Inkquest: Greg Luzinski, 1980 Phillies

Here is the first entry representing the 1980 Phillies.  I am in serious baseball withdrawal right now. Whomever said April is the cruelest month had no idea what they were talking about.  Luckily, videos have been found online with full baseball games, including a few 1980 World Series games.    I was watching game 2 of the 1980 World Series last night and what struck me most was two things: the broadcasting style and the pace of the game was very different.  For broadcasting, they used maybe 4 or 5 cameras to show the action on the field, with none of them being super close-ups of someone's face.  In terms of pace of the game, Carlton sometimes threw 3 pitches within 20 seconds.  It was explicitly stated in the broadcast that a Kansas City strategy was to make Carlton wait between pitches to try and disrupt his rhythm.

Baseball Biography:  Greg Luzinski was the 1st round pick of the Phillies in the 1968 draft and made an appearance in the majors by 1970 at the age of 19.  He established himself as a regular for the 1972 season and first displayed his prodigious power in 1973, hitting .285/.346/.484 with 29 home runs.  Through the rest of the mid-1970s, he established himself as the Robin to Schmidt's Batman in the Phillies lineup, powering the Phillies to 3 division titles in 1976-1978 and also earning two 2nd place MVP finishes and three seasons of >150 OPS+.  During that time, he also established himself as a quality offensive postseason performer, contributing a >1.000 OPS in all three NLCS losses.  Luzinski stayed with the Phillies until after the 1980 season, then moved onto the White Sox, where he finished out his career in 1984, showcasing one last 30 HR season.  He finished his career with 307 HRs and 130 OPS+.

Role on the 1980 Phillies: Luzinski was the starting left fielder for the team that year, and somehow he had his career worst year for the championship Phillies.  He slumped to .228/.342/.440 with 19 HR and 56 RBI.  He was a key contributor in the intense NLCS victory over the Astros, hitting the only tater of the series and extended his playoff hitting streak to 13 games.  

Card Facts: This is a 2004 Topps Retired Signature Edition card. This set was distributed in 5 card packs with 5 packs per box (SRP: $150) with one slabbed auto card per pack.  The signature is on-card, and the photo is a classic photo of the old Phillies baby blues.

Inkquest: Dick Sisler, 1950 Phillies

The 1950 Phillies.  The Whiz Kids.  The mid-point of the century.    This part of the project will probably be the most challenging.  This was not a championship team, so they're not as well-remembered among the general baseball public like the Gashouse Gang or the Yankees or the Boys of Summer.   After all, it was 65 years ago, finding autographs of players from this era (especially the non-stars) will be a challenge.  

Baseball Biography:  Dick Sisler was the son of a MLB HOFer himself (George Sisler, he of the season of 257 hits, which stood as a record until Ichiro came along).    He was signed by the Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1939 during his age 18 season.  He progressed through the minor leagues until after the 1942 season, when he joined the Navy for World War II, missing the 1943-1945 seasons.  He came back to the Cardinals for the 1946-1947 seasons, winning a championship in 1946, and striking up a friendship with Ernest Hemingway.  He was traded to the Phillies before the 1948 season, and established himself as a starting first baseman in 1949.  He played in the majors until 1953 for the Phillies, Reds, and Cardinals, and continued playing in the minors until 1958.

Role on the 1950 Phillies: Dick Sisler was the starting left fielder on the 1950 Phillies, hitting .296/.373/.442, a 115 OPS+.  It was the best year of his career, earning him his only all-star game nod.  He also set or tied career highs in home runs, RBIs, runs, BB, 2B, hits, total bases, etc.  His moment in the sun was on the last day of the season.  The Phillies were 1 game up on the Dodgers.   With the game tied 1-1 in the top of the 10th inning, he hit a 3-run home run off Don Newcombe and sent the Phillies to their first pennant in 35 years.

Card Facts: This is a 2012 Leaf History of Baseball card.  This set was a pure cut signature set, with cut auto per pack/box.  The checklist was enormous, so it had a variety of players from the greatest of the great to all-stars to team favorites.  The SRP of this set was $40 per card, a value product.  Many of the harder to find players could probably be found through this set.

