collecting a player....

[Leon]

Since acquiring my favorite piece in my collection, a Horner- 1903 League Composite, which originated from the Nixie Callahan estate, I have been picking up the few cards I still need, with him as the player. Today I received the W600 of him. It will go along with the few other type cards I have of him, very well. I know there are many board members who do similar collecting....With my focus still being type cards I can collect him and still stay focused....it's a win-win!! Show your favorite player cards if you would like.

[Bester]

Sorry for the small image.

[Brian Van Horn]

I don't have a favorite player, but I have several cards of several players. I'll just add another here of Callahan for Leon:

[rhettyeakley]

Leon, I have actually been toying with the idea recently to start collecting a few players. I have specifically been thinking about both Babe Adams and Ed Abbaticchio. Babe because he was a really good player, and Ed because of his ties to the first pro football team (Latrobe). Still not sure if I will end up doing it or not, but it seems like it may be a fun change of pace.

As some may already know I already collect cards of one player named Roy Castleton. I am currently only 2 known cards shy of having all of his individaul cards (his D311 and his Western Playground).



-Rhett

[Kawika]

I've got a Red Murray thing going.

[Rob D.]

I won't bore folks with posts of Lajoie/Cleveland cards that I've shown before, but I did want to check in and say to anyone who's debating about collecting a player: After you've reached a point where there's not that many cards left of your player that you don't already have and you're able to pick one up, it really is a great feeling.

I've put together a few tougher sets, and until I completed them there was always a gnawing feeling that I needed to cross off the last few from my want list. I haven't found that to be the case collecting Lajoie cards. There are a number I do not have, but, to me, it's a more relaxed chase.

I highly recommend collecting a player.

[paul]

Not vintage, but I collect everything of Tom Seaver. This has led to some interesting type cards, including a 1981 card from Korea. I'll post them in a second. I don't seem to be able to add pictures while editing a thread.

[paul]

Here are a few of the oddball Seavers:

[paul]

Here are a few more:

[jrhatchjr]

I also have the 1909 Obak and T207 but those are fairly common

[Jacklitsch]

I also collect Murray. Here are a few more:

[Mozzie22]

Player collecting...it is the only way to go!

[milkit1]

is it my imagination or is Red sliding BACKWARDS into third?

[leftygrove10]

Please check out my Lefty Grove website at the link below.

http://www.bandkgreen.net/lefty_grove

[Jason Carota]

Originally Posted by jrhatchjr

I also have the 1909 Obak and T207 but those are fairly common

Very nice, jrhatchjr! I had no idea there was a Lewis player collector on the boards.

Player collecting is one of my favorite aspects of the hobby. I have a PC, but it is on the modern side (Adam LaRoche.)

[ChiefBenderForever]

I have been collecting Chief Bender and plan to continue forever. It is a lot of fun, many of these came from fellow board members, thank you very much!

[carrigansghost]

I won't even start.

Ran

[ksfarmboy]

I collect just about any player from Kansas and especially look for them playing in my home state. These are all postcards, thanks for not collecting them Leon.

[pro9]

Isn't there a weird guy on the board who is even more focussed.....as he only collects Larry Corcoran cards from one particular issue (n172).

[GaryPassamonte]

Ross Barnes, of course! Barnes is # 6 in the large image with 2 teams- Boston and the Philadelphia Pearls?

[kkkkandp]

I am quite familiar with the mysterious N172 Corcoran collector, but out of respect for his privacy I won't mention his name.

If he outlives me, I have told him he can have the two N172 Corcorans I have, but he has to come to my funeral to pick them up!

[Bester]

One more. Not a card, but I really like it.

A young Mel Ott with Bernie Wefers http://www.usatf.org/halloffame/TF/s...asp?HOFIDs=234

[refz]

some of my chases

[Scott T]

We have some friends whose son shares a birthday with Larry (John) McLean so every year I get him a different McLean card.

[HRBAKER]

[dwinters]

I am still looking for a Worch Cigar card.......it has to be out there somewhere.

