Wednesday's Wish List - 1967

Certainly 1967 is one of my most highly targeted years, in pursuit of the Impossible Dream team. I've managed to fill up a 9-sleeve sheet, slowly adding to the collection over the last few months. The sheet looks like this:

OF - George Thomas
Mgr - Dick Williams
1B - George Scott
2B - Dalton Jones
3B - Joe Foy
P - Jose Santiago
P - Dave Morehead
P - Lee Stange
P - Darrell Brandon

I'm in pretty good shape with pitching, though one of the big acquisitions will be Jim Lonborg, Cy Young award winner that year and pitcher of some memorable World Series games.

For catcher, it will likely be Mike Ryan or Russ Gibson; Elston Howard played a pivotal role that year, but his '67 card is alas one showing him on the Yankees. Jerry Adair also was pivotal, coming over from the Orioles mid-season, but his card if/when acquired will be presented in my Orioles collection.

The outfield will need to be bolstered, though that will not be so easy either. Carl Yastrzemski, Tony Conigliaro, and Reggie Smith are all likely to come at a price. For now I at leaast have a placeholder for Yaz - a 1977 Turn Back the Clock card showing the '67 cards of him and Orlando Cepeda of the Cardinals, recognizing them both for being their respective league's MVPs in '67.

Wednesday's Wish List -1966

Things began to turn around for the Red Sox starting in the 1966 season. Although they only won 72 games that season, it was a big improvement over their 100-loss season the year before. It also ushered in a new era of management, and mercifully brought greater integration to the team. Starting the following year, through the present, the Sox have rarely had another losing season.

My 1966 collection is quite modest, with only catcher Mike Ryan, outfielders George Thomas and Lenny Green, manager Billy Herman, and the team card. On the wish list is:

George Scott - 1B
George Smith - 2B
Rico Petrocelli - SS
Joe Foy - 3B
Carl Yastrzemski - LF*
Don Demeter - CF
Tony Conigliaro - RF
Dalton Jones - 2B
Bob Tillman - C
Jose Tartabull - CF
Jim Lonborg - SP
Jose Santiago - SP
Lee Stange - SP
Don McMahon - RP
Bucky Brandon - RP
John Wyatt - SP (with A's?)

* Though I'm not an owner of a 1966 Yaz card, my younger son is, so with one of these cards - probably among the most expensive of the set - I'll turn my attention to the others. Ones like G. Scott, J. Foy, J. Lonborg and Tony C. will also be among the toughers to acquire given their likely high prices.