The Boone's: Three Generations of All-Stars

A few weeks ago, I came across an online company called Canton & Cooper who sell PSA/DNA autographs as well as unopened packs, AP photos, and other autographed items. In their clearance section they were selling autographed 8x10 photos of Ray Boone for $3.80. Ray Boone is the patriarch of the Boone family which managed to field three generations of ball players at the MLB level... a feat that only four families have so far achieved.

Ray played 13 seasons for six different teams. He had a solid major league career in which he hit 151 homeruns and made the all-star team twice with the Detroit Tigers in the 50's.

Personally, I was more familiar with his son, Bob Boone... who played 19 seasons with three different teams. He was a 4x all-star, won a Golden Glove Award at catcher seven times and is the father of two former MLB all-stars himself.

Less than two years after Bob retired, his son Bret made his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners. Like father and grandfather... Bret went on to have a solid career which included three all-star appearances and four Golden Glove Awards as a second baseman.

And finally there's Bob's other son Aaron, who was drafted in 1994 by the Cincinnati Reds, played 12 seasons and made the all-star team once in 2003.

There have been many great families in baseball over the years: the Ripkens, the Alomars, the Griffeys, and the Bonds... but only one has featured three generations and four players that have each been an all-star.

I'm planning on getting these four autographs professionally matted and framed and giving it to my dad for Father's Day next year. I think he'll appreciate the story behind their baseball family and the mark they left on the game.

Today's question of the day:

Who are some of your favorite families in sports?

They don't necessarily have to be from baseball.

Going back to Canton & Cooper experience...

I ended up buying a bunch of other items for my PC... like a 1985 Fleer cello pack with a Kirby Puckett on top, two 1983 Fleer cellos (one with a Gwynn on top and another with a Boggs on top), and a Ray Dandridge PSA/DNA autographed Perez Steele card.

They actually messed up my order, but their great customer service department took care of the issue and gave me a couple of free photos. One of the freebies is part of the newest prize package in my contest.

It's an autographed 8x10 photo of Sam Jethroe, who was the 1950 NL Rookie of the Year. Before making his MLB debut, he played several years in the Negro Leagues, where he captured several batting titles. He only played three seasons at the MLB level, but he led the National League in stolen bases two of those years. Jethroe was the first African-American to play for the Boston Braves and the last person to hit a grandslam as a Boston Braves player. Sadly Mr. Jethroe passed away ten years ago at the age of 84.

In addition to this 8x10, I'm throwing in this autographed photo of Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller:

Feller's list of accomplishments goes on and on and on... but here are a few of the highlights:

8x All-Star

Led AL in wins 6x

Led AL in strikeouts 7x

Won the AL Triple Crown (Wins, ERA, & K's) in 1940

First Ballot HOFer in 1962

Mr. Feller lived a long life, but recently passed away at the age of 92. He was known for signing autographs for anyone who asked. The photo being added to the prize package has a little water damage, but if the winner frames the autograph it will be difficult to tell.

Finally, I purchased another Ray Boone autograph (similar to the one above) to add to the contest. All three autograph photos will be packaged together as one prize.

Okay... I'm running late to work. I'll have to update the contest tonight.

Thank goodness there's only two more days until the weekend... and only 8 more days until summer school is over. Then I get to enjoy my summer break. Enjoy the rest of your week... Sayonara!

Contest Update

I should have my 300th post up in the next 60 to 90 minutes... until then... take a few moments to check out the current standings:

1st Place: Hairylemon, Baseball Nut, & Ryan G (30 points)

2nd Place: dawgbones & Martyn (27 points)

3rd Place: Eric L & Greg Zakwin (26 points)

Remember... everyone has a chance at winning a prize, not just the top point earners.

At the end of the contest... for every point you have, your name will be entered into random.org... after that we'll leave it up to fate. However... it's basic math... the more points you have, the better your odds are of winning.

If you see any mistakes... leave a comment below and I'll make corrections.

Now for the current list of prizes...

Prize List:

Package A: 90's Football Inserts/Parallels BV: $30+

Package B: 2009/10 UD Basketball "Masterpieces" Starter Set BV:$24.50

Package C: 2009 SPx "Shadow Box" #S-KS Kevin SmithBV:$20

Package D: 2000/01 UD ICE Hockey Base Set (1-40) BV:$15

Package E: 1999 SP Top Prospects Set w/2 AutographsBV:$22

Package F: 2010 Panini Threads Football Base Set (1-150) BV:$20

Package G: 2008 Popcardz Set (1-40) + 1 Wax Pack BV: $18

Package H: 1999 Roox Women's World Cup Set (1-19) BV: $?

Package I: Transformers Video Game for the PS2

Package J: 1981 Fleer Willie McCovey Autograph BV:$?

Package K: Baseball Autographed 8x10 Lot (Feller, Boone, & Jethroe)

This is the last weekend for the contest, since I'll be ending it on Friday, July 29th... and hopefully have everyone's prizes shipped out by Monday, August 1st. I appreciate everyone's support... especially those who have been around since the middle of June... when it all began.

In my next post, I'll have my last contest within a contest... just to keep everyone on their toes and of course to make things interesting. Stay tuned!

