Wandering Through the Box Scores, Ep. 3
Earned runs, tattoos, bad Giants vibes and those amazing, absurd Philadelphia Phillies!
Before we go wandering through the boxscores, here’s your Friday splash of joy:
What is your favorite baseball card?
From Brilliant Reader Erik: I love any 1960s Topps cards that paired teammates or great players— “Buc Blasters,” “Tribe Thumpers”—but “Manager’s Dream” is my favorite. I loved each of these guys … But what makes the card particularly fascinating is th at among the given names, none are their own. Pedro Oliva used his brother Tony’s passport to leave Castro’s Cuba and play baseball in America. I don’t know how Leo got stuck with Chico. And then there’s that awful, official Anglicization of Roberto Clemente’s name, which lasted most of his career.
So it’s a celebration of three great Latino players, but also a reminder of how often we miss the mark.
From Brilliant Reader Jamey: Baseball fandom all seemed to come together for me in 1977 when I was 13. We got cable TV in Nova Scotia, and I was able to watch all the Boston Red Sox games. I received my first APBA baseball game, and the Red Sox traded for my favourite player, George Boomer Scott. To top it off, O-Pee-Chee produced my favorite baseball card (#210) of the Boomer. This was an air-brushed Red Sox version of his Topps Brewers card with his shark tooth necklace. I keep this card in my bedroom dresser and look at it every day.
Brilliant Reader Ben: Eric the Red was my first-ever favorite player. One of the highlights of my childhood was when my mom let me get his 1985 rookie card at a card show for $20. I kept it in a screwed-down glass case until he came on a caravan years later. I removed it just long enough for him to sign it, and back in it went.
Time again for us to hop into The Clubhouse and roam through the box scores.