New 2010 National Chicle White Sox Previews

Straight from Beckett's blog, new 2010 Topps National Chicle previews!



If pictures are worth 1,000 words, these ought to be good for 4,000. These look better than some of the first previews.

Any comments?

Card Spotlight: 2-26-10

1961 Topps #65 - Ted Kluszewski

This card eluded me for many years. Why? Technically, it's an Angels card. Yes, even back in 1961, card companies were putting pictures of players in their former uniforms, while listing them on their current teams. Welcome to the confusion of a team collector.

What better reason to spotlight this card than the release of 2010 Topps Heritage which celebrates this set. Topps had a pretty tall order for the 1961 set. The Angels were a brand new team and many players were taken in the December 1960 expansion draft.

Topps solved most of these problems by showing a close up of the players face without a cap. Some of these photos can clearly see the uniform striping or colors of another team, but for the most part were believable. Topps did the same for "Big Klu" on his card, except there a gigantic White Sox logo on his hat.

Could Topps have chosen a different photograph? Probably. Could they have airbrushed the logo out. Certainly. Did Topps know what the finalized Angels hat logo looked like at press time? Maybe not. Which could be more potentially embarrassing... another team's logo on a hat or a correct team's wrong logo on a hat?

If Topps did any tampering with this card, it wouldn't be in my collection today. So hats off to Topps for making me chase another non-White Sox card for my White Sox collection.

If You Are Bored...

Check out Unrelated Captions for a few unexpected laughs.

2010 Topps Heritage

I've been waiting for this set. The original 1961 Topps set has been a favorite of mine since my dad found a Danny Kravitz 1961 Topps card hidden in a wall of the house. It had the upper right corner torn off (possibly burnt off), but it was the oldest original card that I had, when I was young. I loved it.

That card has been swallowed again by the house, possibly never to be seen again. I fell in love with the minimalist design of 1961 Topps. The set looked so simple, yet it had beauty and class. Now the 2010 Heritage set is trying to emulate that same look and feel. For the most part, they get it right.

The rookie card logo does get in the way of the feel of the set. The rookie card logo is very distracting. The Topps Heritage logo fits into the general theme so well, that one barely notices it.

The White Sox have 19 cards in the set with the last three being short prints.

7 - Chicago White Sox
30 - Jayson Nix
35 - Gordon Beckham
56 - Jake Peavy
65 - Paul Konerko
79 - A.J. Pierzynski
90 - Gavin Floyd
124 - Daniel Hudson
132 - Ozzie Guillen
157 - Mark Buehrle
170 - Alex Rios
185 - John Danks
237 - Alexei Ramirez
257 - Carlos Quentin
276 - Tyler Flowers
337 - Mark Buehrle & Jake Peavy
432 - Jermaine Dye
482 - Jermaine Dye
497 - Mark Buehrle

One day, I may try to collect the entire set. Until that time, I still have the 2008 Heritage set to complete. I'll be satisfied with the 19 ChiSox cards, for now. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm a little burned out on retro products. What was once a niche, is now a cliche.

I still enjoy these Heritage sets. Last year's 1960 inspired set was underwhelming to me. It has a lot to do with me not being a huge fan of the original set. I feel better about this year's 1961 inspired set, probably only because I'm a big fan of the original set.

This is an easy recommend for me. Topps continues to draw from their past sets with great success. Now if they'd only chuck the rookie card logo for these retro sets. One can dream.

Twittering The Sox

Ozzie Guillen may now be on Twitter, but Southpaw was there first.

Maybe that's why Southpaw has a card in Opening Day and Ozzie does not.

Follow Southpaw's White Sox list to catch up on people that actually work for the team.

I can't wait for Steve Stone to start twittering again.

2010 Topps Opening Day

The economy must be rebounding. That was the excuse for not trotting this set out last year. Wait. Let me get this straight. The economy is in the toilet and you want to get rid of your most affordable product? That's Topps logic!

I've always liked Opening Day. It's like the unwanted stepchild in a mid-life crisis second marriage. It certainly is good enough, but sometimes that child gets into the oil based paints and turns itself bright red or some other charmingly blinding color.

