1975 Topps Set Card 317/660 – #208 – 1970 Most Valuable Players

1975 Topps Set Card 317/660 – #208 – 1970 Most Valuable Players

Progress: 317/660

Player Name:  Boog Powell, Johnny Bench

Card Number:  208

Team:  Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds

Image Style: reprint baseball cards

How they got there:

Boog Powell hit .297 during the 1970 baseball season.  He connected for 156 hits that year including 28 doubles and 35 home runs.  Boog drove in 114 runs for the Orioles during the year while also scoring 82 times.

Johnny Bench hit .293 for the Reds in 1970.  He collected 177 hits in 158 games including 35 doubles and a league-leading 45 home runs.  Bench also paced the NL in RBI with 148 while scoring 98 runs.  He also won the Gold Glove in the NL for catchers.

1966 HEADLINE: Frank Robinson Captures The AL MVP Award

1966 HEADLINE: Frank Robinson Captures The AL MVP Award

On this day in 1966, Frank Robinson was named as the 1966 AL Most Valuable Player.  And it was really not contest – Robinson was the Triple Crown winner as he led the American League is Batting Average, RBI, and Home Runs.

What made this award even more special is that Robinson became the first player to win the MVP in both leagues with this award in 1966.

You see, just 5 seasons prior, in 1961, he won the award with the Cincinnati Reds of the National League.

A truly dominant player – and one of the best!!

Happy Anniversary Mr. Robinson!!!

 

Private Signings Results: Cincinnati Reds Legend, Eric ‘The Red’ Davis

Private Signings Results: Cincinnati Reds Legend, Eric ‘The Red’ Davis

If you know me, and you know about my collection, you know that I really try to honor the baseball heroes from my youth.  As much as I can, I really try to celebrate the careers of the players that helped shape my love for the sport as a kid that has carried me all of the way into adulthood.

As I continue to build my collection in this manner, I look for new ways to honor the guys that I cheered for as a kid.

So, when I had a chance to nab Eric Davis as a recent paid signing event, I jumped in with both feet.

And now, this beautifully signed baseball is in my collection!!

 

I’ve wanted ‘ED’ in my collection for a very long time.  He was a huge star in the mid-to-late 1980’s and into the 1990’s.  I used to love watching him track down balls in center field and run the bases with power and speed.

I opted for the #44 inscription for my ball as that is how I referred to him for a pretty long time.  When talking baseball with my buddies or pulling cards from packs, it was almost always #44 that I spoke when Davis came up.

I’m very happy to have added him to my collection.  And I think I will set this ball right next to my signed ball of his best-bud, Straw.

Joe Morgan 2014 Topps Allen & Ginter – Pastime’s Pastime

Joe Morgan 2014 Topps Allen & Ginter – Pastime’s Pastime

I was very happy to find Joe Morgan’s name on the subset checklist from the A&G ‘Pastime’s Pastime’ issue.

I kind of feel like Morgan is one of the forgotten HOFers as he does not tend to get into as many sets as some of the other stars of the 1970’s.

So, when I saw his name on this checklist, I immediately sought out an image of the card.  And then a place to buy.

The card is far from spectacular as I don’t care for another recycled image of him, but I will take what I can get.

Here is the card:

 

The 1975 & 1976 Most Valuable Player deserves better!

Joe Morgan 2010 Topps Triple Threads – Sepia

Joe Morgan 2010 Topps Triple Threads – Sepia

Any time that I can find modern cards of Joe Morgan that feature his sporting his Houston Colt .45s or Houston Astros uniform, I gravitate towards them.

And more often than not, I try to add them to my collection if the price is agreeable.

Well, I have found another one.  And it is a true beauty!

Have a look:

 

 

This card of Joe is from the 2010 Topps Triple Threads baseball card set.  And as you can see, the card features a very young Morgan wearing his old Astros uniform while fielding at second base.

I love it!  The colors are great, and that old uniform is a superb throwback to the mid-1960’s.

This card is the Sepia version of the base card.  Each Sepia card from this issue was limited to just 99 copies.  Mine is stamped as #42/99.

I’m very excited to have picked this one up for my collection!  A great addition, for sure!

Joe Morgan 2000 Topps Stars ‘Spotlights’ = YUCK!

Joe Morgan 2000 Topps Stars ‘Spotlights’

I don’t know what it is about the Topps product that was issued in 2000, but for me, it is certainly not worthy of the Topps stamp.

Sure, there may be a few nice cards scattered throughout their releases that are copy written as produced in 2000, but when compared to cards issued the following year, 2000 is a stinker.

This card of Joe Morgan from the 2000 Topps Stars set is just one of many examples.

Have a look:

 

It is so hard to identify what the theme of this card really is.  I get the ‘Spotlight’ theme and the shadow cast behind Morgan as it there was a spotlight being shined on him.

But, what is with all of the thin vertical lines that run throughout the card’s background?  What is the purpose of them?

If Topps had shifted the Spotlight design to a top-corner of the card and shined down on the player with a bright light while having faint and muted light around the main focus, that could have worked better and made more sense.

But this one just plain stinks.

Did You Know…

Johnny Bench is the all-time home run hitter in Cincinnati Reds team history.  Bench connected for 389 career home runs during his Hall of Fame career, all coming as a member of the Reds.

1975 Topps Set Card 267/660 – #615 – Rookie Pitchers With Darcy, Leonard, Underwood, Webb

1975 Topps Set Card 267/660 – #615 – Rookie Pitchers With Darcy, Leonard, Underwood, Webb

Progress: 267/660

Player Name:  Pat Darcy, Dennis Leonard, Tom Underwood, Hank Webb

Card Number:  615

Team:  Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets

Position:  Pitchers

Image Style:  Posed Portrait

How these players fared in 1975:

Pat Darcy – Darcy went 11-5 in 22 starts for the Reds in 1975.  He had a 3.58 ERA in 130 innings of work.  Darcy struck out 46 batters in 1975 while walking 59.  He won a World Series ring with the Reds at the conclusion of the season.

Dennis Leonard – Leonard went 15-7 with the Royals in 30 starts.  He worked 212 innings allowing 212 hits and 98 runs.  Leonard struck out 146 batters in ’75 and finished the season with a 3.77 ERA.

Tom Underwood – Underwood went 14-13 for the Phillies in 1975.  He had an ERA of 4.14 over 35 starts with the club.  In 219 innings of work, Underwood allowed 221 hits and 110 runs while striking out 123 batters while walking 84.

Hank Webb – Webb appeared in 29 games for the Mets in 1975, 15 of which were starts.  He went 7-6 on the year, compiling an ERA of 4.07.  In 115 innings, Webb gave up 58 runs and 102 hits.  He struck out just 38 batters.

 

Joe Morgan’s 1965 Topps Rookie Baseball Card Is A Thing Of Vintage Beauty!!!

Joe Morgan’s 1965 Topps Rookie Baseball Card  Is A Thing Of Vintage Beauty!!!

Joe Morgan’s debut in the baseball card collecting world came in 1965 via a multi-player rookie card.  He and his teammate at the time, Sonny Jackson, share the card and both men were rookies for the Houston Colt .45s.

The 1965 set features a classic design, and a very popular team banner that proudly waves with the team’s name.

The coloring of this card works very well too.  The Grey frame that surrounds the images of both players looks great with the Navy and Orange caps that both players are wearing.

And that Yellow flag is a great exclamation point to the card!!!

I’m so happy to have one of these in my collection.  A true gem!!!

Joe Morgan Offers Up A Pretty Nice & Clean Autograph

Joe Morgan Offers Up A Pretty Nice & Clean Autograph

Joe Morgan offers up a pretty nice autograph; pretty clean too.

Far from artsy and built with a lot of flare, Morgan’s signature is easy to read, and it can be made out without much strain on the eyes.

I have a signed Joe Morgan baseball in my collection, and it is one of my favorite signed balls.  I keep it with my other Reds signed balls from the ‘Big Red Machine’ era – and it sits proudly on top of that set!