whopping $20, but I'm gonna hang on to these for the rest of my life.

Thanks again Dad for your magic touch! See Ya!