It took six ballots, but Billy Williams was finally elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987—eleven years after he played his last game. Many thought the decade-long wait was an unjustified limbo for an 18-year big leaguer who recorded 2,711 career hits, a .290 lifetime batting average, 426 home runs and .853 career OPS. That’s more career hits than Mickey … [Read more...] about The Humblest Hall of Famer – 6 Career Chronicling Cards of Billy Williams
Ron Santo
Illinois Shop Owner Hits Jackpot with Purchase of Ultimate Cubs Card Collection
Brad Parvin is not a fan of the team, but the Illinois card shop owner now owns of the most incredible collections of Chicago Cubs cards, team-issued photos, pins and other memorabilia. From Cap Anson to Kris Bryant, including Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown and Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance, and from the 1887 Old Judge set to modern-day Topps, it’s all there. Virtually every … [Read more...] about Illinois Shop Owner Hits Jackpot with Purchase of Ultimate Cubs Card Collection
Ramblings: No Shortage of New Chicago Sports Stars
This season, Chicago Cubs fans are finally getting a chance to see the fruits of all of the work that’s been put in to build a top-notch minor league pipeline. Kris Bryant and Addison Russell are starting and playing just about every day. Heck, even Kyle Schwarber has made his major league debut this year and will probably have official rookie cards fairly soon. Cards of all … [Read more...] about Ramblings: No Shortage of New Chicago Sports Stars
Vintage Set of the Week: 1961 Topps Baseball
In the years that followed their buyout of the rival Bowman Gum Company in 1956, Topps treated collectors to a gaudy variety of designs as they tried to settle on "the" standard that they hoped would keep them on top of the hobby for decades. When Little Leaguers tore open their first packs of 1961 Topps baseball, they may have been disappointed at first by the subdued cards … [Read more...] about Vintage Set of the Week: 1961 Topps Baseball
Home Run Bats, Vintage Card Sets Top Auction
The bat used by Ernie Banks to hit the final home run of his Hall of Fame career sold for over $60,000, topping Memory Lane’s Springtime Classic Auction, which closed early Sunday morning. Total auction proceeds were over $1.6 million. The Banks bat, displaying significant game use, included a copy of a letter of authenticity from WGN Broadcasting Company dated 1971. The … [Read more...] about Home Run Bats, Vintage Card Sets Top Auction
Memory Lane Ready to Launch Spring Auction
“All encompassing” might be the best phrase to use when describing Memory Lane Inc’s upcoming spring catalog auction. 1175 lots of high-grade and rare sports cards and memorabilia will be on the block when the company opens bidding March 26th. Every decade from the late 19th century to the current era is represented. Among the lots are one-of-a-kind sports cards, … [Read more...] about Memory Lane Ready to Launch Spring Auction