Pre-War TTMs: 70-year-old cards in plain white envelopes

First, winner of the "Here Comes Blue Garfoose Giveaway" will be announced Saturday.

When I first started collecting TTM autos a few years ago, for some reason I fixated on getting ttms from the oldest living players. That makes sense, I suppose, and if you follow me on twitter you know I recently scored a major success on that front, landing a ttm from the oldest living MLB player Corado Marrero. I had to go via someone who was traveling to Cuba, and the result was well worth the effort of figuring out a plan and seeing it through. I'll post more about that later.

My focus on the oldest living players led to a second quest, getting autos on the oldest cards I could manage. I realize there IS a 1937 Doerr out there but its non-standard size is kind if a turn off. It also costs even more than the 1938 Heads Up, if you can even find a copy for sale. But anyway, with no further ado.....

I loved the idea of the 1938 Heads Up cards when I was a kid, though I really couldn't understand the appeal of anything that wasn't Topps, THE official brand among my friends and I. Now that I'm older I think they're amazing for having been conceived of in the 30s, way ahead of their time.

Bobby Doerr is one of the VERY few HOFers who signs ttm, and he even signs for FREE, so I was fairly confident that I could make this happen so long as sticking a 75-year-old Goudey in a plain white envelope with a letter and another pwe SASE didn't give me convulsions. And yes, it nearly did. This was cost-prohibitive for several years but one finally popped up with a reasonable BIN and I went for it. 

Similar story with this 1939. I had a subject (Doerr), tracked this prohibitively expensive card for awhile, and didn't hesitate when someone underpriced it as a BIN. It was sent about two years prior to the '38, and you can see a difference in the signatures. For a man in his mid-90s, Doerr signs well either way! 

The 1940 Eddie Joost was the first of these I landed. In all honestly, the eureka moment of the entire mini-project came together when I saw someone (I think it was dayf back in 2009) post about this card. My next thought was, "You can still get a handful of pre-war cards signed ttm. Holy...." 

Of course, that's aside from the fact that the 1940 design is stunning, particularly with the pennant marking the Reds 1939 team. Overall, an absolute classic. 

Mr. Joost is one of the ballplayers we lost in 2011.

The 1941 edition features Mr. Al "Bronk" Brancato. Straight out of Philly, Brancato started playing for the Mack Men at the ripe old ago of 20. He personalized this and answered my questions.

Mr. Brancato passed away in 2012.

For comparison's sake, here are the backs, with the '38 looking really small.

And there you have it! Have a good one everybody and good night Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

That's My Boo: TTM from Down South

First, don't forget the Garfoose giveaway celebrating Blue's arrival over here. There are a few days left!

I've been saving this one for awhile, a ttm from Mr. Boo Ferriss. I watched for '49 Ferriss cards on ebay for a few months, but they were all prohibitively expensive. Then an internet search turned up this card and a several other fairly priced cards at Old Vintage Cards, so I pulled the trigger.

For those of you unfamiliar with Boo Ferriss, his first two years in the majors (1945 and '46) were perhaps the strongest start ever by a pitcher as he compiled a 46-16 record. That's NOT a typo, I said 46-16. He was an AS, an MVP candidate, even a solid hitter, but then a "shoulder twinge" essentially ended his playing days. Just like that, it was over. 

In his book (a good read), Ferriss states that an MRI he had later in life revealed he had a torn labrum. In other words, 1940s medical technology couldn't help what today is a routine injury. Not that the injury dampened his career in baseball or his life. On the contrary, Mr. Ferriss went on to become a legendary collegiate coach at Delta State University in Mississippi, and in the intro to Ferriss's book Delta State alum John Grisham (yes, THAT John Grisham) details how Ferriss "kindly" cut him from the Delta State baseball team long, long ago.

Mr. Ferriss is a prolific writer and responded to my questions. His love of the game at all levels comes through in his correspondence.

Have a good one everybody and goodnight Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

He's my brother and all: TTM from the O'Briens

While I was researching 1953 Pirates to send ttms to I came across Eddie and Johnny O'Brien. Other than being the first twins to play in an MLB game for the same team in the same game, the two also managed to lead their university basketball squad to a victory over the Harlem Globetrotters in 1952.  That's a pretty awesome feat in itself.

I remember the 2003 Heritage set had a Joe/Jake Mauer card, and I'm guessing it was based on this one. In addition to the '53, I sent this fellow to tag along. There's a lot that's cool here: twins, a double-play combo, the old-school Pirate, the double sigs, the long, looping "E" in "Ed."

