In cataloging my collection it's obviously the first stop to start with a, or should I say, "the" hammer as I begin to build this blog. Hank Aaron is the first in my HOF collection because... duh, his last name is Aaron. Plus, the guy mashed 755 home runs and his cards are highly collectible. The origin of my collection, in the sense that it is the first Ultra Pro page (actually second, because horizontal follows vertical in my binder collating scheme. Sorry, vertical cards take precedence over horizontal in my pantheon. So you know, the pantheon goes as follows in the Linehan catalog: Magazine Cover, Vertical 9 Sheets, Horizontal, Miniature, Oversized, Horizontal Postcard. Other than that the catalog is based on ancientness. Find that confusing? Deal with it.) Anyway, the first of my HOF collection starts with the oldest of the Hank Aaron cardboard investments that happens to be on the second page of my first white binder and is the 1972 Topps Hank Aaron 1971 N.L. R.B.I. Leaders #87.
First of all, this card has three players on its front, each of which is a hall of famer. On the far left we have Joe Torre. In the middle is Willie Stargell, my fourth grade teacher's crush. At one point in my life I fell in love with Ms. Bohn and gave her my double of a 1990 Donruss #702 Willie Stargell. I thought my gift was a betrothal announcement. Her marriage in the third quarter of my last year at Worthington Elementary caused me serious emotional hardship and engendered in me a distaste for the Pittsburgh Pirates that I ought not to have had. Of course, October of 1971 & 1979 should've sealed my dislike for the Pirates, but my negative age in the 1970s made it hard for me to hate the Pirates in the early 1990s. Plus, they had Barry Bonds, Barry Bonilla, a personal favorite in Andy Van Slyke as hitters and some incredibly enjoyable collectibles like John Smiley and a certain knuckleballer named Tim Wakefield that patrolled the mound.
Tim taught me how to hold the ball in his 1992 Score card. He taught me how to pull it back in his 1993 Donruss card, and through his 93 Fleer Ultra card he showed me how to follow through. The only problem with the Wakefield approach was basically everything about the Wakefield approach.
As a 9 year old in the Spring of 1993 I didn't have large enough hands to throw a Knuckleball. My dad could throw a mean one and I wanted to match him. So we played catch throwing nothing but knucklers for hours. His danced all over the place and sank and bobbed so much that one time it gave me a fat lip and a bump on my shin at the same time. My knuckler though, sort of hung around in the middle at belt high with fantastic accuracy. I was so proud of that pitch that I threw it in my only appearance as a pitcher in the 1993 summer session in Elkridge, MD. That pitch I was so proud of cemented my position in the storied Elkridge travel team as its catcher.
Now that that nostalgic rabbit hole has been slowly escaped from, let's return to the aforementioned 1972 Topps Hank Aaron that I've highlighted in this post. The 1972 Topps set featured four cards that had Hank Aaron on it. Numbers 299 and 300 had only Hank; number 87 featured the RBI leaders of '71; number 89 featured the HR Leaders of '71. This post is dedicated to the RBI Leaders.
My card is in descent shape. The top of the card isn't super sharp, but it's OK. The top left corner has a minor crease. There is also a bend/crease under the "R" in "R.B.I". The top right corner is bent and beginning to split as well. Honestly, on a 1-10 scale I'd give it about a 4. And that is my "grading" of this card.
Is there a sexier stat than the Home Run? Honestly, I struggle to think of a more enthralling moment in sport. Few memories shake the imagination like a blast to end the game. Of course, as a general sport fan there are moments that are incredible to witness that have nothing to do with a solidly hit home run. But, let's face it: Chicks dig the long ball. Heather Locklear looked right through Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux. "Hey, have you guys seen Mark?" Chicks dig the long ball. Stat heads dig the long ball. The long ball makes a methodic game surprisingly intriguing to a number of clubs. (It bounces toward the shortstop/mid centerfielder in the Church softball league). A home run is impressive to see. Hank Aaron hit the hell out of it in '71 and earned a #89 in the set. Aaron could've done anything after the record. Instead he played - albeit on bad teams, he played on. 