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: 1974 Topps #478 1973 World Series Game #7

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, January 12, 2014:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1974 Topps #463.
• Player Name, position, team: Bert Campaneris, shortstop, Oakland A's.
• Special: World Series Game 7, Oakland 5, New York 2.
• Any special information about this specific card: Bert Campanaris' third inning home run in the (his third in the World Series, and which I am hoping Topps was smart enough to depict here based on his swing) set the tone for the game, helping the franchise to their third consecutive World Series title. As with the other six cards in the subset, the backs included the batting lines for both teams that day and the box score. No pitching totals, no game summary. That was all Topps could fit in the back that year. What it doesn't say is that Ken Holtzman earned the victory, going 2-1 in the WS, holding the Mets to one run in 5.1 innings. The MVP of the World Series was Reggie Jackson, who although hit just one home run (also in the 7th game) during the series, hit .310, drove in 6, and had an OPS of .941.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.40-$1.00.

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: 2003 Topps Traded #T71. 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: 1974 Topps #487 Ted Martinez

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, December 1, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1974 Topps #487.
• Player Name, position, team: Ted Martinez, shortstop-second baseman, New York Mets.
• Major League Debut: July 18, 1970.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1973 stats (Mets): 263 AB, 67 H, 11 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 14 RBI, .255 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Mets as a Free Agent 10/6/1966. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 9. This is his fourth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Has been Mets' most versatile player, performing at 4 infield and 3 outfield positions. Led Mets in Triples in 1972."
• Commentary: I never noticed that the facsimile signature that normally appears on the front of the card (when part of the design) is actually on the back to the right of the player's name. Unique place for it. I guess since there was so much space, it makes sense. According to the cartoon on the back of Teodoro Noel (Encarnacion) Martinez' card, Ted likes to listen to music. Doesn't specify what kind though. Don't we all like music? I think the cartoon player likes music a bit too much, don't you think? Anyway, 1974 would be another typical season for the uber-utility player for the Mets. In a career high 116 games, Martinez would hit for a .219 average, with two home runs and 43 runs driven in. He would hit for percentages of .247/.323/571 while covering second, short, third and even centerfield for the Metropolitans. It would also be his last season with the Mets as Ted would be traded to the Cardinals for Jack Heidemann and Mike Vail. His stay with St. Louis would be brief as he would soon be traded to Oakland on May 18, 1975. The A's would go on to win the AL West. But while Martinez hit for a low .172, his defense was stellar (.973 fielding percentage - 4 errors in 146 chances) in 86 games were his contributions to the A's run to the postseason. He would be released by the A's the following season and signed as a minor league free agent with the Reds' organization. After a  year in Indianapolis, Martinez signed with the Dodgers, where he played for three seasons as a defensive replacement. Before the 1980 season started, Martinez was released, and while he did play for the Mexican Leagues all the way through the 1983 season, he would not return to the majors. He finished his career with a career .240 average, 7 home runs, 108 rbi's, and an .579 OPS.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.20-$0.50.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 4.

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 #110. 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: 1974 Topps #34 Andy Kosco

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, March 17, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1974 Topps #34.
• Player Name, position, team: Andy Kosco, outfielder, Cincinnati Reds.
• Major League Debut: August 13, 1965.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1973 stats (Reds): 118 AB, 33 H, 7 2B, 0 3B, 9 HR, 21 RBI, .280 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Tigers as a Free Agent before the 1959 season. Traded by the Red Sox to the Reds 03/27/1973. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 8. This is his eighth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Named Most Valuable Player in Northern League for 1964. Led Northern League with .346 Avg; 28 Homers & 97 RBI's, 64."
• Commentary: It's rare that we get a card from 1974 to show up on the Randomizer. It is mostly remembered for being the set that had jumped the gun, assuming that the San Diego Padres would be relocating to Washington, DC. Thus, a number of Padres cards had the city they played for as "Washington, Nat'l Lea." Andrew John Kosco was a nine year veteran whose career saw him travel from Minnesota (where he took over for Harmon Killebrew when the Killer was on the DL) to the Yankees (as backup to Mickey Mantle at first base - he was with the Oakland A's organization at the time he was selected in a Rule 5 draft). He was then traded at the end of the 1968 season to the Dodgers, and then again to the Brewers after two seasons. After a year in Milwaukee, he was traded again to the Angels, but after August, was traded out to Boston. Finally, by March of 1973, he was traded to Cincinnati. Was it because he was in high demand that many teams stood in line to trade for him? He was a formidable bench player at best, with his best years with the Yankees and Dodgers. In his final season with the Reds, Kosco appeared in 33 games in a pinch hitting role, hitting 7-37 (.189) with five rbi's. By July 30, he played his final major league game. He was released from the team after the 1974 season ended. He did play for one more year in the minors with Toledo (AAA-Phillies), but after 48 games, he decided to call it a career. Since his playing days ended, he has gone on to a successful career as an insurance salesperson. There is a cartoon sketch of a beaten up and bandaged baseball flying over a fence with the caption "Andy homered into left-center bleachers at Yankee Stadium, '68."
• Beckett value: $0.20-$0.50.
• 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: 1988 Topps #247. 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: 1974 Topps #48 Dick Sharon

