Package from Michigan

Last week I received a mailer from Paul at Wrigley Wax, a fellow Cubs fan, great contributor to the blogsophere and reader of many blogs. With the usual generosity of bloggers Paul sent me many cards from my "want list" and I am extremely happy to share this with all of you.

Paul helped out in two of my current conquests; the Topps 1970's set and the Topps All-Star Rookie cards (those with gold trophies) from the sixties and seventies.

He actually sent me nine (9) Topps 1970 cards, all of which I needed/wanted (you just have to really appreciate bloggers who actually look at ones "want lists") including the always hard to find Seattle Pilots team card # 713. I will be highlighting this card as I chronicle the entire set but as a teaser to say I really like the back of this card with the team leaders for the Pilots (alot of unknown players) along with the total team batting and pitching stats.

I dont want to share too many of these but I had to mention this Cubbie, Al Spangler # 714 (a member of the much cherished Cubs of 1969). While Paul knew I had this card, he also knows I am trying to put together a second set of the 1970 Cubs team as my first set is framed behind glass (note my first post and center piece of my collection).

Paul also sent eleven (11) different Topps All-star Rookie cards, 10 of which I needed (the only one I had was the 1972 Bill Buckner ad having an extra Buckner even though he is wearing Dodge blue is never a bad thing).
Here are a few:
1969 Gary Holman # 361: after his .294 BA in 1968 he deserved this gold trophy, however it must have gone to his head as Holman appeared in just 41 games in 1969 and called it a career.
1969 Dave Nelson # 579: a 10 year 4 team "journey man" and one-time all-star (1973 in Texas)
1969 Ken Boswell # 402: a "hated" Met ! That's all !

1975 Arnold Ray "Bake" McBride # 174: the NL ROY in 1974 did not disappoint; a career .299 BA, one time all-star (1976) and one World Series ring (1980 Phillie). Love those sideburns !

1975 Frank Tanana # 16: as Chris Berman dubbed him Frank Tanana "Daiquiri", had a 21 year career, 3X All-star (1976, 77, 78) and a 100+ mph fastball. His career numbers are impressive, 240-236 WL, 2773 strikeouts and over 4000 innings pitched.

Thank you Paul . . . for inching me closer to completing my 1970 set (currently at 675 / 720 or almost 94 %) and these Topps All-Star Rookies (some who made it !)

Topps 1970: card # 2

Diego Pablo Segui (pronounced say-gee) Gonzalez; played in the majors for 16 years, six different teams (ok seven if you count the KC and Oakland Athletics as two).

I am sure that 99 % of you have never heard of Diego Segui and would only recognize the last name attached to a guy named David, his son who played from 1990 to 2004. But the father (Diego) had a very interesting career.

As a right handed pitcher, his career numbers are: 92-111 with 1298 strikeouts and a 3.81 era. Nothing to brag about but he did lead the entire AL in 1970 with a 2.56 era.

Diego Segui is also the only major leaguer ever to play for both the Seattle teams; the one-year wonder Seattle Pilots in 1969 (having his most productive year going 12 - 6) AND the then new expansion team Seattle Mariners in 1977. He actually was the starting pitcher in their inaugural game in 1977 but retired at the end of the season going 0 - 7. { an interesting foonote: the Pilots and Mariners had identical records in their first year going 64 - 98 }

Here is a good example of the backs of the 1970 cards: as I said in my pre-view post, I like the color combination of blue and yellow - reminds me of outdoor day basball (the sky and sunshine). The cartoon image in the upper right was sometimes "humorous" (haha fork in the ball) and sometimes hobby related as we will see in some later posts.

Diego Segui; card # 2 for 1970 . . . the first Pilot . . . and then the first Mariner . . .

The best day of any week

The best part of yesterday's "big" game being done and over is that today is Monday and mail delivery continues. Today could mark the best day of any week, I received a package from Johngy, yes the one and only John who sends cards to us collectors "just because" he is a wonderful human being. John noticed my want list and sent me over 30 cards, all Topps 1970 and all that I needed to help get me closer to completing my set. I now have 649 / 720 (90%) and getting closer is always nice.

Here are a few of my favorites from what John sent me:

Don Buford: former White Sox and Oriole (5 years with each team), as a switch hitter he batted first most of his career and boasts the lowest GIDP ratio (grounded into double play) of 1 to 138 at bats hitting into only 34 career DP's. Buford was also the first Baltimore Oriole to hit a homerun from both sides of the plate in the same game, April 9, 1970. Buford also hit a leadoff homerun in the first game of the 1969 world series.

How can you not like any Seattle Pilot card (talk about one year wonders). After the inaugural season of 1969 the Pilots moved to Milwaukee and are forever known as the Brewers. So these two cards are always treasured though I am still searching for that elusive team card # 713. On the left is Greg Goosen (#271) who had his career year in 1969 with the Pilots, hitting 10 HR's and a .309 BA. Goosen had a short career of six years playing in only 193 games having 460 at bats and striking out 112 times. And John Gelnar (#393) showing off the full front view of the Pilot uniform also had a brief career of 5 years, appearing in only 111 games and 230 innings with a career record of 7 and 14. But they are part of history as players from the "one year only" 1969 Seattle Pilots.

One of the most unlikely MVP winners (1965) is Zoilo ("Zorro") Versalles. A solid leadoff man, with excellent base running skills and a solid glove, Versalles played for the Minnesota Twins for seven years (1961 to 1967) until being traded five times in the next five years. Versalles started the 1969 campaign with Cleveland and ended up in Washington with very non-MVP numbers. He was considered the "sparkplug" that led the Twins to the first World Series in 1965 and he led the AL in runs scored, double, triples and at bats. Two All Star games, two gold gloves and an MVP yet he is probably best known in the card collecting world with his "famous" 1961 uncorrected error card spelling his first name as "Zorro".

Another real nice card John sent is the "Birds Wrap it Up" (#201) as the Orioles sweep the Twins in the very first ALCS. That is the powerful Boog Powell catching the final out with Ellie Hendricks screaming with joy. Unfortunately the 109 wins the Orioles had in 1969 were not enough to beat the "miracle" Mets in the World Series that year but . . . . I will not end this post on a downer since John was so generous, so thank you John for making the Monday after the "super" sunday so terrific. You made today the best day of any week.