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| KeyMan
Collectibles |
NEWSLETTER |
October 2023 |
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Cracker Jack & National Old Timers
Baseball |
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Steven KeyMan |
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Classic
Memorabilia -
By Steven KeyMan |
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Founder of
Keymancollectibles.com,
and a long time
collector, Steven
KeyMan has more than 30
years of experience in
researching, and
cataloging information
on Baseball
Memorabilia.
Researching his own personal
collection, and helping others find
information on their
collectibles, the
website grew into the
largest online resource
for baseball
memorabilia |
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Ask
Steven: Direct your questions or feedback,
about Baseball Memorabilia to Steven KeyMan
Steve@keymancollectibles.com You can also Send
KeyMan pictures of your personal Memorabilia Display,
and get your own Free
Collectors Showcase Room featured on the website.. |
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The first annual Cracker Jack
Old-Timers Baseball Classic, game was
played on July 19, 1982, at R.F.K.
Memorial Stadium in Washington D.C. The
event sponsored by Cracker Jack Inc.,
took place every July and was played from 1982 to 1987
at RFK Stadium. The game was played at
Pilot Field in Buffalo from 1988 to
1990. Cracker Jack dropped their
sponsorship following the 1985 event,
after which it became the National
Old-Timers Baseball Classic.
In Febuary 1982 Officials announced that
the old timers classic was to be played
on July 19, and would feature 50
former major leaguers chosen by a
nationwide poll and an eight-member
screening committee.
Ballots were made available in March, of that year in various national
magazines, and cracker Jack displays in
stores. Fans were also able to make
their own ballot and mail it in.
Players were selected by league, position, and must be retired for at
least one year. Managers for the game
were chosen by the committee, headed by
former New York Yankee and Houston
Astros executive Tal Smith.
This
Ballot appeared in the inside cover
of the Sept. 1982 Marvel Comics
Two-in-One #91, starring the Thing.
The comic format ad feature a group of
little leaguers debating on who is the
best infielder to choose for the
Cracker Jack Old Timers Classic ballot,
when Hank Aaron steps in.
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If you had a
ticket to the 1982 Cracker Jack Old
Timers Baseball Classic, and
attended, you got to witness
Luke Appling connecting off Warren Spahn in the 1st inning for a home run.
Appling became the oldest player to hit
a home run at the age of 75. Jim
Fregosi Hit a solo home run in the
bottom of the 3rd. With 2 outs in the
top of the 4th inning Bill Mazeroski
launched Don Larsen's fourth pitch
towards the left-field wall, 270 feet
away. Bob Allison got a glove on it,
but the ball bounced out of Allison's
glove and into the seats for a home
run.
The 1982 Starting Lineups (first 9
batters) for the National League: Pee
Wee Reese, Phil Cavaretta, Stan Musial,
Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Ralph Kiner,
Red Schoendienst, Smoky Burgess, and
Hank Sauer. The NL Starting Pitcher was
Early Wynn.
The American League Starting Lineup: Luke Appling, Bobby Avila, Al Kaline,
Harmon Killebrew, Mickey Vernon, Brooks
Robinson, Enos Slaughter, Bill Freehan,
and Chuck Stevens. The AL
Starting Pitcher was Warren Spahn
The
Official baseball for the Cracker
Jack Old Timers Baseball Classic was
produced by Rawlings. The 1982 ball,
printed with red ink features the
Cracker Jack Old Timers Baseball
Classic logo on the bottom panel. The
following year in 1983, black ink was
used.
The players each received $1,000 plus
travel expenses, along with a full
uniform, and a windbreaker jacket.
The red satin windbreaker jacket features the
1982 Cracker Jack Old Timers Baseball
Classic logo on the right breast, and
Rawlings script logo on the left.
The back Reads "AMERICAN" The "NATIONAL" League Jackets are the same but
in blue. Major League Baseball, did not
support the event, and as a result, the
uniforms were designed with just
National and American (without League).
The 1982 American League Cracker Jack
Old Timers Baseball Classic Pull-over
uniform jerseys featured a red trim
V-Neck collar, and sleeve cuffs. Inside
the rear collar is the "Rawlings”
manufacturers tag with the size.
Across the front is “AMERICAN.” The back has the players uniform number
with the name above on a white
nameplate. All numbers and letters are
done in red screen print. On the right
sleeve is “Rawlings” done in the same
red screen print.
On the left sleeve is the “Cracker Jack Old Timers Baseball Classic”
screened on patch. There are no
manufacturer tags in the matching
pants. The left leg features a Rawlings
screened on “R” logo. The
Jim Fregosi
uniform number 11 jersey was worn when
he hit a home run off Lew Burdette.
The National League uniforms were the
same but with blue trim. Rawlings
manufactured the uniforms until 1986.
From 1987 to 1990, BIKE Athletic
Company produced the uniforms. The
company was founded in 1974, when they
invited the jockstrap. As of 2003, BIKE
was part of the Russell Corporation,
and in 2017, closed down BIKE.
