Three loose ends

I had a few small projects to put a handful of cards on a theme together in my binder, and it seems like for all of these I had one card missing.  These just arrived in my COMC box.

Burt Shotton.

I posted about the book Electric October, covering the 1947 World Series.  The book says that it's told through the lens of six not-famous major leaguers, although it does it admit that one of them is a bit more famous given that he's a Hall-of-Famer (Bucky Harris).  I tried to get cards of all of them but couldn't find a good card of one, Bill Bevens.  But I showed the Harris, Snuffy Stirnweiss, Al Gionfriddo, and Cookie Lavagetto cards that I picked up.  The only one missing, then, was this, a Target Dodgers Burt Shotton.  You learn in the book that Shotton was the last manager to manage in a suit rather than the uniform -- he very slightly outlasted Connie Mack in that respect (by a few hours).
 

Sherm Lollar.

Another project I had was to make a page of cards of teams that no longer are.  I've shown some Seattle Pilots, Philadelphia Athletics, Kansas City Athletics, and Colt .45s, (and of course some others like Milwaukee Braves, New York Giants, and Brooklyn Dodgers), and at least one Boston Brave (although the Sam Jethroe is PSA-graded and so not for the binder).  But I noticed I didn't seem to have any St. Louis Browns.  I picked out this Sherm Lollar since he was a notable player of the day and I even had another card of him already (with the White Sox by then).  Of course an ideal St. Louis Browns card would be the 1953 Topps Satchel Paige, but even if not for the expense, the misspelling of his name ("Satchell") bugs me enough that I won't try to get one.

Edward G. Robinson.

Robinson card back.

I don't go for non-sports, or even non-baseball, much (please excuse the main exception in my collection, the circa-1990 Marvel and DC superhero cards from my youth).  But I posted about the movie Big Leaguer before, and got a handful of cards to remember that: Carl Hubbell, Mel Ott, and Freddie Fitzsimmons, and the main character, Hans Lobert.  Lobert was played in the movie by movie star Edward G. Robinson, so I thought I would get a Robinson to go next to Lobert.  I picked up this 1939 Milky Way card.  The card says that Mars Confections are manufactured in Slough, which surely makes this card from England.  It's probably unique in my collection in that respect.  It's also tied for my oldest card, along with the 1939 Play Ball Gus Suhr I posted recently.  I guess Robinson makes the second movie star in my binder, after Kevin Costner.
 

Thanks for reading!

1990 Topps Minis #55: Glenn Davis

It's been about 10 months since I featured any of the 1990 Topps Mini League Leaders cards, but there's no time like the present to resume the series.  We last had John Franco of the Reds, and now we're on to Houston with Glenn Davis.

#55, Glenn Davis.

Davis was a slugging first baseman for a few years, hitting at least 20 home runs per year between 1985 and 1990.  Having started with Houston in 1984, he closed out his career with Baltimore in 1993.  He finished second in NL MVP voting in 1986, when his Astros lost the NLCS to the Mets.  Number one in the NL MVP voting that year was Mike Schmidt, winning his third and final NL MVP award.

Glenn Davis card back.

To get into this league leaders set, Davis tied for third in home runs with 34 in 1989.  He was 7th in RBI and slugging.  Numbers one and two in the NL home run race were Kevin Mitchell and Howard Johnson, and Eric Davis tied with Glenn for third place.

That's all for now.  Thanks for reading!

A few 1994 Oscar Mayer discs

At some point I saw another blogger post some of these 1994 Oscar Mayer pop-up discs.  I don't remember who or when; it was a while ago now.  But I wanted a few for myself.

Kirby Puckett.

Kirby Puckett disc back.

These are from 1994, when I was still just barely collecting.  I don't typically pick up post-1994 items, so these are just within my usual limits.  I only wanted a few, and Kirby Puckett is a good choice for me.  I have had two of his 1985 Topps rookie cards for a long, long time, and they have pride of place in my main binder.

Ruben Sierra.

Ruben Sierra disc back.

Ruben Sierra was one of the many important rookie cards in the 1987 Topps set; in the time I was watching, he played with the Rangers and A's.  Over the next years he also played with the Yankees, Tigers, Reds, Blue Jays, White Sox, Rangers again, Mariners, Rangers again, Yankees again, and Twins, topping 2000 career hits.

Andy Van Slyke.

Andy Van Slyke disc back.

Then there's Andy Van Slyke, who was very important to me in the late 80s/early 90s as a Pirates fan.  I didn't buy just one Van Slyke, though.  In the interest of having my cake and eating it too, I bought one to keep as it came and one to open up.

Popped up.

A few lines of stats.

I didn't want to open it wrong, so I practiced first.  I bought my friend the Mets fan a Lenny Dykstra disc, and we opened it together.  We did it a little wrong, tearing it in one place.  So then I knew how to open this Van Slyke.  Inside there are stats for the most recent five years.

Trivia question.

Trivia answer.

There's also a trivia question and answer that pops out.  Who won the most Gold Gloves?  Brooks Robinson, of course.  But also Jim Kaat, I think, who wasn't mentioned.  But not anymore, thanks to Greg Maddux.

Thanks for reading!

1990 Bowman sweepstakes inserts

I posted my 1989 Bowman sweepstakes inserts the other day.  I have a bunch from 1990 as well, which feature current players drawn in the style of some old Bowman cards. 

Will Clark.

Sweepstakes card back.

The card back is the sweepstakes entry, with which you could have won a set of the lithographs.  The card backs also come with two varieties -- there's one small asterisk at the bottom left here, and the other version has two asterisks.

Mark Davis.

Gregg Olson.

I don't really remember Mark Davis, but he won the 1989 NL Cy Young award, after leading the NL with 44 saves.  His career continued through 1997, but he didn't have another notable season after that.  Gregg Olson was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1989.  The main reason I remember him is that I got his autograph at one of the shows that Dad and I went to back then.  Olson is the Orioles' all-time saves leader and is in the Orioles' Hall of Fame

Dwight Gooden.

Bo Jackson.

Then we have Dwight Gooden and Bo Jackson.  Gooden was amazing when he debuted but of course he didn't stay at his peak, with his problems.  In 1989 he went 9-4, only pitching in 19 games.  (There's an error and a corrected version of the Gooden, since the text on the card back originally had a missing line.  But I didn't check which verion I have.)  And Bo Jackson was a big deal until all of a sudden it was over.  In 1989, Jackson was an All-Star and finished 10th in the MVP voting, while leading the AL in strikeouts with 172.  He had a decent 1990 before things ended, more or less, in 1991 (of course he did come back briefly a couple of years later).

Bret Saberhagen.

Don Mattingly.

I've posted a bunch of Don Mattingly because he was such a staple of small sets back then.  It was unthinkable that he wouldn't end up in the Hall of Fame back then, but it's hard to tell who will have the staying power.  And I didn't follow Saberhagen closely since he was in the AL, playing with a team that wasn't in the postseason, but he was then a two-time Cy Young winner.

Nolan Ryan.

Kevin Mitchell.

Robin Yount.

I have all but one of this set, it turns out.  Here we have Nolan Ryan, Kevin Mitchell, and Robin Yount.  But the one I am missing is Jerome Walton of the Cubs, the 1989 NL Rookie of the Year.

Thanks for reading!

1990 Topps Minis #54: John Franco

We're back today with another of the 1990 Topps mini league leaders, this time John Franco.  Franco is pictured with the Reds but left them to spend 1990 with the Mets.  Too bad, of course, since those 1990 Reds did ok.

#54, John Franco

Franco had a long career, 22 years, with only three teams: the Reds, the Mets, and then briefly with the Astros.  He was a premier reliever of the day, leading the NL in saves in 1988, 1990, and 1994.  With his long relief career all in the National League, he's the NL all-time leader in games pitched.
Currently fifth on the all-time saves list with 424, he was in second place when he retired.  Franco is in the Mets Hall of Fame.

John Franco card back.

To get into this league leaders set, Franco placed third in the NL in saves in 1989 with 32, and also was 7th in the NL in games finished with 50.

Thanks for reading!

1990 Topps Minis #53: Eric Davis

Today we have our next installment of the 1990 Topps Mini League Leaders set, with card #53, Eric Davis of the Reds.

#53, Eric Davis.

Eric Davis was a huge star at the time, and I was always very happy to have one of his rookie cards in my collection.  It was off-center, but that was ok -- it may have been out of my price range otherwise.  There was a story once that Davis was having drug problems and he always denied it.  His potential was limited, though, by injuries/illnesses, most dramatically the kidney laceration he got in the 1990 World Series and the colon cancer that interrupted his 1997 season.

Eric Davis card back.

In 1989, Davis tied for third in home runs with 34 and tied for 4th in RBI with 101.  He also placed 4th in the NL in slugging with .541.  He was an All-Star and won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger.

Thanks for reading!  Next up is John Franco of the Reds, and then a couple of Astros.

