Afro, Sideburn and Mustache

three words that could describe 1974 perfectly:

AFROS, SIDEBURNS and MUSTACHES

One of the most knowledgeable and generous Cub bloggers around, Paul at Wrigley Wax sent me the complete Topps 1974 team set of the Chicago Cubs. Twenty-seven cards which also include the Jerry Morales in a Padre uniform # 258 and Rookie Infielder Bill Madlock # 600.

However, the three cards that stand out to me are the Afro (Jose Cardenal # 185), Sideburn (Randy Hundley # 319) and Mustache (Bob Locker # 62). Those were the days . . .

Thank you Paul for the complete set and bringing me back to 1974.

My Last Card Show

I just got back from my last card show . . . not for ever but for the season. You see, down here in Sarasota Florida, cards shows are small and mostly organized by "northerners". They are all returning to PA, IL, NY, IN, OH or even the great country due north of us called Canada.

So the show I have attended each month since January will be taking a six month hiatus . . . my opportunity to "indulge" myself as fellow blogger Mark of Marks Ephemera likes to put it. I did just that and stayed away from the bargain bins and only bought a few "pricier" cards I really "needed" and stayed "vintage". My scanner is not working (which only compounds some other issues I have been having these past few weeks) but I did find a camera to take a photo of my finds.

top row: 1960 Chicago Cubs: Dick Gernert, Richie Ashburn and Dale Long (I now have 25 of 33 to complete my team set)

second row: ToppsAll-Star Rookie Cards: 1964 Gary Peters and Al Weis of the Chicago White Sox; 1966 Ron Swoboda N Y Mets, 1967 Dave(y) Johnson Baltimore Orioles and 1978 Gary Alexander of the S F Giants

third row: 1970 California Angels team card # 522 (being my 685th card of the set, missing only 35 now); 1972 Chicago Cub Glenn Beckert "in action" and a 1963 Fleer Clay Dalrymple (my real only big $$ card and I am still a long way from completing this set but getting closer by one is always nice)

bottom row: 1974 Chicago Cubs Pina, Mitterwald, Aker and Hiser . . . just because I they were there.

All in all I kept to my "want" list (mostly) and am very happy. Now I am off to a pre-Mom's Day celebration which gives me the opportunity to say Happy Mothers Day to all you Mom's out there !

While today was my last "traditional" card show for the season, I shall still search out for cards I like or need via more modern methods (ie blogger generosity and ebay). Now I hope to get my life in order and my scanner working again !

"I dont know" plays third

In that famous Abbott and Costello routine called "Who's on first", a guy named "what" is at second and "I dont know" plays third.

This 1974 Gary Matthews card # 386 has Matthews sliding into third with Coach McNamara either clapping his hands or has a look of disbelief and questioning Matthews' slide - I don't know.

I also don't know that guy standing at third. At first glance it looked like Ron Cey, floppy hair over the collar and a bit stocky, but in the seventies with the Dodgers, Cey wore uniform # 10 ! (though he did wear # 11 as a Cub, but not until the early eighties). So at second glance it might be a Chicago Cub, but Don Kessinger wore # 11 during those days and that is not Kessinger (he is tall and thin).

As an aside, this card arrived last week from Paul at Wrigley Wax, and is part of the 1973 Topps All-Star Rookie Team (cards of 1974) where Topps "accidentally" did not print that gold trophy on the cards in the 1974 set.

Can someone help me ? "I don't know" plays third !