Uncle Henry

When you are a teenager, it’s impossible to know who will leave a lasting impression on you.

I did not know either of my grandfathers. Without looking it up, my recollection is that my maternal grandfather died in the 1940’s and my paternal grandfather died around the time I was born in 1957.  I don’t feel like I missed out on anything – they simply were people that were not in my life.  My father’s mother died around the time I was in 4^th or 5^th grade – I seem to recall a funeral in the summertime.  She used to teach me German songs like; “Du, du liegst mir im herzing.”  She was a sweetheart of a woman.  My mother’s mother, born in 1902, lived until the early 1990’s. She was not an easy woman to get along with.  After Mom’s father died in the 40’s, Grandma dated around a bit. Eventually all the minor romances fizzled out and she met a man named Henry Griffith; they settled down and got married.  I don’t recall any of this because it happened when I was 2 or 3.  By the time my memory kicked in, “Grandma and Uncle Henry” were just a fact of life. 

The street I grew up on was a circle carved out of the woods, surrounded by older neighborhoods.  It was a “Wonder Years” neighborhood which had about 50 kids under the age of 17 without including kids from the surrounding streets.  Most houses, including ours, had children constantly running through them.  As Grandma was not fond of kids, this made her visits with us somewhat stressful.  Mom used to say, “Grandma and Uncle Henry are coming to visit!”

And my response was usually, “For how long?”

A New York Yankee fan, Uncle Henry had a different personality than Grandma.  He was divorced and had very little contact with his two daughters from that first marriage. None of us really knew much about his life before Grandma.  Uncle Henry liked the New York Times and the Daily News.  I remember him going out early on Sunday morning to church (he was Catholic, we were Presbyterian) and he would pick up the papers on the way home.  He spent most of Sunday morning alone, in our living room, reading the papers. But he was always very pleasant and if I snuck in to see him, he would read the funny pages to me.
   

I remember watching Yankee games with Uncle Henry and my dad on WPIX, Channel 11, in New York.  Henry usually had a Ballantine Ale or two during the game and he could curse like a sailor.  

He had an incredible working knowledge of the players on the team.  The 60’s were lean years for Yankee fans, but Henry knew all about the promise of Jerry Kenney when he was called up in 1967.  We all hoped Kenney would be a suitable replacement for Tony Kubek at shortstop.  We also hoped Jake Gibbs could fill in for Elston Howard.  Henry knew I loved the late 60’s pitching rotations that featured the likes of Mel Stottlemeyer, Fritz Peterson, Dooley Womack, Freddy Talbot, and Lindy McDaniel.  I naively thought they were some of the best pitchers in the majors, and Uncle Henry never lead me to believe otherwise.  And we yearned for a Mantle replacement in Roy White and then Bill Robinson and then Bobby Murcer…..always to be disappointed.  While Uncle Henry would occasionally long for the days of Mantle, Berra and Maris, he recognized that these were MY Yankees and gave them, and me, respect.  He knew the Yankees players well and was part of the reason I became a Yankee fan. 

  

Uncle Henry and me - around 1959

In the spring of 1972 I played freshman baseball and in the spring of 1973 I played JV ball.  Now-a-days parents take off from work to see their kids play sports. In the 1970’s parents did not. It’s not a knock against our parents; it’s just the way it was.  One player’s father was a postman who got off work early and came to many games. The only other men that came to our games were retired townies. 

Wrapped up in the drama of high school, I didn’t pay much attention anymore when Grandma and Uncle Henry visited.  But I did notice when they were in town, Uncle Henry would come to my baseball games.  He would arrive shortly after the game started and leave quietly when it was over. I never saw him talk to anyone, but he seemed to enjoy watching us play the game he loved.  It was a bit startling to see him in the bleachers at first.  A couple of the guys would ask about the old guy watching the game.  Embarrassed, I pretended not to hear them.  But at some point I had to acknowledge ownership of the old guy as my step-grandfather.  It was a life lesson for me when a few of my teammates said, “nice that he comes to watch you play.” I sheepishly nodded and felt bad for a) not claiming Uncle Henry as my own earlier and, b) not trusting that my teammates would appreciate Henry’s effort.

Me, with the tools of ignorance. 

I don’t recall exactly when Uncle Henry passed away.  He was alive for my oldest brother’s wedding in April 1972.  But had died by the time my middle brother married in August 1973. As I said, I never knew my actual grandfathers, but I had Uncle Henry and he was a good thing in my life.  All these years later, I am mindful that his attendance at my games was meaningful.  I wish I’d had the maturity back then to tell him it mattered; I wish he’d known that before he passed on.  All these years later, I still picture him there in the bleacher seats enjoying the sunshine and his grandson playing baseball.   

Postscript:

Somewhere around 2005 I was visiting with my parents, who were then 85 years old.  Mom came out of their bedroom with a little jewelry box, handed it to me, and said she wanted me to have it.  Inside was Uncle Henry’s wedding ring. Mom said he would like to know that I had it. I remarried in 2009, and am grateful to wear the ring that Uncle Henry, my grandfather, once wore.   

