I saved this from an auction a few years ago. I like his definition, but probably can't afford to use it (and it's a lot of work)!!
Wow, did he put a lot of work into this! Sorry the image came across so small. It shows Grover C Alexander. He had 1913 WG5,6 with a 95 score and the 14CJ with a 92. So the WG5 or WG6 were his best RC.
THE SERGIO DELGADO CARD COLLECTION
The "Best Rookie Card" System
Here are the results of a truly incredible, once-in-a-lifetime undertaking: the construction of a gallery of rare, high-quality rookie cards, one for each member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. The quest applied not only to players, but also to managers, umpires, executives, pioneers, Negro Leaguers, Cuban Leaguers -- any person who has achieved enshrinement, and some who might in the future. The following pages reveal the fruits of this almost impossibly ambitious collecting goal, a project conceived and advanced by noted hobbyist Sergio Delgado of Miami, Florida. Upon rediscovering his childhood passion for cards just a few years ago, Delgado applied a combination of sound business methodology, a relentless, driven focus, and unbridled collecting enthusiasm to the furtherance of the project.
When he began a serious, preliminary investigation of this exciting mission, Delgado -- an extremely successful real estate professional -- soon encountered some unforeseen obstacles in identifying true "rookie" collectibles. In general, for players who debuted in the years following World War II, the "rookie" designation is well-defined and widely accepted. Traditionally, too, post-war athletes' rookie cards are also their most important and desirable portrayals. Ballplayers who took the field prior to the 1940s, however, aren't necessarily subject to the same, common-sense axioms.
Pre-war "rookie" cards simply don't fit neatly into the customary post-war framework of definition. Conventionally recognized post-war cards, typically, are nationally distributed, and uniformly made in terms of physical size, shape, and set configuration. Pre-war keepsakes were, in many instances, regionally or locally distributed. They came in widely different shapes and sizes, and the manner by which they reached the consumer varied immensely.
With typical determination, Delgado still intended to forge ahead, but he felt the need to establish specific criteria for inclusion in the "rookie" pantheon. He enlisted the aid of an associate and specialty dealer, his friend Jorge Marce, to collaborate in answering the "rookie" question, and to provide guidance.
Marce embraced the challenge, and, after much research and deliberation, created the "Best Rookie Card" system. He observed numerous instances in which rookie card collectors disagreed, with respect to what is and what isn't a pre-war rookie card, and he thought, "why not use a rating system? Perhaps, Collector A doesn't think that an oversized card should be a rookie card. Collector B doesn't have a problem with size, but feels hand-cut cards -- separated by the consumer -- cannot be rookies. Collector C thinks the first card, even if its a Minor League piece, should be a rookie, but most collectors don't. There seem to be no two collectors who can agree on the same rules regarding pre-war rookie cards." Marce addressed the dilemma by evaluating pre-war rookie cards in ten pertinent categories, such as size, material, origin, and image. He devised a 100-point scoring structure, and subtracted points when a card did not meet collectors' expectations of importance for a particular category. The results, in terms of "rookie" significance, enabled identification of an individual's "Best Rookie." With a framework for organization thus established, Delgado proceeded to build one of the finest collections of "rookie" cards known to the industry.
Here, then, is a fabulous array of "Best Rookies," gathered together through the diligence of a dedicated collector who acted upon a uniquely crafted rationale that guided his pursuit. This is very likely the only assembly of its kind and scope ever presented at auction, and Mastro Auctions is proud to offer such a fascinating and important line-up of vintage pieces which, in singular fashion, pay tribute to the game's greatest figures.
The special System, created and employed by Sergio Delgado and Jorge Marce to facilitate the process of assembling Mr. Delgado's fabulous collection, applied a unique set of criteria to each collectible considered in the search for the one that holds "Best Rookie Card" status. In the System's computations, points are subtracted from each prospective rookie card's ranking -- on the basis of a predetermined scale -- with the highest-scoring piece earning consideration as "Best Rookie Card." The following worksheet example illuminates the process employed to evaluate material relevant to a particular pre-war Hall of Famer -- the great Grover Cleveland Alexander -- with conclusions cited in terms of the numbers used to rank various items. (A legend explaining the ten category titles is presented at the conclusion of the worksheet.)
"Best Rookie Card" Sample Worksheet
"Best Rookie Card" Categories/Scoring
Note: Points subtracted for each liability consideration are shown below in parentheses ( ).
Material - Made of cardboard (0), made of paper (5), cardboard matchbox w/striker (11), other material (20).
Size - 6-1/2" x 10" or larger (20), 4" x 6" or larger (11), 3" x 4" or larger (5), less than 3" x 4" (0), more than 1-1/4" x 2-1/4" (0), 1-1/4" x 2-1/4" or smaller (5), 1" x 1-3/4" or smaller (11), 3/4" x 1" or smaller (20). Only one side of a card needs to exceed the size example to trigger the higher subtraction: a card measuring 3" x 11" would suffer a deduction of 20.
Role (as Depicted) - player is shown during one of his first 5 years in the majors (0), active player 6 years or more after his major league debut (5), manager/umpire/executive during active years (5), pioneer (5), non-active major leaguer on post-retirement commemorative (11), player shown in minor leagues, active or non-active, or manager (11), or in another sport or profession outside of baseball (20). Cards of Negro Leaguers or players from foreign leagues are treated as major leaguers unless the same player has at least one card from the major leagues; in that case, other items are regarded as minor league cards.
Featured - one person featured on card (0), two-five subjects on card (5), six or more subjects on card (11). "Featured" is defined as a person named on the card, or a person who is an object of focus in the card's intended theme.
Image - photo or artwork has a close resemblance to person(s) featured (0), photo or artwork has some resemblance to person(s) featured, as in certain "action" photos or cartoonish caricatures (5), photo or artwork does not resemble person(s) featured, such as, for example, a distant team photograph where individuals are not identifiable, or in generic art (11).
Identity - name of featured person appears on the front and/or back of card (0), name is not present on card (11), name does not match picture, an error (11).
Type of Dist(ribution) - distributed as a bonus or premium along with purchased goods (0), sold directly for money, individually or in a set (5), purchased with coupons or tabs (5), distributed for advertising or promotional purposes (11), personal cards w/markings, such as some photo postcards, some cabinets, and certain unattributed cdv's (20).
Origin - distributed in the continental U.S. (0), distributed in Canada (5), distributed in Cuba, Puerto Rico, or another country (11).
Set - set has 10 or more cards and 3 or more baseball teams are represented in its content (0), set has 10 or more cards or 3 or more baseball teams are represented in its content (5), set has less than 10 cards and less than 3 baseball teams are represented in its content (11).
Shape/Cut - square or rectangular-shaped card cut by the manufacturer, may have oval corners (0), round, die-cut or "card" of another shape cut by manufacturer (5), a card of any shape, cut by the consumer (11).
Deductions - the sum total of liability points ( ) as compiled through the guidance of the foregoing list.
Sub-Total– resultant figure derived when Total Deductions are subtracted from 100.
Penalty – any cards appearing later (chronologically) than the first card to achieve a Sub-Total score of 90 or more points is penalized: for appearing ˝ a year later (5) and for one year or more (8).
Grand Total – an item’s “final score,” obtained by subtracting Penalty (if applicable) from Sub-Total.
Chart Arrangement Note: Cards are presented in chronological order from the earliest (at the top) to the latest. A card that appears below another must have an equivalent or higher Sub-Total score to be eligible for final ranking. (Items fitting this scenario may have the same Sub-Total score, brought about by dissimilar combinations of deductions. For instance, if a 1914 card and a 1915 card have the same Sub-Total of 95, the 1915 card is only eligible for ranking if its Deduction comes from a different category than the ‘14’s; in other words, they can’t share a Size Deduction as a liability, in common, with the later-issued item remaining eligible.) Only cards that are eligible for final ranking will be seen in the Grand Total column – as shown in the Alexander example, above.
"Best Rookie Card" Hierarchy
Best Rookie Card - a term used to separate the card that scores six points or more higher than the second-highest card: the standout piece. Not every Hall of Famer will have a Best Rookie card. Note: If an individual has a card that reaches the 100-point threshold as a Grand Total (that is, no Deductions or Penalties apply), no later cards are eligible for Best Rookie status.
Rookie Cards - These are the highest-scoring cards that are separated my margins of 5 points or less. In the case of Alexander, there are three Rookie Cards: the 1913 WG5 (95 points), WG6 (95) and 1914 Cracker Jack (92).
Notables - These items score between 6-10 points less than the highest-scoring card. Or, in a case where the Best Rookie Card is extremely rare, the Notable ranking can become more subjective to afford inclusion of cards that rate next-best consideration (even though their evaluations may be more than ten points shy of Best Rookie Card status).