June 29, 2012 Four Back Today

Tom Matchick

Tom was a backup infielder in the late 1960s early 70s. He was a member of the 1968 World Series Champion Detroit Tigers and bounced around to the Royals, Red Sox, Brewers and Orioles.

Darrell Sutherland

Mr Sutherland pitched with the Mets from 1964-1966 with a 5-4 record. He pitched 3 games for the 1968 Cleveland Indians.

Don Baylor

Don is currently the Arizona Diamondbacks hitting coach. He also managed the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs. I remember him as one of the most feared power hitter of the 1980s and 90s.

Dave Rader

I got back Dave Rader TTM a month ago and his wife sent a nice note complimenting my cards and asked for copies. I sent them to her and included these 2 new cards for Dave to sign. I got them back today.

June 28, 2012 2 And A Half Returns Today

Got three returns today but the envelope from former pitcher Ed Bauta had someone elses' items inside but the good news is that the collector is also a member of SCN and we contacted each other and will be returning each other's items. So I consider it a half of a return. I'll post the customs when I get them back.

Dennis Higgins

Dennis was a pitcher in the 1960s, mostly with the Washington Senators, He appeared in over 50 games a year from 1968 to 1970.

Dick Drago

Mr Drago pitched over 12 years in the major leagues from 1969 to 1981, mostly as a starter with the Kansas City Royals and as a relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. The Rocky Mount and Detroit Tigers photos I used were originally black and white photos that I colorized.

June 25, 2012

Four returns today......

Chet Trail

Although Chester "Chet" Trail never played in the major leagues, I remember his name from my youth because his name and photo were in the New York Yankees' yearbooks from the mid 1960s. He was on the 1964 World Series roster for the Yankees but didn't get into a game. He played in the Yankee organization from 1963 to 1967 before moving to the Orioles organization until 1969.

Dick Lines

Pitched with the Washington Senators in 1966 and 1967 with a 7-7 record.and appearing in over 50 games each of the two years. He had been a starting pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization until the Senators purchased him in 1965 and made him a reliever.

Tim Talton

Tim was a backup catcher with the 1966-1967 KC Athletics

Sammy Ellis

Sammy pitched with the Reds from 1962-1968 with this best season in 1965 going 22-10. He finished his career with the White Sox in 1969. In the 1980s and 90s, he was a pitching coach with a whole lot of major league teams including the Yankees.

June 23, 2012 Vern Benson

Vern Benson

Me Benson was a coach with manager Johnny Keane in St Louis and New York from 1961-1966 and he later was a coach for Dave Bristol with the Reds and Braves from 1966-1977. In 1977, Vern was also the Braves' temporary manager for one game after Bowie Kuhn ruled that Ted Turner could be manager after Ted fired Dave Bristol.

June 22, 2012 6 Returns Today

Today was a good mail day as I got 6 returns, the results of my semi-big mailing last week.

Wayne Garrett

Growing up in Brooklyn during the 60s, I'll always have a special place in my heart for the 1969 Mets ( as well as the 1969 Knicks and the early 1970s Yankees ). Wayne Garrett was the main third baseman for the 1969 World Champion Mets and played for the Mets until 1976.

Rich "Dick" Billings

Mr Billings was a catcher for the Senators/Rangers from 1968 to 1974. The Senators and Denver Bears photos I used were originally black and white that I colorized. He also included a signed Rangers post card and Legacy Alumni card.

Paul Smith

Paul was a first baseman with the Pirates from 1953 to 1958 and then was sold to the Cubs in May 1958, where he spent the rest of the year. All four photos I used for the cards were originally black and white. Mr Smith wrote a nice note and asked for copies of my cards for his children. He later played many in the Pacific Coast League for the Red Sox organization.

Don Lee

Don pitched in the major leagues for 9 years from 1957 to 1966, His best seasons were with the Los Angeles Angels when he won 8 games in 1962 and 1963.

Bob Bruce

Mr Bruce was one of the better pitchers on the early Houston Colt 45s/ Astros of the early 1960s.He won 10 games their first year and 15 games in 1964.

