Card #1 is Willie Mays. The likeness isn't too bad. Perhaps a little pale on the complexion . Reminds me of somebody else, but can't quite place it.. Emma Stone? Oprah? Miley Ray Cyrus, maybe?
The background picture of his famous World Series catch is pretty great. This is one of the better fronts in the set, no question.
I think I like the backs of these cards better than the fronts. They feature a fun caricature of the subject and a few interesting factoids.
Willie currently ranks 5th in career home runs, with Bonds and A-rod passing him since this card was made. Albert Pujols will likely hobble past him next year. (You gotta wonder what would have happened had Willie still had a few years left on a big contract once he was showing signs of being done [a la Pujols]. If long-term contracts were a thing back then he probably would have stuck around a couple more years and reached 700 easy.)
1. Barry Bonds 762
2. Hank Aaron 755
3. Babe Ruth 714
4. Alex Rodriguez 696
5. Willie Mays 660
6. Albert Pujols 652
As far as I can tell, Willie still holds the record for most extra inning taters with 22, followed by Jack Clark (18) and Babe Ruth/Frank Robinson (16).
The cartoon references the Treniers' "Say Hey (The Willie Mays Song)" that was released in 1955. Willie doesn't sing on the song, but he recorded some dialog for it.
My best Willie Mays card is an autograph from 2001 Topps Archives Reserve (1952 reprint) I got back in 2015.
My oldest card of his is 1957 Topps.
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Good stuff! I've always found '52 pretty meh, but chrome/refractoring it out gives it new life!
ReplyDeleteI like the deep dive into the set and what you've done here. Ignoring it would be a mistake.
ReplyDeleteThanks, CC and Billy! This post has gotten a lot of views and I was confused for a moment, but then I remembered that "cardboard" is a magic word that brings out the bots for some reason when it's in the post title. lol
ReplyDeleteAll three of those cards are awesome! I'd love to eventually add another Mays autograph to my collection... and I'll definitely add another vintage card at some point.
ReplyDeleteThe Treniers, BTW, were one of the first great rock and roll groups—maybe THE first. They were making great records before Chuck Berry and Elvis ever stepped into a studio.
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