1977 Jewel Tea

One of my weaknesses is White Sox regional sets. I guess it's the prospect of having something of my favorite team that many either don't know about or dismiss because these sets are not produced by Topps or Upper Deck. So be it. More for me, less for you.

Mind you, I have not acquired some of these sets. I have no clue about sizing or quality. Regional releases are funny that way. There's no consistent quality control. Sometimes that makes for interesting results. Sometimes you get more candid shots.

Jewel is a local grocery store chain in the Chicago area. They could have stores in other places, but I've only seen them in the Chicago area. Occasionally they would release sports related material as an added incentive for purchasing certain products. In 1977, Jewel put out a set of cards or photos (I'm not sure which, I've seen conflicting reports) depicting the Cubs and the White Sox.

The White Sox set had 16 cards to collect.

• Alan Bannister


• Francisco Barrios


• Jim Essian


• Oscar Gamble


• Ralph Garr


• Lamar Johnson


• Chris Knapp


• Ken Kravec


• Lerrin LaGrow


• Chet Lemon


• Jorge Orta


• Eric Soderholm


• Jim Spencer


• Steve Stone


• Wilbur Wood


• Richie Zisk

The few cards I've seen from this set feature bust shots. Nice close-ups, but very rooted in the 70's, which I guess captures the period just right. Chris Knapp looks like Ron Kittle in his picture. This was five to six years before Kitty first played. I'd say this is a nice small niche set.