The Best Uncle Ever

As many baseball cards and player autographs I have, my uncle's collection blows mine out of the water. Dozens of cards I own were gifts from him, including two of my favorites: 

This Vizquel was one of hundreds of player autographs in his collection, and he gave it to me (along with a card binder) for Christmas one year. I tend to like Topps Stadium Club cards and would be interested in what you guys think of them. At any rate, it's a nice card in good condition, and the autograph is perfectly centered on the front. Vizquel was an outstanding player as well, collecting 2,877 hits and winning eleven Gold Gloves at shortstop. 

The best part of my uncle's autograph collection is that he got them all personally signed by the players rather than purchasing them. In my opinion, that makes for the best experience because, in addition to guaranteed authenticity, there are often interesting memories to relate. He has countless stories of how he met players at the stadium, which is getting harder to do these days. 

One autographed card I received from him that was purchased, however, came in a box of 2023 Topps Update cards: 

Like the Vizquel, this Gore was a Christmas gift. I was really excited to pull this card since I wasn't expecting an autograph or relic in my box. All my brothers received the same box, and mine was the only one with an auto. 

It's too bad that Gore's first season hasn't gone exactly as planned. I was very excited when the Rangers traded for him in the offseason, but have largely been disappointed with his 8-11 record and 4.62 ERA. However, with a 3.78 FIP and 24.4% strikeout rate in 2026, there's still reason to believe he can be a solid contributor going forward. 

I would like to conclude this post with one of the more interesting stories my uncle told me about his collecting days. In the 1990's, his friend had discount tickets to A's games and the two of them would go to several games per summer. As experienced autograph hounds, they knew where to catch the team as they got off the bus. One day the Indians were coming to town and my uncle was ready, sharpie in hand. When a certain player he wanted got off the bus, my uncle asked him to sign a baseball card, but he took the sharpie and tossed it at him, staining his shirt. My uncle complained to the organization, and a few weeks later he received a handwritten apology note from the player claiming that he was coming off an illness and had thrown up nine times on the bus, so he understandably wasn't in the mood to sign autographs. My uncle showed my brothers and me the note, as well as an autographed card that the player had sent. We were all pretty skeptical of his excuse, but hey, why not give him the benefit of the doubt? My uncle got what he wanted. 

And the Winner Is...

Batting Out Of Order! 

I had your address but am pretty sure I discarded the envelope you sent me earlier 😅 (rookie mistake from an ignorant collector), if you wouldn't mind sending it to me over email. damienfantasy@yahoo.com

By the way, today is also the day my poll is featured on TCDB, if anyone would like to check it out. 

That should do it for this summer. Congratulations to Batting Out Of Order for winning The Ignorant Collector's inaugural contest. Thanks for reading and have a great day! 

End of Summer Giveaway

The new school year is just around the corner, and it's time to start packing up a few things to prepare for the transition. While I'm at school, I'll have to take a break from blogging due to my educational and athletic commitments (and I won't have access to most of my collection anyway since I go to college out of state). 

In a few days I'll officially put the blog to sleep until at least Christmas break, maybe next summer. It may get up a couple times in the dead of night to blow its nose, but those instances should be rare. Before I go on hiatus, however, I thought I would do something fun to close out my first summer of card blogging. 

Over the years, I have mooched a lot of free cards during contests, particularly from The Diamond King, and have decided it is finally time to give back in a small way. A few days ago, I picked out a 36-card pack of 2026 Topps Series 1 cards and want to give them away in a contest. This being my first contest, the rules are pretty simple: just comment with your intention to enter by 11:59 CT on Wednesday, and just for fun, include your favorite baseball memory, whether as a player, fan, coach, etc. I'll enter the names on a spinner and randomly select a winner (in similar style to Don Cardwell Loves This Blog). 

Like any contest, I would like as many participants as possible, so I would encourage y'all to encourage fellow bloggers to check it out, particularly The Diamond King, since I've claimed a lot from him and my profile won't let me comment on his blog at the moment. (Though I do understand if you want there to be fewer contestants, to help your own chances at winning!) 

I hope the contest goes well! Thanks for reading, and until Thursday! 

Unique Finds At an Indy-Ball Game

On Independence Day, my family and I went to see the Cleburne Railroaders, a semi-local indy-ball club. The game itself was magnificent, a back-and-forth affair that eventually favored the Railroaders, but I also found some interesting cards in the team store: 

Yep, Pete Incaviglia is the skipper, having piloted the club since 2024. This Incaviglia is one of a 27-card set released by the team in 2025. Although this set was somewhat outdated, I still thought it was worth picking up (especially since the 2026 set wasn't out yet). 

Some other cards in the pack: 

Former MLB player Shed Long led the team in plate appearances in 2025, batting .259 with 13 steals while splitting time between second and short. Long had played for the Mariners from 2019-21, homering against Gerrit Cole and Dylan Cease as a rookie. 

Corner infielder Jose Sermo was one of the team's biggest stars in 2023, slugging 28 homers in 300 at bats. He left the team in 2024 but returned for 13 games in 2025. 

Zane Spinn: great name, even better photo. 

