Seattle Children’s Hospital is honoring Ken Griffey Jr.'s Hall of Fame induction and Mariners' jersey retirement by selling Ken Griffey Jr. autographed bats to raise money for children's cancer research. The bat is the same 34-inch size Griffey used during his historic 22-year career. They include his“Swingman” logo, Griffey’s major career statistics, 13 stars representing … [Read more...]
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Griffey, Piazza Get Topps NOW Cards
The two newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame are getting fresh baseball cards. Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza are featured on the latest Topps NOW cards, part of the ongoing 24-hour print-to-order program that began at the start of the year. Griffey is pictured with his much discussed backward baseball cap pose while a smiling Piazza is also shown at the podium … [Read more...]
Notes: Ichiro Loves the HOF; Griffey Notes and More
This may come as a shock to some but the active player who loves baseball history—and memorabilia—more than any other just might be the first Japanese player who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. According to the New York Times, Ichiro has visited Cooperstown six times. Most of his visits have been very quiet, with Ichiro accompanied by a “small entourage” and … [Read more...]
2016 Topps Series 2 Baseball Checklist and Info
Topps will release the second part of the annual baseball card trilogy, 2016 Topps Baseball Series 2, on June 15. A full checklist for the product is linked below. Two fan favorites will have their own insert sets as part of the chase element. Ken Griffey Jr., expected to be a 2016 Hall of Fame inductee and Ichiro, inching toward a big career milestone, are getting the … [Read more...]
Editor’s Blog: Focus on Griffey Jr a Huge Opportunity for Hobby
To those of us who were adults when Ken Griffey Jr. was a young player, it might have seemed a little strange to listen to the discussion after he was elected to the Hall of Fame. The overriding tone was one of nostalgia. The sweet swing. The leaping grabs at the wall. His rookie card. Wait, is Junior really old enough to be thought of as "nostalgic"? Yup, because … [Read more...]
News and Notes: Parting with the Past
Some of the youngsters who collected baseball cards in the early 1950s are now pushing 80 and ready to let go of some of their long-held treasures. Not all of them grew up in the baseball-loving cities and towns of the United States. A baseball-loving lad who used the proceeds of his childhood paper route in British Columbia, Canada kept his stash cards for the great … [Read more...]
Graded Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Card Tally Now Over 100,000
In the days leading up to his 2016 Baseball Hall of Fame election, one photo consistently used online by writers was the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. That image is burned into the minds of anyone who was involved in the sports collecting hobby at the time, whether as a kid who wanted one more than life itself, a shop owner in a suddenly booming industry or an … [Read more...]
HOF Election Validates Early Faith for Griffey Jr. Collector
It really didn’t matter whether Ken Griffey Jr. got every vote from those who cast ballots in the Baseball Hall of Fame election. He was a slam dunk before the new millennium. The most popular player of his generation—and it wasn’t really close—Griffey was the rare athlete who had genuine skills and could still made highlight clip plays on a regular basis. The vote didn’t … [Read more...]
Topps Finest Baseball Set For Spring Release
Topps Finest baseball returns for its 24th consecutive year in 2016, and the pattern will remain the same — eccentric designs and retro themes. Finest is like a family’s eccentric uncle — the guy who still dresses in bell bottoms and tie-dye shirts, but shows up for Thanksgiving dinner wearing a pilgrim outfit. Like that unpredictable relative, Finest baseball will add … [Read more...]
Interactive Infancy: 1997 Donruss VXP 1.0 CD-ROM
Given the advances in computer technology these days — smartphones, iPads, tablets have opened the Internet in ways that were not dreamed of 20 years ago — the 1997 Donruss VXP 1.0 CD-ROM set looks quaint. But it was one of the earliest attempts to bring baseball cards into the computer age. In fact, Donruss marketed the product as the “First-Ever Collectable CD ROM Trading … [Read more...]
