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.

Wood vs. Wood #329

Last time it was an 8-0 shutout for 1962. Will 1987 get on the board here?

Bob Bolin was coming off a fine rookie season as a reliever when this card came out. I doubt there's really a ball in his hand. Bolin eventually cracked the Giants' rotation for good in 1964 and put together several solid seasons, most notably in 1968, the Year of the Pitcher, when he went 10-5 with a 1.99 ERA for the Giants. Overall in 13 seasons for the Giants, Brewers and Red Sox, he pitched in 495 games (164 starts) and went 88-75 with 51 saves and a 3.40 ERA. After his playing career he worked in sales. He died in 2023.

Ron Roenicke stands in the batters box at Shea Stadium. This is a special card to me as it was the last card I needed to complete this set, the first set I ever completed. Roenicke played in one day game at Shea in 1986, going 0-for-4 in the Phillies' 7-1 win on September 21. Roenicke was a journeyman outfielder who played for six teams over eight seasons, mostly for the Dodgers and Phillies. In 527 games he hit .238 with 17 HR, 113 RBI and 24 SB. He has since had a long career as a coach, winning World Series rings with the Angels and Red Sox. He managed the Brewers for five seasons, with one playoff appearance, and was the Red Sox manager in 2020 while Alex Cora served his suspension. He is currently a Special Assistant for the Dodgers.
 

Breakfast of Champions

Twice in the past couple weeks I won lots of 4 Kelloggs cards for about a quarter a card.

Three different seasons are covered by these four cards. Two Bills with five combined batting titles, three with the Cubbies. 

Here's four from '74. I had Goodson and Otis already so they're available for trade.

Speaking of eBay I went ahead and purchased a 2026 Series 1 set, won an auction for under $30 shipped.
 

1930 scrapbook: Wedding bells

Here's the first page of the album that Johnny sent. 

Several wedding announcements, and also a couple of poems. I'm guessing these were friends or acquaintances of whoever was keeping this scrapbook. Were they quiet, pious girls, or a wild bunch?

The two poems are loose in the scrapbook. Googling them came up empty, so I am guessing they are local poets. One of the poets has the byline W.O. Gibson. Googling that name comes up with a book called "Rambling Meditations of W.O. Gibson", published in 1973, in the archives of Valdosta State University.

Mary Ford Hernlen died in 1970, at the age of 62. 

Madeline Sallas married Frank Roberts on February 28, 1930, and died on 82 years later, at the age of 100, outliving her husband by 20 years. She had 13 great-grandchildren at the time of her passing. 

Martha and Nathaniel Turner did get married in 1930 and had a son the next year, Nathaniel II. Nathaniel died in 1974, Martha in 1996.

Finally, not a wedding announcement, but the charming Miss Waudelle Tucker, chosen the "most beautiful girl" at the University of Florida summer school. This local news seems to have made newspapers far and wide in August of 1930, as far north as Indiana and as far west as Missouri. She married Latimer Long, the only attorney in Auburndale, FL, and worked as his office manager. They had two daughters. Waudelle died in 2001 at the age of 89.