What Comes Out of a 2013 Bowman Retail Rack Pack? Pack Breaking and Ruminating

The answer is......"cards of mostly unrecognizable figures in the major leagues as card companies continuously to inundate us with a checklist of prospects to cash in on the next big thing."  Xth Round Draft Picks and Top 100 prospects are all the rage and have been for some time in this hobby.  As one of many different kinds of collectors, I can tell you one thing, it is always tantalizing to invest in the upside of the little known and well regarded rather than the well known with varying degrees of being regarded

I was an avid Bowman collector for years because there's nothing more satisfying than discovering a player and making him a part of your collection for the most inane and irrational of reasons, you pulled the first card of that player out of a pack.  Usually though, there were other explanations, that gave you the need to collect a player and seek out their cards, maybe something normal like team association or something visceral like photo selection or something greedy like value in the monthly Beckett's of old.

Let's see where these cards rank on the scale of collectability; all cards scanned are from a 2013 Bowman retail pack, the peak of buying a set for one player, Yasiel Puig (spoiler: none were Yasiel Puig).

Blog Flashback to 2012: Cole Hamels Can Now Be a Long-Time Phillie: Top 10 Reasons Why This is Good

NOTE:  I've decided to publish all my thoughts from the past as I reboot this blog to one with actual thoughts.  Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by how many posts I have in the draft folder, so a lot may not be as current as I like.  This post was mostly written in July 2012.  I've finished it up now.  So the perspective is a little skewed.

With the news that all Phillies fans were waiting for in some fashion (either for or against the extension), the wait is over.  Cole Hamels has signed a 6 year contract extension with the Fightins' for a cool $144 mil.   The  Phillies team that Hamels grew up with has not grown up with him.  There are vestiges of the old team left behind.  The "four aces and Blanton" of 2011 have become 2 aces, a broken Halladay, and a Blanton.  Chase Utley and Ryan Howard are hurting, Jimmy Rollins is slumping, and for some reason, Hunter Pence's socks continue playing and pretending to be a cleanup hitter.

It may sound like an expensive investment, but Hamels is 28 with a talent level at about a 135 ERA+ (after the pitching adjustment after the 2009 season), which is one step below elite.  For comparison purposes, Halladay had an ERA+ average of 160 the last four years before his breakdown.  In other words, Hamels would be an ace on many a team.  And now, he's cost controlled at a just below market value.  They'll get him for $19.5 million for 2013 and then $22.5 million per year through 2018 with an option for 2019.

Free agent prices are on the rise, so market value now is essentially the same as below market value in 4 years.  As it is, he will be the 8th highest paid pitcher in the league, and can be as good as the 3rd best pitcher (in my humbly humble opinion) of the league.

Here are 10 reasons why this is good for the Phillies, me, and Phillies fans.

10.  Hamels is at the tail end of his prime, and can be expected to have at least 3 more years of quality ace-like pitching.

Gint-a-Cuffs VII Packs 21-24-The Finale

And so this journey ends as it begins, with a pile of wrappers staring up at the sky, filled with cards, and taking on the world.  It has been a fun march to mediocrity: there were laughs, tears, and the occasional sportswriter penning odes to the sport.  Join me now as we say farewell to the 7th incarnation of Gint-a-Cuffs.  May you haunt me forevermore.

Pack 21

207-Norris
84-J.Harrison
335-Cowgill
Mini SP 312 Cole +3
Starting Points 87 Beltre +2 +2 FP
203-Wright +2 FP
108-Fielder +2 FP
226-Arenado

This box had more Adrian Beltre cards than of any other player.....
Pack Total: 11

Pack 22


284-Bruce
Full Size Relic Frank Caliendo +6
Mini A&G Back 215 Votto +2 +3 FP
Ancient Armory 11 Claymore +2
190-Bourn
51-Garza
165-Lucroy

I like the non-sport relics, but I like to mix it up in the box......
Pack Total: 13

Pack 23

162-Rizzo +2 FP
340-Feliz
What Once Would Be 9 Vacuum Tube Trains +2
Mini 10 Granderson
116-Freeman
271-Fowler
294-Wainwright
146-Morse

I had a vacuum tube train at my old job; it didn't work......
Pack Total: 4

Pack 24

186-Jennings
192-Rodney
303-Span
Mini 124 Peterson
Starting Points 13 H.Ramirez +2
245-Howard +1 FT +2 FP
64-A.Jackson
140-Altuve

Hanley Ramirez has come full circle in his career as has this competition around the drain......
Pack Total: 5

Total Total: 147

Gint-a-Cuffs VII Packs 17-20

Here we are, reaching the dog days of the competition.  At this point, there is a sort of fatigue as the hot weather wears down even the best on my roster.  They look up at the standings and see that they're barely in the wild card race and can stay in only if they come up with a credible enough musical montage.  With less than 100 points through 2/3 of the box, they may be singing Muddy Waters.  We need a new injection of talent, a new way of thinking in the Gint-a-Cuffs owner's box to get through the season of quirkiness.  Is it possible to get the influence of 19th century players to help out?

