Monday, July 21, 2025
OPC VARIATIONS (OF A SORT): 1977 DOUG HOWARD
On the blog today, an OPC "variation" of a different sort, a
spotlight on Doug Howard's 1977 OPC card, even though he never got a
Topps card that year:
Actually he never got a
Topps card at all for his brief career, something I remedied a FEW times
on the blog over the years, including my own 1977 Indians Topps
version, seen here originally posted 10 years ago:
Funny enough he never ended up playing a game for the Blue Jays on the Major
League level, so I went and designed a card with him shown as a
Cleveland Indian, for whom he suited up in 1976.
He appeared in 39 games for the Tribe, and batted .211 with 19 hits in 99 official at-bats.
It was the most time he saw in any of his five seasons in the big league, and his only season as an Indian.
Turns out it was the last Major League action he'd see in his five-year career.
He came up with the California Angels in 1972 and played for them
three years before moving on to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1975, but he
never did appear in a Topps set, even with his 97 career games and 233
at-bats.
Would have been a nice hole filled in as far as the more obscure
players from the decade, especially when you think of some guys that DID
get a card in the 1977 set who saw far less action in '76 like Jim
Holt, Larry Cox or Jack Kucek.
Labels:
1977,
Blue Jays,
Doug Howard,
Indians,
OPC Variations
Saturday, July 19, 2025
WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: STAN MUSIAL
Today
on the blog we have my 1960 "Stars of the Game" card for "The Man",
Stan Musial, from my 2018 custom set packaged in gelatin WTHBALLS box
with gelatin packet:
His MLB numbers are just absurd: seven batting
titles, two R.B.I. titles, five triples titles and eight doubles titles,
with career numbers of 475 home runs, 1951 runs batted in and a .331
career average.
Throw in his 725 doubles, 177
triples and 3630 hits along with 1949 runs scored and the numbers are
staggering.
And don't forget that Musial also lost a year to military duty,
easily putting him over 500 homers, close to 3900 hits and around 2100
runs batted in if he played in 1945.
Along with the great Frank Robinson I always felt Stan Musial was often overlooked in the decades since his playing days ended.
When talk of "Greatest Living Player" came up it was always
Williams, DiMaggio, Mays or even Aaron that would come up. But Stan
Musial would always kind of be that after-thought.
Criminal. Three Most Valuable Player Awards, FOUR second-place finishes, including
three in a row between 1949-1951, and twenty consecutive all-star
appearances, Musial definitely is a member of that rarified stratosphere
of baseball royalty along with the likes of Ruth, Cobb, Mays and
Wagner, among others.
Labels:
1960,
1960 Custom Set,
Cardinals,
Custom Cards,
Stan Musial
Thursday, July 17, 2025
1960S IN-ACTION: 1966 JOE MORGAN
On the blog today, spotlighting my 1966 "In-Action" card for Joe Morgan, from my recent set released a few months ago:
For Mr. Morgan, the man was just
beginning a run that would send him straight to the Hall of Fame, while
helping eventually build a juggernaut of a team forever known as the "Big Red
Machine" when he was dealt to to Cincinnati before the 1972 season.
Those Reds teams would win two straight World Series in 1975 and
1976, and field teams with the likes of Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, George
Foster and Ken Griffey Sr.
By the time he retired after the 1984 season at the age of 40, he
finished with two MVP Awards, 10 All-Star nods, five Gold Gloves, 2517
hits, 1650 runs scored, 268 homers and a cool 689 stolen bases with 1865
walks.One of the all-timers right there at second base!
Labels:
1960s In-Action,
1966,
Astros,
Custom Cards,
Joe Morgan
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
REVISITING A 10-YEAR-OLD POST: 1976 CAPPER FOR SAM McDOWELL
On the blog today we revisit another 10-year-old post, this my 1976
"Career-Capper" for "Sudden Sam" McDowell, who finished up a nice Major
League Career in 1975 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates:
McDowell really should have had a card in the 1975 set, that is a
no-brainer. But a 1976 edition would be more of a "Career Capper",
closing out a brilliant, if not tumultuous, 15-year career that saw him
lead the American League in strikeouts five times,
while also pacing the league in walks issued in equal amounts.
He'd finish with 141 career wins along with a 3.17 earned run average and 2453 strikeouts, with two 300+ seasons under his belt.
In 1970 he posted his only 20-win season, and in 1965 he led the
A.L. with a 2.18 ERA, but it was those strikeouts, as in 325 in 1965,
304 in 1970, 283 in 1968 and 279 in 1969 that made him stand out of the
pitching crowd.
A six-time all-star, his career was sadly derailed when he hit 30
years of age, pitching for the Giants, Yankees and Pirates, never
topping more than six wins in any season.
Who knows "what could have been" had he been able to stay healthy...
Who knows "what could have been" had he been able to stay healthy...
Labels:
1976,
Career Capper,
Pirates,
Revisit,
Sam McDowell
Sunday, July 13, 2025
WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: ROGER MARIS
On the blog today, we spotlight my "1960 Stars of the Game" custom card of Roger Maris, from my custom set released in 2018:
Of course his Yankee tenure resulted in that historic
1961 season that saw him hit "61 in '61", setting a new Major League
record with 61 home runs, leading to what was his second straight MVP
Award after a wonderful 1960 season that saw him 39 homers and a
league-leading 112 RBIs.
He spent the last two years of his career with the Cardinals after his historic tenure with the New York Yankees.
Talk
about "right place at the right time", Maris came to the Cardinals just
as they put together a World Championship in 1967, and a return to the
World Series in 1968, though that resulted in a loss to the Detroit
Tigers.
By the time he hung them up in 1968,
he hit 275 homers with 850 RBIs and 826 runs scored, hitting .260 over
1463 games between 1957 and 1968.It's easy to forget that he retired very young, at only 33 years of age.
Would have been cool if he got to play into the mid-70's, just as I was getting into baseball...
Labels:
1960,
1960 Custom Set,
Custom Cards,
Roger Maris,
Yankees
Friday, July 11, 2025
"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: NOLAN RYAN
Time to
finally add the "Ryan Express", Nolan Ryan to my long-running
WTHBALLS "Classic Baseball" set, celebrating the great game and it's
rich history:
What really needs to be said about a guy who has become more myth than baseball legend?
300+ wins, 5700+
strikeouts, 60+ shutouts, and oh yeah SEVEN no-hitters, two of which
came when he was well into his 40’s while with the Texas Rangers!
I love thinking
about the fact that he did most of his damage in the American League with the
designated hitter. Now imagine how many strikeouts he could have had in
his prime pitching in the National League where
the pitcher batted?!
Would it be safe to say you could add 20-30 strikeouts a season to his total? More?
Hey, you never know…
Nevertheless, the
man became a baseball God, eventually finding his place in the Hall of
Fame upon his first year of eligibility as an absolute no-brainer.
I just thank the skies above that I got to see him pitch in-person!
Labels:
Angels,
Classic Baseball,
Custom Cards,
Nolan Ryan
Thursday, July 10, 2025
NEWEST WTHBALLS SET AVAILABLE: "1980 CAREER-CAPPERS"
Good day everyone! Hope all of you are well, and here's to a happy and healthy Summer! Happy to announce that the newest WTHBALLS set, "1980s Career-Cappers", is now available for purchase:
My
first custom set dedicated to the 1980s, I've had this one in the works
for some time, and I'm really happy with how they came out.
Packaged
in clear plastic case with full-color wrap, this set contains 21
cards, including bonus 1981 capper for Japanese all-time great Sadaharu
Oh.
Among the Major League stars in the set: Reggie Jackson,
Johnny Bench, Carl Yastrzemski and Willie Stargell. See images attached
for cards and packaging.
Sets are $15 each plus a one-time $4.50 shipping charge, no matter how many sets you purchase.
Usual Paypal address: slogun23@gmail.com
Again, thank you all so much for the interest and support!
Take Care
Gio/wthballs
Labels:
Custom Cards
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
A SET THAT NEVER WAS: 1971 ALL-STAR TICKET SET: VIDA BLUE
Today
on the blog we move on to the starting pitcher for the American League
in that historic 1971 All-Star game in my custom 1971 "Ticket" set,
all-world lefty Vida Blue:
Of
course, we all know that Vida Blue absolutely exploded onto the Major
League scene in 1971, on his way to capturing both the Cy Young and MVP
Awards by season's end.
All
he did in this epic season was post a record of 24-8, with a
league-leading 1.82 earned run average, striking out 301 batters and
tossing eight shutouts.
Oh yeah, he was only 21 years of age!
His
WHIP of 0.952 and strikeouts-per-nine-innings of 8.7 also led the
league, and he completed 24 of his 39 starts, putting in 312 innings of
work for the upstart Oakland A's, who were about to go on the three-peat
championship run between 1972 and 1974.
Blue would go on to post 209 career victories in the Majors, having some
successful seasons with the San Francisco Giants, even starting the
1978 All-Star game for the National League, while finishing up his
17-year career in 1986.
It’s amazing for me to remember that when Blue started that NL All-Star game in 1978, he wasn’t even 30 years old, yet to me he already seemed to be an aging veteran by then.
It’s amazing for me to remember that when Blue started that NL All-Star game in 1978, he wasn’t even 30 years old, yet to me he already seemed to be an aging veteran by then.
