Cooperstown Class of 2025

Yeah.  Yeah.  I know I'm late to the party again.  This post was originally scheduled for two weeks ago... but I got behind in my writing.  However it's not often that one of my favorite players gets voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, so better late than never.

Today's post honors the five new members to this very elite club.  Let's start with the two members voted in by the Classic Era Baseball Committee:

2001 Fleer Greats of the Game Autograph #NNO

Dick Allen played his final game when I was in preschool, so I don't remember watching him play.  However I've looked at his statistics and have read enough articles and blog posts to know that he was a great hitter.  I'm just sad that he didn't get inducted a few years earlier.

2013 Archives Fan Favorites Autographs #FFA-DP

Dave Parker is another one of those Hall of Very Good members who has made the jump over to the Hall of Fame... and I'm absolutely stoked for him and his fans.  His career numbers at the plate was super impressive, but I'll always remember him for teaming up with Gary Carter in the 1979 MLB All-Star Game to gun down Brian Downing at the plate.

Moving along to the three guys voted in by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.  Let's start with the guy that many bloggers have been rooting for the past few years:

2016 Archives Signature Series Buyback Autograph

1997 Topps Gallery #178

Out of the five guys in this class... Wagner is the one I'm least knowledgeable of.  I mean... I obviously know that he's one of the greatest left-handed relief pitchers of all-time.  But that's only because I've read that on your blogs.  Regardless... I'm happy there's another lefty headed to Cooperstown.

Speaking of lefties...

1999 Topps Traded Autograph #T33

Even though he spent over a decade with the New York Yankees... I was excited that Sabathia received the call to the hall on his first ballot.  I purchased this autograph back in 2018 for my Left-Handed Cy Young Award Winner PC.  Guess I need to track down another CC auto for my Left-Handed HOF PC.

Last, but certainly not least, the man who inspired this post:

2023 Finest Flashbacks Autograph #183

During the 2000's... Ichiro was one of the greatest and most exciting players in the game.  

Even if he wasn't from Japan, I would have been collecting his cards.  I just loved how he would slap the ball around the diamond like someone was controlling him in a video game.  It just seemed so easy to him.  Then there's the fact that he won ten consecutive Gold Glove Awards for his performance in right field.  If that wasn't enough to lock him in as a first ballot hall of famer... he also helped open the door for a generation of baseball players from Japan.

Congratulations Mr. Suzuki, Mr. Allen, Mr. Parker, Mr. Wagner, and Mr. Sabathia!

Happy Tuesday and sayonara!

660ct. Storage Box of Cards

If you collected baseball cards in the 70's and 80's... then the number 660 should ring a bell.  That was the set size of Fleer's flagship sets from 1981 to 1990.  Donruss also issued sets with 660 cards from 1982 to 1989.  Before it became the norm for those two manufacturers, Topps produced 660 card baseball sets from 1973 to 1977.

I don't keep track of card set sizes anymore... like I did back then.  Maybe Topps had another 660 card flagship set after 1977... maybe it didn't.  I just know that if they did... it wasn't during the 80's.

These days seeing a 660ct. card box does one of the following things.  It either stirs up memories of my childhood and collecting cards.  Or it means I'm receiving a pretty decent sized care package from someone.

Today's post will focus on the latter.  Last week, I received a stack of PWE's from Bo (Baseball Cards Come to Life!), a small flat rate mailer from John (Johnny's Trading Spot), and the aforementioned 660ct. box from Rod (Padrographs).

I didn't have a lot of time during the work week to open these up, but as soon as I got home on Friday night... I tore into Rod's box.  I started sifting through it and sorting the cards along the way.  On Saturday, in between hanging out with one of my brothers in the morning... and grabbing lunch with my other brother in the afternoon... I started scanning cards.

Now unlike Billy over at Cardboard History, I am not a scanning machine.  Scanning one image can take anywhere from one to four minutes depending on the cropping situation.  That means you won't be seeing six hundred scans in this post.

However... it does feature twenty-five different scans and a pair of photos... which is quite higher than one of my run-of-the-mill posts.

Today I decided to use a Top 10 format to highlight some of the cards Rod sent my way.  However let's being with some honorable mentions...

Honorable Mention #1:  Love the Logo

1983 Fleer Star Stickers #NNO

When I think of 80's Fleer sets... I also think of the team logo stickers that were inserted into packs of cards.  This isn't one of those stickers, but it's still really cool.  You'll get a chance to see some of the player stickers from this product in a few minutes.

Honorable Mention #2:  Padres TTM Autographs

I have a binder dedicated to TTM and IP autographs I've acquired over the years.  It shouldn't be surprising that the Oakland A's and San Francisco Giants make up a large percentage of the binder... since they were/are the two local teams.  However in recent years... the San Diego Padres have definitely made their presence felt thanks to several large donations from Rod over the years.  

This care package contained over twenty... but I narrowed it down to this nine-pocket page and this other honorable mention...

Honorable Mention #3:  My First Merrill Auto

2022 Topps Heritage Minor League #14

The Padres have been extremely quiet this offseason... which has some people worried, annoyed, or both.  But if Jackson Merrill can avoid a sophomore slump and the Padres high priced stars can live up to their contracts... I think they'll be able to hold their own (assuming they fill out the rest of their roster).

Honorable Mention #4:  Six Pack of Autographs

The next group of autographs are of the pack-pulled prospect variety:

I've heard of Snelling, Gonzalez, and Wolf... but honestly couldn't tell you much about any of them.  That being said... it'll be fun to see if any of these guys end up being household names by the end of their careers.

Honorable Mention #5:  Hockey Packs

2023 Upper Deck National Hockey Card Day

I'm in the midst of writing a hockey card post.  I'm guessing you'll see at least a pack or two of these in it.

Honorary Mention #6:  A Pair of A&G Hits

2024 Allen & Ginter Framed Autograph #MA-AA

2024 Allen & Ginter Relic #AGR-ZGA

Both of these cards were welcomed surprises.  Most of the cards in Rod's 660ct. box were for specific collections.  Unless I'm missing something... these do not.  That being said... Abbott has shown signs of stardom.  If he wins a Cy Young Award, this card can be added to my left-handed Cy Young Award winner collection.

As for Gallen, he's been a solid starter for the Diamondbacks for half a decade now.  Maybe Rod knows something we don't know... and the Padres are planning to trade for him.

Alright, let's get to the Top 10 countdown... 

#10: Obligatory Ohtani

2023 Bowman #51

When it comes to cards... Shohei Ohtani is like Michael Jordan.  If I have an opportunity to show off a card of his, I will.

#9:  Rare Leaf

1991 Leaf #140

1991 Leaf was far from being considered a rare product... but you don't see miscut cards like this come out of 90's products very often.  This is especially true when the card manufacturer was trying to compete in the premium card product market.

This card stood out like a sore thumb in Rod's 660ct. box... and I absolutely love it.

#8:  San Diego Rickey

1997 Collector's Choice #211

Sometimes we don't appreciate things until the moment is gone.  I wonder if I truly appreciated the fact that my two favorite baseball players were teammates on two separate occasions.  

#7:  Smiling Stew

1991 Upper Deck #127

When I think back on my memories of Dave Stewart... I immediately think of his stare downs on the mound.  If I were standing in the batter's box... I would be downright scared.

While flipping through a large stack of A's in this 660ct. box... I immediately stopped to appreciate Smoke's smile and the pre-Mount Davis Coliseum with grass behind the bleachers.

#6:  A Sucker for Slabs

Feast your eyes on the latest addition to my collection of graded cards:

2018 Topps Gypsy Queen Autograph #GQA-RHO

Some of you might be wondering why Rod would send me an autographed rookie card of Rhys Hoskins.  I'm not a Phillies fan and I don't usually seek out this slugger's cards.

However... I do have a growing collection of slabs from different grading companies.

Although they've been in business for almost twenty years, this is the first time I've heard of or handled one of their slabs.  Regardless... it's a new addition to my Graded Card Gallery.

#5:  Not Your Ordinary Paperweight

2015 Topps First Home Run Medallions #FHRM-RJ

Not all manufactured relics are created equally.  Some of them are cool... and some of them are silly.  I'm not the biggest fan of this card's design... but I really the the actual medallion embedded in this card.


#4:  A Sayonara Signature

2023 Topps Baseball Stars Autograph #BSA-HK

Not exactly sure what the Padres goals are this off-season... but I was totally bummed to see Kim sign with the Rays.  I know that they already have Cronenworth, Bogaerts, and Machado manning the infield... but I've been a fan of Kim's defensive versatility since his arrival in 2021.  He will be missed. 

#3:  Food Issue of the GOAT

1992-93 Fleer Drake's #7

I'm one of the thousands and thousands of collectors who treasure any Michael Jordan card sent my way.  But flipping this card over and discovering that it was a food issue card that I didn't have made it extra special.

#2:  End of an Era

2024 Topps Big League Mascots #M-18

It's hard to believe that Stomper won't be parading around the Oakland Coliseum anymore.  At least this card will help me remember the good old days.  What I especially love about this card is the fact that he's rocking the kelly green alternate jersey with Oakland right on front.


#1:  Rickey Henderson Stickers

1983 Fleer Star Stickers #144

1983 Fleer Star Stickers #192

I don't remember seeing these back in the 80's, but I would have been excited to add these to my collection.  Forty-two years later... I finally did.

