[zeprock]

Ken Griffey Jr. "The Kid". Who didn't idolize Junior when he started his MLB career? Such exuberance. Such skill. With his backwards cap, highlight reel play and long home runs, he became the favorite of thousands of kids in the early 90s. He was and remains one of my favorite players to collect. A 13-time All-star with 10 Gold Gloves and a member of the Mariners, Reds and National Baseball Hall of Fame. It looked like destiny that he would break all the offensive records including Hank Aaron's home run record but what he broke was my heart when he went down on that third base line while playing for Cincinnati. Injuries kept him from reaching his true potential but man, what could have been. His dad was a MLB player and his son went on to play in the NFL. Junior broke Tom Seaver's record for the most votes for induction into the Hall and in my opinion, it's a shame he wasn't unanimous. I have more cards of Griffey than any other player and he is the only player I have more than 3000 different cards of. As of this posting, I have 3090 unique Beckett recognized cards of The Kid and probably another 75 or so that are not recognized. Here are nine from my collection.

       
1987 Griffey Moeller High School Unauthorized #NNO Ken Griffey Jr. (Picturing Ken from his high school days.)
1996 Bleachers #16 Ken Griffey Jr./1996 Diamond Star/10000
2001 SP Game Bat Milestone Piece of Action Bound for the Hall #BKGM Ken Griffey Jr.


2001 Sweet Spot Game Base Duos #B1GRA Ken Griffey Jr./Manny Ramirez (Featuring two of the game's most charismatic players of the day.)
2001 Topps Gold #593 Ken Griffey Jr.
2002 Upper Deck Diamond Connection Bat Around Quads #SGPM Sammy Sosa/Ken Griffey Jr./Rafael Palmeiro/Fred McGriff (Pictured here with three of his contemporaries. At the time I thought I had four future Hall of Famers on one card. Whoops.)

       
2003 Upper Deck Play Ball Game Used Memorabilia Tier 1 #KG1 Ken Griffey Jr. Jsy
2004 National Pastime White Foil #58 Ken Griffey Jr.
2020 Topps Update Photo Variations #U190A Ken Griffey Jr./interview

[zeprock]

I collect all Hall of Fame players but it's difficult to find affordable cards of many of the early Hall of Famers, therefore my collections of those players are quite minuscule. Today I am showing nine cards from my collection of some of the early pioneers of the game that are inducted in the Hall. Maybe even some you've never heard of.

       
1961 Fleer #98 Frank Chance (Chance was a two-time Stolen Base leader and two-time World Champion who played for the Cubs and Yankees. He was the anchor on the legendary Tinkers to Evers to Chance double play combination. I have 33 unique Beckett recognized cards of Frank.)
1961 Topps #407 Jack Chesbro Wins 41 ("Happy Jack" pitched for the Pirates, Highlanders and Red Sox and his 41 wins in the 1904 season, as this card commemorates, is a record that will most likely never be broken. I have just 13 different Beckett recognized cards of Jack.)
1963 Bazooka ATG #33 Hugh Duffy (Duffy played for half a dozen different teams back at the turn of the century. He was a Batting Champion and a two-time Home Run leader during his time. I have 16 different Beckett recognized cards of Hugh. This card came in a box of Bazooka bubble gum.)


1968 Sports Memorabilia All-Time Greats #2 Connie Mack (Cornelius McGillicudy was a catcher for nearly ten years before becoming the longest-serving manager in MLB history. He holds the record for wins, losses and games managed, with his victory total being almost 1,000 more than any other manager. He was at the helm of the Philadelphia Athletics for 50 years winning six World Championships and retiring at the age of 87. To date I have 45 unique Beckett recognized cards of Mr. Mack.)
2002 Topps 206 Tolstoi Red #175 John McGraw REP (McGraw played 16 seasons and earned the reputation as a "dirty player" known for his mouth. He would go on to helm the New York Giants for 30 years taking them to the World Series ten times and coming away victorious four times. I currently have 66 different Beckett recognized cards of the man referred to as "Little Napoleon".)
2003 Topps Gallery HOF Artist's Proofs #6B Sam Crawford Navy Uni ("Wahoo Sam" played 18 seasons with the Reds and Tigers and was a slugger who led his league in Home Runs and RBI three times each. He still holds the Major League record for most career triples. I have 36 Beckett recognized cards of Sam including this short print Artist's Proof from Topps Gallery.)

