Blog Kiosk: 9/12/2017 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

After a lengthy rain delay the Dodgers continued on their streak of loses -- losing to the Giants late last night, 8-6. Ugh! Per Ken Gurnick and Chris Haft at MLB.com:

"I wouldn't say it's demoralizing, but it's disappointing," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "Our guys played hard, I thought we were going to win that game and we were in position to, but we couldn't hold the lead."

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1930 Dodger catcher Al Lopez hit the last Major League bounced home run. It was off Ray Kolp at Ebbets Field. Prior to the rule change any hit ball that bounced over the outfield walls was ruled a homer. Now, it'll be a ground-rule double. In 1963 the NY Mets hold a pregame ceremony in honor of Brooklyn favorite Duke Snider - "I look up into the stands, and it looks like Ebbets Field. The Mets are wonderful, but you can’t take the Dodger out of Brooklyn". In 2000 Dave Hanson broke former Dodger Johnny Frederick's record for pinch-hit home runs during a season with his seventh pinch-homer of the year against Curt Schilling of the Diamondbacks.  BTW, Johnny Frederick set his record of six pinch-homers on this exact same date in 1932.
• Happy Birthday, John Gochnaur, Masao Kida & Franquelis Osoria!

Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Tommy Davis, Jay Johnstone & Julio César Chávez

Here are this weekends autograph opportunities and events throughout the Southland. As always, be sure to check the Blue Heaven Calendar for other events (a link can always be found on the tab at the top of this page, just left of center), and always confirm with the establishment. Everything is subject to change.  Please email me with any tips about upcoming events in Southern California.  As the rest of the week progresses I'll update this post with other events (if there are any) as I become aware of them.  Also, I don't always list every event below, so be sure to check my Calendar.  I always try to favor free signing events over paying events.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

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Blog Kiosk: 5/11/2016 - Dodgers Links - Maeda, Puig and Trayce Thompson

Exciting!  Thrilling!  The crowd jumped out of their seats and roared.

Locked into a tie, Dodgers outfielder Trayce Thompson, the youngest son of former Laker star Mychal Thompson, came up to the plate with two out and proceeded to knock a 2-2 pitch into the left field pavilion for a walk-off home run.  (Watch it here)  Via Jack Baer and Anthony DiComo at MLB.com:

"It was a fastball," Thompson said. "Their whole entire bullpen, their whole entire pitching staff has amazing stuff. I just try to keep it simple against them. Just look for a heater, keep it simple and square it up. It was a fastball over the plate that I was able to handle."

Per Doug Padilla at ESPN:

“I don’t know how he did it,” Seager said. “He took two heaters and still battled back and ended up swinging at the first thing that doesn’t bounce. That’s awesome. It’s an awesome moment.

“He’s calm as hell. It’s unbelievable. He didn’t even have any jitters after the game. It was like as if nothing happened right there. It was special. A lot of people, their motors are going fast. His just wasn’t. No heartbeat at all.”

The Dodgers really needed this win.  Best yet, starter Alex Wood put in a great performance.  Wood went 6.1 innings in the no-decision; giving up four hits, two runs (one of which was unearned) and striking out nine.  On Wood, Mets manager Terry Collins said this:

"That's the best I've seen Alex Wood pitch," Mets manager Terry Collins said.

Photo above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2016.  Go here to check out more pics from Jon from yesterdays game.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1963 Sandy Koufax would throw his second no-hitter of his career against the Giants.  He had a perfect game going into the eight inning when he walked Ed Bailey on a 3-2 pitch.
• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Jose De Leon rests with arm soreness for Oklahoma City."
• Via Brad Lefton at the Wall Street Journal, "Sixty Years Ago, the Dodgers Toured Japan and Changed Baseball Forever."

“Up until then, defensively, Japanese baseball was reactionary, not anticipatory,” (Sadaharu) Oh said. “For example, the Dodgers preached to anticipate the bunt and charge in with the pitch. That kind of thing was unheard of in Japan. They taught the infielders how to move in tandem with the pitcher and play a more team-oriented defense. It completely changed the way we defended.”

