MLBPA Rwshuffle Eliminates Donruss

Seeking a more focused and less muddled hobby, the Major League Baseball Players Association did not renew the Donruss/Playoff licensing agreement for 2006. Topps, the grandfather of baseball collectibles, and Upper Deck, are now the only baseball card manufacturers. Fleer, citing sluggish sales and debt approaching $40 million, went out of business in May and was recently sold at auction to rival Upper Deck for $6.1 million.

The demise of Donruss was the result of the manufacturers marketing failures, certainly not the quality of its baseball cards. Collectors and dealers agreed that the Donruss Diamond Kings, Absolute, Timeless Treasure, and Elite sets were among baseball’s most popular releases. Donruss poured so much money into acquiring autograph rights and game used memorabilia as well as cutting-edge technology that it could not afford to promote its products to a wide assortment of collectors.

Donruss game-used cards were instrumental in the development of high-end sets, but the MLBPA is now trying to attract younger collectors with less-expensive cards and a more modest number of high-end releases. Topps and Upper Deck already has a product line that fits the new model, Donruss does not.

Topps and Upper Deck will be required to market and promote baseball cards to attract children and new consumers while still providing value to the current collector base. Baseball cards will be more readily available in drug stores and convenience stores, and will be heavily promoted in major retail stores.

With fewer products in the marketplace, customer confusion will be reduced significantly as the MLBPA attempts to encourage set building and rookie card collecting. Beginning with 2006 releases, a new “Rookie Card” logo will appear on the cards of players making their major league debut.

The Players Association will prohibit players not on the 25 man roster from appearing in base sets. Topps will still be allowed to produce cards for non-25 man roster players in their Major League uniforms, but only in subsets and insert sets and will not include licensing photos on the card backs.

The insert/subset clause allows popular Topps brand Bowman, the self-proclaimed “Home of the Rookie Card”, to continue producing the first cards of top minor league prospects -- but as insert or subset cards not part of the base set. A card that is not part of the base set is not a rookie card according to the MLBPA. How price guide analysts and editors target such cards remains to be seen.

The goal of the MLBPA is to more clearly define rookie cards, but the new rookie rule makes a confusing situation even more chaotic. The market established between dealers and collectors over time constitutes rookie cards, not a logo neatly placed on a baseball card.

In a long overdo effort to restore order to the hobby, the new licensing agreement prohibits companies from releasing next year’s set in the current year, so 2006 sets were not released in late 2005 before the holiday rush. According to the MLBPA, 2006 Topps and Upper Deck will be released at the start of spring training.

A shake-up has been imminent over the last several years as a saturated market made the hobby too expensive and confusing for most collectors. But instead of eliminating Donruss, the MLBPA should have reduced the brand quantity per company. Why not spread the remaining 40 brands between three or even four companies? Limiting competition will eventually reduce the quality of baseball cards.

DONRUSS MAY NNOT BE COMPLETELY OUT OF THE BASEBALL CARD BUSINESS

Donruss might not be completely out of the baseball card business. The manufacturer will reportedly pursue a MLB Properties license allowing the company to produce cards of retired players no longer covered by the MLBPA license. An MLB Properties license would provide the rights to picture all Major League uniforms and logos.

Before the MLBPA shake-up, Donruss already had multi-year licensing agreements with Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Sandy Koufax as well as the rights to produce Babe Ruth memorabilia cards. The manufacturer has remaining inventory of vintage game-used memorabilia that could be used in future produces, including swatches from the 1925-era Ruth jersey the company bought for $264,911 in 2003 used to make memorabilia cards. A MLB Properties license would allow Donruss to continue producing popular Prime Cuts and Classics sets. Based on the recent popularity of throwback sets, Donruss could establish a successful niche in the hobby.

Jimmie Foxx : Under-Rated Legend with Under-Rated Baseball Cards

Jimmie Foxx was one of the most under-appreciated players in baseball and sports collectibles history. He equaled or surpassed the production of nearly every slugger not named Babe Ruth, but his baseball card and memorabilia values lag considerably behind Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, et al.

Seldom mentioned when baseball's all-time teams are discussed, Foxx hit at least 30 home runs and tallied 100 or more RBI from 1929 with the Philadelphia Athletics to 1940, his fifth season with the Red Sox. His 20-year total of 534 home runs ranked second to Ruth for many years. His 58 home runs in 1932 fell just two short of Ruth's single-season record. Interestingly, two home runs were taken away from Foxx because of rain and 10 more were lost because of newly constructed outfield screens in Cleveland, St. Louis, and Philadelphia that were not erected until after Ruth hit 60. So if the baseball stars were properly aligned in 1932, Barry Bonds would have eclipsed the magical number of 70 set by Foxx.

