1967 Topps Andy Etchebarren Baltimore Orioles

The mailbox streak has reached 7 days now, I am hoping for a new addition soon. I went back into my collection of 1967 Topps Autographed Baseball cards and found a card to share. It is Andy Etchebarren, catcher of the Baltimore Orioles. Card number 457 out of 609 in the 1967 Topps Baseball card set.

This autograph was obtained with a through the mail request to Andy Etchebarren on May 23, 2009 care of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Baseball team, where he was a coach. He signed the card with a black sharpie and returned it to me 13 days later with an excellent autograph.

Andy Etchebarren played Major League Baseball for 15 seasons from 1962 to 1978. His career started with the Baltimore Orioles in 1962 appearing in 2 games then he returned to the minor leagues until 1965 when he played 5 games for the Orioles. In 1966, Andy Etchebarren became the starting catcher and stayed in the majors for the rest of his career. Andy played for the Orioles until early 1975 when his contract was purchased by the California Angels and finished his career with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1978. Andy Etchebarren's career statistics include 948 games played, posting a career .235 batting average, hitting 49 home runs and driving in 309 runs. Andy was selected to the American League All-Star team in 1966 and 1967 and was a member of the Baltimore Orioles' World Championship team in 1966 and 1970. He was the last man to ever bat against Sandy Koufax, when he hit into a double play during the sixth inning of Game 2 of the 1966 World Series.

After his playing days were over, Andy Etchebarren starting a second career of coaching baseball. He coached within the Baltimore Oriole organization at many levels and currently Andy is the manager of the York Revolution.

Looking for great Sports memorabilia, apparel and collectibles, check out Dugoutdug Sports Collectibles for your favorite players and teams.

1967 Topps Bob Uecker Phillies Mr. Belvedere

Baseball and television fans will know a little about today's addition to the collection of 1967 Topps Autographed cards. It is Philadelphia Phillies journeyman catcher and Mr. Belvedere actor Bob Uecker. Card number 326 in the set of 609 cards.

This autograph was obtained through the mail and Bob Uecker returned the card with a nice blue signature after 12 days. I sent it to Bob care of the Milwaukee Brewers on May 23, 2009. Bob has been the voice of the Brewers since 1971. In 2003, Bob was honored with the Ford C Frick Award given by the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Bob Uecker's baseball career lasted 6 years and he had less than stellar statistics, career .200 batting average, 14 home runs and 74 career runs batted in. He played for the Milwaukee Braves, St Louis Cardinals (won a World Series Ring in 1964), Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves.

Most people don't remember Bob Uecker's playing days but they know him as a comedian and actor. He appeared in several Miller Lite commercials, the Mr. Belvedere sitcom and several movies including the Major League Trilogy. He is also known for his great sense of humor about his playing days. One of his more famous comments is "How do you catch a knuckleball? Wait until it stops rolling, then go to the backstop and pick it up."

To learn more about Bob Uecker, go to his biography at wikipedia.org

As another note, Bob Uecker turned 75 years old yesterday, January 26th. Happy Birthday, Bob!

1967 Topps John Bateman Houston Astros

Since the Post Office was closed for Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday, I went back into my collection to bring you this gem. This card is of John Bateman, catcher for the Houston Astros and is card number 231 out of 609. This card was obtained from a fellow collector on ebay and is the 440 autographed card in my set.

John Bateman had a 10 year career with the Houston Colt 45s/Astros, Montreal Expos and Philadelphia Phillies. He had a career average of .230, hit 81 home runs, and batted in 375 runs. Most of his career he split time with other catchers such as Jerry Grote, Ron Brand and was traded for another famous catcher Tim McCarver. He was eventually released by the Phillies to make room for Bob Boone, who went on to have a long career himself.

To read his biography, go to wikipedia.com.