Blog Kiosk: 2/9/2016 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

Here's another fantastic pic derived from an original photographic transparency.  Featured above is Pee Wee Reese showing off his swing to the cameraman.  It is dated to March 4, 1957, and was taken at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, FL.  This is one of many different vintage color transparencies currently for sale through Hyee-Auctions on eBay. 

Below are more links to check out:

• Via Eric Mandel at MyNorthwest.com, "Littlest brother's shadow looms large for Mariners' Kyle Seager."  Find out what big brother Kyle thinks of little brother Corey.

At the Mariners' annual FanFest event on Jan. 31, third basemen Kyle Seager was faced with a question he's likely been asked for years: Who is better, you or your little brother?

And, apparently, Kyle couldn't help but give his most honest answer.

"He's good, sorry," Seager responded to a cascade of laughs. "I'm sorry he's better; I'm trying, I promise." 

• Via Justin Russo at Dodgers Nation, "Joc Pederson Attends Super Bowl 50."
• Matt Eddy at Baseball America noted on their Minor League Transaction page that the Dodgers re-signed Chin-Hui Tsao.
• Yeah!  I get it.  The Gurriel brothers have defected from Cuba, and I suspect every team in the league will be hot after their trails.  Steve Adams at MLB Trade Rumors has a good rundown on them, here.
• Looking for some validation?  Then check out Reuben Hampton and Jeremy Losak story at the Sports Quotient, "Dodgers Depth Enough To Win."
• Jeff Pearlman shares an fantastic interview with sports publicist Kelly Swanson, here.  She is noted as the "biggest publicist in boxing" over the past twenty years.
• Wrigley Wax finds an glaring error in the 2016 Topps Baseball card set that features Wrigley Field.  Check it out here.
• Wow.  Via Rich Mueller at Sports Collectors Daily, "Doug Allen Sentenced to 57 Months in Federal Prison."  He was one of the auction house guys (Mastro/Legendary) caught by the FBI and prosecuted for illegal auction activities (like shill bidding) and the sale of fake/inauthentic goods.  Allen was a heavyweight in the hobby.  Now, he's going to jail.
• If you don't read Night Owl Cards then you're missing out. 

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Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Osteen, Burright, Hines, Scioscia, Valenzuela and Julio Cesar Chavez

Here are this weekends autograph opportunities and events throughout the Southland. As always, be sure to check the Blue Heaven Calendar for other events (a link can always be found on the tab at the top of this page, just left of center), and always confirm with the establishment. Everything is subject to change.  Please email me with any tips about upcoming events in Southern California.  As the rest of the week progresses I'll update this post with other events (if there are any) as I become aware of them.  Also, I don't always list every event below, so be sure to check my Calendar.  I always try to favor free signing events over paying events.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

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This event happens tomorrow, so if you're interest I suggest getting a hold of the organizers right away.  Go here for information.

Art of the Game, those folks with the memorabilia kiosk at Dodger Stadium, is hosting an evening talk with Fernando Valenzuela and Mike Scioscia.  It should be an interesting night.

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Three old time Dodgers will be at El Tepeyac Cafe in the City of Industry on Saturday from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.  Go here for information. 

El Tepeyac Cafe
13131 Crossroads
City of Industry, California 91746

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Fernando Valenzuela and Julio Cesar Chavez will usher in the opening of a brand new WSS Shoes store in Los Angeles on Sunday.  The festivities begin at 10:00 AM.  I am uncertain how long they will be there to sign with fans.  Needless to say, you should probably be there early.  Go here for more information.

WSS Shoes
2711 E. Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90023
(310) 715-9300

Hat Tip: Roberto at Vin Scully is My Homeboy

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Watch Puig and AGon Meet Canelo

This weekend is a big junior middleweight boxing match between Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez and Cuban pugilist Erislandy Lara in Las Vegas, so naturally they had to find a way to get a couple of Dodger players involved.  After all, what could be better than getting Adrian Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig arguing about who will win?  Heck, maybe they might capture some right hooks and left jabs in the process.

Of course, that didn't happen.  The Dodger clubhouse is an beacon of peace and tranquility right now, so there was no way a little national rivalry could hamper the love. 

