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 Although this set was somewhat outdated, I still thought it was worth picking up (especially since the 2026 set wasn't out yet).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! 

The Cameos, Part 1

It's always fun to see cards of one player with another recognizable player in the background. Even the most boring cards can be livened up by a good old-fashioned cameo appearance. 

First up, it's Dave Concepcion featuring Herm Winningham. Concepcion, a nine-time all-star, was an integral part of Cincinnati's Big Red Machine, while Winningham was a part-time player who stole 105 bases from 1984 through 1992. 

Next, we've got Tom Pagnozzi featuring Mark Lemke. This might be mean, but the nickname my brothers and I used to have for Pagnozzi was Tom Bignozzi. 

Terry Kennedy featuring Mackey Sasser. Kennedy was actually a better player than most people remember. He's worth looking up. 

Walt Weiss featuring Joel Skinner. This is an absolutely incredible photo. 

Steve Sax featuring Jose Canseco. Goes to show that there's hope for little guys to beat the massive, steroid-fueled sluggers of the world. 

And last but not least: 

Terry Shumpert featuring Wayne Tolleson. It took a little more effort to find out who this player was, since there's no name on the back of his jersey. It turns out that Tolleson was out of baseball by 1991 and the Yankees had given his uniform number to Graig Nettles, back in a coaching role. 

That'll do it for part 1 of the cameos. Thanks for reading and have a great day! 

Error Cards

Error cards are always fun to spot in any pack or collection. Their mistakes, while occasionally annoying, more often have a certain uniqueness or even charm, in my opinion, that makes them stand out. The errors can be very minor or sometimes very substantial, and can be made on almost any part of the card. 

The error on this card is a simple misspelling of the player's name - it's actually Fariss. Later cards corrected the error, but it's still kinda fun to spot this. The photo is interesting too - it must have been taken at a tryout or an instructional league, since nobody else appears to be on the field and he's wearing a hat instead of a helmet. 

There's an error on the back of this 2014 Donruss Anthony Rendon card: 

401 runs scored in 98 games is certainly impressive (he actually scored 40 runs in 2013). What's more, they made this error twice: both for his season and career totals. Funnily enough, Rendon actually did top the NL in runs scored in 2014, with 111. 

It took me a while to notice this one. I've never heard of the Minnseota Twins before. 

This card was certainly a surprise to me. It looks like a typical 1986 Topps All-Star Lance Parrish card, right? When I turned the card around, this is what I saw: 

Dale Murphy? Come again? I had to make sure I didn't accidentally pick up a second card, but I hadn't - the back was simply misprinted. 

This Winfield card is even worse: 

Not only was the wrong player featured on the back, but the entire reverse was printed upside down. This was something I'd never seen before. I wonder if it's worth anything. 

That'll do it for today. Let me know in the comments which error card is your favorite. Thanks for reading! 

The Most Prized Item In My Collection

The title of this post is a pretty hefty claim, but after seeing the item, I hope everyone can see why I appreciate it so much. 

A Stan Musial autograph! I got this several years ago with some money I received for my birthday, and could not have been happier when I saw it selling, of all places, on Amazon. 

Here's a closer look at the autograph: 

The seller actually had several of these on his site, and I compared the different images he uploaded in hopes of finding a slight discrepancy in the signatures (whereas if every autograph looked exactly the same, they would more likely be printed). Luckily, I found just such a discrepancy and purchased the item, but I took a picture of the certificate of authenticity anyway, mostly because I was excited: 

Stan Musial may be my favorite baseball player of all time. Originally a pitcher, "Stan the Man" was converted to an outfielder in the minors and made his MLB debut in 1941, collecting two hits as a twenty-year old. Even as a rookie his veteran teammates commented on his experienced approach at the plate, which led to a .331 lifetime batting average, 3,630 hits, 475 home runs, seven Batting Titles, and three MVP Awards. In September of 1963, 22 years after his debut, 42-year-old Musial finished his career just as it started - with a pair of hits. He was elected to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 1969.

Fun fact about Musial: he homered in his first at bat after the birth of his first grandchild. 

I think that'll do for today. Thanks to all for reading, and I hope you found the most prized item in my collection to be worth the hype. 

Two Last HOF Autographs, Before the Big One...

I know I'm a day late, but happy Independence Day! Last night, I went to a baseball game and added significantly to my collection, which will be updated shortly. However, as promised, I will continue to show my Hall of Fame autographs, of which I have two more before revealing my white whale. 

Lou Boudreau was an American League shortstop from 1938 through 1952, mostly with the Cleveland Indians. In 1942, at only 24 years old, he became the youngest full-time player-manager in MLB history. In 1948, Boudreau was the league MVP with a .355 average, 18 homers, and 106 RBI's and also piloted the Indians to their most recent World Series title. 

Irvin was a premier Negro League player in his day before joining the New York Giants in 1949. In 1951, he led the NL with 121 RBI's and batted .458 in the World Series. Two years later, he batted a career-best .329 and drove in 97 runs. Irvin finished playing in 1956 and was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Negro League committee in 1973. 

I picked up both these autographs from a local antique store, the same vendor who sold me the Joe Sewell autograph. The antique shop is right down the street from my card store, making for some very nice summer days. 

That will wrap up this post, which is a prelude to perhaps the most prized item in my collection. Be sure to catch that post, and thank you all for reading! 

Joe Sewell Autograph

Joe Sewell is one of my favorite players in baseball's long history. A lifetime .312 hitter who played excellent defense at shortstop, he is best known as the hardest batter ever to strike out, fanning only 114 times in 8,333 career plate appearances. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977. 

About a year ago, I found myself in a nearby antique shop which had a ton of baseball memorabilia. Among the items selling was a Joe Sewell autograph, which I just had to pick up: 

And if there are any doubts about its authenticity, let me clear them up for you: 

Funny, being a very ignorant collector, I don't exactly know what he signed; all I care about is the picture and the autograph. Whatever the case may be, the back seems to have skipped about 45 years of Yankee history. 

Fun fact about Sewell: only two pitchers ever struck him out twice in a game. The first was a rookie named Cy Warmoth, who accomplished the feat on May 13, 1923. Warmoth, however, was not a strikeout machine, tallying only 54 in his career to go with a 3.8 K/9 ratio. The other pitcher to fan him twice in a game was just as obscure: his name was Pat Caraway, and he did it on May 26, 1930. Caraway had a career K/9 rate of just 2.8, and Sewell only struck out three times in the entire 1930 season. Why Caraway got the best of Sewell that day, nobody quite knows for sure.