COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Barry Larkin, straight laced and proper on the field, opened his Hall of Fame speech by saying, “this is Unsticking believable.” For the next half hour, Larkin, a career-long member of the Cincinnati Reds, thanked everyone from Pete Rose to Lou Pinella and made a constant point to say he always had the interest of Cincinnati – his hometown – in mind when he played baseball. 

“Am I doing enough? Is there more? Could I do something a little bit different? Something better? Can I try harder? Is this the right thing to do?” he said he used to ask himself in the mirror. “I asked myself that question because I took a lot of pride in representing not only myself, but my family, the Reds organization, the city of Cincinnati.

“No longer do I have to ask those questions anymore. The answer is forever written on my plaque in Cooperstown. Every player wants to win, every play wants to feel appreciated and feel validation. Well, my inclusion in the Hall of Fame is the ultimate validation.”

Cubs legend Ron Santo was also inducted Saturday at Clark Sports Center. Santo, who died in 2010 after complications from a battle with diabetes, was honored by his widow Vicky Santo, who read the induction speech.

“It’s an incredible day for an incredible man, a man who lived an extraordinary life to its fullest,” she said. “It was a spectacular journey fought with trials and tribulations, and incredible lows and highs. Ron’s life was never about the lows, he always found a way to make it about the highs. Ron Santo was born to play baseball. He said that playing baseball was a God given gift. It made the game easy. It was only the diabetes that made the game hard.”

Vicky said looking back Santo believed he was given the gift of talent as well as the challenge of diabetes so that through his hardship, he could shed light on a cause, that he could help others through his story.

“I think he would say that’s why he’s now been given the greatest honor any athlete could ever hope for from a sport to be included among the greatest players who ever set foot on earth,” she said.

PHOTOS: See more from Sunday’s induction ceremony

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

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — This weekend’s honored guests spent time talking with baseball writers Saturday afternoon, their only scheduled time for press engagements for their induction ceremonies this weekend at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Cincinnati Reds legend Barry Larkin, as well as the children of Cubs great Ron Santo, broadcaster Tim McCarver and writer Bob Elliott were all on hand at the Clark Sports Center to give a few final bullet points about their feelings before taking the stage to immortality.

Larkin mentioned how he’s still humbled when he’s around greats like Bob Gibson and Al Kaline and how becoming a hall of famer himself has become more tangible now that this weekend has finally arrived.

“It’s very humbling,” said Larkin. “Every thing about this is humbling, to think that you are part of the Hall of Fame.”

Ron Santo Jr. and his sibilings fielded the obvious questions about how their father’s induction came after his death, which was both sad, but overall a joy since it’s the highest honor Santo always wanted for himself, his family and Cubs fans.

McCarver, who is the winner of this year’s Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting, was not shy as usual, talking about so many great moments and pastime’s in his career from calling Mets games with Ralph Kiner to playing for some of the best Cardinals teams of all-time in the late 1960s.

“That 1967 team never made mistakes, ever,” he said. “That team, of course, was led by Bob Gibson, who never made a mistake.”

Elliott, a baseball writer from Canada, was short and sweat in his answers but was humorous as he spoke about Canada’s perspective on high individual achievement. There is no higher honor in baseball writing then receiving the J.G. Taylor Spink Award.

“Like former Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson used to say, we have this inferiority complex,” he said. “You look at us too long we get worried and if you don’t look at us enough, we get even more worried. It is a patriotic country and if you’re Canadian, you’re happy [about the induction].”

The Barry Larkin File

• Played 19 seasons for the Cincinnati Reds from 1986-2004
• Led Reds to World Series title in 1990 and NLCS berth in 1995
• Made 12 all-star game appearances
• Won Roberto Clemente Award in 1993 and Lou Gehrig Award in 1994
• Won nine Silver Slugger Awards and three Gold Gloves
• Drafted by the Reds with the fourth overall pick in 1985
• Played on the 1984 U.S. Olympic Baseball team
• Played collegiately at the University of Michigan
• Grew up in Cincinnati and played for hometown team
• MLB Stats: .295 average, 2,340 hits, 1,329 runs, 379 stolen bases

The Ron Santo File

• Santo played 14 seasons with the Cubs and 1 with the White Sox
• Suffered from Type 1 diabetes throughout his career
• From 1963-1970 he averaged almost 29 homers and 106 RBI per season
• Won five straight Gold Gloves from 1964-1969
• Was selected to nine all-star teams
• In 1990, became broadcaster for the Cubs
• No. 10 was retired by the Cubs in 2003
• Santo died Dec. 2, 2010
• MLB Stats: .277 average, 342 homers, 1,331 RBI, 1,108 walks, 1,138 runs

The Tim McCarver File

• Played in big leagues from 1959-1980 for six teams, most notably the St. Louis Cardinals, for which he won World Series titles in 1964 and 1967
• Has called games locally for Phillies, Mets, Yankees and Giants
• Currently serves as FOX MLB color analyst alongside Joe Buck, a position he’s held since 1996
• Has called baseball games for all four U.S. television networks

The Bob Elliott File

• Has spent more than 30 years writing about baseball in Canada
• Has been a longtime columnist for the Toronto Sun since 1987
• Is now referred to as the “dean of a generation of Canadian sportswriters”
• Began his career as a writer for the Ottawa Citizen in 1970s
• Wrote “The Northern Game: Baseball The Canadian Way” 
• Helped develop a website called the Canadian Baseball Network 
• His grandfather Chaucer Elliott is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame Photo Roll

Tim McCarver and Bob Elliott.

Ron Santo’s two sons and daughter, alongside Craig Muder, the director of communications at the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Come back Sunday for more news and notes about the actual induction ceremony at Clark Sports Center. Topps will be reporting live from Cooperstown during induction weekend. 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

In a conference call with media Tuesday, Barry Larkin touched on everything from his preparation leading up to Sunday’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame to his playing days for his hometown Cincinnati Reds and a transition from football to baseball that changed his life.

Here’s a look at some Larkin quotes from the call:

On the anticipation for Sunday: “I’m really excited about how many Reds fans are coming, because I’ve heard just about everybody in the world is going to show up.”

On growing up in Cincinnati and playing for Reds: “I think when I first got back to Cincinnati was probably the hardest time (as a hometown player). I mean it was good being back home, and having all the Reds guys around, but there was some pressure from people I knew. Guys I went to high school with didn’t understand that the competition was a lot harder on the field than it was in high school. It was a special relationship (with the city). It meant a lot. In retrospect, it meant more now than when I was playing. When I was playing, it meant more about winning championships and getting into the postseason. We did that in 1990 and in 1994, we were right there and we went on strike. My dad came to every single game. My mom peeled off some at the end. I was just very comfortable in Cincinnati. I just enjoyed everything about it. Growing up in Cincinnati, I grew up a big Red Machine fan. I remember going outside and doing the Pete Rose slide or throwing my bat around like Tony Perez and doing the bounce throw on concrete like Davey Concepcion.”

On his induction ceremony: It will be emotional. It will be exciting. My daughter is going to be singing the National Anthem. (Hall of Fame) President Jeff Idelson heard my daughter singing and asked if she wanted to sing the national anthem. So I’ll be nervous for her. But it will be exciting.”

On players who helped him early in his career: “Ozzie (Smith) obviously inspired me. I watched him from the other side of the field, but Davey Concepcion is the guy – and Buddy Bell – that really helped me with my consistency and my approach. They were the guys working with me on a daily basis. When I got the big leagues, I still needed some fine-tuning. Davey Concepcion helped me with positioning on the Astroturf. He taught me his patented bounce throw. He’d go to second base and let me throw to him for the double play. He’d go to first and let me throw to him over there. I couldn’t believe how much he helped me because he knew I was gunning for his job. Davey helped me mostly during batting practice. Buddy helped me on the field. He would tell me to let him know when a breaking ball was coming and that would help me with my positioning, watching what he’d do… It helped me mentally because I really wasn’t a baseball player at that time.”

On his transition from football to baseball: “It was a fairly long road and one with quite a few twists and turns. It started in Moeller (High School) and I really thought I was going to be a football player. I was better at football. But I had some opportunities playing baseball. When I went up to Michigan and just played baseball, we had some success early. We went to the College World Series and I felt like I was getting better every day. Then I got the chance to play on the Olympic team. I remember getting to a point when I just said; I have to be better than everyone else.”

Larkin will get inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday along with Cubs legend Ron Santo.

Topps will be reporting live from Cooperstown during induction weekend. 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

On the weekend when heroes return to Cooperstown, some of the game’s legendary names of yesteryear will be honored with a uniquely American celebration at the home of baseball.

Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn will help celebrate the lives of four Hall of Fame teammates on Friday during the First-Day-of-Issue Major League Baseball All-Stars stamps dedication ceremony in Cooperstown.

The new Baseball Legends Stamps will be unveiled at 10 a.m. on July 20 at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The dedication ceremony, which is an invitation-only event, will be shown for fans via closed-circuit television in Cooper Park adjacent to the Museum. Available nationwide that day, the stamps can also be purchased at the Museum and the Cooperstown Post Office.

Four of baseball’s most revered Hall of Famers will be immortalized on 45-cent First-Class Forever stamps. Appearing on the Major League Baseball All-Stars sheet of 20 stamps will be Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees; Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians; Willie Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates; and Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox.

