Monday, November 14, 2022

Vintage bats & gloves: 1976 SSPC Part II

 Some more equipment gems from the 1976 SSPC set.

I've noticed this on many Cubs cards from the 1970s - players having their number written in the C on their batting helmet. This seems to have just been a Cubs thing, just for a few years in the 1970s. I'm not sure why.

Leon Roberts was #44, but there certainly doesn't appear to be a second 4 on this bat. If this bat did say #4, then it belonged to teammate Aurelio Rodriguez.
Here's an interesting one. Billy Williams is listed as Oakland's #7 on the back. The bat says #28. Baseball-Reference indicates he started at 7 and moved to 28. I couldn't find an explanation for the number change. Williams wore #26 for most of his Cubs career, but presumably changed his number as longtime A's outfielder Joe Rudi was Oakland's #26.
Rick Miller, #16, has bat #39. That would belong to Tim Blackwell.
Last one for now, Tommy Davis, who has his initials and uniform number written on his batting gloves. T.D. 12


3 comments:

  1. Good eye on the uniform numbers inside the Cubs' letter C! Also, it's fun to see that Tommy Davis was TD12 decades before Tom Brady was TB12.

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  2. Now you just gotta find someone else wearing Tommy's batting gloves :)

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