Only four left-handed pitchers have won 300 or more games in major league history. Steve Carlton is No. 2 overall with 329 victories, trailing only Warren Spahn’s 363. No wonder Carlton was called “Lefty.” On Dec. 22, the wily southpaw celebrates his 78th birthday. Carlton is in the mix when naming the top southpaws of the post-World War II era, along with Spahn, Sandy … [Read more...] about Lefty At 78: A Look Back At Steve Carlton’s Career Through Baseball Cards
1970's baseball cards
1974 Topps Deckle Edge Set Packed with Big Names
In the mid-1970s, the small fraternity of adult baseball card collectors surely began corresponding by mail and sharing long-distance phone conversations once the existence of a new set. The only place it seemed to be showing up was in a small area of New England. The 1974 Topps Deckle Edge set, as it came to be known, was one of the many 'test' issues Topps … [Read more...] about 1974 Topps Deckle Edge Set Packed with Big Names
2nd Ranked 1975 Topps Baseball Set Brings $600,000
The second ranked 1975 Topps Baseball set on PSA's Set Registry sold for $600,000 Sunday night at Goldin Auctions. While most ungraded higher quality 1975 Topps sets in can be had for under $1,000, this one required a lot of work. Painstakingly pieced together, all but two cards in the 660-card set are graded either Gem Mint 10 (308) or Mint 9 (350). Only … [Read more...] about 2nd Ranked 1975 Topps Baseball Set Brings $600,000
Mike Schmidt Rookie Card Last of the Vintage High Number HOFers
He's arguably one of the best to ever play third base in the majors, dazzling fans with his great glove work but also providing historically significant run production at the plate. Mike Schmidt also has another distinction: the last of the important vintage high number rookie cards. Schmidt's 1973 Topps rookie card (#615) is one he humbly shares with … [Read more...] about Mike Schmidt Rookie Card Last of the Vintage High Number HOFers
Remembering 10 Terrific Tom Seaver Cards
Baseball lost an icon when the Hall of Fame announced that Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver had passed away due to complications of Lewy body dementia and COVID-19. Seaver's career began in the 1960s and was still going strong in the 80s. "Tom Terrific" had been the Rookie of the Year in 1967 but his entire career seemed like a never-ending highlight. He struck … [Read more...] about Remembering 10 Terrific Tom Seaver Cards
1975 Hostess Panels: Errors, Variations and Populations of the Debut Set
Hostess CupCakes (yes, that’s how they spell it) have been around since 1919 and have been reported to be the first commercially produced cupcake in the U.S. Through the years many product varieties were developed around this theme altering flavors and shapes. In the latter half of the 1970s, the company’s entire line of products became the home to an enormously popular … [Read more...] about 1975 Hostess Panels: Errors, Variations and Populations of the Debut Set
Bochy Looks Back at Career Through His Old Cards
His first card was actually a minor league issue. Bruce Bochy looks a LOT different on that card, issued in the 1970s when he was a young catcher hoping to reach the big leagues. He spent parts of eight seasons in the majors before becoming a coach and eventually a manager with the Padres and Giants. Winning three World Series in San Francisco has put him on a … [Read more...] about Bochy Looks Back at Career Through His Old Cards
1974 Topps Puzzles Were a One and Done
Long before video games, Topps was often the go-to choice for kids entertainment and it usually wasn't sophisticated. They went interactive with the 1974 Topps Puzzles issue, one designed to while away at least a half hour or so of a youngster's summer. Today, it's among the most unusual sports products ever produced by the company and fairly rare. Topps often … [Read more...] about 1974 Topps Puzzles Were a One and Done
1973 Topps Baseball Set Bid Farewell to Clemente, Hello to Schmidt
In the waning hours of 1972, a cargo plane bound for Nicaragua crashed into the ocean off the coast of Puerto Rico, taking with it a true baseball hero and casting a dark pall over the 1973 season before the New Year could even introduce itself to the world. Roberto Clemente had collected his 3000th hit just months before, on the last day of the regular season, and … [Read more...] about 1973 Topps Baseball Set Bid Farewell to Clemente, Hello to Schmidt
1971 Topps Super Baseball Set Ended Brief Era
It was one of many ideas drummed up by Topps decades ago to create more sales. There had been pins, stand-ups, posters, stamps and glossies. For two years, the company gave its standard cards the super size treatment, creating sets that filled up a good chunk of the shoebox. The 1971 Topps Super baseball set would be the end of the brief experiment. … [Read more...] about 1971 Topps Super Baseball Set Ended Brief Era