Bryce Harper/Reggie Jackson 2019 Topps Historic Through-Lines Outstanding Outfielders Baseball Card
In honor of the Phillies gearing up to face the Yankees later tonight, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to share this fairly unique card featuring two former legends of both teams!
Definitely a sharp and clean card, I love it! Both players at the end of their swings, solid action shots. The difference in picture quality is so intriguing. Those sunglasses Reggie wears are super iconic and etched in my my brain I didn't even watch the guy play! There's definitely similarities in Harper and Jackson's playstyles. Both are elite overall hitters, both powerful hitters.
I'm of course a massive fan of Bryce Harper. He's already a Phillies legend. I am also a fan of Reggie Jackson even though I was not alive to watch a single game of his. Jackson had an absolutely epic all-time great career. Some more casual fans may simply remember him as a Yankee, but Jackson was an Athletic (my second favorite MLB team) for double the length he was in New York's pinstripes and had arguably a better career in yellow and green.
Jackson was a huge part of the A's winning three World Series Championships in a row in the 1970's! In the same decade, Jackson would help the Yankees win two more titles. Five World Series Championships in a single decade on TWO teams. Multiple on both, CONSEUTIVE on both teams. I mean, talk about being the FACE of 1970's professional baseball! In 1973, Jackson won both AL MVP AND World Series MVP. He was on top of the world for real.
I used to really enjoy collecting baseball cards as a kid but there were two events that changed that all for me. One of them was going to a card store and buying an entire box of Topps cards and at that time in my life it was probably several weeks of paper route money. I noticed when I was opening the packs that some of them appeared to have been tampered with like the glue on the back was a bit loose (this was a while ago before they had the tamper-proof bags) and I really think that the shop had opened the packs, removed any good cards, then repackaged them. In that entire box I got zero valuable cards.
The second event was more meaningful in me leaving the hobby forever. I only had a handful of truly valuable cards including a mint condition Donruss Don Mattingly rookie card (today worth and average of $4000) but one day they all disappeared out of my bedroom and it had to have been one of my friends that took them because this was not a high crime area and it was the only items missing in the entire house. I went from having 6 valuable cards (thereabouts) to having none on that day. I never participated in it again after these two things happened. It was some good times while it lasted though.
Oh man, I am so sorry to hear that :/ maybe one day you can dabble back into the hobby slowly. There's so many cards nowadays, not even sports ones! Obviously Pokemon but movie cards even. I think UFC cards may age fairly well too. I have a somewhat similar story in regards to card theft. I'm into cards because of my father who passed and one of the only real memories I have of him were his big boxes and various cases of cards, I can remember them vividly to this day. Was always fascinated by them. But one day they disappeared. My sister or my mother must have sold them or something. They blame each other so I'll never know. It's a shame man!
Sorry to hear about your unfortunate luck, maybe you can buy some and keep them safe easier nowadays. Thanks for sharing your stories though! I wish you had more happier experiences with cards.