It was my first "double auto," and thanks to Mssrs. O'Brien it turned out really well. Thank you, sirs!

Hava a good one everybody and goodnight Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

Settle Down, Young Man: Bob Oldis Takes Down My Father-in-Law

Posting about ttm successes is cool, but I also just enjoy hanging out over beers and telling people stories that ballplayers share. Awhile back I was with my father-in-law and told him about my plans to write IA sports legend Bob Oldis. For context, Iowans tend to be sports nuts and when I'm out-and-about with family up there the people around me frequently do things like watch grainy footage of high school football games from the 1950s, attend jv girls basketball games at 4 PM on a Thursday, pay 5 figures for the local bar to bring in an Australian ringer for its men's fast-pitch softball team, and stay up until 3 AM following the LA Dodgers. In a sports-mad society like Iowa, it's no exaggeration to state that former major leaguer and baseball lifer like Bob Oldis really is a legend.

Despite this status or perhaps because of it, Oldis apparently did a lot of refereeing for high school sports in and around Iowa City. Coincidentally, the father-in-law was a coach in Iowa City during the 70s and 80s. The story goes that one year the father-in-law coached the freshman team to a victory over the sophomore team during the high school's annual intra-squad game. A big Saturday morning event, parents show up, the cheerleaders are there, and the school even hired refs. Like you can imagine, the freshmen upsetting the sophs was a big deal, and it helped that the father-in-law's 9th graders were led by Mark Gannon, one of the top 20 all-time basketball players from the state and future 8th Round pick of the now LA Clippers in 1983. With Gannon now a sophomore, the father-in-law had to prove it was his coaching, not Gannon's skills that led the freshmen team to victory the previous year.

So it was on. Screaming, yelling, trash-talking, riding the refs, all for a game played between members of the same team at the same high school on a Saturday morning in the late-1970s. The ref, however, was Bob Oldis, and after my father-in-law began calling for a lane violation after a certain play he blew his whistle, walked over to the bench, and said something like the following: "Now settle down, son. It's early on a Saturday morning and none these people came to see you." He then blew his whistle and play resumed.

You can imagine, of course, I typed all of this up and sent it to Bob Oldis.

For starters, he laid a sweet signature on his 1953 rookie card for me. Does the farmhouse beyond the OF wall say "I'm gonna make this guy look like he's from IA" or what?

I asked him about his one career SB attempt which came with the Phillies in 1962 and resulted in a CS. He responded that the hit-and-run sign was one but didn't name the name of the batter who busted the play (he's a consummate pro!).

He had a seven-year career, posting a career slash of 237/297/275, but one of the more feared defensive catchers of the day. For example, during Maury Wills's record setting 1962 season when he stole 104 bases in 117 attempts, Oldis gunned him down twice. The secret to throwing runners out, Oldis said, is "Being in position to throw the ball and quick feet." 

He also added the following note to the bottom of the page:

"Tell father-in-law, Dean, Hello--Those were great days and Dean was always great. Thanks, Bob Oldis"

Very, vey cool. 

Going fishing for the next few, so I hope everyone has a great weekend. And goodnight Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

Wait, you were hit twice?: TTM from Tom Saffell

As I revise my book MS the compa let me take on a special ttm project for the summer to keep my mind occupied: writing men listed in the list of the 100 oldest MLB players, limited to guys who have some sort of cardboard icon out there. It gives me a focus to obsess about, prevents me from drowning in the open-ended process of revisions that do not have an open-ended deadline, and gives me a solid excuse to walk out to the mailbox and clear my thoughts every hour or so.

The latest success came courtesy of Mr. Tom Saffell. He had a four-year MLB career with the Pirates and KC-A's, compiling a slash line of .238/.293/.216. However, he played in the minors until his 40s (even rambling through my neck of the woods in ND in 1962!) and managed into the 1970's. He's got a great bio up at the SABR project, so I'll let that speak for itself. Apparently he's also something of a baseball collector!

So, here's the 1951 Bowman Mr. Saffell signed for me. The scan is super-high res, so the actual card isn't as washed out as it looks:

And I was particularly excited to see if he'd write me after I read the back:

Yep, he spent time down here in Charleston, SC. And he DID write!

His best moment in the game was taking the field for the first time with the Prirates at Wrigley Field against the Cubs in 1949. 

And what does he remember most about his time down here in Charleston?

• I was hit in the head twice in the same game - both times sliding into second base trying to break up a double play.

