Hot Bats, Cool Night: My OKC Comets Game Experience - Oklahoma City, OK - June 4, 2025

On a beautiful Oklahoma City evening, the Oklahoma City Comets took on the Reno Aces. The AAA teams for the Los Angeles Dodgers (OKC Comets) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (Reno Aces) faced off June 4, 2025.

As a young man attending The University of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma RedHawks called Bricktown home and was the AAA affiliate for the Texas Rangers at a time when the biggest attraction was Julio Franco trying to resuscitate his already ancient career!   

It was an absolutely gorgeous June evening for the ballgame. In fact, it was uncharacteristically cool and overcast. The interesting part of the game was that it was scheduled one night before the Mighty Oklahoma City Thunder took on the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals! If we had attempted to go the game the next night, it would have been a madhouse around downtown Oklahoma City.

With a reported attendance of 3,748, it was an uncrowded night at the park. One thing I will note is the extreme friendliness of all the ballpark employees, including the gift store. I was able to purchase a really nice New Era OKC Comets hat for my collection. As a huge fan of my hometown Houston Astros, I am most certainly not a Dodgers fan, but I love OKC and I absolutely love the new design for their hats. It was a must-have!

                                          

2025 is the inaugural season for the Oklahoma City Comets as they were known as the OKC Dodgers for several years before this season. I love the change as it pays homage to one of Oklahoma's most famous athletes, The Commerce Comet...Mickey Mantle. 

A lifetime .298 hitter with 536 HRs and 1,509 RBIs, Mantle is arguably the greatest big leaguer to come from Oklahoma. A 1949 graduate of Commerce High School, Mantle went on to lead the New York Yankees to 7 World Series victories, 3 MVP awards, 20 trips to the All-Star Game, and membership to MLB's Hall of Fame in 1974! He was a true Oklahoma legend!

Now, some may argue that Mickey was great - but that Oklahoma is also remembered for another Hall of Famer! Johnny Bench was born in Oklahoma City. Johnny Bench graduated from Binger High School in 1965. During his time there, he excelled in both baseball and basketball, earning All-State honors in both sports, and served as the class valedictorian. Another OKLAHOMA LEGEND!

No trip to Oklahoma can take place without honoring Oklahoma's first real sports hero, and national icon - Jim Thorpe! Thorpe was born in Prague, OK in 1887. Jim Thorpe was a multi-sport athlete who won gold medals in the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Olympics and played professional baseball, football, and basketball. He was the first president of the NFL and is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes in American history.

Now, on to the game!

There were some big names in the lineups for both the OKC Comets and the Reno Aces. Starting for the Comets was Bobby Miller, who had an incredible rookie campaign for the Dodgers in 2023 going 11-4. In the last two years, he hasn't quite gotten back to that level. Honestly, he got rocked early by Reno and I was a little surprised. He was throwing 97 with a wicked curveball...but Reno wasn't intimidated. 

Reno jumped out in front early with a big homerun by Tristin English of the Aces. English started the year in Rookie Ball, but has quickly earned a place on the AAA roster. I would expect to see more of English in the future as he makes his way to the Diamondbacks. 

The Comets were not going to go down quietly. The bottom of the 2nd inning was as big at the top of the frame. James Outman, upcoming superstar for the Dodgers, started off the inning with a triple before Ryan Ward and Michael Chavis went back-to-back to make the game 3-2. Reno tied the game at 3-3 and we set in for a pitcher's dual.

Finally, in the top of the 9th, former big leaguer, and World Series winner Trey Mancini stepped to the plate. 

Trey Mancini hit a three-run home run with two outs, giving the Aces a 6–5 lead in the 9th. That was too much for the Comets as they went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 9th.

The Aces took it 6-5 in an amazing ballgame.

For me, the highlight was seeing old college roommates and catching up after several years! During our discussion, we became very aware that next year is our 25th year out of The University of Oklahoma! What? How is that possible? We may be a little gray in the beard, but we still look good!

Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark gets a 5/5 from me for atmosphere, weather, level of play, surroundings, and the downtown area around the ballpark is as nice as any big city anywhere!

