Good day everyone!
For
those of you who are new to the blog, you may not know that one of my
favorite early threads was my "Photobombing" series, showcasing cards
that had famous players as secondary figures on baseball cards from the
decade.
It
ran for a bit before I used up all the cards that had this feature, but
today I wanted to take a look at one of them, this from August of 2013.
Here's the original post, as written way back when:
I haven't uploaded a "photo-bombing" post in a while. Long overdue.
So today I spotlight the 1972 Rick Wise and the 1973 Jim Fregosi cards, which collectively have a Hall of Fame battery lurking in the background.
First up is the 1972 Rick Wise (#43) card:
So today I spotlight the 1972 Rick Wise and the 1973 Jim Fregosi cards, which collectively have a Hall of Fame battery lurking in the background.
First up is the 1972 Rick Wise (#43) card:
While you have Wise frozen in
time with this lame follow-through pitching pose, there are three
teammates gathered in the background, and one of them is Hall of Fame
pitcher and future American politician Jim Bunning (#14). He's talking
to pitcher Bill Wislon (#37) and most likely a Spring training invitee
since I can't find any record of a player who wore #54 for them that
year.
What's interesting is that the photo is from 1971 and was Bunning's last year in the Majors. He wasn't included in the 1972 set. So he snuck in there after he hung up the cleats.
Another interesting note is that Wise would be suiting up for another team in 1972, the Cardinals, as he was dealt to St. Louis for Steve Carlton before the season started.
What's interesting is that the photo is from 1971 and was Bunning's last year in the Majors. He wasn't included in the 1972 set. So he snuck in there after he hung up the cleats.
Another interesting note is that Wise would be suiting up for another team in 1972, the Cardinals, as he was dealt to St. Louis for Steve Carlton before the season started.
Next up we have an awesome card from the 1973 set: (#525). What a great card. This is "action" done right:
We have Fregosi obviously looking back at a foul pop that went into the
stands, as none other than Johnny Bench of the Reds looking on. I love
the fact that you also see all the Mets in the dugout watching the
action. I wish I could make out who the they are, but I've tried
enhancing the image as best I could and didn't recognize any of them.
One of my favorite cards from the set right here.
Interesting coincidence is that both Rick Wise and Jim Fregosi are long remembered as being the "bust" part of two separate historically lopsided trades.
As stated earlier, Wise was traded to the Cardinals for Steve Carlton, who went on to a Hall of Fame career mainly on what he did with Philadelphia, and Fregosi was traded to the Mets for future Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, who immediately became a superstar with the Angels in 1972.
One of my favorite cards from the set right here.
Interesting coincidence is that both Rick Wise and Jim Fregosi are long remembered as being the "bust" part of two separate historically lopsided trades.
As stated earlier, Wise was traded to the Cardinals for Steve Carlton, who went on to a Hall of Fame career mainly on what he did with Philadelphia, and Fregosi was traded to the Mets for future Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, who immediately became a superstar with the Angels in 1972.