Yesterday, marked the 33rd Anniversary of Rickey Henderson's MLB debut.
On June 24th, 1979, Rickey made his first appearance as a major leaguer for the Oakland Athletics and went 2 for 4 with a double against the Texas Rangers. He also stole the first of his MLB record 1,406 career stolen bases.
It didn't take long for The Man of Steal to become a superstar and my favorite player until the A's traded him to the New York Yankees in 1984. He would eventually come back to Oakland as a free agent in 1990 and although Tony Gwynn had become my new favorite player, Rickey was still my favorite Athletic.
During his 25 year career, he jumped around the league and played for 9 different teams. But he spend 14 of those seasons with the Oakland A's and played 1,704 games with them, which is the 2nd most in franchise history. In fact, he's all over the A's record books:
6,140 At Bats (2nd All-Time)
1,270 Runs Scored (1st All-Time)
1,768 Hits (3rd All-Time)
1,271 Singles (2nd All-Time)
2,640 Total Bases (4th All-Time)
289 Doubles (6th All-Time)
1,227 Walks (1st All-Time)
867 Stolen Bases (1st All-Time)
His career numbers are even more impressive which is why he was a first ballot hall of famer in 2009 and is considered by many to be the best leadoff hitter in the history of the game. More importantly... he's one of the greatest Athletics to take the field in Oakland and he's one of my all-time favorite players.
Here's your question of the day...
Who were your childhood favorites (players)? Do you collect their cards & memorabilia? If so, what's your favorite item (of your favorite childhood player) in your collection?
1 point - Leave your response below.
3 points - Post your response your blog and leave a link below, so other can enjoy what you wrote.
I'll accept responses for this post until Tuesday at 3pm (PST). I look forward to reading all of your responses.
Here's my favorite Rickey Henderson item:
If I had to rank my favorite cards, this one would have to be somewhere in the top 50. It features a classic photo and a decent design. Plus it's hard not to think about 80's rookie cards without including this one. Okay... that's all I've got.
Happy Sunday & sayonara!
71 comments:
Roberto Clemente was definitely my favorite player during my childhood. I'd read about him and books and had seen some documentaries on TV and knew he was a great player to idolize. (He's still my all-time favorite.)
I do my best to get everything I can of his, but Clemente's stuff can get a bit pricey. Probably my favorite card in my Clemente collection is my '73 Topps issue, his final one. It was one of the first cards I can remember having, one of the greatest gifts my dad had or ever will get for me.
One of my first posts was dedicated to my Clemente collection:
http://baseballdimebox.blogspot.com/2011/12/tribute-to-all-time-hero.html
Growing up, Don Mattingly and Tino Martinez were my favorite players. Yes, I collect their cards. Tino way moreso than Donnie.
My favorite items are my two signed Tino TTM cards, and a Mattingly signed coaster from his restaurant.
Early on, my team preference was determined by what little league team I was on. I started out on the Mariners, thus loving Griffey and the Big Unit. I followed that by going to the Rangers, when I fell in love with Nolan Ryan, Ruben Sierra, and Julio Franco. The last little league team I was on was the Giants, so naturally I was a Bonds fan. I'm still a fan of all of them, but don't actively seek their cards. I'd love to collect them, but I already have enough card money obligations.
At the risk of repeating myself AGAIN, Ron Cey was my favorite player in childhood, and, yes, I do collect his cards. Favorite item, probably that '75 Topps card again.
I'll see if I can find some different way to write a new post about him, because I can't keep sending you old links.
I managed to catch the tail end of Dale Murphy's career... I really enjoyed the way he played the game and I liked what I heard about him off of the field as well. As he was winding down, a new guy by the name of Chipper Jones took his place.
You may have heard of him.
Lol repetition.
Fred McGriff, as most of you all know. I did collect him, but I found a few much bigger collectors who were kicking my butt so I stopped. Sold most of my cards to each of them to help them along their way and boost my other collections. But I did keep a bunch including my favorite which is his 1985 Pre-Rookie.
When I first found there was just one online for $50...now a bunch are around and it can be had for $5. I found it in a set and got a "crazy deal" (when I sold the set without him I made all my money back!). It's the best card because he looks like he's 12 on the card, and the McGriff of my youth seemed like he was 50 from 1993 onward.
Rickey and willie mccovey were my two favorites and i collect both oftheir cards.
