Yes Virgina, There Are Horizontal Player Topps Cards Between 1960 and 1991

I blame the fact that it was late at night when I wrote that last post. But I am not afraid to admit when I'm wrong.

So on my previous post, I said:

I love seeing images like this because it gives us an idea of what many of the cards are going to look like. For example, the 1991 card of Paul Skenes looks amazing. It reminds me that 1991 was the first year that featured horizontal cards of players that were not team cards, rookie combo cards, or any other since at least 1960. 

Since coming back, I have been pretty sure that nobody is reading what I'm writing on this humble, little blog. Apparently, people are reading.

Thank you to friend of the blog John Bateman of the Donruss 1982 blog, for mentioning:in a comment:

1973 and 1974 - Topps had a few player horizontal cards 

Now, it's embarassing enough that as a Topps collector and as someone who thinks he's an expert on Topps' catalog that I'd say something totally off-base. But the fact that a guy who writes a blog about a set from the competition had to point this out to me really makes me want to crawl into a hole and hide again.

So, I went in to look and sure enough...

Starting with 1973, here is Tommie Agee:

And Bobby Bonds:

And Boots Day (really...)

From 1974, here's Mike Epstein:

And Carlton Fisk:

Then I remembered that there were horizontal cards in 1971:

Thurmon Munson for example:

Just a reminder, my main collection doesn't start until 1976. So when I think of horizontal player cards prior to 1976, obviously I'm thinking 1955, 1956, 1960. I'm not thinking anything in the early 1970's.

And again...it was late. I wasn't thinking straight at that point.

To think, I was going to post about the two Topps Archives sets that I do have that for some reason I forgot to add to the TCDB as part of my collection tonight. 

But this was more important to mention. So thanks again John for setting me straight. Thank you to the Card Cyber Museum for images (I certainly don't have any of these cards, so this is the best place to get images). 

Mea Culpa.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1971 Topps #482 San Diego Padres Team Card

(Hey, it was Super Bowl Sunday. Of course I'd forget to set this to run yesterday...for the second week in a row. Oh well, here is what should have appeared at 1:00 pm CST on Sunday, February 03, 2013).

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, February 03, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1971 Topps #482.
• Team: 1970 San Diego Padres.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1970 stats: Manager Preston Gomez, 63-99, .389 PCT., 39 GB, Sixth Place National League West.
• Commentary: The Topps Card Randomizer picks another team set from the 1971 Topps set, this time the second year San Diego Padres. The second year Padres experienced an eleven game improvement over their expansion team record. But that's not saying much, considering most of the players on said team were castoffs from the other teams in the majors. The back of the card features the franchise's all-time team leaders, which in all of two years, features mostly the stats of the players from 1970. Offensively, the team was led by Clarence Gaston...okay, you probably know him better as "Cito"...the guy that led Toronto to two World Series Championships in the 1990's. In 1970, Gaston led the fledgling Padres in almost every offensive category (at least the ones that Topps listed on the back of the card): at bats, runs, hits, singles, total bases, rbi's, and batting average. Other team leaders included Nate Colbert (games, triples, and homers), Ollie Brown (doubles). Pitching leaders on the Padres included staff ace Pat Dobson (14-15), who led the team in complete games, innings, and strikeouts, Tom Dukes, who led the team in saves with 10, and Ron Herbel, who appeared in 64 games, and finished 31 of them out of the bullpen (he also saved nine games). In 1971, the team finished with a 61-100 record, and after 11 games into the 1972 season, manager Gomez was replaced by Don Zimmer.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $2.50-$6.00.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 1989 Topps #246. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1971 Topps #211 Phil Hennigan

