Fleer Autograph Project - 1960 Part 21 and 1961 Part 53

It has been a challenging few weeks 'round here.  Our OKC Thunder got eliminated in the NBA Western Conference Finals and we had to have my paint horse mare, Stormy, euthanized.  We have been fighting squamous cell carcinoma with her for at least three, and possibly four, years.  Earlier this year it became obvious it was accelerating but we continued to treat her as long as she had a good quality of life.  Without getting into the details, it became clear that it was time and so it goes. I'm not trying to be morbid. It is more just a case of getting it out and off my heart.

Moving along. Next up in this series is another Hall of Fame member, George Sisler.

So, what did I find interesting about Mr. Sisler

1. There is a running joke in Ohio that no matter where you go in the world, you will run into someone else from Ohio.  Despite growing up in New York and living now in Oklahoma, the center of gravity of my life is in Ohio.  I only mention this because George Sisler was born in Manchester, Ohio in 1893.
2. Manchester didn't have a high school and as a teen he moved in with his brother in Akron to attend school where he played football and pitched on both the school team and local semi-pro teams.
3. After graduating, he enrolled at the University of Michigan, originally planning to study law but ending up in an engineering program.  It was in Ann Arbor that his life changed when he came to the attention of the new Wolverine baseball coach, Branch Rickey.
4. In the summer after his freshman year, he pitched in the Akron industrial league for Babcock & Wilcox. That summer he managed to toss a no-hitter when Cy Young made an appearance as the games umpire.
5. Sisler's play at Michigan caught the attention of scouts and it became known that he signed a contract with the Akron Champs of the Ohio & Pennsylvania League prior to his senior year in high school.  On the heels of two All-American seasons at Michigan, the contract was bought by the Pittsburgh Pirates and he was ordered to report.
6. Branch Rickey, then with the St Louis Browns had the contract invalidated by the National Commission because the contract signed by the then 17-year-old Sisler did not contain his father's signature.
7. As he was a free agent, he signed with Rickey's Browns and was immediately put to use as a pitcher. In 1915, his first season, he took the mound in 15 games including five as a starter and ended with a 4-4 record, a 2.83 ERA and a league average ERA+ of 101.
8. During that same season he began making appearances at first base and in the outfield in order to take fuller advantage of his hitting abilities.  Indeed, through the balance of his career, he only made 9 more pitching appearances for a total of 41 innings and a 1-2 record.
9. Starting in 1916, he was the hapless Browns regular first baseman and most productive player. He hit over .400 in both 1920 and 1922. The latter season he his .420 and was the AL's MVP.
10. A serious sinus infection that led to severe headaches and double vision meant that he sat out the entirety of the 1923 season.
11. Returning in 1924 as a player-manager, he was never the same player again.  Prior to his illness he racked up 48.2 WAR in 8 seasons. and only 7.4 WAR in the 8 subsequent seasons.
12. He still was a .300 hitter over that time, including three seasons with over 200 hits.
13. Removed as manager after the 1926 season, he played one more year with the Browns before closing out the last two years of his major league career with the Washington Nationals and Boston Braves.  He did play in the minors in 1931 and 1932 with the Rochester Red Wings and Shreveport/Tyler Sports before hanging up is playing career.
14. In 1942, he joined the Rickey led Brooklyn Dodgers as a scout and helped prepare Jackie Robinson to play first base.
15. He followed Rickey to the Pirates in 1951 and helped both Bill Mazeroski and Roberto Clemente improve their game.
16. Despite moving back to St Louis in 1957, he continued with the Pirates as a roving hitting instructor. In this capacity, he instructed players like Don Clendonen and Willie Stargell.
17. He died in 1973 at the age of 80, two days after his birthday.
18. He had two sons, Dick and Dave, who also had major league careers.

Next up: The Heater from Van Meter.

What I am listening to: only wanna dance by almost monday

Fleer Autograph Project - 1960 Part 20 and 1961 Part 52

It is coming up on a month since my last post. I should probably do a little dusting around here.  Recently, I partnered up with two other people to bid on two different lots of signed 1960 and 1961 Fleer baseball cards.  My focus over the last several years has been 1961.  Alas, we won the lot that was comprised solely of 1960 cards.  At some point, once I get to the realistic end of the 1961 set quest, I will turn to 1960.  So I was only a little disappointed that I made no progress on 1961.  

What was interesting is that I needed 5 of the cards on the lot we won. One of the other partners needed the exact same cards. I ended up taking two of my needs and let him have the other three.  Both of the cards I got were of players for which I already have their 1961 card in my collection. So, the next two posts will be combined.

And away we go:

Here is Hall of Famer Gabby Hartnett.

1. Gabby Hartnett was born as Charles Leo Hartnett in the waning hours of the 19th century on December 20, 1900. He was the oldest of 14 (!) children.
2. Like many of that era, he played semi-pro ball on both town and industrial teams. It was as a member of the American Steel & Wire where he came to the attention of professional baseball.
3. In a possibly apocryphal story a scout for John McGraw's NY Giants passed on Hartnett because his hand sere too small for major league baseball.
4. What isn't disputable is that, based on his performance for that industrial team, he signed his first professional contract with theWorcester Boosters of the Class A Eastern League. And that led to his contract with the Cubs.
5. He initally backed up Bob O'Farrell, who will be featured in a future edition of this series. It was in this role that he earned his nickname. As a shy 21 year old he barely spoke thus earning the ironic sobriquet Gabby.
6. Nickname was "Old Tomato Face"'
7. His first major league hit was a single of Dolf Luque on April 13, 1922. His final hit came 19 years later and was a single off of Gene Lambert on September 24, 1941.
8. He was the National League's MVP in 1941.Modern sabermetrics credit him with 4.9 WAR that season. Looking at the voting results, there were 12 other players with higher WAR led by Arky Vaughan who clocked up 9.8 WAR with the 4th place Pirates.
9. Was the Cubs catcher in the 1932 World Series and was behind the plate for Babe Ruth's controversial called shot.  Hartnett was quoted in his biography saying “I don’t want to take anything from the Babe, because he’s the reason we made good money, but he didn’t call the shot. He held up the index finger of his left hand … and said, ‘It only takes one to hit.’
10. Hit one of the greatest walk-off home runs on September 28, 1938 when he took a curve ball from Pirates pitcher Mace Johnson. It was a key victory in the Cubs path to the pennant that year. It was (is) known 
11. Hartnett played in 4 World Series but, befitting someone who played 19 years with the Cubs, was never was on a winning team.
12. He was the Cubs player-manager from 1938 through 1940. Fired after the 1940 season, he signed on as player-coach for the Giants that had chose to not sign him 20 years earlier.
13. Despite being a son of New England, he lived his entire post-baseball life in the Chicago area. He opened Gabby Hartnett’s Recreation Center which included bowling lanes, a barbershop, a soda fountain, a cocktail lounge, and a sporting-goods store.
14. Died on his 72nd birthday after several years of failing health.

What I am listening to: Enter Sandman by Metallica (N.B. This was recorded last year at Lane Stadium at Virginia Tech. The crowd's reaction to the start of the song was so strong it actually registered as an earthquake at Virginia Tech Seismological Observatory about a mile away. I mention this only because I was actually at that concert. It was one of the best concerts I have ever attended.)

Fleer Autograph Project - Parts 19 and 44

 I suppose the title is a bit confusing if you have been following my long term, but infrequent series on the players featured in my signed 1960 and 1961 Fleer collection.  To the extent that your interest rises to that level, allow me to clear it up.  This post will feature my 18th signed 1960 Fleer card and my 44th signed 1961 Fleer card since they are both the same player: Hall of Famer Sam Rice

What is interesting about Sam Rice:

1. Over the course of a 20 season major league career, he tallied up 2,987 hits.
2. He actually broke in as a pitcher. He appeared in 9 games over his first two seasons compiling a 1-1 record with a 2.52 ERA. In his first ML season, he only appeared as a pitcher, but hit .375.
3. He didn't appear in professional baseball until the age of 22 in 1912. Prior to that, he did play semi-pro ball in Watseka, IL where he worked on his family farm.  At the time of his pro debut, Sam had already been married for 4 years and had two children.
4. Unfortunately, his wife, both children, mother and two sisters were killed by a tornado. The storm was part of a multi-day tornado outbreak which was significant enough to merit it's own Wikipedia page.
5. Following the 1912 season, he ended up in the Navy and stationed on the battleship USS New Hampshire. He and his shipmates were part of a landing force that took the port city of Veracruz  after tensions between the US and Mexico escalated.
6. In 1914, after his furlough from the Navy, he resumed is baseball career with the Petersburg Goobers of the Virginia League. The following year, the Goobers struggled financially (as well as on the field) and the owner of the team gave Rice's contract to the major league Washington Nationals in repayment for a loan.
7. In 1916, after several successful appearances as a pinch hitter, he became a full time outfielder.
8. Rice didn't have much power, stroking only 34 home runs over the course of his career. He did have speed and had 351 stolen bases over his 20 years and hit over 30 doubles in 10 of those seasons.
9. During spring training in 1918, he was drafted into the military and deployed to France.  However, WW1 ended before he saw any combat and he found himself back at Spring Training in 1919.
10. He and teammate Joe Judge held the record for longevity as teammates after 18 seasons together with Washington.  The record has been broken twice in recent decades, first by George Brett and Frank White, then by Alan Trammel and Lou Whitaker.
11. In Game 3 of the 1925 World Series, Rice made a catch on a long drive by Pirates catcher Earl Smith that saw him fall over the outfield wall and not return to sight until after a short delay.  Controversy ensued whether he really successfully caught the ball. It waw ruled he did and, well into his retirement when asked if he truly caught that ball he always responded, "the umpires said I did."
12. He continued to play well through is age 42 season, after which his decline was notable.  After the 1933 season he was released and signed with Cleveland to play for his former teammate and Nationals manager Walter Johnson.  He struggled as the season wore on and finally retired in September.
13. In retirement, he had a chicken farm for a while, bred racing pigeons, and invested in real estate.
14. Sam Rice was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee in 1963 and was a regular at the induction ceremonies through 1974, after which he passed away.
15. In 1965, at the request of a HOF historian he wrote a letter documenting the definitive story of that controversial catch in the '25 World Series with the stipulation that it not be opened until after his death.  Once the letter was subsequently found and opened, it was revealed that Sam had made the catch and never lost possession of the ball. The delay in returning to the field was due to being dazed by the fall on the opposite side of the outfield wall.  However, the controversy was never resolved as there were witnesses who continued to claim the opposite.

What I am listening to: Something We Regret by Willow Avalon

1960 Fleer Autograph Project - Part 18

I decided to knock this one out before I head out for vacation at the end of the week.  It is the 18th signed 1960 Fleer card in my collection, out of 43 possible. This card is the sole thing I have bought for my collection in nearly 2 months.  

