[zeprock]

I was a little late to the party when it came to starting my Craig Biggio collection. Of Houston's three "Killer B's" of that era, I immediately began collecting Bagwell but didn't jump on the Biggio or Berkman bandwagons. He was not a power hitter like many of his contemporaries and didn't burst onto the scene with a lot of hoopla as others so it wasn't until I noticed him inching up the all-time career hits list and doubles list that it started to dawn on me that he could be a Hall of Famer. Now he is in the Hall and his son is a prodigy with the Blue Jays. As of today's posting I have 851 Beckett recognized unique Biggio cards. Here are nine from my collection including a bunch of relics.


1995 Collector's Choice SE Gold Signature #38 Craig Biggio
1997 Bowman Chrome International Refractors #20 Craig Biggio
2001 Private Stock Game Gear #80 Craig Biggio Bat


2002 E-X Essential Credentials Now #69 Craig Biggio/69
2002 Topps Chrome Summer School Top of the Order Relics #TOCCB Craig Biggio Uni A
2005 Topps Cracker Jack Take Me Out to the Ballgame Mini Relics #CBI Biggio Uni


2007 SPx Winning Materials 199 Silver #CB Craig Biggio/199
2007 Ultra Hitting Machines Materials #BI Craig Biggio
2015 Topps Tribute Relics #TRCB Craig Biggio

[jason32rich]

I was a little late to the party when it came to starting my Craig Biggio collection. Of Houston's three "Killer B's" of that era, I immediately began collecting Bagwell but didn't jump on the Biggio or Berkman bandwagons. He was not a power hitter like many of his contemporaries and didn't burst onto the scene with a lot of hoopla as others so it wasn't until I noticed him inching up the all-time career hits list and doubles list that it started to dawn on me that he could be a Hall of Famer. Now he is in the Hall and his son is a prodigy with the Blue Jays. As of today's posting I have 851 Beckett recognized unique Biggio cards. Here are nine from my collection including a bunch of relics.


1995 Collector's Choice SE Gold Signature #38 Craig Biggio
1997 Bowman Chrome International Refractors #20 Craig Biggio
2001 Private Stock Game Gear #80 Craig Biggio Bat


2002 E-X Essential Credentials Now #69 Craig Biggio/69
2002 Topps Chrome Summer School Top of the Order Relics #TOCCB Craig Biggio Uni A
2005 Topps Cracker Jack Take Me Out to the Ballgame Mini Relics #CBI Biggio Uni


2007 SPx Winning Materials 199 Silver #CB Craig Biggio/199
2007 Ultra Hitting Machines Materials #BI Craig Biggio
2015 Topps Tribute Relics #TRCB Craig Biggio

Nice Biggios, I've always liked the look of the 97 chrome international set. I had the Adrian Beltre but sold it about 5 years ago....wish I still had it.

[zeprock]

Today I am showcasing something a little different, boyhood photos of the stars. Long before they put on their first professional uniform and started their statistical journeys that took them to greatness, they were just kids with dreams. Here's nine from my collection.


1972 Topps #347 Tom Seaver KP (This was a Topps subset included in the 1972 set, Boyhood Photos of the Stars, featuring future HOFer little Tommy Seaver who would go on to win more than 300 games, strikeout more than 3500 batters and become a World Series Champion.)
1973 Topps #344 Jim Hunter KP (For the second year in a row Topps included their Boyhood Photos of the Stars subset. This one features Jimmy Hunter playing with his puppies. The reverse says that he acquired his nickname when he ran away as a boy and returned with two catfish. At the time of this photo he most likely had no idea that he would be a Hall of Fame baseball player, perennial all-star and member of five World Championship teams.)
1989 Card Collector's Company The Phenom #8 Ken Griffey Jr. (This unlicensed set of 16 cards put out by the Card Collector's Company as "The Phenom" series featured photos of "The Kid" when he was literally a kid. I wonder if any of the other people in the background even know that their childhood photos are sharing a baseball card with one of the greatest and most beloved players of all-time.)


1991 Simon and Schuster More Little Big Leaguers #28 Don Mattingly (Look at the focus and determination on Donnie's face. This card was included along with 44 others in a book titled More Little Big Leaguers - Amazing Boyhood Stories of Today's Baseball Stars.)
1992 Pacific Ryan Texas Express II #112 Nolan Ryan/Little League All-Star (Here's the Ryan Express when he was a Little League all-star, long before he would go on to become MLB's all-time strikeout king and twirl a record seven no-hitters.)
1998 Sports Illustrated Then and Now Art of the Game #AG1 Ken Griffey Jr. (I love the look of this card. Junior in his bare feet losing another baseball.)


2001 Upper Deck Pinstripe Exclusives Mantle #MM1 Mickey Mantle (A very young Mickey Mantle years before he would become an idol to millions and probably the second most well-known ballplayer of all-time next to some guy named Ruth.)
2004 Upper Deck Sunkist #3 Mark McGwire (Here's Little Mac on a card that was included with a bag of oranges.)
2010 Topps When They Were Young #JV Justin Verlander (A Topps insert from 2010 featuring a young Justin Verlander who probably had no clue that he would eventually become a MLB all-star, strikeout leader, MVP, World Champion and marry a supermodel. Or maybe he did and that's why he's grinning. And by the way, that's a capital "T" on his t-shirt spelling Tuckahoe. Otherwise that would just be obscene.)

