Brooks Robinson and the Baltimore Orioles

[roarfrom34]

Team signed ball from the 1984 Hagerstown Suns who were the Orioles Class A affiliate in the Carolina League. The team (which used three different managers) wasn't very good that year with a 60-80 won/loss record...Bill Ripken participated in 115 of those games:

[JollyElm]

Who is Len Johnston, and why does he get the sweet spot??

[BaltOrioles]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

Who is Len Johnston, and why does he get the sweet spot??

Len Johnston was the Suns manager for part of that year. He also spent over 30 years as a coach in the Orioles minor league system, mainly with the Bluefield Orioles.

See also post #2261.

Johnston, Len 1 - Copy.jpg


Here's the 1984 Hagerstown Suns program. Every post needs a program..

1984 Hagerstown Suns - Copy.jpg

[roarfrom34]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

Who is Len Johnston, and why does he get the sweet spot??

About 25-30 years ago I was in touch with Len's son, Tom who was a collector himself and I picked up a lot of neat memorabilia from him.

[Chstrite]

Good Monday, everyone. Sorry for being a day late. I went on a small "vacation" over the weekend. So...this week I will discuss the 1973 PSA entries for Brooks Robinson. First, is the Brooks Johnny Pro Fielding and Batting "variations." These two cards are part of a Regional Orioles set (28 total). The fielding version is a PSA 6 with five graded higher. The Batting version is highest graded with 5 peers. Both are reasonbly priced. Next, is the 1973 Topps Pin Up test issue, which includes a number of HoF'ers in the 24 card set. This version is a PSA 8. This pin up is very expensive and not easy to find at this grade. There is 1 graded as a PSA 9 (I believe one of our members owns this one!). The Orioles Post Card of Brooks is not difficult to find. Finding this one in this condition without a signature was not so easy though. The one here is the highest graded (PSA 6). One of my favorite and most difficult cards to find is the next example...the 1973 Topps Comics (another test issue by Topps). This card is a PSA 6.5 and is very expensive and very hard to find. This set had 24 different cards with plenty of HoF'ers. There is one graded as a PSA 8. Finding this one proved very difficult. I am sure there are a few of you that have one but wow, this card is amazing. Next is the Topps Brooks and OPC Brooks. The Topps card is plentiful and very affordable at the PSA 9 grade...the PSA 10 has not proven easy to find (8 PSA 10s are out there!). The OPC version is a PSA 7 with one graded higher. The Orioles Team Card is a PSA 9 (5 PSA 10s exist) and the OPC Orioles Team is a PSA 7 with 12 graded higher. Finally, you see the Topps Candy Lids, which is not terribly difficult to find and another Topps "experiment." There were 55 lids in this set with 20 HoF'ers. This example is a PSA 5 with 7 graded higher. Accompanying the Lid is the proof, which PSA suprisingly graded (this is the only one graded...my gut says they will never grade another "proof"). Next week I will cover the 1974 PSA Brooks entries, which there are 11.

[ksfarmboy]

Love the Johnny Pros and just got both recently. Hate that those test issues don’t have the Oriole bird on the hats as they are great shots.

[BaltOrioles]

Originally Posted by Chstrite

Good Monday, everyone. Sorry for being a day late. I went on a small "vacation" over the weekend. So...this week I will discuss the 1973 PSA entries for Brooks Robinson.The Orioles Post Card of Brooks is not difficult to find. Finding this one in this condition without a signature was not so easy though. The one here is the highest graded (PSA 6).

Charlie,

More nice test items. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the postcard is not from 1973. PSA doesn't do a very good job with postcards. Just because a postcard is mailed in 1973, doesn't make it a 1973 issue. Yours is either a 1971 or 1972 (See post #2842).

Here's the Brooks Robinson team issued postcard from 1973/1974.

197374 Postcards 07 - Copy.jpg

[quitcrab]

I think its a 1971 postcard Charlie. Still a nice piece ! Scott

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by Chstrite

the 1973 Topps Pin Up test issue, which includes a number of HoF'ers in the 24 card set. This version is a PSA 8. This pin up is very expensive and not easy to find at this grade. There is 1 graded as a PSA 9 (I believe one of our members owns this one!).

One of my favorite and most difficult cards to find is the next example...the 1973 Topps Comics (another test issue by Topps). This card is a PSA 6.5 and is very expensive and very hard to find. This set had 24 different cards with plenty of HoF'ers. There is one graded as a PSA 8. Finding this one proved very difficult. I am sure there are a few of you that have one but wow, this card is amazing. Next is the Topps Brooks and OPC Brooks.

The Topps card is plentiful and very affordable at the PSA 9 grade...the PSA 10 has not proven easy to find (8 PSA 10s are out there!). The OPC version is a PSA 7 with one graded higher.

Finally, you see the Topps Candy Lids, which is not terribly difficult to find and another Topps "experiment." There were 55 lids in this set with 20 HoF'ers. This example is a PSA 5 with 7 graded higher. Accompanying the Lid is the proof, which PSA suprisingly graded (this is the only one graded...my gut says they will never grade another "proof").

There are several of my favorite Brooksie cards in ‘73. The pin up is one of them as I really like the photo used of Brooks holding multiple bats. Go ahead and send me your example Scott...

You have to love the comic; doesn’t get much better than that.

I go back and forth on a favorite regular issue card and the ‘73 Topps usually comes out on top. Simply the BEST Brooks picture used.

Maybe I can’t see it, but I don’t see a grade on the lid proof. I guess these get a lower grade due to the tab being bent.

[Chstrite]

Mark, graded authentic. Most proofs (if graded) get authentic.

[roarfrom34]

Most Orioles collectors are familiar with the Rochester Red Wings 1981 WTF card set primarily due to the inclusion of the Cal Ripken Jr. card.

However most collectors don't realize that one of the cards in this set has a tough variation.

From the web site Ripken in the Minors:

"When Steve Kozel received permission to print the 1981 WTF Rochester Red Wings set is came with a condition. The condition was that Steve would provide 3,000 cards of Doc Edwards for an Eastman Kodak Underprivileged Day during the 1981 season. The quote included a quote on the back from Edwards. In reality, Doc did not want to be bothered so the quote was attributed to him but chosen by Steve and then Co-General Manager Bill Terlecky. It was the first time the Kodak logo was ever put on a trading card and the people at Kodak were not happy. For whatever reason, possibly rain, the cards were never handed out. In March 2011 a copy surfaced at auction. Kevin Johnston of Clubhouse in Rochester sold the card. Kevin was Clubhouse Manager for the Wings in 1981 and had no clue how he received the card. The card was printed on the same sheets as the 1981 WTF set but has a picture cropped different from its WTF counterpart."

I was fortunate to acquire one of these cards from Kevin Johnston: