Look what I found at the card show

 Yes, we had a card show in Knoxville.  A few months ago.  Maybe it was May.  One of the local card shops helped organize it.  Maybe a dozen dealers spread out over 20 tables.  I pawed through the dollar boxes, talked to a few dealers, a nice way to kill an hour.

I picked up the Sanchez because I'm slowly collecting cards of Knoxville minor league players.

1988 Baseball America
Alex Sanchez - card # AA-13

Why not?

1966 Topps Game
George Scott - card # 22

Because he's a Cub.  And it was cheap.

2018 Topps Heritage - Clubhouse Collection Relics
Jon Lester - card # CCR-JL

Stargell was the first player I remember watching hit a home run, live.

1970 Topps Scratch Off
Willie Stargell - card # WIST

Again, it was cheap.

1960 Topps
Willie Tasby - card # 322

The card show seems to be running on a monthly basis.  I need to return.

End Of Year Wrap Up

I was going to run a "Top Ten Posts I Did This Year" post. 

Then I realized I didn't write 10 posts.  I hang my head in shame. 

I haven't been a good card blogger.  I'm still involved in collecting, just not as much.  I've gotten in some cards from fellow bloggers.  I've had intentions of sending some cards out.  For a year I've been planning on doing that.  More head hanging.

I've picked up some team sets for the local minor league team, the Tennessee Smokies, AA farm team for the Cubs.  But I haven't featured them on this blog.  Yet more head hanging.

So, let me put that behind me and show you some cards.

These are from the 2017 Limited Edition Mini Team Set for the Smokies.  Issued towards the of the season, it features some late call ups and some rehab players.

Benny Z came to town and was a darling by all reports.  He hung out after playing and signed until everyone was satisfied.

Kyle, down on rehab.  He looks good in a Smokies uni.

Mick is the radio voice of the Smokies.  A knowledgeable fellow, I enjoy listening to his patter on radio.  He weaves stories into the calls.  A big heart and someone I'm glad to call a friend.  Earlier this year Ballpark Digest honored him as co-MiLB Broadcaster of the Year.

Every team has a guy (or gal) that will dress up and try to get the fans more involved with cheering on the home team.  The Smokies have the Rally Ranger.  A fun, but goofy character.

There are 14 total cards in the 2017 Limited Edition Mini Team Set.  This set might be of some interest to player collectors, or Cubs completists.

I like it because it is "my team".

Happy New Year.  Maybe I'll blog more in 2018.

Or maybe I'll keep populating Base Ball Stats and Stuff.

A night of Stars

Thursday night the Knoxville Pediatric Cardiology's support group, Heart 2 Heart, sponsored an outing to the Smokies game.  The Smokies played host to the Southern League North Division leaders, the Huntsville Stars.  Before the game got started I was able to go on the field and ask third baseman Kris Bryant for a posed shot.  He was generous and gracious.

This is Kris, just after signing some autographs for the fans.

He was rushing to get back to the dugout to watch Jamie Lynn Spears throw out the first pitch.  She's the younger sister of Britney.

The Smokies fell to the Stars, 3-1.  Kris Bryant went 1 for 3 with a double.  Here's the Box Score.

So how did I get on the field for those early shots?  I was granted a Media Pass, for which I'm very thankful.

Do you want your own copy of the Smokies 2014 Media Guide?  You can click this link to download the 12.3MB pdf.

The whole family, including my folks (who are in from Arizona), and minus my son (who is studying for college finals), enjoyed the game.

I just want two cards

I don't ask for much.  Maybe that's because I don't want much.

Since deciding to focus on vintage baseball cards I've been drawn to the 1933 Goudey of Walter French.  Card # 177 for those of you keeping score.

And we return to the price versus condition issue.  I've been conversing with some of the guys from Old Baseball Cards.  A few things I've learned.

Condition does not always matter.  Sometimes it does, but generally it doesn't have to be near mint.

It is hard to fill any part of a long time collector's wantlist.  They've already filled most of their sets and are now collecting the Hungarian language version of the T-206 reverse printed backs.  Left handed pitchers.  And they must have been born west of the Mississippi.  It really isn't that bad, it just feels like it when my trade list consists mostly of  '60s and '70s Topps with rounded corners that can probably be picked up for a quarter each at any good card show.