During the Dodgers roadtrip south a couple of weeks ago, Canelo Alvarez visited the Dodger clubhouse to say hello to the fellows, and Showtime's cameras were there to capture it all.  Watch the exchange in the video below.  It was filmed for a Showtime PPV: All Access episode that airs tonight on Showtime at 9:00 PM.  The boxing fight happens this coming Saturday at MGM.

Video Link:

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Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Cecil Fielder, Julio Cesar Chavez and James Worthy

Here are this weekends autograph opportunities and events throughout the Southland. As always, be sure to check the Blue Heaven Calendar for other events (a link can always be found on the tab at the top of this page, just left of center), and always confirm with the establishment. Everything is subject to change.  Please email me with any tips about upcoming events in Southern California.  As the rest of the week progresses I'll update this post with other events (if there are any) as I become aware of them.  Also, I don't always list every event below, so be sure to check my Calendar.  I always try to favor free signing events over paying events.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

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The new year had started off fairly slow, but now it appears that the autograph opportunities are about to ramp up.  Check out this what's going on this weekend, below.

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Cecil Fielder, possibly the largest slugger to ever excel in the game, will be signing autographs at the OC Dugout in Anaheim on Saturday, January 18th from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM.  Check out the flyer below.  Information can be found here.

The OC Dugout (owners of OCSportsCards.com)
1238 S. Beach Blvd., Ste. K
Anaheim, California 92804
(714) 527-6319

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On the very next day, OC Dugout will host boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez.  He will be in Anaheim on Sunday, January 19th from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.  As I'm sure you noticed, the time of his signing has recently been changed.

The OC Dugout (owners of OCSportsCards.com) 
1238 S. Beach Blvd., Ste. K 
Anaheim, California 92804 
(714) 527-6319

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Frank & Sons in the City of Industry also has a signing on Saturday.  Previously, former Laker Elgin Baylor was scheduled to appear, but he has been cancelled.  James Worthy, though, will be there.  He will appear on Saturday, January 18th from 11:00 AM to 12:00 P.  Go here for more information, or here.

Frank & Son Collectible Show 
19649 E. San Jose Ave. 
City of Industry, CA. 91748 
Phone: (909) 444-7955

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Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Heavyweight Champ, Riddick Bowe

Here are this weekends autograph opportunities and events throughout the Southland. As always, be sure to check the Blue Heaven Calendar for other events (a link can always be found on the tab at the top of this page, just left of center), and always confirm with the establishment. Everything is subject to change.  Please email me with any tips about upcoming events in Southern California.  As the rest of the week progresses I'll update this post with other events (if there are any) as I become aware of them.  Also, I don't always list every event below, so be sure to check my Calendar.  I always try to favor free signing events over paying events.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

Sorry about the delay on this posting.

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Former heavyweight champ Riddick Bowe will be in Whittier on Saturday.  Get more information here.

Harry's Dugout 
10715 W Beverly Blvd 
Whittier, Ca 90601 
(310) 639-1061

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Blog Kiosk: 12/4/2012

The Dodgers shared a great vintage pic on twitter of the Dodgers marching in (I believe) the 1955 World Series victory parade with Dodgers batboy, Charlie "The Brow" DiGiovanna," leading the pack. BTW, Charlie is well known to collectors as the brilliant ghost signer for many Dodger players.

• The Dodgers lost a member of the family recently.  Longtime Dodgers equipment manager “Super Dave”  David Wright recently passed away, via Dodgers photographer Jon SooHoo.  Jon shared a photo of him, here. RIP.  BTW, here is something I didn't realize, the Dodgers have had only 3 equipment managers since they've been in LA.
• There's a lot of posturing going on in the Hyun-Jin Ryu negotiations.  Yesterday, there was quite a bit of back-and-forth regarding the Dodgers lack of an offer as indicated by Boras and Colletti mentioning the slow pace of discussions.  Now, Boras states that Ryu could pitch in Japan, and that he wants a contract that pays him like a No. 3 MLB starter right out of the gate.  I do not know if it's a good sign that negotiations have become this public.
• Maury Brown at Baseball Prospectus speaks with Stan Kasten.