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, December 9, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1971 Topps #211.
• Player Name, position, team: Phil Hennigan, pitcher, Cleveland Indians.
• Major League Debut: September 2, 1969.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1970 stats (Indians): 42 G, 72 IP, 6-3. .667 PCT., 69 H, 34 R, 32 ER, 43 SO, 44 BB, 4.00 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Indians, #4th, January 1966. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 3. This is his first Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "A 4-sport star in high school, Phil also played baseball in college, and semi-pro ball in the Kentucky-Indiana Collegiate Lea. Was 6th in Eastern League in ERA, 1969 & was in Fla. Instr. League, 1969."
• Commentary: Topps first all black-bordered set.  Hard to find cards from this set in near-mint to mint condition because the borders don't hide dings and bent corners very well.  And for the first time ever, pictures of the players were included on the back of the card.  Albeit portraits of said players in black & white, it was a revolutionary step back then.  Phil Hennigan's career in MLB was short.  Only five seasons with the Indians and Mets.  He did wind up with a career winning record of 17-14 with 26 saves, an career ERA of 4.26, 188 K's, and a WHIP of 1.425.  His best year was in 1971, when he saved 14 games for the Tribe (more than half of his career total) in 57 games, of which he finished 38.  He also finished with a 4-3 record and 69 strikeouts in 82 innings of work.  With the Mets in 1973, his ERA started to swell to over 6.30.  By July 7, he was sent down to the Mets's AAA team in Tidewater.  He would never return to the majors.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.60-$1.50.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 0.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM..

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 1995 Topps #211. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1971 Topps #462 Washington Senators Team Card

(Figures that my posts from yesterday and today didn't get published while I was out this weekend.  My apologies.)

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, January 15, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1971 Topps #462.
• Team: 1970 Washington Senators.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1970 stats: Manager Ted Williams, 70-92, .432 PCT., 38 GB, Sixth Place AL East.
• Commentary: I know the Randomizer has picked manager cards in the past, and I know that it has selected team leader cards as well. I think this is the first team card utilizing a team photo on the front of the card. The 1971 set was bold in its design using a black border. Cards from this set are really hard to find in Near Mint or Mint condition. So much so that cards that ARE found in those conditions are usually sold at much higher prices. Anyway, after the original Senators left for the Twin Cities, MLB granted Washington, DC another franchise to take their place. After suffering through futility throughout the 1960's, the Senators hired Ted Williams was hired to lead the team in 1969.  Under Williams' leadership,these Senators did have their first (and only) winning season with an 86-76 record. They weren't able to build on that success as the team faltered the following year to 70-92. The back of the card features team leaders in statistical categories, not from the previous season, but the franchise's all-time leaders. Left fielder Frank Howard was the team's offensive leader with 44 home runs, 126 rbi's, a .283 batting average and a .962 OPS. Dick Bosman was the staff ace with a 16-12 record and 3.00 ERA while Joe Coleman paced the team with 152 strikeouts. Closer Darold Knowles finished 49 games, earning 27 saves. It didn't get much better in 1971, and the team headed to Texas soon afterwards, becoming the Texas Rangers.  Washington DC would not get another franchse until the Montréal Expos moved to DC to become the Washington Nationals.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $2.50-$6.00.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 2004 Topps #431. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1971 Topps #433 Skip Lockwood

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, July 3, 2011:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1971 Topps #433.
• Player Name, position, team: Skip Lockwood, pitcher, Milwaukee Brewers.
• Major League Debut: April 23, 1965.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1970 stats (Brewers): 27 G, 174 IP, 5-12, .294 PCT, 173 H, 91 R, 83 ER, 93 SO, 79 BB, 4.29 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Athletics as a Free Agent 06/10/196. Drafted by the Pilots from the Athletics 10/15/1968. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 13. This is his third Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "A veteran of American Legion ball, Sip was selected to play on the U.S. All-Star team in the Hearst Sandlot Classic Game a Yankee Stadium, 1963. Hurled well for Brewers, 1970, after recall from Portland."
• Commentary: The 1971 was innovative for its time because it was the first set that included picture of the player on the BACK of the card.  Albeit a large black and white headshot.  But a picture none the less.  The obvious drawback, however, is that with such a large picture, you didn't get a full set of career stats.  For a young player like Lockwood, that may not have necessarily been a bad thing.  When looking up his cards on the Beckett website, his listing included the name Claude Lockwood.  Didn't occur to me that Claude was his real first name and that "Skip" was just a nickname.  That was until you notice that facsimile autograph on the card above has his full name (thanks to Topps' use of his contract signature) "Claude E. Lockwood, Jr."  He is one of the few to claim that he played for the Seattle Pilots (drafted in the fourth round during the expansion draft).  Believe it or not, Lockwood's debut was not as a pitcher (his pitching debut was on 08/27/1969), but as a pinch hitter (drew a walk in his only plate appearance).  Realistically, he was a third baseman with the Athletics before finding more success on the mound than at the hot corner.  
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $1.00-$2.50.
• How many cards of each player do I own?: 6 cards.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.
Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 2009 Topps Updates and Highlights #25. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1971 Topps #30 Phil Niekro

