"The Cincinnati Reds 1975 World Series Collector's Edition" -- A Personal Review - Page 2

David Von Pein · 06-14-2006, 02:49 AM

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Game 5 of the NLCS that year {1980} between the Phils and Astros (arguably the best NLCS of all time, by the way).

I'll argue with you on that one.

1972 NLCS; Bucs/Reds; one of the best ever.

"Back goes Clemente! AT THE FENCE!! SHE'S GONE!!!"

www.johnnybench.com

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I think the issue was that the photos for the cards were usually taken sometime early in spring training, and then players were traded after the photos had already been sent to the printers.

Right. Which makes this 1972 card of Joe Morgan (as an Astro) all the more perplexing, seeing as how Joe had been traded to Cincinnati at the winter meetings in late November of 1971, well before any photos were taken for the '72 Topps set.

......

David Von Pein · 06-14-2006, 03:11 AM

Here's a great shot of Little Joe before he turned into an African-American:

Mike Frezon · 06-14-2006, 08:58 AM

All right, Dave! Thanks for the side-by-side comparison. Now I'm convinced! Larry Biitner really WAS Johnny Bench! The left-handed thing was a weak attempt to throw everyone off! Kinda like when Clark Kent donned a pair of eyeglasses to convince everyone he wasn't really Superman!

Dan McW · 06-15-2006, 12:08 AM

David, it's nice to know my memory wasn't playing tricks on me re the bubble-gum contest!

And, those 1975 cards you pictured (such as the Bench-Rose-Morgan cards at the top of your review) were issued in "mini" versions to limited areas. All the minis are worth a premium, with George Brett's rookie mini-card likely leading the pack for that year.

The '75 cards were a year or two removed, I believe, from the days when Topps issued cards in series. The lower-numbered cards were rolled out first, at the start of the baseball season, but the higher-number ones either weren't printed in great quantities or didn't make their way into most stores (or were sent back unsold if they did). Whatever the case, you ended up with a gem if you had a likely Hall-of-Famer or a great rookie whose card fell in that 600-700 number range.

Regarding traded players, at some point in the late '70s Topps started issuing "traded" sets around August or September with maybe 100-and-some cards featuring all the rookies who did well during the summer and all the players who had been dealt to other teams. Somewhere at home I've got a Fleer or Donruss card from the year they entered the market (1981? Fleer actually re-entered after a long absence) where the text on the back editorializes that "for some reason" the player had been traded in the past! They had to reissue that one.

Those four extra-inning games made that 1980 NLCS memorable, for sure. On the ALCS side, I'll never forget those two 2-run homers the Red Sox hit in the top of the ninth in 1986 at California, with the Angels tying it in the bottom of the ninth before Henderson won it for the Sox in the 11th. Donnie Moore, RIP...

David Von Pein · 06-15-2006, 02:09 AM

David Von Pein · 06-15-2006, 02:23 AM

David Von Pein · 06-15-2006, 02:26 AM

David Von Pein · 06-15-2006, 02:28 AM

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At some point in the late '70s Topps started issuing "traded" sets...

Yes...I seem to recall those as well.

Also -- Do you recall the "Washington Natl. League" cards that Topps printed in 1974 (when it was rumored the Padres were moving to the nation's Capital)? I had some of those (which are probably worth quite a few greenbacks today, seeing as how S.D. did not move to Washington).

Jeff_CusBlues · 06-15-2006, 01:47 PM

Funny, Dave. Beckert is pictured in his old Cubs uniform.

I, like you am a diehard Reds fan. I have been since around 1970. I have always lived in NE Indiana and only get to a couple games a year. BTW, I was there yesterday (6/14) when Dunn hit that bomb in the 11th to beat the Brewers.

I watched every game of that series as well as any other game we got on TV. I also listened to many games on the radio. I even remember when Al Michaels was a Reds announcer prior to Marty B.

In 1972, Did you feel after the big trade with Houston that the Reds had given the Astros the pennant. At the time, Lee May and Tommy Helms were very popular and productive in Cincy. Morgan hadn't entered his prime yet, Billingham "had potential", and Menke and Geronimoe were journeymen at best. I definitely thought we were doomed. But instead, I was quickly proved wrong, and we got a World Series appearance in 1972 and World Series wins in 1975 and 1976.

Thanks for letting me know about this DVD. I will be ordering it soon.

David Von Pein · 06-15-2006, 07:45 PM

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Funny, Dave. Beckert is pictured in his old Cubs uniform.

Well I'll be horn-swaggled and French-dipped! You're right. Hadn't noticed that. Talk about confusing the youngsters circa '74 -- Is Beckert with Chicago, San Diego, or Washington?

~laugh aloud now~

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In 1972, did you feel after the big trade with Houston that the Reds had given the Astros the pennant? .... I definitely thought we were doomed.

Oh, you bet. Good golly, I don't think I'd ever even heard of this guy "Joe Morgan" when the Reds plucked him from Houston's roster in the big 8-player trade at the '71 Winter Meetings.....let alone Billingham, Menke, Geronimo, or Armbrister.

But that was the genius of Bob Howsam (that time anyway). But that genius unraveled quite a bit in '76, when one of the worst trades the Reds ever made was engineered....letting the Expos have a "franchise" player (albeit an aging one) in Tony Perez in a trade that brought the Reds Woodie "I'll Be Lucky If I Can Survive 3 Innings" Fryman and Dale Murray.

And we not only gave Montreal Perez, but also let 'em have our top lefty bullpen stopper, Will McEnaney, to boot. I cringe at the thought of that miserable deal.

The Perez deal rivals the hideous "Let's Trade Frank Robinson To Baltimore And Watch Him Win The A.L. Triple-Crown Immediately" lulu of a bad transaction in '65.

Of course, hindsight is always 20/20, isn't it? The Reds thought Robby was on his way out. And Perez too. But both players still had some great years after their trades from Cincy.

On the brighter side of "Reds Trades Central" -- I think one of the best deals the Reds ever made was when they picked up an unknown little lefty hurler named John Franco from the Dodgers' organization in May 1983 for utilityman Rafael Landestoy.

So, ya win some and ya lose some.