Wallet card with a 25 year old Coca-Cola can

This is not one of my oldest discoveries but it is one of my more fun ones. This weekend I was playing with my son in his elementary school playground, and he showed me where an old fence got taken down where a building had been torn down on the other side. This exposed a layer of garbage wedged between the remaining chain link fence and some construction rubble. Some of the items looked like they might be old, it was hard to tell. We both had fun exploring. This was the most promising item we found.

Bleached from the sun but still showing some red, and interestingly some green.  

I had no idea if it was from last week or last century, but decided it was worth taking a wallet card photo. My son had fun holding the card for the photo.

A few years ago this would have been an extremely difficult puzzle to solve, maybe looking up hundreds of coke cans to hopefully get a match. It is 2026, however, so I uploaded the top photo to ChatGPT, went back and forth with prompts a few times, and found the design in question!

According to Packaging Pedia, this is the design Coca-Cola used from 1999-2003. If you go back to the top photo, you can see part of the word "enjoy", and it turns out the green is from the design showing the old soda bottle. There are a few cans for sale on eBay which also peg this design from that time period. While not terribly old or rare, it's a lot older than my son and we both had a lot of fun exploring some old stuff and then looking it up later. (And yes, we threw out the can so no kids would get hurt on the sharp edges.)

And if you think about it, this can of soda was enjoyed when Jesse Orosco, Jamie Moyer and Julio Franco were active major leaguers, and only got thrown out this week.
 

 

Burgers or gum? Dan Petry

Only four votes last time, all for the Topps base card. Will this matchup generate more interest?

Wendy's has Dan Petry in front of a chain link fence at spring training, while Topps has an action shot, also at what looks to be spring.

Dan Petry was one of the Tigers’ best pitchers in the early 1980s, twice finishing in the top 10 in Cy Young voting. 1984 was one of his best seasons, riding the Tigers' fast start to a 7-1 record early on, tailing off in midseason but finishing strong to end up at 18-8. In 1986 Petry got hurt, underwent surgery on his elbow, and was never the same. Overall in 13 seasons he went 125-104 with a 3.95 ERA. Petry is now an announcer for the Tigers. His son Jeff plays in the NHL for the Minnesota Wild.

 

Wood vs. Wood #340

Last time there was a 3-3 tie. Will this matchup, maybe the best pitching matchup in the series, have a winner? Both pitchers would end up winning the Cy Young the year this card was produced.

The background is blurry on Don Drysdale's card, but I believe the photo was taken at Wrigley Field.  The Hall-of-Famer was an eight-time All Star, the last active Brooklyn Dodger, and helped the Dodgers win three World Series during his fourteen year career. He led the NL in strikeouts three times and in WAR twice. His most famous accomplishment was a 58-inning scoreless streak in 1968. Overall in 518 games, he went 209-166 with 2,486 strikeouts and a 2.95 ERA. After his career he was an announcer. He died in 1993.

Roger Clemens gets a spring training shot. Clemens was a 10-time All Star and a 7-time Cy Young winner who starred for four teams, most notably the Red Sox, for whom he had the most personal success, and the Yankees, with whom he won two World Series. He led the league in wins three times, strikeouts four times, and WAR seven times. Overall in 709 games, he went 354-184 with 4,672 strikeouts and a 3.12 ERA. He was famously accused of steroid use in the Mitchell Report, a steroid investigation led by a Red Sox minority owner that predominantly targeted Yankees and Mets. His denials to Congress resulted in six counts of perjury, all of which he was found not guilty. He has never failed a drug test. Today he is active in his foundation, which helps underprivileged children, and still occasionally makes semi-pro pitching appearances, most recently in 2024 at the age of 61 with the Savannah Banans.

Cake or gum? 1977 Ken Brett

Last time it was a 6-2 win for gum. Will it win again here?

Here's another instance where the coloring of the Hostess photo makes the cap and uniform look airbrushed even when it's not. In this case Ken Brett is posing at Anaheim Stadium.

The older brother of Royals’ star George Brett, Ken Brett was a decent pitcher best known for pitching for ten teams in his fourteen-year MLB career, a record at the time. His best season was 1974, when he was an All-Star for the Pirates, going 13-9 with a 3.30 ERA. Overall he was 83-85 with a 3.93 ERA. After his playing career, he was involved in a number of sports business ventures, both on his own and with his brothers. He died of cancer in 2003.

1981 Topps Mick Kelleher

 

The front: Who's that in a red jacket behind him? That's not a Cubs jacket. An opposing team at spring training - Angels maybe?

The back: Killer?? The Johngy's Beat blog explains how he earned the nickname winning a fight against the much larger Dave Kingman.

