I just recently purchased a new 57 card of Al Aber.  While reading the back of the card I noticed the trivia question.


Now, this "fact" needs some explaining as to the circumstances surrounding the performance.
In May of 1912 Ty Cobb went into the stands in New York to attack a fan that had been heckling him for most of the game.  The fan had been riding Cobb hard for the first 3 innings and Cobb had enough.  Following this altercation AL president Ban Johnson fined Cobb $100 and suspended him indefinitely.  This was the last Tiger game in New York and they next traveled to Philadelphia to play the A's.  Cobb's teammates decided to support him and refused to play until he was reinstated, they did this under threat of suspension by Johnson.  Johnson also said that the Tigers would be fined $5,000 for each missed game.  Tiger owner Frank Naven was not about the pay the fine, so he recruited ball players from the local area to play the next game.  He found 12 players in all, and paid them all to play until the regular players returned from their strike.  You can imagine what a mismatch this was, and the Tiger manager left the pitcher in for the entire game.

The players ended their strike the next day after Johnson reduced the fine to $50 and the suspension to 10 games. 

1981 Kansas City Royals

On to the AL West.  First up, the AL Champion Royals.  Growing up I somehows liked the Royals, but I don't know why.  Maybe it was because they were always in the playoffs, and were not the Yankees.  They won the division 4 times in the years 76-80, and made the playoffs in 81.  Not a bad run during this time as they seemed to pick up afterthe A's dynasty years.  A total of 37 different players saw action during the 1980 season.  Lets see each of the card companies did in featuring cards of the players.  Any players shown with other teams will count in the team % as they are considered checklisted.

Topps

24 Different player cards + 2 of the 3  "Future Stars"  Manny Castillo and Mike Jones for a total of 26 players.  (70%)

Topps nailed most of the major players.  Other than Dave Chalk (69 games) their were not major players missing.  That is due to Kansas City fielding a regular lineup day in and day out, with a lot of "minor" players seeing time as spare parts.

Fleer

23 Player cards + an extra Willie Wilson, Amos Otis, and George Brett  (62%)

Interesting note that Fleer has the only card of Steve Busby, who was released on 8/29.  Jeff Twitty is another player only in the Fleer set, but at least I had heard of Busby.

Donruss

20 players + Manager + Darell Porter+ and extra George Brett  (57%)

Manged to get all of the major players.


Player selection grade:  Topps - A; Fleer - A; Donruss - B


Rankings by Team

Topps

Yankees (87%)
Tigers (85%)
Brewers (82%)
Indians (82%)
Orioles (79%)
Red Sox (76%)
Royals (70%)
Blue Jays (65%)

Fleer

Yankees (85%)
Orioles (74%)
Tigers (71%)
Brewers (67%)
Indians (67%)
Royals (62%)
Blue Jays (57%)
Red Sox (54%)

Donruss

Orioles (71%)
Tigers (71%)
Brewers (70%)
Indians (67%)
Yankees (64%)
Red Sox (59%)
Royals (57%)
Blue Jays (51%)

1981 Toronto Blue Jays

We finish up the AL East with the last place Blue Jays.  The Blue Jays were horrible in the late 70s, but they were starting to put together a good solid team that would compete in the later half of the 80s.  Good young players like Dave Stieb, Damaso Garcia, and Lloyd Moseby saw playing time in 1980 and George Bell would show up the next year.  A total of 37 different players saw action during the 1980 season.  Lets see each of the card companies did in featuring cards of the players.  Any players shown with other teams will count in the team % as they are considered checklisted.

Topps

22 Different player cards + 2 of the 3  "Future Stars"  Luis Leal and Ken Schrom for a total of 24 players.  (65%)

By far the worst job by Topps to date.  No posisiton players with less than 80 games played in Toronto with cards.  That means no Doug Ault, Danny Ainge, Joe Cannon, Willie Upshaw, etc.  Somehow we have a Phil Huffman who did not play in 1980.  Among pitchers there is no Jesse Jefferson (claimed on waivers by Pittsburgh in Sept.) Jack Kucek, and tom Buskey were major omissions.

Fleer

21 Player cards +the manager  (57%)

Blah.  At least there is a Danny Ainge and the only card of Jesse Jefferson.

Donruss

18 players + Manager + Dave Lemanczyk  (51%)

Worst job yet.  No Lloyd Moseby or Jim Clancy.


