Mark Fidrych (1,000 @ $9.50)

June 28, 1976. A national TV audience watches the Tigers’ rookie Mark Fidrych pitch against the Yankees. Almost lost among his nervous mannerisms, pacing around the mound, talking to the ball, enthusiastically talking to teammates, and tossing balls back to the umpire if he didn’t like them, was that he overpowered the Yankees in a quick 5 to 1 victory. Fidrych, with his lanky appearance and curly hair that led people to nickname his the "bird," went on to become an All-Star and a media phenomenon. He won 19 games and lost 9 in 1976, and his popularity was even enhanced when it became known that he was facing financial difficulties with a salary of merely $16,500. However, 1976 would be the peak of his career as he was injured in spring training in 1977 and won only 6 games with 4 losses. Each of the next several years he attempted comebacks, but finished his career with 29 wins and 19 losses... and one magical season. eTopps could have been forgiven if it chose to release Fidrych as a classic event card for his 1976 season. While one cannot legitimately compare Fidrych’s 1976 season with events such as Bonds 73 home runs in a season, Ripken’s 2,131 consecutive games, or Don Larsen’s perfect game, it wouldn’t be that far from oddities such as George Brett’s pine-tar bat game or Yogi Berra’s pinch hit homerun. If it were included in the classic event set, eTopps could even be praised for its creativity in adding Fidrych. But eTopps devalued the classics set by including a novelty such as Fidrych, and while Fidrych is an enjoyable personality from baseball history that had a magical season, the comparison to true classics such as Satchel Paige, Roberto Clemente, Ernie Banks, and Nolan Ryan only makes Fidrych appear even less than he was. Fidrych won fewer games in his entire career than Denny McLain won in 1968, as ironically commemorated in another card issued this week. I think this card actually may have more success than some think because there will be in-hand collectors that will find the novelty of a premium Fidrych card to be desired... somewhat like the Brian Piccolo card in football classics. But otherwise this card hurts eTopps and the classics series, and I recommend DO NOT buy this card at IPO.

Denny McLain Serves Up Record 31 Win Season (1,000 @ $9.50)

On September 13, 1968, Time magazine had Denny McLain on the cover with the title "Year of the Pitcher." Seven pitchers finished with 20 or more wins in 1968, including Ferguson Jenkins (20), Luis Tiant (21), Mel Stottlemyre (21), Dave McNally (22), Bob Gibson (22), and Juan Marichal (26). But Denny McLain became the first player in modern baseball history to win 30 or more games. (Of course, the real "classic" event would be Al Spalding’s 1875 season when he won a record 54 games... more than the Diamondbacks won in 2004!) Dizzy Dean had been the last pitcher to win at least 30 games 34 seasons earlier. McLain finished his career with 131 wins and 91 losses, with 24 wins in 1969 but no season with more than 10 wins after that. Unfortunately, McLain has had legal problems after he retired from baseball, serving more than two years in prison for drug violations. Nonetheless, 31 wins is a milestone that may not be matched for generations. Another deserving card that is unlikely to go up in value in the current market. I recommend DO not buy this card at IPO, but pick one up from eBay, the Trade Post, or CTM for your collection.

Bucky Dent Turns Sox Green (1,000 @ $9.50)

October 2, 1978. Standing just 5 feet 9 inches tall, a defensive strength at shortstop but a light hitter with just 4 home runs in the season (and 40 in his twelve year career), Dent astonished the Red Sox by hitting a powerful three-run home run over the "green monster" in the third game of the World Series. This unlikely power outburst turned the momentum of the Series, with the Yankees winning their first game of the series and going on to win the Championship with Dent becoming MVP. The year after the Red Sox finally won a World Series in 2004, this set adds the Dent and Fisk homeruns as key components of the close-but-no-cigar legend of the Red Sox World Series "curse." While this card is key in the Yankee/Red Sox rivalry, I believe its place in this history has faded in recent years. It deserves commemoration, but will be too popular to be a short print and not popular enough to have strong accumulation. I recommend DO NOT buy this card at IPO.

Joe Carter Blasts Blue Jays to Title (1,000 @ $9.50)

October 23, 1993. Against Mitch "The Wild Thing" Williams, with the Blue Jays behind the Phillies in a 6 to 5 game in the ninth inning of the sixth game of the World Series, Carter came to bat with Rickey Henderson and Paul Molitor on base. With two strikes, Carter hit a game- and World-Series-winning home run. The Blue Jays won their second consecutive World Series, and the pure joy of the moment for Carter is well captured by this eTopps card. Yet another classic World Series home run commemorated in this set, but it would be more prominent for teams that have more extensive following than the Blue Jays. (No insult intended... my favorite World Series home run was Kirby Puckett’s game-winning home run two years earlier for the Twins, which suffers the same fate of a small market team. If this home run were for a New Yorker (a.k.a. "The Shot Heard Around the World") or a Red Sox player (a.k.a. Carlton Fisk’s 1975 homer, it would be one of the top ten moments.) As it is, this card belongs in this set, but will likely slip below IPO. Buy it later for your collection, but I recommend DO NOT buy this card at IPO.

Barry Bonds 73rd Blast Bests Benchmark (1,000 @ $9.50)

October 7, 2001. After two years without a Bonds card, eTopps surprised collectors by not only offering a Bonds classic eVents card but capping it at 1,000 cards. Like recent IPOs for Mattingly and Ripken’s 2,131 consecutive games, this is a sure sell-out that should see notable increase in price from the IPO price. Love him or hate him, call him one of baseball’s greatest hitters or one of it’s biggest cheaters, but Bonds is going to be the most remembered single player of the first half of this decade in baseball history. It may be premature to consider an event less than four years passed a classic, but surely this will be. It only remains to be seen whether it will be classic as representing one of baseball’s biggest successes or biggest scandals. BUY, BUY, BUY this card at IPO.