That must be a record of some sort, but it's certainly something memorable! And when you think about it, it demonstrates that Mr. Saffell was a tough-as-nails kind of player. Hit twice in the head breaking up double plays in the same game? That's a guy who's definitely putting winning above all else.

And speaking of hard-nosed baseball, he was a hard-nosed manager as well, incurring a 30-game suspension for not allowing his team to play the day after a bad call cost them a game there the night prior. Have you ever heard of that? I asked him why no one does that anymore:

• Because it will cost them too much money in fines plus suspensions plus the loss of the game which the club loses 9-0, also the umpires today are much better. They go through much better training!

A great response on a lot of levels. Today's managers get ejected as a show, but I think he's right that the high salaries prevent them from really making a point. And the umpires? They're also better today! 

Thanks again Mr. Saffell!

Have a good one everybody and good night Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

Post #501: News of Pumpsie Green

Now that I'm more settled I'm editing my manuscript for publication. This entails a set work schedule in which I've included time to blog and send out an obscene amount of ttms. Otherwise I'd go crazy. You know what they say about work, Jack, and being a dull boy.

I've had the addy for awhile, but recently took the plunge and wrote to the one and only Pumpsie Green. Despite the mythology I'd like to believe about Green, teammate Gene Conley, and an ill-fated attempt to reach enlightenment on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the raw data of the matter concern two men stuck in traffic on a team bus and a desire to go AWOL and have a few drinks.

Pumpsie Green was and is a ballplayer who during a 5-year career with the Red Sox and Mets amassed a respectable .721 OPS and a 95 OPS+. His best season was perhaps 1961, when he had a slash line of .260/.376/.425 in 88 games for the Sox. Oddly, the next year he was shipped to the Mets. 

As you read the back of his 1961 card, you'll notice something is missing, namely the fact that when Mr. Green took the field for the Sox in 1959 he did so as the first black player in Sox history. (His 1960 card also omits this fact) Yep: over a decade after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier, the Sox still had no African-American players. Rather than diss the Sox further, I'll just point you to a scathing 2002 NPR piece on the backstory. 

Green himself was characterized as a "reluctant pioneer" in this milb article, which I found a fairly straightforward reminder of how history is often thrust upon folks who really aren't that different from the rest of us. Indeed, all Pumpsie wanted to do was be a ball player, be accomplished as a ball player, a guy for whom baseball was fun and not so much a matter of professionalization. 

And so it is fun, hopefully a lot more today than it was 60 years ago. With that I'll get the day started. Have a good one everybody and goodnight Pumpsie Green, wherever you are (even though I know you live in El Cerritos, CA!).

Post #500: Jim Rice TTM auto

Starting with a big shout out to 30-Year Old Cardboard for sharing info on the signing in the post here.

For post #500 (something of a milestone in cardblogging I guess) I thought I'd roll out the Jim Rice auto I scored through the paid signing 30YO mentioned on his site. The price was WAAAY beyond what I usually shell out for autos because a) it was more than $5 and b) I can be tight with cash, but I got the compa's permission. I wanted this not because Rice is a HOFer but because he's from Anderson, SC, and being from SC myself I'm always on the lookout to connect with Carolina ballplayers. So, with no further ado:

The 500th post is a big deal, so who better to put up today than HOFer Mr. Rice? He gets a ton of crap from some analysts (not enough walks, only led the league twice in RBI, three times in HR, never THE man in the league, etc.), but he was a HELL of a ballplayer in the offensively challenged 70s and 80s. For me the legacy of those decades is skewed by the steroid era that followed them, so his accomplishments more than justify inclusion.

Back in the saddle around here. Have a good one everybody and goodnight Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

TTM from Gil Coan: OK for a Dook fan

One of the cooler things about the blogging community is the general willingness to help others out. Tom over at Baseball by the Letters posted a great success he'd had from NC-native Gil Coan and that piqued my interest in sending Mr. Coan a letter. No fear. After a brief email exchange Tom helped me out with the addy and, after some ebay magic, my letter was off to Mr. Coan.

The '53s tend to be tough cards to fit signatures on if only because they're mostly close-up portraits. This card is even stranger because the background is a scoreboard with the writing clearly visible up behind the subject. All the same, Coan laid a nice sig on here. 

Coan played 11 seasons in the majors from 1946-56, mostly with the Senators and New York Giants. I like reading about those Senators (guys like Cecil Travis, Buddy Lewis, Eddie Yost, Roy Sievers, etc.) and the fact that Coan was from NC was a huge bonus. He was even born in Monroe, right next door to Wingate University where, coincidentally, I started my college career. 

