I'll Live To Cheer Another Day

Well, with the Orioles out of the playoffs I have some scans that I was planning to post for upcoming games just sitting up on Picasa. But why not post them anyway?

This is a Cal Ripken boxed set that was put out by Upper Deck in 1996. There are 22 cards and they are larger than standard cards, they measure 3.5 x 5. My scans don't do these cards justice at all. They are really great pictures. I believe UD included a card to represent each year of Cal's career and a 'header' card. I chose to scan a representative group because some are pretty similar. There are several batting stance cards, for example, with just different unis being worn.

The cards are slick, glossy and have gold accents. The scan just ruins the black bar across the bottom of each card. That's a shame because these are quality.

I scanned the box including the bottom and the top is what you see above.

A few were horizontal. This is one of the lesser pics in the bunch.

Throwback uni! I wish the O's would wear these '54 duds on Fridays instead of the nasty black ones.

I like this one. Cal's looking cool with the shades, the Orioles usher rocking that cool uniform, the Warehouse in the background.

Classic Cal, as I remember his playing days.

This is the back of a random card in the set. 

The bottom of the box:

I saved my favorite card for last. It's different from the rest and features Cal and Eddie Murray with matching 'bad ass' expressions.

Post Johnny Unitas Card

Being down with the flu is no fun and the Orioles haven't helped any but rather than disappear I'm going to toss up this sweet Johnny U card from the 1962 Post Cereal set.

I'm not sure why but I never really thought of the Post football cards. Probably because I never saw them growing up, or at least I don't remember seeing them.

I'll be back as soon as I'm feeling better.

1955 Bowman Orioles aka Karma Bringers Deluxe

Or at least I hope so. It was a rough weekend for the Orioles but I'm sure they will play hard and bounce back.

But hey, posting older Orioles stuff has been fun. Why stop now? So here are 12 cards from the 1955 Bowman Orioles team set. It's an interesting and often overlooked set. I've tended to pay it no mind because the Orioles team in the first few years was rather bland. Lots of castoffs filled roster spots and big names were nowhere to be seen. But let's give the set (and the Orioles included) a little love.

Cal Abrams had come over from Pittsburgh early in 1954 and hit .293 as a regular in the outfield. He slid to .243 in '55 and was out of baseball after 3 at bats with the '56 White Sox. He's one of several 'Boys of Summer' era Dodgers that found themselves in Charm City in 1955.

Billy Cox is another ex-Brooklyn Dodger who is in the set with the O's. 1955 was his only season in the AL and it was his last in the majors. He hit .211 while playing in 53 games at third base.

Willy Miranda had been a bit player for several clubs since 1951 but he stepped into the Orioles shortstop job in 1955 and held it for three seasons. He hit .255 in 1955 and that represents his best season.

Preacher Roe came to the Orioles in the same December 1954 trade with the Dodgers that brought Billy Cox. But unlike Cox Roe never played in Baltimore. He retired to his home in Arkansas. He's a very interesting guy and his Baseball Reference Bullpen page is a good read.

Eddie Waitkus was the Orioles primary firstbaseman in 1954 and hit .283 but he tailed off and was released in July 1955. He signed and finished out the season (and his career) with the Phillies. He had been a solid major leaguer for the post-war Cubs and Whiz Kid Phillies for a decade. He was known as the guy who was shot by an obsessed female fan in 1949. 

Matt Batts came over to the O's in a deal with the White Sox in December of 1954 and was traded to the Indians as the '55 season opened. He was nearing the end of a decade long career as a platoon and reserve catcher at that point.

Charlie Maxwell passed through Baltimore just long enough to get four at bats there in 1955. He went on to have a solid career for the Tigers and White Sox and seemed to save his best ball for games against the Yankees. At least my father had that impression.

Gil Coan had been a regular with the Nats for a decade or so before he played in '54/'55 for the Orioles as a fourth outfielder. He played though the 1956 season with the White Sox and Giants after leaving the Orioles.

Johnny Pesky was a WWII vet who played shortstop for the Red Sox and twice led the AL in hits during his eight seasons there. He was signed and released before the 1955 season and went on to manage, coach and scout for the Red Sox.

Joe Coleman had made a comeback in 1954 and won 13 games for a poor Orioles club. He previously had pitched for the Athletics and had a couple of winning seasons in the late 40s. In 1955 he was knocked around in six appearances for the O's before he was released. He finished his career with the Tigers that season and a year in the minors in 1956.

Don Johnson was a journeyman righty who came to the Orioles in 1955 and was hit hard in 31 games, mostly out of the bullpen. He had previously won 24 games for four other teams spread out over a decade. After leaving the Orioles he had some success in the minors and played again briefly for the '58 Giants.

Paul Richards managed the Orioles to a 57 win season in 1955, his first with the club, His record steadily improved over a half dozen seasons with a second and third place finish in store for the club as the 60s began. Richards had managed the White Sox in the early 50s and returned to manage them again in 1976. He was known as an innovator and is credited with introducing the oversized cathcers mitt used to nab Hoyt Wilhelm's knuckleball.

There was one soon-to-be famous future star on that 1955 Orioles team and here is his picture from the Baltimore Sun of September 17th of that year:

(Baltimore Sun file photo / September 17, 1955)

Brooks Robinson went 2-for-4 with an RBI in his major league debut on Sept. 17, 1955 against the Washington Senators at Memorial Stadium. After the game, he recalled in 2005, he phoned his parents in Arkansas and told them the major leagues were easy. "I told them I didn't know why I'd been in York all year," he said. "Then I went 0-for-18 with 10 strikeouts the rest of the season."