       
2012 Panini Cooperstown #163 Cap Anson SP (Adrian "Cap" Anson played a record 27 consecutive seasons and was regarded as one of the first superstars of the game. He was the first player to surpass 3000 hits. A four-time Batting Champion that led his league in RBI eight times, he led his league to six pennants. As of this posting, I have 28 different Beckett recognized cards of Cap including this short print.)
2012 Panini Cooperstown Bronze History #86 Mickey Welch (Built like Pedro Martinez, "Smiling Mickey" was 5'8'' tall and weighed 160 pounds yet won more than 300 games during a 13-year career with the New York Giants. I have just 8 different Beckett recognized cards of Mickey.)
2013 Panini Cooperstown Lumberjacks #19 Nap Lajoie (Lajoie was a superstar for the Phillies, Athletics and Cleveland Bronchos where he was so popular they changed the name of his team to the Cleveland Naps. A four-time Batting Champion, he was the third player to surpass 3000 hits. I currently have 56 different Beckett recognized cards of Nap. A couple of years ago one of his grandsons contacted me through my website and bought all of my duplicate cards of Lajoie.)

[zeprock]

I didn't actively collect Adrian Beltre until just a couple of years ago when it finally dawned on me that he was Cooperstown bound. a four-time All-star, four-time Gold Glove Award winner and four-time Silver Slugger with a Home Run title to his credit, he sort of snuck up the all-time lists where he currently resides in the top 25 in games played, at bats, hits, doubles and rbi. His one year in Boston opened my eyes up and I recognized him for the talented, fun loving player he was and I now have 513 different Beckett recognized cards of Adrian. Here are nine from my collection.

       
2001 Fleer Platinum Lumberjacks #3 Adrian Beltre
2004 Topps Cracker Jack Mini Blue #153 Adrian Beltre
2009 Upper Deck Spectrum Spectrum Swatches Blue #SSAB Adrian Beltre


2013 Topps Heritage #444 Adrian Beltre SP
2013 Topps Toys R Us Purple Border #29 Adrian Beltre
2016 Topps Opening Day Toys R Us Purple Foil #OD144 Adrian Beltre (This card featured a future Red Sox congratulating a former Red Sox.)

 
2017 Honus Bonus Fantasy Baseball Career Milestones #2 Adrian Beltre HR/445 (This 1/1 made it's way into my collection courtesy of Bonds20001.)
2018 Topps Allen and Ginter Relics #FSRBAE Adrian Beltre B
2019 Topps Major League Materials #MLMAB Adrian Beltre

[zeprock]

In 2009 my son graduated high school and four days after my 50th birthday we lost both Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett on the same day. I thought Jackson was a freak but recognized the brilliance of his musicianship. Farrah's posters littered my walls when I was a teenager. My prudent mother came down with her scissors and cut them up leaving just her face left on the wall. Ah, memories. I went out and reacquired the posters and still have them in a poster tube tucked away in my storage shed. Here are nine cards from 2009 that I've scanned from my collection.

       
2009 Finest Refractors Gold #13 Alex Rodriguez
2009 Topps #115b George Sisler SP (A short print from 2009 Topps.)
2009 Topps Attax Gold Starter Pack Exclusives #7 Nolan Ryan (I bought a couple of starter sets of Topps Attax just for the shiny inserts. This is one I pulled.)

