NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION: 1961 JOE TORRE

Up on the blog today, we have a "not so missing" 1961 card for future Hall of Fame manager (and easily HOF catcher in my book) Joe Torre:

Torre made his MLB debut in 1960, appearing in two games for the Milwaukee Braves as a 19-year-old, going 1-for-2 at the plate.

A five-time all-star during the '60's, Torre had a couple of "monster" years that kind of get lost in history.
In 1964 playing for the Milwaukee Braves, Torre hit .321 with 20 homers and 109 runs batted in. He also chipped in 193 hits and 36 doubles. Not bad!
But in 1966, with the Braves relocated to Atlanta, Torre clubbed 36 home runs to go along with a .315 average and 101 R.B.I.'s.
Later on when he'd switch over to third base he'd win an M.V.P. with the St. Louis Cardinals, and tack on a few more excellent years at the plate, and it's those years that people generally remember Torre as a player.
But his catching days for the Braves organization were very good in their own right. yet easy to overlook.
Later on, as we all know, Torre would be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a manager in 2014 for his days leading the New York Yankees through their most recent dynasty in the late-90's/early-00's, along with taking the helm of the Mets, Braves, Cardinals and Dodgers as well between 1977 and 2010, finishing up with 2326 wins and four championship titles.

 

REVISIT: 1978 MISSING IN ACTION STEVE HARGAN

Time to revisit another post from 10 years ago, this time my "missing" 1978 card for former pitcher Steve Hargan who put together a decent 12-year career between 1965 and 1977:

Hargan played for no less than three teams during the 1977 season: Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers and Atlanta Braves, appearing in 28 games and pitching 78.1 innings with a 2-6 record and a 6.55 earned run average.
The first eight years of his career were with the Cleveland Indians, where he put in some solid seasons, posting three sub-3.00 ERA campaigns while even leading the American League in shutouts with six in 1967, his only all-star nod.
Overall Hargan ended up with a 87 and 107 career record with a 3.92 ERA and 891 strikeouts accumulated over 354 appearances, 215 of which were starts, with 17 shutouts and 56 complete games.

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: JOE ADCOCK

Up on the blog today, putting the spotlight on my 1960 custom "Stars of the Game" card for slugger Joe Adcock of the Milwaukee Braves:

Adcock put in 17 years in the Big Leagues, slugging his way to 336 home runs, including four in one monster game in 1954 when he went 5-for-5 at the plate with four dingers and a double, setting the Major League record of 18 total bases in a single game.

By the time he hung up the cleats after the 1966 season, Adcock finished with a .277 career average, with 1832 hits over 6606 at-bats in 1959 games, driving in 1122 runs while scoring 823 himself, making two All-Star teams.

OPC IMAGE VARIATION: 1977 PHIL NIEKRO

Here's a really odd OPC to Topps "image variation" set for you all, the slight, and I mean really slight image change for Phil Niekro and his 1977 cards:

OPC version

Topps version

I have no idea why the change between the two companies and their cards, as you can see that all OPC did was slightly zoom in a touch, and place the facsimile autograph a little higher on the card. Very strange.

Also seems to be a little brightness added to the OPC card as well.

As for Niekro, incredibly, though getting a bit of a "late-start" in his career, the man would end up putting in 24 years in the Majors, pitching his knuckler until the age of 48 in 1987.

It is astonishing to think Niekro didn’t have a full season on Big League duty until 1967 at the age of 28, yet still went on to pitch those 24 seasons, winning 318 games with a very nice 3.35 ERA along with 45 shutouts and 3342 strikeouts before he was done at the age of 48!
I always thought it amazing that at the age of 44 in 1983, he took home the last of his five Gold Gloves, ALL of which were garnered beginning his age 39 season in 1978.

Just an amazing talent!

1981 DRAKES BIG PITCHERS: PHIL NIEKRO

The next card from my wildly successful 1981 "Drake's Big Pitchers" custom set released last year to get the spotlight here on the blog is the one for Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro:

Incredibly, though getting a bit of a "late-start" in his career, the man would end up putting in 24 years in the Majors, pitching his knuckler until the age of 48 in 1987.

It is astonishing to think Niekro didn’t have a full season on Big League duty until 1967 at the age of 28, yet still went on to pitch those 24 seasons, winning 318 games with a very nice 3.35 ERA along with 45 shutouts and 3342 strikeouts before he was done at the age of 48!
I always thought it amazing that at the age of 44 in 1983, he took home the last of his five Gold Gloves, ALL of which were garnered beginning his age 39 season in 1978.

Just an amazing talent!

 

CAREER-CAPPER: 1989 TED SIMMONS

Here's a card I missed for my recent "1980s Career-Cappers" set a few months back, a 1989 card for Hall of Fame catcher Ted Simmons:

Simmons capped off a brilliant 21-year career with 78 games for the Atlanta Braves in 1988, hitting .196 with 21 hits in 107 official at-bats.

Look at this guys career!
Simmons went on to post a Big League resume that included eight All-Star nods, six seasons of 20+ homers, eight 90+ RBI campaigns and seven years of a .300 or better average.
By the time he retired after the 1988 season, he finished with 2472 hits, 248 homers, 1389 RBIs and a .285 average.
At the same time, playing in the era of the free-swinging 70’s and 80’s, he struck out only 694 times in 9685 plate appearances while twice leading his league in Intentional Base on Balls.
I have always been stunned at the fact that “Simba” garnered a meager 3.7% vote in his first chance at the Hall of Fame, thus becoming a ridiculous “one and done” candidate.SO happy that they finally made this right and vote him in for his rightful place in Cooperstown!

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION: 1976 JOE NOLAN

On the blog this fine day we have a "not so missing" 1976 card for former MLB catcher Joe Nolan, who made it back to the Majors with four games for the Atlanta Braves:

Nolan made his Big League debut in 1972 with the New York Mets, appearing in four games for them at the age of 21.

Nolan went 0-10 at the plate over that first taste of the Big Leagues, but he’d do a bit better than that over the course of what turned out to be a nice 11-year career spanning 1972 and 1985 as a catcher off the bench, mainly for the Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles, with stints for the Mets and Cincinnati Reds.

For the Braves in 1975 he'd go 1-for-4 at the plate, his first hit being a single, before spending all of 1976 in the Minors and making it back for good in 1977.
By the time he retired after the 1985 season he finished with a .263 career average, with 382 hits over 1454 at-bats in 621 games.
He was also a member of the 1983 World Champion Orioles, contributing nicely with a .277 batting average while filling in behind the plate for Rick Dempsey.

 

"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: PHIL NIEKRO

On the blog today, we add the great Phil Niekro to my on-going WTHBALLS custom "Beautiful Baseball" set, which WILL see the light of day at some point this year (I promise!):

Incredibly, though getting a bit of a "late-start" in his career, the man would end up putting in 24 years in the Majors, pitching his knuckler until the age of 48 in 1987.

It is astonishing to think Niekro didn’t have a full season on Big League duty until 1967 at the age of 28, yet still went on to pitch those 24 seasons, winning 318 games with a very nice 3.35 ERA along with 45 shutouts and 3342 strikeouts before he was done at the age of 48!
I always thought it amazing that at the age of 44 in 1983, he took home the last of his five Gold Gloves, ALL of which were garnered beginning his age 39 season in 1978.

Just an amazing talent!

CAREER-CAPPER: 1988 PHIL NIEKRO

Today on the blog, we have my 1988 career-capper for Phil Niekro, Hall of Fame pitcher, who wrapped up an amazing Big League career back where it all started for him some 24 years earlier, as a member of the Braves organization, now in Atlanta:

It is astonishing to think Niekro didn’t have a full season on Big League duty until 1967 at the age of 28, yet still went on to pitch those 24 seasons, winning 318 games with a very nice 3.35 ERA along with 45 shutouts and 3342 strikeouts before he was done at the age of 48!
I always thought it amazing that at the age of 44 in 1983, he took home the last of his five Gold Gloves, ALL of which were garnered beginning his age 39 season in 1978.

