By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor | Commentary & Opinion

What if you could open a pack of cards and find absolutely anything inside … what would it be?

It’s a simple question that could have so many answers from so many people if the real-world realities of intellectual property rights, personality rights and so on didn’t exist. You know, that’s the stuff that all involves money if a product is to be sold using somebody’s owned logos, names, trademarks and so on.

For some of us out there, fantasy cards can become a reality when we sit down with a copy of Photoshop and make those ideas happen just for fun. However, in the real world for cards to exist and be sold there are plenty of legal hurdles that must be cleared. With the next issue of Beckett Sports Card Monthly, we’re taking a look at sports movies and their memorabilia, and one short column in that issue talks about one of my “other” hobbies and how it came about.

What’s my niche? When it comes to fantasy cards, I’ve dabbled here and there with cards of sports stars from movies. Why? Why not. They’re just for fun, of course.

“What if?” Is a powerful question because of the possibilities it could inspire. Heck, it’s been one that has inspired many ideas into reality around the world — beyond just trading cards. There have been plenty of ideas inside the walls of card companies that simply can’t come into fruition because of costs of making deals happen, too, but fantasy cards aren’t bound by real-world limitations. As a fan not trying to make a buck selling a creation, fantasy cards can be a fun idea once one has the skills to make them a virtual reality.

So, here, I present a selection of six re-imagined and, again, 110-percent fake creations of mine (a couple old, a couple new) using the stars of a few memorable sports movies:

– Jonah Hill‘s Peter Brand (top) in a classic moment from Sony‘s 2011 Moneyball, the story of the Oakland Athletics’ 2002 season on a 2002 Topps Heritage card. Classic moment, classic set.

– Liev Screiber‘s Ross Rhea, the fighter of all fighters from Goon, a 2012 comedy from Magnolia Pictures, on a fantasy 2011-12 Panini Dominion Strapping Lads card. That’s a hard-hitting release, eh?

– Charlie Sheen‘s infamous “Wild Thing” Ricky Vaughn from Paramount‘s 1989 classic Major League on another 1989 classic, the Upper Deck set. That set’s Star Rookie Card No. 1 in an alternate universe, right?

– Jamie Foxx‘s Willie Beamen from the 1999 Warner Bros. hit Any Given Sunday on a 1990 Pro Set-inspired card. (I think there’s a joke in there somewhere about how Pro Set’s presses are still running somewhere on any given … oh, I see, you get it … )

– Tom Cruise‘s Cole Trickle from Paramount‘s 1990 NASCAR ode Days of Thunder on a 1988 Maxx card. Why that set? Everybody else’s Rookie Card is in it — or at least it seems that way since it’s the first NASCAR set — so his should be, too! (We’re not bound by realities of time and space here … at least that’s what Dr. Emmett Brown said. Cool haircut.)

– Bob Barker’s beatdown of Adam Sandler from Universal‘s 1996 hit Happy Gilmore on the first set that could have looked back at this memorable moment when it was a released, a 2001 Upper Deck card. (It was the first golf set in a long, long time.)

And, lastly, I present to you, as a discussion point, this … what if you could find anything — movies or not — on a trading card what would it be?

Tell us in the comments below … or, better yet, show us!

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. Follow Beckett Media on Facebook.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Sports Card Monthly Editor

With a new blockbuster sports movie coming next month in 42, the latest Sports Movies Issue of Beckett Sports Card Monthly is set to arrive as well with our latest look at collecting things from a slightly different perspective or with a slightly different approach.

You know, one that lets you explore stuff that’s already out there once again — or perhaps dig a little deeper on the auction block where one might not normally look.

Sometimes, it’s a real-world story that shows up on the big screen like in the case of Jackie Robinson‘s tale or even someone perhaps less-remembered in history like Vince Papale here. (In the case of Papale, being the subject of a film where he was played by Mark Wahlberg sparked serious demand for the value of his 1977 Topps Rookie Card.) Other times, we get fictional characters and stories that we all remember and appreciate over time for some of those similar peculiarities or details that we latch onto as collectors in real life.