Get out to Bricktown! You won't regret it.

Reel Diamonds: The Best Baseball Films from 1975 to 2005

I was born in 1980 and my first baseball memories are from the mid-1980s. At about that same time, I fell in love with baseball movies. Whether they were full length feature films or hitting videos from famous players, I wanted to watch all things baseball.

I have put together a list of movies about baseball that were made from 1975-2005. These are the movies I watched growing up. Below, I will discuss each film, what it meant to me, and how it impacted the way cinema portrays the American Game.

10. Eight Men Out (1988)
A serious, well-acted retelling of the 1919 Black Sox scandal. A deep dive into baseball’s darkest hour.

There were huge names in this film. John Cusack, Charlie Sheen, and Christopher Lloyd are just a few names who starred into part of the game's history few of us knew anything about. 

My great-grandfather told me stories about Pittsburgh Pirates players from the 1930s and 1940s, but I knew nothing about the Black Sox Scandal and it opened my eyes to turn of the century baseball. It made me appreciate how different the game was and what kind of players played the game back in 1919.

But, I was 8 when it came out and it was not quite the movie I was expecting. At the time of my first viewing, I did not have the respect for it I would come to have years later.

9. The Natural (1984)
Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs, a mysterious slugger with a golden bat. A poetic and mythical take on baseball’s timeless themes.

This was another movie that came out when I was young, and I had to watch it later to fully appreciate it. It starts out weird and mysterious. There are lightning bolts, his father dies, I had no clue what really happened to the blonde girl or why he split town. Then, there was the train and "The Whammer." That really got me. Who the hell was "The Whammer" and why was he a knock-off Babe Ruth that batted right-handed? This little boy had a lot of questions.

They didn't end there. Who were the Knights? Were they real? They were playing real teams. I was so confused the first time I saw it. The older I got, the better the movie got. It is a classic and one I can put on and just zone out.

Roy Hobbs

"The Natural"

8. A League of Their Own (1992)
The inspiring story of women who played professional baseball during WWII. “There’s no crying in baseball!” is a classic for the ages.

To this day, I'm pretty sure my younger sister would say this is her favorite movie ever. While it is not #1 on my list, it definitely made the Top 10. To this day, there is nothing better than watching A League of Their Own with my wife and laugh along with Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty, Rosie O'Donnell, Bill Pullman, Jon Lovitz, and, of course, Tom Hanks.

To this day, I am not sure if there is a more quoted than line than Tom Hanks' famous, "Are you crying? There's no crying. There's no crying in baseball!" As a 12 year old when this came out, it joined a lot of other amazing early 1990s films about the greatest game ever. This was one of those films.

"Then act like it, you big lush!"

7. Little Big League (1994)
A baseball-loving kid inherits the Minnesota Twins—and manages them! A fun twist on childhood fantasy meets real MLB cameos.

I absolutely loved this move when I was a kid. As dumb as it is now, it had a recipe for perfection for a 14 year old boy who absolutely would not have admitted he loved this movie to his friends, even though every one of my friends likely loved it as well. 

One of the coolest parts of this movie is that Ashley Crow plays the part of Jenny Heywood, the mother of the little boy who inherits the Minnesota Twins. She would one day marry another actor, Matthew John Armstrong, and they would have one son together. His name is Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs.

2025 Topps Pete Crow-Armstrong #290

6. The Rookie (2002) 

The inspirational true story of Jim Morris, who made it to the majors in his late 30s.

By the time The Rookie came out in 2002, I was already 22 years old so the days of watching through the eyes of a kid were over. I loved The Rookie because it gave hope for old guys. Unlike the character in the movie, I never possessed a great fastball....in my 20s, 30s, or 40s, but it was fun to dream.

Angus T. Jones was hilarious in the movie and his role is worth the watch over and over again. 

Angus T. Jones

The Rookie

5. For Love of the Game (1999) 

A reflective drama about pitching, love, and legacy. It follows the life of a major league pitcher as recalls moments of his life during a potential perfect game.