Brian Kenny of MLB Network will serve as emcee, with remarks from Jane Forbes Clark, Chairman of the Board of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum; Patrick R. Donahoe, United States Postmaster General; and Louis J. Giuliano, member of the United States Postal Service Board of Governors. Honored guests will include Larry Doby Jr. (son of Larry Doby), Margaret Weller-Stargell (wife of Willie Stargell) and Kathie DiMaggio Stein (granddaughter of Joe DiMaggio).

The stamps were designed by artist-illustrator Kadir Nelson of Los Angeles and are based on historic photographs. Phil Jordan of Falls Church, Va., served as art director.

Gwynn was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2007 after a stellar 20-year big league career with the San Diego Padres in which he compiled a .338 career batting average and won eight National League batting titles. Gwynn’s daughter, recording artist Anisha Nicole, will perform the National Anthem at the dedication ceremony.

The dedication ceremony will be one of many exciting events of the July 20-23 Hall of Fame Weekend, which will feature the induction of Barry Larkin and Ron Santo as the Class of 2012. The Induction Ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m. ET on July 22 at the Clark Sports Center, one mile south of the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

-Story courtesy National Baseball Hall of Fame

Last month, Topps Pennant ventured to Cooperstown, N.Y. for the Baseball Hall of Fame Classic. With that trip came a tour of the beloved museum on Main Street. 

You know about many of the key items that exist in the hall, but we tried to find some other interesting artifacts currently on display that have a fun and meaningful place in baseball’s long and extensive history. 

In no specific order, here it goes:

The hat former Mets manager Bobby Valentine wore during the days following Sept. 11, 2001.

We couldn’t resist. George Brett’s “Pine tar Bat” from that famous game in 1983.

Jerseys that Montreal Canadiens wore following the death of former Expos and Mets great Gary Carter.

This cleat from former Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga touched first base to get a Cleveland hitter out, but umpire Jim Joyce called the runner safe. Galarraga was one out away from a perfect game.

In 1947, the Giants set a then MLB record with the most home runs in a seaon: 221. To commemorate the mark, team owner Horace Stoneham awarded a ring to each member of the team. The ring in the hall of fame on display, however, belonged to Giants pitcher Junior Thompson, who ironically never hit a homer in his six-year big league career.

A “K” from Shea Stadium from when Doc Gooden set the record for most strikeouts by a rookie pitcher with 276 in 1984.

Bricks from Hank Aaron’s boyhood home in Mobile, Alabama.

The mitt Yogi Berra used to catch during Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series.

The first ball used during the 1919 World Series between the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds.

The jersey Tim Robbins wore in the movie “Bull Durham.”

An Andy Warhol painting of Tom Seaver from 1977.

An arm-warmer sleeve made by Bob Feller’s mother in 1934 for games he pitched in prior to World War II.

A foul ball from the first game Cal Ripken, Jr. played in during his famous streak of 2,632 consecutive games. The ball was hit on May 30, 1982.

A ball and newspaper clipping from 1916 when Babe Ruth shutout the Detroit Tigers, while pitching for the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

A pistol given to Carl Yastrzemski as a gift from Gene Autry.

And to get you ready for next weekend, here’s a look at Ron Santo’s items currently on display at the hall…

… and Barry Larkin’s items.

We’ll be back in Cooperstown for Hall of Fame Induction Weekend July 20-22, reporting from Barry Larkin and Ron Santo’s big day. 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

Baseball fans can now have Cooperstown in the palm of their hand, thanks to new mobile applications for Apple and Android devices available from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Through a new licensing relationship with Celebrity Apps of Pleasanton, Calif., the Museum has launched its first mobile device application: “Baseball Hall of Fame Trivia.” The 90-seconds per round game covers all aspects of baseball history and allows users to post their scores to a leaderboard via Facebook.

The Baseball Hall of Fame Trivia app will be available initially through iTunes for Apple mobile devices at a cost of $1.99, followed by the release of an Android version in July.

Users will also have the option of purchasing additional trivia games based on the Hall of Fame’s new FENtennial exhibit which celebrates the 100^th anniversary of Fenway Park, as well as team specific trivia games. More Hall of Fame apps are scheduled to launch throughout the year featuring biographies of Hall of Fame members, artifacts from the Museum’s collection, and stories of baseball records. Licensing revenue from sales of the mobile apps will help support the Museum’s not-for-profit educational mission to preserve baseball history. 

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – While wins and loses are the least bit of concern at the Baseball Hall of Fame Classic, Desi Relaford did happen to lead Team Knucksies to a victory with a two-run walkoff single against Team Wizards Saturday at historic Doubleday Field.

For that, Relaford earned Bob Feller Player of the Game honors and Phil Niekro has bragging rights over hall of fame brother Ozzie Smith and the Wizard crew.