I haven't seen the 2024 team set, but here's a 2023 card for comparison: 

I like the 2025 design better, but this card does suggest how fan-friendly the team is, having a designated spot for autographs. Unlike many professional teams, the Railroaders are very accommodating to fans, and my brothers and I have collected many a signature from them. The most recent player to sign for me was 2019 stolen base leader Mallex Smith: 

Smith has continued his base-stealing ways in the minors, swiping 40 bags in 50 games as of this writing. 

Speaking of autographs: 

In January of 2024, the Rangers' World Series trophy went on tour and made a stop at the Cleburne stadium, and the Railroaders used the occasion to officially introduce their new manager to the fanbase. Inky was very kind and gladly autographed my card. (Note to self: don't photograph 1987 Topps cards on that table). 

So that's how I spent America 250. Until next time! 

Buried Treasures

A couple weeks ago, I looked through a storage bin I had packed away before heading to college. I mostly packed it with stuff I wouldn't need until graduation, but put some other things in it for safekeeping. I was looking for something specific to bring back to the house, but rediscovered a couple collectibles that I quickly brought back too: 

In 1978, Curtiss candy company released Reggie! Bars, named after Yankees slugger Reggie Jackson. Jackson had stated early in his career that he wanted a candy bar named after him, probably thinking Baby Ruth bars were named after Babe Ruth (they weren't). These bars were available through 1981, Jackson's last season in New York, and again for a brief time after he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Although I've never tasted a Reggie! Bar, it is an interesting part of history, and I was glad to find this wrapper at my local cards and collectibles shop. 

In the same store was this autographed photo of Bob Feller. Feller is one of my favorite players to research and write about - he had a 3.34 ERA for the Indians at 17, and ended up leading the American League six times in wins and seven times in strikeouts. In 1946, he threw 371 1/3 innings, the most in baseball since 1917 and over 100 more than the NL leader that season. All told, Rapid Robert won 266 games despite missing three prime seasons to military service. 

The photo came with a certificate of authenticity, but I always like personalized autographs because that basically guarantees that the piece is genuine. I can't read the fan's name, but he sure was lucky. 

That'll do it for today. I'm grateful for such great finds at the card store and for rediscovering these items in good condition. I hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading! 

Any Idea What These Are?

One day at my local card shop, I came across some oversized cards that caught my attention, but weren't readily discernible to my inferior intellect. Being a very ignorant collector, I figured I would pick the brains of more knowledgeable collectors and see if any could recognize what I found. 

The first card depicts Hall of Famer Johnny Mize: 

There was no date on this card, no printing company - no nothing. The back wasn't much help either: 

For a couple bucks, I figured I would give it a go. Despite his unpopularity, Mize was a truly impressive player, and he played a bit for the New York Giants, who are my family's favorite team. I have no idea if this card is vintage or what (although my guess is that it's a reprint c. 1970's or 1980's; could be totally wrong though). 

In the same bin was a similar-looking Bobby Thomson: 

Same deal with the back - blank as the dragon scroll. 

Although I typically don't pay for things I don't recognize, my ignorant, hodge-podge collecting style consists mostly in picking out what I like, and I do love Bobby Thomson, being the one who hit the Shot Heard 'Round the World. I don't know how many times I heard that story as a little kid. 

Welp, that's the post. I do really like these cards, but I wish I knew more about them. Is anyone familiar with them? 

Where the Wild Things Are

I know it's corny, but I've wanted to do this post for a while now. There's nothing special about these cards besides depicting a pretty interesting player. 

Originally a Texas Ranger, Williams achieved a rare rookie feat in 1986 when he led the AL in appearances with 80. He earned his nickname "Wild Thing" as much for his control issues (79 walks in 98 innings) as for his chaotic delivery and follow-through. 

Williams was traded to the Cubs after the 1988 season and enjoyed his best year in 1989, saving 36 games with a 2.76 ERA as a National League all-star. He appeared in the game and tossed a scoreless eighth inning. 

In 1990, Cubs manager Don Zimmer experimented with Williams as one of history's first "openers," starting him on September 10 and 14. He pitched 3 innings in his first start and 3 1/3 in his second. Zim quickly abandoned the idea, but Williams remains a predecessor to the modern strategy. 

In my opinion, 1991 Fleer may be the ugliest baseball card set of all time, but I kinda like this card. It not only captures the beginning of Wild Thing's crazy follow-through, but I think it's cool when photos capture the ball in mid-air. In 1991, he won a career-high 12 games, including an incredible 8 in August. 

In 1993, Williams saved a career-high 43 games for the pennant-winning Phillies (and collected a walk-off hit against Trevor Hoffman in July), but it marked the beginning of his demise. He pitched well in the NLCS but lost two games in the World Series, surrendering Joe Carter's famous walk-off homer in Game 6. 

Williams was traded to the Astros after the season and was never the same again. He pitched his last game in 1997 for the Kansas City Royals. He truly was a wild thing, issuing 544 walks in 691 1/3 career innings for a 7.1 BB/9 ratio. 

Fun fact about Williams: on April 28, 1989, he became the first pitcher ever to record a save without throwing a pitch, picking off Carmelo Martinez with two outs in the ninth against the Padres. 

Just a final thought to bring the post back to cards - 1987 Topps is actually a pretty nice set, in my opinion. It's true that the photos often leave something to be desired, but the backs are cool and I like the wood-looking border on the front. What do you think?