This week's street trade

Met Al again today to swap some cards. He had bought a couple of 2025 packs, I guess.

These are from 2025 Panini. A couple of legends and a couple of rookies. I guess Grady Sizemore counts as a legend. 

Three from 2025 Stadium Club. I miss the days this set had cool photography. The Seager card is pretty good though.

Finally, a couple of random shiny inserts from the '90s. Two great stars here. The Rodriguez card has kind of a bubbly texture, I think whatever coating it had didn't age well. I don't usually pick football cards from Al, but this card, randomly in with a bunch of basketball, was thick and shiny and partly see-through, with a great player on the card too.

 

Wallet Card with another Albatross Fence

Older looking metal fences are great places to look out for old-style telephone exchanges. This is the second time I've found one from Albatross Fence, which operated from the 1950s to the 1990s. This sign dates back to at least the 1970s, probably earlier. This sign is on the property of Lincoln Orens Middle School in Island Park, NY.

Albatross was the fencing division of Albert Bros. Hardware of Bellmore, NY. Albert Bros. Hardware operated from at least the 1950s until sometime in the 1990s; owner Artie Albert died in 2000. I'm not sure how long the fencing operation lasted; the only mentions I saw were from 1950s newspaper ads. The main hardware business does seem to have kept the alpha-numberic phone number in their advertising through the early 1980s, as many New York businesses were particularly protective of that style. (SU stood for SUnset, an apparently random designation.) Clearly this fence, and the sign, have lasted for decades.
 

Cake or gum? 1977 Rusty Staub

Last time it was a win for cake, 6-1. Vote totals are getting better as Blogger issues clear up. Will this one be another win for cake?

Hostess has a simple spring training portrait for Staub. Topps has an action shot. I think this is Baltimore, and there even appears to be a player in an Orioles uniform in the dugout. Staub played in two day games at Baltimore in 1976, going 4-for-9 with one double, two runs scored and three RBI. This could be his single to left field in a Tigers win on May 23, or a double to left field in their loss on August 1.

Everywhere Rusty Staub played – Houston, Montreal, Detroit and the Mets – he was a huge fan favorite. An All-Star five times between 1967 and 1976, he reinvented himself as an excellent pinch-hitter in the 1980s. Overall, in 2,951 games he hit .279 with 499 doubles, 292 home runs and 1,466 RBI. He walked 1,255 times, compared to just 888 strikeouts. Staub was known as one of the genuine “nice guys” on and off the field. After his career he opened two successful Manhattan restaurants and was deeply involved in many charitable endeavors. He passed away in March, 2018. 
 

Wood vs Wood #353

Last time it was a 3-2 win for 1962. Hopefully with the Blogger issues seemingly fixed, this one will get more votes.

Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski strikes a hitting pose before a game at Forbes Field. Considered one of the best fielding infielders of all time, Mazeroski won eight Gold Gloves. He was a good hitter, too: in 2,163 games, all with the Pirates, he hit .260 with 138 HR and 853 RBI. The back of the card mentions something about a World Series home run, too. After his playing career Mazeroski was a coach and spring training instructor for the Pirates. He died in February at the age of 89.

Cleveland pitcher Ernie Camacho warms up before a game at Anaheim Stadium. Camacho was the Indians’ closer in 1984, lost 1985 to injury, and returned to close again in 1986. Other than those two years his career was very brief, pitching for six teams in ten seasons, without pitching in more than 15 games other than those two years. Overall in 193 games he went 10-20 with 45 saves and a 4.21 ERA. Today, Camacho works for the Alisal School District in California and is involved in many charitable causes.
 

1981 Topps Jerry Reuss

 

The front: Where was this photo taken? Even Jerry Reuss doesn't know.

The back: No room for a blurb, and still a full decade of pitching ahead of him.

The player: Jerry Reuss pitched 22 seasons in the major leagues, winning 220 games. His best season was 1980, when he went 18-6 with a 2.51 ERA, leading the league with six shutouts (including a no-hitter), finishing second in the NL Cy Young voting.

The man: Reuss has been a broadcaster for many years, most recently for the Dodgers' AAA affiliate in Las Vegas. He is also an accomplished photographer. His flickr page not only has baseball card commentary, as linked above, but lots of his own professional-quality baseball photography, and lots of other great photos too. At one time he was also a reader of baseball cards himself, causing quite a stir when he commented on a Night Owl Cards post in 2010. He kindly answered some questions for my blog as well.

