Blog Archives
Fun Cards: 2019 TWJ Tony Perez
Another guy who never should have been traded, especially for Woodie Fryman and Dale Murray. I mean, seriously? Tony Perez wasn’t flashy like Pete Rose or an all-time great at his position like Johnny Bench, but he was a key part of the Big Red Machine. Okay, so he was on the decline and Dan Driessen showed some promise, but I don’t know if the fans will ever forgive the front office for letting the Doggie get away in 1976. After seven years in the wind, Perez came back to Cincinnati to finish out his career.
Fun Cards: 2019 TWJ Lee Smith
It took far too long for Lee Smith to receive the honor of baseball immortality. After fifteen unsuccessful years on the BBWAA ballot and reaching 50% of the vote only once, the Veterans Committee finally recognized the greatness of the dominant reliever. He will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer with Harold Baines, Mariano Rivera, Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, and the late Roy Halladay.
Fun Cards: 2019 TWJ Rollie Fingers
Rollie Fingers played for the Oakland A’s, San Diego Padres, and Milwaukee Brewers. But he was also a member of two other organizations for a grand total of seven days, though he never played a game for either team. The A’s sold him tot he Red Sox in 1976, but three days after the deal the dictator commissioner of baseball Bowie Kuhn voided it and ordered the reliever back to Oakland. He ended up leaving Charlie Finley for San Diego that off-season.
In December 1980, the Padres traded Fingers to the Cardinals, who then traded him four days later to the Brewers. He would finish his career in Milwaukee…but might not have, had Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott lifted the facial hair ban on her players. Fingers considered signing with the Reds, but opted to retire when he was told he would have to shave his famous handlebar mustache.
Fun Cards: 2019 TWJ Luis Aparicio
Luis Aparicio was so good…
“How good was he?”
Luis Aparicio was so good he was selected to 13 All-Star teams in just 10 seasons! From 1959-1962, there were two All-Star Games each year. How glorious! Man, I wish they would bring back that tradition.
I love the All-Star Game. The 2019 Midsummer Classic will be held on July 9 in Cleveland, which is a mere four-ish hours from me…
I probably won’t go. I can’t go. It would be fiscally irresponsible. But man, how much fun would it be? We went to Cleveland for a regular season game last year, and despite the weather had a good time.
Fun Cards: 2019 TWJ Wade Boggs
Wade Boggs finished his illustrious career in Tampa Bay, collecting his 3000th hit while wearing one of the ugliest uniforms in MLB history.
Fun Cards: 2019 TWJ Juan Marichal
Juan Marichal is most remembered for his 14 seasons with the Giants, winning all but five of his big league victories with San Francisco. As his career wound down, however, he found himself pitching for Boston and then Los Angeles in 1974 and 1975. He debuted on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1981 with 58.1% of the vote; in 1982 he was a mere seven votes away from immortality. Finally, Marichal was elected in 1983 with 83.7% and was inducted with Baltimore legend Brooks Robinson.
Fun Cards: 2019 TWJ Tom Seaver
The trade of Tom Seaver to Cincinnati in 1977 caused riots in New York. Shea Stadium was nearly destroyed. Marshall Law was in effect in the Big Apple. The persons responsible for the trade were more despised than the Son of Sam.
After a handful of seasons with the Reds, Tom returned to the Mets in 1983, then moved on to the American League to finish out a terrific career.
Fun Cards: 2019 TWJ Carlton Fisk
One of my favorite parts of this card is the different White Sox logos. He played in Chicago for 13 seasons but the team went through so many jersey changes during that time. They seem to be stuck on that black and white design now; I personally wish they would go back to the early 80s looks.
I’ve had a blast following Carlton Fisk‘s baseball card career via The List of Fisk. I don’t always agree with his assessment of the cards, but I’m not as well versed in printing processes and the like. He is currently in the late 1980s, with about a post a week, and by his rules he is only collecting cards issued during the catcher’s playing days so he will probably be wrapping up by the end of this year or early next.
Another big Fisk fan is Steve of White Sox Cards, although he has been all about Harold Baines lately thanks to his Hall of Fame selection. I used to send Steve my extra White Sox cards but haven’t sent anything to him in a while. Maybe this summer I will get around to putting some packages together again and send something up his way.
Fun Cards: 2019 TWJ Fergie Jenkins
The Cubs retired uniform number 31 in honor of both Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux in 2009; they were the first pitchers so honored by the club. The other Cubs players whose numbers are retired are Ron Santo (10), Ernie Banks (14), Ryne Sandberg (23), and Billy Williams (26).
Fun Cards: 2019 TWJ Andre Dawson
Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are still without contracts*. Andre Dawson didn’t sign with the Cubs until March 9 in 1987. Of course, that was due in part to collusion, a self-imposed, under-the-table salary cap orchestrated by Bud Selig and his cohorts to keep contracts down. Is that happening this year? Honestly, I don’t care. I don’t care if Harper and Machado end up playing in Japan or Mexico or Timbuktu. If this leads to another strike, as Adam Wainwright thinks it will, that’s fine.
I love baseball, but I don’t need baseball. There are plenty of other things to keep me busy. A bunch of whining millionaires (I’m talking about both owners and players) doesn’t sit well with me.
* I wrote this last night, and might be asleep when it actually posts. I probably won’t come back and update it even if a deal with the Phillies or Padres or Yankees or Chunichi Dragons is announced.
