Innholdsfortegnelse for August 15, 2024 i Sports Collectors Digest

LEADING OFF Aaron Judge is on pace for another historic, record-breaking season. At the All-Star break, Judge led Major League Baseball with 34 home runs and 85 RBI. That’s one more home run than he had at that point in 2022, when he set an American League record with 62 round-trippers. That’s also one more homer than Roger Maris had at the All-Star break in 1961, when he set the previous record with 61 home runs. Judge has already had two historic seasons, blasting 52 home runs in his Rookie of the Year season in 2017, and slugging a record 62 in his MVP season in 2022. Those numbers put Judge in elite company, comparing favorably to such Yankee legends as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, and Joe DiMaggio.…

THE HOBBY IS THE PEOPLE Steve Wiegand is a veteran author of 10 books, but none pertaining to sports—until recently. He never envisioned writing about little-known, 10-year veteran utility player Danny O'Connell. While that might not sound enticing initially, as someone who has read an advanced copy, he brilliantly intertwined 1950s baseball, baseball cards, and great behind-the-scenes stories. The book is called “The Uncommon Life of Danny O'Connell: A Tale of Baseball Cards, Average Players and the True Value of America's Game.” While I'm not a voracious reader, I cruised through the 350-page book in about a week and loved how he weaved 1950s baseball, Americana, never before heard stories, baseball cards, and yes, the focus of the book—multisport talent Danny O'Connell. Whether you know of him or not, O'Connell’s…

FANATICS FEST NYC It was a recent Tuesday afternoon in New York as a crowd packed into Bleecker Trading, a card shop in the city’s trendy West Village neighborhood. Bleecker Trading has been bustling with activity ever since it opened its New York storefront in 2020. The shop—divided into three sections—is part store (where cards are sold), “social club” (where trade nights are held), and also features a backyard (for parties and a monthly collectables show). “It’s always busy in here,” said store manager Mike Kowpak. “It’s New York!” Bleecker Trading is just one of many card and memorabilia shops that have popped up across New York, the largest metro area in the country that includes the suburbs north and east of the city, New Jersey and Connecticut. A bustling…

The country was suffering through an oil crisis. The Watergate scandal brought down President Richard Nixon. Barbra Streisand sang, “The Way We Were,” and the Oakland A’s won the World Series, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. It was also a year when Topps' flagship baseball set forever changed the card landscape. With its classic design, key rookies and plenty of Hall of Famers, this set is considered one of the best from the 1970s and continues to be very collectable 50 years later. The set was made up of 660 base cards. It also marked the first time Topps released their flagship set all at once and not through several series. Topps’ decision to modify the release schedule was to prevent their baseball product from competing with…

Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates has been the most riveting story in Major League Baseball in 2024, making an unreal ascent in the blink of an eye. He went from being the overall No. 1 MLB draft pick in July 2023 to starting the 2024 All-Star game barely a year later. And why not? His first full year as a professional has been otherworldly. In Triple-A ball earlier this year, he made seven starts and struck out 45 in 27 innings, pitching to a 1.32 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. In the majors, he’s been just as good, posting a 6-0 record in 11 starts and striking out 89 in 66 innings. His ERA and WHIP through the All-Star break were minuscule: 1.90 and 0.92. Collectors are sold. In recent…

NOTE: If you have a show listing, follow the style below and send to jowens@aimmedia.com. ALABAMA August 24 AL, Huntsville. The Flip Sports Card & Collectibles Trade Show, Von Braun Center, 700 Monroe St. SW, Huntsville, AL 35801. SH: 10am-5pm. T: 200+ ($80-95). A: $7 Contact: Daniel TheFlipTradeShow@Gmail.com ARIZONA Sept 7 AZ, Tempe (Phoenix). Collectibles on College — Tempe Monthly, University Presbertyrian Church, 139 E. Alameda Dr., Tempe, AZ 85281. SH: 10am-3pm. T: 55 ($50-65). A: Free. Contact: Cole CollectiblesonCollege@gmail.com Sept 8 AZ, Sun City West. Diamond in the Ruff Sports Card & Collectibles Show, SCW Foundation Webb/Powell Rooms, 14465 W. RH Johnson Blvd., Sun City West, Arizona 85373 SH: 1-6pm. T: 55 ($35; 2/$65; 3/$90). A: Free; free raffle prizes. Contact: Joey 602-908-1597; psastud1976@yahoo.com CALIFORNIA Aug 31-Sept 1 CA,…