Pack 17

293-Ar. Ramirez
216-Lamb
300-Bentz
200-Abreu
Framed Mini Autograph Archie Bradley +7
Mini A&G Back 154 Castillo +2
Great Scott 9 Fingerprints +2

Framed autographs are always a special pull: on-card, nicely presented......

Pack Total: 11

Pack 18

171-Rendon
145-Casilla
301-Morneau
Starting Points 100 Werth +2
Full Size Buyback 2012 Heath Bell +3
Mini 45 C.Owings
257-Sandoval
119-Scheer -1

Jayson Werth started on Toronto, I did not know that.....I also didn't know what a Paul Scheer was....

Pack Total: 4

Pack 19

72-Panik
110-V.Martinez
311-Brantley
Mini 222-Polanco
Menagerie of the Mind 6 Pegasus +2
239-Britton
295-Nathan
113-Braun

Do you know what I miss?  Gint-a-cuffs point inflation?  Why are there no more base set SPs, just for the game....

Pack Total: 2

Pack 20

289-Myers
29-Swisher
250-Tanaka -1
Ancient Armory 12 Shuriken +2
281-Spangenberg
Mini Black Border 185 Malzahn +3
57-Cross
1-Bumgarner +2 FP

Shuriken is not from shuri or ken, discuss amongst yourselves......

Pack Total:6

Pack Total: 114

Gint-a-Cuffs VII Packs 13-16

Gint-a-Cuffs is like the weather.  It can run hot, it can run cold, it can run you ragged.  As each card peeks out from behind the next, its visage taunts you with each recognition that it will not yield you points.  Those smiles are mischievous, ironic, and altogether unwelcome set against the anticipatory joy of ripping open packs.  But sometimes, sometimes, there are moments when you think to yourself that it is all worth it as the points pile up and the personal collection is burgeoning with plenty.  Do not judge me lest Gint-a-cuffs judges us all.

Pack 13


273-Hamels +4 My FP! +1 FT
180-Kazmir
111-Betances -1
126-Al.Ramirez
What Once Was Believed 4 The Four Classical Elements +2
Mini Black Border 176 Niese +3
310-Coghlan
247-Springer

Mixed emotions as the Hamels card made an appearance, but 5 point base card wins the emotionals balance!

Pack Total: 9

Pack 14

251-LaRoche
270-Foltynewicz
6-Duda
Starting Points 30 Price +2
Mini A&G Back 96 Hudson +2
334-Tropeano
131-Reddick
138-Pineda -1

There are some years where I think it would be fun to try my hand at the code and then I read the solutions and realize that I work with liquids (and as my brother would tell me a giant spoon) and not cyphers.

Pack Total: 3

Pack 15

188-S.Miller
12-Cruz
208-Fernandez
Starting Points 39 Kershaw +2
Mini Flag Back 318-Gattis 25/25 +8
243-Segura
343-Pagan
102-Lang

First #/25 mini ever from Allen&Ginter in 9 years of opening boxes!

Pack Total: 10

Pack 16

135-Teixeira -1
115-Pedroia
331-A.Escobar
What Once Would Be 8 Mail Via Parachute +2
112- Buck 65
Mini First Ladies 15 Mary Lincoln +2
174-Mauer
75-Phillips

What ever happened to Joe Mauer?  Didn't he used to be a favorite player of someone?

Pack Total: 3

Total Total: 91

Gint-a-Cuffs VII: Packs 9-12: Halftime

I realize you read the title and probably thought that I would provide a halftime show.  I did contract out a marching band followed by a Beatles cover band, but then I realized that blogs don't have microphones.  I also only have enough instruments at home for a 3 person marching band, and that wouldn't be any fun to watch.  So, instead we get some commentary from "The Other World's Talking Heads" as recorded at the conclusion of this pack opening.

Talking Head 1 (TH1):  After 12 packs of intense opening, sorting, and point checking, Dan is coming up short in many facets of the game.

