Sports Collectors Digest

Ah, baseball is in the air. Oh how we love the crisp crack of the bat, that glorious sound of ball meeting solid wood. The smack of horsehide on leather. The buzz of dugout and infield chatter, mixed with frequent shouts of “I got it, I got it … attaboy … let’s go now.” The sweet aroma of hot dogs, peanuts and Cracker Jacks, or burgers, burritos and barbecue, depending on your ballpark preference. The sight and smell of fresh-cut grass. The distinctive scent of dirt, raw earth so soft and smooth you almost want to scoop up a handful and taste it. The bright, vivid colors of clean new uniforms, mixed with the pure, white shine of brand-new baseballs. It’s the greatest time of year, when the grandest of all games offers hope…

Ray Fonio loves baseball, baseball cards and seeing the greats of the game gain the ultimate honor, enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. He thought about the cards he has collected and loves and how, like the players themselves, some cards are held in higher esteem than others. So he wondered: If there were a sports card Hall of Fame, which cards would get in, and which ones might be close but might not make it initially? Surely someone was already doing this right? Subsequent research revealed no one was. Gears started turning. Could he do this? How do I do this? After pondering those questions, he jumped into the task. He would take the top 10 cards people mentioned and voted for as his inaugural class. Collectors didn't disappoint and…

EDITOR’S NOTE SCD encourages a diversity of voices and views. Please include your first and last name, city and state. SCD reserves the right to edit all letters for length and clarity. Please email letters to jowens@aimmedia.com. I read the article about Frank Thomas by George Vrechek with great interest. It talks about the game where the Braves set the major league record by hitting four back-to-back home runs in 1961 at Crosley Field. I was at that game. I was 14 years old. I got all the home run hitters to sign the article that came out in the Cincinnati Enquirer the next day. I also have my scorecard from that game. I have been a collector since I was 10 years old. I really enjoy your publication. David W. Stevens, Clinton, Miss. Thank…

Mickey Mantle is a regular in this space, and the discussion is often around his iconic Topps debut — the 1952 classic that’s practically synonymous with the hobby — or his 1951 Bowman, his true rookie card. But any card is a great card if it features Mantle. Consider his 1963 Topps card. Issued 60 years ago this spring, the card gives collectors a close-up view of The Magnificent Yankee (as Mantle was anointed by announcer Mel Allen). The pinstriped power hitter is gazing off to his right, that distinctive Yankee Stadium facade behind him. An inset photo in a circular frame gives us a view of the Bronx Bomber in a right-handed batting pose. That spring, Mantle was suddenly 31 years old and had been playing through a variety of injuries. Yet…

Timing is everything. Just ask Fred McGriff, a newly elected member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1994, McGriff was having an MVP season for the Atlanta Braves. By mid-August the left-handed-hitting first baseman had already belted 34 home runs and 25 doubles with 94 RBI and was batting .318. Then on Aug. 12, 1994 major league baseball had a work stoppage that resulted in the cancellation of the rest of the season, the postseason and the beginning of the 1995 season. For McGriff, the work stoppage couldn’t have come at a worse time. In the 10 games leading up to the strike, the 6-foot-3 slugger batted .421 with seven round-trippers. Fast-forward to July 15, 2004: That’s when McGriff played his last major league game. He retired with 493 homers in…

Barehanded, backhanded, diving, leaping, sliding — all trademarks of the way Gold Glove third baseman Scott Rolen made plays at the hot corner. He could also field a slow-roller or a bunt, snare a missile, throw on the run, or from his knees or off-balance, even while standing on one leg. And, every once in a while, he’d throw in a play you’d never seen before. With a rifle for an arm and pinpoint accuracy, Rolen made throwing to first base a foregone conclusion. Tony La Russa, Rolen’s manager when he played for the St. Louis Cardinals, famously said, “I told him once, my happiest day would be if there’s a game where 27 ground balls get hit to third base.” Rolen, one of the premier third basemen of his era (1996-2012), was…