Happy 80th Birthday Willie McCovey and the birth of the Topps All-Star Rookie Team

On January 10th First Ballot Hall of Famer Willie McCovey celebrates his 80th birthday.

To mark the occasion I would like to take a look at McCovey's rookie card.

 1960 Topps #316 Willie McCovey

Not only is this a Rookie Card but it is also Topps first ever All-Star Rookie Cup card.

Therefore here we have a card that historic for not one but two reasons. The card is the beginning of some interesting Topps history. 

Check out the text at the top of the yellow circle. It specifies that McCovey was "Selected by the Youth of America"

What does that mean? Well Topps actually sent out ballots to the Boy Scout, YMCA, Boys Club of America and other youth organizations to vote on the All-Star Rookie team. I believe this was part of a greater effort to attract young collectors.

The Following Ad appeared in an issue of The Sporting News during the summer of 1959.

 The Sporting News 1959 Jul 15  

A couple of things to unpack here, first The trophy looks terrific. The clipart used for the Trophy on early Topps cards looks fine, but here we have a bit more detail, I mean who knew the pedestal was a Top Hat?

The text above is where I got the info on the clubs involved in the rookie all-star election.

Further down in the ad we have additional info:

 

The Sporting News 1959 Jul 15

 

Check it out there was an actual trophy presentation ceremony with an associated bonus of $125! According to the CPI Inflation Calculator that is a little bit over a grand in today's money.

To the right is a "Sample Ballot". Kids write in the players name, team and position, and send their vote to Topps Bazooka office in Brooklyn.

The final thing I want to point out is the "Honorary All-Star Election Committee" which consists of various media representatives plus JACKIE ROBINSON, who is referred to not as Major Leaguer, World Champion, All-Star, or Future Hall of Famer. Nope for purposes of this exercise he was Vice President, Chock Full O' Nuts, Inc.

According to a TSN article the 1959 All-Star Rookie election consisted of 1.5 Million votes. Topps eligibility requirements to make the team were no more than 45 Days in the Majors, 90 Plate Appearances, or 45 innings prior to the season.

Banquet

The Sporting News 1960 Apr 20

And there they are Topps Historic First All-Star Rookie Team. They are pretty much in the order that they appear on the 1960T checklist. Willie McCovey is on the left followed Pumpsie Green, Jim Baxes, Phillies Shortstop Joe Koppe (the shortest guy in the shot) Bob Allison, Ron Fairly, John Romano and Jim Perry. Willie Tasby and Jim O'Toole who could not make the outing are shown in an inset bottom left.

The Subset
The Initial All-Star Rookie subset is unique within the history of the on card award as it is the only time the cards are presented consecutively running from #316-#325.

They also run in position sequence using scoring notation, except they start at 1B rather than pitcher. I don't know if this is luck or if Topps wanted one of the two Rookie of the Year award winners to lead off the subber. The AL ROY was Bob Allison. Regardless if planned or happy accident it is a nice touch that the first All-Star Rookie card EVER went to a 500 Home Run guy and future Hall of Famer. 

 Flip

1960 Topps #316 Willie McCovey (b-side)

The back of the All-Star Rookies are essentially the same as the base backs. Note McCovey took home NL ROY honors despite only getting involved in 52 games. Perhaps it had to do with his HOT start. I always loved how 1960T bullet pointed highlights from the players 1959 season. Check ou the first five of these HighLights for Stretch. The man puts up notable games FOUR days in a row right at the top of his career

Sources and Links
Phungo Willie McCovey HOF Index
1960 Topps Rookie Topps Index
The Sporting News
Baseball Card Database
Cardboard Connection
Baseball-Ref
CPI Inflation Calculator

1960 Topps All-Star Rookie Cup Team

This is an index to our postings related to Topps inaugural All-Star Rookie Cup team. The subset ran in 1960 to honor the Rookies of 1959. 

 

1960 Topps #316 Willie McCovey (rc)

1960 Topps

#316 Willie McCovey (including history of the first Rookie Cup Team, Pictured Below)

#317 Pumpsie Green

#318 Jim Baxes 

#319 Joe Koppe (Phillies) 

#320 Bob Allison

#321 Ron Fairly (2019 memorial SABR) 

#322 Willie Tasby

#323 John Romano 

#324 Jim Perry (Last living player in 1960T Cohort)

#325 Jim O'Toole 

Topps All-Star Rookie Cup Master Index

The 1960 Topps Rookie All-Stars

The Sporting News 1960 Apr 20

2014 03 08 Card Show Valley Forge PA: $2 Box - 1969 Topps #6 LL HR Dick Allen & 2 HoF

Next up on our VF show Show n Tell is a card from the $2 Bin.


