Ebay Purchase of the Day: "Blondy" Ryan 1934-36 Diamond Star

So I just picked up this 1934-36 Diamond Star "Blondy Ryan" off of Ebay- seller was asking for $8.56 (odd number, eh?), and was offering a very enticing $.75 shipping charge (total purchase costs just under $10!). So, I clicked that "Buy-It Now" button as quickly as I could. The card is described as "Very Good" and has some "soil spots". Otherwise, a beautiful card with great corners and coloring for this classic vintage set. Over the years, I've had a handful of Goudey cards, but never any Diamond Stars- needless to say, I'm very excited about this purchase!

Let's take a look at "Blondy" on Baseball-Reference.com:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/ryanbl01.shtml

Wow- you know jumps out at me? He finished 9th in the 1933 MVP race in the N.L. with the following #s: .238 AVG, 3 HRs, 48 RBIs, 0 SBs- That line makes Kevin Stocker look like a perennial all-star! Not quite sure what the 1933 N.L. MVP voters were drinking- but I'm sure Blondy was buying it :)

He was very hardly a Philly, only playing half a season in 1935 with them, but I'll take it.

Coming soon- my top 5 favorite Phillies cards- Just to clarify, these are cards that I own.

My Phavorite Phillies Cards- Top Ten List: Part One- 10 through 6

I love Phillies cards!

I love Top Ten lists!

I love starting out by saying I'm going to have a top ten list, and then listing 11 cards!

Here we go- Part One!!! More Exclamation marks!!!!

10. 2001 Bowman Draft Picks- Chase Utley

Random thoughts on the card:

• Chase is the man- He's my current favorite Phil- Here's his rookie card


• Cool set design by Bowman in 2001- Love how the black and aqua blue provide some sharp looking borders.
  

9. 1972 Topps- Steve Carlton (Traded)

• Carlton was a STUD Ace!


• In 1972, he had the GREATEST season by any Philly pitcher ever: 27 Wins, 310 Ks, 1.97 ERA, .99 WHIP, all for an awful Phillies team that won a total of 59 wins!?!?


• This is a cool subset- the first Topps cards that would serve as a prototype for future Topps Traded subsets.


• It's also a tough to come by high numbered card.

8. 1940 Play Ball- Grover Cleveland Alexander

• He and Carlton are unquestionably the two greatest pitchers to play in a Phillies uniform (sorry Robin Roberts, Curt Schilling, and Cole Hamels).


• This card is kind of bizarre- "Ol' Pete" pitched his last game in 1930- For whatever reason, Play Ball decided to include a handful of Hall of Famers in it's set, and as a result, we have a cool Grover Cleveland Alexander card.


• Absolutely classic card design- they just don't make them like this anymore!


• I hope I'm wrong about a previous statement, and Cole Hamels moves past Alexander as one of the best two Philles pitchers ever.

7b. 2007 Topps Cards That Never Were- Ryne Sandberg

• Here is where my blog takes a painful turn- Sandberg, the best 2nd baseman of his generation, in the batting cage in his Phils pinstripes- Somebody call Doc Brown, have him pass along a message to Dallas Green pronto!!!


• This was an awesome set that was being sold on eTopps- the card is made exactly like it would have looked if Topps decided to include Ryne in it's 1982 Topps Traded set.


• Can you imagine an infield of 1B Julio Franco, 2B Ryne Sandberg, 3B Mike Schmidt, SS Juan Samuel? The Phillies would have had a title or two to follow their 1980 World Series win...

7a. 1966 Topps- Rookie Stars- Fergie Jenkins & Bill Sorrell

• Fergie was a Hall of Famer who was basically given to Cubs for spare parts-

  April 21, 1966: Traded by the Philadelphia
  Phillies with John Herrnstein
  and Adolfo
  Phillips to the Chicago Cubs
  for Larry
  Jackson and Bob
  Buhl. (courtesy of www.baseball-reference.com)

• Interesting "What If" dilemna- if the Phillies held onto Jenkins, would they have dealt for Carlton? Would there have been a need for an ace when they would clearly have already had one?

6. 1979 Topps Burger King- Pete Rose

• Charlie Hustle in all his Phillies glory- Some of my earliest Phillies memories are of Pete Rose running the bases.


• The first time I saw this card, I thought it was some kind of super rare, never printed, Topps vault card- Then I found out it was a pretty easy to come by Burger King card- Which is cool- I could actually afford it :)


• The regular issue 1979 Topps Pete Rose features Rose as a Red- this Burger King set was clearly made after he was dealt to the Phils, making it Pete's first Phillies issued card.