1968 Atlantic Oil Baseball #5, Carl Yastrzemski

As this blog first profiled in April 2009, the 1968 Atlantic Oil set mixed baseball players with McDonald's style game piece matching to promote their brand in specific parts of the US. Collect the right pair of players and you'd win up to $2500! No surprise that Atlantic printed high-value cards in extremely short supply, so it's almost impossible to find a complete set anywhere.

Atlantic Oil became part of ARCO soon after this issue and is now a British Petroleum subsidiary. It's not really clear why they promoted oil using baseball, but the no-logo cap hints at the MLB Player Association's first forays into union-only licensing. They could only put Carl Yastrzemski on the Boston Red Sox without showing logos or full uniforms, so you get a close-cropped picture and black hat. These promotions provided extra income in an era before free agency, so while the design of 60s MLBPA sets lacked creativity, the residuals undeniably helped players' bottom line.

The full Atlantic Oil checklist uses odd, cross-league numbering, and includes a quartet of #5s.

• Ernie Banks #5 NL
• Norm Cash #5 AL
• Frank Robinson #5 AL
• Carl Yastrzemski #5 AL

Banks is a $100 winner, so will be the hardest by far to find. I've never seen Mr. Cub online or in person and expect he'll be among the last of all #5 types to turn up.

1963 Bazooka Baseball #5, Warren Spahn

Last year, I started work on 60s Bazooka sets, including the (already profiled) 1960 baseball and 1963 All-Time Greats. Collecting cards originally printed on gum boxes feels wistfully nostalgic; I picture young kids blowing sugary bubbles and trying to scissor along the dotted line with uneven success. Unfortunately, modern buyers face a more complicated situation.

Bazooka's simple white border and blank-backed layout belies a problem that plagues current collectors: counterfeiting. This look's so straightforward that people with matching card stock and a high-quality scanner can re-print panels and individual cards at will. Since people expect grading companies to weed out fakes, creating your own (sham) service makes them even harder to detect.

Card front (counterfeit)

That's right, not only is it a 1963 Bazooka #5 Warren Spahn, it's an FGA 8 NM-MT! Sweet! Sadly, there's no better guarantee of fakery than this very slab. A surge of reprinted 1963s went out as "high-grade" FGAs earlier this decade. Many experienced collectors know to avoid them, but just in case: definitely don't buy one!

Sad to say, the growing number of fakes killed my enthusiasm for working on most of the Bazooka sets. At least the All-Time Greats include foil stamping and machine-cut edges, more difficult aspects to forge with home tools. Given the variety of issues "reprinted" issues from all eras and the relative anonymity of online selling, it's important to be wary. SCD examined counterfeits of more modern star cards in a July 2005 issue.

Card front (blank back)

The real 1963 Bazooka set comprises 36 cards, with HOFers like Mantle (#1), Aaron (#9), and Mays (#12). Commons cost $1 - $5, depending on condition, and superstars run $20 and up. Be wary of reprints if you go for the set!

• eBay search for 1963 Bazooka
• Beckett Marketplace search for 1963 Bazooka
• Google Shopping search for 1963 Bazooka baseball
  

1976 Laughlin Diamond Jubilee #5, Frank Robinson

I think Frank Robinson loves baseball more than Cheez-Its love orange food coloring. Already one of the all-time best players, he took over as player-manager for Cleveland in 1975, helmed four different franchises prior to retirement in 2006, and continued to work as an MLB executive. If any man deserves a special subset of career highlights, it's Frank.

Today's card highlights Robinson's debut as Cleveland's manager on April 8, 1975. Slotting himself at DH, Frank homered off Doc Medich in the first inning, a game Cleveland won 5-3 over the Yankees. (Gaylord Perry pitched the complete game win; he and older brother Jim Perry both started the year as Indians, but departed by mid-season trades to Texas and Oakland, respectively.)

