World Series, All Star and Leaders Cards
As I finish out the 1968 sub-sets, I think Topps missed the boat by not making this into a real set. The stars design adapts well to multiple sub-sets. For the World Series cards I swapped the oval out for a Shield (borrowed from 1978 Topps All-Stars).
For the All-Stars, I went horizontal. Same as the real 1968 set but I borrowed the B/W action background from the 1969 Topps All-Stars.
I used a couple of my favorite outfielders from that ERA. Sweet-swinging Billy Williams and Hondo.
Unlike the real 1968 Topps, this set used a variation of the much-used vertical format for the leaders cards.
I couldn't have 1968 leader cards without Yaz, who won the triple-crown in 1967.
Excellent cards. What a year for Yaz! This card also includes my favorite player - Killebrew!
ReplyDeleteAwesome job!
ReplyDeleteOutstanding work!
ReplyDeleteThis stuff just keeps getting better!! The oval and rectangles complement each other well. Also, it looks like you ever so slightly "shrunk" the band at the top that carries the string of stars. Good move, as it makes them less overbearing. The leader cards came out even better than the rookies.The one WORLD SERIES card is a big improvement over Topps. This really should have been a production offering...let's just put you in charge of Topps. Hoping that you will signal that you will accept a few requests for this "ALT SET" Buzz (Bryant)
ReplyDeleteThanks all for the nice comments. And I did forget to mention requests. If anybody is interested, I will always do a few requests. I will try to add them before the end of the month.
ReplyDeleteI know you have Yaz and Killebrew on the leader cards, but I would like to see their All Star cards.
ReplyDeleteOK, now that the "prolate spheeroid" stuff is mostly decided it's back to the real fun. Yep, it's that old "Buzz" (Bryant) guy with a request...or 2, (or even more)! My first request should meet with near universal approval by all true fans. OK, it is for yet one more Mantle. while this might also draw a few yawns, I do believe that we have a chance for some real uniqueness here. We are talking about 1968 -his last year. It looks that from opening day 67 until the end that when he was in the field he was stationed on the "initial sack"(this due to mobility and safety issues). If you happened to have a "workable" picture of him with one of those big 1st base "trappers"; well then I think that would make a nice "conversation piece". So, we would have Mickey Mantle -1st Baseman!................next, here comes the real stretch...I'm going to ask you to consider making a "card that never was" to fill a niche for a season that never developed (for this particular player) to put into a "set sampler" that will forever stay in cyberspace (i.e. AlT)!! So who is this? well he appeared in MLB box scores from 1962 through 1974, and Topps had him covered from 1964 through 1973. He is MIA though in both cases in 1968. His 1967 season was spent with the Yankees. However, his .196 B.A.,.235 SLG and rather poor fielding (1967 only) ticketed him to AAA (Syracuse)for 1968. His place was then taken by Bobby Cox. 50 years ago I looked in vain for his card - which would have been the only one to show him as a Yankee. Well, he perservered, and was rescued by expansion. Seattle took him and he improved a bit. By 1970 he found the tonic that he probably needed all along. He just needed to get closer to Brookline MA!! Esconced in the friendly confines of Fenway he was up to .276 by 1971 (definitely respectable). So it didn't last forever - but what does? You've already probably guessed that it was a "super sub" that shared the name and birthdate (May 29th) with our 35th president. This then was John E. Kennedy (as opposed to JFK). I always get a bit of an erie feeling when looking at his Red Sox cards. His early (Wash. & L.A.) cards show him with blond hair, but with age it darkened somewhat, enhancing an already more than passing resemblance. Talk about Twilight Zone and One Step Beyond! If you know anything about "String Theory"; well perhaps I extrapolate too much. While doing the research to (hopefully) rationalize this request I found that the man sadly just passed this last summer at 77 ...just one more piece (along with many others) of my long gone youth that are (GWTW). Feel free to delete this "post" if it burns up too much space. "Buzz"
ReplyDeleteOMG! It's the zero hour, and I see that Mr. Bill White and myself are the only 2 lodging requests. I sure don't want to "hog" the request line but in case you wanted to address some of the "gaps" in the 1968 record, well I'm all too happy to toss out some ideas. 1968 was a year, in every realm, that featured "disconnects' and anomolies. Baseball wise here are a few: Jim Bunning - a Pittsburgh Pirate? Ken Boyer and Rocky Colavito, Dodgers? Johnny Roseboro a Twin? Either due to indifference, or just plain laziness (or perhaps difficulties with the players' assoc.) we never got proper 1968 cards of these players. Similarly Ken"The Hawk"Harrelson is probably most remembered for his impact on the 67 & 68 Red Sox; but you'd never know that Topps cared to come up with a decent picture. There are others, but, I don't want to push my luck!!! Really, if you only have the time to to take care of Mr.White (Yaz & "Killer") and my first two I'll still be very glad. Similarly, if anybody else comes up with some cool ideas by the stroke of midnight 1/31/19 then I hope you can slot them in even before mine. Sincerely "Buzz" (Bryant)
ReplyDeleteBuzz, congrats on making the comment section more readable (and lengthier) than the blog post itself. It's been a busy month but I got you covered. 1 exception, Boyer was on the southside to start 1968. So rather than Dodger blue, I have him in whatever the color the Palehose were wearing back then.
ReplyDelete