So, I said to Mark Walter, the head Guggenheim, if we’re going to do the Dodgers there’s someone I want you to meet that will fit perfect into join our group and that was Magic. I had known him for many, many years from my time in the NBA, so we met, hit it off and decided to have us all come together. And, in doing so, the three elements that our group brought to the table was Guggenheim and all the resources they could provide. There was me with my experience in building baseball franchises, and then there’s Magic, who singlehandedly embodies winning and a dedication to fans in Los Angeles like no other human being on earth. So, we thought if we put those three things together we’d be a very strong combination.

• Jon Heyman at CBS Sports elicits a response about the Dodger budget, "What budget?''
• Bill Shaikin of the LA Times noted on twitter that Yasiel Puig is likely to start 2013 in AA.

• Ballpark modeler Steve Wolf is working on a Ebbets Field replica model and expects it to be completed in time to be featured during REA's 2013 auction, via Sports Collectors News.

• Ashley Burns at With Leather features the greatest piece of street art I have ever seen.  Bar none!
• FYI, the pair of gloves worn by Muhammad Ali in his 1971 bout against Joe Frazier recently sold at SCP Auctions at the record price of $385,848.00.  This boxing match was called "The Fight of the Century."  As Sports Collectors Daily notes, this (along with the gloves Ali wore against Sonny Liston in 1964) sold at world record values.  See the Ali vs. Frazier gloves at right.

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Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 8/3/2012

What an awesome photo!  A boy sells souvenirs outside Ebbets Field, home of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1913 to 1957. (Corbis)  Pic via Sports Illustrated.  You can clearly see many PM-10 pins; including many of the different ribbons, mini-bats and dolls attached to them.

• Roberto at Vin Scully is My Homeboy provides some helpful tips about getting autographs.
• Hey, Steve Garvey is on twitter.
• Ben at Let's Go Dodgers finds a photo of everyone's favorite neurotic father of Malcolm in the Middle, Bryan Cranston, sporting a Dodgers jersey.  You gotta love celebrities showing their Dodger pride. 
• Dodger Bobble shares some pics from the recent Kirk Gibson bobblehead game.
• "Cliff Lee Reportedly On Waivers: Your Move, Dodgers," via True Blue LA.  Dave Cameron at FanGraphs argues that the Dodgers should claim him.

Is 4/100 a gross overpay for Lee for a team with massive revenues? I don’t think so. He probably won’t be worth that money, and it could even be pretty ugly by the last year of the deal, but Lee’s still an excellent pitcher right now and projects to remain one for the next several years. Given the significant difference he could make to the Dodgers organization right now and the mediocre alternatives that they’ll have to consider overpaying this winter, claiming Lee on waivers is a risk the Dodgers should take. 

• 2012 Topps Mini boxes were officially debuted at the National and they can be only purchased directly from Topps.  With each box purchase a 5 card promo set is given out to collectors.  Matt Kemp is included in the promo set.  See it below.

• The Smithsonian National Museum of American History writes about Civil War Baseball.
• Via Metro.us, What if Every Olympics Was Photographed Like Beach Volleyball.  Fair is fair, right?
• Numerous Baseball teams had their facebook pages hacked, via Deadspin.
• Wow! So this happened.  A minor league umpire ejected the stadium music engineer for playing the song "Three Blind Mice," via SBNation. Below is a video of the ejection, via YouTube.

• I love boxing, so the blatant rigging of fights in the Olympics has me pissed off.  Check out Deadspin for their report.

It was, by any account, the biggest competitive disgrace of the Olympics so far. And there's reason to ask if this was more than the usual Olympic boxing incompetence, but rather something more sinister.

• Via Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness, a video from Lone Star Dugout features the newest Dodgers Cuban prospect Yasiel Puig's first professional at-bat.

Yasiel Puig debut vs. AZL Giants (8/1/2012) from Jason Cole on Vimeo.

Video Link:

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Hunt Auctions: Willard Mullin Color "Bum" Drawing

This isn't awesome because it's a William Mullin drawing of the fabled Brooklyn Bum.

Well.... Actually, that does make it awesome.  This drawing is awesomer (I've decided that this should be a real word) than your typical Mullin drawing.

