Saturday, March 28, 2015

1964 Topps Giants

1964 Topps Giants Pittsburgh Pirates

The 1964 Topps Giants set consists of 60 cards, each measuring 3-1/8” by 5-1/4”. The series was the company’s first postcard-size issue, with each piece displaying a large color photograph surrounded by a white border and white baseball at the bottom right bearing the athlete’s name, position and team. Card backs carry another photo of the player surrounded by a newspaper-style explanation of the depicted career highlight. The set is known for its inclusion of many Hall of Famers. However, the 1964 Giants were not printed in equal quantity and seven of the cards, including Sandy Koufax and Willie Mays, are significantly scarcer than the remainder of the set.


See the 1964 Topps Giants Pittsburgh Pirates

Baseball Reference

Baseball Almanac

Card Values















Team Set Checklist


1964 Topps Giants 
4 Bob Bailey 
11 Roberto Clemente 
28 Bob Friend 







Sunday, March 22, 2015

PIAA State Basketball Championship Wrap Up

The PIAA state basketball championships were held this weekend in Hershey, PA. The results from the boys and girls championship games are listed below. 

Class A Boys Final - Constitution 85, Farrell 53. Constitution also won the Class AA boys title last year. Constitution's 85 points are the most in a Class A Boys championship game since Kennedy Christian scored 87 vs. Fairfield in 2001. 

Class AA Boys Final - Conwell-Egan 62, Aliquippa 51. This win gives Conwell-Egan its first PIAA Boys Basketball Championship.

Class AAA Boys Final - Neumann-Goretti 69, Archbishop Carroll 67. Neumann-Goretti wins its fifth PIAA Class AAA Boys Basketball Championship in the last six years - 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015. NG's average margin of victory in its five championships is just 4.8 points. 

Class AAAA Boys Final - Roman Catholic 62, Martin Luther King 45. This win gives Roman Catholic its first PIAA Boys Basketball Championship. Roman Catholic also defeated Martin Luther King 58-57 in the District 12 Class AAAA championship game three weeks ago. Roman Carholic's win gives District 12 a sweep of all 4 boys basketball titles. The last time a district won all boys' championships in a single year was 1945 when District 11's Allentown won AAA and McAdoo won AA. And 1945 was the first year for two classifications in PIAA boys basketball. No PIAA district has swept all championships during the three-class and four-class eras that date back to 1951.

Class A Girls Final - Vincentian Academy 86, Old Forge 38. Vincentian's 86 points are the most scored in a PIAA Class A Girls Basketball Championship game. Their 48-point margin is the widest in a PIAA Girls' Basketball Championship game. The previous high was 47 (Penn Hills 86-39 over McCaskey, 1990 AAAA). 

Class AA Girls Final - Neumann-Goretti 79, Seton-La Salle 34. Neumann-Goretti finishes the season 30-0. Neumann-Goretti is currently the number 1 ranked HS girls team in the country according to USA Today. 

Class AAA Girls Final - Blackhawk 46, Archbishop Wood 40. Blackhawk won its second straight PIAA Class AAA Girls Basketball Championship. 

Class AAAA Girls Final - Cumberland Valley 40, Central Bucks West 35. Cumberland Valley wins its second straight PIAA Class AAAA Girls Basketball Championship and third overall. The combined 75 points is the lowest scoring Class AAAA Girls championship total since PIAA went to four classifications in 1984.

The total weekend attendance for the PIAA Basketball Championships at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA was 17,930.  

Sunday, March 08, 2015

A Response From the Commissioner of MLB

On February 6 we posted a letter that our student reporter, Matthew Hall, wrote to MLB Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. about his suggestions to improve the state of baseball for kids.

This past week Commissioner Manfred replied to Matthew.  His quick response to Matthew's letter can be found below.




In his first year as commissioner and without much to judge how he will improve the game of baseball, I can say that I'm impressed with his start by responding to our young fans that will ensure the success of the game for years to come.  Hopefully with Commissioner Manfred's leadership we will see the game of baseball improve for both our younger and more veteran fans that appreciate the nostalgia that the game holds.




Sunday, March 01, 2015

MLB Manager 2015 Features Official MLB.com License and More

Game to be Released on Android and iOS in March 2015

Out of the Park Developments today announced that MLB Manager 2015 will feature an official MLB.com license when it's released for Android and iOS at the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, respectively, in March 2015. Like Out of the Park Baseball 16, which was unveiled on January 23, 2015, MLB Manager 2015 will feature the official Major League Baseball logo, as well as official logos for all 30 MLB teams and historical MLB logos. (OOTP 16 will also include over 150 Minor League Baseball team logos as well as MLB and MiLB player jerseys with team logos.)

MLB Manager 2015 will also feature Opening Day rosters, a Shop a Player function, and other new additions detailed below. The game will offer the most immersive experience for armchair baseball GMs who want to guide their favorite teams to glory on mobile devices. It will sell for $4.99, with historical seasons available as in-app purchases.

"We're thrilled that MLB Manager 2015 will follow in OOTP 16's footsteps with a feature that will help it stand out among other mobile baseball games," said MLB Manager lead developer Sebastian Palkowski. "Between the MLB.com license and all the other great new features, MLB Manager remains the perfect way to get in a little baseball managing while on the go."

In addition to the MLB.com license and iOS and Android support, MLB Manager 2015 will also include these features:

• 2015 Opening Day rosters: Each team will have its projected 40-man Opening Day roster, as well as 20-25 top prospects, for a total of 60-65 players. A subsequent free update will include the official Opening Day rosters.

• Shop a Player: This option was brought over from OOTP to allow GMs to suggest a player for a possible trade and field offers from other teams.

• Simulate to Date X: GMs can now simulate to a specific date, and a new Don't Disturb feature allows uninterrupted long-term sims.

• Player Shortlist: GMs can now add players to their shortlists so they can quickly return to their profiles any time. It's a useful feature for tracking players' careers after they leave a team.

• Career Stats Leader Boards: Retired players with 10 or more years of experience automatically join the career leader boards for home runs, strikeouts, and other stats.

• Improved In-Game Subs: When a GM makes a substitution during a game, they can easily see the current game situation.

• Better Trading AI: AI-controlled GMs make better trade offers.

MLB Manager's predecessor, iOOTP Baseball 2014, is now available for free at the Apple App Store.