By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

Fans of a baseball legend have one more piece to add to their collections.

Sports Illustrated has published a 76-page full-color tribute to Stan Musial, who died on Jan. 19 at age 92.

The magazine, which arrived in stores Thursday, includes stories from the SI archives, plenty of its famed photographs and more. It carries a $7.99 cover price.

Some past tribute issues, such as one for Dale Earnhardt in 2001, have become valuable collectibles in the short-term, while championship-focused special issues can be popular but are often not as valuable.

Musial, who has new baseball cards in the 2013 Topps set released this week, will have new autographs coming in 2013 Topps Heritage as well. He appears on more than 4,880 different baseball cards valued at more than $158,000 not including rarities, according to the Beckett.com database (click here for a checklist or Online Price Guide).

In addition, Musial will appear on the April 2013 cover of Beckett Baseball.

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 | Beckett Baseball Editor

Major League Baseball lost one of its greatest hitters Saturday as St. Louis Cardinals legend Stan “The Man” Musial died after prolonged illnesses. He was 92.

A three-time NL MVP, seven-time batting champion and 24-time All-Star, Musial recorded an NL record 3,630 hits at the time of his retirement and batted .331 in 22 big-league seasons, all with the Cardinals. He never led the NL in home runs, but hit 475 for his career, which still ranks in the top 30. He was a member of three World Series champion teams and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1969, his first year on the ballot.

“Stan Musial was the greatest player in Cardinals history and one of the best players in the history of baseball,” said Cardinals Chairman William DeWitt Jr. “We have lost the most-beloved member of the Cardinals family.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Just as he was a giant on the field, he was a great on cardboard as well. Musial appears on 4,880 different baseball cards valued at more than $158,000 not including rarities, according to the Beckett.com database (click here for a checklist or Online Price Guide) but he has just one Rookie Card. His 1948 Bowman RC typically sells for $800 or less.

Musial was a prolific signer through the years, appearing on 1,505 different certified autograph cards alone beyond years of personal appearances and his own company. In addition, he appears on more than 2,100 different game-used memorabilia cards.

In 2010, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the country, a moment he marked in one of his trademarked ways in recent years — playing on his harmonica. (A portion of that can be viewed above.)

“Stan remains, to this day, an icon untarnished,”  President Barack Obama said at the time, “a beloved pillar of the community, a gentleman you’d want your kids to emulate.”

Earlier Saturday, the Hall of Fame lost a second member as former Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver died at age 82.

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.

Share your favorite Musial cards or memories in the comments below.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor | Commentary

Even the day before 2012 Topps‘ official arrival, there is at least one card making national headlines.

It’s the Rally Squirrel’s “rookie card.”

As previously reported here on Friday, the Rally Squirrel release is a rarer version of Skip Schumaker’s card – the rabble-rousing rodent made his run into immortality on the Busch Stadium infield as he was awaiting a pitch – so all you see on it is the infielder’s heel in a photo taken by Tom Gannam of The Associated Press. (The regular version of card No. 93 shows Schumaker sliding into home plate.)

But that’s not what’s nutty.

The first copy of the short-printed variation (not an official RC) to sell on eBay went for $319.95 via a Buy It Now and a second sold on Tuesday went for $299. The first auction that was completed ended at $611.99 after 26 bids on Tuesday.

Now that‘s nutty.

Now, common sense dictates that as more and more of the cards are found that the sales for the cards are likely to plummet. We get that.

However, if non-collectors are scooping up these cards and stashing them away for the summer? Well, these rarities might be even rarer than you think and the prices might not falter.

What a nutty concept.

So, what did Schumaker think of the card?

“It’s pretty ridiculous,” he told FOXSportsMidwest.com. “I have a shoe on my baseball card. And a squirrel. It’s pretty ridiculous.”

To this collector, it sounds like he didn’t know that there were two versions of his card made. But Schumaker wasn’t done there.

“It’s not disappointing, it’s just ridiculous,” said Schumaker, who has hit .290 over seven seasons. “I don’t know how else to explain it other than that. You expect to have some sort of action shot or something but it’s like a mascot card to me.”

