Vintage World Series cards--what are your favorites?

vintagecollector · July 24, 2007 1:24PM

Hello,

I'm working on an article for Tuff Stuff about the World Series cards that came out in
the 1950's through the 1970's.

Do you have some favorites from the Topps game-by-game
recaps from the 1960 through the 1975 sets (except 1966)? Or how about the Baseball Thrills card of May's famous catch in '54 (highlighted in the 1959 Topps issue)? Or how about the 1960 or 1961 Nu-Card sets? Or the Fleer cartoon cards from the '70's? Other choices?

Let me know what you like and if you want to be interviewed about the card or cards please email me at:

kozpro20@hotmail.com

The deadline is August 1st.

Thanks to all who have helped with interviews in the past--Doug

KalineFan · July 25, 2007 6:44AM

Being a Kaline fan (KalineFan!), obviously the 1969 #166 is my favorite. His only World
Series and he came through HUGE in a critical situation in Game 5 with Tigers down
3 games to 1 with their backs against the wall!

My favorite of this card though, is the OPC version, VERY TOUGH!

Tony
KalineFan

KalineFan · July 25, 2007 6:46AM

Actually, I just made the VERY FIRST MINT 9 of the OPC card, if you would
like to use as a visual in your article, I would be happy to try and send along
a decent picture.

vintagecollector · July 25, 2007 1:15PM

Hello KalineFan,

The Kaline Series card is sweet!

Yes, please contact me at kozpro20@hotmail.com
and feel free to send a scan in the 1 MB to 1.5 MB range.

Thanks, Doug

tagbr · July 27, 2007 6:01AM

I have always loved the Topps World Series cards and was considering starting a Topps 1960s World Series set.

Being a Dodger fan I of course love the 1964 and 1960 sets. I have the 64 set in all 9s. The 60 set I have in all 8s with one 9 (#389). I also still have my PSA 8 #389 because I love the deep rich color in it.

My favorite set would be hard to choose. I like all the 1960 through 1963 sets about the same. When I was a kid I had a dice baseball game and I created my own league with baseball cards from the 1960 set. I would type up a sports page after all teams played and use the World Series cards to trace the pictures in my newspaper. Of course I always cheated for the Dodgers.

My favorite cards from the sets are:
1960: Hodges Winning Homer, and Luis Swipes Base (my 9)
1961: Mantle Slams 2 homers (I have this in a 9), and Richardson is Hero
1962: Ford Sets New Mark, and Maris Wins it in the Ninth
1963: Yanks Ford wins Series Opener
1964: Koufax Strikes Out 15

As you can see I'm a closet Yankee fan as well.

My least favorite set is the 1967 set. Mostly because I'm a Dodger fan.

Regards,
Bill Roberts

Bosox1976 · July 27, 2007 6:29AM

I like the 62 Maris WS best also.

Buccaneer · July 27, 2007 10:39AM

All of them! They are my favorite sub-set.

MeteoriteGuy · July 27, 2007 12:19PM

I know a little off topic, but I like the 1990 Fleer era (factory set) World Series cards as well. (Although I will admit they lack the charm that vintage has).

I should also note that I was born in 1974, so these cover a period when I watched every game closely.

Clear Skies,
Mark

Edit to fix photo.

HammeringHank · July 28, 2007 6:41AM

<< <i>When I was a kid I had a dice baseball game and I created my own league with baseball cards from the 1960 set. >>

Wow...I did too!!!

Actually my next door neighbor taught it to me...I wonder if it was the same game?

The game I played was started with using your baseball cards and creating a line-up...my favorite team went like this...

Gil Hodges...1st
Nellie Fox...2nd
Eddie Mathews...3rd
Ernie Banks...SS
Hank Aaron...LF
Willie Mays...CF
Mickey Mantle...RF
Yogi Berra...C

Pitchers did not hit...but my Staff was

Sandy Koufax
Don Drysdale
Warren Spahn
Bob Gibson

Then I'd stack my cards into a line-up...I'd create a 2nd team...still filled with stars that I liked...and did the same for them...

Okay...the visitors team would be up to bat...and I'd roll the dice...

1 & 1...was a walk
1 & 2...was a SO
1 & 3...was a ground out
1 & 4....was a ground out
1 & 5 ...was a ground out
1 & 6 ...was a fly out
2 & 2 ...was a nout
2 & 3 ...was an out
2 & 4...was an out
2 & 5...was an out
2 & 6...was an out
3 & 4...was an out
3 & 5...was an out
3 & 6...was a single
4 & 5...was a single
5 & 5...was a double
5 & 6...was a triple
6 & 4...was a double
6 & 6...was a homerun

Game would go quickly as all I did was keep a running score...except I would count SO for the pitcher and HR for the hitters...I might play ten or fifteen games like this in a few hours...

These two teams would play a whole season (162)...at the end...I had a winning tally for each team, SO leaders for pitchers and HR leaders....

Summer of 61...

How does that compare with your game?

HammeringHank · July 28, 2007 6:42AM

Forgot....to mention...I never really liked any of the World Series game cards...them nor the All-Star cards...just my opinion...

bxb · July 28, 2007 8:27AM

Here's a nice world series card, not only features a great performance by Hall of Famer Jim Palmer, but also happens to have been the last game pitched by Sandy Koufax:

PlayBall · July 28, 2007 11:44AM

No question.......

tagbr · July 29, 2007 2:17AM

HammeringHank, the game I played came in a box like most board games. If anybody remembers the name of this game (circa 1960) I would appreciate it.

I would just put my baseball cards on the floor layed out like a ball field. I would move the cards around the bases. Teams were based on actual teams but sometimes I would create an All-Star team. My favorite players were Koufax, Hodges, Snider, Aaron, Banks, Colavito, Mantle, Mathews, Mays, and Frank Robinson.

The original scoring was pretty basic (ground out, fly ouy, strike out, etc.) but I added some specifics to the events.

The scoring went something like this (allow for 10% memory loss):

1&1...K
1&2...4 to 3 Ground Out
1&3...5 to 3 Ground Out
1&4...6 to 3 Ground Out
1&5...1 to 3 Ground Out
1&6...6 to 3 Ground Out (KS if Koufax was pitching)
2&2...Double
2&3...Single to Left
2&4...KS
2&5...Single to Right (Runner on first goes to third unless Clemente was in Right)
2&6...Fly to Left
3&3...Triple
3&4...KS
3&5...Fly to Center
3&6...Fly to Right
4&4...Single to Left (Home run if one of my favorites was up)
4&5...Walk
4&6...Fly to Right
5&5...Single to Center
5&6...Error (I would rotate the victim)
6&6...HR

I would keep a detailed scorecard for each game and create a box score and League Leaders in my newspaper created from the family typewriter. Like I said the World Series cards provided the photos for my newspaper. 1959 Baseball Thrills did also.

If I wasn't outside playing baseball, I was inside playing baseball. My Dad thought I was nuts. He wasn't much of a sportsman.

Bill

jimq112 · July 29, 2007 7:25AM

I learned a lot about baseball history and the world series history from the fleer/laughlin world series cards of the late 60s/early 70s. My favorite (pirate fan in general and clemente fan) is this one -