Baseball Cards

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Matt Kemp's hometown in Oklahoma got hit hard with a tornado this afternoon. If you've been watching the news then it's likely you've seen the reports. The town of Moore, a suburb of Oklahoma City, was devastated after experiencing a large twister that has already taken the lives of 51 people. Hopefully that number stays there. Kemp was born in Midwest City, Oklahoma which lies adjacent to Moore. This is the second large tornado to hit this area in as many years. Back in 1999 a large EF5 tornado hit the area. After this evenings game, Matt Kemp went onto twitter to lend his support. He promises to donate some funds to the current relief effort. See his tweet below. (twitter link) UPDATE: Ken Gurnick at MLB.com follow up this story: He said he was in junior high school when an E-5 tornado with 300-mph winds hit the same area in 1999 and killed 36 people. He remembered accompanying a cousin who was hit by a foul ball in a baseball game to the local hospital and not knowing the tornado hit until the mangled patients started to arrive. He vividly described the carnage he saw 14 years ago. "And this one hit a school," he said. "I know where the schools are. My mom lived in a house in Moore and we gave it to my aunt and uncle. They weren't home today, but they said two blocks away there's nothing left. I've never been through an earthquake, but I've seen what a tornado can do and you just can't even believe it." * Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes * * Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook * * Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

If the regular issue wasn’t enough, there will be a 2013 Topps Heritage Minors baseball set released later this year.  The classic Topps designs from 1964 will get the prospect treatment when the product is released in September. Each box will contain 24 packs with nine cards per pack, probably at around $70 per box.  Topps is promising two autographs and one relic card per box. The base card set will consist of 200 players and there will be 25 base short prints and 25 SP photo variations.  Base cards parallels include: Black-Bordered (225 Subjects) Sequentially Numbered Blue-Bordered (225 Subjects) - 1 of 1 Venezuelan (225 Subjects) Printing Plates (new this year-250 Subjects) Fans of the old Bazooka cards will get a kick out of seeing inserts patterned after the ’64 Bazooka set. Topps will also allow another collector to win the “Make Your Pro Debut” sweepstakes with a Minor League team and have their own card featured in the 2014 Topps Pro Debut Baseball release. Some lucky collectors will also find redemption cards for uncut sheets of 2013 Heritage Minors. Autograph Cards include: Black-Bordered Autographs - Sequentially #’d to 35 New Red-Bordered Autographs - Sequentially #’d to 10. New Orange-Bordered Autographs - Sequentially #’d to 5. Blue-Bordered Autographs - 1 of 1 Printing Plate Autographs - 1 of 1 There will be dual autograph cards numbered to 15 and Printing Plate Autographs that will be 1/1. For preview images and a sell sheet, click the links below. Sell Sheet:  Heritage Minor League 2013 [Show as slideshow] Click here to see Topps Heritage cards from all years on eBay.

News and notes from sources around the country... It doesn’t happen very often, but the U.S. Justice Department has dropped fraud charges against one of the six memorabilia dealers who were charged with fraud in 2011 over the sale of jerseys. Defense attorneys claimed witnesses – including three employees of the New York Giants -- lied to federal agents and the grand jury that indicted Eric Inselberg. Five other dealers pleaded guilty last year to selling fake game-used jerseys to card companies and others over a period of several years. Read more in the New York Daily News. -------------- The Atlanta Braves are holding an online auction of game-worn jerseys that will be worn in the team's June 14 contest against the San Francisco Giants.   The jerseys will be handed out by a selected player immediately after the game, but you don't have to be present to win.   However, each winning bidder will receive two tickets to the game and be taken on the field right after the game. All jerseys will be authenticated and autographed.   If you are unable or choose not to attend, the jersey will be mailed to you. All proceeds from Jerseys Off Our Backs will benefit the Atlanta Braves Foundation.   Current high bids vary with Justin Upton's jersey at $1,050 at present. Click here to check them out. ------- Next time you're on vacation near Daytona Beach, FL, you might stop by KnT Sports Cards.  Owner Kyle Sheldon has spent his working life in and around sports and took over ownership about three years ago. He's got all kinds of customers, including one who finds his hobby box habit to be much healthier than some other things he's tried. "I like baseball ... and it's another addiction that doesn't get me in trouble," said Bob Werderists of Port Orange. "I'm a recovering drug addict and alcoholic." The story, which includes the obligatory references to all of the card shops that were around 25 years ago, is here. ------- That giant auction of Gretzky memorabilia we told you about last week all came from one guy.  Shawn Chaulk didn't build his amazing collection just by indiscriminately throwing money around.  There was a method to his madness and he offered some pretty good tips on how to build a nice collection to the Canadian Press. "When you’re in it for the enjoyment, you’re never going to pay more than you’re comfortable spending. Then you can spend with heart," he said for the story that appeared in media outlets across Canada. ------- WhiteWhaleCards.com is extending the contest to win a T206 Ty Cobb until June 2. Any member of the baseball baseball card collecting community may enter the contest by uploading photos of their cards.  They say the contest is being extended to make it fair for all users. Some experienced usability issues that kept them from adding cards to their collection. WhiteWhaleCards.com is a baseball card social network that lets users share their collection with others and also features a community-editable Vintage Baseball Card Wiki Encyclopedia.