For this issue, we’re curious about what you think, what you remember and what you know about sports films. Here’s the latest 20 Questions on the topic … after the jump.

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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.

ESPN‘s weekly sports card and memorabilia segment, “Mint Condition,” has talked with noted collector Charlie Sheen and Upper Deck about LeBron James and his NBA title in the last couple of weeks.

Check out Sheen above and see LeBron … after the jump.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Contest of the week

• You, too can be like Roy Hobbs and hit with a “Wonderboy!”

Box Busters

• 2011 Press Pass Fanfare Racing
• 2011 Panini Americana

This week in Chris Olds going on a shopping spree

• Ripping Retail: 2007 Topps Allen & Ginter Baseball
• Ripping Retail: 2011 TRISTAR Obak Football
• Ripping Retail: 2011 WWE Powerchipz

First looks and sneak peeks of the week

• 2011 Topps WWE Classics
• Topps signs 21 for Bowman Draft Autographs

This week in vintage cards, vintage commercials and more

• Did Mickey Mantle appear on the first-ever video trading card?
• The elusive 1989 Major League movie baseball card set revealed
• Topps announces signings, replacements in new lines
• Pat Summit’s news may put focus on her cards
• A Major League Mailday

Just for fun … sort of (Warning: Adult language)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Join Beckett Sports Card Monthly‘s Chris Olds as he opens some Major League mail … an example of one of the 10 ways you can collect your favorite sports movie as found in the upcoming special issue of BSCM.

What is it? WHat will he find? Watch and find out …

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor | Commentary

We’re coming down the home stretch in preparations for the Sports Movie Issue of Beckett Sports Card Monthly and we’re now at the point where we know what won’t be making the cut for print because of real estate.

You know, space.

While its story will briefly be told as part of my admitting I have one big-league obsession, I wanted to ensure that some recently received scans of what remains my biggest baseball card collecting nemesis — the 1989 Major League Movie set — could be seen by many.

It’s not an expensive set at all but it’s one that I have never seen in-person, let alone had a chance to own. It’s a real 11-card set of slightly over-sized photos featuring the stars of David S. Ward’s first baseball movie.

How obscure are they?

“I had lunch with [writer and director] David Ward a few years back and brought in a set,” said Miles Levy, who represents Corbin Bernsen aka Roger Dorn, “and he didn’t even own one.”

No wonder I can’t find one …

See all 11 cards — and learn a little more about the set — after the jump.

The cards are a blue-bordered 1974 Topps knockoff with a Super Bubble gum logo and what appears to be an early production logo for the film that can also be seen on a few other items. The set was reportedly given to a few thousand fans in attendance during filming  in Milwaukee. (That’s right … the baseball scenes weren’t filmed in Cleveland.)

It’s the only set that is anything close to officially licensed for the film, and it has all the legends in there, Tom Berenger, Dennis Haysbert, Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes and so on … all that’s missing is Jobu – and there’s a story there to be told, too.

I first learned of this set’s existence in 2009 – it’s been in the Beckett.com database all along — and I still haven’t landed one.

I know of four people who say they own the set, but two wouldn’t cough it up for this potential buyer and two simply haven’t found them. One, a reader named Jason, was kind enough to send the scans that you see here, though, so I can give you a rundown of the cards.

The cards are not numbered — they’re blank backs — so here they are in alphabetical order by character.

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Lou Brown – James Gammon is the only member of the cast who is no longer with us as he died last year at age 70. His gravelly voice made many a line in the film legendary — and we all know what he thought of contracts and sportswriters, which just added to the greatness of this manager.

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Pedro Cerrano — Sure, Dennis Haysbert has his Fans of the Game cards and even more cardboard as the president in 24. But there’s only one Pedro Cerrano — and this is the one real card that shows this slugger in uniform.

