Blog Bat Around V - Freebies From My Cousin

There are only ten of them. They are not in very good shape. In fact, they all have rounded corners and most have creases. They players are mostly no-names. But these are very specials cards to me.

These Topps 1961 cards were my first baseball cards. They were given to me by my cousin. He someone I looked up to because in the summer of 1961 he was a batboy for the White Sox. My cousin hung around with major leaguers. It doesn't get any better than that in the eyes of a 7-year-old.

He knew I was really into baseball so he gave a stack of cards he had lying around in his room. I thought it was cool because the cards were from 1961 and I was born in 1961. They were as old as me (and unfortunately they haven't aged any better than I have!) These are the cards that got me started. After I got them, I wanted more. I started asking my mom to pick me up a pack when she went grocery shopping. And sometimes she did. My 1969 collection ended up with about 150 cards and many of them survive today in a complete set I put together.

They probably will mean very little to you. But here are my original ten 1961 cards:

Chuck Essegian, #354 His hat says Orioles, but the card say Athletics. Chuck hit two home runs for the Dodgers against the Sox in the 1959 World Series.



Don Lee, #153 Don is hatless because this was the first year for the Twins, having moved from Washington.



Art Mahaffey, #433



Frank Malzone, #445 Frank looks very happy to be on a baseball card



Bill Mazeroski, #430 Bill won the 1960 World Series with a walk-off homer. This was his first card after that. I imagine many Yankee fans who got this card tore it into little pieces.



Jim Perry, #385 The lesser of the Perry brothers.



Chuck Stobbs, #431 Another hatless Twin. Chuck has his game face on. Don't mess with Chuck. There is no Control button on Chuck Norris' Stobbs' computer. Chuck Norris Stobbs is always in control.



Tony Taylor, #411 My favorite thing about this card is that Tony Taylor is wearing a Cubs uniform.



Coot Veal, #432 He has one on my all-time favorite baseball names. Coot Veal - how cool is that ?



Frank Thomas, #382 My only Cub in the bunch, which made this my most prized card. Long before the Sox had their Frank Thomas, the Cubs had theirs.



Thank you Warren for giving me these cards and getting me started. I am looking forward to next year's Heritage which will feature this design.