Card fact: Hey, it's a Cardboard Appreciation graduate! Mr. Fingers is also a finalist in the great Cardboard Appreciation vote-off on the other blog.What I thought about this card then: I've already written about this, but I thought this card was amazing when I was 9. One of my favorite cards out of the whole set as a kid. Game-action shots were so rare back then, and even though I couldn't have possibly known how rare they were at that age, I did know that this card looked a lot different than most of the other cards in the '75 set.
What I think about this card now: Again, I've addressed this, but if Topps was to issue a photo like this in a set today, collectors would be complaining that you can't see his face.
Other stuff: A green-and-gold uniform with a blue-and-orange color scheme. Wow. The poster child for the '70s right here.
Also, we are on a serious run of notable players from the '70s with Tanana, Concepcion, Koosman, Munson and now Fingers all in a row. That will continue for a bit before calming down. Also, Fingers is the second straight pitcher featured here who has had his share of tax payment issues.
Back facts: Crazy ERAs like Fingers' 36.00 in 1968 always intrigued me as a kid. I think it made me feel better when I added up my own pitching stats when I played youth baseball.Other blog stuff: I live in Syracuse University country, so I can't see this color combo without thinking of SU. However, I do not particularly like Syracuse, and I'd really rather not name a color combo after the university. So, the floor is open.
You cannot go wrong with a pitcher that wears the same 'stache 25 years later. That has to count for something.
ReplyDeleteAs for colors, it looks just like the expansion Missouri Mavericks colors of the Central Hockey League. Sorry I couldn't find a suitable picture. Just trust me on this one.
Actually, the Mavs are more powder blue than tealish.
ReplyDeleteI had that card in '75. I think I still have it somewhere. Not sure though many of my '75s were traded away to a friend in '77-79 when we would have "flipping" games. It was a tossing game similar to "quarters" (I think). We would place some seed cards on the game playing area (usually the bedroom floor) and sit a little distance away. We would take turns tossing cards onto the playing field, if our card landed on top of another card covering at least 50% of the card we won the card. My friend was better at the game than I was. I also suspect that he cheated from time to time. I think he had introduced the game to me and took advantage. The game ended when there were no more cards on the ground or we ran out of cards to trade away.
ReplyDeleteOh the Blue/Orange scheme I think should be called the "Howard Johnson's" as that was the color combination of the HOJO restaurants.
That is one of the few '75 cards I actually have in my collection. I don't think the catcher on the back really tried to catch that ball...
ReplyDeleteI flipped cards, too, CaptKirk, although I can't quite remember the rules we used.
ReplyDeleteAnd HoJo is perfect. I ate regularly at HoJos as a kid, and HoJos is 100 percent '70s for me.