July 2020 POBC Magazine

Here's our July issue of POBC Magazine.

Please comment or send an email to pobcMAG@mail.com.

This month features my recollections of the 1978 All-Star Game, 

plus game outcomes over the past 42 years. 

Also, check out some of my favorite cards of eyeglass-wearing ballplayers.

And plenty of other poor old baseball cards. 

And as always, don't hesitate to suggest ideas or maybe 

even think about contributing to our next issue.

I hope you enjoy it!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW 

June 2020, POBC Magazine

Here's our June issue of POBC Magazine.

Please comment or send an email to pobcMAG@mail.com.

This month features my Top-100, my Royal Court of baseball players.
Also check out our kids pages: color the cover
and make a baseball puppet.
I really tried to broaden the appeal.

And of course, check out the poor old baseball cards and different
collectables throughout the magazine. I hope you enjoy it!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW 

1933 Goudey Eddie Farrell

A quick search on the Internet shows that a very small percentage of baseball players are graduates of four-year colleges and universities. Eddie Farrell graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1925. He earned a medical degree and went on to practice dentistry well after his baseball career ended.

Farrell played at a time when athletes had careers. And I don't mean only as ballplayers. Players of his generation often worked in the offseason to earn a living.

He was not paid millions as players are today.

He had to work for a living, like the rest of us.

Check out our first issue of POBC Magazine

It's here, our first issue of Poor Old Baseball Cards Magazine.

I hope you like the content and presentation 

and I'd love to hear your feedback. 

Please comment or send an email to pobcMAG@mail.com.

What do you like? What don't you like? 

What would you like to see? What could I do to make it better? 

Remember to view in landscape mode if on a smartphone or tablet. 

And swipe to go from page to page.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW

1923 W515-1 Ty Cobb

Beginning in 1921, Ty Cobb had become player/manager for the Detroit Tigers. So was he more player or manager?

In 1922, he hit .401 for the Tigers, finishing second in the batting race to George Sisler (.420). Can you imagine hitting over .400. and NOT winning the batting title?

In 1925, he finished fifth (.378) to Rogers Hornsby (.403) in the race.

Cobb was still a productive hitter, to say the least, batting .401, .340, .338, .378, .339, .357 and .323 in his final seven seasons, the last two with the Philadelphia Athletics.

As a manager, Cobb served Detroit from 1921-26 having compiled a 479-444 record. His best managerial season was 1923, when his team finished second in the American League to the New York Yankees.

The 1923 Yankees featured a 28-year-old Babe Ruth and a 20-year-old rookie named Lou Gehrig.

1966 Topps Roger Maris

Roger Maris is not in the Hall of Fame. Should he be?

Let's take a look at some of his numbers: 1,325 hits in 12 seasons; 275 homers, 850 RBI and a lifetime batting average of .260. But those aren't his only accomplishments.

Maris is a 7x All-Star, 3x World Series champion, twice named AL MVP, the former home run single-season king, 2x RBI leader and a Gold Glove winner.

Those are Hall-of-Fame numbers, his lifetime averages, not so much.

Maris would play his final season with the Yankees in 1966, traded to the Cardinals later that year. His cards, while not commanding the prices of his teammate Mickey Mantle, are very desirable.

His 1962 Topps cards is one of my favorites. It would easily be one of the first inductees in my baseball card Hall of Fame.

1921-30 Major League Ball Die-cuts Wally Pipp

Not sure if this is technically a baseball card but hey, it's Wally Pipp.

Okay, we all know the story. Pipp is reported to have not been feeling well on June 2, 1925. It seems he had a headache and made it known to the Yankees trainer. Manager Miller Huggins noticed and told Pipp to make way for a younger replacement. That replacement was Lou Gehrig and history was made. Gehrig went on to play 2,130 consecutive games earning him the nickname of "Iron Horse."

Another story says Pipp was replaced since he was struggling against left-handers. And yet another story said it was a result of being injured during batting practice a few days earlier.

Nonetheless, Pipp was out and Gehrig was in. By 1926, Pipp was a member of the Cincinnati Reds.

