‘Same Card, Different Paths’ – Card #6

‘Same Card, Different Paths’ – Card #6

1973 Topps - Card #615 – AKA – ‘The Mike Schmidt Rookie Card’

Ron Cey – A 6-time All-star, Ron Cey was a solid contributor to the dominant Dodger teams of the mid-to-late 1970′s.  Cey offered a great blend of contact and power hitting along with a knack for driving in timely runs.  In 1981, Cey won the World Series MVP award as he helped his Dodgers team with the championship.  In that series, Cey hit .350 while collecting 7 hits and driving in 6 runs in 6 games.

John Hilton – No information found…

Mike Schmidt – The top third baseman of the 1970′s and 1980′s, Schmidt was a perennial All-star and top MVP candidate every season.  A member of the 500 home run club and Baseball’s Hall of Fame, Schmidt will go down as one of the greatest power hitters of all-time and the game’s most well-rounded third baseman in the history of the sport.

** on a side note, if Ron Cey’s rookie card featured any other player that debuted in the 1973 season besides Mike Schmidt, the card would certainly be known as the ‘Ron Cey Rookie Card’.

On His 60th Birthday, I Tag Today As ‘Mike Schmidt Day’!!!

Michael Jack Schmidt turns 60 years old today.

So in typical ’30-YOC’ fashion, I will dedicate each and every post on the blog today to one of the greatest players from the 70′s and 80′s.

 

Happy Birthday Mr. Schmidt!!!!

Cameron Maybin’s 3-Run Blast Helps The Marlins Get Even With The Mets!!!

After an embarrassing loss in game 1 of their 3-game series against the New York Mets, the Marlins looked to even up the series on Saturday night.

And nobody(not even this blogger) would have thought that Cameron Maybin would have been the hero!!!  Especially since he did not start the game…

But that is exactly what happened.  Maybin was used as a substitute in the game after the Marlins’ Cody Ross was plunked on the hand by a pitch.  Maybin entered the game in the 4th inning and drew a walk.  But in his next at-bat, just 1 inning later, he launched a 3-run blast into the outfield seats that gave the Marlins a lead that they would not relinquish.  Hopefully this just adds to the confidence boosting of this young and hopefully future star!!!

Go Get ‘Em Cam!!!

Andre Dawson 2004 Donruss Throwback Threads – Generations

Well, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad.  And when those 2 are Billy Williams and Andre Dawson, you really cannot go wrong!!!

This card comes from the 2004 Donruss Throwback Threads set, and the subset tagged as ‘Generations’.  Numbered at 477/1500, I really like what Donruss tried to give us with this subset by providing us with a little bit of a history lesson.

To start, we have ‘Sweet Swinging’ Billy Williams who was theat heart and soul of the Cubs’ offense from the early 1960′s through the mid-70′s.  Williams was a team leader and fan favorite and he finished in second place twice in the MVP race for the Cubs thanks to his ability to hit the ball for average and power while having a knack for driving in runs.

Next up is Andre Dawson who is the last player to win the Most Valuable Player award in a Cubs’ uniform.  In his debut season with the team in 1987, Dawson was phenomenal.  With 49 home runs and 137 RBI, Dawson put the team on his shoulders and instantly became the team’s silent leader and best player.  In that MVP campaign, Dawson was also an All-star, and he won both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards too.

And then there is Sammy Sosa.  I promised a few months ago to not utter his name on this blog any more.  I will do my best to stay loyal to my words…

Like I said earlier, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad!!!

Did You Know…

Bert Blyleven set the major league record for most home runs allowed by a pitcher in 1986 when he gave up 50.  The following year he held the opposition to 46.  Second behind Blyleven was Jose Lima, who allowed 48 home runs in 2000.

**factoid courtesy of ‘Armchair Reader – Grand Slam Baseball’

My take - Blyleven is one of the most heralded pitchers that is not in the Hall of Fame.  It’s always fun to hear stories like these about guys whose stats get thrown around all of the time.  Somehow this one never gets mentioned…  Until now!!!!