My favorite rickey item has to be his signed rookie card i got personally signed two years ago at all star fan fest. My favorite mccovey card is probably my favorite vintage cards well - 1962 topps
For once I'm not too late!
It's Brooks Robinson. Has been for more than 50 years. And I do collect Brooks items. I just posted about my favorite item right here.
Mike Piazza and Hideo Nomo were my childhood favorites. I collect their cards and even named my blog after Nomo. My favorite Piazza card is his 1992 Bowman. It took me many years to get one and the one I have is in excellent condition.
Well I guess my childhood players are current players! Albert Pujols is my favourite but that's only because I've seen him play on the Angels
My favourite MLB player growing up was Dave Stieb. A phenomenal pitcher, Stieb had no-hitters broken up with 2 outs/2 strikes in the bottom of the 9th inning in back-to-back starts. I have a nice collection of him and continue to add. My favourite items are the mini-posters from mid-80s OPC.
I followed the Reds, especially in the early 80s. My favorite players were Dave Concepcion and Mario Soto. My favorite Reds memory was when Concepcion pitched a scoreless inning in a Reds loss in 1988. I don't collect their cards. I've thought about picking up some Concepcion post-retirement relics and auto cards, but they just don't grab me.
My favorite player growing up was Angel Berroa. He was the only Royals player I remember being praised on television and I was very happy when he earned the ROY in 2003 over Matsui. My favorite card I own is his Donruss Absolute Memoribilia card with pieces of shoe, hat, jersey and bat on it.
yo fuji - here's the link to my post answering your question. thanks for the inspiration:
http://alltradebait.blogspot.com/2012/06/yo-fuji-my-favorite-player-was-ron-cey.html
Linky-link:
http://nightowlcards.blogspot.com/2012/06/were-all-just-living-in-his-world.html
I have at least 133 posts (and counting) regarding my favorite player Barry Larkin (see them here: http://fanofreds.blogspot.com/p/barry-larkin-collection.html). As for what my favorite item is of his, it's got to be his 1987 Topps rookie card. I loved the '87 set as a kid - I still like it now, and you can't beat this card: http://fanofreds.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-barry-larkin-collection-01-1987.html
Here we go: http://thiscardiscool.blogspot.jp/2012/06/bba-childhood-heroes.html
And I noticed something obscenely crazy when grabbing the link for this post. More on this later...
Here it is
http://hockeykazi.blogspot.ca/2012/06/fujis-next-question.html
My favorite player growing up was Chris Chelios. I try to collect all of his cards, but I don't obsess over the game-used stuff. I try to get his autographed cards if they are affordable. My favorite card of his is probably his Ice Kings Donruss card from 1993-94:
http://puckjunk.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/005_f_zoom.jpg
Worth maybe a quarter, but a cool card to me.
http://arbitrary-crap.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/soccer-cards-1-braveheart.html
Colin Hendry - Blackburn Rovers
Will "The Thrill".
http://playattheplatedude.blogspot.com/2012/06/o-what-thrill.html
Another awesome round of questions Fuji.
Thanks,
Dawgbones
http://dawgbonesaphilliesphan.blogspot.com/2012/06/another-round-of-fuji-esque-questions.html
Phil Niekro was my favorite Braves (pitcher) and I was able to get his autograph about 10 years ago.
http://cardjunk.blogspot.com/2012/06/knucksie-autograph.html
I didn't follow baseball as a kid, I was a basketball nerd. My favorite player was John Stockton. As a kid, I tried to collect as many Stockton cards as possible. Currently, my favorite Stockton item is an autographed card. Thanks!
Hey Fuji,
Growing up outside Philadelphia and hating the Phillies as I did because everyone loved I grow up a Mets fan and my favorite player was Tom Seaver to the point my 1st sons middle name is Seaver! Favorite piece is an Upper Deck autographed card and a 1975 Mets Yearbook which he is on the cover I was 10 when I got it and still have it!
http://dionsipautosonly.blogspot.com/2012/06/favorite-player-and-item-fuji-contest.html
Jorge Posada. The main reason being he was the first Yankees card I ever got (in the first pack I ever bought as well) way back in 2005 (which is when I first got introduced to the hobby), and as New Yorker that was huge. Other things like how he would be on fire in the post season and how he helped his kid through his disease were factors as well. That 2005 Topps card is definitely my favorite card of Posada and I still have it too, and though I've tried collecting other Posada cards as well, but by the time I really got into the hobby Posada was already a star with hundreds upon hundreds of various base cards, parallels, inserts etc... which made it impossible for me to ever accomplish a complete PC (at least not in the near future).
