Collecting Cleveland Indians Topps team sets from 1952-present, as well as post-war minor and major league autographs.
From the Collection: Joe Mauer, c, Minnesota Twins … I enjoy autographs in ballpoint pen on paper items such as scratch paper and book pages. They are not as valuable as certified autographs, but they feel personal and authentic…which I think counts for something. They also tend to look good[…]
Baseball what-ifs are always fun. Here is one. What would have happened if Oakland hadn’t traded away pitcher Aaron Harang in 2003 for a half-season of outfielder José Guillén? … Assuming he developed on the same trajectory and really came into his own by 2005-2006, he would have likely been[…]
From the Collection: Alex White, sp, Cleveland Guardians … Trading for prospects is always risky. Trading with Colorado for pitchers is also risky. Be careful with both. … Alex White was a very talented pitcher for the University of North Carolina when he was taken with the #15 overall pick[…]
From the Collection: Vinny Pestano, p, Cleveland Guardians … Building a good bullpen is never easy. Getting at least five pitchers to all coalesce into a dependable unit of arms that can be called in at irregular intervals, often in stress moments, to carry a game over the line is[…]
From the Collection: Jeff Mathis, c, Los Angeles Angels … If your child has decided that professional baseball is their vocation of choice, it would behoove you, especially if your kid is not embiggend with natural, top-flight baseball skills, to sit down and explore ways to hone the talents that[…]
From the Collection: Seth Beer, of, Philadelphia Phillies … Do you recall the hype surrounding Seth Beer during his college years? He was a big deal. His freshman season at Clemson was…bonkers. He ended his first season of college ball with a .369/.353/.700 line with 18 HR. He was the[…]
New Arrival: Ed Klieman, p, Cleveland Guardians … Cleveland last won a World Series in 1948. They had a well-rounded team, including a fantastic bullpen. Ed Klieman was one of the best of that group. … In 1943, Ed Klieman went 23-11 with a 2.84 ERA with Cleveland’s International League[…]
Russ Christopher was another member of the Cleveland bullpen who helped propel the team to its last World Series Championship in 1948. He was fantastic that year, pitching 59 innings with a 141 ERA+ and earning a league-leading 17 saves. I was excited to add this autograph to my[…]
From the Collection: Nathan Lukes, of, Toronto Blue Jays … It only took half the season, but I finally figured out why the Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Nathan Lukes sounded so familiar. It was because he was in the Cleveland organization for a while. In fact, he is one of[…]
From the Collection: 1998 Topps Stadium Club Co-Signer Autograph #CS34 Randy Johnson and Jaret Wright … Considering the careers these two had, this card might not make a ton of sense. But you had to be there. Jaret Wright was a big deal following his 1997 rookie season, where he[…]