Talking Head (TH2): I agree with you, TH1, he is clearly struggling, especially in the mini card area.  The points are just not there to be had.

TH1:  Also, where are these so-called hits that he keeps on promising the viewers.  The only hits I see are to his chances as he falls further down the scoreboard. Am I right or am I right?

TH2: You are right, and even moreso, you are right.  What can Dan do to turn this thing around?

TH1:  Well, I see only one recourse.  He must be more accepting of his fate.

I think I should fire these guys........

Pack 9

172-M.Carpenter
317-Strickland
Mini First Ladies 8 Letitia Tyler +2
Starting Points 94 Jose Reyes +2
45-C.Owings
147-Cespedes
144-Belt +2 FP
159-Mesoraco

Letitia Tyler was one of three first ladies to pass away while her husband was President.......

Pack Total: 6

Pack 10

175-LeMahieu
320-Keuchel
Mini 234 Cuddyer
Starting Points 65 Franco +1 FT +2
44-Vulcano
297-Magna Carta +1
240-May
27-Franco +1 FT

Two Franco cards in one pack made me feel like the world is my oyster and Gint-a-Cuffs is my gummy bear....whatever that means.
Pack Total: 5

Pack 11

234-Cuddyer
231-Alvarez
Mini 125-Aoki
Great Scott 1 X-Ray Diffraction +2
Relic Zach Lowe +6
326-Moreland
99-Y.Gomes

That is not at all what X-ray diffraction looks like from what I've experienced.....

Pack Total: 8

Pack 12

220-Grandal
9-Samardzija
13-Uehara
48-Crisp
Starting Points 21 Chapman +2
Mythological Menaces 6 Wisakedjak +2
87-Liriano
136-T.Ross

I was first introduced to Wisakedjak as Whiskey Jack in one of my favorite books ever, American Gods by Neil Gaiman.....
Pack Total: 4

Total Total: 66

Do I get to offer up my gauntlet in submission yet?

Gint-a-Cuffs VII Packs 5-8

You know that poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost?  I think opening a box for Gint-a-Cuffs is just like that.  Two paths can be chosen, a good pack or a bad pack.  If you choose the bad pack, the only thing to blame is yourself as superstitious circumstances are dictated by the way you choose. The pack itself is not of its own mind and can only have contents that are finalized upon the opening.  Of course, if you think about it, it's really all about being in a yellow wood in the first place.  Then, there would be no packs at all.  The poem may not reference this at all, I think I had too much coffee. It's time to stop dawdling and choose a path....

Pack 5
33-Wacha
106-Escobar
11-C.Santana
164-Beltre +2 FP
Menagerie of the Mind 9 Hydra +2
Mini 82- Pompey
342-Donaldson
66-Butler

I already feel like I should be changing my favorite team to the Blue Jays for this competition.....

Pack Total: 4

Pack 6
266-Storen
15-Verlander
169-Ventura
Ancient Armory 17 Trident +2
World Beneath Our Feet 6 Monarch Butterfly +2
315-Cishek
22-Rosenthal
77-Hammel

Two deposed closers in one pack=win......

Pack Total: 4

Pack 7
20-Martin
53-Crawford
205-Ackley
Full Size Buyback 2011 Weaver +3
Starting Points 5 Freeman +2
Mini 311 Brantley +3
308 Freese
218 Rodon

Full-size buybacks look weird and out of place, especially 2011....

Pack Total: 8

Pack 8
26-Souza
8-Richards
348-A.Sanchez
Mini A&G Back 238 Gordon +2
Ancient Armory 10 Flanged Mace +2
78-C.Gonzalez
263-Alvarez
262-Cobb

Carlos Gonzalez has had the largest jump in OPS from the 1st to 2nd half that I remember since 2014.....

Pack Total: 4

Total Total: 43

Gint-a-Cuffs VII: Packs 1-4+Box Topper

This is going to be my 7th consecutive time participating in the theater of opening up an Allen&Ginter hobby box for points and lack of glory.  As of this writing, I've only opened half the box, and there are a few things that stand out over the years.

1. The box itself is getting smaller and smaller each year.  It used to be a sturdy construction, now it feels like a mid-90s Score box in size and shape.
2.  The cards themselves feel thinner this year also.  The first box of A&G I opened was in 2007, they were thick and weighty and protected me from a hurricane-force wind once.
3. If there's one thing I learned is that Gint-a-Cuffs is a ruthless game that leaves me drained from tension each and every year.  Please keep out of the reach of children under 3.

