When Baseball Cards Talked

A few weeks ago, I was in my closet, looking for a couple of things when I came across a box of some old baseball stuff I had as a kid. Among the goodies, I found some old Yankees mugs that were given away during Fan Appreciation Day back in the 1980's (I'll show those off in a future blog post) and a couple of old baseball cards. In the very bottom of the box, I found this envelope

The envelope looked vaguely familiar to me, yet I couldn't place what was inside. Once I pulled out the plastic bag I remembered instantly what they were and how I came about owning these.

 
These were the Talking Baseball Cards that were put out by Collectors Marketing Corp. They were actually records you played at 33 1/3 that had the calls of some of the greatest moments in baseball history. My mom had gotten these from the Sears Christmas Catalog for me as a Christmas gift in the 80's. I remember when I initially got these I was less than thrilled, but over time I was very thankful I had them because I could listen to the radio calls and learn all about some of the great achievements from some of the biggest names in baseball.

Now, when I was trying to find out the year these came out, 1989 was a year that popped up a lot and I can surely tell you that I did not get these in 1989 as I was a senior in high school and I was listening to CD's of groups like The Beatles, Depeche Mode, The Cure, KISS, Guns N Roses and other bands. I doubt I even owned a record player back then. I'm almost certain I got these in 1982 or 1983.

Among the records I got were:

Even though this happened 11 years before I was born, I barely listened to this recording of Bill Mazeroski walking off the Yankees in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series. Although Roberto Clemente was on that team, I still dislike knowing the Yankees outscored the Pirates in that series and still lost. It cost Casey Stengel his managers job because it was thought that had Whitey Ford pitched in Game 1 he would have pitched game 7 and the Yankees would have won the series. Oh well, I chalk it up as the Pirates revenge for the 1927 World Series when the Murders Row destroyed Pittsburgh. Still, this was a nice moment in baseball history.

Another nice moment in baseball history was the New York Mets having their moment in the sun when they beat the Baltimore Orioles in 5 games to win the World Series in 1969. 1969 was a great year in New York sports. The year started off with the Jets upsetting the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl 3 and the Knicks would win the NBA Championship later on. Now that I think about it, Baltimore had a lousy sports year in 1969. Also, I am pretty sure that picture is not from the 1969 World Series but from after the last out from the 1973 NLCS when Tug McGraw led the "You Gotta Believe" Mets into the World Series.

Here's a recording that I enjoyed listening to. I had always wished I was able to watch this happen live. Unfortunately, I didn't start watching baseball for another 2 years, so at the time, this was all I had to relieve that moment when Hank Aaron broke what was thought to be the unbreakable record and that was Babe Ruth's all time home run record of 714. I still have a great amount of pride when I watch video of the record breaking moment, but I just wish he didn't break the record in such an ugly uniform.

One of the greatest catches in baseball history was captured on vinyl so I could listen to it over and over. I am pretty sure I had seen film of Willie Mays's catch by the time I got this record set. I was a frequent viewer of "This Week In Baseball" and I am certain that they played clips of this catch and other great moments in baseball history. One of the coolest things about this record was I got to hear the term "optical allusion" over and over.

Here's a record that I'm sure my Dodger buddies won't be happy to see (Hey, if I had to listen to Maz's home run over and over, you can deal with this :P). One of the greatest walk off home runs in the history of the game was hit by Bobby Thompson in the deciding game of a 3 game playoff between the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants. We all know the story by now. Ralph Branca came in to pitch to Thompson and Thompson yanked the one out of the park to put the Giants in the 1951 World Series. Of course, there is the controversy that the Giants may have been stealing signs from the Dodgers through a telescope that was positioned in the Giants clubhouse in center field and relayed those messages to the Giants dugout through a buzzer wire. Branca, always never wanted to take away from the significance of the moment, always said that even if Thompson knew what was coming, he still had to hit it. I always though that was classy of Branca and the moment is still a significant one in the annuls of baseball.

Pete Rose, friend to Mets fans everywhere...OK, maybe not after almost killing Bud Harrleson during the 1973 NLCS. On this recording, he sets the National League Hit Streak Record against the Mets at Shea Stadium by hitting in his 44th game in a row off Pat Zachary in the 7th inning. I actually remember watching highlights of this game and seeing what a big deal it was, although I didn't realize it at the time, especially since Joe Dimaggio had the 56 game hitting streak. In my opinion, that record will never be broken. Btw, Pete Rose For The Hall Of Fame!

I just missed seeing this World Series live by one year. From what I heard, I missed a great Series. Although the Reds won the Series in 7 games, Carlton Fisk had his moment in Game 6 when he led off the 12th inning and hit one out. The visual of Fisk willing the ball fair on the first base line is a sight that will be replayed for forever.

Of course, I have my fair share of Yankees in this set:

Don Larsen's Perfect Game in the 1956 World Series. The funny thing was he started game 2 and couldn't get out of the 2nd inning and he didn't think he would get another start in the Series. Well, I guess he made the most of this start.

I remember watching this game with my mom. Reggie Jackson was my mom's favorite player and he made Game 6 of the 1977 World Series a memorable one for us both as we watch Reggie go yard in the 4th, 5th and 8th innings on just 3 swings. The old ballpark in the Bronx was rocking that night as Reggie helped bring the Yankees their first title since 1962. If my love for the Yankees was born the year before, this game cemented the Yankees in my heart for a lifetime.

This one was a particularly sad recording as it's of Babe Ruth's final speech at Yankee Stadium with his throat ravaged with cancer. It was a rough and raw sounding Ruth and it's a sound that I have never forgotten and I'm so glad I still have this record.

Another game I can say I watched. This recording is of the Bucky Dent home run off Mike Torrez in the 1 game playoff that the Yankees won and moved on to the ALCS to play the Kansas City Royals. Now a days, a game like this would have been shown on ESPN, TBS or Fox, but back then it was shown on a Yankees telecast on Channel 11. I actually remember Bill White's call of "Yastremski's not going get to it, it's a Home Run!" Three straight years I was treated to great Yankee moments and I haven't stopped enjoying them since.

Finally, I have the recording of Roger Maris's record breaking 61st Home Run in 1961. After seeing Bily Crystal's wonderful film 61* and reading about the chase between Maris and Mantle for Babe Ruth's single season home run record, with the fans behind Mantle, The Commissioner of Baseball proclaiming any record had to be broken in the same time period that Ruth had since it was an expansion year, and the press hounding Maris, I'm sure it was gratifying for him to have been able to hit that home run. It's another of those moments in baseball history that I wish I could have seen.

I always wished we had gotten records of Jackie Robinson's first game in the majors, Roberto Clemente's 3000th hit,  Lou Gehrig's speech (I don't think a full version of it exists), Joe Dimaggio's 56th hit, Ted Williams final at bat at Fenway, Bob Gibson's 17 strikeout performance in the 1968 World Series. But I am happy that I had these records as a kid. I was able to learn baseball history in my spare time.

Now, these records have been listened to quite a bit, so they are in less than mint condition. I actually doubt I can play these even if I had a record player right now. But they are still very cool pieces to own and I'm really glad I still have these and if I can figure out a way to display them with my collection, I definitely will show them off proudly

More Vintage In My Jets Collection.

I may have been only one of a few Yankee fans who was saddened when Shea Stadium was leveled back in 2009. I mean, as a Yankee fan, I should have been dancing a jig when that old place crumbled to the ground. In it's final years, Shea wasn't exactly a great place to watch a baseball game. It was outdated, the bathrooms were terrible and the sound system was horrible.

Still...

I spent a lot of time at Shea Stadium, especially as a kid. My buddy's father took me to a lot of Met games, even getting to meet some of the players in between the dugout and locker room. I got to see the '86 Mets play there. I got to see players like Hubie Brooks, George Forster, Dave Kingman, Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez, Bobby Bonillia, Mike Piazza, Jose Reyes and David Wright grace the Shea Stadium grass. But that is not why I wasn't too happy to see Shea go down in a pile of dust.

My first Jets game was at Shea. I don't remember the score. I do know the Jets lost to Buffalo, I think. I remember Richard Todd throwing a couple of picks that game and the defense getting burned on a couple of touchdowns. The crowd wasn't like any baseball crowd I've seen. They were a bit more loud and raucous. I was sitting in the upper deck, just above the Jets sideline. I may have been high up, but I felt like I was a part of the team and it cemented my love for the green and white.

The Jets played in Shea for only a couple seasons after, but Shea will always have a place in my heart as the home of the Jets. Whenever I find a piece of Jets memorabilia with Shea Stadium on it or having come from Shea, I always try to add it to my Jets collection. I have a Jets pennant with Shea pictured on it as well as a program from Shea.

I have actually had this post card in my Jets collection for about 2 years now. I had been trying to win one off eBay, missing out a few times. I finally won one in really good shape for under 10.00, if I remember correctly. I have never been a post card collector before, although I had considered picking up some vintage Yankee Stadium post cards, but never pulled the trigger on any.

The post card above is dated 1964 and was released by Dexter Press, Inc. I'm guessing the picture was taken sometime during that '64 season as the stadium opened on April 17th, 1964. The post card gives you an idea what Shea looked like in it's first season in it's existence. The one thing I always liked was the hovering "speckle" Shea had in those days. I don't think they were still there when I started visiting the ballpark. I liked them more than the neon ballplayers they put up in Shea's later years.

The back of the post card gives you a little bit of information about Shea; where it was located, how many it seats for both baseball and football, who played there and who added color to the photo (It was a company named Scholfield).

The reason why I picked up this post card was because there is a Jets presence on it. If you look on the upper left hand corner, there is a football player in a green jersey, running and carrying the pigskin with the words The N.Y. Jets underneath. Without that football player, I would not have picked up this piece. I am glad to own it as I am fascinated with Jets history and the post card is a unique piece to add to any Jets collection.

I will always look for vintage pieces to add to my Jets collection. If it has something to do with Shea then I will be quick to jump on it. There's not a lot of pieces left that connect the Jets to Shea Stadium, aside from programs and yearbooks. It's been 31 years since Leon Hess took the Jets over to Giants Stadium, so finding anything that has t do with the Jets and Shea is hard to find. But when I can add something like the post card, then I'll always do what I can to get it because Shea Stadium will always have a place in my heart. Just don't tell any other Yankee fan I said that.

New Bobblehead And Gnome Additions

This was a pretty busy weekend for me, running around attending various Knicks functions, watching the Knicks beat Boston in Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs and attending a Mets game. I did find time to hit the post office and pick up some eBay bobble head wins.

I won these two Yankees Alexander Global Bobble Dobbles for a ridiculous price.

I initially bid on and won the Derek Jeter bobble and won it for about $7.00, shipped. The seller sent me an email asking if I was interested in a Jason Giambi Bobble Dobble for the low, low price of 4 bucks, shipped. So, less than a week later, these 2 beauties arrived at my postal box. Very pleased to be able to add them to the Yankees PC. Now, I might go after the set. I do love the Hideki Matsui and Reggie Jackson in this set.

Today, I went to Ron Darling Bobblehead day at Citi Field. Now, I am not a Mets fan, yet I do have a small collection of Mets bobbles. I picked up a couple of Mr. Mets and I have 3 of their SGA bobbles from last season. I'd like to say I wouldn't go out of my way for a Mets bobblehead, but going to Citi Field from my home in The Bronx, is kinda out of my way. 

I meet my buddy, Mark in front of the Apple outside Citi Field. This apple is the one that used to be inside Shea Stadium. I will admit, it's pretty cool that the Mets have it outside Citi Field for the fans to snap pictures in front of it. This has become what the Bat outside the old Yankee Stadium used to be: a place for fans to meet before the game. When I meet up with Mark, he hands me this as a belated birthday present.

A Knicks Forever Team Gnome. Very cool gift. One that I am looking forward to adding to my small Knicks collection. I have an Allan Houston SGA bobblehead and a Knicks Christmas figurine. I'm still kicking myself for not picking up the Jeremy Lin Forever bobble I saw at Lids for 10.00. 

But today's trip out to Mets-ville was all about getting the Ron Darling bobblehead the Mets were giving out. Darling was drafted by the Texas Rangers, but was traded to the Mets, along with Walt Terrell for Lee Mazilli. Darling was called up in 1984 and was one of their top pitchers until 1991. He was named to the National League All Star team in 1985, won a Gold Glove and was a member of the 1986 World Championship Mets. He is now considered one of the top color commentators in all baseball, working on the Mets telecasts as well as TBS nationally. Darling is rumored to be up for Tim McCarver's spot on Fox's Saturday Baseball telecasts, along side Joe Buck.

Let's check out the bobble:

Citibank sponsored this giveaway. Ron is shown here in what I believe is the 1985 Mets road uniform. I was never a fan of this uni, I always liked the road uniform with "New York" in that classic lettering the Mets had and are using to this day. Another peeve I had with the Mets in the 80's was the racing stripe running down the side of the uniform. I know some fans like it, I just never dug them. Call me old fashioned, but I always liked the classic uniform with Mets across the chest and blue pinstripes. Hated the black Mets tops and the all-white unis they still wear. I do like the blue tops they wore in the 80's and they bought a similar jersey back for this season.

Here is the back of the bobblehead. Darling's number 12 and last name is on the jersey and the base says 1985 All Star. Why wouldn't that be on the front of the base? I think it would have looked a lot better there. 

The bobblehead is nice. My only complaint is it really doesn't look too much like Darling. I do like that they used a uniform that is different from previous bobbleheads, even if I'm not a fan of it. I'm curious to see what the other bobbleheads that the Mets are giving out look like. The remaing bobblehead dates are:

Sat May 11th-Stitch and Pitch Bobblehead-1st 1,000 fans to purchase through a special offer 

Sat May 25th-John Franco

Sun June 30th-David Wright

Sun July 21st-Dwight Gooden

Sun Aug 25th-Tom Seaver

Looks like the Mets are doing an All Star Theme, giving out bobbleheads of players who have played in an All-Star Game. Would make sense as the Mets are hosting this years All Star Game.

Funny side note, on the day the Mets gave out this bobblehead, Ron Darling wasn't even in the ballpark. He was in Baltimore, working the Orioles/Dodgers game for TBS. They probably should have given this out the Saturday prior. Would have been nice if he had thrown out the first pitch. Instead, it was his brother.