As a Kevin Costner fan in general, this one is no-brainer to make the list. This was a more serious and somber look at baseball. It gave the raw realities of the game, life, and love through a long-time big-leaguer's eyes. In this movie, Costner made the "major leaguer" relatable. He made the big-leaguer more human and down-to-earth. 

 

Some of my favorite things about this movie is the portrayal of veteran catcher, Gus Sinski, by John C. Reilly. It is classic and hilarious. He plays a catcher who would otherwise not be playing if he were not the personal catcher of Billy Chapel. If you haven't seen this one, it is a must-see. This is a perfect movie for both the baseball lover, and his girl ... both will love it.

You know the catcher is going to have an important role is ALL Kevin Costner baseball movies!!!

4. Major League (1989)

A comedy goldmine with unforgettable characters and quotes. The Cleveland Indians’ horrific season turns into an underdog triumph.

When Willie Mays Hays pulled up in his beat-up car, and then later came from behind to win a 60 yard dash in his pajamas...I was hooked. As a catcher in Little League, about the time this movie came out, I played catcher. I loved Jake Taylor and the grittiness he brought to the Cleveland ballclub that year.

Of course, Rick Vaughn was a badass and those glasses made me want a pair of horned rim glasses with some accessories!

I was just lucky my mom agreed to let me watch the movie. It was much too risqué and vulgar for her tastes. I remember the small victory when I was able to rent this movie and watch it one Friday night many years ago. My absolute favorite character was Eddie Harris, the aging pitcher who provided laugh after laugh. Always remember .... never steal Jobu's rum!!

3. Rookie of the Year (1993)
A broken arm turns a 12-year-old into a big league flamethrower for the Chicago Cubs. Pure '90s fun with heart and humor.

There are several reasons why this silly kid-flick is so high on the list. The main reason is because of how important it was for me at a fun and carefree time of my life. The summer of 1993 was the summer of my 12 year old All-Star season. The movie came out in late summer, after the regular Little League season was over. We won the "city championship" and the All-Star team had been drawn. I was the starting catcher!

I will always remember my dad (my All-Star team's head coach) telling a friend and I to stay out of the sun and get ready for the big night. So, we decided to go to the movies. We were excited to see that there was a 12:15 showing of this film....a perfect way to stay out of the sun and enjoy a baseball movie.

In order to enjoy Rookie of The Year, you have to keep in mind that this is a fun and silly movie. Indeed it was...my favorite scene is when little Henry Rowengartner realizes his arm is a 100-mph canon and he launches a laser beam from the centerfield bleachers to home plate at Wrigley Field. From there, all the fun really begins! Another thing you have to forgive is the absolute lack of natural baseball talent that actor Thomas Ian Nicholas brought to the role. In fact, it is the least believable baseball movie when it comes to the action...but, it works. 

                                                 

Last, but certainly, not least....this movie is nowhere near the #3 movie on the list without Phil Brickma, played by Daniel Stern. Without the knowledge of The 3 R's, do you really even know baseball??

Y'all....don't take my word for it if you haven't seen it! Watch it now...

2. Field of Dreams (1989)
A beautiful blend of baseball, magic, and father-son reconciliation. “If you build it, he will come” remains one of cinema’s most iconic lines.

No baseball movie made me appreciate my dad more than Field of Dreams. I was lucky that my dad was very involved in my baseball life. He was my coach from the time I was old enough to wear a glove. He rolled a ball to me for years and I would throw it back. The man gave thousands of hours of his life to his 3 son's and their baseball. In fact, at 70, he is healing from a complete shoulder reconstruction surgery as a result of a millions of hours of batting practice. 

When you combine the genius of Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones, you know you're gonna have a hit. I can remember the scene of him mowing down his crops, thinking....wow, this guy is serious. Do you really put your career on the line to build a baseball field? Apparently, the answer is yes! Always build the baseball field in your life....you don't get too many opportunities to do it.

I think ultimately it reflects on how hard it is to move on if you haven't found peace. There is no better time like now to find peace in your life. 