On with the show, this is it.....

Box Topper

Box Loader Insert B-10 Evan Longoria +4

Pack 1
237-Ryu
217-Miley
267-Weaver
Mini 181-Hutchinson
What Once Would Be 2 Jetpacks +2
346-Choo
260-Pence
250-Rollins

Alas, no points for ex-favorite team members.....
Pack Total: 2

Pack 2
83-Harvey
52-Marisnick
195-Hunter
100-Holland
Starting Points 77 Cano +2, -1
Mini A World Beneath Our Feet 5 Seven Spotted Ladybug +2
133- Russell
107-Stanton

Torii Hunter's card with a less funny funny face this year.....
Pack Total: 3

Pack 3
2-Markakis
232-Holliday
129-Gallardo
Mini 164-Beltre (FP +3)
Starting Points 60 Sabathia +2
329 Gardner -1
182 Frazier
86-Porcello

Sabathia looking svelte.....
Pack Total: 4

Pack 4
288-Cano
123-M.Johnson
Starting Points 73 Brandon Belt +2, +2 FP
Mini A&G Back 4-Flores +2
Mini Buyback 2009 Porcello +4
349-Tuivailala
176-Niese

Most complicated athlete's name since Matt Tuiasosopo.....
Pack Total: 10

Total Total: 23

10 Seasons, World Series MVP, and an Exclamation Point No-Hitter

Thanks for the memories, Cole.

Inkquest: Pat Gillick: 2008 Phillies

Let's start off the Inkquest with a Hall of Famer since it is induction weekend.  Pat Gillick was inducted into the HOF in 2011 through the Veteran's Committee.  He was an executive, as noted on the card, who had presided over successful eras of 4 teams, including the Phillies of 2008.

Role on the 2008 Phillies: Pat Gillick was the GM and head man of the front office for the Phillies from 2006-2008, stepping down after the World Series triumph of 2008.  His most significant trades and signings that contributed to the victory were trading for Brad Lidge during the 2007 offseason (for Geoff Geary, Michael Bourn, and Mike Costanzo), picking up Matt Stairs in August 2008 for Fabio Castro, and trading for Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton without giving up much of anything.  His most shrewd free agent signing was picking up Jayson Werth during the 2006 offseason.

Card Facts: This is a 2012 Leaf Memories autographed card numbered 25/25, an autographed parallel of the base set.  This was purchased on ebay. 

Diagnosis: All-Star Break Withdrawal Symptoms Present

July is a month filled with many contradictions.  It is national ice cream month and national pickle month.  It is hot in most of the United States and Europe, and it is cold in San Francisco and Australia.  It is a time of constancy in baseball as teams have established baselines of performance and also a time of change in baseball as the trade deadline approaches.

Then, there is both the brightness and the blight of the MLB All-Star Week.  It is a brightness because of the event itself.  Regardless of the home field advantage conundrum and interleague play, there's always something fun about seeing the players in different caps and uniforms on the field. The first five innings are always a fun time....then comes the darkness (like Chase Utley's 2015 season, there's the tie-in to the picture you were all waiting for).

The last 4 innings are a roster parade, barely resembling a baseball game, but then comes the worst part.  There are two days without baseball afterwards!  When did this change happen? It was bad enough that the Wednesday after the all-star game was a veritable black hole of fan listlessness.  It has spread to another day to torture the obsessed baseball fan.

I could feel myself going through withdrawal.  My hands were shaking, and my eyes were constantly engaged on the scoreboard, hoping that one of the games on the schedule would go live.   It was not to be.  Some other symptoms that I exhibited during these days:

1. Starting saying "it's a long drive to...." whenever I got in the car.
2. Laid out a home set of clothes and away set of clothes for myself before going to work, depending on which site I was going to.
3. Drew the Phillies logo on the wall using finger paint.
4. When I ordered frozen yogurt, I got 9 pieces of each topping.
5. Played  catch with a dog wearing a glove
6. Found tree branches on the ground and carved them into bats of various sizes.
7.  Every time I took a walk, I would count to 90 and then begin again, keeping track of the number of runs I would score on the walk.

I'm just going to say that I was relieved when Friday came, and the summer routine returned.

