Mark McGwire and Son Mason Team Up for First Dual Autograph Card
Long, lanky, and bullishly strong, the Oakland A's Mark McGwire burst onto the Major League Baseball scene in his rookie season of 1987 by crushing a then rookie record 49 home runs.
Mark McGwire: Through the Years
Over the course of his 16-year big league career, "Big Mac" became one of the most prolific home run hitters the game has ever seen.
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McGwire was a 12-time All Star, a two-time World Series champion, three-time Silver Slugger and five-time MLB home run leader.
In 1998, after the game was still reeling from the 1994-95 Major League Baseball strike, he, along with Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa all but saved baseball chasing the single-season home run record set by Roger Maris back in 1961.
Aided by performance enhancing substances, both McGwire and Sosa passed Maris, and "Big Mac" finished the season with a then record 70 home runs.
During his magical home run race, McGwire was often greeted by his young son Matt as he crossed home plate, who endeared himself to baseball fans worldwide.
Mason McGwire, Mark's other son, finds his power on the mound, not at the plate, with a fastball in the mid 90s, and a nasty split finger change. With a powerful arsenal of pitches, Mason was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the eighth round of the 2022 MLB Draft.
We all know Mark's classic rookie card is found in the 1985 Topps set, appearing fresh-faced in his 1984 Olympic Team uniform.
Mason started seeing some of his first big cards appear in 2024 Bowman Chrome with his 1st Bowman, 1st Bowman Chrome and 1st Bowman autographs.
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In a recent break by Best Card Breaks, a special McGwire family card surfaced. The team pulled a McGwire father/son dual auto out of the Bowman's Best Family Tree insert set.
A great story and great novelty card at this time, if Mason's career pans out anywhere near the level and significance of his father's, this could be a landmark early card for the young pitcher. Regardless, it's still an incredibly cool card of a young prospect and his legendary dad.
Tony Reid spent more than a decade covering combat sports at the highest level. He has written hundreds of articles and conducted hundreds of interviews about sports collectibles for such publications as Beckett, Sports Collectors Digest, and Sports Collectors Daily. Reid worked full time at a sports card shop in Central Pennsylvania for a number of years. A lifelong collector, Tony treasures his rookie card collection of star players in baseball, basketball, and football. If you want to discuss the greatness of Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson or Ken Griffey Jr., you can reach him at @tonyreidwrites on all social media platforms