Oriole Player Postcards Reggie Jackson

Reggie Jackson played one year with the Orioles. He was a Bird in 1976 between his much more publicized stints in Oakland and New York. He missed the month of April but managed to finish with 27 homers. The O's finished 2nd to the Yanks that year but never were really a threat and they were 10 plus games back when the season ended.

Pictures of Jackson in Oriole garb are uncommon. Seeing him in the hideous orange jersey/orange cap combo is even more uncommon. I sent him one of these cards to sign c/o the Yankees a few years later, maybe '79 or so. Needless to say I never got it back.

1961 Topps Don Mossi

I pulled this card out of a cheap vintage bin at the last card show I attended. I like the '61 set and I like Don Mossi so it was an easy purchase. Nice to Tiger/Briggs Stadium in the background as well.

No cheap Don Mossi 'appearance' shots from me. They've all been done. Instead a link to a chapter in Mike Shannon's Tales from the Dugout book that I found that gives an insight into the guy. It's worth a look. 

Frank Robinson 1994 Nabisco All-Star Legends

Tonite the Orioles will honor Frank Robinson with the unveiling of a bronze statue at Camden Yards. I wish I could be there. As with any Oriole fan who was aware of the club during his playing tenure I have an enormous amount of reverence for Frank. His arrival in Baltimore in 1966 turned the team into a championship club and a contender for the better part of a decade. He played baseball that way it was meant to be played. I always thought that among his many talents his most valuable was his knack for making everyone around him play better. He was instantly recognisable on the field whether he was hitting...

...fielding...

...or just running out a dinger.....

...he had a certain classic grace and style.

My Dad and I were at Yankee Stadium the night in June of 1966 when Frank made a spectacular catch while tumbling into the seats to save an Oriole win in the first game of a doubleheader. With a two run lead in the bottom of the ninth Eddie Watt put a pair of runners on and was relieved by Stu Miller. Roy White greeted Miller with a drive to right that Frank leaped up for and grabbed while going backwards over the railing.

 I had a back cover of Baseball Digest that showed the sequence of him catching it, falling into the stands and getting up. Had it on my wall for years. BTW... Ralph Houk got tossed when he was arguing the call during the lineup card exchange for the second game.

In 1969 I took a banner to Yankee Stadium I painted with Frank's #20. I stood along the rail by the vistors' dugout before the game. A bat boy offered to take it to the clubhouse since we had missed batting practice. Soon after that Frank came up the steps of the dugout with the signed banner, asked who's it was, and gave it back to me. I still have it.

One final Frank story, and my favorite. I was with my University of Houston buddies watching the Cougars play Arizona State in 1972 in the Astrodome. At one point I turn around and in the aisle is a guy who looks just like Tommy John. Dawned on us that it WAS Tommy John, the Dodgers were watching the game right behind us while killing time before their game with the Astros that night. Then we saw that the whole section was filled with the Dodger team and Frank was sitting at the end of my row. I had to go over and say 'hello' and make some stupid small talk about the O's missing him while he signed my football program.

It should be a great nite in Baltimore. Thanks for the memories, Frank Robinson!

Oriole Player Postcards Eddie Watt

Another example of my Oriole postcard collection. This is a late 60's issue of reliever Eddie Watt. Eddie, an Iowa native, debuted as a starter for the O's in 1966 but quickly was transformed into a major cog in the Orioles' bullpen committee that served them so well during the 'glory days' of the franchise. His career numbers are pretty impressive: a record of 38-36 in 411 games pitched, 240 games finished, 80 saves, and an ERA of 2.91.

Batman The Movie cards, Robert Wuhl

A week ago my wife and I and many friends attended a University of Houston alumni gala honoring, among others, my friend and former roommate, actor Robert Wuhl. I've known Robert since 1972 or so. He's a great guy and fun to be around. 

He's had a very successful career as a comedian, writer, director and actor. He's done dozens of movies and TV shows. His best film work, in my opinion, was as Al Stump in Cobb which starred Tommy Lee Jones as the great ballplayer, intense and prickly in retirement.

You might know him as HBO's Arli$$ or one of him many supporting roles in films such as Bull Durham and Good Morning Vietnam.

He played Alexander Knox in the first of the Batman films and appeared on several cards issued by Topps for that movie. Here are a few. At the bottom is a shot of Robert and my late father at the 2005 World Series. We were Robert's guests and watched Game Two from Roger Clemens' suite in Minute Maid Park. My Dad was thrilled to be there and despite the Astros' loss he had a ball. It's a great memory for me and I'm very grateful that Robert made it possible.

The two series of Batman the Movie cards are the only modern non-sports cards I own, the only full set I have picked up since I collected Mars Attacks and Civil War News cards as a kid.

Oriole Player Postcards Rudy May & Mike Flanagan

The Orioles, like many other teams, produced player postcards that were originally intended for use as 'mailouts' by players who received autograph requests. The Orioles still produce and sell the postcards. I've seen some of the newer one featured on autograph collector sites such as The Great Orioles Autograph Project and Eutaw Street Cardboard and others.

I collected the postcards from the mid 70's though the late 80s. Most of the ones produced during that time-frame are similar to the ones above, outdoor shots with Memorial Stadium in the background or studio shots with blue backgrounds. There are lots and lots of variation, even among the 'same' card of the same player. Different cropping, font size and such varied from one year to another.

The earliest cards, circa 1954, were issued in black and white. There were specialized issues such as 'Health' series which featured safety messages, etc. One collector who cataloged the Oriole cards reported variations as minuscule as the amount of white space between the name and the picture itself. There were cards with 'postcard' backs (address line, stamp 'here' boxes and a message area) but the majority of mine are of the blank back style. Ed Allen has a site that is devoted to Oriole postcards and he has a 'book' available with photocopies of all the cards.

For a long time I tried to collect all the variations and bought bulk lots of the postcards sight unseen hoping to find some different cards. As a result I have multiple boxes and binders of them taking up closet space. I also have some that are autographed and some I received via player requests.

Like the Tadder photos these combine to show a timeline of personnel and uniform changes through the years. I'll through a few up on the blog from time to time.

Rudy May came to the Orioles from the Yankees in a huge June, 1976 trade that also saw the O's acquire Rick Dempsey, Tippy Martinez and Dave Pagan. May won 29 games for the Birds in a season and a half before being traded to the Expos after the '77 season.

Mike Flanagan was a star for the club in the late 70s and early 80s and won three postseason games for the Birds. He was the AL Cy Young winner in 1979. He won a total of 141 games in Baltimore and 26 more for the Blue Jays late in his career. He's a member of the Orioles Hall of Fame. He served as pitching coach, broadcaster and General manager for the Orioles following his retirement. Flanny died in 2001.

T206 Christy Mathewson

I've got the itch...again. I've been looking at my vintage stuff a lot lately. This T-206 Mathewson (brown cap/Old Mill back) is the coolest card I own. At one time a long time ago, before I had a family and worried about stuff like saving for kids college educations, I went to card shows looking for tobacco cards in decent shape. Prices then were no where near what they are now. Graded cards were around but I paid no attention.

I'm not sure what I had hoped to do except buy as many as I could afford. I knew damn well I wasn't going to complete any of the sets! I just got a kick out of holding a card that some kid had held seven decades before. I bought this Christy Mathewson, one card each of Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance. And I tracked down the nine Baltimore Oriole minor leaguers included. I expanded to some other tobacco cards, mostly the gorgeous T-205 Gold Borders.

But eventually I could no longer justify spending that kind of money even though the prices then were very reasonable (I bought most of the Baltimore cards as a package for maybe $30 or $40). But with the sale of the Wagner card in the news I got to thinking about how I enjoyed obtaining these beauties and how much easier it would be now with eBay to add a few.

So I'm on a quest. I've got my eyes on a few 1895 Mayo Cut Plug cards on eBay now that, while far from pristine, look acceptable and are at a decent price of are listed with the 'make on offer' option. I'll see what I come up with. I like having a project.