My Rizzo Collection - Autographed Ticket for 1st Home Run Game

Antonio, si stanno avendo un anno fantastico! Sapevo che si poteva fare - complimenti , mio fratello!

Yeah, I'm a little energized right now. It's been a tumultuous season for my favorite teams and favorite players. The Yanks' starting pitching has been decimated after such a glorious start, and yet they're definitely hanging around in a softer AL East - partially due to some consistent greatness from David Robertson (and another player I'll be announcing soon)! The Braves are pulling their usual stunt of mixing ecstasy with agony, though Freddie and The Kimbrel are certainly doing their parts and the Braves themselves are just a gant's ass behind the....gNats. Jagielo is coming back from injury but has already gone deep down in the Florida State League (A-Advanced). Mattingly's Dodgers are winning again, despite themselves and their critics. 

And then......and then......

There is THIS guy!

We're now into August, and Anthony Rizzo certainly APPEARS to be having the breakout season that his fans (and Cubs fans especially) have been waiting for! He's batting .283 with 25 HRs, 60 RBI and 70 runs scored! You can even add in a couple of stolen bases for good measure. While the Cubs don't find themselves in the hunt, Anthony's performance at the plate and in the field garnered him his FIRST All Star Game appearance (along with Fab-Fivin' Freddie Freeman and le Kimbrel)! He made good use of his single at-bat, Needless to say, I will be anxiously awaiting the late year releases for some All-Star cardboard.

In honor of his outstanding achievement, I would like to share one of my favorite pieces from the Ryan's Pitch Rizzo Collection. I picked it up on the secondary market last year and must admit that there was much inspiration for this addition from my good friend Brian, over at "30 Year-Old Cardboard". His legendary "Ultimate Dawson" Collection is a site to behold and I would highly encourage you to check it out. With so many types of memorabilia pieces that are absolutely swimming in interesting inscriptions and player gravitas.....it is truly amazing and serves as a great example of one particular way to enjoy our hobby.

In that vein, I saw this ticket and knew that I had to have it. The price was right and the PSA authenticity credentials instilled the confidence I needed.....and I've enjoyed it ever since! I am happy to share this ticket to the Padres/Nationals game on June 11th, 2011!

It was the Bottom of the 2nd inning when Rizzo stroked his first home run off of John Lannan into the right field bleachers at cavernous PETCO. It would be the only run scored by the Padres that day, and they would end up losing the game, 2-1. But it was surely a great day for Anthony and, coincidentally, for my wife and me as we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. Big day!

Here's a closer look at the inscription, "First Home Run":

It probably wouldn't have affected my decision, but I am glad that Rizzo didn't go with "1st HR". I appreciate full words. Except for when I don't use them myself.....on this blog. Whoops.

Here's a close look at the unmistakable, short signature of Mr. Rizzo:

Overall, the ticket is really nice looking. An odd choice of picture, but it gives us a soothing look at what is probably a very comfortable San Diego evening. The color scheme and graphics don't lend themselves to an easy presentation for autographs and such, but I feel like the use of the silver ink helps to mitigate that effect.

Rizzo's really emerged as a star this season and I couldn't be happier for him or for Cubs fans. He seems to be a really good person (he sticks up for his teammates when opposing pitchers hurl 100 mph+ pitches at their heads, for example) and does a lot of great charity work off the field.  He's a lefty first baseman who looks like he's going to be playing some good baseball for many years to come. I love watching him play and find myself rooting just a little bit for the Cubbies in the NL Central.

I'm thrilled to add another Rizzo autograph to my collection, but especially ecstatic to add one that is unique and commemorates one of his early career milestones. He's averaged 26 long balls per 162 games so far in his blossoming career, so I'm ready for the next couple of decades!

Here's the back, complete with assurances from our friends at PSA.....

  

Thanks for reading!

Bobble Relevance

Who doesn't love a bobblehead? Last season, a neighbor of mine shouted me down as I was playing with my kids in our cul-de-sac.

"Hey man, you like baseball, don't you?"

"Heck YES, I like baseball! How come?"

