1966 Topps Baseball Wantlist

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

No Longer Incognito

Yep I have returned to the Bay area, well this past Saturday. So where was my undercover mission? The great city of Portland, Oregon. Let us call it an early 50th Bday trip as well as a celebration of a recent promotion. The goal was to eat, drink, and sight see. Goal accomplished-I had wanted to hit a Portland Pickles (Independent minor league team) game. But we just couldn't do it.
If pictures of food, beer, and sights isn't for you please feel free to scroll to the end.

Day 1 (Saturday)

Pre-Flight Brew(Almanac Gose) at SFO Gastropub
First stop after arriving, Raccoon Lodge/Cascade Brewing-if you appreciate sour beers this is the place for. The sampler is all sours and the beer menu hit 18 brews.

We stayed the week at the McMenamins' Kennedy School which is an old elementary school convertedinto a brewery, hotel, with so many bars, and other activities-like a cruise ship on land.



Day 2 (Sunday)

After hitting the Portland Art Museum we stopped at Tasty & Alder for a snack and a couple of beers
then we hit one of our favorites-Deschutes. We had been to the one Bend which we thought was better regarding selection, then we hit Ohio transplant Fathead's Brewing, then AB/InBEV sell-out 10 Barrel-we hit the one in Bend before they sold out, then finished at the nano brewery-literally next to 10 Barrel, called Backpedal. What I learned is at 50 I can't hit 4 breweries in one day-and don't think I can hit 3 either.  We wrapped up the day with an interesting and delicious Indian meal at Bollywood Theater.



Day 3 (Monday)

Like a cruise ship, I felt fine the following day-but it was hella hot. So after a delicious meal at a Southern breakfast spot called Pine State Biscuits, we hit a fantastic ice cream place called Salt & Straw (of course one flavor made with spent grain)-yes we were there at 11am, but if you get there later in the day the line goes around the block, then Great Notions Brewing-again sour beers, then Lompoc Brewing-5th Quadrant-with a stop in between at Stash Tea-for delicious tea drink.




Day 4 (Tuesday)

This was an extra special day as we were having dinner with our good friend "Super Dave" who moved in February to Portland, so we had another Southern breakfast-this time at Screen Door-prailine bacon and hush puppies (both not that great but our other dishes were fantastic), then a visit to Hop Urban Brewery, then later dinner at the Imperial-I discovered Bacon Chops (a combo of Pork Belly and Chop).



Day 5 (Wednesday)

We didn't roll back to the hotel until very late so we rolled later on Wednesday.  Had to find real bagels-yes bagels. Those here in California are generally terrible-let us call them what they are-rolls. We went to Kornblatt's Deli for real boiled bagels, knishes,  and Blintzes. Then we hit the Japanese Garden (they had a 500 year old bonsai tree!), then Hair of the Dog Brewing (one I have wanted to go to for years-but very malt driven beers-great for cold weather), Commons Brewery-more sours, then a snack at Olympic Provisions, then Breakside Brewing, then a great BBQ meal at Podnah's Pit BBQ.






Day 6 (Thursday)

This day we took a field trip to Hood River with a stop at Multnomah Falls, pFriem Family Brewers, Double Mountain Brewery, then Walking Man Brewery in Stevenson, WA on the way home.



Day 7 (Friday)

Sad day-I love Portland and though I was anxious to sleep in my own bed and to see my cats I was already missing PDX. So we headed to Vancouver, WA to meet "Super Dave" but once over the river we stopped at, you guessed it, a Soul Food place for breakfast-Moma's Kitchen-catfish and grits anyone? Only one brewery-Zoiglhaus Brewery-really nice to get a real solid German brewery in the trip. Fantastic Spring Bock, then a meal at a food cart pod called-appropriately Cartlandia-sushi burrito.




Day 8 (Saturday)

All good things must come to an end-so it was so for our trip to PDX. One last brew at the Laurelwood Brewing-
So, if you were counting we hit 16 breweries-it sounds like a lot and it was. Most of the time we did samplers, 1/2 pours, or one pint per. Next post will be a recap of Nacho Grandes' Group Break.

Thursday, June 15, 2017

Incognito

A quick post to say I will be incognito for about 10 days-I will have details on my secret mission when over! Happy Summer! Yeah, I have still given up on the Redbirds.