[rjcj2017]

I pulled a Biggio auto out of a Topps WalMart blaster a couple of years ago but purged it.

Once of those I wish I had back.

[zeprock]

Ozzie Smith is next up on the randomizer list of players I collect. Is it just coincidence that "The Wizard" just happens to be named Ozzie as in the Wizard of Oz? You really can't make this stuff up. This slick fielding Hall of Famer truly was a wizard on the diamond and known for his trademark backflips on opening days. I have collected Ozzie from the beginning of his career and as of this posting I have 780 different Beckett recognized cards of him. Here are nine from my collection including some inserts, some parallels and a selection of jersey swatches.


1995 Stadium Club First Day Issue #65 Ozzie Smith
1995 Upper Deck Steal of a Deal #SD8 Ozzie Smith
2001 Upper Deck Minors Centennial Game Jersey #JOS Ozzie Smith


2002 Sweet Spot Classics Game Jersey #JOS Ozzie Smith
2005 SP Legendary Cuts Legendary Lineage Material #OS Ozzie Smith Jsy
2005 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes Emerald #49 Ozzie Smith


2005 Upper Deck Hall of Fame Green #54 Ozzie Smith
2006 SP Legendary Cuts Memorable Moments Materials #OS Ozzie Smith Jsy/225
2007 SP Legendary Cuts Legendary Materials Dual #OS2 Ozzie Smith/125

[zeprock]

Here are nine of my cards from 1956. Most all of these came from Twin City Coin in Bangor back in the very early 80's before vintage values exploded. I was fortunate to get so many of my vintage cards at that time. There is no way I could afford them now. Not being married at that point in my life was helpful too as I could spend my money on what I wanted. Not at all like it is today.


1956 Topps #5A Ted Williams GB (This was my first Ted Williams card. I got it when I was about 11 years old. I was trading with a nine year old back around 1970 and I told him Ted didn't play for the Red Sox anymore so I traded him some current Red Sox for it. I did PhotoShop out some creases and border wear on this one.)
1956 Topps #15 Ernie Banks DP


1956 Topps #30 Jackie Robinson DP
1956 Topps #31A Hank Aaron UER Mays GB (This early uncorrected error shows Willie Mays sliding into home on the action shot instead of Aaron.)


1956 Topps #33 Roberto Clemente
1956 Topps #79 Sandy Koufax


1956 Topps #130A Willie Mays WB
1956 Topps #164A Harmon Killebrew WB (I have the Gray Back version of this card too but this White Back is a much nicer card.)
1956 Topps #292 Luis Aparicio RC

[kerryandbeth]

Don't shoot the messenger, but you can just stick to showing the 1995 and later stuff. That, I like.

Mark, do you remember all our early trades when I was a newbie...I would send you Jeter, Bonds, McGwire, Mattingly, etc. for more modern inserts from you to fill my sets. That is what I mean by the stuff I like, though I know I am in the minority on this one with all the drooling from others I see on your screen shots.

[DrMitchJ]

Is it just coincidence that "The Wizard" just happens to be named Ozzie as in the Wizard of Oz? You really can't make this stuff up. This slick fielding Hall of Famer truly was a wizard on the diamond and known for his trademark backflips on opening days.

Note: He was nicknamed "The Wizard" purposely because of his name being Oz / Ozzie. It wasn't coincidental at all.
If the famous book/movie was titled The Magician of Oz, Ozzie's nickname would have been "the Magician".
Unless I totally misunderstood you, and it was coincidental that his parents named him Ozzie in the first place?
If so, never mind, Mark

What would have been really coincidental is if Ozzie was born as the older brother of Cecil Fielder and his parents named him "Amazing" ... Amazing Fielder LOL ... AND Cecil was REALLY named "Adequate" LOL

[zeprock]

Note: He was nicknamed "The Wizard" purposely because of his name being Oz / Ozzie. It wasn't coincidental at all.
If the famous book/movie was titled The Magician of Oz, Ozzie's nickname would have been "the Magician".
Unless I totally misunderstood you, and it was coincidental that his parents named him Ozzie in the first place?
If so, never mind

I think the coincidence is that he happened to BE a magician or wizard with the glove so it worked out. It could never be the Wizard of Nomar or the Wizard of Omar who were both handy with their gloves too. Ozzie was probably the best-fielding shortstop of all-time. If his name wasn't Ozzie then they would have had to have found a different nickname for him. Maybe coincidence isn't the correct word. Maybe it's irony. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.

Don't shoot the messenger, but you can just stick to showing the 1995 and later stuff. That, I like.

I'll get to those years eventually Kerry and a number of those cards will show up in other postings including my individual player postings. I'm going chronologically up through the years and started with my oldest cards.

[rjcj2017]

Note: He was nicknamed "The Wizard" purposely because of his name being Oz / Ozzie. It wasn't coincidental at all.
If the famous book/movie was titled The Magician of Oz, Ozzie's nickname would have been "the Magician".
Unless I totally misunderstood you, and it was coincidental that his parents named him Ozzie in the first place?
If so, never mind, Mark

What would have been really coincidental is if Ozzie was born as the older brother of Cecil Fielder and his parents named him "Amazing" ... Amazing Fielder LOL ... AND Cecil was REALLY named "Adequate" LOL

Hey hey hey! Back off my man Cecil ... they didn't pay that man to field the ball, they paid him to hit it over the fence!