"I went to a Padres game while I was out in San Diego and I have this bobblehead....do you want it?"

"Definitely! Thanks!"

Didn't care who it was or what it looked like.....I was ALL about a free bobblehead for my baseball memorabilia collection. Turns out, it was Mr. Chase Headley......hey, cool. I knew about Headley and figured this was a pretty solid pick-up. Of course, NOW we know that Chase has become the starting 3rd baseman for the Yankees! Woo-hoo! "#AddedValue", as @StaleGum would say.

The Padres were sure proud of Chase's accomplishments back in 2012 - and you can't blame them! He came out of nowhere and really tore it up, both at the plate and defensively that season. He ended up earning himself a nice paycheck, too.

Unfortunately, Headley's output took a dive last year and his woes have continued through the first half of '14.....which made him an ideal bargain for the drifting Yankees. Hoping that Chase can continue his post-ASG hot streak and regain his 2012 form, Cashman & Co. swapped farmhand Rafael DePaula and 1st-half hero, Yangervis Solarte for Mr. Headley.   Like the Nuno/McCarthy trade, I think this is a good gamble for the Bombers, who are trying to piece together ANY sort of path into the post season for The Captain.

We'll see how it goes, but for now, this guy will be haunting me from the corner of the Card Cave:

Semper Fi, Colonel - A Hobby Farewell to Jerry Coleman

There isn't much left to say about Jerry Coleman that hasn't already been said by so many.   By all accounts, he was a wonderful human being who just so happened to be pretty darn good at baseball after contributing to the saving the world from tyranny during World War II.

No big deal.

I believe he is the only professional baseball player to see combat in two wars (120 combat flight missions, World War 2 and the Korean War).   In between and after his time in the skies as a Marine Corps Aviator, he went to six World Series with the Yankees and managed to win four of them - .667 - not bad!

Despite all of that success, he may very well be known most for his days as the voice of the San Diego Padres (whom he managed in 1980), a role he relished and excelled at until he passed away last Monday.

Fortunately, I had the good sense to drop a note to Lieutenant Colonel Coleman a couple of years ago.   It was a part of my last true "batch" of Yankee/HOF TTM requests before my autograph adventures budget was significantly reduced.   I'm so glad I wrote that letter.

I won't bore you with every detail, but here is a quick glance at the highlights of what Colonel Coleman sent back.   As I always do, I asked several questions throughout my letter (mostly about baseball), and he was kind enough to answer those in addition to providing some comments on other portions of my note where I told him about my family's service connection to World War II and my days in the nuclear navy.   I've included these excerpts along with the pictures.

I hope you enjoy!

Here are the pages to the letter - you can see where Lt Col Coleman responded!

At the very top of the letter, he began by saying, "LT - I don't write well and can't type" to explain his annotations throughout……no problem, Sir!   Here are my questions (in bold) and his responses (in italics):


What is your favorite memory from being with the club for those four World Series titles in '49, '50, '51 and '56?

"Just winning…it was everything."

You completed your career with only 89 errors in 3,168 fielding opportunities and turned 532 double plays - what did you focus on to achieve such great success in the field?

"Always ready for the ball."

He was kind enough to sign my ball in black ink and it looks great!

Were there any moments in the field (or at the plate) that stick out to you the most?

"Just being there."

My grandfather served in the WWII European Theater as a Radioman on B-24 Liberators….

[referring to the B-24] "…Bad plane…"

...He and his crew were shot down over Occupied France but survived the crash.

"Lucky Man…"
    
He and my grandmother, who was a Navy Nurse, are still with us….

"Your background sounds great!"

That last comment from the Colonel made me chuckle.   He began writing the compliment right above the word  'grandmother'.   He very carefully began all of his notes right above the exact word he was referring to or he would circle the exact word/phrase.   A part of me is most certain the 'ol fighter pilot may have been referring to how great a navy nurse sounds more so than my lineage.   Ha.   A Maverick of the Greatest Generation?   Wouldn't doubt it.

