Showing posts with label Vic Davalillo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vic Davalillo. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Even More 1965 Alt-Topps

All Star, World Series, Leader Cards and More


The All Star cards are a bit of a throwback to the 1958 design. Second base belonged to New York in the 1964 ASG.


1964 World Series MVP Bob Gibson pitched 27 innings over 3 games. This included 10 innings in Game 5. His battery mate, Tim McCarver broke the tie in the 10th with a 3-run homer.
For the Leader cards, I tried to let the photos dominate the card. 
I also used a couple of stat categories that Topps wouldn't use on their own leader cards until 1973.










One thing that has been missing in my previous Alt-Topps efforts has been the multi-player card. Topps used them throughout the 50s and 60s.  The Aaron Brothers seemed like low-hanging-fruit. 






While I'm surprised Topps didn't use Hank & Tommy, this tribute to the KC Monarchs might have been a departure for Topps. Both Altman and Banks played for the Monarchs under Buck O'Neil in the early 50s. In 1965 O'Neil was the Cubs hitting coach.





1965 marked the opening of the Astrodome and the name change from Colt .45s to Astros. There were plenty of gimmicks, including a ground crew dressed as spacemen.  





Wednesday, April 3, 2019

1979 Alt-Topps Requests

The big request this month was the entire run of World Series cards. Topps had omitted them from the 1979 set. I imagine it was to make an earlier deadline. But we here at "Alt-Topps" have a much more fluid deadline. 

Game 1 had been published already, so here is Game 2.  Ron Cey drove in all four Dodger runs. In the 4th he singled to score Garvey from second. In the 6th he hit a three-run homer.

In Game 3 Graig Nettles put on a clinic at third base. He is credited with saving at least 4 runs. Guidry pitched a complete game despite claiming to not have his stuff.

















The play everybody talks about in this Series was a soft infield liner to Russell. Russell (intentionally?) let it drop and tried to turn a double play. But a "confused" Reggie Jackson was frozen in the base path. The throw to first ricocheted into the outfield. Instead of 3 outs with LA up 3-1. there were 2 outs and the Yankees were within 1.  The game went to extras and in the bottom of the tenth Roy White scored on a walk-off singe by Lou Piniella.










After the Dodgers gained an early 2-run lead, Munson drove in the Yankees second and third run to put NY ahead. The Yanks never looked back, piling it on to win 12-2. Munson went 3 for 5 with 2 singles, a double and 5 RBIs.















Brian Doyle led the Yankees with a .438 series batting average. Bucky Dent hit .417 in the World Series and was named the series MVP. The two accounted for 12 hits in the final  two games of the series. 







Brett left a comment to include WAR leader cards in this Alt-set.  Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is an appeal to the Sabermetric baseball community. It is supposed to calculate the team wins with a particular player in the lineup as opposed to a "replacement level player". Presumably a minor leaguer or a bench player. 


It's an imperfect science and different sources use slightly different data and formulas. There are also several different WAR's; there is overall, offensive, defensive and one of position players or pitchers. Of course, Topps would not have included these leader cards, but what a unique idea. Wish I thought of it.



I had a few last minute requests. Buzz wanted the 42 year old outfielder Vic Davalillo in Dodger blue. I was tempted to label him P.H. as most of his 1979 appearances were pinch hitting. 

















He also wanted to see Bobby Murcer. Murcer began the 1979 season on the north side. He was dealt mid-season back where he started in the Bronx.

















He also was looking for the prickly reliever Mike Marshall. If you look back at the Topps cards of Mike Marshall you can see nice action cards in 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977. His earlier cards were loaded with airbrushed photos. He simply didn't like posing for pictures. And although Topps gave up on him after 1977, he continued to play through 1981. Even Fleer and Donruss ignored him in 1981. He did get a Fleer card in 1982 (his first card since 1977).









I also got a request from the "Chief" for a Bobby Bonds card playing for the Tribe. But I was already on that track.  If you read the comment section of the first posting in the Alt 1979 series, you'd see that there was some question over whether the card of Don Baylor was actually Don Baylor. 

It was suggested that it could be Ron Jackson. He wore the numbers 2, 32, 16 and 15, but never 25. Also in every photo I've seen of Jackson, he has worn a helmet with an earflap. The helmet flying off "Baylor's" head obviously was the old school helmet. The earflap helmets were not required until 1983 and players who entered the league prior were grandfathered. Rock Raines was the last to wear the flapless helmet in 2002.











"Joe" suggested it might be George Hendrick. There are a couple of flaws in this theory. First, Hendrick was listed as 6'5" 195 lb. Baylor was 6'1" and a generous 190 lb (the same weight as on his 1970 Rookie card). Second, going back to helmets, every picture I've seen of Hendrick he has a cap under his helmet. Again not the case in the "Baylor" card. Lastly, the stirrups. Hendrick favored the George Brett style of long pants covering most of the stirrups.










The most obvious tell is the number 25. Baylor initially wore #12 for the Angels until Bobby Bonds was traded to the White Sox after the 1977 season. Here Bobby is depicted on a Traded card. The Rangers traded Bonds to Cleveland in October of 1978. He was still shown as a Ranger on his 1979 Topps card.













The next #25 on the Angels was Tommy John. He wore #35 until his familiar 25 was vacated when Baylor was dealt to the Yankees in 1983. He wore #25 until mid 1985 when he was released.  John was signed by the Yankees in November of 1978. His Topps card still showed him on the Dodgers, There was a Burger King variation that had him on the Yankees.  I think we can agree that neither Bonds nor Tommy John are the person on that card.









My last bit of evidence to support my case is this 1979 ALCS program featuring Don Baylor on the cover. He's wearing the same style helmet, the same high stirrups, the same Adidas cleats, the same batting gloves and the same number.



Monday, November 12, 2018

Even More 1964 Alt-Topps

World Series, Leaders, All- Stars and Topps All-Star Rookie Cards


Just a few more of my favorite subsets, World Series cards, Leaders cards, All Star cards and Topps Rookie All Star cards.

For the World Series card I kept the basic format but reversed the layout.  In the real 1964 set, Topps also highlighted Koufax's 15 strikeouts in Game 1. But I gotta say I like this photo better. 

On the leaders cards, I went a little off script for Topps. Instead of one large horizontal photo with two (or more) smaller photos below, I used one large vertical shot for the leader and smaller photos to the right.
Another un-Topps thing is having a card for Runs Scored Leaders.  Not one of the top stats but I like the top three players, so...
Again for the All Star cards, I reversed the Field.
Instead of a team logo, I used the All Star Game logo from 1963. I also tried to incorporate the logo's colors into the card format.
Since this format reminds me so much of the 1960 Topps All Star Rookies subset, I had to recreate it here.
Oddly in 1964 all but one of the Topps All Star Rookie team had the official trophy on his card. That was Jesse Gonder.  But in the Bizarro Universe, my Alt-Topps has got him covered.
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Just as I did in the last batch, I am willing to take a few requests.  I know most people just look at the pictures in these blogs.  But if you actually read this all the way to the bottom of the last post, it's the least I could do.  Just leave your requests in the comment section.




Thursday, February 13, 2014

1965 Topps AL Stolen Base Leaders: Aparicio, Weis, Davalillo


Luis Aparicio led the league in stolen bases for the 9 consecutive year in 1964. This was the final time he would lead the league but he would finish in the top 10 4 of the next 5 years. He was still a threat on the basepaths even in his final year. In 1973 at the age of 39 he still stole 13 bases for the Boston Red Sox. 

The next closest behind Aparicio was his former teammate Al Weis. Weis had a career high of 22 stolen bases in 1964 which was a full 35 bases fewer than Aparicio's 57. 

Cleveland's Gold Glove centerfielder, Vic Davalillo was in 3rd with 21 stolen bases.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

1966 Topps All Star Cards : American League Outfield

While the 1963 N.L. All Star outfield was all Hall of Famers, there wasn't a single Hall member in the A.L. outfield.That is what I find so cool about All Star cards and for that matter, League Leader cards. Although these guys might not be household names, they were certainly regional favorites.

1966 Topps Willie Horton All Star
 
 Willie Horton was a promising player as a September call-up in 1963. He sputtered a bit in 1964 and spent most of the season proving himself again in the Minors. In 1965 he made his mark in the Majors, hitting 28 homers with 104 RBIs in his first full MLB season.

1966 Topps Vic Davalillo All Star

Vic Davalillo began playing pro ball for the Reds "D" League team in 1958. He was 21 years old. He played his last Major League game in 1980 at the age of 44 for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was a Gold Glove center fielder in 1964.  In 1965 he made his only All Star appearance. He got a single in his first All Star at bat. He was the only player to reach first base on Juan Marichal.

1966 Topps Rocky Colavito All Star

After Marichal's near-perfect first 3 innings, The A.L.'s bats woke up. Rocky Colavito got the first RBI in the bottom of the 4th with a single off Jim Maloney. This was Rocky's 8th All Star game but his first as an Indian. He had previously represented Kansas City and Detroit in All Star games.