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Roger Dorn – You just love to hate Corbin Bernsen’s character in the film and there’s something about this pose that’s, well, just plain Dorn. (The photos in this set have not appeared on any other memorabilia or marketing materials that this fan knows about, either.)

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Eddie Harris – How early on were these cards made? Well, Chelcie Ross’ memorable Bardahl-, Vagisil- and Jalapeno-abusing veteran never went by the name Steve in the film. It was either a last-minute change or Harry Doyle (who sadly doesn’t have a card in this set) had one too many Jacks while calling the action.

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Willie Mays Hayes – Wesley Snipes might not have truly gotten into this role just yet but we’ll never know for sure as those memorable cleats have been cropped off of this photo. This card also is from early on as he’s firmly a center fielder in the film, not a lefty.

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Pepper Leach – Andy Romano’s part as pitching coach isn’t quite extensive in this film, but that didn’t stop him from being on a card. Note the typo on his position — what should have been 3B coach — and the fact that he’s standing at first. (We won’t mention how, in the final bunt scene, he’s not the 3B coach relaying signs, either … )

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Jake Taylor – Tom Berenger’s leading man status isn’t quite affirmed here (Rene Russo would need to be nearby) in the photo but he is listed as the team captain  as well as catcher. That’s different for a baseball card …

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Ricky Vaughn — It’s a shame that Charlie Sheen’s haircut and glasses weren’t seen here — or the nickname “Wild Thing” — as they truly are movie-defining and character-defining aspects that would have led to cardboard perfection. I guess this one left the surprises for the theater.

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Steve Yeager – The only true Major Leaguer of the bunch was Yeager, a former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher and the 1981 World Series MVP, who worked as a technical advisor on the film while also playing batting coach Duke Temple. He also stood in for Berenger on action scenes that required hits or a believable throw.

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The Manager & Coaches – Rounding out the set are a pair of group-shot cards … one of the coaches and one of the star players (up top). These also are classics  — as if there wasn’t enough of that already with a set like this one.

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.

By Chris Olds | Baseball Editor

Charlie Sheen‘s eccentricity — can we safely call it that … or is it merely a winning streak? — of late has meant one thing amidst the hustle and bustle of the Violent Torpedo of Truth tour.

Big business for memorabilia hunters and memorabilia companies.

First, on Tuesday, Leaf announced that it had signed the Major Leaguer for an upcoming non-sports card set. Then, on Wednesday, SportsMemorabilia.com unveiled its line of Sheen-signed photos, baseballs and baseball jerseys. Those items feature him in scenes from a few of his movies and include signed Cleveland Indians jerseys.

But the most controversial piece of new Sheen memorabilia is yet to come — and it can’t be found in a pack of cards or in a fancy webstore. It can only be found down on the farm.

What might it be?

You see, May 5 will be Sheen-Co De Mayo at the ballpark — at least in Lake Elsinore, Calif. — as the hometown Storm take on the Bakersfield Blaze (a fellow minor-league team, not a Sheen nickname). The Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres is planning a Sheen-themed approach to the otherwise-serious holiday, Cinco de Mayo, that celebrates Mexican heritage and the Battle of Puebla in 1862. (Yes, the promotion has sparked some controversy … we’re just interested in the memorabilia.)

The minor league team has invited Sheen (and the goddesses, of course) to attend the event, which will include a bobblehead giveaway, a food-eating contest, “Wild Thing” glasses for fans and even a retirement ceremony for the No. 99, which Sheen made famous as Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn.

Not only that, the concessions stand will be selling “Tigerblood cocktails” and will have a two-for-one special on … ahem … Ho-Hos.

“We are undecided on how many [bobbleheads] will be given out,” said Steve Smaldone, the Storm’s Director of Media Relations and Advertising. “You can only get them on that night for the promotion as of now.”

Oh, and if you’re one of Sheen’s former TV co-stars?

You can attend the game for two-and-a-half cents.

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.

