Top 5 Hall Of Fame Tribute: Ryne Sandberg

As a cancer survivor, it always makes me a little more introspective whenever I hear of someone else dying from it. Just a day after the Hall of Fame welcomed 5 new members, it lost one when Cubs great Ryne Sandberg passed away after a battle with prostate cancer. As I usually do, here are 5 of my favorite Ryne Sandberg cards from my collection.

 

1987 Fleer

#639 Former MVP's

(Parker/Sandberg) (SSS)

 

To be honest, I wouldn't count this as a favorite of mine, but I had to include it since we lost both of these great men recently. I was all prepared to write how these two were division rivals during the late 80's, but I had completely forgotten that at the time Cincinati was in the NL West back when their were only 2 divisions in each league. That seem so weird to me now...

 

1990 Fleer

#625 Ryne Sandberg (POD)

 

How many players can say they have a game named after them? Sandberg became a household name on June 23, 1984 when he launched a game-tying home run in the 9th inning against fellow Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter, then tied the game again in the 10th with yet another home run against Sutter! The "Ryne Sandberg Game" was the pinnacle of an MVP season for Ryno.

 

1990 Upper Deck

#324 Ryne Sandberg

 One of the best defensive second basemen of all time, his 9 Gold Gloves are second only to Roberto Alomar. All those Gold Gloves came consecutively from 1983 to 1991. Looking through my collection, I was surprised to find not many of his cards showcased his defensive mastery. This card is far and away one of his best!

 

1991 Score

#815 Ryne Sandberg (MOY)

 

It's hard to believe that actually retired twice in his career. The first time was in 1994, but he back and played in 1996 and 1997 before retiring for good. When he did retire, he held the record for most home runs by a second baseman as well as the highest fielding percentage at that position. An MVP Award, 9 Gold Gloves, 7 Silver Sluggers, and a 10-time All-Star, Sandberg is also one of just 5 players to have both a 50 steal season and a 40 home run season.

 

1992 Score

#442 Ryne Sandberg (DT) 

It's mind-boggling that despite all these accolades, it took Sandberg 3 tries before getting elected to the Hall of Fame! Even when he did in 2005, it was with just 76.2% of the votes. Ryne Sandberg is one of the greatest 2nd Baseman of all-time, and excelled like no one else at his position in hitting, running, and fielding!

 

Rest In Peace, Mr. Sandberg! Your legacy will never be forgotten! 

Top 5 Hall of Fame: Ichiro Suzuki

 

On July 27th, the Hall of Fame will officially recognize 5 new members. As I have done in years past, I will be honoring these great ball players in my own way throughout the week. Appropriately batting lead off is the Hall of Fame's first Asian member, the iconic Ichiro Suzuki. In tribute to his extraordinary career, I humbly present my 5 favorite cards of his that I own:

 

2001 Upper Deck Victory

#564 Ichiro Suzuki (ROO, RC)

 

I pretty much stopped collecting from 1993 - 2015, so the fact I have a Hall of Famer's rookie card from this gap in my hobby collection is pretty cool to me! Of course, people debate if a player coming over from the NPB are on the same level as traditional rookies. Ichiro sure didn't play like one, hitting .350 with 242 hits and 56 stolen bases in his first taste of MLB baseball. (Fun fact: The runner-up to Ichiro in the 2001 AL Rookie of the Year Award was none other than fellow 2025 inductee C.C. Sabathia!)

 

2010 Topps

#515 Seattle Mariners Franchise History (FH)

Of course, Ichiro didn't just win the Rookie of the Year Award in 2001, he also became just the 2nd player to win the MVP Award in his rookie year. He joined Ken Griffey Jr. as the only Seattle Mariners to win the award.

 

2012 Topps Opening Day

#50 Ichiro Suzuki

 

Ichiro wasn't just a great hitter. Starting (again) with his rookie season, Ichiro won 10 straight Gold Glove Awards for his fielding. Only Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays have won more as outfielders!

