General All Purpose Baseball Card Thread

[Zvon]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: I have a question, not sure where to put it. It's research for a fake card I'm working on so I'll post it here. I'm making a Gil Hodges card for 1968. Using two sources for info, the UMB and wikipedia. The UMB says that the Mets released Hodges on May 22, 1963. Also that he managed the Washington Senators from 1963 to 1967. Wikipedia says that Gil was traded to the Washington Senators in late May for outfielder Jimmy Piersall so that he could replace Mickey Vernon as Washington's manager. Which is correct? I think they're both correct. The 5/22/63 date is correct. For some odd reason, I've always committed that date to memory as being the day the Mets sent Hodges to the Senators, who then sent Piersall to the Mets the next day. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1915&dat=19630523&id=A6A0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=3HIFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1043,3227477

Wow, thank you very much. Now I'm dying to know who the player to be named later was, but that can wait. And John F. Kennedy. Amazin'.

[Zvon]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Zvon wrote: I'm making a Gil Hodges card for 1968. Using two sources for info, the UMB and wikipedia. I hope everyone's checking in on Zvon's site periodically. It's a real Mets fans' treat. He's been creating some amazin' amazin' Met images since his site went up a few weeks ago.

Thanks for the plug. I'm finding that I am enjoying living in the Mets past as opposed to the Mets present.

I have discovered that I can pre-date entries so that when I publish them they will end up following a chronological order. I thought at some point that I would have to jump around in time with the cards but I can just insert them where I want if I wish.

So there will be times that a page will be added and it will be back in the timeline, and not appear as the newest entry when you visit there. I think anyway. Im not really sure how it goes when other people view it. I added a new 1962 card page recently, and I also have added cards and text to existing pages. It's easy to get the images up there. I'm fast at that. But text will be added over time because I'm slow at that. This will always be a work in progress. At least until I make a card for every Met who ever was, which isn't my plan but it might evolve in that direction. For right now its the essentials and in many cases a result of finding a great rare photo that dictates if a card is made.
Like this one. I had to use this somehow. What a freakin photo!

The Gil colorization is not complete I don't think, but I'm tired of working it so I will go with what I have and update it if I improve it.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Did you colorize that photo? I've never seen that picture, and I've seen a lot of Mets stuff. What a find!

[Zvon]

Did you colorize that photo? I've never seen that picture, and I've seen a lot of Mets stuff. What a find!

No, I found that as is, one of a series of three photos. First one looks to be a different at-bat. I thought the last two were the same pitch but if so that guy behind the fence must have taken a dive.

The great image of Mays in his prime at Shea facing Al Jackson is one thing. But to me the area behind home plate was just as exciting. I am very familiar with how Shea looked back there when I went to games, and I had never seen it like that. Just a fence. There is some padding, and that looks right, but all that open fence. They must have added padding to that or rebuilt the entire opening. And look at that thing hanging above...a loudspeaker? A lamp?
And look at that TV camera! That gets me every time.




Does anyone know for sure who the guy in the pic is?
The caption says Ron Hunt but I don't think it looks like him.


So many wrong captions on these historical photos, it's a shame

[Zvon]

Some updated cards that were [crossout]buried[/crossout] added to older pages at the card site. I'll mix it up from time to time with the ol' time tunnel switcheroo.

[seawolf17]

The new Topps Update set includes a bunch of ASG-themed cards. Some of them are jarring.

[batmagadanleadoff]

A sampling of 2013 Topps Mets update cards.

1971 David Wright


Marlon Byrd camouflage variation


Matt Harvey

[Zvon]

Priceless.


But make one of these to go along with it Topps.


please?

[Zvon]

http://metsfantasycards.blogspot.com/

[Zvon]

Some new addtions to old pages.





I wanted to get the '69 world series cards up during the world series but I may not make it.

[dgwphotography]

Did you tweak the sharpness on any of these? These just pop.

[Zvon]

dgwphotography wrote: Did you tweak the sharpness on any of these? These just pop.

I do so much photo tweaking to each individual image I can't recall on these two. More then not I find myself making the photo a tini bit more blurry to match with the sharpness, or lack of, in the border. But those two I definitely didn't do any blurring- cause I made that border-probably used as is. After any resizing I always sharpen it once, to pull the pixels back tight, so that may have been done. That usually returns it to it's former sharpness.

I was always against making action shots in years that Topps did not do that, but after seeing the cards at CARDS THAT NEVER WERE site I realized that done well they can be so kool looking and give the viewer a
WOW! moment.

[Zvon]

This card is especially kool cause the photos from the real card (wrongly stating game 2) and this color version were taken a second apart.





Back in the day, or more specifically in '69, they didn't have MVP's for the playoffs. At least I'm pretty sure they didn't. Not really sure when that started. So, for the 1969 N.L.C.S. I'm going to make an MVP card for the playoffs. Who should win the MVP? (It can go to a player on the other team-if you check out Aarons #s)
http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1969_NLCS.shtml
I'm thinkin Shamsky? Agee & Jones co-mvps? Hank's numbers do deserve it. But how can I not give it to a Met?

[Zvon]

Did you tweak the sharpness on any of these? These just pop.

D.W., making the last batch of cards I took some notes as to what I do to improve the image. While I'm doing it I'm flying thru filters and contrasts like a mad doctor and it can be a bit different every time. It depends on what (I think) the image needs. But there are two things I do at the start of every photo I choose to use.

This applies to how an image looks on your 'puter screen, not necessarily good for a photo you are adjusting for printing, although many times it works well there too.

