2023 Topps Baseball Flagship Design Unveiled

Topps has pulled back the curtain to show collectors what the 2023 Topps Baseball flagship design will be.

This design will be used on a variety of products such as Series 1, Series 2, Update, Chrome, and a whole lot more.

Baseball Authenticated Masterpieces Babe Ruth Ball Unveiled

During the 2018 National Sports Collectors Convention in Cleveland, collectors were introduced to Piece of the Game’s Baseball Authenticated Masterpieces.  Scheduled to be released to the world on July 9, 2019, this is truly a unique product.

Inside every case you will find (10) game-used, autographed, and hand-painted baseballs.  The baseballs were actually used by the player depicted on the ball.  Those baseballs were used for singles, doubles, triples, home runs, strike outs, you name it.  (15) cases have been produced.  That’s a total of (150) baseballs.

Sports artist Monty Sheldon is responsible for the artwork.  He’s been painting on baseballs for over 20 years, and his stuff looks amazing.

At a cost of $36,000 per case, this product is for the ultimate high-end breaker.  With an awesome checklist of players, there really isn’t a bad case.  If I had to pick the luckiest case to open, it would be the one housing the Babe Ruth ball.  Its considered the chase ball to find.

A lot of time and effort went into making this product happen.  It certainly isn’t something that could be quickly pumped out over night.  Good luck.  I hope its a success.

Harrisburg Senators vs. Akron RubberDucks – 7/9/16 – Floyd Life-Sized Bobblehead Unveiled

Its almost been twenty years since I attended my first professional baseball game on City Island.  After the Harrisburg Senators (AA of the Nationals) cancelled their Star Wars-themed bobblehead last year I wasn’t sure if I’d go back.  But given how close I am to this stadium, it doesn’t take much for me to change my mind.

On Saturday, July 9th, the Harrisburg Senators gave out Cliff Floyd bobbleheads to the first 1,500 fans.  This bobblehead is an exact replica of the life-sized bobblehead of him they unveiled before the game.  Back in April they did the same thing with Vladimir Guerrero, and next month the Senators will do it with Bryce Harper.  Guerrero, Floyd, and Harper will round out their inaugural life-sized Bobblehead Hall of Fame class.  This was the first time I had ever seen a life-sized bobblehead in person.  I wasn’t sure where they were going to be located.  It turned out that both of them were right behind my seat near the end of the walkway.  They look really cool.  Cliff Floyd was suppose to be there, but couldn’t make it.  Instead he sent a video message.  I think after the season ends, these giant bobbleheads will be moved to a more permanent location.

This was the first time I had been to a Senators game since First National Bank purchased Metro Bank.  Nothing really changed much other than the signs.  Before grabbing some dinner, I took a look around the gift shop.  I picked up a 25th and 30th anniversary pin, plus a Forever Collectibles Harrisburg Senators retro-bobblehead.  When returning to my seat with chicken fingers, fries, and ice cream, I found a baseball scout in my spot.  He was just looking for a place to sit.  I thought he wanted to sign me to a team.  For a second there I thought I might get a deal like Mickey Moniak.  Once again my athletic talent has been overlooked.

The Senators played the Akron RubberDucks on Saturday and lost 6-3.

RubberDucks pitcher Rob Kaminsky

Kaminsky and catcher Jeremy Lucas

Senators pitcher Phillips Valdez

Leaf Unveils “Shoeless Joe” Jackson Cut Signature

Cut signatures are a great way to connect with those players that have passed on.  Yes there are cut signatures on the market featuring people that are still alive, but thats a topic for another time.  When Leaf released 2010 Sports Icons Update we kinda got an idea of what the card would look like, but it wasn’t anything definite.  It appears that the signature comes from a court document.  Jackson rarely signed his name because he was illiterate.  Most of the stuff you find will be signed by his wife.  But this is the real deal.

I know the shop owner of where one of the redemptions was pulled.  The owner offered $10,000.00 for it, but the customer turned it down.

This is Leaf’s description of the card straight from their Facebook page:

“This is the Joe Jackson 1/1 cut signature card that will be awarded at the 2011 National Sports Collectors Convention. This is Joe’s first ever cut signature card, which we expect to bring $60,000-$100,000 in the marketplace. It is available via a redemption program in 2010 Leaf Sports Icons Update packs.”

FCB has an educational thread about it too.