Player selection grade:  Topps - C; Fleer - C; Donruss - D


Rankings by Team

Topps

Yankees (87%)
Tigers (85%)
Brewers (82%)
Indians (82%)
Orioles (79%)
Red Sox (76%)
Blue Jays (65%)

Fleer

Yankees (85%)
Orioles (74%)
Tigers (71%)
Brewers (67%)
Indians (67%)
Blue Jays (57%)
Red Sox (54%)

Donruss

Orioles (71%)
Tigers (71%)
Brewers (70%)
Indians (67%)
Yankees (64%)
Red Sox (59%)
Blue Jays (51%)

Last night me and the wife went to Target in search of Christmas decorations to add to our tree.  We have a bigger tree this year and need more stuff.  When we were done in the Christmas area I wandered over to movies and magazines to look for gift ideas and my wife wandered off.  She comes back and tells me that there are 2 different Topps sets in the card area, one marked 59.99 and one marked 49.99 and that I should go look.  I wait and then go over as we finish.  Keep in mind that she knows I am wanting to order a set for Christmas (Dave and Adams have a set for 37.95).   Anyway, she shows me the cheaper set and shows me that it is on clearance for 34.95!!!!!!  Shoot yeah, I but that sucker in my cart. I am not into the "Target Exclusive" Ruth (or Mantle), but I could not pass up the deal.

I also bought a rack pack of Update.  I know I said that I would not buy these things, but I was in a buying mood.  The pack gave me a nice surprise.


No, that was not it.  I showed this for the airbrush/photoshop job by Topps.  I noticed something odd about the photo (the yellow on the bat on the uniform looks too bright) and then noticed something in the background.  Look at the right leg of the gentleman sitting in the white uniform.  Notice his stirrups?  That is the color pattern of the Cardinals.  That is a Cardinal home uniform.  Feliz is in a Cardinal away uniform.  You would think that Topps would have learned to pay attention to the background when doctoring the photos, they did in 1973.


I got a hit.  Not a Met fan, so if anyone is interested drop me a line and I will trade it for some Update doubles.

1981 Cleveland Indians

The 1980 Indians were one of two AL East teams that finished below .500, but they were only two games below.  The 1980 season saw hope on the horizon with a fine ROY showing by Joe Charboneau and Andre Thorton coming back from injury (he missed all of 1980 with a knee injury).  The sad thing is, the AL East was strong and it would take a lot to crack into the top 5 in that division.  Celveland had a small roster, with only 33 different players suiting up (20 position players and 13 pitchers).  the fact is that if you put all 3 sets together you would have cards of 31 of the 33 playes, with only Don Cllins the only one who I do not remember ever having a card.  Lets see each of the card companies did in featuring cards of the players.  Any players shown with other teams will count in the team % as they are considered checklisted.

Topps

24 Different player cards + 1 of the 3  "Future Stars"  Sany Wihtol was the only one who played on the big club in 1980 + Cliff Johsnon (traded to Cubs in June) + Ron Pruitt (traded to White Sox in June) - Anrdre Thornton (DNP in 1980) - Eric Wilkins (Last ML action in 1979) for a total of 27 players.  (82%)

I understand having a card of Thornton as he was agruably their best player, but the Wilkins card baffles me.  I guess they needed someone to fill out the quota of tribers.  No Mike Stanton, who appeared in 51 games, or Dave Rosello (71 games)

Fleer

21 Player cards +Johnson  (67%)

Respectable job of player selection.  they did miss out on Alan Bannister, Bo Diaz, Dave Rosello, John Denny and Dell Alston.  Most of these players were semi-regulars, appearing in 52-76 games for the posistion players and 16 for Denny.

Donruss

20 players + Manageri + Johnson + Thornton + Bob Owchinko.  Note on Owchinko, his team reads Pirates reflecting the trade of 12/9/80 that brought Bert Blyleven and Manny Sanguillen to Cleveland.  None of the other players involved had their team name changed.  (67%)

Not bad for Donruss with the only major omissions being Brohamer, Dan Spillner and Mike Stanton.  Spillner was granted Free Agency in October and signed with Cleveland on 12/8/10, one day before the above trade.  It is possible that Donruss removed the card from production and replaced it with another player thinking that Spillner would not be resigned. 

As noted earlier, if you combine all 3 sets you get 31 of the 33 players and Andre Thornton.  One of the missing is Andres Mora who had a card in a previous Topps set.  I do not remember Don Collins.

Player selection grade:  Topps - B; Fleer - B; Donruss - B


Rankings by Team

Topps

Yankees (87%)
Tigers (85%)
Brewers (82%)
Indians (82%)
Orioles (79%)
Red Sox (76%)

Fleer

Yankees (85%)
Orioles (74%)
Tigers (71%)
Brewers (67%)
Indians (67%)
Red Sox (54%)

Donruss

Orioles (71%)
Tigers (71%)
Brewers (70%)
Indians (67%)
Yankees (64%)
Red Sox (59%)

1981 Boston Red Sox   

The 1980 Red Sox finished 5th in the AL East, but had a record over .500.  This fact shows how competitive the AL East was during this time period as only two teams in the East finished with records belwo .500, and one of them was 2 games under at the end of the season.  Boston has the largest roster to date, with 41 different players suiting up (24 position players and 17 pitchers).  Lets see each of the card companies did in featuring cards of the players.  Any players shown with other teams will count in the team % as they are considered checklisted.

Topps

26 Different player cards + 3 "Future Stars"  Reid Nichols, Keith MacWhorter, and Bruce Hurst + Stan Papi (Tigers) + Jack Brohamer (Indians) - Tom Poquette (DNP in 1980) for a total of 31 players.  (76%)

Interesting in that Poquette did not play in 1980 and yet had a card in the set.  Only notable omission is Gary Hancock, a utility player who appeared in 46 games.

Fleer

20 Player cards +manager + Papi + Brohamer + and extra Yaz  (54%)

Better job by Fleer than Detroit, but still quite a few omissions.  Missing are Dave Rader (backup C, 50 games), Andy Allenson, John Tudor, Chuck Rainey, Win Remmerswaal (was the name to large to put on the card?), and Skip Lockwood.   

Donruss

23 players +Papi + extra Yaz.  Counted Butch Hopson, but his team name reads Angels (traded 12/10/80)  (59%)

Donruss did better than Fleer and they included John Tudor.  However they missed Brohamer, Rainey, Bill Campbell, and Hancock. 

Topps benefited by having a larger checklist of players (only company to have Bruce Hurst), Fleer had the only Gary Hancock, and Donruss did not do to bad.  Interesting note as Donruss changed the team name on Butch Hopson to reflect the trade but did not change the team name on any of the other parties involved in the trade (Rick Burleson, Mark Clear, Carney Lansford and Rick Miller)

Player selection grade:  Topps - A; Fleer - B; Donruss - B


Rankings by Team

Topps

Yankees (87%)
Tigers (85%)
Brewers (82%)
Orioles (79%)
Red Sox (76%)

Fleer

Yankees (85%)
Orioles (74%)
Tigers (71%)
Brewers (67%)
Red Sox (54%)

Donruss

Orioles (71%)
Tigers (71%)
Brewers (70%)
Yankees (64%)
Red Sox (59%)

1981 Milwaukee Brewers

The 1980 Brewers were a team on the rise in the AL East.  They finished 3rd with 86 wins, and would go to post their first ever postseason appearance the next year.  This team was just two years away from making it's first, and only, World Series appearance.  The main componants of the 82 squad can be found in 80.  33 different players suited up for the Brewers (18 position players and 15 pitchers).  Lets see each of the card companies did in featuring cards of the players.  Any players shown with other teams will count in the team % as they are considered checklisted.

Topps

24 Different player cards + "Future Stars" of Ned Yost, Ed  Romero, and John Flinn for a total of 27 players.  (82%)

Player selection was very good.  In fact the player with the most palying time not included was Mark Brouhard with 45 games played. 

Fleer

22 Player cards.  (67%)

Fleer did a good job, but there is one error card that is important to note.  Card 514 is noted as Jerry Augustine but features a photo of Bill Travers.  Fleer corrected the card by changing the name, so there are 2 Bill Travers.  Again no Brouhard and no Paul Mitchell, who pitched in 17 games.

Donruss

23 players, plus the manager.   (70%)

The only ommission was Brouhard. 

Good job of player selection by all 3 companies.  Donruss did a good job with getting the main players in the set.

Player selection grade:  Topps - A; Fleer - A; Donruss - A


Rankings by Team

Topps

Yankees (87%)
Brewers (82%)
Orioles (79%)

Fleer

Yankees (85%)
Orioles (74%)
Brewers (67%)

Donruss

Orioles (71%)
Brewers (70%)
Yankees (64%)