Unlike most Mullin drawings I've seen over the years, this one has a full color rendering of the Brooklyn Bum.  As I sit here writing this I can't actually recall seeing another one before.

In the above scene, the "Bum" is wearing boxing gloves as he reminisces about two heavyweight boxers named Max Baer and Jim Braddock.  Click on the pic above to embiggen.

This appears to be a more modern drawing by Mullin based upon a date of 1976 at the bottom- two years before he passed away.  It is likely that this was drawn as a gift for a friend.  In fact, on the bottom right is a personal inscription from Mullin to a Mr. Tom Jobson.

This original vintage drawing was for sale at Hunt's Auctions during their All-Star Weekend offering a couple of weeks ago.  It sold for $1,700.00.

Here's My Complete 1910 T220 Set

As I wrote previously, I recently completed a years long adventure. The T220 Champion Athlete and Prize Fighter Series set of 50 cards was produced in 1910. It includes some of the most well known 19th Century and early 20th Century sluggers of the time. It was distributed by two different cigarette brands, Mecca and Tolstoi.

As you can see, my set is far from being in pristine condition. In fact, grading the set in VG condition would be kind. Of course, I don't really care. It's just been a joy to put it together. I think my favorite card is the John L Sullivan, not only because he was a great boxer, but because my card happens to be in great shape. I remember lucking out on a eBay auction lot several years back that included that great looking card. On another note, one great boxer is noticeably absent. For whatever reason, Jack Johnson is not included in the set. As always, click on any pic to enlarge.

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The Joy of a Completed Set

WooHoo! It has been a long time since I can say these words. I have finally completed a set, and not just any set. I finally finished up my 1910 T220 Champion Athlete and Prize Fighter Series set of 50 cards.

I recently won, on eBay the above card which completes a set I've been working on for at least 6 to 7 years. It is of Tom Sharkey, who is considered by Ring Magazine as one of the top 100 greatest punchers of all time. He was also a participant, with James J. Jeffries, in a bout in 1899 that was the first boxing match ever filmed.

As soon as I can find the time, I'll scan and post up the complete set.

Blog Kiosk: 3/2/2011

April is just around the corner.

• Goose Joak makes a Matt Kemp card for 2011. It's definitely worth a look.
  
• Night Owl Cards shows some under-appreciated Duke Snider Baseball cards.
  
• Here's a sneak peek look at 2011 Allen & Ginter Baseball, via Beckett. I am definitely going after this Pacquiao auto.
• I'm both hungry and ready for a heart attack as I think about this. Busted Coverage tells us about a half-pound and full-pound hot dog with the option of 40 different condiments at Akron Aeros games. Condiments include:

  peanut butter, jelly, macaroni and cheese, wasabi, chocolate chips and pineapple.

• Here's a peek at Jackie Robinson's apartment that was recently commemorated in Montreal. Below is a pic of a photo that sits along side a plaque. (Pic Link: Yfrog) Here is a google street view of the apartments here. A Globe and Mail story about it is here.
• Check out the Orioles new digs in Sarasota. It looks awfully nice, and is no doubt a huge step up beyond their old home in Ft. Lauderdale. That place was wretched.
  

Collection: 1923 W580 Boxing

Following up on the Allen & Ginter John L. Sullivan card I featured yesterday, here is a 20 card grouping of my 1923 W580 boxing strip cards. Click any of the pics above and below to enlarge them.

I've been a fairly active collector of boxing cards for quite awhile now, and a fan of the sport for nearly my whole life. Heck, being of Filipino descent meant I was genetically predisposed to love the ring. It dates back to my childhood memories of family parties, often as games of mahjong rang in the background. My Dad and uncles would get together to see a big match on television while recounting the great boxers of the past. I remember seeing everyone from "The Hitman" Hearns to Sugar Ray Leonard to Hector Macho Camacho. The best, though, was Mike Tyson. That guy could finish a fight.

As some of you might be thinking, the love of boxing in the Philippines did not start with the rise of Manny Pacquiao. In fact, next to basketball, boxing is the most popular sport on the islands. Heck, the first World Champion from the Philippines was Pancho Villa in 1923.

