Wednesday's Wish List - 1965

Having begun collecting baseball cards when I was just turning 5, in 1970, I recently have

begun not only filling in the gaps for that year and the nearly 40 years that have followed, but also the many seasons before 1970. With this first Wednesday's Wish List entry, I can think of no better year to start with than my birth year, 1965. Though sometimes research into the past can be a rude awakening.

Knowing little about how the 1965 Red Sox fared, I was aghast to learn that they endured a 100-loss season, something they've done, I believe, only once in the last 75 years or so. I had been hoping that there would have been some secret karma between a successful season and my birth year. Alas, it was not to be. That said, in a funny way, maybe similar to the joy Cub fans had over the years with the "lovable losers," similarly I decided to embrace the 1965 Red Sox as well.

Not to mention, I love the look of the cards from that season.

I've managed in the past few months to slowly collect my first ones from that set, with the count now at seven, including Earl Wilson, Roman Mejias, Lee Thomas, Chuck Schilling, Dalton Jones, Felix Mantilla, and Bob Tillman. Not many from the entire set but not a bad start to reaching the modest goal for each year of at least getting the starting nine (either starting pitcher included or, after the early 1970s, the DH, if that person was a prominent one) and then possibly some of the key reserves and primary starting pitchers and relievers. In so doing, I can line up that starting nine nicely in the nine-sleeve sheets that we collectors use to store and present our cards, and then the reserves and other pitchers and manager or team nicely on a second sheet. On that first sheet, I place the three outfielders along the top row, the shortstop, SP, and second baseman along the middle row, and the third baseman, catcher, and first baseman along the bottom row, much like you'd view them in the field if standing behind home plate.

Thus, my immediate wishes for cards to obtain from that 1965 season are:

Rico Petrocelli - SS

Frank Malzone - 3B

Carl Yastrzemski - LF

Lenny Green - CF

Tony Conigliaro - RF

Jim Gosger - OF

Eddie Bressoud - IF

Bill Monbouquette - SP

Dave Morehead - SP

Jim Lonborg -SP

Dick Radatz - RP

Arnold Early - RP

My research into the cards of these players is incomplete, since I still need to confirm they all have cards for that year, and they are Red Sox cards rather than from the set of another team (in the event any came over or up to the Red Sox in the '65 season).

Update: The birth-year collection will be growing by two, as 1965 Topps cards of Bill Monbouquette and Lenny Green will be en route shortly. Total cost, including shipping/packaging, was about $3.70. One 9-sleeve sheet is now full.

The Red Sox in 2010...Shades of 2003?

Saturday's Special - 2010 Red Sox...Shades of 2003?

With much discussion this off-season centered around the apparent lack of offense and power the Red Sox will have in the coming season, barring no further moves, I'm remembering a time not long ago, with the new ownership and general management regime just in place, when the Sox made several low-key off-season moves that I don't think caught too many people's attention.

It was 2003, and the Sox were quietly adding then unknowns such as Bill Mueller, Kevin

Millar, Todd Walker, and, oh, yes, David Ortiz, to go with the solid offensive core already in place. I'm not sure at the time anyone thought that was turning the Sox into a team to be feared; and, in fact, a general distress call sounded throughout Red Sox Nation, when early in the season they traded third-baseman Shea Hillenbrand, who looked to be blossoming into another star, as everyone wondered how the Sox would make do without his potent bat in the lineup. Instead, thanks in large part to those shrewd off-season transactions, the Sox propelled themselves to one of their finest offensive seasons (not to much coming within a whisker of the World Series) ever, as they rang up 961 runs, one of the most in club - and major league - history, when you think only seven teams all-time have scored at least 1,000 runs in a season (see earlier "Why 1027" entry).

While that output will be a big stretch for the 2010 team, this year's "quiet" pieces of Cameron, Scutaro, and Hermida may give sufficient oomph to the established, highly productive core of hitters now in place. That's not to suggest that, Hermida, say, who is around the same age as Ortiz was when he joined to Red Sox, will go on to reach similar heights, that would be unrealistic and unfair to expect, but he sure could produce in the manner that Walker, Millar or Mueller did in their opening seasons with the Red Sox. Cameron and Scutaro, it is certainly reasonable to anticipate comparably productive years at the plate from them.

Consider some of the things that those 2003 newcomers did in that year alone:

- Mueller won the batting title.

- Ortiz and Millar combined for 56 home runs and 196 RBI.

- Walker had a 20-game hit streak and hit several key HRs in the post-season.

What can also be reasonably counted on in 2010 is that the pitching and defense will be stronger than that of the 2003 team. So with what will be a productive offense and the lights-out possibilities on the other side, there is every reason for unbound optimism heading into the coming season.

Friday's Favorite - Lefty Edges Out Second Sacker, Others

Today marks the first of 2010's 52 Friday Favorite entries, picking out the most appealing Topps Red Sox card of the last 52 years, dating back to 1957 when Topps first began issuing its standard-size cards (2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches). This set also returns to a simpler, plainer format than the colorful, pleasantly busy and appealing larger cards of the prior few years. Although a simpler, plainer look in '57, there was no shortage of attractive cards to pick a Friday Favorite from.

The winner is:

The Mel Parnell card, which narrowly beat out Billy Consolo, Norm Zauchin and Dick Gernert. Honorable mentions also go to Dave Sisler and Haywood Sullivan.

Of particular attraction on the Parnell card - and to all the older cards, for me - are a few features: some kind of interesting pose, shot of the full uniform (those baggy woolen uniforms with the plain blue BOSTON and the red stirrups with black (or is it midnight blue) and white striping at the top - I'm sure those played a big role in my becoming a Sox fan, and interesting background setting, showing either part of a major league stadium and/or other players warming up. This card also gives a real-action feel as though Parnell actually had just thrown a pitch. (I recall Topps only starting to show actual action photos in 1971 - not counting cards depicting World Series or playoff games - with an actual In Action subset in 1972.

Although he had a card in 1957, Parnell did not actually play that season, though that should not diminish his being selected as the Friday Favorite. In fact, he certainly distinguished himself over the 10 years he toiled on the mound for the Sox, winning 123 games (third most for a Sox lefty), including a five-year stretch in which he won 25 games, 21, and 18 twice. His ERA stayed in the 3's during those fine years, with his low coming in 1949 (the year he won 25, with only 7 losses), at 2.77. That same year he also registered 27 complete games (and 21 the following year).

Congratulations Mel Parnell and being named the Friday Favorite. This card certainly goes atop my most pressing wish list, along with the honorable mentions listed above.

Things I liked about the honorable mentions:

- Consolo: Very nearly the winner, with a great pose that looked as though the spunky
second baseman had just ranged far to his right, stayed low and got set to zip a strike to the first baseman, or had just taken a flip from the short stop and made ready to complete the double play. You get a good view of the full uniform and the interesting background, but the left sock is just cut off a little in the picture, rendering his second-place finish.

- Zauchin: Interesting fielding pose with a ball in the glove (rare I think for baseball card poses) as though it did just hop in there. The position looks awkward in terms of a conventional fielding stance (left leg extended forward, right leg way back), unless perhaps reaching forward on a slow roller.

- Gernert: On one knee, with elbow resting on it and right hand on bat, pressing it into the ground, everything in the picture calling out that this very much the menacing slugger who means business and who you want to see coming up in the cleanup spot for your team.

- Sisler: Showing the beginning of his windup, with hand and glove hand coming together over his head as he picks up the target through his eyeglasses, something not seen on many baseball players, and maybe what made this card stand apart.

- H. Sullivan: I normally do not prefer cards with just the head or head and shoulders shot, but something about this card makes it seem more a piece of artwork, helping it to jump out at the viewer, the many of the more bland, uninspiring close-ups of players we see over the years.

Other fine cards exist in this set as well and will be one well worth pursuing ahead of some of the others. My 1957 collection is sparse, with only two there presently: Frank Sullivan and Ike Delock. See "Battery Mates for Sammy" entry at my sister blog (redsox1027bballcards.mlblogs.com) for more about these two players.

