Inbound and down #12: Summer of '74

I had recently been sent some cards off of my '74 Topps want list when an email from Matt at the Summer of '74 blog arrived, stating that he had about 100 or so cards from my want list in varying degrees of condition.  (Matt has recently started writing on blogspot, so give him a follow!)

Needless to say, I wrote Matt back with my address and thanks for the email.  About a week later, a very fat envelope arrived in my mailbox, and shamefully I'm only getting around to writing about it today.

Matt did carve over 100 cards off of my '74 want list; '74 a set being one that I never really paid much attention to.  With this block of cards, my '74 set is now almost 2/3 complete.  Not bad for one purchase of $15 along with a few other people sending cards my way!

I grabbed the first 9 off the pile just to get started.  The middle card of '74 rookie infielders made me stop for a second, as I'd never heard Andre Thornton referred to as "Andy".  There's also some early cards of Bill Madlock and Frank Tanana there as well.  Great start...

I still remember Woodie Fryman as an Expo late in his career.  Love the Dave Concepcion card of him catching a ball right at 2nd base. 

Some big names on the All Star cards, including Pete Rose as a left fielder!  Reggie Jackson also pictured as his career as an A winds down.  Cesar Cedeno was an underappreciated player as I remember him, a great hitter who was also a proficient base stealer, swiping 50+ bases for 6 straight seasons in Houston.  Looking over Cesar's baseball reference page, I found out that he signed a contract with the Blue Jays during spring training of 1986, but never cracked the roster as he was released 10 days later.

1974 would be the last big season for Jim Perry, winning 17 games along with a sub 3 ERA.  You may know Jim as the brother of Gaylord Perry.  I'm sure that the Night Owl will concur, but the Ron Cey card is a great shot of the Penguin in mid swing.  The smile on Vida Blue's face is priceless, you don't see that kind of happiness on cards very often.

Some bigger names also found their way to my house.  Always loved the fumanchu mustache on Luis Tiant.  1974 would mark the 15th straight season that Brooks Robinson would win a gold glove at 3rd base. 

A few more big names were in the package as well.  Overall a fantastic package indeed.

Matt, thank you for the email and the cards, they were both very much appreciated!!

Thanks for reading, Robert