My Mickey Mantle Collection

If you’re going to collect cards from the 1950’s and 1960’s you’re going to come face to face with “The Mickey Mantle Premium.”  Mantle cards, without exception, carry the highest premium of any post WWII era player.  I don’t really collect Mickey Mantle items…usually they are a part of a set I am collecting.  But as I went through this exercise, I was surprised by the amount of Mantle material I have. 

From 1952 to 1969 every Topps set has one regular issue Mantle card. Many sets also have a Mantle all-star and/or multi-player card.  For a complete list of Topps cards, see the link below.  If you’re trying to complete a set from those years, you’re going to have to pay the Mantle Premium to complete your set.  Mantle’s rookie card is considered to be the 1951 Bowman, but his most expensive card is his first Topps card from 1952. The high prices are not a matter of scarcity; a random check on eBay as I wrote this turned up 18 Topps 1952 cards and 22 cards from Bowman 1951. Rather, I think it’s a matter of demand; most collectors want something that has a connection to Mantle.  His early cards range in price from $1,500 to $100,000 depending on condition.  I saw this week in Sports Collector’s Digest that a 1952 Topps Mantle - PSA 8 was sold on eBay for $80,000.

Why do Mantle cards (and collectibles) carry a heavy premium; and why not Mays or Musial or Aaron or Snider?  Mays, Aaron, Musial and Snider collectibles are expensive, but not nearly as much as Mantle material.  Following is my effort to make a case for The Mantle Premium:

Mantle played his entire career in New York

·       The Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958; the middle of Mays’ career.  The Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966; the middle of Aaron’s career.  The Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958; toward the end of Snider’s career.  Musial played his entire career in St. Louis (arguably the best baseball city in America) but it was “only” St. Louis ….. and it was NOT New York.  This doesn’t take away from their personal or team accomplishments, but it does have a suppressing effect on national fan interest in the player.

His career coincided with the baby boom after WWII  

·       If you were born in 1946, you were five years old when Mantle was a rookie.  Mantle was in his prime when baseball was at its most popular and the Baby Boomers were coming of age.

He was a World Series hero

·       In the 14 years from the 1951 to 1964, the Yankees (and Mantle) appeared in the World Series 12 times, winning 7 of them.  Mantle still holds the record for Series Home Runs with 18.  This gets you national recognition in a way that the other players could not approach.

He is part of a legacy

·       From Ruth and Gehrig, to DiMaggio, to Mantle (to Munson, to Mattingly, to Jeter) there is a lineage that correlates to excellence and championships.  Mickey was not the greatest of these players, but he was a powerhouse in the Yankee lineup from 1952-65. 

He was a tragic figure and that humanized him, made him accessible, and most of all made him like-able.

·        His speed as a rookie was remarkable – until he ruined his knee on a sprinkler in the 1951 World Series.  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/730540-mickey-mantles-worst-injury-it-was-joe-dimaggios-play

·       As a 19 year old rookie, Mantle was striking out too much in 1951.  Casey Stengel sent him to Kansas City AAA to work out his problems.  He called his father (Mutt) to say he wanted to come home.  Mutt met him at a hotel and said, “OK, pack your bags. We’re going home.”  Mickey was surprised by Mutt’s reaction and decided to stay with the team. 

·       Mickey drank too much – and was probably alcoholic.  

Mantle passed away at 63, a fairly young age. 

·      When Hall of Famers pass-away, their memorabilia usually goes up in price.

The prices for early Mantle cards are out of reach for me so I will not try to assemble those sets from the 50’s.  Born in 1957, I collected cards in the 1960’s and still do.  I am fortunate to find many of his cards reasonably priced from those years.  As a child, I had four Mantle cards.

My first Mantle card was the Topps 1966 #50 which, for me, was the summer before fourth grade.  As I rekindled my baseball card interest in the early 80’s, I was happy to see that I still had this card.  Upon closer inspection, I saw that there was a tack hole just above Mick’s head.  I was in denial for many years about that hole.  A few years ago I replaced the card with a purchase from Kit Young’s website.  I then had the card graded by PSA as a 4.

My original (right) and my PSA 4 

The pinhole (above his head)

I also got a Mantle card in the summer of 1967, Topps #150.  Probably my least favorite of all the Mantle cards, it is a close up of Mickey in which he looks kind of goofy.  Given what we know about him today, it’s possible he had been drinking – or had a hangover.  My card has some dings around the edges and is probably a VG card – with a grade of about PSA 3. I have not yet replaced this card – but the set is complete with this lesser quality Mantle.

Goofy Mantle

Last I got a 1968 Mantle card, Topps #280 in the spring of 1968.  What else was going on then?  Let’s see, Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated, we had an undeclared war in Vietnam, and Nixon was about to become president.  What I remember about this card was taking it to school in my shirt pocket to share with my friends.  Not a good idea if you wanted to make any money from it when you got older.  It’s creased and not in very good shape now.  This card I replaced with an on-line purchase of a PSA 6.

