Street trade under lights

Al used to leave the NY area in the winter, but now he sets up all year long. This time of year is good for him with all the tourists jamming up the streets. He usually packs up at dark but stays to meet me when I have cards for him, and we trade under the lights in Herald Square. For some reason even the dullest chrome cards shine brightly under streetlights.

He's had a different box for me every time. Here's what I pulled out of a box this time.

Some real refractor type cards up top, but also some Chromes and a Cy Young card that looked more refractory in the streetlights than they really were. Still all cards I needed except for the two regular '80s, and the two '72s which were both numbered in the 500s where I still have a few needs so I took 'em just in case (didn't feel like taking out my phone to check for sure). 

Al is definitely the go-to for silver pack cards. Picked up these random cards, also nice and

More shiny! Al must have bought a lot of packs in 2014. Love all these shiny red parallels. A few non-shiny colors also.

 

Wallet card with Mr. Zip

Here's a wallet card photo I'm really excited about. Mr. Zip! A brief history lesson:

Before World War II there was no uniformity around addressing an envelope. Veteran postal workers were experts in their areas and were able to figure out where each letter should go. Due to wartime shortages of postal workers, a 2-digit postal zone system was created for the 124 largest cities in the U.S., to help inexperienced workers determine where letters should go. After the war, as volumes increased, a better system was needed, so in 1963, two-digit state abbreviations were introduced, and every address in America got the code for their Zone Improvement Plan - ZIP Code!

Two publicize this new innovation, which like every such innovation was resisted by most, the US Postal Service introduced Mr. Zip to help publicize the new codes. Mr. Zip signs were everywhere in US post offices throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, but as ZIP code use normalized, there was no more need for Mr. Zip and he was phased out. Mr. Zip remnants still remain here and there, and I've seen them online from bloggers or people on social media who find Mr. Zip on, for example, an apartment building mail slot.

I'd never seen one in a place that was generally accessible, but quite accidentally ran across one yesterday, one that I had probably passed before but never noticed, in the Farley Post Office above Penn Station, a national landmark and one of the biggest post offices in the US. It's convenient location makes it an easy spot to mail off card packages before going to work. I was passing by an unused counter and a green platform caught my eye. It was attached to the counter so has probably always been there, but I hadn't noticed it before. Guess what was stuck to the platform!

The ZIP code in this case would be 10001. If you notice on top there is a date, but missing the last digit. I thought it might be tough to find it but it's right there on Mr. Zip's Wikipedia page - May 1963! Over the past 62 years there have clearly been some attempts to remove the sticker, but that jet-age adhesive is still going strong! If there are "white whales" in my Wallet Card quests, this was certainly one of them. Finding it yesterday certainly made my day!
 

Cary Hiles on baseball cards

Cary Hiles pitched in the Phillies organization from 1998 to 2004. His best season was 2000, when he went 8-3 with 20 saves and a 3.16 ERA for Clearwater. Overall in 255 minor league games, he went 23-22 with 75 saves and a 3.80 ERA. Now AVP, Environmental & Hazmat Safety for the Genesee & Wyoming Railroad, he kindly answered my questions about baseball cards.

"I wouldn’t necessarily call them “stories,” but you might notice that my 2002 and 2003 cards use the same photo. I broke camp with the Triple-A team both seasons, but I tore my shoulder early in 2003. Since the card company didn’t have any new shots of me after the injury, they reused the previous year’s picture. I did make a brief return in 2004 before re-injuring my shoulder post-surgery, and no card was produced for that year.

  

 

My favorite card, strictly for the look, is my 1999 Piedmont Boll Weevils card. It definitely has a “summer ball” vibe, but I’ve always liked the design. 

 

A close second is my 2002 Scranton Red Barons card—it shows how flexible I used to be.

I don’t collect baseball cards anymore, but a few years back I got into European soccer cards for a bit before eventually stepping away from that."

Thanks!

1986 Renata Galasso Mattingly #2

It's always hard to tell with baby photos. Does this look like Don Mattingly?

This makes it easier to tell:

That's him all right!

Speaking of baby Mattingly, Cardboredom recently linked to a great ESPN article about the birthdate controversy triggered my Mattingly's 1987 Topps card.
 

1988 Domino's: Norm Cash

Not the most flattering photo - the slugger squinting into the sun.

Norm Cash was a star first baseman for the Tigers from the early 1960s to the early 1970s. In 1961 he had a breakout season, one he later admitted was aided by a corked bat. He led the AL with a .361 batting average and 193 hits. He never again hit better than .283 but was good for 20-30 HR a year. Overall in 2,089 games he hit .271 with 377 HR and 1,104 RBI. After his career he was a Tigers announcer. In October of 1986 Cash drowned in an alcohol-related incident in Lake Michigan.

My collection: I have 15 of his cards, from 1960 to 1974. I would be interested in trading for 1959 Topps #509, 1962 Topps #250, 1966 Topps #315, 1967 Topps #540 and 1971 Topps #599.

Burgers or gum? Doug Bair

Last time there were seven votes (but none from Stuart who had the idea for this series! Hope Stuart is coming back soon). Burgers got off to a hot start with a 6-1 win.

 

Another instance where the two photos looks very similar. (They won't all be like this!) It looks like the photographer moved slightly between shots, making the backgrounds different even as the pose looks almost the same.

Bair was a lower-leverage reliever and didn't see a lot of work during the Tigers' 40-game hot start, appearing in 8 of the games, with 2 wins and 2 saves. Bair usually appeared in games where the team was losing, way ahead, or deep into extra innings. Overall in 47 games in '84 he went 5-3 with 4 saves and a 3.75 ERA. His one postsesaon appearance came in the Tigers' one loss, a scoreless 0.2 innings in Game 2 of the World Series.  Other than a stint as a closer for the Reds in 1978 and 1979, Bair had a long career as a well-traveled middle reliever, pitching for seven teams in 15 years. In 584 games he went 55-43 with 81 saves and a 3.63 ERA. After his playing career, Bair was a minor league coach for many seasons. He is now retired.

Cake or gum? 1977 Dave Winfield

Last time there were just four votes, with Topps getting all four. Will Hostess get on the board here?

 Both sets featured portraits of the slugger deep in thought. Hostess has him looking at the camera at spring training, while Topps has Winfield looking off into the San Francisco sky, deep in shadow.

 Dave Winfield was one of the all-time greats. He was a five-tool player who excelled at every part of the game. He was certainly one of my favorite players when I started following baseball and the Yankees. Looking back, some of his struggles may have been pressure to justify his big contract. Still, he had great success everywhere he played, finally winning a World Series with Toronto in 1992. In 2,973 games over 22 seasons, he hit .283 with 465 HR, 1,833 RBI and 223 SB. He was a 12-time All-Star and 7-time Gold Glove winner. Winfield has been heavily involved in charitable and business adventures going back to his days with the Padres, and has always had a wide variety of interests beyond sports. He started charitable work in his rookie season, and in 1977 the David M. Winfield Foundation was the first charitable foundation founded by an active athlete. In addition to his numerous charitable adventures, he has numerous business interests. In addition to his own company, Winfield is an Advisor to the MLBPA, investor in a fitness startup, and is on the board of directors of a publicly-traded SPAC.

Wood vs. Wood #307

Last time was a 7-4 win for 1987. Will this be closer?

Jim Grant poses at Yankee Stadium before a game. For some reason the bleachers are full but the grandstand is empty. Some kind of pregame event in the bleachers, maybe? Grant came up with the Indians in 1958 and had some good seasons for some mostly bad Indians teams. He was traded to the Twins in 1964 and had by far his best season in 1965, leading the AL with 21 wins and six shutouts, and going 2-1 with a 2.74 ERA in his only World Series. He got hurt in '67 and wasn't the same pitcher since, converting to the bullpen where he was a solid contributor for several teams in the late 60s and early 70's. Overall in 571 games (293 starts) he went 145-119 with 54 saves and a 3.63 ERA. After his retirement he was a coach, baseball historian and author (wrote the book Black Aces about Black 20-game winners) and was publicity director for the North American Softball League. He died in 2021.

