Little known fact: Tina Turner originally wanted to write a song called "Personal Catcher" about backups who create that trusted relationship with ace pitchers, but she couldn't get the lyrics to fit her melody. She went with "Private Dancer" instead, and the rest is history.

Card 566 on Beckett

https://marketplace.beckett.com/item/900/1988-topps-566-charlie-obrien-rc_27922483

Charlie’s Sabr Bio by Steve West https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/charlie-obrien/

Brian Boru

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Boru

Charlie’s SI Cover https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/r4YAAOSwpjlghelD/s-l1600.webp

Charlie Keeps his career alive at SI https://vault.si.com/vault/1999/04/26/catch-as-catch-can-the-angels-charlie-obrien-uses-all-his-tricks-to-keep-his-career-alive

Charlie’s Book at Texas A&M Press https://www.tamupress.com/book/9781623492922/the-cy-young-catcher/

Popular Mechanics story about Charlie’s mask https://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/sports/a236/1283166/

Puck Junk the evolution of Baseball goalie masks ​​https://puckjunk.com/2018/03/29/the-evolution-of-baseballs-goalie-mask/

1995 NLCS Homer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyiGRE7eRRs

Welcome to Season 6 of the 1988 Topps Podcast!

In 1932, Australian farms were threatened by an increase in the population of the emu, a large flightless bird. The Australian military tried to cull the flocks of emus for 40 days, but ultimately failed in a debacle that would come to be known as The Great Emu War.

#597 on Beckett

https://www.beckett.com/baseball/1988/topps-tiffany/597-gene-garber-3915858

SABR Bio by Dan Massey

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Gene-Garber/

Garber irked by modern game

https://lancasteronline.com/sports/baseball/mlb/elizabethtown-native-gene-garber-irked-by-aspects-of-baseball-today-commentary/article_5228dabe-985f-11e8-90b0-2f795df2f570.html

Gene ends Rose streak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1sm1rOUfTg

HOF Card Corner - 1975 Topps

https://baseballhall.org/discover/card-corner/1975-topps-gene-garber

The Curse of Gene Garber

https://assets.sbnation.com/assets/752808/ATL18_v1-1.pdf

Buy us a coffee?

http://coff.ee/1988ToppsPd

When ... the ...

Card has a guy that looks like all the guys, that's Fiore (that's Fiore)

When the card of the day comes from Team U.S.A. that's Fiore (that's Fiore)

Bells will ring for the Pope ting-a-ling-a-ling and you'll sing "Vita bella"

He's a Sox fan at heart, and to us that means he's quite a fella!

* Card 38T on eBay

* Induction video into College Baseball Hall of Fame and Mike's speech

* Mike interviewed about his experiences in Omaha

* Greatest 21 Days

* University of Miami Hall of Fame

This is the final episode of Season 5. Five years down, only 15 to go? New episodes return soon. Thank you for supporting the show! https://buymeacoffee.com/1988toppspd

This All-Star Rookie had his life saved by a call to the pen, er, apartment.

Card 229 on Beckett

https://marketplace.beckett.com/item/1036/1988-topps-229-jeff-musselman_44463551

SABR Bio by Malcolm Allen

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/jeff-musselman/

Jeff at Harvard talking about sobriety

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1993/11/2/come-back-to-life-sobriety-and/

The Fall of '87

https://garejoyce2022.substack.com/p/the-fall-of-87-and-the-fail-of-2017

M.U.S.C.L.E.

http://blog.uofmuscle.com/34574/what-is-a-muscle-figure/

The Jersey Devil

https://pinelandsalliance.org/learn-about-the-pinelands/pinelands-history-and-culture/the-jersey-devil-and-folklore/

This Stanford grad from Montana had one good season on the mound in Baltimore -- then had a change of plans after a snowy night in Idaho.

Card 782 on eBay

https://www.ebay.com/itm/156065903677

Watch the Diamond King now! https://www.thediamondkingmovie.com/

Listen to Cement City about Donora, PA - https://www.cementcity.org/

SABR Bio by Malcolm Allen - https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/jeff-ballard/

Ballard in Montana - https://www.montanaseniornews.com/jeff-ballard/

Ballard’s double ball found - https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidseideman/2018/01/11/big-leaguer-recovers-priceless-baseball-25-years-later/

Looking back at Ballard’s 1989 - https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/95581/cold-takes-jeff-ballards-luck-ran-out/

The Athletic finds out that Ballard is in The Office - https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3271009/2022/05/10/tiktok-sleuth-movies-tv-clips/

Why Not song - https://youtu.be/jSAohY4o-0E?si=y3mhS263zcpU8fLn

The third-best baseball player of all time born in Donora, PA.

* Card 443 on Beckett

* SABR Bio by Charles F. Faber

* Braves at Mets, Apr. 11, 1987

* Donora Smog Disaster

* Grandma's Reds Scorebook Griffey entries

*Reds 1976 All-Star Game highlights

* Griffey wins the 1980 ASG MVP

* Father-Son back to back jacks

* Ken and Buddy

* Stan and Ken and Donora, PA

Although the 1987 rookie season for "Benz" was a good one, there is no proof that he was the inspiration for the 1988 No. 1 hit "Mercedes Boy" by Pebbles.

* Card 96 on Beckett

* Sabr Bio by Bill Nowlin

* Catching up with ⁠Benz

* Todd Benzinger 1987 Highlight video

* Benzinger hits a big homer in 1988

* Todd catches the final out of 1990 World Series

Legendary artist Dick Perez and filmmaker Marq Evans join the pod to talk about their new movie "The Diamond King" along with Dick's favorite Donruss Diamond King card, the 1995 Chili Davis.

* Card 15 on Beckett

* Card 32T on Beckett

* Watch The Diamond King, opening April 25, 2025!

* Diamond King trailer

* SABR Bio by Rory Costello

* Chili signs with the Angels in 1987

* 1991 World Series Homer

* JD Davis: "Chili is my Dog"

* Chili Bowl Mullet Man at the Video Store