Coan's finest season came in 1951 when, at 29, Coan batted .303 with 62 RBI and 85 R. He even garnered a few MVP votes for a teams that went 62-92 and finished 7th in the American League. 

This 1953 Bowman color set me back a touch more than I would have liked, and I admittedly wasn't thinking to clearly in terms of "is this a card that is easily singable," but like a lot of former ballplayers Mr. Coan found the perfect (if only!) spot on the card where the signature would look good. 

Mr. Coan even responded to my questions about his life in baseball. His favorite player when he was a kid was Dizzy Dean, and his best moment in the game was Opening Day 1946 when he took the field for the first time with the Senators at Old Yankee Stadium. Unless I'm mistaken, the card above is Yankee Stadium, too. Like a lot of guys from the 40s and 50s, the toughest pitcher he had to face was Bob Feller. 

As for being from NC, he was pretty diplomatic when asked if he preferred Western-style (ketchup-based) or Eastern-style (vinegar-based) bbq. His answer: all of it. 

As the title of the post suggests, he has a much clearer opinion of things when basketball season rolls around and cheers from Dook. 

If you've never rear Tom's blog seriously, go check it out! His approach to ttm-ing is genuine and sincere, and I keep a lot of his advice in mind when thinking about sending someone a request. Thanks again, Tom!

Have a good one everybody and good night Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

Lost in Eden: TTM from Johnny Schmitz

Sometimes incongruous landscapes make the most sense, to the point they become natural, almost preferred, and the impossibilities we can conceive of unmoor us permanently from our surroundings.

Which leads me to ask: where the Hell is Johnny Schmitz on this 1951 Bowman? He's looming up in a clearing in these anonymous woods, playing baseball with no one in particular and yet not in the least self conscious about it. Like a lot of cards in the set, as observers we're asked not to inquire overmuch about Schmidtz in these fantastic surroundings. 

But where else would we find someone nicknamed "Bear Tracks"? It's oddly appropriate that a man best known for shuffling around on the mound with size-14 feet is silhouetted against the salmon mountains, peering in at a batter somewhere down and to our left. Delivering the pitch Schmitz is huge, dominant, leering, our primary focus. Yet he's dwarfed by the mountains in the distance, their presence rupturing our attention and inviting us to something beyond Johnny Schmitz, to something like life beyond baseball.

Many folks have posted about the fact that Schmitz passed away this past October 1. I was fortunate to have sent this card to him over the summer and received it back in no time flat. It makes me sad when the older players I've heard from pass away, because since I was a kid I've always thought of guys from that generation as eternal, our legacy as fans.

Of course they left baseball, married, divorced, had kids, were triumphant, were failures, and did things largely like the rest of us. Adulating baseball players for their accomplishments is like taking snapshots of someone's life through a keyhole. And yet, if we're honest, that's how all of us want to be remembered, how all of us want to be judged: as being who nonetheless shined while dwelling in the shadow of the mountain. 

It's a baseball card, but it speaks to me the same way that may favorite paintings, poems, and novels do. There is no field like the field on the card, and Johnny Schmitz never played on the edge of these woods. But we can put him there, then and now, painting the black in the twilight. If there's a heaven, Johnny Schmitz is pitching on this field. If there's not, Johnny Schmitz is pitching on this field. This field that only exists because we said it did. He's there because we put him there, because the world is a thing of our own creation.

Thanks again for the ttm Mr. Schmitz. Have a good one everybody and goodnight Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

Hope: Bernie Carbo TTM

Given the well-publicized substance abuse struggles of a number of ballplayers (from Hamilton to Bush to Jenks) recently, I thought this tom would be appropriate.

Bernie Carbo was a 1st round pick (16th overall) in the 1965 draft. Playing for the Reds, he made the Bigs for good in 1970 and finished second in the ROY voting to Carl Morton.

And like the badass portrait on the card suggests. it was an awesome year. Carbo had a slash line of .310/.454/.551 with an OPS+ of 164. The sophomore slump hit hard, and he was moved to St. Louis in 1972, who then traded him to Boston not too long after. 

He had a solid 12-year career, but what happened?

Despite his All-American appearance here, Carbo would go on to be guy who introduced Keith Hernandez to cocaine (see this article). That makes him, basically, the 1970s cocaine version of what José Canseco was to steroids in the 1990s. How bad was it? Carbo says he was high during the 1975 WS. I'd say that's pretty bad.

That said, Carbo eventually got clean and, apparently, has remained clean for almost 20 years. He even started his own ministry in 1993. Here's hoping some of the guys currently struggling with similar issues manage to get things turned around, if not for their careers then for themselves and their loved ones. 

Have a good one everybody and goodnight Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

Extreme ttm: 1941 Al Brancato

I'm slowly (but surely!) getting my ducks in order to start posting regularly (or semi-regularly!) again in the near future. An article I was working on has been revised and resubmitted to a journal, and today I landed my first book contract. I'm feeling good about things. Kinda like this guy:

I posted a 1940 Eddie Joost awhile back before he passed away, and had wanted to get Mr. Albert "Bronk" Brancato to sign a copy of this 1941. The Playball cards are iconic to begin with, but this one really sums them and whole era up. "Bronk" is a Philly boy, born and raised, and wound up playing for Mr. Connie Mack and his hometown A's. His smile and the early color printing technology really come together nicely with the almost art deco background you almost miss thinking it's the dugout or piece of the stadium. 

Then of course we have the classic Play Ball back: simple, to-the-point narrative stats. Beautiful. 

Mr. Brancato was also kind enough to answer my questions about his career, which was awesome, because there's not a lot out there on him on the intertoobs. I'll share that here pretty soon.

Have a good one everybody and goodnight Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

One of These Cards is Not Like the Other: Ernie Banks TTM

A while back I wrote about landing a 1959 Ernie Banks at a show in Fargo. Well, at the pre-Super Bowl show I grabbed another one:

In the meantime I'd sent the other one out after seeing that Mr. Banks was doing some ttm signing. The DAY before the show it came back.

For me, this card IS Ernie Banks. It's sunny out, he's playing catch, people are slowly filling out the stands. On a day like today where it's snowing outside and the temperature is dropping yet again it's the kind if card that reminds me spring (and then summer!) will get here. That baseball will be back.

And then of course the classic cartoons on the '59 back. ¡Cannot wait!

Have a good one everybody and goodnight Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

The Ebony Whip: TTM from Juan Pizarro

AKA Terín.

No question why I sent this card in to be the 1963 entry in the Topps 1951-present ttm project. It screams "I'm a bad man." Although he was only a 2x All-Star, Pizarro was a bad dude. Braves fans still remember his time with the club in the late 1950s when he came up as a flame throwing lefty the sportswriter Terry Garcia called "El látigo de ébano" 'The Ebony Whip.' I'd say that's pretty bad.

He remained a big K guy during his 18-year career during which he compiled a 104 ERA+ and a 131-105 WL record. 

According to the questionnaire he was kind enough to fill out, his favorite player growing up was another boriquén legend, Rubén Gomez. His best memory from his time in the Majors was going to back-to-back WS with the Braves in '57 and '58.

My favorite was his answer for his toughest batter to strike out. The answer: they were all tough. Pretty humble from a guy with 1522 career Ks.

Have a good one everybody and goodnight Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

But does he make house calls: TTM from Paul Schaal

What do Wally Pipp and Paul Schaal have in common? Although solid players, they both lost their jobs to future HOFers at their positions. It happens.

Schaal had an 11-year career during which he posted a league-average OPS+ of 99. He eschewed Sharpies and ballpoint pins for this auto and went with what looks to be a large permanent marker. I love the odd angle of the player/stadium on the card, as if Schall were the only stable entity in a world that was sliding to the right. 

Schaal was also kind enough to send in one of the cooler player memories I've received. When asked about his best moment on the diamond, he said that one batter before him, Freddie Patek had homered. The pitcher, an infamous headhunter (do some research, he'd be easy to finger) tried to hit Schaal when he came up and knocked him down. Schaal put the next pitch in the seats for back-to-back HRs!

The best part: after "retiring" Schaal went back to school to become a chiropractor. Cool stuff.

Have a good one everybody and goodnight Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

Talking Baseball: TTM from Ed "The Poet" Charles

Like the rest of you I've been swimming in an orgy of long-awaited baseball games since Thursday. The older I get it seems the time between the WS and Spring Training gets longer and longer. Anyway, on to the cards!

I picked this card up as a part of my Topps Rookie AS Team effort. Ed "The Poet" Charles had an 8-season career from 1962-9, with a lifetime BA of .263 and a respectable OPS+ of 103. Now, if an 8-year career sounds pretty short, consider that Mr. Charles broke in to the Majors at 29 after 10 years in the Braves organization. That's pretty remarkable.

And the nickname? That was given to him by Joe McGuff of the KC Star after McGuff read some poems Charles had written.