By Chris Olds | Baseball Editor | Commentary
(Note: The card above is 133 percent fake … But you had to see how cool it could look!)

One spring ritual for baseball card collectors is wishing for a certain baseball player or non-athlete to appear on a Topps Allen & Ginter autograph card — whether it be via a traditional signing or via the cut autograph route.

While many players — and some very notable athletes from other sports — have appeared on cards in the popular baseball card line since its arrival in 2006, there are some who have yet to appear on framed mini autographs in the product based on the 1880s cards of the same name. And, given the popularity of the brand — or at least this writer’s obsession with mini-sized tobacco cards — that’s a shame.

This year’s example of Ginter autograph discussions popped up on Twitter recently with collectors offering up their top-five picks for whom they’d want to see on Allen & Ginter cards in the future. For me, the No. 1 Ginter autograph card is easy — and easily predictable if you’re a regular reader here — it’s one of New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher.

Rather than just tweet my top five — in 140 characters or less — I figured I’d rather be windy about it and present my top five. The 2008 Swisher above is a melding two past Ginter cards so I can make my case visually. Would I like to see it happen? Of course, but I know that things happen when it comes to dreams of collectors — their demands may not be as universal or essential to a majority of collectors — meeting realities of budgets, time constraints and players’ signing habits/fees.

I didn’t whip up cards for the remainder of my Top Five (all living and available signers) — but you can see who and why I picked the five that I did … after the jump.

1. Nick Swisher — OF, New York Yankees
The All-Star is a bit of a cult hero in New York with his Swisher Salute to the Bleacher Creatures and his fan-friendly, easy-going attitude but he’s never landed on a Ginter autograph. He has had Ginter Relic cards three times — 2006, 2007 and 2009 — and is slated to have a Relic in the 2011 set when it arrives in July. But no ink for my favorite player. I’m patient … he’ll come around — or maybe myself and his other 1,303,134 followers on Twitter should prod him (and Topps) to make it happen.

2. Jose Canseco — former OF, Oakland A’s
The former Bash Brother and thorn in MLB’s side probably won’t be appearing on many — if any — MLB-approved cards any day soon. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a significant place in the history of the game. In fact, he’s perhaps more important in baseball history as the guy who helped bring the sport’s performance-enhancement drug issues into the forefront of daily discussion than he was as a borderline Hall of Fame-caliber player. I would lose bladder control if I opened a pack and saw an inked mini of him Bashing forearms with a former Oakland A’s teammate. (Doesn’t even need to be Mark McGwire … but pencil him in as No. 2b on this list.)

3. Pedro Cerrano — OF Cleveland Indians (aka Dennis Haysbert, actor)
I’ve written about Major League way too many times in the past — and waxed poetic about the absolute need for a movie studio-approved card tie-in with some of the best baseball movies ever made in the pages of Beckett Baseball – but there’s no doubt in my mind that true baseball fans would get a kick out of seeing some of these guys on autographed minis. I mean, heck, Jobu has to be a Creature of Legend, Myth and/or Joy, right? Haysbert has signed for card companies in the past — as has Roger Dorn (Corbin Bernsen) and Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) — so they’re familiar with the game. Then again, it could be a challenge … I pulled a redemption for a Harry Doyle autograph years ago and he (Bob Uecker) has never signed … maybe that’s a sign. Then again, a different (more positive) sign would be Sheen’s lone past autograph showing up on the Baseball Hot List of Beckett Sports Card Monthly … it’s an absolute winner these days.

4. Bud Selig & Donald Fehr — MLB Commissioner/former MLB Players Association Executive Director (dual autograph booklet)
We’ve seen a few baseball executives on cardboard through the years — for example former MLBPA Executive Marvin Miller was on a Ginter card last year — but this duo would be a classic inclusion. Selig has appeared on a handful of obscure baseball cards through the years, even signing some autographs, while Fehr has just one. Pairing these two negotiating combatants probably will never happen, but it would be special for those who appreciate the history of the game.