Anyway, this W580 strip card set can be very difficult to find in good condition. They are the same size as the Baseball T206 cards and feature sharp black & white photos. They are called strip cards because up to 10 cards would be printed side by side, and sold as an uncut group. The purchaser would then cut the strip themselves into their individual cards. Hence, the reason why nice examples are hard to come by.

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Collection: N28 John L. Sullivan

Here is my John L. Sullivan Allen & Ginter N28 card. I've got just one more card from my yet-to-be-completed set left to show. Check out the other cards I've featured here. Sullivan is one of the greatest world heavyweight champions to ever get in the ring. He is thought to have won over 450 fights in his career and was the first American athlete to earn over one million dollars. John L. Sullivan was a bridge between two boxing eras- from the London Prize Ring rules of bare-knuckled boxing to gloved boxing.

Often fighting in a garment resembling long underpants, the term "Long Johns" is said to be named after him.

Blog Kiosk: 7/18/2010

I'm still not worried about the Dodgers. We are only 4.5 games behind with 72 games to play. 72!

• Check out this great Dodger Squad video.
• SeatGeek analyzes the secondary ticket market for the NL West.
  
• Farther of the Wall shares some pics of Captain Morgan at Dodger Stadium.
  
• USPS have issued new stamped honoring the Negro Leagues, via Farther of the Wall.
• Canseco looses boxing match to a 60 year old man- really!
  
• Find out about the All-Star schwag the players receive for participating, via Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
  
• The Stephen Strasburg red bordered "1 of 1" autograph Bowman card is now up for auction at Huggins & Scott.
• Check out Spencer Tracy playing ball.
• Improv Everywhere does Star Wars.

YouTube Link:

Collection: N28 Jack Dempsey

Don't mistake this 19th century boxer for the Manassa Mauler who shares the same name. This Jack Dempsey was born over 30 years earlier. He may not be as famous as the champion from the 1920's, but he was just as good- if not better. Heck, in his day he was one of most popular pugilist in America and was nicknamed Nonpareil because no one could beat him. Dempsey was noted for his craftiness in the ring and his mastery as a ring general. He often fought others who outweighed him by as much as 25 lbs. and was believed to be so good that he could handily beat heavyweight John L. Sullivan.

Nonpareil was a bare-knuckle brawler who won his first fight in 1883 and didn't lose until 1889. Although that loss was in dispute since he got clocked by an illegal backhanded punch by George LaBranche. His first real defeat occurred 2 years later to Bob Fitzsimmons when he lost the World Middleweight Championship. Most believe that by this time he was well past his prime and suffering from a losing battle with tuberculosis. I've read that he had to be knocked down up to 14 times before he was officially knocked out. In 65 career matches he lost only 3 times.

It was said of him that,

"His style and method of boxing has a neatness about it … He stops blows aimed at him by his adversaries with so much skill, and hits his antagonist with such terrific force and comparative ease, that he astonishes and terrifies his opponents beyond measure … those ambitious to win the title of the middleweight champion are soon convinced of his superior knowledge and athletic prowess".

Above is his 1887 N28 Allen & Ginter card from my collection.

Collection: N28 The Pugilist

Here are some more vintage Allen & Ginter's from my collection. These are 8 out of the 10 boxers in the set- or pugilist as it says on the back. In the late 19th Century boxing was extremely popular, so it's not a surprise that they comprise a large part of the set.

BTW, here is what the back of the cards look like.(Checklist Pic above from BaseballCardsLive)

Blog Bat Around: The Shopping Spree

With the Baseball season in full swing, Gellman at Sports Cards Uncensored has dusted off what remains of a not-so-old tradition of the Blog Bat Around. Yes, a collectors chance to share a bit about ourselves and our twisted hobby driven minds is back. What little morsel of information shall I be asked to share with all of you? Will it be a look at my favorite card? How about my favorite sports moment?

Wait.... I think we answered some of those questions already. Didn't we?

What else could we all share this time around? Well, Gellman has come up with a doozy that had me pondering the possibilities. If I had $50,000.00 to burn on cards what would I buy on eBay. He prefaces it with the notion that I had only 15 minutes to decide, but with $50,000.00 there is just no way I could conceivable find the cards/ memorabilia items I want. There would just not be time to search. On top of that, not every card out there is available on eBay at any given time, and $50,000.00 is a lot of change to spend.

