Topps Rookie Cup Autographs

yankeesman

Around seven years ago I had the idea to collect all the autographs of catchers who have won the Topps Rookie Cup award on their Topps Rookie Cup cards. Topps didn't put the Cup on the cards at all from 1979 through 1986 and there are a few cards over the years since the first set of them in 1960 that the Cup is simply missing for whatever reason. As I started collecting the catchers I took a look at all the other winners over the years and decided to expand the chase to all the Rookie Cup winner autographs. Most players had a card issued the year after they won the Rookie Cup award but a few didn't. Notably Danny Ainge and Charles Johnson (another mystery of the chase - Johnson was the winner for catcher in the year 1995 but didn't have a Topps card issued in a MLB uniform until 1999 at which time he'd already moved to the Dodgers). Another few over the years have had Cups appear on their cards though Topps doesn't list them as winners of the award - I'm familiar with Jose Tabata (2011 Topps Heritage), Tony Saunders (1998 Topps) and Robby Hammock (2004 Topps). If anyone else has run across others I'd love to hear about them.

As I started collecting I started really appreciating the history of baseball and the Topps Company's part in its growth over the years.

I'm now down to around 20 cards left of all the winners since 1960 on their cards and thought I'd start a post on this board to highlight the collection and track the hopeful progress towards completion.

Who are the 20 you ask? Not the star studded names you might think. Names like Tsuyoshi Shinjo, Kazuhiro Sasaki, Mike Aviles... these are the players that I've searched for over seven years through many Ebay saved searches and websites perusing but have yet to even see an example of them.

picklepete

So why don't you post your want list ?
Never know, we can't offer if we don't have list.. Lol

ringer

What a collection!

yankeesman

@picklepete said:
So why don't you post your want list ?
Never know, we can't offer if we don't have list.. Lol

Thanks. Here's the want list:

1995 Topps Manny Ramirez (currently got on in a consignment in the DR)
2001 Topps Kazuhiro Sasaki
2002 Topps Tsuyoshi Shinjo
2007 Topps Melky Cabrera - took a flier on him TTM not long ago but not hopeful
2008 Topps Chris Young (Diamondbacks)
2009 Topps Mike Aviles
2011 Topps Jaime Garcia
2011 Topps Starlin Castro
2011 Topps Stephen Strasburg
2014 Topps Jose Iglesias
2016 Topps Roberto Osuna (currently got one at a private signing)
2016 Topps Addison Russell
2017 Topps Trea Turner (have a Chrome but need a regular base Topps)
2017 Topps Kenta Maeda
2017 Topps Corey Seager (have a Chrome but need a regular base Topps)
2019 Topps Shohei Ohtani
2020 Topps Pete Alonso
2020 Topps Keston Hiura
2020 Topps Victor Robles
2021 Topps Jake Cronenworth
2021 Topps Kyle Lewis (have the Opening Day but need the base)
2021 Topps Kwang Hyun Kim

DBesse27

Nathan, you know I love this project! I was just trying to explain it to my wife tonight, and then I log into CU and see you started this thread. Amazing stuff!

yankeesman

Picked up a couple this week. The Pete Alonso is the second of the "buyback" Archives original Rookie Cup cards I've bought. The other was a Todd Helton.

I have also started collecting the Heritage Rookie Cup autos as well. Not as far along with those as the base cards but eventually I'd like to complete both. The Bohm is from the signing at the Philly Show recently.

yankeesman

Here's some of the last few weeks in the chase.

TTM came back after almost 2 years! Upgrades by Ebay pickup

From a recent private signing

Ebay Pickup

Ebay Pickup

Yet another Ebay pickup

From the newest crop Topps Now version

Ebay pickup

Thanks for looking!

maddux69

Love it! Keep em coming!

yankeesman

Here's a super toughie. Ebay pickup from a very difficult signer. Still on the lookout for the elusive base auto on this one.

yankeesman

A couple more Ebay pickups this week from the Heritage side.

yankeesman

Some more Heritage pickups from Ebay this week.

yankeesman

Got my first one of the newest winners in this week. I love the action shot on this card.

frankhardy

Love the project! You have some very, very tough ones! Thurman Munson? Yowzers!

yankeesman

Thanks Shane! I came home from the Braves game last night to find this package in the mail. During the winter, Isaias Franco on SCN organized a consignment for some Dominican players and was fortunate for him to get Manny and this sweet Gary Sanchez Heritage card signed.

yankeesman

Picked up a few Heritage additions this week.

maddux69

Looking good!

Richeysd1976

Very nice collection

yankeesman

Thanks for the kind words all. This has been a blast of a project and has been a really focused way to collect. A few more pickups this week on the Heritage front. The Mazara was a consignment in person auto and the others Ebay pickups. The Naquin, as a few over the years, doesn't have the Cup but it's his Rookie Cup card.