5. Vince McMahon — Chairman & CEO, World Wrestling Entertainment
We all know that Mr. McMahon is a ruthless villain on-screen, but off-screen the  65-year-old is as hands-on as it gets. In short, he’s a busy man — one who even oversees WWE Magazine (imagine this guy as your publisher). All that said, he’s definitely too busy to sign autographs — he’s never appeared on a certified signed card at all — but he’s definitely a “world’s champion” in a few ways worthy of inclusion if you consider some of the unusual names who have made the Ginter cut in the past. Love him or hate him, he’s a business — and wrestling — icon.

Who are your Allen & Ginter dream autographs? Let us know via a comment below …

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.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor | Commentary

As a long-time baseball fan — and a long-time collector — there have been a few twists and turns that my collection’s path has taken. I’ve dabbled in this, I’ve dabbled in that as a collector while finding my way through life. My stash of mementos saved are reminders of this or that — a reflection of a diversion that gets me away.

I bet that baseball cards do that for many of us — just like high-end baseball memorabilia purchases once invigorated Charlie Sheen. (He owned a Honus Wagner T206 baseball card, the Mookie Wilson-hit baseball from the 1986 World Series that made Bill Buckner infamous and more than a few other notable items in the past.)

I pretty much chose The Plainly Docile Path of The 1980s Topps Wrapper and made it a career. Sheen? Well, we’ll get to that.

In recent years, two things have crossed paths for me — baseball and baseball movies. Why? The items seem more unique and yet more special in their simplicity. The items are often less expensive and, at times, depending on the type of item, more available than the typical mass-produced memorabilia. That’s just where my collecting tastes have meandered. And all that’s in part because it’s not about a “book value” — it’s about the chase and some semblance of a sentimental value, an appreciation for the stories and the characters that amuse me. (Some more than others.)

Right beside my collecting to-do lists — finish a never-completed 2004 Topps 205 Series 2 mini master set, organize my Nick Swisher stash — is a simple list of baseball movie DVDs to pick up. Some have been crossed off already. Others haven’t. The Major League trilogy? Got it. Bull Durham? Got it. A League of Their Own? Need it. Eight Men Out? Got it. The Natural and The Rookie? Need ‘em. Mr. 3,000? Got it. The Bad News Bears Billy Bob Version? Got it. The Bad News Bears Matthau Brand? Need it.

Why? Just because — besides, they’re like baseball cards that do more than just sit there.

Next on that list? Baseball movie posters. Next after that? Autographs of particular actors in key baseball movies — either through-the-mail, authenticated items or certified cards. (I have a good start, of course, but it’s something I have never really truly focused on.)

There are many paths that can be taken with baseball movie memorabilia — new or old — and there are plenty of movies, too, with more to come. Moneyball is up next later this year and there’s the distant possibility of a “reboot” of the Major League franchise, too. We’ll see.

In the last few years, I’ve picked up quite a few of those movies — some more enjoyable than others, but all of them about baseball. That prompted a few memorabilia buys here and there — like several sets of 1988 Pacific Eight Men Out baseball cards, the home of what just might be classified as, with apologies to Bowman, “The Home of the Charlie Sheen Rookie Card.” Why? Simply because the price was right. They were pennies on the dollar compared to those modern-day pale-hose cards and, frankly, I found them more interesting.

And, interestingly, at least to me, Eight Men Out wasn’t among my favorite baseball flicks, but it marked the baseball card debut for Sheen, a guy who stars prominently in my No. 1, Major League.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In the White Sox period piece, Sheen played real-life big-leaguer “Hap” Felsch — a role that feels more like a cameo by Sheen Standards — but in David S. Ward‘s 1989 Cleveland Indians classic, he’s Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn, a foul-mouthed, funky-haired fireballing pitcher who learned a thing or two about life after spending time in the California Penal League (above).

The role Sheen played on network TV this week? It was something else. (See below.)

Click here to view the embedded video.