Card front

This oddball set's another self-published effort by baseball artist Bob Laughlin. It celebrated the 75th American League and 100th National League Anniversaries with a 32-card profile of significant moments in each team's history. (The set includes two 1975 achievements, Frank's debut and Nolan Ryan's fourth no-hitter.) Player poses come from familiar photos, re-drawn and cast into primary colors reminiscent of the 1948 Leaf sets.

Card back

Value: I've seen this set on oddball tables for ~$80 at shows. It includes lots of Hall-of-Fame players and individual cards run $1 to $10.

Fakes / reprints: Haven't seen any fakes in the marketplace and it seems unlikely, given the set's low profile.

Four #5 arrivals from Night Owl Cards

Greg of Night Owl Cards sent this four-pack of UV-era #5s last week, augmenting the shiny section of my type collection.

• 1989 Bowman #5, Dave Schmidt
• 2005 UD ESPN #5, Randy Johnson (pictured for ARI, but named for NYY)
• 2006 Topps #5, Carl Crawford
• 2009 Topps TTT5, Evan Longoria

That's at least one HOFer and two quality players from Florida. I was surprised to learn that Mr. Schmidt also rated a 1989 Diamond Kings card. To his credit, Dave posted an above-average ERA+ for 8 straight years from 1981-1988, making the choice not unreasonable--you just don't expect middle relievers to get the Perez painting treatment.

NOTE: It's impossible for me to see Evan's name without thinking of Eva. Sorry man, that's how XY chromosomes work.

Thanks for the cards, Greg!

1967-68 Coca-Cola All-Star Baseball Caps #5, Rusty Staub

Soda companies use baseball for any number of promotional tie-ins, both today and over the sport's history. Today, Coca-Cola bottles include under-cap codes that drinkers primarily redeem for more Coke stuff in a vaguely creepy, self-perpetuating cycle. Back in 1967 and 1968, on the other hand, black-and-white player mugshots greeted the refreshed cola drinker. If you're a caffeinated collector like me, win-win!

Coke divided their late-60s caps into a bunch of groups. Most stick to specific teams, but a few are cross-league "All Stars" like today's Rusty Staub. What you see is what you get, with text framing a cropped floating head under a rubbery coating.

Coke spread their sets across several soda brands, so you'll see players on Coke, Tab, Sprite, Fresca, and Fanta caps.

Diet sodas are so popular today, it's easy to forget how feminized the "dieting" market use to be. With men becoming more body-conscious by the 1970s and our FDA considering Tab's saccharine sweetener a possible carcinogen, 1982's introduction of Diet Coke quickly claimed their low-calroie cola market. Coke now positions Tab as a bridge between the energy and soda drink markets.

Value: Player caps run $2-3 online and stars cost a bit more. A courteous dealer from the 2007 National gave me Mr. Staub gratis, a reminder that being friendly and sociable at shows has fringe benefits!

Fake / reprints: It would be tough to reprint a bottle cap.

1970 O-Pee-Chee #5, Wes Parker

Today’s guest looks lost in a fugue beneath the unknown security of an earflap-less helmet. Based on fan count, the photographer shot this mid-game. Perhaps he rousted Mr. Parker off the bench and away from an interesting sunflower seeds vs. tobacco debate? That would definitely leave me with a listless expression.

Card front

Wes manned first base for the Dodgers from 1964 to 1972 and won six gold gloves, earning a reputation as the position’s best active fielder. (He's the only non-HOFer voted to baseball’s all-time Gold Glove team!) Pitching's sheer dominance in the late 60s--and LA’s batter-hostile home stadium--explain why a .267 career average (and warning-track power) produced a respectable 111 OPS+.

My trading partners call 1970 Topps “cool grays,” so are French-Canadian OPCs “refroidir les cartes grises?” (Credit Google translation for that one.) Unlike 1971’s strong black borders, this smooth texture wraps unobtrusively around the photo and seems easier to keep in good condition. Black edges tend to chip, which some unscrupulous people “repair” with ink markers.