This card, which came with a JSA certificate, is somewhat rare. I am led to understand from a friend that exclusively collects autographed cards that many of the signed Derringer cards floating around were ghost signed by his wife.  So, despite having lived until 1987, his autograph is not particularly common.

The research for this post wasn't nearly as enjoyable as others.  Derringer was not necessarily a sympathetic character, having anger management issues that plagued him through out his career and may have contributed to having been thrice married.  To be fair though, his last marriage lasted 27 years.

Anyways:

1. Derringer had a 15-year major league career, starting with the Cardinals for 2 full and 1 partial season.  This was followed by 10 years with the Redlegs and concluded with 3 years with the Cubs.
2. In 1933, he started three games for St Louis and put up a 0-2 record. On May 7, he was dealt to Cincinnati in a six-player deal that saw Leo Durocher head in the opposite direction.  In the Queen City, he put up an anemic 7-25 record across 31 starts and 2 relief appearances.  Interestingly, modern sabermetrics rate his '33 season better, giving him a roughly league average 103 ERA+ and credit for 2.0 WAR.
3. In that season, he was being upbraided by Reds GM Lee McPhail for a baserunning error.  He picked up an ink well off of the desk and threw it at McPhail, thankfully missing.
4. On June 27, 1936 his temper got the better of him and he attacked one Robert Condon (a highly decorated soldier who had enlisted as a private and retired as a Brigadier General) in Philadelphia. Condon, at that time a member of the executive committee of the American Legion, Derringer lost the resulting lawsuit and had to pay (with help from the team) the sum of $8,000. The equivalent sum in 2024 is $181,000.
5. He put up four 20-win seasons with the Reds in 1935 and 1938 through 1940, with 1939 being hte best with a 25-7 record and a third-place finish in NL MVP voting.
6. He appeared in four World Series, 2 with Cincy and one each with the Cards and Cubs.  He pitched to a 2-4 record and a 3.42 in those series that saw his teams win 2 and lose 2.
7. He never got along with Dizzy Dean and their mutual dislike led to a fistfight in 1939.
8. After his MLB career was over, he put in one last minor league season with the 1946 Indianapolis Indians.  In a game against the Montreal Royals, he decided to throw at Jackie Robinson to see "what he was made of."  After being dusted in his first at bat, Robinson hit a line drive single. Repeating his challenge in the next face off, Derringer saw Jackie hit a triple. Paul commented afterward to Royals manager Clay Hopper that "he will do."  This led Hopper to let Branch Rickey know that Robinson was ready to move up.
9. After his career, he worked as a plastics salesman and a troubleshooter for the American Automobile Association (AAA)

This puts me up to date on 1960. But I am still woefully behind with 1961. 28 cards behind to be exact.  With the holidays coming up, I really don't expect much hobby spending until after New Year.  So, maybe I can post more of my signed 1961 Fleer cards. 

What I am listening to: Will It Go Round in Circles by Billy Preston

1960 Fleer Autograph Project - Parts 16 and 17

Two updates in one post?  What is up with that? Am I trying to make up for being such an infrequent poster that doubling up is the only way I'll make an appreciable progress?  

No.

I am particularly excited about my 17th signed 1960 Fleer card and, as luck would have it, I have already posted about the subject of the 16th card, albeit in my series of posts about the 1961 set. See?

If you missed my post about my signed 1961 Fleer card of Warren Giles, you can find it here.

So, let's get on to number 17.

I've mostly been focusing on signed 1961 cards, but progress has slowed of late.  Recently, a large group of signed 1960 Fleer cards came up for auction on EBay.  There were plenty of really rare cards in the group; cards that I have never seen before and likely will never see again.  The cards were auctioned off over two nights.  

The first night contained a number of cards that were rare, but do come up on EBay 2 or 3 times a year.  I wasn't going to bid on them just because I will have other chances.  The first group also contained impossibly rare cards of Mickey Cochrane and Frank "Home Run" Baker.  I knew I would never be able to afford them, so I decided to sit on my wallet and focus on the second set a few nights later.  It was the right choice.  The Cochrane sold for $743 and the Baker for an eye-popping $2,431.  Even the more available cards sold for a premium.  Last year, I got a signed 1961 Heinie Manush for $175. The 1960 in this auction went for $281.  A Lefty Grove went for $338 where, in contrast, I got my 1961 Grove for $43.  Just crazy.

The second grouping was similarly divided between cards that come up infrequently and cards that only have come in this auction.  It included Branch Rickey and Bobo Newsom (who died in 1962)  I decided to focus on two cards that were really rare, but still within my budget.   Since the auctions weren't staggered, but closed all at the exact same time, I had to have my bids in on both concurrently. Given the strong prices I decided to bid on both to increase my chances of landing one. Frankly, I was scared that I would win both, but was honestly expecting to get neither, given the strong prices the first night.  I did manage to win one, so let's take a look.

1961 Fleer Autograph Project - Part 41

It has been a rough few weeks here.  My senior Great Pyrenees had to be euthanized.  He had been undergoing treatment for cancer since before Christmas, but it was ineffective.  His health took a turn for the worse and we made the choice to end his suffering. On top of that, I have had cascading plumbing issues associated with my barn mostly due to the half-assed work prior owners did. Some repairs I did myself, but others required more specialized skills.  I won't bore you with the details but suffice it to say I am about done with country living and wouldn't mine moving back into town where I don't have to deal with fixing someone else's work. I've lived here 20 years. You would think I would have found it all by now.

