Ken Griffey Jr. is one of baseball's all-time greats and an icon -- the Mickey Mantle of the late-thirty somethings who grew up with the new wave of baseball cards that began with his arrival in 1989.

He's got 630 homers -- sixth on the all-time list -- and more accolades than than most fans will ever know. But there's one thing that a lot of fans may not know.

Just like his dad, his first game is George.

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Manchester United captain and England star Wayne Rooney will have autographs in upcoming Topps soccer card sets the company announced on Wednesday.

They will be his first certified autographs produced by a card company based in the United States as he didn't appear in past Upper Deck and Panini America releases. The cards will arrive in 2015 Topps Premier Gold, which arrives on Dec. 16.

“We are very excited to have a player of Wayne Rooney’s caliber sign for Topps,” said brand manager Zvee Geffen in a prepared release. “He has not signed many cards over the years and this continues to show Topps’s focus on creating the best products for soccer fans around the world.”

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Sotheby's is home of notable auctions that are probably not on the radar of most of us -- unless you're somehow a collector of fine art.

In past years the auction house has sold iconic pieces such as Edvard Munch’s "The Scream" for $119.9 million or Pablo Picassso's "Garcon à la Pipe" for $104.3 million. (You probably know the images but not their names.)

If you didn't believe it by now after watching TV or walking down any aisle in a retail store, there's one more way to know Star Wars is a big deal this month.

Sotheby's has an auction coming.

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Buzz knew these would be a big deal -- but not this big.

The night Kobe Bryant confirmed that this season will be his last, all 18,997 fans in attendance at that night's Los Angeles Lakers game received a sealed envelope with a copy of his farewell letter printed with a facsimile autograph.

It turns out there are a few more people out there that want them.

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If you want one reminder of how a day at the ballpark could be different from other sports, then you should look no further than the ballpark organ. You know, the one that would play jingles over the speakers during lulls in the action. It's oldschool.

And, if you're serious about MLB musical history, there's an item on MLB Auctions that's just for you.

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 What: 2016 Topps Star Wars Evolution
Arrives: May 4, 2016
Box basics: Two hits in every 24-pack hobby box with 12 boxes per case (hobby only)

What's buzz-worthy: One of Topps memorable Star Wars brands from the past returns with a new wave of autographs, hits and more from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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Major League Baseball's emoji push began late this season and you can tap into that action with the MLB.com Clubhouse app on iTunes. It's loaded with emoji and gifs perfect for summing up your thoughts on the game without tying a single word.

But now you can take it a step further with the Emoji Collection T-shirts.

The aim? To make you .

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It's a trend that's been growing for the last decade, but there are probably more than a few collectors who have walked right by them in the card aisle at retail stores not realizing what can be had inside packs.

They're generally known as blind-wrapped mystery toys -- a small vinyl figure inside a box or mylar pouch. They're something that's been popular in Japan for a long time, but have  taken off in the United States for the last decade.

Think of them as one part coin vending machine, one part toy and one part sports card.

Oh, and they can be one part fun.

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The NFL debut of a favorite brand in baseball comes on Friday, but the wait for its checklist ends now.

Topps released the 2015 Topps High Tek checklist on Tuesday, and the brand will arrive with one autograph, one parallel and six base cards all printed on the colorful and enhanced acetate stock Tek was known for in the past.

Click here to view the PDF for 2015 Topps High Tek football cards.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

>> Click here to shop for 2015 football boxes on BlowoutCards.com.

If you're a regular Buzz reader, then you know a bit about 2014-15 Panini Eminence and how it will be the new high-end of all high-end releases when it arrives in just 15 days.

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If you know who Mr. Socko is, then you know how this one is kind of a big deal.

Today is Sock Tuesday in Mick Foley's world, and that means the WWE Hall of Famer is creating and signing Sockos for fans all day.

No, seriously.

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Crash Davis finally makes it back to The Show -- at least in packs of baseball cards.

Topps teased one inclusion coming in its 2016 Topps Archives set on Tuesday morning and it's a Kevin Costner certified autograph in a Durham Bulls uniform -- you know, the team that took center stage in Bull Durham.

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This year's edition of the popular high-end football brand is just a few days away, but the 2015 Topps Triple Threads checklist is here right now.

Triple Threads arrives on Friday and features “the best retired legends, veteran superstars and game-changing rookies in the NFL" and each box will include an autographed triple Relic, a triple Relic, a rookie auto Relic and a rookie jumbo Relic inside with all numbered to no more than 99 copies.

Click here to view the PDF for 2015 Topps Triple Threads football cards.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

>> Click here to shop for 2015 football boxes on BlowoutCards.com.

The Bowman Critic is one who spends countless hours examining checklists and box scores to see who should be emerging on collectors' want lists soon. On days like today where the checklist for 2015 Bowman Draft arrived -- click here to view it -- there's even more to say.

Keep reading for The Bowman Critic's pros and cons about this release, which is set to arrive redemption-free on Dec. 9.

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What: 2016 Topps WWE wrestling cards
Arrives: May 4, 2016
Box basics: Two hits in every 24-pack hobby box

What's buzz-worthy: Next year's flagship WWE release arrives with new talent and new signers making their Topps autograph or regular card debuts -- among them NXT women's champion Bayley, Mandy, Asuka, Apollo Crews, Chad Gable, Dana Brooke and Nia Jax to name a few. Also a first here? NXT mat Relics from TakeOver Brooklyn and a return of "Macho Man" Randy Savage to WWE cardboard.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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After Black Friday, the hobby presents seven new products this week with a pair of NFL and a pair of NBA products leading the way from Panini America and Topps.

