Collecting Pitchers
 

I am always batting around different ways to collect based on interest and budget. Do any of you guys collect cards of just pitchers? Specifically, I am thinking of focusing on pitchers like Koufax, Feller, and Spahn, only with wind up/follow-through shots....I am not a big portrait/head shot guy. I love the cards showing the Spahn and Feller leg kick for example.
Does this sound realistic?

Yup , I'm partial to hurlers from the '30's
 

Wow...that Curt Davis is INSANE!!

It sounds like a fun project although actual action shots might be tough to locate. I had a friend that collected Whitey Ford and realized only his 56 topps card had a good realistic action shot of him. Koufax is the same in that set.
Would be fun to try and see. Would you expand it to any pitchers or just certain stars of the era?
Drew

Hey Drew, I have been perusing some of Feller's and Spahn's cards for starters. While there are some portrait cards out there, each player has several action/wind up/follow through cards...this includes regular Topps and Bowman issues as well as some odd ball stuff and signed postcards from their eras. It is eye-opening to me how incredibly affordable both of these HOF pitchers are to collect. They do each have their share of unattractive cards that I won't buy which makes it a little less daunting numerically speaking. I could also see myself involving Koufax and possibly Gibson. I might also ease back into the 1930s at some point, but most of my time and money will be spent on the ones I named. I guess I like the wind up/action poses because of the stadium/uniform backgrounds that often accompany them.

Feller's Teammate
 

http://imagehost.vendio.com/a/204295...EBRAND_NEW.JPG

...one of my favorite action poses of all my pitcher photos and cards ; rookie year ; look at the intensity on that sweaty face.

..

Sounds hard to figure out from a checklist which cards feature them in wind up positions though. Maybe can add marichal to them as well???

i certainly tend to lean towards pitchers for my player sets...

usually stick to the basic topps runs and stay away from all the record breakers, highlights, all star cards etc.

grew up watching these guys, so they are my focus:

nolan ryan
dennis eckersley
phil niekro
herb score
vida blue
dock ellis
al hrabosky

Alfredo, Marichal would be a good choice. Bob, those were some tremendous pitchers! I am probably starting with early Spahn, Feller, and some 1950s Koufax and some of their contemporaries and then work back in time a bit. Ralph Branca and Dizzy Dean have some cards I stumbled across that will be included sooner or later as well. :) Just looking through my Standard Catalog and hunting on ebay, I have located quite a few interesting regular and regional/team issues of Spahn and Feller in particular. As I have said previously, these guys are reasonably affordable when considering their level of accomplishment. This is going to be fun!

Mike, this one and the others you posted are great! Thanks for sharing! You are motivating me....

Feller, Koufax, Score
 

I'm a big Feller and Koufax guy. Like Spahn and would add Herb Score who has 2 great Topps base cards.

Feller: 1950B and 1953B are fantastic shots. In lower grades, these are reasonably priced

Koufax: 1963 Fleer is good. The 1965 World Series card is a personal favorite ("Koufax Fans 15"). But for Topps base cards, other than 1956, there aren't a lot of action (though I love the 1965T pose, which you can also find on the 1964 Topps Giants)

Spahn: 1951B is a great shot, though it's stylized. Made the Mike Payne "Top 300 Cards of all time" book

Have you considered Herb Score? Fireballer who's career was cut short but led AL in Ks a few times. His 1956 is great, 1957 is good, and they are both moderately priced

Lastly, Bell Brand and Morrell Meats Koufax shots are some of my favorite cards of all, but expensive and scarce

Good calls, Mike. I have been looking at those Koufax, Spahn, and Feller issues. There is some nice, moderately priced material there, both regular and regional/team issue. You raise a good point in saying the '51 Bowman Spahn is "stylized." With the exception of some of the Exhibitis, many of the "action" shots of pitchers are staged. However, I still like them. They often put the uniform and stadium background on display. I am finding a few shots, however, that are legit action shots and they are really nice. I haven't considered Score to this point, but down the road I might.

Agree on the action shots being staged. Some famous ones I'd say (recalling some of the threads on this board on top vintage cards as well) would be

1) Ryan - 1970T (Ryan Saves the Day), 1971T, 1974T, 1980T
2) Seaver - 1974T
3) Gibson - 1969T World Series (Fans 17)

Besides the exhibits or non mainstream cards, I've found it tough to get real action shots prior to the 1971 set. Would love to see some of the action shots you've got.

I am just getting started down this road. Hopefully, I will have something to show. There will be some stylized but hopefully a few real action shots sprinkled in, too. Like I said, I love the uniform features and the old stadium backgrounds as much as anything. Thanks.

good to hear! the one thing about the guys you picked though, is you are completely right as far as the regional cards. for that era, i think they are sooo cool and for the most part, rare.

as for my guys, and the reason that i stick to simply the basic topps versions, is the sole amount of overproduced regional crap that's out there. nolan ryan alone has 14000+ different cards. just waayy too much and would suck the enjoyment outta it for me.

but please, whatever you do...do not listen to mcoxon about herb score. i am not finished w/ my player set just yet and don't wantcha to get hooked on him (just yet, at least)! ; )

LOL on Score! I understand what you are saying about the regional issues. By the time Ryan came along and entered his prime, the regional stuff (along with everything else) had proliferated. I wouldn't want to wade through all of the more modern regional items either. Part of what I like about the 1930s to 1950s was the charm, albeit sometimes rough around the edges, that regular and team/regional issues offered up. Between those and some more mainstream Topps and Bowman, I will be pretty busy with Spahn, Feller, Koufax, and maybe a guy like Branca. There are a ton of possibilities!

Hah! Glad to find someone else who likes Herb Score. I'm done with my Score collection so I don't have a dog in the fight - I'll let you two duke it out. :)

Bob has Score to himself for now. :D. It is nice to find guys with similar interests. Keep us up to date on your purchases.