So, I'm gonna change the rules a bit and just leave it wide open. If I had a $50,000 shopping spree for cards on eBay what would I get? I will abide by no time limit and I'm going to take the liberty to assume that some of the rarities on my list would be attainable at any given time- even though some won't be.

Anyway, here we go. My dream list would include the below items.

First, I would find the 1922 American Caramel Babe Ruth "holding a bird" card. This is my all-time favorite card. Just look at it. It's the Babe holding a bird next to some guy nobody recognizes. How random is this. Heck, I don't think it's a stretch to say that there is no better oddball looking card in the hobby. Prices on this card would vary depending on condition, but let's say that this card in EX condition could probably be had for $5,000.00.

Next in line would be my first Dodger card. It would be the 1913 T200 Fatima Brooklyn Nationals (Dodgers) team card. This card ranks high on my "wish list if money where no object." Fortunately, this card could actually be attainable someday since a nice VG to EX condition example can probably be found for $600.00.
A Negro League legend would be my next purchase, and I would head straight to the best player to never play in the Major Leagues. Below is the 1950-51 Cuban Toleteros Josh Gibson card. This is the only vintage Baseball card known to exist of him and I would have to track one down. They are scarce and would not be cheap. If I'm not mistaken only a dozen or so are known to exist so I won't be picky about condition. I'll assume that $10,000 will snag me a card in VG condition. A few years back a NM-Mint version (cleaner than the one above) sold for over $80K, but prices have since come down to earth significantly.

How could it take me so long to add this gentleman to my list. I would hunt down the following Jackie Robinson cards: 1948 Leaf, 1949 Bowman, 1950 Bowman and 1952 Topps. Since I don't need gem mint cards and VG to EX would be just fine let's say $6,000.00 for the group.
How about a nice 1948 Leaf Satchel Paige. What could be better than a sharp looking rookie card of the games most dominant pitcher who never had a chance to prove it? $10,000.00 for a NrMint example.

Speaking of pitchers, how about this 1902-1911 Christy Mathewson W600 Sporting Life Cabinet for $7,000.00.

And now I take a quick pause and wonder how in the world will I spend the remaining $11,400.00. I'm scratching my head wondering if I've entered into some kind of "Twilight Zone"/"Brewster's Millions" episode.

Now, moving on to completing My Want List. There are several sets that I continue to try to complete. Most are vintage and can be difficult to track down. First, I need 19 cards to complete my 1947 Tip Top Bread set. Fortunately, they are all commons (so no key cards are needed), but they are all short prints. Since I am not picky about condition it could cost me about $1000.00. Below are examples from my set.Now, I will complete my 1948 R346 Blue Tint set. I need 9 cards (not including the B&W variations that are just impossible) to complete it. A handful are stars (like Ted Williams, Feller and Durocher), but since it is not a widely collected set they shouldn't cost a whole bunch. Let's say $500.00 for the lot. Below are examples from my set.My Callahan Hall of Fame set is also something I would also like to complete- although I doubt I ever will. I only need 7 cards, most are stars, and they are all short prints, so they would not come cheap. Let's say $2,000.00 for the remaining cards. Below is what they look like.
Time to finish off my 1910 T218 Boxing card set. I have 12 cards to go, including Jim Jeffries, but it should only cost $300.00, at the most, to finish. How about that 1951 Topps Blue Back set. I need 30 cards and in the Ex to NrMint condition that I would need to go with my current cards it would probably cost about $600.00. The 1954 NY Journal American set would be my next target and this one will be expensive. I still need the Mantle, Robinson, Snider and Mays. The 19 remaining cards will probably cost $3000.00. Now it's time to finish off my 1969 Topps set by tracking down about 300 cards for a total cost of about $600.00. Finally, I would get every T206 card of a Brooklyn Dodger. I need quite a few of them, 19, and figure it would cost about $1000.00.

That's leaves me with a little bit of change just in case my estimates are off. Overall, though, having $50,000.00 would be very dangerous indeed.