Labels:
1971,
1971 All-Star Tix,
A's,
Custom Cards,
Vida Blue
Monday, July 7, 2025
CAREER CAPPERS: 1987 CESAR CEDENO
Good day all!
On
the blog today, from my upcoming custom "1980s Career-Cappers" set, a
1987 capper for Cesar Cedeno, who finished up a wonderful Major League
career in 1986 with the Los Angeles Dodgers:
In
that last season in the Big Leagues, Cedeno appeared in 37 games for
L.A., hitting .231 over 78 at-bats, with 18 hits, five runs scored and
six RBIs.
Cedeno had the speed, the power, and the talent to put together a
five-year stretch where he brought home 5 straight Gold Gloves, get
named to four all-star teams while topping the 20/50 mark three years in
a row between 1972 and 1976.
In 1974 he had a monster season that saw him hit a career-high 26 homers AND steal a career-high 57 stolen bases along with, you guessed it, a career-high 102 runs batted in.
I would love to know the numbers he could have put up had he not played in the cavernous Astrodome for the first 12 years of his career!
In 1974 he had a monster season that saw him hit a career-high 26 homers AND steal a career-high 57 stolen bases along with, you guessed it, a career-high 102 runs batted in.
I would love to know the numbers he could have put up had he not played in the cavernous Astrodome for the first 12 years of his career!
By the time he was done after the 1986 season, he retired with 199
homers and 550 stolen bases, along with a very nice .285 batting average
and 2087 hits.
An excellent player who was easily overshadowed by contemporaries of the era.
An excellent player who was easily overshadowed by contemporaries of the era.
Labels:
1987,
Career Capper,
Cesar Cedeno,
Dodgers
Saturday, July 5, 2025
REVISITING A 10-YEAR-OLD POST: MISSING 1976 GATES BROWN
Hello all.
Today on the blog we revisit a post from 10
years ago here on the blog, my "missing" 1976 card for Detroit Tigers
star Gates Brown, who finished up a very nice Major League career in
1975:
Brown closed out a wonderful 13-year career in 1975, all for the Tigers, playing in 47 games.
He hit .171 with six hits in 35 at-bats in his final season, but
don't let that fool you, he was THE man off the bench for the Tigers,
and one of the top pinch-hitters in baseball history.
Between 1963 and 1975 he collected 582 hits, with 107 of them as a pinch-hitter, and of those 107 pinch-hits 16 were home runs.
It's interesting to note that during the "year of the pitcher" in
1968, when Carl Yastrzemski led the American League with a .301 average,
and Danny Cater finished second with a .290 average, Brown, in the role
of pinch-hitter, finished with an amazing
.370 average in just under 100 at-bats.
Certainly not a full season by any means, but he was raking it nevertheless as part of the eventual World Champion team.
If none of you have read up on the man, I suggest you at least
Google him to read some of the anecdotes attributed to him, as well as
his interesting life story and how he eventually made it to the Major
Leagues.
Definitely one of those great baseball characters that live on forever in my eyes.
Labels:
1976,
Gates Brown,
Missing in Action,
Revisit,
Tigers
Wednesday, July 2, 2025
1960s "IN-ACTION": 1965 WILLIE STARGELL
Up on the
blog today, we have my 1965 "In-Action" card for Pittsburgh Pirates
legend Willie Stargell, from my recent "Series 3" set released a few
months ago:
Over 21 seasons, Stargell would lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to two
world championships, take home an MVP Award in 1979 (shared with the
Cardinals Keith Hernandez), and get named to seven All-Star teams.
One of baseball's beloved players, especially among his fan-base, he left such a lasting legacy that resonates to this day.He would also have a great three-year run between
1971 and 1973 that saw him finish second, third and second respectively
in MVP voting, winning two home run titles, an RBI title and even lead
the league with 43 doubles (1973).
Luckily, I got to see him towards the end of his career in the late-70's/early-80s before he retired after the 1982 season.
His
final numbers? Hall of Fame worthy as he'd finish with 475 home runs,
1540 RBIs, a surprisingly high .282 batting average and 2232 hits over
2360 games and 7927 at-bats.
Think about those numbers in UNDER 8000 at-bats!
Of course when eligible for the Hall of Fame, he was in, with 82.4% of the vote in 1988.
So sad that he would pass away at only 61 years of age in 2001.
Labels:
1960s In-Action,
1965,
Custom Cards,
Pirates,
Willie Stargell
Monday, June 30, 2025
A SET THAT NEVER WAS: 1971 ALL-STAR TICKET SET: CARL YASTRZEMSKI
Today on
the blog we come to the third starting outfielder in my 1971 "All-Star
Ticket" set, celebrating perhaps the greatest Midsummer Classic of the
all, Boston Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski:
The
man was at his height of his game at the time this photo was taken,
already a three-time batting champion, Triple Crown winner in
1967, and five-time Gold Glove winner.
