#20 Jim Bunning

I’m chugging towards the finish line, and this is the first card in a batch of five that John Reid sent me back in February. I believe Jim Bunning is the only U.S. Senator in this set.Fun facts about Jim Bunning:-A native of Southgate, KY, Jim was a te…

Continue reading about #20 Jim Bunning »

Here’s the other card that I obtained through Topps’ Million Card Giveaway thingamajig. Using one of my code cards, I unlocked a 1963 Jerry Kindall. First I swapped it for a 1963 Billy O’Dell, and after careful consideration, I traded the O’Dell for We…

Continue reading about #344 Wes Parker »

Okay, one last card from December’s “pack” from Randy. You may have noticed that all five of these players were very good at baseball. If you were a kid in 1965 and you got a pack with Tony Oliva, Hoyt Wilhelm, Joe Torre, Norm Cash, and Gil Hodges, you…

Continue reading about #340 Tony Oliva »

This is a card that I’m particularly excited to have. I wonder if Hoyt Wilhelm ever got tired of posing for photos while exhibiting his knuckleball grip. I mean, it is the pitch that made him famous.Fun facts about Hoyt Wilhelm:-Hoyt was born in Hunter…

Continue reading about #276 Hoyt Wilhelm »

Hey Joe, whaddaya know? For the younger fans out there, let this card serve as proof that Joe Torre didn’t lose his good looks with age.Fun facts about Joe Torre:-Joe was born in Brooklyn, NY and signed with the Braves as a teenager in 1960. His father…

Continue reading about #200 Joe Torre »

Norm Cash appears to be posing in front of his parents’ country home. I guess spring training facilities have changed a lot over the last 50 years.Fun facts about Norm Cash:-A native of Justiceburg, TX, Norm starred in both football and baseball at Sul…

Continue reading about #153 Norm Cash »

We are zooming right through the backlog of posts, and now we come to Christmas 2010. I filled some 2010 Topps needs for Randy, and asked for a few 1965 Topps in return. To my surprise, he sent a “pack” of 1965 Topps: five cards from my want list and&n…

Continue reading about #99 Gil Hodges »

Hey, here’s a rarity for this set: a card that I outright bought. Last September I was performing in a play at my alma mater, and I went on a stroll through historic downtown Chestertown with my friends. There was a secondhand/gift shop selling all mat…

Continue reading about #205 Warren Spahn »

Wait a minute…”Katt”? Yep, this is one of the most glaring errors in the set. I’d be willing to give Topps a pass if “Kitty” wasn’t already an All-Star and a three-time Gold Glover when this card was made. Oh well, nobody’s perfect.Fun facts about Ji…

Continue reading about #62 Jim Kaat »

We’re starting this week with a couple of cards that I got from Ed, the only reader of this blog who has hand-delivered cards to my front door. Talk about service!For some reason, Topps always used to label the league leaders in wins as “pitching leade…

Continue reading about #10 NL Pitching Leaders: Larry Jackson, Juan Marichal, and Ray Sadecki »

Let’s end Rick Rodriguez Week with Johnny Roseboro. Thanks again, Rick!Fun facts about John Roseboro:-John was born in Ashland, OH and signed with the Dodgers out of high school in 1952.-The Dodgers called him up in June 1957, and he backed up Roy Camp…

Continue reading about #405 John Roseboro »

I know I’m the guy who’s supposed to provide the facts around here, but I find myself wondering what the inscription “A102″ on Joe Amalfitano’s bat means. Anyone?Fun facts about Joe Amalfitano:-Joe was born in San Pedro, CA and attended Loyola Marymoun…

Continue reading about #402 Joe Amalfitano »

Does anyone know why they called Robert Dale Taylor “Hawk”? An inquiring mind wants to know.Fun facts about Hawk Taylor:-A native of Metropolis, IL, Hawk received a $100,000 signing bonus from the Braves in 1957.-Forced by bonus baby rules to remain on…

Continue reading about #329 Hawk Taylor »

I’m back from a short getaway to my family’s cottage in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and I’m diving into a four-card package from Rick Rodriguez. Last August, Rick sent me these cards as thanks for allowing him to use some excerpts from this blog on his …

Continue reading about #22 Charlie Smith »

This is the first of two 1965 Topps cards that I acquired via trades on Topps’ Million Card Giveaway site, last year’s version of the Diamond Giveaway. I entered a code card that was pulled from a pack of 2010 Topps, and was awarded a 1964 Topps Wade B…

Continue reading about #30 Jim Bouton »

Campy! Rookie Trophy! Did you know that his birth name is “Dagoberto”? That’s pretty awesome. This sharp-looking card comes from Pirates fan Dan M. He also sent me some unmarked checklists as upgrades, and a few vintage Orioles to fill some needs. Than…

Continue reading about #266 Bert Campaneris »

Uh-oh, Mad Max is back with another Hall of Famer! Frankly, I’m just happy to get back to one player per card. I’ve been stretching myself awfully thin, don’t ya know. If you’re keeping track of my progress in posting, this card arrived from Max in Nov…

Continue reading about #207 Pete Rose »

I received this card as part of a generous gift from Dean of Dean’s Cards. He also sent along some vintage Orioles that I needed, and all he asked for in return was a link exchange. You can check out his blog here. Thanks, Dean!This is a bittersweet po…

