JewishSportsCollectibles

Ryan Braun Public Signing

Ryan Braun 2012 Topps Triple Threads Hebrew Hammer card. Photo courtesy of BlowOutCards.com.

Legends of the Field, a Wisconsin-based sports card shop and memorabilia dealer, is scheduled to host a public signing with Jewish Major Leaguer Ryan Braun on Saturday, June 8, 2013 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in Mequon, WI.

The event is Braun's first public signing in five years, according to the company's web site (read about some of Braun's previous private signings here).

Collectors can purchase a variety of baseballs, bats, helmets, photos and artwork for signature. Jewish baseball collectors can also submit their own items to be autographed.

Collectors unable to attend the event in person can send in items to be signed, but memorabilia must be delivered to Legends of the Field by no later than Thursday, June 6.

Autographs on baseballs and flat items, less than 16"X20" cost $149.99. Signatures on premium items, including bats, helmets, jerseys, etc., cost $179.99. Inscriptions cost $79.99 each.

Additional information about the signing and items available for purchase is available on Legends of the Field's site, or by calling Legends of the Field at (262) 367-1300. 

***

Topps 2013 Opening Day cards. Photo courtesy of Topps.com.

Braun is featured on the packaging for Topps' 2013 Opening Day card products, and Jewish baseball collectors have access to thousands of Braun cards. These include minor and major league cards of all form and fashions, with dozens of limited edition, autograph and memorabilia card varieties (Beckett.com shows 2,700+ different cards for Braun).

Among Braun's cards area 2012 Topps Triple Threads autographed memorabilia card bearing Braun's "Hebrew Hammer" nickname (pictured above).

There are thousands of other Braun cards and collectibles listed on eBay, and available for direct purchase in the Beckett.com Marketplace, Amazon.com, the MLB.com Shop and MLB Photo Store.

These include cards; bobble heads and figurines; photos; jerseys; bats; tickets associated with notable games; programs, yearbooks and other ephemera.

Jewish Baseball Players artwork. Photo courtesy of JewishBaseballPlayer.com.

Braun is also featured in the Jewish Baseball Players limited edition lithograph by sports artist Ron Lewis and promoter Greg Harris.

The Brewers star is also the subject of several Sports Illustrated covers, as detailed in this JewishSportsCollectibles.com posting. Collectors can purchase back issues of SI from Amazon.com or eBay, and can buy reprinted from SportsIllustrated.com.

***

What Braun memorabilia should JewishSportsCollectibles.com readers know about? What Ryan Braun memorabilia do you have in your Jewish baseball collection?

Do you plan to attend or buy anything from the upcoming Braun signing?

Let JSC.com by commenting below.

Welcome Back, Danny Valencia

Danny Valencia. Photo courtesy of MLB.com, Orioles.com.

Danny Valencia has been called up from the minors by the Baltimore Orioles, according to JewishBaseballNews.com.

Valencia made his Major League debut in 2010 with the Minnesota Twins. He batted .311, swatted 7 HRs and 40 RBIs over 85 games, and garnered enough votes to finish third in the A.L. Rookie of the Year polling, according to JBallNews. After a significant sophomore slump in 2011, Valencia was sent to the minors by the Twins in 2011 and then traded to the Red Sox, for whom he appeared in just 10 games before being traded to the O's in the off-season.

Valencia had a strong showing with Baltimore in 2013 Spring Training, but started the season with the AAA Norfolk Tides. He performed well in the International League, batting .306 in 40 games with 11 HRs, 14 doubles and 35 RBIs before his call-up.  

Recalled on Sunday, May 19, the newest Jewish Major Leaguer whacked a double in his first at-bat of his first game with the O's.

Jewish baseball collectors have access to numerous of Valencia cards and memorabilia.

Valencia has more than 200 different cards, according to Beckett.com. 

This includes a wide variety of big league issues from Topps and Bowman. In addition to his standard cards, Valencia's pasteboard includes dozens of limited edition color variations, autographed and memorabilia cards, and serial numbered limited edition printings.

     

Among my favorites are Valencia's 2010 Topps Update Rookie card, 2011 Topps Gypsy Queen, 2011 Topps Triple Threads autographed memorabilia, and 2012 Topps cards, pictured above.

Danny Valencia New Britain Rock Cats card. Photo courtesy of eBay.

Valencia's minor league cards include team issues from the 2005 Glacier Pilots, 2006 Elizabethton Twins, 2007 Beloit Snappers, 2008 Fort Meyers Miracle, 2009 New Britain Rock Cats, 2010 Rochester Red Wings, as well as 2009 AA and 2010 AAA Top Prospects cards.

All of these cards are available on eBay, Amazon.com and in the Beckett.com Marketplace.

Minor league cards collectors can also look on MinorLeagueNetwork.com, STB Sports, and MinorLeagueSingles.com.

Prices vary widely, depending on the seller and the scarcity of the card you seek. 

