Favorite Players A-Z (Part 3 of 3)

 Part 3 of "Everybody else is doing it, why can't I?"  Here's "S" through "Z" of my favorite players.  This time there aren't any ties, but a full 50% of them are Chicago cards.  Told you I was a homer.

1976 Topps Ron Santo

1990 Donruss Frank Thomas

1976 Topps Father/Son style Bob Uecker Broadcaster

1976 Topps Rookie Pitchers - Pete Vuckovich

1987 Topps Billy Williams All Star

OK this is another cheat, but his nickname is "Double X" so...

Jimmie Foxx on a rejected Topps prototype

1982 Topps Robin Yount In Action

For my final card, I chose a real one.  Bottom line is you cannot improve on this card. From the high sign, to the six balls nailed to the bat, to the inexplicable pink undershirt. It is art, plain and simple.

1952 Topps Gus Zernial

More 1976 Alt-Topps

Managers / Team Cards, Rookie cards and Traded

 I was unimpressed with what turned out to be the base cards in this set.  However as I created the subsets based on the mock-up, the design became more appealing.

I included the manager in the team card similar to the Topps team cards from 1975-1981 (except for 1978). 

Of course I had to use the famous Cubs floaty-head style team card.

In 1976 the AL Rookie of the Year was Mark (The Bird) Fidrych. In the NL Pat Zachry and Butch Metzger tied for the honor. Since all three were pitchers, I put them on the same card. I threw in a future Cy Young award winner, Pete Vuckovich, to round out the rookie card.

I think it was mandatory that I include the card that famously wasn't included in the original 1976 Topps Traded set, Reggie Jackson.

 Vada Pinson never actually saw any action in the 1976 season. He was released by the Brewers at the end Spring Training.  This would be the last stop in a great career for him. 

TBT - Milwaukee Brewers Edition

Throwback Thursday

Ok this will be a quick and dirty post I will try to actually publish every Thursday. I will make a retro card of a current player from the era of the throwback uni he is wearing. I will also post an actual card from that era as a comparison point.

The Brewers have been wearing a version of their 1982 World Series uniform during Friday home games this season. I say a "version" because the general design is the same. But as you can see this is a modern button-down uniform. It lacks the polyester pullover and sans-a-belt slacks look they were sporting during that era. The new unis also have a name on the back which was missing on the original version.

I made this card of Chase Anderson. Anderson came to the Brewers in the off season in a trade that also brought second baseman, Aaron Hill. In exchange Milwaukee sent pitcher Tyler Wagner and shortstop Jean Segura. Although Segura and Hill have done well this season both pitchers have struggled. Anderson is currently 2-6 with a 5.33 ERA.

I chose 1982 Cy Young award winner Pete Vuckovich as a comparison card. Vuckovich was a colorful pitcher and a fan favorite for his antics on the mound.

That translated into a roll in "Major League", He played Yankees first baseman, Clu Haywood. One of my favorite lines of the movie is when announcer Harry Doyle (Bob Uecker) says "Heywood leads the league in most offensive categories, including nose hair. When this guy sneezes, he looks like a party favor".

Another interesting thing about Vuckovich is that he wore two different shoes. Not one for interviews means his motives are kinda sketchy. I read in one place that he claimed his feet were different sizes. But that wouldn't explain the different brands or why at first he wore different colors until the umpires put an end to it. You can see the 2 different shoes on this 1982 Milwaukee Police Department issued baseball card.

1976 Topps Rookie Pitchers - Mark Fidrych, Bruce Sutter, Joaquin Andujar, Pete Vuckovich

Detroit Tigers CTNW Fan Favorites #1

Mark Fidrych won the Rookie of the Year award in 1976 but didn't have a Topps card until 1977. This card includes 3 other pitchers that were rookies in 1976. They all had regular Topps cards in 1977 and none of them appeared on multi-player rookie cards. Andujar wan a Gold Glove in 1984 and was a 4 time All Star. Sutter went on to the Hall of Fame. Vuckovich was the Cy Young award winner for the Brewers in 1982. I best remember Vuckovich in the movie Major League. He played Clu Heywood and according to Bob Uecker led the league "in most offensive categories, including nose hairs."

Mark Fidrych was a classic case of what if... In 1976 he won 19 game and led the league in ERA and complete games, won the Rookie of the Year and came in second to Jim Palmer in Cy Young voting. The following spring he injured his knee, then tore his rotator cuff. He was selected to the All Star team but was unable to play because of injury. He attempted several come-backs but was never the same. He pitched 250 1/3 innings in 1976 and just 162 innings over the rest of his career.  His oddball personality as well as his antics on the mound endeared him to his fans. He died in a tragic accident while working on his truck in 2009.