Auto Collection: Gary Sheffield

No matter how disgruntled and surly this man became he could still hit the crap out of a Baseball. Sheffield had bat speed faster than superman. Here is my 2005 Playoff Absolutely Ink auto/relic card of Gary Sheffield. It claims to have a piece of a game-used fielding glove in the middle, but if sure doesn't look like leather.

2010 Topps Sterling Dodger Inserts

Here are some Dodger insert autos and relics from the recently release 2010 Topps Sterling offering. The below cards are far from a complete listing of all the Dodgers available, just a sample of some of the nicer one's I've seen. Most of the cards have parallel versions with various different print runs. Click on any of the pics to enlarge.

Piazza! I still miss this guy. He should have never been traded and retired as a lifelong Dodger.

The Duke!

Will this be the last Manny Ramirez card in a Dodger uniform? Don't bet your life on it.

Here are a couple of Jackie Robinson's.

Here are a couple of different Roy Campanella's.

Here is a dual auto/ relic book card featuring HOF pitcher Steve Carlton and our young ace (and newlywed) Clayton Kershaw. This is an awfully nice pairing.

An Early Look at 2011 Topps Tribute

Topps, via its Facebook page, has release some early mock-ups for their 2011 Topps Tribute set. Go here to see the handful they released. Below is the Jackie Robinson.

Baseball's a Rough Game

I thought this item from HYee Auctions deserved it's own post. I'll let the auction description explain it all to you.

A Dramatic Vintage 1934 ORIGINAL News Service Photo issued by the Associated Press depicting the ugly scene outside Navin Field after Game 7 of the 1934 World Series when the hometown Detroit Tigers were destroyed by the St. Louis Cardinals. By the 6th inning, the score was already 9-0 and the Series was just about lost. Cardinals star Joe Medwick slid hard into Marv Owen, the Tigers' third baseman, after hitting a triple. They tangled briefly, and when Medwick went to his position in left field, the restless Tiger fans, knowing the game was lost, vented their frustrations on Medwick, throwing fruit, vegetables, bottles, cushions, etc., at him. Commissioner Landis ordered Medwick (and Owen) benched to end the ruckus. This rare 7” x 9” photograph shows the police escorts ushering the bus with the Cardinals players on one side and the blood-thirst crowd on the other, most of them shouting “Where the BEEP is Medwick?”.

HYee Auctions: Dodgers and More on eBay

HYee Auctions once again has hundreds of fantastic vintage lots up on eBay- everything from Baseball to politics to entertainment. There is so much good stuff it would be impossible for me to post everything I want to show you. Go here to check them all out yourself. Unfortunately, the auctions ends in a few days- so get cracking. Below are a few items I thought was worth a look.

Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese help prepare a healthy meal for the kids. This was a promotion to interest kids in having a nutritious meal.

(Auction Link)

Pee Wee Reese getting a beer shower from the boys in this 1956 Type 1 press photo. Earlier, they had won the National League pennant against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

(Auction Link)

Season's Greetings! This is a 1956 Christmas card from the Brooklyn Dodgers. These were custom made for players and management for their own personal use. This particular greeting cards was made for Dodger scout Manual Boody. It waxes optimistically about a future Dodger World Championship the next season.

(Auction Link)

This is a scarce vintage promotional pin featuring Jackie Robinson from the 1960's. It was used to promote a Robinson biography.

(Auction Link)

Here is a great 8 postcard lot featuring Ebbets Field. They date from approximately 1910 to 1950's.

(Auction Link)

This is one of my all-time favorite 19th century Victorian trade cards. It is from 1896 and is an advertising die-cut piece for A. G. Spalding & Bros. Very scarce, especially in this condition, it measures 5.5" in height and includes a brief description of the game of Base Ball on the reverse.

(Click any pic to enlarge)
(Auction Link)

Naismith Basketball Rules Sold

Here is the biggest auction news of the week. James Naismith's original 13 rules of basketball went on the auction block and closed at an incredible price of $4,338,500 (including buyer premium) at Sotheby's. Go here for some incredible picks from Sotheby's. It was sold in benefit of the Naismith International Basketball Foundation.

“It’s really the genesis, the birth certificate of one of the world’s most popular sports,” he said in October when the sale was announced. “It’s a sport that has had an impact on everything from fashion, such as sneakers, to culture that in a way transcends sports.

...

James Naismith penned the 13 rules on Dec. 21, 1891, for the YMCA training school in Springfield. His boss had given him two weeks to come up with a new indoor activity for his gym class, and he wrote down the rules on the eve of that deadline.

He gave the list to his secretary, who typed them up on two pages that Naismith pinned on a bulletin board outside the gym.

Story Link: KUSports.com: