White Sox Cards Turns Three

On a cool, crisp November afternoon in 2007, White Sox Cards was first posted. November 9th, at 3:04PM, to be exact. Thank you everyone for your support over the years. I appreciate all those who stuck with me as this blog continued to expand and grow. I started this thinking that no one else would read this and found constant surprises along the way. Although I've only met a handful of you (probably less than that), I consider many of you to be great friends that I have been lucky to find on this journey.

Like in actual life, people have come and people have gone. Some people have stuck around. No matter how you've stumbled upon this blog, and no matter how long you've stayed, I've appreciated all of it. I've been read, commented, contacted, traded, bipped, gifted, and many other actions because of this blog. Thank you.

Oddly enough this is starting to sound less of a celebration and more of a sign off. Rest assured, that is not the case. I usually get in a reflective mood around anniversaries and such. I'm looking forward to finding out what surprises await in the fourth year of this blog. Thanks for tagging along.

Buehrle's Second Straight Gold Glove

Congrats to Mark Buehrle on winning his second Gold Glove award!! After Opening Day, the competition had absolutely no chance.

The Tops Of Topps White Sox: 1961 - 1970

1961 - Nellie Fox MVP
There are plenty of candidates here, but Nellie's MVP card stands out on top.

1962 - Al Smith
It's almost as if this design was made for Al's pose.

1963 - Ray Herbert
Very few cards make great use of the space provided in this design. Ray has the lanky follow through in the circle and a great close up in the main picture.

1964 - Al Weis
I'm coming down to your level. Wait! What's that behind you? And why is this trophy almost as big as I am?

1965 - Bill Skowron
The scowl of Skowron! For a fun loving guy that tells amazing and entertaining stories, he looks like a complete bad-ass!

1966 - ChiSox Clubbers
Power hitters galore! They helped drive the teams of the mid-sixties behind a powerful pitching staff.

1967 - Smoky Burgess
Nothing says the "Summer of Love" like cemetery baseball.

1968 - Jerry McNertney
Those eyes will penetrate through your very soul.

1969 - Wilbur Wood
A picture so good, that they used it in the 1968 set too!

1970 - Walt Williams

Walt Williams... COMIN' AT YA!

Today's The Day!

Yes, this is a Birth Years card of Conan O'Brien. Yes, I probably do need help. Help that I'll get tonight at 10PM Central on TBS.

The Tops Of Topps White Sox: 1951 - 1960

1951 - Eddie Robinson
Eddie's smiling face is the image that I instantly recall when I think about this set.

1952 - Minnie Minoso
Minoso's card in the '52 set stands out among the other fine examples.

1953 - Bob Keegan
The determination on Bob's face sets him apart from the other head shots.

1954 - Don Johnson
How can one resist the charms of that face? Bewildered and confident all at the same time!

1955 - Ed McGhee
I got it! Wait, do I have it? Yes. Yes I do. Priceless moments all on one card!

1956 - Jim Rivera
Conventional wisdom says to pick the Aparicio rookie. No, I say! Check out the crowd and a leaping Rivera on this card!

1957 - Larry Doby
A sweet swing captured for the ages!

1958 - Luis Aparicio
The look of confidence sells this one for me. Hopeful and confident!

1959 - Nellie Fox
Nellie might be pondering the team's chances for the '59 season. I say their chances are awesome!

1960 - Early Wynn
Captured in finest form on card one!

Really, Topps?

So Topps wants us to vote for our favorite cards that they selected. Um, OK. I'm in a voting mood.

I see 15 Mickey Mantle cards out of a possible 100 choices??? Sure, the 1952 Topps card of Mantle is iconic, but we have been bombarded with that image for the last few decades. I think it may be time to retire the use of that image for at least a few years. The more cards that are in tribute to the 1952 Topps Mantle, the more the iconic image becomes diluted and void of meaning.

It once was the epitome of all that was good with Topps and what a collector should strive to collect. Now, anyone can own a watered down version of that card directly from Topps. If you don't like that, it's also available in different backgrounds, like snow! If anyone that has been collecting for a few years can honestly say that they have never held some type of Mantle card in their hand, raise their hand. Just as I thought... no one.

