MISSING IN ACTION: 1963 FLEER LOU BROCK

Up on the blog today, we have another "missing" 1963 Fleer card from my recent "extension third series" custom set, that of the great Lou Brock:

About as quiet and reserved a Hall of Famer as they come, Brock put together quite the Major League career.

Brock really was an under-appreciated player in my book, having to get what little spotlight he could playing the outfield in the National League when you had guys like Mays, Aaron and Clemente there as well.
Nevertheless, the man made six All-Star squads, finished second in the MVP race for the National League in 1974, and would go on to a Hall of Fame induction thanks to 3000+ hits, an MLB record 938 stolen bases, and 1610 runs scored.
Did you realize that between 1964 and 1974 the LEAST amount of hits he collected in any one season was 182!?
As a matter of fact in those eleven seasons he collected over 190 hits eight times, while scoring less than 90 only once.
Just an amazing 19-year career!

 

NOT REALY MISSING IN ACTION: 1970 RICK BLADT

Good day all!

Up on the blog today, we have a "not so missing" 1970 card for former outfielder Rick Bladt, who made his MLB debut in 1969 with the Chicago Cubs:

Bladt appeared in 10 games for Chicago that season, hitting .154 with two hits over 13 at-bats, driving in and scoring a run.

He'd be stuck in the Minors until 1975, when he found himself a member of the New York Yankees, as he appeared in 52 games, good for 133 plate appearances and a .222 batting average.

He also chipped in 13 runs, 11 runs batted in and 5 extra-base hits, all while manning center field.

That would be it for his Big League tenure.

He did put in a solid 12 years in the Minors, spanning 1966 to 1977 with the Cubs, Yanks and Orioles organizations.

After playing for Rochester of the International League in '77 he was out of baseball for good.

As a side note: he did appear on another card, a Topps 1974 multi-player rookie card (#601) which also features Bake McBride, Brian Downing and Ed Armbrister, three players who went on to have decent careers, especially the former two.

 

1981 DRAKES BIG PITCHERS: BRUCE SUTTER

Good day all!

On the blog today, we spotlight another card from my recent custom WTHBALLS set, "1981 Drake's Big Pitchers", this time Hall of Fame reliever Bruce Sutter:

The man absolutely revolutionized the idea of a "relief" pitcher, dominating as soon as he came into the league in 1976 with the Chicago Cubs.

He led the league in saves five times, including a then record 45 saves with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1984.

Between 1977 and 1984 he'd finish top-5 in the Cy Young voting four times, taking home the Award in 1979.

He also finished top-10 in N.L. MVP voting five times, while getting named to six All-Star teams.

These were the days when your "Fireman" would pitch more than 100 innings a year, with Sutter topping that mark five times, as well as a 99 inning year in 1978.

Simply amazing to watch back then, as he mastered the split-fingered fastball that came to prominence in the 1980s.

Arm issues curtailed his career in 1986, and by the age of 35 he was done, but not before he picked up 300 saves, and posted an ERA of 2.83 over 661 appearances and 1042 innings, striking out 861 batters.

 

MISSING IN ACTION: 1963 FLEER KEN HUBBS

On the blog today, it's been a while since I added to the short 1963 Fleer checklist, so I thought a "missing" card for former N.L. Rookie of the Year Ken Hubbs would be nice:

Hubbs was just coming off a great MLB debut season in 1962 when he collected 172 hits with 90 runs scored for the Chicago Cubs, eventually taking home 19 of 20 votes for the Rookie of the Year Award.

He would put in another solid season in 1963, playing in 154 games and hitting .235 while scoring 54 runs and driving in 47 for a Cubs team that was building an incredible young squad featuring the 1961 Rookie of the Year Billy Williams and third baseman Ron Santo, both future Hall of Famers.

He was such a standout athlete that while in High School he was an All-American in two sports, and baseball was NOT one of them, as he excelled in basketball and football.

Tragically, in February of 1964, just a month after receiving his pilot's license, Hubbs flew his friend from California to Utah to see his wife and newborn child, only to perish along with his buddy on the flight back to California after experiencing bad weather, with the small Cessna going down in Utah Lake, extinguishing a young, promising career.

Hubbs' legacy has been impressive, as you can clearly read in his biography, with sports, religious organizations and civic league's extending tributes even decades after his death.

Only 22 years old at the time of his death, many considered him a blossoming star in the game.

 

"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: RON SANTO

On the blog today, we give Hall of Famer third baseman Ron Santo a card in my custom WTHBALLS "Classic Baseball" set, celebrating the great game's rich history:

Ron Santo was no slouch at the hot corner: nine All-Star games, five Gold Gloves, 342 lifetime homers and 1331 runs batted in in a somewhat short 15-year career, mainly for the North Side Chicago Cubs (he played his last year for the South Side Chicago White Sox) in 1974.

Just take a look at his career, and see the solid numbers year after year, about as consistent a player you could ever ask for.

Between 1963 and 1973 Santo was selected for nine All-Star games, received five Gold Gloves for his defensive work, and four-time finished Top-10 in the National League MVP race, with a high of fourth in 1967.
Post-playing career, Santo moved on to broadcasting, where he was a beloved color commentator over the years, working with guys like Harry Caray, Thom Brennaman and Steve Stone.

He was about as beloved a Cub as there ever was, and finally made it into the Hall of Fame in 2012 as a Veteran's Committee selection, even though tragically it was two years after he passed away.

 

1960s IN-ACTION: 1964 RON SANTO

Good day all!

On the blog today we showcase my 1964 "In-Action" card for Hall of Fame third baseman Ron Santo of the Chicago Cubs:

Always a fun set to create, imagining if Topps began using in-game action shots during the 1960s rather than beginning in 1971.

Ron Santo was no slouch at the hot corner: nine All-Star games, five Gold Gloves, 342 lifetime homers and 1331 runs batted in in a somewhat short 15-year career, mainly for the North Side Chicago Cubs (he played his last year for the South Side Chicago White Sox) in 1974.

Just take a look at his career, and see the solid numbers year after year, about as consistent a player you could ever ask for.

Between 1963 and 1973 Santo was selected for nine All-Star games, received five Gold Gloves for his defensive work, and four-time finished Top-10 in the National League MVP race, with a high of fourth in 1967.
Post-playing career, Santo moved on to broadcasting, where he was a beloved color commentator over the years, working with guys like Harry Caray, Thom Brennaman and Steve Stone.

He was about as beloved a Cub as there ever was, and finally made it into the Hall of Fame in 2012 as a Veteran's Committee selection, even though tragically it was two years after he passed away.

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: ERNIE BANKS

Today on the blog we spotlight my "1960s Stars of the Game" card for "Mr. Cub", Ernie Banks, from my set released back in 2018:

What needs to be said about quite possibly the most well-liked baseball legend there ever was?
Easily a first ballot inductee, Banks was named to 83.8% of the ballots after posting a career that saw him win two Most Valuable Player Awards (1958 and 1959), slam over 500 home runs while knocking in 1636 Cubbies during his illustrious 19-year career.
The man IS what the word “legend” is all about, getting named to eleven all-star teams hitting 30+ homers seven times during his career, with five of those seasons topping 40.
Sadly he’d never taste the sweet taste of a World Series, but that certainly did not take away from all of his successes.
“Mr. Cub” gets his due in 1977, and rightly so!

 

REVISITING A POST FROM 10 YEARS AGO: MISSING 1976 KEN FRAILING

Good day all!

Revisiting a post from 10 years ago this week, my "missing" 1976 card for pitcher Ken Frailing, part of a "1976 Project" worked on for my buddy Jim:

Frailing squeezed 53 innings out of those 41 games, all in relief, posting a 2-5 record with a 5.43 earned run average and a single save.

The previous year he put in 125.1 innings over 55 games, 16 of which were starts, going 6-9 with a 3.88 E.R.A., a save and 71 strikeouts.

Those two seasons would be the bulk of his five-year career, the first two of which were as a Chicago White Sox player in 1972 and 1973.

The 1976 season would turn out to be his last, as he appeared in six games, going 1-2 with a 2.41 E.R.A., with three starts.

He'd play in the minors until 1978 before leaving the game for good, with his final Major League numbers: a 10-16 record with a 3.96 E.R.A., two saves and 136 strikeouts over 116 games, 19 of which were starts.

On a side note: I'm not too familiar with the Topps Vault and that whole "scene", but one thing that I wonder about is the fact that all of the photos are posed shots, and I wonder why there are no "action" shots in the Vault considering so many of the actual cards that came out in the mid-70's on up were awesome "in game" pictures (think Johnny Bench, Willie Horton, etc in the 1976 set for example).

So are all the "action" photos taken by someone other than Topps, which Topps then licensed from the photographer?

Just curious....I thank anyone in advance for any clarification!

REVISITING MY POST FROM 10 YEARS AGO TODAY: 1975 "MISSING" RON DUNN

Thought it'd be fun to go back ten years to the day here on the blog and see what I posted up, with that being a "missing in action" 1975 card for 23-game Major Leaguer Ron Dunn of the Chicago Cubs:

Here's a "missing" card for a guy that got into 23 games for the Cubs in 1974, good for 80 plate appearances, second baseman Ron Dunn.

Those 23 games marked the extent of his rookie year, as he batter .294 with 20 hits, seven of which were doubles and two of which were homers.

He also drove in 15 runs while scoring six, with 12 walks thrown in.

The following year he played in 32 games for the Cubbies, batting .159 with seven hits in 44 at-bats, and as it turned out those would be the final games of his Major League career.

Though he played a relatively full season in the minor leagues that season, he never appeared in a professional game again.

Anyone know why the guy went from Triple-A ball to nothing just like that?

His entire two-year career had him bat to the tune of a .241 average, with three homers and 21 ribbies, along with eight runs scored and 13 extra-base-hits.

 

REVISITING A POST FROM 10 YEARS AGO: 1974 "THEN AND NOW" MILT PAPPAS

From exactly 10 years ago, we revisit my 1974 "Then and Now" card for pitcher Milt Pappas, who had himself a very nice Major League career before he hung them up:

Pappas was one of those few guys that actually had a "career capper" card of sorts since he retired AFTER Topps set up their set for the new year.

In this case, Pappas appears in the '74 set even though he was already done with Major League ball.

Therefore that is why I have him here on a 1974 template, which came out nice and clean.

Pappas was only 34 years old when he retired, even with the 17-year career, as he came up with the Baltimore Orioles as an 18-year old back in 1957.

Though never a 20-game winner or big strikeout guy, he did have consistent, solid years that led him to a 209-164 record with a 3.40 E.R.A., 43 shutouts and 1728 strikeouts as he pitched for the Orioles, Reds, Braves and Cubs.

A little historical footnote: when Pappas won his 200th game in 1972, he became the first pitcher in Major League history to reach that mark without a 20-win season.

"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: DAVE KINGMAN

Time to go and add "Kong", Dave Kingman to my custom "Classic Baseball" set, due for a release somewhat soon in a multi-series format:

I was always enamored with the guy: his wiffle-ball like swings, his dour and somewhat aloof disposition, and of course his tape-measure homers.

Coming off of two seasons of serious home run production for the Mets in 1975 (36) and 1976 (37), he was about to top those numbers when he finally found himself in a Chicago Cubs uniform in 1978, slugging in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field after signing with them as a free agent.

Many Mets fans still hurt from the infamous "Midnight Massacre" house-cleaning in 1977 which saw the organization trade Kingman to the Padres, Tom Seaver to the Reds, and Mike Phillips to the Cardinals, all on June 15th.

In 1979 Kingman would have his finest season as a big leaguer when he lead the Majors in home runs with 48 round-trippers, a career high, along with 115 runs batted in and a very respectable .288.

He'd find himself back in Queens as a New York Met by 1981, after falling out of favor in Chi-Town, and would lead the National League again in home runs in 1982 when he hit 37, along with a dismal .204 average.

I got to see a lot of him due to his time with the Mets, and me growing up in New York City (though I was a Yankee fan), and I always though Kingman was that cool “loner” dude who did things his own way.
Then I really became fascinated by him when he retired after the 1986 season, just after posting his THIRD straight 30+ home run year with the Oakland A’s.
As a kid I could not understand how no one wanted to have a 30+ homer guy back then on their team, even IF he struck out a lot.
I was mesmerized and still am somewhat that the guy’s final year in the Majors produced 35 home runs and 94 RBI’s, only to walk away after being signed as a Free Agent by the San Francisco Giants that never led to anything after some Minor League action.
The enigma that is “Kong”.

 

OPC IMAGE VARIATION: 1977 RICK MONDAY

On the blog today, we look at the image variation for Rick Monday and his 1977 OPC & Topps cards, after his trade from the Northside of Chicago to the sunny West Coast and the Los Angeles Dodgers:

OPC version

Topps version

While Topps was stuck going with Monday still suited up and designated as a Cub, the fine folks at OPC did their airbrushing best to get him in as a Dodger, leading to the gem you see here.

A solid player who also gained some attention for his flag-saving maneuver in the outfield one day when some clowns were trying to burn an American flag, Monday was in his prime when these cards would have been pulled from packs in that glorious Summer of 1977.
After putting in some good seasons with the A’s between 1966 and 1971, Monday was traded for pitcher Ken Holtzman over the Winter of 1971/72, and he didn’t disappoint the Cubs’ faithful, averaging about 20 homers a season with about 60 runs batted in.
He had his best season in Chicago in 1976 when he slammed a career-high 32 homers with 77 RBIs, which got him traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers which netted the Cubs future batting champ Bill Buckner and infielder Ivan DeJesus.
He’d go on to play the last eight seasons of his career in L.A., retiring after the 1984 campaign with a career .264 average, with 1619 hits and 241 homers, along with 775 RBIs and 950 runs scored, while being a part of the World Champion 1981 Dodger team.
One of the better overall #1 picks from the draft for sure!

 

A SET THAT NEVER WAS: 1971 ALL-STAR TICKET SET: GLENN BECKERT

The next card from my custom "card set that never was", a dedicated 1971 All-Star game commemorative set, if that of the National League's starting second baseman Glenn Beckert of the Chicago Cubs:

Though only in the Big Leagues for eleven seasons, Beckert had a very nice career, getting four All-Star nods, a Gold Glove, and giving the Cubs a solid second baseman alongside guys like Ron Santo, Billy Williams and Ernie Banks.

The 1971 season was perhaps the best in Beckert's career, as he would go on to hit a career-high .342 while collecting 181 hits, with 80 runs scored and 42 runs batted in.

Between 1966 and 1971 he never hit below .280, and in 1968 he led the National league with 98 runs scored during the "year of the pitcher."

By the time he retired after the 1975 season, he finished with a very nice .283 batting average, with 1473 hits over 5208 at-bats and 1320 games.

THE WHOLE NINE: SERIES 2- 1960 BILLY WILLIAMS

Up on the blog today, from my recent custom "Whole Nine: Series 2" set released a few months back, my 1960 "not really missing" card for the great and underappreciated Billy Williams, "Sweet Swingin' Billy from Whistler":

This would have been a GREAT rookie card in the 1960 set to go along with the Carl Yastrzemski edition!

Williams was truly a magnificent player that gets lost in the crowded Hall of Fame N.L. outfield of the era filled with guys like Aaron, Mays and Clemente.

However he was a player ANY team would kill for, putting in All-Star caliber season after season through the 1960s and beyond.

He wrapped up a Hall of Fame career in 1976 with the Oakland A’s, his second season with the team after 16 years with the Chicago Cubs.
By the time he retired, he finished with 2711 hits, 1410 runs scored, 426 home runs, 1475 runs batted in and a .290 batting average over 2488 games.
He was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1961, two-time runner-up to the MVP Award (thanks to Johnny Bench each time) in 1970 and 1972 and a six-time All-Star.
What a career he put together, yet always in the shadows of giants like teammate Ernie Banks, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente.
Nevertheless, though it took him six years of eligibility to make it, he was elected for a rightful place in Cooperstown in 1987 when he received 85.7% of the vote.
Just a great player all around.

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION: 1968 DICK RADATZ

Fun card to create and post today on the blog, a "not so missing" 1968 card for former relief pitcher Dick Radatz, aka "The Monster":

Radatz's Big League career was winding down at this point, and Topps didn't include him in their 1968 set despite appearing in 23 games for the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs during the 1967 season, posting a record of 1-0 with a 6.49 ERA over 26.1 innings of work.

He'd spend all of 1968 in the Minors before coming back for one last hurrah in 1969, which saw him appear in 33 games for the Detroit Tigers and Montreal Expos, finishing up with a record of 2-6 with a 4.89 ERA in 53.1 innings, with three saves.

His was a career that began in all-star fashion with the Boston Red Sox in 1962, when he posted a 9-6 record with a league-leading 24 saves over 62 games, with an amazing 144 strikeouts in 124.2 innings pitched.
Over the next two seasons he was even better, winning 15 and 16 games in 1963 and 1964 respectively, along with an astounding 162 and 181 strikeouts, all out of the bullpen!
His 1964 season was one for the ages as far as relief pitchers go: 16-9 with a 2.29 earned run average, with 29 saves and 181 strikeouts in 157 innings pitched and 79 appearances.
Sadly for him his decline came rapidly, dropping to a record of 9-11 with an ERA of 3.91 the following year, then to 0-5 in 1966, which saw him traded to the Cleveland Indians in June.
After a 1967 season that saw him appear in 23 games with the Indians and Chicago Cubs, he spent 1968 in the Detroit Tigers Minor League system, actually splitting time as a starter and reliever, but there was never a call back up to the Majors.
That would come in 1969, with the aforementioned 33 appearances between Detroit and Montreal, which would end up being the last of his career.
By the time he retired, Radatz had a record of 52 and 43 with an ERA of 3.13 over 381 appearances, all out of the bullpen, with 120 saves and 745 strikeouts in 693.2 innings pitched.
But oh those first three seasons!

WTHBALLS "BASEBALL ICONS" SPECIAL SET: ERNIE BANKS

Time to post up my "Icons" special custom card for "Mr. Cub", Ernie Banks, which will be part of a special custom set later this year in fun deluxe packaging:

The man always looks good no matter what photo you decide to use for a card!

The most beloved baseball player in the North Side of Chicago, two-time Most Valuable Player (1958 and 1959), 500+ home runs, 2500+ hits, 11-time all-star and all-around great guy.

Oh, I may as well throw in the 1300+ runs scored, 1600+ runs batted in, 400+ doubles and 90 triples he chipped in as well, setting him on a straight path to the Baseball Hall of Fame with his 1977 induction, a no-brainer in anyone's book!

"Mr. Cub", wish there were more like him!

And keep an eye out for this set later this year!

"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: BILLY WILLIAMS

Today on the blog we add "Sweet Swingin' Billy from Whistler", Hall of Famer Billy Williams, to my future multi-series custom set "Classic Baseball":

Just a beautiful photo of the overlooked and underappreciated All-Star outfielder for the Chicago Cubs.

Williams was truly a magnificent player that gets lost in the crowded Hall of Fame N.L. outfield of the era filled with guys like Aaron, Mays and Clemente.

