1972 Topps All Star Cards : The Battery

For the first and only time (still) both All Star starting pitchers were African-American. Vida Blue was having an insane year in 1971. He clinched the Cy Young and MVP for the AL. He led the league in ERA and shutouts and came in second in wins and strikeouts. In the all Star game he gave up 3 earned runs in 3 innings on 2 homers. Johnny bench hit a 2-run homer in the 2nd and Hank Aaron soloed in the 3rd.

Doc Ellis fared about the same in the All Star game. After going nearly unscathed in the first 2 innings, he gave up 4 runs on 2 homers in the 3rd and was saddled with a loss in his only All Star appearance.

In his 6th consecutive All Star start, Bill Freehan handled the catching duties for 7 innings before turning them over to Thurman Munson. Always the workhorse, Freehan led the league with 144 games behind the plate for the Tigers in 1971.

1971 was an in-between year for Johnny Bench. He was the NL MVP in 1970 and 1972. For 1971 he would have to be content with his 3rd straight All Star start and his 4th straight Gold Glove. In the game he went 2 for 4 with a single and a 2 run homer.

1972 Topps All Star Cards : The Infield

The 36 year old Norm Cash was having a resurgent year in 1971. His numbers were returning to the numbers he put up the last time he was selected to the All Star squad in 1966. Unfortunately those numbers didn't carry over into the All Star game. He struck out in both at bats.

Willie McCovey on the other hand was having an off season. Hampered by a knee injury sustained during spring training, he fell from 39 homers and 126 RBIs in 1970 to 18 homers and 70 RBIs in 1971. He struck out and grounded out in his only All Star at bats.

In his 3 plate appearances in the 1971 All Star game Rod Carew grounded out in the 1st, then drew 2 walks. He scored on Frank Robinson's 3rd inning homer. In 18 All Star games Carew had 48 plate appearances and an on base percentage of .354.

Playing in his 3rd straight All Star game, Glenn Beckert was batting a career high .342 in 1971. Beckert went 0 for 3 facing 3 different pitchers, Vida Blue, Jim Palmer and Mike Cuellar.

In his 1st All Star at bat in a Red Sox uniform, Luis Aparicio singled to center then scored on Reggie Jackson's homerun. In his 12th All Star game this was only his second (and final) hit.

Appearing in his second All Star game and starting for the first time was Bud Harrelson. Harrelson also won his only Gold Glove award in 1971 and had a career high 28 stolen bases.

Solid as ever in 1971, Brooks Robinson played 3rd base in his 15th consecutive mid summer classic. He was also on his was to earning his 12th consecutive Gold Glove. He was 1 for 3 in the game with his only hit coming in the 6th. He singled to center then was out at second when Aparicio grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.

Joe Torre was having an MVP season in 1971, leading the league in batting and RBIs. In the All Star game he went 0 for 3 including a strikeout and a double play ball hit to Brooks Robinson.

I think this card, in particular, seems to really capture the spirit of the 1972 set. Brooks Robinson is sporting the new-for-1971 all-orange Orioles unis and Joe Torre looks like a recently defrosted caveman swinging his club and wearing the new-for-1971 double-knit pullovers.

1972 Topps All Star Cards : The Outfield

For the 1972 All Star cards I borrowed a bit from the 1974 All Star cards. I put both players on one card. This format wasn't exactly universally beloved. In fact Dick Allen Hall of Fame disliked it so much that he remade the 1974 All Star cards individually. Click here and here to see them.

In left field for the AL was Carl Yastrzemski. Yaz struggled during the 1971 season. He hit a meager .254. In 1970 he led the league in runs scored with 125. In 1971 that number dropped by 50 runs. In the 1971 All Star game he went 0 for 3 with a walk.

In the NL, Willie Stargell drew a walk in his first at bat then scored on Johnny Bench's 2nd inning homer. In his next 2 at bats he struck out facing pitchers Jim Palmer and Mike Cuellar. This would be a preview of the 1971 World Series for Stargell. He would hit only .208 striking out 9 times in 24 at bats. Palmer and Cuellar would strike Stargell out 3 times each.

Bobby Murcer was to be "the next Mickey Mantle". He was from Mantle's home state, Oklahoma and he was signed by the same scout as Mantle. 1971 showed the first glimmer of what Yankees fans had hoped for. He had a career high batting average of .331. He hit 25 homers with 94 RBIs and was selected to his first All Star game. He singled in his 1st at bat, then popped out and struck out. In the 6th inning Amos Otis took over in center.