Just an amazing talent!

 

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: WARREN SPAHN

On the blog today, we spotlight my 1960 "Stars of the Game" card of legend Warren Spahn, from my custom Gelatin set released back in 2018:

Anyone who has followed this blog long enough knows by now that any time I can create a card for the mighty lefty, I will take it!

The man was amazing, flat out, and by the time he retired in 1965 he posted a 363-245 record, with a 3.09 ERA, 63 shutouts, 28 saves and 2583 strikeouts over 750 appearances, 665 of which were starts.

Oh yeah, he also hit 35 career home runs along with 189 runs batted in with (coincidentally) 363 hits!

And remember he didn’t win his first game until he was 25 years of age, as he served in the military from 1943 to 1945.

His first 20-game season was 1947 (at the age of 26), and he kept right on rolling until his final 20-game season in 1963!

In between, he ended up posting 13 such campaigns, leading the league eight times (with five of those coming consecutively from 1957 to 1961).

 

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: EDDIE MATHEWS

The next WTHBALLS custom card from my 2018 Gelatin "1960 Stars of the Game" set is the great Eddie Mathews, Braves legend and Hall of Famer:

Mathews was a beast at the plate, hitting 30 or more homers in a season ten times during his career, with four of those seasons totaling over 40.
He’d also drive in over 100 runs five times and score over 100 eight times while topping a .300 batting average on three occasions while leading the National League in walks four times, homers twice, and getting named to nine all-star teams.
Twice a runner-up in Most Valuable Player voting, he played for the Braves from Boston, to Milwaukee and their inaugural season in Atlanta in 1966, the only player to do so.
By the time he finished his stellar career Mathews collected 512 homers, 1453 runs batted in, 1509 runs scored and a .271 average along 1444 walks and a .509 slugging average.
Until a guy by the name of Mike Schmidt came along, he was THE power-hitting third baseman in the game's long history.

Incredibly overlooked these days!

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: HANK AARON

Today on the blog, we post up my custom "1960 Stars of the Game" card of the great Hank Aaron, from my set produced back in 2019 and long sold-out:

The set featured 40 postcard-sized cards with cut-out player cards to mimic the Jello sets of that era.

Fun set to produce, as it even contained a packet of gelatin to complete the set!

As for Aaron the player?

Let his numbers do all the talking: 2174 runs scored, 3771 hits, 624 doubles, 98 triples, 755 home runs, 2297 runs batted in, a .305 batting average no less than 21 all-star selections!
Just tremendous!
He also had eight top-5 finishes for MVP, including taking home the award in 1957, as well as three Gold Gloves won consecutively between 1958-1960.
It's incredible to look at his 15 years of topping 100 or more runs scored, 11 seasons of 100 or more runs batted in, five more seasons of 90+ RBI's, and TWENTY STRAIGHT years of 20 or more home runs.

Rest in Peace to one of the absolute greats of the game, Mr. Henry Aaron...aka "Hammerin' Hank"!

 

REVISITING MY "MISSING" 1977 FRANK LaCORTE

For a guy who pitched over 100 innings in 1976, it baffles me as to why Topps didn't give Frank LaCorte a card in their 1977 set.

So allow me to do just that, and take a look at my card design:

LaCorte appeared on a 1976 multi-player rookie card, but for some reason after appearing in 19 games with 105.1 innings pitched, Topps couldn't find a spot for him in their 1977 set.

LaCorte posted a 3-12 record for the Braves, with a 4.70 earned run average and 79 K's.

He wouldn't really hit his stride until 1980 after he joined the Houston Astros, where he'd work out of the 'pen for the next four seasons before finishing up his career with the California Angels in 1984.

Overall he posted a 23-44 record with a 5.01 ERA, 26 saves and 372 strikeouts over 490 innings and 253 appearances.

 

REVISITING MY MISSING 1976 RAY SADECKI CARD

From a post ten years ago, we revisit my "missing" 1976 card for former ace pitcher Ray Sadecki, with a slight "twist":

As part of a project I created for my buddy Jim for his personal collection, he wanted a 1976 card of Sadecki suited up with the Atlanta Braves, whereas I would have created a Kansas City Royals version since he finished the season with them in 1975.

Nevertheless...Here's the original write-up as it appeared in November of 2015:

"Now, this card has a bit of a twist to it, since if I followed my usual routine, I’d have had Sadecki shown as a Kansas City Royal, the team that he finished the 1975 season with.
However, following Jim’s lead, we felt it better to have him for the team he saw the most action with, the Atlanta Braves, for whom he tallied 25 appearances and 66.1 innings pitched.
He also suited up for the St. Louis Cardinals (who he opened up the season with), and the Royals as I mentioned.
All together with all three organizations Sadecki appeared in 38 games, good for 80.1 innings of work, posting a combined 4-3 record with a 4.03 earned run average while striking out 32 batters.
Sadecki put in a nice long 18-year career in the Majors, coming up as a young arm with the St. Louis Cardinals, even posting a 20-win season in 1964, helping them win the World Series over the New York Yankees.
All told he pitched for six teams (Cardinals, Giants, Mets, Royals, Braves and Brewers), posting a final record of 135-131 with a 3.78 ERA and 1614 K’s over 563 games and 2500.1 innings."

VINTAGE SPECIAL! "MISSING" 1954 WILSON'S FRANKS EDDIE MATHEWS

Today on the blog, from one of my recent custom sets, a "missing" 1954 Wilson's Franks card for Hall of Fame third baseman Eddie Mathews:

 

Mathews was a beast at the plate, hitting 30 or more homers in a season ten times during his career, with four of those seasons totaling over 40.
He’d also drive in over 100 runs five times and score over 100 eight times while topping a .300 batting average on three occasions while leading the National League in walks four times, homers twice, and getting named to nine all-star teams.
Twice a runner-up in Most Valuable Player voting, he played for the Braves from Boston, to Milwaukee and their inaugural season in Atlanta in 1966, the only player to do so.
By the time he finished his stellar career Mathews collected 512 homers, 1453 runs batted in, 1509 runs scored and a .271 average along 1444 walks and a .509 slugging average.
Until a guy by the name of Mike Schmidt came along, he was THE power-hitting third baseman in the game's long history.

Incredibly overlooked these days!

 

A SET THAT NEVER WAS: 1971 ALL-STAR TICKET SET: HANK AARON

Today we add my "card that never was" of Hank Aaron, that would have been part of my 1971 All-Star Game ticket set, based off the ticket design for the CLASSIC Midsummer game:

Of course, "Hammerin Hank" was one of the starting outfielders for the National League that day, and of course he would be as one of the greatest to ever pick up a bat.

As for Aaron the player?

Let his numbers do all the talking: 2174 runs scored, 3771 hits, 624 doubles, 98 triples, 755 home runs, 2297 runs batted in, a .305 batting average no less than 21 all-star selections!
Just tremendous!
He also had eight top-5 finishes for MVP, including taking home the award in 1957, as well as three Gold Gloves won consecutively between 1958-1960.
It's incredible to look at his 15 years of topping 100 or more runs scored, 11 seasons of 100 or more runs batted in, five more seasons of 90+ RBI's, and TWENTY STRAIGHT years of 20 or more home runs.

Rest in Peace to one of the absolute greats of the game, Mr. Henry Aaron...aka "Hammerin' Hank"!

