Collecting Cleveland Indians Topps team sets from 1952-present, as well as post-war minor and major league autographs.
From the Collection: Jason Hart, 1b, Oakland Athletics … Back in 2000, Oakland Athletics top prospect Jason Hart appeared to be the heir apparent to Jason Giambi. Hart wrecked AA pitchers in 2000, hitting 30 HR with a .401 OBP. Assuming he could put up similar numbers in 2001[…]
From the Collection: Tyler Nanquin, p, Cleveland Guardians … Outfielder Tyler Nanquin never had a chance with Cleveland as a position player. It’s not his fault. The team has some sort of pox that simply won’t allow the organization to consistently develop quality outfielders. Over the last decade or so,[…]
From the Collection: Warren Spahn, sp, Atlanta Braves … Hall of Fame pitcher Warren Spahn. Did you know that he is the only Major League Baseball player to receive a battlefield promotion during World War II? Unlike many MLB players, Spahn spent a considerable amount of time on the front[…]
Hot List History: 1995 Bowman’s Best Vladimir Guerrero #2 … In my growing campaign to effectively battle my burgeoning mid-life crisis, I have been slowly working my way through getting some of the more popular cards that I could not afford when I was a young card collector. Vladimir Guerrero‘s[…]
David Fry. Wait, excuse me: All-Star David Fry. … In November 2021, Cleveland traded J.C. Mejia to the Milwaukee Brewers for a player to be named later. That following March, it was announced that 26-year-old catcher and utility player David Fry was that player. The former seventh-round pick had yet[…]
Roman Martin, a sophomore infielder for UCLA baseball, had a fantastic 2025 season. He ended the season with a .450 OBP and .952 OPS, with nine home runs over 237 at-bats. And he is not slowing down in the Cape Cod League, with a .364/.462/.916 line. Before coming to[…]
New Arrival: 1996 Best 1st Round Picks #FR8 Jake Westbrook … One of my side collections is tracking down the first minor league card of notable — and occasionally not-so-notable — Cleveland players. Most of the time, it’s easy and fun. But there are occasional challenges. The 1984 Spokane Indians[…]
From the Field: Mark Kotsay, of, Oakland Athletics … I liked outfielder Mark Kotsay when he was a player. My memory of him was that he was a solid centerfielder with pop and who could steal bases. Looking at his career stats, he is not quite the player that I[…]
New Arrival: Juan Gonzalez, of, Cleveland Guardians … Juan Gonzalez had a good big league career. But when I think of Juan Gone, I think about a single at-bat to open the 2005 season. … If you were a Cleveland fan back in 2005, chances are you were confused[…]
New Arrival: Bob Purkey, p, Cincinnati Reds … Bob Purkey was an outstanding pitcher in the early 1960s for the Pirates and Reds. From 1957 to 1962, Purkey was one of the best pitchers in the league, winning 97 games with a 111 ERA+. In 1961, he was part of[…]