"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: HARMON KILLEBREW

On the blog today, we add one of my favorites, "Killer" Harmon Killebrew to my custom WTHBALLS "Classic Baseball" set, celebrating the great game I have loved all my life:

I remember the first time I saw Harmon Killebrew's statistics when my cousin gave me a 1973 card of him when I was about 11 years old in 1980.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing. All the home runs, all the R.B.I.'s from a player I never knew about. To count out EIGHT 40+ home run seasons blew me away.
This was right before I got my first Macmillan Encyclopedia, so baseball cards really were the only place back then to see stats of players who were around before you were a fan. I just kept rereading those power stats again and again, amazed every time as if I was seeing them for the first time.
Throw in the fact that the 1973 card of Killebrew is pretty damn cool, I was hooked on "Killer" ever since.
Over the years I was able to meet him on more than one occasion and just listen to him tell some stories, not just about baseball but some golf thrown in for good measure. He was an amazing person who was friendly, patient and always seemed to have a smile on his face.
Playing for Washington, Minnesota and a final season in Kansas City between 1954 and 1975, Killebrew mashed 573 home runs to go along with 1584 R.B.I.'s, winning an M.V.P. award along the way in 1969 while finishing in the top five in voting five other seasons.
In 1984 he was inducted in the Hall of Fame, capping off a stellar career that sometimes gets lost among the Mantles, Mays, Clementes and Aarons that were garnering all the attention in the same era.

 

1960S ALL-DECADE TEAM: A.L. FIRST BASEMAN HARMON KILLEBREW

Up on the blog today, my pick for the American League first baseman of the 1960s, Minnesota Twins legend Harmon Killebrew, powerhouse slugger who would homer his way to the Hall of Fame:

First off, I will state right now that I do realize that he didn't play solely first base throughout the decade of the 1960's.

Killebrew also had periods where he played in the outfield and third base regularly. But I felt that of the guys who DID play solely first base in 1960's, Killebrew STILL had a better run during his stint at first base.

What a monster he was during the '60's!

In the 10-years from 1960 and 1969, he posted eight seasons of 30+ home runs, with SIX of those years over 40!

He capped off the decade with an M.V.P. in 1969, with another four seasons where he finished in the top-5 in voting.

All told, he was an all-star eight out of ten years in the 1960's, and led the American League in homers five times, runs batted in twice, and walks three times.

Playing for Washington, Minnesota and a final season in Kansas City between 1954 and 1975, Killebrew mashed 573 home runs to go along with 1584 R.B.I.'s, winning an M.V.P. award along the way in 1969 while finishing in the top five in voting five other seasons.
In 1984 he was inducted in the Hall of Fame, capping off a stellar career that sometimes gets lost among the Mantles, Mays, Clementes and Aarons that were garnering all the attention in the same era.

 

1960's IN-ACTION SPECIAL: 1968 HARMON KILLEBREW

The next "1960s In-Action" card from my recent custom set to get the spotlight here on the blog is my 1968 edition for all-time slugger Harmon Killebrew:

Just a fun in-game action shot of the Hall of Famer doing what he did best, launching baseball over outfield fences, to the tune of 573 such "jacks" before he was done.
I remember the first time I saw Harmon Killebrew's statistics when my cousin gave me a 1973 card of him when I was about 11 years old in 1980.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing. All the home runs, all the R.B.I.'s from a player I never knew about. To count out EIGHT 40+ home run seasons blew me away.
This was right before I got my first Macmillan Encyclopedia, so baseball cards really were the only place back then to see stats of players who were around before you were a fan. I just kept rereading those power stats again and again, amazed every time as if I was seeing them for the first time.
Throw in the fact that the 1973 card of Killebrew is pretty damn cool, I was hooked on "Killer" ever since.
Over the years I was able to meet him on more than one occasion and just listen to him tell some stories, not just about baseball but some golf thrown in for good measure. He was an amazing person who was friendly, patient and always seemed to have a smile on his face.
Playing for Washington, Minnesota and a final season in Kansas City between 1954 and 1975, Killebrew mashed 573 home runs to go along with 1584 R.B.I.'s, winning an M.V.P. award along the way in 1969 while finishing in the top five in voting five other seasons.
In 1984 he was inducted in the Hall of Fame, capping off a stellar career that sometimes gets lost among the Mantles, Mays, Clementes and Aarons that were garnering all the attention in the same era.

REVISITING A BLOG POST FROM JULY, 2013: 1976 HARMON KILLEBREW CAREER-CAPPER

Up on the blog today, thought it'd be fun to revisit a blog post from over 10 years ago, this time my 1976 Harmon Killebrew "career-capper", as "Killer" would close-out a powerful Hall of Fame tenure with some time as a Kansas City Royal:

Here's the original write-up from that post:

"I remember the first time I saw Harmon Killebrew's statistics when my cousin gave me a 1973 card of him when I was about 11 years old in 1980.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing. All the home runs, all the R.B.I.'s from a player I never knew about. To count out EIGHT 40+ home run seasons blew me away.
This was right before I got my first Macmillan Encyclopedia, so baseball cards really were the only place back then to see stats of players who were around before you were a fan. I just kept rereading those power stats again and again, amazed every time as if I was seeing them for the first time.
Throw in the fact that the 1973 card of Killebrew is pretty damn cool, I was hooked on "Killer" ever since.
Over the years I was able to meet him on more than one occasion and just listen to him tell some stories, not just about baseball but some golf thrown in for good measure. He was an amazing person who was friendly, patient and always seemed to have a smile on his face.
Playing for Washington, Minnesota and a final season in Kansas City between 1954 and 1975, Killebrew mashed 573 home runs to go along with 1584 R.B.I.'s, winning an M.V.P. award along the way in 1969 while finishing in the top five in voting five other seasons.
In 1984 he was inducted in the Hall of Fame, capping off a stellar career that sometimes gets lost among the Mantles, Mays, Clementes and Aarons that were garnering all the attention in the same era.
But nevertheless, here is my design for what should have been a final card for the Hall of Famer, a 1976 edition showing him on his last team, the Royals, in one of my all time favorite baseball card sets."

SPECIAL 1969 "TEAM" CEREAL EXTENSION SET: HARMON KILLEBREW

Today on the blog, we add one of my favorite players, Harmon Killebrew, to my 1969 Nabisco "Team Flakes" cereal box extension set, a custom set I plan on releasing in the coming months, adding eight more superstars who were "missing" when Nabisco released their original set way back when:

 

Killebrew was about to put in an MVP 1969 season when this card would have seen the light of day, matching his career-best with 49 home runs while setting a new best with his 140 runs batted in, 145 walks and .427 on-base-pct, all numbers that led the American League.

After a second-place finish for the MVP in 1967, a third-place finish in 1962, and two fourth-place finishes in 1963 and 1966, he finally brought home the hardware, finishing ahead of the Orioles Boog Powell, 294 points to 227.

The man was amazing!

He was an absolute BEAST at the plate, crushing 573 lifetime homers, MOST of them during the pitching-era of the 1960's into the '70's.
Eight 40+ home run seasons, nine 100+ runs batted in seasons, seven 100+ base-on-balls seasons, an M.V.P. in 1969 (with five top-5 finishes in M.V.P. voting as well), and a Hall of Fame induction in 1984.

A favorite player of mine "before my time" since I first discovered him when I flipped over his 1973 card, not believing the numbers I was seeing as a 10-year-old in 1979 at my cousin's house.

1976 "STARS RETIRE": BOB GIBSON & HARMON KILLEBREW

Today on the blog, we have a 1976 "Stars Retire" card celebrating two superstars of the game who called it a career after the 1975 season: Bob Gibson and Harmon Killebrew:

Two baseball heavyweights who made their marks over their careers, taking home awards and eventually both being selected for Hall of Fame glory.

For "Gibby", by the time this card would have come out you were looking at only the second pitcher in Major League history to collect 3000K’s in their career, joining Walter Johnson in the exclusive club.
The two-time Cy Young winner and 1968 MVP would top 250 wins with 251, finish with 3117 strikeouts along with a 2.91 earned run average and 56 shutouts over his 17-year career.
He’d also collect NINE Gold Gloves and be named to eight all-star teams, all while hurling for the Cardinals, leading them to two World Championships, 1964 and 1967.
His 1968 season is the stuff of legend, going 22-9 with 13 shutouts and a microscopic 1.12 E.R.A., completing 28 of 34 starts and striking out 268 batters.
How he lost nine games is incredible!
Of course, by the time he was eligible for selection for the Hall of Fame, he got in without a problem, claiming his rightful spot in Cooperstown in 1981.

For "Killer" Killebrew, he was an absolute BEAST at the plate, crushing 573 lifetime homers, MOST of them during the pitching-era of the 1960's into the '70's.