O-Pee-Chee "reprinted" a portion of several Topps 1960s sets, typically the first couple of series. 1965 went from #1 to #258. 1966, 1967, 1968 finished at #196, and 1969 at #218. 1970 went considerably further, making it all the way to #546 Ron Reed. Not until 1971 did they print them all, matching Topps card-for-card.

Card back

Do you have any of these northern cousins? Each OPC card says "Printed in Canada" in small type, but French remains its dead giveaway. Though "Gold Glove" sounds good on its own, "Gant d'Or" adds a touch of class, Cannes Film Festival style. It'd be very interesting to see how well-developed a youngster's language skills would become using only OPC card backs.

1966 Topps Baseball #5, Jim Fregosi

In the expansion-era 1960s, large numbers of players changed teams by trade or draft. Only a few true superstars put on new uniforms during the decade, but suitcases of lesser men rarely collected dust. These changing tides caused trouble for Topps, who took photos mostly during spring training to cut down on travel costs.

Topps tried to stay current by taking at least 2 close photos of each player during spring training, 1 with hat and another without. (A few even got "half and half.") Should they get a new address mid-season, collectors would receive a hairstyle instead of a cap on the ensuing card. (Hey, it's not the right team, but at least it's not the wrong team.)

Card front

Jim played every day for the Angels in 1965, so why this hatless photo on a 1966 card? Known as "Los Angeles" in 1964, they became "California" in 1965, perhaps to escape the Dodgers' shadow and appeal to a geographically larger audience. This new name meant new logos, uniforms, and caps. Unfortunately, Topps didn't "catch up" until 1967.

• Opening day 1965: new "California" Angels take field (hat logo upper left)
  
• 1965 Topps #194 Angels rookies: both wear LA logo hats
• 1965 Topps #374 Angels rookies: one blank, one LA logo hat
  
• 1965 Topps #486 Angels rookies: both wear LA logo hats
• 1965 Topps #517 Angels rookies: both wear LA logo hats
  
• 1965 Topps #537 Angels rookies: three hatless players
  
• 1966 Topps Angels: all hatless
• 1967 Topps #19 Jim McGlothlin: CA logo, at last
  

I nominate 1966 "lamest year to collect Angels cards."

With an excellent first decade in the books, what became of Mr. Fregosi? Unfortunately, knee injuries cut Jim's post-1970 production significantly and his last major "contribution" as a player (for Angel fans) is this transaction.

"December 10, 1971: Traded by the California Angels to the New York Mets for Frank Estrada, Don Rose, Nolan Ryan and Leroy Stanton."

Card back

Based on the card text, it looks like "hit for the cycle" wasn't commonplace until after 1966, since Topps enumerated all 4 hits for Jim's feat on July 28, 1964. (He accomplished it once more in 1968, the middle year of 5 straight All-Star game appearances.)

UPDATE: Check out Fregosi's OPC card for an interesting story about the end of his playing career and only game as a second baseman.

Value: Singles of non-superstars from the 1960s cost a dollar or two.

Fakes / reprints: Fregosi might turn up in a retro set, since he saw success as both player and manager. I doubt anyone would reprint his cards specifically.

1953 Topps #5, Joe Dobson

Joe Dobson placed #54 on a 2007 blogger list of top 100 all-time Red Sox, between 3-time World Series champ Duffy Lewis and 1967 Cy Young winner Jim Lonborg. He won 137 career games, 106 with Boston.

Today's card pictures Joe after his best of three Chicago seasons. The 14-10 record looks pedestrian, but a career-best WHIP of 1.116 led to a 2.51 ERA and made life much easier on the offense.

Card front

Card back

Before we forget about Mr. Lonborg, when old-time folks talk about old-time baseball, they mean things like this quote from his Wikipedia profile.

"After retiring, Lonborg attended the Tufts University Dental School and has worked as a dentist in Hanover, Massachusetts since."

I propose that 2009 MLB rosters do not contain many future dentists.

