Billy Buck Autograph!

One of the goals I set for myself for 2011 was to add more relic and autograph cards to my collection. And one of the top players on the list was Bill Buckner.

Billy Buck was my favorite Cubs player in the late '70s - early '80s. Despite terrible ankles, he played day in and day out, and played hard. He didn't use his physical problems as an excuse. He just grabbed his mitt and a bat and went out and played the game. His 7 1/2 years with the Cubs were the best years of his career, and he finished his time in Chicago with a .300 average, right on the nose.

I already had a relic card of his, so for a while I was on the lookout for a decent autograph card. The card had to show him as a Cub and I really wanted an on-card autograph, not a sticker. Here is what I ended up with:



I think its a real beauty. It's from Sports Illustrated's 1999 Greats of the Game set. The combination of the home pinstripes and an on-card autograph are perfect. This card moves up to a high spot on my all-time favorite cards!