It’s hard to believe the MLB All-Star break is upon us. With summer yet to arrive in the northeast, the weather here still feels like NBA playoff time. When do the Lakers arrive in Boston for yet another NBA Finals? Is Garnett’s balky knee good enough to play? What…you mean we have to wait another year to see that? The addition of Ron Artest and Rasheed Wallace to the Lakers and Celtics, respectively, has all but assured that rematch in 2010. But that’s for another Blog.

So, I guess it really is MLB All-Star week. For some reason the lure of the game no longer exists for me. Is it my age, or has the steroid era dampened my enthusiasm for the game and its stars? Probably a little of both.

However, for me, the game of baseball, once filled with statistics that mattered and star players who gathered yearly to put on a “show” for baseball purists, no longer exists. Oh, sure, the All-Star game now “counts,” as the winner provides its league with home field advantage for the World Series. But that, too, is a joke. Why they allow an exhibition game to carry so much weight for its historic Fall Classic is mind-boggling.

I also wonder; do the names Pujols, Utley, Beltran, Teixeira, Longoria, and Bay bring as much excitement to today’s young fans as did Mantle, Mays, Aaron, Williams, Musial and Clemente did for my generation? I hate to sound like an old fart, but I think not.

Don’t get me wrong. Players of my youth were no angels. They drank and chased women with the best (or worst) of men. We just seldom heard about it. But there was a “star power” in those days that simply doesn’t exist today. I’m sure being a kid and only getting to see baseball games on TV on weekends helped make players larger than life during those innocent years, but I think it goes beyond just that. Times have changed – and so has the game of baseball. Sadly, for the worse.

How does that song go? “Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio – a nation turns its lonely eyes to you.”

Do you think Albert Pujols and his fans know Simon and Garfunkel?

by Jeff Figler, Collectibles Editor, HOFN.com

As baseball cards have become a part of American tradition and folklore, it is interesting to see how its evolution developed. A thumbnail sketch is as follows.

It is hard to imagine that baseball cards were first issued in 1887 by a few of the existing tobacco companies of that era. A New York company, Goodwin & Company, issued the N172 series in Old Judge and Gypsy Queen cigarette packs. More than 500 players are pictured, and as some players were pictured in several poses, nearly 3500 different variations are know to exist. This set was issued between 1887-1890, as were other sets issued by other tobacco companies, notably Allen & Ginter. Cards issued in that time period were usually quite small, sometimes as small as 1 ½ x  2 ¾.

It should also be noted that one company, Green and Blackwell (G & B) of New York, included chewing gum with their baseball cards, the first time that idea had been implemented.

Not much happened on the baseball card front until the years 1909-1915. During that period baseball cards became very popular, and were issued by such diverse companies as tobacco, candy, and bread manufacturers, as well as sports magazines.

During this time the American Tobacco Company issued the famous T206 set from 1909-1911. Of course, the Honus Wagner card, the jewel of baseball card collectors is included in this set. Again, some players, such as Ty Cobb, are depicted on several cards with different poses. Other tobacco companies, such as Ramly, Hassan and Mecca, also issued cards, as did candy manufacturers such as American Caramel, Cracker Jack, and Zeenut candy.

In most cases, the cards would be included with the product, but not always. One exception was the set of cards issued by Sporting Life magazine, which could only be ordered by mail.

During the 1930s there were many card sets, primarily through gum companies. The Goudey Gum Company issued cards from 1933-1941, and the Bowman Gum Company issued the Play Ball sets in the late 1930s and into the early 1940s. During that time frame, and even as late as the 1960s, Exhibit cards were prominent, which were very distinctive in that they were thick and black-and-white.

The 1932 U.S. Carmel company issued a set, which, if a person sent to the company the entire set, the person received a free baseball or glove. It was not until the 1980’s that card number 16 (Lindy Lindstrom) was discovered, and supposedly only two such arts are known to exist today.

Leaf, another gum company, issued a card set in 1948, and Topps produced its first sets in 1951. Topps has been producing cards ever since. During the 1950s the two major issuers of cards were Topps and Bowman. However, other companies such as Red Man Chewing Tobacco, Mother’s Cookies, Wheaties Cereal, Wilson Weiners, Esskay Meats, and Red Heart Dog Food, among many others, all issued cards. In 1955 the Topps Company bought out Bowman, and through 1980 dominated the card market. Other companies such as Post Cereal, Jello, Hostess, Kahn’s Weiners, Milk Duds, and Hires Root Beer issued cards, but did not match Topps. Finally, the Fleer Corporation slowly began to make a dent in the Topps domination. More on that next time.

QUESTION #1: I saw your article on Tiger Woods collectables in HOFN.Com. I have a signed baseball cap that he wore in a tournament at West Englebrook on 1/19/01. What is the value?

ANSWER: It is worth approximately $5,000-7,000.

QUESTION #2: I just bought a 2007 Buick Invitational golf flag signed by Tiger Woods at a silent auction. How much do you think it is worth? How much do you think it will go up in value?

ANSWER: It is worth approximately $1500-2000. It will continue to go up in value if he continues to win more tournaments.