Another Box That I Don't Open Often Enough - My 1972 Topps Set

 I've been sick for a few days (two negative COVID tests) so I needed something to break up the monotony at home.  I decided to check out my 1972 Topps set.  I remember the cards being issued in series.  It was quite a tease to get a checklist of cards that weren't even available until the next series.

Because I watched to Cubs on most days and the White Sox only sometimes, I was always more familiar with National League players.

I had a circle of about 6 - 8 kids who regularly collected cards.  Multi-player rookie cards were never really a big deal to any of us.

I always liked this pose, even though as a left-hander I only put on catching gear once in 10 years of playing.

For the second year in a row I have a tough time getting Billy Martin cards.

I had a few of this card.  My collecting circle went to some teen's house where he sold us a bunch of Aarons, Mays and Clementes for 10 cents each.  Too bad we didn't care about rookie cards or high numbered cards at this point since these guys had about 5000 cards from 1970 - 1972.

Our Chicago Park District baseball hats were better than Pete's airbrushed hat.

I loved to read the lists on the back of these leader cards.  

Which one is better - three players or four?  I liked them all.

Trophy cards.  These guys must be among the best players in the majors.  Trophies were a big deal amongst the kids in our neighborhood.  You only got one by finishing in the top three of a sport.  Everyone kept track of how many trophies they had. 

It is great to see the uniforms on display.

Another classic uniform.  I like to think that he is arguing with the umpire.  My brother was eight years older than me and he was an umpire.  He called my seven-year-old neighbor out on strikes once and then later that day my brother got a crayon-scribbled note telling him about how bad of an umpire he was.

The 1971 World Series was the first one to feature night games.  That was fine, except that I had a normal bedtime of 8:30.  Usually that was extended to halftime of a Monday Night Football game.

No pictures on the back of the cards, but I do like the design.

I loved to see the old stadiums.  I've been to 32 stadiums so far, but not all of the classic ones.  

So there is Larry Brown the football player, Larry Brown the basketball coach but I don't remember much about Larry Brown on the A's.  It makes sense since he played his last game in 1974 when I was 11.  Great uniform.  

He looked like a giant to us, especially in batting practice at Wrigley Field.  As I mentioned before, I was so scared when he hit a BP homer near me as a kid.  

Two of my favorite Clemente cards.

Lots of variety as to what the players wore under their uniforms.  

The first subset that I paid a lot of attention to as a kid.  I still don't know what I think about it.  

I didn't develop the dislike for the Cardinals until they got good a few years later.

The Reds are Dodgers were getting close to dominating the starting lineup in the All-Star game.  Two Reds in 1972, three in 1973 and then six in 1974 and seven in 1975.  I don't even want to look at any more years.  

I agree with some HOF voters that contributions to the game / changing the way the game is played should have some impact on the voting instead of just the numbers.  What about guys who combine playing, coaching, scouting, etc?

No, the answer is still the same.  I will NOT trade any of my Billy Williams cards.

I like to crowds in the background too.

Never heard of this guy in 1972.  

Another of the cards with a collared shirt underneath the uniform.  

More stadiums please.

When our Little League team went to Regional Qualifying for the LLWS we faced a kid who was about as intimidating as Marichal.  When I see we, I was happy to say I ended up on the bench and didn't have to face my fears.

I forgot about the puzzles on the back of the cards.  

Here is a completed puzzle.  This was also a great ploy by Topps.  I had to get these puzzles completed on my way to completing the set.  

My first team was the Tigers and as a new kid I spent lots of time in right field.  So, I naturally cheered for Al Kaline.

None of us liked these cards.  At least a checklist card was useful since we had no other way to find out who was in the set.  YES - NO TCDB.com, NO Beckett, NO internet at all.  We all used the checklists.

Traded to the A's for Rick Monday.   Hard to say that it was a bad trade for either team.   I got to watch him in the World Series three years in a row.  He hit a home run too.  

I love the letter jackets.  

I never wanted a manager card.  

The traded cards were well received since they were part of the regular set.  

Classic pose.  

I look forward to checking out some of my other sets soon.  If I don't do that, why bother keeping them?