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Most valuable rookie card

Dave Farquhar Baseball August 23, 2017August 22, 20171940s, 1950s, 1980s, Babe Ruth, baseball cards, Goudey, Stan Musial, Topps, Willie Mays

When it comes to baseball cards, rookie cards are usually more valuable than non-rookie cards. But when we think of the Pantheon of valuable baseball cards, they tend not to be rookies. Instead, they tend to be scarce cards from hugely popular, iconic sets. The T206 Wagner. The 1933 Goudey Lajoie. The 1952 Topps Mantle. So what is the most valuable rookie card?

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.

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1948 Bowman baseball

Dave Farquhar Baseball May 19, 2017August 1, 20171940s, 1950s, Babe Ruth, New York, Stan Musial, Ted Williams, Topps

I recently decided to collect the 1948 Bowman baseball set. It has a number of things going for it. With 48 cards in the set, it’s attainable. Of those 48 cards, 18.75% of them are Hall of Famers. It’s also one of the two first postwar major-issue sets.

A partial box of unopened 1948 packs surfaced recently in Tennessee, so that’s as good of an excuse to talk about the set as any. No one knew any unopened 1948 Bowman packs survived. It sold at auction for $521,180.

Dave Farquhar

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My Stan Musial stories

Dave Farquhar Baseball, Human Interest, St. Louis January 22, 2013January 22, 20131980s, cardinals, extra mile, Lead Belt, left fielder, Missouri, Stan Musial, Ted Williams

When I was a toddler, I played in Stan Musial’s swimming pool.

Yes, I really did.
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Dave Farquhar

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Albert Pujols, mercenary

Dave Farquhar Baseball, St. Louis December 9, 2011Babe Ruth, Bruce Sutter, Cal Ripken, california angels, cardinals, Carlos Beltran, Kansas City, mercenary, New York, PIP, Stan Musial, Ted Williams

I’m a Royals fan living in St. Louis, so my perspective on Albert Pujols has always been that he’s the one who got away. He went to high school and college in Kansas City, but somehow Royals scouts overlooked him. The Cardinals signed him, and he became a once-in-a-generation player. Even if he never plays another game in the majors, he’s a lock for the Hall of Fame.

Fans loved him, because, well, who doesn’t like a guy who hits .299 with 37 home runs and 99 RBIs in the worst year of his career? He’s always been detached and distant, but St. Louisans will forgive that for wins and numbers. He talked about being a Cardinal for life, but then St. Louis woke up on Thursday morning, drove to work, and found out on the rush-hour radio that he was gone, signed to the Los Angeles California Angels of Anaheim, the Tikki Tikki Tembo Nosa Rembo Chari Bari Ruchi Pip Pen Pembo of baseball.

Dave Farquhar

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Stan Musial and his frozen appendix

Dave Farquhar Baseball April 5, 2011July 30, 20181940s, cardinals, classmate, Stan Musial

Cardinals beat writer Derrick Goold (who also happens to be a former classmate) dug out an interesting story about Cardinal great Stan Musial. In 1947, he was diagnosed with appendicitis. Team doctor Robert Hyland was reluctant to recommend immediate surgery, as it would sideline Musial, the team’s best player, for nearly a month. So instead, he froze Musial’s appendix, Musial sat out five days, and played the rest of the season before having the appendix removed.

This curious, um, cure caused a lot of head shaking and questions. So I did a little digging. Read more

Dave Farquhar

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