My collection: I have 59 of his cards, from 1970 to 1990. I would be interested in trading for 1976 Hostess #29.
 

1986 Renata Galasso Mattingly Puzzle #8

 

Don Mattingly was #23 for the Yankees. But this bat says #29! Pitcher Bob Shirley wore #29 for the Yankees from 1983 to 1987. Would this be his bat? Or is it a Dave Collins bat left over from 1982?

The Mattingly-Shirley connection is interesting, as the career-crippling back injury that Mattingly suffered in 1987 was initially attributed to play-wrestling between the two friends, which both players have categorically denied over the years. 

Wallet card with a remnant of the horse-and-buggy era

In New York City or any other older town, you may notice that the gates near entrances often have an opening near the bottom, with a thin edge. Do you know why?

One of the advantages of living in the age of the automobile, is that cars don't leave manure in the road when they go. Walking through a ninteenth-century city meant stepping in horse leavings, mud, garbage, etc. Since a proper gentleman wouldn't want to track that stuff into the house, these bootscrapers were a handy way to discreetly clean one's boots before stepping inside.
 

Blue Streak Part II

Another week, another eBay win on a surprisingly tough card, probably kept low because of blue markings on the front. 1956 Billy Martin!

As a bonus, another damaged card I won recently. It looks like some kind of clip with teeth, like what you might see on a clipboard, took a bite out of this 1954 Roy Campanella.

Anything but boring

PSA: If you're having trouble finding your favorite blogs, TCDB has a really great blogroll. I've been using it to keep track of all the great blogs I follow, including CardBoredom. On his post today he's got not one, but two fascinating tales of nautical misadventures and mistaken identities.

He is also a generous blogger who occasionally gives away cards, as he recently did on his other site. (There may be some available if they got missed in the recent blogger nonsense - I'm the only one who claimed cards in the comments.) 

Who else gives away 1952 Topps cards? I needed three of the availables. Tookie Gilbert was the son of a big leaguer; Roy Smalley was the father of one. Dick Fowler served in the Canadian Army in WW2 and later became a US citizen. His yellow card pairs nicely with the other card I needed, a 1958 Don Mossi card, who looks a little older than the 27 years old he was at the time. 

 

1976 SSPC Alan Foster

 

The card, in brief: Foster shows his Rawlings mitt to the camera.

Playing career, in brief: Alan Foster was a highly touted Dodgers pitching prospect, who had a 1.95 ERA over seven games in 1967 and 1968. However, he failed to live up to those expectations as part of the starting rotation in 1969 and 1970, going 13-22 with ERAs well over 4.00. He was traded to Cleveland after 1970 for Alex Johnson, but had little success for them or his next team, the Angels. Traded again in 1973, he finally found success with the Cardinals, going 13-9 with a 3.14 ERA. However he had another down year in '74, and spent '75 and '76, his last major league seasons, in the Padres bullpen. Overall in 217 games (148 starts) he went 48-63 with a 3.74 ERA.

Post-playing career, in brief: He seems to have kept a low profile since his baseball career ended. Anyone know where Alan Foster is now?

My collection: I have 13 of his cards, from 1968 to 1977. I would be interested in trading for 1971 Dell Today's Team Stamps #NNO.

Gum or cake? 1977 John Candelaria

Only two votes last time due to Blogger shenanigans. Both went to gum. Will cake get a vote this time?

Two photos clearly taken in the same shoot. Do you prefer Candy Man looking left, or looking right?

John Candelaria had several excellent seasons for the Pirates in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Highlights included a no-hitter in 1976, 20 wins in 1977, and winning Game 6 of the 1977 World Series. After being traded to the Angels in 1985, he pitched for eight teams in eight years with varying degrees of success. Overall, in 19 seasons he went 177-122 with a 3.33 ERA. During his career Candelaria was often a problem personality, with three DUI arrests and numerous conflicts with managers and other players. Since his career ended, however, he seems to have kept a low profile, though he was recently inducted into the Pirates Hall of Fame.
 

Wood vs. Wood #352

Last time the vote was suppressed by Blogger's commenting issues, but 1987 gets the victory, 3-2.

Phillies pitcher Frank Sullivan poses in front of a sky that is partly blue, partly cloudy and partly Bill Wetmore. Sullivan had some good seasons for the Red Sox in the mid-1950s, most notably 1955 when he led the AL with 18 wins and made the first of his two All-Star teams. Like many players at the time he seemed to hit a wall at age 30, going 6-16 with a 5.10 ERA, prompting a trade to the Phillies for Gene Conley. Sullivan was 6-6, and Conley was 6-9, making it the tallest trade in baseball history at that point. With the Phillies, Sullivan went 3-16 for a team that went 47-107. After a brief stint with the Twins his career ended. Overall in 351 games (219 starts) he went 97-100 with a 3.60 ERA. After his playing career he moved to Hawaii and became the head golf pro at the Kauai Surf Hotel. He died in 2016.

At 5-8, Mike "Tiny" Felder was almost a foot shorter than Sullivan, and he also poses in front of a partly cloudy sky. Felder was a speedy outfielder who was a solid bench player and pinch hitter for four teams over 10 seasons. His best seasons were with the SF Giants, where he was a fan favorite, even shaving "Beat LA" into his hair. His most famous moment was a walk-off squeeze bunt to win one of the first Turn-Back-The-Clock days in 1991. In recent years he has been a college coach, but he is now retired.
 

1981 Topps Denny Walling

 

The front: My first instinct was that this photo was taken in Philadelphia, but Walling hadn't played a day game there since 1978, when the Astros still wore rainbow uniforms. So my best guess is Pittsburgh, where Walling played in both games of a day doubleheader on September 1, 1980. Walling went a combined 2-for-9 as the teams split the twinbill.

The back: In recent years, Walling's leisure activities have switched from tennis to pickleball, an activity that wasn't around in 1980. 

The player: A pinch-hitter extraordinaire, Walling played 18 seasons in the major leagues, 13 of them with the Astros. In 1,271 games he hit .271 with 49 HR and 380 RBI. His 108 career pinch hits are tied for 13th all time.

The man: Walling was a long time hitting coach for several teams, and is now retired.

My collection: I have 42 of his cards, from 1977 to 1991. I would be interested in trading for 1984 Mother's Cookies Houston Astros SGA #19.
 

Wallet Card at Masback Hardware

Masback Hardware was started in 1875 as a hardware retailer, and eventually shifted to wholesale. By the 1930s, their best product was the Red Diamond Axe. The popularity of their products led to them taking a large factory space at 330 Hudson Street in Manhattan, where they operated until moving to New Jersey in 1979. The company went out of business in 1996.

You can still see traces of the old Masback signs on the outside of the building.

 

 

 

Blue Streak

I try to post something every day, but sometimes the day is just so long. Fortunately I got this nice addition to my '65 set in the mail this week. This is a surprisingly hard card to get cheap. The ink is bluer but less prominent in person.

 

1986 Renata Galasso Mattingly Puzzle #7

 

Not much going on here - except his hand is taped up here, too! I looked it up, and apparently he missed several weeks of spring training 1986 with a thumb injury.

1976 SSPC Rich Folkers

 

The card, in brief: We get a nice clear view of the Shea Stadium parking lot behind left field, in the days before the bleachers were built there.

Playing career, in brief: Rich Folkers pitched parts of seven seasons for the Mets, Cardinals, Padres and Brewers. In 195 games, mostly in relief, he went 19-23 with seven saves and a 4.11 ERA.

Post-playing career, in brief: After his playing career he was a college and minor league pitching coach. He is now retired.

My collection: I have seven of his cards, from 1973 to 1977. I would be interested in trading for 1971 Topps #648. 

Wood vs. Wood #350

Last time it was a 6-0 win for 1987. Will 1962 fare better here?

Frank Robinson looks like he's admiring a home run he just hit, something he did more than almost anyone else. Outfielder Frank Robinson was one of the best players in the major leagues in his ten seasons with the Reds from 1956 to 1965. He hit at least 29 home runs in nine of the ten seasons, hitting .303 with 324 HR and 1,009 RBI in his decade in Cincinnati. After the '65 season, calling Robinson "an old 30", the Reds gambled that Robinson was past his prime and traded him to Baltimore, despite coming off a season when he hit .296 with 33 HR and 113 RBI. Robinson responded with his best year in 1966, winning the Triple Crown with a .316/49/122 season, and earning World Series MVP honors with two home runs off Don Drysdale in the World Series. Though he never came close to Triple Crown type numbers again, Robinson was still a highly productive player throughout the late 1960s, and was considered the leader of the team that won three straight pennants from 1969-1971. He was traded to the Dodgers for the 1972 season, and after one disappointing season was traded to the Angels, where he took advantage of the new DH rule to eke out a couple more productive seasons. He retired with a .294 batting average, 2,943 hits, 586 HR and 1,812 RBI. Robinson was a tough competitor and respected leader, and in 1975 he was named player-manager for the Indians, becoming the first Black manager in the major leagues. He hit a home run in his first game as manager. Though he won a Manager of the Year award in each league, Robinson was unable to make the playoffs in any of his 17 seasons managing four different teams between 1975 and 2006, with a 1,065-1,176 career record. He died of cancer in 2019.