However he was a player ANY team would kill for, putting in All-Star calibre season after season through the 1960s and beyond.

He wrapped up a Hall of Fame career in 1976 with the Oakland A’s, his second season with the team after 16 years with the Chicago Cubs.
By the time he retired, he finished with 2711 hits, 1410 runs scored, 426 home runs, 1475 runs batted in and a .290 batting average over 2488 games.
He was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1961, two-time runner-up to the MVP Award (thanks to Johnny Bench each time) in 1970 and 1972 and a six-time All-Star.
What a career he put together, yet always in the shadows of giants like teammate Ernie Banks, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente.
Nevertheless, though it took him six years of eligibility to make it, he was elected for a rightful place in Cooperstown in 1987 when he received 85.7% of the vote.
Just a great player all around.

 

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1890 "BASEBALL CHAMPIONS" CAP ANSON

Good day all.

On the blog today, spotlighting one of my earlier custom sets, and a key card from that set, my "19th Century Base Ball Stars" card of Hall of Famer Cap Anson:

A really fun set to produce that took a ton of work!

Of course I based the design after one of my favorite sets of all-time, the 1894 Mayo Plug set, of which I have never owned a card from, so in a sense I created my own to have and cherish!

Anson put together an outstanding 27-year career between 1871 and 1897, going from the National Association to the Majors and, alongside Al Spalding and George Wright becoming one of the most important figures in the game's early league formation.
The first player to reach 3000 hits, Anson collected 3435 total professional knocks along with 2075 runs batted in, 1999 runs scored and 582 doubles before he hung up the spikes, all league records at the time.
During his storied career he led the league in RBI’s eight times, batting average four times, and topped .300 an incredible 24 times, 20 of which were consecutive from the start of his career!
His influence was huge, and not until guys like Cobb and Wagner came into the picture would there be another player like him, and was evident by his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.

Sadly he is also remembered for some really nasty stuff as well, namely being one of the main influences back then of keeping African-Americans out of the Majors, something which is just awful, and a giant stain on his place in the sport's history.

If only guys like him didn't get their way, baseball's history could have been so much richer for it!

"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: "MR. CUB" ERNIE BANKS

Up on the blog today we add the great Ernie banks to my custom "Classic Baseball" set, which is due for production later this year in multiple series:

This will be a really fun set to issue, celebrating the sport I have loved so much for the past 50 years or so.

What needs to be said about the man?

The most beloved baseball player in the North Side of Chicago, two-time Most Valuable Player (1958 and 1959), 500+ home runs, 2500+ hits, 11-time all-star and all-around great guy.

Oh, I may as well throw in the 1300+ runs scored, 1600+ runs batted in, 400+ doubles and 90 triples he chipped in as well, setting him on a straight path to the Baseball Hall of Fame with his 1977 induction, a no-brainer in anyone's book!

"Mr. Cub", wish there were more like him!

"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: BILL MADLOCK

Today on the blog we add four-time batting champ Bill Madlock to my custom "Classic Baseball" set, which will be a fun higher-end custom release later this year spread out over a few series:

Just a nice portrait shot of the man during his time with the Chicago Cubs, for whom he took home two of his batting titles.

"Mad Dog" was coming off of TWO straight National League batting titles in 1977 when he was traded to the San Francisco Giants in a multi-player deal, with Chicago landing Bobby Murcer among others.
Madlock didn’t disappoint, as he’d put in two solid seasons of .300+ averages with some pop before he was shipped off to Pittsburgh in the middle of the 1979 season.
He would go on to put together a very nice 15-year career between 1973 and 1987, but apparently not quite Hall material, finishing with a .305 average with 2008 hits, 920 runs scored and 860 runs batted in with 163 homers and 174 stolen bases.
Just one of those historical quirks that has him as a four-time batting champ, but not really one of the all-time greats.

As a matter of fact, I believe he is still the only eligible four-time (or more) batting champ NOT in the Hall of Fame.