Adding the 1965 Bazooka Billy meant that I am up to 99 of the 127 items on the PSA master list that show Billy Williams as a Cub.
That also means that I am missing 28 items.
Getting these will not be easy by both availability and cost. They are rare and expensive.
Below are the 28 items that I need. You'll notice that six on the list are in red. Those are the only items that I could find on Ebay. The price is included too. After looking at the price you'll know why I haven't hit the BIN on any of them.
1962 Shirriff Coins Billy Williams
1962-1965 Jay Publishing Photos-Type 2 Billy Williams Portrait Pose To Chest,Dark Background
1962-1965 Jay Publishing Photos-Type 2 Billy Williams Portrait, Pose To Waist, Arms Crossed
1962-1965 Jay Publishing Photos-Type 2 Billy Williams Portrait-Pose To Waist, Fence Background
1964 Bazooka Stamps Billy Williams
1964 Bazooka Stamps MLB Players Complete Panel
1964 Rawlings Glove Box-Hand Cut Billy Williams - $26.99
1964 Topps Rookie All-Star Banquet The 1961 Topps...
1964 Venezuela Topps Billy Williams
1965 Bazooka Panel Hand Cut Torre/Williams/Chance
1965 Old London Coins Billy Williams $60.00
1966 Bazooka Panel Hand Cut Kaline/Fisher/Williams
1966 Chicago Cubs Team Issue Billy Williams
1966 Venezuela Topps Cubs Team
1966/67 Bazooka Billy Williams Hand Cut
1967 Bazooka Panel Hand Cut Kaline/Alou/Williams - $349.00
1967 Pro's Pizza Billy Williams
1967 Topps Punch-Outs Billy Williams
1967 Venezuela Topps Billy Williams
1968 Bazooka Billy Williams Hand Cut $350.00
1968 Kahns Wieners Billy Williams $39.00
1968 Topps Action All-Star Stickers Billy Williams/Rod Carew/Tony Gonzalez
1969 Chicago Cubs Photos Billy Williams
1969 Topps Super Billy Williams
1971 Topps Greatest Moments Billy Williams $199.00
1972 Kelloggs Billy Williams Missed Only One Last Season
1973 Kelloggs Williams/Blass/ Matlack-Panel
1973 Topps Comics Billy Williams
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Backing Up the Truck: Don Kessinger
And then there were none.
On October 28, 1975, the Cubs traded the last remaining member of the 1969 Cubs. Shortstop Don Kessinger was traded to the Cardinals, with pitcher Mike Garmen coming to the Cubs.
Kessinger was 32-years-old in his last season with the Cubs and played in 154 games. He hit .243, which was just 10 points below his career average. It didn't seem like he had lost it, like some of the other '69 Cubs. But the team was going young and off he went to St. Louis.
The Tribune article on the trade mentions in the first paragraph that he was the last of the '69 Cubs. For the writer and the fans, an era of Cubs history had come to a close. It was an exciting era, but also unfulfilling and disappointing.
On October 28, 1975, the Cubs traded the last remaining member of the 1969 Cubs. Shortstop Don Kessinger was traded to the Cardinals, with pitcher Mike Garmen coming to the Cubs.
Kessinger was 32-years-old in his last season with the Cubs and played in 154 games. He hit .243, which was just 10 points below his career average. It didn't seem like he had lost it, like some of the other '69 Cubs. But the team was going young and off he went to St. Louis.
The Tribune article on the trade mentions in the first paragraph that he was the last of the '69 Cubs. For the writer and the fans, an era of Cubs history had come to a close. It was an exciting era, but also unfulfilling and disappointing.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
1965 Bazooka Billy
It has been months since I have added anything to my Billy Williams PSA Master list collection, but the drought has ended. I found a listing for a 1965 Bazooka card listed at a reasonable BIN price. Older Bazooka cards don't pop up very often, so I grabbed the card right away.
The trim job on the card isn't all that bad. I can see a good portion of the dashed line. The picture on the card looks nice too.
With this addition, I now have 99 of the 127 items on the PSA Master list that show Billy as a Cub. That's good for a 78% completion rate.
The trim job on the card isn't all that bad. I can see a good portion of the dashed line. The picture on the card looks nice too.
With this addition, I now have 99 of the 127 items on the PSA Master list that show Billy as a Cub. That's good for a 78% completion rate.
Monday, May 16, 2016
The Cubs Bowman Prospects from 2011
I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at the Cubs prospects that were in the Bowman set five years ago. My thinking is that five years later, we should know whether they were boom or bust.
The Cubs cupboard was pretty bare in 2011 as just two prospects were in the Bowman set. What has happened with them since 2011?
The Cubs cupboard was pretty bare in 2011 as just two prospects were in the Bowman set. What has happened with them since 2011?
Michael Brenly had no business being drafted, let alone included in Bowman. I'm sure the Cubs took him as a courtesy to his dad, Bob Brenly, who was doing Cubs TV at the time. A 43rd round selection is not expected to ever see Wrigley Field unless he has a ticket.
Brenly bounced around the Cubs organization through 2012, advancing as high as AA before the Cubs let him go. He spent 2013 in the Diamondbacks organization, which, coincidentally is the team that Bob Brenly managed to a World Series title. The next two years he moved into the Red Sox system and right now he is out of organized baseball.