The player: Kelleher was more scrappy then good. In parts of 11 seasons for five teams, predominantly the Cubs, he hit .213 with 0 HR and 65 RBI in 1,202 at bats. He is still the last non-pitcher with over 1,000 major league at bats to not hit a home run.

The man: Kelleher had a long coaching career, most prominently with the Yankees, winning a World Series for the last Yankees championship team in 2009. He retired from coaching in 2015.

My collection: I have 11 of his cards, from 1976 to 1983. I would be interested in trading for 1978 SSPC #269.
 

1976 SSPC Steve Ontiveros

 

The card, in brief: A lighter sky than some of the other Giants in the set, with a blurry Shea Stadium scoreboard with Schaefer Beer ad in the background.

Playing career, in brief: Third baseman Steve Ontiveros played eight seasons in the major leagues for the Giants and Cubs. In 732 games he hit .274 with 24 HR and 224 RBI. He then played six seasons in Japan for the Seibu Lions, helping them win three Japan Series. In 1982 he was the series MVP.

Post-playing career, in brief: After his playing career ended Ontiveros remained in Japan, working in management for the Lions. He later returned to the US and worked for an advertising firm. He appears to now be retired.

My collection: I have four of his cards, from 1974 to 1980. I would be interested in trading for 1978 SSPC #250. 

Blog bat around: Red Sox and Mets

For obvious reasons I'm not a big fan of the current bataround topic, but it's late and it's a good way to knock out a quick post.

The famous rivalry is reason enough to dislike the Red Sox as a Yankee fan, and certainly in the 2000s (and 1970s) it was really intense. Other times they met in the playoffs, like in 1999 or the currently Aaron Boone era, they've felt a bit more anticlimactic. 

I was reminded of this card the other day when Diamond Jesters posted it. It's a great, unique photo with lots going on, both in the photo and in the greater historical context. Williams was a legend, and a great competitor who played the game the right way, and better than almost anyone in his time. 

Red Sox fans are always thinking about the Yankees. Outside of Connecticut, most Yankee fans don't think much about the Red Sox if they're not playing them or in a pennant race. The Mets, on the other hand, are always in our face, with Mets fans all around and the Mets on the radio and TV. 

I had to think a little more on this one, but this card which I've had since I was just starting to collect cards as a 10-year-old is pretty great. Great action and a lot going on. When I was a kid Carter's enthusiasm came off as obnoxious, but as an adult learning more about the kind of person Carter was, I've changed my feelings about him, and think very highly of him.

 

 

Wallet Card in Nashville: Third National Bank

Not my best photo, but here you can see a building with Third National Bank in big letters above the second floor.

This 12-story building was Nashville's first skyscraper when it opened in 1904 as the First National Bank Building. It went through a variety of main tenants until the Third National Bank moved in during the 1930s. Over the years, Third National grew into one of the area's largest banks. In the 1980s it was acquired by SunTrust, and the Third National brand was phased out in the 1990s, at which time this became a hotel, which it still is today.
 

1986 Renata Galasso Mattingly #17

Don Mattingly and his fellow Oneonta Yankees!

I would guess these were the eight regular position players on the team. Other future major leaguers on that squad were Vic Mata, Matt Winters and Keith Smith.

1988 Domino's Jim Northrup

 

Card of the set? Probably. Great action photo at Tiger Stadium, where the fans are write up on the action. I wish Topps cards of the time used this kind of photography. 

Northrup was a good outfielder who had his best season in 1968. He hit .264 with 21 HR and 90 RBI. In June he set a record (since tied) with three grand slams in a week. In the seventh-inning of Game 7 of the World Series, he got what turned out to be the Series-winning hit, a two-run triple off of Bob Gibson. Though never a star, Northrup was a solid contributor for Detroit for 11 seasons. He ended his career with brief stops in Montreal and Baltimore. Overall in 1,392 games, he hit .267 with 153 HR and 610 RBI. After his playing career he was a longtime Tigers announcer. He died in 2011.

I have 14 of his cards, from 1965 to 1976. I would be interested in trading for 1966 Topps #554. 

Gum or burgers or gum? 1985 Lance Parrish

Last time Topps beat Wendy's 7-2. What will happen here?

Despite being the best team in the American League by a wide margin, only one Tiger made the AL All Stars subset, catcher Lance Parrish. That's a good representation of how important the whole team is in baseball. The Wendy's photo looks to be from the same time as the All Star card, though the All Star card seems to have come out much darker in coloring. His Topps base card features some pre-game action at Tiger Stadium, with a nice view of the Tiger Stadium grandstand. 

(Topps put league leaders on the back of All Star cards in '85, a departure from previous years. No Tiger even led the league in a major statistical category, but if they had gone back to a design with the top 3 in each league, Parrish would have been on the Home Run Leaders card, in a tie for 3rd with Dwayne Murphy and Andre Thornton, behind Tony Armas and Dave Kingman. On the Victories Leaders card, Jack Morris tied for 2nd with Bert Blyleven, behind Mike Boddicker. And on a hypothetical Saves Leaders card, Willie Hernandez would be #3 behind Dan Quisenberry and Bill Caudill.)