Back to Mr. French (Cissy... Jody... Buffy... Mrs. Beasley...  Anyone home?).

I've been visiting COMC.com to help identify cards and to see what they look like.  Yes, I have purchased from them in the past and will in the future.

Here's one of their offerings:

1933 Goudey
Walter French (card # 177)

See that?  Knoxville Smokies.  As far as I know, this is the earliest card issued of a Smokies player.  COMC is offering this card, in various conditions, for $34 to $50.  I'm rounding here.  S&H not included.

Ebay sellers are offer the card in a wider variety of conditions and a much lower price.

This one looks nice and can be mine for $9 delivered.

Here's one that's in a bit better shape.  And it is in plastic.  Graded VG-3 by PSA.  Delivered for less than $9.

This one can be mine for a mere $7 delivered.  I love the thumbtack rust but I think for a few bucks more I'd pop for one of the $9 cards.

The post title says that I just want two cards.  Two of Mr. French?  Nope.  I want a 2014 Topps base card.  Not a Rated Rookie, not a Futures.  Not a parallel.  Just a base card for my Topps Type Collection.  Discuss among yourselves and send me one in a PWE.  That would make my day.

p.s. - please try to select a Ray, Mariner, or Marlin.  I don't have any of them in my TTC.

** UPDATE**
AJ, The Lost Collector, has stepped up and will be sending me a 2014 Topps.  Thanks.

Tony LaRussa in Knoxville

After a spotty career as a player and before he made it as a manager in the big leagues, he had a stint manager of the Knoxvile Knox Sox, the AA farm team of the Chicago White Sox.

1978 TCMA  Knox Sox
Tony LaRussa

Tony didn't spend the complete season in Knoxville.  By the third week in July he was the first base coach on Chicago's southside.   20 players on that 1978 Knoxville team spent time in the majors.  Here's two of them.

1978 TCMA  Knox Sox
Harold Baines

1978 TCMA  Knox Sox
Tom Spencer

I snagged these images from an ebay auction. I've never seen these actual cards.  From ebay I was able to put together a partial list of the 25 Knox Sox in this set.

• Harold Baines
• Rich Barnes
• Dean Craig
• Donn Deidholz
• Rich Dotson
• Marv Foley
• Quency Hill
• Fred Howard
• Tony LaRussa
• Rusty Kuntz
• Mark Naerhring
• Chris Nyman
• Andy Pasillas
• Duane Shaffer
• Ken Silvestri
• Tom Spencer
• Mike Wolf

Okay, this was going to be another thing I wanted to do in 2014.  Catalog and expand my Knoxville minor league team sets.  I've put up a checklist, so that's a start.

What I did on my summer vacation

"What? You've been gone? I hadn't noticed." That's what I'm expecting to hear. Well, I've been here, there, and everywhere.  I've got tons of posts in my mind's queue.  Finding time to scan and compose, that's been another story.  Enough whining on my part.  Here's one thing I did last week.

I attended the 18th Rickwood Classic.  Four other guys climbed in my van and away to Birmingham we sped.

They honored Negro League players.  I was able to get several of them to sign a postcard (not yet scanned) and I spent a few innings talking with them (audio files not yet posted).  Russell Patterson gave me his card.  He wanted to sign it but his pen had dried up.  I got his signature on the postcard.  I'm not that worried.

Russell "Crazy Legs" Patterson

About the third or fourth inning I sought out Fergie Jenkins, the Guest of Honor.  He was in an air conditioned room, signing autographs for free.  One per person.

1984 Fleer
Ferguson Jenkins (card # 494)

He was very generous with his time, posing for photos, personalizing items.

I took the opportunity to ask him about baseball cards.


This photo was pre-game.  Since the Rickwood Classic honors the Negro Leagues, the teams wear throwback uniforms.  The Birmingham Barons wore the 1948 Birmingham Black Barons uniforms.  Tennessee Smokies wore a stylized uniform of the mid-1930s Knoxville Giants.  I get a bit of credit for supplying some photos that the Smokies management used for the pattern.  And apparently I'm a "Knoxville baseball historian" according to the Smokies Radio Network.  I helped Nick Roark with some info on the Giants for a story that he did prior to the game.  I hope to work with him in the future.

After the game the fans were allowed to take the field.  I really like this photo.

