Sometimes I invest too much time researching something that may or may not be interesting to anyone except me. Today's post revolves around one of those topics: Rico Carty.
2001 Topps Archives Autographs #86
Rico played fifteen seasons for six different teams from 1963 to 1979 and a quick look at his career numbers reveals he's a prime candidate for the Hall of Very Good. If you followed baseball in the 1960's and 1970's, then you knew who he was. However most of his prime years took place before I was born or when I was a tot, so until recently... I couldn't tell you too much about him.
Then I stumbled across an interesting article over at the National Baseball Hall of Fame's website that revealed that we share the same birthday. It also mentioned that from 1963 to 1979, only five players posted a higher batting average than him... and that he fell two hits short of ending his career with a .300 average.
1964 Topps #476
I decided to start analyzing his career numbers on Baseball Reference and after dedicating nearly forty minutes, I calculated that had he retired after playing on August 22nd, 1979 (about a month before he played his final MLB game)... he would have maintained his .300 career batting average.
However that's not how things played out. He ended up finishing his career with a .299 batting average, 204 home runs, and a .369 on base percentage... which still equates to one heck of a career.
As for the cards, I purchased the autograph back in 2016 for $14 (+ $2.50 shipping), because he was one of nine MLB players to hit a home run on the day I was born. As for the graded rookie card, I used one of my eBay gift cards to buy it. It was $11.50 (+ $4 shipping and $1.06 tax).
I knew the card was off-centered, but was disappointed to see this crack on the back:
The seller offered to refund my money if I sent the card back, but it wasn't worth the time and effort. Besides... this wasn't an investment purchase. I wanted it for my Birthday PC.
Here's another purchase I made for this collection:
Archie #221
The past few years I've also been picking up specific comics released during my birth month. This is the third addition to that collection. You can view the other two here.
What about you?
Do you collect anything related to your birthday?
Well that's it for today. This post was written and scheduled a couple of weeks ago, so I'm not sure if I have anything planned for this evening. However with social distancing in place, I wouldn't bet on it.
Happy birthday Mr. Carty! Happy Tuesday and sayonara!
21 comments:
Rico Carty is an interesting "what if" given that he missed significant time in his prime due to tuberculosis, then later a brutal knee injury suffered in winter ball.
I do not specifically collect anything related to my birthday (particularly since I do not usually celebrate it), although it turned out that a couple of my early favorites share my birthday, so that was a little serendipitous.
Happy Birthday! I collect cards of little-remembered pitcher Matt Ginter because we share the same exact birthday. Going after cards/autos of guys who hit a home run on the day you were born is a fun idea, but a no-go for me being born in December. Maybe I should take a stab at the comic book thing.
Happy bday! I don't have any collections centered around my birthday, but a collection of guys who homered the day I was born sounds interesting. Time to do some research!
I sure do. With my birthday coming soon I'll be posting my normal bday post. On top of that I collect athletes with the same birth date. BTW, you don't need either of those Rico's or the Archie comic. :)
I have Topps Baseball and Philadelphia Football sets from the year I was born. Rico Carty without looking it up I swore he hit .363. I will look it up now. I was wrong he hit .366 in 1970. That has to be one of the highest averages between Williams .406 and Gywnns .394 (1941-1994). I did not have to look up those latter numbers.
Happy Birthday! Rico has a heck of a career for sure!
I don't collect anything related to my birthday, but I recently noticed that two of the young Mets pitchers, David Peterson and Corey Oswalt, both share my birthday--two years apart from each other, and of course a lot younger than I. Peterson is looking good so he seems like he'll be a guy I collect. So far I have one card of him, so that's a start. B^)
Happy birthday. That is a cool idea for a collection theme, I like the comics you've put together.
Since I was born in the off season I wouldn't be able to do the "everyone who hit a home run on the day I was born" collection, but I think thats a pretty cool idea too :)
Happy birthday Fuji! I think I have a Life magazine from the week I was born but nothing hobby related even though there was a player born the same day same year as I. I was born in the off-season so no game related events on my birthday either.
Happy birthday! I don't do anything for my birthday or anything collecting wise towards it.
One of my baseball PC guys was born the same day as I was. Ivan DeJesus (Senior)...
I love Rico Carty! Thanks for showing this off. I think the only thing I collect related to my birthday is... my birthday! Though I like the idea of getting cards for guys that hit homers on the exact day you were born. Feel sorry for those November-March folks...
Happy birthday!!!!!!!
Happy birthday, Mr. Fuji! Doug from Sports Cards From the Dollar Store is another guy I know who collects people with the same birthday. I hope you have a great day and that school is going as well as it can for you and your students.
I collect Carty and Ralph Garr as part of my Braves collection. A couple of great hitters.
I collect cards related to my Mother's birthday. September 19/1926. Duke Snider was born on the same day. My grand daughter was born on the 19th as well. I have started a binder of cards with players born on the 19th. Joe Morgan. Jim Abbott. George Springer. Chris Short. Just to name a few.
I might be wrong but I think John Kruk got a hit asked for a pinch runner and retired with a .300 batting average........
Last Game: July 30, 1995 (Age 34-171d)
vs. BAL 1 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
10 Yrs 1200 4603 3897 582 1170 199 34 100 592 58 31 649 701 .300
Happy Birthday Fuji!
I collect Marvel comics put out during my birth month, March 1971. I found a list of 22 and I only need 6 more to finish it off. I compiled a list of DC comics and may move onto them next.
Hope your birthday was a good one, Fuj! As for me, I collect only a few new gray hairs and a wrinkle here n there.
mike - whoa. didn't even know about the tuberculosis thing. i don't really celebrate my birthday either, although i do enjoy receiving texts and phone calls from people from family and friends
defgav - thanks. the comic book thing is fun. actually... it's just fun finding different ways to collect more crap. a great example is your unique projects.
jeff b - thank you. have fun. it can be a deep, dark hole to travel down. i started another birthday project... but i've only gotten one card. maybe i'll have more by next september
johnnys trading spot - is that some jedi mind trick or something? lol. looking forward to seeing your birthday post
john bateman - i haven't checked... but galarraga hit .370 or something one year. and of course there was the year brett chased .400. i'd love to collect the topps football, basketball, and hockey sets from 1972... but they don't fall into my collecting budget ;D
sumomenkoman - thanks bro! he sure did
brett alan - have fun collecting peterson. sadly there hasn't been a guy at the mlb level who shares my birthday in a few years
sean - thanks. maybe collect a player from another sport? or a baseball player who shares your birthday? of course... comics are sold year-round... so that fits everybody's birthday
gcrl - thank you. i'm pretty sure i have a life magazine from my birthday as well. i'd like to track down a copy of the sports illustrated though.
sport card collectors - thanks. i don't really do anything for my birthday either. it's just another reminder that i'm one year older ;D
gca - nice. that's much better than the mlb player who was born on the same days as me (kevin orie).
peter k steinberg - maybe those guys could collect guys who threw 4 touchdown passes, hat tricks, or triple-doubles
jon - thanks!
dennis - thank you. it's going for sure. it's not great... but i've been trying to stay more positive about the whole ordeal
sascards67 - hmmm. i'll have to look up ralph garr
fred pike - that's a great idea. i might need to look into that for my mom.
dion's ip autos only - that's awesome. that's something i would have done.
arpsmith - thanks! at the rate i'm going, it'll take me a few more years to nail down just the key marvel titles i'm chasing. after that maybe i'll try to collect the dc comics too
a cracked bat - thanks! i've been collecting those for a few years too. the good news is most of the gray hairs are on my face. the bad news is i'm too lazy to shave ;D
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