Saturday, February 25, 2012

Diggin' In A Dollar Box

I spent a lot of time roaming LA on my day off.  I was doing two things that I love, eating and picking up some baseball cards.  My day started out eating a jumbo sized burrito.  The burrito that I had was the size of my plate.  It was a great lunch.

After gorging myself and nearly being put in a food coma, I made way to Valley Sports Cards in Tarzana, CA. I was in need of some cards to fill out trades and to pick up some vintage for myself.


I was sifting through the dollar box of cards.  The card shop usually has some 70s vintage of hall of fame guys.  The cards are also in pretty good shape.

It has been a while since I have added to my hall of fame collection.  George Brett was a beast.  He has led the league at least once in every major hitting category such OB%, SLUG% and triples.  I put triples in as a major hitting category because that is my favorite play in baseball.


This 1976 Topps card of Gaylord Perry is in near perfect shape.  Gaylord Perry is stuck with a name that doesn't scream athlete.  Let alone, hall of fame athlete.  That is a lot to overcome.

Perry compiled a career win total of 314 while also pitching 303 complete games.  That is a crazy stat that seems like a typo.  Maybe even baseball reference can make a mistake?

Perry also looks very old and broken down in this photo.  Playing several years in the big leagues could do that to a guy.  Perry also could have the real life inspiration for a drunk, angry father in the movie Hoosiers.

This is Billy Williams first card as an Oakland A.  He had spent the previous 16 seasons with the Chicago Cubs.  Williams looks happy in this photo and even has a mustache to fit in with all the other Oakland A's of the 70s.

Williams also must be eager to finally make it into the playoffs.  As an Athletic he got 7 at-bats in the postseason during the 1975 season.  It was the first time he got to sniff the playoffs and take some hacks.  Williams sadly didn't record a hit by going 0-7 with a walk.

You know what they say, "Once a Cub, Always a Cub."


Willie Stargell was a big time power hitter in his day.  He was also a man that wore a little batting helmet over the top of his cap.

The Pirates could have gotten uniforms that weren't so cheap looking.  These are the same quality of uniforms that beer league softball teams wear.  The Pirates still got a ton of production out of Stargell.

It was nice to add to my vintage hall of fame collection.  This is a side PC of mine that I think I will tend to more in the coming weeks.  I would like to see what I can compile through trade or purchase.  Please send me an email if you have any cards of hall of famers in the 60s or 70s.

3 comments:

flywheels said...

Those are some nice pick ups. Congrats.

Play at the Plate said...

Excellent cards from the bargain box.

Arno said...

That's some excellent vintage.