Today, the movie stays alive as the MLB has moved to host a game each year in Iowa at the site of the field that was built for the movie. For those of you who love the movie and baseball cards, this is fun time to buy a hobby box and rip while the Field of Dreams game is going on....just a fun tip!

1. The Sandlot (1993)
“You’re killing me, Smalls!” A nostalgic, heartwarming story of childhood, friendship, and baseball in the summer of 1962. A coming-of-age favorite for generations.

It was hard to comprehend how a boy didn't know how to catch and throw. It was like air to me at 13 years old. When this movie came out, I was probably at the peak of my talent. If there was ever a time I thought I was Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez, this was that moment. 

This is the story of a group of sandlot boys who join together to form a baseball team. The team is led by a young talent and his motley group of friends. The movie is filled with coming of age moments. Everyone who watched the film as a young boy remembers Wendy Peffercorn. Trust me.

From the antics of Hamilton "Ham" Porter to the heartwarming story of Scotty Smalls and the autographed "Babe Ruth" baseball - this is the classic that it cracks up to be. From the history of Negro League Baseball to Babe Ruth - the story of the game is alive. My favorite scene is the "night game" where all the boys hurry out to The Sandlot to play under the lights of the July 4th fireworks. There is nothing more American than fireworks, hot dogs, and baseball. 

Once again, the great James Earl Jones appears in a baseball movie with an iconic character that makes the movie that much more fun! Every time I watch this movie, I am transported into a simpler, better time. As Benny teaches Smalls about baseball and life, every boy born in the 80s could resonate with this movie. 

This movie also reminds us that legends never die, always follow your heart, and remember where you came from!!

I hope you've enjoyed this breakdown of Reel Diamonds: The Best Baseball Films from 1975-2005. Please feel free to drop you comments and let me know what you think about this list.

 

 

Texas Reflections: Milwaukee's American Family Field

 American Family Field

Milwaukee, WI

I think the thing that stands out most about my trip to Milwaukee and American Family Field was how damn nice the people are. From the moment I pulled up into the Molitor Lot, to being greeted into the game, the usher at my section, and the police that were on duty. Absolutely everyone was friendly. Now, I'm from Texas and I know friendly. But these people were genuinely nice and amazing to be around.

I attended the game on Friday April 4, 2025. It was only the 8th game in a very young season. The Cincinnati Reds were in town to meet the Brewers.  It was COLD. I was born and raised on the Gulf Coast of Texas, and I was absolutely freezing. One guy was there in short sleeves walking around the ballpark before the game. I told him I was blown away, and that Midwesterners were probably the toughest people I know. He was quick to remind me that anything over 85 degrees was not pleasant and he would literally die where I live. We laughed, and he was just another example of wonderful the people were in Milwaukee. 

The picture below is one I took as I walked up from the parking lot.

American Family Field

Milwaukee, WI

April 4, 2025

Brewers v. Reds

One of the best parts of the ballpark was the exterior. Even though it was incredibly cold, it was a really nice walk up from the parking lot to the stadium. The beginnings of tailgating for the season were taking shape, though in coats and caps. But my favorite were the statues of Brewer greats that were placed around the stadium. Let's take a look at a few at a few of the pictures I took:

The Late Bob Uecker

(fresh flowers were still there from mourners around Milwaukee)

Bud Selig

(I guess Milwaukee loves the guy)

Hank Aaron

(I mean, how much of Hank's career was he actually in Milwaukee?)

Robin Yount

(A true Brewer worthy of his statue, for sure!)

I was surprised to notice there was no Paul Molitor statue around the outside of the stadium. They certainly didn't ask me, but I would have honored Paul Molitor over Bud Selig...but, they didn't ask. After a chilly walk around the ballpark, it was time to go in. I have to admit. It is a beautiful ballpark, indeed.

As I entered the stadium, the Reds were finishing up with batting practice. It was a great place to pause for moment to grab a picture and just soak up the being inside the ballpark. As a Houstonian, the first thing I noticed is the retractable roof as there are so many similarities to the roof in Houston. Daikin Park (The Ice Box) has a roof very similar and, in fact, both stadiums were built around the same time. 

