Happy Baseball Birthday... Matt Nokes

Sending out Happy Baseball Birthday! wishes to former Detroit Tigers catcher Matt Nokes, who's 57 today.

Matthew Dodge Nokes was born on October 31, 1963, in San Diego, California, where he attended Patrick Henry High School. 

➡️ Matt was originally drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 20th Round, in 1981, making his big league debut on September 3, 1985, when he was just 21.

➡️ He was traded by the Giants, to Detroit, who sent another catcher, Bob Melvin, to San Francisco.

Yes, that Bob Melvin, the current manager of the Oakland Athletics.

Replacing legendary Tigers catcher LanceParrish in 1987, Nokes burst onto the scene, out of nowhere, it seemed, batting .289, belting 32 HRs, with 87 RBI. 

Nokes would be an All-Star and Silver Slugger Award winner in 1987, but his production in Detroit never again approached his '87 season.

💗🐯⚾ I need to get one last PINK Baseball Card posted for Collecting Cutch's October Breast Cancer Awareness campaign.

His post today ask is to comment on our favorite wrestlers, so, of course, I had to give a shout-out to the beautiful Charlotte Flair. 

After 5 years in Motown, Matt would go on to play 5 years in the Bronx, where, in 1991 & 1992, he would hit 24, and 22 HRs, respectively, for the pre-Jeter Yanks.

💗🎃💗 Nokes would move on to Colorado, and Baltimore to finish out his career in the big leagues.

In his 11 years in MLB, Nokes hit 136 HRs, driving in 422 runs, with a career batting average of .254.

Who's a player who came out of nowhere for your favorite ball club? 

Hope you all had a fun, safe, Happy Halloween! 

Play BALL! ⚾🎃💗⚾🎃💗⚾🎃💗

Football Card Friday.... Matt Stafford

Today's the last Football Card Friday! of October, a final chance to post a pink football card to help our friend Collecting Cutch.

➡️ There's only two days left in Save Second Base posts, so make sure you head over to today's CUTCH post.

Matthew Stafford is a terrific QB, and it's certainly not been easy for Matt in his 12 years as the starting signal caller in the Motor City.

I'm by no means a Stafford super collector, but I've got a few of his cards...this is the latest in the collection.

💻 I had to take this image of the 2017 Panini Unparalleled PINK #127 of Stafford because, after looking at this card last week, it's been misplaced...that happens way to much...man, I hate getting old. 

I'm a Stafford supporter, and I'll defend him when I have to. 

Stafford always takes responsibility when things don't go well, and he's his own worse critic when he's not playing well, but, he's the 

The Lions are notorious for making bad draft picks, but Stafford isn't one of them.

This is a very cool card. 

Searching his TCDB page today I noticed that card and I'll have to eventually find it...maybe next Saturday here in Kalamazoo at the first card show that's happened since the Covid-19 pandemic has hit.

And yes, mask wearing will be mandatory!

Have. AWESOME weekend. 

 

Play Ball! 🐯⚾

Kershaw Appreciation

Clayton Kershaw has always been one of my favorite pitchers, and as a non-official Dodgers observer, I need to post an appreciation after L.A. beat the Rays last night to win the World Series.

( This was FREE to all Topps BUNT users after the Dodgers Win last night.)

Clayton Kershaw was drafted by the Dodgers in the 1st round of the 2006 MLB Draft, the 7th overall pick.

( Again, I apologise for the lack of photography skills with my LG phone.)

This pink card of Kershaw is also a reminder that we have only four days left in Collecting Cutch's SAVE SECOND BASE posts, so, please, make your way to today's post. 

➡️ FYI- My Detroit Tigers had the 6th pick, and chose another lefty, Andrew Miller.

🐯⚾ We Tigers fans can only imagine a staff of both Kershaw and Justin Verlander for the past 12 years. 

☀️☀️ Well, if the Dodgers hadn't drafted Clayton, then we wouldn't have been able to see him pitch for our Double-A Jacksonville Suns in the late 2000s. 

➡️ As I've stated several times, I've followed the Dodgers since I was 13 years old, rooting for them against the Oakland A's, the team I disliked so much for beating my Tigers in the 1972 ALCS... including Game 5 at Tiger Stadium.

I cheered on Steve Garvey, my favorite L.A. Dodgers player, along with Cey, Russell, Lopes, Dusty Baker, Reggie Smith, and all the other players against the Yankees in 1977/1978..both losses to the Bronx Bombers.

It was fun watching the 1981 Dodgers redeem itself against the Yankees, and, in 1988, as Orel Hershiser and former Tigers slugger Kirk Gibson beat the A's.

💙⚾ One Dodgers player that I wish was still on this championship club is another former JAX Suns player, Matt Kemp.

Congrats also goes out to the Rays, a club that played as hard as any team that I've seen in my 54 years watching big league baseball. 

👉 I also voted for the amazing Randy Arozarena on the Fan's MVP Vote last night.

No player had a bigger impact on the 2020 playoffs than that amazing young man did.

It'll be interesting how he starts off the 2021 season...I hope he knows we'll all be rooting for him to continue his success.

Hope y'all are having an awesome Wednesday, and, as always, thank for taking time out of your busy day to read my blog.

Play Ball! 💙⚾💙⚾💙⚾💙⚾💙⚾💙⚾

Congratulations to the World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers

On Tuesday night in Texas, the Los Angeles Dodgers won the 7th World Series Title in franchise history, beating the Tampa Bay Rays, 3-1, in Game 6, winning the Series, 4 games to 2.

The Dodgers were the best team in baseball all year, and will head back to L.A. with the World Series Trophy for the first time since 1988.

Congratulations to the Dodgers, and all the awesome L.A. fans on their teams victory.

Enjoy your celebrations, I know y'all will definitely... PLAY BALL! ⚾

Tigers Card Tuesday... A PINK Matt Boyd

Today is the final Tigers Card Tuesday! for October, and I've saved a pink baseball card of Matt Boyd to post.

There's just 5 days left in October, and that means we are also down to the last five days of Save Second Base posts from Collection Cutch.

Make sure you head over to today's CUTCH post, and comment, as each comment will add $1.00 to his total donation to make sure at least one woman, who otherwise wouldn't, can get a mammogram.

The Boyd Binder is well over 100 cards strong, but I only have a few pink Matt Boyd cards.

         2020 Topps Chrome Refractor #74,                                    Matthew Boyd 

👉 (This is my best photo from my phone that I could get today. I couldn't get a clear, in focus shot of the card back.)

🐯💗⚾ Thank goodness for ye olde Internet!

I'm definitely in need of adding more pink cards before the 2021 Save Second Base event comes along. 

Enjoy Game 6 of the World Series tonight.

➡️ Will the Dodgers win their first World Series since 1988 tonight, or will the Rays force a Game 7 tomorrow?

Have a terrific Tuesday... PLAY BALL! ⚾💗⚾

National Tight End Day

Aa our friend Collecting Cutch mentioned this morning it's Football Sunday in America.

It also happens to be National Tight End Day, something I didn't know existed until last night watching the Michigan game.

The greatest Tight End in Detroit Lions history is Hall of Famer Charlie Sanders. 

Today the Lions won in Atlanta on a last second TD catch by the modern #88, T. J. Hockenson....and then a PAK by Matt Prater. 

The Wolverines and the Lions winning on the same weekend doesn't happen a lot, so it's a good night in ye olde household. 

Have a awesome Sunday night in front of the old TV.

PLAY BALL! 💗⚾🏈💗⚾🏈

Happy Baseball Birthday... Ron Gardenhire

Today we send out Happy Baseball Birthday! Best Wishes to former Twins and Tigers Manager Ron Gardenhire.

If all you do is look at the Tigers record in the three years that "Gardy" managed the Tigers, you won't see what he really accomplished in Detroit, the guiding of young men in the organization on how to play the game the right way.

The team is definitely better off than when he left it, and for that, I'm a life long fan of his.

👉 Gardenhire was born 63 years ago in Germany, part of military family that led him to eventually graduate from high school in Oklahoma, and to then play college baseball at the University of Texas.

👬 Gardy was a member of the Minnesota Twins organization starting as an assistant coach in 1991, then as the Manager of the Twins from 2002-2014.

6️⃣ Gardy was a 6th round draft pick of the New York Mets in 1979, and made his big league debut with the Metropolitans on September 1, 1981.

              Sweet 1982 Topps Traded #T39! 

There's just one week left in October, and that means we only have 7 more posts by our friend Collecting Cutch in his yearly #SaveSecondBase campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness.

Have a great Saturday, and, as always...go and Play BALL! ⚾🔥⚾💗

Golden Glove Finalists- Two Tigers

 Yesterday I learned from Fugi that it was National Color Day.

🧡💛As Fugi asked, my favorite color is, always has always been, the color BLUE,💙

🐯⚾ The Tigers colors are Blue 💙 & Orange🧡, and, my favorite football team, the 

〽️ichigan Wolverines, are Maize 💛 & Blue 💙,  as in Go BLUE! 

🥇 Thursday the Gold Glove Award Finalists were revealed, and it included two members of the Detroit Tigers.

2nd Baseman Jonathan Schoop 

Shortstop/ 2nd Baseman Niko Goodrum.

🐯⚾ The last Tigers player to win a Gold Glove Award was Ian Kinsler in 2016.

Enjoy the World Series games and have a great weekend. 

Play BALL! 💗⚾💗⚾💗⚾💗⚾

TBT: My Favorite 2020 Topps Cards- PINK Version

Back on March 24th of this year I proclaimed the Topps Series 1 card of Tigers outfielder Travis Demerritt the Card of the Year (So Far)...and, some 7 months later, it's still my favorite.

