Brooks Robinson and the Baltimore Orioles

[otiv]

I recently got this Frank Robinson 5x7 b&w photo and it looks kind of like the 1967 Bethlehem Steel cards but the picture is different and the caption on the back is different. The picture is on thin semi-glossy paper, and has perforations along the top front edge.

[quitcrab]

That’s a great Frank Robinson piece… I wonder if there is a Brooks in that set? I have never seen it before.
Scott

[Chstrite]

Day 155 – 4 June 2024
Moving from signs, today I am showing you an interesting original piece of art from the 1972-1973 Slurpee 7-11 Cups of Brooks Robinson. I am not familiar with the artist but this example looks great with the black and white matting next to an actual cup. The drawing is very similar to the cup but the orange on the cup is a bit red on the drawing. I have seen other players over the years on ebay but never another Oriole. I assume this is a 1/1.

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by Chstrite

Day 155 – 4 June 2024
Moving from signs, today I am showing you an interesting original piece of art from the 1972-1973 Slurpee 7-11 Cups of Brooks Robinson. I am not familiar with the artist but this example looks great with the black and white matting next to an actual cup. The drawing is very similar to the cup but the orange on the cup is a bit red on the drawing. I have seen other players over the years on ebay but never another Oriole. I assume this is a 1/1.

LOVE it. Great frame to set it off as well.

[Chstrite]

Day 156 – 5 June 2024
I recently found this binder from the early 1970s. The binder is bright orange and celebrates the 1966 and 1970 WS Champions. I really enjoy the Coo Coo Bird.

[Chstrite]

Day 157 – 6 June 2024
Today I am showing you a few of my 1975 Clarance Mengler Baseball’s Best 3x5 inch unlicensed post cards for signatures. This is a 125 card set that the MLBPA went after Mr. Mengler as the cards were not sanctioned by the MLB. Mengler created these cards for signatures but ran into legal challenges by the MLB so he stood down with the set. MLBPA was upset with other companies, too, such as TCMA. I believe he created as many as 125 cards each in a set and sold 100 sets and kept 25 sets for himself. I have Frank Robinson with the Indians. Included in the first picture is also McNally with the Expos but this one is an original hand drawn in pencil by Mr. Mengler’s artis, Mr. Neil Patterson. At the time when the set was created, Patterson was a student at a Chicago Art School. The 1st picture shows Brooks, Blair and Singleton are are part of the set but not originals. You can tell if the card is an original if stamped on the back like the second picture. The next picture are originals of Grich, Singleton, May, Belanger and Blair. These are part of the set but original hand drawn. The Bumbry at the top left is not part of the set. Mr. Mengler told me he planned another set in 1976 but he did not get to it based on the MLBPA legal challenge. The last picture shows these are originals with the markings on the back. I had several conversations with Mr. Mengler and was able to get these originals and the insights above. He sent me a photo copy of an article published about his sets in 1975. More on this set tomorrow.

[ksfarmboy]

Never seen those before Charles, cool!

[carlsonjok]

Originally Posted by Chstrite

Day 157 – 6 June 2024
Today I am showing you a few of my 1975 Clarance Mengler Baseball’s Best 3x5 inch unlicensed post cards for signatures. This is a 125 card set that the MLBPA went after Mr. Mengler as the cards were not sanctioned by the MLB. Mengler created these cards for signatures but ran into legal challenges by the MLB so he stood down with the set. MLBPA was upset with other companies, too, such as TCMA. I believe he created as many as 125 cards each in a set and sold 100 sets and kept 25 sets for himself. I have Frank Robinson with the Indians. Included in the first picture is also McNally with the Expos but this one is an original hand drawn in pencil by Mr. Mengler’s artis, Mr. Neil Patterson. At the time when the set was created, Patterson was a student at a Chicago Art School. The 1st picture shows Brooks, Blair and Singleton are are part of the set but not originals. You can tell if the card is an original if stamped on the back like the second picture. The next picture are originals of Grich, Singleton, May, Belanger and Blair. These are part of the set but original hand drawn. The Bumbry at the top left is not part of the set. Mr. Mengler told me he planned another set in 1976 but he did not get to it based on the MLBPA legal challenge. The last picture shows these are originals with the markings on the back. I had several conversations with Mr. Mengler and was able to get these originals and the insights above. He sent me a photo copy of an article published about his sets in 1975. More on this set tomorrow.

There is some good information here, but I am confused by how you are defining original. I have read this several times and I think this is how it parses.

1. There are hand drawn originals. These would be the 1/1s you show in a different post.
2. Original printed versions, which would be identified by the print mark on the back.
3. Not originals, which lack the print mark on the back.

With the history of only having produced 125 sets before stopping, I am assuming these 125 are part of "#2 - Original printed versions". If that is true, I don't understand what "#3 - Not originals" are. If he stopped printing, then the "not originals" would be reproductions printed at a later time?

I also don't understand what you meant by the Bumbry not being part of the set. Is it a proof that was created but not part of the set that was eventually printed?

Thanks in advance for any clarity here. I still lack one of these for my Paul Blair player collection and when I see one I want to be sure I understand what I am looking at.

[BaltOrioles]

Originally Posted by otiv

I recently got this Frank Robinson 5x7 b&w photo and it looks kind of like the 1967 Bethlehem Steel cards but the picture is different and the caption on the back is different. The picture is on thin semi-glossy paper, and has perforations along the top front edge.

That photo is from the 1969 Bethlehem Steel photo booklet. The booklet contains photos of Paul Blair, Don Buford, Mark Belanger, Andy Etchebarren, Dave Johnson, Boog Powell, Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson. Total of 8 photos.

There are Bethlehem Steel booklets from 1966-1970.

Here's the program and photo booklet from the 1969 Bethlehem Steel game.

[Chstrite]

Nice update, Alan. Nice stuff.

[otiv]

Originally Posted by BaltOrioles

That photo is from the 1969 Bethlehem Steel photo booklet. The booklet contains photos of Paul Blair, Don Buford, Mark Belanger, Andy Etchebarren, Dave Johnson, Boog Powell, Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson. Total of 8 photos.

There are Bethlehem Steel booklets from 1966-1970.

Here's the program and photo booklet from the 1969 Bethlehem Steel game.

Thank you so much for that information. I assumed it was from a Bethlehem Steel set but could only find the information about the 1967 set. Were these a stadium giveaway?

[Chstrite]

Jeff, you are correct. the original pencil hand drawn are 1/1. They have the initials “CSM with date and original art” marking. The official cards part of the 125 sets I understand have the stamp marking “copyright symbol
Mengler-Peterson 1975.” Sorry if confusing. The first post was a few original art and copies. Second post the next day was Brooks and Palmer original art.

[Chstrite]

Jeff, forgot Bumbry. Al Bumbry is not part of the 1975 Mengler Set. Mengler was going to do another set in 1976 but Mengler had issues with MLBPA so he did not do the set. When I talked to Mengler he said he had another Oriole u forgot who it was. He then found the card and recalled or researched as being the Bee Al Bumbry.

[roarfrom34]

The Oates button comes from a Virginia off season banquet in his honor

[Chstrite]

Thanks, Bill. I enjoyed Johnny Oates as a player and coach/manager.