#170 Fred PatekHere is the '81 Donruss card that my dad got signed for me at All Star Fanfest last summer. Usually my dad and I are in the same line, but there were a couple of times over the three days that we went where we had to split up. One of those times was during the last signing of the week. It was on Tuesday afternoon, the day of the All Star Game. Freddie Patek and Hal McRae were signing at the same time, but at different locations. Both guys are Royals Hall of Famers and they both had cards in this set. There were not many people left at Fanfest at that point, so we could have gone through each line together fairly easily. But, like I said, it was the day of the All Star Game, and I wanted to get to the park early to try to get some autographs. So, we split up and we both were towards the very front of our lines. We each got an '81 Donruss card signed and we met up and took off for the K. This was the first time that I had got an autograph from Freddie. It is too bad that I could not have gone through the line with my dad to get a Royals card signed. Maybe next time.The worst part about it was that, although we got to the park super-early and were some of the first ones in, we did not get a single autograph there. They would not let anyone into the lower seating bowl if they did not have a ticket for seats down there. So, I basically skipped out on getting a Freddie Patek Royals card signed for nothing.But, I did get a cheesy briskit-acho while I was standing around not getting autographs at the park. It is a rather new dish at the K and it is freaking amazing. It is tortilla chips covered in cheesy corn, baked beans, brisket, barbeque sauce, and topped with cole slaw. If you ever make it to a game in Kansas City, it is a must have.'81 Donruss Tracker: 115/100

Hey folks. We've got a delay in the pack-busting. On the upside, I helped coach a double-header double-victory for my little girl's softball games tonight! I will get the draft and bust a couple extra packs on Tuesday. On a much more somber note: My thoughts and prayers go out earnestly to those who have been affected by the devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma and surrounding states. May those hurt and affected find peace ultimately through everything that has happened.

