My quest to upgrade my 1978 Topps set has been very successful. I figured people would be hesitant to send cards that were essentially dupes, but apparently lots of people have perfect 1978s just sitting around!
I recently received another stash of upgrades from The Collective Mind. Here they are:
Really good stuff. Thanks to these, I'm down to just 10 cards that I need to upgrade! That total was like 100 just a few months ago!
Granted, the 10 are all cards nobody wants to give up -- a couple of Reggies, the Dawson rookie cup, Palmer, Carew, the Murphy-Parrish rookie catchers card. I'll have to get off my butt.
But I'm thrilled by the progress.
The only problem is I have blogged about 1978 Topps so often lately -- actually so often through the life of this blog -- that I'm lost as far as anything new to say. I thought of playing the game on the back for the few new cards I have, but the best any of them had to offer were a bunch of base-on-balls:
That wouldn't even get a run home, although I suppose you could put Doug Ault's flyout card after these three and produce a sacrifice fly.
But I've done the game thing before on a blog post anyway. Long time ago. Did a whole analysis of the game, too.
One thing I could address is something I've noticed as someone who has been on this planet for more than 50 years: For those in the limelight, perceptions change over the years. Whether through the passage of time, or the development of the person, or changes in attitudes and values, what a person -- in this case a player -- is known for is different now than it was back in 1978.
A few examples of then & now:
Charlie Hough (#22):
Then: A knuckleball relief pitcher for the Dodgers, from Hawaii, who gave up one of Reggie Jackson's three home runs in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series.
Now: A knuckleball starting pitcher forever, for the Rangers, White Sox and the original Florida Marlins team, who played in the majors for 25 years.
Keith Hernandez (#143):
Then: A young, good-looking hitter and fielder who was on the brink of an MVP season, which I thought he deserved all by himself in 1979 instead of Willie Stargell snatching half of the award.
Now: An entertaining curmudgeon broadcaster for the Mets who creates videos of his cat.
Gene Tenace (#240):
Then: Former World Series hero who became one of the many first free-agents enticed by the amount of money the Padres were throwing around in late 1976.
Now: Guy has got a lot of great baseball cards, even shows up as Joe Rudi in the 1973 set.
Doug Ault (#267):
Then: One of the first Toronto Blue Jays to make a national splash in the team's first season.
Now: A tragic figure whose card may be known more by the fact Thurman Munson is on it.
Bill Lee (#295):
Then: Kind of crazy Red Sox pitcher who calls his manager names.
Now: Really enjoyable character and former Montreal Expo living in Vermont who is actually a nice, approachable guy.
Whitey Herzog (#299):
Then: Manager of the Royals who is going to beat those Yankees in the playoffs someday! You just wait!
Now: Cardinals manager during the Runnin' Redbirds Era who ruined the All-Star Game for me.
Ted Simmons (#380):
Then: The best catcher not named Johnny Bench ... or Carlton Fisk ... or Thurman Munson.
Now: Former Brewer and Brave is now a Hall of Famer!
Dave Campbell (#402):
Then: Some Braves pitcher I've never heard of.
Now: One of the original baseball card bloggers (oops, that's two different people).
Anyway, this was about upgrading, but that has to do with "then & now, too" -- the original card (then) and the upgraded card (now). I'm very happy to have an upgraded Hernandez, who I figured would be one of the last ones.
That's the difference between the two. You can't even picture him in the Mets booth here can you?
As I've mentioned before, the originals aren't that bad, they were just handled by 12-year-old me from morning until night.
Doug Ault was another welcome one just because I know there are a lot of cameo fans and rookie cup collectors.
But the one I enjoyed the most -- may be a surprise -- is the Sid Monge upgrade. I just am not used to my common players being that shaggy. Unless they're from the '50s.
Hopefully, the next time you see '78s on the blog, it'll be the final group of upgrades (what a power-packed selection that will be).
(EDIT: The upgrade total has been bumped from 10 to 13, as often happens with these upgrading projects).
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