Original (right) and PSA 6

I also had a Topps 1968 # 490 Super Stars card which I had graded by PSA as a 7.  This card pictures Mantle with Killebrew and Mays.  Having had little interest in this card, it remained in Near Mint condition.

Topps 1968 #490

Back in the early 80’s, a friend unloaded a bunch of cards he didn’t want on me – pretty much a shoe box full of Topps Cards from 1965 and 1966 that were in VG condition or less.  Two of the cards in the box were Mantle and Mays from ’65.  The Mantle card is creased and needs to be replaced, but it serves as a decent place holder in my complete 65 set until I can afford a better quality card.

1965 Mantle with creases - I need to replace it

About 6 months ago I completed the 1969 Topps set (no white letters) and had to buy a Mantle card to do so.  This is his last card.  I found a decent looking PSA 5 on eBay and got it for less than I had bid. It’s actually a nice looking card – but Mickey did not make it to opening day of ’69 – his bad legs (and drinking?) caught up with him.  He retired in March 1, 1969 at age 36. 

Mantle's last baseball card - 1969 Topps #500

I am now in the process of assembling a 1964 Topps set.  I have not yet found a Mantle card #50 at a price I am willing to pay.  I have, however, found multiplayer card, #331. A.L. Bombers.  This card has Al Kaline and Norm Cash from the Detroit Tigers with Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle from the Yankees.  It’s a nice looking card and I am fortunate to have two of them, one of which is graded. 

1964 topps A.L. Bombers

Also, in 1964, Topps issued a set of “giant” cards – commonly referred to as Topps Giant.  I did not collect these cards as a kid – but started and completed the set in the 1990’s in the Minneapolis area.  It was not hard to find these cards – they are plentiful – and an entire set is not too expensive.  In perfect shape (ungraded) they would cost about $250. 

Topps Giant

As a part of my PSA Graded World Series collection (see earlier blog) I had to locate three Topps Mantle cards, all of which I found on eBay:

·         World Series Foes, 1958 #418 pictures Mantle with Hank Aaron together.  They had squared off in the 1957 World Series which the Braves won.  The Yanks would get their revenge in 1958.

·         Mantle Slams 2 Homers, 1961 #307 pictures a right handed, air brushed, Mantle swinging for the fences. This depicts the 1960 Series that the Yanks lost to Pittsburgh on Mazerowski’s famous Game 7 walk off home run.

·         Mantle’s Clutch HR, 1965 # 134 pictures Mantle left handed in full extension of his powerful swing.  Again, the Yanks were Series Losers, this time to the great St. Louis Cardinals led by Bob Gibson’s pitching. This would be the last World Series for Mantle and the last for the Yankees until 1976. 

World Series Cards

At one time I had a bee in my britches about collecting PSA Graded subsets of Topps cards. All of these were acquired on eBay within the last five years. There are three subsets I have completed so far that include a Mantle card:

·         Mantle Hits 42^nd Homer for Crown, 1959 # 461 pictures a right handed Mantle slamming a home run.

·         Mantle Blasts 565 FT Home Run, 1961 #406 displays a photo of Griffith Stadium in Washington, DC with an arrow tracing the arc of Mantle’s historic home run.

·         The Switch Hitter Connects, 1962 #318 is a three panel shot of Mantle, batting left handed, connecting for a hit. 

Topps Subset Cards

There are a couple of miscellaneous items I have picked up over the years.  First would be a 1963 Jell-O Mantle #15 – YES it is cut from a Jell-o box.  I sent it in to PSA and they did not put a grade on it – but they did call it “Authentic” and “Hand Cut.” This is common with Cereal Cards and  was all I could really hope for – and as such, it is worth about $100.  I bought it in Iowa about 20 years ago for about $10. Nice….

Post Cereal  

I also have a 1955 Bowman Mantle #202.  This was acquired from my next door neighbor in New Jersey some time when I was in high school.  I traded him my Aurora racing car set for the card.  I also sent this card off to PSA for grading and with all the creases, they called it a “1MC” which means Poor and Mis-cut.  That works out to about $50 in value.  Go figure, huh?

1955 Bowman

I came across the Mantle inserts from the 1965 (foil embossed) and 1968 (game) sets in two different ways.  Inserts are items that were sold with the card packs.  This includes things like foil and game cards (below). It also could be stickers, coins, folding stand-ups, and tattoos.  All are collectible to varying degrees.  I bought the entire 1965 foil embossed set on line about 10 years ago while living in La Crosse, WI.  The 68 game set I had nearly completed as a kid – but needed a Rod Carew and Joe Torre to finish it off.  I found those game cards at a card show in Greensboro, NC about 2 years ago. 