This year is different. It looks relatively the same, except for the lack of bling (or in this case foil) and a nifty "Opening Day" logo. Neat! There's a downside to being able to read a player's name in a scan or :::GASP::: even in your hand? Who knew!

There are ten cards in this set. No short prints and one icy blue colored parallel.

52 – Gordon Beckham
92 – Alexei Ramirez
110 – Jermaine Dye
131 – Alex Rios
134 – Mark Buehrle
154 – Paul Konerko
155 – Jake Peavy
171 – Carlos Quentin
217 – Daniel Hudson
219 – Tyler Flowers

There's a nice balance between series one and the upcoming series two cards. No short prints to chase. No pointless variations. A decent price point. I like it! I may be one of the few, but I enjoy Opening Day. It's kid and collector friendly. A nice low end product that isn't trying to gouge the pocketbook or the eyes.

2010 Topps

I could have sworn I did a review for 2010 Topps. In all the 2010 Topps related posts, not one is a review. In a way, I'm glad that I waited. This set has grown on me.

The first card out of the team set shows perhaps the greatest achievement of the 2009 White Sox... Mark Buehrle's perfect game. It pictures Buehrle 28 outs into his 45 consecutive batters retired record.

There are some interesting cards in the team set. Alex Rios' card shows Upper Deck how a good looking card without logos in the photograph can be. There's a great close up of Tyler Flowers face. Every card I've seen of him in a Sox uniform features him in catcher's gear with his face partially obscured.

Of course there is the airbrush monstrosity that is Mark Teahen's card. He hasn't played in a game with the White Sox, but there he is running hard in a Sox uniform.

There are ten cards in the White Sox team set and one short print variation.

6 - Chicago White Sox
83 - Mark Teahen
94b - Carlton Fisk
115 - Gordon Beckham
180 - Jayson Nix
209 - Alexei Ramirez
242 - Bobby Jenks
259 - Daniel Hudson
271 - Jermaine Dye
312 - Tyler Flowers
324 - Alex Rios

There are the usual gold, black and platinum parallels. The design has grown on me, since it was revealed last year. I'm beginning to like the swoosh on the side. The logo might be a bit too big for the card, but I'm sure that has something to do with sticking it a little to Upper Deck.

There are different full color photos on the back. The foil is only used for the logo and to frame the name. It certainly isn't as gaudy as in past years, but foil has been played out. A solid effort from Topps.

Trading With Wax Wombat!

Like I mentioned earlier, things are crazy around here. Crazy trade-wise! Spring is around the corner. The dormant winter is starting to fade away. Our favorite entertainers are suiting up as you read this! It's a glorious time of year... no matter how much snow is on the ground.

This package comes from Andrew at Wax Wombat. A few cards have trickled in from this package in the past week, but I can't turn away a Beckham card.

Andrew and I agreed on a trade and as luck would have it, our packages arrived on the same day. Talk about service!

Let's dig into the cards!

2005 Donruss Champions
160 - Carl Everett
216 - Roberto Alomar
361 - Frank Thomas
391 - Ryan Wing

2009 Topps T206 Bronze Parallel
191 - Paul Konerko
284 - Alexei Ramirez

2009 Topps T206 Mini Piedmont
161 - Jermaine Dye

2010 Topps
115 - Gordon Beckham
259 - Daniel Hudson

2010 Upper Deck Season Biography
SB-67 - Jim Thome

Thanks, Andrew! These cards got me a little closer to completion in some key sets. I hope you enjoyed your cards!

Another Code, Another 70s Card

Hmmm. Is Topps telling me something by giving me the previous record holder for consecutive batters retired? Jim Barr set the record of 41 back in 1972, which was equaled by White Sox closer Bobby Jenks in 2007 and bested by White Sox starter Mark Buehrle in 2009, when he retired 45 consecutive batters, highlighted by his perfect game.

Reds For White Sox

Small trades have been fast and furious around here lately. I think it has to do with the amount of new releases in the past month. Whatever the reason, I like it!

I am down to only needing Fisk and Rios to complete my 2010 Topps Series One team set. Not too bad. Usually, it takes longer than February to get this close. All I need to work on now is the parallels and the inserts.

Today, a package from Jason at The Writer's Journey arrived full of a few choice selections of 2010 White Sox goodness.

Let's see what arrived.

2010 Topps
6 - White Sox Franchise
312 - Tyler Flowers

2010 Topps Turkey
TR29 - Gordon Beckham

2010 Topps When They Were Young
WTWY-GB - Gordon Beckham

A pair of Beckhams! Can't beat that! I finished off the Turkey (until series two maybe) and came a few cards away from completing the series one base set.

Thanks, Jason! These cards were well worth the wait!

Saintly Help

A real quick and easy trade with Dan from Saints of the Cheap Seats. I'm inching closer and closer to completion of the 2008 Topps Heritage set.

I sent over a few cards to Dan and got this beauty in return.

I will get this set finished by the end of 2010.

Thanks, Dan!

A Sneaky Troll

Look closely at the card. Notice the second autograph on it. It's much easier to see in a scan. Black Sharpie against black uniform is a bit harder to see in person. I almost missed it.

Instead, something caught my eye and I paused momentarily. Something was amiss. Then the black loop around the glove seemed suspicious. So, I tilted the card to get another angle on the situation. Slowly, a signature revealed itself.

It's so large. How could I have missed that. Mostly encompassed by the blackness of the White Sox alternate home uniform, a hiding spot was revealed. Pretty sneaky, Troll!

There were many cards in the stack, but I'm going to "laser" focus on the cards that I needed.

1993 Stadium Club
746 – Frank Thomas

1995 Score
449 – Roberto Hernandez

1995 Score Gold Rush
544 – Kirk McCaskill

1996 Score
259 – Larry Thomas

1996 Topps Gallery
96 – Ray Durham

1997 Leaf Limited Counterparts
12 – Ray Durham (Chuck Knoblauch)

1998 Pinnacle Xpress
5 – Frank Thomas
47 – Albert Belle
62 – Ray Durham
140 – Frank Thomas

1998 Topps Stars
150 – Frank Thomas (5035/9799)

2005 Topps Opening Day
89 – Magglio Ordonez

2006 Upper Deck Star Attractions Game Used
SA-TI – Tadahito Iguchi

2007 Bowman Prospects
BP51 – Derek Rodriguez (autographed)

Thanks, Troll! That made a nice dent in a few sets and completed the Pinnacle Xpress. I loved the secret autograph. Of course the 1992 Upper Deck Jack McDowell back side that was front and center was a riot. The Iguchi uniform was an awesome surprise too.

Trading With Rob M.

Lately, there has been a lot of calls for Mets cards. I'm not sure why the sudden influx of interest in trading for New York's NL team, but I am pretty much cleared out of Mets for awhile.

Reader Rob M. and I agreed on a trade. White Sox for Mets. I wasn't able to keep all the cards after 2000, but I will start setting aside new Mets cards for you. When I have a good stack of them, I'll send another package out.

Rob was pretty thorough with my want list and he hit a good chunk from the junk wax era. You'd think I'd be done with those by now, but no. All the pesky little oddball sets and inserts keep eluding me.

Let's see what Rob sent over!

1975 Topps
480 – Carlos May

1983 Topps
541 – Britt Burns

1987 Fleer League Leaders
12 – Joe Cowley
42 – Greg Walker

1988 Fleer Star Stickers
16 – Ozzie Guillen

1988 Fleer Superstars
42 – Kenny Williams

1988 KayBee
42 – Bobby Thigpen

1989 Woolworth
13 – Carlton Fisk

1992 Classic I
T45 – Roberto Hernandez
T89 – Frank Thomas

1992 Classic Best
258 – Brian Boehringer

1992 Conlon
579 – Tommy Thomas

1992 French’s
8 – Robin Ventura (Matt Williams)

1992 Stadium Club
535 – Joey Cora
586 – Greg Hibbard

1993 Flair
180 – Wilson Alvarez

1993 Hostess
31 – Jack McDowell

1994 Pinnacle
164 – Roberto Hernandez

2001 SP Top Prospects
40 – Joe Crede
41 – Aaron Rowand

2001 Upper Deck Pros & Prospects
35 – Magglio Ordonez
36 – Carlos Lee

2002 Upper Deck Piece Of History
35 – Magglio Ordonez

2004 Topps Chrome
293 – Magglio Ordonez


And some for my player collections!

Harold Baines
1987 Boardwalk & Baseball #16
1988 Fleer Baseball’s Exciting Stars #1
1993 Leaf #249
1995 Ultra #251
1996 Topps #357
1999 Upper Deck #44


Mark Buehrle
2002 Diamond Kings #81
2003 Topps #47
2006 Topps #90


John Cangelosi
1988 O-Pee-Chee #328
1988 Topps #506

And some for my eventual surprise for my friend!

Ryne Sandberg
1987 Boardwalk & Baseball #30
1987 Fleer League Leaders #39
1987 Ralston Purina #15
1988 Chef Boyardee #11
1988 Fleer #628 (with Ozzie Smith)
1988 Fleer Baseball’s Exciting Stars #32
1988 O-Pee-Chee #10
1989 Woolworth #21
1991 Fleer #709 (with Cecil Fielder)
1991 Jimmy Dean #6
1992 Classic I #T79
1992 Pinnacle #617
1992 Upper Deck #145
1993 Hostess #2
1993 Leaf #224
1993 Triple Play #10

Thanks, Rob! You were very generous with your trades. I sent out your package today. I filled out the rest of the box with 80s and 90s after post 2000 cards were spent, but like I said, I'll be setting aside new Mets cards that come into my possession and sending out another package. Hopefully, what should arrive in the mail next week will tide you over until then.

The Club

MLB Network (which I still don't get with U-Verse[my only complaint with the service]), is making the White Sox the focus of their brand new reality show called, "The Club".

I'll let you in on a little secret. I hate reality programming. This might be the one thing that sways me. I doubt that I'll be able to see it. I was promised that the MLB Network was coming when I signed up to U-Verse one year ago. Still nothing.

The show will focus on the behind the scenes operations of the baseball team. Cameras started rolling about the same time that the whole Jim Thome decision was on the table.

The show should premiere right before the All-Star break. Manager Ozzie Guillen, owner Jerry Reinsdorf and GM Kenny Williams will be get the most camera time, since they are the ones working behind the scenes.

It should provide an interesting look at hirings, firings, trades and other decisions off the field. And no, Ozzie's colorful use of the English language should not be a problem.

Card Spotlight 2-19-10

1987 Fleer League Leaders #12 - Joe Cowley

On September 19, 1986, Joe Cowley threw a no-hitter for the White Sox against the California Angels. The Sox won that game 7-1, and Joe never won another game in the majors.

That bit of history is nearly forgotten. When people think of Joe Cowley now, they think of the White Sox beat reporter of the same name (no relation, as far as I can tell), who works for the Chicago Sun-Times.

It is my understanding that the beat reporter named Cowley doesn't appreciate the unique aspect of covering a team where someone with the same name once played. That's OK. We appreciate the joke, especially when said beat reporter gets thrown out by A.J. Pierzynski on numerous occasions after commenting how slow A.J. was with his throws to second.

So to ex-Sox pitcher Jow Cowley, I certainly appreciate your time with the White Sox. Some people may not, but I do. A no-hitter is certainly nothing to sneeze at. Be proud. Shout it from the rooftops. You accomplished a feat that very few pitchers have done in the majors.

My First Beckham Auto

The group breaks from I Am Joe Collector continue to amaze me. I pulled my first Beckham certified autograph, which is something that I thought I never would do. Every time I think I'm going to get squat, something like this restores my faith in the breaks.