Which brings me to this "card."

Pipp is represented as a member of the Reds which means it probably dates from 1926-28. It's actually a game piece for a popular game called, "Major League Ball-The Indoor BB Game Supreme."

From what I understand the actual team dicecuts were standard but board game players would replace the names each year to update a team's lineup. If you look close enough you can see the label glued to the card.

I don't care if it's technically a baseball card or not. What I do know is that it's a treasured part of this guys poor old baseball card collection.

NEW FEATURE: Fantasy 50

Today, I'd like to introduce a new feature to this blog: It's called Fantasy 50.

It's where I have an imaginary $50 to spend on poor old baseball cards. 

My shopping list is taken from completed eBay auctions that have sold over the past week. 

It's just a fun way to wonder ... what if?

Heres my picks for the week of Feb. 23-29, 2020

1. 1933 Tattoo Orbit Melvin Harder

Sold on Feb. 24

$6.50 + $4.00 shipping, total of $10.50

More rare than the 1933 Goudey, these cards don't seem to be very popular among vintage collectors.

2. 1971 Topps Bob Gibson

Sold on Feb. 28

$0.01 + $1.49 shipping, total of $1.50

Why not. It's like getting a card from the value menu.

3. 1911 Hassan Triple Folder Delahanty/Jones

Sold on Feb. 27

$12.00 + $4.20 shipping, total of $16.20

These old cards are well over 100 years old  now and becoming harder to find. Gone are the days of $10 tobacco cards.

4. 1962 Post Willie Mays

Sold on Feb. 26

$1.80 + $3.95 shipping, total of $5.75

Come on, it's Willie Mays and it's from the side of a cereal box.

5. 1957 Topps Jerry Coleman

Sold on Feb. 26

$0.99 + $0.75 shipping, total of $1.74

The HOF broadcaster was roomies with Mickey Mantle and a Marine pilot during WWII and Korea.

6. 1970 Topps Vida Blue and Gene Tenace Rookie

Sold on Feb. 25

$3.20 + $0.75 shipping, total of $3.95

Two pretty good players on one rookie card.

7. 1971 Topps Pete Rose

Sold on Feb. 24

$1.95 + $3.50 shipping, total of $5.45

I love the 1970 black borders, not to mention a youngish Pete Rose.

8. 1958 Topps Brooks Robinson

Sold on Feb. 23

$1.25 + $3.50 shipping, total of $4.75

Second-year card of arguably the game's best third baseman.

TOTAL: $49.84

1969 Topps Reggie Jackson

On May 20, 2012, another sports card auction closed. Lot #71, a PSA 10 1969 Topps Reggie Jackson, sold for $115,242.

On April 2, 2015, an eBay auction closed. A 1969 Topps Reggie Jackson sold for $30.

The same card with two vastly different price points.

The first was once owned by former major leaguer Dmitri Young. As it turns out, he has one of the best graded rookie card collections around. His niche is high-end, highly-graded superstars.

The other card is owned by me, I consider my poor old baseball card collection to be one of the (poorest) around. My niche is low-end, non-graded superstars.

I think I got the better deal.

1927 W560 Simmons, Cuyler, Walberg, Sewell, Clark, Rhem

Today's arrival is this sweet lot of strip cards from 1927. I have plenty of old strip cards but these are the first from this playing card-like set. How cool are these?

I was first intrigued by the two hall-of-famers: Al Simmons and Kiki Cuyler. But as I inspected the cards, my eye kept going to (top, left) Rube Walberg. How could you not be attracted to that figure with the ten-gallon hat.

Walberg was an interesting player. His overall 155-141 record as a pitcher with the Giants, A's and Red Sox is incredibly punctuated with 140 complete games.

That's crazy!

Walberg is also known as the hurler that gave up 17 homers to Babe Ruth, more than any other pitcher. He also hit four home runs of his own.

1959 Topps Yogi Berra

You rarely hear Yogi Berra's name associated with the game's greatest.

Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente seem to be in the conversation. But what about Yogi?

