2014 Heritage the Originals - A Cardinal Problem

Trying to knock one more 1965 Topps post before Heritage goes live tomorrow. The 65T design is well liked and has been featured by Topps in several inserts and subsets. A few years ago I came across this abomination.

1964 Topps #415 Curt Flood

2010 Topps Vintage Legends Collection #VLC2 Johnny Mize 

The Abomination isn't the big red inkage on the top left of the vintage Curt Flood card. My issue is with the VLC Johnny Mize card. For me Topps mailed in the "CARDINALS" name on the pennant - it just doesn't look right.  I understand that there are legal/copyright issues involved in creating retros,  but it isn't the only place where the VLC Mize card is wanting. What is with the player name? the font is wrong and the color has been changed. Hell. the card is far enough off that if UD produced it, I am not sure Topps could sue them. 

As mentioned previously there are various other 1965 Topps copies throughout the years, during the Heritage frenzy we anticipate talking about some of them.

2010 Topps Vintage Legends Collection

Vintage Collection is a 25 card insert for 2010 topps with 24 Hall of Famers plus Thurman Munson appearing on card designs from outside of their playing careers. The Phillies rep in the set is Mike Schmidt who draws 1960 Topps

Other Voices 

The Great 1965 Topps Blog - As always Kevin does a nice job of summarizing Flood's career and struggling dealing with the MLB reserve clause
 

1965 Topps/2014 Heritage Index  

Base - #534 John Herrnstein 

Rookie Cup - #460 Dick Allen 

Rookie Stars - #282 Dick Estelle & Masanori Murakami

2010 Topps Vintage Collection - #VLC2 Johnny Mize 

More info on 1965 Topps
The entire 1965 Topps Series was covered by Kevin B of Orioles Card "O" the day on The Great 1965 Topps Project
Cardboard Connection
Sports Collectors Digest (TS O' Connell)
Golden Age of Baseball Cards
Dean's Cards
Beckett

PSA

Sources

baseballcardpedia

Farewell Marvin Miller: 1970 Topps #360 Curt Flood

There have been a couple of Marvin Miller cards produced in recent years notably in the 2005 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites set.  

However, I think this card that doesn't even cite Marvin Miller says more about him, the Reserve Clause, Free Agency and the Marvin Miller Legacy then any other card:

1970 Topps #360 Curt Flood (iimage stolen from the basball card database)

Curt Flood never played a game for the Philadelphia Phillies.  This wasn't because he wrecked his knee in spring training or got cut before he made the team.  This was not because he was a Big Time draftee that couldn't hit a curve or a pitcher who's arm hit the wall and ran out of bullets. It was because Flood was of the opinion that he could not be discarded by the St Louis Cardinals to another franchise without his permission. 

And Marvin Miller agreed with him. 

Great Photos aren't just pictures, there beautiful works of art which tell stories that stretch their physical borders.  Similiarly there are a few baseball cards that live in a different stratosphere.  Most of these are Star Cards of at extreme values.  There are a few others that may be considered commons, but have details that raise them to this Star level.

The 1970 Topps Curt Flood card is great for a couple of reasons.  The biggest of which is the text tells us he is a member of the Phillies, a team for which he never intended to play. In the photo Topps shows Flood's headshot with just the underside of his cap bill so no logo is present.  This way Topps could place the card on any team - which is sort of the way the Cardinals felt about him.  On the underside of the caps bill you can see the upside down 21, The uniform number Flood wore for the Cardinals.  Cool little elements that elevate a card of a minor star 

1970 Topps #360 Curt Flood (b-side)

The cartoon on the cards reverse revals that Flood is an accomplished artist.  It is almost a clue that Curt Flood is a creative person that may think a little differently and is the kind of a guy that may challenge the system.  Just another cool detail about Curt Flood's 1970 Topps card.

It is true that Marvin Miller did a lot more for baseball and baseball players then getting Curt Flood out of Philadelpha and kickstarting the Players Union. But for me he will always be tied to Curt Flood - The Philadelphia Phillies are a footnote in the story and the 1970 Topps #360 Curt Flood tells a lot of that story in 9 square inches.    

Further Reading

Dayf over at Cardboard Junkie has a post collecting Marvin Miller Tributes here. 

I particularly like a column by Rob Neyer at SB Nation that chronicles the history of Miller non-election to the Baseball Hall of Fame 

Finally for more on the 1970 Topps #360 Curt Flood card check in with our favorite 1960s Topps Authority Jim from Dowingingtown at his 1970 Topps Blog.