This was a design that I really like. It has the full sized photos with just a simple white border similar to the 1957 Topps design. It also incorporates a very 60s-looking almost cartoonishly colorful team name and text bubble. Due to the players used in the prototype and the very 60s feel, I went with 1965 as my year of issue for this Alt set.
In what has become a typical quirk, the player named and the player in the photo don't match. The photo is Jim Fregosi taken from his 1963 card. The name used, however, is Dodgers first baseman, Wes Parker.
I made a card for each of these players. In my cleaned-up version I reduced the
size of the team name and text bubble. I think it gives a cleaner look and allows more of
the photo to show. I could not find a font that matched the one used in the prototype, so I improvised.
My base cards are the eventual MVPs and Cy Young award winner of the 1965 season. Mays And Versalles were the MVPs. As usual, I tried to keep the team colors similar to those used by Topps in 1965.
In 1965 there was still only one overall Cy Young award winner and that was Koufax. It wasn't until 1967 that there was one for each league. So through a little extrapolation, I included Eddie Fisher. Fisher went 15-7 with 24 saves. He led the league in games, appearing in nearly half of them at 80 games. He also led in pitching ratio with 0.974. Koufax was the unanimous choice for Cy Young in 1965, thus no other pitcher received any votes. In the AL Fisher was #4 in MVP voting, the highest among pitchers.
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I'm going to take requests on this set now rather than wait until after I've published the other elements of this set. That'll give me a little extra time to put them all together.
Nice work again! I'd like to request a custom Ken Harrelson (Kansas City Athletics).
ReplyDeleteThe Willie Mays is great!
ReplyDeleteWow, you're at it again!! This really hits the spot. 1965, pretty much the last innocent year of my life - so this is really in the zone! I always liked the 1965 design - but if anything this really has a more "60ish" feel to it. The 1965 design that we got seemed a bit more like a last gasp of the 50's. These pictures are perfect! I'll put in right here for a Warren Spahn. Hope you'll indulge a couple more from me in about "24" or so - I just can't think too well right now - I'm still in a bit of a state of shock over a lot of things. "Buzz" (Bryant)
ReplyDeleteExcellent looking cards. I know the 1965 set did not include all-star cards, but I would like to see what all-star cards might look like in this format. Harmon Killebrew for the AL and Pete Rose for the NL would be nice. If you don't want to do the all-star cards, just the regular issue cards for Killebrew and Rose would be great.
ReplyDeleteHow about a Minnie Minoso retirement #1 card
ReplyDeleteHow about Bob Miller of the Dodgers or Greg Goossen of the Mets?
ReplyDeleteThese look great!
ReplyDeleteCould we get a Dick Allen, maybe?
Wow!! Looks like I'm a bit late coming back to the party. The throng is here - great response - hope you'll have room for some of mine. Let's see, I did ask for a Spahn. However, how could I forget about #41 - the great one! Yep , I'm talkin about "The Cinderella Man" - Lou Johnson. I searched in vain for his card back in 65. This would have been great 7th series addition back then - if Topps would have just gotten off their collective duffs. Believe me this guy really lit things up in L.A. Back then, as of early May that year, I thought that the season was lost when 2 time batting champ Tommy Davis went down with a severely broken ankle. Then, out of nowhere this guy who had been overlooked and abused by the system steps up and is just totally clutch. God only knows how old he really was/is. He was routinely referred to by the media as the "30 year old rookie" back then. Like Minoso, various birth dates (here ranging from 1932 to 1934) have been bandied about. But, since he was once a member of the Kansas City Monarchs who really knows? Younger readers of this blog may wonder what my over the top fandom is all about when it comes to this player, after all he hit .259 with 12 dingers (tied for the team lead) and (about) 58 RBI's - no great shakes (especially by today's standards). I'm telling you this guy just flat out hustled every minute as he finally got his chance. Going up against a totally awesome S.F. Giants' team I doubt that the Dodgers would have ever made it (to the W.S.) without this guy. I could go on and on with lots of specifics like the serious beaning he took early in the season and his overall play in Koufax's perfect game in September (and many others). Anyway Lou finally did get some Dodger cards in 66 & 67. I'm betting that you can improve upon Topps largely side profile mug shots with a good one that shows a bat, or a glove and at least most of that precious Dodger uni. thanks again "Buzz" (Bryant)
ReplyDeleteI think I got you covered, Buzz. It's funny that you mention the Monarchs. Stay tuned...
DeleteI like this design, although I'd hate to replace the '65 Topps design, which was the best of the 60's imho. The Cardinals and A's had black cards in 1965. I wonder if you did a Cardinal or Athletic here, how the black team name would show up against the background. That Willie Mays you have here with the dark purple team name doesn't have good contrast with its background.
ReplyDeleteThe 1965 set is one of my favorites. I'm not implying that these mock-ups would have been better, worse or otherwise. It is simply a fun little project. And you are correct, I would have to find a secondary color for the A's or Cardinals. Black would not work on this concept. But it looks GREAT on the real 65s!
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