Thursday, August 30, 2007

Comments - DUH

Okay, feel free to leave any comments... I had the goofy things turned off and didn't realize it.. No one accused me of being smart, ya know... :-)

1965 Topps


In 1965, Topps produced a base set with a few insert sets to go with it. The base set included cards with a white "pennant" shape eith the Indians team name in it. One of the insert sets was the gold embossed cards, which are blue with gold foil pictures and borders.

The first time I saw one of the embossed varieties, I had no idea what it was (other than the T.C.G. on the back). In fact, I am pretty sure that the 1965 Embossed was the reason I bought my first price guide. I didn't care about the "value" of the card, I wanted to know what it was! And, back in those days (somewhere in the early 80's), the World Wide Web was no where to be seen. With guide in hand, I found the matching picture and couldn't wait to get the rest of the Indians from that set!

I have since obtained each of the Indians cards of that set and now have all but 1 card (though, I believe I recently ordered it from the Beckett Marketplace) in the set.

The 1965 Topps have that nice "vintage" look to them, even in mint condition... There is something about the photos themselves and the general lighting on them which says, "Yes, I am 40+ years old. What about it!?" :-)


Checklists:

Embossed Inserts:
3 Max Alvis
31 Leon Wagner
60 Chuck Hinton
72 Jack Kralick
Regular (Base):
17 Johnny Romano
76 Sam McDowell
92 Dick Howser
96 Sonny Siebert
105 Chico Salmon
128 Vic Davalillo
145 Luis Tiant
166 Agee/Culver
185 Max Alvis
235 Chuck Hinton
262 Bud Daley
283 Fred Whitfield
301 Birdie Tebbetts
317 Don McMahon
332 Ted Abernathy
348 George Banks
367 Leon Wagner
380 Rocky Colavito
404 Stan Williams
406 Ralph Terry
424 Gary Bell
448 Lee Strange
468 Larry Brown
481 Indians Team
501 Gagliano/Rittwage
514 Joe Azcue
535 Jack Kralick
562 Billy Moran
578 Camilo Carreon

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Game-Used Materials


The first time I saw a game-used card, I was awestruck, as if I were a kid seeing a card for the first time. Being the sort who likes to take things apart and put them back together again, I understood the "how" of the game-used card. What got me was the fact that someone had even thought to include a piece of the actual bat used by one of the players I enjoyed watching! I am a H-U-G-E Jim Thome fan, and my first game-used card was the "Moments and Milestones" Bat card (shown). This was all of just a few years ago. I remember showing to my Dad, as if I were twelve years old.
Since that first card, I have added many game-used cards to my collection - jerseys, bats, even pants. The "problem" I have with game-used cards nowadays is that the novelty has worn off. Card companies started producing so many of them that, for me anyway, they have lost some of the luster, the awe, that they first generated in me.
Don't get wrong, some game-used cards still give me that same "12-year-old" feeling... Cards that have multiple items on them, maybe from different players. Or cards that have a multi-colored patch from a jersey. There is something cool about having part of the logo on the card for some reason... :-)
Regardless of what one may think or feel about the card companies putting clothing and other materials in (or on) cards, for me, it is like being one step closer to the game, to the players. I (and some serial-numbered of other folks) own a piece of this player's jersey (or bat, pants, glove, etc)!!


I will say that I am not a big fan of "dirt" cards and/or "base" cards. I guess if I had some connection (say, since I am originally from Pittsburgh, a card with Three-Rivers Stadium dirt), perhaps I would wax nostalgia and want a piece of the stadium, but for the life of me, I just can't find that place within myself. A piece of home plate? First base?? Or a stadium seat even? Nah, I guess I am missing that particular collector's gene that says, "collect anything and everything!"
Well, to a certain extent... After all, if someone offered me a Cleveland Municipal Stadium card with dirt, a base, or a seat in it, I'd happily accept it.... :-)

Monday, August 27, 2007

1957 Sohio Album Cards

The 1957 Sohio Cleveland Indians were issued in several 3-panel layouts. The photos themselves are basically 5x7 black-n-white. The photos were/are perforated so they could be separated and placed into the Sohio Indians Album. Find the still-in-tact panels is difficult, though a little poking around the Internet will yield the non-separated issues. If you're not that picky (as I am not!), then you'll enjoy the photos regardless of their 'completeness.'

