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The Card Chop |
Tuesday, May, 21, 2024
2018 Topps MLB All-Star Logo Patch
Major League Baseball’s 20th All-Star Game, played July 14, 1953 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, was originally scheduled to be held at Braves Field in Boston, but was awarded to the Queen City after the Braves relocated to Milwaukee on March 18. It marked the final time Crosley Field would host the Midsummer Classic, as the Reds would move to Riverfront Stadium during the 1970 season.
In addition to the crowd of 30,846 in attendance that day, millions of fans tuned in to the event, either watching on NBC or listening to the game on the Mutual Broadcast System, and witnessed the National League win its 4th consecutive game.
Braves sophomore sensation Eddie Mathews, making the first of his 9 All-Star appearances, started at third base for the Senior Circuit and went 0-3. He did, however, score the first run of the game after being hit by a pitch and then, one out later, coming home from second on pinch-hitter Richie Ashburn’s 5th inning single. Also named to the NL squad for the first time was Milwaukee catcher Del Crandall, who did not see any action on the field. Southpaw Warren Spahn, the lone Braves hurler on the team, recorded the win after pitching two innings in which he allowed no runs and no hits.
The Card
MLB All-Star Game Logo Patch, one of two manufactured relic insert sets found in 2018 Topps Hobby Packs and Jumbo Packs, featured 30 former Major League All-Stars and a logo patch from a year they appeared in the midsummer classic. Card designs are based upon the same year as the AS patch logo. Parallels are also available, with black (#’d to 99); gold (#’d to 50); platinum (1 of 1); and red (#’d to 25) borders. Autographed copies (#’d to 10) are available for select players. Odds for finding one of the Black Parallels were 1:3905 Hobby Packs and 1:84 Jumbo Packs.
Welcome to the Collection
While I try to avoid most relic and manufactured relic cards, there are some that are just too good to pass up- and this Mathew’s is one such card. I found it on COMC and paid the asking price, which was just $2.25. And if the opportunity arises to pick up the only other two Braves cards in the set (both Hank Aaron) for a decent price, I’ll gladly do so.
