Autographed "Doggie" Hat

I picked up this autographed Cooperstown Collection hat of Tony Perez for, what I think, is a decent price. While I have a lot of autograph baseballs, bats, mini batting helmets, baseball cards, mini home plate and even an autographed glove, I did not have an autographed ball cap in my collection. I love the look of this 1960s style cap and I think it'll look nice next to my other autographed memorabilia on my bookshelf. 

1974 Reds Team Signed Baseball

I decided to save the best for last when it comes to the autograph baseballs in my collection. Although the 1985 autographed baseball holds a special place in my heart because of Pete Rose passing Ty Cobb's mark of 4,191 hits on September 11, 1985, this baseball features many prominent members of Cincinnati's Big Red Machine. While the 74 Reds didn't make it to the Fall Classic, the fact that this ball is autographed during the Big Red Machine era puts it as the pinnacle of my autographed baseball collection. There are a total of 23 autographs on this baseball and the signatures I can discern are: Sparky Anderson, George Scherger, Johnny Bench, Fred Norman, Cesar Geronimo, Bill Plummer, Darrel Chaney, Phil Gagliano, Alex Grammas, Don Gullett, Denis Menke, Joe Morgan, Ross Grimsley, Ted Kluszewski, Pedro Borbon, Pete Rose, Andy Kosco, Tony Perez

1993 Reds Team Signed Baseball

There aren't a lot of signatures on this baseball, but I like having this as part of my collection due to the fact that Perez was managing the Reds when this ball was signed. He only lasted a portion of the 93 season with the team going 20-24 before being fired. Not sure why you would fire a manager after 44 games with a win/loss record just below .500 but what do I know. As for the signatures on the ball, there are a total of 12 and I can make out 11 of them: Tony Perez, Tim Costo, Jeff Branson, Tom Browning, Steve Foster, Ty Griffin, Ricky Stone, Dan Wilson, Chris Hammond, Brian Dorsett, Scott Ruskin

1976 World Series Ticket

The way I'm going, I don't think I'll complete my 2012 Card Collection goals, but that's ok. I recently picked up this World Series ticket to add to my Cincinnati Reds collection. Cincinnati swept New York in four games during the 1976 series finally bringing an end to all the heartbreaking losses to the Yankees in the 1939 series and 1961 series. I already had a ticket from the 1990 series and the 1975 series so that leaves me with only the 1940 and 1919 series tickets. 1976 was the last year of the Big Red Machine's appearance in the World Series before the machine was slowly dismantled in the late 70s and early 80s. Even though the Reds were able to acquire Tom Seaver, the losses of Rose and Perez as well as the ouster of Sparky lead to a post season drought that lasted fourteen seasons. Although I was born in 1975 and never watched the Big Red Machine play, the legacy of that team adds to the aura of baseball's first professional team and makes me proud to be a Reds fan. Now maybe I can get back to finishing some of my Reds team sets!

1985 Reds Team Ball

I love autographed team balls. There's just a sense of aura that surrounds them. Maybe it's because I feel like I have a piece of history that's tied to a team at a particular moment of time. Or maybe it's the beauty of having multiple signatures gracing a ball that's been passed from teammate to teammate as they scribe their John Hancock. I've made it a goal to have some autographed Reds team balls in my collection and I'm very content with what I have thus far. One of my favorite team balls is 1985. This was the year that Pete Rose rejoined the Reds as player/manager (something you don't see anymore, but I wouldn't mind if it were to happen again). This was the year that Rose passed Ty Cobb claiming the mantle of "Hit King". Some other prominent signatures on the ball include the following Reds greats: Tony Perez, Tom Browning, Eric Davis, Dave Parker, John Franco, Ron Oester and Mario Soto. I've included some additional pics below. Sorry if they're a little blurry, that's the best I could do with the phone on my camera.

Tony Perez Bobblehead

The Reds handed out 30,000 of these bobbleheads on August 3, 2005 when they took on the Atlanta Braves. The Reds won the game 8-5 over the Braves due to the monster game Adam Dunn had with two home runs and driving in five of Cincinnati's eight runs. Tony made his major league debut with the Reds on July 26, 1964 as the Reds defeated the Pirates by a score of 7-2. He struck out once and walked once in his two plate appearances during the game. Sixteen of his twenty three seasons in the majors were spent with the Reds. As a member of the Big Red Machine, Tony was a seven time All-Star participant and was named the 1967 All-Star Game MVP. After retiring from the field in 1986, Tony briefly managed the Reds for 44 games in 1993 before being fired. In 2000, Perez along with form Reds skipper Sparky Anderson and Red Stockings player Bid McPhee, were elected to the Hall of Fame.

1969 Topps

Is there anyone else out there that thinks the 1969 Topps set was just a rehash of the 68 set with just a white border?! I know that Topps has a tendency to reuse design elements from previous years, but it's pretty bold to do so consecutive years in a row. Just wish they could have been a little more creative, that's all. I like the salmon colored backs....reminds me so much of the 1986 Topps set and my introduction into collecting Reds baseball cards. I also like the fact that anytime you can get Rose, Bench and Perez in the same year, then it's a win win for me. I like looking at the old cards from years past. Sure they're not loaded with chrome, high gloss, fancy stock or parallels, they do contain the history of the game. Our childhood heroes staring at us from a piece of cardboard that can bring back memories long forgotten in the hustle and bustle of today.