Playing in his 22nd consecutive All Star game and his final in a Giants uniform, Willie Mays led off and started in centerfield. After going 0 for 2 he was replaced in the bottom of the 4th in one of those overly-complicated quadruple swaps that seem commonplace only in All Star games.

Frank Robinson earned the All Star game MVP award by hitting a 2 run homer in the bottom of the 3rd to put the AL ahead 4-3. Not to be out done by Sparky Anderson's quadruple switch in the 4th, Earl Weaver pulled a quintuple swap in the 6th replacing Robbie in rightfield with Al Kaline.

Also involved in the 4th inning quadruple switch was perennial All-Star, Hank Aaron. He went 1 for 2 with a solo homer against Vida Blue before Lee May took over in the 4th.

Video Checklist - Series 20

On this video checklist I did something a little different. I included not only the 25 cards that I made since the last checklist but also the entire 30 card run of "Tribute" cards. The backing music is "Tribute" by Tenacious D. It's not the greatest song in the world it's just a tribute.

1961 Topps Checklist - Cards That Never Were - 20th Series

My 20th checklist which includes my 500th card. This has gone well beyond a mere hobby into a genuine sickness. Once again I changed up the format of my checklists. I kept the 1961 style but instead of brawls I decided to feature former ballparks. For my first version in this format I went with old Comiskey Park. No surprise there, I've always shown a bit of favoritism toward the hometown.

1980 Topps Lou Brock - 30 Tribute Card Project - Part 15 of 15

This the 15th and final part of a continuing 30 tribute card project inspired by this article from Sports Collectors Daily. In previous posts I have shown 4 cards that Topps had produced and 15 cards that I have found on various blogs pages. Now I have my turn: 

Here is a shot of Lou Brock that I've been waiting for an excuse to use. I stole, er "borrowed", it from the Topps Vault. He just looks so bad-ass in those shades. This would have been a much more fitting tribute to the stolen base king than the highlight card he shared with Yaz in the 1980 set. I'm not sure why the photo was framed with the background on an angle but I decided not to level it when I saw that it seemed to parallel the pennants used on the 1980 design. 

 Here is the complete list. The Black X represents cards produced by Topps, The red X represents those made by other baseball card geeks, and now the blue X represents the cards made by yours truly:

1.       1952 Joe DiMaggio X

2.       1956 Ralph Kiner X

3.       1957 Bob Feller X

4.       1957 Phil Rizzuto X

5.       1957 Jackie Robinson X

6.       1961 Ted Williams X

7.       1962 Jackie Jensen X

8.       1964 Stan Musial X

9.       1964 Early Wynn X

10.   1965 Duke Snider X

11.   1966 Yogi Berra X

12.   1966 Warren Spahn X

13.   1967 Sandy Koufax X

14.   1967 Robin Roberts X

15.   1968 Whitey Ford X

16.   1969 Rocky Colavito X

17.   1969 Roger Maris X 

18.   1969 Eddie Mathews X

19.   1970 Don Drysdale X

20.   1972 Ernie Banks X

21.   1973 Maury Wills X

22.   1974 Willie Mays X 

23.   1977 Hank Aaron X

24.   1977 Frank Robinson X

25.   1978 Brooks Robinson X 

26.   1978 Jim Wynn X

27.   1980 Lou Brock X

28.   1980 Thuman Munson X

29.   1984 Johnny Bench X

30. 1984 Carl Yastrzemski X

1978 Topps Jimmy Wynn - 30 Tribute Card Project - Part 14

This part 14 of a continuing 30 tribute card project inspired by this article from Sports Collectors Daily. In previous posts I have shown 4 cards that Topps had produced and 15 cards that I have found on various blogs pages. Now I have my turn: 

Jim Wynn had one of the all time great baseball nicknames "The Toy Cannon".  This was a nickname he obviously enjoyed as you can see by his Braves jersey below. If I can figure out a way to work this onto a card you may see it again.

After 11 seasons in Houston Jimmy Wynn was traded to Los Angeles where he had 2 All Star seasons and saw his only post season play. In 1976 he was dealt to the Braves in a 6 player swap. His batting average dipped to an anemic .207 but he led the league in walks to give him a respectable .377 on base percentage. None the less he was sent to the Yankees after season. Mid season the Yankees released him and he was picked up by the Brewers. He spent 1977 sharing time playing DH and outfield. He retired at the end of the season at the age of 35.