Inserts foil (right) and game card (left)

I also have a Mickey Mantle signed baseball.  It was purchased at Field of Dreams in the Santa Ana Mall in California and was a birthday present from my kids (via my ex) for my 34^th birthday.  Of course it is authenticated by Field Of Dreams.  As I recall, FOD was selling it for about $75 which seemed like a fortune at the time.  Over time it has proven to be a wise purchase. 

Field Of Dreams Authenticated Baseball

Last, I have pictures of Mickey Mantle Day, September 18, 1965 in Yankee Stadium.  One shows Mickey speaking and a second has Mickey and Joe DiMaggio waving to the crowd.  Mr. Coffee looks really good in this shot.  These pics have the Kodak development date on the back as October 1965 which makes sense.  They were in our house and taken by an unknown source.  At one point I thought Dad happened to be at the game.  At another time, I thought it may have been my step-grandfather.  While they are not worth very much, they are meaningful to me as they have been in my room since 1965.

 

Mickey Mantle Day 9/18/65

 Here are pictures and a listing of every Topps Mickey Mantle card:

http://www.cardboardconnection.com/mickey-mantle-topps-cards-ultimate-guide

01-19-14 - I recently added this 1964 Mantle to my collection.  I'm about 60 cards short of having the 64 set complete.

Card collecting 1980-2013

Sports card stores were popping up everywhere back in the 80’s.

Old product was selling like hotcakes and new product was flying off the shelves because everyone wanted the next big rookie card.  And there were plenty of hot cards....Strawberry, Boggs, Ripkin, Clemens, Gooden, and Hernandez.  Defunct gum and card companies like Fleer, Bowman, and Donruss climbed out from under a rock and new card companies such as Upper Deck emerged out of thin air.  By the time the early 90's came around there was so much product and so many variations from each manufacturer, that no one collector could keep up. 

I used to go to card shows at the Fairgrounds in St. Paul, MN.  I remember looking longingly at a 1960 Topps set, complete, for $250.  I can picture the sticker price on the box.  1961-65 were cheaper.  I could kick myself now for not buying, but I had a baby on the way, a mortgage, and was not earning all that much early in my career. I bought a few cards, if anything, and left unfulfilled.  New product was there for the taking – and was being bought up quickly.  The dealers at these shows were a good place to find the cards you needed to complete a set - - or just buy the entire new set on the spot. 

I don’t understand the economics of the new card market demise.  If supply increases, then prices go down.  But if the supply of something increases with many manufacturers and the manufacturers just keep making new and different products….is there a law of "un-scarcity?"  Simply, the casual collector was driven out of the market.  No longer could you hope to find a rookie card that would increase in value over time.  There were so many cards of each player, stars and rookies included, that it became meaningless.  Further, no one really knows how it was determined which rookie card, from which manufacturer, from which set, was considered the valuable one…..and you would only find out after it had gone up in value.  Again, you had to collect all the manufacturers and their multiple sets.  There were traded sets, tribute sets, reprint sets, and premium sets. They made cards with holograms.  They made cards that were perfectly centered. They used a card stock that was stiffer, more resilient so each card would be in mint condition, or at least nearly mint condition. Then they invented chase cards to keep people attracted to the hobby.  Knowing that the regular issue sets were nearly worthless, the manufacturers produced cards that were intentionally short printed, inserted them in regular packs, with the hope of driving up sales.  The set most people wanted was the set of chase cards – which can be extremely expensive. I would think the card industry would make an interesting business school case study – perhaps it’s worthy of a dissertation.

Around the time my daughter was born in April 1985, card shops were opening, it seemed, everywhere.  I lived in St. Paul, MN at the time and a store opened up on Grand Ave (on the south side, between Hamline Ave. and Syndicate St.) about three blocks from my house. I had not been to the store yet because with a new baby things had been kind of crazy around the house. Finally one Saturday, I put her in a carrier (Snuggie?) that held her on my chest.  I got about two blocks from home, looked down at her and her eyes were closed.  Then I panicked; it did not seem like she was breathing.  So I turned around and ran home – nearly in tears with fright.  My (ex) wife took one look at the baby and started laughing – the kid was fine. I had over-reacted ... quite a bit.  It was a couple of more months before I finally got to the store. I did some horse trading – mostly working on the 1966 Topps set.  I had a lot of duplicates from 1966 and traded him to fill my want list.  Deals were not always cash back then – trading was perfectly legitimate.

My daughter 1986 (age 2)

I stopped buying new product in 1992.  I kept the 1989 and 1990 Upper Deck sets and the 1980-1992 Topps sets.  I kept the Topps sets because that is the manufacturer I collected back in the 60's.  I kept the Upper Deck sets because of Ken Griffey Junior….and that’s about it.  The 80's sets are barely worth what I paid for them when they were hot off the press.  And I gave away any Fleer, Donruss, and Bowman product I had collected. I had dreams about card collecting with my son, who was born in 1990. But I lost interest in new product and he was more interested in Magic and Pokemon cards than baseball cards.  He loves baseball, played all the way through high school, but he had no interest in card collecting.  Neither did I – at least not the new stuff.  I hate coming off as a throwback, an old guy that doesn’t keep up with the times, but the fact is I am not alone.  New card sales have dropped off significantly and the vintage product has leveled off in price.  There are, in fact, new wrinkles in the vintage card market: grading and on-line auctions. And this has been very good for the older card market. 

