I have a bit of a dilemma.
Sunday, September 24, 2023
Quandary
Sunday, August 27, 2023
New Player Collection Additions
As I mentioned in my previous post, my hobby activity has basically gone on hiatus for a while. I have added three cards to my player collections.
I realize that may look like a well-loved 1960 Topps card of Johnny Antonelli. And, it is. But, what isn't obvious from the image is that it is on thinner, poorer quality stock which identifies this as a Topps Venezuelan. In well over a decade of collecting, this is only the second 1960 Venezuelan card of Antonelli I have ever seen. And I got it for about $15 delivered.
With regard to progress, I have 71 unique Antonelli items out of my identified population of 100. The remaining items I don't have are mostly photocards/postcards, buybacks, and a handful of reprints. I've never seen most of them, so this may be one of the last cards I acquire for this collection.
What I am listening to: Bring Me to Life by Evanescence.
Sunday, August 6, 2023
1961 Fleer Autograph Project - Part 38
Now back to your (ir)regularly scheduled programming: the real Part 38 in this series.
A little over a week ago, Night Owl had a post that referenced cards that featured Comissioner Bowie Kuhn and mentioned how rare it is that any card features MLB commissioners. And guess what card was next up in this post series?
Warren Giles! Night Owl mentioned a Beckett article that he just finished about commissioner cards. Alas, I don't read Beckett and when I do read I apparently have comprehension issues as you will see in the comment from NO below. I've already got books that have been on the nightstand for over year untouched and I always feel a twinge of guilt when I climb into bed and see them sitting there waiting for me. So, I have no idea whether he mentioned 1960 and 1961 Fleer in that article. Hopefully, he will confirm or deny in the comments {stares in cardboard appreciation.}
Strictly speaking, Giles was never commissioner. Rather he was the NL President from 1951 through 1969. His tenure mostly overlapped with Ford Frick occupying the MLB Commissioners office. Frick will appear in Part 53 of this series, assuming I get there before I shuffle of this mortal coil. In case you are wondering, the AL Commissioner during this time, former HOF player and manager Joe Cronin, does not appear in the set in any form. Anyways, let's learn a little bit more about Warren.
The last two years of my life have been dominated by career issues and have involved two separate job searches. One interview question I hate is "Where do you see yourself in five years?" If you were to parachute into any time during my 35-year post college work life and ask me that question, then drop back in 5 years later, you would find that not only was I not where my 5-year plan said I would be, I was nowhere close. That is a tortured, and all too long, set-up for how Warren Giles kicked off his baseball career.
After serving as an army officer in France during the First World War, Giles returned to his home in Moline, IL to work as a tradesman with his father, a general contractor. He was involved in running a local football team which led to being invited to a meeting regarding how to save the locally owned minor league team, the Moline Plowboys. In a classic case of no good deed goes unpunished, speaking out at the meeting led Giles to be appointed to the unpaid position as President of the team.
Ater turning around the Moline club, his career as a baseball executive took off with 4 subsequent stops before assuming his post as NL President:
1922 - 1924 -St Joseph (MO) Saints
1925 -1927 - Syracuse (NY) Stars
1928 - 1936 - Rochester (NY) Red Wings
1938 - 1951 Cincinnati (OH) Red Legs
During his tenure as NL President, he was considered an effective representative of ownership and, thus, not necessarily friendly to a nascent labor movement in organized baseball. However, he had a decent working relationship with the umpires, likely due to his time as a basketball and football referee early in his career. Indeed, the NL umpires unionized during Gile's tenure. He also presided over a period of team moves, including both the Giants and Dodgers moving west, while the Braves vacated Milwaukee for warmer climes.
I could go on, but you would better served reading his SABR biography. I will share one interesting anecdote about Giles, who's s advocacy for ownership was tainted with accusations of undue deference specifically to the Dodger's Walter O'Malley. In 1963, Giles promulgated a directive strictly enforce the balk rule that said a pitcher must stop his windup for one full second while pitching from the stretch. Why does this show favoritism towards O'Malley? Well, the rule worked to the advantage of a baserunning oriented team and theprevious season, the Dodgers young phenom Maury Wills won the MVP while stealing 104 bases, the most since Billy Hamilton swiped 111 in 1891.
What I am listening to: Worn Out American Dream by BettySoo
Friday, July 21, 2023
1961 Fleer Autograph Project Part 38 70
It arrived and I am beyond excited.
Because I am a big jerk, I am going to put my white whale after a jump break. In the mean time, here is a picture of a white whale.
Let's run down the 1961 Fleer set a bit, if for no other reason than to prolong the reveal. Though there is nothing stopping you from skipping ahead.
The 1961 Fleer Baseball Greats set was actually issued in 1961 and 1962, The first series, consisting of cards 1 through 88, was issued in 1961 and, to state the obvious, the second series of cards 89 through 154 in the latter year. While cards 1 and 89 were checklists they did feature players on the front and I have seen autographed versions of each card, however I don't have either. All of the subject players were retired, though Ted Williams had just retired at the end of the 1960 season. Many of the players had died before the set was issued, but there were 99 players that were alive on January 1, 1961. Three died during the year: Schoolboy Rowe on January 8, Dazzy Vance on February 16, and Ty Cobb on July 17. It is safe to say that it is improbable that there are signed versions of the first two and I consider it unlikely there is a Cobb. I've certainly never seen one. So, we're down to a total of 96 cards that could theoretically exist in signed form.
In my previous post, I defined white whales as the cards that were of truly great players who died shortly after the set was issued. I said there was four, but when I relook at it, there are only three:
Rogers Hornsby (d. 1963)
Paul Waner (d. 1965)
Jimmie Foxx (d.1967)
So, now you know the options. Let's cut to the chase.
Monday, July 17, 2023
1961 Fleer Autograph Project - Part 37
I am really excited. I just won an auction for what will be my 70th signed 1961 Fleer card. And it is one of four cards that I would consider the white whales of the project: cards of all-time great players who lived only for a short time after the set was issued. I will probably skip over Parts 38 through 69 and post that card next. At the rate I am posting these, it would probably be 2030 before I got to #70 otherwise. Oh, I'll loop back and start again at 38. There are some good ones in there, but #70 just can't wait its turn.
Wait a minute, you might be thinking. Isn't this set called Baseball Greats? Why do you only consider 4 cards to be white whales? I'm glad you asked. You see, much like the Greats of the Game sets that Fleer issued between 2001 and 2006, only some of the subject players were truly great. All were notable, to be sure. But, notable is not the same as great. Let me give you an example: Ray Mueller
- In 1944 he was an All-Star and received two first-place votes for NL MVP.
- On July 21, he hit a walk-off grand slam in the 11th inning of a 5-1 win over the Cardinals. On his trip around the diamond, he passed his cousin Don Gutteridge, who was manning third base for St. Louis.
- During Mueller’s time with Boston, he was friends with Donald Davidson, who stood just 4’0”. Mueller helped him become the team bat boy, which he parlayed into a role with the team’s publicity department. When the franchise moved to Milwaukee in 1953, Davidson became the public relations director. Davidson is credited with giving Henry Aaron the nickname “Hammerin’ Hank.” Davidson was another baseball lifer, though never as a player.
What I am listening to: Smooth Sailin' by Leon Bridges
Friday, June 23, 2023
Another One Bites the Dust
I am the worst.
I have this blog. I have an interesting collecting project. One that gives me the opportunity to research baseball players that have been mostly lost to time and I can't even manage one dang post a month. I intend to correct that.
Just not now and not with this post.
This will be a throwaway post. So, let's get to it so we can just put it behind us.
This, my friends, is the last card I needed to complete my 1955 Topps set. It will be oldest set I will build. The second to last card I needed was Jackie Robinson. Why am I not showing that off? Well...it is kinda ugly and it is already in the binder. So, chalk it up to laziness.
Anyways, about every set older than this has at least one card that is ungodly expensive and I am just not about that. If I am going to splash out, it isn't going to be on a set build. Frankly, I am still undecided about whether I should have opened my wallet wide enough to get that Clemente rookie card for this set. Don't get me wrong. I love that card. But, I still think about the opportunity cost.
Anyways, I'm done with 1955 Topps.
What I am listening to: "Loan Me a Dime" by Boz Scaggs
NB: The original studio version of this song featured Duane Allman on guitar, but I am partial to live versions. There are several youtube videos with the original version. Go listen to them.
NB2: I am guessing only two of my readers will immediately get "NB"
Sunday, May 7, 2023
1961 Fleer Autograph Project - Part 36
I keep saying I need to get more active here and I never do. I just received my 65th signed 1961 Fleer card and I am working with a friend on a deal to add three more to that total. At a minimum, I need to be posting faster than I am acquiring them. Surely, I can manage that? The answer is yes because I expect this project will grind to a virtual halt as I am getting down to the very rare or very expensive cards yet to go. Okay, next up in the signed 1961 Fleer project is Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau.
Other fun facts about Lou Boudreau:
- He isn't so much credited with inventing the infield shift as he was of bringing it to more popular attention. He did this on July 14, 1946 against Ted Williams during the second game of a doubleheader. Williams laughed when Cleveland deployed the shift, but then promptly grounded out to none other than Lou Boudreau.
- Despite not ever being confused as a speed demon (one of his nicknames was "Old Shufflefoot," he was an excellent fielding shortstop.
- In 1990, the Cleveland Indians established The Lou Boudreau Award, which is given every year to the organization's Minor League Player of the Year.
- Boudreau is only one of three Illinois Fighting Illini athletes to have their number retired; the other two athletes being Illinois Fighting Illini football players Red Grange and Dick Butkus.
- He was Denny McClain's father-in-law.
What I am listening to: El Dorado by Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
1961 Fleer Autograph Project - Part 35
I really need to get my rear in gear here. Previously, I had mentioned that I had a bit of a curve thrown at me by life late last year. That situation is now coming to close. As a celebration, I have bought another signed 1961 Fleer card to my collection. That one will be, once I receive it, the 63rd such card. So, I really need to get this party going. Hopefully, I can actually make regular entries in this series as there is a long way between 35 and 63.
- A big man, Marberry stormed around, throwing and kicking dirt, glaring angrily at the batter. He and catcher Muddy Ruel would put on an act during warm ups intended to psych out opposing batteers.He was Al Hrabosky a couple decades before Al Hrabosky was even born.
- Marberry acquired the nickname Firpo because of his size and facial resemblance to Argentine boxer Luis Firpo.
- At the time, games at Griffith Stadium typically started at 4:00. In the faster-paced games of the time, this meant that “Marberry Time,” as it was soon called, would arrive at about 5:30 or 6:00, with the shadows rolling across the diamond. For a fastball pitcher like Marberry, this was an ideal environment.
- He had a short stint as an American League umpire in 1935, but found the job too lonely.
- Even after his major league career was over at the age of 37 in 1936, he continued pitching in the minors, mostly the Texas League, for 5 more seasons.
- He owned a 600-acre farm near Marberry ‘s boyhood home in Mexia and, at various times, he operated a wholesale gas distributorship and ran a recreation center in Waco.
What I am listening to: Honeysuckle Blue by Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit