To say Eric Valent was a college baseball standout would be an understatement. More than 20 years after his career at UCLA ended, he still holds the Pac-10 record for career home runs with 69 and team records for career RBI with over 200. The La Mirada, California native also led the Bruins to the 1997 College World Series and was named Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1998. … [Read more...]
More Signed Mattingly Project 2020 Cards Benefit Kids
Sporting News Manager of the Year Don Mattingly is spending part of his off-season signing more Topps Project 2020 cards that are being sold online to raise money for youth programs in his hometown. Mattingly Charities, based in Evansville, IN, released a group of signed cards from Project 2020 artist Oldmanalan on its eBay page Tuesday. The cards are priced at … [Read more...]
Mo Vaughn Talks Cape Cod League Cards, Cal Ripken Autographs and Hanging Out with The Big Red Machine
Mo Vaughn was one of the most feared hitters of his generation. 'The Hit Dog' spent the best part of his career, nearly a decade, with the Boston Red Sox. The three time All-Star and 1995 AL MVP finished his career with a batting average just shy of .300 while belting well over 300 home runs and driving in over 1,000 runs. The following year, playing in 161 games, he … [Read more...]
ESPN on The Mystery of Mattingly’s 1987 Topps Birth Date
Look at the back of Don Mattingly’s baseball cards and you’ll see his birthdate listed as 4/20/61. Well, on every baseball card except his 1987 Topps #500, that is. Collectors who opened packs that year even saw a line in Mattingly’s bio stating that Mattingly’s birth certificate actually indicated his birthday was in 1962, not ’61. The following year and … [Read more...]
Sweet Swings and Gold Gloves: Don Mattingly Rookie Cards Still Popular with Collectors
You've got to be a ballplayer's ballplayer to actually have the word "baseball" attached to your nickname. When it comes to the phrase "born to play the game," it's hard to beat "Donnie Baseball." Despite never having competed in a World Series or being in the Hall of Fame, he's extraordinarily popular. A brilliant bright spot during a time in which the New … [Read more...]
Card Shows on Thanksgiving Weekend Menu
Thanksgiving weekend means Black Friday deals for some; card shows for others. Two larger annual three-day shows will return this weekend. At the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY, JP's Sports/Rock Solid Promotions will have its 175-table show Friday through Sunday. Saturday visits by Don Mattingly and Alan Trammell will be part of the autograph … [Read more...]
Mattingly Signs Special Cards to Benefit Youth Baseball
Don Mattingly's charitable foundation is offering a limited number of newly designed trading cards, all carrying his signature in gold ink. They're being sold to help youth baseball programs in his hometown of Evansville, IN where he still resides in the off-season. The cards, which include a photo of the former Yankees great on the front … [Read more...]
Notes: National Baseball Card Day; Brandon Belt vs. Carrie’s Hair; Archiving History; Jacksonville Hobby Story
There's now a ToppsMobile. The card-covered vehicle looks like a food truck that's been top to bottom and front to back with baseball cards. It made its debut in Brooklyn on Friday, just ahead of National Baseball Card Day. You can check it out via this story on Spectrum News in New York. While hundreds of card shops participated in the promotion (and some reported large … [Read more...]
Grading Companies Give Much Needed Boost to Junk Wax Era
Broadly defined as baseball cards produced from the late 1980s through the early 1990s, the "Junk Wax Era" is often cited as a primary reason for the crash of the industry felt in the late 1990s. The gist is that cards produced during that time were usually printed in far greater quantities than many collectors believed. As a result, supply became much greater than demand. That … [Read more...]
Memorabilia Auction Part of Mattingly Charities Event
Several jerseys and caps worn by Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly this past season are among the items up for bid in the 4th annual Find a Way online auction event, running through January 10. The auction, conducted through the HandBid app and online, is to raise money for youth sports, education and social development programs in Mattingly's hometown of Evansville, … [Read more...]