(1957 Sohio Bob Lemon)

Here is a checklist for you:

Indians Album
Bob Avila
Jim Busby
Chico Carrasquel
Rocky Covalito
Mike Garcia
Jim Hegan
Bob Lemon
Roger Maris
Don Mossi
Ray Narleski
Russ Nixon
Herb Score
Al Smith
George Strickland
Bob Usher
Vic Wertz
Gene Wooding
Early Wynn

Saturday, August 25, 2007

A few checklists from 1969

I chose 1969 because it has significant meaning in my life... :-)
APBA Baseball 1969 Extra Players:
65 Ken Suarez
66 Chuck Hinton
67 Dave Nelson
68 Larry Burchart

APBA Baseball 1969 Regular:
321 Jose Cardenal
322 Larry Brown
323 Duke Sims
324 Tony Horton
325 Ken Harrelson
326 Russ Snyder
327 Richie Scheinblum
328 Lou Klimchock
329 Max Alvis
330 Vern Fuller
331 Eddie Leon
332 Ray Fosse
333 Frank Baker
334 Sam McDowell
335 Luis Tiant
336 Stan Williams
337 Dick Ellsworth
338 Steve Hargan
339 Mike Paul
340 Ron Law

APBA Baseball 1969 Second Edition:
376 Jose Cardenal
377 Larry Brown
378 Duke Sims
379 Tony Horton
380 Ken Harrelson
381 Russ Snyder
382 Richie Scheinblum
383 Lou Klimchock
384 Max Alvis
385 Vern Fuller
386 Eddie Leon
387 Ray Fosse
388 Ken Suarez
389 Dave Nelson
390 Chuck Hinton
391 Frank Baker
392 Sam McDowell
393 Luis Tiant
394 Dick Ellsworth
395 Stan Williams
396 Steve Hargan
397 Mike Paul
398 Ron Law
399 Horacio Pina
400 Larry Burchart

Kahn's Baseball 1969 Regular:
6 Max Alvis
13 Tony Horton
18 Sam McDowell
22 Luis Tiant

MLB Official Baseball 1969 Photostamps:
16 Sonny Siebert
29 Larry Brown
42 Joe Azcue

O-Pee-Chee Baseball 1969 Regular
19 Ken Suarez
61 Jimmie Hall
91 Al Dark MG
118 Stan Williams
145 Max Alvis
176 Joe Azcue
201 Russ Snyder

Topps Baseball 1969 Decals Inserts
27 Sam McDowell
43 Luis Tiant

Topps Baseball 1969 Deckle Inserts
7 Luis Tiant

Topps Baseball 1969 Regular
7 McDowell/McNally/Tiant
11 McDowell/McLain/Tiant
19 Ken Suarez
61 Jimmie Hall
91 Al Dark MG
118 Stan Williams
145 Max Alvis
176 Joe Azcue
201 Russ Snyder
220 Sam McDowell
244 Ray Fosse RC
267 Vicente Romo
291 Vern Fuller
325 Jose Cardenal
348 Steve Hargan
367 Lou Johnson
414 Duke Sims
435 Sam McDowell AS
455 Sonny Siebert
479 Richie Scheinblum
503 Larry Brown
537 Mike Paul
560 Luis Tiant
571 Cap Peterson
579 Dave Nelson
595 Lee Maye
605 Dick Ellsworth
629 Jack Hamilton
644 Chuck Hinton

Topps Baseball 1969 Stamp Albums
8 Cleveland Indians

Topps Baseball 1969 Stamps
161 Max Alvis
162 Joe Azcue
163 Larry Brown
164 Jose Cardenal
165 Lee Maye
166 Sam McDowell
167 Sonny Siebert
168 Duke Sims
169 Luis Tiant
170 Stan Williams

Topps Baseball 1969 Super
13 Luis Tiant
14 Sam McDowell
15 Jose Cardenal

Topps Baseball 1969 Team Posters
13 Cleveland Indians



Note: The checklists I provide are accurate so far as I have determined. Checklists do *NOT* necessarily indicate the cards I have in my collection. Checklists are provided so that collectors will know which cards are in which sets.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

What a bunch of oddballs!