These days, I will not buy a card for more than $100….perhaps even $50…unless it is graded.  Collecting cards is entirely hobby oriented for me.  I have no desire to sell anything in my collection and plan to keep it until I die, passing it on to my son. (My daughter isn’t interested, that’s probably why she fell asleep that day.)  Since my son may not want to keep the cards, there is every reason to take precautions, ensuring he’s got something of value he can put up for sale.  My focus for the past 10 years has been on completing the sets I started as a child: Topps, 1965-1969.  In the winter of 2013, I completed the Topps 1969 set (no white letters).  Prior to that I completed: Topps 1967 (the hardest by far - high numbers are a pain to collect), Topps 1965, Topps 1966, Topps 1973, and Topps 1968 (the easiest by far).  

My son 1992 (age 2)

 
First of all, as I said in another blog entry, I prefer material graded by PSA (Professional Sports Authenticators). Since I had many of these cards from my childhood they were not in mint condition, and I have no desire to spend the kind of money needed to put mint sets together.  That leaves me, on average, in the EX market (Grade of PSA 5).  That is a good spot to be in terms of cost.  When graded, these cards are reasonably priced.  They are objectively in Excellent Condition, and are verified to have no alterations to the card.  A couple of cards I needed were Tom Seaver’s rookie card from 1967 (hi # 581) and Mantle’s last card from 1969 (# 500).  Would I want to pay thousands of dollars for mint versions of these cards?  No. I am not going to spill the beans here, but I paid a very reasonable price for Seaver’s card (PSA 6) and Mantle’s card (PSA 5) and was able to complete the sets at a reasonable cost. 

Cards I bought on line (eBay)

I like, and trust, eBay.  I always search for star cards on eBay to get a feel for scarcity and price.  For the most part, that’s also where I make my purchase.  I attend 4-6 card shows a year in the North Carolina area, but table prices are always marked up in anticipation of haggling.  I don’t like to haggle – but when I do, I’ve done my homework and have a firm price in mind knowing the price I can pay on-line.  eBay is tricky and I have been burned, but most of the time it’s because I was hasty or not thinking objectively. 

In addition, I have an acquaintance who is a member of PSA.  So he has sent several of my older cards off for grading.  My 1968 Nolan Ryan rookie card came back as a 5.  My 1966 Jim Palmer rookie card came back as a 6.  And my Rod Carew rookie card came back as a 4 (VG-EX - not too bad). So, the expensive cards in my collection have been authenticated and graded – adding value as well.

Cards of mine that I got graded

Last, there are just some cards that I have that need replacing.  My 1966 Mantle had a thumbtack hole from keeping it on my wall by my bed as a kid.  See my other blog posts about the 1966 Koufax card that I carried around all summer in a plastic wallet. I have a 1969 Reggie Jackson rookie – great shape, the real deal – but there is a printing defect on the back.  I didn't send to get graded because I will be better off just replacing it one day. 

Recently, I started working on completing a Topps 1964 set. While this is a work in progress, it is primer on how to put a set together.  Started off back in 1985 – I traded with a guy I was working with at the time: 1965 Carlton Rookie (I had two) for any commons from his duplicates 1959, 61, 62, 63, 64 that I wanted.  Wound up with several hundred cards – I honestly think I get the better of the deal.  Anyway – the pickings from 1964 were slim and I only got about 50 cards.  Flash forward to July 2013 at a card show in Raleigh, NC – I stop by a favorite dealer's table and pick up about 50 more cards….but this is expensive and going way too slow.  So I look to eBay for “lot sales” of 1964 Topps baseball cards and I see one – 465 cards in total.  My bid won at under 75 cents per card and includes Frank Robinson (low quality) and Brooks Robinson (high quality). That was my birthday present! Then I went to an on line in September and found a PSA 5 1964 Koufax and bought that for less than my high bid – also on auction.  The set will be completed as follows:  I will find most of the commons and lesser star cards at shows.  The superstar cards will likely be found at eBay auctions.  I will be done in a year, maybe longer. 

1964 Sandy Koufax PSA 5

1964 cards I bought in an on line auction (eBay)

I think that grading and eBay have pretty much killed the mom/pop stores that were selling cards in the 1980’s.  On eBay, I have the entire country (actually the world) to look for cards I need. The corner store is pretty limited in what it can afford to buy and keep in stock.  For that reason, eBay may very well me keeping the hobby alive.  With card grading, there is very little to worry about when you are making a star card purchase on line.  I don’t worry about common cards too much because those are not forged or altered. You can pretty much count on them being fraud-free either on line or at shows. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/01/sports/baseball/fewer-are-investing-hearts-and-money-into-collecting-baseball-cards.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Update on Grosset & Dunlap sports books…..