Danny Valencia signed ball. Photo courtesy of eBay.

Among the Valencia memorabilia available on eBay and Amazon.com at the time of this posting were signed bats, baseballs, jerseys, batting gloves and mini helmets, along with a variety of autographed and unsigned photos. Prices range from $30-a few dollars to more than $250, depending on the item.

As always, buyers beware. 

Two photos featuring Valencia in his Twins uniform are available for purchase on the MLB.com Photo Store. 

Danny Valencia walk-off hit. Photo courtesy of MLB.com Photo Store. Photo by Hannah Foslien, Getty Images.

This includes an image of his teammates mobbing Valencia after an extra-innings game-winning hit. 

No Valencia memorabilia is available for sale in the MLB.com Shop, as of this posting.

In 2010, following his call up to the Majors during his rookie campaign for the Twins, I obtained a through-the-mail autograph from Valencia. I've subsequently mailed to him during Spring Training on two different occassions, without success. Has anyone else obtained Valencia's signature, either in person or through-the-mail.

What Valencia cards and memorabilia do you have in your Jewish baseball collection? Have you met him? Let JSC readers know by commenting below.

Jewish World Series Heroes

Sandy Koufax Upper Deck artwork. Photo courtesy of Beckett.com.

The Detroit Tigers take on the San Francisco Giants in the 108th World Series, which starts Wednesday, October 24.

During the 56-year history of the World Series Most Valuable Player Award (which started in 1955), two Jewish baseball players and a player who converted to Judaism after his career won a total of four MVP trophies.

Interestingly, all three played for the Los Angeles Dodgers when they captured the honors.

Larry Sherry Topps card.
Photo courtesy of eBay.com.

JewishSportsCollectibles.com offers reviews of the players' baseball cards and collectibles ... which range from common cards to $100,000+ game-used leather, from books to DVDs, from postcards and programs to books by the yard.

 

 

Steve Yeager Upper Deck card. Photo courtesy of Beckett.com

Click on the links that follow to read the JSC overviews of the cards and memorabilia for World Series MVP winners Larry Sherry (1959), Sandy Koufax (1963 and 1965) and Steve Yeager (1981).

 

Feel free to comment below, or in the individual postings, to let JewishSportsCollectibles.com readers know what your most treasured collectible for these World Series winners might be.

***

Editor's Note: A version of this posting originally ran under the headline "Jewish World Series MVP Profiles" in 2011.

NFL Update: Patriots Nate Ebner is Jewish

Nate Ebner PhotoFile image.
Photo courtesy of eBay.

Nate Ebner, the New England Patriots defensive back, has confirmed to JewishSportsCollectibles.com via Twitter that he is Jewish.

 

A comment I received in response to the JewishSportsCollectibles.com 2012-2013 Football Preview indicated that Nate's late father, Jeff Ebner, was Jewish. That started me digging.

I learned that Jeff Ebner, was beaten to death in 2008 during a robbery at the scrap metal dealership he owned in Springfield, Ohio, according to WDTN-TV in Dayton.

Jeff Ebner was, according to his obituary in the Springfield News-Sun, a "former member of Temple Shalom where he was the former Sunday School principal." 

So, while Nate Ebner's father was Jewish, which alone is enough for me to include him here (let the arguments begin!), I didn't know for certain if Nate was raised Jewish, practices, or self-identifies as Jewish.

Ebner was never included in the list of Jewish collegiate football players published in Jewish Sports Review, for example.

Asking Ebner seemed to be a good way to solve the problem, so I reached out to him on Twitter.

Nate Ebner Twitter exchange.
Photo courtesy of JewishSportsCollectibles.com.

140 characters is certainly limiting, so my introduction and question to Ebner were short.

"I publish a blog about Jewish athletes and sports memorabilia. Safe to include you? Thanks!"

Ebner's response, was equally short, but informative, to a degree.

"Go for it!"

While Ebner's tweet doesn't fully answer all of my questions, his response certainly indicates that he publicly self-identifies as Jewish.

***

As a late round draft pick and a rookie with fewer than a half-dozen games under his belt, as of this posting, Ebner's collectibles are limited.

Beckett.com lists no cards, yet, for the former Ohio State Buckeyes walk-on football player and internationally acclaimed rugby player.

Nate Ebner signed photo.
Photo courtesy of eBay.

OSUphotos is selling a photo of the Buckeyes taking the field, autographed by Ebner and inscribed "Go Bucks!" for $8.95 on eBay.

A 2012 OSU team signed helmet, which includes Ebner's autograph, is available on eBay

There are also several PhotoFile images, including the one at the top of this posting, of Ebner playing for the Pats up for bid.

Ebner had been scheduled to do a public signing a a Columbus card show in February, according to BuckeyeSignings.com, but it was cancelled.

Nate Ebner at OSU.
Photo by Jim Davidson,
courtesy of the-Ozone.net.

