Hey, look, we're about to get into the top100 cards in the 1975 Topps set.
This took a little longer than I had anticipated, but it's been nice to have a topic I can count on for a year-and-a-half.
All right, are you ready for some all-time greats? Let's enjoy:
103. Darrell Evans (card 475)
Darrell Evans featured one of those '75 borders where the colors match the photo, always pleasing. And I love the mid-swing pose.
102. Dave Cash (card 22)
I fell in love with this card the moment I saw it in 1975. Dave Cash seemed so cool and stylish to me -- almost dapper, though I had no idea what that meant. I liked the pose, the uniform made me an early fan of the Phillies, the color border matches well. And his name is Dave Cash. Just greatness.
101. Gene Tenace (card 535)
Gene Tenace had a nice little mini-run of cards until he had to sign with the Padres as a free agent and show up in an airbrushed get-up in 1977. But I loved his '75 and '76 card. The Tenace '75 card came in a pack I bought that also include Bake McBride and Garry Maddox. You can't beat that.
100. Jeff Burroughs (card 470)
Most of the All-Star cards have been saved for the top 100 cards. Those All-Star borders and the position stars just add extra excitement and importance to the photo. So much so that I can feel it and I've felt it for nearly 50 years.
99. Fergie Jenkins (card 60)
A cool action shot that I might not appreciate as much as if I did if I saw this card in 1975. Jenkins' image is a bit far away but in general certainly nothing worth complaining about.
98. Dick Green (card 91)
The card in this set that feature every color in the rainbow are the very best. Pink-and-yellow bordered Oakland A's cards best accomplish that feat. See: the Vida Blue card. ... Oh, wait, you can't see it, because of course it hasn't appeared on the countdown yet!!
97. John Odom (card 69)
Another treasured card from childhood, I loved the combination of the A's uniform with the yellow/light blue border. I also liked Odom's slight smile and the signature reading "Blue Moon," and I had no idea why it said that.
96. Bill Madlock (card 104)
Bill Madlock's face is in the shadows but it's truly one of the best rookie cup cards in the set. I always liked on-deck photo shots.
95. Mickey Rivers (card 164)
A very young-looking Mickey Rivers waits for some action with hands on knees.
94. Len Randle (card 259)
I was super-entranced by this card as a youngster. It's probably the finest example of emotion in the 1975 Topps set. I had no idea that Randle is probably disgusted by popping out or maybe even striking out, I just thought the card was exciting. It's not the kind of photo you've seen very often on a baseball card.
93. Dick Ruthven (card 267)
More action and one of the top 10 favorite cards of mine in 1975. I still don't have a full idea of what is happening in this photo, but that can't be good for his arm.
92. George Brett (card 228)
One of the most famous cards in the set, thanks to its rookieness. If it wasn't a rookie card of a Hall of Famer it wouldn't be rated as highly as it's a pretty basic shot and Brett would have much, much better cards in his future.
91. Cesar Cedeno (card 590)
Probably not the greatest photo objectively unless you're going for a certain kind of effect, but you couldn't tell me that as a kid. The moment I pulled it, it took up residence as my absolute favorite card. It does pull you in and make you wonder what is going on in the mind of Cesar Cedeno at that moment.
90. Greg Gross (card 334)
Greg Gross didn't capture the greatness that this card promises. He looks like a future superstar swinging away next to that giant trophy cup. That is how to debut on a baseball card.
89. Bernie Carbo (card 379)
More batting cage greatness. I love the blue-orange combo with this card and the concentration on Bernie Carbo's face. I naturally gravitated toward the non-superstar. My brother did so, too. Carbo was one of our favorites instead.
88. Carl Yastrzemski (card 280)
Now that's a batting cage shot! Now that's a signature! Now that's a day at the ballpark!
87. Ron Blomberg (card 68)
Ron Blomberg gets the "hero shot" treatment here, which maybe I guess is warranted as he was well-known as the first designated hitter at the time. But the expression on his face looks like he's a bit confused by all the attention.
86. Wayne Garrett (card 111)
Just two dudes -- Wayne Garrett and John Milner -- chilling by the batting cages. This was a bold choice by Topps to have another player so easily identifiable on a particular player's card.
85. Steve Yeager (card 376)
The first Dodger card I owned in my first year of buying cards. Steve Yeager looks nothing like he'd look later but he had all the ingredients for a favorite card, batting helmet, mid-swing batting pose. No wonder I carried this card around in my pocket.
84. Ray Fosse (card 486)
There is only one catching pose card in the 1975 set that beats this one and I think you know which one that is, 1975 fans.
But that's for another time, because this episode is over. Some pretty great cards there!
Makes me fall in love with the '75 set all over again.
Comments
Normally action shots are my favorite... and that Fergie is fantastic. But my favorite card in this group is that Blue Moon. Great smile. Good photo angle with Odom looking off into the distance. Well placed facsimile signature. And a great shot of the Coliseum for a backdrop.
I kind of remember the Randle card but I kind of overlooked his face. Up to 1975 - that is about one of the emotional expressions that was ever put on a baseball card. In an odd way maybe it would be prelude to him beating up his manager a few years later.
Oakland A's players were just destined to look good in this set.
Phillies, Pirate, Cardinal logos on Ruthven just classic - maybe prelude to the Fleer Stickers in the 1980s packs