Evan Crawford was a 9th round pick of the Giants in the 2009 draft. The Cubs acquired him in August of 2010 as Mike Fontenot was sent to San Francisco. He was with the Cubs high A team in 2011 and then missed all of 2012 with injuries. The Cubs released him on March 31, 2013 and he spent the next three seasons in independent ball. He is not with any time right now.
So...five years later the only two Cubs prospects Bowman deemed worthy enough for inclusion are out of baseball, never having sniffed the big leagues.
Like I said, the cupboard was pretty bare.
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Five Random Cubs Cards
I've got 14,224 Cubs cards from 108 different brands listed on a spreadsheet. A random number generator picked five cards, one each from the past several decades.
1900s - 1970s: 1959 Topps #319 Dave Hillman The righty had the best year of his career in 1959. After the season, he was a part of MLB history: He was part of a trade between the Cubs and Red Sox in November, 1959. It was the first ever non-waiver interleague trade. New rules that off season gave birth to an interleague trading period of three weeks. Here's the Tribune article that makes mention of the historical feat.
1980s: 1989 Starting Lineup Mark Grace Grace was becoming a star in 1989, helping to lead the Cubs to the division title. His .314 average was good for fourth best in the National League.
1990s: 1992 Bowman #142 Danny Jackson Looks like Bowman has Jackson at a spring training game. The jersey he's wearing is a BP jersey, not a regular game jersey. The Cubs had signed Jackson to a big contract before the 1991 season and he was a bust. They traded him to the Pirates during the 1992 season.
2000s: 2007 Goudey #216 Fergie Jenkins Goudey was Upper Decks attempt to mimic the success Topps was having with Allen and Ginter. My reaction: ho hum, though I do like the picture they used of Fergie.
2010s: 2010 Turkey Red #136 Rogers Hornsby This is a nice looking card. I always enjoyed the Turkey Red sets. The cards always had a classy look to them.
1900s - 1970s: 1959 Topps #319 Dave Hillman The righty had the best year of his career in 1959. After the season, he was a part of MLB history: He was part of a trade between the Cubs and Red Sox in November, 1959. It was the first ever non-waiver interleague trade. New rules that off season gave birth to an interleague trading period of three weeks. Here's the Tribune article that makes mention of the historical feat.
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Backing Up the Truck: Billy Williams
This is the one that hurt.
Billy Williams and Don Kessinger were the only '69 Cubs with the team in 1974. After the season, Don Kessinger was the last man standing.
My favorite Cub was no longer a Cub as of October 23, 1974. He was now an A. It was front page news. It was the lead article of the sports page. It was a dark day.
Billy wanted to play for a winner before he retired. That wasn't going to happen with the rebuilding (and pretty lousy) Cubs. The A's were the reigning three-time World Champs. He would also have a chance to be a DH, which at his age made sense.
On paper it was a deal that needed to be made. In my head it stunk. But life moves on and so did Billy.
Because the trade was made so early in the off-season, Topps had time to whip up an airbrushed card of Billy.
I remember getting that card in 1975. It was a jarring sight.
The Cubs got three players in return.
Billy Williams and Don Kessinger were the only '69 Cubs with the team in 1974. After the season, Don Kessinger was the last man standing.
My favorite Cub was no longer a Cub as of October 23, 1974. He was now an A. It was front page news. It was the lead article of the sports page. It was a dark day.
Billy wanted to play for a winner before he retired. That wasn't going to happen with the rebuilding (and pretty lousy) Cubs. The A's were the reigning three-time World Champs. He would also have a chance to be a DH, which at his age made sense.
On paper it was a deal that needed to be made. In my head it stunk. But life moves on and so did Billy.
Because the trade was made so early in the off-season, Topps had time to whip up an airbrushed card of Billy.
I remember getting that card in 1975. It was a jarring sight.
The Cubs got three players in return.
Knowles and Trillo both got the airbrush treatment. Locker escaped the airbrush because he was with the Cubs in 1973. Topps just used a two-year-old picture.
Friday, May 13, 2016
2016 Bowman Insert Cubs
With Bowman the Top 100 set is typically the biggie among the inserts...100 cards...duh!
But there are other smaller sets and the Cubs had cards in two of them.
There are 15 cards on the Sophomore Standout checklist and Cubs players make up 1/5 of the list.
Bowman didn't surprise anyone with these selections.
The other Bowman insert with Cubs players is Turn Two. It has 30 cards and the Cubs are represented on one. I did a little digging and it looks like there is one card for each team.
Or is it two cards for each team?
The cards feature two players, one of the front and one on the back. It like Certs...Two, Two, Two cards in one!
For the Cubs Bowman selected Gleyber Torres and Billy McKinney.
But there are other smaller sets and the Cubs had cards in two of them.
There are 15 cards on the Sophomore Standout checklist and Cubs players make up 1/5 of the list.
Bowman didn't surprise anyone with these selections.
The other Bowman insert with Cubs players is Turn Two. It has 30 cards and the Cubs are represented on one. I did a little digging and it looks like there is one card for each team.
Or is it two cards for each team?
The cards feature two players, one of the front and one on the back. It like Certs...Two, Two, Two cards in one!
For the Cubs Bowman selected Gleyber Torres and Billy McKinney.
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