NGS428

Interesting project! Keep it up!

yankeesman

It's getting tougher and tougher on the original base autos so picking up a new one is a real thrill these days. I got this one from a consignment with a local grapher in the DC area. Both he and I were shocked he was able to get it done. Robles is a notoriously tough signer.

frankhardy

Believe me.... I know how it is when you have a non star or no super star player that is a super tough signer when you have been looking for a long time.

Congrats on the project! Kepe them coming!

yankeesman

It was a good week for the new group.

yankeesman

I was able to get these in person today. Mr. Jennings is a solid guy.

bobbybakeriv

Terrific!!!!!!!

frankhardy

Nice haul!

yankeesman

I got this one in the mail today from a consignment in Cooperstown last weekend. I had three folks from SCN trying to get Chris Young for me and had one who was able to get it done. Been looking for this one for a long while. As I've told folks before it's amazing the cards you never see that make the search so enjoyable. This is the first Chris Young signed 2008 Rookie Cup card I've seen in the seven years of going after these.

yankeesman

Nice mail day today.

yankeesman

Another of the "new crop".

yankeesman

Got a couple of Heritage adds in this week. The Grichuk care of the Rockies Foundation and the Robles an in person consignment from a DC grapher.

yankeesman

I was able to find another Rookie Cup from the Archives release (and can't get more recent for an Archive than this one) and another return from the Rockies Foundation.

yankeesman

Picked up a Melky Cabrera off Ebay this week but the big add of the week was a custom made by board member Jeffrey (alifaxwa2). Loving the Shinjo! It turned out great!!

yankeesman

Here's a few additions from recent private signings.

yankeesman

The first back of many private signings I have out right now.

yankeesman

This beauty came in today.

yankeesman

Another one bites the dust. From a recent private signing. The first one (batting) is the base Rookie Cup card and the second is a team card issued with the Rookie Cup logo.

This gets me down to 16 total Rookie Cup autos needed going back to 1960 before the new 2023 cards get released. Got several out for consignment at Spring Training for this year so hoping to pair that down.

lahmejoon

Wow, awesome project!!

yankeesman

Got these two back from a recent signing. They replace the certified versions I had of each. When I get a chance to pick up a personally for me signed one I'll always try and update. I guess I'm OCD that way but got a feeling that may be part of the collector gene.

Thanks for looking!!

frankhardy

I take it that you are on SCN and participate in private signings posted there? I have started doing that. Within the last 12 months I have participated in 9 private signings including Albert Pujols, Mark McGwire, Ozzie Smith, and a few more.

Love your progress!

yankeesman

@frankhardy said:
I take it that you are on SCN and participate in private signings posted there? I have started doing that. Within the last 12 months I have participated in 9 private signings including Albert Pujols, Mark McGwire, Ozzie Smith, and a few more.

Love your progress!

Thanks Shane! Yes a lot of my cards have been through SCN. Been doing private signings through there for around 8 years. Great group of folks.

yankeesman

Another one down. On a bit of a hot streak the last few weeks. A consignment from the Cardinals FanFest.

yankeesman

I've had this card "surrounded" for a long time. The original chase has and will always be the original base Topps card for each Rookie Cup winner. For Addison Russell, I first was able to pick up the Opening Day version of his card, then the Chrome but was never able to find the original base. I've had a couple of consignments for him in the Mexican leagues but they were never able to get him for me. There was a recent private signing with Addison and was able to get the base Topps and Heritage card signed finally. His is also one of a few over the years that inexplicably doesn't have the Rookie Cup Trophy on the card.

frankhardy

That Carlson card is a Topps Cardinals auto I don't have. My Topps Cardinals Autograph Collection stops at 2019....or at least, I haven't pursued past 2019.

yankeesman

A nice Dee Gordon Heritage was this week's only add.

yankeesman

These kind of moments are what has made this so fun for me. I sent out a TTM request almost a year ago c/o the Cubs that I honestly had forgotten about. I sent a letter explaining the chase for the Rookie Cup autographs and got these back yesterday. I've gotten a few current players TTM (very few) but the ones I do are prized to be sure.

yankeesman

First of the new crop in the house!

yankeesman

Couple more of the latest Cup winners came in today plus a World Series winner Heritage card.

DBesse27

Awesome, those are 3 studs, especially Harris!

JolleyWrencher

So many interesting collections. Seems like each unique collection could qualify as a Guinness Book of World Record. You obviously win in the 🏆 autograph cards.

Keep up the collection and hopefully it lives long into the future.

yankeesman

Thanks! Yeah I'm really digging the photo they used on the base Harris rookie. One of my favorite Rookie Cup cards of all time.

yankeesman

Another of the new batch from ebay. I really think Topps nailed it with some of the action photography this year.

liquidating_my_youth

That Munson is special.