Topps All-Star Misses: 1959 AL Battery

    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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Early Wynn:

• 
  1958 All Star reserve.  Got the Win.
• 1959 Cy Young Award winner.
• Started 1959 All Star Game 1.
• 1959 All Star Game 2 reserve.
• Selected to 1959 Sporting News All Star team.
• Led AL with 22 wins in 1959.
• 3rd in MVP voting 1959.

Billy O'Dell:

• 1958 All Star reserve.  Got the Save.
• 1st Lefty to appear in 1958 ASG.
• 1959 All Star Game 2 reserve. 
• 1st Lefty to appear in 1959 ASG 2.
• Best AL Strikeout to Walk Ratio in 1958.

Sherm Lollar:

• 
  1958 & 1959 Gold Glove.
• 1958 & 1959 All Star Reserve.
• Selected to 1959 Sporting News All Star team.
• 9th in 1958 MVP voting.
• 9th in 1959 MVP voting. 

Who probably didn't merit inclusion in the 1961 Topps All-Star set, but was in it anyway?

Billy Pierce:

Once again, I gotta call out my own team, another White Sox player.  Billy Pierce was an All Star reserve in both 1959 and 1959 but never left the bullpen. He also wasn't selected to the Sporting News All Star team in either of those years.

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.

Topps All-Star Misses: 1961 AL Infield

  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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Norm Cash:

• Named to 1961 Sporting News All Star team.
• Started both 1961 MLB All Star games.
• Led AL with .361 batting average in 1961.
• 4th in 1961 MVP voting.

Pete Runnels:

• Started both 1960 MLB All Star games.
• Led AL with .320 batting average in 1960.
• 17th in 1960 MVP voting.

Bobby Richardson:

• Named to 1961 Sporting News All Star team.
• Won Gold Glove in 1961.
• 24th in 1961 MVP voting.

Tony Kubek:

• Named to 1961 Sporting News All Star team.
• Started in 1961 MLB All Star Game 1.
• Reserve in 1961 All Star Game 2.
• 11th in 1960 MVP voting.

Ron Hansen:

• 1960 AL Rookie of the Year.
• Started both 1960 MLB All Star games.
• 5th in 1960 MVP voting.

Frank Malzone:

• Started both 1960 MLB All Star games.
• Led AL in Double-Plays turned at 3B from 1957-1961.

Who probably didn't merit inclusion in the 1961 Topps All-Star set, but was in it anyway?

Nellie Fox:

As much as it pains this White Sox fan, the 1959 MVP just doesn't belong.  He was an All Star reserve in both 1960 games and both 1961 games.  However, he wasn't a Sporting News All Star either year. Nor did he start any of the 4 All Star games in 1960 or 1961.

Topps All-Star Misses: 1962 NL Battery

 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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With the 1962 set there were a lot of All Stars to choose from.  In 1961 MLB was still running 2 All Star Games each season. Game 2 actually ended on a tie. It was the first tie game in All Star history and it was due to rain.  The only other tie was Bud Selig's 2002 fiasco.

Sandy Koufax:

• 
  Although not a starter in either 1961 ASGs, he was the first lefty to come in relief in game 2.
• All Star reserve in 1961 and 1961. 
• 18th in 1961 MVP voting.
• 24th in 1962 MVP voting.
• Led NL with 269 Ks in 1961.

Bob Purkey:

• Starting pitcher in 1961 AS Game 2.
• All Star reserve in 1961 ASG 1.
• All Star reserve in both 1962 ASGs.
• 1962 Sporting News All Star RHP.
• 3rd in Cy Young voting 1962.
• 8th in 1962 NL MVP voting 1962.

Smoky Burgess:

• Staring Catcher in both 1961 ASGs
• 1961 Sporting News All Star

Del Crandall:

• 1962 Sporting News All Star.
• Missed most of 1961 due to shoulder injury.
• Starting Catcher in bot 1962 ASGs.
• 1962 Gold Glove.

Who probably didn't merit inclusion in the 1962 Topps All-Star set, but was in it anyway?

Johnny Roseboro

Roseboro was a Gold Glove in 1961 and was 19th in MVP voting in 1961. He was a back-up catcher in both 1961 and both 1962 ASGs.  But because he was not selected to the Sporting News All Star team in 1961 or 1962 nor was he a starter in either of those seasons, his inclusion is questionable.

Topps All-Star Misses: 1968 AL 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).

************************************************

Ken Harrelson

• 
  1968 "Sporting News" All Star
• 1968 MLB ASG reserve
• Led AL in RBIs 1968
• 3rd in AL MVP voting 1968

Frank Howard

• 
  1968 "Sporting News" All Star
• 1968 MLB ASG starter
• Led AL in HRs, Slugging and Total Bases 1968
• 8th in AL MVP voting 1968

Willie Horton

• 
  1968 "Sporting News" All Star
• 1968 MLB ASG starter
• 4th in AL MVP voting 1968
• Had career highs in HRs and Slugging % in 1968

Tony Conigliaro

• 1967 MLB ASG starter
• Did not play 1968 season because of injuries

Who probably didn't merit inclusion in the 1968 Topps All-Star set, but was in it anyway?

Frank Robinson:

Although a reserve All Star in 1967, injuries in late 1967 and 1968 caused him to have career lows in most batting categories in 1968.  He was neither a 1967 ASG starter nor named to the 1968 Sporting News All Star team.  Fortunately the Hall of Famer returned to form in 1969.