As someone who grew up in New York City during the second half of his
career, it's really easy to forget that Yastrzemski was a Long Island,
New York boy before he went on to become a New England legend.
And how could he NOT become a legend, what with 23 years of Major
League ball, all with the Red Sox, turning in three batting titles, a
Triple Crown in 1967 along with an MVP Award, seven Gold Gloves, 18
all-star nods, and 25 league-leads in primary offensive
categories.
By the time he did the retirement tour in 1983, he scored 1816
runs, collected 3419 hits, 646 doubles, 452 homers, 1844 runs batted in
along with a .285 batting average.
He was just plain awesome…
Labels:
1971,
1971 All-Star Tix,
Carl Yastrzemski,
Custom Cards,
Red Sox
Saturday, June 28, 2025
1963 FLEER EXTENSION SET: DUKE SNIDER
On the
blog this fine day, we add Hall of Fame outfielder Duke Snider to my
1963 "Fleer Extension" set, adding to the custom set I produced a couple
years back, with ideas of adding a second WTHBALLS series in the near
future:
Came across this nice shot of the Duke at the end of his Dodger run, perfect for the set, so I figured "why not"?
Snider really was incredibly underrated over his career, which
sadly (for him) coincided with the careers of men like Mickey Mantle,
Willie Mays and Hank Aaron.
Nevertheless, all
he would do in the Majors was hit, finishing his career in 1964, capping off a great 18-year Major League
career that
saw him make eight All-Star teams while posting six seasons where he
finished in the top-10 for N.L. MVP.
Snider
was an absolute beast of a hitter through the 1950's with the Dodgers,
driving in over 100 runs six times, 30+ homers six times including five
straight seasons of 40 or more, five years of scoring over 100 runs and
seven seasons of .300 hitting or better.
A
HUGE cog in the Brooklyn Dodger machine of the 1950s, he was also part
of the "Holy Trinity of New York center-fielders of the era, along with
Willie Mays of the New York Giants and Mickey Mantle of the New York
Yankees.
What a time it must have been to be a young baseball fan!
Labels:
1963,
1963 Fleer,
Dodgers,
Duke Snider,
Missing in Action
Thursday, June 26, 2025
WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: WHITEY FORD
Good day all!
On the blog today, we come to my custom "1960s Stars of the Game" card for the great Whitey Ford, from my set released back in 2018:
Super fun set to create, which included custom WTHBALLS gelatin box with actual gelatin packet inside.
What needs to be said about quite possibly the greatest Yankee pitcher of them all?
Cy Young winner in 1961, winner of 236 games against only 106
losses (a nifty .690 winning percentage), a 2.75 career earned run
average, and a member of six world championship clubs.
He led the league in wins three times, winning percentage three
times, ERA twice, shutouts twice, and was named to eight all-star teams
during his 16-year career.
His 10 World Series wins (along with his eight losses) are Major
League high marks to this day, and who knows how much more he could have
padded all of his numbers had he not lost two seasons to the military
in 1951 and 1952!
When the Hall of Fame came calling he was inducted on his first try, getting named to 284 of 365 ballots in 1974.
Obviously there's so much more to get into with Whitey, but I could
end up writing a book here if I did, so I'll leave it up to the
Wikipedia's out there to fill anyone in who wants to learn more.
I only wish Ford didn't try to hang on those last couple of years
in 1966 and 1967, when he went a combined 4-9, thus eliminating the
chance of him being only the second pitcher to this day to retire with
200+ wins and LESS than 100 losses (the other being
19th-century pitcher Bob Caruthers, who finished at 218-99 between
1884-1893).
Oh well, I know I'm nitpicking here…It's the nerd in me I guess.
Labels:
1960,
1960 Custom Set,
Custom Cards,
Whitey Ford,
Yankees
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
REVISITING A POST FROM 10 YEARS AGO: MISSING 1976 WINSTON LLENAS
From ten years ago on the blog, today we revisit a
"missing" 1976 card for former California Angels infielder Winston
Llenas, part of the "1976 Project" I worked on for my buddy Jim:
Llenas appeared in 56 games for the Halos, hitting .186 with 21
hits over 113 at-bats while playing five different positions plus some
DH-ing.
The action he saw in 1975 would be the last of his career, all spent with the Angels since he came up in 1968.
He didn't play in 1970 or 1971, so over the six seasons he did see
action in the Majors, he hit .230 with 122 hits over 531 official
at-bats, spread over 300 big league games.
In 1973 he led the American League with 16 pinch-hits and 56
pich-hit at-bats, while seeing the most action in any season he played,
78 games.
He then went on to play a year in Japan, for the Taiheiyo Club in
1976, hitting .227 before going to to play, coach and manage in the
Dominican Republic for years, eventually getting inducted into the
Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008.
