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Friday, July 3, 2020

There's a Haircut You Can Set Your Watch To

As my vintage collection has grown, so has my knowledge of the Dodgers from years past--or at least I thought. Sometimes I encounter a card that has me thinking, "Who the hell is this guy?"


Case in point. Who the hell is Stan Williams? This doesn't even look like a Dodgers baseball card. In fact, when I first saw this card fall out of an envelope from Gavin over at Baseball Card Breakdown, my first thought was of Johnny Unitas thanks to a clip from the Simpsons I've seen at least eleventy hundred times.

Turns out Mr. Williams here had a decent fourteen-year career as a pitcher for six different ball clubs, including the Dodgers. Good for him.


My recognition skills aren't any better if you put a team card in front of me, especially if it's vintage.  I recognize maybe two or three dudes from this photo: Don Sutton, Don Drysdale, and maybe Walt Alston? Manny Mota is probably somewhere in this mix, too?

Who knows.


And it doesn't matter if it's vintage! I have a terrible time identifying just about anyone from most team cards. 

Tommy Lasorda is named at the top right, taking away an easy target for me, but any one else I name from this card is strictly from my own knowledge of the early-80s Dodgers--the photo provides almost nothing other than a few jersey numbers. I can make out Baker, Garvey, Cey, and Lopes. I assume Russell has got to be in this mix, too, but I couldn't pick him out of a lineup no matter how clear the photo is. (I Googled him as I wrote this, and he's a handsome fellow, though Grampa Simpson might have something to say about those sideburns.) 



Gavin also sent me a great mix of cards from the 1972 set, pushing me to just about the halfway point of completion. And hey, I recognize some of these dudes! Willie Davis. Maury Wills. Claude Osteen. These are the names and faces I recognize. Heck, Maury Wills is one of the first Dodgers I put to memory, though I don't know why. I knew he stole a lot of bases, and I always wondered who would win in a foot race: Maury Wills or Dave Roberts.

Gavin sent these cards my way after he claimed the very first Trade Pile back in June--thanks for that! I'm always thrilled to add more Dodgers to my binders, especially so if it's vintage. 

Just don't expect me to know who the hell anyone is. 

6 comments:

  1. If baseball cards are any indication, crewcuts seem to have been quite the fashion in the 1960s.

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  2. I've spent a lot of time studying team cards and it is sometimes tough to identify everyone. Some of the dodger team pictures uswd on those cards are shown with more clarity at walteromalley.com.
    That's a good mix of 72s that Nick sent!

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  3. Stan Williams had the misfortune of being blamed for allowing the Giants into the 1962 World Series. That's his claim to fame ... well, except for a 1972 Topps night card that is phenomenal, but that's just me.

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  4. I like that 1980 Topps team card... with Dodger Stadium in the background.

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