St. Louis Cardinals backup catcher and resident class clown Bob Uecker on the 1964 World Series:

“And I remember as we got down near World Series time, Bing Devine, who was the Cardinals’ general manager at that time, asked me if I would do him and the Cardinals, in general, a favor. And I said I would. And he said, ‘We’d like to inject you with hepatitis. We need to bring an infielder up.’ ”

Quote of the Day

The Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees line up at Shibe Park before the start of the 1950 World Series. Alas for their fans, the Whiz Kids lose in four straight games to the vaunted Yankees, who are in the midst of winning a record five straight Series titles from 1949-53.

Today’s exercise in downsizing brings some hard-to-find items that you may want to add to your collection … and, of course, you do!

First, a rare 1995 Philadelphia Daily News poster signed by Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn. The poster — measuring approximately 10.5 x 13 inches — was limited in production and commemorated Ashburn’s 1995 induction into the Hall of Fame. Please check out the Merch Stand for more details. Price: $85, including shipping. SORRY, THIS ITEM IS SOLD OUT!

Second, a team-signed baseball by the 1998 Arizona Fall League’s Sun Cities Solar Sox. The ball from the prospect-oriented fall league is loaded with 27 signatures, including those of Mark DeRosa, Michael Barrett and Randy Wolf, as well as manager Fredi Gonzalez and pitching coach Darold Knowles. The ball is in outstanding condition with the signatures clear and bold. Team-signed baseballs from the AFL are hard to find, especially one from 25 years ago. Price: $32, including shipping.

Third, an Eastern League baseball signed by Tommy John, the 288-game winner in the major leagues who was Harrisburg’s pitching coach during the 2002 season. While there are tons of Tommy John-signed baseballs on the market, there are precious few Tommy John single-signed Eastern League baseballs available. Price: $65, including shipping.

Also available is a limited 1982 Hall of Fame metallic card signed by long-ago Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees infielder Joe Sewell. The card and signature are graded a mint 96 by SGC. Beautifully signed in black Sharpie. The special gold anodized aluminum card is the same size as a standard baseball card and features a replica of Sewell’s Hall of Fame plaque. Only 1,000 of them reportedly were made from 1981-89 and initially sold only through the Hall of Fame. Price: $32, including shipping. SORRY, THIS ITEM IS SOLD OUT!

For more information on ordering and to see other items, please check here. More than 100 other items may be found on the website’s eBay page. Thanks for looking!