The Hall of Fame opened a new baseball card exhibit last month. Now, another large entity is paying homage to the hobby. The eBay Baseball Card Hall of Fame opened online Thursday, featuring ten players that are popular with collectors. The selections were made based on a decade’s worth of proprietary sales and search data.
The inaugural class of ten players represent the last 100 years of baseball. Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Nolan Ryan and Ken Griffey Jr. are among those included are included and yes, the eBay Hall of Fame did not have eligibility issues with Pete Rose, who is among the inaugural ten inductees.
“Baseball card collecting is viewed by many as America’s second-favorite pastime, and every
fan remembers the thrill of finding the most sought-after cards of their day. We created the
Baseball Card Hall of Fame to recognize those who 
have shaped the collecting experience across their respective generations,” said Sam Bright, vice president of merchandising, eBay North America. “These players’ cards have become an iconic part of baseball culture, prized by
collectors around the world for their history and value.”
Players were given titles: Griffey is “The Fan Favorite”, Stan Musial is “The Midsummer MVP”, Ozzie Smith is “The Golden Glove.” There’s also a group of “Hall of Fame Hopefuls” that includes Derek Jeter, Mike Trout, Aaron Judge and others.
You can see the full list here.
You can see the current ‘most watched’ eBay sports card auctions here.
New York City Class Induction Ceremony
Elected players were formally inducted on June 11 in New York City. In a ceremony precluded
with opening remarks by Steve Wymer, eBay’s Chief Communications Officer, an honorary
‘Home Plate’ plaque recognized the career accomplishments of each Hall of Famer’s influence
on trading card culture.
As part of the ceremony, Mariano Rivera received the “Diamond Award,” which names a
standout player for their achievements, service on and off the field, and their performance on
eBay.
eBay x Mariano Rivera Collection
To celebrate Rivera’s induction into eBay’s Hall of Fame and his achievement as the
first player in history to be unanimously inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame
by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, eBay announced that, beginning today, fans
can shop the “eBay x Mariano Rivera” collection of exclusive signed merchandise and one-of-a-kind memorabilia at eBay.com/MarianoRivera.
The collection includes hand-signed official baseballs, jerseys and hats, autographed photographs of epic moments, framed signs and wall art, 2019 Hall of Fame memorabilia and more. Additionally, 42 special items – including game-worn jerseys, signed and game-used MLB bases, signed Yankees baseball hats and a personalized video recorded by Mariano Rivera – will be auctioned, with 100 percent of proceeds benefiting the Mariano Rivera Foundation through June 16.
“I love that eBay started the Baseball Card Hall of Fame. As a player, you have fans who come
out to the games and they’re incredible, then you have collectors who bring the game home with
their distinct passion,” said Rivera. “The exclusive merchandise we’ve put together with eBay is
for real fans, whether they’re Yankee die-hards or just genuine collectors. Most importantly, this
collection creates incredible resources for underprivileged youth and their families.”
