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Collecting and GRADING CARDS of a HOMETOWN HERO.

carkimcarkim Posts: 1,166 ✭✭
in PSA Set Registry Forum
On a recent submission, I sent in a 1982 Topps Baseball Mark Wagner card a scored a PSA 9. The reason for this submission was because Mark is a Hometown guy who made it to the major leagues. This card was graded right next to a Cal Ripken, Jr rookie card that also receive a PSA 9, and for some reason I was more excited about the Wagner card then the Ripken card…HUM!!!

This got me to thinking, (watch out when that happens) does anyone else collect and GRADE cards of their hometown hero? Not a superstar like Ripken (even if he is from your home town), but a player mired in obscurity like Ashtabula’s own Mark Wagner?

Here are some career stats for Mark Wagner.

Mark was a Shortstop who played for the Tigers behind Alan Trammell. He also played with the Texas Rangers. However, his greatest claim to fame came in 1984 while playing with the Oakland A’s. Mark was asked to pitch late in a game. He pitched for 1.2 innings and did not allow an earned run. The headlines in the local newspaper the next day read “Wagner: 0.00 ERA” or something to that effect.


CAREER BATTING STATISTICS
YEAR TEAM BA
1976 DET .261
1977 DET .146
1978 DET .239
1979 DET .274
1980 DET .236
1981 TEX .259
1982 TEX .240
1983 TEX .000
1984 OAK .230


9 Seasons .243 CAREER BATTING AVERAGE


CAREER PITCHING STATISTICS

YEAR TEAM ERA
1984 Oak 0.00


1 Season 0.00 CAREER ERA

Comments

  • dalewdalew Posts: 491
    I like to grade Mel Harder cards, since he lived here in Chardon, Ohio for the latter part of his life. He just died in 2002 and I think at some point he'll probably be placed into the hall of fame by the Veteran's Committee.

    I also like to grade Eric Wedge memorabilia. He shares my last name (no relation), and has just taken over the chores of the Cleveland Indians as Manager. He is the "only" Wedge to have ever played in Major League Baseball.

    I was driving around a couple of weeks ago and Eric Wedge was at the Great Lakes Mall signing autographs and working at the Indians Team Shop. I walked in and asked him for an autograph. He pulled out a 2003 team schedule, and signed it, "To Dale Wedge, Like the Name, Best Wishes, Eric Wedge."

    I'll have that framed.

    Dale
    1st Finest Set - 1981 Baseball Fleer Basic - Retired
    1st Finest Set - 1981 Baseball Fleer Master - Retired
    1st Finest Set - 1955 Baseball Golden Stamps - Cleveland Indians - Retired
    1st Finest Set - Mel Harder Baseball Master - Active
    Mel Harder Showcase Set - Active
    #15 on Current Set Registry - 1972 Topps Baseball - Retired
    #23 on All Time Set Registry - 1972 Topps Baseball - Retired
  • bengineno9bengineno9 Posts: 597
    Dale,
    Eric Wedge played college ball at Wichita State, my hometown.
    And if i remember right the Shockers won the CWS back in 1989.
    I know i have two autograph baseballs with his signature on it.
    Have to check if i got any college baseball cards of him. Maybe i could help you out.

    Ben


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  • KING KELLOGGKING KELLOGG Posts: 1,158 ✭✭✭
    Carkim...


    Carlos,

    We have a few players that hail from around Portland, OR....

    Dale Murphy with the Braves..

    Scott Brosius with the Yanks and A's...

    Ray Knight with the Mets...


    But our real pride and joy lately is a football player....Joey Harrington. He and his family attend the same church as ours. He really is a good kid (yeah...a really big good kid). For years, Joey has played the piano for the Christmas Mass, and this year (because of all the press and all) it was announced that he would not be attending. A keep private, private kind of thing. So no photographers showed up. Sure enough...Here comes Joey...sits down and starts playing to
    help out the church. Surprised us all.

    It was real nice.




    Happy New Year!



