A Celebration of Topps: HOF Pitchers

[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.

[brianp-beme]

Just encountered this thread...neat idea and nice cards so far. I noticed Todd's old list that he posted.

1949 BOWMAN MIZE, JOHNNY KELL, GEORGE
1949 LEAF RIZZUTO, PHIL KINER, RALPH
1950 BOWMAN CAMPANELLA, ROY BOUDREAU, LOU
1951 TOPPS WYNN, EARLY (RED) DOERR, BOBBY (BLUE)
1951 BOWMAN ROBERTS, ROBIN IRVIN, MONTE
1952 TOPPS LEMON, BOB SLAUGHTER, ENOS
1952 BOWMAN MINOSO DOBY, LARRY
1953 TOPPS PAIGE, SATCHELL NEWHOUSER, HAL
1953 BOWMAN STENGEL, CASEY (B&W) MUSIAL, STAN (COLOR)
1954 TOPPS WILHELM, HOYT SNIDER, DUKE
1954 BOWMAN FORD, WHITEY REESE, PEE WEE
1955 TOPPS SPAHN, WARREN ROBINSON, JACKIE
1955 BOWMAN BARLICK, AL CONLAN, JOCKO
1956 TOPPS FELLER, BOB WILLIAMS, TED
1957 TOPPS ASHBURN, RICHIE MAZEROSKI, BILL
1958 TOPPS FOX, NELLIE MANTLE, MICKEY
1959 TOPPS DRYSDALE, DON BANKS, ERNIE
1960 TOPPS LOPEZ, AL AARON, HANK
1960 LEAF BUNNING, JIM APARICIO, LUIS
1961 TOPPS CEPEDA, ORLANDO BERRA, YOGI
1962 TOPPS MATHEWS, EDDIE ROBINSON, FRANK
1963 TOPPS MARICHAL, JUAN ALSTON, WALTER
1963 FLEER KOUFAX, SANDY CLEMENTE, ROBERTO
1964 TOPPS SANTO KILLEBREW, HARMON
1965 TOPPS GIBSON, BOB MAYS, WILLIE
1966 TOPPS MCCOVEY, WILLIE KALINE, AL
1967 TOPPS PALMER, JIM YASTRZEMSKI, CARL
1968 TOPPS WILLIAMS, BILLY CAREW, ROD
1969 TOPPS SUTTON, DON BROCK, LOU
1970 TOPPS WEAVER, EARL JENKINS, FERGIE
1971 TOPPS ANDERSON, SPARKY ROBINSON, BROOKS
1972 TOPPS BLYLEVEN BENCH, JOHNNY
1973 TOPPS SEAVER, TOM MORGAN, JOE
1974 TOPPS NIEKRO, PHIL PEREZ, TONY
1975 TOPPS HUNTER, JIM FISK, CARLTON
1976 TOPPS BRETT, GEORGE WINFIELD, DAVE
1977 TOPPS RYAN, NOLAN SCHMIDT, MIKE
1978 TOPPS FINGERS, ROLLIE JACKSON, REGGIE
1979 TOPPS CARLTON, STEVE STARGELL, WILLIE
1980 TOPPS PERRY, GAYLORD CARTER, GARY

The way that it was punctuated created a whole new list of Hall of Famers I was unfamiliar with, or perhaps they are relatives of Hall of Famers:

1949 BOWMAN: JOHNNY KELL
1949 LEAF: PHIL KINER
1950 BOWMAN: ROY BOUDREAU
1951 TOPPS: EARLY (RED) DOERR
1951 BOWMAN: ROBIN IRVIN
1952 TOPPS: BOB SLAUGHTER
1953 TOPPS: SATCHELL NEWHOUSER
1953 BOWMAN: CASEY (B&W) MUSIAL
1954 TOPPS: HOYT SNIDER
1954 BOWMAN: WHITEY REESE
1955 TOPPS: WARREN ROBINSON
1955 BOWMAN: AL CONLAN
1956 TOPPS: BOB WILLIAMS
1957 TOPPS: RICHIE MAZEROSKI
1958 TOPPS: NELLIE MANTLE
1959 TOPPS: DON BANKS
1960 TOPPS: AL AARON
1960 LEAF: JIM APARICIO
1961 TOPPS: ORLANDO BERRA
1962 TOPPS: EDDIE ROBINSON
1963 TOPPS: JUAN ALSTON
1963 FLEER: SANDY CLEMENTE
1965 TOPPS: BOB MAYS
1966 TOPPS: WILLIE KALINE
1967 TOPPS: JIM YASTRZEMSKI
1968 TOPPS: BILLY CAREW
1969 TOPPS: DON BROCK
1970 TOPPS: EARL JENKINS
1971 TOPPS: SPARKY ROBINSON
1973 TOPPS: TOM MORGAN
1974 TOPPS: PHIL PEREZ
1975 TOPPS: JIM FISK
1976 TOPPS: GEORGE WINFIELD
1977 TOPPS: NOLAN SCHMIDT
1978 TOPPS: ROLLIE JACKSON
1979 TOPPS: STEVE STARGELL
1980 TOPPS: GAYLORD CARTER

I guess I need to go out and find a bunch of cards! I imagine Nellie Mantle and Sandy Clemente will cost me a few bucks.


Brian