1981 Headline: Nolan Ryan Tosses 5th No Hitter!!!

On this day in 1981, Nolan Ryan threw the 5th no-hitter of his career.

32,000 fans were on hand in Ryan’s home state to witness this baseball milestone.  Prior to the game Ryan was tied with legendary pitcher Sandy Koufax for the all-time major league lead with 4 no-hitters.  A few hours later Ryan would rank in 1st position by himself on this illustrious list!!!

The performance was typical Ryan.  A complete game thrown with 11 strikeouts and 3 walks allowed. 

This victory gave Ryan just his 10th win of the season but that allowed him to continue his streak of double-digit victories, which eventually ended at 16 straight years.

Congratulations Nolan Ryan!! 

RESULTS: Ron Santo Book Signing!!!

You may recall that a few weeks ago I sent Ron Santo a copy of his autobiography and asked him to sign it for me.  You can re-read that post here if you’d like to.

Last night when I got home, there was an unmistakable package in my mailbox and my Ron Santo book was home.

In just 3 short weeks, Ron Santo obliged my autograph request and signed his book for me.  And not only did the great people at Major Memories, the company that works with Santo, process my request quickly, but they also sent over a Certificate of Authenticity which can double as a bookmark.

On to the photos…

 

 

  

Another Thank You has to go out to Ron Santo who has provided some great autographs to me and my growing collection!!!  Thanks!!!

The Best Baseball Commercial I Have Seen This Year!!!

I’ve seen and shown you a lot of great baseball commercials this year.  But this one is by far the best. 

And it just so happens to feature the best player in the game too!!!

Enjoy.

1973 Topps Jim Palmer

1973 Topps Jim Palmer

I went a little old-school with this one…  So far this is the oldest Jim Palmer card that I have added to my collection!!

And it’s a pretty sweet one too.

And while that famous wind-up is the same, the ’73 Topps card captures Palmer’s 70′s look perfectly.  With his wild, unruly hair sticking out from underneath his baseball cap, Palmer looks better suited to be on the beach rather than on a major league pitching mound. 

But don’t be fooled!!!  Palmer was a monster of a pitcher.  And in 1973, he captured the first of three Cy Young awards.  With a 22-9 record alongside a career best 2.40 ERA, Palmer was the king of the American League.  He tossed 296 innings in that season while striking out 158 batters and allowing just 79 earned runs.

I love this card.  And I am very happy to add it to my player collection!!!

‘Same Card, Different Paths’ – Card #5

‘Same Card, Different Paths’ – Card #5

1975 Topps - Card #620 – AKA – ‘The Gary Carter Rookie Card’

Gary Carter – Hall of Famer Carter is an 11-time All-star.  While playing 19 years in the big leagues, Carter was a very well-rounded player as he collected 3 Gold Glove Awards, 5 Silver Slugger Awards, and finished in the Top 10 for the MVP race 4 times.  Carter was also an instrumental player in helping the 1986 New York Mets win the World Series. 

Marc Hill – A 14-year veteran, Hill played for 4 teams over the duration of his career.  Primarily a back-up, Hill was a serviceable player.  His catching skills were good for a professional player, but his batting skills were not up to par.  Hill has 404 career hits with a lifetime batting average of .223.

Danny Meyer – A solid utility player who played for 3 teams in 12 years, Danny Meyer was a solid contributor over the course of his career.  Meyer logged steady work at first base, third base, and in the outfield.  For his career, Meyer collected 944 hits with 86 home runs, 459 RBI, and a career batting average of .253.

Leon Roberts – Roberts’ career lasted 11 seasons and he played for 5 different teams.  And while he was never able to earn a regular starting role on any of these 5 teams, Roberts was able to contribute pretty well during his playing days.  In 1978 while with the Mariners, Roberts his .301 with 142 hits, 22 home runs, 92 RBI and scoring 78 runs.  Roberts also made 1 appearance in a relief pitching role during the 1984 season with the Kansas City Royals.