The toughest Foxx baseball card to find in reasonable condition is the 1934 Goudey (#1). Firstcards of vintage sets received the brunt of the rubber band damage that decimated so many '50s and '60s baseball cards. A handful of PSA-8 versions exist, selling for $8,200, a remarkable buy considering '34 Goudey PSA-8 Gehrig cards command as much as $15,000.

Foxx, provided Boston with their first bona-fide star since Ruth was sold to the Yankees in 1919. Double XX set Red Sox records for home runs (50) and RBI (175) during his 1938 MVP season. More than just a slugger, Foxx won the Triple Crown in 1933 and excelled defensively, primarily as a first baseman, but also as a catcher, third baseman, and outfielder.

Foxx was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1951, but strangely there has been little or no protest over the Red Sox failure to retire his number. Surely someone who is mentioned in the same breathe as Ruth and Gehrig deserves the same elite status as Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, and Carlton Fisk in Red Sox annals.

Newly acquired Red Sox first baseman Mark Loretta, who recently told the Boston Herald that "Foxx never received the credit he deserved for being one of the game's all-time great sluggers," is honoring Foxx by wearing number 3. Foxx, who played 20 seasons for the Philadelphia Athletics (1925-35), Red Sox (1936-42), Chicago Cubs (1942 and 1944) and Philadelphia Phillies (1945), is arguably the best slugger not to have his uniform retired by any team.

Modern day cards of Foxx are somewhat limited, but affordable. His vibrant '04 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Classic "Logo Patch" (#SSP-JF) displaying the vintage Philadelphia Athletics logo can be had for under $5 -- a great buy for unique card serial numbered to just 300.

John Elway: The Baseball Player and His Baseball Cards

Twenty-four years after being drafted by the New York Yankees, John Elway has finally appeared on a Topps baseball card. The two-time Super Bowl winner is among the 120 current and former baseball players and executives featured in Topps 2005 Fan Favorites. The series also includes general managers Brian Cashman, Walt Jockety, and Brian Sabean, former Player’s Union head Marvin Miller, and Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra, and George Brett among others.

The Yankees drafted Elway out of Stanford University in 1981. In his first season of pro baseball, the athletic outfielder hit .318 and a team-high 25 RBI in 42 games. In the late ’70s Elway was one of the most sought-after high school athletes in the country. At 6’-3”, 215 pounds, Elway had the size and speed (4.7 40) craved by baseball and football coaches. He could throw a football 85 yards with the flick of a wrist and a baseball 92 miles per hour. He threw a football better on the run than most college quarterbacks and a baseball with exceptional accuracy. The son of San Jose State’s football coach chose Stanford over many more high-profile football and baseball programs.

Elway was wearing pinstripes two decades before Yankees tried to turn former Michigan Wolverine and current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Drew Henson into a major league third baseman. Elway was exactly what George Steinbrenner lusted after -- the high-profile, All-American athlete that every football and baseball team wanted. The strong-armed outfielder hit .321 at Stanford. Scouts witnessing Elway’s sophomore season at Stanford (.361-9-50 in 49 games) insist he would have been as successful in baseball as he was in football. While starring on the college diamond, Elway became Stanford’s all-time leading passer with 9,349 and 77 touchdowns, surpassing Jim Plunkett and Steve Dils. (Steve Senstrom has since passed Elway in yards passing.)

As a collegiate athlete, Elway was known for his smarts and toughness as much as his athleticism, steering him toward a quarterbacking career. After being drafted No. 1 overall by the Baltimore Colts, Elway demanded a trade, using a potential baseball career with the Yankees as bargaining leverage. After forcing a trade to the Denver Broncos, Elway became one of the top quarterbacks ever, finishing his career as the NFL’s all-time winningest quarterback.

The 2005 Fan Favorite isn't Elway’s first baseball card. His 1999 Just Minor League baseball card can be had for $5. His 1984 Topps football rookie (#63) is selling for $33 in mint condition.

From The Autograph Mailbox: Baseball GMs

During the off season is a great time to write to your favorite baseball general mangers, executives and owners. In the month of December I wrote to each general manger. In each case I asked for an autographed business card and enclosed an index card if a business card was not available. Here are the responses I have received back so far:

Billy Beane - Oakland A’s, signed index card (7 Days)

Brian Cashman - New York Yankees, signed index card with GM inscription (21 Days)

John Hart - Texas Rangers, signed index card (12 Days)

Bill Bavasi - Seattle Mariners, sent a signed luxury box suite info card (10 Days)

Bill Stoneman - Anaheim Angels, signed index card and sent signed business card (16 Days)

John Schuerholz - Atlanta Braves, sent signed business card (17 Days)

Pat Gillick - Philadelphia Phillies, signed & personalized index card & sent business card (9 Days)

Mark Shapiro - Cleveland Indians, signed & personalized index card (7 Days)

Dave Dambrowski - Detroit Tigers, signed index card (7 Days)

Terry Ryan - Minnesota Twins, signed index card and sent hand written letter (6 Days)

Ned Colletti - Los Angeles Dodgers, signed & personalized index card (11 Days)

Dan O’Brien - Cincinatti Reds, signed index card (11 Days)

Walt Jocketty - St. Louis Cardinals, sent signed business card (7 Days)

Tim Purpura - Houston Astros, signed index card, sent personalized 5 x 7 picture and sent hand written note thanking me for writing.

