By Chris Olds | Beckett Sports Card Monthly Editor

With Mother’s Day just passed and Father’s Day on the radar, we figured now might be the time for the latest Beckett 20 Questions.

Oh, and the upcoming Families Issue of Beckett Sports Card Monthly had a bit to do with that, too, where we’ll explore the family ties that go along with sports and collecting and take a look at some of the notable fathers, sons, mothers and daughters who share cardboard with us all. (Need a player checklist or OPG? Click here for our new player directory to find it fast.)

Also, we’d like to know … who got you started into collecting? Tell us in the comments below — after you offer your take on the latest 20 Questions.

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See the rest of the questions … after the jump.

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Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Sports Card Monthly magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Join Beckett Baseball‘s Chris Olds and Reed Kasaoka from Baseball Card Exchange (bbcexchange.com) as they rip into a box of 1987 Fleer in this latest Ripping Retail video.

What will they find inside?  Watch and find out …

How can you win our cards? Leave a comment telling us what your favorite 1980s baseball set is. Include your email in the proper field so we can contact you if you’re selected.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor | Commentary

The Hall of Fame vote is in, and it’s proof we have all lost once again.

Because of what happened on the field in the recent past — fueled in part by a wave of chemical enhancements that changed the game and now cannot be equaled — we have lost the ability to do a few things. That affects us in subtle ways as fans, and in some not-so-subtle ways it affects our cardboard.

We’ve lost the ability to have a meaningful home run chase — either in a single-season or a career. Barry Bonds‘ record of 73 in 2001 won’t be topped. His career mark of 762 looks safer and safer by the day even though Alex Rodriguez was supposed to have toppled it perhaps sometime this season or next before the wheels fell off.  Those once-magical marks — summers and chases that fueled cardboard sales like no other — are gone, wiped away from possibility for a few years, likely more. Those numbers that used to matter and be easily atop the minds of fans? Not as important — and I’ll admit I had to go look one of them up.

And they’re apparently not Hall of Fame caliber numbers, either.

And now, with this year’s Hall of Fame vote, we’ve lost the ability to have a meaningful celebration of the game’s history this summer at Cooperstown. Not that I would endorse those who likely cheated as worthy of entry — I wouldn’t — but, like the records, the scales have been shifted so far that those once-easy plateaus of statistical quality no longer matter. At least, that’s the way it seems as players who could be, should be Hall of Famers are not — both among those who likely cheated, and among the crop who likely didn’t and whose numbers just can’t compare.

Sure, the achievements on the field all happened. There’s no changing that. However, the ability to enjoy such history, as a fan, is just that much harder. It’s harder to dig in when history happens and invest — in emotion and with money for cardboard — in the potential of even more history to come, and it never used to be that way. The same that was said for Bonds can be said for Roger Clemens and his achievements from the mound — they’re mostly untouchable … and not that enjoyable now.

Sure, nobody failed a drug test, but it’s pretty obvious that there were failures along the way in Major League Baseball.

While ignoring issues of the past allowed for prosperity — something that at times was needed to revive the sport’s image — now is the time where the fans pay the price along with the game, its licensees (you know, those who make a living making your cardboard) and beyond. Ever notice how guys like Clemens, Bonds, Mark McGwire and a few others aren’t appearing on any MLB-authorized old-timers or flashbacks cardboard these days? I have.

Had some players not chased history via every potential way possible, we might have a few more names headed to Cooperstown this summer — and we’d enjoy them and not question them. Same might go for certain once-beloved spots in the record books.

And on days like today — and one later this summer — we’d win a little more as collectors or dealers of their baseball cards, too.

Instead, moving forward, we’ll get the continued debate of who should be, who could be, who won’t be — and why or why not.

And we lose with all of that, too.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

HALL OF FAME VOTING RESULTS

Ballots Cast: 569    Needed for Election: 427

VOTES PLAYER PERCENTAGE

388 Craig Biggio 68.20%

385 Jack Morris 67.70%

339 Jeff Bagwell 59.60%

329 Mike Piazza 57.80%

297 Tim Raines 52.20%

272 Lee Smith 47.80%

221 Curt Schilling 38.80%

214 Roger Clemens 37.60%

206 Barry Bonds 36.20%

204 Edgar Martinez 35.90%

191 Alan Trammell 33.60%

123 Larry Walker 21.60%

118 Fred McGriff 20.70%

106 Dale Murphy 18.60%

96 Mark McGwire 16.90%

75 Don Mattingly 13.20%

71 Sammy Sosa 12.50%

50 Rafael Palmeiro 8.80%

19 Bernie Williams 3.30%

18 Kenny Lofton 3.20%

16 Sandy Alomar Jr. 2.80%

6 Julio Franco 1.10%

5 David Wells 0.90%

4 Steve Finley 0.70%

2 Shawn Green 0.40%

1 Aaron Sele 0.20%

0 Jeff Cirillo 0.00%

0 Royce Clayton 0.00%

0 Jeff Conine 0.00%

0 Roberto Hernandez 0.00%

0 Ryan Klesko 0.00%

0 Jose Mesa 0.00%

0 Reggie Sanders 0.00%

0 Mike Stanton 0.00%

0 Todd Walker 0.00%

0 Rondell White 0.00%

0 Woody Williams 0.00%

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor | Commentary

Will a time of reflection reflect our complicated times?

