Aloha, everybody,
I wanted to go to the card show today...but alas...things didn't work out. So let's do the next best thing and check out some cards that I got on my last trip there.
Everybody knows, I love my Dodgers, but this here's the greatest catcher ever...
Here's a new addition for my World Series subsets. I have Games 4, 5, and 6 from this set...
Fleer is a bit of a junk product, but they put together some great combo cards...
Now let's get really vintage...
Maybe fear struck out, but my card searching on that day didn't. Every collection of baseball's legends has gotta have this guy...
You better have one of his cards too...
Did I find any Dodgers? You betcha. Slightly miscut, but I'll take it. A bargain for a quarter in the overpriced LA card market...
More heroes from the Windy City...(all of these are available for trade remember)...
How about some Curt Flood? The Hall of Fame won't let him in...but my collection sure will...
You probably already have about five of this one, right, Mark?
I love those stadium archways in the background.
We'll finish off with a cool LA Angels card from 1961 Topps.
I LOVE vintage! Aloha!
Aloha, everybody,
One more Thanksgiving has come and gone, with one more celebration of the family traditions. Continuity finds its spots throughout our lives, including within our favorite sports franchises.
When I was growing up, one aspect of Dodgers familiarity was having the same manager year after year. Although the Dodgers had a long tradition of only offering one-year contracts to their manager, it was understood the gig was practically a lifetime appointment.
The first Dodgers skipper I ever knew was Walter Alston. He managed the club from 1954 to 1976. Today is the 63rd anniversary of his hiring to lead the team. Here's my small collection of Alston cardboard.
Leading off is 1958 Topps and one of my favorite vintage Dodgers cards, Boss and Power.
1960 Topps. The Dodgers had moved to Los Angeles, but were still playing in the LA Coliseum. They wouldn't play their first game in Dodger Stadium until 1962.
Backside...
1961 Topps
1963 Topps. The Dodgers are now in their new stadium at Chavez Ravine. You can tell it's new by the state of the art rotary dial phone in the corner...
1969 Topps. The world seemed to be topsy-turvy with hot and cold wars, revolutions, and protests everywhere. Among all the chaos there was one certainty, the Dodgers' skipper remained the same.
Here's the backside cartoon....
1971 Topps. I was just discovering my lifelong love of baseball and all things Dodgers.
Alston would manage until 1976, a 22-year run. Tommy Lasorda was named his successor, and he ran the club for the next 20 years.
Continuity certainly has its place. Aloha!
Hey everybody,
I was recently sorting through my collection - for reasons that I think you will appreciate soon enough - when I came upon a shoebox that I hadn't opened in quite a while. While it wasn't chock full of big money cards that I forgot I had, it did contain a fistful of almost forgotten cardboard, priceless to me.
I bought all of these back in the early 90's, the days that I first got seriously into collecting. I picked them up from various dealers at various shows, although most were probably had from the famous Frank & Son's shows out here. In those days my collecting goals were "always pay the lowest price for the best condition possible".
Let's open with the oldest cards, from 1955 Topps, the year the Dodgers won their first, and Brooklyn's only, World Championship...
When people write about Dee Gordon, they never refer back to Jim Gilliam, the brilliant second bagsman for the Brooklyn squad.
Gilliam also batted leadoff and led the league in triples once, and won the N.L. Rookie of the Year award. Gotta love the fashionable Dodger blue turtleneck - Dodger gear the team dropped after moving to sunny LA.
Podres, my favorite pitcher from Brooklyn. He was the MVP of the 1955 World Series and shut out the Yankees in Game 7.
If you've seen the Ken Burns documentary, BASEBALL, then you've seen one of my all time favorite sports clips. It's in the "7th Inning - The Capital Of Baseball", which is a great stand alone segment from the series.
The Brooklyn Dodgers had been to the Fall Classic numerous times, only to lose and crush the dreams of their devoted fans time and time again. Podres and the Dodgers finally won in '55, and in a post game clip a reporter asks Podres if he was nervous during that final 7th game.
Podres immediately responded, with his ever-present grin which we see on the card above, "Nervous? Nah. I was a real pro out there today." I just love Dodger southpaws.
Finally, from '55 is Joe Black. Joe was the first African-American pitcher to win a World Series game, back in '52.
Next up is my lone 1956 Topps Dodger. I only have the one, but it's not too shabby...
Furillo got a great PATP card.
When we think about Dodger right fielders with rifle arms, we usually think of Puig or Raul Mondesi.
Move over boys - Mr. Furillo's nickname was "The Reading Rifle".
He led the league with assists from RF twice, and had double digit assists for nine straight seasons.
Now the "newer" cards from 1957...
Erskine pitched a Dodgers no-hitter and struck out 14 in the '53 World Series.
I wonder who's lurking on the mound back there?
Finally today, a classic card from a classic Dodger. Topps has used this shot countless times over the years, but at least, this is the first time it was put on cardboard.
Not only was Hodges one of Brooklyn's big boppers, he was a heckuva first baseman. When they invented the Golden Glove awards, Hodges won the first three.
Next up: The Rediscovered LA Dodgers
