Topps Million Card Giveaway Update

Okay, so I mentioned that I pulled a bunch of MCG redemptions (11 to be exact) over the weekend, and had gotten some good stuff. Let’s review what I pulled:

• Bob Turley 1954 (Orioles)
• Phil Clark 1958 (Cards)
• Dick Gernert 1958 (Red Sox)
• Charley Rabe 1958 (Reds)
• Ray Moore 1963 (Twins)
• Dick Bertell 1963 (Cubs)
• Jose Vidal 1969 (Pilots)
• Alan Trammell 1982 (Tigers)
• Javy Lopez 1996 (Braves)
• Mark Teixeira 2006 (Rangers)

I set about trading for Senators, Expos, and Nationals. Here’s what that has become, not including the 68 card I showed the other day.

1958 Bob Malkmus

I dealt the 54 and got a 54 Senators card in return, but someone offered me four mid-50s and early-60s card for it, so I bit; that’s one situation where I’ll accept a lot of cards for one. I flipped one of those mid-50s cards for a 60 Malkmus, and someone traded me this for that.

1960 Bill Fischer

My first 1960 card! Very excited to take delivery of this one.

1961 Johnny Antonelli

This one is still out there and available…trying hard to deal this for a 61 Senators card, but no dice so far.

1962 Bennie Daniels

1962 Jim Piersall

Okay how cool is this? I manage to get my first 1962 cards (a set I’ve long drooled over), and one of them is none other than Jim Piersall. And check out that sweet shot on the Daniels card. Can’t wait to get that one.

1963 Topps Bennie Daniels

I love when I can trace a player’s career with the Senators, and I saw a chance to do that with Daniels. This will also be my first 63 card.

1965 Bob Chance

I wanted to have at least one card with that sweet All Star Rookie trophy, and this was my chance (heh).

1966 Buster Narum

I’m closing in on completing the 66 Team Set. This is one more card toward that goal.

1970 Expos Rookies

For whatever reason, the large picture of this is not working on the site, but another addition to my growing 1970 collection.

1982 Topps

Just a great card.

1996 Charles Nagy

Hoping to eventually turn this into an Expo.

And the 2006 Teixeira is untraded. That’s going to be an albatross, I can tell.

1959 Topps: Bob Malkmus & Jim Lemon

Today we’re going to cover two older cards of players I had never heard of before obtaining their cards.

Bobby Malkmus was only ever a regular player in one year, 1961, when he was with the Phillies. In 1959, he played in only six games for the Senators, with zero plate appearances. In 1958, he had appeared in 41 games with a -0.5 WAR. He appears to have had zero power and zero speed. Obviously, he was glove-only, pretty typical for a second baseman in those days, but he still ranked a 32 OPS+, which…yeah. Even for a second baseman, it sucks. He had had some good seasons in the minors, though, putting in a 300/361/498 slash in 1959 at AA Denver. Ultimately, though, he was a major league bit player.

Jim Lemon was a bit more successful, playing many complete seasons, including full seasons in 58 and 59. Of course, he was coming off of leading the league in strikeouts with 120 in 1958, but he had also OPSed 114 with a .9 WAR and slugged 29 home runs. So no superstar or even star, but the kind of guy you could stick in the outfield and generally forget about. Kind of a Ryan Church of his day, I guess. His playing days wound down in 1963, with the White Sox, and became a manager and scout after that, passing away from melanoma in 2006 at the ripe old age of 78.