Continue reading about #3 AL Home Run Leaders: Harmon Killebrew, Boog Powell, and Mickey Mantle »

And so we come to the penultimate card in the 1965 Topps set, which also happens to be the last card in the awesome bundle sent by Max. Thanks again, Max! Looking forward, I have less than 40 cards waiting in the queue to be posted. Believe it or not, …

Continue reading about #597 Twins Rookie Stars: Joe Nossek, Dick Reese, and John Sevcik »

I’m pretty sure this is the only three-team rookie card in the set.  Topps was clearly trying to fill out the set by the time they got to the seventh and final series.Fun facts about Darold Knowles:-Darold was born in Brunswick, MO and attended th…

Continue reading about #577 American League Rookie Stars: Darold Knowles, Richie Scheinblum, and Don Buschhorn »

There’s a little snow on the mountain for venerable veteran Roy Sievers, who would have been 37 when this photo was taken. Bonus fun fact: Roy was only two and a half years younger than his manager in Washington, Gil Hodges!Fun facts about Roy Sievers:…

Continue reading about #574 Roy Sievers »

You don’t see many Claudes in baseball. The last was Claude Jayhawk Owens, a catcher for the Rockies in the mid-1990s. However, he went by Jayhawk, or simply “J”. It’s the same story for Blue Jays pitcher Claude Lee “Butch” Edge (1979), and Mets and Br…

Continue reading about #570 Claude Osteen »

Yipes, it’s a three-for-one! That’s what I get for waiting around while Blogger righted itself over the weekend. Worth noting: I believe this is the first appearance of the Astros’ cap logo in this set.Fun facts about Dan Coombs:-Dan was born in Lincol…

Continue reading about #553 Astros Rookie Stars: Dan Coombs, Jack McClure, and Gene Ratliff »

I scheduled this card to post on Thursday, but it got lost in the ether during the Terrible Blogger Outage. Please excuse its lateness…I’m sure it’s just an optical illusion, but the left side of Jeff Torborg’s chest protector looks much wider than t…

Continue reading about #527 Jeff Torborg »

As I rifle through my baseball card collection, I find a very different-looking Ken Henderson another decade or so down the line from his rookie card. 1970s cards really are the gift that keeps on giving.Fun facts about Ken Henderson:-Ken was born in C…

Continue reading about #497 Giants Rookie Stars: Ken Henderson and Jack Hiatt »

As I rifle through my baseball card collection, I find a very different-looking Ken Henderson another decade or so down the line from his rookie card. 1970s cards really are the gift that keeps on giving.Fun facts about Ken Henderson:-Ken was born in C…

Continue reading about #497 Giants Rookie Stars: Ken Henderson and Jack Hiatt »

We have a team card! Man, as aesthetically pleasing as the rest of this set is, these team cards with their loud single-color backgrounds and grainy photos are the pits. This one looks like the Indians are being engulfed by a giant marshmallo…

Continue reading about #481 Cleveland Indians Team »

The two-for-one rookie cards that feature one guy who made it in the big leagues and another who never gained a foothold are a bit cosmically cruel. I guess it serves as a reminder that prospecting is a crap shoot.Fun facts about Willie Crawford:-Willi…

Continue reading about #453 Dodgers Rookie Stars: Willie Crawford and John Werhas »

Okay, one last Hall of Famer in this great batch from Max! Being a younger collector, it’s always a neat contrast to see much older cards of players whose primary image comes from their veteran years, like Willie Stargell or Gaylord Perry. After a…

Continue reading about #377 Willie Stargell »

Ooh, the ever-elusive unmarked checklist! At first glance, a checklist would seem to be as far removed from our recent run of Hall of Famers as you could get. However, you’ll notice that there are actually SIX Hall of Famers featured on this card: Orla…

Continue reading about #361 Checklist 5th Series »

Do you believe it? Another Hall of Famer! I hope you don’t mind going back to the Gary Geigers and Ron Brands next week.Fun facts about Don Drysdale:-Don was born in Van Nuys, CA. A high school teammate of actor Robert Redford, Drysdale signed with the…

Continue reading about #260 Don Drysdale »

Just like that, we’re back to the Hall of Famers. As a younger(ish) baseball fan, Billy Williams seems to be a great player who’s become overshadowed. Even on his own team, he was dwarfed by larger-than-life personalities like Ernie Banks and Ron Santo…

Continue reading about #220 Billy Williams »

One problem I’ve had as a collector is that I have a hard time narrowing my focus. As it is, I’ve got at least a dozen sets that I’m actively trying to complete. In addition, I generally grab up any vintage Topps that catches my eye. And of course, I w…

Continue reading about #213 Jim Davenport »

Unsurprising baseball fact: Gaylord Perry is the only major leaguer in history with “Gaylord” as a first or last name. Gale Staley, who played seven games for the 1925 Cubs, was born George Gaylord Staley. I’m guessing that Perry didn’t get teased much…

Continue reading about #193 Gaylord Perry »

Brooksie! It’s hard to beat back-to-back Hall of Fame contemporaries with Baltimore ties who played their entire 20-plus year careers in one city.Fun facts about Brooks Robinson:-Brooks was born in Little Rock, AR and signed with the Orioles in 1955.-H…

Continue reading about #150 Brooks Robinson »