Miles To Go And All I Got Was This Doc

I've been extremely busy lately. A friend's mother passed away on Valentine's Day. My car needs the excess carbon forced out of the engine to pass emissions, which was the perfect excuse for a mini road trip to drop off the Twitter contest winnings to the winner. I also seem to be the on call tech for all of my friends' computer problems.

Yeah, there's been a lot going on this week. At least one of my problems requires me to venture out on the road and drive really fast while listening to Pearl Jam, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. It sounds like less of a problem and more like a solution.

While I was out buying a few items to help cleanse my car of its carbon problem, I snagged some more Topps packs. I received another code card (Ichiro) and it produced a card of Doc Gooden.

I'm no complainer. This is a card of a former superstar. Someone I've actually heard of that wasn't on a Chicago team. This kid was awesome in the eighties. A once promising career was derailed by drugs. It got so bad that Doc found anonymity in Tampa Bay for part of the 2000 season. I had no idea it had gotten that bad.

This card was ten years after what I would have wanted. It doesn't even show Gooden pitching. Just another pitcher wandering the base path, hoping not to be fooled by the hidden ball trick. It's bad enough that Ozzie Guillen was fooled by that lame play at least three times.

Tampa Bay in 2000 is easy enough to miss. I barely remember Wade Boggs or Jose Canseco on the Devil Rays in the early days of that team. How on earth did I miss Dwight Gooden on the Houston Astros????

Registered And Redeemed At Topps

I could have watched the Jersey Trilogy from Kevin Smith, in the time it took to register, then redeem four stinking cards. That is absolutely ridiculous!

Did I get any White Sox cards? No. Was I stuck with a bunch of junk wax? No. Was it worth the time and effort. Not really. Was it still cool? Yeah, kinda.

It's always a little cool turning insert cards magically into regular cards. Let's see how I fared after nearly six hours.

A picture featuring a 1963 Bob Gibson....

Magically turns into a 1987 Tony Gwynn!

Not an upgrade but a nice card of a Hall of Fame player.

A picture of a 2001 Ichiro...

Poof! Turns into a 2005 Mariano Rivera!

Not exactly an upgrade, but a great player in exchange for a great player!

A picture of a 1969 Mickey Mantle...

Shazaam! Turns into a 1971 Playoff card featuring Bob Tolan!

Vintage for vintage is something I can believe in!

A picture of a 1985 Mike Schmidt...

Kablooey! Turns into a 1966 Ralph Terry!

OK, I was fearing the worst, but I think I did pretty good. Not great, but pretty good. A Hall of Famer, a potential Hall of Famer and two vintage cards. Not too shabby!

Omar Vizquel, Sensitive Artist?

According to Adam Katz, Vizquel's agent, the main reason Omar chose Chicago (besides the token answer of the legacy of Venezuelan shortstops on the South Side) was the thriving art community and the museums. Apparently, Cleveland (which was also on Vizquel's short list) didn't have enough artistic integrity.

So, as a helpful guide to the Sox new number 11, here are a couple of links to all the information that Omar needs.

Art of Chicago

Chicago Museum Directory

OK, Omar. Have fun and be cultural, but don't shirk your responsibilities with the team. You really don't want to get on recently retired Ozzie Guillen's bad side. People end up crying.

Yo Mamma Cards

I instantly think of the classic Saturday Night Live sketch of Word Association, every time I hear about "Yo Mamma" cards.
Innocent reprints? Or is this little insert dredging up the past by opening old wounds and rubbing finely grained salt and lemon juice while disguising them as tasty margaritas?

Am I paranoid or is that "not a Topps card" in the lower right hand corner on the back of this "Yo Mamma" card?

Look closely.
Is that a 1992 Leaf card of some player on the Padres?

The plot thickens.

Happy Valentine's Day

One of the reddest cards of a current White Sox player that I could find. Paul Konerko sends the love out there to all the White Sox fans and loyal readers on this Valentine's Day.

I hope everyone's happy and healthy this February 14th.

White Sox fans, don't forget to check out a Twitter only contest. First one with all the correct answers will win some White Sox cards!

Card Spotlight: 2-12-10

1993 Leaf Thomas #7 - Frank Thomas (Control)

In 1993, Frank Thomas became the spokesperson for Leaf. He was featured on the packaging and was issued his very own set of ten cards.