When I first started doing image work years ago, I would up the saturation and contrast, and sometimes got an okay result. Not consistent, depending upon the source resolution. Many times the color would bleed and the higher contrast would wash away details (like pinstripes on a Met uni). I don't do that any more.

I found some features in Paint Shop Pro 7 (can't speak to later versions but I imagine they would have this feature too) that served the same purpose without over saturation bleed or contrast wash. Under the COLORS tab there's is a feature simply called RED/GREEN/BLUE. It boosts those individual channels, or colors, without over-saturating. That's step one. And step two, if needed, instead of upping the contrast, I adjust the gamma correction to bring up the brightness. This allows for a brightness boost with no loss of detail (or washout). Usually after this move a much slighter contrast adjustment might be needed.
Remember, the changes made to the image are done with one thing in mind. How the result looks on a computer monitor. Its subtle, but it does pop out more. lil bit.

Adjustments to the Keith pic below:
Colors>Red/Green/Blue>RGB boost= +20% RED/+14green/+20%BLUE
Colors> Gamma Correction>Gamma correction=+1.20


Original Photo^__________________________________Adjusted^


An extreme adjustment, all RGB %'s doubled. Too much because it does wash out some pinstrips. Don't want that. So if I wanted Keiths face to pop out more I would lasso his face and add the doubling adjustment only to his face, and not the uni.


I imagine you know all the tricks photography wise, and know all this stuff, but if it helps in your photo work in any way it's worth typing all that.

[Zvon]

For the 1970 cards I tried to imagine what a Topps special card design would look like. In other years they had those cards with two or more players posing together with a "typical Topps title" (

I have this photo and I'd really like to use it for a special card but I can't think of a cute "typical Topps title".
Anyone have any ideas? Edge, you have a knack for this and Rubes your main man. Anything come to mind?


I'm also not too thrilled with my design and if anyone has any suggestions there I'd appreciate it. I figured they would have used the same font as player names but that just don't look kool for some reason.

[MFS62]

Waitaminit.
The work that goes into this is greatly appreciated.
But if this IS the General All Purpose Baseball Card Thread, then why are there baseball card pictures in all those other threads?

Later

[Ceetar]

MFS62 wrote: Waitaminit. The work that goes into this is greatly appreciated. But if this IS the General All Purpose Baseball Card Thread, then why are there baseball card pictures in all those other threads? Later

to make sure no thread loads too quickly.

[G-Fafif]

Wright


Ced


Fred

Too sexy for this thread?

[Zvon]

I have a question. Not sure where to post it (don't wanna start a thread for it). It concerns info my card site so I'll ask here.
In 1967 the UMDB has Johnny Murphy listed as a Met coach (as well as vice pres of the team). Did Murphy ever really suit up and coach on the field? What is the story behind him being listed as a coach? Are there pictures of him in uniform?

Any info would be helpful.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Here's the design for the 2014 Topps cards



http://www.beckett.com/news/2013/08/first-look-2014-topps-baseball-cards-with-preliminary-checklist/


Checklist seems to only include Harvey and Wheeler in the first series, so that can't be right.

http://img.beckett.com/news/news-content/uploads/2013/08/zChecklist.pdf

[Zvon]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: Here's the design for the 2014 Topps cards

ooo, that is NICE.

[G-Fafif]

Baseball Card Theater...

[youtube:2r34slk8]j4KvW9RFZWg[/youtube:2r34slk8]

[batmagadanleadoff]

Nice find.

More of the same. Big cameos from The Doc and Mookie.

(P.S. -- these videos play better in full screen mode. Clicking on the youtube logo at the bottom of these videos will get you to the youtube page, and an operable full screen button).

[youtube:3ebl8tyy]ERA7ZAN4B6E#t=74[/youtube:3ebl8tyy]

[batmagadanleadoff]

OMG! These are like potato chips.

[youtube:1w1i9ube]xcbkT8fner8[/youtube:1w1i9ube]

[youtube:1w1i9ube]vhkhBQWajOg[/youtube:1w1i9ube]

[Zvon]

hahaha,these are excellent!

[Zvon]

Like the Cliff Johnson thing, I've been collecting up Donn Clendenon cards, looking for one in which he isn't sneering like he wants to hit you with his bat. Go google/look thru Donns cards. He always looks angry.

Does the Baseball Card Theater guy really blow all his cards off the table like that or is it an effect?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I got an e-mail from a UMDB fan who asked if there's a checklist online anywhere that lists every Mets Topps baseball card ever produced.

Does anyone know of such a thing?

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I got an e-mail from a UMDB fan who asked if there's a checklist online anywhere that lists every Mets Topps baseball card ever produced. Does anyone know of such a thing?

Wow, not that I know of. The challenge is what he wants to include in there. A base set checklist wouldn't be that hard. But if he's including all the various Topps sets and all the inserts and all the parallel versions and the other things that ruined the hobby, it would be brutal.

[stevejrogers]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I got an e-mail from a UMDB fan who asked if there's a checklist online anywhere that lists every Mets Topps baseball card ever produced. Does anyone know of such a thing?

If I have time this summer for the massive project that I've been mulling over for years...yes!

There are places like http://tradingcarddb.com/ that have everything in sorted form.

[Zvon]

I ran into this looking for Met baseball card stuff a while back. Only goes up to 1991. And it does not have pics for every year. It was a good reference for seeing early cards because they had pics of those (all in one place).

https://www.gfg.com/baseball/mets.shtml