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Harold Baines


Well, I've yet to pick up Harold Baines' Hall of Fame plaque post card, so I don't have that to showcase. It's on my to-do list. I imagine I'm not alone, but Baines was not on my radar or in my "future hall of fame" collection album when it was announced that he had been elected to the Hall, so I had to go through nearly my entire collection looking for Baines cards. That took some doing. I had the same situation with recently elected Ted Simmons, and I still have that task ahead of me for Larry Walker too.

When Baines was elected to the HoF there was a lot of noise about whether he was worthy of enshrinement. I wouldn't argue that, but looking closely at the HoF membership you can see that there are many others that certainly don't fall into the "elite" category, yet there they are in the majestic Hall in Cooperstown. I don't vote - I just collect.

My collection:


First sheet, top row, left to right: 1981 Topps (rookie card I believe); 1982 Donruss; and 1982 Fleer.

Second row: 1982 Topps; 1982 Fleer; and 1983 Topps.

Bottom row: 1984 Donruss; 1984 Fleer; and 1984 Topps.

Second sheet, top row: 1985 Topps; 1985 Topps "The 1977 #1 Draft Pick"; and 1986 Topps.

Middle row: 1987 Topps; 1988 Donruss; and 1988 Fleer.

Bottom row: 1988 Topps; 1988 Score; and 1989 Donruss.

Third sheet, top row, left to right: 1989 Topps; 1990 Donruss All-Star; and 1990 Fleer.

Middle row: 1992 Fleer; 1993 Fleer Ultra; and 1983 Topps Stadium Club.

Bottom row: 1994 Donruss; 1994 Donruss "The Leaf Set"; and 1994 Topps Stadium Club.

Last sheet, top row: 1994 Upper Deck; 1996 Topps; 1997 Topps; and 2000 Fleer.

In the trivia category, Baines is one of only three no. 1 overall draft picks to make the HoF (so far). He joins Ken Griffey Jr. and Chipper Jones. Not bad!

Thanks for visiting!

CinciCuse Bill
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Comments

  1. FujiFebruary 22, 2020 at 11:32 AM

    I was surprised he got in... and probably wrote about it at the time. But now that he's in... it's all good. Gotta move forward... and continue collecting. I do remember treasuring his 1981 Topps and Fleer rookie cards back in the day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. CinciCuse BillFebruary 23, 2020 at 8:41 AM

    You're right about that - gotta move forward. Peace!

    ReplyDelete
  3. BaseSetCallingFebruary 25, 2020 at 12:18 AM

    I set aside a copy of the 89 Topps the other day. Binder worthy.

    When one of the early iterations of Topps Archives Signatures came out, I bought one of the lottery tickets. I got a Baines autograph on a reprint of his 81 Topps RC. But since his autograph looked like a bird plopped some sharpie squiggles on it with essentially zero connection to the letter H or the letter B on it, I sold it for $5. Two years later, he was elected to the Hall of Fame.

    ReplyDelete
  4. CinciCuse BillFebruary 25, 2020 at 9:15 AM

    Good stuff BaseSetCalling. Speaking of bad auto's, check out Night Owl Cards Feb 23 post showing Ichiro's auto - crazy!

    ReplyDelete

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