Number seven features "control".

Frank had the ability to spray the ball to all fields and work the count into his favor. In his career, he has had more walks than strikeouts. This is just a testament to his natural ability to control the ball, while having a keen eye for an umpire's range.

Not many people realized how special a player Frank Thomas was, until he was gone. After years of constant production, fans started to take Frank for granted. Every player has their ups and downs. Frank Thomas is no exception.

Through it all, Frank ended up with a .301 average, 521 home runs, 1667 walks and only 1397 strikeouts. He also managed 495 doubles out of 2,468 hits over 19 seasons. Truly, Frank was in control.

Go Slovakia!

Slovakia is the country I will be rooting for in the Winter Olympics. Only because of this contest.

Slovakia, who only has one Winter Olympic medal (silver) for snowboarding in 2006.

This means that they are on the rise!

Yeah, I know... I'm toast.

If it were the Summer Olympics, I'd be a shoe-in for canoeing!

At least I have Marian Hossa on my side.

So I've got that going for me.
But I will not be watching any of the festivities on any NBC owned station because of my loyalty to this man.

Um, to clarify, the one on the right hand side of the picture.

Instead, I'll be watching Disney owned ESPN. Or getting updates online. Or listening to the radio. Or reading it in the newspaper the next day. Or waiting for a friend to tell me. Or figuring it out when I'm not asked for my address because I won a prize package.

I expect not to place in this contest.

Surprise me, Slovakia.

You have that rich history of Czechoslovakian Winter Olympic glory behind you. The normal hill ski jumping gold medal won by Jiří Raška at the 1968 Olympics in Grenoble, France. Or the figure skating gold medal won by Ondrej Nepela at the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan.

Yeah. I'm boned.

Saying Goodbye To The Big Hurt

It's about to go down tomorrow. We all knew this day was coming. I held out a sliver of hope that Frank Thomas would appear in a White Sox uniform one last time, during the September call-ups in 2009.

Frank Thomas will officially retire on Friday. His number 35 is expected to be retired, but we all know how important that ceremony actually is, right Omar Vizquel?

Frank Thomas made me believe in this team. After the dreadful teams of the late 80s, Frank and other new and young blood, made the White Sox respectable. I can't even count how many times I saw Frank's big grin adorning any number of products back in the early nineties. It was definitely more noticeable in Chicago, but I'd see his face while traveling too.

Frank gave me thrills that only a pure line drive hitter can give. He was deadly with a rope to any part of the field and sometimes, over 500 times in his career, those line drives would get elevation and fly majestically.

Frank made me a fan of the walk. He certainly drew enough of them. Some were intentional. Most were not. All of them, he earned. Frank was a rare creature, who would find any and all ways to beat you on the diamond. He just didn't get along with the press very well.

Don't Believe The Hype

If I'm not mistaken, that is the advice that was given to him by his family. He lived by that motto in the early days, even going as far as displaying it prominently at his locker. At times, it looked as though Frank had lost his way, but he always found his way back.

I'll never forget his magical seasons in the early to mid-nineties or his improbable run at a third MVP in 2000, which he should have won. Is it too late for a recount, Giambi? I will always feel bad that Frank won his only World Series ring by cheering on the sidelines. In a perfect world, he would have been the one leading the way. His earnest speech at the victory parade still makes me tear up a little. It was a speech well earned for sticking with the White Sox for so long. It meant the world to him and to the fans.

Goodbye, old friend. I will always cherish those special memories that you gave Chicago.

Another Old Contest Winnings

A contest so old, I pretty much forgot about it after the drama of the holidays. Further proof that I actually won something can be found all the way back on December 10th. Procrastination is my middle name too regarding mailings, so don't fret. There are many positives to be had. Money was saved on postage. Everything arrived at once. Lots of cool cards came flying out of the package.

Thanks dayf! These contest prizes were worth the wait! Even with the included Bipping. Once I sort through the other cards in the package, I'll post those too.

