58 days

While this post automatically pops up on the blog, I will be watching the Maple Leafs live and in person down here in S. Florida as they take on the Panthers.   I figured that I would keep the run of posts I've been on going and do another post on the '85 Topps cards stack that is starting to dwindle.

No team cards, just manager cards in this group.  I only bothered to scan one of them, but it's a good one.

For you vintage collectors, doesn't Sparky's card remind you of manager cards from the 60's?  If he were to put a hand to his mouth and start yelling it would easily fit in to one of those 60's sets.

I decided to look up Anderson managerial record, and I see that he won manager of the year twice with the Tigers.   Did MLB not give out the award while he was managing in Cincinnati?  He was there 9 years, only had one losing season and in the other 8 finished either 1st or 2nd.  2194 wins ranks him 6th all time for managers, and the only active manager that's close to 2000 is Bruce Bochy with 1853 (Dusty Baker has 1863, but is not currently employed as a manager).

Had a helluva time when I was younger getting the spelling right on these guys names.  Pete Vuckovich shares a birthday with yours truly (he's 15 years older), and after his solid season in Toronto in 1977, he moved on to St. Louis and Milwaukee and won 70 games over 5 seasons, capping it off with a Cy Young for the Brewers in 1982.

I like these cards, part of a subset of 12 #1 overall picks.  Al Chambers didn't have quite the career that he would have wanted, only lasting parts of 3 seasons in Seattle before moving off to play in Mexico for a few seasons.  Still don't know how Harold Baines didn't get more votes for the HOF, 2839 hits is nothing to sneeze at.   Don't give me the DH crap, Edgar Martinez has over 1400 games out of his 1900 at DH and got 70% this year.

A trio of solid starting pitchers.  Does anyone see the warm up jackets with the players name on it like Steve Rogers is sporting? Hard to believe that with 16 wins and 5 shutouts, Mike Boddicker didn't win AL ROY in 1983, finishing 3rd behind Ron Kittle and Julio Franco.  This would be Tudor's only Topps card featuring him as a Pirate, as he would end up on the Cardinals in '85, winning 21 games with 10 (yes 10!) shutouts.  He also had a 1.93 ERA and a WHIP below 1, but didn't win the Cy Young! The Mets had some kid named Dwight Gooden with 24 games with a lower ERA and almost 100 more Ks, so I guess that's all right.

Had no remembrance that Howe was a Cardinal, I always remembered him as an Astro.  I also was surprised to read that he was a computer programmer back in 1971 when a friend encouraged him to attend a tryout camp.  Who knew that they had computers back in '71?

Here's Harold Baines again, along with his outfield partner Rudy Law.  Rudy was the speed merchant in that Sox outfield, stealing 77 bases one year.   1985 would be Dan Ford's last season in MLB, appearing in just 28 games with 1 homer.  Disco Dan sure did look cool in those shades though.

Dan's last season lasted just 51 days, which is 7 days less than the current streak I've got going.  

Still haven't purchased any packs of new product.  32 days to get me to the end of March and knocking off one of my year opening goals. 

Having giant stacks of cards from the early 80's come my way has made this a lot easier...

Thanks for reading, Robert