No past signings with Ebner are listed on SigningsHotline.com, and I found no Ebner memorabilia for sale at Cardboard Heroes, an Ohio memorabilia shop that offers autograph signings regularly with OSU athletes.

The OSU Memorabilia Store and the Ohio State Athletics Official Online Auctions site offers no Ebner collectibles, as of this posting.

Jewish football collectors can, however, find numerous photos of Ebner available for purchase on the Columbus Dispatch's OSU Photo Store. These images are suitable for autographs and getting framed. Prices vary by photo and size. 

Neither the Patriots online shop or PatriotsMemorabilia.com offer any Ebner memorabilia, as of this posting, but both are logical places to look for his items in the future. 

Nate Ebner, Rugby Magazine. Photo courtesy of OSUrugby.com. 

The Ohio State Rugby web site boasts a photo of Ebner on the cover of Rugby Magazine's Spring 2011 issue.

I could find no copies of it available for sale on eBay or Amazon.com, and RugbyMag.com doesn't appear to sell back issues.

Certainly other rugby memorabilia associated with Ebner -- a two-time IRB Junior World Championship MVP -- must exist. I could find none on USARugby.com, however. 

***

Do you know of any additional Nate Ebners collectibles? Any rugby memorabilia? Do you have any Ebner memorabilia in your Jewish football collection?

Let JewishSportsCollectibles.com readers know by commenting below.

Ed Sabol, Founder of NFL Films

Goal Line Art Card of Ed Sabol, 2011 Hall of Fame inductee, founder of NFL Films. Photo courtesy of eBay.

With the death on Tuesday, September 18 of Steve Sabol (read JewishSportsCollectibles.com's remembrance of Steve Sabol here), I thought it an appropriate time to examine the collectibles of Steve's father, Ed Sabol.

The 96-year-old founder of NFL Films, 2011 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame has a wide variety of memorabilia available to Jewish football collectors.

Ed Sabol's football cards include a Goal Line Art Card (photo right), produced for each Football Hall of Famer as well as a Class of 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame special issue card set, produced by Panini, part of an eight-card set given away at the Hall of Fame on Induction Day.

Collectors can purchase the complete, unsigned 2011 Induction Class Goal Line Art Card set from the Football Hall of Fame's web store for $27.99.

Sabol's individual Goal Line Art card can be found on eBay for $10 for unsigned cards, with autographed cards selling for between $75-$100. Amazon.com sellers are offering authenticated and autographed Ed Sabol Goal Line Art Cards for $90-$165.

Ed Sabol Hall of Fame card. Photo courtesy
of eBay.

The elder Sabol is also featured on a 2011 Panini Timeless Treasures card (#10), with a sticker, standard card and autographed card varieties available, according to Beckett.com.

The limited edition Induction Day giveaway Panini cards sell for $1-$20 on eBay.

The unsigned Timeless Treasure sticker is available on Amazon.com for $0.39 and from the Panini sticker and standard card can be found in the Beckett Marketplace for $0.25-$2.10.

Ed Sabol HOF signed football.
Photo courtesy of ProFootballHallofFame.com.

The Football Hall of Fame web store offers a variety of Sabol memorabilia for purchase, including individual and Induction Class items. These include several Ed Sabol photos and plaques, single signed and group autographed footballs, an Induction pin and yearbook.

Ed Sabol signed HOF mini helmet.Photo courtesy
of Amazon.com.

A variety of mini helmets, bearing the NFL and Hall of Fame logos, autographed by Ed Sabol are available on eBay and Amazon.com.

My personal favorite, however, is more specialized mini helmet.

Ed Sabol graduated from The Ohio State University, where he was a varsity swimmer. According to Wikipedia, Sabol qualified for the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, but refused to participate because the Games were being hosted by Nazi Germany.

In 2011, OSU's Wexner Center for the Arts honored Sabol before his Hall of Fame induction by screening a series of classic NFL Films.

An eBay seller with a deep appreciation of history is offering an OSU mini helmet signed by Sabol for $159.99.

Signed Ed Sabol HOF induction photo.
Photo courtesy of eBay.

A wide variety of other memorabilia is available on eBay. These include autographed and unsigned photos of Ed, and Ed with Steve Sabol, first day covers and cachets signed by Ed, autographed footballs and index cards, and Induction Day programs and ephemera. As always, buyer beware.

On Amazon.com, Jewish football collectors can also find a photo of Steve and Ed Sabol, signed by both men (certified by PSA/DNA), along with signed photos of Ed. 

Less personal Sabol collectibles include the thousands of NFL Films videos available on VHS tape and DVD. Nearly all of the films in the Football Hall of Fame's video store are NFL Films products. Amazon.com lists more than 2,000 NFL Films titles and eBay offers nearly 900.

What Ed Sabol memorabilia do you have in your Jewish football collection? Have you had the chance to meet the NFL Films founder? Share your thoughts with other JewishSporstCollectibles.com readers by commenting below.