While retired players await news in January of who will be entering Cooperstown in 2024, baseball fans and collectors got a taste of the excitement in December when the National Baseball Hall of Fame announced that Jim Leyland was elected into its hallowed grounds. Receiving an incredible 15 of 16 votes from the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee Managers/Executive/Umpires … [Read more...] about Some Jim Leyland Cards to Consider as Baseball Lifer Prepares to Enter Hall of Fame
pittsburgh pirates
Will Collectors Soon Be Chasing Another Two-Way Star?
Every year, the sports card hobby is wrapped in anticipation of the progress and projected debut of the first overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft. This year, the needle is jumping with a bit more bounce. Paul Skenes, the first overall pick selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates, is already considered the best power pitching prospect in the last ten years. He has a … [Read more...] about Will Collectors Soon Be Chasing Another Two-Way Star?
Baseball Lifer Ed Ott on Childhood Card Pitching Contests, Autographs and More
Ed Ott was born in Muncy, Pennsylvania and excelled on the wrestling mats and the gridiron of the football field. Although his high school did not have a baseball team, Ott was a standout on the diamond from a young age, eventually playing American Legion baseball and with a local traveling baseball club. The third baseman was drafted by the home state Pittsburgh Pirates in … [Read more...] about Baseball Lifer Ed Ott on Childhood Card Pitching Contests, Autographs and More
Rich Donnelly Q&A: Minor League Cards from Gastonia, Pittsburgh Pirates Pride, Managing the Macho Man
Steubenville, Ohio born and raised, Rich Donnelly graduated from Steubenville Catholic Central high school where he played both baseball and basketball. A baseball lover at heart, Donnelly took his skills to Xavier University after graduating from high school. The catcher was signed by the Minnesota Twins in 1967 and spent four seasons in the team's minor league … [Read more...] about Rich Donnelly Q&A: Minor League Cards from Gastonia, Pittsburgh Pirates Pride, Managing the Macho Man
Researching a Buccos Birthday Ball
We made our way up the turnpike and returned home from The National in Atlantic City on the last day of July. It was my birthday and I wanted to get home at a reasonable time to spend the day with the kiddos.Although I wasn't expecting any birthday presents, my neighbor Josh sent me a text earlier in the day mentioning that he had left something for me in the mailbox. I got … [Read more...] about Researching a Buccos Birthday Ball
Shop Talk: When Do We Cut Ties with Our Teams?
I recently shared a meme I found on social media that got some traction.The person that posted it basically asked why as men (and women) do we choose a favorite sports team during our childhood and let it ruin the rest of our lives? Of course, it was posted in jest but, as with any good joke, there lies some truth within.I think that's a fair point, so I took it to the shop and … [Read more...] about Shop Talk: When Do We Cut Ties with Our Teams?
Childhood Treasure: Clemente Autographed Baseball in Wheatland Auction
Terry Logue has a childhood memory for the ages. The Pennsylvania resident has owned a baseball signed by Pittsburgh Pirates great Roberto Clemente since he was a 5-year-old in 1970. That is when he went to Three Rivers Stadium with his grandmother and got to meet the Hall of Fame right fielder thanks to his uncle, who was an usher at the stadium. Now 56, Logue wants to … [Read more...] about Childhood Treasure: Clemente Autographed Baseball in Wheatland Auction
Former Big League Catcher Michael McKenry on Cards, Collecting
Tennessee native Michael McKenry starred as a catcher at Farragut High School in Knoxville, Tennessee and then headed to Middle Tennessee State where he caught for the Blue Raiders for three seasons. “The Fort” was selected in the seventh round of the 2006 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies. He spent parts of the next 12 seasons playing professionally for the Rockies, Pirates … [Read more...] about Former Big League Catcher Michael McKenry on Cards, Collecting
All Aboard the Cole Train: A Gerrit Cole Rookie Card Guide
Never mind, the mind-boggling contract, as soon as collectors learned that he was on his way to the Big Apple, collectors wondered what the impact would be on Gerrit Cole rookie cards. Playing in the biggest media market for the sport's most popular franchise can definitely have an impact, but savvy buyers have been picking up his cards for a long time. While … [Read more...] about All Aboard the Cole Train: A Gerrit Cole Rookie Card Guide
Pittsburgh Police Press On with Pirates Card Set
There’s no baseball. Not yet, anyway. That isn’t stopping one team and one local police department from pushing out a set of baseball cards. Pirates Charities, in partnership with Topps and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Officers, have launched the 2020 Pirates Charities Pittsburgh Police Baseball Card Program. The set features Pirates players and police officers on … [Read more...] about Pittsburgh Police Press On with Pirates Card Set