I was updating my TCDB collection today. I have been keeping up with my set builds, but not my Paul Blair and Johnny Antonelli player collections. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, there were new entries on TCDB for Blair that I hadn't seen previously. Alas, the same holds true for Antonelli. So, I've been trying to get my master spreadsheet updated with these new entries. You might ask why I am keeping a spreadsheet in addition to TCDB as they should be performing the same function. You might, but it would be a bit rude of you. However, since the question is on the table, let me answer.
Two reasons: first, I have seen a number previously essential websites disappear (Yahoo Groups and JPGMag are but two) and I will always have my spreadsheet. Additionally, I have a number of independently produced art cards that are not cataloged on TCDB. So, with that out of the way, let me get back on track.
While looking at my Antonelli collection versus TCDB, there are three main categories of "wants:'
Rarities like 1958 Packard Bell and 1971 House of Jazz.
Armour Coins (14 variations from 1955 and 3 from 1959)
Jay Publishing pictures.
I am not going to pursue the coins since they are not cards, or any type of paper product, for that matter. But the Jay Publishing's are bit of an issue since images get reused year to year. Note:
This is an animated GIF I created that cycles between the 1955, 1956 Past and Present 10, and 1956 Past and Present 12 Jay issues. The thing is that I cannot be 100% sure the variations you see (image exposure and image position) are attributable to the actual production or are just modern artifacts of image cropping and scanning differences. I will probably crop off the borders in my starting images and redo the animated GIF to see what that shows. But, holy moly, I really didn't want to go down a rabbit hole on this.
Added in edit: The cropped animation. The slight shifts may very well be my cropping.
So, I haven't exactly shut down all hobby spending, but it is the absolute bare minimum. For $12 delivered, I added a new card to my Paul Blair player collection; one that I have been watching for over the last several years.
A 1968 Topps Venezuelan. This is, to my knowledge, the last of the Venezuelan issues I needed for this collection. I logged into my TCDB account and added this to my collection and, flush with excitement, looked to see how complete I was on my Blair PC only to discover a number of new entries that weren't there before. So, I am only sitting at 62% complete according to TCDB. I'm still the #1 Blair collector, but 62% seems kinda low. Well, it's the chase that counts, right?
Anyways, in the days ahead, I'll update my want list and see what is out there to be had.
What I am Listening to: Dog by The Bottle Rockets.
We got home yesterday after a week and a half away. It was a nice trip, though nothing fancy. We went back to Ohio and visited with our families. The first weekend, my nephew got married in downtown Cleveland the same day as the Rolling Stones concert. I've seen the Stones three times in my life, though not since 2003. I'm not much for nostalgia acts, so I have no interest in seeing them again. It was a little disconcerting seeing folks walking with canes wearing Stones t-shirts, but I guess it should be expected since Mick Jagger is 81.
Anyways, after the wedding we had a good time touring the William J Mather steamship, spent a day at Cedar Point, and did a behind the scenes tour of the Ohio Reformatory where the Shawshank Redemption was filmed. My wife collects midcentury modern barware so we hit a bunch of antique stores while we were there. And, as luck would have it, there was actually a midcentury barware show in Lancaster, Ohio this past weekend. It took place over three days, but we were only there for Saturday. If it is held again, we'll probably stay for the whole thing.
So, as you might expect, the car was stuffed with all sorts of barware for the drive home. My hobby spending has been non-existent for the last month in anticipation of the trip and will continue to be so through the summer since I need to buy hay for this coming winter. But I did manage to find one thing I had to have while we were going through antique stores.
A 2007 CC Sabathia bobblehead! I have no idea what the story is behind this, but for $5 I couldn't leave it behind. I see that later this summer, CC will be inducted into the Guardians Hall of Fame.
The biggest news in the sports world while I was out of town was the passing of Willie Mays. I was reading Night Owl's reaction to Mays' death and his notice of the remaining greats of the past. The second card he showed was Rocky Colavito, which brought to mind this item that I acquired just before I shut down my hobby spending in May.
This Sport magazine from September 1960 is signed by both Mays and Colavito and came with a JSA certification. Apparently, signed magazines aren't in much demand in the hobby as this only cost me $100. Not a small sum, to be sure, but it seems worth it to have the autograph of one of the all-time greats.
What I am listening to: Feel it Still by Portugal. The Man.
There is an interesting new blog bat around about posting the last card from a major issue for your favorite player. Since I have two favorite players, I thought I would show them both.
It is an odd card, isn't it? Paul Blair spent most of his career with the Baltimore Orioles, then several years with the Bronx Zoo Yankees. So, to see him in a Cincinnato uniform is a bit disorienting. However, he didn't end his career in Ohio. After appearing in 5 games for the Yankees at the start of the 1979 season, he was released and, around month later signed with the Reds. He finished out the season with Cincinnati batting at anemic .150 in 155 plate appearances over the course of the 1979 season. A free agent after the 1979 season ended, he didn't catch on with another team until late May of 1980 when he signed with the Yankees again. After 12 games as a late game pinch runner/defensive replacement, he was granted a release on July 1 and brought his playing career to a close.
I really did a lousy job of scanning straight didn't I? I could have fixed the alignment in Photoshop, but I have a busy day ahead of me. We are leaving for a 12 day vacation in a week and a half and I have much to do around the farm before then. So, my apologies for phoning this one in.
Johnny Antonelli's career also ended on a less than deserved note. Antonelli had invested wisely during his career and owned Firestone tire stores in his (and my) hometown of Rochester, NY. He preferred playing close to home as to attend to his business interests. The Giants move to San Francisco obviously put a crimp in that and, not surprisingly, he wasn't particularly happy in the Bay Area. After two successful and one middling season in San Francisco he was traded to Cleveland after the 1960 season. After 11 wholly ineffective appearances, he was purchased by the Milwaukee Braves, where he turned in 9 more mediocre relief appearances before the season ended. In the time between the 1961 and 1962 seasons, he was selected by the expansion NY Mets, but chose to retire instead.