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, August 8, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1971 Topps #30.
• Player Name, position, team: Phil Niekro, pitcher, Atlanta Braves.
• Major League Debut: April 15, 1964.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1970 stats (Braves): 34 G, 230 IP, 12-18, .400 PCT, 222 H, 124 R, 109 ER, 168 SO, 68 BB, 4.27 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Braves as a Free Agent 07/19/1958. Bats: left, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Niekro's eighth regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only, not including any record breakers, all-star, or other combo cards). The 1971 Topps set was infamously known for easy to chip black borders, and was so much an iconic set in the 70's, that a certain rival card company dared use it as a design for one of their own "Vintage" brands. What is not often mentioned about the 1971 Topps set is the fact that it is also the first one to use actual player photos on the back of the cards, not just a comic drawing. Albeit the picture on the back was black and white, but it was a big deal back then. However, the use of a pretty large picture (as well as a bio square that was almost equal in height), limited the statistics to just the prior years and career statistics. Niekro is one of a handful of players who can claim to have played for both the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves (others include fellow HOF's Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews). At this stage of his career, he was an All-Star, a Cy Young candidate, and an MVP candidate (all in 1969, thanks in part to a 23-13 record and 193 K's). His knuckleball was the talk of hitters in the NL, only because many of them couldn't hit the pitch. The bio on the back of his card not only mentions his 1969 season, but also that he led the NL in ERA with 1.87. Niekro would go onto a stellar HOF career, complete with 300 wins, 3,342 K's, and a now-mind boggling 245 complete games in 24 seasons. He was inducted to Baseball's HOF on his fifth year on the ballot in 1997.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $2.50-$6.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 27 cards.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 1989 Topps #759. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1971 Topps #170 Mike Cuellar

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, February 7, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1971 Topps #170.
• Player Name, position, team: Mike Cuellar, pitcher, Baltimore Orioles.
• Major League Debut: April 18, 1959.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1970 stats (Orioles): 40 G, 297 IP, 24-8, .750 PCT, 273 H, 126 R, 115 ER, 190 SO, 69 BB, 3.48 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed by Redlegs as a Free Agent before 1957. Traded by the Astros to the Orioles 12/04/1968. Bats: left, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Cuellar's ninth regular Topps card (this doesn't include variations or league leader cards). Ahhh, the 1971 set. Infamous black borders (this before the infamous 2007 set). Rare is it that you'll find any cards in this set in near mint condition. The black borders chip very easily on these cards. But you all knew that already. Anyway, Cuellar was one of three O's hurlers to win 20 games in 1970, helping the Orioles to a World Series win. The blurb (which is a full caption) on the back states that he hit a game winning grand slam in the ALCS, and won the final game of the WS against the Reds. This was the first time Topps included a player portrait (albeit black and white) on the backs of the cards. Prior to this, it was almost always a cartoon.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.75-$2.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 7 cards.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM. (You have to stop by and visit them now. They just announced that they are allowing more people to enter the museum at one time.)

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 2003 Topps #270. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama