1964 Football Cardinals, Oh So Close!

The 1964 Football Cardinals were oh so close to going all the way. The Cardinals in 1964 finished with a record of 9-3-2, and ½ game in back of the Browns who would go on to when the NFL Championship Game December 1964. The Cardinals did well head to head against the Browns, tying them in September, and beating them in December. The Cardinals defeated the Packers in an upset 24-17 in the 1964 Playoff Bowl, which resulted them in finishing third in the NFL. This would be their only playoff appearance between 1948-1974.

The 1964 roster continued to include stars such as Bobby Joe Conrad, John David Crow, Charley Johnson, Larry Wilson, Sonny Randle, and Jackie Smith. Nineteen Sixty-four would see Willis Crenshaw make his NFL debut. A running back, Willis would play 6 seasons of his 7 with the Big Red. He would end his career with 652 rushes and 2428 yards gained.

Though no card in 1964, fan favorite Kicker Jim Bakken a 4 time Pro-Bowler, and NFL All Decade Team for the 1960s AND 1970s, would play in 1964. Though not rookies, Luke Owens who was with the Cardinals beginning in 1957, Ken Gray and Dale Meinert both with the Cardinals beginning in Chicago in 1958, Joe Robb with the Cardinals since 1959, and Center Bob DeMarco 2 time Pro-Bowler with the Cardinals since 1961 all have rookie cards in 1964.

What is worse, getting a rookie card after being in the NFL for a number of years? Or getting a rookie card for a year you weren’t actually in the NFL AND the player on the card isn’t you! Well this happened to Garland Boyette who would play with the Cardinals in 1962 and 1963, but not 1964 and 1965. The player is actually Don Gillis. Garland’s rookie card would be in 1970.

In 1964 Philadelphia Gum was the sole producer of NFL football cards. There were 14 cards (#169-182) featuring the Cardinals including a team card and play of the year card.

Philadelphia would produce a straightforward design. The front featured, usually, a portrait of the player surrounded by a white border, and in case of the Cardinals a yellow box at the bottom with the player’s name, team, and position.

The rear is in blue with card # in the top left corner, to right of the number are the players name, team, position, then year, height and weight, age, and college. A box bellow that has a little story of the given player and below that a cartoon with trivia about said player.

Two interesting cards in the team set are the team and the top plays card. The team card has a nice B&W team shot with a Cardinals helmet and the Big Red running Redbird logo flanking the team name.  The rear is like the regular player card a story and a cartoon. The Play of the Year card diagrams the “best” play of the year along with a headshot of the coach and a small picture of the team’s field. The reverse contains the team checklist, weird one would assume this would be on the team card, as well, as a description of the featured play.

There were two oddball issues in 1964, one was the return of Kahn’s Wieners and the other was Wheaties Stamps.

The Kahn’s "The Wiener the World Awaited" issue featured fewer Cardinals than in 1963 with three-Bobby Joe Conrad, Charley Johnson, and Sonny Randle. Unlike previous issues this was the only color issue, each photo was framed with a black border, and unlike 1963 there were no Cardinals’ action shots. The Reverse has the team, player’s name, and vitals and bio information. These must be very hard to find as a search of EBay shows only one Cardinal for sale and this is a graded copy (PSA 10) of Charlie Johnson for $1,500.

The Wheaties stamps are much larger than actual postage stamps at 2 3/4 by 2 1/2 inches.  Nearmint.Com tells us they are on very thin paper and fragile. I assume therefore mint copies are going to be a challenge. The set consisted of 74 stamps including 4 team photos. Nearmint also provided this image of the actual album as well as a page which would have included the stamps and which you would get in a mail in offer from General-Mills.

There are 6 Cardinals in this set, Bob DeMarco, Charley Johnson, Ken Gray Charley, Dale Meinert, Cardinals’ Team Emblem (see above), and Larry Wilson.

I really like the run of Philly Gum Football Cards-their simplicity and ascetics.

Currently have 13 of 14 1964 Philadelphia Gum Cardinals.

I love Soccer Part 2

Onwards!

Pack 3.

Green Dominator Fernando Muslera Goalkeeper , Galatasaray S.K Turkey

Picture Perfect Neymar Jr., Barcelona`

Pack 4.

Gold Dominator Giorgio Chiellini  Defender, Juventus

Picture Perfect Teo Gutierrez , Columbian Second Striker, Sporting Clube (Portugal), now with Rosario Central (Argentina)

Thiago Silva, Brazilian,  Center Back, PSG

Pack 5

Picture Perfect Silver Angel Di Maria, Argentinian winger with PSG.

We also say him in the Copa score against eventual Champions Chile. He grandmother passed away right before this game. The interview he gave after the game was very moving. Emotional Angel Di Maria celebrates Copa America goal with tribute to late grandmother

Picture Perfect Ahmed Musa Nigerian Forward, CSKA Moscow, now with Leicester City

James Rodriguez Columbian, Winger, Real Madrid.

We watched the Columbian national team destroy Team U.S.A in the Copa America. There was a Columbian fan who had this James sign with James' face on it ,in the front row, that he brought to every Copa game in Santa Clara. We surmise that he did so to get pretty women to take their picture with him.

I love Soccer Part 1

Now the Redbirds are finished I can fully focus on my second favorite sport, soccer. Yes soccer, I know some of the snooty fans want to correct me and say football. But did ya know that soccer comes from Associated Football. Associated was shortened to soccer and into the 20th century both soccer and football were used interchangeably in Britain. I digress.

A few months ago I put a box of Donruss Soccer 2016-17 on my EBay watch list. I would watch the price go between $60-and $70 dollars, then last week I peaked and it was below $50 with free shipping. Done deal. This product covers the main European teams as well as a couple in Latin America such as America in Mexico and Bocca Juniors in Argentina. So I had to bust the box.

Pack #1

Picture Perfect (Gold) Mauro Icardi, AC Internationale

Picture Perfect is a set of 48 horizontal cards highlighting stars. Mauro an Argentinian with one cap for his national team in 2013.

Picture Perfect Alvaro Morata, Juventus, a striker now with Real Madrid. First Real player though not in Royal Whites. My wife is a HUGE Madridista so we watch every Real game.

Edinson Cavani Paris Ste-Germain (PSG) Uruguayan Striker. We were fortunate to watch him play in the Copa America in Santa Clara this summer.

Sergio Busquets Barcelona midfielder

Pack #2

Kevin-Prince Boateng AC Milan midfielder/forward

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Gold) PSG Striker now with Manchester United

Brown Ideye Olympiacos (Silver) FC (Greece) Central Striker. Here you can really see the silver.

Ivan Perisic (Production Line) AC Internationale midfielder/forward.

Production Line highlights some "accomplishment" however minor in comparison. for Ivan this is 7 Goals in 2014-15.

That's a Wrap on the 2016 Season

I haven't watched much of the Cardinals the last month or so, it is too hard to stomach inconsistent play-either pitching is really good and they can't hit a lick, or hitting is really good and they can't pitch a lick. Either way I checked out. I would start to get a little excited when I would see flashes of greatness then they would crash. How do you expect to advance to the playoffs if you have the worst home record in the league?

It is time to make some significant moves.

#1 Fire Mike Matheny I can honestly say that his management of the team cost the team more than a few victories. Yeah Mike if I were you I would drink a cold beer or two too. He gotta go.

#2 Jamie Garcia-he gotta go-his last three starts were a disaster, either he is hurt and hasn't said anything or he has lost it-either way bye bye. He managed to only toss 7 innings in total for his last three starts. Jaime is giving a thumbs up to he gotta go.

#3 Matt Holiday-be well my friend-good luck.

#4 Michael Wacha-is he hurt, has he lost it? I hear his mechanics are off-well he gotta go.

#5 Mike Leake-one of the worst and disappointing signings by the Cardinals-and we are
stuck with him.

I would shed a tear too Yadi,  you wasted a really good offensive year.  I have to say between #1, #2, #4, and #5-the Cardinals lost a chance to have a wildcard spot. Yeah, Kolten it is frustrating.

Though my track record for rooting against certain teams to win the WS the last few years hasn't been good-see 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014 for example. Now this year two of my least favorite teams are back in it, the Giants and the Cubs.

I would like the Giants but their fans are some of the meanest and disrespectful group in baseball. Living in the Bay Area I would like to root for them, I like their players, manager, and their park, but their fans are insufferable

.

Yep, I hate the Cubs-which is my birthright as a Redbirds' fan-I am sorry sucking, in general, for over 100 years doesn't make me feel sorry for ya, nor should it make anyone else. Any one feel sorry for the Padres, Rays, Rockies, Mariners, Rangers, Brewers, or Astros-they haven't won either.

Perhaps it is all bitter fruit and there is always next year.