Elly De La Cruz

I thought I was going to show up to an Elly De La Cruz highlight reel. I was wrong. The Brewers were off to a slow start, but Tyler Alexander showed up to play that night. 

2024 Topps Tyler Alexander #235 Yellow Border

Alexander finished with 5 2/3 hitless, scoreless innings and Brice Turang hit a two-run home run before the Brewers held off a late Reds rally, becoming the 13th team to start a season 0-4 and then win the next four games in a row.

Turang's blast was amazing, but so was the entire experience. I will say that it is not smart to go hungry to this ballpark. I had not eaten for a while and I got 2 hamburgers, fries, peanuts, and a drink. It was $62 and the fries were still frozen. That was definitely my least favorite part.

2025 Topps Brice Turang #45

1 for 4, 2 RBI, 1 Run

2025 Topps Heritage Garrett Mitchell #479

2 for 3, 1 RBI, 1 Run

Overall, I give Milwaukee and American Family Field an 8/10 rating. It was a great experience. They only thing I would say is food prices are outrageous and waiting until it is warmer outside is highly advisable. 

Milwaukee, I will be back!!!

Has anyone else been to Milwaukee's American Family Field? What are your thoughts?

The Griffey Effect: Remembering the Magic of 1989 Upper Deck

The 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card 

We all knew Upper Deck was coming. It seemed like everyone was talking about it, and no one knew where or how we were going to find it. It was quite like a unicorn. As a little kid, coming across baseball cards was easy. For every foul ball hit at the local Little League field, you could turn it in to the concession stand for either a snowcone or a pack of Topps baseball cards. But, Upper Deck...that was going to be different.

In April 1989, Upper Deck flipped the card hobby on its face. It literally took all we knew and all we were used to, and changed those expectations completely. In an instant, those rough cardboard editions from Topps, Donruss, and Fleer were lesser than...and we wanted the good stuff. It certainly didn't help that Topps came out with a very lackluster edition in January of 1989. It was white and boring...with a swoosh for the name and team. I wasn't impressed and I had been hoping for much more out of Topps, especially with the looming competition that Upper Deck posed to the hobby.

By that time, Topps had raised the price of a wax pack to 50 cents. While it was more than the 35 or 40 cents of the mid-80s, it was manageable. Mom was still willing to pick up a few packs at the store. I could even hope for 3-4 packs of cards upon mom's return. At 9 years old, I was really still at the mercy of adults to help me get my hands on baseball cards. As 1989 got underway, I began accruing as many 1989 Topps cards as possible. 

1989 Topps 

Unopened Pack

1989 Topps Jose Canseco #500

As Topps released their set early, I had a head start to jump out and look for all my favorite players. The previous year, in 1988, Jose Canseco made history with a historic season and became the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a single season, earning him the American League MVP award. I was definitely on the lookout for this 1989 Topps. 

But what I was about to see that April when Upper Deck came out would blow my mind. 

1989 Upper Deck Jose Canseco #371

At $1.00 per pack, they were the greatest baseball cards ever made. The problem for me, however, was two-fold. First, it was hard to find Upper Deck in rural southeast Texas. Second, that $1.00 price point meant half as many packs of cards to tear through. The quality of the Upper Deck card in 1989 was so different than what I was used to in Topps. The gloss, the hologram, the photography, and the sealed packages ... and Ken Griffey, Jr.

1989 Upper Deck #1 Ken Griffey, Jr. 

Who was Ken Griffey, Jr.? As a kid in Texas before the 1989 season even started, I had no clue who this "kid" was. But, my dad had stories about Ken Griffey and the Big Red Machine, and Beckett Monthly said this was the guy! The local card store was just about the only place we could find a pack of Upper Deck baseball cards. And, if my memory serves me correctly, we paid about $1.25 for a pack. I remember I only got my hands on 1 Ken Griffey, Jr. Upper Deck rookie card that year. I put it in a sleeve and in to a book. It was my prize possession of 1989. Today, I probably have 4-5 of the Ken Griffey, Jr. rookie cards....I have no clue if my original is still in my collection but it's fun to think that it is.