Travis Demerritt didn't get to play a whole lot for Detroit in the shortened 60 game season, appearing in just 18 games, batting .172, with only 5 base hits.

💗 For all the reasons I stated back on the spring, the PINK version is just as sweet! 

           (Excuse my poor cropping abilities.)

There's been a lot of cool baseball cards this year, and everyone has their favorites, so, keep on blogging about all those cards, and, if you can, in the next 10 days, get as many PINK Baseball Cards posted as possible! 

Today CUTCH posted that the Blogging community has reached $300 for Breast Cancer Awareness, let's do all we can to continue to increase that number...you can find today's post right here. 

Have a great day... PLAY BALL! ⚾💗⚾💗

Tigers Card Tuesday... 1973 Bill Freehan Cameo

Part of the fun that is Collecting Cutch's posts about his collection of Andrew McCutchen baseball cards is the way he ties cards of other ballplayers and his favorite ballplayer.

👉 A.K.A. "The Falco Files," we get to see cards that the former N.L. MVP on cards of other big leaguers.

Today's CUTCH post asks you to comment with your World Series picks, who'll hit the first double of the Series, and if you have a favorite card of a player that also has your favorite player on it.

Today's Tigers Card Tuesday! is a 1973 Topps Oakland Athletics Playoffs card showing George Hendrick scoring the winning run in Game 5 of the 1972 ALCS.

                         1973 Topps #201 

         "Hendrick Scores Winning Run." 

The only redeeming quality of this card is that it has my hero, Bill Freehan, on it.  

🐯⚾ That 2-1 loss to the eventual champion Oakland team as terribly heartbreaking to 12 years old yours truly, as I ran as fast as I could after school to try to catch the last inning of the game, only to miss the terrible ending.

👉 That was the end of the Tigers run of great baseball, that started in the mid 1960s, with Al Kaline, Willie Horton, Norm Cash, Freehan, Mickey Stanley, Jim Northrup, Denny McLain, and Mickey Lolich.

I guess, technically, Bill Freehan is also a "Cameo" on the 1969 Topps World Series card celebrating Mickey Lolich's Game 7 win over Bob Gibson and the Cardinals.

Speaking of backgrounds of baseball cards, I always like seeing old Tiger Stadium over the shoulder of a ballplayer posing for a picture, or of the brick wall at Comerica Park that shows the Tigers retired numbers.

Hey, make sure you get over to today's CUTCH post to get your entry into his World Series contest.

Have a great day, and, hey, it's WORLD SERIES time... Let's PLAY BALL!💗⚾💗⚾💗⚾

Happy Baseball Birthday... Willie Horton

 Today we say Happy Baseball Birthday! to former Detroit Tigers outfielder Willie Horton.

William Wattison Horton  was born in Arno Virginia, moved to the Motor City, and graduated from Northwestern High School, signed with his Hometown team, the Tigers, and made his big league debut on September 10, 1963.

💗 The Pink TIGERS team name on the 1967 Topps cards certainly stand out.

Remember to head over to Collecting Cutch's to see his daily blog post.

🐯⚾  Horton played his final game with the Tigers in 1977, yet, he's still 5th in HRs, with 262.

👀👀 The players ahead of "Willie The Wonder" are, Miguel Cabrera, Hank Greenberg, Norm Cash, and Al Kaline. 

👉 Of course, my favorite play by Willie is his outstanding throw in Game 5 of the 1968 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

🐯⚾ The Tigers, down in the game, and the Series, would rally after that play to win the game, and, eventually, the Series, with 3 straight wins over the Redbirds.

Hope everyone had a great weekend, and, as always, thanks so much for stopping by to read my blog.

Play Ball! ⚾💗⚾💗⚾💗⚾💗⚾💗

My 2020 Hank Aaron Award Vote

 Voting is now open for the 2020 Hank Aaron Award, honoring the "best overall offensive performer in each league."

🐯 The last Detroit Tigers player to win the award was Miguel Cabrera, in 2012 and 2013.

You can find a list of all past winners here.

When I first saw the nominees this morning on the MLB Network, I knew the two players I was going to vote for.

👉 Here are the nominees for each league.

• American League

Jose Abreu

Jose Ramirez

Mike Trout

Nelson Cruz

D.J. LeMahieu

Brandon Lowe

Teoscar Hernandez

• National League

Freddie Freeman

Corey Seager

Dominic Smith

Bryce Harper

Manny Machado

Paul Goldschmidt

Juan Soto

📝 Each big league club nominated one player for the award, and MLB had narrowed it down to those 7 Finalists in each league.

My votes went to-

Jose Abreu in the American League.

Freddie Freeman in the National League.

To me, both Abreu and Freeman should win the MVP Awards of their respective leagues, so this was an easy choice for me.

👉 Make sure you head over to Collecting Cutch for today's Save Second Base post.

🤔 Who are your picks? 

     

Have a awesome Hump Day! 🐫

Play Ball! ⚾💗⚾💗⚾💗⚾💗