That’s the question we’ll get the answer to on Jan. 9, when the latest class of inductees into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will be unveiled.

This year’s Hall of Fame ballot arrived from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Wednesday with some of the game’s biggest names ever on the ballot — some being players whose statistics eclipsed many others in the record books as they defied age and just kept getting better as their careers progressed.

Now comes the biggest question … yes or no?

Well, if you examine the values of their key baseball cards today vs. a decade ago, you might already have an answer — at least one that reflects how the fans feel. Many values for stars with clouds of suspicion around them are shells of what they were in their prime. Here’s a look at the most-notable players on the ballot when it comes to cardboard. Also, be sure to submit your votes on the ballot below.

Jeff Bagwell
Astros, 1991-2005 (click here for a checklist or Online Price Guide)
.297 average, 449 HRs, 1,529 RBI, 202 SB, 1994 NL MVP, one Gold Glove, four-time All-Star
First introduced to collectors as the gem in one the worst trades ever and then as the 1991 NL Rookie of the Year, Bagwell was a power-hitting, all-around star for Houston. He’s never been directly caught up in any steroid scandals, but some of his recent comments about their use seem unusual to this writer if Bagwell was against using. Would he get my vote after that? Maybe.
Best Rookie Card: 1991 Ultra Update #79
Value Then (Dec. 2002): $10 Value Now: $6

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Craig Biggio
Astros, 1988-2007 (click here for a checklist or OPG)
.281 average, 291 HRs, 1,175 RBI, 414 SB, four Gold Gloves, seven-time All-Star
Another mainstay for Houston, this member of the 3,00o-hit club played consistently and had some strong seasons but none that are overwhelming on their own when looking at the stat sheet (never hit 30 home runs or drove in 100, for example). That said, though, the end result is still Hall of Fame worthy. He’s not the flashiest selection, but he’s a good one. He’d get my vote and he should get in.
Best Rookie Card: 1988 Score Rookie/Traded #103T
Value Then: $8 Value Now: $12

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Barry Bonds
Pirates/Giants, 1986-2007 (click here for a checklist or OPG)
.298 average, 762 HRs, 1,996 RBI, 514 SB, seven-time NL MVP, eight Gold Gloves, 14-time All-Star
He’s Major League Baseball’s single-season and career home run leader. He’s got more MVP awards than anyone else — and should have had more — and he was walked more than any player in history. He’s also one with plenty of BALCO baggage — he was found guilty of obstruction of justice and is a felon based on his elusive testimony in the case. His numbers all indicate he should be in the Hall, but there’s little doubt in many people’s minds that those numbers were probably aided. One could also argue that he was the best all-around player in the game before the time of his alleged use began — and some voters probably will cite that as a reason for selecting him. It’ s valid, but it’s not for me. While MLB did not have policies about performance-enhancers during much of his career, Bonds is the debate of all debates here. If I had a vote, I wouldn’t use it — but he’ll probably get into the Hall at some point. He probably should — he’s the ultimate icon, the personification, of the generation of questioned players. Oh, and he sold a boat-load of cardboard through the years, too.
Best Rookie Card: 1987 Fleer #604
Value Then: $50 Value Now: $12

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Roger Clemens
Red Sox/Blue Jays/Yankees/Astros, 1984-2007 (click here for a checklist or OPG)
354-184 record, 3.12 ERA, 4,672 strikeouts in 4,916.2 innings, 1986 AL MVP, seven-time Cy Young winner, 11-time All-Star
See Bonds — but switch everything when it comes to superlatives to pitching. On paper, he’s one of the most-dominating pitchers of the modern era, a four-time 20-game winner, a two-time single-game strikeout record-holder and a guy who won more Cy Young awards than anyone else. He’s also had his share of courtroom time where he was found not-guilty on all six perjury counts against him. But, like Bonds, the damage has been done and his key cardboard is nowhere near its prime or where it should be for a player of his caliber. I wouldn’t vote for him — there’s just too much, if one examines all the details and allegations along with those around him, indicating that he might have used PEDs during his remarkable career.
Best Rookie Card: 1984 FleerUpdate #27
Value Then: $180 Value Now: $120

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Don Mattingly
Yankees, 1982-1995 (click here for a checklist or OPG)
.307 average, 222 HRs, 1,099 RBI, 14 SB, 1985 AL MVP, nine Gold Gloves, six-time All-Star
Sorry Yankees fans, he’s a Bronx legend, but “Donnie Baseball” really shouldn’t be part of a legitimate discussion about the Hall. Monument Park? Sure. On cardboard, there’s no doubting how important his Rookie Cards were in the 1980s, but that time has long passed. Put him in Padres pinstripes for his career and nobody would disagree with this argument, either.
Best Rookie Card: 1984 Donruss #248
Value Then: $30 Value Now: $30

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Fred McGriff
Blue Jays/Padres/Braves/Rays/Cubs/Dodgers, 1986-2004 (click here for a checklist or OPG)
.284 average, 493 HRs, 1,550 RBI, 72 SB, five-time All-Star
He’s never been caught up in any allegations about steroid use, which should make his power numbers more impressive. But like many sluggers who are from earlier years, though, they just can’t compare. Had he spent his career for one or two teams and played just as well or a tad better, his case might be stronger. Same could be said for his baseball cards as bouncing from team to team can’t help popularity. I’d vote for him, knowing that he’s likely not going in.
Best Rookie Card: 1986 Donruss #28
Value Then: $10 Value Now: $8

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Mark McGwire
Athletics/Cardinals, 1986-2001 (click here for a checklist or OPG)
.263 average, 583 HRs, 1,414 RBI, 12 SB, one Gold Glove, 12-time All-Star
He’s an admitted steroid user and did so during his then-magical 1998 season when he became the single-season home run champion. His reluctance to not talk about the past when it mattered is perhaps what people remember most, not the tearful confession before he was set to take an MLB coaching job — or anything from that season that just looks a lot less special now. He did the right thing by not denying what happened and moving along with his life and career. That’s commendable — and something that, to me, would make voting for player who have the bonafide numbers potentially more viable. I’m still a bit of a Bash Brothers fan, too, but when it comes to a Hall of Fame vote, I just don’t think so.
Best Rookie Card: 1985 Topps #401
Value Then: $50 Value Now: $20

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Mike Piazza
Dodgers/Marlins/Mets/Padres/Athletics, 1992-2007 (click here for a checklist or OPG)
.308 average, 427 HRs, 1,335 RBI, 17 SB, 12-time All-Star
There’s no doubt that he was one of the best hitters at catcher. But he has been among those who have been questioned in the past, which makes his story from an out-of-nowhere draft pick to legend less interesting to me. In this case I play my cynic card. No vote, but given the position he played I’m sure he’ll get in at some point. He was very popular for two notable franchises for a long time — and that obviously can’t hurt his cards or his chances at the Hall.
Best Rookie Card: 1992 Fleer Update #92
Value Then: $80 Value Now: $30

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Sammy Sosa
Rangers/White Sox/Cubs/Orioles, 1989-2007 (click here for a checklist or OPG)
.252 average, 609 HRs, 1,667 RBI, 234 SB, 1998 NL MVP, seven-time All-Star
Three of the best single-season home run marks belong to him, and he’s one of only two to hit 60-plus more than once. The storied power is there. According to The New York Times, though, he was one of the 104 players who tested positive for PEDs during the 2003 survey tests that prompted MLB to adopt a drug policy.  Like other sluggers here, Sosa sold a ton of cardboard in those prime power years but those cards are a shell of what they had been just like his image is. The numbers are gaudy, but I wouldn’t vote for him.
Best Rookie Card: 1990 Leaf #220
Value Then: $80 Value Now: $12

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Larry Walker
Expos/Rockies/Cardinals, 1989-2005 (click here for a checklist or OPG)
.313 average, 383 HRs, 1,311 RBI, 230 SB, 1997 NL MVP, seven Gold Gloves, five-time All-Star
Like McGriff, Walker was a guy who quietly put up numbers — his 1997 season is ridiculous — but three batting titles and 383 home runs later, it’s just not enough. Plus there’s the whole Coors Field debate that was much more fun to pontificate about pre-PEDs. Put him in a Colorado Rockies Hall of Fame for sure, but Cooperstown probably won’t happen until the Veterans Committee.
Best Rookie Card: 1990 Leaf #325
Value Then: $15 Value Now: $8

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

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How would you vote?

See every name on this year’s ballot below. As with the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, you can only select 10 names from the list. Those who get 75 percent of the vote are in. Those who get less than five percent are removed from next year’s ballot.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor | Commentary

Since the MLB season is over, that means one thing is about ready to pick up — one that traditionally used to spark a little more interest from collectors.

Awards season.

While the awards themselves haven’t changed — they’re still important — the days of a baseball card price spike because of some added bling just aren’t as plentiful as the past as there are many more commodified collecting options for us. But that doesn’t mean awards aren’t niches that someone can consider collecting via cards, autographs, memorabilia or whatever other interesting option presents itself.

Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, MVP — those are the ones that tend to get the most noticed. Maybe Gold Gloves, too. But the one I always liked seeing on cardboard? The Silver Slugger Award. It’s one of the cooler prizes in the game — a silver bat affixed to a wooden plate/backing — and since 1980 it’s been awarded to the top-producing players at each position in each league as voted on by coaches and managers.

This year’s Silver Sluggers will be unveiled on Thursday during a one-hour special on MLB Network hosted by Greg Amsinger and a guy who knows a thing or two about bats and is remembered fondly in the hobby for at least one of them, Billy Ripken.

For the high-rollers out there, the actual players’ awards hit the auction block from time to time — perhaps the ultimate piece of Silver Slugger memorabilia. Since 2007, Dallas-based Heritage Auctions has sold seven player awards with Darryl Strawberry‘s 1990 award selling for $13,145 just last month. (I would have sprung for Jose Canseco‘s MVP-year award from 1988, above, but its $5,676.25 ending price would have juiced me — wait, who am I kidding? Wrong tax bracket, buddy.) The cheapest was Hall of Famer Andre Dawson‘s 1981 award which went for $3,585 in May.

Earlier this year, Panini America provided the latest nod to the Silver Slugger with an insert in its 2011 Limited product, the Silver Sluggers Signatures set. These cards feature an autograph as well as an actual piece of silver embedded into the card with the player’s name etched into it. It’s a small offering — just 15 cards (click here for a checklist or OPG) — but it includes the likes of Ken Griffey Jr., Robinson Cano, Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, Josh Hamilton and Will Clark to name a few.

Interestingly, that set and its un-metalled counterpart are among just three sets dedicated to the award. That’s it. The only other set was 1991 Upper Deck Silver Sluggers, an 18-card release showcasing each winner of the award in 1990. Found one per jumbo pack, these memorable — and immensely affordable — cards include the big boppers of the day — Canseco, Cecil Fielder, Barry Bonds, Ryne Sandberg and even three-time-winner, pitcher Don Robinson. 

With an award that’s only been presented in the modern era of baseball cards, it’s surprising so few attempts at documenting it via cardboard have been made yet silver-bat cameos can be found in many sets if one takes the time to look closely enough. That alone could present a fun niche of collecting, even if it might be a bit oldcschool without an autograph or mem-card focus.

The past winners list doesn’t present an impossible challenge, either, if, say, one wanted a Rookie Card or an autograph of every single winner.

In fact, it could be a fascinating collecting niche to explore without breaking the bank.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Beckett Baseball’s Chris Olds rips three cello packs of 1987 Fleer baseball — a classic release from the decade — bought on the floor of the National Sports Collectors Convention in this latest Ripping Retail video.

What will he find inside? Watch and find out …

By Chris Olds | Baseball Editor | Commentary

While the outcome is up in the air, one thing is certain — the Barry Bonds perjury trial probably can’t hurt the market for the sports cards and memorabilia of Major League Baseball’s home run king.

Why? The market for Bonds’ cards is as soft as it’s been in some time as the cloud of the BALCO investigation and whether Bonds used steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs have worn on collectors.

However, those of us who remember the late-night home-shopping shows around the time of Bonds’ past record book pummelings might remember a piece of trivia that comes into play to this day, which is, by the way, the third day of the Bonds trial. The 2001 500th Home Run print seen above was one of the many items hocked on television and one of the talking heads during those hard-sell pitches was the artist who created it, Steve Hoskins.

Who’s Steve Hoskins? He’s one of the people testifying against Bonds, alleging that Bonds knowingly used steroids and, in turn, lied to government investigators in the BALCO case. Hoskins was a childhood friend of Bonds who became a business partner with the slugger before their relationship soured over allegations of forging his signature and embezzling money from their business ventures.

We all know that scandals can have some effect on sports cards — see O.J. Simpson, for example — but with baseball and its steroids issues we’ve seen nothing but a downward spiral for those who have admitted or have serious suspicions looming over their legacies. But this particular print, which was fully authenticated by James Spence, seems to have a bit more of a twist, a bit more touch of scandal, to it simply because of who created (and signed) it and the twist to the story that it now includes.

The print sold in the 2007 Robert Edward Auctions sale for just $352.50. (It was from the Barry Halper collection, so that might have helped its end result, too.) Is that too low for an item signed by Bonds and Hoskins? That’s for the markets to decide, though there are other Hoskins creations signed by Bonds out on the market, too.

Plenty could happen as far as the trial’s outcome — and really, a guilty verdict could hurt Bonds’ cards and memorabilia more. But one thing’s for sure — you won’t see more Hoskins items being signed.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.