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Inside a very old building on a very expensive piece of real estate that houses some very valuable artwork sits the Magna Carta of baseball card collecting. Jefferson Burdick did not have any plastic sheets or D-ring binders.  He knew not of top holders or penny sleeves or qualifiers and grading.  When he turned his life-long collection of cardboard over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art nearly 50 years ago, he was not long for this earth.  He  knew he had something special but it's sad that not many--not even the museum itself--really appreciated it. The rudimentary storage albums he placed his cards in are still there, still bearing the catalog designations we use today..."T" for tobacco, "E" for caramel and on it went.  His system and his knowledge are still the basis upon which the hobby is built. A small portion of Burdick's collection is always available for the public to gaze upon but few ever get to see the bulk of it.  As we told you about a year and a half ago, the Museum is digitizing the collection so you can see it at home. ESPN's Paul Lukas got a tour, recently, though.  He's normally all about uniforms (Uniwatch) but who can pass up a chance to see the Burdick Collection? There's no way you can see or read about everything Burdick left to the Museum but you can at least look at his Honus Wagner card and some of the other complete sets he painstakingly pieced together decades ago, by purchasing them and trading by mail with other early pioneers. Here's the story--and the video which starts with the Met's current exhibit from Burdick's collection featuring 19th century women on cards (really).

Last night Nate McLouth provided some walkoff magic, hitting a home run to lead off the bottom of the tenth inning, as the Orioles beat the Yankees 3-2. It was a cathartic win, coming on the heels of six consecutive losses to open this eight-game homestand, and it happened under quite unique circumstances. All three O's runs scored on solo homers, with backup outfielder Chris Dickerson providing the other two longballs in the third and fifth innings.As I continue searching for ways to get the most bang for my buck from my subscription to the Baseball Reference Play Index, I decided to find out how many games the Birds have won in which each of their runs came courtesy of a bases-empty home run. The tally is 61, with the high being a five-homer barrage on June 19, 2001. That day, the O's bested the Blue Jays 5-1 at Camden Yards, with Brady Anderson, Jay Gibbons, Melvin Mora, and David Segui (twice) doing the honors. There has also been one four-homer game that met the criteria: September 6, 1995, better known as Cal Ripken's 2,131 game. Everyone remembers Cal's dramatic fourth-inning shot, and he was joined by Bobby Bonilla and Rafael Palmeiro (twice). Last night's game was the seventh in Oriole history with three solo home runs accounting for all of the team's scoring. It was, however, the first time the O's have ever hit that many solo homers, scored no other runs, and won in walkoff fashion. So you see, there's a first time for everything.

Series One and Two are out well before the All-Star break, but collectors will have to wait until playoff time to put the wraps on the season.  2013 Topps Update Baseball Series is slated for an October 14 release date and late Wednesday, the company passed out the promotional material. The product continues “The Chase”, a promotional theme Topps kicked off during the winter. Once again, the base set will include 330 cards highlighting player moves, debuts and moments from the upcoming All-Star Game in New York. 36-pack, 10 card hobby boxes will be accompanied by 46-card, 10-pack jumbo boxes that will include some exclusive autograph and insert content.  Standard hobby boxes will include either an autograph or relic while jumbos guarantee one auto and two relics. Topps is going with 1971 Topps minis, some of which are autographed, as one of the inserts in the Update Series.  Newly minted coins, pins and rings are part of the manufactured relic inserts that have suddenly become a staple in the company's products. Interestingly, Topps will create  A full 990-card parallel of Series 1, Series 2, and Update Series cards on Sapphire Blue Foil, but completing the set will be a task only for the obsessed as each card is numbered to 25. Here’s a look at some of the highlights.  You can see a 2013 Topps Update Checklist (preliminary) below along with a gallery of preview cards. Autograph Cards 1971 Topps Minis Autographs – 10 subjects. Signed on-card. Numbered to 10. Chasing History Autographs – Over 30 subjects. Chasing History Autographs Gold Parallel – Numbered to 10. Chasing History Cut Signatures – 20 subjects. Numbered 1/1. Making Their Mark Autographs – 10 subjects. Making Their Mark Autographs Gold Parallel – Numbered to 10. Post-season Heroes Autographs – 10 subjects. Numbered to 10. Franchise Forerunners Dual Autographs – 10 dual-auto cards. Numbered to 10. Gold Parallel – Sequentially numbered to 2013. Black Parallel – Sequentially numbered to 62. Chasing History Autograph Relics – 10 subjects. Numbered to 25.  HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY Postseason Heroes Autograph Relics – 5 subjects. Numbered to 5. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY Franchise Forerunners Dual Autograph Relics – 5 dual-auto/dual-relic cards. Numbered to 5. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY All Star Relics and Autograph Relics All-Star Stitches Jersey relic cards from at least 60 subjects. All-Star Stitches Gold Parallel – Sequentially numbered to 50. All-Star Stitches Platinum Parallel – Numbered 1 of 1 All-Star Stitches Autographed Relics – 15 of the above All-Stars will also have an autograph relic version. Sequentially numbered to 25. All-Star Jumbo Patches – 50 All-Stars with a jumbo patch relic. Sequentially numbered to 6. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY. All-Star Jumbo Patches Autographs – 10 All-Stars with a jumbo patch relic and an autograph. Sequentially numbered to 6. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY. All-Star Stitches Duals – 10 cards each featuring two All-Stars and a jersey relic piece from each. Sequentially numbered to 25. All-Star Stitches Triples – 10 cards each featuring three All-Stars and a jersey relic piece from each. Sequentially numbered to 25. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY. Ultimate Chase Cards  10 more individually designed and constructed cards will feature some of the biggest active and retired stars, with an autograph and a unique relic or a cut signature and a unique relic. Signed on-card! Numbered 1 of 1. Parallel Cards  (some available only in hobby and jumbo, not blaster or retail) Pink Parallel – Sequentially numbered to 50. Platinum Parallel – Numbered 1/1. Emerald Foil Parallel – Inserted 1:6. Desert Camo Foil Parallel – Sequentially numbered to 99. Printing Plates – 1,320 printing plates from all of the base cards. Numbered 1/1. Silk Collection – 100 framed mini silk cards. Sequentially numbered to 50. NEW- Sapphire Foil Full Parallel – A full 990-card parallel of Series 1, Series 2, and Update Series card Manufactured Relics League Leader Pins – 20 cards fea