Not a lot of hobby activity, although I did manage to get 3 of the remaining 4 cards I needed to complete my 1958 set.  The only remaining card is #310 - Ernie Banks.  The card is of sufficient cost that I probably will hold off on chasing after it until my life and checkbook return to something resembling normalcy.

Anyways, onward. Here we have Roger Peckinpaugh, another noteworthy, but not all time great, player.  He was something the opposite of our previous subject, Riggs Stephenson.  Where Stephenson was a good bat attached to a weak fielder, Peckingpaugh was considered one of the best shortstops in the Dead Ball Era, while generally packing a below average offensive punch at the plate.

Some interesting facts about Peckinpaugh:

1. He was the youngest manager ever in MLB history when he took over the New York Yankees on an interim basis for the last 20 games of the 1914 season. He was 23 years old.
2. Born and raised in Ohio, he started his major league career with Cleveland when the team was known as the Naps.
3. In a case of be careful what you ask for, he was traded from the Yankees to the Washington Senators after the 1921 season when Babe Ruth, while complaining about skipper Miller Huggins, suggested Peck would be a better choice for manager.
4. While with the Washington Senators, he was part of a formidable double play combo with player-manager Bucky Harris and acted as an unofficial assistant manager.  They won the World Series in 1924 and the AL pennant the following year.
5. Despite what amounted to league average hitting, Peck's fielding and leadership led to him being the 1925 AL MVP.  When sorted by the modern WAR metric, he would have been in 20th place among all the players recieving MVP votes that year.
6. He returned to Cleveland as a manager twice. First from 1928 through the first 51 games of the 1933 season and again for the 1941 season. He was succeeded in 1942 by 24 year old player manager Lou Boudreau, who I've featured here previously.
7. After leaving baseball, he became a manufacturer's rep for Cleveland Oak Belting. a company that appears to still be in business. One of their current product lines is conveyor idlers, a component that my employer uses in their quarries.

What I am listening to but probably shouldn't: Maggie's Song by Chris Stapleton

Clipping Coupons

So, for only the second time this year I went to a card show.  I masked up and drove up to the city.  Even though the two sellers I normally spend the most with weren't there, I did have a very productive outing. But this post is not about that.

This post is about eBay. Last weekend, I saw rumblings on Twitter about a $25 off coupon code that everyone was trying. It was apparently for folks who have been on eBay since the beginning. I haven't been on since the beginning, but I have been on for exactly 20 years (I joined September 1, 2000.) So, I tried the code to see if it worked and it did.  So, what did I get with my $25 off?

This signed 1960 Fleer Luke Appling is the 15th signed card I have from that set. The set itself is only 79 cards and, of those, only 40 of the subjects were still alive at the time the set was issued.  So, I am now sitting at a respectable 37.5% of the possible cards in an autographed form.  With a quarter C-note off, this card was mine for a bit over $25. I also knocked off my goal to have over half of the possible 1960-1963 Fleer cards in signed form by the end of the year. For the three sets, which total 299 cards, I have estimated that it is theoretically possible to have 201 signed cards. This puts me at 101.

Luke Appling played 20 seasons for the Chicago White Sox in the majors between 1930 and 1950, missing only 1944 for military service and never making the post season.  He was a good hitter, winning batting titles in 1936 and 1943. He retired with a .310/.399/.398 slash line. Obviously, he didn't have much power, with only 45 homeruns in his career. However, he was a legendary contact hitter, only striking out 528 times in 20 seasons.  In fact the back of this card says "Although not in the record books, he was one of the greatest foul ball hitters in modern times."  One fun anecdote I stole from his SABR biography goes as follows:

As one story goes, Appling once asked the tight-fisted business manager of the Sox for several balls to sign for friends. The business manager refused, citing the Depression and that each ball cost $2.75. Appling turned and walked out without a word. That afternoon in his first at bat he fouled off ten consecutive pitches into the stands. Turning to the club official in the owner’s box, he said, “That’s $27.50 and I’m just getting started.”

He had a long career as a minor league manager and major league coach right up until his death in January 1991. In an interesting coincidence, Appling appears on one of the cards I got at yesterday's show, a 1960  Detroit Tigers Coaches card. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1964. 

What I am listening to: What've I Done to Help by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Fleer Autograph Project and More

I feel like things are getting back to normal.  Well, not really, but I am getting back to a less moribund level of hobby activity.  I am still not looking at going to any shows any time soon, so I am concentrating online.  This week saw a few things arrive,

This Frank Howard card was the card that was stuck in the Los Angeles distribution center for two weeks. It finally arrived and is the second to last card I need for my 1970 Topps set and for the complete run of Topps baseball sets from the 1970s.  The final card I need is Johnny Bench, which has been selling for prices way beyond what I was comfortable paying.  Granted, I was only looking at trusted sellers, who will command a premium.  I'm going to have to get a bit more serious about this one. I'd love to get that '70s run complete.

A new addition to my Paul Blair PC: 2004 Upper Deck Timeless Teams Auto Gold. As best as I can tell, there are 7 versions of this card (4 base and 3 autos at varying levels of scarcity/serialization) and I now have 3 of this card.  There is a second Paul Blair card in this set related to the 1970 team and I have 4 of those.  Since there are Platinum base and autos for each card that are 1/1, I don't expect I'll ever get all 7 versions of each card.  In fact, the serialized versions of these cards come up on eBay so rarely, I doubt I'll ever even get close to 6 out of 7.  Not a problem since that is what the chase is for, no?

