From the late 1970s to the early 90s, you knew who would be playing second base for the Detroit Tigers. Like the fellow prospect who occupied shortstop for about the same amount of time, he was a steady presence, whether the Tigers were really good, really bad or just average. You could find Lou Whitaker baseball cards in packs of Topps cards every year, too. … [Read more...]
Tiger Fixture: Alan Trammell Baseball Cards
Alan Trammell turned 59 on Tuesday. It seems like he should be older. After all, Trammell first appeared on a baseball card in the 1970s. Truth is, he was just a kid when he made his big league debut several months earlier—a 19-year-old from Garden Grove, CA—who would form one of the most memorable double play combinations of … [Read more...]
1980 Burger King Sets Included HOFers, Champs
It was fun while it lasted. Topps and Burger King had produced hyper-regional card sets for three years (1977, 1978 and 1979) but just before two other companies joined the bubble gum card fray and changed the hobby forever, they rolled out two final sets. In the final part of our four-part overview, we take a look at the Burger King baseball sets of 1980. 1980 Topps Burger … [Read more...]
Remembering Thurman Munson Last Flight and Final Cards
One of my all-time favorite lines from any book I've ever read is actually a what-if line included in Dave Marsh’s terrific book The Heart Of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Every Made. The line is “the plane stayed in the air” as it refers to the doomed aircraft Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) and Richie Valens were traveling on in a snowy February … [Read more...]