Catching Up

I've fallen way behind on posting. Lots of reasons...from lack of inspiration to a complete revamp/remodeling of my hobby room/office. I've also been doing some work on the home network and switching over from Chrome to Firefox. FF, btw, while cleaner and quicker than Chrome, doesn't play well with Blogger. I smell a conspiracy. Off-topic...I haven't used a Mozilla product since their first attempt at a browser (Phoenix) but I was a hardcore Netscape Navigator user back in the day. My school district was an early adopter.

But that up above doesn't mean I haven't been busy when it comes to picking up cards and memorabilia. Most of my new acquisitions are additions to my Billy Pierce and Charles Bender collections.My posts of those guys never get much in the way of readership so I'm in no rush to scan and post them.

One group of cards I do have scanned is my card show haul from April. I followed myusual MO....sifting through the cheap vintage boxes and snatching whatever caught my fancy. Some of these I already owned but who wouldn't want a second copy of the '67 Ed Charles?

So here they are. Starting off with some '82 Kelloggs. I have to admit I'm coming around to seeing past Rickey Henderson's quirks and I'm beginning to appreciate what he did on the field.

Schmidt...best NL third baseman I've ever seen.  ;-)

The Wizard of Oz. I always thought the two-tone cap detracted from this uni. Now I'm not so sure.

Here's the back of Ozzie's card blown up so you can read the teeny font used to describe the drama surrounding his trade to the Cardinals during the winter of '81-'82.

Mike Cuellar, at Shea. I think I've written about the time I sat next to him and Fred Gladdingin at a game in the Astrodome. Both were DL'd and sitting right behind home plate. Cuellar was charting pitches. My Dad and I were in the seats he sometimes got from Shell Oil. They were pretty sweet.

Here's The Glider! I hear Bob Murphy's voice in my head whenever I think of this guy. Love that A's uni.

I have this Elston Howard on my PC but I keep thinking that one day I may chase the  '64 set.

Richie Allen. Why isn't he in the Hall of Fame? I think he belongs.

'67 Boog. Because why not?

'64 Juan Pizzaro. See my remarks on the Elston Howard card. Exactly the same here.

This Palmer wasn't a need but I kind of hate leaving his cards in a bargain box.

Love the '61 Post Cereal cards and I love Wally Moon cards so this was a no-brainer.

And I'll finish up with a pair of 1969 Topps Deckle Edge inserts. I really need to dig thru my cards (and that's the plan for the summer) and pull out what I have of these. I'd bet I'm fairly close to the whole thing.

Richie Allen in his 'Rich Allen' mode.

And a sorta stoned-looking Jerry Koosman.

That's it for now. I'll try to do better next time.

Juan Pizarro Collection

Somebody posted a Juan Pizarro card a few weeks back, I can't find that post now but it got me to thinking about my own bunch of Pizarro cards. I can't explain exactly why I pick them up. I do remember that when I was a kid I always put them aside, along with Johnny Callison and a couple of other non-Orioles.

I may someday have to go see a shrink and may they could delve into my fixation on lefty pitchers like Pizarro, Koufax, Billy Pierce, Marcelino López and Whitey Ford. I'm sure it comes from something buried in my childhood.

That '57 is probably my favorite. I always love those Braves unis and the '57 is just a terrific set. The '63 reminds me of my days watching AL clubs at Yankee Stadium.

I may yet chase the 1960 set. Maybe as much for the backs as the fronts. Maybe the shrink can explain my obsession with the backs of these to me as well.

Several of these are recent COMC pickups to fill holes or upgrade my ratty 60s cards.

These are two of the three League Leaders cards on which Pizarro appears. He is also on the E.R.A Leaders card in the '64 set.

The card on the left in the below pairing is an oddball from a set put out by the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Pizarro shows up on a couple of other Topps cards that I don't own yet, the '68 for one. The '68 is a high number and I won't spend enough to nab it. He also has a '62 stamp and a coin from '64.