Here's my answer to this question:
http://plaschkethysweaterisargyle.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-favorite-card-of-my-favorite.html
Dwight Gooden. He set me off on a decade and a half of pain as a Mets fan. Don't worry, I'm over it now.
http://thediamondking.blogspot.com/2012/06/fooj-2.html
Mark McGwire while he was with the A's, even though I was a Cardinals fan.
http://tenetsofwilson.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-favorite-childhood-player.html
Tim Wallach.
http://timwallach.blogspot.com/
Once again, too late for the party... but here's my answer:
http://shlabotnikreport.wordpress.com/2012/06/27/fuji-feedback-my-favorite-players-when-i-was-a-kid/
I could have sworn I already commented here, maybe I'm doing something wrong. But here's my post from yesterday, it's Mark McGwire
http://tenetsofwilson.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-favorite-childhood-player.html
And my apologies if this shows up multiple times, blogger seems to be eating my comments.
Blogger seems to be eating my comments, I tried to leave this yesterday but now it's not there:
http://tenetsofwilson.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-favorite-childhood-player.html
The 1973 Clemente is definitely on my wantlist!
The Mattingly signed coaster sounds really cool... did you buy it or was he at the restaurant when you went there?
I'm surprised I didn't copy you. I never once played for the A's in little league... and was always a little bummed about it.
Lol. Maybe I'll have everyone write their favorite night owl Ron Cey post.
I've grown to admire Mr. Murphy over the years. Now Chipper... that's a different story. I've always been a fan of him. I think it's because growing up I watched so many Braves games on TBS... the same reason I love Maddux.
I'll have to track down that card and check it out... thanks for sharing.
very... very... very envious!
Awesome post. You're a true fan.
Huge fan of Dave Stieb. He attended my high school... albeit a few years before I arrived. Btw... love those OPC posters!
Those are some blast from the past names. I've always been a fan of non-pitchers taking the mound... I'll have to look up that story.
Lol... I was the opposite. I pulled for Matsui... even though he played for the Yankees.
I'm going to add that 1980 Topps Manny Mota to my cheap, cool cards wantlist.
I apologize for continuing to make you write about Mr. Cey... but bro, that post is exactly why I'm having bloggers actively participate in my contest.
1987 Topps was the first set I collected in bulk... and I'm a huge fan of that rookie card too.
It's hard to argue with your Gwynn choice. Nice card(s)!
Just compared the logo to his autograph... pretty cool.
I'm not sure I'm having a brain fart... but how the heck did I miss Perez's Ice Kings? Awesome card.
Is Braveheart... Hendry's nickname?
Ditto!
Huge fan of Marvin the Martian when I was growing up... but that Catfish Hunter ball takes the cake.
Just looked up the 1981 Topps Niekro. Cool card.
I've always wanted to add a Stockton to my PC... but his autographs are pretty pricey!
Can't argue with Seaver... I'm a fan myself.
Yeah... that's the one downside to having so many cardboard options. I'm not a Yankees fan, but it's hard not to admire Posada.
I must acquire the 92 Bowman Piazza!
I'm still hung up on Doc... always will love that guy.
Love the site... thanks for sharing!
You sure have a ton of favorite players. I'm gonna let you sneak it... but to be fair to everyone else... I'm going to take off a point, so instead of three, you get two.
Entries for this contest question are now closed!
DO IT!
It's a classic.
To me, at least.
It's officially been added to my wantlist... now it's a waiting game. Remember... I'm a bargain hunter :-)
I just figured out that your responses are going into my SPAM folder. I'll go back and try to update the point totals this weekend.
Lol... good point ;-)
Yeah, after reading Greg's post, I added this to my wantlist too.
Fuj - I gotta Rickey for you to see -
http://chucksusedcards.blogspot.com/
thanks for the inspiration !
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1992-Bowman-461-Mike-Piazza-rookie-rc-PSA-8-/380449149060?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item5894895084
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1992-Bowman-BB-Mike-Piazza-461-EX-MINT-1-card-lot-RC-/140783313635?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item20c756e2e3
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mike-Piazza-92-Bowman-RC-461-/221054676325?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item3377e2ad65
Thanks Greg... I think I'm going to target the PSA 10 and see if I can get it in the $40 area.
Those are awesome... thanks for sharing!
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