Over the past few years I have had a great deal of success finding Grosset and Dunlap sports books in decent condition.  The series was issued in variations and updates over the years.  I have not found a definitive list. I have sent a a couple of letters to Penguin (the company that owns the Grosset and Dunlap library) but have not heard back.  Below is a summary of everything I have and know about the series.  

The books were initially issued by A.S. Barnes in dust jackets in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s.  By the mid-1950’s Grosset and Dunlap took over the titles and reissued them in dust jackets in the “The Big League Baseball Library” series.  I have no idea if Grosset and Dunlap merged with or bought out A.S. Barnes.  Maybe they just bought the rights…I can’t find anything on this piece of the puzzle.  G&D added and dropped a few titles, but for the most part republished and updated what was already on the market.  Some of the more popular titles were even issued two separate times in the Big League Library. Later in the 1950’s and early 60’s, the Big League Baseball Library was issued in color board covers.  And finally, in the 1960’s and into the 1970’s, G&D changed the name of the series to “Grosset Sports Library” and added football, hockey, basketball, golf, and one miscellaneous sports title. In all there are as many as 5 (or more?) publications of the same book – usually updated. 

An example of this is pictured below.  “The Artful Dodgers” by Tom Meany was first published in 1953 by A.S. Barnes in dust jacket with a Trolley Dodger on the cover. Then Grosset issued a “Big League Baseball Library” (BLBL) version three times: 1) they changed the dust jacket cover, and put painted faces of popular Dodgers on the cover in 1954. (Reese, Robinson, Hodges, Campanella) 2) they issued the title in dust jacket with actual pictures of the Dodgers on the cover in 1958. (Reese, Snider, Podres, Hodges) and 3) in 1963 they updated the book, changed the cover to color board and kept faces on the cover of the LA Dodgers. (Fairly, Podres, Wills, Drysdale, Davis) Last, they changed the series name to “Grosset Sports Library” (GSL) and still using color board covers reissued The Artful Dodgers in 1966 with the Trolley Dodger on the cover again. GSL also had numbers assigned on the spine of the book, in this case 2401.

Following is an inventory listing of what I have, what I know of that I need, and a few variation notes.

From the AS Barnes Series:

• The Artful Dodgers, Tom Meany 1953
• The American League, Ed Fitzgerald 1952
• The National League, Ed Fitzgerald 1952
• Lucky To Be A Yankee, Joe DiMaggio 1946
• Milwaukee’s Miracle Braves, Tom Meany 1954
• The Magnificent Yankees, Tom Meany 1952
• Babe Ruth, Tom Meany 1947
• Strikeout Story, Bob Feller 1947
• Baseball’s Greatest Teams, Tom Meany 1949
• Baseballs Greatest Hitters, Tom Meany 1950
• The Incredible Giants, Tom Meany 1955
• Do You Know Your Baseball, Bill Brandt 1947

I still need the following titles from A.S. Barnes’ series (dust jacket):

• Clowning Through Baseball, Al Schacht
• My Greatest Day in Baseball, John Carmichael 1945
• The Gashouse Gang, J. Roy Stockton
• Baseball’s Hall of Fame, Ken Smith 1952
• Baseball’s Greatest Pitchers, Tom Meany
• Yogi Berra, Joe Trimble 1954

From Grosset and Dunlap’s Big League Baseball Library Series (dust jacket):

• The Artful Dodgers, Tom Meany 1954
• The Artful Dodgers, Tom Meany 1958
• The American League, Ed Fitzgerald 1959
• The National League, Ed Fitzgerald 1959
• Lucky To Be A Yankee, Joe DiMaggio 1951
• Milwaukee’s Miracle Braves, Tom Meany 1954
• The Magnificent Yankees, Tom Meany 1957
• Babe Ruth, Tom Meany 1951
• Strikeout Story, Bob Feller 1947
• The Jackie Robinson Story, Arthur Mann 1951
• Baseball For Everyone, Joe DiMaggio 1948
• Inside Baseball, Arthur Daley 1950
• Baseball’s Greatest Players, Tom Meany 1953
• Baseball’s Hall Of Fame, Ken Smith 1958
• Baseball Complete, Russ Hodges 1952
• My Greatest Day In Baseball, John P. Carmichael 1951
• Pitching To Win, Bob Feller 1952
• Yogi Berra, Joe Trimble 1956
• Roy Campanella, Dick Young 1952

I still need the following titles from the Big League Baseball Library (dust jacket) series:

• Lucky To Be A Yankee, Joe DiMaggio 1949
• The Magnificent Yankees, Tom Meany 1956
• The Jackie Robinson Story, Arthur Mann 1950 (F.J. Low Co, publisher)
• My Greatest Day In Baseball, John P. Carmichael 1950
• Pitching To Win, Bob Feller 1948

From Grosset and Dunlap’s Big League Baseball Library Series (color board):