Labels:
1976,
1976 Project,
Angels,
Missing in Action,
Revisit,
Winston Llenas
Sunday, June 22, 2025
"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: GEORGE BRETT
On
the blog today, we celebrate Kansas City Royals legend George Brett
with his inclusion in my long-running WTHBALLS custom "Classic Baseball"
set, appreciating the great game's long and rich history:
Brett
made his Big League debut in 1973 with 13 games for the Kansas City
Royals, the only team he'd suit up for over his magnificent 21 year
career.
In that initial showing he hit .125 with five hits in 40 at-bats, including two doubles and two runs scored.
The following season he'd be here to stay, finishing third in the American League Rookie of the Year race in
1974, hitting .282 with 129 hits, 49 runs scored and 47 runs batted in
over 133 games for the Kansas City Royals.
He’d have his breakout season quickly, leading the league with 195 hits as well as 13 triples in 1975 before winning his first batting title a year later when he hit .333 with a league-leading 215 hits and 14 triples.
He’d have his breakout season quickly, leading the league with 195 hits as well as 13 triples in 1975 before winning his first batting title a year later when he hit .333 with a league-leading 215 hits and 14 triples.
His 1979 season is just not appreciated enough!
That
season Brett led the league with 212 hits and 20 triples, while also
collecting 42 doubles, 23 homers, 107 runs batted in and 119 runs
scored, hitting .329 and also stealing 17 bases!
This was arguably his best season overall for his career, and remember, he hit .390 the following year!
The man was born to hit, and would finish his career with 3154 hits, a
.305 average, 317 homers and let’s not forget the 201 stolen bases and
137 triples!
The 13-time all-star was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 1993, getting named to 98.2% of the ballot, while taking home the MVP in 1980 after his magical .390 hitting season, while finishing second twice and third once.
Legend!
The 13-time all-star was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 1993, getting named to 98.2% of the ballot, while taking home the MVP in 1980 after his magical .390 hitting season, while finishing second twice and third once.
Legend!
Labels:
Classic Baseball,
Custom Cards,
George Brett,
Royals
Friday, June 20, 2025
OPC IMAGE VARIATIONS: 1977 MIKE WILLIS
Today on the blog, a rarity these days, a first post
for a player after 12 years of doing this, this time pitcher Mike
Willis and the differences between his 1977 cards by OPC and Topps:
Of
course, being that he was on the inaugural 1977 Toronto Blue Jays team,
this was big stuff for OPC, so they went and gave him his own card in
the 1977 set, as opposed to Topps who had him on one of the multi-player
rookie cards.
In 1977, his first taste of the Majors, Willis
appeared in 43 games, throwing 107.1 innings, with three starts thrown
in, going 2-6 with a decent 3.94 E.R.A., striking out 59 batters.
He
would end up pitching five years in the Big Leagues, all with Toronto,
going 7-21 over 144 games, pitching to a 4.59 earned run average in 296
innings.
He would start six games, even tossing a complete game in 1978, while also collecting 15 saves while striking out 149 batters.
Labels:
1977,
Airbrushing,
Blue Jays,
Mike Willis,
OPC Variations
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
1980s CAREER-CAPPERS: 1984 GAYLORD PERRY
On the blog today, a card from my next WTHBALLS custom produced set, "1980s Career-Capers", a 1984 card for Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry:
For me growing up in the late-70’s/early-80s, Perry was
the stuff of legend since he was the first player I remember reaching
3000 strikeouts, which at the time made him only the THIRD player to do
so behind Walter Johnson and Bob Gibson.
He was also (and I remember this vividly) the first pitcher to reach 300 wins since Early Wynn, which was a 20 year gap, the first pitcher to win a Cy Young Award in both leagues, which he did with the Indians in 1972 and the Padres in 1978.
That 1978 season saw him take home the award after a fantastic year that saw him go 21-6 with a 2.73 earned run average at the age of 39 after coming over from the Texas Rangers.
People may also forget that for a relatively brief moment he was the all-time strikeout king before a couple of guys by the name of Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton caught up soon after.
He posted 5 20-win seasons, finished with 314 for his career, along with 53 shutouts and 3534 strikeouts over a 22-year Big League career, tossing 300+ innings six times.
Is it safe to say that he’s almost a forgotten all-time great?
He was also (and I remember this vividly) the first pitcher to reach 300 wins since Early Wynn, which was a 20 year gap, the first pitcher to win a Cy Young Award in both leagues, which he did with the Indians in 1972 and the Padres in 1978.
That 1978 season saw him take home the award after a fantastic year that saw him go 21-6 with a 2.73 earned run average at the age of 39 after coming over from the Texas Rangers.