Keith Hernandez had some very good seasons for the Cardinals and Mets, most notably 1979 when he was NL co-MVP, when he hit .344 with 11 HR and 105 RBI. Often considered one of the best defensive first baseman in baseball history, his offensive numbers, while solid, haven't been able to get him to crack the Hall of Fame, even as standards have watered down considerably over the past decade. In 2088 games he hit .296 with 162 HR and 1,071 RBI. Hernandez has been a lightning rod for controversy during and after his career. The Cardinals got rid of him when they thought his drug use was a bad influence on the team. He gets credit for helping lead the Mets when they won a World Series in 1986, but doesn't seem to get as much blame for the way the team quickly fell apart and underachieved with him as captain in the years since, most notably getting into a fistfight with Darryl Strawberry in spring training 1989. Hernandez, who posed in a Confederate uniform for a magazine profile in 1986, has made some controversial sexist and homophobic remarks in his 20 years as a Mets announcer.
 

Cake or gum? 1977 Catfish Hunter

Last time it was another big win for gum, 7-1. Will cake do better here?

I believe the Hostess photo is a Shea Stadium shot from 1975. Topps meanwhile has an extreme closeup of a sweaty but happy pitcher.

Hall-of-Famer Jim "Catfish" Hunter was the ace of the staff of the great A's teams of the 1970s, going 66-24 over the three-year period where they won three World Series. He proved that those numbers were no fluke by going 7-1 in the postseason over that span. One of the first players to challenge the reserve clause and become a free agent, he signed with the Yankees in 1975 and had a great first season, going 23-14. However, degenerative arm problems robbed him of his effectiveness, and over the rest of the 1970s his value to the Yankees was more of a veteran mentor to a young pitching staff, though he still managed to win some big games, most notably the decisive Game 6 of the 1978 World Series. Overall in 500 games he went 224-166 with a 3.26 ERA. After his playing career he retired to his farm in North Caroline, where he died of ALS in 1999 at the age of 53. 

Brewer Hicklen on baseball cards

Outfielder Brewer Hicklen made his major league debut with the Royals in 2022, and has had stints with Milwaukee and Detroit. He was recently called up by the Atlanta Braves and is having success with them - in 12 games he is hitting .294 with 4 doubles, 3 RBI and 7 runs scored. He is also a youth baseball coach and has a website where he sells game-used merchandise to support non-profits in Northern Alabama. He kindly answered my questions about baseball cards.

 

- Do you have any stories about cards of yourself or of other players?

- I have a good friend that owns a card shop in MIN and he always keeps me in the loop and will occasionally run across my 1 of 1's. He has bought a few for me.  

 

- Do you have a favorite card of yourself or of another player?

- I don't really collect other than what my friends have given me.  

 

- Do you collect baseball cards?

- not really, but i have 4 of my 1/1 cards. 

Thanks!

 

Silver street trade

There wasn't much I needed from Al's boxes today, but these silver pack cards are always reliable.

 

2023 cards in the 1988 design. I like retro designs best when the cards look like they could have been from the year of the design, like that Cubs card.

Wallet Card at the Beer Shed?

One building being torn down can lead to the ghost of another building being revealed. Such was the case on Main Street in Hempstead, NY. There has not been a delicatessen in this spot in a long time, certainly within the past 20 years. There's also the word "Beer" and the word "Shed" next to each other, but I am thinking they may be from two different signs. (I think it's beer? Open to other interpretations.)

 

Lindy and the Ladies

 Let's do another page from the scrapbook.

 

 Lots of fun frivolities on this page. On the top right, girls at an Augusta High School get a yo-yo lesson from none other than Pedro Flores (kneeling), the inventor of the modern yo-yo. The caption calls them both "whirling doorknobs" and "the new-fangled tops". The top right is a four paragraph column describing the birthday party of a six-year-old boy. On the bottom we have beauties from near (524 Olivia Place) and far (the Estonian Republic).

 

Meanwhile, the right side is dedicated to Charles Lindbergh and his son's kidnapping, the major news story of 1932. (The next few pages don't seem to always be in chronological order, skipping around the early '30s).