Have a great day... and an even better weekend. Sayonara!

Sports Card Bust #27: JaMarcus Russell

I'm not going to lie to you... I have no idea what the NFL lockout is all about. It's not that I don't care... but I just have too much on my plate to pay attention.

However on the bus ride to Six Flags last Friday, I overhead two students talking about the lockout. I was too busy managing and entertaining my own students to concentrate on what they had to say... but then I heard the name "JaMarcus Russell" and it stirred my curiosity.

I wasn't able to focus on them long enough to hear their full conversation... but I can assume that it had something to do with Russell and the 30 something million dollars he made with the Oakland Raiders.

I'm not a Raiders fan... in fact when they're doing well... I actually can't stand them. But as we all know... the Raiders have struggled for much of the past eight seasons... and so I've actually started to feel sorry for them and their fans... mainly because of their owner. Let's face it... Al Davis is a joke. He may be a football mastermind... but unfortunately he also has a tremendous ego too.

His ego blinded him from seeing the true JaMarcus Russell, until it was too late. Thirty-nine million dollars too late.

It may be too premature to call him one of the biggest draft busts in the history of the game... but I'm sure you won't hear too many Raider fans argue with me.

So let's just see what Mr. Davis, the Raiders organization, and their fans got out of Mr. Russell & his nice, little paycheck...

Drafted: #1 overall by the Oakland Raiders in the 2007 NFL Draft

Seasons Played: 3 (2007-2009)

Games Played: 31

Games Started: 25 (7 wins/18 losses)

Completion %: 52.1 (354 completions/680 pass attempts)

Touchdowns: 19 (18 passing/1 rushing)

Interceptions: 23

Fumbles Lost: 25

Quarterback Rating: 65.2

But even after Mr. Davis finally saw the light and released Russell... there was a part of me that thought that we'd see JaMarcus again one day in an NFL uniform. I figured that the former LSU standout who won the Manning Award in 2006 (given to the best collegiate quarterback) had too much talent to be finished.

I have recently rethought my position on this topic after reading an article about former NBA player/coach, John Lucas and his failed effort to help Russell get back into the NFL. It stated that Lucas (Russell's former "life coach") became frustrated with his lack of effort and has decided to cease assistance to the NFL bust. I mean... if a life coach doesn't have faith in you... who will?

My guess is that it's over for JaMarcus... which is sad since a lot of collectors spent a fair amount of money picking up his rookie autographs and memorabilia cards. Thankfully,I picked up the beauty of a bust you see above... his 2007 Donruss Gridiron Gear "autographed rookie" card for $5... the same price as a bargain priced footlong at Subway.

Okay... so most of you are probably thinking to yourself... five bucks? Why the heck would you waste $5 on a bust like JaMarcus? Well it's simple... I've been looking for a cheap autograph of his for a while now... and this was about as good as I was going to get. I'm sure in 10 years, I'll be able to find one cheaper... but my Sports Bust PC feels a little more complete with this card in it... so you'll find no regrets here.

Today's question of the day:

Have you ever invested a bunch of money on a bust? If so who? Where are the cards now?

JaMarcus is officially the 27th addition to this foolish collection, I've chosen to pursue. And sadly... out of all of those busts... I've purchased more than half of them. But... I'm pretty sure this is only the second time I've spent $5 or more for the signature of a draft bust (David Carr was the other).

By the way... I'm currently looking to pick up autographs of these other busts:

Tony Mandarich (#2 pick in 1989 NFL draft)

Bruce Pickens (#3 in 1991 NFL draft)

Andre Wadsworth (#3 pick in 1998 NFL draft)

Courtney Brown (#1 pick in 2000 NFL draft)

Charles Rogers (#2 pick in 2003 NFL draft)

So... if you have any certified autographs of these players and are interested in trading or selling... let me know. I might just be able to rid you of your bust.

Happy Tuesday everyone! Sayonara!

Oh... one more thing... A huge shout out to Abby Wambach, Hope Solo, Christie Rampone, Alex Morgan (who scored the first goal for the US and assisted on the second), and the rest of Team USA for their courageous effort. Some will choose to focus on the negative... but that's not my style. In my mind, they represented our country as best as they could and will be remembered for their amazing victory over Brazil... which should be made into a movie.

And of course... congratulations to Nadeshiko Japan on their miraculous win over Team USA. Someone said that it reminded them of a Japanese version of The Miracle on Ice... and I have to admit, that's a pretty good call. I mentioned before the game that I didn't think I'd be too disappointed if Japan won... and I was right. It's hard to explain... sure, I was bummed that Team USA didn't win... but at the same time I was happy to see the underdogs never quit... even though they were outplayed by Wambach and Co. for most of the game. It truly was an event to remember... and I wouldn't be surprised if someone made this into a movie too.

I love the 80's (Baseball Edition) #6: Kirk Gibson

Topics often fall into multiple categories. Kirk Gibson is no exception.

I had difficulty deciding if I should put him into the "Players I Hate to Love" category or adding him to my "I Love The 80's" collection.

I chose the latter, because his iconic performances stir up baseball memories (albeit mostly painful) that were generated from one particular era: the 80's.

His career lasted 17 seasons in which he played for four different teams (Tigers, Dodgers, Royals, and Pirates). During that time, he collected over 1,500 hits and 250 round trippers... the majority of these were accomplished during the 80's... a decade in which Mr. Gibson was a pain in my butt.

In an interview with Steiner Sports, he said "I was an average player in my career, but I did some exceptional things at some really important times". He went on to talk about his home run off of Goose Gossage during the 1984 World Series against my favorite team: The San Diego Padres.

Gibson went 3 for 4 with two home runs in the fifth and final game of the series... knocking in 5 runs... and single handedly clinching the game for the Tigers.

And of course... there's one of the greatest moments in World Series history. Gibson was not expected to play because of injuries to his left hamstring and his right knee. But with a runner on base in the ninth inning... down 4 to 3 to the Oakland Athletics (my other favorite team)... with two outs... and Oakland's all-star closer (& ALCS MVP) on the mound... Tommy Lasorda called Gibson's number and he went in to pinch hit.

Dennis Eckersley started off strong and quickly got an 0-2 count. But Gibson fought back and eventually worked his way back to a full count. He sent the next pitch over the right field fence with one of the most painful (for both him and me) walk-off homeruns I've ever witnessed.

Gibson and the Dodgers erased the 4-2 lead, Jose Canseco's second inning grand slam gave them... and never looked back. They won the 1988 World Series in five games and for the second time in a decade... he had ripped out my heart with clutch performances.

As sports fans... we've all experienced heart breaking moments in sports. Sometimes it's when your favorite player is traded to a team you hate... Rickey Henderson (1984).

Maybe it's when your favorite quarterback throws a crucial interception in overtime during the NFC Championship Game, which leads to a game ending field goal for the other team (Brett Favre - 2008 - last season with the Packers).

It could even be when your team gets eliminated from the playoffs (year after year after year after year) after working so hard to get there (the San Jose Sharks).

What are some of your painful sports memories?

C'mon... I know it's hard to talk about... but it's time to open up and let us help you heal.

Okay... time to get ready for the big game... the Women's World Cup Final game between Team USA and Nadeshiko Japan. This is exactly the finals matchup I hoped for. Nationality vs. Ancestry.

Ironically... there hopefully won't be any painful memories for me today. I'll be pulling for Wambach, Solo, Rampone, and the rest of Team USA. A win today would wrap up an amazing tale that climaxed with an amazing fairy tale win over Brazil last Sunday. Talk about greatest sports memories and heartbreakers (if you were cheering for Brazil)... do yourself a favor and watch this video:

If you're strapped for time... skip to the 5 minute mark and watch the historical play develop right before your eyes. The video was shot from a fan's perspective and gives you the feeling that you were actually there. Hopefully today's game will be just as exciting with a similar outcome.

However if Japan pulls off a miracle, I won't be too disappointed. After seeing the damage the tsunami caused earlier this year... they can use a little positive mojo in their lives.

Have a great day... and sayonara!

McCovey autograph added to prize list!

Sorry for the delay... but the past few days have been crazy. I finally tallied up our "contest within our contest" scores and came up with this:

As you can see... nobody picked 6 games correctly... let alone 7... so that means the Willie McCovey autograph will be added to our prize list... which now looks like this:

Prize List:

Package A: 90's Football Inserts/Parallels BV: $30+

Package B: 2009/10 UD Basketball "Masterpieces" Starter Set BV:$24.50

Package C: 2009 SPx "Shadow Box" #S-KS Kevin Smith BV:$20

Package D: 2000/01 UD ICE Hockey Base Set (1-40) BV:$15

Package E: 1999 SP Top Prospects Set w/2 Autographs BV:$22

Package F: 2010 Panini Threads Football Base Set (1-150) BV:$20

Package G: 2008 Popcardz Set (1-40) + 1 Wax Pack BV: $18

Package H: 1999 Roox Women's World Cup Set (1-19) BV: $?

Package I: Transformers Video Game for the PS2

Package J: 1981 Fleer Willie McCovey Autograph BV:$?

The good news is that everyone who played received either 1, 3, or 5 points for their participation, which has made the top 10 more interesting, while giving others a chance to jump up in their point totals.

The bad news is that some people lost 2 points for not participating. This was actually a pre-planned strategy for me... because the contest list was getting crazy and I needed to clean out a few of the people (28) who weren't really participating in the contest.

Here's a look at the current standings:

Future updates will not include the people who are in the red or at zero. Actually, all of these people will just go back to zero... since I don't want to have to deal with negative numbers.

Here are the current point leaders:

1st Place: Hairylemon (28 points)

2nd Place: Ryan G (27 points)

3rd Place: Baseball Nut (26 points)

Remember... at the end of the contest... for every point you have, your name will be entered into random.org... after that we'll leave it up to fate. However... it's basic math... the more points you have, the better your odds are of winning.

If you see any mistakes... leave a comment below and I'll make corrections.

Okay... I'm headed back to bed. I'll try to have my next blog post up later on today... but there's a chance it won't be published until tomorrow morning.

Have a great day... and an even better weekend. Sayonara!