Ripken in the Minors

Welcome to Ripken in the Minors, where Cal is always in the Minors! This site was developed in an effort to provide Ripken fans and collectors with information on Cal's baseball cards produced while in the Minor Leagues. From Bluefield to Rochester, this is your minor league home for all things Cal Ripken, Jr. On this site you will find information about the 4 minor league sets that produced a card of Cal Ripken, Jr.:

1) 1980 WBTV Charlotte Orioles Team Issue (Blue)

2) 1980 Charlotte Orioles Police Issue (Orange)

3) 1981 TCMA Rochester Red Wings

4) 1981 WTF Rochester Red Wings

Information can be very tough to find on these team sets. With that being said, this site was developed in an effort to provide information received from other Ripken collectors and from personal experiences and research. It is our hope that visitors to this site will also pass on any information they have to be shared with fellow collectors.

In addition to information about Cal's minor league cards, you will receive information on how to differentiate between an authentic and counterfeit 1980 WBTV Charlotte O's Ripken and 1981 WTF Rochester Ripken. You will also find information on past sales of minor league memorabilia related to Cal's stops in Bluefield, Miami, Charlotte and Rochester.

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On February 1, 2010, RITM had the honor of being able to correspond with Cal in regards to his first professional trading card. The session was part of the 30th anniversary celebration of Cal's 1980 WBTV and Police cards. The following was forwarded to Cal for his consideration:

The 1980 WBTV Charlotte O's set was given out on May 30, 1980, at Crockett Park. What were your thoughts when you saw your picture on your first card for the first time? Do you recall how many copies you saved and what you did with them? Were you disappointed that your name was spelled "RIPKIN" on the back?

A special thank you to John Maroon at Maroon PR for making the session possible and to Cal for taking time to share his recollections. You can read the session at the following link:

http://www.ripkenintheminors.com/intcalripkenjrwbtv.htm

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2010 will mark the 30th anniversary of the Charlotte O's WBTV and Police sets! RITM is celebrating the anniversary with a giveaway! The first giveaway will take place on May 30, 2010, the 30th anniversary of the night the WBTV cards were given out at Crockett Park in Charlotte, North Carolina!

For the giveaway, RITM has commissioned Tim Carroll of http://www.timcarrollart.com for a one of a kind commemorative celebrating Cal's 1980 WBTV card! This piece of art is the actual size of a standard trading card! Tim's art has been featured in Sports Collectors Daily, http://www.sportscardforum.com, Beckett and the Upper Deck Blog.

Entries will be accepted now until May 22, 2010. For a full list of disclaimers and to find the entry form, please visit http://www.ripkenintheminors.com/contestpage.htm

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Mike Aronstein, Founder and President of TCMA, agreed to do an interview with RITM in the fall of 2009. In the interview, Mike talks about the origins of TCMA and the process of producing Cal's 1981 TCMA card! Mike also graciously offered several images to the site. To read the interview and to find his images, please visit http://www.ripkenintheminors.com/intmikearonstein.htm

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Outside of protecting collectors from counterfeit memorabilia I would have to say that my favorite aspect of the site has been getting to know some of the people from the Baltimore farm system over the years of '78-'81. Last fall I had the pleasure of speaking with Cat Whitfield, member of the 1980 Southern League Champion Charlotte O's. All I knew going in to the interview was information I had heard from others. I had been told that Cat had a great sense of humor, loved life and had a genuine love for others. In my conversations with Cat I found all of these to be true and so much more.

In our conversation I spoke to him about purchasing a jersey from the 1980 Charlotte team. When I purchased the jersey it was signed by Cal Ripken, Jr., and Jim Palmer who never played for Charlotte. The Palmer signature included a 1981 inscription which led to the conclusion that the jersey came from the 1980. Both signatures checked out and the jersey matched a jersey confirmed to have been worn during the 1980 season in Charlotte.