[alanu]

Not sure when or why I started this, but here are a few:

meyers6.jpg

[tedzan]

In the Spring of 1949, I opened one of my first Leaf Gum packs and in it was a Babe Ruth card. As a 10 year old, I was thrilled. Especially
when I flipped it over and read Ruth's bio. That started me reading books about the Yankees. First, about the Highlanders and I still recall
being very impressed with Hal Chase.

When I returned to the BB card hobby in the 1970's, I acquired my first T206 card. It was the Blue portrait card of Chase. As you can see
here, I am still collecting this card. There are 28 known T-brand backs. I need only two more T206's....CYCLE 460 and DRUM. This T206 is
one of the 6 super-prints in the set. It was not printed with the AMERICAN BEAUTY 460 and the UZIT backs. A really rare BROAD LEAF 460
back is possible....however, I have never see it.
Also, I need the T213-2, T214 and T215.







.........PIEDMONT 460 Factory 42..............T213-3..............Sweet Caporal 460 Factory 42





TED Z

[hanksta]

I'm the Cravath guy...he was a Minneapolis player and the obsession started after reading about his history in baseball.

Always looking for a few more to cross off my list.

Thanks to everyone that has been able to help me out; Dr. Darren, Leon, Rhett, Larry F., Val and anyone else.

Still looking for these combos if they exist.
T206: Sweet Caporal, American Beauty, Broadleaf, Drum, Old Mill, Sovereign & Tolstoi
1914 Cracker Jack (have an extra 1915 to trade)
The multiple backs from the M101 series

Would also trade down for the higher grade ones I have.

Sean

[scotty21690]

I do not have a pre-war player collection although I do collect Bobby Doerr, and I have small player collections of Rick Ferrell and Joe Cronin.

[carrigansghost]

Glad to see that I'm not the only one with an addiction.

Rawn

[Big Red Machine]

The two primary players I collect are Bench and Seaver.

[Anthony S.]

I've yet to engage in postmortem stalking of any specific player, but this thread is intriguing. Good stuff.

[bijoem]

For the most part, I try to focus on four players.....
Matty, Wajo, Cobby,

and this guy.....

I don't collect a certain player altough I like Edward Phelps. I have seen a few T205's in this thread I would love to add to my collection though

Amazing Wolter BL back T205 *****

[baseballfan]

pete gillespie, played LF for new york from like 1882-1886. i have these so far always looking for more but some of his others are expensive because of the sets he was in. he's from my home town small town about 10,000 people now bigger during the coal age. Carbondale actually had the LF from the other NY team at that time as well, pretty cool to think that both LF for the NY teams came froma small coal town even if it was the 1880's

[Brian Van Horn]

I don't collect specific players, but I have several cards of several players including Hall of Famers. I chose Sisler because he usually (not always) had distinctive poses more so than other players:

[tedzan]

Early 20th Century favorite............






..........Piedmont 460 Factory 42.................T213..................Sweet Cap 460 Factory 42




Post WWII favorite............


My 1st Mantle....upon opening a 1952 Topps 5 cent pack in the Fall of '52



Many Mantle's in between......and, my last Mantle (rare dark blue printing)





TED Z

[pete zouras]

[FrankWakefield]

I have a Sweet Caporal pin somewhere, and a few more white border cards that have been gathered since this was taken.

And Ted, I'll dig out the box that has the answer to your American Beauty question in a day or so...

[JamesGallo]

I have several players sets going, but are furthest along on my Abe Attell (boxing) set. Also I have a large number of Ray Schalk cards, but I haven't sat down and made a list of what I need. Seeing as he is in all those 1917 and early 20s sets there are plenty of back variations I don't have but as others have mentioned he has a few differnt images and his cards are pretty available.

I do agree that once you get to the last few cards finding one you don't have is a really good feeling, winning the card is a better feeling and putting it with all it's friends, well that is priceless :-)

James G

[Jerry G]

I also have thought about starting a collection based on Ed Abbaticchico, but for a different reason. He is considered to be the first Italian-American to play major league baseball. That's him on my avitar.

[ethicsprof]

great idea for a thread.
many moons ago i wondered which players active during the T206 era were not pictured on a T206 and found myself picking up a number via the Fatima Team cards who,thankfully, were still playing around 1913.
After getting Lapp via the Fatima team, i kept looking for him and recently purchased a gorgeous T5 from Rhett Y.(thanks again!) and a mighty fine
T222 from Jim Rogers(thanks again!).
the last two are now at the framer and the first one is already on the wall.
and i'm still looking for another Lapp with that big fat catcher's mitt.

best,

barry

[packs]

Just curious about some of you guys who collect the more common players (Red Murray, Harry Wolter, etc) what got you into that particular player? I love it I'm just wondering what drew you to them.

[Kawika]

Packs: In addition to Red Murray there are a few other journeymen players I collect, particularly Tommy Leach and Buck Herzog, and maybe Merkle and Tesreau, too. There's no real hard reason why those players appeal to me. It usually starts with one card that has a pose I really like and then I start picking up other cards, sometimes with the same pose especially with Murray and sometimes not, and it goes from there. These are the cards that started me off on each guy: Mack Truck Murray, Leach & psychedelic spumoni sky, Herzog about to Hoover a grounder. I also have a middlin' Christy Mathewson thing going.

[bijoem]

Originally Posted by Kawika

I also have a middlin' Christy Mathewson thing going.

middlin'?

you are too modest.

I'd call it superb.

[sbfinley]

I don't have any scans at the moment but the one player collection I have amassed revolves around 1930's Detroit Tiger's pitcher Tommy Bridges.

Bridges is from my hometown, tiny Gordonsville, Tn. No traffic lights, No Wal-Mart. The only grocery store is still family owned. Hell, my graduating class was only 60 or so people. It's the type of place where everyone marries their high school sweetheart and gets a job in the local mines, mills, or factories. Most of those that go to college end up coming back to teach in the area. So the idea of someone getting out of there and doing something special always appealed to me.

The most interesting thing about Bridges is that his life played out like a Greek tragedy.

He came from the middle of nowhere and made it to the Majors, getting the great Babe Ruth out on his very first pitch. He became the Ace of a very good Tigers squad for the majority of the 30's. In five World Series starts he was 4-1 with a 2.34 era. He went the distance in four of those starts and 8 1/3 in the one he didn't finish. He was a six time All-Star, Averaged 17 wins a season from 32-39, graced the cover of Wheaties, and in a nationwide poll he was named the No. 2 sports hero of 1935, behind Notre Dame football player Andy Pilney. Baseball Reference's list of similar pitchers by stats includes Dazzy Vance, Hal Newhouser, Bob Lemon, and Orel Hershiser. Had he won six more games and hit the 200 win plateau I think he would be closer to the Hall especially with the way the Old Timers committee has been voting recently.

But every rising star has to eventually fall. On numerous occasions, including 4 times in a two season span, he took a no-hitter into the ninth but never succeeded. From all accounts Bridges was sober and of sound state of mind until his military service during WW2. He came back an alcoholic and only won two more major league games. He left his wife for another woman and drifted penniless for several years. In a sick twist of fate he finally got his elusive no-no in 1947 while pitching in the PCL. He led the league in ERA that year but after the war the majors wouldn't touch him. For all the talk about what Ted Williams could have accomplished without military service, it pains me to think about what Bridges would have been not only professionally but personally.

edited to add pic only.....D382 w/Trohpy sticker

[Mozzie22]

Originally Posted by packs

Just curious about some of you guys who collect the more common players (Red Murray, Harry Wolter, etc) what got you into that particular player? I love it I'm just wondering what drew you to them.

For me it was as simple as a shared last name. I'm really glad I came across his name years ago. Check out my web site if you want more info.

[Jacklitsch]

"For me it was as simple as a shared last name."

Same here.

I also collect Jim McGuire, Harl Maggert and Shano Collins. It usually starts with one card then evolves after researching the player and looking for other cards.

[ValKehl]

In addition to type cards, I collect Walter Johnson & Sam Rice cards. Here's a few that are not often seen: