Jim Palmer’s pitching motion was easy and fluid, with a compact delivery and a high leg kick. Opposing batters, who initially were jockeying for position to hit against the right-hander, found out that hitting against Palmer wasn’t easy as cake. Or, Cakes, as Palmer was called, because of his habit of eating pancakes on the day he pitched. Palmer's work on the mound … [Read more...] about 8 Fun Jim Palmer Baseball Cards to Own
1967 Topps
Ramblings: Reader Reaction
The cyber mailman has been busy delivering your questions and comments so let’s get right to it. Last week, I wrote about the death of long-time Philly Show promoter Bob Schmierer and my memories of when this incredible show was held at the George Washington Motor Lodge in Willow Grove, PA. Rock Hoffman of Glenside, PA shared his memories—and an update on the site where … [Read more...] about Ramblings: Reader Reaction
Ramblings: Players Who Finally Showed Up in 1967 Topps Set
If you are a certain age, the Topps/Bowman baseball card wars of the early 1950's marked a special time although we certainly did not understand why Mickey Mantle was only in 1954 Bowman while Hank Aaron and Willie Mays among others were in both 1955 Topps and Bowman. Trying to sort out which players were exclusive took a bunch of court orders and even then, sometimes mistakes … [Read more...] about Ramblings: Players Who Finally Showed Up in 1967 Topps Set
Ramblings: ’67 Topps Red Sox Recall Team’s Sudden Fortune Change
A couple of items which seemingly are not related caught my memory bank the other day and reminded me of a special team in baseball history. This is the 25th anniversary of the Major League movie (as honored in the recent Topps Archives set) which featured a fictional downtrodden team making their move from worst to first. Then, the Boston Red Sox recently started five rookies … [Read more...] about Ramblings: ’67 Topps Red Sox Recall Team’s Sudden Fortune Change
Vintage Baseball Card Set of the Week: 1967 Topps
Any collector who has tried to tackle the 1967 Topps set feels like a pitcher can be excused for feeling like a fighter who’s just gone 12 rounds in a title bout. With important rookie cards, scarce high numbers, a bucket full of Hall of Famers and a few variations for good measure, it’s a challenge…but a fun one for those who appreciate baseball history. At 609 cards, the … [Read more...] about Vintage Baseball Card Set of the Week: 1967 Topps
Rich’s Ramblings: Long Live Big Sets
When I was reading the email from reader JJ Saenz that was part of this week's mailbag, I realized in another very important way just how much the hobby has changed over the past generation. Back in the day, we used to argue why a few players were not in the big Topps (and then later Donruss, Fleer, Score and Upper Deck) sets. That's correct, there was a time if a player was … [Read more...] about Rich’s Ramblings: Long Live Big Sets
Dominican-Dominated Batting Leaders Card Showcased Influx of New Talent
There is an old statement among Latin American players that goes “You can't walk your way off the island”. Players who were short on patience but were known instead for a great ability to make contact with a pitched ball often felt they needed to impress with their hitting skills in order to be offered a contract. in which all three players pictured were from the … [Read more...] about Dominican-Dominated Batting Leaders Card Showcased Influx of New Talent
1967 Topps Yaz Captures a Memorable Year
For many people, 1939 was the last year of innocence before Germany invaded Poland and begun the six-year battle we now call World War II. Although America would not be brought into the conflict until 1941, we were all very aware of the world's events through such great newscasters as Edward R. Murrow reporting from London during the German Blitz. However, for a very young … [Read more...] about 1967 Topps Yaz Captures a Memorable Year
1967 Topps Brooks Robinson Still a Challenging Collector Favorite
We talk a lot about scarcity and popularity in the pre-1974 Topps world. Sometimes the card is more known for being a scarce card than for being a popular player (1966 Topps Grant Jackson) and sometimes a card is popular because of the player pictured although there is nothing rare or scarce about that card (1964 Topps Mickey Mantle). However, when we have a combination of the … [Read more...] about 1967 Topps Brooks Robinson Still a Challenging Collector Favorite