1972-73 Sport Grafico Venezuelan Winter League Baseball #5, Manny (J. Marcano) Trillo

The deeper I look into 1970s baseball, the more its collectibles reflect an era of complex regional relationships for sports and its fans. Today's 1972-73 Venezuelan winter league set contains dozens of familiar names competing in a country far fewer Americans would visit today. Local magazine Sport Gráfico covered those leagues in detail, making them a natural fit for baseball collectibles.

At time of writing, offered at $350 OBO on eBay 

This November 1972 issue celebrates Gonzalo Marquez's productive late-season hitting for the first of Oakland's three consecutive World Championships and shows off their classic gold-and-green look. 

This set's #5 features Venezuelan native and future four-time MLB All-Star Manny Trillo.

Let's look at several nine-player sheets Gráfico printed that year. Dwight Evans and Dick Pole fans, rejoice! (Also see Dewey's more colorful 1972 Topps knockoff card from that winter season.)

"Recorta por la linea de puntos" means "cut along the dotted line."

The 1972-73 set includes several umpires, distinct in their black-billed caps. #130 Armando Rodriguez officiated for two decades in Venezeula and several other pro leagues.

"Joven el deporte es vida" translates as "youth sports is life," a Gráfico motto

Dagoberto (Bert) Campaneris starred for those aforementioned 1970s Oakland A's champions and famously played all nine positions in one game on September 8, 1965 (box score).

Gráfico's final group of player photos hit newsstands on January 5, 1973.

As of writing, offered at $200 OBO on eBay

This issue's last page tailed off somewhat, leaving a blank next to ex-Padres manager Preston Gomez. Its last number, #252, went to Venezuelan star and Big Red Machine stalwart, Dave Concepcion, kittycorner from Bill "Spaceman" Lee.

It appears Gráfico pulled a number altogether to leave that blank, so I think its checklist contains 251 players. At least they kept the ocular intensity of #233 Rafael Alvarez!

Google's translation of this Spanish trading card catalog hints why we see that "unfinished" page.

"Series edited and produced by the magazine Sport Gráfico...inserted in the aforementioned magazine, with weekly 18 cut-out cards and 18 spaces numbered for the preparation of the album. The first came with magazine No. 387, dated 14th October, 1972, and the last one with No. 400 of 5th January, 1973. There were 14 in total for a set of 252 pieces and 13 for the preparation of the album. One was missing to complete it and that's why it remained at 234."

My collection consists of one issue from 15-Dec, featuring Venezuelan fan favorite Dick Billings.

This issue contains two blank album pages, #145-162.

#159 Teodoro Obregón notes his "ocho hits seguidos" (eight consecutive hits), a nice feat for any pro player.

Photo sheets from 15-December include personal faves Diego Segui and Jose Cardenal. #29 Walt "No Neck" Williams features one of this set's better portraits.

#174 Camilo Pascual continued to pitch in Venezuelan leagues after his major league career ended in 1971.

Of these 18 players, five in bold fit into its centerfold album. Others go with ealier or later issues.

• 13 Toby Harrah
• 28 Walter Williams
• 82 Carlos Avila
• 97 Lew Krausse
• 125 Pablo Torrealba
• 134 Diego Segui
• 139 John Lowenstein
• 145 Arquilio Freites
• 148 Leopoldo Tovar
• 160 Elias Lugo
• 161 Evangelista Nuñez
• 162 Leonel Carrion
• 165 Pancho Lopez
• 167 Jose Cardenal
• 168 Charles Day
• 172 Nelson Caras
• 174 Camilo Pascual
• 177 Ed Sprague

I'll update this post as more complete photo and album sheets surface. If you enjoy vintage Venezuelan ball, check out Historias del beisbol en Venezuela at Facebook, where I found Enos Cabell's .380 batting average from that 1972-73 season and plenty more.

Value: I bought my 15-Dec issue on eBay for $50, which came with two complete sheets. While I know of online scans for #5 Trillo, the card itself proves elusive.

Fakes / reprints: Modern counterfeits exist for at least one other South American set, so purchase hard-to-find type cards like these from dealers you trust.

Mailing for autographs : 1990 Sports Illustrated for Kids

My literal biggest ever through-the-mail (TTM) autograph request came back this week, being a full-page panel plucked from Sports Illustrated for Kids.

Blue Jays third baseman Kelly Gruber signed his lower-left spot and returned it with this signed index card. He also thanked me on its flipside for contributing to the charity he supports via TTM requests.

Many know SI for Kids cards today thanks to their breadth of athletes and significant cards outside America's big four sports. Key cards for their 1990 series (#109-216) include Diego Maradona and Tony Hawk.

Many SI for Kids subscribers left their nine-card sheets intact, so you can find many of them in today's hobby. Another collector gave me two for free, including the page I sent to Kelly, who seems its most accessible TTM signer. 

This autographed page will move along to a Canadian friend and longtime Jays fan soon and they can decide whether to pursue its other eight. My guess on those from easiest to hardest, with ages noted.

1. Shannon Higgins-Cirovski (nee Higgins, 56)
2. Bobby Bonilla (61)
3. Sinjin Smith (67)
4. Ronnie Lott (65)
5. Jimmy Connors (72)
6. Danny Sullivan (74)
7. Ana Quirot (61)
8. Jack Nicklaus (84)

Many TTM senders are willing to share their successes or failures, mailing address, waiting times, and other experiences at sites like SportsCollectors.net.