Topps All-Star Misses: 1960 NL Outfield

   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).

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In 1961 The Sporting News All Star team expanded to include a full roster from both AL & NL.  However, pre-1961 it was a combined roster.  The only NL outfielder was Willie Mays. The starting outfield in both 1959 games consisted of Mays, Aaron and Wally Moon.  But the 1960 Topps All Star Set was Aaron, Mays and Joe Cunningham.  

So only one Card That Never Was this time:

But seriously, why Joe Cunningham?  I know this time the cards say Sport Magazine All Star selection but I could not find that particular list, or an online copy of that magazine.  Joe was a reserve in both 1959 ASGs.  In the first game, he never left the bench.  In the second he pinch hit for Johnny Temple, grounded into a fielder's choice, and was pulled for pinch runner Vada Pinson. 

He had a decent season in 1959 finishing 13th in NL MVP voting and leading the league in On Base Percentage.  But in 1960 his batting average dropped by 65 points and his OBP dropped by 90.

1975 Topps 1954 Rookies of the Year

Another in my ongoing theme putting Rookies of The Year in the 1975 Topps MVP format.

The 1954 version in this recurring theme is very similar to the 1953. There was no Bob Grim card in the 1954 set but Topps created one for the 1954 Archives set in 1992. Topps did a better job creating new cards for the 1954 Archive set, but still fell short. The fonts are off and not spaced correctly. and they capitalized Pitcher instead of using all lower case letters like the original.

Grim and Moon both had good rookie seasons and respectable but unspectacular careers. Bob Grim had 20 wins in 1954 beating out rookie hall of famer Al Kaline. Wally Moon hit .304 with 12 homers beating out future hall of famers Ernie Banks and Hank Aaron.