 

"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: HANK AARON

Today on the blog, I post up the very first card I designed for my upcoming multi-series "Classic Baseball" custom set, which spurred the idea of such an endeavor, my card for perhaps the greatest of them all, Hank Aaron:

When I was playing around with this card design, I wanted to celebrate the "Golden Era" of the sport I love so much, an era that you can't help but be in awe of, with stars like Aaron, Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle.

With that in mind, I wanted to use images of them posed rather than in action, with photography that invoked the era, and the publications that used them.

As for Aaron the player?

Let his numbers do all the talking: 2174 runs scored, 3771 hits, 624 doubles, 98 triples, 755 home runs, 2297 runs batted in, a .305 batting average no less than 21 all-star selections!
Just tremendous!
He also had eight top-5 finishes for MVP, including taking home the award in 1957, as well as three Gold Gloves won consecutively between 1958-1960.
It's incredible to look at his 15 years of topping 100 or more runs scored, 11 seasons of 100 or more runs batted in, five more seasons of 90+ RBI's, and TWENTY STRAIGHT years of 20 or more home runs.

Rest in Peace to one of the absolute greats of the game, Mr. Henry Aaron...aka "Hammerin' Hank"!

"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: WARREN SPAHN

Time to add one of my favorite subjects for the blog to my custom "Classic Baseball" set, the great Warren Spahn:

Anyone who has followed this blog long enough knows by now that any time I can create a card for the mighty lefty, I will take it!

The man was amazing, flat out, and by the time he retired in 1965 he posted a 363-245 record, with a 3.09 ERA, 63 shutouts, 28 saves and 2583 strikeouts over 750 appearances, 665 of which were starts.

Oh yeah, he also hit 35 career home runs along with 189 runs batted in with (coincidentally) 363 hits!

And remember he didn’t win his first game until he was 25 years of age, as he served in the military from 1943 to 1945.

His first 20-game season was 1947 (at the age of 26), and he kept right on rolling until his final 20-game season in 1963!

In between, he ended up posting 13 such campaigns, leading the league eight times (with five of those coming consecutively from 1957 to 1961).

 

REVISITING A 10-YEAR-OLD POST: "MISSING IN ACTION" 1978 DON COLLINS

On the blog today, we revisit a post from 10 years ago, my "missing" 1978 card for pitcher Don Collins, who made his MLB debut with the Atlanta Braves during the 1977 season and really should have had a card in the 1978 set:

Collins appeared in 40 games during that season, and posted a 3-9 record with a 5.09 earned run average and a couple of saves thrown in.

In his 70.2 innings of work he fanned 27 batters but walked 41, not the best thing to do as a guy coming out of the bullpen.

Nevertheless, 70+ innings and 40 games deserves a card, especially considering some of the other players who got on in the '78 set that played a lot less than him.

Besides the 1977 season Collins would pitch in four games for the Cleveland Indians in 1980, marking the only other season he'd make it to the top before closing out his career.

"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: EDDIE MATHEWS

Today we add the great Eddie Mathews to my custom WTHBALLS baseball set, "Classic Baseball", celebrating the beautiful game with iconic images of all-time greats during the Golden Age of the sport:

Mathews was a beast at the plate, hitting 30 or more homers in a season ten times during his career, with four of those seasons totaling over 40.
He’d also drive in over 100 runs five times and score over 100 eight times while topping a .300 batting average on three occasions while leading the National League in walks four times, homers twice, and getting named to nine all-star teams.
Twice a runner-up in Most Valuable Player voting, he played for the Braves from Boston, to Milwaukee and their inaugural season in Atlanta in 1966, the only player to do so.
By the time he finished his stellar career Mathews collected 512 homers, 1453 runs batted in, 1509 runs scored and a .271 average along 1444 walks and a .509 slugging average.
Until a guy by the name of Mike Schmidt came along, he was THE power-hitting third baseman in the game's long history.

Incredibly overlooked these days!