COTW: A 1973 Kellogg's Baseball Met

A 1973 Kellogg's Baseball Met

What time is it? Who cares? It's Whenever, and here is a card of the whenever that I got recently. Actually I am not sure of the exact delivery date because it was in a batch of "held" mail that I received about mid month when I returned from a family business related thing in the Mid-West So it could have arrived as early as Friday 13 Sep or as late as Monday 16 Sep.

It is a 1973 Kellogg's Baseball Card. Now I like most of the Kellogg's 1970s cards, mostly because of the early 1970s 3-D effect. However, this set is not 3-D it is the first set Kellogg's did without the 3-D imaging If I recall. For some reason I don't like this set nearly as much as I do the other Kellogg's sets even if you ignore the whole 3-D thing. Anyway this card is of one of my PC guys I started to collect back in the day as a PC guy before I even knew that PC Player Collecting was even a "thing".

I got it from Sportlots for the opening 25¢ bid plus $2.00 shipping.

1973 Kellogg's Baseball - 21 Tug McGraw Mets

1975 Topps Mini Baseball

In 1975 Topps hit gold with a parallel mini set of the baseball series. The cards are about a 1/4 of an inch smaller than the standard 2.5" x 3.5" cards. Not as small as tobacco cards but still smaller than the standard size. I think they were sold in separate packs, I'm not sure since I never had any back in the day, I only had the standard cards back in '75 and I got a whole bunch of them then. Sadly most of my '75s were traded away in 77 - 79 or so in a card "flipping/tossing trading" game. Anyway right now I only have 4 of these cards. I have not paid more than $10 per for them. I'm not sure if its the ones I have or if its a standard thing but I've noticed the colors on the minis seem to be a bit darker, maybe it is because they didn't get distributed as widely as the regular ones did so they haven't been exposed to the elements as much. The first one I got I already had the regular one of (or made sure I had the regular one as well since it is a fave player). Tug McGraw - Mets.
 

 1975 Topps Baseball Mini - 67 Tug McGraw Mets

(Front and Back)

Now here is the regular sized Tug card, even though the scans are approx. the same size:

 1975 Topps Baseball - 67 Tub McGraw Mets

(Front and Back)

With my other three minis I will show them in the order I think I got them in starting with the man who was the last skipper of the Montreal Expos and thus became the first skipper of the Washington Nationals Frank Robinson. This was from his playing years.

 1975 Topps Baseball Mini - 580 Frank Robinson Indians

(Front and Back)

I think I have his regular card, not sure I also thought I had the regular card of this next player but again I'm not sure. Don Sutton who also has a Washington Nationals connection he was the color commentator for MASN (Mid-Atlantic Sports Network) the cable station that broadcasts the Nationals games for television.

 1975 Topps Baseball Mini - 220 Don Sutton Dodgers

(Front and Back)

This final card is the final mini I have I also have it's regular mate. Both I got through sportlots.com I had ordered the mini version and the seller sent the regular version, I wasn't sure if I still had the regular version, but I requested s/he send the mini since that was the one I ordered (I think I ended up getting one of them for free) eventually I got the mini version. It is the Team Card of the Baltimore Orioles w/ the team checklist on back, unfortunately both checklists have been marked.

 1975 Topps Baseball Mini - 117 Baltimore Orioles TC

(Front and Back)

 1975 Topps Baseball - 117 Baltimore Orioles TC

(Front and Back)

Now just for fun the size comparison of the Baltimore Orioles cards:

A Six Pack of Sports Books

When getting ready to do a review on a book I read now about 2 years ago (OK so I'm really behind in lots of things) for my personal non-card blog I realized I had a couple of old sports related books, then I thought of a couple of other sports books I had read within the last year or so. I decided to at least mention and show the books. OK so it's not card related but Its a fun sports thing.

The list started growing and next thing I know I had six sports related books I wanted to talk about. Then I realized that three of them were on Baseball and three of them Football. 3 of them are vintage books and 3 are more modern or new. One of the vintage ones I haven't read yet but the others I have read. I just haven't reviewed them yet.
Onto the books first the "Veterans":

The Year The Yankees Lost The Pennant

by Douglas Wallop

 The Year The Yankees Lost The Pennant covers

In the above picture Top: Original Dust Jacket and actual spine/front cover of book. Bottom: various paperback covers over the years. Includes the more recent "Damn Yankees" cover (blue with kissed baseball from the 1994 revival).

The Year The Yankees Lost The Pennant was written in the mid 1950s when the New York Yankees were all but unstoppable and were the Kings of the baseball diamond. It was first published in 1954. The story is the typical "Faustian bargain" of making a deal with the devil. In this case a diehard Washington Senators fan Joe Boyd meets a Mr. Applegate (aka: the Devil) and makes a deal with him to get the Senators into the pennant race Applegate turns frumpy middle-aged Joe Boyd into young studly Joe Hardy the super player that the Senators need to pull them from the division cellar and put them on top of those "Damn Yankees".  Yes this is the book that inspired the Broadway musical "Damn Yankees".  Some of the later printings (Like the one with Gwen Verdon on the cover) have updated the year the story takes place from 1958 to 1964. 



 Original Dust Jacket for Year Yankees Lost Pennant

Very rare (and super duper too damn expensive) dust jacket

advertising the Broadway musical "Damn Yankees"

In 1955 when the musical "Damn Yankees" opened a special flyer was inserted onto (or a sticker put on) the book's dust jacket. I think these were only produced in May 1955 for the musical's opening (I haven't found any good info on this rare gem). Due to the rarity of this advertisement on the dustcover (which in themselves are somewhat of a rarity now) the copies with it on the cover are very expensive. I would love to get a copy of it, but I don't think I ever will due to the price.

The Jim Thorpe Story: America's Greatest Athlete

by Gene Schoor

The Jim Thorpe Story: America's Greatest Athlete by Gene Schoor. Is a truly fascinating biography of one of the greatest if not THE GREATEST all-around athletes of the 20th Century. Originally published in 1951 when Thorpe was still very much alive it ends on a happy note. He died in 1953. The copy I read and have pictured here is the 4th printing from 1969 but still maintains the original text so there is no mention of his death.

My Greatest Day in Football

by Murray Goodman and Leonard Lewin

My Greatest Day in Football by Murray Goodman and Leonard Lewin. Of the books I'm mentioning in this post this one I have not read yet. Originally printed in 1949 the copy I have at the back says it is a reprint that faithfully reprints the original 1949, but I have no idea when it actually was reprinted by Bantam Books my guess is about mid '50s up to maybe mid '60s. My copy is in pretty rough shape as you can see by the scan. The condition of the cover and the golden brown yellowing of the pages leads me to believe my copy is closer to the '50s than '60s. I am worried about trying to read it, just as I was worried when I read my copies of the two books above (The Jim Thorpe Story and The Year The Yankees Lost The Pennant)

Next The "Rookies":

Yogi Berra: Eternal Yankee

by Allan Barra

Yogi Berra: Eternal Yankee by Allan Barra. I have never been a New York Yankees fan, but I have almost always had a soft spot for Yogi. This biography makes him even more likable and tells a lot of the Yogi stories that led to a famous Yogiisms. A "Yogiism" is a strange quote that is credited to Yogi as being something he said at one time. Like "It ain't over till it's over". As many baseball historian/fans know many of the sayings that have become a Yogiism are not necessarily what Yogi really said. "I didn't really say everything I said". Some of them he remembers saying and can verify others he said maybe likely that he said it or something similar that was twisted to become a Yogiism. I think there are more of the latter than the former. After reading this book I have more respect for the man and realize that his neanderthal image was just that. He really is quite an intelligent guy and over the years made some wise investments.

The Book of Deacon: The Wit and Wisdom of Deacon Jones

by Deacon Jones and John Klawitter

The Book of Deacon by Deacon Jones and John Klawitter. This book is a super quick read as it is just basically a book of collected quotes and zen-like sayings. No doubt many of the things in there are things that Decon Jones has said over the years, but a few are so common sense and logical that I have a feeling anybody could write them down in a collection like this and say they originally said them. It is a very enjoyable book.

Safe At Home: Confessions of a Baseball Fanatic

by Alyssa Milano

Safe at Home: Confessions of a Baseball Fanatic by Alyssa Milano. This book doubles as an autobiography and a guide to baseball history and slang for becoming a well versed baseball "fanatic". If you thought Alyssa was just a pretty face you are only half right. She may have same silly ideas and occasionally come off as being a California Air-Headed Girl she really knows her Baseball.