Eight 40+ home run seasons, nine 100+ runs batted in seasons, seven 100+ base-on-balls seasons, an M.V.P. in 1969 (with five top-5 finishes in M.V.P. voting as well), and a Hall of Fame induction in 1984.

A favorite player of mine "before my time" since I first discovered him when I flipped over his 1973 card, not believing the numbers I was seeing as a 10-year-old in 1979 at my cousin's house.

What a player!

Two super players closing the books on two super careers...

REVISITING AN OLD BLOG POST FROM AUGUST 4TH, 2014: THEN AND NOW #8: HARMON KILLEBREW 1975

Up on the blog today, how about we revisit one of my favorite "early" blog posts, this one from August of 2014 celebrating the great Harmon Killebrew with my 1975 "Then and Now" card:

 

I have been a super-fan of the man since the age of 10 in 1979, when I first saw this "stranger's" stats on the back of a 1973 card, and I couldn't believe my eyes!

Here's the original blog post write-up from way back:

"What does anyone need to be reminded of regarding Killebrew?

He was an absolute BEAST at the plate, crushing 573 lifetime homers, MOST of them during the pitching-era of the 1960's into the '70's.

Eight 40+ home run seasons, nine 100+ runs batted in seasons, seven 100+ base-on-balls seasons, an M.V.P. in 1969 (with five top-5 finishes in M.V.P. voting as well), and a Hall of Fame induction in 1984.

I remember as a ten-year old in 1979 scoring a 1973 Killebrew card from my cousin, and I was absolutely dumbfounded by the statistics on the back!

I never heard of this guy, yet I was looking at numbers that made my jaw drop.

I just couldn't understand why his name wasn't plastered everywhere. Ha!"

SPECIAL SPOTLIGHT: "LOST" 1963 FLEER SECOND SERIES: HARMON KILLEBREW

The next custom from my "Lost Second Series" 1963 Fleer set released last year is the great Harmon Killebrew, always a favorite of mine to create a card for:

 

"Killer" was smack in the middle of a historic home run barrage, one that saw him hit 40+ homers five of six seasons between 1959 and 1964, with four 100-RBI seasons as well.

He was an absolute BEAST at the plate, crushing 573 lifetime homers, MOST of them during the pitching-era of the 1960's into the '70's.
Eight 40+ home run seasons, nine 100+ runs batted in seasons, seven 100+ base-on-balls seasons, an M.V.P. in 1969 (with five top-5 finishes in M.V.P. voting as well), and a Hall of Fame induction in 1984.

As I stated earlier, he has always been a favorite player of mine since I first "discovered" him when I flipped over his 1973 card, not believing the numbers I was seeing as a 10-year-old in 1979 at my cousin's house.

It was mind-boggling, and the love-affair began right then!

What a player!

CUSTOM SPOTLIGHT- "MISSING" 1957 HARMON KILLEBREW

The next card from my "Whole Nine" custom set released last year to get the spotlight treatment is my 1957 "missing" Harmon Killebrew:

 

One of my favorite players, I'll use ANY excuse to create a card for "Killer" Killebrew, and this one was a pleasure to create!

Still in the infancy of his Major League career, the 20-year-old appeared in only 44 games for the Washington Senators in 1956, hitting five homers while driving in 13 over 99 at-bats while playing third base.

Of course this was but a small glimpse into what he'd accomplish over his amazing career!

He was an absolute BEAST at the plate, crushing 573 lifetime homers, MOST of them during the pitching-era of the 1960's into the '70's.
Eight 40+ home run seasons, nine 100+ runs batted in seasons, seven 100+ base-on-balls seasons, an M.V.P. in 1969 (with five top-5 finishes in M.V.P. voting as well), and a Hall of Fame induction in 1984.

A favorite player of mine "before my time" since I first discovered him when I flipped over his 1973 card, not believing the numbers I was seeing as a 10-year-old in 1979 at my cousin's house.

What a player!

1970 IN-GAME ACTION: HARMON KILLEBREW

On the blog today, we add the great Harmon Killebrew to my on-going 1970 "In-Game Action" set, which will be a printed two-series set in the near future:

 

Killebrew was coming off his MVP 1969 season when this card would have seen the light of day, matching his career-best with 49 home runs while setting a new best with his 140 runs batted in, 145 walks and .427 on-base-pct, all numbers that led the American League.

