'59 Topps set build #18/572 Bob Giallombardo

It's been quite a while since I wrote one of these posts (again), so I figured I'd start with the next player I had lined up to write about.  Let's see how year 5 shapes up, shall we?

Card # 321:  Bob Giallombardo

The front of the card is in OK shape, corners are soft and the lower left is creased, but there are no pen markings to speak of.  This is Bob's RC and only Topps card ever made of him.

The back has a scribbled pen mark over the top of the cartoon.  The scribble really doesn't affect the wording or the picture however, so it's nothing major.

I love the "optioned to Montreal in March 1959" line at the beginning of the bio, which tells me that the cards weren't printed/released until the season probably started.   A quick look at the trading card database told me that this is the more common card, as there is a variation of the card that doesn't have the optioned statement.  The non optioned card appears to be rarer and worth quite a bit more.

How'd he fare in 1959?  Well, his entire 1959 season was spent in AAA with the Spokane Chiefs, where he posted a 3-7 record with an even 3.00 ERA.  The 1958 stats you see on the card?  Those are Bob's entire major league career stat line.

• As you can see, Bob did a lot of moving during the early part of career.   Hornell is in the southern tier of New York state.   Then out west to Reno, then east to Montreal, then back out west to Los Angeles.  
• Bob's only major league hit was a single off of Curt Simmons, who pitched in the majors for 20 years.
• Bob only pitched 3 more seasons in the minors, and was out of professional baseball after 1961 at the age of 24.

Unfortunately, I didn't find a lot out about Mr. Giallombardo, but it's cool that even back in the 50's a player could only play a handful of games and still garner a card to show to his grand kids.


Thanks for reading, Robert

I'll never know how he did it

One of my favorite blogs when I first started out was the now retired 30-Year Old Cardboard.  The man was a writing machine, pumping out 4 or 5 posts a day.  It was a great read for me, and while thinking about my blog the other day (yes, I am still thinking about it) I thought to myself "how in the world did Brian have the time to write that many posts, while maintaining a career and a family".

I know that in the nearly 2.5 months I've been down in South Florida, the blog has been on my mind many times, but writing posts hasn't been a priority.  I've written 13 posts in the time I've been down here, largely because the weather has been so nice that I've found time just to be outside.  A lot of the evenings up north in my old neck of the woods, the temperature has been in the mid 40's, which is a perfect reason for me to be in the house, thumbing through my card collection and digging up ideas for posts.

I don't want to be a part time blogger, but it's tough in this new environment.   Yes, a lot of my collection is still up north and not accessible for ideas, but I still have enough down here to make a go of it. 

I just need to figure out how to do it.  I'm sure a big part of the reason the past few weeks was because of these guys.

Yes, ESPN and Fox Sports finally dusted off their passports and starting showing Jays games from north of the border.  So for about the past month I've been engrossed in the stretch run and playoffs for my Jays, which sadly ended yesterday.  Maybe because I will not have a vested interest in either of these teams during the World Series...

I'll have some more free time to write.  It is an intriguing match up; the best team in the AL (yes, I said it, because it's true) versus a NL team that is riding a really good run right now.  I would like for the Mets to win it, just to make the folks in KC panic wondering what they need to do to win it all.

But I don't think that will happen.  Kansas City in 6.  

In the meantime, it's time to figure out how Brian kept up with his unbelievable writing schedule.

Does anyone know if he ever finished his '75 Topps set?

Thanks for reading, Robert