Finally, I added two new cards to my signed 1960 through 1963 Fleer project. Since both Lloyd Waner and Marty Marion were prolific signers in their retirement, I was able to add these at a reasonable price.  To a certain extent, as it relates to 1960 and 1961, I am still bottom feeding. I think I am getting to the point that I am going to have to start opening the wallet a bit wider to add more.  Which will conflict with my set building. So, I expect this to slow down (not that it was ever fast to begin with.)  I do have a goal to get over halfway before the end of the year. Which raises the question as to where I stand.  Glad you asked. Here is my progress:

I have exactly one more card to add in the next 4 months to get to that goal.  I have not decided yet whether that will be another low cost addition or if I should splash out a bit more.  Stay tuned!

What I am listening to: Got the Time by Anthrax (a cover of the Joe Jackson original if you can
believe it):

Bouncing Around

I've been bouncing around a lot lately.  My life has been unfocused and, seemingly out of control.  After Christmas, I flew up to Ohio to visit my mother and, apparently, sat next to Typhoid Mary on the flight home New Years Eve day.  What I thought was a common cold those first few days of January took a turn for the worse and I missed half of the first full work week of the year.  I don't get sick often. I generally get one cold a year and something more virulent once every 8 or 10 years. So, being laid up for several days really knocks me off my routine and I'm not sure I am back on it yet..  On top of helping my wife, who I managed to infect, this week I had to do performance reviews, which are never fun, even thought I have a great group of people.  

My hobby activity is similarly characterized by a lack of focus.  Well, that probably isn't completely fair, as the genesis of this post reaches back into November and doesn't really speak to my current efforts. But, you get the point.  Back in November, I discovered a new auction house that had a lot of 5 autographed 1960 Fleer cards.  The auction itself was something of a mess, as the auction house really wasn't ready for primetime. But, in the end, I won the lot and received my winnings.  So, no harm no foul.

The lot was accompanied with an auction LOA from JSA. Auction LOAs are just temporary authentications offered (probably at a discounted rate) to the auction house to help with the auction bidding.  The LOA expires a short time after the conclusion of the auction and the buyer has to resubmit the items,and pay, for a permanent certification. 

Anyways, given the nature of this part of my collection, I really am looking for authentication. So, I ended up sending my winnings in to PSA and, not surprisingly, they all came back as authentic.  And, here they are:

Five Hall of Famers from 1960 Fleer.  The cards themselves cost me approximately $24 each before PSA took about another $30 each. But, autographed cards of five great players for a bit more than $50 each is a pretty good deal, if you ask me. 

I hadn't done much with this part of my collection since fairly early in the year.  As I thought about what I want to accomplish this year,  I set myself a modest goal to get up over the 50% level of possible autographed cards from the 1960 through 1963 Fleer baseball sets.  Where do I stand at the moment?

So, I basically need 4 more autographed cards to get to that milestone.  I've mostly been bottom feeding on the 1960 and 1961 portion of the project.  I hope this year to add at least one of the more valuable autographs in these sets. But, time and circumstances will tell.   

What I am listening to: Small Paradise by John Mellencamp

1960 Fleer Autograph Project - Part 7

Since I can't remember the order in which I acquired these signed cards, I figure I'll just get caught up on 1960 with the card below.  I have another two 1960s in transit, but they were bought raw and I am going to send them out for authentication.  That process will hopefully give me time to catch up on the 6 autographed 1961 cards I have in my draft files.

So, without further ado, The Heater from Van Meter:

Everyone knows about Bob Feller. There isn't much I can add. 18 year Hall of Fame career, all with the Cleveland Indians.  A 266-162 career record, despite missing nearly four full seasons due to military service during World War II.  This card cost me $32 delivered.  Feller autographs have always been affordable, as he was a prolific signer (and consequently a fan favorite) after his career/

What I am listening to: Heal Me by Sarah Shook and the Disarmers.

1960 Fleer Autograph Project - Part 6

So, I have not been making much progress on posting.  My life has been busy and there just hasn't been enough time to sit down and write blog posts.  It has gotten to the point that I don't even remember the order that I acquired the cards on this project. Life doesn't look like it is going to get calmer in the near future.  The farm keeps me busy most evenings and weekends. My wife and I have our annual trip back to Ohio to visit family and go to  Cedar Point on one of the Halloweekend events coming up.

Honestly, I don't see much relief until winter.  I have been making some progress on this quest and have a couple nice potential additions to share later this month. So, I am going to just try and push these posts out in a half-assed manner just to get them out there and get caught up.

Nice of Waite to wish me luck on getting caught up.  Waite Hoyt is the sixth autographed 1960 Fleer card I have acquired. It only cost me $21.95 delivered.

Hoyt spent 21 years in the majors with 7 different teams. He played in 7 World Series and was on 3 World Champions in his career.  6 of the WS and all three wins came with the Yankees, including the all time great 1927 Bombers. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1969.

That's it.  Phoned it in, to be sure.  Expect more weak efforts coming up.

What I am listening to: Not Dark Yet by Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer

1960 Fleer Autograph Project - Part 5

Goodness. It has been well over a month since I last posted. I have been active in the hobby area, but I have been bad about writing blog posts.  I have made some progress on my 1970 and 1972 Topps sets. I am down to needing 195 cards to complete the 720 card 1970 set and 105 to complete the 787 card 1972 set. Additionally, I actually have 7 posts (including this one) in the draft folder regarding my Fleer autograph project, and 3 more cards in the mail, so I need to start cranking them out.  Life has been busy. But, that is the way of this modern era, so I just need suck it up and get these done.

Here is the 5th signed 1960 Fleer card I have added to my collection.

This Lefty Gomez was the second most expensive acquisition on this project at the time, at $32.50 delivered.  As things go, I am sure it will get worse as I get further along.  It already has. But, I'm not going to worry about that now.

I am not a writer, and I can't really do justice to any of these posts when there are fabulous resources on line.  But, I am not a fan of the "look at what I bought kthxbai" posts, so I need to add some color. so, I try to throw in some observations about the players career and life.  If you really want to read more about Lefty Gomez, I strongly encourage you to read his SABR biography, which some of what follows is derived from.

Yes, I ended that sentence with a preposition.  I told you, I am not a writer.

Lefty Gomez had a 14 year MLB career from 1930 to 1943. The first 13 of those years were with the Yankees and the last was a partial season with the Washington Senators. He compiled a 189-102 career W-L record, with a 3.34 ERA. For the more modern stat-head, he had a career 125 ERA+.  During his career, he had four twenty win seasons, including a 26-5 in 1934 when he finished 3rd in the MVP voting behind winner Mickey Cochrane and Charlie Gehringer, but ahead of season WAR leader Lou Gehrig. Interestingly, as measured by both ERA+ and WAR, his finest season was 1937, when he compiled a 21-11 record while racking up 193 and 9.4 on the two sabrmetrics, respectively. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1972, by the Veteran's Committee. He passed away in 1989 at the age of 80.

Gomez had something of a reputation as a wit. Indeed, after the 1932 World Series, won by his Yankees, Lefty did a 12 week stint as a vaudevillian for the princely sum of $3000 per week.  Much of his humor was at his own expense.   My favorite story was his reaction to NASA being confused about a white object Neil Armstrong found on the moon.  His reaction was “I knew immediately what it was. It was a home run ball hit off me in 1937 by Jimmie Foxx.” Indeed, Gomez faced Foxx more than any other player in his pitching career and Foxx was clearly the winner. Jimmie Fox's slash line, in 172 plate appearances against Gomez was .341/.471/.739 with 13 home runs. Ouch.
 

What I am listening to: Symphony of Destruction by Megadeth

1960 Fleer Autograph Project - Part 3 and 4

A group of autographed 1960 and 1961 Fleer cards came up recently on EBay. I targeted, and won, four of them, two from each year. Here are the 1960s.

Lou Boudreau is an interesting guy.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame, as a player, in 1970.  Over the course of a 15 year career (1938-1952), he had a respectable triple slash line of .295/.380/.415 while playing premier level defense as a shortstop.  13 of those years were in Cleveland, with the final two in Boston. In that final season, he only appeared in 4 games mid-season. He won a batting title in 1944 and was the AL MVP in 1948, when he hit .355/.453/.534 with 18 HRs and 106 RBIs.  The second and third place finishers in the MVP ballot that year was no less than Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams.

What is interesting about Boudreau is that, for 10 of those years he was a player/manager.  Starting in 1942, and through 1950, he managed the Indians, including during their World Series Championship season of 1948.  Get this: his first year as a player manager in 1942? He he was 24 years old.  Crazy huh?

Johnny Mize is also a Hall of Fame inductee (1981). He enjoyed a 15 year career (with 3 years missed during WWII) with the St Louis Cardinals (6 years), NY Giants (6 years), and tghe NY Yankees (5 years). He put up a .312/.397/.562 triple slash over the course of that career, knocking in 2011 hits and 359 home runs.  He managed to be on 5 world championship teams, all with the Yankees at the end of his career. By the time he played with the Bombers, he was mainly a role player. What I know today as a fourth outfielder. However, at the age of 39, in the 1952 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, he went 6 for 15 with 3 home runs and 6 RBIs.  This included a pinch hit home run off Preacher Roe in the bottom of the 9th in game 3, which was won by the Dodgers; a solo home run in the Yankees 4th game victory, and a 3 run dinger of Carl Erskine in game 5 (won by the Dodgers.)

What I am listening to: Jump Around by House of Pain (don't judge)

 

1960 Fleer Autograph Project - Part 2

So, here is my second autographed 1960 Fleer card of Hal Newhouser:

I picked this up for $16.15 delivered.

Newhouser had a 17 year career from 1939 through 1955, all but two with the Detroit Tigers, that culminated in his election to the Hall of Fame in 1992. He had a 207-150 record with a 3.06 career ERA.  Modern metrics show him as a career 130 ERA+ (with 100 being average) and as having racked up 60.4 WAR.  That has him tied with Joe McGinnity in the all time pitching WAR list.

Ten Records

The godfather of baseball card blogging, Night Owl, threw down a challenge earlier this week: to name 10 albums that were significant to you and tie it to baseball cards.  This is my effort.  I've gone a little further and added videos of songs from the albums (with one exception) and tied the cards to the song.    So, here we go:



1. Styx - Cornerstone

Why this album: This album changed my musical tastes.  Prior to buying Cornerstone, I listened to the worst of 1970s pop music, like The Village People and KC and the Sunshine Band.  The song Babe was what drew me in, but it was the rock power anthems on the record that converted me over to rock music.

Why this card:  Well, I am nothing if unoriginal.  Babe is the song that introduced me to Styx.  And what other baseball player to show?  Sure, there were many ballplayers with the nickname babe.  32, according to Baseball Reference.    But, none are greater than Babe Ruth

2. AC/DC - Back in Black

Why this album:  This album, bought at the KMart in Chili Center, NY really led me into the hard rock world and away from the (sometimes forced) theatrics of Styx.  A lot of Styx music sounds dated now.  Back in Black, at 37 years old, still fits into the modern music landscape.  Plus, I remember driving to Buffalo in a blizzard to see AC/DC as a college freshman.

Why this card: What Do You Do For Money, Honey?  Don Money?  Like I said, I don't pretend to orginality.

3.  Sammy Hagar - Standing Hampton 

Why this album: The first concert I ever attended was Sammy Hagar (with Aldo Nova opening) at the Rochester Auditorium Theater in my junior year in high school.

Why this card:  Well, standing hampton is a NSFW slang.   Look it up and you'll understand.

4. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood

Why this album: I remember hearing a cut from this album, SRV's debut, on the radio during my senior year in high school and being completely blown away by it. The cassette tape was pretty much on loop for me the summer between high school and college.

Why this card:  Well it is Curt *Flood* and he was born in Houston, Texas.

5. R.E.M. - Reckoning

Why this album:  I first heard this playing on the store sound system as I wandered about The Record Archive in Rochester during college. It blew me away and I bought it immediately. It was my entrée into alternative rock.  The video is a bit of a stretch. I really spent some time thinking about this and never got anywhere.  I finally googled "R.E.M. " and "baseball" and found out two members of the band formed a group called The Baseball Project and released two baseball themed albums.  So, I went in that direction instead of beating my head on a wall trying to tie Harborcoat to baseball.

Why this card:  Well, the song is called Harvey Haddix.

6. Metallica-S&M

Why this album:  This brought me back to heavy metal after a long time away. I don't have an extensive metal library, but I do appreciate watching people that are really good at what they do.  And Metallica is that.

Why this card:  I defy anyone to come up with a different player.  Enter Sandman played whenever Mariano Rivera came in from the bullpen at Yankee Stadium and Metallica played at his final game.

7. Pine Valley Cosmonauts - The Majesty of Bob Wills

Why this album:  I came across this album in the music section of the late, lamented Borders Bookstore.  They had headphones along the rows of CDs that would allow you to listen to selected albums.  This album was one such selection.  It introduced me to Western Swing music, an amalgam of country and jazz most popular in the 1930s and 1940s.  It is still around, most notably by the Austin band Asleep at the Wheel.  Bob Wills is in both the Rock and Roll and Country Music Halls of Fame.

Why this card:  Well the song above is about the Alamo, which is in San Antonio. Cliff Johnson, a player on the Yankees teams of my youth is from San Antonio.

8. Social Distortion - Social Distortion

Why this album:  I really like the SoCal punk sound here.  And, when I found out that there was a fair amount of crossover between the SoCal punk scene and the classic country and Bakersfield sounds (typified most recently by Dwight Yoakam), I was hooked.

Why this card: Well, Casey Stengel wrote a book titled "Casey at the Bat: The Story of My Life in Baseball."

9. Slaid Cleaves - Broke Down

Why this album:  I don't rightly recall if this was my introduction to Americana music, since that is a fairly broad label that encompasses a number of other genres, like folk and alt-country. I will say that, after hearing this song on a locally produced radio show, I did go right out and get the CD and it did contribute to a new direction in my music listening.

Why this card:  Well, what else is the baseball equivalent of one good year other than the one year wonder.  And Joe Charboneau falls into that category

10. Metamodern Sounds in Country Music by Sturgill Simpson

Why this album:  Sturgill Simpson is the man.  Along with Chris Stapleton and Jason Isbell, he is saving country music.  Much to the chagrin of Nashville's Music Row. But screw them. They are peddling crappy pop and bro country. If you haven't seen his performance on Saturday Night Live recently, you should.  Go here and here.  While I expect that Beyonce's "Lemonade" will win, I'd love Simpson's "A Sailor's Guide to Earth" to win the Record of the Year Grammy.

Why this card:  Okay, this is a stretch. I admit it. But, I do need to show some faint glimmer of originality. Turtles all the way down is a colloquial expression of the infinite regress problem in cosmology.  It is also considered an example of the Anavastha concept in Indian philosophy.  So, here is a card of two Indian natives who joined the Pirates minor league organization in 2009 as part of the reality show, Million Dollar Arm. Dinesh Patel only hung on for two years, both in Rookie ball.  Rinku Singh made it 4 years, getting as high as A ball.  He resigned with the Pirates in November 2015 and managed to pitch one scoreless inning in rookie ball during the 2016 season.

Updated 2017 Goals - A New Quest

So, on my previous post, I had a number of goals for this year, one of which was to add one more card to my 1963 Fleer autographed set.  With only 7 cards remaining in that quest, two of which are out of my reach (Mays and Clemente), I rated that as the goal I was least likely to achieve. I have started to broaden my searches for that by looking at auction houses, but I still rate it as my most challenging goal.

Then this happened:

On a lark, I submitted a bid on this card at Pristine Auctions. I didn't figure I'd win a autographed card of a Hall of Famer with my low ball bid. Alas, I did.  For a mere $16 (delivered,) this card is mine.  So, I decided to add 1960 and 1961 Fleer to my autographed set quest.  There are 79 cards in 1960 and 154 in 1961.  I'll start researching what is achievable with this project, so stay tuned.

I've already completed 1960 and am 4 cards away from completing 1961 as unautographed sets. But, while I like set building, I like challenges, too. The autographed 1963 Fleer set was a challenge. And hella fun. So, I thought I'd give this a try. There are probably plenty of cards that I can't get, like Babe Ruth, where the player died before these cards were issued.  And probably plenty that may be too expensive, but this is one of those challenges where it is the journey and not the destination. 

Well, that is it.  I need to head out to get stalls ready for the cold weather tonight and feed the horses. I have tickets for tonight's OKC Thunder-Denver Nuggets game.  My employer is a sponsor of the Thunder and I was able to score a couple tickets that are usually reserved for the marketing folks to use to schmooze customers.  Row B in the level closest to the floor.  Normally,  the nose bleed seats (300 level) is what I can afford. I will generally splurge once a year on 200 level seats. So, I am excited beyond belief!  Ta!

What I am listening to:  Away by Rorey Carroll.

2015 Set Completion #2 - 1960 Fleer

After having completed exactly zero sets in 2014, I am on fire already in 2015, having just completed my second set in this young year: 1960 Fleer.

 There is actually another card in the set, although depending on your perspective could be considered a variation.  There are known cards of Joe Tinker, Eddie Collins and Lefty Grove that have the back for card 80 - Pepper Martin.  The Pepper Martin card was never issued and examples of the 3 aforementioned players with the Martin back are extremely rare.  There are actually two listed on EBay as a Buy-It-Now with asking prices of $5000 or higher.  I wouldn't spend that kinda money on a card, even if I had it. So, I am calling this one complete.

Favorite Cards of 2013 - Part 1

I started thinking about this series of posts a while back and even had all the cards identified a couple weeks back. But, I have been remiss in actually doing anything with it due to a variety of reasons.  So, instead of one post per card, I am going to break it down into three posts only.

So, in reverse order, here are 12 through 9:

12.  2012 Topps Archive 3D Babe Ruth

I got this card from the mysterious Napkin Doon.  It seems like your typical 3D insert, but what I like about it is that only background moves when you tilt it back and forth.

11. 1971 Topps #709 (Dusty Baker and Don Baylor RC)

In addition to being the rookie card of two stars of the 1970s, it is a high number card, leading it to a book value of $80.  This was the last big ticket card I needed towards completing the 1971 set.

10. 1960 Fleer Ed Barrow

This card of a rather avuncular Ed Barrow is the most unlikely entry on this list.  But, as the architect behind the Yankee dynasty of the first half of the 20th Century, surely he is a noteworthy person?  And before you answer, consider that the Hall of Fame agrees with me.

9. 2013 Topps Archive 72 Mini Lou Gehrig

I got this card from Night Owl.  This card tickles me to no end. Not only is it The Yankee Clipper, one of the best ballplayers ever, but it is done in the fun 1972 Topps design. I am looking forward to building '72 Topps.

So, there are the first four.   Stay tuned for four more tomorrow.

What I am listening to: "Long I Ride" by Robbie Fulks

June Card Show Haul

After the bitter, bitter disappointment last weekend of finding that the LCS in Norman is no longer open on Saturdays, I decided to go to the one day show up in OKC this weekend. I probably would have skipped it, but I was excited about starting to finally focus on my 1973 set.

As I said earlier, I need 296 cards to finish 1973 (including the unnumbered team checklists).  I was able to knock off about 121 of those today. Most were commons from the lower numbered series, although I did start to make some inroads into the high number series.

This is probably the best 73 I got today, but I did get some other Hall of Famers.

Obviously Pat Corrales isn't a HOFer, but I love this card. I don't have to say much about the card as it has been described already (and better than I ever could) by Chris Stufflestreet at his 1973 Topps blog and, of course, at one of the more popular hobby blogs, Play at the Plate.

What can I say, a card of a pitcher batting has to be shown. Jim Kaat was a career .185 hitter and managed to hit 16 round-trippers during his 25 year career.  Not bad for a pitcher. Kaat is also one of the guys I still need to get in my 1963 Fleer autograph quest.

That would have made a good card show haul, but I was able to actually make a large dent in the remaining cards I needed for my 1960 Fleer set, picking up nearly 30 cards.

 Look! It is your Uncle Ed!  Actually, Ed Barrow was the front office executive behind the dominant Yankee teams of the 1920s, 30s, and early 1940s.  But, doesn't he just look more like someone's grandpa than a baseball executive?  All you Yankee haters out there can blame your jealousy anger on Ed.  But, you have to admire the awesomeness of this card. I think it is my favorite pickup of the day. 

Ralph Kiner is likely the only player featured in this set that is still alive. Someday I will take a look and figure it out.

This was my second favorite pickup of the day.

With these cards, I am down to needing 9 cards left to finish the 79 card set.  There actually is an 80th card for the set, but it was never officially issued due to contract problems with it's subject, Pepper Martin.  Several variations of this card #80 have been found in circulation, but they are extremely rare and ungodly expensive.  As in 4 figures expensive.  So, I will consider it complete at 79. I still have some big cards to go amongst those nine, including Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, and Ted Williams. But, I am close enough that I am going to try and complete the set this year.

So, with those purchases, my card show experience ended. I was only there about two hours, but was quite pleased to make substantial progress on two sets.