Observations from Doubleday: It’s always interesting to see how hall of famers play baseball as old men. For the most part, despite a sometimes sluggish approach, they’re still far superior than the average man. Bert Blyleven was throwing smoke and his location was dead on. His off-speed pitches were also working affectively. Niekro, 73, could locate his pitches – regular pitches, not his signature knuckleball – and lasted a few innings. Tony Perez may have hit the most interesting ball of the day in the first inning when he lined a shot foul down the third base line. His lightening bat speed instantly took you back to 1976. Dmitri Young and Relaford looked to be the closest to playing shape as anyone in the game.

Hitting challenge recap: For the second straight season, Young, sporting his Rio Mesa High jersey, captured a hitting challenge title. He and Dante Bichette exchanged long drives and home runs for three rounds, including balls that hit houses and traveled deep into the farthest parts of the ball park in left centerfield.

Hall of Fame Weekend: While Hall of Fame Classic weekend has quickly become a modern staple of the hall of fame, the crown jewel of festivities in Cooperstown is Hall of Fame Weekend. This year Barry Larkin and Ron Santo will be inducted on July 22 at 1:30 p.m.

Reliving Hall of Fame Classic history: This was the fourth year of this Hall of Fame Classic set up. According to a member of the communications staff at the hall of fame, it became difficult to have two Major League Baseball teams find time in their schedules for an exhibition game – formerly known as the Hall of Fame Game – so the next best thing was creating the current weekend. It began in 2009 when then 90-year-old legend Bob Feller took the mound and started for Team Wagner and led his crew to a 5-4 win over Team Collins.

Niekro on R.A. Dickey: Niekro’s team wasn’t called “Team Knucksies” for nothing. Niekro is the most famous knuckle hurler of all time and he appreciates the craft of pitching a good knuckleball as much as anyone. Right now the clear-cut favorite for knucklers is New York Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey, who has been unconscious on the mound this season and is coming off a one-hit performance during his last outing. Niekro said he has worked with Dickey in the past and saw him pitch live once during a game in Atlanta.

“Right now he is as good as any knuckleball pitcher who has every pitched in this game,” Niekro said. “He’s getting it over the plate, he’s not walking guys, he’s almost unhittable. Full of confidence; he doesn’t care who comes up to the plate, he’s going to get you out. I don’t know of anyone in baseball who wants to face him right now.”

Blyleven was relaxed: By the looks of it, Blyleven was in a comfort zone on the mound Saturday, just as he was for his 287 career wins. Last year things were a bit hectic for Blyleven, who was officially inducted into the hall. “This year I don’t have to worry about a speech and all the other stuff that comes with it,” he said. “I’m very honored to be here.”

Asked if his life has changed since being inducted, he said it’s remained relatively the same.

“Other than when you sign a baseball you put HOF,” he said, “and that’s a nice honor.”

Fisk misses playing, sort of: Fisk said he misses playing the game, but like many former players, doesn’t miss the arduous scheduling and constant grind.

“I played until I couldn’t play any more,” said Fisk, who at the time of his retirement in 1993, played the most games of any catcher in baseball history (2,226). “I ran the table on how long a player can play at my position. When I retired I had enough. I really had no desire to go back on the field because I know what it takes to get on the field and stay on the field.”

Fun weekend fact: Fisk, Murray, Niekro, Smith, Perez and Blyleven combined for 605 wins and 5,826 RBI, according to Baseball Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson.

Key players from Wizards

• Ozzie Smith, hall of famer
• Bert Blyleven, hall of famer
• Tony Perez, hall of famer
• Dante Bichette
• Darrell Evans

Key players from Knucksies

• Phil Niekro, hall of famer
• Carlton Fisk, hall of famer
• Eddie Murray, hall of famer
• Desi Relaford
• Russ Ortiz
• Dmitri Young

Check out our Facebook page to see some more photos from the Hall of Fame Classic.

Stay tuned to the Topps Pennant Tumblr page for more coverage from Cooperstown over the next couple of days. 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

There are only a limited amount of Honus Wagner cards in existence, some say between 60 and 200, so whenever a significant purchase is made involving the hall of famer, it makes news.

This past weekend, a Wagner card sold for $1.23 million to an unidentified man from New Jersey at an auction hosted by Goodwin & Co.

This particular card is part of the T206 series released in 1909 by the American Tobacco Co. to be distributed in cigarette packs.

The story goes that Wagner originally planned on retiring from baseball in 1908, meaning this card would have never been produced if he didn’t stick around for another year. The rarity factor is still puzzling to this day. It’s been reported that Wagner requested his card be pulled from tobacco packs because he was against smoking. Others say he did not like the idea of people profiting from his likeness on a piece of cardboard. Either way, the Wagner card has been dubbed the most prized sports collectible in the world.

Ken Kendrick, the owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, purchased the same card in better condition for $2.8 million in 2007, which is the most expensive purchase of a baseball card in history.

To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today.

-Chris R. Vaccaro