Card fact: The first player card in 25 posts is the same card that I featured on the first post of this blog. It's also one of the most famous cards of the 1970s. Oscar Gamble's cap/Afro Mickey Mouse look has been cited hundreds of times, although probably not as often as Gamble's 1976 Topps Traded card.
What I thought about this card then: I pulled this card when my family was out of town on vacation. I don't recall thinking anything specific about Gamble's hair (there were a lot of people who looked like that then). But it did become one of my most favorite cards from the set. I probably did dig the hair, I just didn't know how to express it. I was 9.
What I think about this card now: There is so little vegetation in the background and the sky is so light that when I think of the card, I imagine the photo was taken in a studio, which never happened back then.
Other stuff: Oscar Gamble was just coming into his own in the mid-1970s. He'd have some decent seasons for the Indians, then really turn things after he was traded by the Yankees to the White Sox for Bucky Dent. I remember being thrilled that Gamble had such a great 1977 after leaving the Yankees. But then the Yankees won the World Series that year and Gamble ended up back with the Yankees a couple of years later.
EDIT: Gamble died at age 68 on Jan. 31, 2018.
Back facts: Yay! Cartoons are back! Ouch! Getting hit by that many balls at once has got to hurt!
Other blog stuff: Here is the very card that I pulled out of that pack on a July day in 1975:
5 comments:
From a classic subset to a classic card. The '75 set is great!!!
Classic!
Nice way to kick off the regular player cards again.
I'm not sure if the cartoon is referring to the single-season or career record, both of which were held by Hunt at one time IINM. I believe that Hunt still holds the single-season record, but his career record was later broken by Don Baylor (it is now held by Craig Biggio).
It's interesting that certain players seem to be "good" at getting hit by pitches. Minnie Minoso led the AL in getting hit by pitches ten times.
Classic 'fro card. And with those day-glo colors it makes for a classic piece of 1970s memorabilia.
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