By Rich Klein Last weekend, I attended a local show near my house in Richardson, Texas. The show was promoted by Awesome Collector Shows and from reading the promotional material I guessed the promoter was formerly known as JIMV Enterprises based on the similarities between the verbiage used by JMV and the verbiage used by Awesome. When I arrived at the show on Sunday, my guess was correct as sure enough James was collecting the admission and at least there were free old SMR magazines at the door. One thing that absolutely shocked me was every table was occupied. If you have ever read my reviews of previous JMV shows, you might recall the declined credit card episode that shut one show down almost before it started. That incident actually led to what we now call the Craig Ranch card show in McKinney, Texas to a room in which perhaps half the dealer tables are sold. It’s always good to see show tables occupied and buyers making the rounds. One aspect that really helped the attendance at the most recent show was the appearance of Pro Football Hall of Famer Mel Renfro (who is among the nicest retired football players you will ever meet) and former boxing champ Reggie Johnson.  Reggie was displaying some of his World Championship belts and I will assure you those belts were incredible looking. I asked him who he fought during his career and he said he fought such luminaries as James “Lights Out” Toney and Roy Jones Jr. He said although he was not awarded the decision, he actually beat Toney and when I checked BoxRec.Com and saw that was a split decision I'm willing to believe he has justification in thinking he won that fight. Johnson fought all the best from his era and was competitive in almost any fight. In fact this weekend, I will probably watch some of high fights on you tube because now I'm curious as to his abilities. In between the two guests was the Beckett booth. I spent some time talking to Advertising Director Bill Dumas about hobby events past and present and discussed some of my recent Ramblings that involve Beckett memories from years past….like flying to an east coast card show that wasn't. You see, unbeknownst to us at Beckett, the dates posted in our Convention Calendar were incorrect and this show had actually taken place the weekend before.  I had flown from Dallas for a show that had packed up a week earlier. Fortunately, I knew the area well enough and had a back-up plan in place.  So, I called our “travel coordinator”, explained what happened and asked her to cancel the hotel reservation. Luckily, there was a back-up plan:  a two- hour drive to the always successful White Plains, N.Y. show and I knew exactly how to get there.   Staying with my dad in my old stomping grounds would mean not having to pay for a room. Needless to say, my father was shocked when I dropped my bags off and explained the whole situation but he was also thrilled to see me and realized we could spend a little bit of time together. The White Plains show always featured some market makers in newer cards and there were always many dealers and collectors on hand so any excuse to go was welcome. I spent all day Saturday at White Plains and then left Sunday morning. And in case anyone wondered why I never moved back to New Jersey even after leaving Beckett, the 6 A.M. news on New York’s CBS-FM clinched the deal. There is nothing like hearing these words to begin your day:  “The morning temperature Is three degrees with a wind chill of 30 below,” said the announcer.  I thought that temperature was only that bad when I used to go to the Albany show. Other than that little weather issue (which thankfully did not include any precipitation), having a back-up plan again helped to save the day, even though it wasn’t as famous as the “Puerto Rico” back-up plan discussed here yesterday.  Thus, a good lesson is if you are thinking of going to any card show always have another plan ready in case option number one does not exist. I know in today’s wor

I like being able to put a face with a player that I got TTM and Mike Sandlock was a really good one I got on March 21, 2012. You can read my TTM success here. Sandlock is the third oldest living former baseball player at 97 years of age.I really like the 1953 set. I like the artwork of the set and the backs are really nice as well. I got this card fairly cheap, at around $6.One day, I would love to tackle the '53 set, but I think that might be a long time from now. The set is 60 years old and there are some huge names in the set that command a hefty price tag. I have always wanted the Satchel Paige from the set. I'm hoping I can find that one for a steal sometime soon because I have had my eye on it for several years now.

