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 !

a horrible rookie star card

In thumbing through some of my "vintage" cards I came across three Chicago Cubs 1965 Rookie Stars cards.

The first (#549) highlighted Roberta Pena (six years in majors)and Glenn Beckert (long time Cubs 2nd baseman); the second (#386) had Paul Jaeckel (played in only four games in 1964 for the Cubs) and Fred Norman (19 year career and two world series rings with the Cincinnati Reds in 75 and 76) and then there was this card . . . probably one of the worst displays of stardom on one card that one could imagine.

Billy Ott went 11 for 67 (a .164 BA) and appeared in just 32 games in his major league career (actually played in 1962 and 1964 only). He did hit one homerun and had 3 RBI's.

And Jack Warner, well he played in only 33 games, pitched 54 innings with a 0 - 2 record and a 5.10 ERA in his entire big league career.

One heck of a duo on one card . . . Rookie Stars, not really.

A Cubs Poem . . .

Pitchers and Catchers are reporting soon,
Dreams of a pennant and singing that championship tune.
Coaches and managers will attempt to find the best,
off to the minors for the rest.
Opening Day is drawing near,
our national pastime is once again is here.

While there is nothing better than a Sunday at the park,
or the long majestic journey of the home run arc.
Whether April or October, blinding sun or clouds,
there will be an over pouring of joy of being one of the crowd.
Us (Cubs) fans who have waited decades, hoping this year we will be blessed,
with our team that hoists the trophy, signifying “we are the best”.

The summer of ’69 as I recall,
was when I first realized that the game was more than just a bat and a ball.
It overtook my senses with the power to excite,
a double play of Kessinger, Beckert to Banks and a fly out to right.
Santo’s heel click, Williams’ sweet swing, our faith that never ceases
was this be the year that futility finally decreases ?


It has now been over 100 years since the Cubs have won it all,
a century of curses, chokes and most of all that ball.
A little ball of twine and seams that truly have amazing powers,
to captivate and devastate a person in three hours.
Cub fans are famous for our faith, there is never a reprieve
For we all know there’s always this year, so we might as well believe.



Current 21 year old Adam Mamawala, originally wrote this poem and submitted it to his high school literature class - the subject being ones "true love". With his permission I have expanded and revised it slightly (note the third stanza) yet maintained his classic theme. He has accurately captured the feelings of baseball as a Chicago Cub fan (at least this fan). I greatly appreciate Adam for allowing me to modify it and re-print for all of you to enjoy . . . as this weekend brings the "unofficial" start of the baseball season.

Cubs Convention is over - Spring training is near

A friend of mine in Chicago just called me (as I now live in Sarasota and wintertime is not a usual time to call us who live in "paradise") but nonetheless he called.

While he has recently discovered my renewed interest with baseball cards and now in the world of blogging he was mostly calling to share with me that the Chicago Cubs just concluded their 24th annual convention, which unofficially is the kick-off to Spring Training and the upcoming season.

Twenty years ago we went to the Cubs Convention and remember shaking hands with all of our childhood stars and eating ball park food (though it tastes much better at Wrigley than in a hotel).

The memories are still there and I just reviewed the list of stars at this years convention which still include all my "heros" from the sixties and seventies; Banks, Williams, Beckert, Jenkins, Santo; stars from the eighties, nineties and current players galore.

The best thing about the Cubs Convention this year is that I am in Florida enjoying our "chilly" weather and that Spring Training is near. Cubs Home Opener at Wrigley is April 13, only 86 days from today. The Cubs will (ok might) shine in two thousand and nine.

Glenn Beckert - a second baseman on my mind

I’m in a second baseman kind of mood . . . don’t ask . . . so here goes . . .

Glenn Beckert, 2nd baseman for the Chicago Cubs for nine straight seasons, from 1965 to 1973. Only old time great Billy Herman and the modern day “Mr. Cub” Ryne Sandberg played 2nd for more consecutive seasons.

A more than solid defensive player (one gold glove in 1968) and a knack for putting the ball in play, Beckert was a key ingredient to a Cubs infield that stayed together for five straight years (Santo at 3rd, Kessinger at SS and Banks at 1st) from 1965 through the heartbreak year 1969.

Beckerts’ success in a Cubs uniform actually had a tragic beginning with the off-season death of 1962 Rookie of the Year Ken Hubbs in February of 1964. The Cubs had lackluster performance from the 2nd baseman position for all of 1964 and acquired Beckert via the “first year draft” (as it was called back then) during the winter of 62-63, as a young prospect at shortstop.

A four time consecutive all-star (1969 to 1972) and a career batting average of .283 tells only one part of the story. Beckerts’ ability to “put the ball in play” was his trait. His career numbers boast of fewer strikeouts than walks. He led the league five times for fewest strikeouts per at bat and has a career stat of 21.4 at bats per K. That ranks him 86th all time (minimum of 3000 plate appearances) and ahead such players as Tony Gwynn, Bill Buckner and Joe DiMaggio (three pretty darn good hitters of all time).

Beckert is also remembered for this unique moment. He drove in the only run in a 1 – 0 win against the Cincinnati Reds on June 3, 1971; the day Ken Holtzman pitched his no hitter.

Featured here (at top of blog) is Beckerts 1966 Topps card # 232. His second year card (above to the right is his rookie card the 1965 Topps # 549 partnered with Roberto Pena and his face is completely hidden in the shadow of his cap). On his 1966 card he is posed in a bunt stance, signaling to us his need to put the bat on the ball. A look at his bat closer and it seems to be rather thin and small – almost something a little leaguer would use although Beckert was 6’1” and weighed 190 lbs, pretty good size back then for baseball.

A card I would be interested in trading for is his 1974 card # 241-A. Beckert is one of the handful of players who are depicted with Washington and “Nat’L Lea” on his card, as the San Diego Padres were supposedly moving to D.C. Beckert is in his Cubs uniform swinging away “putting the ball in play”.

Glenn Beckert, a long-time consistent player with both a solid glove and bat that played one position for the most remembered Cub teams of all time. I still hear Jack Brickhouse announcing that double play call of “Kessinger to Beckert to Banks”. Somethings just stick in your head . . .