Sports Fan Talking Baseball

In the spotlight:

The Topps Company was founded in 1938 as Topps Chewing Gum, and in its early years produced a popular penny "Topps Gum" from a factory in Brooklyn, N.Y. After World War II, the company developed Bazooka Bubble Gum, and in 1950, added trading cards to its product line. Baseball cards appeared in 1951. In July 2003, Topps acquired WizKids, LLC a designer and marketer of collectible strategy games. Topps maintains offices in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, and Argentina, in addition to the U.S.

Topps also manufactures the popular lollipop brands marketed as Ring Pops, Push Pops, Baby Bottle Pops and other novelty candy and gum products. Now headquartered in New York City, the company has worldwide distribution, annual net sales for Fiscal 2006 of $293,838,000, and employs over 487 people worldwide.

Baseball cards are one of the most enduring hobbies that can be found in the US. The many different teams and players all add to this rich history of baseball card collecting. While there are many companies that produce baseball cards, baseball cards Topps are considered to be among the finest. The cards which have been produced by this company have set the standard that many of us see as being the best way to get to know more about our favorite players.

The Topps baseball cards were first introduced to the public in 1951. They quickly became a vital part of pop culture, a tradition that continues to this day, and includes football and basketball. At this time the baseball cards produced by Topps were made in a red and black game oriented style. The size of the cards became the standard by which other card companies followed. The current size of the modern baseball cards can be found in a 2 ½ x 3 ½ card size. For the avid collectors there is a wealth of information that can be found on the reverse of these cards.

This is one of the traditions that the baseball cards Topps has never lost. Today as with the past cards the size and information all add up to having a great way to collect and still enjoy the art of collecting these cards. While all of the cards that are produced and released to the public by the Topps Company, these have yet to reach the level of reverence that the card sets of 1952 achieved.

Besides offering single baseball cards to collectors there are sets which can be bought for completion of your baseball collection.


Please paricipate in our current poll.
Hideki Matsui 35(age) 25(hr) 292(ba) 106(rbi) 2(sb) 74(bb) 370(obp) 482(slg)

Johnny Damon 36(age) 16(hr) 288(ba) 76(rbi) 28(sb) 36(bb) 355(obp) 439(slg)

Nick Johnson 31(age) 19(hr) 273(ba) 80(rbi) 6(sb) 102(bb) 402(obp) 447(slg)

*Projected 162 game average

Our Heroes

Our heroes wore wool in August.

Starters went nine.

And sluggers called their shots.

Our heroes spiked.

Pitchers threw inside.

And no one charged the mound.

Our heroes played on grass.

They stole home.

And they played every day.

Our heroes played baseball.

Remember?

Baseball Records that will never be broken:
1. Most wins, lifetime, Cy Young, 511

Young’s record spanned the 1890s and baseball’s modern era. To break this record, a pitcher would need to win 25 games for 20 years…and even then, he comes up a dozen short. Next closest is Walter Johnson with 417 wins.

Some other pitching longevity records that seem certain to withstand the test of time: Jack Chesbro’s 41 wins for the New York Highlanders in 1904, Ed Walsh’s 464 innings pitched for the Chicago White Sox in 1908; Walter Johnson’s 110 shutouts and Nolan Ryan’s 5714 career strikeouts.

Speaking of Nolan Ryan here is a list of some of the MLB records held by Nolan Ryan...

Most strikeouts, lifetime: 5714
Longest service: 27 years
Most no-hitters, career: 7
Most strikeouts, season: 383 (AL, 1973)
Most seasons, 200+ strikeouts: 15
Most seasons, 300+ strikeouts: 6
Most consecutive strikouts, game: 8
Most low-hit (0/1 hit) games, career: 16
Most low-hit (0/1 hit) games, season: 3 (1973)
Most walks, career: 2795
Most seasons leading majors, walks: 8
Most strikouts per 9 innings, season: 11.48
Most strikouts per 9 innings, career: 9.57 (as of 1990)
Fewest hits allowed per 9 innings, season: 5.26 (1972)
Fewest hits allowed per 9 innings, career: 6.41 (as of 1990)
Oldest to pitch a no-hitter: 44 (5/1/91)
Fastest pitch (as listed in the Guiness Book Of World Records): 101.9 MPH

I think that having 7 no-hitters and 9 1 hitters is one of the most incredible records in all sports.

We'll add another record in the next post.

BASEBALL TERMS:

ASSIST Help from a fielder in putting an offensive player out. A fielder is credited with an assist when he throws a baserunner or hitter out at a base.

AT BAT The offensive team’s turn to bat the ball and score. Each player takes a turn at bat until three outs are made. Each Batter’s opportunity at the plate is scored as an "at bat" for him

BACKDOOR SLIDER A pitch that appears to be out of the strike zone, but then breaks over the plate.

Sports Quotes:
"During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 times. I struck out about 1,700 times and walked maybe 1,800 times. You figure a ballplayer will average about 500 at bats a season. That means I played seven years without ever hitting the ball."
-- Mickey Mantle

“I was thinking about making a comeback, until I pulled a muscle vacuuming.”
-Johnny Bench





Fun Fact - In 1877 George Shaffer, Louisville lead the National League in home runs with 3.