 

2018 Topps Update - Memorial Day Camo

#US153 Japan's Finest (VC, SN25)

 

As a collector, I'm not a big fan of the Camo parallels. But how could I not include this one? Being numbered to just 25 copies, it's a pretty rare card. (I'm the only member of the TCDB that owns one!) Ichiro's success helped pave the way for more Japanese players to play in North America, including this young Angels rookie that I heard was pretty good in his own right...

 

2024 Stadium Club

#244 Ichiro

 

It's truly amazing what Ichiro has accomplished in his big league career: Over 3,000 hits, including a single season record 262 in 2004. 10 Gold Gloves, 2 batting titles, 10 All-Star nods, 3 silver sluggers plus the ROY and MVP Awards. To think that he didn't even start in MLB until he was 27 years old!

 

Ichiro was an amazing player, and this honor is well deserved. Congrats, Ichiro!

Top 5 Hall Of Fame Tribute: Dave Parker

“I’ve been holding this speech in for 15 years.” - Dave Parker, on the MLB Network after learning of his Hall of Fame selection.

 

Life just isn't fair sometimes. The wait was so long for Dave Parker. 15 years on the Hall of Fame ballot, without ever getting above 25%. 3 Veterans Committee ballots between 2012-2023, never getting more than 7 of the 12 votes required for induction.  Finally, just this past year, he made it. "The Cobra" was a Hall of Famer. Sadly, just one month before we got to hear that speech he had been holding onto, Dave Parker passed away on June 28th. Unlike his fellow inductee Dick Allen, at least he got to experience the thrill of getting the call.

 

As it were, I was beginning to prep my Top 5 tributes to this year's Hall of Fame class, so I was already looking at my collection of Dave Parker cards. Sadly, his Hall of Fame tribute is now a rest in peace tribute. Here are 5 of my favorite Dave Parker cards in my collection, chronologically in order.

 

1978 Topps

#560 Dave Parker (AS) 

 

In the late 70's, Dave Parker was one of the best players in all of baseball. He did it all - back to back batting titles, 3 Gold Gloves, an MVP in 1978 and a World Championship the following year. He was a star, but once he got paid like one, the blue collar town of Pittsburgh turned on him. Good seasons weren't good enough for a million dollar player, and got so bad that he skipped the World Series parade. Injuries, weight gain, and off the field issues made it so bad that one Pittsburgh beat writer wrote: "If Parker ran for mayor unopposed, he’d lose in a landslide.”

 

1987 Topps

#600 Dave Parker (AS, LL)

After the 1983 season, Parker signed as a free agent with his hometown team, the Cincinnati Reds. Although his tenure there was overshadowed by his involvement in the scandalous "Pittsburgh Drug Trials", Parker's career bounced back, with a couple of Top 5 MVP finishes, including a 2nd place finish in 1985. 

 

1988 Topps American Baseball (UK Minis)

#55 Dave Parker

Parker was traded to the Athletics prior to the 1988 season, and in 1989 he won his second World Series ring. He earned MVP votes that season and one his 1st Edgar Martinez Award as baseball's best Designated Hitter.

 

1991 Bowman

#375 Dave Parker (SS) 

 

He won the award again the following year as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. He also won his 3rd Silver Slugger, as well as his 7th All-Star Game selection.

 

1991 Upper Deck

#733 Dave Parker 

 

The Brewers traded him to the Angels after that season, where he paired up with another Hall of Famer named Dave, Dave Winfield. The 40-year old Parker was released in September, and signed on a week later with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he finished the final 13 games of his career batting .333 and helping the Blue jays secure the AL East. 

 

Dave Parker's Baseball Reference page reads like a Hall of Famer: 1978 MVP, 2 batting titles, 3 Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers, a 7 time All-Star (winning the ASG MVP in 1979 because of not one but two dynamic fielding plays), and a 2-time Champion. The health and weight issues he had in the early 80's, along with cocaine usage, kept him from getting into the Hall until this past year. 

 

Rest In Peace, Mr. Parker. The Hall of Fame will always have a place for "The Cobra". 

Top 5 Hall Of Fame Tribute: Rickey Henderson

There will never be another Rickey Henderson. Baseball greatness is often compared to greatness that came before. Shohei Ohtani is the Japanese Babe Ruth. Mike Trout was once considered this generation's Mickey Mantle. I would be surprised is any ballplayer, now or in the future, gets mentioned as a contemporary of the great Rickey Henderson. 

As I usual do when a Hall of Famer passes, I go through my collection and hope I have 5 good cards to show off. With Henderson, I had trouble narrowing down to 5 great cards. In the end, I decided to honor the "Man of Steal" with 5 cards all depicting him sliding into base, because that's the enduring image we got from Rickey over a thousand times in his career. Humbly, I present my Top 5 favorite "sliding" Rickey Henderson cards in my collection:

 

1990 Score #698 Rickey Henderson (HL, ALCS)

 

Although speed and Rickey Henderson go hand in hand, it's important to remember he was not a one trick pony. With over 3000 hits and over 2000 walks, he was a master of getting on base. 81 times he led off a game with a home run. Henderson made things happen.

1991 Topps #670 Rickey Henderson

 

Last year, Elly De La Cruz led the majors with 66 stolen bases. If he matched that feat every year for the next 19 years, he still would trail Rickey's stolen base total.

1992 Donruss #193 Rickey Henderson

 

In 1982, Henderson set the single season record for stolen bases with 130, just 13 off from the number of base hits he had that season! He was actually caught stealing an amazing 42 times that year!

 

1993 Fleer #294 Rickey Henderson 

One of his most impressive games happened on July 29, 1989. He walked four times in that game, thus having no official at-bats. He recorded an amazing 5 stolen bases in that game!

 

2021 Stadium Club #235 Rickey Henderson 

Obviously, Henderson made his mark mostly with the Oakland Athletics, as well as some peak career years with the Yankees. Even though he bounced around at the end of his career playing for a total of 9 different teams, he kept playing well and kept stealing bases until his final season in 2003 at the age of 44. He stole over 100 bases after the age of 40, and the only two seasons where he didn't reach at least 20 thefts in a year were his final two ones.

He was arguably the greatest player of the 80's, and energy and confidence made him a favorite of baseball fans everywhere. Rest in peace Rickey. There will never be another player like you.

Top 5 Hall Of Fame - Joe Mauer

The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies happen this weekend, and four new members will officially be welcomed to the legendary museum.Our final honoree is Twins great Joe Mauer. In honor of his induction, I present the top 5 cards I own of his:

 

2016 Topps Archives #85

 

Mauer was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and attended the same high school as hall of Famer (and his future manager) Paul Molitor. The Twins then made him the #1 pick in the 2001 draft, and he never played for another MLB team outside of his hometown.

 

2016 Topps Archives #261

 

I don't know why he got 2 cards in the 2016 Topps Archives set, but here he is catching a throw at first base. Mauer spent the last five years of his career as a first baseman, but it was his time behind the plate that cemented him as one of the all-time greats. He won 3 batting titles, more than any catcher in MLB history. He also was a near-unanimous MVP and 6-time All-Star.

 

2016 Topps Archives

- 1985 Topps #1 Draft Picks

#85DP-JM

 

Yep, another card from that same set! The Twins got a lot of criticism for selecting Mauer with the first overall pick, as many people regarded Mark Prior the superior player.  The Twins got the last laugh, as Mauer becomes just the 4th #1 Draft Pick to get elected to the Hall of Fame, joining Ken Griffey Jr, Chipper Jones, and Harold Baines.

2016 Topps

Walmart Marketside #42

 

In addition to his MVP Award, Mauer was also won 3 straight Gold Gloves (2008-2010) and 5 Silver Slugger Awards. He holds the season records for highest batting average (.365) and OBP (.444) by a catcher, both accomplished in 2009. He also holds the career OBP mark for catchers (.388 - minimum 500 games played).

2017 Topps #404

Mauer joined Adrian Beltre as a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee this year, gaining 293 votes (76.1%). In doing so, he joined Johnny Bench and Ivan Rodriguez as the only catchers to get elected on their first ballot.

Welcome to the Hall Joe Mauer!

Top 5 Hall Of Fame - Todd Helton

The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies happen this weekend, and four new members will officially be welcomed to the legendary museum. Today, I honor Todd Helton. Helton is one of those players whose career occurred at a time that I wasn't collecting, so I only own a single card of his. So, I filled in the rest of my Top 5 with a sample of cards that I enjoy.

 

1999 Topps #52 (ASR)

This has to be one of the all-time great Rookie Cup cards, doesn't it? How often to you get candid shots of a player waiting around trying to stay dry during a rain delay? Helton took over first base for Colorado in 1998, and led all rookies in either league in most of the major offensive categories. He would have been a slam dunk choice for Rookie of the Year if it had not been for the historic season by Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood.

 

2001 Upper Deck Victory #532

 

This is the only card I own of his. When this card came out, Helton was coming off an amazing 2000 season that resulted in a Top 5 MVP finish as well as the first of 5 straight All-Star selections and 4 straight Silver Slugger awards.

 

2003 Stadium Club #59

 

In addition to being a great hitter, Helton was regularly regarded as one of the best fielding first baseman in the Majors. He won 3 Gold Gloves over the course of his career.

 

2014 Topps #253 (BH, CL)

 

Technically, I once owned this card too. It was part of the Time Travel Trading stack and has since moved on. Helton announced his retirement in 2013, an impressive 5 years after he was diagnosed with a degenerative back condition. He is one of only 11 retired players in Major League history with at least a .300/.400/.500 AVE/OBP/SLG slash line and 350 home runs.

2019 Topps Update

- 150 Years of Professional Baseball

#150-42

 

Let's talk about that 2000 season again, because it truly was something special. He won his first and only batting title, and also led the National League in hits, OBP, SLG (and thusly OPS), doubles, RBI, extra base hits, and total bases. Only hits and OBP didn't lead the Majors. He became the 11th player in MLB history to surpass 100 extra base hits, only the second time that happened since 1948. (Fun fact: In 2001, that mark was surpassed 4 more times, including by Helton again, but has not been done since!) Despite all this, Helton only finished 5th in the MVP race, thanks to the Rockies's 4th place finish and the stigma of the "thin Colorado air". 

Welcome to the Hall, Todd Helton!

Top 5 Hall Of Fame - Adrian Beltre

The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies happen this weekend, and four new members will officially be welcomed to the legendary museum. Today, I honor Adrian Beltre with my top 5 favorite cards that are in my collection.

 

2010 Topps Update #US-145

 

It's slightly ironic that I don't own any cards of his when he was with the Dodgers or Mariners. I've stated this many times: The lone year that Beltre played for the Red Sox was the start of his Hall of Fame ascent. Even though he made his debut as a 19 year old with the Dodgers in 1998, Beltre's time in L.A. was good, but unremarkable. That is until his final season with them, when he came out of nowhere to lead the league with 48 home runs and finish 2nd in MVP voting. He is the poster boy for the "contract year" player, as he parlayed that amazing season into a 5-year deal with Seattle.

2011 Topps #302

 

Funny enough, he's also well known for another free agency term: "pillow contract". Like his time with the Dodgers, the Mariners got good, but not great, production from Beltre. An unfortunate injury in 2009 meant that Beltre walked into his 2nd contract year on the wrong side of 30 and without much interest. The Red Sox and Beltre took a shot on a one year contract, hoping that Beltre would stay healthy and show the baseball world that he was still a productive player. It worked out well for both sides, as Beltre made his first All-Star team and went on to post his best year since that MVP runner-up season.

 

2015 Topps #175

 

Unfortunately for Red Sox fans everywhere, the team let Adrian walk after the season, opting to trade for another Adrian (Gonzalez) and moving fan favorite Kevin Youkilis to third. Beltre landed in Texas, and for the next 8 seasons would hit and field at a Hall of Fame level.

 

2018 Topps #254

 

When all was said and done, Beltre would be named to 4 All-Star teams, win 4 Silver Slugger Awards, and 5 Gold Gloves (including 2 Platinum Gloves). He reached the 3,000 hit plateau, the 31st player in MLB history to do so, and the very first from the Dominican Republic. He is the only 3rd Baseman to have over 3,000 hits and 400 home runs.

 

2019 Stadium Club #275

 

Adrian Beltre is easily one of the best third baseman of all-time, and sailed into the Hall of Fame on his first year on the ballot, receiving 95.1% of the votes.

 

Welcome to the Hall, Adrian! I hope you don't mind people touching your plaque on the head!

Top 5 Tribute: Orlando Cepeda

The baseball community lost another Hall of Fame member when the great Orlando Cepeda passed away on June 28th. In honor of the "Baby Bull", I present the top 5 cards in my collection:

 

1974 Topps #83 

 

Cepeda spent just a single year with the Red Sox, but it was a historic one. After the AL instituted the designated hitter rule in December of 1972, the Red Sox called Cepeda and asked him if he'd like to be the DH for their team. He accepted on the spot and became the first Red Sox DH in history. He had a chance to be the first DH in Major league history too, but a wild 1st inning from Luis Tiant gave that title to the Yankee's Ron Blomburg. Cepeda would go on to have a great season for Boston and became the first recipient of the Designated Hitter of the Year Award. He also became the first player in history to hit 20 home runs for 4 different teams.

 

1975 Topps #205 1967 MVPs

(Yastrzemski/Cepeda)  

 

Cepeda had his best year in 1967, winning the NL MVP award and leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a World Series victory over Yastrzemski's Red Sox. Cepeda became just the second NL player to win the award unanimously.

 

2005 UD Past Time

Pennants #60 

 

In addition to his MVP and Designated Hitter Of The Year awards, Orlando Cepeda also won the 1958 NL Rookie of the Year and was an 11 time All-Star. In 1959 he became the first Peurto Rican player to start in an All-Star game.

 

2016 Stadium Club #63

 

This card hits especially hard, with both players passing away in the past month. While Mays was a franchise icon, Cepeda was regarded as the first great "San Francisco" Giant. (Mays of course played when the Giants were still a New York team, and Cepeda's rookie debut occurred during the franchise's first season across the continent.)

 

2016 Topps Heritage

- Baseball Flashbacks #BF-OC

 

In retrospect, it's hard to believe that Cepeda had a long and difficult journey to becoming a Hall of Fame member. For the first 12 years on the ballot (1980-1991) he failed to surpass 50% of the ballots cast, and on his 15th and final ballot, he just missed induction with 73.5% of the vote. He would have to wait an additional 5 years before he was elected by the Hall of Fame Veteran's Committee in 1999. (Even then, his induction was overshadowed by his induction "classmates", the trio of Nolan Ryan, George Brett, and Robin Yount.)

RIP, Mr. Cepeda. You will not be forgotten.

Top 5 Tribute: Willie Mays

In all of the years I've been doing these small tributes to Hall of Fame players that have passed, I haven't had as hard of a time creating one as I have for the late great Willie Mays, who passed away on June 18th. Part of it is due to the fact I technically only have one playing era cards of his, but it's much more than that. How can you summarize this man's life on and off the field in a short little blog post? You can't. I even reread what I wrote for Hank Aaron, hoping for inspiration. Instead I found that a lot of what I wanted to say for Mr. Mays I had already said for Mr. Aaron. Here's my opening paragraph: 

This one hurts. Not that any of the others didn't, each spectacular life was one worth celebrating. But none of the recent string of deaths among the legends of baseball had the sheer impact as the immortal Henry Aaron. He was one of the true giants of the game, an automatic inclusion on the Mount Rushmore of the greatest of the great. His story transcended the game itself, captivating even non-baseball fans. There will never be another Hank Aaron.

 

I could have easily swapped out the names, removed the line about the recent string of deaths (Man, September 2020 to January 2021 was rough stretch for us baseball fans...) and chances are no one but me would have noticed. Even 2 of the 5 cards I showed of Aaron featured Mays and were on the short list for this post! It would still have been true though: There will never be another Willie Mays. 

As my small thanks to life of a Giant, both on and off the field, I humbly present the Top 5 Willie Mays cards in my collection:

1973 Topps

#1 All-Time Home Run Leaders

(Ruth/Aaron/Mays)

There was a time when Mays was #2 on the all-time list, and people wondered if it would be him to surpass the immortal Babe Ruth. It was not to be, and for the longest time these three would be the only ones to surpass the 600 home run mark. (Six more have joined that club since - 3 of which under questionable circumstances). 

 

1985 Topps Woolworth

All Time Record Holders

#26 Willie Mays 

The first two bullet points on the back of this card mention his All-Star Game career records of 20 runs and 23 hits. Those are still the records, along with most All-Star Games played (24 - tied with Musial), at bats (75), stolen bases (6), extra-base hits (8 - tied with Musial), total bases (40 - tied with Musial), and triples (3 - tied with Brooks Robinson). To quote Ted Williams: "They invented the  All-Star Game  for Willie Mays." Speaking of Williams...

1993 Ted Williams

#126 Willie Mays (GH)

It was poetic that Mays passed just days before the Giants and Cardinals played games at Rickwood Field, the same field Mays patrolled as a member of the Birmingham Black Barons as a teenager. Mays was the most prominent member left of the old Negro Leagues, and it's a sad reminder that there are not many former players left. According to MLB, all 157 surviving members (including Mays at the time) were invited to the game at Rickwood. MLB has taken big strides to preserve the memory of the Negro League and it's players, and hopefully more will be done in the future.

2015 Topps Heritage - Baseball Flashbacks

#BF-9 Willie Mays

In 1966, Mays became the all-time National League home run hitter, and has since been eclipsed only by his own godson Barry Bonds. He came in 3rd in MVP voting that year, behind Roberto Clemente and Sandy Koufax. It was the last of 13 straight years that Mays placed in the MVP vote. He only won twice, but arguments have been made that he should have won up to 8 MVP awards!

2016 Topps Archives

#286 Willie Mays

Mays was the last superstar from that Golden Age of baseball. The last of the inner-circle Hall of Famers. He may have been the greatest player of all time. His passing closes the book on a life that continued to impact the history of baseball over 50 years after he last played a game.

R.I.P. Willie Mays, and thank you.

Top 5 Tribute: Whitey Herzog

Sometime I can't help but feel slightly guilty for not being more timely with posts. After almost 3 weeks after the announcement that Hall of Fame manager Whitey Herzog passed away at the age of 92, I am just now paying tribute. I'll admit that outside of a not all that amusing personal anecdote, I don't have much to say about Mr. Herzog. And yet, as I have done with Hall of Famers in the past, I offer my personal tribute to the man with the Top 5 cards of his in my collection.

 

1978 Topps #299

 

I don't own any cards of his as a player, which is fine because it's as a manager where he made his mark. After brief stints managing the Rangers and Angels, Dorrel Norman Elvert Herzog took over the Royals in the middle of the 1975 season. He then led the Royals to 3 straight AL West titles (1976-78).

 

1986 Topps #441

 

Herzog joined the Cardinals in 1980 and over the next 11 years, he led St. Louis to 3 NL pennants (1982, 1985, 1987) and a Word Series victory (1982).

 

1987 Topps #243

 

Herzog's Cardinals were focused on speed, pitching and defense. This style of play became known as "Whiteyball". That 1982 Championship team had almost 3 times as many stolen bases (200) as home runs (67)!

 

1987 Topps

Glossy All-Stars #1

 

About that personal anecdote...a long time ago I worked part time at Radio Shack. For a short while, I had a manager who shared the same last name as Whitey, and claimed that they were in fact related and that he would get me his autograph. This guy was a known pathological liar, shady, and easily the worst boss I ever had, so needless to say, I wasn't holding my breath on that offer...

 

1990 Topps #261

 

Herzog's last managerial stint ended when he resigned during the 1990 baseball season. He was quoted as saying "I came here in last place and I leave here in last place. I left them right where I started."

 

RIP to the great Whitey Herzog!