As for the card, I like how the trophy takes the place of the inset photo in the card design. It does look kind of out of place, though, with the other '63s. The picture itself is an odd closeup of a posed action shot, but I really like that Charles is tilted back slightly. The tilt gives a strange dynamism to to the card and naturally leads your eyes to the cavernous stadium in the background. All together, it makes you believe this is a fresh face now in the BIG TIME.

The minor league stats on the back are great. Makes you wonder how some guys get promoted while others fall through the cracks.

So here's to perseverance! Here's to a new season!

Have a good one everybody and good night Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

Topps TTM Project: the 1950s

Cards previously posted have a link to that post. Enjoy!

1951 Bob Feller (post)

1952 Billy Pierce

1953 Roy Sievers (post)

1954 Bobby Shantz (post 1; post 2)

1955 Monte Irvin (post)

1956 Virgil Trucks (post)

1957 Gene Conley (post)

1958 Chuck Harmon (post)

1959 Whammy Douglas (post)

There we go, the 1950's in ttm autos! Have a good one everybody and goodnight Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

The Walking Man: Eddie Yost TTM

Another vintage ttm, this one from one of the game's greatest ever eyes, Eddie Yost. How good was Eddie's batting eye? Pre-roid era with all of its intentional walks, Eddie's 1956 season was 4th all-time in terms of BBs. The top three seasons? All owned by Ted Williams. Yeah, Yost was THAT good.

I LOVE the Bowman sets of the 1950s. You really get the feeling Bowman and Topps pushed each other in terms of design. Here we've got a close-up portrait of an up and coming 3B for the Washington Senators. It's transition time in Washington as Yost is replacing gentlemen like Cecil Travis and Buddy Lewis. In the background we've got the infinite, empty stands (home game) like a future waiting to be fulfilled.

And then we've got the old-school card back. Just WOW man. With "Circuit smashes" and "base knocks" it just seems like language was more flexible back then. The funniest thing, of course, is the Yost would eventually be better known for his BBs than his HRs. 

Have a good one everybody and good night Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

Spring Trainings Past: TTM from the Hawk

When I saw folks were sending cards out to the recent HOFer Andre Dawson I had to jump on board.

I loved Dawson when he was a Cub, love him in the spring training photo. I wonder if the photographer might have stepped back and said, "This guy is gonna be good."

Thanks Mr. Dawson, have a good one everybody, and goodnight Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

The Stig-man Cometh: TTMs from Dick Stigman

I've previously covered the glory of Dick Stigman's bic-fueled signature here. 

Based on that signature from Twinsfest, I decided to send Mr. Stigman some cards to sign. First up, the 1962:

In the letter I told Mr. Stigman a) how awesome it was that he was signing with a bic pen at Twinsfest and b) that during a conversation between my father-in-law and I we decided that the guy with the flat-top on this '62 Topps LOOKS like a bic-pen kinda guy. Mr. Stigman (per comments on my letter) swears he wasn't asleep for the photoshoot. The evidence might suggest otherwise. 

And then we've got the classic back. Stigman looks dominant, imposing in that cartoon, but...the cartoon is of a righty. Stigman was a lefty. C'mon Topps!

And speaking of the cartoons, check out the 1959:

Crazy card, another great sig. 

And notice on both cards: he signed with a bic pen!

Thanks for the sigs Mr. Stigman, and God Bless.

Have a good one everybody and good night Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

And now, the Swamp Fox

It's funny. I'm assuming that Al Dark was known as the Swamp Fox because he was from the Louisiana bayou or some such, but he currently lives in South Carolina, home of the "original" Swamp Fox. Coincidentally, he resides in Easley in the SC upstate, where a good number of my people are from and many still reside.

This arrived the same day as the 1950 Bowman from Mr. Shantz. It's the only mgr.-card ttm I've done and it came out pretty well. The red, white, and blue background with a portrait is nice, clean, and classic. The signature has to be the shortest name in existence: 6 full letters. Very cool. 

This 1961 is a strange card for Mr. Dark. If cards usually commemorate the previous season's accomplishments, this one is about the coming season. 1960 was Mr. Dark's last year an active player (with the Braves and the Phillies) and 1961 was his first as a manager (with the Giants). So technically he's not really the manager of the Giants yet but is instead a member of the Braves, hence the light, barely noticeable airbrushing of his hat. In short, Dark's switching over to managing saved the Topps folks a lot of work.

Thanks Mr. Dark!

Have a good one everybody and good night Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!