USA Qualifies for World Cup Amid Tragedy ...

The news came at the early hours of yesterday morning - U.S. National Team forward Charlie Davies was involved in a car crash that took the life of one woman and severely injured the American soccer star.

Coming off the 3:2 victory in Honduras which booked the Americans' ticket to World Cup 2010, the team was set to play the last of the qualifying games at RFK in Washington, D.C..

Colorado's Conor Casey scored twice to ensure that the USA reached its 6th consecutive FIFA final (1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 2010).

Davies was a passenger in the car that was severed in half on the Washington Parkway. A female passenger was declared dead on the scene while Charlie had broken bones in the fibula, tibia, ribs and spleen. Recently signed by Sochaux FC in France, the New Hampshire native was just coming into his own starring in the FIFA Confederation Cup.

His career is in limbo as his life is tattered. We hope for the best and sympathies to the families effected by this tragedy.

Strawberry preserves ...

Sometimes opposing worlds intersect. Such events can be either disasterous or wonderful. In this case, the latter. This week I have had the opportunity to see the enthusiasm of two DARRYL STRAWBERRY collectors.

This coincidental meeting brought back a bit of nostalgia of the mid-1980's N.Y. Mets. The chase for Strawberry rookie cards was hot and heavy in the fall of 1983 as Topps issued this debut in its traded set.

The request by one of these collectors for a full body shot of the Straw-man swinging a bat prompted me to produce this custom throw-back card. Darryl is featured on this 1974 Topps style card.

It also brought me to search some of my old art boxes for a project never completed - the Topps 1956 style painting of the N.Y. Mets star. I never got around to finishing the picture - made in water colors - as I was finishing college and had a few other things on my mind.

Now, looking back after all these years, I see that Darryl has tried to turn his life around - which includes work with his charity foundation. I wish him the best of life.

Those were good memories.

Still Hungry ? ... Food for Thought ... Part 2

Since our menu was so delicious last time, we offer for your appetite - another days of eating baseball cards.

Once again breakfast leads off with POST Cereal cards - the 1990's continued the tradition began in the 1960's with this brand.

The inaugural version in 1961 were fraught with variations and even a Canadian issue which differed from the U.S. counterpart. Sets were made for 1962 and 1963.

For those in too much of rush to grab a full bowl or box - the 1950 debuted the tasty bakery of DRAKE's cards. These were again continued in 1981 with succesive issues up to 1988.

For lunch we make a quick nip into the local fast food - BURGER KING - which issued team sets from 1977 to 1980 and again in 1986 and 1987. The early ones were off versions of Topps card with a few alternate photos on the cards. The 1986/87 design were different with air-brushed logos.

A snack between meals leads us to the ice cream issued CRANE / various companies disks.

If that does not curb the hunger, than NESTLE - the world's leader in chocolate - produced a fine yellow border set of 24 in 1984 and subsequent sets in 1987 and 1988.

For dinner KRAFT - producers of Macaroni & Cheese - distributed more air-brushed cards on panels of two.

A midnight snack - or an early breakfast - with the 1986 QUAKER OATS - granola bars which we threw away (or threw up) and just kept the card. This is one of the underrated sets produced in conjunction with Topps. Great photos and player selection make this a sleeper.

Bon Appetite !

That 70's (football) Show

There are many things that I liked about the football cards of the 1970's. Having said that - it was a time of change that was reflected in Topps, the dominating factor in cards from this era.

Snow Shoes in California:

Nothing was brighter than football players in California (except the Brady Bunches back yard). If you look at the cards of the Rams, Raiders, Chargers and 49ers from the early 70's - the grass was greener and the sky was bluer.

If you wanted to be cool, you could pose like Jack Snow - with white shoes in mid-air. THAT was the way to be immortalized on a trading card !



Air-Jordan vs. Air-Brushing:

On the other hand, nothing exposed the bad side of 1970's cards than the advent of air-brushing.
This Coy Bacon card is so obliterated by retouching, he is almost non-existant. Ironically, Bacon was originally a Los Angeles Ram when the photo was taken - but something indistinguishable after his Topps-otomy.
Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood:

The suburban expansion was recorded on the practice fields facilities - especially on many of the Redskins cards (photographed in Maryland). Never have so many houses appeared in cardboard - as on Dave Robinson's - since the T69 Historic Homes tobacco set.

Willie make it, Buddy don't:

Sometimes the cardboard captures great moments. If this 1973 Jim O'Brien is not the actual field goal that won Super Bowl V over the Cowboys, then it's a great recreation. (except that N.Y. Jets are the opponent)

... and then there is this attempt, a close 2nd to Garo Yempremian's failed pass in Super Bowl VII. There is no way this one went between the posts.

Right foot, Wrong field:

If Topps air-brushed the soccer ball out of Chris Farasopoulos' card - I would not be surprised. He looks like my friends on a Sunday pick-up soccer game.

... and Roy Gerela was doing double duty - as he turned around seconds after this photo to pose kicking a soccer ball at the goals behind him.

The invisible ink well:

Poor Don McCauley was exposed to the sprinklers (to his right) which washed away not only the football, but the quarterback who handed it to him. This one really cannot be blamed on Topps. The Baltimore Colts would vanish the same way in another decade.

Who Ya Gonna Call ?:

The Ghostbusters may have been the ones to call for the mystery above. But it is usually the quarterbacks who were depicted using phones on there cards. so what is Carl Eller doing ? Dialing for assistance ? Ordering a pizza ? Moonlighting as an AT&T operator ?