People may also forget that for a relatively brief moment he was the all-time strikeout king before a couple of guys by the name of Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton caught up soon after.
He posted 5 20-win seasons, finished with 314 for his career, along with 53 shutouts and 3534 strikeouts over a 22-year Big League career, tossing 300+ innings six times.
Is it safe to say that he’s almost a forgotten all-time great?
Labels:
1984,
Career Capper,
Gaylord Perry,
Royals
Monday, June 16, 2025
A SET THAT NEVER WAS: 1971 ALL-STAR TICKET SET: FRANK ROBINSON
The next
starting player from the 1971 All-Star Game to spotlight in my "set that
never was" Ticket Set is "The Judge" Frank Robinson, perhaps the
greatest "overlooked" player the game has ever seen:
It
was the eleventh All-Star nod for the legend, who would have himself
another great year, finishing third in the A.L. MVP race at season's
end, hitting .281 with 28 homers and 99 runs batted in.
Robinson is perhaps the “greatest underrated player” in Major League history.
A two-time Most Valuable Player, and the first to do it in both leagues, Robinson also took home a Triple Crown in 1966, was a twelve time All-Star, finished in the Top-4 in MVP voting outside his two wins, and oh yeah, as mentioned earlier was also the first African-American Manager in league history.
When he retired as an active player in 1976, Robinson was in the top-5 in so many offensive categories he was in the company of Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.
Yet oddly enough, perhaps because of the era he played in, he would get buried in the “all-time greats” conversation in lieu of the aforementioned players along with guys like Ty Cobb, Roberto Clemente and Ted Williams.
I would say he and Stan Musial are the TWO greatest “underrated” players of all-time, and you could arguably throw in others like Bob Feller for good measure.
Just an all-out legend in so many ways.
A two-time Most Valuable Player, and the first to do it in both leagues, Robinson also took home a Triple Crown in 1966, was a twelve time All-Star, finished in the Top-4 in MVP voting outside his two wins, and oh yeah, as mentioned earlier was also the first African-American Manager in league history.
When he retired as an active player in 1976, Robinson was in the top-5 in so many offensive categories he was in the company of Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.
Yet oddly enough, perhaps because of the era he played in, he would get buried in the “all-time greats” conversation in lieu of the aforementioned players along with guys like Ty Cobb, Roberto Clemente and Ted Williams.
I would say he and Stan Musial are the TWO greatest “underrated” players of all-time, and you could arguably throw in others like Bob Feller for good measure.
Just an all-out legend in so many ways.
Labels:
1971,
1971 All-Star Tix,
Custom Cards,
Frank Robinson,
Orioles
Saturday, June 14, 2025
REVISITING A 10-YEAR-OLD POST: MISSING 1978 TERRY CORNUTT
Time once again to revisit a ten-year-old post here on the blog,
for the late-comers to WTHBALLS, this time my "missing" 1978 card for
former San Francisco Giant pitcher Terry Cornutt:
Cornutt appeared in 28 games for the Giants in 1977, posting a 1-2
record with 23 strikeouts and a 3.86 earned run average over 44.1
innings of work.
Except for a single solitary appearance in 1978, that would be the entirety of his Major League career.
Curious as to why he never made it back up to the "big show", as he
put in a few more decent seasons in the minor leagues until 1980 for
the Giants organization out of the 'pen.
Labels:
1978,
Giants,
Missing in Action,
Revisit,
Terry Cornutt
Thursday, June 12, 2025
SPECIAL REQUEST: 2025 TOPPS HERITAGE JUAN SOTO YANKEE EDITION
Posted
this card on Twitter a few weeks ago, a special request to have Juan
Soto's 2025 Heritage card showing him as not only a New York Yankee, but
designated as an All-Star, which he was for the 2024 game:
Topps
went ahead and had him airbrushed (or Photoshopped) into a Mets uni for
the set, while also NOT having the sweet All-Star designation in the
lower left-hand corner, leaving an empty spot for us completists.
So
I went ahead and made one up to insert in my binder with the other
All-Stars, while properly having Yordan Alvarez at the DH spot, which he
was voted into.
Of course Soto would break many a Yankee
fan's heart by eventually signing with the crosstown Mets organization
for three-quarters of a BILLION dollars, thus becoming an instant figure
of hate in the Bronx.
Nevertheless the man is on his way to
the Hall of Fame, still only 26 years of age and already a batting
champ, World Champ, and owner of some incredible seasons.
Time, as they say, will tell...
Tuesday, June 10, 2025
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.
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.
Labels:
1960s In-Action,
1964,
Cubs,
Custom Cards,
Ron Santo
Sunday, June 8, 2025
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!
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!