1989 Upper Deck Low Series 

Unopened Pack

In that first year of collecting Upper Deck, I was still a bit young. I didn't buy or acquire as many '89 Upper Deck cards as I would in 1990, 1991, and 1992....ah, what a lucky time to be a collector! I do remember trading at school for a Nolan Ryan for my collection. As went many of my trades, I am sure I gave away far too much for what I received...but I wanted that Nolan Ryan!

1989 Upper Deck Nolan Ryan #145

I thought this was the most amazing baseball card ever created. As a young Nolan Ryan fan, I can recall just staring at this card in awe. The 1989 Upper Deck incorporated that baseline along the border and the shiny card stock that just revolutionized the hobby. 

As I mentioned before, I didn't acquire many 1989 Upper Deck cards but I was keenly aware of what was going on with them and how they were changing the hobby. Being born in 1980, I wasn't old enough to collect the great rookies from 1980-1985, and I came of age a little too late by acquiring not 1989 Upper Deck, but instead it's overprinted cousin....1990 Upper Deck!

What are your memories of 1989 Upper Deck?

Woodgrain Wonders and Summer Sluggers: My 1987 Journey Through Topps Cards and Baseball Memories

For my 6th birthday, my uncle gave me 2 packs of 1986 Topps baseball cards. My birthday was in August as the season was winding down. It wasn't really until the beginning of the 1987 season that my addiction to baseball cards really began.

When I was a kid, my dad was a local umpire for Little League (the big kids from my perspective) and I would ALWAYS go with him to play around the ballpark as he umpired. In those days, the local Little League had an amazing policy: if you caught a foul ball and returned it to the concession stand, you could get a snowcone OR a pack of 1987 Topps baseball cards. 

There were not many foul balls hit that year that I didn't make an attempt at grabbing. After all, if I retrieved it, I got a pack of baseball cards. Here is an example of those glorious wax packs from 1987.

If my memory serves me correctly, these packs were 35 cents each if you couldn't wrangle a foul ball. They were my favorite part about life in the summer of 1987.

The next best thing was when my mother went to the grocery store. I would always promise to help carry the groceries in from the car in those brown paper sacks Safeway sent home. She would pull up, and I would unload the '80s Chevy Suburban and carry in bags so she could put them away. It was always a safe bet she would snag me a 1987 Topps Rack Pack or two ... I can remember running to my room after carrying the groceries in so I could rip into my rack packs. Did anyone else's mom not let them go to the grocery store? My mother would do pretty much anything to not have to take me....smart woman. 

The hobby was fun. It was simple. For those first few years, it wasn't even about whether or not the card was worth money. It was simply my favorite Houston Astros star, or a Pete Rose, Reggie Jackson, Fred Lynn....those aging stars that would make my dad go giddy with stories. 

Let's dive into the 1987 season and those amazing junk wax beauties: the 1987 Topps set of 792 magnificent baseball cards that I lived for and loved so much. 

If you rewind the clock just a little bit (or turn back the pages of time), you will remember a young slugger from Oakland that came up and lit the country on fire with homerun after homerun. In fact, he hit 49 that year. Mark McGwire soon became my absolute fascination. Here is a look back at his 41st homerun that year...I just love watching old clips of baseball. Take a look!

It was my first year of real collecting and I was old enough to know that McGwire card was going to be something special. I'm not sure if this was your experience, but I found it hard to land those McGwire cards. I seemed to get every other card in the deck, but it was hard to find the McGwire. I guess it made it that much more amazing when I did land it. Here is a pristine example of my absolute favorite gem from 1987. McGwire hit 49 home runs, setting a then-MLB record for rookies and helping the Oakland Athletics gain attention despite not making the postseason.

