1986 Renata Galasso Mattingly #13

The Hit Man - as in, a hit with the ladies, and with the dogs?

Error card! Mattingly's high school coach was Merkel, not Merkle. Quentin Merkel retired in 2013 as the second winningest high school coach in Indiana.

1988 Domino's Eddie Mathews

 

Looks like a spring training shot. I kind of wish this was in color.

 Never the best hitter on his own team, Eddie Mathews was nevertheless one of the best hitters in the National League in the 1950s and 1960s. A nine-time All-Star, Mathews hit .271 with 512 home runs and 1,453 RBI. Hitting in front of Hank Aaron, Mathews saw lots of good pitches to hit, most notably in the tenth inning of Game 4 of the 1957 World Series, when the Yankees elected to pitch to Mathews with first base open and Aaron on deck; Mathews hit a walk-off homer that turned the tide of that series. The only player to play for the Braves in Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta, Mathews ended his career with stints in Houston and Detroit, where he played in 31 games in 1968, hitting .212 with 3 HR and 8 RBI. He retired after appearing for two games for the Tigers in the 1968 World Series, going 1-for-3 with a walk. Mathews was a well-respected teammate who frequently got into fights with the opposition, including on-field blows with Frank Robinson, Jackie Robinson and Don Drysdale, among others. He briefly served as Braves manager in the 1970s, and was the team's skipper when Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run in 1974. Mathews was fired later that season, and later admitted that his alcoholism cost him that job and others in baseball. He died of pneumonia in 2001.

I have 17 of his cards, from 1953 to 1969. I would be interested in trading for 1952 Topps #407, 1955 Topps #155 and 1956 Topps #107.

Burgers or gum? Rusty Kuntz

Last time was a 6-3 win for burgers. Will gum fare better here?

Wendy's has Kuntz on the road in the dark. What AL park had green walls and blue seats? I'm not sure. The Topps card is clearly Tigers Stadium, with Kuntz in the cage on a sunny day.

Kuntz was a backup outfielder for the White Sox, Twins and Royals from 1979 to 1985. In 277 games he hit .236 with 5 HR and 38 RBI. He set most of his career highs in 1984, with 140 at-bats in 84 games, hitting .286 with 2 HR and 22 RBI. He drove in the game-winning RBI of the clinching Game 5 of the 1984 World Series with a fifth-inning sacrifice fly. After his playing career, he has had a long career in coaching, and has served in various roles in the Royals organization since 2007.
 

Wood vs. Wood #332

Last time was a 5-2 win for '62. Who will win here?

Don Buddin is hatless at Yankee Stadium, a card taken during his time as a Red Sox between 1956 and 1961. Taken by Houston in the expansion draft, the shortstop played 40 games for the Colt .45's and was sold to Detroit in July. Late in the '62 season the Tigers brought up catching prospect Bill Freehan. Freehan didn't get into a big league game that season, but at some point some youngster made a connection between the two. Buddin played three more seasons in the minors but never again played in the major leagues. Overall in 711 major league games he hit .241 with 41 HR and 225 RBI. After his playing career he had various jobs - selling life insurance, writing for the local newspaper in South Carolina, selling boats, and owning a liquor store and a party store. He died in 2011.

Joe Price delivers a pitch at Shea Stadium. Price pitched in two day games at Shea in 1986. On May 10 he allowed three runs in 0.2 inning, two on a Gary Carter home run, as the Reds lost 5-1. Price and the Reds came back strong the next day. With the Reds leading 3-1 in the 6th, manager Pete Rose brought Price in to face Darryl Strawberry with runners on 2nd and 3rd and nobody out. Price kept the big slugger in the ballpark, limiting him to a sacrifice fly. It was the only batter Price faced, but he got a hold in the 3-2 Reds win. Price had a solid 11-year career as a middle reliever/spot starter for the Reds, Giants, Red Sox and Orioles. In 372 games (84 starts) he went 45-49 with 13 saves and a 3.65 ERA. He is now a realtor in Sarasota, FL.
 

Cake or gum? 1977 Cesar Cedeno

Last time was a 7-0 win for gum. Will we have another shutout here?

Two photos that appear to be at Candlestick Park. Hostess has a headshot for Cedeno, while Topps features him in the batting cage.

Cedeno came up with the Astros as a 19-year-old rookie in 1970 and quickly became a star. An exciting combination of power and speed, he led the NL in doubles in 1971 and 1972. In both 1972 and 1973, he hit .320 with 20+ HR and 50+ steals. That December, he was charged with involuntary manslaughter when he was playing with a gun with a 19-year-old woman in his hotel room; the gun went off, killing the woman. Cedeno served 20 days in jail and was fined $100. Though still a productive player for many years, he did not put up the same kind of numbers after that incident. Overall, in 17 seasons, mostly for the Astros, Cedeno hit .285 with 199 HR, 976 RBI and 550 SB. After his career he was arrested once for drunk driving and twice for domestic abuse. He had a long coaching career for several organizations, mostly the Astros, and was inducted into the Astros Hall of Fame in 2020.

Wallet Card at Freeport Bedding

This one's hard to see in the photo, but under the awning for The Mattress Factory in Freeport, NY, are the remains of letters that once said Freeport Bedding.

The only reference that I can find to this store being called Freeport Bedding is from a 1947 newspaper ad. By the 1990s it was Island Bedding and soon after the Mattress Factory. So this lettering could date from anywhere from the 1940s to the 1990s, I suppose.

 

Street trade hits and misses

Last week I did a little street trade with Al. Picked up a variety of cards, needed the first four but turned out I already had the last two.

Then yesterday a bigger trade. I never know what boxes he'll bring in. This one had a bunch of Yoo-Hoo cards. I picked out one of each except for the Yankees which I figured I already had all of. Big mistake, I should have taken a Yogi Berra because now that's the last one I need for the 1993 Yoo-Hoo set. I'll ask him to bring one next time but I don't know if he will.

These cards that I picked out were all new to me. Fun mix including some shinies. 

A few misses though, guessing wrong where it turned out I didn't need the card, so they'll go in the trade boxes.

 

Time traveling to the fights

I picked up three baseball cards in my latest Diamond Jesters time travel trade. That's certainly in character for me. Minor league oddballs and an early 2000s need.

This one was out of character for me, but I really like it. I'm not a boxing fan but I certainly have an appreciation for the legends of any sport, and Floyd Patterson, the Brooklyn-born former heavyweight champion, certainly fits that category. It's also just a great vintage photo, looking like he's in a cabin with a window looking out to the woods. The card is from a 1962 Dutch gum set, about the size of a "mini" cigarette card. Just a really cool vintage item!

 

1981 Topps Yankees Future Stars

 Skipping “front” and “back” for this card and just focusing on the players.

TIM LOLLAR 

The player: Tim Lollar had a solid 1980 season for the Yankees, appearing in 14 games, going 1-0 with 2 saves and a 3.34 ERA. Traded to the Padres after the season, he was converted to a starter and he had a great 1982, going 16-9 with a 3.13 ERA. He was unable to sustain that success, with losing records in 1983 and in 1984, when he also pitched very poorly in the postseason. He had stints with both Sox to round out his seven year MLB career, going 47-52 with a 4.27 ERA. He was one of the best hitting pitchers of his era - in 255 at bats, he hit .234 with 8 HR and 38 RBI.

The man: Baseballs were not the only little white balls Lollar was good at hitting. He reinvented himself as a two-sport star after his retirement, joining the PGA tour and serving as the head golf pro at the Lakewood Country Club in Colorado for 28 years, twice winning Golf Professional of the Year. He is now retired.

My collection: I have 22 of his cards, from 1981 to 1987. I would be interested in trading for 1980 TCMA Columbus Clippers #1
 

BRUCE ROBINSON

The player:  Catcher Bruce Robinson played ten years of professional baseball, including three years in the major leagues with Oakland and the Yankees. In 38 major league games he hit .228 with 0 HR and 10 RBI.

The man:  He is the brother of former Padres outfield Dave Robinson and the inventor of the hinged flap on the throwing shoulder of the catcher's chest protector, known as the "Robby Pad." Now a singer, songwriter and guitarist (check out his website Bruce Robinson Music), he answered my questions about baseball cards in 2012.

My collection: I have three of his cards, from 1979 to 1984. I would be interested in trading for 1980 Columbus Clippers Police #NNO.

DENNIS WERTH

The player: Dennis Werth played in parts of four seasons for the Yankees and Royals. In 117 games he hit .209 with 3 HR and 15 RBI.

The man: After his playing career he was a youth baseball coach, instructing several future major leaguers, including his stepson Jayson Werth. He is now retired.

My collection: I have five of his cards, from 1981 to 1982. I would be interested in trading for 1982 Topps Traded #126.

1976 SSPC Chris Arnold

 

The card, in brief: The twilight sky and the chaw in his cheek dominate here.

Playing career, in brief: Arnold was an unheralded middle infielder who played parts of six seasons with the Giants. In 273 games he hit .237 with 4 HR and 51 RBI. After his US career he played three seasons in Japan, displaying a power bat unseen even in the American minor leagues. Arnold whose minor league career high was eight home runs, hit double figures in HR all three seasons in Japan, hitting .274 with 43 HR and 174 RBI.

Post-playing career, in brief: After his playing career Arnold worked as an agent. He is now retired.

My collection: I have five of his cards, from 1972 to 1977. I would be interested in trading for  1977 Coke Phoenix Giants Premiums #NNO.

1986 Renata Galasso Mattingly #12

Really nice minor league snapshot of Mattingly at bat. Not quite the familiar stance but he did tinker with it a lot.

According to the Google AI, Mattingly hit .313 in Fenway Park. He also hit .313 at Yankee Stadium for his career (.302 overall batting average in away games). I couldn't find anything about his average at the Big A.

1988 Domino's Tom Matchick

 

No action shot this time, but a nice simple, clean photo.

Tom Matchick was a rookie backup infielder for the Tigers in 1968, getting into 80 games, mostly at 3B. Highlights included a walkoff home run against the Orioles in July, and participating in a triple play in September. He was 0-for-3 in the World Series. Despite the home run, he never amounted to be much of a hitter; in 292 major league games for five teams over six seasons, Matchick hit .215 with 4 HR and 64 RBI. After his playing career he was a salesman at a sporting goods store and a car dealership, and was a VP at an aerial photography business. He and his wife had two children and were foster parents to over 30 more. He died from COVID-19 in 2022.

I have eight of his cards, from 1967 to 1973. I would be interested in trading for 1971 Dell Today's Team Stamps #NNO. 

Burgers or gum? Larry Herndon

Last time was a win for gum, 7-4. Who will take the prize this time?

Wendy's has a spring training photo of Herndon sporting a Fu Manchu mustache, while Topps has a regular season game photo of Herndon at Tigers Stadium with a noticeably smaller mustache.

Herndon made his big league debut with the Cardinals in 1974 but played almost all of his career with the Giants (1976-1981) and Tigers (1982-1988). With the Giants he was a decent hitter, good fielder with some speed. After he was traded to the Tigers he immediately developed into more of a slugger. After six seasons with 23 total HR for the Giants, he hit 24 in his first season in Detroit, though by '84 he was down to 7 HR for the season. He hit .333 in the 1984 World Series and caught the final out. Overall in 1,537 games he hit .274 with 107 HR and 550 RBI. After his playing career he was a minor- and major-league coach, and is now retired. 
 

More 1930 stuff

Next page.

Starting off with a dramatic photo of Niagara Falls, followed by the story of a stubborn Parisian, and on top right a somewhat comic story about a pair of drunk drivers. These kinds of human interest stories were syndicated nationally. The other two items are either pages from a booklet or some kind of cards. I can't find any reference to The Automation Corporation in Cleveland. That name makes me think they could have come from some kind of vending machine. They are dated 1929. Both give some advice, and then tell the reader to go ask grandmother for more.

Opposite page. Top left is the amazing tale of Zaro Agha, 156 years old! This would have been July of 1930 when he toured the United States; he died four years later at the age of 160. He had 36 children and outlived all except the daughter he had when he was 96. Wikipedia quotes a 1939 study that insisted he was only 97 when he died, but I believe this news story. No comment on the next one. On the top right we have some collected words of wisdom. The bottom of the page has three obituaries for George Bernell Greene, who died on December 29, 1930, after a two week illness. The 32-year-old Greene left behind a wife and two daughters. She remarried in 1938, to Augustus Hayden Britton in South Carolina. She died in 1982.

 

2026

As I mentioned I decided to just grab a $30 collated set from eBay rather than try to build by trades. Not a bad set, but I wish they had committed fully to the design. The more of the set I see, the less I even notice the jersey motif, but rather the big team letters.

Seems like a lot of the better photos go to the better players. Final tribute card for Kershaw - even with final tribute cards it seems like Topps has one theme they stick with and drive into the ground until it's meaningless. 

Jonah Heim is one of those players who regularly gets interesting cards. The superman pose card is pretty cool, I feel like that's the kind of card someone somewhere PCs. And happy to get my first Cam Schlittler card! Hope he's not a flash in the pan.

Two BFFs holding hands is definitely not something I expected. And maybe it's just the angle but Ian Seymour must be the most muscular pitcher I've ever seen.

Another superman for Bobby Witt. And the Carlos Estevez card is certainly unique for this set, showing a quirky photo where the player isn't in a hero pose. I guess someone at Topps has it in for Estevez?

 

 

Wood vs. Wood #330

Last time was a 7-2 win for 1987. Will this be closer?

Johnny Romano takes a swing during batting practice at Yankee Stadium. You can see the wheel of the batting cage angled down to lock the cage in place. Catcher Johnny Romano played ten seasons in the major leagues for the White Sox, Indians and Cardinals. His best seasons were 1961 and 1962 with Cleveland, hitting 20+ HR and driving in 80+ runs, making the All Star team both seasons. Overall in 905 games he hit .255 with 129 HR and 417 RBI. After his playing career he sold swimming pools. He died in 2019.

Mike Scott delivers a pitch in spring training.  Scott spent four mediocre years with the Mets, and was traded to the Astros after the 1982 season. There, pitching coach Roger Craig taught Scott the split-fingered fastball, and Scott quickly became one of the best pitchers in the league. From 1985 to 1989 he was the ace of the Astros staff, and his 1986 was one of the best pitching seasons of the 1980s (18-10, 2.22 ERA, 306 strikeouts). In the playoffs that year against the Mets, he pitched two complete games, winning both, allowing just one run in 18 innings. A rotator cuff injury limited his effectiveness after 1989. Overall, in 13 seasons he went 124-108 with a 3.54 ERA. Today, Scott does a little bit of youth coaching but is mostly retired.

Gum or cake? 1977 Bill Buckner

Last time was a 12-1 romp for gum. Will it win big again here?

Topps has the Dodger star at spring training, posing in front of the dugout and the players inside. In January of 1977, Buckner was traded to the Cubs, and Hostess gave fans their first look at Buckner in a Dodger uniform, by airbrushing a Cubs hat onto a photo of Buckner at Candlestick Park. Looks like the red part of the C was giving the airbrusher a lot of difficulty.

Bill Buckner put up some excellent numbers over a 22-year MLB career. The NL batting champion in 1980, he hit .289 with 2,715 hits, 498 doubles, 174 HR, 1,208 RBI and 183 SB. Of course, despite all that success he's known for one bad play. After his playing career Buckner worked in real estate and was a minor league coach. He died in 2019.

1981 Topps Shane Rawley

The ranks of baseball card bloggers have been starting to grow again. I just came across a really fun new blog called Sir Nailhead's Frankensets. The Angels in Order is back as Batting Out of Order. And after an even longer hiatus, Red Cardboard is back, and celebrating by giving away a vintage Mickey Mantle card. Not on I need myself, but maybe you do? (And what other new blogs am I missing?)

The front: Shane Rawley delivers a pitch at Yankee Stadium. He pitched in one day game at Yankee Stadium that year. He relieved Floyd Bannister in the sixth inning of a scoreless game. (His photo is also from that day.) Rawley combined with Bannister on the shutout in a game Seattle won, 1-0.

The back: Rawley pitched in the Expos and Reds organizations without making the majors; he was traded to Seattle after the '77 season and was in the majors for good.

The player: Rawley was primarily a reliever for the Mariners, who traded him to the Yankees after the '81 season. The Yankees converted him to a starter, where he had success for the Yankees, Phillies and Twins. Overall in 469 games (230 starts) he went 111-118 with 40 saves and a 4.02 ERA.

The man: After his playing career ended, Rawley opened Shaner's Pizzeria in Sarasota, FL in 1991.  He has recently written three novels about a baseball player who fought in Vietnam. He shared his thoughts on baseball cards with this blog in 2009.

My collection: I have 53 of his cards, from 1979 to 1990. I would be interested in trading for 1982 Topps Traded #95. 

 

1976 SSPC Charlie Williams

 

The front, in brief: It's hard to imagine that head of hair fitting into a baseball cap. Nice sunset sky behind Wiliams, too.

Playing career, in brief: Williams got into 31 games as a Met rookie in 1971. The local boy (born in Queens, grew up on Long Island) was back in the minors in early '72 when he was traded straight-up for Willie Mays. He was a regular in the Giants bullpen for several years. Overall in 268 games he went 23-22 with 4 saves and a 3.97 ERA.

Post-playing career, in brief: Williams was briefly a New York City cab driver before moving to Florida. He died in 2015.

My collection: I have eight of his cards, from 1972 to 1979. I would be interested in trading for 1972 New York Mets Long Island Mets Boosters Picture Pack #NNO.

Finishing off 2025

As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I hadn't added a single card from 2025 Series II, so knocked it off with one $30 purchase. I got the cards this week, and the set is not too bad.

What I usually do in posts like this is go through the cards one by one and pull out photos that catch my eye. Some years there's barely anything. This one was better than some of the psst few years. 

Not a ton of variety but some interesting cards here and there. I like the purple bat.

I pulled out that at-the-wall shot of the Rays' Jonny Deluca because it seemed pretty unique, but then the next few cards showed me it's not that unique. The O'Neill card gets an extra point for all of the dings in the Green Monster.

The bubble-blowing card is going to be a lot of people's favorites. There are even cards of players looking a little awkward, which you rarely see these days.

I don't generally care for city connect uniforms, but I like the colors on that Kirk card. The "Mom" sign is something different, so that automatically makes that card a good one. 

I guess the Stars of MLB inserts are so common they're practically base cards - the full Series II of these were included. Some good young players, most notably Yamamoto who won the World Series for the Dodgers with his great pitching last year, that feels like a good card to get.

 

Trade with azdbacks252003

Had a nice big TCDB trade with azdbacks252003, aka former Diamondbacks minor leaguer Kellen Raab. I believe that's my first trade with a former pro ballplayer. Among his collections are players he played with or against, so I was able to send him a lot of early 00s Bowmans, among others. Got a lot of nice cards in return.

A little bit of vintage, with one Hall of Famer, the brother of another, and a mini card. 

Otherwise, a lot of modern cards, mostly Yankees. I really like the photo on that Whitey Ford card.

Some fun shiny inserts in this group.

Nice mix of current and former Yankees, plus a Pirate with a sword.

Some more variety here with some interesting Stadium Club photos and Heritage inserts.

Finally a few more mostly Yankees, with one older minor league card as well.

 

1930 Scrapbook variety

Next two pages, plus an extra.