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, January 2, 2011:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1974 Topps #48.
• Player Name, position, team: Dick Sharon, outfielder, Detroit Tigers.
• Major League Debut: May 13, 1973.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1973 stats (Tigers): 178 AB, 43 H, 9 2B, 0 3B, 7 HR, 16 RBI, .242 AVG.
• Any special information about players: Drafted by the Pirates, #1st, June 1968. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 2. This is his rookie card.
• Blurb on the back: "Was All-League in baseball, basketball, & football in high school. Originally signed with the Pirates as a third baseman. Has excellent baseball instincts."
• Commentary: One look at the 1974 Topps design, and you have no idea what would be unleashed to the masses the following season. The design is simple, with many elements that would be continued to be used by the Topps Company in years to come, specifically, the colored ribbons that hold the city or team, the oval photo, and the team-colored border surrounding said picture. The 1974 Topps set is infamous for one of the company's greatest miscalculations (the Padres possible move to Washington, DC, led the company to replace San Diego with Washington Nat'l on a number of Padres players). Here is Dick Sharon at the cages before that evening's game, and in a unique batting pose, points the bat in the direction of the cameraman as if he's aiming a rifle (he even has the wink one uses when aiming to focus). Maybe he's indicating where he's going to hit the ball in that evening's game, although by the looks of things, he's aiming for foul territory. The back of the card includes a cartoon indicating that Dick "gets a great jump on the ball in the outfield." as the player is literally jumping on the ball. And he was a decent fielder, playing all three outfield positions and contributed in five assists to go with a .970 fielding percentage. He was named the Tiger's "Rookie of the Year" after the 1973 season.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.20-$0.50.
• How many cards of each player do I own?: 0 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: 1994 Topps Traded #92. 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: 1974 Topps #657 Jim Shellenback

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, April 18, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1960 Topps #310.
• Player Name, position, team: Jim Shellenback, pitcher, Texas Rangers.
• Major League Debut: September 15, 1966.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1973 stats (Rangers): 2 G, 2 IP, 0-0, 3 SO, 0 BB, 0.00 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed by Yankees as a Free Agent before the 1962 season. Traded by the Pirates to the Senators 05/17/1969. Bats: left, Throws: left.
• Any special information about this specific card: Shellenback's fifth and final regular Topps card. The 1974 Topps design was relatively simple, with the use of colored banners and with the team's name on them above and below a curved rectangular picture. In fact, if you separated the colored banners above and below the picture, and switched the places of the name and position of the player, you'd kinda have the 1980 Topps design. If collectors at the time only knew what Topps would unleash to the masses the following year. 1974 was the first year that the entire 660 card set was sold in one series. It was also the first year that Topps factory sets were sold exclusively at your JC Penneys and Sears stores. It's too bad they don't make those catalogs anymore. That's the price we pay for living in an internet world I guess (along with being more ecologically sound...how many trees died to make one of those 1000 plus page catalogs anyway???) Shellenback was just your average pitcher, sometimes a starter, often a reliever. But he filled a role and managed to do so in a 10-season career. Out for most of the 1973 season, he only appeared in two late-September games. The back of his card, using green boxes above the gray card stock, featured a brief bio, and a cartoon. The cartoon mentions that Jim throws a "palm" ball (the cartoon shows a pitcher throwing a palm tree on the mound). The blurbs on the bac mention that Jim "tied for Western Carolinas League lead wit 17 wins & 4 shutouts at Gastonia" in 1963; as well as hurling "sparkling complete game wins vs. Brewers and Angels" in 1970.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.20-$0.50.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 0 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: 1985 Topps #194. 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