The MVP Award at the All-Star game began in 1962 when there were two games. Maury Wills and Leon Wagner were the MVPs. Neither got a Kellogg's card. Wagner's final season was 1969 so he left too soon to get a Kellogg's card. Wills' career was winding down around 1970 and his final season was 1972.
That's quite a streak of MVPs getting Kellogg's cards. Let's see how many of these players appeared in the set the year after being the game's MVP.
1963 - 1968 MVPs couldn't be on a card since the Kellogg's sets began in 1970. But all of those players appeared on a Kellogg's card at some point later.
The only ones that didn't get a card the next year were Carl Yastrzemski (1970 MVP), Frank Robinson (1971), Steve Garvey (1978) and Ken Griffey (1980).
1969 MVP McCovey
1972 MVP J. Morgan
1973 MVP Bonds
1974 MVP Garvey
1975 MVPs Madlock & Matlack
1976 MVP Foster
1977 MVP Sutton
1979 MVP Parker
1981 MVP Gary Carter
1982 MVP Conception
1983 MVP Fred Lynn and 1984 MVP Gary Carter both appeared on earlier cards.
1985 MVP Lamar Hoyt didn't become a star until 1982 so it was a bit late for him to get into the 1983 set.
1985 MVP Lamar Hoyt didn't become a star until 1982 so it was a bit late for him to get into the 1983 set.
1.) Bill Madlock features prominently on this blog. I guess that makes sense, given the time period.
ReplyDelete2.) Maury Wills may never have gotten a Kellogg's card . . . but did Bump Wills ever get one? Bump was only slightly less of a speed merchant than his dad.
Bump never got a card either. Maury Wills had issues with Topps so he didn't get on many cards there either.
ReplyDeleteMadlock is featured often without me planning it. Cubs ownership was really annoying and disliked in the 1970s. Trading Madlock didn't help that.