Babe got his start in baseball while living at a boarding school, by a man named Brother Mattias.  As he learned the game, Babe quickly excelled at the game and was soon noticed by Jack Dunn, who at the time was the owner and manager of the Baltimore Orioles.  At that time, the Orioles were part of the minor leagues.  As Babe was only 19 at the time, Jack Dunn became Babe’s guardian and signed him to a contract with the team.  The name Babe came from a nickname that the other players called him, Jack’s Newest Babe, or “Babe” for short.  This name would become familiar with fans and would be used throughout  his career.

After getting signed by the Orioles, he was quickly traded to the Boston Red Sox where he pitched for 4 games.  As the Boston Red Sox were already full of talented players, Ruth ended up moving down to the Providence Grays, a minor league team affiliate with the Red Sox.  In 1915 Ruth played again for the Boston Red Sox but was still taking a backseat role in the teams roster.

Although Babe was a pitcher, he was soon proving his skill as a hitter for the Red Sox, but then his tenure with the Red Sox came to an end.  In late 1919, Babe Ruth was traded to the New York Yankees.

It was his long career with the New York Yankees where Babe Ruth rose to stardom as a power hitter.
He played with the Yankees for 15 years and then was sold to the Boston Braves.  At the time, the Braves were having severe financial difficulties and thought that signing Babe Ruth would help revive their business.  Unfortunately for Babe, his health was deteriorating fast and he was no longer an asset to the team.  Just 5 days before his retirement, Babe hit a home run that went over the roof of Forbes Field, which was quite a feat at this time.  Babe retired from professional baseball May 30th, 1935 with an impressive 714 career home runs.

Babe left a legacy in baseball and today we have some very rare baseball cards that highlight his career accomplishments.  Unfortunately baseball cards in those early days were not thought to have much future value and many did not survive.  Today, one of the most sought after sports cards is the Babe Ruth rookie card, which has sold for anywhere from $80,000 all the way up to almost $300,000.  Another rare card includes the Goudey Gum Co. Cards which also command prices of over $10,000 at auction.

Wayne became interested in hockey at a young age when his father built a rink in the backyard.  It didn’t take long to see that Wayne Gretzky had an above average understanding of the game of hockey.  He had the ability to visualize the game in his head, and although he wasn’t the strongest or fastest player, he excelled.  At age six, Wayne was playing with players a full level above his age as his ability made it too easy for him to play with players of his own age.  Since he was playing with bigger kids, the jersey’s that they had to wear were always to large for him, so he tucked them into his pants on one side, which became a trademark throughout his life as a hockey player.

As he progressed through minor hockey it was clear that he had tremendous talent and this talent was not always welcomed by jealous parents in his hometown.  When he turned 14 he started playing hockey in Toronto and he began playing with the Junior B team, the Toronto Nationals.  Despite his incredible abilities, he was passed by in the OMJHL Midget Draft.  He then went on to play in the Ontario Hockey League for a season with the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds, in northern Ontario.  This is where number 99 became famous.  He wanted number 9, but it was already taken so he settled on number 99, a number that he kept for his entire career.  His exceptional abilities then landed him a spot on the 1978 Canadian World Junior Championship team as the youngest player.

Because Gretzky had exceptional talent he was noticed by the NHL and the WHA, but he could not start with the NHL as they would not sign players under the age of 20.  He went on to play with the Indianapolis Racers, but only played 8 games before the team had to find another home for him as they were losing money.  They decided on the Edmonton Oilers, which at the time was part of the WHA, but it soon went bankrupt and joined the NHL. 

Wayne played with the Edmonton Oilers from 1979-1988.  With his first year in the NHL being 1979, the 1979 Gretzky rookie card became very valuable, worth anywhere from $1000 to $80,000 depending on the condition of the card.

Gretzky didn’t stop with the Edmonton Oilers, but went on to play for the LA Kings from 1988-1996.  As he was not happy in Los Angeles, Gretzky went on to play a season for the St. Louis Blues in 1996 and then to play 3 seasons as a free agent with the New York Rangers where he played until his retirement.

Following his retirement from the NHL he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and then went on to purchase a minority stake in the Phoenix Coyotes and eventually became their head coach, which is a position that he still holds today.

Many baseball buffs would say that Mickey Mantle was perhaps the most talented player their precious game has ever known. Hailed by fellow baseball great Joe DiMaggio as “the greatest prospect I can remember”, New Yorkers today are still proud to say that Mantle played his entire 18-year professional career in the major leagues as a Yankee.

Mickey Charles Mantle was born on October 20th, 1931 in Spavinaw, Oklahoma. Mickey’s father was a minor league player who named his son after major league hall of fame catcher, Mickey Cochrane. Much of the passion Mickey developed for baseball early in life can be attributed to the influence of Mickey’s father and grandfather, who made certain to raise him with a love for the game of baseball and even taught him how to play!

When Mickey was just 4 years old, his family moved to Commerce, Oklahoma, which was hit hard by the Great Depression. But this didn’t stop young Mickey “The Commerce Comet” Mantle from making his mark early on the world of sports. Not only were Mickey’s friends and family amazed at his obvious talent for baseball, but this rising young star also excelled at high school basketball and football as well. Though there was talk about Mickey becoming a football player, his first love was and would always be baseball.

Mickey was drafted into the minors at the age of 18 and was so talented that “The Mick” swung his way clear past the Yankee farm team into the major leagues and onto the New York Yankees. Though it took a bit of back and forth to the minors to motivate Mantle to find his game, he was eventually recalled back to the Yankees to become one of the greatest legends baseball has ever known. Over his 18-year career, Mickey Mantle not only set and broke numerous baseball records, but he also earned himself 16 All-Star selections, 7 World Series Championship titles, 3 American League Most Valuable Player awards, a Triple Crown and a Hutch Award. As a switch hitter, Mantle is also attributed for hitting some of the longest home runs in Major League history. In fact, in 1953 Mickey hit a home run clear out of Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. that was measured by tape at an astounding 565 feet and he also hit a home run out of Tiger Stadium in Detroit that was calculated at 643 feet.

In honor of Mickey’s contribution to the game of baseball, on June 8th 1969 Yankee Stadium held Mickey Mantle Day. In addition to the retirement of his Yankee uniform number 7, hanging in the center field near the monuments of such baseball greats as Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig was a special commemorative plaque for Mickey Mantle. Mickey Mantle was elected in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 in his very first year of eligibility.

Mickey Mantle is quoted as saying: “During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 times. I struck out about 1,700 times and walked maybe 1,800 times. You figure a ballplayer will average about 500 at-bats a season. That means I played 7 years without ever hitting the ball.” He may have struck-out for 7 years as a baseball player, but number 7’s baseball cards certainly don’t strike out. Mickey Mantle’s sports cards are still extremely popular and valuable among today’s card collectors.