Card of the Day: Matt Ryan 2008 Topps Mayo #276

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Card of the Day: James Harrison 2008 Topps Mayo #119

Card of the Day: Norman Rockwell ’08 Topps Mayo Cut Auto

Back From Baltimore!

Yesterday I took a trip down to Baltimore to scope things out for this year’s National.  While I was there I visited the Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards and the Babe Ruth Birthplace & Museum too.

The Baltimore Convention Center takes up three city blocks and looks really nice.  I think there was a pet industry trade show going on yesterday because they had banners all over the place.  But overall I think it will be a nice place to have The National in August.  I didn’t have trouble at all finding a parking space.  In August we plan to park the car at the hotel and walk to the Convention Center each day.  I’m staying at the Hampton Inn at Camden Yards, which is right across from the stadium.

The Sports Legends Museum sits right next to Camden Yards.  It was once an old train station and was the site of an assassination plot against Abraham Lincoln.  Inside you can sit on the exact bench Lincoln sat on while he was on his way to Washington D.C.  There are three floors of historical artifacts that were really great to learn about.  After the museum, I made my way over to Babe Ruth’s birthplace.  Check out some of the photos.  Click on each to enlarge.

1895 Baltimore Championship Banner

1983 World Series Trophy

Babe Ruth has been traded!  On the bottom right-hand side is the transfer order.

Championship pins and buttons – extremely old

1895 Wilbert Robinson Mayo’s Cut Plug #33

The biggest ’87 Donruss card I’ve ever seen!

Kimono presented to Babe Ruth while over in Japan and a Jimmie Foxx All-American jersey.

Frank “Home Run” Baker Yankees sweater

Samari helmet presented to the Orioles while playing in Japan

Colts General Manager Don Kellet made his famous $0.85 phone call and was able to obtain Johnny Unitas from the Steelers using this phone.  For $0.85 he got two Championships.

Unitas’s many awards

Johnny Unitas’s uniform

Babe Ruth statue outside of Camden Yards

Cal Ripken, Jr’s retired number

Outside the Sports Legends Museum you’ll find these baseballs painted on the sidewalk.  If you follow them you should end up at Ruth’s birthplace.

Look!  I made it!  The birthplace of the greatest baseball player of all time – Babe Ruth.  Unfortunately, I was unable to go inside because its not wheelchair accessible.  Being a historic building, I guess it doesn’t have to be.  I wonder how Ruth would feel about that?  The sign out front said “See Ruth’s Rookie Card”.

Card of the Day: George Washington ’09 Topps Mayo Celebrated Citizens Mini

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Card of the Day: Matthew Stafford ’09 Topps Mayo #187

If I had the choice of opening a box of Allen & Ginter or Mayo, I’d have to go with the Mayo.  I like the overall design better, and it doesn’t contain a lot of those gimmicks you find in A&G.  Congrats to Matthew Stafford on having a great game over the weekend.  His ’09 Topps Mayo card is one of my favorite base rookies.