We get that Mickey was a "legend" of the game. Just because you have the licensing to do so, doesn't mean that we want Mickey Mantle included in EVERY SINGLE RELEASE with MULTIPLE CARDS. There are a couple of collectors that do, but the majority of us are sick and tired of the Mantle-lust from Topps. I have chosen to not vote for ANY Mickey Mantle card in this voting opportunity. I voted for Roger Maris on the Indians and Bob Gibson, among others. Yes, I voted for Fisk as well.

When looking for iconic Chicago White Sox cards to vote for, did I run into Minnie Minoso (who is Mr. White Sox), or Frank Thomas, or Luis Aparicio? Nope. How about Mark Buehrle or Ron Kittle? Nope. Wilbur Wood or Nellie Fox? No, on all accounts. I ran into Sammy Sosa and... that's it.

The Sammy Sosa rookie card of Sammy Sosa in a White Sox uniform. The same Sammy Sosa that made his debut with the Texas Rangers and was considered a common when he was with the White Sox. The same Sammy Sosa that came to national attention with the other Chicago baseball team. The same Sosa who battled McGwire for Babe Ruth's record as part of the Chicago Cubs. The same Sosa who left Chicago in disgrace. I did not vote for Sosa either.

Maybe if Topps wasn't so concerned with assuring that at least a dozen Mickey Mantle cards make the cut, they would have had room for iconic cards featuring other players and other teams. I can think of one White Sox card that would have been better suited to represent the team from 1990. Topps already used it extensively in their "Cards Your Mother Threw Out" insert set.

WSC Vintage: Byrd Lynn

Card #26 - Byrd Lynn

Byrd played on the White Sox between 1916 and 1920. During that time, Lynn saw limited action in two World Series. He struck out in one plate appearance in 1917 and flew out to left field in 1919.

His five seasons with the ChiSox consisted of backing up Hall of Fame catcher Ray Schalk. In 211 career at-bats, he managed fifty hits, broken down into forty singles, nine doubles and one triple. Birdie's lone triple occurred at Comiskey Park on June 17, 1920 against the New York Yankees. His final game on October 1, 1920, produced a hit and an RBI in one plate appearance.

Card Spotlight: 11-5-10

1968 Topps #72 - Tommy John

Next week will mark my third year into this blog. It's always a time of reflection when this time of the year hits. I am immediately reminded of my first big vintage project that I completed. The master team set of 1968 Topps.

I couldn't tell you which card was actually the last or which was my first card, at this point, but I do remember one of my white whale cards. Tommy John.

It was probably a league leader card which was the actual last card. It was the Tommy John card that kept eluding me, time after time. One day I was outbid. The next day some joker would list it at a ridiculous price. I didn't expect it to be dirt cheap, but I wasn't willing to set a precedent by overpaying when I could just wait it out.

Eventually, under circumstances that I no longer recall, I got the elusive Tommy John. It was probably an eBay pickup, but I may have obtained it through a generous trader. Either way, I'm too lazy to look back to see if I mentioned it on the blog or not. The important fact is that the card is in my collection now. The journey may fade, but the end result is always within reach.

Cards That Never Were By Tim D

I suppose myself and a handful of other bloggers have inspired others to make their own interpretations of missing or neglected cards. I, for one, think this turn of events is awesome! It just goes to show that you can't keep a good person down, if they want to see something badly enough.

The following cards were submitted to me by "Tim D". The first pair that showed up in my e-mail inbox showcased a grievous error by Topps. Rusty Staub did not appear in the 1972 Topps set.

Rusty, known as "Le Grand Orange" in Canada, was even denied an O-Pee-Chee card in 1972. I'm unsure as to why he was left out. He had played injured plenty of times and spent most of July and all of August 1972 out with a hand injury. Perhaps Topps felt that he would not make it back before the end of the season. Another theory may involve an unsigned contract for the 1972 season. These are all just speculation though.

Now, thanks to Tim D, we can see what those Rusty Staub cards might have looked like.
Rusty was traded from the Montreal Expos to the New York Mets on April 5, 1972, so Tim D included a regular issue Expos card and a Traded Mets card.