        
2009 Topps Factory Set Mantle Chrome Gold Refractors #3 Mickey Mantle 57T (This came as a bonus in my 2009 Topps Factory set.)
2009 Topps Factory Set Target Mantle World Series Patch #2 Mickey Mantle 1958 (My son, not knowing that I already had bought my factory set, bought me one for Christmas and this was the bonus card in that box. I traded the complete set but kept this card.)
2009 Topps Gold Border #7 Mickey Mantle

        
2009 Topps Legends of the Game Framed Stamps #JR2 Jackie Robinson
2009 Topps Tribute Autograph Relics Black #EL4 Evan Longoria (I got this from former Beckett member and resident Longoria supercollector iconms.)
2009 Topps Update #UH330c Babe Ruth Sox SP (Another short print, this from Topps Update.)

[zeprock]

One of the greatest characters in the game was "The Old Perfesser" Casey Stengel. Casey played 13 years for the Dodgers, Pirates, Phillies, Giants and Braves before starting his managerial career. After poor results managing the Braves and Dodgers, he took over the Yankees helm in 1949 and immediately won a record five World Series in a row. He would win two more with them giving him seven championships in 10 World Series appearances before he was let go. He ended his career as the first skipper for the expansion New York Mets where he set another record losing 120 games in his first season. He gained a reputation for being a clown with his humorous speech and antics but that didn't keep him from induction into the Hall of Fame in 1965. I currently have 76 different Beckett recognized cards of Old Casey including these nine.


1958 Topps #475 All-Star Managers/Fred Haney/Casey Stengel (Pictured here with Braves manager Fred Haney.)
1959 Topps #383 Words of Wisdom/Don Larsen/Casey Stengel MG (Here he is with Don Larsen who pitched the only perfect game in World Series history just a few year prior to this photo.)
1959 Topps #552 Casey Stengel AS MG

       
1960 Topps #227 Casey Stengel MG
1963 Topps #43 Veteran Masters/Casey Stengel/Gene Woodling (Woodling was an outfielder on the same Yankees teams that Casey managed to five consecutive World Series championships in the early '50s. In 1962 he found himself winding up his career with the same manager in the same city only with the hapless New York Mets.)
1964 Topps #324 Casey Stengel MG

 
1964 Topps #393 Casey Teaches/Casey Stengel MG/Ed Kranepool (Tutoring a young Mets star.)
1965 Topps #187 Casey Stengel MG
2001 SP Legendary Cuts Game Jersey #JCS Casey Stengel Uni

[Phillies_Joe]

Love these vintage cards - they look great (though I do prefer the sparkly new cards). Thanks!

[zeprock]

Mascot Mania is the theme for today's oddball post. Mr. Met was the first MLB mascot debuting in 1964. Today all but three MLB teams have official mascots (Angels, Dodgers and Yankees) and they are important in marketing the team and league to young children. In 2010 Topps started featuring mascots in their own insert set with their Opening Day product and that has continued throughout the past decade. Here are nine mascot cards from my collection.


1982 Donruss #531A San Diego Chicken/ERR Without TM (The San Diego Chicken started making appearances around San Diego in 1977 and was the second official MLB mascot. Ted Giannoulas first appeared in the costume in an attempt to get into Padres games for free. In 1991 a jury ordered Giannoulas to pay $300,000 to a Chicago Bulls cheerleader who was injured when he tackled her on a basketball court. It is also one of six mascots inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame.)
1986 Expos Provigo Panels #27 Youppi (Mascot) (Youppi! was designed by a member of Jim Henson's muppet making team and first appeared with the now defunct Montreal Expos in 1979. "Youppi" which means "Yippie" in French was the first mascot to be thrown out of a MLB game. When the Expos moved to Washington in 2004, Youppi became the official mascot of the Montreal Canadiens hockey team. He is the first Canadian inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame and is one of only three mascots along with the San Diego Chicken and Phillie Phanatic on display in Cooperstown. This card came from a grocery retailer based in Quebec.)
1993 Fun Pack Mascots #3 Fredbird (Fredbird, derived from "Redbird", has been the Cardinals' mascot since 1979. He is one of baseball's best known mascots and makes hundreds of appearances around the St. Louis area each year. Upper Deck inserted this hologram card in their 1993 Fun Pack packs.)