• The Artful Dodgers, Tom Meany 1963
• The American League, Ed Fitzgerald 1963
• The National League, Ed Fitzgerald 1963
• Lucky To Be A Yankee, Joe DiMaggio 1957
• Lucky To Be A Yankee, Joe DiMaggio 1971 (#2409)
• The Magnificent Yankees, Tom Meany 1963
• Babe Ruth, Tom Meany 1951
• The Jackie Robinson Story, Arthur Mann 1963
• Baseball For Everyone, Joe DiMaggio 1948
• Inside Baseball, Arthur Daley 1950
• Baseball’s Greatest Players, Tom Meany 1953
• Baseball’s Hall Of Fame, Ken Smith 1966
• Baseball Complete, Russ Hodges 1963
• My Greatest Day In Baseball, John P. Carmichael 1963
• The Amazing Mets, Jerry Mitchell 1964

From Grosset Sports Library (color board):

• The Artful Dodgers, Tom Meany 1966 (#2401)
• The National League, Ed Fitzgerald 1966 (#2412)
• The Magnificent Yankees, Tom Meany 1966 (#2410)
• Babe Ruth, Tom Meany 1971 (#2402)
• The Jackie Robinson Story, Arthur Mann 1956 (#2408)
• Inside Baseball, Arthur Daley 1950 (no number)
• Baseball’s Greatest Players, Tom Meany 1953 (#2405)
• Baseball’s Hall Of Fame, Ken Smith 1966 #2406)
• Baseball’s Hall Of Fame (Revised), Ken Smith 1970 (#2424)
• Baseball Complete, Russ Hodges 1963 (no number)
• The Amazing Mets, Jerry Mitchell 1966 (#2390)
• Yogi Berra, Joe Trimble 1965 (#2415)
• Pro Football’s Hall Of Fame, Arthur Daley 1971 (#2508)
• Comeback Quarterback, George Sullivan 1969 (#2502)
• Mr. Clutch, The Jerry West Story, Bill Libby 1971 (#2427)
• Sports Shorts, Mac Davis 1968 (#2398)
• Gordie Howe, Stan Fischler 1967 (#2397)
• Run To Daylight, Vince Lombardi 1967 (#2396)
• Arnold Palmer, Golf Digest 1967 (#2395)
• Sandy Koufax, Jerry Mitchell 1966 (#2393)
• Willie Mays, Arnold Hano 1966 (#2392)
• The Making of a Pro Quarterback, Ed Richter 1966 (#2391)
• Pro Quarterback: My Own Story, Johnny Unitas/Ed Fitzgerald 1968 (#2389)
• Inside Pro Football, Ed Higdon 1970 (#1789)
• Wilt Chamberlain, George Sullivan 1966 (#2394)
• Wilt Chamberlain (Revised), George Sullivan 1966 (#2428)

I still need the following titles from Grosset Sports Library (color board):

• The American League, Ed Fitzgerald 1966

There are several earlier editions of the Grosset Sports Library, notably by other publishers that I will not pursue.  however, if I do find an earlier version issued by Grosset, I will include that in this collection. 

Other notes:

The American League and The National League by Ed Fitzgerald are a little different in the Grosset Sports Series because they have a different logo on the spine.  Instead of the torch/flame that most of this series carries, these have a trophy logo. I have not seen any other books with a trophy logo. 

 

The Comback Quarterback (The Earl Morrall Story) was a difficult book to find of the Sports Series.  Not sure why this is….late issue date? Short run?

Lucky to be a Yankee was issued twice under the Big League Baseball Library Series on color board.  One had no number and the other (1971 date) had a number on it.  It’s kind of an oddity in all of this because by 1971, the series had definitely moved on to the “Grosset Sports Library” issues.

Last there are a couple of strays….I have a copy of Bob Feller’s Strikeout Story that is published by Grosset and Dunlap (dust jacket) but it has no logo at all. 

And I have a copy (missing dust jacket) of Lou Gehrig, Pride of the Yankees by Paul Gallico 1942.  I know there is a movie version of this book with photos of Gary Cooper.  The version I have has no relation to the film. I would like to find both – with the dust jackets. 

The most difficult book to find in the Grosset Sports Series has “The American League” by Ed Fitzgerald.  I have never seen it on eBay in the six-plus years I have been looking. maybe it's just bad luck, but I suspect they either didn't publish this version - or it is in very short quantity.  Lombardi’s Run To Daylight has an earlier publication date of 1963 with (it looks like) Prentice Hall.  I am definitely going to pursue that book – but a first edition can get rather pricey.  That’s brings the story of my book collection up-to-date.  It has been fun finding these books, reading a bit, and adding to my library.  

9-11-13 Minnie Minoso

September 11, 1976 - Minnie Minoso comes to bat for the White Sox after a twelve-year hiatus. He goes hitless in his three at bats against Frank Tanana, but his appearance makes him one of a handful of Major League players to play in four decades. His at bat in 1980 will match him with Nick Altrock as a five-decade player.