After a second-place finish for the MVP in 1967, a third-place finish in 1962, and two fourth-place finishes in 1963 and 1966, he finally brought home the hardware, finishing ahead of the Orioles Boog Powell, 294 points to 227.

The man was amazing!

He was an absolute BEAST at the plate, crushing 573 lifetime homers, MOST of them during the pitching-era of the 1960's into the '70's.
Eight 40+ home run seasons, nine 100+ runs batted in seasons, seven 100+ base-on-balls seasons, an M.V.P. in 1969 (with five top-5 finishes in M.V.P. voting as well), and a Hall of Fame induction in 1984.

A favorite player of mine "before my time" since I first discovered him when I flipped over his 1973 card, not believing the numbers I was seeing as a 10-year-old in 1979 at my cousin's house.

1972 SPECIAL REQUEST: HARMON KILLEBREW'S 500TH HOME RUN

Not too long ago my buddy Jason Schwartz asked me to create a "dedicated" 1972 Harmon Killebrew highlight card celebrating his 500th Major League home run, which he hit in 1971. 

Originally on the blog some years ago, I created a highlight card that combined both 500th homer milestones for Killebrew and Frank Robinson, who also reached the mark in 1971. Well here's the "dedicated version" to celebrate "Killer's" 500th:

 

The future Hall of Famers reached the milestone almost a month apart during the 1971 season, with Killebrew getting there first on August 10th, and Robinson joining him on September 13th.

The pair would eventually end up with 1159 home runs between them! Killebrew smashed 573 lifetime homers while Robinson topped him with 586.

As a kid getting into baseball history in the late-70's/early-80's I became obsessed with Killebrew, since I never knew about him (getting into baseball around 1976/1977), so seeing his career numbers blew me away.

573 lifetime home runs, six-time American League home run champ, 100+ runs batted in nine times, 11-time All-Star, and Hall of Fame induction in 1984.

Incredible!

EXPANDED YEARLY LEADER CARDS: 1973 A.L. HOME RUN LEADERS

Moving along on my new “Expanded League Leaders” thread, we now hit the American League’s top home run hitters for 1972, shown here on my redone 1973 card:

 

Turns out there was a bit of a twist for this one, as there was a tie for third place, so it was a “squeeze” to get them in there along with the top two thumpers.

Leading the pack of course was the A.L. MVP Dick Allen of the Chicago White Sox, who had himself some season, almost winning the Triple Crown, led by his 37 homers while also pacing the league with 113 RBIs, and falling 10 points off the batting title to Rod Carew’s .318 average.

Behind Allen in the Home Run race was none other than New York Yankees All-Star outfielder Bobby Murcer, who smacked 33 homers that season in the middle of a great run during the Yankees “dark years”, allowing people to forget just how good Murcer was for a period of time.
In third place, as I mentioned earlier, was a tie between Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew and (surprise) the Oakland A’s Mike Epstein, who each hit 26 homers in 1972.

Of all the Oakland A’s hitters, like Reggie Jackson, Sal Bando, Joe Rudi and Gene Tenace, who would have thought it was Epstein that would place third in the league’s home run race?

This is the main reason I love creating these expanded league leader cards, as we all remember the first place finishers, but some of these second and third place guys seem out of nowhere!

Too much fun!

This is going to be a great thread as we head through 1973, then on to 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978 and finally 1979!

MINOR LEAGUE DAYS- HARMON KILLEBREW

Adding to one of my favorite sub-set creations on the blog today we have the great Harmon Killebrew as a fresh-faced 20-year-old suited up for the Charlotte Hornets back in 1956 before he tore up Major League pitching over the next 20 years or so:

Killebrew put in 70 games for Charlotte in 1956, hitting 15 homers and hitting a cool .325 before he finished the year at the Big League level with the Washington Senators.

He would also spend some time in both 1957 and 1958 toiling in the Minors before sticking "for good" in the Majors in 1959, which would also be the first of his six home run titles and first of eight 40+ home run campaigns!

If you know anything about me from my blog, you know I have a soft spot in my heart for certain players: Vada Pinson, Frank Howard, Dave Parker and "Killer" Harmon Killebrew!

I will take any excuse to create cards for these players, and I truly love each and every creation in their honor.

What does anyone need to be reminded of regarding Killebrew?
He was an absolute BEAST at the plate, crushing 573 lifetime homers, MOST of them during the pitching-era of the 1960's into the '70's.
Eight 40+ home run seasons, nine 100+ runs batted in seasons, seven 100+ base-on-balls seasons, an M.V.P. in 1969 (with five top-5 finishes in M.V.P. voting as well), and a Hall of Fame induction in 1984.