Labels:
1960,
1960 Custom Set,
Cubs,
Custom Cards,
Ernie Banks
Friday, June 6, 2025
REVISITING A 10-YEAR-OLD POST: "MISSING" 1979 JIM BREAZEALE
On the blog today, we venture back 10 years and revisit my post for
a "missing" 1979 card, that of former first baseman Jim Breazeale, who
got a couple of creations here on the blog over the years:
Breazeale, who hadn't appeared in Major League action since 1972
when he was with the Atlanta Braves, made it back to hit .208 with 15
hits over 72 at-bats with three doubles, three home runs and 13 runs
batted in over 25 games for the Sox in 1978.
He did have a Topps card in the 1973 set after having the most playing time of his short 4-year career in 1972.
That season he played in 52 games, batting .247 over 85 at-bats,
collecting 21 hits, a couple of doubles and five home runs with 17
RBI's.
The 1978 action with the White Sox would prove to be the final time
he saw on a Major League field, closing out his career with a .223
average, with 40 hits over 179 at-bats, with nine homers and 33 RBI's
thrown in.
Labels:
1979,
Jim Breazeale,
Missing in Action,
Revisit,
White Sox
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: FERGIE JENKINS
On
the blog today, we add another future Hall of Famer to my custom
"Classic Baseball" set, that of Fergie Jenkins, who I got a bit "cheeky"
with and depicted him with the Philadelphia Phillies, his first Major
League team:
For
Jenkins, the 22-year-old appeared in seven games for the Phillies in
1965, going 2-1 over 12.1 innings with a very nice 2.19 EAR and 10
strikeouts.
After
one game with Philadelphia in 1966 he was shipped to Chicago in a
multi-player trade that the Phillies would LOVE to take back, as Jenkins
would go on to reel off six straight 20-win seasons beginning in 1967,
taking home the Cy Young Award in 1971.
As we all know, by the time he hung them up he put together a Hall of Fame career, topping 280 wins,
3000 strikeouts, with 49 shutouts, a Cy Young Award in 1971 and four
other top-3 finishes in the award voting.
In 1991 he capped off his career with an induction into Cooperstown on his third try, just getting the 75% of the vote with 75.4% support.
On a geeky side-note, “Fly” was also the first pitcher to ever register 3000+ strikeouts while issuing less than 1000 base on balls.
The man was truly "Fly"!In 1991 he capped off his career with an induction into Cooperstown on his third try, just getting the 75% of the vote with 75.4% support.
On a geeky side-note, “Fly” was also the first pitcher to ever register 3000+ strikeouts while issuing less than 1000 base on balls.
Labels:
Classic Baseball,
Custom Cards,
Fergie Jenkins,
Phillies
Monday, June 2, 2025
OPC IMAGE VARIATIONS: 1977 JOHN SCOTT
Up
on the blog today, we take a closer look at the image, or in this case
card variation for John Scott in 1977, as he was about to become an
"original Blue Jay" during their inaugural baseball season:
Of
course, OPC gave him a dedicated card in their set, given that these
cards are for the Canadian market and I'm sure there was intense
interest in the new team North of the American border.
In
the Topps set, Scott was given a spot in their multi-player rookie card
sub-set, which just so happened to be on the same card as future Hall
of Famer Andre Dawson.
Not bad!
Scott would get a card in the 1978 set, as he played 79 games during
that inaugural 1977 season.
But in 1975, he went 0-9 over 25 games with the San Diego Padres, though scoring nine runs with two stolen bases in pinch-running duties in his second taste of the Big Leagues.
In 1974 he appeared in 14 games for San Diego, collecting a single over 15 at-bats in his first Major League action, with three runs scored and a stolen base.
That aforementioned 1977 season with Toronto would be the last of his career, batting .240 with 56 hits in 233 at-bats, with 26 runs and 15 runs batted in, finishing up his brief three year career with a .222 batting average before moving on to Japan for a few seasons before calling it a career in 1982.
But in 1975, he went 0-9 over 25 games with the San Diego Padres, though scoring nine runs with two stolen bases in pinch-running duties in his second taste of the Big Leagues.
In 1974 he appeared in 14 games for San Diego, collecting a single over 15 at-bats in his first Major League action, with three runs scored and a stolen base.
That aforementioned 1977 season with Toronto would be the last of his career, batting .240 with 56 hits in 233 at-bats, with 26 runs and 15 runs batted in, finishing up his brief three year career with a .222 batting average before moving on to Japan for a few seasons before calling it a career in 1982.
Labels:
1977,
Blue Jays,
John Scott,
OPC Variations
Saturday, May 31, 2025
A SET THAT NEVER WAS: 1971 ALL-STAR TICKET SET: BOBBY MURCER
Up
on the blog today, we move into the outfield of the American League in
my "set that never was", a 1971 All-Star game special custom set,
featuring the players that actually started that classic Midsummer game:
Bobby Murcer actually started the game in place of the injured Tony Oliva, who was selected by fans.