In football, arguably the biggest of them all is 2015 Topps Triple Threads, a high-end brand that features "the best retired legends, veteran superstars and game-changing rookies in the NFL." Each box will include an autographed triple Relic, a triple Relic, a rookie auto Relic and a rookie jumbo Relic inside with all numbered to no more than 99 copies.

Also coming from Topps for football will be the first gridiron take on Tek with one of the hit brands of last season in MLB getting retooled for the NFL. Inside every box of 2015 High Tek will be one autograph, one parallel and six base cards all printed on the colorful and enhanced acetate stock Tek was known for in the past.

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He's a real-life Crash Davis and just like the big-screen journeyman the career of former big-leaguer Mike Hessman is over.

If you don't know Hessman, it's OK -- you're probably like most of us. You might have one of his baseball cards long forgotten in a box somewhere -- from back in the days when he was a rookie for the Atlanta Braves and a guy who finally got his shot after eight seasons in the minor leagues.

That was back in 2003, but he's still in the news now.

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Topps released the checklist for 2015 Bowman Draft on Monday.

You can see it below.

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What: 2015-16 O-Pee-Chee Platinum hockey cards
Arrives: March 2016
Box basics: One autograph in every 20-pack box -- 16 boxes per case

What's buzz-worthy: The highly colorful and highly paralleled O-Pee-Chee Platinum returns with a secret weapon that's far from a secret -- Edmonton Oilers rookie Connor McDavid.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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Brock Osweiler had to wait a long time for his first NFL start -- but his second one that came on Sunday dethroned the NFL's most-successful team in an overtime classic.

After a 30-24 win over the previously undefeated New England Patriots, this Denver Broncos QB has to be one on the minds of a few collectors -- not just on the mind of NFL legend Peyton Manning. Osweiler threw for 270 yards and a touchdown in the game -- one where Broncos RB C.J. Anderson (2013 RCs) could easily be right here, too -- and he'll be the talk of football until either his next loss or the potential return of Manning, who is out with an injury.

Osweiler's RCs can be found throughout 2012 NFL brands and his autographs are plentiful along with his memorabilia cards. If he's truly the future in Denver, there are bargains to be had. Have we seen a scenario like this recently with the Broncos? Perhaps.

>> Click here to shop for football boxes on BlowoutCards.com.

Keep reading for four more guys who generated some buzz on the field this week.

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Two of the top Heisman Trophy candidates this year already have cardboard and certified autographs thanks to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl sets from Leaf Trading Cards.

Alabama junior Derrick Henry set the Crimson Tide's single-season rushing record in a dominating 271-yard, 46-carry day against the rival Auburn Tigers on Saturday. Ohio State's Ezekiel Elliott also put up a dominating 214-yard day with a pair of touchdowns in a rout of the rival Michigan Wolverines.

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What: 2015 Super Break Holiday Football
Arrives: Dec. 14
Box basics: One signed jersey, one signed photo (8x10 or 11x14), one other signed item (jersey, photo or cut), three buyback cards and one Super Break rookie per box

What's buzz-worthy: The final release of the year from Super Break includes "top teams, players, rookies, stars and Hall of Famers."

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After a rough start to his 20th season in the NBA, a 37-year-old Kobe Bryant confirmed in a Players Tribune essay published Sunday night that this year will be his last.

It's probably not a surprise to most NBA fans given his injuries in recent years, but an end to a career doesn't mean an end to cardboard, either. In fact, we're probably just getting started with this Panini America spokesman.

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Black Friday has come and gone, but we've left our biggest contest to run through the weekend and into Cyber Monday.

We're giving away a case of Panini America football cards.

We want our 20-box case of 2014 Panini Rookies & Stars Longevity football boxes to be yours. It's jam-packed with four hits per box (that's 80 per case!) and originally carried a suggested retail price of $50 per box.

In a comment right here, guess the total number of points scored in the Ravens-Browns game on Monday night without going over. All entries must be in before the game starts at 7:30 Central time on Monday and comments will be held before they are approved in batches throughout the weekend. (Don't worry if you don't see your answer appear immediately on the page.)

***KEEP READING FOR STEP ONE OF TIE-BREAKER***
If there are several collectors who correctly pick the same score, our tie-breaker process will be this:

1. First preference goes to a blog subscriber. Look for the red button you see here on the upper right of the screen (or at bottom of story feed on mobile). Suscribe and you will get an email every time there is a story posted on BlowoutBuzz.com. (We'll have plenty of info posted here daily.)

2. If all correct responders are already blog subscribers, we will select one winner at random.

Oh and be sure to follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

>> Click here to buy NFL cards on BlowoutCards.com

Were you shut out on 2015 Bowman Chrome during the downtime on BlowoutCards.com today? Keep reading ...

Thanks for hanging in there with us.

We understand many of you got shut out on the 2015 Bowman Chrome special and we are working on a remedy. We will be listing a generous quantity sometime this evening with a limit of one box per household at the Doorbuster price of $29.95.

We do upgrade of servers every year for this event, and, honestly, we are overwhelmed by your support this year. We continue to restock many items well above what we had allocated for this event.

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