Bonus book: Tug McGraw's Scroogie

A Scroogie comic strip clipped from the Washington Post (or maybe the Washington Star)

 Scroogie by Tug McGraw and Mike White. In 1975 a fun comic strip hit the newspapers. I was going to make a separate post about this comic strip and book but when I started this post it seemed like a cool thing to add. Scroogie was written by baseball's Tug McGraw based on his career with the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies thus the name for the fictional team depicted in the strips the Pets.

Two books were published of the strips in 1976 and 1977. It seems that the second book is the rarer of the two rare books.

 

Front of "Scroogie" book 1976

Back of "Scroogie" book 1976

There is a second Scroogie book titled "Scroogie 2: Hello There, Ball!"  I don't have a copy but I would love to get one.

Cover of Scroogie 2: Hello There, Ball! 1977

The image of the second Scroogie book I found on the webpage The Comic Treadmill. I have seen several sites make reference to it but they don't have a cover image.

Mailday Mostly 1972 Topps

I haven't scanned any of these cards from today but I got a boat load of 1972 Topps Baseball from sportlots.com and a couple of 1974 Football Cards from Ebay.

The Baseball Onslaught.

1964 Topps
154 Dick Tracewski Dodgers

1966 Topps
298 Rico Petrocelli Red Sox

1972 Topps Some of these are off center.

20 Don Wilson Astros
150 Norm Cash Tigers
152 Gene Clines Pirates
154 Ted Simmons Cardinals (I might have 3 of this card, not sure)
156 Twins Team Card
160 Andy Messersmith Angels
162 Jerry Bell Darrell Porter Bob Reynolds 1972 Rookie Stars Brewers
164 Tug McGraw Mets IN ACTION (very cool super PC card, YES! I do have his regular card as well - see below)
165 Chris Speier Giants
166 Chris Speier IN ACTION
167 Deron Johnson Phillies
169 Vida Blue A's
173 Clay Kirby Padres
174 Clay Kirby IN ACTION
175 Tom Haller Tigers
176 Tom Haller IN ACTION
178 Paul Schaal IN ACTION
179 Dock Ellis Pirates
182 Ed Kranepool IN ACTION
183 Bill Melton White Sox
184 Bill Melton IN ACTION
185 Ron Bryant Giants
187 Gates Brown Tigers
189 Gene Tenace A's
190 Dave Giusti Pirates
191 Jeff Burroughs Rangers

192 Cubs Team Card - A couple of times in the 1970s it seemed that only the Cubs did this cut-out heads team thing on the team cards. I think I had a poster of this once as a kid, not 100% sure such a product existed let alone if I actually had it.

201 Phil Roof Twins (way off center)
202 Scipio Spinks Astros
204 Tommy Helms Astros
206 Dal Maxvill Cardinals
209 Joe Rudi A's
212 Grant Jackson Orioles
213 Billy Parker Art Kusnyer Tom Silverio 1972 Rookie Stars Angels
214 Mike McQueen Braves
215 Alex Johnson Indians (Off Center)
216 Joe Niekro Tigers
217 Roger Metzger Astros
218 Eddie Kasko Red Sox
219 Rennie Stennett Pirates
220 Jim Perry Twins

The 1972 Topps Baseball is the ultimate in 1970s design style, here are a couple of examples of the styling. The following cards I already had, I had forgotten that I had scanned the second two.

One of my fave Old-Time Players Frank Howard, began his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers but is most remembered as a Washington Senator (They then became the Texas Rangers and the 1972 is the Debut of the Texas Rangers on Cards)

Frank Howard # 350

Even though Tug McGraw played on two teams I'm not very big on. The Phillies and The Mets (Since some trades of some Nationals to the Mets I am more appreciative of them) If you are old enough to remember the 1970s you may remember Tugs comic strip based on his MLB career "Scroogie". The main character played for a team call the PETS. Somewhere I have a Scroogie book and a couple of comic strip clippings when I find them I'll try to remember to scan them.

Tug McGraw # 163

Just because he is the Home Run King Here is Hammerin' Hank IN ACTION.

Hank Aaron IN ACTION # 300

Now the Football Cards I got:

1974 Topps
148 John Matuszak Oilers RC.

1974 Wonder Bread
15 Tom Mack Rams - My first 1974 Wonder Bread Football card.