A few stats from Wikipedia:

• 18× All-Star (1948–1961², 1962²)
• 13× World Series champion (1947, 1949–1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1969, 1977, 1978)
• 3× AL MVP (1951, 1954, 1955)
• New York Yankees #8 retired
• Major League Baseball All-Century Team

Some consider Yogi Berra the greatest catcher ever.

There's no doubt Yogi Berra should be a part of the conversation. What do you think?

1952 Topps Dom DiMaggio

During his brother Joe's 56-game hitting streak, bandleader Les Brown immortalized the feat with a popular song.

"Joltin' Joe DiMaggio" became a popular hit – get it?

You can her the song here. Joltin' Joe DiMaggio

He started baseball's famous streak
That's got us all aglow
He's just a man and not a freak,
Joltin' Joe DiMaggio.

Not to be outdone, the folks in Boston had their own refrain: 

Who hits the ball and makes it go? Dominic DiMaggio. Who runs the bases fast, not slow? Dominic DiMaggio. Who’s better than his brother Joe? Dominic DiMaggio. But when it comes to gettin’ dough, They give it all to brother Joe.

It's good to know the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry was alive, and well, even in 1941.

1968 Topps Game Mickey Mantle

When it comes to Poor Old baseball Cards, this thing is awesome.

But when it comes to the baseball collecting world, this card gets no love. Just like those leader and team cards, these inserts are considered lesser cards. No stats. No team logo. Not even a team name. This card doesn't seem to have much going for it. Except ...

It's Mickey Mantle.

And in the baseball card world, he's king. His cards are far more popular than any other player of the modern vintage era (1952-1980).  Was he the greatest player of the time?  Willie Mays wouldn't think so. Yet Mantle out-values Mays every time.

Another thing this card has going for it is it's price. You can easily get one of these cards for under $20. Maybe even $10 if you are persistent.

Ten dollars for an original Mickey Mantle from his playing days is a great deal, Poor Old Baseball Card or not.

1923 W515-1 Bill Cunningham

I picked up these two strip cards this week for a total cost of $7. A bargain in my book. But when it came to deciding which to post, I had trouble selecting just one. Usually I'd choose the poorer of the two. Each have their qualities. I decided to post both.

Bill Cunningham was one of those players who was obviously good enough to warrant a baseball card. But when looking up his bio, I couldn't find much.

Sure, the basics are available: Throws right, bats right, plays outfield. A member of the New York Giants and Boston Braves. We know his birth and death dates, his stats and the fact he was a member of the Giants' world championship team in 1922. We know he was traded to the Braves in 1923 along with Dave Bancroft and Casey Stengel for Joe Oeschger and Billy Southworth.

That's about all I could find. No info on his life after baseball. No funny stories. Not even an obituary.

But he does have a few baseball cards. A lasting legacy for a man who played the game he loved.

1969 Topps Ernie Banks

Ernie Banks died yesterday.

As a kid, I determined that the best baseball players ever were those that topped the home run list.

And for the longest time, Ernie Banks was near the top tied at 512 with Eddie Mathews.

When I was 8, I remember being out with my dad and hearing all about Ernie Banks on the radio as he was about to be enshrined in Cooperstown.

When I was barely a teen, I remember seeing one of his cards in the 25-cent bin of my local baseball card shop. I bought it.

I never met Ernie Banks. I never saw him play. But I knew that, along with being a superstar player, he was a superstar of a person: an attitude towards the game equal to his playing ability.

RIP 'Mr. Cub." RIP Ernie Banks.

1952 Topps Look 'n See Babe Ruth

It's the beginning of a new year and I've ignored my little blog for too long. So while combing through my recent purchases, I felt like I needed to post something special – something you don't see everyday.

I hope this Babe Ruth fits the bill.

This is the only "baseball card" in the 1952 Look 'n See set. Though Ruth may be the most popular card of the 135-cards made of famous figures, it's not the most valuable. That honor goes to the Dutch painter Rembrandt. Go figure.

Rembrandt: no thanks; Babe Ruth: awesome.