Hike it to Spike (please):

The United Way could do nothing to help poor Spike Jones. Not only was he stuck with the name of a famous nightclub performer, but he had the job of the thankless NFL punter - the guy who gets the call when you give up. Someone please hike the ball to Spike ?

By the way, which one is pink ?:

The rock band Pink Floyd fielded such a question when reporters wanted to know the band member's names. If you were not familiar with the Redskins of the 1970's, then your guess was as good as anyone's to which guy in this pre-game ceremony was Chris Hanburger. (hint - he is not carrying a flag)

And Now a Word from Our Sponsors:

Garo Yepremian's 1971 card looks like a suburban car ad from LIFE Magazine. What goes better with jaw-crunching football or soothing field goals - than the family station wagon. (pre-mini van for you youngsters)

Fame, Shmame:

Good ol' Claude Humphrey was big time in Atlanta. But the Falcons were the opposite of world-beaters in the 1970's. So if you are going to be remembered on a football card, it may as well be pictured tackling a Hall of Famer. Here Claude claws Cowboys legend Roger Staubach.

Friends in High Places:

To say that Bob Windsor was a well known football player - is well, a stretch at best. But Bob did have his fans. I think this 1974 card may just be the only one on record to be rooting for the player on his own card.

A closer look at the top right corner shows that either Bob had a mole inside Topps or his fans were more prevalent than the John 3:16 fanatics of the 1970's. (Bob Windsor NFL No. 1 tight End)

Food for Thought ... Part 1

Back in the old school days, we were instructed about the 4 food groups for balanced meals. Most of followed the "C" method. I "see it", I want it, I eat it.

We were, however, smart enough to begin the day with a good breafast. And what was more American than cereal ?

Kellogg's baseball cards made my mornings grrrrrrreat - especially when we got down far enough into the box to get the baseball card within. (no we didin't cheat by dumping it into a big bowl and picking out the prize - then putting it all back.) We stared at the back of the box for about a week while spooning down our grains.

Kellogg's provided us with almost a decade and a half (1970-1983) of 3-D graphic cards. (except for 1973 - they misplaced a dimention somewhere)


When Kellogg's reign of delight came to an end in 1983, the void was filled with a rather cheap replacement of Ralston Purina cards in the mid-1980s. However, it was hard to escape the checkerboard which reminded us that our pet cats and dogs ate their products too !


For those with the more exquisit taste, the 1990s gave us Jimmy Dean cards that came with the breakfast sausages. There were of course other 90s breakfast issues like the Post cereal sets as well. (see part 2)

For the luch time crowd, some round ball came in the form of Skippy Peanutbutter lids. A nice change of advertising pitches. Here Derek Jeter gets in your face friendly with a jar.

Candy, gum and cookies have been staples for giving away cards from the 1950s and after. A different twist came in the form of these 1970 Milk Duds boxes. Pete Rose's card indicated his league leading hits.

For the real junk food junkers - Hostess was the devil's advocate - twinkies, ho-hos and various other delights to sweeten the fact that you got a panel of 3 cards on their boxes. Hostess baseball cards were distributed from 1975 to 1979. These, to me are only second to the Kellogg product in eye appeal.

Now that you have had lunch ... we will continue with dinner next time.

The Dragon ... lives

With all the latest creatures in the 2009 Allen & Ginter set - (legend, myth and terror - subset), there are a few that will hold the test of time. Dinosaurs will last as long as kids and adults have imagination. This beastie - VELOCIRAPTOR is the next best thing to having a T-Rex on a card.

But frankly, the selection of most of the others 2009 subsets are a bit hokie. I prefer the creature that fans still love and villians feared in Hong Kong, China and Hollywood.

Enter the DRAGON - BRUCE LEE ! The 2007 Allen & Ginter card depicts the martial arts master in a scene from the American box office hit - "Enter The Dragon".

Even one step, kick or chop better - was the mini version of this card - and even best - the black border version.

Although classified as a non-sport card (albeit in a baseball dominated set), Bruce was anything but a non-athlete. He proved every bit the physical super star that Hollywood wanted.

So his rookie card, if you will, was in the 1966 Donruss GREEN HORNET set. The TV series ran for a short time but Lee who portrayed "KATO" was very popular.

These are some of the cool colorful cards of the 1960's that are worth collecting.

Bruce would have been even a bigger star had he landed the part originally written for him - KUNG FU.

Sadly, mainstream America was not ready for an Asian star. But his sudden death spurned him to immortality. He is preserved on cardboard for all to enjoy.

Baseball ... a pass the time sport.

Baseball ... the American past-time. When you look at our modern pace - the "instant" world we live in - baseball is almost passe'.

Somewhere along the line, in the early 1970's, a Topps executive (because there were no other card makers) decided to add "In Action" cards to the card sets. gone were the days of carefree poses.

There was once time for standing "hands on hips ...

leaning against the bats...

waiting for your time at bat ...

and just sitting around.

What I really enjoyed about the cards up to the 1970's was the sunshine. The colors, bright and solid made the spring, summer and fall - happy for all the world to see.

The above card of the Oakland A's - Bert Campaneris - was once my favorite card. It looked like a perfect job - a pro athlete that only plays when the sun shines, in the best part of the year (summer) and in really interesting states like California and New York. My loyalty to the A's, Mets and Yankees

Somewhere along the way the season got too long. Playing in snow and drizzling rain is less fun. Wearing pink and silver and ray-on black jerseys is just depressing.

I like the game as it was. These cards allow me that satisfaction.