If you grew up in the 1970s and 80s, last week’s news hit you like a ton of bricks.  George Brett has turned 60.  That sentence doesn’t even look right but the star of those great Kansas City Royals teams of the late 1970s and early 80s first saw big league action 40 years ago this coming August.  Collectors have always appreciated him but some of the more obscure and high grade George Brett rookie cards have been growing in stature on the open market. He doesn’t have dozens of different rookies like today’s stars but there’s more to the pile than just 1975 Topps #228 and it seems as if some of those harder to find first year Brett cards are capturing the attention of those looking for vintage value. You can start with Topps’ Canadian colleagues at O-Pee-Chee.  A PSA 9 OPC Brett sold last September for $1,426, reflecting a price rise of more than 100% over the last six years.  A PSA 8 sold for a record price of $421 just over a week ago.  That still seems like a bargain when you consider this chart comparing the quantity of each grade: 1975 Topps 1975 OPC PSA 10             8 PSA 10          3 PSA   9           177 PSA   9        15 PSA 8           1874 PSA   8        27 Obviously, the 1975 OPC cards were printed in far fewer numbers and while they’re not as popular as the traditional Topps issue, it’s fairly easy to see why investing on the rare occasions when they come up for sale may not be a bad idea. The 1975 Topps minis, issued only in a couple of different areas of the country, are not rare, but PSA 9 Brett rookies have nearly doubled in sales prices over the last year, from about $450 on average to well over $800, a price that puts them almost on par with the regular card.  As of late last week, there were 126 mini Bretts on the PSA Population Report compared to 177 of the Topps version. Then there’s the somewhat controversial 1975 SSPC ‘Pure Card’ set.  Not sold in packs and quietly left to history after Topps challenged the legality, vintage collectors still have some respect for the issue.  While it’s categorized as a ’75 set on PSA’s Set Registry, the actual date these were issued is a point of some controversy with many indicating it should be classified as a ’76.  Nonetheless, Brett's SSPC rookie card has shown surprising strength lately. Make that “cards”.  Brett appears twice:  on a regular issue card (#167) and a checklist card which features a goofy image of a wild-eyed young George mugging for the photographer while teammate Al Cowens grins.  The regular issue Brett card in a ‘10’ has doubled and sometimes tripled in value over the last three years, yet still trades at under $40 most of the time.  PSA 9s are less than $10. The checklist card with that crazy image (and Al Cowens' name misspelled) is rarely graded.  The Registry shows only 27 PSA 10s and 38 9s with 9s often available at under $15. As for the regular issue 1975 Topps #228, PSA 10s are rarely sold while 9s will vary greatly, selling for anywhere from $525 to $825 in the last few years.  The best strategy may be to bargain hunt on this one, which one could conceivably expect to rise above $1,000 in the not too distant future considering fewer than 200 exist. The 1975 Brett and 1973 Mike Schmidt are on the 1970s rookie card Mt. Rushmore but sometimes it’s best to look for value on the cards that orbit around the mainstream issue.

by Rich Klein There are few things in the hobby which are as certain as death and taxes. We can usually predict Topps 1st series will be their biggest selling product and one in which something will usually brew to the surface to keep the the release interesting.  Heritage will be a nice product and bring back memories of a set from decades ago while using the players and technology of today to keep everyone happy. And Bowman will feature an assortment of rookies and stars and also feature a grouping of the best prospects to keep what used to be called "Chromies" on the Beckett Message Board happy. There were some changes this year in Bowman that I really liked. To me, one of the key changes was that there appeared to be more cards of players in the majors rather than lesser known prospects. I like that because we’re still early in the season.  The prospects haven’t had much of a chance to break out and get collectors excited. When Bowman Draft Picks is released later in the year, I think that is a perfect time for the roles to be reversed and less veteran cards and more prospect cards, including cards of 2013 draftees. For Topps, there is an even an added edge because the new CBA between the players and the union forces players to be signed earlier or not at all. Since players are signed earlier, Topps has more time to get whatever photos they need as well as deal with whatever off-season signings and early trades they want to cover. To me, that was my immediate reaction in opening the 2013 Bowman product. I did not stop in my local card stop for pricing information. However leading online retailers are currently at $60-65 and my LCS is usually around $70-75 per box. The boxes again have 24 packs with 10 cards per pack. Each box promises one autograph card. As you will find out we did better than that. The base veteran cards as well as the base prospect cards have white borders with the full-color photo in the middle with the player's name and position at the bottom and the team logo just above the player's name. The prospect cards have the player's name and organization at the bottom with the position on the side, Both types of cards have backs with include the player's name, biographical information, an informational blurb and then seasonal and career stats. The biggest difference is the veteran cards are shaded in gray. No, not 50 shades of gray either. So how did we do from our box? As usual in Bowman products there were no duplicates which is always nice. Base Cards: 92 of 220. That is a bit more than 40 percent of the set and with perfect collation that means three hobby boxes are needed to finish a set. Base Prospect Cards: 51 of 110. To my surprise that means you actually get a higher percentage of prospect cards towards a set than you do just trying to fill out a base set. I would wonder if you made prospect cards a touch harder to get out of a box whether sales would increase even more. Imagine if a player such as Bryce Harper or Mike Trout was harder out of a pack and what that would do for sales both in the current year and then for the longer term. Topps toys with the Bowman inserts each year but the basic concept remains pretty much the same.  The Ice Parallels are nice and the Chrome minis and various other parallels should keep pack busters more interested this year after they pull their autograph. Chrome Prospect Cards: 38 of 110 or a bit more than one third of the players. I did snare a Bruce Rondon who was being groomed by the Tigers to be their future closer and Byron Buxton the highly regarded #1 pick for the Minnesota Twins in 2012. As bad as the Twins are and as poorly as Aaron Hicks is hitting for the Twins, I wonder if Buxton really be pushed onto the fast track. Gold Parallel cards (One Per Pack):  Ryan Braun, Jay Bruce, Tony Cingrany, Ike Davis, R.A. Dickey, Edwin Encarnacion, Avasail Garcia, Gio Gonzalez, Adieny Hechavarria, L.J/. Hoes, Mat Latos, Kyle Lohse, Kris Medlen,  Kendrys Morales, Mike Mou