Coolness On A Frigid Day

While I'm shoveling out three cars that the plows packed in tight, I thought I'd show off my eagerly awaited "Coolness Prize" from dayf, for knowing what this post was all about.

Triple Bipped

I knew it was coming sooner or later.

My first bipping.

By a Bip-happy mad Georgian.

I got Magglio Bipped!!!

This came in the middle of two contest packages that I had won from dayf. Little does he know... I've been preparing for this day. I sent out my first test-Bip last week. I have big plans. They will be implemented soon. May Bip have mercy on your soul.

I got...

WSC Vintage: Monty Stratton

Card #13 - Monty Stratton

Monty's Major League career is only tragic in regards to how short it was. From 1934 until 1938, he pitched for the White Sox. Stratton was becoming a fan favorite and a pitcher that could be counted on for a fantastic win-loss percentage and a low ERA.

His best year, 1937, saw Monty in the All-Star Game. That season he won 15 games, while losing only 5. He had a fantastic ERA of 2.40 that year. In 1938, he still won 15 games, but lost 9 and his ERA ended up in the low fours, which was still respectable for that era.

After the 1938 season, Monty was hunting when he fell and accidentally discharged his firearm. The bullet lodged in his right leg and caused enough damage to a main artery to require amputation.

The story doesn't end there though. Monty attempted several comebacks with a new wooden leg. He never again reached the majors, but remained active in minor league ball until 1953. In 1946, while pitching for the Sherman Twins of the East Texas League, Stratton won 18 games. Monty would never again reach double digit wins, but his story was made into a movie starring Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson, which featured cameos from Jimmy Dykes, Bill Dickey and Gene Bearden.

Correcting A Common Error

I know that most people in the world could care less about a baseball card blog right this second. There's some Big Game going on in another sport, preempted by an impromptu classic rock medley (with only two original members performing) in the middle. It may be hours or days before you stumble across this post.

Meet Tommy Davis. This is his 1968 Topps Game card. Number ten in a series of thirty-three.

Commonly, this card of Tommy Davis has him associated with the Dodgers. I can see where people would assume that. The picture on this card features no team identifiers. The card fails to mention his team affiliation. Tommy's best days up to this point were on the Dodgers. Hell, even the picture is likely to hail from his days in Dodger blue.

It just ain't so.

From 1959 until 1966, Tommy Davis was part of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He did very well during those formative years. In 1967, he found himself on the New York Mets. He wasn't a part-time player, who could get lost in the shuffle. Tommy played 154 games for the Mets.

By 1968, Davis found himself on the White Sox. How anyone could look at his stats and mistake him for being on the Dodgers, at this point, is beyond me. It happens. That's why I am here to point out this common error. The White Sox did wear a similar color on their uniforms during this time, which is probably where the genesis of this misinformation started. That certainly isn't a Mets uniform he's wearing.

That has been a White Sox PSA. Thank you for your time.

Bipped On The World's Stage

If you, or someone you know gets bipped, feel free to use any of the Bip Images from this blog to express your frustration.

Mailbox Joys: Deacon Jones

1963 Topps Rookie Stars #253 - Deacon Jones (Len Gabrielson, Pete Jernigan, John Wojik)

When I was searching for my counterfeit Rose rookie, I came across a few other rookie cards from the 1963 Topps set. This one caught my eye for two reasons. One; I discovered that I had overlooked this card when I was making my original White Sox '63 Topps list. Two; I was checking out this card for someone else and discovered a White Sox player in the lower left hand corner.

It was like stumbling across the Holy Grail or something of equal or lesser value. I jumped on the auction and ended up being the only bidder, which was fine by me. I didn't intend to get into a bidding war over this card. One bid would have knocked me out.

What struck me as odd was the choice of teams. Two Sox teams, who never left their respective cities after establishing themselves in the majors. Two teams who are caught in the second of each of their three city legacies. Out of the four, only one is from the National League. Out of the four, only one name doesn't make my spell checker spew smoke.

I am one card closer to completion of the White Sox 1963 Topps master team set. That may be the best news of all.