GIMMIE A DO-OVER: 1970 LUIS TIANT

About time I go and give "El Tiante", Luis Tiant a do-over with his 1970 card, from a boring close up cap-less portrait shot to a better posed image in full uni:

For those that don't remember the original card Topps had out there way back when, here you go:

Obviously, Topps was up against it, trying to have Tiant shown with his new team, the Minnesota twins, as his career was taking a severe turn for the worse just two years after his incredible 1968 campaign that saw him post a minuscule 1.60 earned run average while tossing nine shutouts, with 21 wins and 264 strikeouts for the Cleveland Indians.

With my card, I just showed him with the Indians one last time, as he was coming off a 1969 season that saw him lead the league with 20 losses, 129 base on balls and 37 home runs allowed, while pitching to a 3.71 ERA over 249.2 innings of work.

Incredibly, with his career seemingly done in 1970/71, Tiant found himself in Boston in 1972 and immediately was back in form, leading the American League in earned run average with a sterling 1.91 in 1972 along with six shutouts in only 19 starts.

In three of the next four seasons he'd top 20 wins, and was on his way to a solid, if not arguably Hall-worthy 19-year career, retiring after the 1982 season after pitching in six games with the California Angels.

By that time he fashioned a 229-172 record, with a 3.30 E.R.A., 49 shutouts and 2416 strikeouts, with two seasons of sub-2.00 E.R.A., four 20-win campaigns as well as three 200+ strikeout years.

As a kid in Brooklyn, New York in the late 70's I remember him with the Yankees, and always thought he looked like some cool granpa who was always cracking jokes. In other words, I loved him!

After getting 30.9% support in his first year on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1988, he never got close again to those numbers, topping out at 18.0% in his final year of eligibility in 2002.

But it's easy to say that "El Tiante" definitely left his mark on the game during his time on the mound!

WTHBALLS GUM PACK CUSTOM SET: GAYLORD PERRY

Good day all!

On the blog today, spotlighting my Gaylord Perry mini Gum-Pack card, from my recent custom set released a few months ago just for the fun of it:

Just a fun little set to get out there in the hobby world, packaged like a pack of gum for an interesting little twist.

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?

 

"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: ROBIN YOUNT

On the blog today, we add Milwaukee Brewers legend Robin Yount to my custom "Classic Baseball" set, which I hope to produce later this year, celebrating the great game:

Just a fun image of the teen-aged Yount as he was launching what would turn out to be a Hall of Fame career.

A Milwaukee Brewer for life, Yount finished his great career with 3142 hits, 1632 runs scored, 251 homers and 271 stolen bases, taking home two A.L. MVP Awards and incredibly only making three All-Star teams. How on earth?!
Anyway, it’s amazing to realize that when he had his first true All-Star season in 1980, after what was already seven years in the Big Leagues, Yount was STILL only 24 years of age!
He was on cruise-control from then on, elevating his game to become one of the elite players in the American League, with 1982 the high point when he led the Brewers to the World Series and taking home his first MVP Award.
What a player...

GIMMIE A DO-OVER: 1978 CARL YASTRZEMSKI

On the blog today, my do-over for Boston Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski and his 1978 card, something I've wanted to do for some time now:

Rather than the boring (to me at least) close up of the man staring up into the air that Topps had out there, I wanted a nice action shot of him to go along with the legendary All-Star badge that I hold so dear.

This image seems to do the trick, and was good enough for me to include in my recent Series 16 set released a month ago.

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…

MISSING ALL-STAR MANAGER: 1979 BILLY MARTIN

Today on the blog, my "missing" 1979 All-Star manager card, featuring the skipper who led the American league in the 1978 game, Billy Martin, who was given the honor after taking the New York Yankees to a World Series berth in 1977, bringing back a championship to the Bronx for the first time since 1962:

He began his managerial career in 1969 with the Minnesota Twins and took them straight to the Playoffs, guiding the team to a first place finish with a 97-65 record.
He would move on to Detroit, and would take them to a first place finish by his second year in 1972 with a record of 86-70.
He’d move on to the Texas Rangers and they’d have their first successful season in 1974, albeit a second place finish behind league MVP Jeff Burroughs and ace Fergie Jenkins, then of course he would move on to the New York Yankees, where the “Bronx Zoo” was in full swing, eventually bringing Martin a World Championship in 1977.
He’d move on to the Oakland A’s where “Billy-Ball” was in full effect, losing to the Yankees in the Championship Series while burning through every arm on his pitching staff with overuse.
Then finally, there was the back-and-forth period between he and the Yankees, specifically owner George Steinbrenner, where he managed in 1983, 1985 and finally 1988, almost a comedic show of hiring and firing that really was an embarrassment to us Yankee fans of the era.
Nevertheless, Martin was a winner, though one with a temper at that, leaving the game with a .553 winning percentage and over 1200 wins.
Should he be in the Hall of Fame?
I do think so more for his personality than anything else. As a symbol of the wild 1970’s with his managerial style a'la Earl Weaver, arguing and fighting his way through each season.
Rest in Peace Billy, you are missed.

 

"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: LEE MAY

The next ballplayer that gets a card in my custom "Classic Baseball" set, the "Big Bopper" Lee May of the Cincinnati Reds:

You have to wonder what could have been with May, since he was already a feared slugger putting together a very nice career before he was traded to the Astros as part of the Joe Morgan trade before the 1972 season opened up.

Would the "Big Red Machine" have happened? If so, would May's legacy on the diamond have been elevated to the point of true stardom?

He put up big seasons with the Reds, the Astros, and then the Orioles before ending his career after two partial seasons with the Royals in 1982.

His total numbers are very good, especially for a guy who played the bulk of his career in the "dead" late-60's/early-70's: 959 runs, 2031 hits, 354 home runs and 1244 runs batted in.

His last year in Cincinnati, 1971, was killer: 39 homers with 98 R.B.I.'s, 85 runs scored and a .278 average to complement the likes of Pete Rose, Tony Perez and Johnny Bench.

Granted the guy struck out a ton, and his final batting average of .267 leaves a lot to be desired, but it's interesting to wonder "what could have been" with both his career and the legend of the Reds teams of the mid-70's.

1960S ALL-DECADE TEAM: A.L. SECOND BASEMAN BOBBY RICHARDSON

Good day all.

On the blog today, my pick for the American League second baseman of the 1960s, and I went with New York Yankee Bobby Richardson:

An often overlooked important cog in the last great Yankee dynasty "hurrah" of the early '60's, Richardson won five Gold Gloves during the decade, as well as finishing second in M.V.P. voting in 1962 behind teammate Mickey Mantle.
As a matter of fact between 1961 and 1965 he garnered M.V.P. consideration each year, and was named to the American League all-star team five times between 1962-1966.
Even though he retired at the young age of 30, Richardson ended up with 1432 hits, leading the A.L. with 209 in 1962.
Little bit of a side note: I remember as a young Don Mattingly fanatic in 1984 that Richardson was being mentioned repeatedly during the season as the last Yankee to attain 200 hits, since it was clear Mattingly was well on his way to that magic number himself while battling teammate Dave Winfield for the batting title.