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Foremost on my Mind Better than a Blaster Edition

I became aware of this Cardinals' minor league issue when I first began flipping through the Standard Catalogue of Baseball Cards by Bob Lemke. This is the 1966 Foremost Dairy St. Petersburg Cardinals team issue. Consisting of 20 black and white post-card size photos with blank backs and player name, team, position on the front as well as the Foremost Dairy Logo. Bob doesn't indicate how they were issued but I suspect as a premium mail in or SGA. This set I picked up on the Bay for 1/2 the price of a blaster. On a side note Foremost was THE Dairy in the area of SE Missouri my dad is from and I am very familiar with the logo from growing up.

The St. Pete Cardinals were the Florida State League A team that had a record of 91-45. To say there were no future MLB stars in this issue is an understatement. Of the 19 players in the set there were only a total of 202 MLB games played. Most of these by a couple of players-there is however one big name on the team and he wasn't a player-and you will have to wait till then end of the post to find out whom. As a side note a few of these players do have the cards-which I will show. According to Wiki "It was during the 1966 season that Anderson's club lost to Miami 4–3 in 29 innings, which remains the longest pro game played (by innings) without interruption."


Dave Bakenhaster
Position: Pitcher, Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right
1963-1970 in the Redbird Farm System Brief stint in MLB
Dave does have a 1964 Topps Rookie card

Len Boyer
Position: Third Baseman Bats: Left    Throws: Right
1964-1970 in the Redbird Farm System



Ron Braddock Positions: Pitcher, Outfielder and Third Baseman
Bats: Both    Throws: Right
1964-1967 in the Redbird farm system

Chip Coulter
Position: Second Baseman Bats: Both    Throws: Right
1964-1972 in Minors

Ernest “Sweet Pea” Davis
Position: Outfielder Bats: Right    Throws: Right
1963-1969 in farm

Philip Knuckles
Position: Pitcher Bats: Right    Throws: Right
1965-1971, except 1970 with PCL Padres

Douglas Lukens
Position: Pitcher Bats: Right    Throws: Right
He only had one season in 1966-perhaps drafted or hurt? But he had a good record for that year. A record of 7-2, 1.75 ERA, 13 Games , 10 Starts, 45 Ks 14 Earned Runs, 1.000 WHIP 5.6 Ks per 9

Terry Milani
Positions: First Baseman, Third Baseman and Outfielder Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right
1965-1969

Tim Morgan (For whatever reason Tim's card i missing the Foremost Dairy Logo)
Positions: Outfielder and Third Baseman Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right
1965-1965



Harry Parker (Harry has a number of MLB Cards including a 1973-74 Linnett Portraits)
Position: Pitcher Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right
1965-1975, STL, Mets, CLE
Career 15 and 21 3.85 ERA 124 games 12 saves 1.405 WHIP



Jerry Robertson (Jerry also has number of cards including the expansion Expos 1969 Team Postcards)
Position: Pitcher Bats: Both  •  Throws: Right
1965-1971 Never made it with the Birds but did in 1969 with the Expos and 1970 with Detroit


Francisco Rodriguez
Position: Shortstop Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right
1965 and 1966 with the redbird minors but 1964, and part of 1966 through 1985 in the Mexican BB league

Josh “Sonny” Ruberto
Positions: Catcher, Third Baseman and Second Baseman Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right
1964-1976 STL, Padres, Reds, 1969 made to the Padres and 1972 with the Reds one game each


1976 Indianapolis Indians Team Issue (Coach)
1980 TCMA Arkansas Travelers (St. Louis Double A Texas League) (coach)


Charlie Stewart 
Position: Outfielder Bats: Left  •  Throws: Right
1966-1971 only minors

Gary Stone
Position: Catcher Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right
1963-1971 White Sox, Redbirds, Mets, Indians-all minors


Tim Thompson
Position: Pitcher Bats: Both  •  Throws: Left
1965-1970 all minors Dodgers/Redbirds

Jose Villar
Positions: Outfielder and First Baseman Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right
1959-1967 Indians, STL, Balt all minors 

Archie Wade
Positions: Outfielder and Shortstop Bats: Left  •  Throws: Right
1965-1967 all cards minors

Jim Williamson
Positions: Outfielder and Shortstop Bats: Left  •  Throws: Right
1964-1968 all Redbirds all time

OK Some of you may have just scrolled down to the bottom to see the person who makes this set. That person is the HOFer and Legend Sparky Anderson, yep Sparky. 
According to Wiki "During this period, he managed four pennant winners in four consecutive seasons: 1965 with the Rock Hill Cardinals of the Western Carolinas League, 1966 with the St. Petersburg Cardinals of the Florida State League, 1967 with the Modesto Reds of the California League, and 1968 with the Asheville Tourists of the Southern League."