Towards the end of our conversation Cat told me about a 30th anniversary reunion of the 1980 Charlotte O's that would take place in early 2010. He then made an offer that I could not believe. Cat asked if I would be interested in sending the jersey to him to take to the reunion. At the reunion he would ask the former Charlotte players to sign the jersey. What an amazing gesture! It is his reunion and personal time to see friends and he is offering to get my jersey signed!

The jersey was sent and Cat made good on his word. The jersey received an additional 18 signatures. Of the 35 players that played during the 1980 season in Charlotte, 15 of them are on the jersey. Signatures on the jersey are as follows: Bobby Bonner, John Buffamoyer, Russ brett, Scott Christopher, Tim Derryberry, Tim Fabrizio, Matt Flynn, Drungo Hazewood, Dan Logan, Minnie Mendoza, Jim Palmer, Russ Pensiero, Allan Ramirez, Cal Ripken, Jr., Victor Rodriguez, Tommy Rowe, Jeff Schaefer, Nate Snell, Don Welchel and Cat Whitfield. In addition to getting the jersey signed, Cat was gracious enough to include his badge from the reunion.

Thank you so much to Cat Whitfield for this wonderful act of generosity. I can't adequately express how much this means. Thank you to all of the former players who took the time to sign the jersey as well! To see larger scans of the jersey, please visit our gallery at the following: http://www.ripkenintheminors.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=8240700

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Robert "Cat" Whitfield was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 21st round of the 1977 amateur entry draft and would play in the O’s Minor League system from 1978-1983. In the 1980 Spring Training, Cat beat out Cal Ripken, Jr., for the everyday starting shortstop position with the AA Charlotte O's. During the 1980 Southern League Championship campaign, Cat would play 122 games, all at shortstop. It would not be until Cat got married during the 1980 season that Cal Ripken, Jr., would see action at shortstop. On August 15, 1980, Cat handled 16 chances at shortstop without an error. Injuries would limit Cat to 96 games over the 1981-1983 seasons in Charlotte.

Growing up, Cat pitched three no hitters in succession in Babe Ruth competition. He graduated in 1974 from Charleroi (PA) High School and earned three Baseball Letters before attending Garret Community College in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. Cat graduated from Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, West Virginia, with a BS in Health & Physical Education. Cat would be chosen to the West Virginian Collegiate Athletic Conference All Star Team. In 2002, Cat became the first baseball player to be inducted in Alderson-Broaddus College Sports Hall of Fame. Cat also has the distinction of being a teammate to two different athletes in 2 professional sports Halls of Fame. In addition to playing baseball with Cal Ripken, Jr., Cat played American Legion baseball with Joe Montana.

RITM thanks Cat for his willingness to share his recollections. A special thank you also goes out to Bill Haelig for his assistance in arranging this interview. To read the interview, please visit the following: http://www.ripkenintheminors.com/intcatwhitfield.htm

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September 16, 2009

November 2, 2009

Up until the week of October 25, 2009, there was no known counterfeits involving the 1981 TCMA Rochester Red Wings card of Cal Ripken, Jr. This all changed when a seller from Grand Rivers, Kentucky, listed a pair of "1981 Rochester Red Wings Cal Ripken Promo Rookie card(s) (Ebay 150384365141, 370282103629)." The cards were slabbed by PCA Grading (http://www.pcagrading.com) and were graded Gem Mint 10. The cards featured Cal's image from his 1981 TCMA trading card with no text on the front of the card. The back of the card was a white back with the words, "Cal Ripken Jr. 1981 Rochester Red Wings Promotional Card."

Michael Aronstein is the legendary collector who established TCMA and produced Cal's 1981 Rochester Red Wings card. When asked about the authenticity of the promo cards he stated that the cards were, "not even a good scam." RITM followed up with Michael and asked the following questions:

Did TCMA produce any promotional cards of Cal Ripken, Jr., in a minor league uniform?