Maybe Schumaker knows more about 2012 Topps than he’s letting on … there are a few mascot variation cards being found, too.

Heck, he even played product development for Topps during his Fox interview.

“The Rally Squirrel was fun during the series and it worked, so people had fun with it,” he said. “I had fun with it and everybody thought it was a good thing for the fans. Torty was funny, but is Allen Craig going to have a tortoise on his card? I just think it’s pretty ridiculous.”

We can only hope that Topps is considering that for Series 2 – ok maybe just some of us … you know, the nutty ones.

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 | Beckett Baseball Editor

The Rally Squirrel has a rookie card.

As seen in the pages of the latest issue of Beckett Baseball arriving on Wednesday — the same day as 2012 Topps baseball — the beloved rabble-rousing rodent who became an icon for the St. Louis Cardinals‘ run to a World Series title now can be found in packs of cards.

It’s one of a few surprise short-printed variation cards to be found in the product — so it’s not really a Rookie Card — but it should be one that commands attention from collectors.  (It’s also an idea that we floated about last October — click here to read that story — when some members of the baseball world were going nutty. Maybe we weren’t alone.)

Click here to view the embedded video.

So, who is this Rally Squirrel guy? Well, during the bottom of the fifth of the Cardinals’ win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the NLDS, he darted across the Busch Stadium field just as Phillies pitcher Roy Oswalt delivered a ball to Skip Schumaker — not the rodent’s first appearance in the postseason, but one that got plenty of attention.

It became, for whatever reason, a rallying moment for the eventual champs with t-shirts, Twitter accounts and more on the Internet noting the trivial moment in history — something forever linked to the Cards’ title.

Now, it’s forever immortalized on cardboard.

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.

Dec. 5 Update: The lot did not meet its reserve and is presently for sale with a buy-it-now price of … $119,500.

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By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

How many Albert Pujols Rookie Cards do you own?

Need a few more … about 315 more?

Now’s your chance as a massive stash of 2001 Donruss Elite Pujols RCs have hit the block via Heritage Auctions. The lot of 315 cards is pretty outrageous … considering just 1,000 serial-numbered copies of the card were produced — 900 standard cards and 100 autographed Turn of the Century versions.

“This opportunity to control such a significant percentage of one of the most important trading cards of the 21st century is unprecedented in the collecting hobby,” said Chris Ivy, Heritage’s Director of Sports Auctions. “We can only imagine what the value of this collection will be once Albert has rewritten the record books at the close of his career.”

And this isn’t just any stash of cards, either.

Ten of the cards are autographed, while 149 are raw and ungraded copies. Meanwhile, Beckett Grading Services slabbed 114 of the cards with the remainder graded by PSA and other companies. Raw copies of the card typically sell for $600 or less, while signed copies typically go for as much as $1,200.

“Our consignor bought every one he could find,” Ivy said, “and has designated Heritage as the auctioneer to present this massive collection for sale.”

The auction, which already has had bidding top $31,000 hours after it opened, closes on Dec. 4.

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.

Photo | Getty Images

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By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder and World Series champion Lance Berkman has signed an exclusive autograph deal with TRISTAR, the company announced Tuesday.

His first signing with the company is set for next Tuesday with pre-orders closing on Friday. A signed World Series baseball costs $129, while several inscriptions will be available — each of those will cost $169, according to the Houston-based company.

The former Houston Astros star hit .301 with 31 home runs in his first season as a Cardinal. He spent his previous 12 seasons with the Astros before he played in 37 games for the New York Yankees at the end of last year. He hit .423 with 11 hits a home run and five RBI in the World Series.

The least-expensive item is an 8×10 photo of him holding the World Series trophy at $119, while a 16×20 of the same image — limited to just 211 copies — will cost just $20 more.

For those seeking a signed jersey, Berkman will sign Cardinals jerseys on the front for $249, while back-signed jerseys with World Series patches will cost $50 more.

A limited edition — 211 signed — Rawlings name-model bat also will be available for $239.