I have to admit, I use the term "baseball card" very loosely when it comes to my collection. In reality, I collect Indians "items." Now, I generally do not collect bobble-heads, baseballs, etc. Most of my collection entails "flat" items, such as my most recent addition - a 1944 press photo (complete with credentials on the back) of Jim "Mudcat" Grant (not pictured, sorry). Another unique item I have is a record which has an interview with Frank Robinson getting his first home run as an Indian. Other "oddball" items I have include things like "Baseball Bucks," Crane Potato Chips discs, stand-ups, punch-outs, rub-offs, stickers, etc.
When trying to organize my collection, I began to run into the issue of "defining" exactly what an 'oddball' item really is. Well, I suppose I could have forgone the whole mess by simply including my 'oddballs' with their respective year folders (thus, the 1977 discs would appear in the 1977 folder instead of the 'oddballs' folder). But, I wanted to have a separate folder for some of my more 'unique' items.
The problem I ran into was deciding what was an oddball and what was more-or-less an extension of an existing set, and what should be considered a set period! So, I picked a number out of the air. That number is 4. If I have a collection of items of the same year and type (1977 Pepsi Cap Liners, for example), then I look at how MANY I have. If I have less than four (or if there is a pre-existing checklist in my database or I find a team-based checklist in a book or online), then those "fewer than four" sets go into the 'oddball' binder for its corresponding year. If there are four or more cards, then I put them into the binder for that year with the "regular" cards.
My plan worked for about 10 minutes. Soon, I found myself putting off-brand, weird items in with "regular" issues ("regular" being defined by me as Topps, Upper Deck, Fleer, Donruss, Score, etc - major players). And, I found myself torn between placing things like a 1986 Topps Glossy Send-in. There are only 1 or two in the Indians "set," so is that an oddball item or do I put it with the regular issue cards because it *IS* Topps, after all?
Since the organization of my collection is mainly for my own benefit, I figured I would just do what I felt like doing. I made the rules, I can choose to follow them, break them, or bend them as needed. So far, it has worked out fairly well. The only time I have a problem is when I discover a card have to file that fits into the "break/bend the rule" category. Because then I have to look in the "oddball" binder AND the year-specific binder. Granted, it is not a big deal, but has led to some interesting placements of cards (not to mention a few strange conversations with myself).
Ultimately, the way I see it is that if a company took the time to make more than 3 Indians in a particular set, then that set is worthy of a place in the binder with its year marked on it.

No matter where an oddball item ends up, as long as it's in my collection, I'm happy to have it!

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

1981 Topps

As a kid, we generally didn't think to look at the back of the cards to see what 'date' or 'year' the cards were. So, when trading with our friends, we came up with descriptive (okay, some not really all THAT descriptive) identifiers. The 1978 Topps were called the "written kind" because of the cursive writing on the front. The 1980 Topps were called the "flag" or "banner" kind. And, the 1981 Topps were called... "The Hat Kind." You can see why in the picture below:

CHECKLIST:
6 Barker/Carlton
13 Joe Charboneau
39 Tom Veryzer
74 Mike Hargrove
99 Eric Wilkins
122 John Denny
141 Miguel Dilone
170 Ross Grimsley
198 Jerry Dybzinski
222 Jorge Orta
252 Victor Cruz
276 Dan Spillner
308 Rick Manning
333 Sid Monge
362 Bo Diaz
388 Andre Thornton
416 Gary Alexander
432 Len Barker
451 Bndo/Brennan/Wihtol
462 Jack Brohamer
511 Wayne Garland
536 Bob Owchinko
564 Ron Hassey
612 Duane Kuiper
632 Alan Bannister
665 Indians Team
697 Rick Waits
721 Toby Harrah
738 Bert Blyleven

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

1993 ProCards Kinston Indians

You may be wondering why, of all the cards I have, I start my posting with the 1993 ProCards Kinston Indians. Well, it's simple. I happen to be entering the team set into my database and thought, "Hey, I'll post this checklist." No one said I was brilliant, okay?

There are a couple of neat finds in this minor league set. Most notably, Julian Tavarez and Matt Williams. There is also Pete Rose, Jr... Guess he couldn't live up to his Daddy's reputation (good or bad)... (Note, my scanner did quite a number on these.. I'll get that figured out later)



Checklist 2266
Dickie Brown 2237
Carlos Crawford 2238
Ian Doyle 2239
Joe Fleet 2240
Jason Fronio 2241
Fernando Hernandez 2242
Kevin Logsdon 2243
Greg McCarthy 2244
Scott Morgan 2245
Cesar Perez 2246
Julian Taverez 2247
David Welch 2248
Matt Williams 2249
Mike Crosby 2250
Rick Sued 2251
Juan Andujar 2252
Pat Maxwell 2253
Rod McCall 2254
Paul Meade 2255
Chop Pough 2256
Pete Rose Jr. 2257
Mark Charbonnet 2258
John Cotton 2259
Ray Harvey 2260
Marc Marini 2261
Tony Mitchell 2262
Dave Keller 2263
Greg Booker 2264
Dan Norman 2265
Dan Devoe

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Welcome Tribe Fans!

Greetings and welcome to the place where I'll talk about Indians baseball cards. Why? Because that's what I collect. Starting with my first card in 1975, my collection has amassed nearly 6000 non-duplicated singles, and grows every single day. I hope to use this spot on the Web to share images, checklists, and thoughts about various Indians baseball cards! make yourself at home, and enjoy the ride!


Pictured below is my first purchased Indians card. The crease across the card came from one of my "stupid" moments in life. I had a stack of cards wrapped with a rubber band. This card was on top. One slip of the hand, and POW, instant crease. I have kept the card after all these years because, despite its flaw, it is my favorite - my first bought one. I paid 25 cents for it in 1975, and have been buying Indians cards ever since.