Daytona Beach manager Jim Hutto had a reliever he used in high-pressure situations in June 1985 and that was Paul Thorpe.It was just on this night, Hutto told The Daytona Beach Morning Journal, he thought he should spread around the pressure."I stayed with (Larry) Heise because I've put Paul Thorpe into too many do or die situations already this year and I thought it was somebody else's turn," Hutto told The Morning Journal.By the time Thorpe's time with Daytona Beach was done that year, he'd gotten into 24 games in relief, picking up four saves, with an ERA of 2.51.Thorpe was in his second professional season that year. He went on to play in seven seasons. He never got to play in the majors.Thorpe's professional career began in 1984, signed by the Orioles as an undrafted free agent out of his native Scarborough, Ont.With the Orioles, Thorpe started at rookie Bluefield. In 25 outings, Thorpe put up a 2.67 ERA, picking up seven saves.Thorpe then moved to single-A Daytona Beach and short-season Newark for 1985. He then moved to single-A Hagerstown for 1986, returning to Hagerstown for 1987.In 1988, Thorpe got his first look at AA, with Charlotte. At Charlotte, Thorpe got into 67 outings, finishing with a 2.67 ERA.Thorpe returned to AA in 1989, headed back to Hagerstown. He also got his first look at AAA Rochester. At Rochester, Thorpe got into 14 games, with a 2.66 ERA. That would be Thorpe's only time at AAA.Thorpe played just one more season, back at AA Hagerstown. He ended up saving 12 games, picking up his 11th at the end of July, a two-inning outing. But Thorpe's career ended with season's end, short of the majors.Thorpe's time at AA Hagerstown, though, did earn him a mention by the Hagerstown Suns Fan Club, as a member of the 1989-1992 All-Affiliate Team's bullpen.Daytona Beach Morning Journal, June 19, 1985: Islanders Rattle Red Sox, 4-2Hagerstown Suns Fan Club, Feb. 1, 2011: All Affiliate Team1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally Players/Coaches Featured:1,139Made the Majors: 664 - 58.3%Never Made Majors: 475-41.7%-X5+ Seasons in the Majors: 28710+ Seasons in the Minors: 173

TTM SUCCESS: Another Fantastic Andre Dawson Baseball For My Collection!!!  Y-E-S!!! I have been craving a few more signed baseballs for my Andre Dawson ‘Ultimate Dawson’ collection so I put a plan in place a few weeks ago to work towards that goal. Ultimately, I am trying to seek out and find new inscriptions to ask for – and I have some really great ideas to request for future signing options. This time around, I went with the request of a ’4X Sillver Slugger’ option. And Andre did not disappoint (he never does). Have a look: As always, the ball is signed perfectly – and is so neat and clean!!! Dawson won four Silver Slugger awards during his major league career and I find this to definitely be an inscription-worthy feat.  At the peak of his career, he had some major competition for the award so walking away with four of these honors is a great, great accomplishment. This is the 11th Andre Dawson signed baseball in my collection and I am so very proud of how it all looks together. And the next few I hope to go after will only help take ’Ultimate Dawson’ to the next level. Thanks for reading!!!