Topps All-Star Misses: 1968 NL Infield

 After a relatively small group of potential All Star Cards That Never Were in my last post, this group is loaded. Here are the candidates:

Willie McCovey:

• 1968 Sporting News All Star selection
• Starter in 1968 All Star Game
• 1968 NL leader in HRs, RBIs, and slugging.
• 3rd in 1968 MVP voting

Bill Mazeroski:

• Starter in 1967 All Star Game
• Gold Glove second baseman 1967
• 1967 Sporting News All Star Selection

Tommy Helms:

• 1968 Sporting News All Star Selection
• Reserve in 1967 & 68 All Star Games
• 25th in 1968 MVP voting

Dick Allen:

• Starter in 1967 All Star Game
• 19th in 1967 MVP voting
• 2nd in NL Home Runs 1968

Don Kessinger:

• 1968 Sporting News All Star selection
• Starter in 1968 All Star Game
• Led NL shortstops in Fielding %, Assists and Double Plays in 1968.

Topps' 1968 NL All Star infield included mostly legit players.  At first was Orlando Cepeda, the 1967 ASG starting first baseman. Similarly, Gene Alley was the starting shortstop in the 1967 ASG.  Ron Santo was The Sporting News All-Star selection for third base in 1968.  But, as usual, there are some that just don't add up.

Who probably didn't merit inclusion in the 1968 Topps All-Star set, but was in it anyway?

Joe Morgan:

Morgan was not on the MLB All Star Roster nor the Sporting News All Star Roster in 1967 or 1968.  Although he had (at then) a career high of 29 stolen bases in 1967, he was injured most of the 1968 season. playing only 10 games.

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 My latest project is making All Star Cards That Never Year for the years 1958-62 and 1968-70.  During those years Topps decision making on these cards was haphazard and a mystery to everybody but Topps. They were NOT based on the current season's "Sporting News All Stars" nor the previous season's ASG starters.  So I've made additional cards based on this criteria.   

What started as an idea for a small project, ballooned to over 150 cards so I'll be posting these in small doses.  I'll be breaking it down by year, league (NL or AL), and positions (battery, infield and outfield).

More 1979 Alt-Topps

Team Cards, Rookies and Traded

For the team cards, I mirrored the 1979 set format of incorporating the managers into the team cards. I chose the Mets and he White Sox because of their use of player/managers.  

Don Kessinger began the 1979 season as the White Sox player/manager. Torre was named player/manager of the Mets in May of 1977. But he felt he couldn't play and perform his managerial duties and retired from playing 18 days later.

The 1979 Awards had ties in for NL MVP and for AL Rookies of the Year. John Castino was the Twins third baseman. I added Dave Edwards to his Rookie Stars card.

Tying Castino for ROY honors was Alfredo Griffin. In the 1979 Topps set he is depicted on an Indians Prospects card. This despite being dealt to the Blue Jays in early December 1978. Here I paired him with two-sport star, Danny Ainge.

On the senior circuit the sole Rookie of the Year was Dodgers pitcher Rick Sutcliffe. He shares his Rookie Stars card with future All-Star Pedro Guerrero.

There were a couple big-name transactions in the 1978-1979 off season. First the Red Sox sent the Spaceman, Bill Lee to the Expos. He had a well publicized rift with manager Don Zimmer. In exchange they got utility infielder Stan Papi who could barely hit his own weight, and I believe a case of pine tar. Papi was dealt the following year as "the player to be named later".

Another big-name transaction was the free agent signing of Pete Rose. The Phillies signed him to a four year $3.2 contract making him the highest player in the game, at that time.

More 1964 Alt-Topps

Managers, Team Cards and Rookies

What set would be complete without the basic staples? Managers, team cards and rookie cards.

The manager cards in the actual 1964 Topps set were pretty much the same as the base cards.  In my "Bizzaro Universe" set, too. 

For the team cards I kept the basic card design continuity along with the full color team logo.

 In the real 1964 Topps set, the picture for the A's showed a team still in the 1961 uniforms. In the early 60's the A's changes uniforms more than most teams changed underwear. The uniforms shown on this card were introduced in 1964. 

The other strange difference in these cards is the sheer volume of players. The Braves must've taken the picture at the beginning of spring training. The A's looked like they waited until they were down to a 25 man roster.

For the rookie cards I went 3 across and broke it down to position and league. This is something that I don't think Topps ever did. I've seen them break it down by league, team, or position. To my best recollection, I don't remember Topps going in this direction. They only had multiplayer rookie cards since 1962. In 62 they were broken down by position. In 1963 they were simply labeled "Rookie Stars", not broken down by league, team nor position. So it's not too far fetched that this would be the format they could've opted for,

Of course with 20/20 hindsight, I stacked the deck with the Rookies of the Year for 1964, Dick Allen and Tony Oliva.  I also doubled up on rookie Hortons in the AL. In the NL included Don Kessinger and HOFer Tony Perez.