• So this has been hit or miss with me – maybe if I try to discipline myself to writing a daily blog entry I can get more in the swing of it.  I’m not a good writer but for some reason I want to leave thoughts somewhere for….my kids?  My grandkids?  I don’t know….and maybe it doesn’t matter.  Maybe it’s just for me.

• To today is the 11^th of September and everyone is commemorating the attacks in 2001.  I think it goes a little overboard but … we’re baby-boomers and it’s all about “us” right?  Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941 and there’s barely a mention of it anymore. Perhaps “9-11” will be that way someday. 

• I barely remember Minnie Minoso.  I do recall it being a big deal that he played in 5 different decades.  But since he was out of baseball for 12 years – and since the Sox were owned by the publicity seeking Bill Veeck, I think that this is more of a stunt than an actual achievement. 

He who hesitates….

Recently, two items on eBay have slipped right through my fingers.  I hesitated and they were gone before I could make up my mind to make a purchase.   

The first item was an autographed (with a reliable COA) copy of a book titled “Lucky to be a Yankee” by Joe DiMaggio.  In decent shape, this was the hardcover, 1946 publication from A.S. Barnes.  The book was later released by A.S. Barnes in paperback, and again later by Grosset and Dunlap; once with a dust jacket (Big League Library Series) and later with a color board. (Also BLL Series) 

 

The book’s original asking price of $225.00 had been reduced to a “Buy It Now” price of $165.00.  For my collection, that’s quite a bit of money for one book.  I watched and waited … and … waited and watched….until one day it was gone - sold.  I could kick myself because books in the same condition are carrying asking process of $500 to $1,500.  I realize that asking price is different than selling price – but these amounts aren’t even in the same zip code – let alone neighborhood.

A few weeks later, I saw another copy of the same book up for bid without the certificate of authenticity for the autograph.  But I know DiMaggio autographed a ton of these books, so it should be no trouble to get it authenticated at a collectibles show.  I bid $75.00 – and figured I would keep an eye on it.  I got sidetracked (okay, my son graduated from college) and it sold for $76.00.  I am hopeful another reasonably priced copy will come on the market. 

The second item is also from A.S. Barnes – and was a part of their “Barnes All Star Library Series” that was sold at checkout lanes in grocery and department stores in the early 1950’s. 

There are eight books in the series:

·         Joe DiMaggio
·         Yogi Berra
·         Ted Williams
·         Stan Musial
·         Bob Lemon
·         Ewell Blackwell
·         Andy Pafko
·         Ralph Kiner

As of today, I have six of the eight books.  I am missing the Andy Pafko and Yogi Berra books. 

For the six that I own, I have seen prices all over the map ranging from about $15.00 up to $85.00.  While I would normally add the caveat “depending on condition,” it doesn’t seem to apply as heavily to these books.  I have recently seen average condition Joe DiMaggio books in the $50 range.  I bought mine (also average condition) for about $10.00.  While I paid $25 for the Stan Musial book, I have seen it as high as $85.00.  Currently there is an Andy Pafko book on eBay with an asking price of around $65.  For the most part, I prefer to wait and be patient.  Eventually someone will list one of the books I need at a decent price and I will move quickly to buy it or bid aggressively. 

I had my eye on a Yogi Berra book about a month ago - on eBay.  The asking price was $125.00 which I thought was ridiculous.  So I began to do a little research and discovered that the Berra and Pafko books are the hardest to find due to printing scarcity.  Yogi’s probably carries a premium because, well, it’s Yogi.  I found another copy of the Berra book on Amazon and it was listed at $199.00 – in fact it’s still for sale today.  The listing on eBay did not have a picture accompanying it – so I sent a message asking about quality.  The response was it was in average condition with a few scuff marks on the cover.  That made me hesitant – scuff marks, no picture, $125.00….it was all too much for me to process.  I simply could not get comfortable.  Within about a week – someone did get comfortable.  And now I am thinking I should have just gone for it. 

I suppose that my story is not unique to collectors – most people that collect things have stories about “the one that got away.”  Because 1) these situations occurred coincidentally, and 2) I realize now that I will probably pay more to complete my book series collection, it stings a little.  In a twisted, masochistic way this is what makes collecting so much fun.   

Update January 19, 2014

I have completed the AS Barnes collection.  I was very lucky to find the Yogi Berra book on an eBay auction and got it for $35 (rather than the $125 I expected.) I also learned that the Pafko book is the most difficult to find.  I got it for $50.  I don't consider the Pafko book a bargain, but the Berra book was a steal.

The first four issued were Musial, Kiner, DiMaggio, and Williams.  They are available and can be had for a reasonable price.  I have (2) Musial, (2) Kiner, (2) DiMaggio, and (3) Williams books.  The second series is the most difficult with Pafko and Berra the most difficult to get at a decent price.  I only have one each of the second series that also includes Lemon and Blackwell.

Here they are....