Few players in baseball history who aren’t in the Hall of Fame resonate like Curt Flood. Flood won seven consecutive Gold Gloves with the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1960s before achieving his greatest contribution by refusing to report for the Philadelphia Phillies following a December 1969 trade. His subsequent challenge of the game’s long standing Reserve Clause made it … [Read more...] about Recounting Curt Flood’s Career Through his Baseball Cards
A Different Time: Collecting the 1974 Oakland A’s
Fifty years on from the Oakland Athletics winning three consecutive World Series championships, one thing stands out about their roster: How stacked it was during these years. In contrast to the current franchise, where players get shipped out at an almost dizzying clip, the A’s of the early ‘70s boasted a rich array of talent. Strikingly, though, it’s a group of players … [Read more...] about A Different Time: Collecting the 1974 Oakland A’s
Remembering the History Making 1984 Detroit Tigers Via Baseball Cards
At this time 40 years ago, the Detroit Tigers were in the midst of a 35-5 run that remains the best 40-game start in baseball history. That torrid start would set the pace for a 104-58 season, a wire-to-wire division title and a 1984 World Series victory over the San Diego Padres. Four decades on, it’s not hard to see why this team did so well. It had a roster unusually … [Read more...] about Remembering the History Making 1984 Detroit Tigers Via Baseball Cards
8 Great 1980 Topps Baseball Cards Beyond Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henderson’s 1980 rookie card is a thing of beauty, no doubt. Displaying Henderson trademark crouched batting stance, it’d be a nice card even if it wasn’t extremely valuable. High-grade versions of the future Hall of Famer and Oakland Athletic great’s 1980 Topps card cost way more than you’ll pay for a typical complete set. Rickey’s rookie is the first card you … [Read more...] about 8 Great 1980 Topps Baseball Cards Beyond Rickey Henderson
Modern Baseball Era Committee Candidates and Their Rookie Cards
This weekend, a 16-member Modern Baseball Era Committee will gather to consider nine players and one former executive for induction to Cooperstown. Obviously, Hall of Fame election tends to mean a boost for a player’s rookie cards. As of now, all but the highest graded examples of most of the players’ cards are inexpensive. With results due to be announced Sunday at … [Read more...] about Modern Baseball Era Committee Candidates and Their Rookie Cards
10 Baseball Cards for Pre-War Players Who Missed Hall Call
In July, the board of directors for the Baseball Hall of Fame revealed that pre-1950 candidates will be considered just once every 10 years. Their reasoning might be defensible. These years have been well picked over. Few people alive today ever watched the remaining candidates play. That said, there are still some players worthy at least of respect, if not enshrinement. … [Read more...] about 10 Baseball Cards for Pre-War Players Who Missed Hall Call
Rookie Cards for 10 Sabermetric Favorite Hall of Fame Candidates
When the Baseball Writers Association of America voted Bert Blyleven into the Hall of Fame in 2011, it arguably marked the first selection of a candidate primarily on the basis of sabermetrics. While Blyleven's enshrinmement didn't exactly open the floodgates, there are similar candidates whose day for Cooperstown might be coming as newer age analysis becomes more … [Read more...] about Rookie Cards for 10 Sabermetric Favorite Hall of Fame Candidates
19th Century Star Barnes Popular with Collectors
It's Hall of Fame voting season in the baseball world. A good rule of thumb in collecting is that anytime a player is enshrined, the price of their memorabilia will go up. There are exceptions to this of course. One exception is a player almost entirely forgotten by modern fans, one who didn't even make the Pre Integration Era ballot this year, but one who was celebrated as … [Read more...] about 19th Century Star Barnes Popular with Collectors
5 Great Bobby Doerr Baseball Cards
In some respects, Bobby Doerr has been a great beneficiary of circumstance. The 97-year-old and oldest living Hall of Famer was something of a product of Fenway Park, where his career OPS was over 200 points higher than it was on the road. Doerr's also forever tied to his Red Sox teammate and lifelong friend Ted Williams, with David Halberstam featuring them in two books. … [Read more...] about 5 Great Bobby Doerr Baseball Cards
They Played There? Cards for 10 Short Term Rental Players
The July 31 trade deadline has come and gone, leaving the question of which players dealt will prove to be just short-term rentals. There's a player or two traded like this every season, a star due for free agency who goes to his new team for a few months and then heads on to more lucrative environs in the off-season. Sometimes, cards depicting these players on their interim … [Read more...] about They Played There? Cards for 10 Short Term Rental Players