This photo doesn’t need a caption or descriptive paragraph.
It happened on Oct. 25, 1986.
To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today and follow us on Twitter @ToppsPennant.
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro
Cal Ripken Jr. reached legendary status on Sept. 6, 1995 when he broke Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games played streak.
The Hall of Famer played his 2,131st straight game and took his famous victory lap around the field at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Ripken went 2-for-4 and homered during the game.
The Orioles will honor Ripken with his own statue outside Camden today to mark the anniversary and will give mini statues to fans who attend.
To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today and follow us on Twitter @ToppsPennant.
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro
Texas Rangers prospect Jurickson Profar hit a home run in his first major league at-bat Saturday.
Profar turned on a fastball from Indians pitcher Zach McAllister and became the youngest player since Adrian Beltre in 1998 to hit a home run. Beltre was 19 years and 171 days old then.
Ranked as the No. 4 prospect with the Rangers, Profar is 19 years and 195 days old.
According to MLB.com, the last player in franchise history to homer in his first at-bat was Brant Alyea, on Sept. 12, 1965.
To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today and follow us on Twitter @ToppsPennant.
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro
With a loss Friday night at Progressive Field, the Cleveland Indians would set a franchise record with 24 losses in one month, breaking the existing mark of 23 set in July 1914. To put it harshly, it’s been 98 years since Cleveland has had this bad of a month.
Unfortunately Cleveland is hosting Texas, who leads the AL West and is 7-3 in its last 10 games. The handful of Indians fans who make it to the ball park Friday may see history.
“I’ve never been through a month like this anywhere,” Indians manager Manny Acta told the Associated Press. “Not in Washington, the minor leagues or winter ball, either as a coach or a manager.”
According to STATS LLC., the Indians have matched the worst 32-game stretch in the majors this year. Since July 27, Cleveland is a poultry 5-27.
To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today and follow us on Twitter @ToppsPennant.
-Words and photo by Chris R. Vaccaro
Target Field will play host to the 2014 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, according to a report in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Only a few months ago, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said that Citi Field would host the 2013 All-Star Game during a speech at City Hall in New York City. Selig and other baseball executives are expected to host a news conference Wednesday in Minnesota to make this recent announcement.
Target Field officially opened in 2010, but Twins officials said they were focused on hosting an all-star game as far back as 2008. Minnesota hosted the MLB All-Star Game in 1965 and 1987.
“It’s more about what it means to the city and the state,” Twins CEO Jim Pohlad told the Star Tribune. “We’re a part of this community. We’re excited to bring the All-Star Game here, so we can show everyone this ballpark.”
To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today and follow us on Twitter @ToppsPennant.
-By Chris R. Vaccaro
Ernie Banks hit 512 career home runs.
He hit the final dinger of his career on Aug. 24, 1971. Mr. Cub went yard off Reds pitcher Jim McGlothlin in the fourth inning.
To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today and follow us on Twitter @ToppsPennant.
-By Chris R. Vaccaro
Most people don’t remember Rickey Henderson as the 5,000th hitter Nolan Ryan struck out, but he was just that on Aug. 22, 1989.
On his patented 96 mph fastball, Ryan caught Henderson swinging. He struck out 13 hitters in the 2-0 loss to the Athletics.
Ryan, the principal owner, president and CEO of the Rangers, finished his career with 5,714 strikeouts, a major league record.
To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today and follow us on Twitter @ToppsPennant.
-By Chris R. Vaccaro
Rollie Fingers finished his hall of fame career with 341 saves, but No. 300 turned out to be extra special since he was the first major league player to reach the plateau at the time on August 21, 1982.
Pitching for the Brewers, he closed out a game in which Milwaukee beat Seattle, 3-2. It didn’t come easy as Fingers allowed two earned runs in a two-inning appearance.
To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today and follow us on Twitter @ToppsPennant.
-By Chris R. Vaccaro
The walk-off home run. The called third strike. The leaping catch at the wall. The first time you laid eyes on that beautiful, green field. The best part about being a fan is the memories that stick with you for a lifetime. Now, we’re asking you to share them with us. And you’ll get some cool gear along the way.
Enter the Topps Pennant Time Capsule contest for your chance to win an autographed item from some of your favorite players past and present. How do you enter, you ask? Well, that’s easy:
Using your iPhone or iPad, download our Topps Pennant app. Then scroll through your favorite team’s history to find that special moment you’ll always remember. Once you’ve found it, share an image of it with us any one of three ways:
· Tweet the picture of the image using the appropriate team-based hashtag
· Email the picture of the image to timecapsule@topps.com, using the appropriate team-based hashtag in the subject line
· Post the picture of the image to the Topps Pennant Facebook Timeline at facebook.com/toppspennant
It’s as simple as that. We’ll collect all the entries and select a random winner on the @ToppsPennant Twitter account, so stay tuned.
Got any questions? Here’s a link to the official contest rules.
For the MLB Cave Dwellers, it’s been one long, wild and exciting marathon of baseball excitement since they were chosen from 22,000 applicants to live a year of fantasy in New York City.
Narrowed to 50, and then finally nine official Dwellers, that total is down to five after four have been eliminated at this point in the season. Left dwelling are Ricardo Marquez (pictured above), Kyle Thompson, Ricky Mast, Ashley Chavez and Gordon Mack.
Among a packed schedule of concerts, games and baseball events that even the most privileged sports fans would be jealous of, last month they had the opportunity to have their own baseball cards made by The Topps Company.
They all have some affection for baseball cards, which is no surprise since they’re all masterful fans in their own right for their favorite teams. Marquez, in it to support his beloved Angels, lit up when he was in one of the conference rooms draped in baseball card images from some of the games greats at 1 Whitehall in New York City.
“It’s unexplainable,” he said. “One day it’s crazy enough you’re going to Topps to make baseball cards, and if you’re still here you’re going to the all-star game [and other events]. We’ve all been granted this great opportunity to do all this great stuff that no other fan will be able to do.”
Mast, the son of former NASCAR racer Rick Mast and a big fan of the Atlanta Braves, says he has thousands of baseball cards, so this is yet more icing on a big baseball cake for him.
“I’m freaking out this is so cool,” he said. “Just coming here walking around is awesome. Every day it’s something else. We’ve gotten to do so many crazy things. We danced with Kate Upton. [Ricardo and I] took off most of our clothes. She wasn’t too stoked about it, but we were.”
Aside from dancing with Upton, the Dwellers have partied with Charlie Sheen at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Kansas City, had a lengthy conversation with Sharon Robinson, the daughter of baseball icon Jackie Robinson, and are subjected to various concerts and outings throughout the year.
Cuts from the Fan Cave are random, but the Dwellers said they have a small idea when someone is on the chopping block. The Fan Cave is located in the old Tower Records building in New York on Broadway and East 4th, but the Dwellers are provided housing at an off-site location.
Ricky Mast admiring cards on the wall at the Topps offices in New York City.
Kyle Thompson sits with a Topps designer as he has his own baseball card made.
To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today and follow us on Twitter @ToppsPennant.
-Chris R. Vaccaro