1987 Topps Mark McGwire #366

McGwire wasn't the only card of the 1987 deck I wanted. For as long as I can remember, I have had an obsession with Nolan Ryan. I was born and raised about 45 minutes south of where Nolan Ryan lived in Alvin, TX. He was a legend before I was born, and he was my hero before I even knew the rules of the game. For me, it was personal. I wanted to build the largest Nolan Ryan baseball card collection the world had ever seen. It started with as many copies of this one I could get my hands on:

1987 Topps Nolan Ryan #757

1987 was an amazing summer. It was an innocent time when school wasn't hard if you behaved and put some work into it, and baseball practice was the highlight of my day. My dad was my coach and we would ride to practice and talk baseball all the way there and all the way back. If it was a good practice, or he was thirsty, we would stop to get a Big Gulp from 7-Eleven. My dad would always joke around with me and call it a "Mr. Gulp." For whatever reason, I thought that was the funniest thing in the world. So, it was a "Mr. Gulp" and a pack of sunflower seeds.

I always enjoyed evenings in the car with my dad driving across town. Inevitably, he would tune in to the Astros game on 950 AM radio and we would listen to Milo Hamilton and his Hall of Fame voice blast the action that was taking place just up the road. I loved listening to baseball on AM radio. It gave me the ability to visualize the game in my head from a voice in a speaker. Milo was one of the very best at it, and he made my summer nights memorable. The man was definitely a legend in Houston and will always be an icon in Houston.

 Those 1987 baseball memories were certainly rooted in a love of baseball that my dad gave me. He brought the game to life and dedicated thousands of hours to teaching baseball to his sons and many hundreds of other young boys who were lucky enough to be on his teams. Without my dad, I would have no clue what the back of a baseball card meant. Those numbers? Those abbreviations? Yeah, that was my dad. He taught me about batting average, on-base-percentage, homeruns, triples, doubles, wins, losses, earned run averages, and saves. The back of a baseball card was a way to slip off into oblivion and study what those players had done before...

1987 Topps Reggie Jackson #300 (back)

I will forever believe the 1987 Topps set was a masterpiece. I will openly and willingly admit that I am biased and have an emotional connection to this set that runs deep. As I grew as a collector and learned to acquire the great vintage cards and rookies from the early 80s, those sets could never come to replace the 1987 Topps set in my heart and mind. 

Here are some of my favorites:

1987 Topps Barry Bonds #320

I had no idea at the time how special Barry Bonds would become and I have to admit I don't recall paying any special attention to this card when I acquired them. In fact, Bonds was a player I had to go back in the mid-1990s to look specifically for this card, to pull it out of the commons, sleeve it, and put it in a binder. Now, it is one of my absolute favorites and I am always on the lookout for good raw specimens.

1987 Topps Bo Jackson #170

While I did not know Barry Bonds back in 1987, I did know Bo. Everyone knew Bo. Bo was as amazing then as he is now. He was talked about, watched on Sportscenter, and read about by every kid in the country. If you don't remember Bo bursting on the scene, here is an amazing catch from 1987.

Here is the last card I will share with you from 1987...one of my absolute favorite players of this era. I thought Pete Rose could do no wrong (that would be challenged about 2 years later for my young baseball heart) and I loved the Cincinnati Reds. I fell in love with Eric Davis and his beautiful swing, his high-top cleats, and that red hat with the italic "C." 

1987 Topps Eric Davis #412

As the 1987 came to a close and I prepared for the '87 World Series, it was the first Fall Classic I was old enough to truly know and understand what was happening. By the late summer in August 1987, I had turned 7 years old....just in time to fall in love with the St. Louis Cardinals. Vince Coleman, Ozzie Smith, Jack Clark, Willie McGee....man, I loved those guys.

As you know, they fell in 7 games to the evil Minnesota Twins!!! This loss stung and I learned early bad it could hurt when your team falls. (It was a good lesson as an Astros fan growing up - lol) The Twins were formidable that year with Jack Morris, Kent Hrbek, Greg Gagne, Gary Gaetti, and Kirby Puckett.

1987 Topps Kirby Puckett #450

World Series Champs - Minnesota Twins

Who else remembers the 1987 Topps set? 

Which were your favorite cards from the set?

Did you like the woodgrain borders of the cards?

What are your thoughts about 1987 Topps?