CLOSED...1971 Topps Progressive Auction - Day 10

[HercDriver]

I haven't done one of these progressive auctions since the beginning of COVID, so it's time to do another one. People seem to like them, more for the blog aspect, than for the cards, I think. For instance, we'll start with Pat Kelly. Evidently Kelly was big into late night carousing during his time with the White Sox, after being brought up in a devout Baptist house. He eventually found himself depressed and on the verge of a breakdown, when he signed up for a bible class. It was there that he rediscovered religion, and he then went on to become a minister. In his time with the Orioles, Tippy Martinez, Doug DeCinces, Scott McGregor, Kiko Garcia, and Ken Singleton were all "born-again" through Minister Kelly. Evidently when he tried to get Earl Weaver to "walk with the Lord," Weaver said he'd rather see Kelly "walk with the bases loaded."

The lot is currently at $15, with $3 to ship. Assuming no bids by the time I get to my coffee tomorrow, I'll add another four cards. It won't be every day, because I'm not always home to sit down with my cards, but I'll do my best to "scan ahead" and not have too many idle days. The first person who bids $15, opens the auction, for the next 8 hours. I do this to give everybody a chance to see the new cards that day, since we can't all spend 24 hours a day here. So once a bid is placed for $15, the auction will end 8 hours later, using $1 bid increments for anybody who wants to raise it. I guess it's sort of like extended bidding. Does that make sense? Anyway, here we go with Day 1. Let me know if you have any questions!

Take Care,
Geno

A brief note on grading: I grade like we used to grade 30 years ago, when trading was by letters, on paper, in the mailbox. A slight crease = VG; Off-center = Ex; Two slightly dinged corners = ExMt. You get the idea...my EXMt does not in anyway guarantee that you will get a PSA 6. I can always send you another scan, and you can always return cards (in which case, you cover your shipping back). I pretty much go through them as I watch Cubs games, which sometimes affects my mood, and thus potentially the grade. A Cubs rally in the 9th inning just might result in a missed corner ding, but I do my best. Bid accordingly.

Total Cards: 40

235 Nate Colbert ExMt
236 Bob Humphreys Ex
237 Cesar Cedeno Ex
238 Chuck Dobson Ex
240 Clyde Wright NrMt
241 Dave Nelson NrMt
242 Jim Ray ExMt
244 Bob Tillman Ex
245 Jim Kaat Ex
246 Tony Taylor ExMt
247 Royals Rookies ExMt
249 Chico Salmon Ex
252 Eddie Leon ExMt
253 Bill Sudakis NrMt
255 Bob Robertson NrMt
256 Tony Gonzalez NrMt
257 Nelson Briles ExMt
259 Dave Marshall ExMt
261 Darold Knowles ExMt
262 Padres Rookies ExMt
265 Jim Northrup (no blob) ExMt
266 Bill Stoneman NrMt
268 Phillies Team Card Ex
271 Bill Zepp
273 Pete Richert
274 Ron Slocum
277 Gary Waslewski
281 Danny Walton ExMt
282 Jose Pagan Ex
283 Dick Such Ex
284 Jim Gosger Ex
286 Jerry McNertney NrMt
287 Mike Fiore Ex
289 White Sox Team Ex
291 George Culver NrMt
295 Bobby Bonds ExMt
297 Johnny Briggs NrMt
299 Ed Kirkpatrick Ex
301 Earl Wilson Ex
413 Pat Kelly Vg

[HercDriver]

Day two brings us three pitchers and an second sacker. For some reason, I thought Clyde Wright was one of the Angels that died tragically, which seemed to happen to them once a year, with regularity. But no, I had him mixed up with somebody else. Wright had one great year, and a couple pretty good ones, and then he was pretty much done. He's one of the few pitchers that have had a 20-win season, and a 20-loss season, and threw a no-hitter in there, just for fun. He lost the All-Star game in 1970, when Pete Rose crashed into Ray Fosse, then never made another one. In the crazy coincidence category, Wright's got his final out of his no-hitter when Felipe Alou grounded out to Sandy Alomar for a double play. The reason that it's sort of weird is that all three guys involved in the play had sons that would go on to play in the bigs. As a matter of fact, Jaret Wright, Sandy Alomar, Jr, and Moises Alou all appeared together in the 1997 World Series. Funny how the stars align sometimes...

[HercDriver]

Good morning, and welcome to Day Three! I have a couple of choices to expound upon today, starting with trying to figure out what Tillman has on his hand. I guess it's a batting glove, but it looks more like he was doing rectal exams during BP. Or Paul Splittorff starting and winning the first ever game at Kaufmann Stadium for the Royals. Or Jim Kaat, who after doing a game this year as a broadcaster, logged an eighth decade in MLB. That's just crazy. He debuted in 1959, played in four decades, then has been announcing games ever since. But with all of that, I'll go with Tony Taylor, and one of the weirder plays in baseball lore. I love crazy plays, like that Javy Baez one a couple weeks ago, where the Pirates first baseman chased him all the way to the plate, allowing a run to score. I hadn't ever seen a first base coach wave a guy back towards home. Anyway, this is a good one, so let me give you the cast of characters:

Cubs:
Bob Anderson, P
Sammy Taylor, C
Tony Taylor, 2B
Ernie Banks, SS
Al Dark, 3B

Cardinals:
Stan Musial, Hitter

Plate Ump:
Vic Delmore

Field Announcer:
Pat Pieper

OK, Musial has a 3-1 count on him. Anderson's next pitch gets by Sammy Taylor, and goes to the backstop. Delmore calls ball four, and Musial heads to 1B. In the meantime, Anderson and S. Taylor are arguing with Delmore that Musial tipped it. No one has called time, so Musial heads for 2B. Dark sees him headed that way, and goes to grab the ball, but Pieper is holding it now. Dark snags it out of his hands, and throws it to Banks. At the same time, Dlemore gives S. Taylor a new ball. S. Taylor sees Musial breaking for 2B, so he wings the ball to Tony Taylor, but it sails over his head into the outfield. Musial sees the errant throw, and turns the corner for 3B, where Banks tags him out with the original ball. Musial is declared out on the play. I'm guessing replay wouldn't have helped on that one...

[HercDriver]

Day four is upon us, so let's see what we can drum up. A lot of people remember Bob Robertson for famously missing a bunt sign in the World Series, and propelling them to a victory over the Orioles with a huge home run in Game 3. Robertson can probably be excused for that, seeing as how he'd never bunted, and was playing on Astroturf...not exactly bunt friendly. I'm guessing Danny Murtaugh got over that missed sign pretty quickly. Earl Weaver hated missed signs, it's been said, but I'm guessing that's the one he hated the most. Bill Sudakis's card says he was a catcher, which was a bad experiment for the Dodgers, with Sudakis only throwing out 2 of 32 runners. Maybe he gunned down the Reuschel brothers on a double steal in a game against the Cubs, or something. Chico Salmon was famous for having no hands, to which Jim Palmer named an award for him, honoring "the player with the fielding prowess that had the deftness of a rhinoceros knitting." But when I look at Chico Salmon on baseball cards, the only thing I ever think of is the great Met, Chico Escuela. I will always remember laughing at SNL when I was a kid, as Chico was giving excerpts about his tell-all book "Bad Stuff 'Bout the Mets," with quotes like "Ed Kranepool - he once borrow Chico's soap, and no give it back." And "Yogi Berra - berry berry bad card player." Classic stuff. Anyway, sorry Chico Salmon, but it's stuck in my noggin forever.

[1966CUDA]

I hope this goes on for a while....love the stories!!!

[ZenPop]

I concur... Great stuff!