As a collector of poor old baseball cards, I've recently read several articles on how baseball cards are worthless. The reference was to all those cards made in the 1990s. You know, the ones that are probably in the back of your friends' closets. The ones that were supposed to fund college educations and retirements. They didn't, they won't.

The truth: they are worthless. I got rid of mine years ago at a garage sale for pennies. They're not worth the space they take up in your home.

But the cards that do hold their value are those old cards (pre-1980 in my opinion) that your mother threw away. The ones your dad and granddad had before they met their demise in the local landfill.

Supply and demand: There are far fewer of these cards than the glut of those cards in the 1980-90s. Did mom or grandma help diminish supplies by dumping them? Probably. Did that contribute to their worth? Maybe.

But so did the carefree attitude we had for them: Rubber bands, thumbtacks and backs of jean pockets.

Sometimes I wonder what people think when I tell them I collect baseball cards. I wonder if they think I have stacks of cards in boxes in my closet waiting to fund my retirement.

The answer is, I do. But its not the cards they're thinking of. No Derek Jeters. No Clayton Kershaws. Nothing newer than 1980. My cards look more like the one above. Poor. Old. And hopefully, not worthless.

1952 Topps Joe Garagiola

The 1952 Topps design is considered by most to be the best. And when it comes to individual cards, this Joe Garagiola ranks right up there too.

My memories of Garagiola are not as a player but as an announcer with the NBC game of the week. I remember Garagiola and Tony Kubek and Vin Scully and Bob Costas. As a kid, I would have to tune into the Saturday game to get my baseball fix. There was no ESPN and my local team was not on T.V.

Garagiola was a good catcher who was considered a great prospect. He grew up on the same street at another catcher — Yogi Berra. Of his catching abilities, Garagiola once said: "Not only was I not the best catcher in the Major Leagues, I wasn't even the best catcher on my street."

1948 Bowman Bill McCahan

 

What can I say? This poor old baseball card was well loved.

McCahan was a two-sport athlete playing both baseball and professional basketball — a member of the Syracuse Nationals of the National Basketball League.

As a baseball player, he threw a no-hitter in his rookie season of 1947 against the Washington Senators. A second-inning throwing error kept him from the perfect game.

A few observations about this card:

Bill McCahan is not exactly a household name. How did this card survive? I mean, when the card got to a certain point, why wasn't it just tossed in the garbage?

How did it get so worn? My guess is it lived in the back pocket of it's first owner. Or, maybe it was kept in his shoe for safekeeping.

And finally, who would want this old piece of cardboard? The answer: me. And I love it.

1970 Topps Jerry McNertney

Choosing which cards I post is sometimes difficult.

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you've probably come to realize I'm partial to the older cards. The older and poorer the better.

So when I came across this 1970 Topps card, I had reservations. It's not of a notable player. It's not particularly rare. It's not valuable. It's got it's share of creases and bends, put I've posted much worse.

The thing is does have going for it is the team: Seattle Pilots. Check out that uniform and cap.

The Pilots were born in 1969 and by 1970 had already vacated the Pacific Northwest to become the Milwaukee Brewers.

New owner Bud Selig didn't get final approval to move the team until only a few days before the 1970 season was scheduled to begin. He had intended to change the team's identity but was left with the old Seattle uniforms and colors.

Milwaukee never did change its colors. Though a different shading, the blue and gold remain. Thanks to the Seattle Pilots.

1960 Topps Warren Spahn

I learned something new today. Warren Spahn hit 35 homers in his career —ranking him third behind Wes Ferrell (38) and Bob Lemon (37) for pitchers all time.

He was around a long time, playing 21 seasons and acquiring 363 wins. His cards are readily available and relatively affordable.

And I've got my share.

I must have more poor old Warren Spahn's than any other player. And this card does not disappoint. Take a look: creased, rounded corners, scuffed, pen marks, glued to a scrapbook and glasses drawn on his face.

When it comes to poor old baseball cards this one checks all the boxes except for ripped in two.

For all it's flaws, I love it. How can you not love Warren Spahn?