The next card isn't technically missing from Topps 1976 set, but an updated card was made.
Willie Randolph was featured on a four way rookie card in the regular set and had a Traded card in a Yankees uniform in 1976. This awesome update gives Willie a standalone card with a great smile included at no extra charge.

Thanks Tim D! You do great work!

RIP Sparky

The first manager to win the World Series in both leagues.

WSC Birth Years: Juan Uribe

Card #76 - Juan Uribe

Born: July 22, 1979

When Juan is in the lineup, good things usually happen. That's why Ozzie Guillen would find any way to get Uribe in the game. During his five seasons with the White Sox, Juan played at shortstop, second base, third base and designated hitter.

Although his average rarely reflected it, Uribe excelled in clutch hitting and power. He also provided above average defense when it counted. Juan's leap into the stands in the ninth inning of the fourth game of the 2005 World Series stands as one of many career highlights. With reckless abandonment, he helped preserve the one run lead in that game by snagging Chris Burke's foul ball in the seats, which brought the final out to the plate for the Astros.

Ten More Cards Checked Off The Want List

I think I may have found someone with a loftier White Sox goal than mine. Ted of the White Sox Autograph Projects has a goal of getting autographs of every White Sox player since 1959!

The scary thing is that Ted is pretty close to accomplishing that goal!

Out of the kindness of his heart, he offered me some cards from my want list, with no expectations of anything in return. I'll be keeping an eye out for autographs from his want list. It may take a long time, but I'm sure I'll eventually run into something on Ted's want list.

The project that I'm most looking forward to seeing completion is the 2005 Topps Commemorative World Series set. Fifty-five cards of the World Champions, with two already signed.

Ted's package arrived over the busy Halloween weekend. From the murky depths of the bubble mailer came ten cards, mostly vintage. All are appreciated!

Most of the cards came from the sixties, which I'm slowly getting completed. One from the fifties, one from the seventies and two from the eighties, which leaves only Richard Dotson to finish the 1983 Topps set.
Thanks, Ted! These cards are all great! I can't express how happy I am with your awesome selections!

Mailbox Joys: One Cent Sale

1988 Grenada Stamp - Harold Baines

You think you can't get much for one cent? Try oddball items on eBay! For one red cent, plus a low shipping cost, I found myself to be the winner of an unusual stamp of Harold Baines.

I'm not certain of the history behind the stamp, but as a White Sox collector and a Harold Baines collector, this was a no-brainer. All I'm sure of is that this was issued on November 28, 1988 from the island of Grenada as part of a set of Major League players past and present.

This is especially a treat, since one would have to be deceased a minimum of ten years to get a stamp in the United States, except for deceased U.S. presidents, who only have to wait one year. I'm still waiting on a John Belushi U.S. stamp. C'mon Rich Roeper, let's revive your B.L.U.E.S. campaign.

Anyway, I'm glad I was able to find such a unique item, that spans multiple collections, for such a low price.

Ozzie Speaks

Ozzie's blog

WARNING: May cause sensory overload with prolonged use.

Baseball Insights

This past weekend stretched my limits. It seemed that I was off to a million bars and parties over the weekend. In reality it was only a few, but it felt like I was being whipped around like a ping pong ball.

Unique highlights included a late night hayride through the Orland area (which was FREEZING!), watching a costume contest at a bar where my friend was having his birthday party and seeing someone dressed up as an oversized Gameboy with an actual working Super Mario Bros. game in the front of the costume at another bar. Everyone was as mesmerized by playing the game as when it first came out.

Yeah, it was a pretty busy weekend. I even did candy duty for the majority of the afternoon on Halloween, with Rocky Horror playing on the television, in the background. We gave out over 300 pieces of candy and still ran out early. It's not exactly fair when half the kids aren't from the neighborhood. So, that's my excuse for not posting over the weekend. I have no excuse for the other times that happened recently.

On Friday, a package arrived from Phil. It was filled with White Sox goodies! It felt like an early Halloween present!
A boat load of oddballs and cards from my want list poured out of the package. Seventies food issues, stamps, stickers, parallels vintage tiptons and TCMA goodness were all included.

Thanks, Phil! These were much appreciated! I will be working on a return package for you shortly.