 Here is the list so far. The Black X represents cards produced by Topps, The red X represents those made by other baseball card geeks, and now the blue X represents the cards made by yours truly:

1.       1952 Joe DiMaggio X

2.       1956 Ralph Kiner X

3.       1957 Bob Feller X

4.       1957 Phil Rizzuto X

5.       1957 Jackie Robinson X

6.       1961 Ted Williams X

7.       1962 Jackie Jensen X

8.       1964 Stan Musial X

9.       1964 Early Wynn X

10.   1965 Duke Snider X

11.   1966 Yogi Berra X

12.   1966 Warren Spahn X

13.   1967 Sandy Koufax X

14.   1967 Robin Roberts X

15.   1968 Whitey Ford X

16.   1969 Rocky Colavito X

17.   1969 Roger Maris X

18.   1969 Eddie Mathews X

19.   1970 Don Drysdale X

20.   1972 Ernie Banks X

21.   1973 Maury Wills X

22.   1974 Willie Mays X 

23.   1977 Hank Aaron X

24.   1977 Frank Robinson X

25.   1978 Brooks Robinson X 

26.   1978 Jim Wynn X

27.   1980 Lou Brock

28.   1980 Thuman Munson X

29.   1984 Johnny Bench X

30. 1984 Carl Yastrzemski X

To be Continued......

1969 Topps Eddie Mathews - 30 Tribute Card Project - Part 13

This part 13 of a continuing 30 tribute card project inspired by this article from Sports Collectors Daily. In previous posts I have shown 4 cards that Topps had produced and 15 cards that I have found on various blogs pages. Now I have my turn: 

Eddie Mathews was the only player to play for the Boston Braves, Milwaukee Braves and the Atlanta Braves. After the 1966 season Mathews was dealt to Houston where he hit his 500th home run in an Astros uniform. Late in 1967 he was traded again to the Tigers. He was used sparingly, playing only in 31 games in 1968. He was able to get another World Series ring with the Tigers. He had a hit and a walk in 4 plate appearances  in the 1968 World Series.

 Here is the list so far. The Black X represents cards produced by Topps, The red X represents those made by other baseball card geeks, and now the blue X represents the cards made by yours truly:

1.       1952 Joe DiMaggio X

2.       1956 Ralph Kiner X

3.       1957 Bob Feller X

4.       1957 Phil Rizzuto X

5.       1957 Jackie Robinson X

6.       1961 Ted Williams X

7.       1962 Jackie Jensen X

8.       1964 Stan Musial X

9.       1964 Early Wynn X

10.   1965 Duke Snider X

11.   1966 Yogi Berra X

12.   1966 Warren Spahn X 

13.   1967 Sandy Koufax X

14.   1967 Robin Roberts X

15.   1968 Whitey Ford X

16.   1969 Rocky Colavito X

17.   1969 Roger Maris X 

18.   1969 Eddie Mathews X

19.   1970 Don Drysdale X

20.   1972 Ernie Banks X

21.   1973 Maury Wills X

22.   1974 Willie Mays X 

23.   1977 Hank Aaron X

24.   1977 Frank Robinson X

25.   1978 Brooks Robinson X 

26.   1978 Jim Wynn 

27.   1980 Lou Brock

28.   1980 Thuman Munson X

29.   1984 Johnny Bench X

30. 1984 Carl Yastrzemski X

To be Continued......

1969 Topps Roger Maris - 30 Tribute Card Project - Part 12

This part 12 of a continuing 30 tribute card project inspired by this article from Sports Collectors Daily. In previous posts I have shown 4 cards that Topps had produced and 15 cards that I have found on various blogs pages. Now I have my turn: 

Roger Maris's relationship with the New York media was notoriously rocky. While the aging Yankees were reduced from a perennial pennant winners to a fairly mediocre team, Maris was plagued by injuries causing his numbers to decline as well. This only made matters worse. He was traded to the Cardinals after the 1966 season for utility infielder, Charlie Smith. Maris never did return to his earlier greatness but he did contribute to the Cardinals World Series teams of 1967 and 1968.  Maris did make a cameo appearance in the 1969 Topps set. He is shown greeting Tim McCarver at home on the Game 3 World Series Card.

 Here is the list so far. The Black X represents cards produced by Topps, The red X represents those made by other baseball card geeks, and now the blue X represents the cards made by yours truly:

1.       1952 Joe DiMaggio X

2.       1956 Ralph Kiner X

3.       1957 Bob Feller X

4.       1957 Phil Rizzuto X

5.       1957 Jackie Robinson X

6.       1961 Ted Williams X

7.       1962 Jackie Jensen X

8.       1964 Stan Musial X

9.       1964 Early Wynn X

10.   1965 Duke Snider X

11.   1966 Yogi Berra X

12.   1966 Warren Spahn X 

13.   1967 Sandy Koufax X

14.   1967 Robin Roberts X

15.   1968 Whitey Ford X

16.   1969 Rocky Colavito X

17.   1969 Roger Maris X 

18.   1969 Eddie Mathews

19.   1970 Don Drysdale X

20.   1972 Ernie Banks X

21.   1973 Maury Wills X

22.   1974 Willie Mays X 

23.   1977 Hank Aaron X

24.   1977 Frank Robinson X

25.   1978 Brooks Robinson X 

26.   1978 Jim Wynn

27.   1980 Lou Brock

28.   1980 Thuman Munson X

29.   1984 Johnny Bench X

30. 1984 Carl Yastrzemski X

To be Continued......

1968 Topps Whitey Ford - 30 Tribute Card Project - Part 11

This part 11 of a continuing 30 tribute card project inspired by this article from Sports Collectors Daily. In previous posts I have shown 4 cards that Topps had produced and 15 cards that I have found on various blogs pages. Now I have my turn: 

Whitey Ford did not last long into the 1967 season. He had shoulder surgery in 1966. Starting his 7th game of the 1967 campaign he felt pain in his shoulder and took himself out after just one inning. Shortly after he announced his retirement. A native New Yorker, Whitey was signed by the Yankees at 18 years old and never left the organization. 

 Here is the list so far. The Black X represents cards produced by Topps, The red X represents those made by other baseball card geeks, and now the blue X represents the cards made by yours truly:

1.       1952 Joe DiMaggio X

2.       1956 Ralph Kiner X

3.       1957 Bob Feller X

4.       1957 Phil Rizzuto X

5.       1957 Jackie Robinson X

6.       1961 Ted Williams X

7.       1962 Jackie Jensen X

8.       1964 Stan Musial X

9.       1964 Early Wynn X

10.   1965 Duke Snider X

11.   1966 Yogi Berra X

12.   1966 Warren Spahn X 

13.   1967 Sandy Koufax X

14.   1967 Robin Roberts X

15.   1968 Whitey Ford X

16.   1969 Rocky Colavito X

17.   1969 Roger Maris 

18.   1969 Eddie Mathews

19.   1970 Don Drysdale X

20.   1972 Ernie Banks X

21.   1973 Maury Wills X

22.   1974 Willie Mays X 

23.   1977 Hank Aaron X

24.   1977 Frank Robinson X

25.   1978 Brooks Robinson X 

26.   1978 Jim Wynn

27.   1980 Lou Brock

28.   1980 Thuman Munson X

29.   1984 Johnny Bench X

30. 1984 Carl Yastrzemski X

To be Continued......

1966 Topps Warren Spahn - 30 Tribute Card Project - Part 10

This part 10 of a continuing 30 tribute card project inspired by this article from Sports Collectors Daily. In previous posts I have shown 4 cards that Topps had produced and 15 cards that I have found on various blogs pages. Now I have my turn: 

I had to cheat a little on this one. I had actually found this image, colorized it and used it on a 1965 card I had made for Spahn back in 2011. I did find a couple of shots of Spahn in a Giants uniform but the were of such low resolution that they would make for a terrible looking card. The fact that Topps often re-used photographs (even if the player was traded to another team) allowed me to rationalize the repeat usage of this image.

In 1964 Warren Spahn posted his first losing record with the Braves sin 1952. The Mets purchased his contract and used him as both a pitcher and a coach for the young team. In fact his 1965 Topps card has his position listed as "P-Coach". After going 4 and 12 in 19 starts, the Mets released him. The Giants picked him up 2 days later. He fared somewhat better with the Giants going 3 and 4 the remainder of the season. At 44 years old and after 21 MLB seasons interrupted by 3 years of military service, Spahn retired from active duty.

 Here is the list so far. The Black X represents cards produced by Topps, The red X represents those made by other baseball card geeks, and now the blue X represents the cards made by yours truly:

1.       1952 Joe DiMaggio X

2.       1956 Ralph Kiner X

3.       1957 Bob Feller X

4.       1957 Phil Rizzuto X

5.       1957 Jackie Robinson X

6.       1961 Ted Williams X

7.       1962 Jackie Jensen X

8.       1964 Stan Musial X

9.       1964 Early Wynn X

10.   1965 Duke Snider X

11.   1966 Yogi Berra X

12.   1966 Warren Spahn X 

13.   1967 Sandy Koufax X

14.   1967 Robin Roberts X

15.   1968 Whitey Ford

16.   1969 Rocky Colavito X

17.   1969 Roger Maris 

18.   1969 Eddie Mathews

19.   1970 Don Drysdale X

20.   1972 Ernie Banks X

21.   1973 Maury Wills X

22.   1974 Willie Mays X 

23.   1977 Hank Aaron X

24.   1977 Frank Robinson X

25.   1978 Brooks Robinson X 

26.   1978 Jim Wynn

27.   1980 Lou Brock

28.   1980 Thuman Munson X

29.   1984 Johnny Bench X

30. 1984 Carl Yastrzemski X

To be Continued......

1965 Topps Duke Snider - 30 Tribute Card Project - Part 9

This part 9 of a continuing 30 tribute card project inspired by this article from Sports Collectors Daily. In previous posts I have shown 4 cards that Topps had produced and 15 cards that I have found on various blogs pages. Now I have my turn: 

In 1963 Duke Snider returned to New York and was the sole representative of the Mets in the All Star game. In 1964 he was purchased by the Giants where he finished his career. He was used mostly as a pinch hitter but at 38 years old the Duke of Flatbush could muster only a .210 average. Significantly lower than his lifetime .295 average. He retired at the end of the season

In 1964 Topps produced a card of Snider in a Mets uniform. In 2011 Bob Lemke made a nice looking 1964 card of him on the Giants.

 Here is the list so far. The Black X represents cards produced by Topps, The red X represents those made by other baseball card geeks, and now the blue X represents the cards made by yours truly:

1.       1952 Joe DiMaggio X

2.       1956 Ralph Kiner X

3.       1957 Bob Feller X

4.       1957 Phil Rizzuto X

5.       1957 Jackie Robinson X

6.       1961 Ted Williams X

7.       1962 Jackie Jensen X

8.       1964 Stan Musial X

9.       1964 Early Wynn X

10.   1965 Duke Snider X

11.   1966 Yogi Berra X

12.   1966 Warren Spahn 

13.   1967 Sandy Koufax X

14.   1967 Robin Roberts X

15.   1968 Whitey Ford

16.   1969 Rocky Colavito X

17.   1969 Roger Maris 

18.   1969 Eddie Mathews

19.   1970 Don Drysdale X

20.   1972 Ernie Banks X

21.   1973 Maury Wills X

22.   1974 Willie Mays X 

23.   1977 Hank Aaron X

24.   1977 Frank Robinson X

25.   1978 Brooks Robinson X 

26.   1978 Jim Wynn

27.   1980 Lou Brock

28.   1980 Thuman Munson X

29.   1984 Johnny Bench X

30. 1984 Carl Yastrzemski X

To be Continued......

1964 Topp Early Wynn - 30 Tribute Card Project - Part 8

This part 8 of a continuing 30 tribute card project inspired by this article from Sports Collectors Daily. In previous posts I have shown 4 cards that Topps had produced and 15 cards that I have found on various blogs pages. Now I have my turn:  

In the 1950s only 2 AL teams other than the Yankees saw post-season play. Both were managed by Hall of Famer Al Lopez and both had 20+ game winner and future Hall of Famer Early Wynn. At the age of 39 he won the Cy Young award. And he was a workhorse for the Go Go Sox, leading the league in Wins, Starts, Innings and Batters Faced. Like most of us, his performance declined steadily in his 40's and at the end of the 1962 season he was released by the White Sox with a career win total of 299. The Indians picked him up in mid-June and on July 13, 1963 he finally got his 300th victory. For the remainder of the season he was mostly used out of the bullpen. He would remain with the Indians as a coach through 1966.

 Here is the list so far. The Black X represents cards produced by Topps, The red X represents those made by other baseball card geeks, and the blue X represents the cards made by yours truly:

1.       1952 Joe DiMaggio X

2.       1956 Ralph Kiner X

3.       1957 Bob Feller X

4.       1957 Phil Rizzuto X
5.       1957 Jackie Robinson X

6.       1961 Ted Williams X

7.       1962 Jackie Jensen X

8.       1964 Stan Musial X

9.       1964 Early Wynn X

10.   1965 Duke Snider

11.   1966 Yogi Berra X

12.   1966 Warren Spahn 

13.   1967 Sandy Koufax X

14.   1967 Robin Roberts X

15.   1968 Whitey Ford

16.   1969 Rocky Colavito X

17.   1969 Roger Maris 

18.   1969 Eddie Mathews

19.   1970 Don Drysdale X

20.   1972 Ernie Banks X

21.   1973 Maury Wills X

22.   1974 Willie Mays X 

23.   1977 Hank Aaron X

24.   1977 Frank Robinson X

25.   1978 Brooks Robinson X 

26.   1978 Jim Wynn

27.   1980 Lou Brock

28.   1980 Thuman Munson X

29.   1984 Johnny Bench X

30. 1984 Carl Yastrzemski X

To be Continued......

1962 Topps Jackie Jensen - 30 Tribute Card Project - Part 7

This part 7 of a continuing 30 tribute card project inspired by this article from Sports Collectors Daily. In previous posts I have shown 4 cards that Topps had produced and 15 cards that I have found on various blogs pages. Now I have my turn: 

The Jackie Jensen story is an interesting one. He began his MLB career in the Yankees outfield but became expendable with the arrival of Mickey Mantle. He was traded to Washington early in the 1952 season then to Boston in 1954. In 1958 he was the AL MVP and in 1959 he was a Gold Glove award winner, led the league in RBI's, hit 28 HRs and had 20 stolen bases. Yet seemingly at the top of his game, he retired from baseball due in part by his crippling fear of flying. After sitting out in 1960, he returned in 1961 but his production at the plate dropped dramatically causing him to retire for good at the end of the season.  

Not only was there not a tribute card of Jensen in 1962 after his retirement in 1961, Topps also neglected to make a tribute card of Jensen in 1960 after his initial retirement in 1959. Fortunately, Bob Lemke was recently able to right this wrong. Click here for the link to Bob's 1960 Jackie Jensen card.

 Here is the list so far. The Black X represents cards produced by Topps, The red X represents those made by other baseball card geeks, and the blue X represents the cards made by yours truly:

1.       1952 Joe DiMaggio X

2.       1956 Ralph Kiner X

3.       1957 Bob Feller X

4.       1957 Phil Rizzuto X

5.       1957 Jackie Robinson X

6.       1961 Ted Williams X

7.       1962 Jackie Jensen X

8.       1964 Stan Musial X

9.       1964 Early Wynn

10.   1965 Duke Snider

11.   1966 Yogi Berra X

12.   1966 Warren Spahn 

13.   1967 Sandy Koufax X

14.   1967 Robin Roberts X

15.   1968 Whitey Ford

16.   1969 Rocky Colavito X

17.   1969 Roger Maris 

18.   1969 Eddie Mathews

19.   1970 Don Drysdale X

20.   1972 Ernie Banks X

21.   1973 Maury Wills X

22.   1974 Willie Mays X 

23.   1977 Hank Aaron X

24.   1977 Frank Robinson X

25.   1978 Brooks Robinson X 

26.   1978 Jim Wynn

27.   1980 Lou Brock

28.   1980 Thuman Munson X

29.   1984 Johnny Bench X

30. 1984 Carl Yastrzemski X

To be Continued......

1957 Topps Phil Rizzuto - 30 Tribute Card Project - Part 6

This part 6 of a continuing 30 tribute card project inspired by this article from Sports Collectors Daily. In previous posts I have shown 4 cards that Topps had produced and 15 cards that I have found on various blogs pages. This is my 2nd creation.

In my last blog I featured the Mets' long time broadcaster Ralph Kiner on a 1956 Topps card that never was. Today I cross the East River into the Bronx for the long time broadcaster of the Yankees, Phil Rizzuto.  Like Kiner, Rizzuto was absent from baseball while he served in the Navy during WWII. In 1955 the 37 year old Rizzuto saw his playing time drop dramatically. In August of 1956, a month before his 39th birthday, he was cut by the Yankees to make room for the addition of Enos Slaughter.

