1971 Topps Checklist - Cards That Never Were - 12th Series

This is a little out of sequence because I wanted to get all of the 1963 All Star cards out together. With several of my posts having multiple cards, this might be the fastest I've filled up a checklist. In fact 3 cards from the All Star set will be going on the next checklist. I like keeping track of how many cards I've made and making these checklists is a fun (although self indulgent) way to do it. 

1963 Topps All Star Managers

1963 Topps Fred Hutchinson AS

In the 1951 All Star game Fred Hutchinson pitched 3 innings in relief. He surrendered 3 earned runs; an RBI single to Jackie Robinson and a 2 run homer to Gil Hodges. The following year he would become the player-manager of the Detroit Tigers. 1962 was his only season as an All Star manager following his pennant winning season at the helm of the Cincinnati Reds. 

1963 Topps Ralph Houk AS

In 1961 Ralph Houk took over for the 70 year old Casey Stengel. Houk had managed the Yankees AAA team the Denver Bears from 1955-1957. The Yankees continued their dominance under him, winning the World Series in 1961 and 1962 then losing to the Dodgers in 1963. As an All Star manager Houk was 1-2 with his only win coming in the second game of 1962.

1963 Topps All Stars - The American League Battery

1963 Topps Jim Bunning AS

From 1957-1966 Bunning appeared in 9 All Star games. He surrendered only 2 runs and 7 hits in 18 innings.  As the 1962 game one starter he gave up only 1 hit in 3 scoreless innings, a double to Roberto Clemente.

1963 Topps Dave Stenhouse AS

The game 2 starter, Dave Stenhouse didn't fare as well. In his only All Star appearance he hit the lead off batter and surrendered a run on 3 hits and a walk over 2 innings. Including a double off the bat of opposing pitcher Johnny Podres.

1963 Topps Earl Battey AS

In 1962 Earl Battey earned his 3rd Gold Glove and was selected to his first All Star team. He was 0 for 2 in both games but reached base on a walk and scored in game 2.

1963 Topps All Stars - The National League Battery

1963 Topps Don Drysdale AS

Drysdale pitched the 1st 3 innings of game one. He surrendered a single hit, a lead off triple to Luis Aparicio. He then got the next 2 batters to pop out to the infield and struck out the next. He left the game in a scoreless tie. Juan Marichal pitched hitless 4th and 5th innings and got the win.

1963 Topps Johnny Podres AS

His teammate Johnny Podres started the 2nd game. He also pitched scoreless frames. In his only at bat in 4 All Star game appearances, Podres doubled then scored on a single by Dick Groat.

1963 Topps Del Crandall AS

Del Crandall played in 11 All Star games and started in 8, from 1953-1962. Although he was hit-less in his final 2 All Star appearances, the 4-time Gold Glove backstop tagged out the go-ahead run in the top of the 3rd when Billy Moran tried to score from 1st on an error on center fielder Tommy Davis. 

1963 Topps All Stars - The American League Infield

1963 Topps Jim Gentile AS

In 1960 the Orioles made a clean sweep of the Rookie of the Year votes. 2nd baseman, Ron Hansen got 22 votes. Pitcher Chuck Estrada and 1st baseman Jim Gentile each received 1 vote. All 3 were also selected to the All Star team that year. "Diamond" Jim was the only repeat All Star among the three. He played in all 6 All Star games from 1960 through 1962. His impact however was minimal, garnering only 2 hits in 13 plate appearances. One of those hits came in the second game in 1962. 

1963 Topps Billy Moran AS

1962 was a career year for Billy Moran. He had career highs in homers (17), RBIs (74) and batting average (.282). He made his only All Star appearances, hitting safely in both games. He was 1 of 4 L.A. Angels receiving MVP votes in 1962. In only their 2nd year, the Angels finished 3rd in the A.L. with 86 wins and 76 losses.

1963 Topps Luis Aparicio AS

In game one, Aparicio led off the bottom of the 3rd with a triple to deep centerfield. He was stranded there after Don Drysdale mowed down the next three batters. Lee Thomas and Rich Rollins popped out harmlessly to the infield, then Billy Moran struck out. He went hit-less in the rest of his All Star at bats in 1962.

1963 Topps Rich Rollins AS

Another player making his only All Star team, Rich Rollins hit safely in both games. Rollins played with the Twins from 1961-1968 then was selected by the Seattle Pilots in the expansion draft.

1963 Topps All Stars - The National League Infield

1963 Topps Orlando Cepeda AS

The "Baby Bull" was having another great year for the N.L. Champs in 1962. He hit .304 with 35 homers and 114 RBIs. Unfortunately, he was 0 for 4 in the 2 All Star games that season.

1963 Topps Bill Mazeroski AS

Mazeroski was a Gold Glove second baseman. And although he hit a historical walk-off homer to win the 1960 World Series, he is not known for his hitting. In his 10 All Star games, he had only 2 hits. Neither hit came in 1962.

1963 Topps Dick Groat AS

The Bucs had the middle infield covered in the 1962 games.  Dick Groat went 3 for 6 over the 2 games with 3 RBIs. He was also hit by a pitch to lead off the 1st inning of the 2nd game.

1963 Topps Ken Boyer AS

Ken Boyer has a .348 batting average over his 11 All Star game appearances but over the 2 games in 1962 he collected only 1 hit in 5 at bats.

1963 Topps All Stars - The American League Outfield

1963 Topps Leon Wagner AS

Leon Wagner went 0 for 4 in game 1 but made up for it in game 2. He went 3 for 4 including a 2 run homer in the 4th to put the American League up 3-1. That gave the A.L. their first win since 1959 and what would be their last until 1972.

1963 Topps Roger Maris AS

Coming off his record breaking season in 1961, Maris was an easy choice to anchor the outfield. In game 1 he went 0 for 2 but hit a sacrifice fly in the 6th inning to drive in the A.L.'s only run. In game 2 he was 1 for 4 with an RBI double. He also scored both times he reached base. In the 7th when he reached on a fielder's choice, then again in the 9th.

1963 Topps Mickey Mantle AS

Although Mantle usually played centerfield with Roger Maris in right, for game 1 they switched positions. In game 1 Mantle struck out in the 1st then walked in the 4th inning. Rocky Colavito pinch ran for him. Colavito would then play left field with Leon Wagner moving over to right.

1963 Topps Rocky Colavito

Coming off the bench in game 1, Colavito was 0 for 1 with a walk. In game 2 he got the start in right field. He rewarded manager Ralph Houk with a 3 run homer in the 7th and an RBI sac-fly in the 9th.

1963 Topps All Stars - The National League Outfield

This is something I have been thinking about doing for a long time. In fact longer than I have been doing this blog. I made a 1973 Topps All Star card for my previous blog, 6 Degrees of Ron Santo. Recently I came across 1965 Topps All Star Cards That Never Were on The Baseball Card Blog and it inspired me to take on this project.

A few bloggers out there dismiss these as "filler cards". (Along with League Leader, and Highlight cards to name a few.) That may be the case, but as a kid, I loved these cards. I still do. It gives some perspective on the times. Even though many of these all stars were never enshrined in Cooperstown, they were (for a season at least) the best at their position. They were right there, rubbing shoulders with future Hall of Famers. 

I won't make all of these cards at once but plan to put them out in groups. By year and league, I will group Outfielders, Infielders, Battery and finally Managers. Starting with the 1962 National League Outfield.

1963 Topps Tommy Davis AS

Tommy Davis was having a career year in 1962. He hit 27 homers and led the league in RBIs and batting average. This was his first All Star selection and he started both games. Unfortunately, he was 0 for 5 over the 2 games.

1963 Topps Willie Mays AS

Willie is an All Star perennial. He played in every All Star game going back to 1954 and started in every one since 1957. In 1962 he would be a starting All Star for his 9th and 10th consecutive time. He went 0 for 3 in with a walk and a stolen base Game 1. In Game 2 he was 2 for 2, both singles.

1963 Topps Roberto Clement AS

I debated whether to refer to Clemente as Roberto or Bob. I personally don't recall anybody calling him Bob Clemente. But his name was "Bob" on every Topps card from 1957-1969. Clemente went 3 for 3 in the first game but was 0 for 2 in the second game.

1969 Aurelio Rodriguez - Error Card Corrected

The famous "error card", Topps' 1969 Aurelio Rodriguez, actually featured Angels' bat boy, Leonard Garcia. Here is a corrected version with Rodriguez's photo. Below is the original card with Garcia getting proper recognition.

1984-85 O Pee Chee Rocky Trottier

Here is a card created simply for my own self interest and amusement.  Rocky Trottier is the younger brother of Hall of Famer, Bryan Trottier. Rocky was selected in the 1st round (8th overall) in the 1982 NHL draft. He was the 1st New Jersey Devil in history to be awarded a penalty shot. He was on a break away skating toward the Edmonton net when Wayne Gretzky threw his stick at him. Rocky then scored on Andy Moog. Rocky played in only 38 NHL games over two seasons, 1983-84 and 1984-85, but would play in the minors and in Europe until 1990.

After his playing career Rocky and his other brother Monty ran a hockey clinic in Indiana. When my son was 5 and just beginning to play hockey he used to attend these clinics. Rocky was just terrific with these kids and my son just loved him. 

1971 Topps Adrian Young - Error Card Corrected

In case you were wondering, Yes! I will do requests. 

Jim from Downingtown suggested that I create a card for Adrian Young that featured his actual photo. The original card featured a photo of Rick Duncan who was a punter on the 1968 team. 

Adrian Young was the captain of the 1967 national champion USC Trojans. He lived in Ireland until he was 10 and ironically had his defining game against the Fighting Irish in 1967 when he tied a conference record with 4 interceptions.

A quick search of the internet resulted in no color pictures of Adrian Young in an Eagles uniform, but Jim provided this great action shot. So I went horizontal on it. Jim also provided the research on who all the other players are pictured in this shot.

"Adrian Young is in the center of the photo, wearing a very un-linebacker-ish #35. He is fighting off a block from Giants' backup TE #87 Rich Kotite (who would later coach the Eagles after the Buddy Ryan years). The Giants' tackle is #77 Dick Hanson (his only season in the league). The running back appears to be wearing #34, which would be Junior Coffey. The other Eagles are #24 safety-turned-cornerback, Nate Ramsey and #83 defensive tackle Don Hultz."

Here is the original 1971 Topps card of featuring Rick Duncan: 

And here is a BONUS CTNW of Rick Duncan on a 1968 Topps card. 1968 was the only season Duncan actually saw action in an Eagles uniform.

Once again I want to thank Jim for his suggestion. I had fun and learned a little by making these cards. Keep 'em coming.

Jim from Downingtown has several card related blogs. His blogs specialize on a single set/year providing insight into the individual cards from that set. Those blogs include football cards from 1967, 1968, 1971 and 1972. and baseball cards from 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 and 1970. He also has a 1960s Baseball blog. Click on any of the hyperlinks to go to his corresponding blog page. Let's face it, if you've read this far down on this page, you are as big a card-geek as I am and you will enjoy his work.

Video Checklist - Series 11

Here are the cards from the 11th series. The song in the background is "Fifty Mission Cap" by the Tragically Hip. I always liked this song. And not only because the lyrics were based on the bio on the back of a hockey card. The card was a 1991 Pro Set Bill Barilko. Click here for my Bill Barilko CTNW.

1970 Topps Checklist - Cards That Never Were - 11th Series

 

For the 11th series of CTNW there are a few new running themes, hockey and football cards, as well as League Leader Cards That Never Were. There was also a couple themes that have almost run their course, the 1975 R.O.Y. cards and the missing Topps Mantle years. I also had  9 awards cards from the 1972 Topps set that needed updating. This series also contained the continuation of All Star Game MVPs presented in the horizontal action version of that year's card.

1961 Topps A.L. Stolen Base Leaders

Luis Aparicio stole 51 bases to claim the title for the 5th time in his 5th year in the Majors. In 1960 the Go Go Sox stole 122 bases. The next closest team in the A.L. had 66, just over half. It was their aggressive running style that put them at the near top of most every offensive category in 1960 despite hitting the 2nd fewest homers that year. 

His teammate, Jim Landis, was second in the league with 23. Landis, the Gold Glove centerfielder for the White Sox, finished in the top 5 in stolen bases for 4th consecutive year in only his 4th major league season.

Lenny Green had career highs in stolen bases, triples and batting average for the 1960 Washington Senators. In 1961 the former Washington Senators became the Minnesota Twins and Washington was awarded an expansion team also called the Senators. Topps elected to refer to the former Senators as "Minn." on the League Leader cards in 1960. 

Al Kaline was the biggest surprise on this card. I never really thought of the slugger as a threat on the basepaths.  Although Kaline had a career high of 19 stolen bases, 1960 was somewhat of an off year for the future Hall of Famer. His batting average dropped nearly 50 points from 1959 to 1960. He hit 12 fewer homers and his slugging percentage dropped by over 100 points. For the 1st time in 3 years he wasn't awarded the Gold Glove and for the 1st time since his Rookie season he didn't receive any MVP votes. But even a off year for Kaline is better than most players' career years. He was still selected to both All Star games in 1960. He hit a 2 run homer in the first game and in the second game singled and walked in his 2 plate appearances in game 2.