Sports Then and Now

Memorabilia has become a cornerstone of modern sports. It takes but a minute of entering a stadium to be inundated with concession stands and vendors hawking the latest merchandise. Fans collect, display, and sell these in an ever-growing marketplace. But things were not always this way.

Sports collectibles were an afterthought in the past. These throwaway items were given out in a box of cereal or a pack of cigarettes. As people discarded these items that ended up stored in attics with other junk, their scarcity created higher prices. Below are some of the rarest and most sought-after collectibles in sports.

Honus Wagner Baseball Card

Ask any baseball card collector what the industry’s crown jewel is, and they’ll immediately zero in on the infamous T206 Honus Wagner. This card was produced by the American Tobacco Company back in 1909 and had a limited release. A recent sale of this card in 2016 went for over $3 million.

What makes this card so unique is its rarity. While the company produced thousands of cards, very few Honus Wagner ones went into circulation due to a rumored financial dispute. Even fewer are in existence today.

For fans of the card, Topps did reissue it in 2002 and 2020. But don’t expect to fetch the same price.

The beauty of sports is that even though his birth certificate tells us that Willie Mays turns 90 years old today, our minds can still remember the “Say Hey Kid” as the young superstar with a smile and personality that could light up New York and who possessed enough talent to fill up a baseball stadium.

You can argue about who was the greatest baseball player of all-time, but there is little doubt that Mays is on the short list for any discussion.

Mays was the rare player who could win games with his bat, glove and legs.

After earning Rookie of the Year honors in 1951, Mays missed most of the 1952 season and all of the 1953 season while serving in the military.

When he returned in 1954, Mays began a streak of 19 straight years earning an All-Star spot as he won the first of his two National League MVP Awards.

During his career, Mays led the league in runs, hits, triples, home runs, stolen bases, batting average, on base percentage and slugging percentage.  He was the first player in baseball history to steal 30 bases and hit 30 home runs in the same season.

The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month was the ace of the Boston Red Sox staff when they reached the 1975 World Series and is considered by many to be someone worthy of induction in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Luis Tiant, known as “El Tiante”, spent 19 years in the majors between 1964 and 1982.

Though he was 75-64 with a 2.84 ERA in six seasons with the Cleveland Indians and then helped the Minnesota Twins reach the playoffs in 1970, it appeared that Tiant’s career might be over following the 1970 season.

If you live for the game, maybe you’ve wondered if building a backyard baseball diamond is for you. You can practice every day without worrying about restrictions closing your facility. 

However, such a project isn’t without headaches and expense. It pays to know what you’re doing. Here’s how to build a backyard baseball field in five relatively simple steps. 

1. Measure and Make Space

If you want to create an MLB-style playing field, you’ll need a considerable land plot. It takes 4.5 acres to build a baseball field with 90’ bases. Even a shorter baseline of 60’ means setting aside an acre and a half. 

When it comes to choosing baseball gloves, you have a slew of options at your disposal. From different types of leather to varying degrees of comfort, your choice depends on multiple features.

But apart from these aspects, you also have to consider other factors such as your position on the field. This means that buying the right baseball glove isn’t just a matter of ordering the right fit. The process needs ample time and thought from your end.

From learning about outfield gloves to researching the material, here’s a lowdown on how to choose suitable baseball gloves for yourself.

Learn the Difference Between Pitcher’s Gloves, Outfield Gloves, and Catcher’s Mitts

One of the most critical factors in selecting the right glove is your playing position on the field.

For instance, if you play as a pitcher, then your glove’s primary purpose will be to hide your throwing position from the batter. But if you play as an outfielder or a catcher, your glove has to be shaped in a certain way that gives you maximum advantage through your position.

That is why you must keep your playing position in mind while selecting a glove. Fortunately, almost every vendor allows you to sort through baseball gloves by positions quickly. This ensures that you can make your selection without any compromise.

Assess the Overall Comfort and Protection Level of the Gloves

This particular factor usually refers to the way your glove is made, built, and designed.

No matter what position a glove is styled for, it has to excel at delivering optimal comfort and protection to the wearer. This is especially true for those positions where the ball comes towards the player at significant speeds. Outfield gloves are a shining example in this category, which easily allows players to absorb the ball’s force.

There is no question that 2020 has been a tough year for everyone, but it has been an especially sad year for long-time baseball fans. Bob Gibson, who passed away this weekend, is the fourth member of the Baseball Hall of Fame to pass away in 2020. The other members of the HOF to pass away this year are Al Kaline, Tom Seaver and Gibson’s long-time teammate Lou Brock.

In addition, the game has said goodbye to several other notable players including Don Larsen, Jimmy Wynn, Tony Fernandez, Tony Taylor, Bob Watson and Claudell Washington. Here is the full list from Baseball Reference.

Gibson, Brock and Kaline were all part of the dramatic 1968 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers. As should be the case on the World Series stage, all three of the future Hall of Famers were at their best during the seven-game series.

For Kaline, who played his entire 22 year career with the Tigers, the 1968 World Series marked the first post-season opportunity of his career. He definitely made the most of it as he registered at least one hit in each of the first six games and finished with a team-high 11 hits and a .379 average. He also hit two home runs and drove home eight runs.

Gibson and Brock were both playing in their third World Series in five seasons in 1968. The Cardinals claimed World Series titles in 1964 and 1967. Both Gibson and Brock were key performers in both of those wins.

In the 1964 World Series against the New York Yankees, Gibson won two of three starts, including a 7-5 victory in the decisive seventh game. Brock had two hits, scored a run and drove home a run in the seventh game. Over the full seven game series, Brock had four multi-hit games and drove home five runs.