Ten Reasons This Card is Great

[metirish]

I'm sure he was thrilled to have his face blown out by the flash.

[Edgy MD]

1. The whole inset photo paradigm turned on its ear, with the portrait photo the main shot and the inset photo being an action shot.

2. The unibrow.

3. The rim of the hat betraying a white lining, in contrast to the dark green underbill.

4. Most unibrows at least thin out or grow narrower between the eyes. Wally's doesn't and may, in fact, grow thicker.

5. We're between eras on cards here, where the inset photo displays Sport magazine design values where figures were cut out and placed against solid background, where the main photo displays the Sports Illustrated aesthetic of framing the whole lovely composition.

6. He's got some nice, chiseled fingers, and could pretty much pass for a handsome, athletic guy, if he could do something about the unibrow.

7. The frame of the inset photo comes right up to the edge his knuckles and hat. Somebody thought that buffers were for suckers.

8. The first couple of glances, you think the guy is wearing glasses.

9. The bill of his cap shows it's exact function, providing just enough shadow to spare his eyes the glare of the sun.

10. Dipping down in the middle and at the corners, it's kind of flying like a bird.

[Frayed Knot]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: And at Yankee Stadium. I think Topps figured that since most players come through New York during the course of the season, they'd save money on travel.

I suspect some of them were super-imposed also.
"Hey Joe, some team just sent me photos of some of their new players, get me that generic stadium backdrop outta the file would ya"

[Benjamin Grimm]

Hmmm....

[Ceetar]

Those don't even look like shots of Shea from this century.

[Edgy MD]

Duda also looks about 25 feet tall.

(Which is kinda great.)

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

I love those old Braves uniforms! The feather on the sleeve is neat.

[Fman99]

This card gives me a humor induced boner. You could rest a pitcher of Schlitz on that fucking shelf of a brow.

[Edgy MD]

1. Foster looks like a 14-year-old. (He was 25!)

2. He looks about 130 pounds.

3. The real signature lends validity to the print one, but he's picked up some flourishes along the way.

4. Uniform patch, probably celebrating the 1976 centennial of the National League.

5. Kinda looks like a Darryl Strawberry baby brother.

6. Lousy cutting in the Topps factory that day leaves us a quarter inch border to the west but a mere millimeter to the east.

7. Looks like shaving isn't a big concern of his.

8. Elven ears.

9. "3B"? Who would put this bantamweight at third? Might as well just forfeit.

10. Despite all these juvenile traits, he nonetheless looks like a focused student of the game, trying to pick up tips as he carefully watches a batting practice that you know the big kids only begrudgingly let him participate in after they were all done. Good photo.

[metirish]

10. Despite all these juvenile traits, he nonetheless looks like a focused student of the game, trying to pick up tips as he carefully watches a batting practice that you know the big kids only begrudgingly let him participate in after they were all done. Good photo.

be that as it may in his five year career he hit 2HR and had 26RBI.

in 1978 he was traded to the Red Sox for this guy




1. WTF is in his pants?
2. Seriously, he's got a boner
3. He has that look on his face that says I hope the photographer doesn't notice my hard on
4. Is that awful hooped stripe on the pants or top?
5. Angels stadium?
6. What's with the uni?
7.
8.
9.
10.

[batmagadanleadoff]

1. Sideburns. 2. The angle. It's as though Larry is towering over the poor shooter. 3. The expression. It's as though he wants to tell you to fuck off, but knows he doesn't need to. You're gonna get the F out of his grill any second now, and if you don't, well, you might be introduced to this club casually draped over his shoulder. 4. White batting gloves. 5. Last year before the Rainbow Gut jerseys for the Astros. Not the most exciting things out there but some dignity to it. 6. The jersey appears to zip up. 7. There's a Johnny Lunchbucket quality to the whole thing: He's got his safety helmet on and tool of the trade close by. 8. The trophy. First of many for sure. 9. Yet as tough as this card makes Larry Milbourne out to be, he was actually a noodle bat, author of 11 home runs in as many pro seasons. 10. All-Star Rookie sure, but as his expression shows, he'd already seen much. By this point in his career he'd already been property of the Orioles, Giants, and Angels -- and his future would take him to Seattle (twice), the MFYs (twice), Twins, Indians and Phillies.

11. This badass'll steal your Big Kahuna Burger. Or blow your brains out. It's all the same to him.

[Edgy MD]

metirish wrote: be that as it may in his five year career he hit 2HR and had 26RBI.

That's why I like it. If you have a guy who's just good enough to make it to the bigs and consistently fail once he gets there, how do you photograph him? Do you show him in action --- an action that any astute observer will know was likely just another in a string of failures? Or do you get a posed shot --- the figure shown paused on the mound or in the batters box, assuming a stance that, if you're paying any attention at all, you know has never intimidated anybody?

This photographer has found a third way --- capturing the real narrative of the fringe player, watching from the (literal) fringes, searching for a clue to the edge that's going to get him over the hump as a big-leaguer, pricking his elven hears hoping to pick up a piece of the magic formula as Dave Kingman and Mike Schmidt guffaw around the batting cage.

Your photo link, I'm sorry to say, isn't working for me.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Edgy DC wrote: metirish wrote: be that as it may in his five year career he hit 2HR and had 26RBI. That's why I like it. If you have a guy who's just good enough to make it to the bigs and consistently fail once he gets there, how do you photograph him? Do you show him in action --- an action that any astute observer will know was likely just another in a string of failures? Or do you get a posed shot --- the figure shown paused on the mound or in the batters box, assuming a stance that, if you're paying any attention at all, you know has never intimidated anybody? This photographer has found a third way --- capturing the real narrative of the fringe player, watching from the (literal) fringes, searching for a clue to the edge that's going to get him over the hump as a big-leaguer, pricking his elven hears hoping to pick up a piece of the magic formula as Dave Kingman and Mike Schmidt guffaw around the batting cage. Your photo link, I'm sorry to say, isn't working for me.

