Here's a new idea for a regular feature for this blog. Ever since I've gotten into collecting vintage cards, I've paid more attention to the cards I have that pay homage to the old Topps designs. For a while I've been thinking about how I could make it a regular blog feature. Topps Heritage's new idea of linking up cards in the new set with the card of the same number in the vintage set gave me the idea I needed. I am going to look at cards I have with a vintage design, and see if I have the same card number in the actual vintage set, and then see if there is a natural connection. Having similar photos will probably be too unlikely, so other connections among the players, backgrounds, etc.
Here is the first one. No 2020 Heritage in this post. Baseball Card Magazine used to do cards of current players in barely-modified versions of the old Topps designs. In 1991 they did 1971. Card #45 of the BCM set was the young star Ken Griffey Jr., who was just starting on a Hall of Fame career. #45 of the '71 set is another young star about to embark on a Hall-of-Fame career, Jim "Catfish" Hunter. 1971 would be the first of five straight 20-win seasons for him.
Even better, both photos are spring training shots in Arizona!
It's been a few years, but I always enjoyed finding cheap issues of Baseball Card Magazine at the flea market. The first thing I'd do would look to see if the cards were still intact.
ReplyDeleteHmm, a new series... I like it! :)
ReplyDeleteCool idea! If you're looking for suggestions, maybe also do like a "degree of separation" thing between the two players.. like find someone who played with both Catfish and Junior.
ReplyDeleteGriffey Sr would almost work for this one. But he didn't join the Yankees until '82, and Hunter's last year with them was '79.
Oh, howbout this.. Lou Piniella was a teammate of Hunter and later went on to manage Junior in Seattle.
I almost forgot about the magazine cards. It would be neat to take a vintage design and discuss every time it has been recycled in the years that followed - Heritage, Archives, insert sets, etc.
ReplyDelete