2014 trade package #20: Reader Mark H. throws me some more throwbacks

First of all, welcome to this here blog's 600th post which, as always, would be more impressive if it hadn't been in existence as long as it has.  But at least I'm still going!

To celebrate (as if I wasn't gonna post this anyway), here's my second trade package from reader Mark Hoyle, one of the guys that participated in my recent giveaway/contest.  Back in June he shot me over a very cool PWE stuffed with vintage Tigers, and he recently followed that up with even more, quickly cementing him as one of my top sources of Detroit cards of yesteryear.  Here's what I got this time:

Last time Mark sent me one '71, but he doubled that effort today with the well-known Horton along with Cesar Gutierrez, a SS who played in a bit more than 200 games over five seasons with the Giants and Tigers.  As usual, the design looks great.

Next Mark tacked on another pair to the huge number of '72s he sent in June.  One is a multiplayer RC (w00t!) including Jim Foor, Tim Hosley, and Paul Jata.  Foor was a first-rounder in '67 that barely appeared over three MLB seasons.  Hosley played in parts of nine seasons, mostly with Oakland.  Jata appeared in 32 games in '72 and that was it.  I'll have to add those to the rest and see where I'm at in regards to the team set.

And now onto the '74s, which dominated the package this time.  Sharon was a Pirates '68 first-rounder that came over in a deal for the previously-mentioned Foor.  Brinkman, (who appeared in the last post for the '73 set) came to Detroit in a deal that sent former star Denny McLain and Wolverine Elliott Maddox to the Senators.  Speaking of the Sens (and that same deal), Coleman, a pitcher, was their #1 (3rd overall) in '65, and Mark also included him with the '73s last time.  I showed off the Cash in my last card show report, but it's great to land another of the well-known Detroit slugger.  Finally, LaGrow was featured on two cards Mark previously sent.

The top row here includes the last three '74s from the main set, including Mickey Stanley, the OF who famously moved to SS for the '68 World Series, a tactic that aided the Tigers in their ultimate victory.  Next to him is Woodie Fryman, an 18-year veteran who both started and relieved during his long career.  Lastly is another multiplayer RC, this one of the multi-team variety.  John Gamble, owner of 3 PA, 0 H and 1 R over 13 games in his two seasons with Detroit, is the lone Tiger, but Chalk was a two-time All-Star, Mackanin lasted for nine seasons, and Trillo was a four-time All-Star with seven teams over his 17-year tour (and is obviously the best player on the card).

The remaining trio comprises cards from the '74 Traded set.  Sutherland was a Montreal expansion pick in '68 and was with Detroit for about two-and-a-half years out of his 13 seasons.  Ray came over in the same deal, but the 28 games he played with Detroit in '74 proved to be his final ones.  Luke "Sky" Walker (just kidding, obviously, since Star Wars hadn't come out yet) also closed out his career in Detroit with 28 games after the team purchased him from the Pirates, for whom he pitched in his previous eight seasons.

Thanks for another great PWE, Mark!  I'm loving all the help you've given me towards the Tigers team sets from the early 70s, of which I have pretty much nothing.  Readers, if you haven't traded with Mark yet, keep an eye on your comments sections and know that he comes TMV-approved!

2014 trade package #15: Reader Mark makes it as easy as '71-2-3

If one of the goals of my giveaway was to get back some trade packages (it was), especially from bloggers I hadn't traded with it, then I can say I've been successful thanks to people like avid blog reader Mark H..

Mark grabbed a 1999-2000 Topps basketball set and an Oakland A's player lot, and though it wasn't required at all, he was nice enough to send a fat PWE back my way:

What's this?  A couple rows of nine-pocket pages stuffed with vintage Tigers?  SWEET!

To start things off we have this 1971 Topps multiplayer RC (love those!) of Lerrin LaGrow and Gene Lamont.  LaGrow went 16-40 in five seasons with Detroit, but still managed a ten-year career, which is respectable.  Lamont played all of his 87 career games over five seasons in Detroit before managing the White Sox and Pirates for four years each in the 90s.  Formerly the Tigers' third base coach, he's been the team's bench coach since 2013.

The 1972 set was the biggest representative of this package with a whopping 17 cards.  The highlights include a Billy Martin manager card, a Mickey Lolich pitching leaders, slugger Norm Cash, PH specialist Gates Brown (GATOR!), 22-season pitcher Joe Niekro, Mickey Stanley, another Lolich, and a team card.  I should put these together with the few others I have and see how close I am to a team set.  What a nice bunch of Tigers!

Finally, Mark included this six pack of 73's.  Fryman, who was with Detroit for three seasons, is the guy I know best in this group.  LaGrow makes a second appearance as well, and the team card is again a highlight.

Thanks again, Mark, for not only taking some unwanted cards off my hands, but also for sending back a trade package stuffed with Tigers!

2013 card show #2: 6-15, part 2: baseball vintage and RCs

As I said on Saturday, my first stop at this show, as usual, was at the table of my favorite vintage guy and his boxes and boxes of 90% off "well-loved" cards.  A while later I walked away $30 poorer but 10 classic cards richer, and you'll get to see eight of those here today:

Bert Blyleven 1971 Topps RC

Dave Concepcion 1971 Topps RC

Steve Garvey 1971 Topps RC

While I do appreciate some of the nicer vintage cards out there, at least right now my focus is generally on star RCs, so I was happy to grab this significant trio from '71.  As you can see, they're in, shall we say, various states of disrepair?  No worries, condition doesn't exactly enter the equation for these anyway.  Blyleven is the only HOFer you'll see today, but the rest of these players aren't slouches.  Concepcion played his 19-year career with the Reds and won titles in two of four World Series.  Garvey (a rare Spartan appearance on this here blog) was an MVP and 10-time All Star for the Dodgers and Padres who won a ring with L.A. in '81.  Not a bad group!

Elston Howard 1956 Topps

Howard is the only player from this group that isn't a RC, which is partially my fault.  This seller stuffs his 90% off box full of vintage cards in card-savers that list the Beckett "value" and his price.  Some also include notes such as "SP" or "HI" while others say "RC."  Since I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to vintage I didn't realize Howard's actual RC hails from Bowman the year before.  Despite that, this is a great 50s card (with a play at the plate!) of a former Yankees star, a nine-time All Star who was the 1963 A.L. MVP and won four World Series rings along with six other pennants.  I'll happily place it in my vintage baseball collection!

Harvey Kuenn 1954 Bowman RC

Harvey Kuenn 1954 Topps RC

Now HERE's a Detroit Tiger for this Tigers-centric blog!  I was excited to find the Topps first, then surprised to see the Bowman a bit later during my trip through the boxes, so I decided to grab both.  Between the two I'd take the Topps any day as it comes from yet another classic design, and includes a great roaring Tigers logo.  Kuenn spent eight seasons in Motown and was the '53 A.L. Rookie of the Year, not to mention a nine-time consecutive All-Star, but he was then famously traded to the Indians for Rocky Colavito.  Harvey finished up with a solid 15-year career, and what's interesting is that his Baseball-Reference top player comparison is former teammate George Kell!

Tony LaRussa 1964 Topps RC

Yeah, this is definitely the card in the worst condition today, but I still thought it would be fun to pick up the RC of one of the game's best managers of the last 50 years. LaRussa finished his managerial career with three World Series titles in six tries, and though he's sometimes been one of the more controversial personalities in the sport, he never lacked for preparation or hard work.

Vada Pinson 1958 Topps RC

I have to admit that I knew very little about Pinson when I grabbed this, but the combination of it being a RC of a player I knew of on a great design (love that logo!), I knew I should grab it.  As it turns out, Pinson did pretty well in his 18-year career, averaging 17 HR, 77 RBI, and a .286 AVG per 162 games.  His top two player similarity scores are Steve Finley and Johnny Damon, so while he's not really a HOFer, he's still in pretty decent company.  I'm glad to have grabbed this rookie of his and learned a bit more about him, plus I'm pretty happy with its condition.

As usual I was happy with my purchase and feel I easily got my money's worth.  While I don't attend shows very often anymore, I do appreciate the opportunity to add to my baseball RC PC a few times a year, especially when it's fun vintage stuff like this.

Keep an eye out on TMM in the next couple days to see a couple more vintage pickups and the rest of my show haul!