Ws the image of Cal from the 1981 TCMA card ever used for another TCMA card?

Did TCMA ever grant permission for anyone else to use Cal's 1981 Rochester picture for any other use?

Michael responded, "NO, NO, NO"

After presenting the information to the seller, both listings were removed. However, a third copy (Ebay 120485675488) from a seller in Panama City, Florida, appeared the following week. A fourth copy (Ebay 110452805918) of the card appeared from a seller in Pocono Summit, Pennsylvania, the same week. Both copies were graded Gem Mint 10 by PCA. However, the Pennsylvania copy included the words "Cal Ripken Jr. 1981 Rochester Red Wings" on the front of the card with a blank back, making it different from the other three copies.

Givwn this information, three of Cal's four minor league cards have had some form of counterfeit variation (1980 WBTV Charlotte O's, 1981 TCMA Rochester Red Wings, 1981 WTF Rochester Red Wings) at the time of this article. Please use caution when purchasing any of Cal's minor league cards. For more information about spotting counterfeits of other varieties of Cal's minor league cards, please visit our "Spotting Counterfeits" page at http://www.ripkenintheminors.com/spottingcounterfeits.htm

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On May 3, 2009, Lot 1232 concluded for Cal Ripken Jr's 1981 Rochester Red Wings road uniform. The final bid was in the amount of $9,000. Below is the item description. For more information about REA, please visit http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/index.html

Rare and historically significant 1981 Rochester Red Wings road jersey worn by Cal Ripken Jr. during his final season in the minor leagues. Graded A10 by MEARS. While we cannot be certain, we believe this may be the earliest surviving Cal Ripken Jr. professional baseball jersey known to exist, as we have never seen or heard of an earlier example. If it's not, it's close! (Ripken only played four years in the minor leagues.) This jersey originates from a gentleman named Phil Tellgren, a longtime employee of the Rochester Red Wings, who was the team's visiting clubhouse manager in 1981. Accompanying the jersey is a letter from Tellgren detailing the jersey's history, as well as a separate one-page letter from the Rochester Red Wings, typed on official team stationery and signed by Wendy Morrissette, Director of Merchandising, confirming the fact that Tellgren "purchased an authentic Cal Ripken Rochester Red Wings Jersey during the 1981 season." In addition to the two letters, Tellgren has provided numerous other materials, including team photos, media guides, and copies of his league and press passes that corroborate his years of employment with the Red Wings.

The gray knit jersey is lettered "Rochester" across the front and features the number "5" (Ripken's uniform number while with Rochester) on both the left breast and the reverse. All letters and numbers are appliquéd in blue on white tackle twill. Both a "Wilson 42" label and a "Jim Dalberth Sporting Goods" tag (local Rochester retailer) appear in the collar. The jersey is all original, with no alterations, and, as stated by MEARS in its accompanying letter, "exhibits optimal, perfect game wear." Furthermore, MEARS states that the jersey style has been photo matched to a 1981 minor-league baseball card of Cal Ripken Jr. picturing him as a member of the Rochester Red Wings. Included with the jersey are a pair of matching gray knit pants that were also obtained (at a later date) from Tellgren, and which are accompanied by a separate notarized letter from him. Located in the waistband of the pants are a "79" year tag, a "Wilson 34" label and a "Jim Dalberth Sporting Goods" tag. As noted in Tellgren's letter, these pants were issued in 1979, but as is the practice in the minor leagues, the pants were also used in subsequent seasons. Written in black laundry pen on the interior pocket is "Rip 5" along with two other crossed out numbers (jersey numbers of players who previously wore the pants; supporting the fact that these pants were worn by different players over the course of several seasons). The pants are all original, with no alterations, and display moderate wear, including light soiling on both legs. Tellgren states in his letter that players normally received three pairs of pants during the season, two for game use and one for batting practice. The batting practice pants were always the oldest and were normally heavily worn with many team repairs. The fact the offered pants are in good condition indicates that they were almost certainly a pair of Ripken's gamers during the 1981 season.