Born on today's date, Reggie Cleveland. Reggie didn't exactly bring out the crowds.

I Have Completed My 2012 Topps Archives ‘Cloth Stickers’ Set And It Looks G-R-E-A-T!!!!  Check it out!!! As we rapidly approach the release of the new 2013 Topps Archives set, I am very excited to announce that I have completed one of the two subsets from last year’s set that I had been working on - ’77 Cloth Stickers. I decided to build this set just a few months ago, but thanks to some great trades and donations plus a few card show purchases, I was able to wrap this one up rather quickly. The set features a solid mix of both vintage and current ball players, and Topps did a great job of staying true to the original design from the ’77 set.  I especially like that Topps chose age-appropriate images of the legends in the set as many of them could have been from 1977. Here is a look at the complete set: The set looks really, really nice.  And I am strongly considering putting this one in an album versus leaving them in penny sleeves and top loaders.  I think that showcasing the set in this manner will do the set a lot more justice this way. I cannot wait to see what surprises the 2013 Archives set may bring!!!

Stacey Burdick's performance earned him tournament MVP, pitching 13 innings and giving up no earned runs, according to The St. Petersburg Evening Independent.He earned that honor while pitching his Pinellas County team to the 1985 National Baseball Congress national tournament at Wichita, according to The Evening Independent."A lot of batters were looking for the fastball, and the slider looks like a fastball until it drops off at the last second," Burdick told The Evening Independent. "Mostly, that's how I got people out in Tampa."Burdick went on to turn pro in 1986, signed by the Orioles as an undrafted free agent. But, while he worked to get people out for six professional seasons, he never got the chance to do so in the majors.Burdick signed with the Orioles out of Hillsborough Community College and Pinellas High School in Florida.With the Orioles, Burdick started at rookie Bluefield, going 4-3 in 12 starts there, with a 6.75 ERA.Burdick returned to Bluefield for 1987, also getting time at single-A Miami and Hagerstown. He played at Hagerstown all of 1988, getting 22 starts there and going 10-10, with a 3.64 ERA.He remained in single-A for 1989, playing at Frederick, but it was a brief season, just nine outings. In Burdick's first start that year, he went five innings, giving up three hits and picking up the win.Burdick first made AA in 1990, his fifth season. In 20 outings, 16 starts, he went 8-9, with a 3.93 ERA. In one stretch that year against Albany-Colonie, Burdick went 14.1 innings, without giving up a run.Back at Hagerstown in 1991, Burdick picked up 26 outings, 21 starts. He also went 11-4, with a 2.99 ERA. In June, he went seven innings in one outing, giving up just four hits. But it was Burdick's final season as a pro, his career ending after six seasons.St. Petersburg Evening Independent, Aug. 1, 1985: Local team qualifies for national playoff 1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally Players/Coaches Featured:1,142Made the Majors: 665 - 58.2%Never Made Majors: 477-41.8%-X5+ Seasons in the Majors: 28810+ Seasons in the Minors: 173

Scheduled Release Date: August 2013Box Configuration: 24 packs/box, 8 cards/packSRP: Not Announced YetBox Break:2 Autographs2 Additional Hits (Auto or Memorabilia cards)8 Inserts (2 Crusades)6 Parallels2 Additional Inserts or Parallels24 Rookie cardsWhat to Expect:When R&S is released it should be under $100/box and when you consider what you get for that price it is a pretty good break. Each pack will contain one rookie and most packs will also contain a hit or insert/parallel.A number of inserts are returning like Rookie Premiere Slideshow Signatures, Team Chemistry, Rookie Materials Signatures, Game Plan and Touchdown Club. There will be some new inserts including Cross Training Materials. There are a number of parallels throughout the set; base cards have an Emerald parallel and a handful of the inserts have numbered cards (#/99, #/49, #/5 and 1/1).My Thoughts:This is a set that is geared to the set builders and pack busters; there are plenty of autographs and relics too. Over the years Panini has used some nice images but they were often ruined by the overwhelming designs. Last year they began moving in the right direction and this year they have continued that trend of focusing on the player and not the angles, lines and visual texture in the background. Some inserts still are overdesigned but at least the base cards are a strart.Crusade and Rookie Crusade will probably draw some attention along with the dual-autograph Team Chemistry cardsPros:Nice photographyInexpensiveGood valueCons:Sticker autographsSome over designed elements in the insertsRating:This is a pretty solid set and 3 out of 5 would be a fair rating because Panini is starting to drop the over design aspect and focusing on the players.