 Here is the list so far. The Black X represents cards produced by Topps, The red X represents those made by other baseball card geeks, and the blue X represents the cards made by yours truly:

1.       1952 Joe DiMaggio X

2.       1956 Ralph Kiner X

3.       1957 Bob Feller X

4.       1957 Phil Rizzuto X

5.       1957 Jackie Robinson X

6.       1961 Ted Williams X

7.       1962 Jackie Jensen

8.       1964 Stan Musial X

9.       1964 Early Wynn

10.   1965 Duke Snider

11.   1966 Yogi Berra X

12.   1966 Warren Spahn 

13.   1967 Sandy Koufax X

14.   1967 Robin Roberts X

15.   1968 Whitey Ford

16.   1969 Rocky Colavito X

17.   1969 Roger Maris 

18.   1969 Eddie Mathews

19.   1970 Don Drysdale X

20.   1972 Ernie Banks X

21.   1973 Maury Wills X

22.   1974 Willie Mays X 

23.   1977 Hank Aaron X

24.   1977 Frank Robinson X

25.   1978 Brooks Robinson X 

26.   1978 Jim Wynn

27.   1980 Lou Brock

28.   1980 Thuman Munson X

29.   1984 Johnny Bench X

30. 1984 Carl Yastrzemski X

To be Continued......

1956 Topps Ralph Kiner - 30 Tribute Card Project - Part 5

Good day and welcome to day 5. So far I've managed to find 19 of the 30 cards on the list that inspired me to take on this project. And so far I haven't had to make a single card. That ends now.

After serving as a Navy Pilot in WWII, Ralph Kiner began his Baseball career with the Pirates. Under the tutelage of future Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg, Kiner led the league in homers 7 consecutive years from his rookie season in 1946 until 1952. Kiner was traded to the Cubs in 1953 as part of a 10 player trade in part because of a salary dispute. Branch Rickey who was at that time the Pirates GM told him "We finished last with you, we can finish last without you." Kiner was traded to the Indians after the 1954 season. Back injuries limited him to 87 games with Cleveland in 1955 and at the age of 32 his playing days were over. 

He began his broadcasting career as a radio announcer on WCFL for the White Sox in 1961 but was taken in the expansion draft by the New York Mets and has been their broadcaster ever since. 

 Here is the list so far. The Black X represents cards produced by Topps, The red X represents those made by other baseball card geeks, and now the blue X represents the cards made by yours truly:

1.       1952 Joe DiMaggio X

2.       1956 Ralph Kiner X

3.       1957 Bob Feller X

4.       1957 Phil Rizzuto

5.       1957 Jackie Robinson X

6.       1961 Ted Williams X

7.       1962 Jackie Jensen

8.       1964 Stan Musial X

9.       1964 Early Wynn

10.   1965 Duke Snider

11.   1966 Yogi Berra X

12.   1966 Warren Spahn 

13.   1967 Sandy Koufax X

14.   1967 Robin Roberts X

15.   1968 Whitey Ford

16.   1969 Rocky Colavito X

17.   1969 Roger Maris 

18.   1969 Eddie Mathews

19.   1970 Don Drysdale X

20.   1972 Ernie Banks X

21.   1973 Maury Wills X

22.   1974 Willie Mays X 

23.   1977 Hank Aaron X

24.   1977 Frank Robinson X

25.   1978 Brooks Robinson X 

26.   1978 Jim Wynn

27.   1980 Lou Brock

28.   1980 Thuman Munson X

29.   1984 Johnny Bench X

30. 1984 Carl Yastrzemski X

To be Continued......

30 Tribute Card Project - Part 4

I am continuing on with the 30 tribute card project I started based on  this article on the Sports Collectors Daily website. In my last post, I was able to check 5 more off the list ( numbers 16,19,21,22 and 23)with cards created by other people on the web.

 Another repeat offender, Uncle Doc's Card Closet gives us #24 on the list. Frank Robinson is represented in the 1977 Topps set, but only as a manager on the team card. Just as in 1976, he didn't have a card that represented him as a player also. The minor issue I have with the 1977 cards on this list is that both the Robinson and the Hank Aaron card on my previous post are missing the facsimile signature.

This bright orange Brooks Robinson card come from When Topps Had (Base) Balls. This site actually has several final tribute cards and all are done beautifully but in the interest of giving other card creators their due, I limited it to #25 on the list. I encourage you to browse his site.

I can't help coming back to Keith Conforti. This Thurman Munson tribute card has appeared on several sites including The Virtual Card Collection. This is not only a brilliant tribute card, but a great concept, borrowed from the 1964 Ken Hubbs card. #28 just might be my favorite card that never was.