The man was amazing!

 

1971 SPECIAL- OLIVA AND KILLEBREW: "TWIN TERRORS"

Came across this great image for former Minnesota Twins all-stars Tony Oliva and Harmon Killebrew circa 1970 and thought it’d make for a great 1971 special, so here goes:

What a great pair of players!
Olive, the three-time batting champion and 1964 American League Rookie of the Year, along with Killebrew, the eight-time American League home run champion and 1969 Most Valuable Player.
A case can also be made that Oliva should have been the 1965 A.L. Most Valuable Player over his teammate Zoilo Versalles (which I happen to agree with), but he had to settle for second place in the voting, which he’d also do in 1970 when he finished behind Baltimore’s Boog Powell for the honor.
Nevertheless, the two studs gave the Twins such a potent double-threat in their line-up for years, and must have been a joy to watch day-in and day-out!
Oliva burst onto the Major League scene in 1964 when he easily won the American League Rookie of the Year award.
In that year, all he did was lead the league in batting, hitting .323, while slamming 32 homers with 94 runs batted in. 
He also lead the league in runs scored with 109, hits with 217, doubles with 43 and total bases with 374!
Those numbers also got him a fourth place finish in M.V.P. voting as well.
The following year there was no sign of a sophomore jinx, as he once again lead the lead in batting, this time hitting .321, with 16 homers, 98 R.B.I.'s, 40 doubles and 107 runs scored.
He also lead the league in total hits again, this time with 185.
All told in his career, Oliva would win three batting titles (the third coming in 1971 when he hit .337), and would lead the league in hits five times, slugging once (1971), get named to eight straight all-star teams, and have two second-place finishes for M.V.P., in 1965 and 1970.
I wouldn't say his final numbers warrant a Hall of Fame spot for Oliva. But I'll admit that you can argue a good point for it with the career he left us with.
When you really take a look, he only had 11 full seasons in the Majors, with the half-season in 1976 and three pretty much non-existant years in 1962, 1963 and 1972. 
So his numbers carry a bit more weight in that light.
Killebrew?
What does anyone need to be reminded of regarding Killebrew?
He was an absolute BEAST at the plate, crushing 573 lifetime homers, MOST of them during the pitching-era of the 1960's into the '70's.
Eight 40+ home run seasons, nine 100+ runs batted in seasons, seven 100+ base-on-balls seasons, an M.V.P. in 1969 (with five top-5 finishes in M.V.P. voting as well), and a Hall of Fame induction in 1984.
Just awesome!

 

1975 SPECIAL- "MINNESOTA ROYALTY"

Came across this great photo of Rod Carew and Harmon Killebrew and just had to produce a 1975 special card, “Minnesota Royalty”:

What a pair of legends right here, the great Rod Carew who would win batting title after batting title during the 1970’s, and Harmon Killebrew, who would win home run title after home run title the previous decade, coming to a close on his Hall of Fame career.
For Carew, we’re talking seven batting titles and a .328 career batting average with over 3000 hits, while Killebrew chipped in 575 career home runs, leading to six home run titles and eight 40+ homer seasons.
Both would win an American League Most Valuable Player Award: Killebrew back in 1969 and Carew eight years later in 1977 when he flirted with .400, ending up at an incredible .388.
Man it must have been fun watching this team evolve in the late-60’s when you also throw in Jim Kaat and Tony Oliva among others!

1975 "IN ACTION"- HARMON KILLEBREW

Hey everyone! Hope you're all about to have a nice relaxing Labor Day to cap-off the Summer!
The next player showcased in my 1975 “In-Action” sub-set is a player who was winding down a Hall of Fame career in 1975, the great slugger Harmon Killebrew:

“Killer” had already hit 559 of his 573 home runs by the time this card would have come out, with six home run titles and an amazing eight 40-home run seasons.
He topped 100 runs batted in nine times during his 22-year career, with a high of 140 during his MVP season of 1969 as he led the Twins to an American League West title before losing the inaugural Championship Series to the Baltimore Orioles.
By the time he retired after a season with the Kansas City Royals in 1975, he finished with 573 homers, 1584 RBI’s, 2086 hits and eleven all-star nods.
It took a few years, but in 1984 he was finally voted into the Hall of Fame, getting named on 335 of 403 ballots, in my eyes an obvious choice for Cooperstown!

MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS- 1970 SUB-SET

Here’s the second installment in my new “Awards” sub-set, adding award winners from the “big three” (Cy Young, MVP & Rookie of the Year) to each set of the 1970’s, which is something I hoped Topps would do when I was a kid:

In the National League, Willie McCovey edged out Cy Young winner Tom Seaver with 265 points to Seaver’s 243, though both were tied with 11 1st place votes.
While Seaver took the New York Mets to an improbable World Championship, McCovey helped the Giants to a second place finish in the West behind the Atlanta Braves in the first year if divisional play.
In that MVP season he led the National League with 45 home runs and 126 runs batted in, while also having the highest on-base and slugging percentages.
As a nod to his offensive prowess National League pitchers also intentionally walked him 45 times, giving him a total of 121 walks against only 66 strikeouts.
In the American League, Harmon Killebrew took home the top prize with yet another “typical” Killebrew season that saw him slam 49 homers, tying his career-high, along with setting other career-highs in runs batted in (140), walks (145) and runs scored (106).
He led the Minnesota Twins to a Division title, though they’d lose to the Baltimore Orioles in the playoffs.
Nevertheless, after finishes of second, third and two fourths in MVP voting in the past six seasons, Killebrew finally took home the Award over the eventual 1970 winner, Boog Powell, who came in second.

NICKNAMES OF THE '70'S #15: "KILLER" HARMON KILLEBREW

Here's a "Nickname" card for one of my all-time favorite players, Twins slugger Harmon Killebrew.

Check it out:

I chose a 1970 format since he was coming off of his M.V.P. season of 1969, and had another monster year in 1970, slamming 40+ home runs for the eighth and final time in his illustrious 22-year career!

I don't know why, but I was always in awe of this guy even though he retired right before I became a baseball "junkie", so I never got to see him in action.

What needs to be said here about the man who truly was a "Killer" at the plate?

573 lifetime home runs, six-time American League home run champ, 100+ runs batted in nine times, 11-time All-Star, and Hall of Fame induction in 1984.

As far as I remember it, he's still the only player to slam 40+ homers in a season in three different decades (50's, 60's and 70's).

Oddly enough, Reggie Jackson slammed 40+ in 1969 and 1980, but never did it in the '70's…Go figure…

THEN AND NOW #8: HARMON KILLEBREW 1975

Here's a card I've been anxious to get designing: a 1975 "Then and Now" card for one of my all-time favorite players, Hall of Famer Harmon "Killer" Killebrew!

Check it out:

 

 

I followed my design from the Bob Gibson "Then and Now" card from the same set.

What does anyone need to be reminded of regarding Killebrew?

He was an absolute BEAST at the plate, crushing 573 lifetime homers, MOST of them during the pitching-era of the 1960's into the '70's.

Eight 40+ home run seasons, nine 100+ runs batted in seasons, seven 100+ base-on-balls seasons, an M.V.P. in 1969 (with five top-5 finishes in M.V.P. voting as well), and a Hall of Fame induction in 1984.

I remember as a ten-year old in 1979 scoring a 1973 Killebrew card from my cousin, and I was absolutely dumbfounded by the statistics on the back!

I never heard of this guy, yet I was looking at numbers that made my jaw drop.

I just couldn't understand why his name wasn't plastered everywhere. Ha!

Youth….

"HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 1970'S" #10: 500 HOME RUNS FOR KILLEBREW AND ROBINSON IN 1971

Here's another "highlight" card that would have been nice to have seen in a Topps set, this time in the fabulous 1972 offering: a card celebrating the 500th home runs of both Harmon Killebrew and Frank Robinson.

Take a look:

The future Hall of Famers reached the milestone almost a month apart during the 1971 season, with Killebrew getting there first on August 10th, and Robinson joining him on September 13th.

The pair would eventually end up with 1159 home runs between them! Killebrew smashed 573 lifetime homers while Robinson topped him with 586.

The superstars were definitely at the tail ends of their careers at this point, but still had a couple good years ahead of them, while Robinson would also go on to make additional history as the first African-American Major League manager in history when he was named skipper of the Cleveland Indians in 1975.

I was lucky to find this nice picture of them from the 1971 all-star game I believe, making it the perfect shot for this card.

I added a tonal quality to it to "blend" with the border design a bit, but I think it made for a nice creation.

Hope you all agree.