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Thanks for the memories, eTopps closes the baseball classics series.
Sadly, this week represents the end of my favorite eTopps’ set, baseball classics. Over three years, eTopps has issued 60 baseball legends, including 58 hall of famers. In addition to some of baseball’s most popular heroes, such as Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Nolan Ryan, and Roberto Clemente, the set has reintroduced fans to some baseball history that many have forgotten. Hopefully a few casual fans have learned more about Nap Lajoie, Cool Papa Bell, and Luis Aparicio thanks to this set. I especially am pleased that 3 Negro League stars made the set.
eTopps could certainly continue this set. My personal list of an eTopps’ classics series, part four, would include 16 more hall of famers and 4 who I believe are more deserving of the hall of fame than Wade Boggs or Thurman Munson (no disrespect to two major players of the 1970s and 1980s). Of course, a real classics’ set would have the first 3 on my list, though eTopps acknowledged licensing issues forbade them from being included.
1. Joe DiMaggio
2. Mickey Mantle
3. Joe Dimaggio
4. Oscar Charleston, whom many critics, including Bill James, consider to have been the best Negro League player in history.
5. Monte Irvin, who had a great career crossing both the negro and major leagues.
6. Mickey Cochrane, the great Tigers catcher whose playing career was ended by a beanball (but continued on as a great manager).
7. Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance alone may each be hall-of-famers, but as a trio made the most famous triple play combination and would have made a unique threesome on an eTopps card.
8. John McGraw, the great manager that would nicely complement the Casey Stengel card.
9. Willie Keeler, whose famous motto was "Hit ‘em where they ain’t."
10. Larry Doby, who died last year, was the first black player in the American League.
11. Pee Wee Reese, the Dodgers’ captain and defensive star helped Robinson gain acceptance among many, but not all, of his teammates.
12. Sandy Koufax, won 87 games from 1963 to 1966.
13. Bert Blyleven, fifth all-time in strikeouts with one of the best curve balls of all-time.
14. Ernie Banks, let’s play two and put this Cub in the classics series.
15. Don Drysdale, not only won 23 games for the Dodgers in 1965 but also hit 7 home runs.
16. Tony Perez hit 100 RBIs in 7 years.
17. Catfish Hunter, won at least 21 games five years in a row.
18. Pete Rose, the all-time hit king deserves a card even though banned from baseball.
19. Shoeless Joe Jackson, because if Rose gets a card, Shoeless Joe should, too.
20. Sadaharu Oh, the all-time Japanese baseball home run king, whose 868 home runs not even Barry Bonds will likely catch. |
If eTopps ignores my suggestions for a 20-card addition to the baseball classics set, there are other alternatives for baseball classics fans in the future. Perhaps eTopps could have a classic eVents or classic teams series. Or each year they could issue cards of the most recent hall-of-fame inductees (and perhaps supplement them with some past hall of famers to create a multi-year hall of fame set).
But, before mourning the end of this set, let’s look at the last week of baseball classics’ IPOs:
The last National League pitcher to win 30 games (in 1934), "Dizzy" Dean played was part of the "Gas House Gang" for the Cardinals (and later played for National League rival Cubs). Known for his powerful fastball, Dean also played with his brother "Daffy" Dean. Dean was elected to the hall of fame in 1953, and in his induction speech thanked God for "givin’ me a good right arm, a strong back, and a weak mind." One of the most colorful names and humorous players in baseball history, he will make a good addition to a classics collection. But I’ll pick mine up off the Trade Post to help complete my set. DON’T BUY at IPO.
Along with Dennis Eckersley, Molitor is the newest member of the baseball hall of fame. He earned hall-of-fame membership with more than 3,319 hits, 504 stolen bases, and one of the best defensive gloves. The Mariners’ hitting coach, Molitor is underheralded relative to some of his peers, but nonetheless has a strong following among many. Don’t be surprised if he sells more cards than the other classics this week given his more recent playing career and late-career popularity, but even with modest accumulation I would expect his card to slip below IPO price. DON’T BUY at IPO.
Campanella joined Jackie Robinson and Don Newcombe as the first African-American All-Stars in 1949. Along with Yogi Berra and Johnny Bench, Campanella was one of the best catchers in baseball history. Campanella played the last game ever at Ebbets’ Field in 1958, then during the offseason was paralyzed in a major car accident. Despite being wheelchair bound for 34 years, he coached catching for the Los Angeles Dodgers. A true baseball legend, BUY this card at IPO.
Like Campanella, Munson’s catching career was ended prematurely by tragedy when he was killed in a small plane crash during the 1979 season. In 11 seasons, he hit 1,558 hits, was a seven-time All-Star, and helped the Yankees to World Series victories in 1977 and 1978. His death devastated the Yankees’ players and fans, often seen as the end of one of many Yankee eras of dominance. While his death cut his playing career short, it ensured his place in baseball history. DON’T BUY at IPO.
This week’s best buy is Roy Campanella. Unless eTopps adapts a new series of historic baseball cards, I’ll just be thankful for this series and say "Thanks for the memories."
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