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...] about Bill James and the Miracle Braves of 1914 – The Unlikeliest of Champions
Pacific Coast League
Rare 1911 E100 Bishop & Co. Set Coming to Auction
The first full set of a rare pre-War set ever to be recorded on PSA’s Set Registry is about to hit the auction block. Heritage Auctions will offer a 30-card set of 1911 E100 Bishop & Co. cards in its upcoming May catalog auction where it’s expected to fetch $15,000 or more. Based in Los Angeles, Bishop & Company was a candy confectioner. They produced … [Read more...] about Rare 1911 E100 Bishop & Co. Set Coming to Auction
1949-1951 Hage’s Dairy Pacific Coast League Cards Included Familiar Names
It was the west coast's "big league." A starting point for future major league legends, the Pacific Coast League spawned several baseball card sets during its long heyday in the first half of the 20th century. Among them are three early post-war vintage issues from Hage's Dairy. Operated in San Diego by Willard Hage Jr., whose father founded the company, Hage's was a … [Read more...] about 1949-1951 Hage’s Dairy Pacific Coast League Cards Included Familiar Names
1960 Tacoma Giants Set Featured HOFer Juan Marichal’s First Card
The 1960 Tacoma Giants boasted three future Hall of Famers, a former World Series hero and a member of a famous baseball family who had a career average of .307 in the major leagues. The squad was a Triple-A minor league affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, and to welcome Pacific Coast League baseball back to the City of Destiny, 3-inch by 5-inch cards were sold at … [Read more...] about 1960 Tacoma Giants Set Featured HOFer Juan Marichal’s First Card
1959-60 Darigold Farms Sets Featured Future Major League Stars
A century ago, Darigold Farms was founded in the Pacific Northwest, when five Puget Sound dairy co-ops teamed up to form the United Dairyman’s Association. That group took on the name Darigold in 1925 after a contest was held to create a snappier name for the company. Dairy products are Darigold’s specialty, so it’s not surprising that the company dabbled in baseball cards at … [Read more...] about 1959-60 Darigold Farms Sets Featured Future Major League Stars
1948 Signal Oil Set Featured Powerful Oakland Oaks Squad
The 1948 Oakland Oaks were a powerful team in the Pacific Coast League, and the West Coast circuit made a strong bid for major-league status several times. That was thwarted when the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants moved to California, but in the late 1940s the Triple-A PCL had some strong squads. Consider that the Oaks, while going 114-74 seventy years ago, won the PCL … [Read more...] about 1948 Signal Oil Set Featured Powerful Oakland Oaks Squad
Home Run Legend’s Jersey Finds a Home
Sometimes the best memorabilia—and the best stories—have nothing to do with what we often consider the best players. You won’t find Neill “Wild Horse” Sheridan’s plaque in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He spent 11 years (1943-54) in the Pacific Coast League, playing in 1,446 games, driving in 516 runs and hitting a respectable but hardly eye-popping 94 career … [Read more...] about Home Run Legend’s Jersey Finds a Home