The Writer's Journey is one of my daily stops. Among other things The Writers Journey features several "Fun Cards". That is where I found #29 on the list. In 1984 Fleer was the only card company to include a Johnny Bench card.

Like Johnny Bench, Yaz was only include in the 1984 Fleer base set. #30 on the list is the 3rd card from Keith Conforti. Here is another link to his Picasa Web Album.

 Here is the list so far. The Black X represents cards produced by Topps, The red X represents those made by other baseball card geeks:

1.       1952 Joe DiMaggio X

2.       1956 Ralph Kiner

3.       1957 Bob Feller X

4.       1957 Phil Rizzuto

5.       1957 Jackie Robinson X

6.       1961 Ted Williams X

7.       1962 Jackie Jensen

8.       1964 Stan Musial X

9.       1964 Early Wynn

10.   1965 Duke Snider

11.   1966 Yogi Berra X

12.   1966 Warren Spahn 

13.   1967 Sandy Koufax X

14.   1967 Robin Roberts X

15.   1968 Whitey Ford

16.   1969 Rocky Colavito X

17.   1969 Roger Maris 

18.   1969 Eddie Mathews

19.   1970 Don Drysdale X

20.   1972 Ernie Banks X

21.   1973 Maury Wills X

22.   1974 Willie Mays X 

23.   1977 Hank Aaron X

24.   1977 Frank Robinson X

25.   1978 Brooks Robinson X 

26.   1978 Jim Wynn

27.   1980 Lou Brock

28.   1980 Thuman Munson X

29.   1984 Johnny Bench X

30. 1984 Carl Yastrzemski X

Now it's my turn.

To be Continued......

30 Tribute Card Project - Part 3

I am continuing on with the 30 tribute card project I started based on  this article on the Sports Collectors Daily website. In my last post, I was able to check 5 more off the list ( numbers 5,6,11,13 and 14) with cards created by other people on the web.

     The #16 card on the list give us the first repeat offender. White Sox Cards made this tribute card of Rocky Colavito. Colavito's last Topps card was a 1968 hat-less White Sox card that looks suspiciously like his 1964 hat-less K.C. Athletics card. Although he barely hit his weight on the Yankees, this seems a more fitting last card for a 9 time All Star.

  #19 comes from Punk Rock Paint which is just chock full of custom card goodness. Beyond just baseball cards, this site has produced cards from Star Wars, Lost, The Big Lebowski, etc. This Drysdale tribute comes from his "Shoulda Been" series.

   This Maury Wills tribute card was created for the Garvey-Cey-Russell-Lopes blog and is #21 on the list. What is even cooler is that the blogger sent his tribute card off the Maury Wills and got it back signed.

 

    Another repeat offender Dick Allen Hall of Fame gives us #22 on the list. This is another one of those cards that I has several versions to choose from. Mays actually had a card in the 1974 Topps set, but it was a World Series card, not regular issue.

    Just as there were several Willie Mays tribute cards, there were also several for #23 on the list, 1977 Topps Hank Aaron. This particular one comes from Punk Rock Paint again. Among other reasons, I had to give this one the nod for the choice of photography. It was "borrowed" from Steve's Baseball Photography Pages, an absolute favorite of mine.

  Here is the list so far. The Black X represents cards produced by Topps, The red X represents those made by other baseball card geeks:

1.       1952 Joe DiMaggio X

2.       1956 Ralph Kiner

3.       1957 Bob Feller X

4.       1957 Phil Rizzuto

5.       1957 Jackie Robinson X

6.       1961 Ted Williams X

7.       1962 Jackie Jensen

8.       1964 Stan Musial X

9.       1964 Early Wynn

10.   1965 Duke Snider

11.   1966 Yogi Berra X

12.   1966 Warren Spahn 

13.   1967 Sandy Koufax X

14.   1967 Robin Roberts X

15.   1968 Whitey Ford

16.   1969 Rocky Colavito X

17.   1969 Roger Maris 

18.   1969 Eddie Mathews

19.   1970 Don Drysdale X

20.   1972 Ernie Banks X

21.   1973 Maury Wills X

22.   1974 Willie Mays X 

23.   1977 Hank Aaron X

24.   1977 Frank Robinson 

25.   1978 Brooks Robinson 

26.   1978 Jim Wynn

27.   1980 Lou Brock

28.   1980 Thuman Munson 

29.   1984 Johnny Bench 

30. 1984 Carl Yastrzemski 

To be Continued......