Aloha, everybody,
My weekly card show pursuits will have to cool off for the time being (we're currently down a car), but that doesn't mean my collection is in the cooler.
Thanks to a very helpful reader/collector, GCA, my Perfect Games Project has taken a great big step toward completion. GCA is primarily a set-collector, but he took a liking to my little project, dug through his boxes, and sent these cards over to me.
(A reminder: although any cards from the players who made up these batteries will do for a start, my ultimate goal is to have cards representing the players from the year of the perfect game.)
Leading off is King Felix on 2012 Topps Archives...
I still need his catcher, John Jaso.
Jumping back to 1988 Topps, Jeff Reed.
While Reed's card hails from the correct year (1988), he's pictured as an Expo. Reed caught the perfect game as a Red. Which brings to mind, I still need the ultimate card for his pitcher, Tom Browning.
Up next is a beautiful 2009 O-Pee-Chee featuring southpaw Mark Buerle. I'm still in need of his battery mate, Ramon Castro.
From 2004 Topps Total, Robby Hammock, taking grounders. Now I need to catch Randy Johnson, who threw that no-no...
Here's southpaw David Wells, on a well-designed, horizontal 1998 Collector's Choice card. Jorge Posada needed.
Last up, GCA sent the ultimate cards for both members of the Texas Rangers' perfect game battery of pitcher Kenny Rogers on 1994 Fleer Ultra (I love this set)...
and newly-inducted, Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez on 1994 Upper Deck Electric Diamond...
Pudge looks reflective on that card, right? Perhaps he's thinking about how awesome he looks on the card back...
It's no wonder you caught a perfect game, Pudge.
THANKS for getting me closer to my goal, GCA!
Aloha!
Aloha, everybody,
Someone just tweeted out that today is Brooklyn Dodgers great, Carl Erskine's birthday.
I hadda drop everything and dig up the precious few bits of Erskine cardboard in my collection.
******************************************************UPDATE: It seems ATBATT is now the unwitting victim of the dreaded Fake News epidemic! When I was scanning Erskine's cards, I noticed they said his B-day is December 13.
I thought the date seemed odd, and I just now checked my phone to confirm that it's only Dec. 11 today. Even if that person who tweeted it's Erskine's birthday lived on the east coast, that would make their announcement on the 12, a full 24 hours before Erskine's actual birthday.
Welp, I should have confirmed my source - but it will still be nice to check out some cool cardboard, right? So why not?
******************************************************
First up is my oldest Erskine card, 1957 Topps...
And a beautiful card it is. It's my only card of Erskine from his playing days in Brooklyn. I'm pretty sure this is Ebbets Field. There's another Dodger right-hander taking the mound in the background and a smattering of fans further behind in the stands.
When would this shot have been taken? Why would a starting pitcher be warming up, while another pitcher took the mound?
The only thing I am sure about in this shot, is Erskine's dead-on stare. Eye of the tiger, indeed.
That was his last Topps card in Brooklyn. The Dodgers moved to California, and Erskine sported the shopped LA look in 1958 Topps...
That's it for my vintage Topps. The rest of my Erskine cards are tribute and reprint style.
These two are from Topps Archives reprints that were popular back in the early 90's. This is a 1953 Topps reprint...
I couldn't find any records of a 1954 Topps Erskine, so I'm thinking this is one of those "cards that never were" creations done in the '54 style.
That "1954" photo looks suspiciously like the same photo from his actual 1958 card, this time with the original Brooklyn hat.
The next two tribute cards came to me via trades...
This Action Packed card features a faux-embossed surface. Nice and glossy, the raised surfaces catch the light nicely.
Finally, from 1990 Swell Baseball greats...
Carl Erskine pitched two no-hitters and won the 1955 World Series with the Brooklyn club. Happy Birthday to one of the Boys of Summer.
Aloha!
Aloha, everybody,
Do you know what today is in Dodgerdom? It's the 50th anniversary of the retirement of the greatest pitcher the Dodgers have ever known.
Let's celebrate the memory of one of the greatest pitchers to EVER grace the diamond, with some of my favorite Koufax cardboard.
Until I can afford a real Koufax RC, this Rookie Patch card will do. It's a real beauty.
Below he looks great on this Topps Lineage stand up...
The Dodgers have had plenty of good pitchers over the years, some of the best the game ever saw, and Koufax leads them all.
Sure he laid down the big stats with 4 no-hitters and a perfect game, but more importantly (from a team-standpoint) he dominated when it came to the World Series.
Against the Minnesota Twins, Koufax pitched two shutouts, with 10 Ks in each.
He struck out 15 against the Yankees in Game 1 of the WS, and then returned to complete the sweep a few days later.
Below is one of my favorite post-career Koufax cards, a see-through, limited ed. 27/75...
Here's Sandy on multi-player cardboard, with some guys named Podres and Drysdale...
I could never afford a Koufax auto, so I had to rely on a pull. That came to me in a lucky box break from Community Gum. It's one of my favorite cards in my collection, Topps Archives Fan Favorites autograph...
Fifty years ago, today...
Aloha!
Aloha, everybody,
Do you know what today is in Dodgerdom? It's the 50th anniversary of the retirement of the greatest pitcher the Dodgers have ever known.
Let's celebrate the memory of one of the greatest pitchers to EVER grace the diamond, with some of my favorite Koufax cardboard.
Until I can afford a real Koufax RC, this Rookie Patch card will do. It's a real beauty.
Below he looks great on this Topps Lineage stand up...
The Dodgers have had plenty of good pitchers over the years, some of the best the game ever saw, and Koufax leads them all.
Sure he laid down the big stats with 4 no-hitters and a perfect game, but more importantly (from a team-standpoint) he dominated when it came to the World Series.
Against the Minnesota Twins, Koufax pitched two shutouts, with 10 Ks in each.
He struck out 15 against the Yankees in Game 1 of the WS, and then returned to complete the sweep a few days later.
Below is one of my favorite post-career Koufax cards, a see-through limited 27/75...
Here's Sandy on multi-player cardboard, with some guys named Podres and Drysdale...
I could never afford a Koufax auto, so I had to rely on a pull. That came to me in a lucky box break from Community Gum. It's one of my favorite cards in my collection, Topps Archives Fan Favorites autograph...
Fifty years ago, today...
Aloha!
Aloha, everybody,
Do you know what today is in Dodgerdom? It's the 50th anniversary of the retirement of the greatest pitcher the Dodgers have ever known.
Let's celebrate the memory of one of the greatest pitchers to EVER grace the diamond, with some of my favorite Koufax cardboard.
Until I can afford a real Koufax RC, this Rookie Patch card will do. It's a real beauty. Below he looks great on this Topps Lineage stand up...
The Dodgers have had plenty of good pitchers over the years, some of the best ever, and Koufax leads them all.
Sure he laid down the big stats with 4 no-hitters and a perfect game, but more importantly (from a team-standpoint) he dominated when it came to the World Series.
Against the Minnesota Twins, Koufax pitched two shutouts, with 10 Ks in each.
He struck out 15 against the Yankees in Game 1 of the WS, and then returned to complete the sweep a few days later.
Below is one of my favorite post-career Koufax cards, a see-through limited 27/75...
Here's Sandy on multi-player cardboard, with some guys named Podres and Drysdale...
I could never afford a Koufax auto, so I had to rely on a pull. That came to me in a lucky box break from Community Gum. It's one of my favorite cards in my collection, Topps Archives Fan Favorites autograph...
Fifty years ago, today...
Aloha!
