Blow Out the Candles -- June 30

Miracle Met Ron Swoboda is celebrating his 67th birthday today.

1967 Topps #264

 2004 Topps All Time Fan Favorites #FFA-RSW

May 6, 1968

Ron made a diving catch in the ninth inning on a line drive by Brooks Robinson in Game 4 of the 1969 World series.  The catch kept the Orioles from doing more than tie the game at 1-1.  The Mets went on to win the game in the bottom of the 10th.  Swoboda also drove in the winning run in the Game 5 clincher.

Blow Out the Candles -- June 29

Today would have been Harmon Killebrew's 75th birthday.  Sadly for all baseball fans he passed away last month.

In Killer's honor here are his first and last Topps cards.

1955 Topps #124

1975 Topps #640

Aviator and writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery was born in Lyon, France on this date in 1900.

 Exupery is best known for his novella, Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince).

"Here is my secret. It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

"Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them."

"Then you shall judge yourself," the king answered. "that is the most difficult thing of all. It is much more difficult to judge oneself than to judge others. If you succeed in judging yourself rightly, then you are indeed a man of true wisdom."

Wind, Sand and Star's chronicles Saint-Exupery's experiences as a flyer in the Sahara and Andes.  His 1935 crash in the Sahara, shared here, also inspired him to write "The Little Prince". 

Autographed Baseball Cards A-Z

When I got back into collecting five or so years ago one of the things that excited me was the availability of autographed cards.  Perhaps I went a little overboard but I think I picked up some nice cards.  This will be an A-Z series of posts with varying numbers of cards.

 2003 UD Yankee Signature Series #PN-CA

What can I say.  If you've read this blog you know I'm a Callison fan from childhood.  I do wish this pictured Johnny as a Phillie but it is on-card.

 2001 Topps Reprint#93

 This is from a great set on on-card autos.  I collect the Swingin A's.  Gotta have Campy.

 2004 Topps Signature Editions Originals 69/77

This card looks much better in person. (Anyone else have a scanner with such a narrow field of vision?)  Anyways it's a great card of  "The Candy Man".

Lefty, Lefty, and Lefty.

 2003 Donruss Team Trademarks #TT-32 18/100

 2006 SP Legendary Cuts Place in History #PH-SC 34/99

2005 UD Signature Decades SD-SC

The third card is unnumbered but is my favorite of the three, on card, picturing a young Steve with the Cards.

Probably due to his issues with the media, Steve Carlton seems if possible, to be underrated when it comes to remembering the all-time great pitchers.  Am I wrong?

I'm Back -- A Few One Hundred Year Old Cards

This is my first post in almost three weeks.  My wife and I began boxing up our many, many, many things back in March, moved at the end of May and are still in the process of unboxing our stuff.  Moving sucks!  It took me until a couple of days ago to set up a place for my cards and get them out.  If you're still following, thanks.

Here are the last three cards I picked up before the move but never got a chance to post.  Both series of cards, T70 Light Houses and T30 Arctic, were issued in 1911.