What to Expect in 2010

On this last day of 2009, I would like to look ahead, both at how the Red Sox appear to be shaping up for the coming season and what's in store for this Red Sox 1027 blog.

First, the 2010 Red Sox. I like the adjustments they've made this off-season and anticipate a terrific season for them. They've strengthened their starting rotation (and thus overall pitching) immensely, simply with one addition; they've strengthened their defense with two terrific veteran players; and, despite much of the discussions about a "lack of offense or power," in particular in losing Jason Bay, they still appear to have quite a productive lineup. While it is pretty much expected that the top four in the lineup will be Ellsbury, Pedroia, Martinez and Youkilis, here's another take on it, if Terry Francona is in a tinkering mood:

Ellsbury - Scutaro - Martinez - Youkilis - Ortiz - Pedroia - Drew - Cameron - Kotchmann

That would give them a left-right rotation throughout the entire lineup! They also have the flexibility to stack the lineup with lefties or righties depending on the matchup. For instance, if a particular right-handed pitcher has particularly difficult times against lefties, they can go:

Ellsbury - Pedroia - Martinez - Youkilis - Ortiz - Drew - Kotchmann - Hermida - Scutaro

And similarly against left-handers:

Ellsbury - Scutaro - Martinez - Youkilis - Pedroia - Ortiz - Cameron - Drew - Lowell

I do like these possibilities!

Second, what to expect from this blog in 2010. In addition to regular musings as appropriate, the blog will also feature regular columns:

Tuesday's Trivia - This column started a few weeks ago and will continue through the New Year, asking a Red Sox trivia question each Tuesday and providing the answer the following day.
Wednesday's Wish List - With an emphasis on the blog regarding my Red Sox baseball card collection, this column will allow readers to see gaps in my collection and possibly offer trades to help fill their own gaps.

Wednesday's Wish List - Here I will present my wish lists to fill in the considerable gaps in my Red Sox collection.

Friday's Favorite - Each Friday, for the 52 of them in 2010, I will feature my favorite Topps Red Sox card from the last 52 years, beginning with one from 1957 - that, coincindentally, was the first year Topps settled on a consistent-sized set, and all subsequent ones have kept to that size (sure making it easier to fill those 9-sleeve sheets)

Happy New Year!

The Red Sox through Baseball Cards

Welcome to the Red Sox baseball card blog, where we will be celebrating the history of the team and anticipating its future through baseball cards of its players and prospects. I am building up my baseball card collection, which I started as a five-year-old in 1970, and continued throughout the 1970s, stepping away from it for a few years in the early 1980s, followed by a brief return to it in the middle to later part of that decade. Nearly 20 years after having last collected, I've begun again with great enthusiasm, looking mainly to fill in the many gaps since 1970, but also looking to gather as many pre-1970 cards as possible. Thanks for joining me on my journey.

I've begun with one of my favorite Red Sox cards - 1970 George Scott - one of my favorite players, from the year I began collecting. I must admit, I recently bought this card, not having had it within the very modest collection of early 1970s cards from my youth, but it hardly dims my enthusiasm for such a beauty. The profile and smile, especially with so many more typical stern and serious poses by most of the Red Sox through the years, stands in bright contrast, with the player exuding a joy for the game, and contentment and pleasure in his livelihood. I also discovered from this card - one of the joys of collecting; you learn a lot of neat things about players from what's on the back of cards, particularly cards from yesteryear - what a terrific defender Scott was. I remember him more in his second go-round with the Sox, in the late 1970s when I was a bit older, and mostly for his thunderous bat. But this very card instead tipped me off to the many gold gloves he had in fact won. This corrected my blurred image of simply a burly, more DH-like player, with that of a force on defense, one who graced third base and then first base, and played a pivotal role, with his glove as well as his bat, in the Sox' miracle season of 1967. In fact, after researching it further awhile ago, I recall during that research former manger (may have been Dick Williams) saying to the effect that Scott was the best first baseman he'd ever seen. Wow!