Bill James is a significant name in the history of baseball. It’s often associated with the father of sabermetrics, but is a name known in baseball circles long before the acclaimed statistician ever put pen to paper. Born in 1892 in Iowa Hill, CA, the "other" Bill James was the son of a miner chasing the lure of the gold rush. A booming town at the time, Iowa Hill was once … [Read more...]
The Southpaw Survivor – 5 Cool Warren Spahn Cards, Vintage and Modern
Prior to his military service, Warren Spahn had little reason to believe he’d retire as the winningest left-handed pitcher in baseball history. In his rookie season with the Boston Braves in 1942, Spahn was only used in four games (two starts), yielding a discouraging 25 hits and 11 walks in 15 2/3 innings pitched. When duty called, Spahn hung up his spikes and spent three … [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 … [Read more...]
Photo of the Day: Hub Fans Bid Babe Adieu
He was hoping to slide from the outfield to the manager’s office, but as 1934 wound to a close, it was starting to become obvious Babe Ruth wouldn’t get his chance to run the Yankees. On August 10, in the city where he began his major league career, The Bambino announced he expected to retire at the end of the season. Our Photo of the Day from RMY Auctions is a rare news … [Read more...]
Classic Original Ruth Wire Photo Kicks off RMY Auction
It’s a photo that appears to be ahead of its time. An artistic news photo of Babe Ruth in the spring of 1935 shows the aging slugger framed by clouds and the Polo Grounds grandstand picking out a weapon before batting practice. The 7x9” black and white photo is among the headliners in RMY Auctions’ latest sale, which opened this week. The photo was taken as Ruth’s new … [Read more...]
’39 Series Program Includes DiMaggio Autograph…and the Babe
It was almost tossed in the trash. After all, it just looked like an old magazine, part of a stash of items a New Jersey woman had been going through following the death of her grandfather in Maryland. She decided to take another look, though, and inside it appeared as if the glossy pages of the old baseball publication were autographed. Indeed they were. Recognizing … [Read more...]
Collection of Signed Topps Baseball Sets Stands at $75,000
A massive collection of autographed Topps baseball sets has been bid up to $75,000 in Collect Auctions' current sale. The auction is live now (www.collectauctions.com), with bidding ending Dec. 1. The Topps Baseball set run from 1974-90 includes all of the cards signed by the respective players, approximately 15,000 signatures with dozens of Hall of Famers, hundreds of … [Read more...]