1981 was Ripken's only season with the Rochester Red Wings, Baltimore's Triple-A affiliate. Although he was just three years removed from high school, Ripken was the Orioles' number-one prospect and it did not take him long to impress Red Wings manager Doc Edwards. On April 21, following a game in which Ripken hit three home runs, Edwards returned to his office and sent a note to the Orioles brass. It simply read "Can't miss." Edwards obviously knew talent, as Ripken led the team in nearly every offensive category that summer including batting average (.288), home runs (23), and RBI (75). In a foreshadowing of things to come, Ripken also played in all 114 games for the Red Wings before being called up to the Orioles on August 8th. The memory of that day remains one of Ripken's most vivid memories. As he later recalled, "It was 2 a.m., and we'd just gotten off the bus from a game in Syracuse. Doc called me into his office and said, 'You're going up.' I said, See you later.'" When asked about that moment, years later, Edwards remembered it exactly as Ripken had, adding, "I knew he wouldn't be back." Edwards, of course, was right, as Ripken embarked on one of the greatest Major League careers in baseball history. A perennial All-Star for twenty-one seasons with the Orioles, Ripken is best remembered today for breaking in 1995 Lou Gehrig's long-standing record of consecutive games played. He is also one of only 27 players to have reached the 3,000 hit plateau and his 431 lifetime home runs ranks him among the top 50 all-time. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2007 in his first year of eligibility. The jersey is graded A10 by MEARS. This is the only Cal Ripken Jr. minor league jersey and one of only ten gradable Cal Ripken Jr. jerseys listed in the MEARS census. It is also one of only four to merit a grade of A10. This is both an exceptional and extremely historic jersey dating from Ripken's final minor league season. LOA from Troy Kinunen/MEARS. Reserve $2,000. Estimate (open).

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 December 9, 2008

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August 25, 2008

On May 18, 2007, RITM reported that PSA had slabbed a counterfeit 1981 WTF Rochester Red Wings card #1 of Cal Ripken, Jr. as authentic. In the process of writing the article, a second counterfeit slabbed authentic by PSA was discovered. Although a small sample size at the time, the discovery confirmed that counterfeits made up 8.6% of the total PSA 9 population of this card as of May 2007.

Although PSA reimbursed the 2 collectors for the fake Ripken cards, minor league collectors of Cal couldn’t help but wonder how much of the PSA population was polluted. Three months later, new concerns came after RITM interviewed Steve Kozel, who produced the cards in 1981 under the name WTF Company. In the interview, Kozel expressed concerns over the legitimacy of the PSA 10.

It looked too good. Remember I used shrink wrap on every set. Ripken was the first card in the pack. No way any 10s are going to come from those. The set was printed at a little place with old equipment. By the time someone made me aware of it the auction was over. I never found out who won it. It blows my mind that someone counterfeited my set. (Source: http://www.ripkenintheminors.com/intstevekozel.htm)

Over the weekend of August 22, 2008, Don Allen, Jr., a collector of Ripken memorabilia, contacted RITM with concerns over the legitimacy of a 1981 WTF Rochester Red Wings card #1 of Cal Ripken, Jr. In the process of confirming the authenticity of his card, a discussion took place over the concerns of the possibility of the PSA 10 being a fake. Fortunately for the collecting community, Don has been able to put a year old concern to rest. In the process of archiving past sales of Ripken memorabilia, Don archived the sale and image of the PSA 10 Ripken. In an auction that included 33 bids the card sold at auction (Ebay 1011172701) for $4,025 on October 7, 2001.

Sleep well, PSA (and fellow collectors); the card appears to be authentic.

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Thank you for visiting our site! If you have any additional information, or if you have a question, please feel free to send an e-mail at any time to ripkenintheminors@hotmail.com. Have a great day!

 visitors since October 19, 2006