Inkquest: Signatures of the Pennant Winning Phillies: Introduction

Not an example of what I'm looking for, though he is connected to Joe Blanton

For those minuscule few who frequent this blog during the long stretches of silence and pondering, I have repopulated the pages portion at the top of the blog.  You will now notice something called Phillies Pennant Winner Inkquest, divided into separate pages for ease of scrolling.

 What is an inkquest?  Why is there such a thing as a quest for ink? No, this is not getting handprints of players on my apartment walls (but good sentiment there).  Nor is it pursuing the infamous Brushogun.  Instead, it is the initiation of a vainglorious collector's quest to get at least one autograph of a player who a) played in the postseason with the Phillies that season, b) had at least 100 PA or 50 IP with the Phillies that year.  The idea is to get as many contributors to the Phillies winning the pennant that year.

The good news for me is that the Philllies as a franchise have had very few appearances in the World Series.  The 1915 team is not really possible for this type of quest, so that only leaves 1950, 1980, 1983, 1993, 2008, and 2009.  All interesting teams with interesting players and some have overarching clever monikers.  It also covers the silver and golden age of Phillies winning baseball (not that many years in their history).

This project has been in the works for awhile, though never really focused on which players to get.  It would be more of the sophomoric "give me" philosophy of acquiring autos.  Hey, there's a Phillies card with an auto on it, let me have that.  This is how I ended up with so many Andrew Carpenter, Zach Segovia, and Joe Bisenius autos, among other prospects and non-prospects of the past.

The key here is to distill the overarching need to be a comprehensive team collector to  a goal that is only semi-unobtainable.  Suffice to say, this quest will consume me just as the ring consumed Frodo or maybe as Galactus attempted to consume Shangri-La?   The bottom line is that I will not be the same person.....I will be happier and feel more accomplished and be forced to learn how to surf.

The criteria for obtaining an auto are simple.  First preference is a certified auto on a card in a Phillies uniform.  That probably doesn't exist for the majority of the players, especially for those on the 1950 Phillies.  Second preference would be a cut auto for older players or a certified auto on their rookie team for more recent players.  Third preference would be a TTM auto on a card.  Fourth preference would be a signed index card or something similar.

Projected date of completion will be the next time the Phillies win the pennant, 2019.  Now, that's an optimistic outlook on both counts.

VIntage Cards from Jim from Downingtown: A Long Overdue Trade Post

You know, sometimes you get cards and you can't recall how exactly how you stumbled upon them or bought them for? And then there are others that you can picture with such clarity that you recall the color of your socks, where you were, and how much you paid for the cards?

In this new-fangled world of trade by mail,  an assortment of vintage cards must assuredly come from Jim from Downingtown.  (Notice the link goes to his profile; there are so many blogs).

Getting cards from the 60s in the mail is probably the 3rd best card collecting feeling in the world after getting an autograph of your favorite player and ripping open 20 cases of cards in less than 3 nights (not that I've ever done that.)

1964 Topps Dick Williams:  You might better remember Dick Williams as the HOF manager with the killer sunglasses, but here he is finishing out his playing career in Boston.

1966 Topps Lew Krausse: The first card from a team name that doesn't exist, the Kansas City Athletics.  The young prospect was gearing up for his career year in 1966.

1965 Topps Turk Farrell: It's a Colt 45s card!  Now that's a team nickname that didn't last very long or easy to announce.  Farrell started and ended his career with the Phillies, but was a 3 time all star in Houston.

1964 Philadelphia Norm Snead: This is weird, this is a football card posted on this site. It's from a company called Philadelphia, which made football cards in the '60s.  Here he is, at the beginning of his Eagles career. He had over 30000 yards passing and is still 6th all time in interceptions.

1966 Topps Dave Mcnally: He was one of the famed quartet of the 1971 Orioles, which each won 20 games during the season.  That might never happen again until the bullpen becomes someplace where less pitchers hang out.

1963 Topps Dal Maxvill: We're both alumni of the same college, but he got to play with Stan Musial and I did not.

And then to top it off, there were a few 1968 game cards, which gave me the first Mantle card from his playing days I had ever owned (another followed, which will be the subject of another post at some point).  Check out the glory of the Mick, Yaz, and Hammerin' Hank.  (plus I would have a 1.000 OBP in this game and always win because I would never get an out).

Thanks to Jim!