2015 Topps Inserts: Free Agent 40 - Andre Dawson

Delving into the 2015 Topps Insert sets a bit tonight. 

Free Agent 40 is an insert set for 2015 Topps which is dedicated to the biggest FA signings of the last 40 years. Sort of a more modern version of big trade subsets.

2015 Topps F40-7 Free Agent 40 Andre Dawson 

F40 looks like a lot of other recent insert set. A dozen Hall of Fame caliber players connected by some theme designed to be a canvas for "Hits"

This Andre Dawson card piqued my interested for a bit of text on the back.

2015 Topps F40-7 Free Agent 40 Andre Dawson (b-side)

We have a DALLAS GREEN Sighting. It is a story I have heard repeated dozens of times, but it is still cool to see it commemorated on cardboard. Dallas Green signs Andre Dawson for a half millon bucks and the Hawk goes on to have an MVP season.

Auto/Relics
Andre Dawson is one of 15 subjects in the S1 insert set, none of the 15 cards are of Phillies. Ten of the players are given the relic treatment, half of which also have autographs and auto-relic. Dawson is not among the players for which Auto or Relics were produced. 
This is all pretty familiar territory for Insert sets. I have always wanted to take a closer look into what players get into these insert sets, this will hopefully be the beginning of this analysis.

Sources and Links
2015 Topps Index
Cardboard Connection
ebay
baseball-ref

Mickey Morandini Unassisted Triple Play Anniversary and a Mystery Solved

Today during Andy's High Heat Stats This day in Baseball History feed he noted that today is the 20th Anniversary of Mickey Morandini's Unassisted Triple Play.  Despite the UATP the Phils took the loss 3-2 to the Pirates in extras.   

At the time it was only the second UATP in MLB history turned by a 2nd Baseman. - Bill Wambsganss turned the first during the 1920 World Series.  There have been three by second baseman since including one by Phils utility man Eric Bruntlett in 2009.

1993 Score #415 Mickey Morandini
1993 Topps #262 Mickey Morandini 

First off the pix on these cards feature a Double Play not the Triple Play mentioned above.

I had always assumed the Topps card featured the Phils ill-fated day game blue caps which were ejected after a few games because 1) the players didn't like them 2) they lost the few games when they wore them.

Mystery Solved

 
I assumed wrong.  The years didn't add up.  Turns out the cursed hats were from 1994 - The cards above are from 1993. After some Turn Back the Clock Game research I found that the Phillies wore there 1948 throwbacks for a game on June 21 1992.

Interesting thing you have above is two cards, different manufacturers, same play - possibly same photographer.

If you check the box link above, you can see in the 4th inning Andre Dawson singled followed by Mark Grace hitting into a 6-4-3 DP. I am pretty sure that is what we are seeing here.

Sources
Wikipedia.com
Baseball-Ref.com

Card Show Report 2010 07 24 - Concorde Mall, Wilmington DE

The Concorde Mall has skylights throughout which I am sure are wonderful for letting in the tons o light most of the year. Unfortunately the AC in the mall cannot compete with the 100 degree heat and the sun just keeps baking down on you while your trying to sort through dime bins.

But that is my only complaint about the show - A couple of vendors I enjoy seeing were not there, and the $1 Vintage guy wasn't there so there were some disappointments. Still I manage to spend $53 mostly at dime boxes. Here are some examples of things that were selling.


There was a guy that had a bunch of the cards that were thrown out by someone, probably me - during my various moves during the crazy years during and surrounding college. He had plenty of 1976-79 Topps cards for a nickle a piece. I splurged for about 160 of these including the 76 Tony Perez above. I think I only found 3 HOFs including this Perez and his 1977 card (Expos) as well as a Goose Gossage card.

The other 3 cards came out of a dime bin. Congrats to Andre Dawson on his Hall of Fame induction. This card is a BBC magazine cutout. It actually looks really good. The Blanton card goes into the 2008 WSC Phils in other unis box. It is interesting that this is an early card of Blanton and he is in a position you frequently see him in for many cards and pictures. The Miguel Cabrera is the short printed no sig variation - nice find for a dime.


This is partially the Trade Deadline Group. Both the A&G cards were in dime boxes. The Oswalt card is a short print (#333). I would like to see the Phils land either pitcher, but if they don't start hitting, I am not sure either pitcher would make a difference. There were plenty fo the A&G This Day in History cards in the dime bin. At 1/pack this is no surprise. I picked up about a half dozen of the SPs which I was happy to find in the dime bin.

The Zorro/Zoilo Versalles card is a Rookie Card of an MVP player (1965) - nice find for .50 cents. I doubt that you will find an older rookie card of a future MVP any cheaper than that. Finally the Chrome Sandberg card. For most Hall of Famers if you find a Chrome Card from their playing days for a dime, there is no reason to not have the card in your personal collection.