1990 Topps Minis #51: Ryne Sandberg

We have another of the 1990 Topps Mini League Leaders today, which is also another single-card Ryne Sandberg post after yesterday's 1992 Slurpee disc.

#51, Ryne Sandberg.

Speaking as someone who is more or less a Phillies fan, Ryne Sandberg always feels like the "one who got away."  The late 80s Phillies were terrible, so if they had Sandberg maybe they would have just been terrible but with a good second baseman.

Ryne Sandberg card back.

Sandberg (and the Cubs) had a good year in 1989.  He made his way into this league leaders set by tying for first in runs with 104, and placing fifth in both hits and home runs.

Thanks for reading!

One more 1992 Slurpee disc

I made a couple posts before of what I thought were all my Slurpee discs; I split them into my discs from 1992 and those from 1985-1991.  I also showed a 1982 Slurpee cups checklist I bought recently.  I grew up down the street from a 7-Eleven, and that's where I bought a huge number of my 1987 Topps cards when I started seriously collecting cards, in 6th grade.

1992 Slurpee Ryne Sandberg disc.

We moved out of that house in 1988, and I no longer had convenient access to Slurpees.  But by 1992 I was driving, and could get myself to a 7-Eleven.  So I have a bunch of 1992 discs. 

I got all my cards back from my parents' house a couple of years ago, and left behind some related stuff like wrappers and Donruss puzzle pieces.  I was going through that other stuff just recently and found this Sandberg disc had slipped in.  It's now back with the cards where it belongs.

Disc back.

The 1992 Slurpee discs are branded Score, while earlier ones may have been made by the same company but were unbranded.  I also bought some of my first Score cards at that same 7-Eleven, when they came out in 1988.

Thanks for reading!

1990 Topps Minis #50: Greg Maddux

We now resume our series of blogging the 1990 Topps Mini League Leaders set, today with Greg Maddux of the Cubs.  We're at card #50 out of 88, so we've started I think we've made some substantial progress through the set.

#50, Greg Maddux.

I was watching the Bucs lose yet another game on TV the other day, and Cardinals pitching coach Mike Maddux came out at one point.  I used to see Mike Maddux play at the Vet, when he was on the Phillies from 1986-1989.  Turned out Mike had a more-talented younger brother.

Greg Maddux card back.

Greg Maddux made it into this set by placing second in wins in the NL in 1989 with 19.  Maddux would lead the NL in wins for the first time in 1992, still with the Cubs, and twice later with the Braves.  That's all en route to his career 355-227 record.

Thanks for reading!  A couple more Cubs are next in this series.

Two more oversized cards

A little while ago, I showed some oversized cards I got in a recent COMC box.  But I forgot a couple, which I had put away in a different place.  So here those other two are.

1991 Pepsi Bobby Bonilla.

This card checks a couple of boxes for me -- I loved watching those early 1990s Pirates division winners, and I love Pepsi and Pepsi products.  But this is a terrible card!  The logo-less uniform and the largely empty stripes at the bottom, and the can of Pepsi being tossed into the glove just don't work.  And the fact that it's oversized seems like an accident -- it's slightly too wide, making it seem like they didn't investigate what the standard baseball card size was before they manufactured them.

1984 Smokey Bear Garry Templeton.

These Smokey Bear cards are always oversized, but maybe not always the same size.  This looks like it's my fourth (and probably last) Smokey card; my previous ones are of John Candelaria, Tony Pena, and Brian Downing.  Candelaria and Pena are two of my favorite players, while Downing and Templeton I like but chose the cards somewhat arbitrarily.

Thanks for reading!

A St. Louis Wolves card

This is the only Action Packed card in my collection; I picked it up on COMC a few months ago.  I don't remember Action Packed although my original period of collecting did last long enough for them to have appeared.

Who's on first?

Like many baseball fans, the Who's on First routine has a special place in my heart.  So I thought I would see if there are any cards to commemorate it, and sure enough, there are one or two.  This one is great for showing Bud Abbott in a St. Louis Wolves baseball uniform.

Card back.

The back includes the known lineup, including infrequently mentioned players I Don't Care, Tomorrow, Today, Why, and Because.

Thanks for reading!