The National Old Timers Baseball Classic National League uniform jersey
pictured here was game worn by Dale
Long in 1987.
The baseball caps issue to the players
featured a white embroidered "A" on the
red American League caps, and a white
embroidered "N" on the blue national
League caps. The Du Pont Visor
Weatherized Pre-Shrunk Perspiration
Proof Pro Model fitted caps were
manufactured by New Era.
The
302F Pro Ring baseball bat was produced
by Adirondack Bats Inc., for the
first annual Cracker Jack Old-timers
Baseball Classic in 1982. The following
year the bat featured the 1983-1986,
Rawlings-Adirondack center brand. 1983
was the first year that the Rawlings
brand name appeared on baseball bats
after A-T-O who owned Rawlings since
1969, acquired Adirondack Industries,
in 1971. |
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Louisville Slugger Also produced Cracker Jack Old Timers Baseball Classic
baseball bats using their pre-1980
center brand. They also produced bats
for the Old Timers Classic with the
1980s center brand that have either
American or National League on the
barrel.
Sponsors of the Cracker Jack Old Timers
Baseball Classic guaranteed the APBPA
$50,000 in 1982. The APBPA -
Association of Professional Ball
Players of America, is a group which
aids former players, managers, umpires
and front office executives who have
become ill or indigent.
These
ADJ snapback, mesh baseball caps
feature the 1983 Cracker Jack
Old-timers Baseball Classic,
Washington, DC, logo. The caps were
sold as souvenirs, with part of the
proceeds going to the APBPA.
Perhaps the most useful souvenir sold
at the 1982 Cracker Jack Classic was
the rain poncho. A drenching rain
shortened batting practice, and delayed
the start of the game. Made of
plastics polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
material, the National League blue
hooded rain poncho features the
red-white & blue official Cracker Jack
Old Timers Baseball Classic logo on the
left breast.
Earlier that year, in a 1982 promotion, Cracker Jack offed a free MLB team
rain poncho when you sent in 15 Cracker
Jack box tops, plus .50¢ postage and
handling. The poncho which featured your
favorite Major League team emblem, was
also available for 3 Cracker Jack box
tops plus $2.50. (New York Yankees
poncho was not available)
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This rare
"Old Timers Baseball
Classic, RFK July 19, 1982" souvenir
roster pennant features an "Official"
ball and crossed bats logo in the left,
top corner. The pennant was sold in
both red and blue variations. American
League players listed include; Roger
Maris, Larry Doby, Charlie Keller,
Catfish Hunter, and Brooks Robinson.
National League players include, Willie
Mays, Richie Ashurn, Ralph Kiner, Ted
Kluszewski, and Pee Wee Reese.
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The souvenir pennants produced for
the 1982-1985 games, featured the
"Cracker Jack Old Timers Baseball
Classic" logo with the year printed
above the baseball. The tail end of the
Pennant reads "WASHINGTON DC" with the
exception of the 1984 pennant which
reads "Cracker Jack Old Timers Baseball
Classic" and "Washington, D.C." below
the logo.
The 1986 Pennant has the "National Old Timers Baseball Classic" logo, as
Cracker Jack dropped their sponsorship
in 1985. The 1988-1990 Pennants have
"Old Timers Baseball Classic, Pilot
Field" and dated, on the tail end, with
Buffalo, New York, below the National
Old Timers Baseball Classic logo.
This is the
Second Annual Cracker Jack
Old Timers Baseball Classic, scorecard and
program, played at RFK Stadium on July
18, 1983. The cover features artwork
depicting home run hitting Luke
Appling, Joe DiMaggio tipping his cap,
and Lou Brock sliding into second.
The background shows the Washington monument, and the Capital building.
The Association of Professional Ball
Players of America, and Starplex -
Stadium Armory Complex logos are also
present.
The contents of the program includes; a recap on the 1982 Old Timers
Classic, National, American league
player profiles and statistics,
scorecard rosters, an ad for the 1983
Drakes baseball cards, and more.
 The
7th Annual National Old Timers Baseball
Classic; played at Pilot Field in
Buffalo, New York, on June 20, 1988 was sponsored by Empire of America, Federal Savings
Bank. A
button attached to a "Big E"
Empire advertising card was handed
out to fans as they entered the
stadium.
The card instructed fans to hold on to this card and your ticket stub. A
players name was at the bottom of the
card (Joe DiMaggio on this card) Between innings a
player's name was announced. If you had
that name on the card you were a
winner!
Also, The Big E's ad in the Buffalo
news, on Wednesday, June 22, listed
five seat numbers at random. The
holders of these tickets each received
a $100. savings bond. Also, stated on
the back of the card, "Bring This card
to any Big E branch by June 25, 1988,
or mail it to.... and become eligible
to win one of the actual jersey's worn
at the Old Timers game"
♫...Buy me some Peanuts and Cracker Jack...♫ A song
written in 1908 by Jack Norworth and
Albert Von Tilzer,
"Take Me out to the Ball Game"
became the official anthem of baseball.
It is the third-most frequently heard
song in America, behind the national
anthem and Happy Birthday. |
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