One of the guys I attended the game with shot tons of photos.  They are amazing.  Cliff's photos from the day can be found at his smugmug account.  Go look.  You'll be glad you did.

Catching up with the Tarp-Nami guy

He's not just the Tarp-Nami guy, he has a name.  Philip Torbertt.  You might remember last year's viral video...


Philip was part of the grounds crew for the Smokies.  Now he's working at a local branch of US Bank.

I had to do a food run this morning.  This branch of US Bank recently opened in our Food City.   I stopped to ask about my son opening an account there and Philip asked about my 2012 Southern League All-Star Game hat.  The talk quickly turned to baseball and his 15 minutes of fame.

Okay, there's really no catching up here.  I'd never met him before, but he seems nice enough and we're going to open the account this afternoon.  Just a bit of "Ah, you're the Tarp-Nami guy."

For the local newspaper story about the Tarp-Nami incident click here.

Schedule Changes

At a recent meeting of the East Tennessee Chapter of SABR, one of the members, Lucas Hobbs, offered up some pocket schedules. Lucas is on the board of directors for the Bristol Sox, an Advanced Rookie League affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, playing in the Appalachian League. Technically Lucas is one of the vice presidents of the board of directors for Bristol Baseball, Inc., a non-profit corporation dedicated to keeping professional baseball alive in Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee.

On the way home from the meeting I found this Tennessee Smokies schedule at one of our local grocery stores.

I've applied for my media credentials from the Smokies and I'll be attending the Saturday night game against the Montgomery Biscuits.

Pat McGlothin at Smokies Park

Tuesday evening the Tennessee Smokies hosted the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.  The Smokies also honored Pat McGlothin.  Pat pitched for the Dodgers in 1949 and 1950.  His only catcher was Roy Campanella.  He was a team mate of  Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, and Jackie Robinson.  He faced Ted Williams seven times in one wartime military game, striking him out five times.  Ted never got got a hit.  Pat threw three no-hitters in his professional career.  He also managed the Smokies in 1954.  And he's a nice guy.

A few months ago several members of the East Tennessee SABR Chapter had lunch with Pat and interviewed him.  We wanted to support Pat so we met up at the ball park.

Ed and his son Will joined Diamond and Slugger, the Smokies' mascots.  Ed is a world class magician, focusing on close-up magic.  He recently won second place in the International Brotherhood of Magician's Gold Cups Close-up Contest.  He also has a fantastic collection of Negro League memorabilia.

Will Ripley, Diamond, Slugger, Ed Ripley

Joe Gallagher, sporting the Manhattan cap, was involved in the Mets broadcasting for many years.  George Aubrey, sporting the Moxie cap, is my father.  He is a SABR member, but resides in Arizona.

Joe Gallagher, Diamond, Slugger, George Aubrey

George watching Pat sign

Pat signed for about an hour and a half.  He was very gracious with his time, posing for photos, listening to people tell their stories, laughing along with them.

Ezra "Pat" McGlothin

Before the game started Adam Kline, the Smokies Director of Media Relations, gave us a tour of the press box where we met Mick Gillispie, Director of Broadcasting.  Both great baseball guys.  Thanks.
I'm not a fan of the Blue Wahoo's uniform numbers.

In the fourth inning, the sky started to turn dark and the temperature dropped about 10 degrees.  My dad and I decided it was best to leave.  They pulled the tarp out not long after we hit the concourse.

We actually made it out to the parking lot when I decided to call my dad back inside for a "put your head in the hole" photo.

I made arrangements to get another interview with Pat.  All in all a good night.

Knoxville Smokies Cards

These two cards of Smokies players came from the baseball brick.  There was a bit of 'stickiness' to the cards, almost like high humidity had fused the cards together.  I'm guessing that the flecks of white on Alex's jersey are on the back side of some junk wax card.  I received two of the Alex cards.  I'll have to see if the other one is cleaner.

1993 Fleer Excel All-Stars
Alex Gonzalez (card # 5)

 

1993 Classic Best
Shawn Green (card # 72)

 

I have seen the Shawn Green card listed as an Uncorrected Error - Photo. Comparing it to the 1993 Fleer Procard of Shawn Green, I can see a bit of difference. Now the question is, who is pictured on the Classic Best card?

See, I've resisted posting any racing cards for a while.  Soon enough, though.