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? 

Betcha Haven't Seen These Before

The State Fair of Texas, which has occurred annually since 1886, is a memorable part of my upbringing in the Lone Star State. There are many attractions at the fair, including pig races, live music, overpriced food, and even a live birthing barn where they have baby animals. Of all places to add cards to my collection (albeit non-baseball cards), I figured this was the most unusual: 

On the way out of the birthing barn, some guy handed out a six-card set featuring some animals they had there. I don't know if they're easily visible, but each card has ridges since they were printed together. If I remember correctly, I didn't get a set but traded for these two cards from my brother, who I believe had duplicates. 

While the fronts are vertical, the backs are horizontal: 

I wasn't aware of the technical distinctions between swine, hogs, and pigs. Apparently calling your brother a hog is just that much worse than calling him a pig. Who knew? 

Although these weren't baseball cards, I hope you got a kick out of seeing something unique and interesting. I know a couple fellow card bloggers hail from Texas - comment if you've seen these before. 

In my other blogging ventures, I have recently returned after a two-year hiatus to continue The All-Time World Series, a simulated Series featuring the best players in AL-NL history, ranging from Honus Wagner to Shohei Ohtani. A major statistical error caused me to halt the Series after Game 3, after which life took over, but this summer I made it a priority to finish what I started, and was rewarded with an exciting Game 4. On my original blog, The Cooperstown Advocate, I recently launched a promotion where every reader who donates $3 or more through Buy Me A Coffee can request an article about a player for me to write about, which will be published to the blog. It's (hopefully) a great way to supplement my summer income to help pay for college, and I'm genuinely interested which players will be requested. Be sure to check out those blogs, and thanks for reading!