A Ralph Branca card

I bought a lot of these Pacific Legends back in the 80s.  I've talked about this before, but I'll mention it again here because it's so emblematic of the 1980s baseball card world.  Everyone, everyone wanted to get in on selling baseball cards back then.  My dad noticed that the gas station near his office had a big card section, so he would take me there sometimes to see what they had.  They carried some more offbeat things that I didn't see other places, like the umpire cards I posted once.  And I bought my packs of Pacific Legends and Swell Baseball Greats there.  The place still exists, but it's an ordinary gas station, meaning that in 2019 they don't sell any baseball cards.

Pacific Legends Ralph Branca.

Since I have a bunch of these Pacific Legends and even some unopened packs, I don't really look to buy many of them anymore.  But I wanted a Ralph Branca card, and there aren't that many options.  There are a few old Bowman and early Topps cards, but I decided to pay much less and go for the Pacific.

I've said before that I have a certain fascination with the Brooklyn Dodgers, and that accounts for part of wanting Branca in my collection.  But also he threw the pitch in the "Shot Heard 'Round the World," in which the Giants capped a remarkable late-season comeback to win the NL pennant over Brooklyn.  (I grew up watching M*A*S*H on TV, and this classic baseball moment made it into the episode "A War for All Seasons.")  It's a shame to find out that this, one of baseball's most celebrated home runs, was rooted in the Giants systematically stealing signs using a telescope and a buzzer.

Thanks for reading!

1990 Topps Minis #49: Mark Grace

We have another of the 1990 Topps Mini League Leaders today, with #49 Mark Grace.  Grace is the second of five Cubs in the set; as P-Town Tom pointed out on Monday's post of Mike Bielecki, the 1989 Cubs had a good year, winning the NL East.  It would be until 2003 that they won their division again.

#49, Mark Grace.

Mark Grace was in his second season, and was a big deal in the baseball card world.  He was a 1988 Donruss Rated Rookie and made the 1989 Topps All-Star Rookie Team.  He was featured in all sorts of boxed sets and rookie sets at the time.  Grace finished second in the 1988 NL Rookie of the Year voting to Chris Sabo.  Since I stopped watching baseball in 1994, I didn't know what happened to him, but I see now that he went on to be part of the 2001 champion Diamondbacks team. 

Mark Grace card back.

Grace made his way into this league leaders set by finishing 4th in the NL in batting average and 4th in on-base percentage, while also placing seventh in walks.

More Cubbies for the next few installments.  Thanks for reading!

1990 Topps Minis #48: Mike Bielecki

We have another of the 1990 Topps Mini League Leaders today, now in Chicago with the Cubs.  Today's leader is pitcher Mike Bielecki.

#48, Mike Bielecki.

Bielecki started out with the Pirates in 1984, and moved to the Cubs in 1988.  He later played with the Braves, Indians, Braves again, Angels, and Braves again.  He put together a career 70-73 record with a 4.18 ERA.

Mike Bielecki card back.

In 1989, Bielecki got some Cy Young votes, tying for third in the NL with 18 wins.  This was clearly his best season.

Thanks for reading!

1990 Topps Minis #47: John Smoltz

We have another of our 1990 Topps Mini League Leaders today, with the second card from the NL, still with the Atlanta Braves after Monday's Lonnie Smith, John Smoltz.

#47, John Smoltz.

In 1989, the Braves weren't so great.  They were in the NL West back then, and finished in last place with a 63-97 record.  They finished last again in 1990 with a 65-97 record.  It wasn't until 1991 that they started to take off, but John Smoltz, one of the cornerstones of their dynastic rotation, started with the Braves in 1988.

John Smoltz card back.

Smoltz made his way into this league leaders set by placing third in the NL in batting average against, as hitters only hit .212 against him in 1989.

That's all for today; next up we go to Chicago (NL) and Mike Bielecki.  Thanks for reading!

Three Clementes and a Van Slyke

Just a quick post showing off four Pirate oddballs.

TCMA Clemente.

Nestle Clemente.

I want a bunch of Roberto Clemente cards in my collection, with two caveats: no cards calling him "Bob" rather than his name, "Roberto," and also no cards manufactured after 1994.  So I don't think there are that many to choose from.  But I picked up a couple more, this TCMA card of him from a 1960 Pirates set, and this logo-less Nestle card from the 80s.

Pacific Clemente.

Procter & Gamble Van Slyke.

I have many Pacific Legends cards, and used to buy them in wax packs when they were originally out.  But I never pulled a Clemente back then, it seems.  So I went out and got one now.  Then I decided to get another Andy Van Slyke oddball as well, since I was a fan back in the day.  I didn't ever know about this Procter & Gamble set in the 90s when it came out, and now it's the only card I have from it.  It looks very much of its time.

Thanks for reading!