1970 Topps

This is probably my least favorite set Topps released in the 1970s. The gray border just seemed kind of gloomy on a baseball card. Almost like a rain out on opening day. Very dull, drab, uninspiring. Not only that but the team name on the front of the card in big block letters just doesn't do anything for me. What irks me most with this set is the fact that two of the Reds best players at the time (Pete Rose and Johnny Bench) were high-number cards. I don't understand the mentality of placing stars toward the tail end of a set unless it's to produce demand for the product. I do like the player blurbs and cartoons on the back of the cards, but that's not saying much. If I had to choose a favorite from this set it would be the Tony Perez card. Looks like he's ready to club someone with the barrel of his bat. I also like that it shows Crosley Field in the background. Although I wasn't around to witness a game there, so much history in a field long gone. I wonder what it would be like to go see the Reds of today play at Crosley Field of yesterday? One can only wonder.

1984 Topps

So I decided to do a little housekeeping today to see what Topps sets I've already written a review for and found out that there was only one 1980s set remaining on my review list...so here it is. I like the 1984 Topps set. Maybe because it looks similar to the 1983 and 1963 Topps sets with the big action photo and tiny photo on the bottom front of the card. Again, white borders, as with most Topps sets and a nice blue color used on the background of the back of the card. I also like how they put the team logo on the back of the card as well. Nice touch. While the 1984 Topps set isn't on the same grade as the 1984 Donruss set, it's no red-headed step child either. But at least in 1984 we saw a glimpse of the competition yet to come in the late 1980s.

1967 Topps

Another set from the 1960s, another set that I like. Topps kept this design simple with a white border around the card, the team name in big letters at the bottom, facsimile autograph, a colorful green back and descent photography.This set has my favorite Pete Rose card produced by Topps. I love the old Reds pinstripe uniform that Pete's wearing along with his stance and a beautiful shot of Crosley Field in the background with a nice blue sky. This card is as close to photo perfection as possible (at least that's my opinion and I'm sticking with it). Some of the other highlights are the high number cards of Tony Perez and Vada Pinson, a couple of my other favorite former Reds players. I just wish Cincinnati would have kept Frank Robinson instead of trading him to Baltimore a year earlier....then this set would be one of my favorites of all time.

1977 Topps

Here's another set from the 1970s that I love. For whatever reason, the set reminds me of a hybrid between the 1964 and 1965 Topps sets (white borders from 64 and the pennant from the 65 set). It also seems to me that for the past 35 or so years Topps has rehashed a lot of their base set designs from older sets....not that I'm complaining, but I guess there's only so many ways you can design a baseball card. Which leads me into my next rant. I hate it when card companies take an old design and stick current players on that design (Topps Heritage, Bowman Heritage, Fleer Tradition). Come on! That's why there's still such a glut of product on the market with rehashing stuff from the 30s 40s 50s and 60s. Anyway, back to the 1977 Topps set. I had fun putting this team set together and my favorite card from this set would have to be the Tony Perez card. I think it's so sweet how he's pointing the end of the bat barrel right at your face! Very sweet! Too bad the Reds couldn't make it three championships in a row that year....but hey....no one's perfect.

1965 Topps

How can you be a baseball fan and not love pennants? That's probably one of the reasons I like the 1965 Topps set. The team name on the pennant and the light blue border on the card is just a sweet design. This set took me some time to put together since it's Rose's third year card, which can be a little pricey to find one in excellent condition, and Tony Perez's rookie, which is a high-number no less. Regardless, this has to be my most favorite set of the 1960s and one of the best designs Topps every put on a baseball card.

Did I mention I collect autographs too?!

In addition to collecting Topps Cincinnati Reds baseball cards, I'm also collecting autographs of past and present players. One of my most favorite successes is the great eight of the Big Red Machine (Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan, Ken Griffey, Cesar Geronimo, Dave Concepcion, George Foster) and their manager (Sparky Anderson). Although I was born in 1975 and never witnessed the Big Red Machine play, that doesn't mean I can't admire the awesome achievements they made and their dominance of the National League in the mid 70s. Carlton Fisk can wave his arms all he wants......they still lost the 1975 World Series to the Machine.....one of the best teams to ever take the field.

1968 Topps

I don't know what it is about the 1968 Topps cards, but I love this set. Maybe it's the basket weave background with the team name embedded in a circle on the bottom of the card. Could be that when I first started going to card shops growing up, these were the first vintage cards I saw displayed on cork boards that were priced anywhere from 50 cents to a dollar a card for common Cincinnati Reds players (although there are no common Reds players that I know of). You can get three of the great eight from the Big Red Machine in this set (Pete Rose, Tony Perez, and Johnny Bench). The only gripe I have with this set though is that it's almost impossible to find cards that are well centered and not miscut. Guess you can't be perfect.