Dear Babe: I have a baseball signed by Dusty Baker in the spot between the two parallel seams with “1999” after it.

– P.R., Palo Cedro

Baker had a couple of solid 19-year careers – first as a player and now as a manager. He collected nearly 2,000 hits and swatted 243 homers. A three-time All-Star, he was in three World Series, earning a ring with the Dodgers in 1991.

As a manager he has had another solid career He has the Giants, Cubs and Reds. He’s gotten all three into the playoffs, winning a pennant with the 2002 Giants.

Unfortunately, he’s been on the wrong end of major collapses with all three teams. The 2002 Giants were nine outs away from a World Series win against the Angels in 2002, leading 5-0 in the seventh. Scott Spezio blasted a three-run homer in the bottom of the 7th and the Angels scored in the 8th to win 6-5.

In 1993, the Cubs were at home with a 3-1 lead over the Miami Marlins in NLCS. The Cubs were leading 3-0 in the 8th inning – just five outs away from their first World Series since 1945. That’s when Steve Bartman, a fan, reached for the foul ball (along with others), denying Cubs outfielder Moises Alou a chance to reach into the stands to make a play. Castillo ended up walking. Thanks to Castillo’s walk and later an error by Cubs shortstop Alex Gonzalez on a potential double-play grounder, the Marlins went on to score eight runs in the inning and won the game 8–3. The series shifted to Miami and the Marlins won two more, denying the Cubs the long-awaited return to the World Series.

Then just last season, Baker’s Reds won the first two games of the NLDS in San Francisco. Proving once again that no lead is too big for a Baker-managed team to blow, the Reds returned to Cincinnati and proceeded to become the first team ever to be eliminated by losing three straight at home after winning the first two on the road.

“It’s not worth a whole lot more than the cost of a baseball – around $35,” said  Mike Heffner, president of www.Lelands.com.

Dear Babe: I would have a 1992 Dream Team framed poster signed by Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan. The poster includes pictures of other players, but only the three signatures. The framed poster is roughly 38×26 inches. The insignias at the bottom are “Licensed Olympic Product USA Basketball” and “Starline, Inc. 1992.” Also in the poster are John Stockton, Karl Malone, David Robinson, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, Patrick Ewing and Charles Barkley. It’s in good condition.

– Bill Brenneman,
Canyon Lake, Calif.

The big question is the authenticity of the signatures. If they are real, the poster is worth around $500-$1,000, according to said David Kohler, president of www.scpauctions.com, and Mike Heffner, president of www.Lelands.com.

However, Heffner wasn’t so sure the signatures were authentic. He said the “slant, formation, etc. are off. I could see it even from the distant photo.”

If you plan to sell it, you’ll need to have it
authenticated.

Babe Waxpak is written by Bill Wagner and is a feature of the Record Searchlight (www.redding.com) in Redding, CA. If you have a question for Babe Waxpak, include your full name and hometown, the card number, year and manufacturer or send a photocopy. Please do not send cards. The address is: Babe Waxpak, Box 492397, Redding CA 96049-2397 or email babewaxpak@charter.net.

Newsletter