Tag: St. Louis Cardinals

baseball, baseball cards

Fun Cards: SSPC “Baseball Immortals” Scott Rolen

JT

Congrats to Scott Rolen! In his sixth year on the ballot, Rolen received 76.3% of the vote to join Fred McGriff in Cooperstown this summer!

baseball, baseball cards

Fun Cards: 1991 Donruss Bob Gibson

JT

1991 Donruss Bob Gibson

Sometimes I make a card simply because I have a template. There is no other reason to put the late Bob Gibson on a 1991 Donruss card.

baseball, baseball cards

Fun Cards: 1986 Topps Bob Gibson (Gold Glove edition)

JT

Gibson Gold Glove

I created a handful of “fun cards” for Bob Gibson a couple of days ago, and thought I would share them with you over the next few days. This one features Gibby receiving one of his nine Gold Glove Awards.

baseball, baseball cards, goodbye

Goodbye, Bob Gibson

JT

(November 9, 1935 – October 2, 2020)

Bob Gibson was one of the most intimidating pitchers to ever take the mound in Major League Baseball. His 1968 season stands as one of the greatest of all time, with 268 strikeouts and a minuscule 1.77 ERA earning him both Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player honors. After his Hall of Fame playing career, “Hoot” served as the pitching coach for the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves under manager Joe Torre.

baseball, baseball cards, goodbye

Goodbye, Lou Brock

JT

Brock 1986 Topps Cardinals

Speedy Hall of Famer Lou Brock, the holder of the all-time stolen base record until Rickey Henderson came on the scene, passed away today. He was 81 years old. The six-time All-Star was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985 on the strength of his prowess on the basepaths and more than 3,000 hits.

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Fun Cards: 2020 Baseball Immortals Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller

JT

I was excited about the “Modern Era” ballot. So many fantastic players, and I was looking forward to seeing some of these larger-than-life personalities get their just due in Cooperstown.

Then Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller were selected.

Both are solid choices, sure, but neither is particularly exciting. I’m still against the practice of putting non-players on the same ballot anyway, so I was opposed to Miller’s very inclusion on the ballot. Why should he (or any other non-playing person) take votes away from the guys on the field?

Oh well. Maybe Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, and Lou Whitaker will receive the support they deserve next time.

In the meantime, here are a couple of “Baseball Immortals” cards for the newest Hall of Famers…

Simmons

Miller

baseball cards, football, football cards

Fun Cards: 1988 Topps Roy Green (NFL, baseball-style)

JT

Roy Green

Roy Green was a 2-time Pro Bowler for the St. Louis Cardinals and was the 16th member inducted into the Arizona Cardinals Ring of Honor in 2016.

baseball, baseball cards

Fun Cards: 1988 All-Star Managers

JT

Kelly

Kelly

Tom Kelly and Whitey Herzog led their teams to the World Series in 1987, but 1988 was not as kind to either manager. Kelly did get mentioned in the AL Manager of the Year voting, but the Cardinals’ 5th place finish in 1988 ensured that Herzog would be ignored at the end of the season. Kelly was at the beginning of his managerial career; he stayed with the Twins through the end of the 2001 season. Herzog was nearing the end in 1988; he was dismissed after 80 games in 1990 and never managed in the big leagues again.

Herzog

Herzog

I have enjoyed making these “fun cards” and researching the players that appeared in the 1988 All-Star Game, one of the first I remember and one of the most fun because of how close it was to me.

baseball, baseball cards

Fun Cards: 1988 National League All-Star Pitchers

JT

Gooden

Gooden

The National League was absolutely loaded with starting pitchers in 1988. At the end of the year, it was a three-man race for the Cy Young Award, but at mid-season the field was wide open. Dwight Gooden got the starting nod. You would not have convinced me in 1988 that he would never be on another All-Star team.

Knepper

Knepper

Next up was Houston’s Bob Knepper, the only Astro on the team. I shook his hand during the All-Star workout the night before. I didn’t have anything to get signed with me, and he was the only one that acknowledged my existence.

Cone

Cone

David Cone is another one of the borderline Hall of Fame cases. I wouldn’t vote for him, but there are a lot of Coneheads who believe he was snubbed by the voters.

Gross

Gross

I never would have guessed that Kevin Gross was an All-Star. He did have 10 wins at the break, though, and 2.47 is a pretty good ERA. He just doesn’t register as an All-Star in my brain.

Davis

Davis

Mark Davis got a hefty raise after his 1989 Cy Young season, but he never pitched like he did in 1988 and 1989 again.

Walk

Walk

As names go, “Walk” may be one of the worst for a pitcher. “Homer” beats it, but “Walk” is not far behind. Fortunately, Bob Walk never appeared in the top ten for walks.

Hershiser

Hershiser

Orel Hershiser spent 18 years in the majors, winning 204 games for the Dodgers, Indians, Mets, and Giants. 1988 was his greatest season, winning the Cy Young Award, the NLCS MVP, and the World Series MVP.

Worrell

Worrell

Just as Tom Kelly chose his closer for the American League roster, Whitey Herzog named his closer Todd Worrell to the National League team. Worrel actually got into the game and retired the side in the top of the 9th: George Brett, Cal Ripken Jr., and Don Mattingly.

Maddux

Maddux

Greg Maddux made his first of eight All-Star teams in 1988, but didn’t pitch in the game. Am I the only one who thinks eight is way too low of a number for one of the greatest pitchers ever?

Jackson

Jackson

Danny Jackson was one of three Reds on the roster, but didn’t get to play in the game. There should be a rule that all players from the host city get to play. Jackson only made one more All-Star roster; while with the Phillies in 1994, he faced Scott Cooper, Kenny Lofton, and Will Clark without getting an out. He allowed two inherited runners and one of his own to score.

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Fun Cards: 1988 National League All-Star Outfielders

JT

Straw

Straw

The National League took six outfielders from four teams to the midsummer classic in 1988: starters Darryl Strawberry, Vince Coleman, and Andre Dawson, and backups Willie McGee, Rafael Palmeiro, and Andy Van Slyke.

Vincent Van Go

Coleman

I love the nicknames of the 1980s. The Straw, Vincent Van Go, The Hawk…the nicknames of players today just don’t have the same panache.

Dawson

Dawson

Not everyone liked their nickname, though. Case in point, Willie McGee hated the name “E.T.” He hated it so much, it became a national news story. The New York Times reported in 1982, “Willie McGee won’t elaborate on his dislike for the nickname. Perhaps he thinks that it’s a racial slur since E.T. is dark-skinned. Perhaps he’s embarrassed because he has the hooded eyes and pinched nose similar to that of the little creature; he also wobbles when he walks, as E.T. does in the movie. Whatever the reason, Willie McGee is entitled to prefer his name to that nickname, even though he has virtually landed in the World Series from another planet.”

McGee

McGee

If Palmeiro had a nickname, what would it be? “Finger-pointer”?

Palmeiro

Palmeiro

Kirk Gibson is the only difference between the players’ top six and the actual roster. Gibby was the eventual National League MVP and had one of the most dramatic home runs in World Series history, but his invite to the 1988 All-Star Game was evidently lost in the mail.

Van Slyke

Van Slyke