The good guys don't always win. Let's rewind before we actually go there. Think late 1970's and early 80's. Cable TV is spreading across the country. Think a young pudgy kid who doesn't know which sport to play. Just call my mom. She'll answer the phone and tell you right away. "My son was the 'biggest' Dale Murphy fan on the planet." Actually, it was a title … [Read more...]
Memorable Road Trip: Georgia Card Shop Employee Snares Acuna’s 1st Home Run Ball
Luckily for Joe Webster, there isn't a lot of demand for Cincinnati Reds tickets these days, especially not in the outfield. The Atlanta area college student was so excited about Ronald Acuna's promotion to the Braves roster that he drove all night to Ohio and got himself a prime seat to watch the 19-year-old phenom play. He had the day off from his part-time job at … [Read more...]
Bobby Cox At 75: 6 Cards of a HOF Manager
Bobby Cox always seemed so much older when he managed the Braves, so I was more than surprised to learn that the former Atlanta and Toronto Blue Jays skipper turns “only” 75 on Saturday. He never seemed fiery either, for the most part sitting placidly on the bench. But he could agitate, as his major-league record of 158 ejections — plus three in the postseason — would indicate. … [Read more...]
Eddie Mathews Baseball Cards Cross Two Eras
It had been ten years since the glory days of the Milwaukee Braves but Eddie Mathews, whose career began in the early 1950s when most teams still traveled by train, was still swinging on the night of July 14, 1967. In the Houston Astros lineup after a trade from the only franchise he’d ever known, Mathews climbed to a summit only six other players in history had reached at … [Read more...]
Collecting Hank Aaron 715th Home Run Memorabilia
Few records in sports are celebrated years after they’ve been broken. In the court of public opinion, baseball’s single season and career home run marks were set in the 1960’s and 70’s; not the 1990’s and into the 21st century. Interest and value in Hank Aaron 715th home run memorabilia far outstrips anything associated with Barry Bonds’ 762nd. As the … [Read more...]
Superstation, Baseball Cards Went Hand in Hand
To kids who've grown up in the post-Ted Turner era, it seems like much ado about nothing. But when the Atlanta Braves began beaming their games toward a satellite more than three decades ago, baseball would never be the same. No longer did fans have to watch the home team. No longer did you wonder if there might be a game on TV during the week. If you had Superstation … [Read more...]
2010 Bowman Baseball Review
Each year Bowman Baseball is heavily anticipated because of the focus on young prospects. That’s nothing new for this product. It’s been the brand’s calling card since Topps began using the Bowman name in 1989. If you look carefully at the checklists of even the early sets, you see a preponderance of younger players. What a collector has to remember, of course, is that … [Read more...]
Topps Signs Jason Heyward to Contract
Topps says it has reached a "promotional deal" with Atlanta Braves rookie phenom Jason Heyward. The 20-year-old Georgia native will be highlighted in upcoming Topps products although the exact nature of what the partnership entails hasn't been released. According to the company's blog, Heyward will be featured on numerous Topps products in 2010, including autographs on … [Read more...]