On his rookie card, Lee Guetterman lunges for a ball, almost certainly at Yankee Stadium. That would make this May 18, 1986, when the Yankees scored four runs off the reliever in 2.2 innings en route to an 11-5 win. Perhaps this was Ken Griffey's fielder choice to 2B in the fifth, or Dave Winfield's single to left in the seventh. Guetterman pitched eleven seasons in the major leagues, mostly with the Mariners and Yankees. In 1989, with the Yankees, he set a major league record by starting the season with 30 2/3 scoreless innings, a record for a relief pitcher. The next year he led the Yankees in victories with 11. Overall in 425 games he went 38-36 with 25 saves and a 4.33 ERA. He is now the baseball coach at the Crossroads Christian Academy in Tennessee, a school founded by his wife, Drew. He shared his thoughts on this card (he doesn't like it) with this blog in 2010.
 

1974 Topps Deckle Dating: Larry Bowa

He's got a turtleneck, must be a cold day.

April 7, 1973.

The same date as teammate Greg Luzinski. With a high of 66° and a low of 46°, a turtleneck was not unreasonable. Bowa was the leadoff hitter and went 0-4, as the Mets won 3-2 on a walkoff single by Willie Mays in the bottom of the ninth.

In other news, President Nixon announced new import fees on gas and oil, the first rugby world cup was held, and astronomers at the OSU Radio Observatory announced the discovery of quasar OH471, the most distant observed object in the universe, which they dubbed "the blaze marking the edge of the universe".

 

1981 Topps Tony Bernazard

 

The front: Pregame pose at Veterans Stadium.

The back: Bernazard's feat was a big enough deal that there was a special card in the Denver Bears team set year commemorating it. 

The player: Second baseman Tony Bernazard played for five teams in a ten-year major league career. His best season was 1986, when he hit .301 with 17 HR and 73 RBI for Cleveland. In the 1987 Topps set he is listed as an All Star, but he never actually was an all-star.

The man:  I remember him best as the assistant GM for the Mets in the late 2000s, when he famously took his shirt off and challenged some Binghamton Mets to a fight. He also offended Carlos Delgado by trying to recruit him to the Mets by speaking “street Spanish”, and got into fights with other players and reporters. At last report Bernazard was working for agent Scott Boras.

My collection: I have 40 of his cards, from 1980 to 1988. I would be interested in trading for  1978 Tiefel & Associates Denver Bears "6 for 6".

1976 SSPC Tom Paciorek

 

The card, in brief: I picture him with wild gray hair on his 1987 Topps card, so seeing him looking so young is always a little surprising.

Playing career, in brief:  Paciorek played eighteen seasons in the major leagues for six teams as a backup outfielder and pinch hitter, only once playing more than 115 games in a season. Overall, in 1,392 games he hit .282 with 86 HR and 503 RBI.

Post-playing career, in brief:  Paciorek was an announcer for several teams, most notably the White Sox. He is now retired.

My collection: I have 40 of his cards, from 1973 to 1988. I would be interested in trading for 1971 Topps #709.

 

Forgot to give away those Tigers cards on Saturday. Got three comments, running the randomizer:

 

Night Owl, I'll get the cards out to you next time I hit the post office, probably after Thanksgiving. 

1986 Renata Galasso Mattingly #1

 Not much to say about the front. I've never been able to get into art cards.

Wow, Don Mattingly got a pinch hit in his first major league game? I'm surprised I didn't know that.

*looks up first game* Comes into a game in the ninth inning as a defensive replacement for Dave Winfield in left. Does not bat.

*looks up second game* Again comes in as a defensive replacement in left. Gets to bat and pops out to third.

*looks up third game* Comes in as a defensive replacement in right this time. Gets another at bat and strikes out.

*looks up fourth game* Comes in as a defensive replacement in left. Gets to bat and hits a sac fly, getting his first RBI before his first hit.

*looks up fifth game* Comes in as a defensive replacement at 1B. Gets to bat and gets his first MLB hit. Later strikes out to end the game with the tying run on base.

*looks up sixth game* First time in the starting lineup. Goes 0-4.

*looks up seventh game, last of the 1982 season* Pinch-hits for Jerry Mumphrey and grounds into a double play.

*cheats and looks it up* Mattingly's first pinch hit came on July 22, 1983, a double off of Dan Quisenberry. It was his 34th major league game.

Two days later Mattingly pinch hit again and flew out, and two innings later George Brett hit one of the most famous "home runs" ever. 

1988 Domino's: Gates Brown

Kicking off a series of the 1988 Domino's set commemorating the 1968 Tigers. The backs are all the same, but the fronts have a different black-and-white photo of every player.

Gates Brown follows through on a big swing. Based on the crowd reaction (or lack thereof), I assume this is a foul ball.

Brown was discovered while playing on a prison team while serving a sentence for burglary. A pinch-hitter extraordinaire, he had his best season by far in 1968, hitting .370 with 6 HR and 15 RBI in 67 games. In 13 seasons, all with Detroit, he hit .257 with 84 HR and 322 RBI. After his retirement he was a scout and a hitting coach. He died of a heart attack in 2013.

My collection: Probably a good time to note that when I put these in posts, it's about filling set needs I happen to have of a certain player, not a separate PC. I don't have any PC's, I just fill every set I can. I have 15 of Brown's cards, from 1965 to 1976. I would be interested in trading for 1964 Topps #471.

 

 

Burgers or gum? Sparky Anderson

Kicking off the 1985 Tigers set showdown. Which card is better - the one Topps used for the base set, or the Wendy's/Coca-Cola Tigers set?

These photos look like they were taken at the same time, from two opposite directions. Spring training photos of a very serious looking Sparky Anderson. The Coke card has some coaches visible, while the Topps card has the stands.

Sparky Anderson had won two World Series with the Big Red Machine, and in 1984 he sealed his Hall of Fame case by leading a much less star-studded Tigers team to a World Championship. The Tigers went off to a 35-5 start, and despite cooling off considerably were still easily the best team in a weak American League that season. In the ALCS they made quick work of the Royals (who would have finished 6th if they played in the AL East), and in the World Series they knocked off the Padres, who surprised the favored Cubs in the NLCS. Sparky kept the Tigers competitive for several more seasons, but they slid into mediocrity under his watch, as he ended his career with five sub-.500 seasons out of seven before retiring after the 1995 season. Anderson, who played in one major league season, for the Phillies in 1959, was involved in various charitable endeavors after he retired. He died in 2010.
 

Cake or gum? 1977 Mike Schmidt

 Last time gum squeaked by, 5-3. Is this cake's turn for a victory?

Hostess has Schmidt wearing a batting helmet, but not batting, in a spring training shot. Topps has Schmidt batting, but not wearing a batting helmet, at Shea Stadium. Of note are that stylized bicentennial logo, and his #20 on the batting glove.

One of the best third basemen of all time, Mike Schmidt played 18 seasons, all for the Phillies. A 12-time All Star and 3-time MVP, Schmidt led the NL in home runs eight times. Overall in 2,404 games he hit .267 with 548 HR and 1,595 RBI. He was the World Series MVP in 1980, hitting .381 with 2 HR and 7 RBI. Since his retirement he has been involved in a variety of charitable endeavors, primarily for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
 

Weekly roundup

RIP Randy Jones, read about his passing on the Baseball Card Breakdown blog. He shared some baseball card stories with this blog in 2014.

A few incoming cards this week, starting with some relatively cheap vintage on eBay. This is not one of the great vintage sets, but the generic player on the front has the Mickey Mantle name on it, so it's hard to get one cheap. This one had writing on the back which kept it under $10. 

Any time I can pick up a prewar Yankee for under $5, I go for it. Nothing important missing on this card.

TCDB trade with Twinjim8791. With a name like that, of course I got some Twins cards. That Knoblauch card is a fun hologram. Nice photo on the Baseball Card Magazine photo of Brian Harper, too.

Speaking of magazine cards, Johnny's Trading Spot had a generous giveaway which was heavy on those. Some other cards too including my first 1989 CMC card, and what a card - Babe Ruth!

 

Wallet Card at Forest Paper Co.

Found another old labelscar in Hudson Square. Forest Paper Co. at 90 Vandam St. As far as I can tell, this business opened sometime in the early 20th century, moved into this space in 1937, and was still there in 1966, when a New York Times article noted that Leon Pomerance, president of this company at this address, was financing an archeological dig in Crete that had been hampered by a robbery. Pomerance was an amateur archaeologist who financed several important excavations. As far as I can tell this business dissolved in 1981, but their impression into the side of the building lives on.

 

Wood vs. Wood #305

Last time we had a close one, with 1987 eking out a 4-3 win. Will 1962 come out on top here?

Jerry Lumpe is framed by a bright blue sky. The A's wearing something other than green always throws me off. Infielder Lumpe (pronounced Lumpy) came up with the Yankees in 1956, and played in the '57 and '58 World Series. Unable to fully break into the mighty Yankees lineup, he was shipped to the A's in '59 as part of the trade that brought Ralph Terry and Hector Lopez to the Bronx. He had some solid seasons with the A's, and was dealt to Detroit in the Rocky Colavito trade after the '63 season. He was an All Star in '64, but age caught up to the 32-year-old infielder and he retired after three more mediocre season with Detroit. Overall in 1,371 games he hit .268 with 47 HR and 454 RBI. After his playing career he worked in banking and insurance. He died in 2014. Famous Yankee announcer Bob Sheppard once said in an interview that Lumpe was his least favorite name to announce. (His favorite, Jose Valdivielso, is a little farther into the '62 set.)

Brooklyn native John Franco is seen here pitching at Shea Stadium, the place he would call home for most of his career. Buddy Bell can be seen looking into his glove as Franco delivers, so this must be a warm-up pitch. This must be May 11, 1986. Pete Rose hit a three-run, bases-loaded single in the second inning, and starter Bill Gullickson and two relievers kept the mighty Mets in check, with the Reds bringing closer Franco into the game to start the eighth. Franco pitched two innings of no-hit ball, striking out three, to hand the Mets just their fifth loss against 20 wins. Franco was one of the premier closers in the National League in the 1980s and 1990s. Starting with the Reds in 1984, and signing with the hometown Mets in 1990, Franco lead the NL in saves three times, was a four-time All Star, and had 15 straight seasons of 10-or-more saves. Overall in 1,119 games (all in relief), Franco went 90-87 with 424 saves and a 2.89 ERA. Since his retirement Franco has stayed active making appearances for the Mets organization.
 

1974 Topps Deckle Dating: Bob Watson

Second Bob Watson post within a month.

TCDB didn't have a back scan; I found this image on Collectors.com.

March 24, 1973. I've posted that date from several cards already. Astros teammate Doug Rader was listed on that day, and I determined that had to be wrong in my post for that card. By association, that casts some doubt on this date as well.

This is a spring training shot, and Watson's 1973 Topps card has his photo at Shea Stadium, so this is not a repeat of the issue with Rader's card. I didn't see any other Topps cards that had a spring photo of Watson with a dark shirt under his jersey. However, as I looked at his cards, it was clear that his 1973 Topps and 1974 Topps photos were taken at the same time. 

'80s team sets from Stuart

Stuart of S.R. '75 Cards generously sent me some of his extra team sets. He suggested these could be new blog series - great idea!

Not really a team set but one player here - it's the 1986 Renata Galasso Don Mattingly set! Lots of fun photos from the Hit Man's childhood, minor league and major league days. This could certainly be a fun series centering on something not usually seen on a baseball card. 

Most of the card backs have canned interview questions, but the last nine cards make a really cool puzzle!

Next up is the 20th anniversary set of the 68 Tigers. (Bet my kids wish it was 67 instead.) Some great vintage photography on this Domino's set, this series will be a great way to dig into some 1960s player bios.

Finally there's the 1984 Tigers team set from Wendy's. The Coca-Cola logos are cool but the photo selection is really bad. Maybe a series comparing a card here to a much more interesting card of the player? 

Stuart included two of these sets but I only needed one. So in the spirit of his generosity, I'll give this one away! Leave a message in the comments, and next Saturday I'll randomize the message-leavers and pick a winner. US only, and if we haven't traded before, send me your address within 24 hours of winning or I'll pick someone else. (Last time I had a giveaway multiple people claimed cards and then never gave me their address, which is pretty rude.)

EDIT: That team set will be minus the Barbaro Garbey card. I totally didn't catch until Stuart just pointed out to me - he had Garbey autograph this at a show recently! I'll be keeping this one.

Thanks Stuart!

 

1981 Topps Britt Burns

 

The front: The White Sox had some of the more unusual uniforms of their era. Looks like he's wearing blue jeans here.

The back: Burns put up his dominant numbers at Huffman High School in Birmingham, AL. Wikipedia says that he was "discovered" by a Chicago Tribune book critic but that is not exactly correct; Cromie attended a game where Burns threw an 18-strikeout no-hitter, and let the White Sox know about him; but scouts from almost every other MLB organization were also at the game.

The player: Burns had a great rookie season in 1980, going 15-13 with a 2.84 ERA; he is credited with a league leading 7.0 WAR that season. Burns was a solid performer for the next few seasons, though injuries cut at his ineffectiveness. After a 1985 season when he went 18-11 despite a 3.96 ERA, he was traded to the Yankees. He never pitched for the Yankees, as a degenerative hip condition quickly worsened, requiring surgery that cut his femur in half. He attempted a comeback in 1990 but was unable to return to the major leagues. Overall in 193 MLB games, all for the White Sox between 1978 and 1985, he went 70-60 with a 3.66 ERA.

The man: Burns had a long career as a minor league pitching coach after his playing days. He still does some youth pitching instruction in Alabama.

My collection: I have 25 of his cards, from 1981 to 1990. I would be interested in trading for 1983 Kellogg's #43.
 

An OPC day

Did a street trade with Al yesterday. This time the box he brought seemed filled with junk wax, but surprise surprise some of it was Canadian junk wax. I pulled out a whole lot of OPC from 1987 and 1988.

The '87s all came from the middle third of the set. I have a lot of '87 OPC and only needed the two on the right; the rest are available for trade. 

I don't have nearly as many '88 OPC; I needed all the ones on the left; just the column on the right available for trade.

Then when I got home I got a package from an eBay win, a lot of '77 OPC. These are actually in really good shape, but it slipped through the cracks I guess and I was able to get 'em cheap. I need these cards, lots of interesting ones here including that cool OPC exclusive Expos coaches card.

There was some duplication in the lot and I had a couple already, so these 9 are available for trade.

 

 

Roundup!

Various incoming cards from the past couple of weeks. I posted a '53 Berra the other day - here's a '54 Berra I got on eBay. Went cheap because of some tape that's far away from anything important on the card.

Nice stuff from 49ants. Some wacky cards, a vintage, and the next to last card I needed for the 2014 Topps set. (Anybody have an extra #537 Madison Bumgarner?) The Johnson card is a fun one, took out the "magnifying glass" - aka cellphone camera - to check out the photos on his wall. Saw a range of baseball celebrities from Carlton Fisk to Youppi posing with the Big Unit.

Another cheap ebay purchase, Willie Mays '71 Topps Super. Some '70s kid drew a beard on Willie on the back, making this a cheap card. The fronts are what make the cards in this beautiful set.

Nice eclectic mix of vintage, retro, and 80's cards from mattheinz23.

Brian Betza sent these with a note, "Fun food stuff!" He was right!

These cards from Joe Stout came the same day I got my big trade package from Crocodile. Stout's PWE contained cards from the '57, '58, '60, '62 and '63 sets. The trade with Croc had cards from the '53, '54, '55, '56, '59 and '61 sets. Eleven consecutive sets covered in two trade packages received on the same day, with no overlap in the sets. What are the odds?

Mark Camps sent some great '54 Topps cards. Two of the pitchers (Garver and Haddix) were coming off 20 win seasons.

Richard Labs sent nine needs from the 1960 Leaf set. The headshots aren't the most exciting, but the photos are so crisp and clear that I enjoy them more than I would expect.

Not all cards came through the mail. Got these in a street trade with Al last week. The four at the bottom were the only four Upper Deck cards I picked out, and as it turns out the only four I had already. Again, what are the odds?