Here are some of the cards I've gotten recently:
2006 Moose Skowron Allen & Ginter 274 Yankees
Not only was Moose Skowron a witness to history; he made a lot of it himself. Baseball Reference has him as the 482nd-best hitter ever. In case you were curious, Skowron is of Polish descent, and made his MLB debut in 1954. Yes, he was a member of those fascinating Yankees teams. What was it like to star in New York during that era? Three teams, three great centerfielders? A five-time All-Star, Skowron was responsible for 26.8 WAR. I love looking at matchups; Skowron hit .583 against Vern Law.
1955 Billy Glynn Topps 39 Indians
Billy Glynn played ball from 1946-1958 with a hiatus in 1953 and 1954. (My google-fu must be weak today...I'm guessing he was serving the military, but I can't find confirmation.) I love folks like Mr. Glynn, who had thousands of plate appearances in the minors and took all of those buses and ate all of that road food for the chance at the majors. (In fact, he took ten times as many PA in the minors as in the majors.) Mr. Glynn's debut was in 1949 for the Phillies, but he spent the majority of his major-league time in Cleveland. He hit .333 and .300 against Don Larsen and Billy Pierce, two great pitchers of the era. How many guys can say that?
1955 Ray Crone Topps 149 Braves
1957 Ray Crone Topps 68 Braves
Ray Crone was signed at 17 and made his MLB debut in 1954, at the age of 22. Playing from 1954-1958, he amassed an extremely respectable winning percentage of .500, going 30-30. Though he started with the Milwaukee Braves, he finished his career with two seasons for the Giants, making the move from the Polo Grounds to the West Coast. Witnessing Hank Aaron and Willie Mays in their prime? Not too shabby. In 1958, Crone was traded to Toronto in exchange for.....
1994 Don Johnson Topps Archives 1954 Gold 146 (Terribly bubbled sig but still awesome) White Sox
Don Johnson had an extremely respectable journeyman career in the majors. The RHP started his career with the Yankees in 1947, then played with the Browns, Senators, White Sox, Orioles and Giants. Mr. Johnson is one of the few guys who had Joe DiMaggio figured out. Joe D only hit .182 against him!
2009 Peyton Manning Upper Deck 85 Colts
Well, we all know this guy. Manning is clearly one of the best passers in football history. His Colts career is over, and we're all excited to see what will happen for the Broncos. He has a great signature and seems to be a pretty good guy; at least, that's what I've always guessed.
2006 Moose Skowron Allen & Ginter 274 Yankees
Not only was Moose Skowron a witness to history; he made a lot of it himself. Baseball Reference has him as the 482nd-best hitter ever. In case you were curious, Skowron is of Polish descent, and made his MLB debut in 1954. Yes, he was a member of those fascinating Yankees teams. What was it like to star in New York during that era? Three teams, three great centerfielders? A five-time All-Star, Skowron was responsible for 26.8 WAR. I love looking at matchups; Skowron hit .583 against Vern Law.
1955 Billy Glynn Topps 39 Indians
Billy Glynn played ball from 1946-1958 with a hiatus in 1953 and 1954. (My google-fu must be weak today...I'm guessing he was serving the military, but I can't find confirmation.) I love folks like Mr. Glynn, who had thousands of plate appearances in the minors and took all of those buses and ate all of that road food for the chance at the majors. (In fact, he took ten times as many PA in the minors as in the majors.) Mr. Glynn's debut was in 1949 for the Phillies, but he spent the majority of his major-league time in Cleveland. He hit .333 and .300 against Don Larsen and Billy Pierce, two great pitchers of the era. How many guys can say that?
1955 Ray Crone Topps 149 Braves
1957 Ray Crone Topps 68 Braves
Ray Crone was signed at 17 and made his MLB debut in 1954, at the age of 22. Playing from 1954-1958, he amassed an extremely respectable winning percentage of .500, going 30-30. Though he started with the Milwaukee Braves, he finished his career with two seasons for the Giants, making the move from the Polo Grounds to the West Coast. Witnessing Hank Aaron and Willie Mays in their prime? Not too shabby. In 1958, Crone was traded to Toronto in exchange for.....
1994 Don Johnson Topps Archives 1954 Gold 146 (Terribly bubbled sig but still awesome) White Sox
Don Johnson had an extremely respectable journeyman career in the majors. The RHP started his career with the Yankees in 1947, then played with the Browns, Senators, White Sox, Orioles and Giants. Mr. Johnson is one of the few guys who had Joe DiMaggio figured out. Joe D only hit .182 against him!
2009 Peyton Manning Upper Deck 85 Colts
Well, we all know this guy. Manning is clearly one of the best passers in football history. His Colts career is over, and we're all excited to see what will happen for the Broncos. He has a great signature and seems to be a pretty good guy; at least, that's what I've always guessed.