He also signed the Autograph Card I threw in the package! Blue ink this time...

I was a nuclear propulsion officer aboard the USS Alabama (SSBN-731)…

"I get claustrophobic - couldn't do what you did!"

This made me laugh, too.   I often joke that we (navy nukes) were just a bunch of nerds doing math underwater and it certainly didn't compare to combat dogfighting against the Japanese and Korean air forces.   At the very least, I am prone to air sickness - despite my lineage of aviators - so, I guess the admiration is mutual.

When talk amongst friends turns to the topic of greatest players, I will continue to champion your four World Series Championship titles, exemplary fielding record and All-Star selection in 1950 - but…it may be your days in uniform that will mean the most to me.

[referencing the 4 titles] "We won because we were a team, first & foremost."

…if there is ever anything I can do for you, please let me know.   Thank you of your time and consideration, Colonel.   Very Respectfully, Ryan

"Thank you for the sub picture.   Ryan - you have  my admiration for your service.   Hope you and your wife raise a Yankee Family.   Jerry Coleman"

The Colonel's generosity was too much, he threw in this gorgeous 8x10!

Unbelievable experience to read through his thoughts.   I couldn't be more proud to know that Jerry Coleman gave me and my family a moments thought.   Such a gentleman!   These items will be treasured as a key part of my baseball memorabilia collection.   As you guys know, I really enjoy this era and collecting items that deal with players who served in the military.  

I only have one card of Colonel Coleman in my collection right now - his 1955 Bowman.   It's a great card but I would love to add some more!

REMEMBER - "…always ready for the ball…"

Then as now, his biggest thrills and memories are TEAM-oriented.   AMAZING!

Thank you for this amazing "through the mail" experience, Colonel Coleman.   I wish I had the chance to meet you in person but your legend will live on in the tales I tell, regardless.   I promise to do my very best to raise a proper Yankee Family!   Thank you for defending this great land and contributing to our great game.   You are missed - rest in peace.

Thanks for reading!

For Trade - 2012 Topps Dave Winfield Retired Number Manu-Patch

Here's a Dave Winfield manu-patch that I pulled out of last year's flagship, if I recall correctly.   It's pretty sharp looking and it pays great homage to Winfield's highly underrated years with the Padres as he began his career.

It really doesn't fit into my collection very well, however.   Is anybody interested in swapping for this?   Just thought I'd throw it out there....

Thanks for Reading!

One of My Favorite Cards: 1974 Topps #456 Dave Winfield Rookie Card

I had a quick internal battle as to whether or not I should file my Winfield rookie card in my Yankees collection or in my "Vintage/Other" piles......in the end, I decided to honor the time, years, performance and passion that Winfield displayed during his epic career as a member of all his teams by choosing the latter.

Turns out - this card rocks no matter which collection it rests within, as did the career it honors the start of!

Yep.  It's a bright one, Dave.

Winfield's rookie card is from the 1974 Topps set.   As a kid in the late 80's, I often confused the '74 design with the '80 design - both of which I still enjoy to this day (though I don't own very many of.....yet).   The dual banner, symmetrical look is very basic but its simplicity plays to my inner engineer.   The team, position and name labels frame out a cameo shot of Winfield looking very optimistic about his future.

This particular card is in great shape for my liking.   There's no creasing on the front and the coloring is fantastic so the overall presentation is really nice.   Browns and yellows are usually not ideal, but the retro goodness of the old-time Padres uniform is simply undeniable.   Throw in the 'ol Winfield moustache and early 70's stadium upper deck background for good measure and you have the makings of a most excellent rookie card.

The edges and corners are not perfect - but the price was right, so I was ecstatic to add another HOF rookie card to the collection.   Here's a look at the back:

 
Ah, there's a tiny crease up there in the upper right hand corner.  No worries, as my usual point of contention starts when I can no longer read a portion of the card - which is certainly not the case here.   You get a nice look at Mr. Winfield's signature up top with the usual biometrics and even a noteworthy cartoon along the right side - turns out that Winfield was born on the same day as "the shot heard 'round the world", a.k.a. Bobby Thompson's home run.   Very poetic that big Dave would be destined for his own post-season legend more than 40 years later!   But more on that later.   The four college career highlights at the University of Minnesota are given in bullet point format.   A lot of good information and interesting tidbits squeezed onto this cardboard.   I dig that.

This card portrays Winfield as a proud young phenom for the San Diego Padres.   The Padres drafted Mr. Winfield as a Pitcher and was the 4th overall pick of that draft.   Of course, Dave was also drafted by THREE other teams in TWO other sports (basketball and football).   Keep in mind, Dave Winfield didn't even PLAY college football at UM!

Hear it comes!

That should give you an idea as to how incredibly gifted this guy was as an athlete.   The Padres quickly dropped their young star into the deep end of the major league pool - where he immediately shined.   Needing his bat more than an additional hurler, they placed Winfield in the outfield where he still utilized his rifle arm to produce many memorable defensive plays.   He batted .277 in the 56 games he played in '73 and only seemed to improve as his career marched forward.

That Uniform = Awesome

He would go on to hit the national scene during the '77 All Star Game in New York and became the Padres Captain in '78 before posting .308 AVG / 34 HRs / 118 RBI in '79.   Winfield landed in New York as a free agent in 1981 where he would be a constant offensive leader until he left in 1990.   Often at odds with Steinbrenner (which probably began when the Boss signed Winfield for $7M more than he thought he did - making him the HIGHEST paid MLB player), Winfield never allowed the off-field Bronx drama affect his performance between the lines.   He would be an All-Star for eight years in a row ('81 - '88) and win five gold gloves in New York to go along with his five silver slugger awards.   He lost a VERY narrow batting title race to teammate Don Mattingly in 1984 by .003, finishing at .340.   Interestingly, Yankees fans were divided in their loyalty to both sluggers, with a noticeable tilt in favor of Donnie Baseball.   Winfield handled this fact like a professional, citing an eerily similar situation endured by Mantle and Maris during the home run race of '61.   The Yanks, despite having two sluggers in the line-up at .340 or better, still finished 17.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers that season.   Yikes?!

The Masters

During Steinbrenner's two year stretch of being banned from managing the club's operations, Winfield was finally traded to the Angels in 1990 where he stayed only briefly before having his second career renaissance as a soon-to-be world champion for the Toronto Blue Jays.   Even as an aging star, Winfield served as a very powerful designated hitter.   What am I saying?!   Big Dave slugged with a .290 average and slammed 26 home runs along with 108 RBI.  He wasn't done yet, no sir!   Winfield helped to lead the team into October where he provided the clutch 2-run scoring double for the Jays in the 11th inning of Game 6 that helped to clinch the '92 Series for Toronto.   Unfortunately, this victory was over my Atlanta Braves, but it was truly something to behold as Winfield officially shrugged off those tired old and fictitious "Mr. May" labels from Steinbrenner during his pinstripe days and became the oldest player (41) to slug an extra base hit in the World Series.   No matter how you slice it - that's good stuff and Winfield now had the hardware to go along with his championship-worthy career!

Destiny - Worth the Wait!

Winfield would go on to collect his 3,000th hit off of Dennis Eckersley as a Twin in 1993, thereby cementing his enshrinement in Cooperstown.   Playing his final game as a professional in 1995 as a Cleveland Indian, Dave Winfield completed an amazing career that spanned thirteen years and was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2001.   He remains a very active part of the game today in a return to his roots as the executive Vice President and Senior Advisor for the San Diego Padres, who also retired his #31 in 2001.  He is also very active and performs much great work through his foundation, The Winfield Foundation - and can also often be seen as a guest analyst on ESPN's Baseball Tonight.

Power for Good.

Atta boy, Big Dave!   Thanks for the memories and your contributions to the game of baseball (even the ones that might have occurred outside of your time as one of my beloved Yanks).   You're definitely one of my favorites and while I haven't been lucky enough to meet you or get your autograph yet, I'm honored to have your rookie card in my collection!

Thanks for reading.