I'll be honest with you. The primary reason I like this card is because it looks like the original picture was taken in the bathroom. It could be the first MLB selfie.
I'm not sure why an outfielder that played forty-six games in his first two seasons got a card. Bowman even brags that Cal hit .205 in 1950. It is a definite improvement from .083 in his first season.
I'm always fascinated by vintage cards. Especially when they are much older than I am. It might be the discovery of players that I never knew about or teams in locations that I will never be able to see a game at, in cities long since abandoned by the teams. Supposedly for greener pastures, but that is debatable in some cases.
It could be that all the fresh young faces look like they've seen some stuff. Horrible stuff that aged them. Cal was twenty-seven in 1951. He looks a lot older than that. Perhaps in was his military service that aged him. He was in the army in Battery B 500th Anti-Aircraft Artillery. He served in Europe and the Pacific, earning two battle stars in the Pacific and Cal was awarded the Philippine Liberation Medal with one bronze star. He was in the army from January 1943 until January 1946. So, Abrams certainly has seen some stuff.
Vintage cards can let me glimpse into lives I will never knew. Into times I will never experience. All for the purpose of educating me to the world around me and the world that came before me. It's exciting and comforting exploring these strange worlds that have a familiar feel and context to them. The more I learn about the past, the more I can relate it to the present. Perhaps that is why I enjoy these cards and this hobby so much.
No comments:
Post a Comment