Monday, April 18, 2011

Head Coach

Here are two cards that have something you will probably never see again on a major league baseball card.





The two cards seem to be from the same photo shoot. I can just hear the Topps photographer....."OK Bob, look like your giving the boys some instructions...great, now, look like you're trying to figure out your next move."

Both of these are for the Cubs "Head Coach" Bob Kennedy. When the College of Coaches began in 1961, the Cubs, Topps never issued a "manager" card for the Cubs since they didn't really have one. But by 1963, they had pretty much given up on the rotating coaches thing and Bob Kennedy was the boss the entire season. In fact, he was the boss from 1963 through half of the '65 season.

With the continuity, Topps felt comfortable enough to include Kennedy in the set for the next two seasons. But they did use the label "Head Coach" instead of the traditional manager designation.

When Heritage gets up to the 1964 set in 2013, I wonder if the Cubs manager will be a card that says "Head Coach." I think it would be cool if he did.

2 comments:

  1. In last night's Yankees-Rangers name an ESPN graphic referred to Ron Washington as the Rangers' "head coach".

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  2. When I saw your first sentence, I wasn't sure if the thing we'll never see again was the "head coach" designation, or a manager (a/k/a head coach) shouting atta-boys to his players!

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