Where's Fernando's Penmanship?

Biggest 'Manias' from the 1980s:

3) Wrestlemania

2) Hulk-a-mania

 1) Fernando Mania

Here's the thing, though. Wrestlemania just celebrated its 25th anniversary. Hulk-a-mania will never die, brutha. But Fernando Mania - it seems to have disappeared.

Fernando Valenzuela was one of baseball's biggest stars in the early part of the 1980s. Before he was old enough to legally buy a beer and drop a nickel in a Vegas slot machine he'd already won the National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards. And that was in his first full season. For the next half-a-decade he was one of the game's brightest stars. With his excentirc windup and knack for the strike out, Valenzuela captured the imagination of the game's fans.

After setting a career-high with 21 wins in 1986, Valenzuela started his decline from superstar to falling star. Although he remained a fan favourite, he was never his dominant self for any length of time. Yet he managed to hang on, going from team to team and finding a way to stay in the Majors before being released one last time in 1997 by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Valenzuela's legacy today is one of being one of the game's ultimate fan favorites. Yet, when it comes to cardboard, he's hardly around. Despite the fact that we're in an age of nostalgia in the hobby, Fernando Mania is still something of a dot on a vast horizon. He's appeared on about 50 cards since 2000. While that might seem like a lot, when you think about all the parallels and inserts that come in modern sets, it's barely a blip. If you narrow it down further to premium "hits," the numbers dwindle further. While there's a handful of game-used bat cards, Valenzuela has a grand total of one certified autograph card. It's found in 2005 Sweet Spot Classics Baseball. With autographs in 2007 and 2009 Upper Deck Spectrum, friggin' Corey Feldman from The Goonies has more autographed cards inserted in baseball products.

 

While Joe Blanton, Andre Ethier, Noah Lowry and Tom Gorzelanny continue to have autograph after autograph released, this 80s icon remains one of the few names from the past that hasn't been milked. The reasons for the lack of Valenzuela autographs can only be specualted. Perhaps he's not a fan of signing things, maybe he charges too much, maybe he hates the picture Upper Deck used on his 2005 card, or maybe he's disappeared from the public radar. Who knows. There's currently just one of the Valenzuela autographs listed on eBay and it's got a Buy it Now price of more than $100. I think it's time Fernando Mania gets a little kick in the pants so getting an autograph can be a little more affordable.

Rare 1889 Baseball Card Poster Heading to the Block Next Month

I've got two posters on my wall: a framed print entitled Legends of Baseball II that I got for Christmas many years ago that has some classy old-time ball cards and a Godfather poster honoring the 25th Anniversary theatrical release that I snagged from the back room of a theatre I worked for back in university. Both are very office-worthy in my books. I'd have them in the living room but I do share the house with my wife and kids so that's not really an option.

Next month someone's going to get an instant office makeover should they win the following from Leylands:

 

From 1889, the poster advertises the Goodwin Round Album - a nine-page full-color premium that was available as a mail-away offer. Two other posters are known to exist but they've got a different format. 

The unrestored piece of art includes a handful of Hall of Famers such as Cap Anson, Charles Comiskey and Mickey Welch. It was discovered at an estate sale in March. The story has two dealers passing it over before a family made the connection of baseball, cards and old and snatched it up. 

Its estimated value is $100,000 and will have a reserve of $45,000 when bidding opens in May at Lelands.com.

Random Pack Breaks - Old School Edition: 1974 Fleer Crazy Covers

It's Sunday morning. I'm hungry. The kitchen cupboards are too far away. I scour the desk to see what there is: cards, files, bottle of water, more cards piles and some random indie DVD I'll watch later this week. Score: gross baggie of random old non-sport packs that arrived earlier in the week - old non-sport packs with gum. Let's reach in and see who the winner is.

1974 Fleer Crazy Covers...

...with a 34-year-old stick of gum! Prepare to be amazed. Turn away if you're easily disgusted (or have a Sunday hangover.)

I don't know much about this set. A quick Google search turned up that the set comes from the mid-1970s and is Fleer's take on Wacky Packages. It's a sticker set. There's 30 in the set plus a puzzle.

Here's the back of the pack:

I peel the wax panels back carefully and reveal (second warning - look away now if you're going to puke on your keyboard):



Breakfast is served. Actually, there's no chance I'm eating that nasty stick of whatever it is. It's sort brownish pink with spots I can only assume are moldy bits. It's stuck on good to the sticker so it looks like I'll be making a sacrifice to the old school pack gods.

After much pulling and tearing the gum has been removed:

Oh, well. Let's take a closer look at these satirical stickers.

This is the destroyed sticker that's been wrecked by the gum. They're unnumbered. I'm guessing this is an ode to "Sport" and the Battle of the Sexes match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. Although a little worse for wear, it'll be filed away in the vaults for reference materials.

Next!

Expire, a take on "Esquire". Looks more like a "New Yorker" cartoon that doesn't make sense.

Finally, it's an honest to goodness card. Of what? I'll let you decide.

It's obviously a puzzle piece. I'm guessing it's probably Fleer's take on Alfred E. Newman of "Mad" fame. On the back is the checklist:

And there you have it. One Old-School random pack. I may not have eaten anything this morning, but after seeing (and manhandling) that thing that used to be a stick of gum, my appetite is gone.