Wood vs. Wood #355

Last time it was a 4-3 win for 1987. Will it win again here?

I need a new copy of this 1962 Topps Steve Barber card, so I can send this one to Sir Nailhead. Anyone got an extra? Nice Yankee Stadium shot here. Barber had some great seasons for the Orioles in the early 1960s. A two-time All Star, he led the AL with 8 shutouts in 1962 and won 20 games in 1963. Despite not having a huge workload (only three 200+ inning seasons) he was hampered by injuries after a great early start to his career. He was traded to the Yankees mid-1967 and had stints with the Pilots, Cubs, Braves, Angels and Giants, without regaining his All Star form. Overall in 466 games (272 starts) he went 121-106 with a 3.36 ERA. After his playing career he was a school bus driver in Nevada. He died in 2007.

Don Carman delivers a pitch in spring training. Carman came up with the Phillies as a reliever, and had very good seasons as a setup man in 1985 and 1986. He then converted to starting where he had much more limited success. After leading the NL in losses in 1989 he was returned to the bullpen, where he was unable to match his previous form with the Phillies, and in brief stints with Cincinnati and Texas. Overall in 342 games (102 starts) he went 53-54 with 11 saves and a 4.11 ERA. He is now a sports psychologist for the Boras Corporation.
 

1981 Topps Ron Pruitt

 

The front: Topps goes for the extreme closeup here.

The back: Pruitt hit 21 home runs for Anchorage, a record at the time.

The player: Pruitt was a backup catcher for four teams over nine seasons, six of them with Cleveland. In 341 games he hit .269 with 12 HR and 92 RBI.

The man: After his playing career Pruitt was a youth and college baseball coach. He is now retired.

My collection: I have five of his cards, from 1977 to 1981. I would be interested in trading for 1982 Valley National Bank Phoenix Giants #13.

1976 SSPC Danny Frisella

 

The card, in brief: Great hatless photo, you can see why his nickname was "Bear".

Playing career, in brief: An excellent set-up reliever, Frisella pitched for five teams over ten seasons, six of those seasons with the Mets. In 351 games he went 36-40 with 57 saves and a 3.32 ERA. He started 1976 with the Cardinals but was traded to the Brewers in June, for whom he went 5-2 with 9 saves and a 2.74 ERA. He would have been a big part of the Brewers' bullpen in 1977, but on January 1 of that year he was tragically killed in a dune buggy accident. 

My collection: I have 11 of his cards, from 1968 to 1977. I would be interested in trading for 1971 Dell Today's Stamps #NNO. 

Wallet Card at Gilda's Club

This is hardly one of the oldest signs I've shown in this series, but it is interesting, and it looks like it's in danger of disappearing.

In 1995, six years after Gilda Radner died of cancer, her husband Gene Wilder and several other New Yorkers created Gilda's Club to help families affected by cancer. The organization has grown to many chapters nationwide, but in recent years has rebranded as Red Door International, perhaps because younger generations don't know who Gilda was. It looks like, as part of the rebrand, the building is being remodeled, and the painted sign with the cartoon of Gilda Radner on the side of the building is likely a casualty.

 

Ryan Gosling beats Boston

I was watching the sixth inning on TV with my son, and when Cody Bellinger came up to the plate he shouted "Ryan Gosling!" Yeah, I guess I can see it.

Anyway, Bellinger made the Red Sox pay for walking Ben Rice by hitting a 3-run HR to put the game away.

I don't understand why the Yankees play Tampa next and not Cleveland. Well, they're sure not going to score 9 runs a game against the Rays, or hold them hitless with runners on base, but this Boston series sure was fun.
 

Massachusetts beats Boston

Certainly a fun game for the Yankees tonight. Ben Rice from Cohasset, MA, goes 4-5 with 2 HR and 6 RBI. Cam Schlittler from Walpole, MA, with 6.1 scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts.

No Schlittler the rest of the series, though. And Boston is notoriously hard to kill, even when it looks like you've got them down. The big worry for me is that the Yankees lose focus tomorrow and let Boston right back into it. (Clearly I need to do a better job of not worrying and enjoy the moment!)
 

Cake or gum? 1977 Jim Barr

Last time it was a huge win for Topps, 10-0. Will Hostess even get on the board here?

Brad's copy of Jim Barr's 1977 Hostess card shows the pitcher looking clean-cut at spring training. The Topps card has Barr looking a little scruffier mid-season at Candlestick Park.

Jim Barr had several good seasons as a starting pitcher for the Giants in the mid-1970’s. winning 80 games from 1972 to 1978. In 1972 he set a major league record by retiring 41 straight batters, a mark that held for 25 years. He was a “pitch-to-contact” guy with few strikeouts or walks. A free-agent signing for the Angels in 1979, he was one of many to disappoint the club in that era, going 11-16 over two seasons. He reemerged with the Giants as a solid middle reliever in 1982 and 1983. Barr had a long career as a college and high school pitching coach, but appears to now be retired. Both of his daughters, Betsy Barr and Emmy Barr, played professionally in the Women’s United Soccer Association. They faced each other in a San Jose-Washington game in 2003.
 

Wood vs Wood #354

Last time it was a 7-0 win for 1962. Will 1987 get on the board here?

Roman Mejias is hatless, as the Pirates outfielder was an expansion draft pick of the Houston "Colts". The Cuban Mejias was a little-used backup outfielder for the Pirates from 1955 to 1961. Drafted by Houston, he had by far his best season in the expansion year of 1962, hitting .286 with 24 HR and 76 RBI. He faded in the second half, and after the season was traded to Boston, where he failed to live up to the success he had in Houston. Overall in 627 major league games, he hit .254 with 54 HR and 202 RBI. After his playing career he worked in real estate. He died in 2023 at the age of 97.

Jamie Quirk poses before a game at Yankee Stadium. Quirk started his career as a utility infielder, but over time converted to catching. He played parts of 18 seasons in the majors, but only once topped 100 games played. 11 of those 18 seasons were with the Royals, spread over three stints. In 1989 he played for three teams (Yankees, Oakland and Baltimore). In 1984 he played in four major league games, three for the White Sox, and one for Cleveland, for whom he hit a walkoff home run in his only career at-bat with the team. Overall in 984 major league games, he hit .240 with 43 HR and 247 RBI. After his playing career he was a long time coach and minor league manager, but he appears to now be retired. 

 

1981 Topps Ken Reitz

 

The front: The underrated "balancing the bat on the backs of your shoulders" look. Probably spring training.

The back: That 1,000th hit was a big one - with one out in the bottom of the ninth, Reitz singled off of Cubs reliever Willie Hernandez. Youngster Tommy Herr pinch-ran for Reitz, and scored the winning run on Garry Templeton's sacrifice fly.

The player: Third baseman Ken Reitz played eleven seasons in the major leagues, mostly for the Cardinals. A Gold Glove winner in 1975 and an All-Star in 1980, he hit .260 with 68 HR and 548 RBI for his career. 

The man: After his playing career Reitz was a community services representative for the Cardinals. He shared his thoughts on baseball cards with this blog in 2016. He passed away in 2021 at the age of 69.

My collection: I have 21 of his cards, from 1973 to 1982. I would be interested in trading for 1978 Hostess #106.
 

1976 SSPC Dave Freisleben

 

The card, in brief: No logo on the jacket. Today there would be the Padres' logo plus three advertisers.

Playing career, in brief: Freisleben pitched six seasons in the majors for three teams, mostly San Diego. A decent pitcher for some mediocre teams, in 202 games (121 starts) he went 34-60 with a 4.30 ERA.

Post-playing career, in brief: He worked for many years as a fishing guide in Galveston Bay, though it appears he is now retired.

My collection: I have 9 of his cards, from 1974 to 1980. I would be interested in trading for 1977 San Diego Padres Littlefield Special Events Schedules #NNO.