Murcer really did have a very nice career, especially those seasons
between 1969 and 1977 when he drove in over 80 runs eight times, while
topping 90 five of those seasons.
He hit as high as .331 (1971) while hitting as many as 33 homers (1972), while also leading the league in runs scored with 102 in 1972, OBP with a .427 mark in 1971 and total bases with 314 again in 1972.
He made five straight All-Star teams from 1971 through 1975, and was in the top-10 in MVP voting three straight years: 1971-1973.
Much more importantly, the man was one of the nicest human beings on the planet, as I can attest to, meeting him on more than a few occasions.
He was just as “real” as it got.
Rest in Peace Bobby. You are truly missed.
He hit as high as .331 (1971) while hitting as many as 33 homers (1972), while also leading the league in runs scored with 102 in 1972, OBP with a .427 mark in 1971 and total bases with 314 again in 1972.
He made five straight All-Star teams from 1971 through 1975, and was in the top-10 in MVP voting three straight years: 1971-1973.
Much more importantly, the man was one of the nicest human beings on the planet, as I can attest to, meeting him on more than a few occasions.
He was just as “real” as it got.
Rest in Peace Bobby. You are truly missed.
Labels:
1971,
1971 All-Star Tix,
Bobby Murcer,
Custom Cards,
Yankees
Thursday, May 29, 2025
"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: JACKIE ROBINSON
On the blog today, we return to my custom WTHBALLS "Classic Baseball" card set and add the great Jackie Robinson:
To
much hoopla, both good and sadly bad, Robinson was set to make his
Major League debut as the first African-American player since the late
19th Century.
And
so on Opening Day, April 15th, 1947, Jackie was penciled in at first base
against the Boston Braves at Ebbets Field, and history was made, though I
wish there was NO history that needed to be made in the first place.
Jackie went 0-for-3 at the plate with a run scored, as the Brooklyn Dodgers would go on to win the game 5-3.
I cannot even begin to imagine the
difficulty in that alone, yet still managed to put in 10 great years as a
Major League all-star second baseman, winning Rookie of the Year in
1947, league MVP in 1949, six all-star nods, and a batting title in 1949
when he hit .342.
Before he made
baseball history in 1947, he suited up with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues in 1945 while he was
still in college.
He played in only 47 games, but excelled,
hitting .387 with 5 home runs and 13 stolen bases, even appearing in the
East-West All Star Game.
At this point talking about statistics seems trivial in relation to the sheer impact he had to the sport and American culture.
It still crushes me when I
remember that the man was still only 53 years of age when he passed
away, imagining if he would have lived another 20, 30 years and gracing
us into the 21st Century.
An American Legend.
Labels:
Classic Baseball,
Custom Cards,
Dodgers,
Jackie Robinson
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
REVISITING MY "MISSING" 1978 VIC BERNAL CARD
Good day all!
On the blog today, we revisit another
10-year-old post, this time it's my 1978 "missing in action" card for
San Diego Padres pitcher Vic Bernal:
Bernal appeared in 15 games during the 1977 for the San Diego
Padres, the only games he'd ever suit up for on the Major League level.
He pitched 20.1 innings and posted a 1-1 record with a 5.31 earned run average and six strikeouts, all in relief.
After his Major League career, he'd go on to coach high school ball for many years in his home
state of California.
Sadly, he would pass away at the young age of 52
in September of 2006.
Labels:
1978,
Missing in Action,
Padres,
Revisit,
Vic Bernal
Sunday, May 25, 2025
WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: YOGI BERRA
Time to
spotlight my custom "1960s Stars of the Game" card of Yogi Berra here on
the blog, from my custom set released back in 2018 in WTHBALLS gelatin
box with other goodies inside:
Let's see, the man
was a three-time American League Most Valuable Player, a FIFTEEN-TIME
all-star, and received Most Valuable Player votes every single year
between 1947 and 1961. As a matter of fact, between
1950 and 1956 he never finished lower than fourth for the MVP, with
three wins, and two second place finishes!
That's seven top-4 finishes in seven years! Just awesome.
Oh yeah, let's not forget the fact that he was a member of TEN world championship teams! Amazing!
Except for four
scant games in 1965 with the New York Mets, Berra played the rest of his
19-year career with the Bronx Bombers, amassing 358 homers, 1430 runs
batted in and a .285 average.
One other note about his amazing career: the man only struck out 414 times over 8359 at-bats!
YOGI!!! I loved that man!
A true baseball treasure…
Labels:
1960,
1960 Custom Set,
Custom Cards,
Yankees,
Yogi Berra
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Everything baseball: cards, events, history and more.
Everything baseball: cards, events, history and more.