The slugging Parrish was one of the best catchers of the 1980s, with eight All-Star appearances for three teams between 1980 and 1990. He was a big part of the 1984 Tigers World Championship team, hitting .237 with 33 HR and 98 RBI, and two more home runs in what would be his only postseason appearance. In 19 years, for 7 teams, Parrish hit .252 with 324 HR and 1,070 RBI. After his career he spent time as a broadcaster and a minor league manager. He is now a special assistant to the Tigers' GM.

 

Wood vs. Wood #339

Last time it was a 6-1 drubbing by 1987. Will this be closer?

Jose Valdivielso is shown at Yankee Stadium, an appropriate location for a player whose name was a particular favorite of legendary PA announcer Bob Sheppard. Great view of the scoreboard and center field flags on this card. He played in parts of five seasons for the Senators/Twins between 1955 and 1961. In 401 games the shortstop hit .219 with 9 HR and 85 RBI. He had played his last major league game at that point, though he stayed in the minors through '64. The Cuban-born Valdivelso lived on Long Island after his playing career. He was a Spanish-language announcer for the Yankees, Mets and ESPN, and worked for White Rose, a local food distributor. He died in 2025.

Donnie Hill poses at spring training, his green A' uniform looking extra bright, especially the cap which almost looks doctored. The second baseman played parts of nine seasons for the A's, White Sox and Angels. In 755 games he hit .257 with 26 HR and 228 RBI. After his baseball career he became a golf pro, and continues to give lessons in Southern California. 

Cake or gum? 1977 Frank Tanana

Last time it was a 3-2 win for Hostess. Will it keep it up here?

Hostess has a portrait of Tanana at the Oakland Coliseum. Topps has an action shot at Yankee Stadium. This was a wild game, won by the Angels. Tanana and the Angels were cruising, with the fireballer looking to finish off an 8-0 shutout win. However, with one out in the 9th, eight straight Yankees reached base off of Tanana and reliver John Verhoeven, capped by Roy White's game-tying home run. With two outs, the Yankees had a chance to win after Jerry Remy made an error, but Mickey Rivers was thrown out stealing, forcing them game to extra innings. In the eleventh inning the Angels touched up Sparky Lyle for three runs on three singles and a sac fly, coming away with the 11-8 win. 

In the 1970s Frank Tanana was a hard-throwing, hard-partying Angels pitcher who was one of the most dominating starters in the AL in the mid-to-late 1970s. In the early 1980s he hurt his arm, became a born-again Christian, and reinvented himself as a soft-throwing finesse pitcher and leader in baseball's Christian community. He had some very solid seasons for the Rangers and Tigers, and was signed by the Mets before their disastrous 1993 season. He was OK for the Mets, and in mid-September they traded him to the Yankees as they were trying everything to keep up with the Blue Jays in their quest for their first division title in twelve years. Tanana pitched well but wasn't enough to keep the Yankees in contention. Overall in 638 games over 21 seasons, he went 240-236 with 2,773 strikeouts and a 3.66 ERA. During and after his career Tanana has been an active leader in baseball ministries and other church organizations. He has also coached youth baseball. 

Wallet Card in Nashville: Coca-Cola sign

In the same outdoor mall as the Yorke Men's Shop sign, I saw this Coca-Cola sign. Again, I had my doubts that it was authentically vintage but snapped a wallet card photo just in case.

A 2009 blog post on the Fading Ad blog (by Frank Jump, one of the premier chroniclers of ghost signs) shows a sign that looks noticeably older and dirtier than the one here. Was this an old sign that was cleaned up, or just a new one to replace the old one? Who knows. Seeing the cool Planters Peanuts sign on the back of the building, I wish I'd walked in that direction.

Street trading in a hurry

Neither Al nor I had a lot of time to meet this week, but he wanted to make time to do so as he needed all the Joe Torre cards I could give him. Torre's charity is right by where he sets up, and I guess he's been in town lately, so people want cards for him to sign. 

I gave Al the cards and he gave me one of his 800-count boxes to look through. He told me to just take the box and bring back what I didn't want, but I was able to quickly go through most of it. 3/4 of the box was 1984 Topps, but I could see some white-backed cards mixed in - more '84 Traded! There was also a large run of 1990 Topps I could quickly discount. So I grabbed just the mixed group in the back of the box, knowing there wasn't much I would need, though Al did say there were some gold cards in there.

