RIP Ralph Kiner

We lost another beloved ball player with the passing of Ralph Kiner yesterday at the age of 91 years old. The Pittsburgh Pirate great definitely is not the best player in the Hall of Fame but he earned his entry, it took him fifteen years but he made it on his final BBWAA vote by a single vote in 1975. In his 10 seasons with the Pirates (7 seasons), Cubs (2 seasons) and the Indians (1 season) he was a 6 time All-Star and a 7 time NL Home Run Champion. He followed up his injury shortened playing career with being the “Voice of the Mets” from the team’s inception in 1962 until he retired due to his health in 2006.

He was a pretty common signer, he was included in products as recently as 2013 Topps Series 2 and 2013 Museum Collection, so you can find a nice selection of autographs for under $15 and relics under the $10 mark. Interestingly every relic of Kiner’s that I found are bat relics only. With his passing the eBay toads have saturated the market with his cards so there is a large selection from his playing days through modern releases.