CLOSED...1961 Topps $15 Auction...Day 36

[HercDriver]

Four more cards added today, including two more beloved skippers! Well, Solly Hemus may not have been beloved by all, since he wasn't exactly known for his racial diversity policies. Gus Triandos showed up today and reminded me of a good friend of mine who passed away years ago, way too early. One of his big collecting pleasures was his Gus Triandos shrine, so Gus always makes me smile. When I looked up his bio, Wikiedia says he is #6 on the all-time list of catching base stealers, so I went to Baseball Reference to see who the others were. Well, that Wikipedia article was a bit erroneous, as Gus was #69, actually. I know...it's on the internet, so how can it be wrong? Anyway, you'll be interested to know, only 13 catchers have managed to throw out over 50% of the runners in their career, and it's a wide smattering of eras, albeit nobody of recent stock. For your viewing pleasure, here's the 13:

Roy Campanella (57%)
Gabby Hartnett
Buddy Rosar
Al Lopez
Mickey O'Neil
Hank Gowdy
Ray Mueller
Jimmy Archer
Sam Agnew
Ray Schalk
Patsy Charity
Ray Mancuso
Paul Richards

Interestingly, two of those guys are on the same scan as Triandos, now as managers. George Mitterwald is #226, just thought you should know. And no active catcher is even close, with Yadier Molina topping the list at 41%. Have a great day!!

Card Tracker:
90 cards, at 56 cents each, shipped

[HercDriver]

Ahhh...the Topps All Rookie Team Trophies!! Now those were cool when you were a kid. This was just the second year of the trophies, and the first one where it looked pretty much like a normal card, with the trophy in the corner. The 1960 ones were more like the All-Star cards, and aren't nearly as cool as a full picture. Topps has been releasing the All-Rookie team ever since then, and has managed to pick out 23 future HOFers in the process. One of them showed up 1961, the Cubs third baseman, Ron Santo. Billy Williams also appeared for the first time in 1961, but his trophy didn't show up until next year. One oddity of the 1961 set was they totally forgot to put the trophy on Frank Howard's card, even though he was selected as an outfielder that year. Coker was the Wally Pipp of the Reds, as he was the last catcher to start for the Reds, before another trophy winner, Johnny Bench, debuted the next game. Have an awesome day!

Card Tracker:
92 cards, at 54 cents each, shipped

[HercDriver]

Today, I bring you one of the most futile hitters in MLB history, Bob Buhl. At least for one inglorious season, anyway. In 1962, Buhl went 0-70 at the dish. Yes, 0-70!! And if you add in 1961 and 1963, his streak was actually 0-87. Yep, eighty-seven at bats, no hits. Wow!! Do you know what his batting average would be when he finally got that hit? A 1-88 batting average is .011. He actually had 76 career hits, so he had some idea how to swing, but if you look at his stats, some of his seasons were appalling. He had BAs of .032, .057, and .060 in his three worst seasons. He did manage 14 hits in 1960, for a .157 BA. I guess it was enough to impress the Phillies, who traded away Fergie Jenkins to get him. I’m not sure which Phils/Cubs was worse, that one, or Ryne Sandberg for Ivan DeJesus. I looked at Buhl’s 0-70 season, and it looks like he struck out 36 times. So he put the ball in play 34 times and couldn’t find a gap. They must have perfected the Buhl Shift that year. At least he walked six times, so he could say he knew who the 1B coach was. Have a great day!!

Card Tracker:
95 cards, averaging 53 cents each, shipped

[jimmysuitcase]

that no one with a sense of nostalgia is going to nab this lot so long as there is the chance that you will continue journaling these gems! Sure, the cards keep edging closer and closer to being a great deal, but these posts are priceless.

Of course, maybe that was your plan all along...go the distance!

[HercDriver]

Haha...thanks for that! Flying Seattle to LAX to Tampa today, so will add the next one tonight. Have an awesome day!

[HercDriver]

Today is the day we hit the century mark, with 100 cards! Looking at Bob Oldis and Jim Donahue, takes me back to high school cut day for the varsity baseball team. We would tryout all week, then Friday, you would show up for practice with the cut list taped to the locker room door. So all day at school, it’s all you thought about. Some guys had the Jim Donahue look, knowing they were going to be the starting CF, or a starting pitcher. Then there were the guys like me, always battling for a lineup spot. We had the Bob Oldis look all day at school. Once you made the team, you got this orange jacket with your name on it. We would wear that jacket everywhere, no matter how hot it was. I found mine a couple years ago, when we finally unpacked boxes that hadn’t been opened in 20 years of military moving. Man, that brought back some memories! My best friend, Buddy, was a brawler when he got mad, a bit like Earl Torgeson was, as a matter of fact. He struck out a couple times one day and just came storming back to the dugout, smoke coming out of his nostrils. We also had a guy named Joe, who almost never played, and just yapped a lot. Well, Buddy walks in the dugout to get his glove and can’t find his hat. He’s so pissed, that everyone just moves out of the way. Except Joe. Buddy yells at him, “where’s my damn cap?!?” Joe just looks back, feigning a concerned sort of look, and says “what color is it?” That was the only bench clearing brawl I ever saw, involving only one bench, as Joe took off towards the outfield. I wonder where I put my orange jacket now...I might wear that tomorrow. Have a great one!!

Card Tracker:
100 cards, at 50 cents each, shipped

[HercDriver]

So...who won the first game in Mets franchise history? I’ll give you a hint. It was’t Cal McLish. He would have been the answer to “ who has the greatest name in baseball history?” I’m not talking nicknames, I’m talking what’s on the birth certificate. And if you can beat Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish, I just might buy you a beer. Look at the card...his name was so long, that he fell asleep, trying to spout it off for the Topps guy. Or maybe he’s just concentrating to get it all, in the right order. And if you guessed that Jay Hook took the first Mets victory, raising their record to 1-9, then you just might get another beer. It did raise their night game record to 1-1, which made them a more formidable franchise as the sun set. Roger Craig got the first win in the sunshine, in game #14. If that comes up today at the water cooler, you’ll now be prepared. Have a great one!

Card Tracker:
105 cards, at 48 cents each, shippped