Here's the cards I could rule out right away. Junk wax sets I've already completed, and I have all of the 1990s Topps base cards and all of the Collectors Choice base cards. These will all go back to Al next week, unless any of you readers claim any of these cards! The sets may not be the most exciting but it is all stars and HOFers. The mixture here gives you a good sense of what the majority of cards in most of his boxes are like.

Most of the '84 Traded were cards I had already also, partially from a TCDB trade I'll show in the next roundup. Let me know if you need any of these. I'll probably hang on to them as trade bait if there are no claims.

There were cards that I did need! I needed four of the five '92 Topps Gold, a random Fleer Tradition card, and best of all two of the '84 Topps Traded. That Saberhagen was a big deal in the 80s, though it's little more than a common now.

 

Cards from the best bubble

It's always a treat to get a surprise package from Bob of the best bubble.

Starting off with a little bit of oddballs - my first King B 1991 disc, a 1985 Don Mattingly sticker to go in my album, and three vintage reprints. 

Some fantastic Yankee catching talent.

 

Some cool modern cards.The Sandman card says that Yankee Stadium staffers chose Enter Sandman for Mariano Rivera. I thought I remembered that using the song for Rivera was David Wells's idea but I couldn't find anything online to confirm that.

Finally, a couple of autographs! Chien-Ming Wang was a great pitcher who unfortunately had his career cut short by injury.

 

1981 Topps John Stearns

The front: Stearns bats with eye black on, with a bright sunny sky at Shea Stadium.

The back: Stearns holds the University of Colorado record with 16 career interceptions.

The player: Drafted by both the Bills and the Phils, Stearns chose baseball, and played in one major league game with the Phillies before being traded to the Mets. He supplanted Jerry Grote as the starting catcher and played in parts of ten seasons for the Mets in their down years between championships. A four-time All Star, Stearns was a better defensive catcher than hitter. Overall in 810 games he hit .260 with 46 HR and 312 RBI.

The man: Stearns was a long time coach after his playing career. He died in 2022.

My collection: I have 20 of his cards, from 1976 to 1984. I would be interested in trading for 1975 SSPC New York Mets #8.
 

1976 SSPC Willie Montanez

 

The card, in brief: Those three streaks are on every card. I guess the best shot they had of Montanez was damaged during development.

Playing career, in brief: The flamboyant Montanez was an outfielder with some good power, most notably leading the NL in doubles with the Phillies in 1972. He played for nine teams in 14 seasons, seven of those with the Phillies. In 1,632 major league games, he hit .275 with 139 HR and 802 RBI.

Post-playing career, in brief: After his playing career he returned to his native Puerto Rico where he was a scout and ran a baseball school.

My collection: I have 22 of his cards, from 1971 to 1982. I would be interested in trading for 1972 Topps #690. 

1986 Renata Galasso Mattingly #16

Mattingly with a beard! He famously was never the most comfortable with the Yankees' hair regulations. Seeing Yankees with beards the past couple of years has been weird. Some of them just look like a sloppy mess, like Dominguez and Rodon. Amed Rosario has a really good one though.

I wonder where this was, with the low ceiling - a finished basement maybe? My first thought was a garage but that's an odd place to hand a trophy. 

Keep your eye on the ball!

1988 Domino's Don McMahon

 

A simple photo, one that wouldn't have looked out of place on a Topps card of the era, though Topps might not have gone in as close up.

McMahon was an excellent relief pitcher at a time when relief pitchers were not as valued as they are now, so he pitched for seven teams over an eight-year career where he put up excellent numbers - in 874 games he went 90-68 with 152 saves and a 2.96 ERA. As a Milwaukee Braves rookie in 1957 he held the mighty Yankees scoreless over five innings in three games, helping the team win the World Series. Neither he nor the Braves fared as well in the following Series, though McMahon did make his only All Star team in 1958. He was traded in the middle of the season four years in a row - 1966 to 1969. In 1968 the Tigers sent Dennis Ribant to the White Sox for McMahon, who became a key member of the team's bullpen, going 3-1 with a 2.02 ERA in 20 games. He was traded to the Giants the next season, and retired at the age of 42 after the 1972 season. The Giants named him their pitching coach, but the team's bullpen was so depleted that McMahon was reactivated in both '73 and '74. The oldest player in the majors those years, he pitched in 31 games and went 4-0 with 6 saves and a 1.93 ERA. McMahon had gone to Erasmus Hall High School in Flatbush with future Raiders owner Al Davis, and even scouted for Davis during his playing career. In 1986, Davis recommended McMahon to his friend Tommy Lasorda, who hired McMahon as a Dodgers coach. In July of 1987, while pitching batting practice at Dodgers Stadium, McMahon suffered a heart attack and died shortly after.

I have 14 of his cards, from 1958 to 1972. I would be interested in trading for 1962 Topps #483, 1963 Topps #395 and 1965 Topps #317.