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Sports Card Trifecta #15: Mark Fidrych
Mark "The Bird" Fidrych wasn't your average baseball player. He'd talk to the ball and to himself during games. He'd pause to bend over and fix the mound with his hands. He'd refuse to use certain balls. He'd thank teammates and the umpires by shaking their hands after games. But most of all... he made the game fun to watch and made fans smile.
Just watch this video and you'll see what I mean:
Sadly, he left us three years ago... but that doesn't keep The Bird from bringing a smile to my face. Every now and then, I'll watch that video and think about how his personality entertained millions of baseball fans.
I also made it one of my goals to complete a Sports Card Trifecta of him... which I completed last year, but forgot to post.
Then on Friday, I read a post over at Contrary Guy's blog which honored Mr. Fidrych.
So here's my long, lost Sports Card Trifecta of The Bird:
This is the card that kicked off my trifecta. Okay... so technically, this isn't his rookie card. But I'm a sucker for oddballs and the 1977 Topps Cloth Sticker set is one of the coolest of all-time.
Last year, I decided to add an autograph of Fidrych to my collection after I saw his 2011 Topps 60 autograph being pulled by collectors. I bid on a few of these, but they consistently went for more than I was willing to pay for a "sticker auto". So I did some research and discovered this beautiful card that The Bird actually held at some point in his life.
This was the final piece of the puzzle. I've since picked up a couple of his relic cards, but this one is still my favorite because of the design.
So there you have it. My 2nd Sports Card Trifecta this year. In January, one of the hobby goals I created for 2012 was to build 5 trifectas. Only three more to go! I already have two more completed and a few more in the works. So stay tuned.
Mr. Fidrych... we miss you! Everyone else... I hope you had a great weekend. Have a great week... and sayonara!
More...
Just watch this video and you'll see what I mean:
Sadly, he left us three years ago... but that doesn't keep The Bird from bringing a smile to my face. Every now and then, I'll watch that video and think about how his personality entertained millions of baseball fans.
I also made it one of my goals to complete a Sports Card Trifecta of him... which I completed last year, but forgot to post.
Then on Friday, I read a post over at Contrary Guy's blog which honored Mr. Fidrych.
So here's my long, lost Sports Card Trifecta of The Bird:
Rookie Card: 1977 Topps Cloth Stickers #15
This is the card that kicked off my trifecta. Okay... so technically, this isn't his rookie card. But I'm a sucker for oddballs and the 1977 Topps Cloth Sticker set is one of the coolest of all-time.
Autographed Card: 2003 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites Autographs
Last year, I decided to add an autograph of Fidrych to my collection after I saw his 2011 Topps 60 autograph being pulled by collectors. I bid on a few of these, but they consistently went for more than I was willing to pay for a "sticker auto". So I did some research and discovered this beautiful card that The Bird actually held at some point in his life.
Memorabilia Card: 2001 Topps American Pie Rookie Reprint Relics #MF
This was the final piece of the puzzle. I've since picked up a couple of his relic cards, but this one is still my favorite because of the design.
So there you have it. My 2nd Sports Card Trifecta this year. In January, one of the hobby goals I created for 2012 was to build 5 trifectas. Only three more to go! I already have two more completed and a few more in the works. So stay tuned.
Mr. Fidrych... we miss you! Everyone else... I hope you had a great weekend. Have a great week... and sayonara!
More...