I’ll confess to not having paid attention to the tabloid fodder that has been Sheen in the headlines of late — too busy — but I’ve heard snippets here and there to know that it wasn’t good. But all I needed to see was the interview above to know that something was a bit different these days. And, of course, it seems bad, which is why it’s a trainwreck that you can’t look away from.

But it’s also one that, to a degree, disappoints.

This isn’t some piece where a fanboy realizes he’s somehow been betrayed by an athlete who has done wrong in the face of their public persona — we’ve been there done that countless times for countless reasons (Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire the list goes on and on). We didn’t know them, I don’t know Sheen. I get that. “Wild Thing” certainly has lived up to his character’s nickname — for other reasons. That’s his choice. I get that. It has worked for him in the past. I hope something works out in the future.

But, boy, was I a fan of Major League. Still am, though I get reminded of a different thing these days when I see items in my stash. My autographed movie poster (signed by Roger Dorn, aka Corbin Bernsen) on my office wall at work? It looks a little different these days. Not bad, just different. After all, Sheen does appear on it. My other signed poster? (You know, the one at home …) Same thing.

My press kits — photographs and media info used to promote the movie back before the days of websites and email blasts — are still in the same raggedy but fascinating shape. Just don’t seem the same, though. My lobby card collection — smaller posters, in various languages, also to promote the movie — is different. (Yes, even the one  that’s displayed in my office haphazardly is different. Why? It’s not that Lou Brown‘s fly is down — and it is — it’s because Vaughn’s in there.) My fake trading card collection — a self-amusing project here and there that has made its way from time to time onto the pages of publications I have worked for — still complete. Just different.

The video store standup for Major League II? It’s still one of my coolest — and cheapest — finds is standing strong in a room with three stars of the film kneeling in three-dimensional fold-out cardboard fashion. (Oh, and for anal-rententive purposes I have a second one sitting in its original mailing box unopened — it was a two-for-one-deal.) As I examine it from nearby, some of that disappointment, that difference fades in memory of those cool, fun moments on captured on celluloid and replayed many a time on DVD.

Tucked away elsewhere is my screen-used Jake Taylor complete uniform (jersey, pants, belt and, yes, socks) — worn and signed by Tom Berenger. Same for Taylor’s catcher’s mitt, the exact one owned by big-leaguer Steve Yeager (a coach and Berenger double on the screen and a technical advisor for the movie). It was used to catch the final pitch from Vaughn to strike out Clew Haywood.

You know, it was the play that prompted this reaction:

Those are items that I’ll showcase on their own at another time — a baseball movie memorabilia-themed issue of Beckett Sports Card Monthly, anyone? — but I bring them up to make a point.

As you can probably tell, I haven’t messed around with my Major League collection through the years and, despite the headlines of Sheen these days (note I didn’t say Vaughn), I still don’t think I’ve messed up. Weird things happen in life. (Clearly.)

It’s been my diversion from other memorabilia and other stuff — something fun, something different.

It’s a collection that’s far from complete — never really can be — and, sure, there are items that I still cannot find that I have written about before. But that’s the beauty of it — finding the items that can’t be predictably checklisted because a definitive list simply does not exist.

But one thing that I still haven’t landed in all of my collecting? A Charlie Sheen autograph. I’ve got several of his teammates — Berenger, Bernsen, Dennis Haysbert (aka Pedro Cerrano) — a few times over on a few different types of items but the one autograph I never sprung for might be tougher these days. Or, given the reaction of one “marketing professional” (inside joke) maybe it won’t be … if one shows up for sale.

Sheen appears on just one certified autograph trading card. It’s from a landmark set — one I intended to write about with much less of a personal twist earlier this evening before the link above arrived in my Twitter feed. Like I said, weird things happen in life.

And, no matter what happens with this highly unusual chapter of real life, the happenings of reel life — the tales of Cerrano, Brown, Taylor and, of course, “Wild Thing” — won’t change.

Maybe that’s one reason why I enjoy it so much.

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.