Thank you Rod for this generous 660ct. box of cards.  I love the variety... and all of the little holes you filled in my collection.

Bo... I'll start working on those PWE's next.  And after that... I'll rip into Johnny's flat rate box.

Until then...

Happy Sunday and sayonara!

Flea Market Finds #168: Plates, Cups, and Cards

Last week was the first week of the second semester and things at work were a little busy which prevented me from writing this post in a more timely manner.  But now that things are settling down... I finally found some free time to sit down and write.

Back on Saturday, January 18th... I checked out the Branham Flea Market.  The chilly weather scared a few of the regular vendors away, but there were still forty to fifty vendors set up.

I had almost walked around the entire flea market before finding something I was interested in purchasing...

Purchase #1:  Bicycle License Plates  $10

There are a few regulars that set up at this flea market with some cool antique items.  One of them had a wooden box filled with old Wheaties license plates.  I wasn't too familiar with these, but the first two plates appear to be part of a promotion back in 1953 and 1954.  

1953 Wheaties #NNO

1954 Wheaties #NNO

The third license plate I purchased is much newer...

1980 Post #NNO

I'm not quite sure of the history behind these plates, but based on an eBay listing I found... it looks like people could purchase a complete set of these plate directly from Post.

Anyways... I thought these were pretty cool and the guy's asking price was fair... so I purchased them.

Purchase #2:  ALF Collectible Figure  $5

2023 Neca Alf Gordon Shumway w/Saxophone Figure

On the back row of the flea market, I came across a new vendor with a bunch of action figures.  He had purchased a huge collection and was trying to recoup some of his money.  One of my buddies is a huge ALF fan, so I picked this up for him.

Purchase #3:  Junk Wax Era Packs  $2

1989 Topps LJN Baseball Talk Set #1

1989 Topps LJN Baseball Talk Set #2

This is one of my favorite oddball sets from the 80's... right up there with the early 80's Granny Goose and Kellogg's sets... and the mid 80's 7-11 Slurpee Coins.

I already own an entire set of 40 unopened packs, plus another compete set stored in four pocket pages.  However, I can't pass up packs of this stuff when they're a buck each.

If you're not familiar with this set, they're oversized cards that utilize the 1989 Topps baseball card design:

1989 Topps LJN Baseball Talk #84

The backs feature a record:

Collectors who owned the special player could insert these cards and listen to interviews and highlights about each player.  If you're interested in listening to some of these cards you are in luck.  daclyde has recordings of all 164 cards in the set... including the Willie McGee.

Purchase #4:  1973 7-11 Slurpee Cups  $5

Let me preface this purchase by stating that I am not starting a collection of cups.  I'm just a sucker for older ones featuring players from my favorite teams.

1973 7-11 #NNO Catfish Hunter

1973 7-11 #NNO Bert Campaneris

1973 7-11 #NNO Nate Colbert

I purchased these from a regular vendor I have dealt with on a regular basis.  He had purchased a large collection of these cups and talked me into looking through them.  They're over fifty years old and pretty scratched up... but I couldn't turn down his $5 offer.

Purchase #5:  1981 Topps Scratch-Offs Set  $5

Just as I was about to leave the "cup" guy's booth, I noticed this set sitting in a box with some magazines.  Now if you're unfamiliar with the 1981 Topps Scratch-Offs there are two ways to define a complete set.

There are 144 different three-card panels that people can collect... and there are 108 different cards in the set.

A few years ago, Jim (cards as i see them) sold me a complete "panel" set for $25.  I knew right away that the above set wasn't big enough to contain every panel.

However for $5... I couldn't pass up the 108 card set.  As I started flipping through it, I found three panels containing two hall of famers each:

47.7 + 30.4 + 68.5 = 146.6

I decided to see which trio compiled the highest WAR.  Jim Rice, Mike Hargrove, and Jim Palmer had the lowest total.

88.6 + 46.2 + 70.6 = 205.4

George Brett and Alan Trammell's combined WAR was higher than Rice, Hargrove, and Palmer.  Willie Wilson was icing on the cake.

46.5 + 64.9 + 109.9 = 221.3

But in the end... Dale Murphy, Andre Dawson, and Tom Seaver came out on top.  It would be fun to go through and compare all 144 panels... but I just don't have the time to research that right now..

I did look up one other panel of note though...

36.0 + 66.4 + 111.1 = 213.5

I knew Rickey would carry any trio he was partnered with... but was blown away by Buddy Bell's career WAR... which happens to be higher than Dawson or Rice.

Anyways... sorry I got off track.  Just thought this was an interesting way to look at these panels.

That wraps up another trip to the flea market.  I'm planning on hitting up the De Anza Flea Market on Saturday.  Hopefully the cold weather doesn't scare off more of the vendors.

Happy Thursday and sayonara!