The first page partly continues the wedding bells theme. Noell and Postell Cliett were married for almost sixty years when Noelle passed away in 1989. Her husband Postell, a floor refinisher and a Mason, died ten years later at the age of 93. Two articles about piano recitals by Connie Floyd, including a full-length photo with her sister. Finally, a note about the Valentine Ball hosted by Mrs. William McCrary Jr. Junior, like his father and son, owned Phoenix Oil, a motor oil company in Augusta, GA. A Phoenix Oil can from this era sold for over $400 at auction in 2014.

Tucked in these pages is a loose Counter Stock Order, on which our heroine appears to have drafted a thank you note. Certainly a good example of the Depression mentality, not letting anything go to waste.

You ought to meet Ginger - and Patty! Note the handwritten names, Ginger Ella Tolliver and Patty Sears. My first thought was more members of Florida-Georgia high society. Nope! Turns out they were the main characters in For Ginger's Sake by Ethel Hueston, a novel serialized in newspapers from coast to coast in 1930 and 1931. Carole Lombard's career was just taking off at this point - in 1930 the young star signed a contract with Paramount Pictures, and the next year she married William Powell. Two years later they divorced, and in 1937 she married Clark Gable. Sadly, she was killed in a plane crash in 1942 at the age of 33. Finally, a brief comedic anecdote about a mouse living in a phone switchboard, and a tug-on-the-heartstrings reminder to make sure that Santa can deliver on the faith of a child whose father is unemployed.

 

1986 Renata Galasso Mattingly #11

Weird to see Mattingly in green and gold, but that was what the Yankees' Greensboro farm team wore. I guess Green for Greensboro makes sense. In his first full professional season, in 1980, Mattingly won the SAL batting title, hitting .358 with 9 HR and 105 RBI. He also led the league with 177 hits.

Does listening to music count as a hobby?

1988 Domino's Mickey Lolich

Lolich gets a great photo here, a batter's view of Lolich's delivery. What a shame photos like these didn't appear on cards at the time.

Lolich had been a solid starter for the Tigers for several years, and actually had a bit of a down year in the regular season in 1968, at one point being demoted to the bullpen. He recovered big time in October, with one of the greatest World Series of all time, going 3-0 with a 1.67 ERA, twice defeating Bob Gibson, including in Game 7. Lolich won over 200 games in his 13 seasons in Detroit. After 1975 he was traded to the Mets for Rusty Staub. At that time he was fifth all time in strikeouts; his 2,832 career total is now 23rd. After one season in New York Lolich retired to open a doughnut shop and dabble in acting. He returned to the major leagues in 1978 and was an effective member of the Padres' bullpen. He struggled in 1979, however, and retired after that season. He returned to the doughnut business, running a shop in Michigan until he retired in the late 1990s. He passed away last month at the age of 85.

I have 25 of his cards, from 1964 to 1980. I would be interested in trading for 1973 Kelloggs #54.
 

Gum or burgers? Willie Hernandez

Last time was an easy 6-2 win for burgers. Will gum do better here?

The two photos here look like they should go together, even though they probably are not from the same time. The Wendy's card even looks like it could be a night card, though it's probably just a dark photo from a day game in a ballpark not conducive to lighting.

Willie Hernandez was an unremarkable middle reliever for the Phillies from 1977 to 1983, where he was traded to the Phillies mid-season. Right before the 1984 season, the Phillies traded Hernandez to the Tigers. With the Tigers, Hernandez started using two new pitches, the screwball and the cut fastball, that he had learned the previous year. They vaulted him to superstardom, as he was the AL Cy Young and MVP winner with his 9-3, 32 save, 1.92 season, helping the Tigers win the World Series (he had three more saves in the postseason). It didn’t take the American League too long to figure Hernandez out though, and by 1987 he had lost his job as Tigers closer. Overall, in 744 games he went 70-63 with 147 saves and a 3.38 ERA. After his playing career ended he was involved in a variety of business and coaching ventures. He died in 2023.