I learned how high last week when this gem popped up on Ebay. I wasn't going to let it pass, so I made sure I had some funds allocated for it. Thankfully, the race that my dad puts on every year came about the same weekend that the card went off, and I earned enough money to pay for the card. We'll just leave it at that.
I cross checked this signature with PSA Diaz cards, and also ran it by two other 87 set collectors (thankfully, they weren't bidding against me), and it is legit.
Diaz (b. 1953) played in the majors from 1977 to 1989 for the Red Sox, Indians, Phillies and Reds. He had 834 hits, 87 home runs and a .255 batting average. He was a two-time All Star (1981 and 1987).
He was killed when a satellite dish that he was installing on the roof of his house fell on him, and decapitated him. He left behind a wife and two sons.
I became familiar with Diaz once I set out to complete the signed 1987 set. I knew the previously deceased players would be tough, but I assumed the toughest would be maybe Gary Carter, Kirby Puckett or Tony Gwynn. In reality, the toughest ones are Diaz, Dick Howser, Dan Quisenberry, Rod Scurry, etc. Those guys have been a challenge to even find, let alone afford.
2 comments:
Wow, that is really sad the way he died.
The hardest card in the set is Ricky Wright. He was basically out of baseball by the time his card came out and has simply refused to sign for any amount of money for three decades now. Very few legitimate examples of that card signed exist, and they go in the 5k range. With any deceased or rare card in this set, be especially careful of fakes. The base cards are penny cards and easy to obtain in large numbers so they are easy for forgers to get their hands on and fake. Kudos on doing your homework and adding a toughie to your collection. Of the deceased players, Howser is probably the toughest. Legit Howsers are still more numerous than Wrights but they too go for big bucks.
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