For the team addresses click on www.mlb.com

Steve DiGiandomenico

Rare Josh Gibson Cards Sets Pace for Negro League Memorabilia

The highest graded example of one of the scarcest and most renowned baseball cards ever produced, the 1950-51 Toleteros Josh Gibson, established a new high for Negro League memorabilia, selling for $69,262 in a recent Lelands.com auation. Graded by Sportscard Guarantee Corporation as an SGC 88 Near-Mint 8, this card is believed to be just one of 12 in existence.

Like most stars of the Negro leagues, Gibson played winter ball for lucrative contracts in Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. In 1937, the peak of his career, Gibson joined Satchell Paige and Cool Papa Bell in the Dominican Republic to play for a team owned by dictator Rafael Trujillo. In a highly competitive and fiercely played seven-week season, Gibson hit .453, leading Trujillo's All-Stars to the championship.

Before the auction, Lelands went to great lengths to end the controversy surrounding the rare Gibson card. Produced three years after Gibson's death, many vintage baseball card collectors believed the card pictured his son, Josh Jr, who played for the Homestead Grays in 1949. Leland's discovered a Puerto Rican scorecard with the heading "Baseball de Puerto Rico" (January 7, 1940) featuring an identical image of the senior Gibson on its cover as on the 1950-51 Toleteros card. Lelands also sold a bound collection of programs from 1939-40, including the Gibson cover, sold for $3,554.

A powerful and agile catcher, Gibson was the Negro Leagues' greatest home run hitter. Known by his peers and conteporaries as "the black Babe Ruth", Gibson used a short, compact sweing and massive upper body to bash home runs in ballparks North and South America with the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords from 1930 to 1946. Newspaper accounts describe him as an intimidating hitter with quick wrists and a massive upper body with who seldom struck out.

According to baseball legend, Gibson hit as many as 75 home runs in a single season, more than 800 homers during a 17-year career, and was the only player to ever hit a fair ball out of Yankee stadium. Oft-repeated myths tend to become exaggerated over time -- the lengendary home run reportedly traveled over 500 feet, but landed in Yankee stadium -- but Gibson was indeed one of the most prolific power hitters in baseball history.

Trajecally, Gibson was just 35 years old and still active when he suffered a cerebral hemorrage and died suddenly in January 1947, just a few months before Jackie Robinson changed American history by breaking baseball's color barrier.

Gibson slugged his way onto nine East-West All-Star squads and ranked him second only to Paige as the best known Negro-League player. Topps plans to spread the legend of the great Josh Gibson after recently signing deal with the Hall of Famer's estate that gives the card manufacturer exclusive rights to produce his cards. The contract covers all trading cards, including inserts, cut autograph cards, and memorabilia cards as well as the use of Gibson's likeness in packaging and advertising.

It's Just in the Cards

Just Minors baseball cards closely resemble your father's baseball cards or the cards from your childhood. In an industry rife with technological advancement, simple in-action or portrait photographs on a medium card stock are the manufacturer's signature. Just has become a big hit with rookie card collectors because it offers debut cards of future major leaguers.

Just Minors is not competing with the major league baseball card manufacturers targeting investors. Company president, Scott Jordan, a career minor league baseball player who enjoyed a cup of coffee with the Cleveland Indians in 1988 (he has a 1998 Donruss rookie card), targets baseball fans at the grass-roots levels -- people who go to games, study the players, and collect baseball cards as a hobby.

The minor league manufactuer offers basic baseball cards with low production numbers and high-quality photography. You won't find any game-used memorabilia cards, bust most Just sets include autograph cards of the day's rising stars. Among players who have signed for Just are Alfonso Soriano, John Elway (he was drafted by the New York Yankees), and Joe Mauer.

Most minor league ball players are excellent autograph signers at the ballpark and through mail correspondence. Just cards are ideal for autograph seekers because they do not contain a high gloss surface that often smudge autographs. Red Sox collectors can expect pitching prospect Jon Papelbon, to respond to mail autograph requests within 10 days.

Just Stars, the first of three products to be released this year, will be released this month. The series will include the 30-card "Road to the Show" subset featuring Hanley Ramirez, the Florida Marlins top prospect, and Seattle Mariners 19-year-old minor league prospect Felix Hernandez, "the most anticipated pitching prospect since Dwight Gooden," according to Jordan. Because collectors can purchase directly from Just and avoid the secondary market, sets are very much affordable. For more information, click on www.justminors.com.