1969 Topps #6 League Leaders Willie McCovey Dick Allen Ernie Banks

This is a pretty unique LL card for Phils fans. We have one of the clubs most prolific Home Run hitters flanked by a pair of first ballot Hall of Famers.  It was the 2nd of 3 Home Run titles for Willie McCovey who led the league in 1963 and would win the HR title again in 1969. Dick Allen finished second in the league with 33 followed by Banks at 32. It was the 2nd time that Allen was runner-up, he would finally win an Home Run title in 1972 as a member of the ALs White Sox. 1968 was the last time Ernie Banks would hit 30+ Home Runs. Previously Banks had won HR titles in 1958 and 1960. 

In 1968 McCovey's 36 Homers was the lowest total to lead the NL since Ralph Kiner won the title with 23 dingers in 1946. Since '68 the Home Run title has been won with 36 or less homers five times 1974 Mike Schmidt (36), Schmidt again in Strike shortened 1981 (31), 1984 Schmidt and Dale Murphy(36),  1992 Fred McGriff (35), and last year when Pedro Alvarez and Paul Goldschmidt each had 36.  

2014 03 14 VF Card Show
1973 Topps #503 Phil Niekro

Sources 
Dick Allen Player Collection Index 
Willie McCovey Index

Baseball-ref

1970 Topps #450 Willie McCovey All-Star

How many other baseball players have a body of water named for them?

1970 Topps #450 Willie McCovey

For me 1970 Topps ranks close to the bottom of the Topps canon.  I just can't deal with the grey border.  However I do like the All-Star cards.  I am a sucker for any newsprint related design and the bursting through the paper is always a bonus. I am really lazy or else I would have a checklist for this subset for my collecting needs - will add that to the never ending list of card tasks.

I am not sure where I picked up the McCovey card above, It may be a legacy from my childhood collection, I am not sure.  I suspect this card can be found in reasonable condition for under $2. 

Hall of Fame Resume

Willie McCovey was a first ballot Hall of Famer in the 1986 voting, which is a curious ballot that also has candidates Ron Santo and Dick Allen with similar WAR numbers but not only were both not first ballot guys neiether was ever elected via the conventional BBWAA process.  Willie McCovey had one distinquishing number that those two players do not, 521 career Home Runs - back when 500 home runs meant something - He still ranks 18th all-time. Beyond that his numbers are also impressive but that is the one that jumps out. He was a unanimous Rookie of the Year selection in 1959 (.354 BA and 13 HR in 52 Games).  A decade later he was the 1969 MVP, leading the league in Home Runs and RBIS (45,126). From 1968-1970 he led the league Slugging PCT, OPS, and OPS+.

McCovey was a member of the 1962 Giants NL Pennant team who lost to the Yankees in 7 games - McCovey was the final out of the series, Hitting a smash liner to Bobby Richardsion with 2 men on in a 1-0 ball game.

Willie McCovey was also a four decade man (1959-1980) and homered in all four decades.            

Rookie Card
McCovey had two cards in the 1960 Topps Set #316 which is part of the All-Star Rookie Subset (first Topps set to feature the Rookie Cup Trophy).  Lo-Bay among recent auctions for the RC was $16. 2 other auctions finished near the $20 mark. Among graded slabs the card went for 26.50 (BVG 4 VG-EX), $27 PSA 3 VG. The card topped at $602 PSA 8 NM-MT.    

He also has #554 which is part of the Hi-Numbered All-Star Subset.  Which makes McCovey a bit of an oddity for the era as his first Base Card isn't until 1961 #517

Phillies
The Phillies are in a bit of a slump - hopefully they can change that out on the west coast.  Ryan Howard your assignment is to hit a few balls into McCovey Cove.

Willie McCovey HOF Index
1960 Topps #316 (rc)  - Topps Inaugural Rookie Cup Team
1967 Topps #480 - Card Show Swag
1969 Topps #6 - LL HR NL with Ernie Banks & Dick Allen
1969 Topps #440 - Card Show Swag
1980 Topps #335 - Card Show Swag

References
Baseball-Reference
Old Cardboard HoF RCs
Baseball-Card Database
Wikipedia
ebay

Card Show Report 2012 04 21 - Neshaminy Mall

1967 Topps #460 Harmon Killebrew

1967 Topps #480 Willie McCovey

1967 Topps #500 Juan Marichal

On Saturday I hit the local card show at the Neshaminy Mall.  It surprisingly turned out to be one of the better Mall shows I have been to here.  This show had a bunch of things I liked.  at least a dozen, maybe 20 dealers.  Several of them brought Vintage - so many had bargain vintage that I barely glanced at the dime Boxes. 

Faux Blaster

Instead of picking up a a Blaster of Gypsy Queen or Heritage at some big Corporate Big Box store here is what I put my $20 directly back into the economy by passing it on to a bunch of crumudgeons selling cards at the show...Ok they aren't all crumudgeons - but...well you've been to card shows before.

.

Base Cards

Big old Stack of 1971 Topps

I have been sort of working on this set in the back of my head.  But this haul should bring actively building the set more to the fore.  These are mostly commons, over 100 mostly in the lower series' but at 12/$1 they could not be passed up.  Couiple of semi-stars Dock Ellis, Messersmith, Rico Carty, Ken Brett and a few Semi-Hi numbers.  Those went for $11.  

Inserts

 

In addition to the 1967 Hall of Famers at the top of the post, I found 3 other HoF cards from various years.  

1963 Topps #43 Veteran Masters Casey Stengel & Gene Woodling

1957 Topps #59 Dick Williams

1957 Topps #85 Larry Doby

The three cards above came out of 2 separate $1 bins.  The 1967 Topps HoF cards also went for a buck.  Not only are Killebrew, Stretch, and Marichal Hall of Famers, but those cards are in a Semi-High Series.  Pulling those cards in at a buck each is like stealing.

1957 Topps #374 Don Cardwell

1963 Topps #551 Billy Klaus

1966 Topps #506 Bo Belinsky

The Three Phils are all Hi or Semi-Hi numbers.  Bo Belinsky is sort of a semi-star Hi number. 

There you have it for the same price as a Blaster, I picked up over a hundred 1971 Topps cards PLUS 9 Vintage Hits all featuring Hall of Famers or High Numbers. 

Definitely a Good Show! 

Links
Willie McCovey Index
 

Card Show Report 2011 12 03 - Philly Show, Valley Forge PA

The December edition of the Philly Show was a real success for Team Phungo.  I was real happy with results of the vintage bins I checked out.  Here are some of the Highlights: 


1959 Topps

Ernie Banks All-Star $6.00
Al Kaline Baseball Thrills $3.50
Commons Gus Bell 0.50, $1 for the Rest - I did spy a Solly Drake for 50 cents after I had already picked up the one above. 

The quest to complete 1959 Topps set is in the home stretch.  Going into the show I needed 20 cards to finsh the set, knocking out 35% of the cards on my want list in a matter of  a few hours was a complete victory.


 Phillies Vintage Bowmans

 This is a section of the Phungo collection that I plan on taking more seriously.  I have completed the 1948 Bowman Phils Set (all 2 cards of it) and have a lot of the 1955 set. The rest of the years are pretty sparse.  Most of the above cards went for $2-$5 each.  The commons were $1 or $2 while the High Numbers went for $5.  The Highlight in there is the 1955 Del Ennis Card ($2.50).

Other Phils Vintage

1963 Fleer Clay Dalrymple ($2)
1940 Playball Syl Johnson ($5)

The Dalrymple is my first 63 Fleer.  $5 for a card that is older then my parents is a buy. The 1940 Phillies Play Ball Set is likely hard to build, it is 15 cards.  One of the 15 is Chuck Klein, which I would imagine commands a bit of a price tag.


Hall of Famers

1969 Topps Willie McCovey
1969 Topps Phil Niekro 
1970 Topps AL HR League Leaders (Killebrew/F Howard/Reggie)
1970 Topps NL Battling LL (Pete Rose, Clemente, Cleon Jones) 

The first 3 cards were all 3 for a buck - The Rose/Clemente LL card went for a dollar. A stinking Dollar for Pete Rose and Roberto Clemente on a League Leaders card - That is like stealing.

The McCovey Card is in rough condition but the others are pretty decent the 1970 cards are in real good shape.

etc

1965 Topps Masanori Murakami RC (0.50)

This is a card I have always wanted but never was interested in throwing down real money for.  Masanori Murakami is the first Japanese player ever to play for Baseball in the US at the Major League level - 30+ years prior to Ichiro.  Murakami had some success with the Giants in his only season in the Majors but was forced to return to Japan due to a contract squabble involving his Japanese team.

Murakami is still alive at the age of 67.  The Giants honored him with a bobblehead at a game in 2008.  More info on his wiki.

Links
Willie McCovey Index
 

Phungo Game Report - 2010 07 07 Braves @ Phillies

The Phils dropped the final game of a 3 game series against the Braves on Weds night. Jamie Moyer held the Braves to one run through five innings, but couldn't get out of the 6th inning. The Braves sent 10 hitters to the plate in the 6th and scored 6 runs which would lead them to the 7-5 victory.

Brian McCann had a bases loaded double which broke open the 6th inning. Martin Prado added a pair of homers in his 3-5 evening. Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino each homered for the good guys while Jimmy Rollins collected a pair of doubles.

Kris Medlen earned the victory for the Braves, while former Phil Billy Wagner (hitting "only" 96mph these days) picked up the save. During the big 6th inning I found out that Medlen is a switch-hitter, and performed the rare feat of striking out from both sides of the plate in a single inning - good thing or else the Phils might still be trying to get the Braves out.


Photos and Observations
2010 07 07 Jamie Moyer v Chipper Jones (click to enlarge)

This is a picture of Jamie pitching to Chipper in the first inning, if you enlarge the picture you can see the baseball right below the right hand side of the first base coaching box. Moyer would win this AB as Chipper popped out to center.

It was a hot somewhat humid night - fortunately there was a bit of haze which actually kept the sun from beating down on us in the early innings. Braves fans were fairly well represented, including a confused young lady in front of us who wore a Braves cap and a Jayson Werth T-Shirt.

One thing that you really get a sense for when your actually at the game as opposed to watching on TV, is the size of some of these guys. The Braves have a couple of guys that are just huge. Tommy Hanson and Troy Glaus were among the giants. Perhaps it was just that I spotted them standing next to Matt Diaz.

Cards that Never Were
Wilson Valdez was still a Met in 2009, but he gets the 2009 Topps treatment as a Phil in the above starting line up card.

Cards that will likely never be in my PC

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle and Willie McCovey Autograph

Excuse the layout here - I am not going to put in the time to figure out why I can't orient this photo correctly.

Hunt Auctions is based in Exton PA about an Hour west of Philadelphia. They have a case of items for sale at the ballpark - it may be in conjunction with their memorabilia auction at the All-Star fan fest this week. This is a 52 Mickey Mantle in basically horrible condition, if I am not mistaken the salesman quoted a price of $35,000 for the card. The McCovey Autograph mext door was listed for $20 - a comparative bargain.

Good Guy Awards
Tim Hudson gets a GGA for signing roughly two dozen autographs. Other Braves spotted signing balls and caps included Matt Diaz and Bullpen Coach Eddie Perez. I also saw Ryan Howard signing for a few kids on the Phils sideline.

Despite the Phils losing an important mid-season game and series and the hot humid conditions, it was still a fun night at the ballpark. We are half way through the season, hopefully Team Phungo will catch some Wins soon.

Card Show Report - 2010 04 18 Granite Run Mall, Media PA - DIme Box

For my tastes I would give the Poppel.Com show at Granite Run Mall in Media a fair rating. I didn't count the tables, but I think the 50 estimate was way high, but there were several tables featuring everything but baseball cards. I only found two dealer peddling anything that I was interested in. Of course that was still good enough for me to blow $25+ on cards and close to 3 hours on a Saturday afternoon.

Today I will feature some Highlights out of the Dime Box where I threw down $10 bor roughly 100 cards.

80s HOFs

1983 Topps #370 Gary Carter
1980 Topps #335 Willie McCovey

Nice looking card of McCovey - Sick stats on the back of this card. McCovey was a Four Decade man and would only hit one more homer after this 1980 Topps card was produced. As usual the Dime Box was loaded with early 80s cards of HoF players.

Retro Cards


2003 UD Vintage # 107 Edgar Martinez
2008 UD Goudey (mini) #90 Kelvim Escobar
2006 Topps Allen & Ginter #68 Rickie Weeks
2006 Topps Allen & Ginter #311 Andy Irons

I picked up about 20 Retro/Heritage cards. Quite a few of these were from the 2006 A&G set, which are starting to show up in dime boxes finally.

Inserts



2009 Topps Heritage #NF4 News Flashbacks Dwight Eisenhower Signs Civil Rights Acts
2002 Topps T206 #206 Magglio Ordonez (mini)

I was a little surprised to find a 2009 Heritage Insert in the dime box - more proof on the lack of demand for the non-baseball cards. I picked up a handful of minis for the 02 T206 set - and finally broke down a picked up a box of sheets for the minis - now I will need to collect them more seriously. The Escobar Mini above would also be considered a mini.

Links
Willie McCovey Index