For more information, visit www.tristarproductions.com.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

If it’s been a little quiet around here on Beckett.com/news, we have a reason … we just put another print project to bed.

In the printer’s hands now — and sure to be in yours soon — is the latest Beckett Presents title, Cardinals: 2011 World Champs. It’s a 100-page, full-color recap of the team’s World Series run that ended with a win in Game 7 on Friday night.

Inside, you’ll find a spread for every game the Cardinals played this postseason en route to their 11th championship in franchise history. You’ll also find spreads with bios and basic information for all of the team’s starters along with their regular-season stats, their baseball card values and more.

See a hint of what’s inside the magazine after the jump …

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

]]> http://www.beckett.com/news/2011/10/cardinalschamps/feed/ 16 http://www.beckett.com/news/2011/10/davidfreese/ http://www.beckett.com/news/2011/10/davidfreese/#comments Sat, 29 Oct 2011 05:34:05 +0000 chrisolds http://www.beckett.com/news/?p=37109

David Freese's Game 6 World Series jersey. (MLB Public Relations photo)

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By Chris Olds  | Beckett Baseball Editor

Cardinals third baseman David Freese‘s jersey may have been left in tatters after his game-winning home run in the bottom of the 11th Thursday night in St. Louis, but interest in his baseball cards have to be at an all-time high.

According to the Beckett.com database, Freese appears on just 148 cards with a total value of just $1,337.55 for those not too scarce to track and price. He appears on just 11 Rookie cards and has just 14 certified autographs.

Oh, and memorabilia cards? He’s got none — but his teammates might have thought they were helping out Topps or Panini by starting the shredding on his jersey during his home run celebration at home plate. The jersey, above, has been authenticated by MLB with one employee joking that “It’ll just need more than one sticker.” Meanwhile, the bat — and the jersey — are headed to Cooperstown.

While Freese’s first minor league card is from 2006 (Eugene Emeralds team set by Grandstand), most of his cards are from 2009. His most expensive Rookie Card is his 2009 Topps Chrome Gold Refractor (his Blue is seen here), which is limited to 50 copies and has sold for as much as $150. The Blue, which is limited to just 199 copies, has sold for as much as $120. His standard Chrome autograph commands $50 or less.

Freese’s cheapest certified autograph comes from the 2009 Upper Deck Signature Stars set with it selling for $40 or less.

Freese has not had any certified autographs since his rookie season and has appeared on just 19 cards from Topps this year.

Something tells us that will be changing for 2012.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. 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 | Beckett Baseball Editor | Commentary

It’s now or never for the Rally Squirrel as the St. Louis Cardinals must win Game 6 of the World Series tonight at Busch Stadium in St. Louis to stay alive and force a final game against the Texas Rangers.

We may be nuts, but we have to wonder … will the famed rodent with more than 28,300 followers on Twitter end up having a baseball card in the 2012 Topps set? We’ve imagined it above … We can think of a few collectors — and maybe some tweeters — who would squirrel these cards away faster than you can say “Rocky & Bullwinkle.” And, well, we can think of others who might not.

But this card could happen … a squirrel has had a baseball card before, and the Poley Walnuts 2007 Topps Update card is still a winner. See it — and take our Rally Squirrel poll — after the jump.

Mr. Walnuts had such a presence at Yankee Stadium that Topps made a card — a release that still sells for as much as $30. It’s got to be the best squirrel card around. (Tongue firmly in cheek there.)

Would the Rally Squirrel command as many acorns? Tell us in our series of questions below …

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Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. 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 | Beckett Baseball Editor

Whichever team wins, Topps has it covered.

The lone fully licensed manufacturer of MLB trading cards unveiled its plans for a World Series commemorative team set on Wednesday, just hours before the first pitch of Game 1 between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers.

Whether it’s the Rangers or the Cardinals emerging victorious, Topps will release a 27-card set featuring the champions. There will be 20 player cards, one manager card and two highlight cards apiece from the League Division and Championship Series as well as two World Series highlight cards.

The sets will carry a $9.99 suggested retail price and will be in stores by Nov. 23.

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.