2022 National Free Signer - Bernie Parent

When I saw the list of VIP party signers for the National, I was glad to see that Bernie Parent was one of them. 

I had quite a few of his cards that I could use, thanks to the box of vintage hockey cards that my good friend, Max, gave me a few years ago. I had this 1970-71 Topps Hockey card of Parent. It has a little bit of surface damage next to his shoulder, but you can hardly notice it.

Parent (b. 1945) played in the NHL from 1965 to 1979 for the Bruins, Flyers, Maple Leafs and WHA Blazers.

He was a two-time Stanley Cup Champion (1973-74 and 1974-75) with the Flyers. He was the 1973-74 and 1974-75 Conn Smythe Award winner and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984 

2022 National Paid Signer - Jeff Bagwell

This year's National had several signers, who I had cards put aside for that I just wanted to get signed.  One of those cards was this 1995 Topps Finest Total Bases Jeff Bagwell that I pulled out of a box of 1995 Topps a long time ago.  The card kept popping up when I would look through cards, so I decided to try to get it signed some day.  I also wanted to meet Bagwell, so it worked out at this year's National.

Bagwell was really nice, and allowed for me to pose quickly for a selfie.  I don't usually go for the selfies, but I figured I would go for it, especially since it helps for content purposes.

I was glad to get the card signed, even though it didn't scan all that well.  Bagwell, himself, liked the card, so that was cool.

2022 National Paid Signer - Dave Winfield

A regular goal for me at the last few Nationals has been to add to my signed 1987 set. Unfortunately, it has gotten harder and harder to find guys I still need. I did, however, need two of the signers this year. Dave Winfield was the first.

Dave was pretty quiet, but was fine while he was signing. I was really happy to finally cross him off of my 1987 list. 

2022 National Pickup - Travis Jackson Signed Baseball

Hall of Famer #165 was added to my collection at the National as part of two big pickups. I had been keeping an eye on Travis Jackson baseballs for a long time and I found this one lower than what I had seen elsewhere. The signature is great, as is the ball.

Jackson (b. 1903 - d. 1987) played in the majors from 1922 to 1936 for the Giants.  He had 1,768 hits, 135 home runs and a .291 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1934 and his best finish in the NL MVP race was 4th, also in 1934.  He won the World Series with the Giants in 1933.  Jackson was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982 via the Veterans Committee.

A quick glance at Jackson's stats definitely make you wonder why he is in the Hall of Fame.  It turns out, he was regarded as the best shortstop of his era.  That makes a lot more sense; his career fielding percentage is .952 and his career defensive WAR 31st all time.  Injuries kept him off of the field for a good chunk of his career, otherwise, his offensive stats may have been higher.

In all, I am very happy that I added this Hall of Famer to my collection, even though no one knows who he is when I talk about him.

2022 National Pickup - Pedro Martinez Signed Baseball

The National always seems to provide me with an opportunity to add a new Hall of Famer to my signed baseball collection. This year, I added three new guys and upgraded two others. The above Pedro Martinez was the first ball that I pulled the trigger on, and it is beautiful. 

Martinez (b. 1971) played in the majors from 1992 to 2009 for the Dodgers, Expos, Red Sox, Mets and Phillies. He had a record of 219-100 with 3,154 strike outs and a 2.93 ERA.

Pedro won 20 or more games twice in his career and was an 8-time All Star (1996 to 2000, 2002, 2005 and 2006). He was the 1997 NL, 1999 AL and 2000 AL Cy Young Award winner. He won the World Series with the Red Sox in 2004. He won the pitching triple crown in 1999. He was elected to the Hall of Fame I'm 2015 (his first ballot) when he received 91.1% of the vote.

Pedro is my 164th Hall of Famer.

2022 National - Completing the 1972 Topps Set

When I got to the National in Atlantic City, this year, I didn't go with a goal to finish my 1972 Topps set.  I went hoping that I could make a dent in it, but by the time the show was over, I had crossed everything off of my 1972 set checklist.

I spent a lot of money on it, since most of what I needed was from the High Number series, or stars.  Still, it feels good to be done with it and potentially move on to another vintage set in time for next year's National.

The last card I needed was the above 1972 Twins Rookie Stars, featuring Rick Dempsey.

Brace yourself for a wave of National posts for a while.

Another TTM Success From Whitey Herzog

While going through some stacks of cards and preparing for the National, I was reminded that I had thos 2020 Topps Chrome Decades Best card of the 1980s Cardinals. I figured I would go ahead and send it off to Whitey Herzog and get him to sign it. The card turned out great. I'll loom for the other guys via signings soon. 

I mailed to Herzog on June 10 and got the card on June 18, for an 8-day TAT. I paid his $5 fee.