Monday Morning Quarterback #33 Ken O'Brien 1990 Pro Set

In this ongoing series of posts I am going to feature cards from my fantasy football player collection, specifically the 117 quarterbacks I've had on my team's roster since 1980. I have one selected card for each player in my All-Time Flyers binder. Through the years I've tried to use as many different card varieties as possible while holding on to my preference which is: a card issued in a year I owned the player showing him in the proper team uni in a vertical format. Card availability and my whims have had a big impact on that standard as we will see. 

NFL Info: Ken O'Brien came out of Cal-Davis as part of the famed 'QB Class of 1983'. He spent his NFL career in the shadows of a few others in that '83 group, namely Marino, Elway and Kelly. But O'Brien had a fine career in his own right.  He played nine seasons for the Jets and one for the Eagles making two Pro Bowls and throwing 128 TDs. He had the #1 QB rating in 1985 despite being sacked a league high 62 times.

He was the first quarterback to pass for 400 or more yards (431) in a game and earn a perfect NFL 158.3 rating, He's a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Fantasy Impact: I had O'Brien in 1984 but he didn't play for me. I had him again for a two year stint in 1986/87. In '86 he had a big season for me as he averaged 13 points a game in a TD only format. He came up small when I needed him the most though and I was gone after a disappointing one game playoff run.

I brought him back for '87 and he was supposed to be my regular QB but I switched to Neil Lomax early and he never gave the job back. One of my favorite fantasy football memories is a Monday Night game between the Jest and Dolphins in the late 80s. I was locked up in a close game with my close friend and long time league rival. I had Jets receiver Al Toon, he had the other Jets receiver, Wesley Walker. Every time O'Brien dropped back I was yelling for him to "Look left!" or "No...NOT THAT WAY!". Good times.

The Card: Say what you will about the over-produced 1990 Pro Set football cards. I loved the set then and I love it now. It was so much fun to put a set together pack by grocery store pack and trading cor cards I needed with my students.

And I think it looks pretty darn good. Nice sized, clear photos, a head shot on the back. I like the full stats and they crammed in lots of info there as well. The color coordinated cards look good in a binder.

It's Hockey Time Again

My Rangers open their home schedule tonight at Madison Square Garden after splitting a pair of road match-ups. I'm glad to have them back on the ice. Just enough time has passed for me to have gotten over their Cup Finals loss to that team out in California.

I'm leading off the celebration with a card sent to me recently by Mark Hoyle. One that is new to me and very welcome seeing that it features my favorite Rangers skater, Rod Gilbert. That's a 1976 Topps Glossy insert. I wasn't collecting hockey cards in '76. I was living in Houston, not long out of college, and keeping up with the Rangers via long distance was difficult.

The set consists of 22 cards, one of which is Phil Esposito as a Ranger :::shudder::: and Brad Park and Jean Ratelle in Bruin sweaters. For those reasons alone I won't be chasing this set. But I'm sure glad to add this one to my ever increasing Rod Gilbert collection!

Rod Seiling played for the Rangers for just over a decade, from the early 1960s through 1975. He was one of those guys who seemed to become a lightning-rod for fans' frustrations during some disappointing seasons around Madison Square Garden. When you looked at the club's defensemen you saw the near legend Harry Howell, the brilliantly talented Brad Park, the uber-cool Jim 'Chief' Neilson and the pair we loved to rag on, Seiling and Arnie Brown.

Hey Rod, consider this my apology.

Here is a trivia question for your next bar nite. What two North American athletes have won the most championships? The answer: Henri Richard and Bill Russell. Both won 11 rings as players.

Henri is the younger brother of Maurice 'Rocket' Richard. I never saw Maurice play but I did see Henri many times throughout the second half of his career in the 60s and 70s. Like his brother, Henri Richard is a Hall of Famer.

The 70-71 Topps hockey set has that 'Pop Art' vibe to it. It's certainly different. If I was a Canadiens' fan I'd probably be perturbed that their iconic logo is rendered in pink here.

btw.... Hoyle included many other goodies in the two (yes, two) envelopes that arrived last week. When my life settles down I'll be posting some others.

O-R-I-O-L-E-S!!!!!!!! Game 5 (I guess I should call it Game 2)

Well it was a tough loss last night for the O's, exciting to be sure but tough to swallow. Looks like we will need EXTRA karma to get into the win column against the pesky Royals. I'm digging out the heavy artillery.

From perhaps the most iconic card set of all time and some of my most cherished cards.....T206 Baltimore Orioles!!!! These guys are looking down from the heavens and directing thunderbolts at Camden Yards. Go Birds!!

O-R-I-O-L-E-S!!!!!!!! Game 4

The Orioles are taking on the Royals tonight in the first game of whatever the series is called that gets you to the World Series. Cool deal I say. Let's do this.

The last time the O's were in the Series of course was 1983. I was at both games in Baltimore wearing my game-worn Tim Stoddard road jersey. Those were the days before everyone and his brother wore a jersey to the stadium and mine drew a lot of interest. I didn't take advantage of the opportunity I had to go to Philly for the games there. I had a new wife, a new job and there was no guarantee that the Series would end there so I headed home.

Here to give the Orioles of 2014 some backing are some of my favorite 1983 Orioles on their Topps cards of that season. I don't care a whole lot for the '83 set. It's not so much the design that bugs me, in fact I kind of like the design, but rather the photos which I feel are grainy and uninspired. But, no matter. Let's do this!! Go O's!!!