I’ve been up and down on ManuPatches over the years.
Some of them are kind of neat for player collectors, while others are just a nuisance. I mean did we really need ManuPatches of the Rookie Card Logo? Ugh.
But I think I found one that I actually really, really like:
I pulled this from a blaster of 2012 Topps Olympic Team & Olympic Hopefuls on Monday. They’re not super tough to pull and are not even serial numbered. But these are done PERFECTLY.
Good job, Topps.
I took advantage of the April grading special offered by Beckett Grading Services, which allowed for 20-day service at $7 per vintage card. I sent seven cards that needed to be slabbed in BGS cases for my collection.
A few of these were previously slabbed by other companies, but I just wanted them in BGS cases, which are my favorite. Along the way, I got a few grade bumps (Cy Young), and some nice returns on some raw cards (Ron Santo and Hoyt Wilhelm).
But the grand daddy of them all is the 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth, which previously was encapsulated by SGC. No grade bump there, but it was nice to re-assure me that it was authentic. It might be considered “poor” but it looks a hell of a lot better than a lot of 1s I’ve seen. The issue? Some paper loss on the back bottom corners and a tiny pinhole on the left border.
1965 Topps Steve Carlton rookie card BVG 3
1957 Topps Bill Mazeroski rookie card BVG 5
1961 Topps Ron Santo rookie card BVG 6
1909-1911 T206 Polar Bear Walter Johnson BVG 1
1909-1911 T206 Piedmont Cy Young BVG 2.5
1952 Topps Hoyt Wilhelm rookie card BVG 3
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth rookie card BVG1
1997 Bowman’s Best International Preview Atomic Refractor
For more than a decade and a half, Mariano Rivera has made a living throwing one type of pitch in one inning per game.
And in the end (maybe) all it took was one batting practice session to end his career.
Rivera reportedly suffered a torn ACL Thursday night before the Yankees game against the Royals. The games’ greatest closer was hurt fielding fly balls during batting practice, according to multiple reports.
Yeah, batting practice.
If this is the end of his career — he previously stated that this would be his final season — it’s perhaps the saddest way for things to end. His career would not have ended on the mound, but on the warning track before a game.
Over his 15-plus years of dominance, Rivera has not only collected hundreds of saves, but many fans, including those who enjoyed his baseball cards.
I am a Red Sox fan. I have said this for years. Fans of my team are supposed to hate all things associated with the Yankees. But I cannot say that I hate Mariano Rivera. You cannot hate greatness.
Anyhow, here are my five favorite Mariano Rivera cards to ever pass through my collection:
#5 – 2004 Playoff Honors Prime Signatures
#4 2012 Topps Highlights Target Red
#3 – 1998 Upper Deck International Pride
#2 – 1992 Bowman Rookie Card
#1 — 1997 Bowman’s Best International Preview Atomic Refractor
1990 Action Packed Junior Seau Rookie Card
Back in 2006, the Major League Baseball Player’s Association pushed for the Rookie Card Logo to be placed on player’s first-year cards. The move was met with much criticism, and to this day can be a source of confusion.
Late last year I wrote about Pedro Alvarez and how his 2011 cards were not issued Rookie Card Logos even though they technically were his rookie cards. The post caused one reader to comment on the issue, which I found eye opening and seemingly factual.
This of course now brings me to the newest victim of this charade: Jemile Weeks.
The Oakland Athletics second-sacker has been a fan favorite in the Bay Area and has proven to be one of the games’ most energetic young stars.
He has been featured on cards since 2006, all of which has been issued as USA Baseball releases or various Minor League issues. But now in 2012 Topps has started to issue the first Major League cards of Jemile.
One problem: His cards do not carry the Rookie Card Logo!
???
???
As a hardcore rookie collector, I know what cards are considered his rookies. But to the casual fan and collector, who supposedly is supposed to target rookie cards with emblazoned with that Rookie Card Logo, how are they supposed to know?
I just hope that someone who Google’s “What year is Jemile Weeks’ Rookie Card” finds this post or something similar and figures it out before they just forget about searching for one all together.
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