A Celebration of Topps: HOF Pitchers

[gustomania]

Awesome Koufax, one of my favorites, this set is coming together and really am enjoying the progress. Love your thinking outside the box and this is what it’s all about!!

Well done

[paul]

How can you describe such a beautiful card as "lesser grade"?

[cjedmonton]

Originally Posted by paul

How can you describe such a beautiful card as "lesser grade"?

Sorry, I lost my head. Meant to say “collector grade”

[cjedmonton]

Another nicely centered addition to the project.

Card 6 of 30

1959 Early Wynn #260
PSA 7
His 6th of 9 base Topps cards

Runner-up choice for 1959: Jim Bunning
Runner-up choice for Wynn: 1958
Why his ‘59? This is the year he won the Cy Young Award at the tender age of 39. He would remain the oldest winner for 45 years until Roger Clemens won at age 41. To Wynn’s credit, though, he was voted the top pitcher in all of the majors in ‘59.

[cjedmonton]

With all due respect to Hunter, this one isn’t likely going to excite. But like all the others, it is an important part of my vision for this project.

Card 7 of 30

1978 Catfish Hunter #460
PSA 9
His 14th of 15 base Topps cards

Runner-up choice for 1978: Steve Carlton
Runner-up choice for Hunter: 1974
Why his ‘78? Truth be told, Hunter’s ‘78 was a victim of the logistics required to assemble this run. Not every player/year pairing will be optimal. I originally wanted to feature him in his prime as an Athletic during his Cy Young winning season of ‘74. However, I ultimately settled on someone else. This will be one of the few players shown at or near the end of his career.

Nonetheless, Hunter’s penultimate card in ‘78 shows him in the twilight of his career as a member of the World Champion Yankees. He even won the Series clincher in ‘78 over my beloved Dodgers as he battled newly diagnosed diabetes.

[cjedmonton]

More low hanging fruit, and technically not eligible for this forum, but no less important to the project.

Card 8 of 30

1980 Bruce Sutter #17
PSA 9
His 4th of 13 base Topps cards

Runner-up choice for 1980: Nolan Ryan

Runner-up choice for Sutter: 1978

Why his ‘80? One of the baseball’s elite closers by 1980, this is his first “action” card, and shows him coming off his Cy Young winning ‘79 campaign…the 3rd reliever ever to do so. This would be his last year as a Cub, but donning Cardinal red did not hinder his dominance.

[cjedmonton]

Love this one.

Card 9 of 30

1961 Hoyt Wilhelm #545
PSA 7
His 9th of 20 base Topps cards

Runner-up choice for 1961: Don Drysdale

Runner-up choice for Wilhelm: 1954

Why his ‘61? Just a tough high series card of Old Sarge flashing his legendary knuckleball. He’d ride that epic floater until he was nearly 50 and all the way to Cooperstown as the first reliever ever enshrined.