I dunno. I bet that the only thing on that photog's mind when he snapped Foster's picture, was whether he was gonna have Pizza or Chinese for dinner.

[Edgy MD]

Sometimes meaning seeps through the holes in our intentions.

[metirish]

Edgy DC wrote: metirish wrote: be that as it may in his five year career he hit 2HR and had 26RBI. That's why I like it. If you have a guy who's just good enough to make it to the bigs and consistently fail once he gets there, how do you photograph him? Do you show him in action --- an action that any astute observer will know was likely just another in a string of failures? Or do you get a posed shot --- the figure shown paused on the mound or in the batters box, assuming a stance that, if you're paying any attention at all, you know has never intimidated anybody? This photographer has found a third way --- capturing the real narrative of the fringe player, watching from the (literal) fringes, searching for a clue to the edge that's going to get him over the hump as a big-leaguer, pricking his elven hears hoping to pick up a piece of the magic formula as Dave Kingman and Mike Schmidt guffaw around the batting cage. Your photo link, I'm sorry to say, isn't working for me.

loving this thread....


maybe this image link works for you

[Edgy MD]

Wow! What's in his pants?!

[Edgy MD]

1. WTF is in his pants?
2. Seriously, he's got a boner
3. He has that look on his face that says I hope the photographer doesn't notice my hard on
4. Is that awful hooped stripe on the pants or top?
5. Angels stadium?
6. What's with the uni?
7. Is there an earthquake under way?
8. I'm just now noticing that on 1976 cards, for pitchers, they included an illustration of a lefthanded pitcher for lefthanded pitchers and righthanders for righthanders. Did they have a separate illustration or just a reverse a single one? Did they do this for lefthanded outfielders and firstbasemen, too?
9. Them's some spindly legs in some baggy polyester pants. Almost looks like they're on backwards.
10.

[stevejrogers]

1. Met scrub for most of his 18 seasons, but still garnered a Topps card for many of those seasons, right to the bitter end. But this was a time when third string catchers like Ron Hodges were getting regular issue cards.

2. Eddie doesn't quite look his age, and gives a look of "Hey, I could still play some more years."

3. Until the Shea Goodbye ceremony, this was what Ed wore every time a pre-game thing (OTD or whatnot) called for him to don a uniform one more time.

4. Probably a rarity for the era of a In Game Shot that could very well be one of their usual pre-game shots.

5. It's the shading of the scan I'm sure, but the photo does look like it's taken from a year into the future when those behind the backstop panels were turned blue from their 1970s green.

6. I may be the only person here who will defend the blue & orange trims, as well as the racing stripes that were to come, but gosh darn it, they looked cool to me!

7. You gotta wonder if he's getting instructions, or if something strange is going on in the dugout with the way he's looking back in there.

8. Also, it does give off a wary look, as if the depths of the de Lorinda/Grant era has been taking it's toll on the veteran.

9. Simple classic Topps design to kick off the decade of the baseball card explosion.

10. Come on, it's the namesake of this site!

[Edgy MD]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: And at Yankee Stadium. I think Topps figured that since most players come through New York during the course of the season, they'd save money on travel.

Or, for two years there, they could get everybody at Shea Stadium, including the Yankees at "home."


Lefty^!

[metirish]

And the thing about that illustration is that at first glance it looks like it would be a side arm hurler.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

The compelling thing about that Kranepool card is figuring whose leg is making an appearance on the left.

[metirish]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: The compelling thing about that Kranepool card is figuring whose leg is making an appearance on the left.

long and skinny right?

[HahnSolo]

metirish wrote: 5. Angels stadium?

Oakland Coliseum I think, before they enclosed the outfield.

[seawolf17]

They went through a Chicago phase in the 80s too; lots of Wrigley (and I'm assuming Comiskey) shots.

[stevejrogers]

1) Despite a latter era photo Topps is honoring Seaver's being an All-Star Rookie in 1967.

2) Very much the same photo used on Topps 1977 Seaver card.


3) Despite my personal distaste for the concept of constantly producing more product featuring long since retired players, even the legends, kind of cool to see long since retired players on current card designs.

4) Fine example of Seaver getting ready to rock a fastball, even includes the dirt on the pants there.

5) Picture is clearly from 1976 as the Joan Payson/Casey Stengel armband is visable.

6) Dig the late 1970s look of Shea with that brick wall out there, and green fences.

7) Pretty decent set that this card is from called Lineage which features both retired and active players from each team.

8) Photo clearly got cleaned up as the the classic clean pinstripes seem to pop a bit more and there is more clarity in the 2011 version as opposed to the 1977 one.

9) The 1977 one was a rare action shot of Seaver as a Met in the base Topps set during his first Met tenure, 1974 is the only other time. Strangely enough he does have a card in the 1972 In Action subset, but his card is of him reacting to something off the mound at Shea.

10) Fuck it, I only have 9, it's a good fucking card.

Edited November 15, 2011 by Guest

[Edgy MD]

10) Look how nasty his shoes are. Some marine. If Gil Hodges were alive, he'd slap Tom in the nutsack.

[batmagadanleadoff]

[Benjamin Grimm]

I guess that's one of the very few existing photographs of Tom Seaver.

[stevejrogers]

Or as I suggested, one of the few featuring him in actual action, and in full profile during his prominent Met tenure

Here is the other base set one from 1974 set


1972 In Action


Not great pickings for image reuse. Though thinking now, that IA card looks ripe for this thread!

[Edgy MD]

"Or, as I suggested..."