       
1993 Triple Play #164 Mascots/Pirate Parrot (The Parrot character was derived from the classic Robert Louis Stevenson story, Treasure Island. It debuted in 1979, the year the "We are Family" Pirates went on to win the World Series. It was discovered during the infamous 1980s Pittsburgh drug trials that the original man in the suit, Kevin Koch, was discovered to be the middle-man in getting the Pirates players cocaine. He was fired but the character lives on.)
2005 Portland Sea Dogs Grandstand #32 Slugger MASCOT (Here's a card depicting the Portland Sea Dogs mascot, Slugger, meeting with the Red Sox mascot, Wally. The Sea Dogs are a minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and is the only MiLB team in Maine. A sea dog is another name for a seal, of which we have plenty of cavorting along our rocky coastline.)
2006 Upper Deck Collect the Mascots #MLB2 Phillie Phanatic (The Phanatic was created in 1978 in response to the San Diego Chicken's appearance a year earlier. He has become one of the best and most widely recognized mascots in North American sports and is on display in Cooperstown and has been inducted into the Mascots Hall of Fame. This card is one of three in Upper Deck's 2006 insert set along with Mr. Met and Wally the Green Monster. If a collector obtained all three cards and entered the code on the backs of them at Upper Deck's website, they would win prizes including Kids Reward bonus points, iTunes music downloads, movie passes, boxes of 2007 UD baseball cards and autographed memorabilia.)

         
2007 Red Sox Topps Gift Set #BOS55 Wally the Green Monster (This card came from Topps Red Sox Gift set released after the Sox won the World Series that year. Named after Fenway's famous Green Monster wall, Wally debuted in 1997 and has since appeared in SportsCenter commercials and is the only mascot to have a Dunkin' Donuts Coolatta drink named after him.)
2012 Topps Opening Day Mascots #M7 Mr. Met (As previously noted, Mr. Met was the first official MLB team mascot, a member of the Mascot Hall of Fame and in 2012 was named by Forbes magazine as the number one mascot in all of sports. He's also starred in a number of SportsCenter commercials and was the first NY Met to be featured as a bobble head.)
2018 Topps Opening Day Team Traditions and Celebrations #TTCPR Racing Presidents (Although the Racing Presidents are technically not mascots, they do entertain at every Nationals home game. The Presidents first raced in 2006 and include the four Mt. Rushmore Presidents, Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt. Coolidge, Hoover and Taft have also made appearances in the past. It has become a Washington tradition as the similar sausage race has become in Milwaukee.)

[zeprock]

Frank Robinson is another of my most favorite players to collect. The Orioles became World Series champions my first year of collecting and my brother liked Brooks Robinson. I liked Frank. A 14-time All-star and Triple Crown winner, to date he is the only player to win a MVP in each league. He was Rookie of the Year, won a Gold Glove and two World Championships, a World Series MVP, an All-Star Game MVP while at one time or another leading his league in runs, home runs, batting and rbi. He was the first manager of color, the last manager for the Montreal Expos and the first for the Washington Nationals. I currently have 428 unique Beckett recognized Frank Robinson cards in my collection. Here are nine vintage cards that I've scanned in.

          
1958 Topps #285 Frank Robinson
1958 Topps #484 Frank Robinson AS
1959 Topps #435 Frank Robinson

       
1960 Topps #490 Frank Robinson
1961 Topps #360 Frank Robinson
1962 Topps #350 Frank Robinson

       
1964 Topps #260 Frank Robinson
1965 Topps #120 Frank Robinson
1969 Topps #250 Frank Robinson

[kerryandbeth]

I wonder why I am unable to see any of the photos you keep posting. They are all icons with a corner bent down on white, gray and green page.

[jack pfiester]

I wonder why I am unable to see any of the photos you keep posting.  They are all icons with a corner bent down on white, gray and green page.

Same for me.  Right click on that icon, and select "open image in new tab."