1973 Topps All Star Cards - National League East

When posting the 1973 All Star cards that never were, I let it be known that it was not my first version. I had created a 1973 All Star card for Don Kessinger which included all of the Cubs All Stars from 1972 even the reserves. I had based it off the 1973 Topps Manager/Coaches cards. This was not a format that would work for all teams. In fact it worked for very few of them. Long story short with a little prodding I decided to create team-based 1973 All Star cards. Because of the wide range of players representing different teams in the 1972 All Star game, I had to employ various designs. I've broken them down by division and posted them in the order they finished the 1972 season.

This is the card that I wanted to make the most. Mainly because it fit the same format I used for the Cubs already. But also because of the great players like Clemente, and Oliver. Clemente was actually supposed to be a starter but was out due to an injury. Willie Mays replaced him in the starting line up.

This is the card that started the thread. I made this first. Before I decided to create All Star cards that never were. In fact I made it before I created this blog.

Here is another concept I had toyed with before settling on the final version. I think it works especially well for the Mets as Mays was in the starting line up and Seaver and McGraw were in the bullpen. I think I would have really liked to find this card back in the day. Everyone seems so happy. I came across the picture of Mays smiling at the plate and had to find similarly joyous photos of the other two.

Yet another format. I could have made this fit the same format as the Cubs and the Bucs but who would get the big picture? Both Torre and Gibson were starters.

Bill Stoneman was the sole representative of the Montreal Expos so I just gave him a card like all the other All Stars.

Ditto for "Lefty".

1973 Topps All Star Cards : National League Infield

The 1972 All Star game marked the 3rd appearance for Lee May and his only as a starter. It was also his only appearance in an Astros uniform. He singled in his first at bat and was stranded at first when Joe Torre struck out. But in the bottom of the 9th he hit into a fielder's choice that drove in Billy Williams to take the game into extra innings. He also made an impact on the field, turning a 3-6-3 double play and fielding an unassisted double play.

Joe Morgan made his first All Star start in 1972. It was also his first in a Reds uniform. In his 5th plate appearance of the game he got his 1st hit. It was a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th and he was given MVP honors. 

Appearing in his 5th consecutive All Star game, Don Kessinger went 0 for 2. He was replaced by Chris Spier in a double switch in the 6th inning.

After putting up gaudy numbers and winning the NL MVP in 1971, Joe Torre's numbers dropped significantly. He went from hitting .363 with 137 RBIs in 1971 to hitting .289 with 81 RBIs in 1972. Still more than respectable and enough to earn him a spot on the All Star roster. 

1973 Topps All Star Cards : National League Outfield

Again in 1973 the Topps set was devoid of All Star cards. I actually had addressed this once before.

This was my first attempt at a Topps 1973 All Star card.  I made this for my previous blog, 6 degrees of Ron Santo. I really liked the concept but there is no way this would work for most of the All Star starters. On this post alone, it wouldn't work for Aaron or Mays.  Aaron was the sole representative of the Atlanta Braves and The Mets had only 2 other All Stars, Seaver and McGraw. 

That being said, it would have made a sweet card for Willie Stargell along with Roberto Clemente, Manny Sanguillen, Al Oliver and Steve Blass.

 Instead, I kept to a format similar to the World Series cards in that set. I also decided to use all "action" cards as they were becoming more prevalent in the 1973 set.

Willie Stargell was the starting left fielder and clean-up hitter for the 1972 NL All Stars. He walked in the bottom of the 2nd and was force out at 2nd when Johnny Bench grounded into a double play. He popped out to short right in his only other plate appearance.

The 1972 All Star Game was Willie Mays' final game as a starter and his first in a Mets uniform. At 41 years old, Mays was the oldest position player in Major League Baseball in 1972.

In 1971 Hank Aaron hit a career high 47 homers and in 1972 he was, once again the starting right fielder. In the 6th inning he smashed a 2 run homer to ut the NL ahead 2-1.

1971 Topps All Star Cards : National League Infield

1971 Topps Dick Allen All-Star

In his only season in St. Louis, Dick Allen was selected to his 4th All Star game. Allen came to the Cardinals in a 6 player trade that famously included Curt Flood. Flood refused to report which in turn ushered in the Free Agent era.

1971 Topps Glenn Beckert All-Star

In his 2nd All Star appearance, and his 1st start, Glenn Beckert was 0 for 2. In his 4 career All Star games Beckert was hitless in 7 plate appearances.

1971 Topps Don Kessinger All-Star

Although known more for his glove than his bat, Kessinger went 2 for 2 in the 1970 Mid-Season Classic. He singled to center twice, once in the 2nd and again in the 5th.

1971 Topps Tony Perez All-Star

Although most of his career was spent on 1st, Perez was moved to 3rd to make room for Lee May's bat. When May was traded to the Astros, Perez resumed his role as 1st baseman.