Spring Training !!!!!!

YESSSSS !!!!!

All is right with the world once again;  Baseball's Spring Training is now in full swing.
The smell of the fresh mowed grass.  The gentle warm breeze blowing through your hair.
The crack of the bat, thump of the ball into the glove.  The sights and sounds of BASEBALL
are back.  (Than I turn and gaze out the window; 2 ft of snow, Temp at 15 with windchill making
it feel like -5.  More snow coming this weekend. AGGGGHHH!!!)

Counting down the days till April, hoping not to have to wear our snowmobile suits to Target Field
to watch a game.

Here is to the start of a New Season, and may your team have a great year.
(I will be pulling for the Twins and Royals, not to be bottom dwellers) (Also a closet Yankee fan)ssshhh!

Let me know your favorite team, and how you think they will do.
Become a follower, and email your address and you could get a PWE !!

PLAY BALL!!!!!!!!

Thanks for Reading and

KEEP ON COLLECTING

Jeff

The Heart and Soul of my Collection

  Out of all the subsets put out by Topps over the years, the All-Star Rookie Trophy Card set is the heart and soul of my collection.  Since 1959, Topps has selected players for their annual All-Star Rookie Team.  The team usually consists of a player from every position, along with 3 pitchers (right hander, left hander, and reliever).  With each card set  the following year, Topps would put a trophy symbol on that players card. 
  However, in 1974 and again in 1979 thru 1986, the trophy cup was left off.  During those years, a list of All-Star Rookies were still selected by Topps.  There were also some other deletions in other years in which there was a selection made, but Topps did not make any indication on the card.  This made for a very interesting collection for me.  Not only getting the cards with the trophy, but also making my set more complete by getting those players cards with out the trophy.

NOTABLE NAMES !

  As of 2012, this sub set contains 53 rookie cards (one since 1989), 16 Hall Of Famers (with future ones coming up), and out of those, 5 are their rookie cards.

  Here are a few names :  1960 Willie McCovey, 1963 Pete Rose, 1969 Johnny Bench, and 1982 and 1983 Cal Ripken (his cards did not have the trophy on them, and so far is the only player who made the list twice).

2005 Topps Rookie Cup card set     

  I was not happy when this set came out (at first), because I felt it would take away from the sub set in the regular issued set.  I was glad they did not continue it.  However; it did provide cards of some players that did not have the trophy on their card originally.  (Ripken, Ozzie Smith, Molitor, Strawberry, etc).

Than came the 50th Anniversary inserts in 2008.  

  The only cards, out of the above sets that I put in my collection are the cards of players who originally did not have the trophy on it.  By no means are they considered, to me, as part of the original collected sub set.

  Than, in 2010 and 2012, Topps made a few short prints of the trophy cards.  UGH !!  (still looking to get the 2010 Omir Santos without breaking the bank)

  Topps has started to include the trophy in their Heritage Set as well.  (I do collect those)

They also had them on some in the Lineage Set , Opening Day, and Team sets.  I only collect certain ones from those.

I have all the cards that have come out with the trophy on them since 1960.  Still missing a few from the 80's that did not have the trophy on it.  I will be putting those on my want list soon.  

  I would like to thank Baseball Reference for helping provide the complete list of players for each year.

It made it helpful on finding those cards without the trophy on them.

Thanks for reading and

KEEP ON COLLECTING !!

Jeff