1969 Willie Mays

It's my original 1969 Topps Willie Mays card. And if you can look past the horrendous crease down the middle,the soft, frayed corners and the fact that it is seriously mis-cut, I think you'll agree it's a beautiful card.

Willie looks sooo Willie-like on this one. His patented smile (OK, he doesn't smile at signings much these days but he used to be known for it), the history laden Giants' home shirt, the way his glove, even though mostly out of the frame, it tilted towards the sky, ready for a Mays 'basket catch'. Topps obviously didn't have their design people spend months on the 1969 set. It's pretty ho-hum, and the color of the backs is pretty bad, but some cards are classic. I think this is one.

And the back, with it's 'wall of (amazing) stats', made for endless study for a stat maven like I was back in the day. The one text line heralds the fact that, at that moment in time, Willie was #2 to the Babe in career homers!

From third grade onward I was best friends with a Giant fan who came from a family of Giants' fans. So I saw Mays play at Shea on several occasions. I also saw the Giants play the Mets at the Polo Grounds in either '62 or '63. I don't recall a lot other than the place seemed huge (even to a kid who was used to the vast Yankee Stadium), and it seemed dark. But I saw Willie Mays play, in the place he made his most iconic catch. I know because I checked and he made every game in New York in those two seasons.

1960 Topps Managers, Billy Jurges and Bob Elliot

I'm edging ever closer to finishing my 1960 Topps manager subset. These are really fun cards from a set that is the first that I ever really collected and have vivid memories of. I really like the gold/mustard color used on the backs. 

Billy Jurges only managed 122 games for the Red Sox in 1959/1960. He had a record of 59-63. But he did get to pose in Fenway Park leaning on the batting cage in dapper style with a glove on his hand for a Topps card. That has to count for something. But he was a three time All Star for the Cubs and Giants during a solid 17 year playing career.

Bob Elliott only managed one season, 1960 for the Athletics, and his club finished eighth, but he had a long and successful playing career. He was seven time All Star third baseman while playing primarily for the Pirates and Boston Braves. He was the NL MVP in 1947 with a stat line of 22/113/.317 and he garnered top ten MVP placement twice more. Plus, he looks like my Uncle Gerald.

I'm down to needing five of the 16 managers cards out of the '60 Topps set. I may also try and nab the coaches cards. I remember how big of a kick me and my friends got out of the 'old guys' floating heads on that subset.

I'm just afraid I might be tempted to complete the whole Topps set. Hey, I love projects, but I'm not up to another full vintage set at the moment.

It's Masters Sunday

I play golf, though not very well. And hitting a bucket of balls at the range is a nice way to relax, at least for me. I even build and repair golf clubs. All of the clubs I play are ones I've built.

And I watch golf, sometimes. I'm out at the Shell Houston Open every year (my sister-in-law is a Shell exec) and I watch on TV if it's the final round of the Masters. And that's today. Normally I'd block out a couple of hours to watch the last of the tournament, especially since my cable provider has a crazy good Masters set-up where we can choose which hole or group we want to concentrate our attention on.

But sadly none of my favorites, none of the guys I'd be interested in watching, are in contention. Fred Couples and K. J. Choi shot themselves into also-ran status on Saturday. And Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els made the cut but were never threats.

So I can do my taxes without much interruption. Oh happy day.

Yesterday I was at Target and went to the card aisle, of course. I thought I might buy a pack of something other than 2013 Topps (I already bought one of those) but they didn't have anything that interested me other than a box of Upper Deck SP Golf. I hadn't bought any golf cards since the hey-day (if it could be called that) of the Pro Set golf sets back in the early 90s.

I picked up a pack and opened it this morning. Nothing at all to get excited about. Just four cards including one of an LPGA player. I hadn't even registered the fact that the pack was marked '2012' although it wouldn't have mattered much, they are golf cards after all.

The cards themselves are pretty nice. Thicker than normal cardboard with clear pics and a pleasing design. I did get one of a Masters winner, Zack Johnson. He hasn't been to Houston since his 11th place finish in 2004. So I have no love for him.

Johnathan Byrd missed the cut in the last couple of Houston Opens but he did finish 14th about four years ago.

John Mallinger also missed the cut this year here in Houston but he has a 6th place finish to his credit. I didn't scan the front of his card because I wanted to show one card back without having to make two scanner 'runs'. My stupid scanner only will do four images at a time.

Brian Cole

I read about Mets' prospect Brian Cole a few years ago. I didn't recall his story when I read about him. His death in 2001 came during a time that I was not following the game at all. His history, and his tragic loss prompted me to find a card of the guy. This is a shiny, sparkly Fleer something-or-other from 2001.

If you are not familiar with the Brian Cole story I encourage you to find the Baseball Preview issue of Sports Illustrated or glance at one of these articles from the New York Times or the Sarasota Herald.

Albert Pujols speaks of Cole as one would speak of a baseball all time great. It's a touching story. I hope you get a chance to read it.

1948 Japanese Menko cards... Two Hall of Fame pitchers

The Menko card above (from a set known as JRM 20) is of Tadashi Wakabayashi, two time Japanese League MVP and a Hall of Fame pitcher who was a second generation Japanese-American born in Hawaii. It dates from 1948, late in his career when he was serving as a player manager of the Osaka Tigers. What looks like a serious crease across the bottom of the card is a surface wrinkle that my scanner chose to highlight (as well as slice off the sides).

Neat little 13 second video of 'Bozo' Wakabayashi 's pitching form found on YouTube and the linked site:

This next Menko card also comes from 1948 and a semi-related set cataloged as JRM 26. The similarities are pretty obvious. There are several similar sets issued the same year and all vary just a bit in the background. The pictured player is Hideo Fujimoto. He is also a Japanese League Hall of Famer. He holds the career record for lowest ERA and lowest one season ERA. Like Bozo he also managed late in his career. Fujimoto was born in Korea, moving to Japan when he was eight.

Topps Marquee Brooks Robinson

I frequent a collectors forum, Trading Card Zone. Most of the cards I own are older than most of the members over there but that's OK. I don't mind being the 'old fart' who waxes nostalgic about vintage while they oooh and aaah over the latest and greatest sparkly/shiny autographed relic hits. They are nice guys.

Anyway one of the mods asked a question... "Would you pay a premium for a 'numbered' card that has the number which matches the player's uniform?" I bring that up because I had on my desk, in my ever growing pile of 'stuff', this 2011 Topps Marquee featuring Brooksie that is numbered #5 of 199.

I have no idea where I got it, and I'm sure I never paid attention to the number. I will tell you that I probably picked it up because I like the nice glossy picture they used and the fact that while Brooks in in a familiar pose this is NOT a picture that I've seen over and over like some of the recent cards of him that I come across.

There is also the chance that someone out there sent me this card. I think I would remember if that was the case because I don't get a lot of packages. But if it came from you, gracias. It's a sweet card, no matter what it is #'d.

These belonged to my sons, I swear

When my sons moved out to go to college I cleared out a lot of 'stuff' they left behind. I promised them I wouldn't toss out any of their favorite or 'valuable' cards. That wasn't difficult because most of what the had was junk, mostly a collection of crappy '80s wax baseball, plus stuff like Classic minor league cards, Pro Set hockey, stadium issued Astros Mother's Cookies cards, a bunch of those thick Action Packed football cards, loads of Pokemon foolishness and Power Ranger cards.

I dumped most of it, except for a few Power Rangers cards. My sons always thought I loved watching the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers with them for the action and stories.

Nope