    Larry

    I LOVE FANCY CURRENCY, pretty girls, Disney Dollars, pretty girls, MPC's, ..did I mention pretty girls???

    email....emards4457@msn.com


    CHEERS!!
  • ydsotterydsotter Posts: 500 ✭
    Always on the lookout for cards of Joe Niewendyk. While he didn't grow up in my town, he played his college hockey there and was one of my heroes when I was younger.
    image

    Click here to view my Knickstars collection and wantlist
  • anjcollectionanjcollection Posts: 213
    Ed Hermann (catcher,Tigers, 1970s) lives in San Diego. I've worked with his wife on some City projects.

    Mike Saipe. (pitcher, rockies) dont think he ever made it to the bigs but he was on a 98 Bowman chrome card. Played with him in little league. Shared a school locker throughout our 8th grade.

    Dave Frost. pitcher, angels, in the 1970s. lives in orange county. played in a golf tournament with him. great guy.
  • theBobstheBobs Posts: 1,136 ✭✭
    Mark Bradley. He started in front of some kid named Strawberry. Turned out that Mark had a drug problem, and Strawberry's path to RF was cleared...

    You can check for players from your area here.

    An example for Zardoz.
    Where have you gone Dave Vargha
    CU turns its lonely eyes to you
    What's the you say, Mrs Robinson
    Vargha bucks have left and gone away?

    hey hey hey
    hey hey hey
  • SayitaintsoJoe63SayitaintsoJoe63 Posts: 128
    I've always enjoyed collecting cards of Bob "Hawk" Taylor.

    Now in retirement, he lives just a few miles from me here in Kentucky.
    His rookie card is in the 1958 Topps set, when he played for the Milwaukee Braves......in 1964 he was traded to the Mets, and from there went to the Angels, and then finished up with the Royals.
    His son Bruce and I, went to school together, and he was a pretty good ball player himself.

    Hawk has quite a nice baseball memorabilia collection himself, and occasionally you can run into him at some local card shows.
    1963 TOPPS~ SayitaintsoJoe's Fresh from the pack Screamers~ All pictured in living color

    "There's no crying in baseball card set building."
  • NuyauwkaNuyauwka Posts: 157
    I have picked up some PSA 8 Barry Moore's (67,68,69,70). I started playing over 40 hardball 3 years ago. I always wanted to catch and got the opportunity(most of the guys are over 50 and no one wants to put the gear on) Barry is on my team, I have just about caught all his innings since I started to play. Barry is 59 and he can still throw, he has 4 pitches and they all still move. I spent most of my first season at the backstop chasing his curves and slides. I'm almost 41 years old and the cards I seek to collect the most are years 68-72,my young childhood, ironically, these are the years of Barry's cards. When I was first told he played in the majors and what his last name was , I immediately thought of the 1970 baseball card,wondererd if that was him.The 1970 set has always been my favorite , and if you mentioned a player, no matter how obscure , I could usually visualize the card When I got home and checked the card ,his hometown was close by, so I was pretty sure it was .A couple of month's ago , I brought a 69 PSA 8 Moore to a game to show Barry . He thought it was a hoot, he vaguely remebered it.
    If it's worth doing..It's worth overdoing!!
  • BigKidAtHeartBigKidAtHeart Posts: 1,799 ✭✭
    I have yet to get any of them graded
    (although I will eventually), But I have been collecting
    Chris Hammond cards since he was in the Minors
    in 1988 and called up to the majors in 1990.

    Chris and I grew up together and graduated from
    high school together.

    Of course, after last year's 0.95 era and stellar
    year with the Braves... MLB.com award (Setup Man of the Year),
    and subsequent signing with the Yankees,
    he is getting really hot for some new collectors,
    but I have hundreds of his cards from way back.

    (I also have autographed balls, cards, bats, etc)


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  • BobSBobS Posts: 1,738 ✭✭
    Well, Thanks to Jay at Qualitycards, I now have a few cards of Woody English. He's not from my hometown, but he is from the town I choose to live in now. Thanks jay!!
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