Topps

It always used to be an education, unwrapping the waxed paper that enclosed your newly purchased baseball trading cards. There was math: "If Art Kusnyer batted .207 one season and .125 the next, what's he still doing in the major leagues?" There was philosophy: "If you get 37 Bill Faheys and no Johnny Bench, does Johnny Bench not exist?" There was economics: "OK, kid, I'll sign that card of me, but you better have five bucks."

What: Worthguide.com Worthguide.com provides pricing information on thousands of items traded in online auctions, among them sports memorabilia and baseball cards. This is a great site to visit if you're wondering how much those old cards in the attic are worth. Or to find out which rookie cards you should purchase. Simply type in the address and click on sports memorabilia. You'll find volume and sales numbers for all the hottest cards. Besides the obvious--such as Ken Griffey Jr.

RISING STARS Six player trading cards valued at new 52-week highs (on June 4, 2001): 1. Michael Jordan 1986 Fleer--bid of $1,550 2. Ken Griffey Jr. 1989 Upper Deck--bid of $1,280 3. Kobe Bryant 1996 Topps Chrome--bid of $910 4. Vince Carter 1998 SP Authentic--bid of $745 5. Peyton Manning 1998 SP Authentic--bid of $430 6. Wayne Gretzky 1979 O-Pee-Chee--bid of $415 Source: www.thepit.com

Cargill Inc. is voluntarily recalling more than 840,000 pounds of frozen ground beef patties distributed at Sam's Club stores nationwide after four Minnesota children who ate the food developed E. coli illness. The children became ill between Sept. 10 and Sept. 20 after eating American Chef's Selection Angus Beef Patties from three Sam's Club stores in the Minneapolis area. The Cargill recall comes on the heels of Elizabeth, N.J.-based Topps Meat Co.'s recall of 21.

If someone should ask you what Leonard Garcia and Lynn Pettis have in common, you can tell them that both have their pictures on Topps baseball cards wearing the uniform of the Angels although neither ever played for the team. In 1969, Garcia was a batboy for the Angels. Aurelio Rodriguez was the third baseman. When Topps came to shoot pictures, Rodriguez thought it would be good fun to have Garcia pose for him. Garcia did, and nobody was the wiser until the conspirators confessed.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defended its decision to wait 18 days before seeking the recall of millions of pounds of ground beef after initial tests showed E. coli contamination, saying it followed standard policy to rule out other factors. Department officials acknowledged that they knew as early as Sept. 7 that frozen hamburger patties could be contaminated after a federal inspector confirmed that preliminary tests indicated the E. coli bacteria.

Cal State Northridge signed its fifth player to a letter of intent for the 1998 season, adding to a list which Coach Janet Sherman said is the Matadors' best recruiting class since the team moved up to the Division I level in 1991. The newest addition is Elizabeth Pierce of Buchanan High in Clovis, Calif. Pierce, a pitcher and outfielder, helped lead Buchanan to a Tri-River Athletic Conference title last season.

The market for Pete Rose baseball cards has gone pfffft. It's taking a beating that started when Rose pleaded guilty to income tax evasion in April, and it's not likely to stop until Rose has been in and out of prison. For instance, Rose's 1965 Topps card dropped from about $140 to $90 in less than a month, and all his cards from 1966 to 1972 are showing losses of between $5 to $25. "Pete Rose cards are as dead as a doornail," said Doug Kale, editor of The Sports Card Trader monthly price guide.