Ripken in the Minors in the Media
Since its launch in October 2006, Ripken in the Minors has been blessed with opportunities to share research, images, and historical information with collectors, authors, hobby publications, grading companies, auction houses, and content creators interested in Cal Ripken Jr.'s minor league career and collectibles. Over the years, information from the site has been utilized by organizations including PSA and Beckett, as well as major auction houses such as Huggins & Scott and others offering Ripken's minor league collectibles.
What began as a small hobby website has led to opportunities to contribute to books, magazines, websites, videos, and other projects dedicated to preserving baseball and hobby history. As Ripken in the Minors approaches its twentieth anniversary, it is humbling to look back on the opportunities the site has had to contribute to the hobby and help preserve a small piece of baseball history.
Below are some of the places where Ripken in the Minors and its research have been highlighted over the years.
Sports Collectors Digest (2007)
In January 2007, Ripken in the Minors had the great honor of participating in the February 2, 2007 issue of Sports Collectors Digest. The issue focused on the Hall of Fame induction of Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn and included an article examining counterfeit Cal Ripken Jr. minor league cards.
The article was written by hobby journalist Doug Koztoski and provided an opportunity to share research and information related to Ripken's minor league collectibles. As a website that was only a few months old at the time, it was both exciting and humbling to see Ripken in the Minors featured in one of the hobby's most respected publications. We remain grateful to Doug Koztoski and Sports Collectors Digest for the opportunity.
Beckett Baseball Card Plus (2007)
Ripken in the Minors also participated in the February/March 2007 issue of Beckett Baseball Card Plus, which featured Cal Ripken Jr. on the cover as part of its Hall of Fame coverage.
Written by Beckett Associate Editor Kevin Haake, the article explored Ripken's minor league issues from Charlotte and Rochester and included our rankings of his top minor league cards. We are grateful to Kevin Haake and Beckett for the opportunity to share information on Ripken's minor league issues and to participate in a publication that has long been one of the hobby's most recognized voices.
Tuff Stuff Magazine (2007)
In the August 2007 issue of Tuff Stuff Magazine, Ripken in the Minors contributed to another article written by Doug Koztoski. The feature examined counterfeit Ripken cards, rookie cards, and food-related collectibles.
The article also included insight from several respected hobby experts, including Bill Haelig, Bill Huggins, Kevin O'Connor, and Lee Termanson, making it one of the most comprehensive looks at Ripken collectibles published at the time. We remain thankful to Doug Koztoski and Tuff Stuff Magazine for including Ripken in the Minors in this important hobby discussion.
Wax Heaven Blog (2007)
Ripken in the Minors was featured on the popular Wax Heaven blog on December 22, 2007. The post highlighted the completion of a unique 1982 Topps card signed by Bobby Bonner, Cal Ripken Jr., and Jeff Schneider.
The feature helped introduce the site to a growing online hobby audience during the early years of sports card blogging. We are grateful to Mario Alejandro and Wax Heaven for the mention and support.
IAM Ministries (2008)
Following our interview with former Orioles prospect Bobby Bonner, IAM Ministries honored the interview by featuring it on Bobby's biography page in 2008.
It was especially rewarding to see one of the site's original interviews shared by the subject himself and made available to a broader audience. We remain grateful to Bobby Bonner and IAM Ministries for this unexpected honor.
Bottom of the 33rd (2011)
In April 2011, HarperCollins released Bottom of the 33rd: Hope, Redemption, and Baseball's Longest Game by acclaimed journalist and author Dan Barry.
Barry is one of the most respected storytellers in American journalism. During his distinguished career, he shared in a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting team, was twice named a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and received numerous honors including a George Polk Award. He spent many years as a columnist and feature writer for The New York Times, where his work earned widespread recognition for its depth, research, and storytelling.
Bottom of the 33rd chronicled the remarkable story of the longest game in professional baseball history, a game that included Cal Ripken Jr. during his final minor league season with the Rochester Red Wings. It was both an honor and a humbling experience to have Ripken in the Minors included in the book's acknowledgements section.
While being recognized in a book about one of baseball's most famous games was meaningful in itself, it was especially rewarding to have the site's research acknowledged by an author with such an accomplished and respected body of work. We remain grateful to Dan Barry for recognizing Ripken in the Minors and for helping preserve the history of one of baseball's most remarkable stories.
Sports Collectors Daily (2013)
In 2013, Sports Collectors Daily published an article highlighting Ripken in the Minors and its research into Cal Ripken Jr.'s minor league collectibles.
We are extremely grateful to Rich Mueller and Sports Collectors Daily for the opportunity. It was a pleasure to share the story behind Ripken in the Minors and the site's ongoing efforts to document and preserve the history of Cal Ripken Jr.'s minor league collectibles.
Sports Collectors Daily (2020)
In 2013, Sports Collectors Daily published an article highlighting Ripken in the Minors and its research into Cal Ripken Jr.'s minor league collectibles.
We are extremely grateful to Rich Mueller and Sports Collectors Daily for the opportunity. It was a pleasure to share the story behind Ripken in the Minors and the site's ongoing efforts to document and preserve the history of Cal Ripken Jr.'s minor league collectibles.
cllct (2024)
In May 2024, Ripken in the Minors and its research were featured in an article by sports business and collectibles journalist Darren Rovell, founder of cllct.
Launched in 2024, cllct is a digital media company dedicated to news, storytelling, and analysis across the collectibles industry, covering sports cards, autographs, tickets, memorabilia, auctions, and other areas of the hobby. Founded by Rovell, one of the most recognizable voices in sports business and collectibles media, cllct has quickly become a leading source of collectible news and information.
The article examined the history, rarity, and significance of the 1980 Charlotte O's Police issue, widely regarded as one of the most important cards from Cal Ripken Jr.'s minor league career. Research and historical information from Ripken in the Minors helped document the origins of the issue, its distribution, population data, and its place within the hobby.
We are sincerely grateful to Darren Rovell and the team at cllct for their interest in the history of Ripken's minor league collectibles. It was an honor to see research from Ripken in the Minors contribute to an article examining one of the hobby's most significant minor league issues.
Junk Wax Hero YouTube Channel (2026)
In May 2026, Ripken in the Minors and its research were featured in a video produced by Junk Wax Hero, a sports card storyteller and collector whose content focuses on vintage and junk wax era baseball and basketball cards, with a particular emphasis on Hall of Fame autographs and the stories behind the hobby.
The video examined a counterfeit example of the 1980 WBTV Charlotte O's Cal Ripken Jr. card that surfaced in a major online auction and highlighted the importance of hobby research, card authentication, and historical documentation. The feature demonstrated how research conducted by collectors continues to help educate the hobby nearly fifty years after the card's release.
We are thankful to Junk Wax Hero for his interest in hobby history and for taking the time to share the story behind one of the most important cards from Cal Ripken Jr.'s minor league career. It is always rewarding to see new collectors discover these stories through the work of passionate hobbyists and content creators.
While the publications, books, websites, and videos featured above represent some of the more visible recognition received by Ripken in the Minors, the greatest reward has always been the friendships formed and the knowledge shared along the way. We remain grateful to the many collectors, former players, team officials, historians, and hobby enthusiasts who have contributed information, images, and memories over the years. This site would not exist without their generosity, encouragement, and support.