1960 Topps Venezuelan #5, Wally Moon

We covered the American version of this classic Topps issue one year ago today, but Wally Moon's monobrow deserves a second look. Did the extra hair super-protect from sweat and sun, improving his batting performance? I can't discount the possibility.

Like 1959 Venezuelans, 1960 cards lack Topps' normal surface gloss and the stock feels "cheap" to the touch. Very few cards made it to North American, so eBay or online auctions remain your best "open market" chance. I picked up Mr. Moon for $5 from South American specialist John Rumierz Cards.

UPDATE: I revisited this card in 2011 as part of a series covering all Venezuelan issues. Find it at 1960 Venezuelan Baseball #5.

1920 W516-1-1 Baseball Strip Card #5, Tris Speaker vs. W516-2-1 #5, Ty Cobb

Some time ago, this blog profiled an odd-looking Ty Cobb card with the opaque American Card Catalog number of W516-2-1. For a player who struck fear into the hearts of opponents, its picture made Cobb look almost mild, just moving to his side with a glove. Today's sibling issue also sucks the energy out of Tris Speaker, one of the game's finest center fielders. Add some garish coloring and you've got one unusual collectible. So what's the W516 story?

W516-1-1 card front (blank back)

First off, "W" designates all strip cards, cheap sets that sold several players together in penny or nickel vending machines for later cutting by collectors. The International Feature Service, an early Hearst news company, starting printing W516s around 1920 and tweaked its checklist as players changed teams, leading to plenty of variations and color changes. In fact, almost every print run looked different--compare the single-card scans in this post, which all came off the same scanner.

W516 uncut strip of 3

The American Card Catalog set its W516 designation in the 1930s, but modern collectors noted many differences in this visually crude issue. Numbering changes--such as Cobb and Speaker sharing #5--created a second checklist, subdividing it into W516-1 and W516-2. (Those with a portion of the Universal Base Ball Matching Cards phrase appear scarcer than others and may not exist for all variations.)

W516-2-1 #5, Ty Cobb (blank back)

Once you're "within" a subset, further variations appear in the type and art. Somewhere along the way, card designers flipped the small "IRC (C)" logo and switched written to typed names. While based on a similar checklist and source photos, the two cards definitely don't come from the same editorial run.

So what's the total number of sets? I found a final breakdown from collector Rhett Yeakley on this Net54 forum thread.

Checklist 1 (Tris Speaker #5):

• W516-1-1 "(C)" symbol correct, hand-written name (i.e, today's Speaker card)
• W516-1-2 "(C)" symbol reversed, hand-written name

Checklist 2 (Ty Cobb #5):

• W516-2-1 "(C)" symbol reversed, typeset name (i.e., the Cobb card)
• W516-2-2 "(C)" symbol reversed, hand-written name
• W516-2-3 "(C)" symbol correct, typeset name

That's 5 distinct strip card issues and the "(C)" logo includes either IFC or IFS, so variation hounds might count W516 as 10 different sets. (It's not clear whether IFC/IFS combos exist for all five.) No rest for the wicked collector.

TRIVIA: William Randolph Hearst created the International Feature Service in 1912 as a vehicle for syndicating popular comic strips. It exists today as the King Features Syndicate, which licenses a vast array of well-known characters, including Felix the Cat and The Phantom.

UPDATE: This mis-cut Speaker includes a fragment of card #4, catcher Ray Schalk. Interestingly, the jagged but symmetrical edge cuts look more like a machine error than poor scissor work.

UPDATE #2: Another Speaker with parallel mis-cuts, but nowhere near straight. What kind of machine would create these angled edges?

UPDATE #3: This Speaker shares the UNIVERSAL header seen above, so likely came from the strip's leftmost edge.

Value: I bought two of the Speakers pictured on this page for under $30 each. It's an affordable set for finding Hall of Famers during their careers.

Fakes / reprints: Haven't seen any personally, but they're so cheap to reproduce that fakes of Ruth and Cobb are likely.