Ray Webster

Ray played with the 1959 Cleveland Indians and the 1960 Red Sox but spent most of his career in the Pacific Coast League in the early 1960s.

June 21, 2012 Four Returns Today

Got back four returns today, two from back in May and two from the batch I mailed out last week.....

Garry Hill

Garry pitched only one game for the 1969 Braves. He struck out 2 and allowed 4 earned runs and was the losing pitcher. He currently is Chairman/Partner in Champions Baseball Academy in North Carolina.

 Yes , I realized I spelled his name wrong on the cards.....

Doug Rader

Doug Rader was the regular third baseman for the  Houston Astros from 1969-1975 before finishing his career with the San Diego Padres.

Ed Acosta

Ed pitched in 3 games with the 1970 Pittsburgh Pirates and then pitched with the Padres in 1971 and 1972

Rich Morales

Mr Morales was mostly a backup infielder with the White Sox from 1967-1973 and then played for the Padres from1973-1974

June 12, 2012 Orlando Pena

Only one return today and it came from......

Orlando Pena

Mr Pena pitched 17 years in the major leagues for 8 different teams He lost a major league high of 20 games with the 1963 Athletics.

June 11, 2012 Gene Clines

Gene Clines

Gene played in the 1970s with the Pirates, Mets, Cubs and Rangers, After he retired as a  player, he remained in baseball as a coach in several organizations.

How I Make The Cards

Since I started posting on this blog and posting my successes on SCN, I've been getting a lot of messages and emails on how I make the cards. So here goes.......

I use Photoshop to make the cards. I begin by making templates of the designs I need, some are easy like the 1968 Topps, where all you have to do is change the color of the circle. others are hard like the 1972 Topps. I  scan an original Topps card and using Photoshop, I use the "extract" tool to remove anything I don't need like the image and the text.

Then I lay the template on top of the image I'm using and then crop to card size.

Many times, I find a really nice black and white image, so I will colorize it by adding color. Here is a 1961 card of Len Gabrielson I made and had signed......

This is the black and white image......

Using Photoshop, I add color......

Lay the Milwaukee Braves template on top of the image.....

Finally add his name .....

I hope this answers some questions and explains how I do it. Any questions, let me know...

June 7, 2012 Three Returns

Three returns today.....

Jack Hiatt

Jack Hiatt was a catcher from 1964-1972 mostly with the San Francisco Giants but he also played with the Cubs, Expos, Astros and Angels. After he retired he managed in the minors.

Bennie Daniels

Bennie played with the Pirates from 1957 to 1960 and then with the Senators from 1961 to 1965. He started for the Pirates against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the last game ever played at Ebbets Field in Sept 1957. He lost 2-0 to Danny McDevitt.

Monty Montgomery

Mr Montgomery pitched 12 games for the KC Royals from 1971 to 1972 going 6-3.

June 6, 2012 Mike Lee

Got a return from Mike Lee today.

Mike pitched in 7 games for the 1960 Cleveland Indians and 6 games for the 1963 LA Angels going 1-1. He added a $5.00 bill for 5 copies of each.

June 5, 2012 Ron Tompkins

Only one return today......

Ron Tompkins

Ron pitched two seasons in the big leagues, with the 1965 KC Athletics and the 1971 Chicago Cubs. He spent 1969 in the Atlanta Braves organization, hence the 1969 custom with the Braves. He also included a Cubs postcard.

June 4, 2012 4 Returns Today

Bill Rohr

Bill pitched for the 1967 Red Sox and in his major league debut in the Yankees home opener in Yankee Stadium,  he almost threw a no-hitter until Elston Howard got a single in the eighth inning to break it up.

Jack Billingham

Was one of the starting pitchers on the Big Red Machine in the 1970s winning 87 with the Reds,

Bruce Kimm

Bruce was Mark Fidrych's personal catcher in 1976 when Mark was a dominant pitcher. Bruce has been in baseball as a coach with different organizations and was the Cubs interim manger in 2002 after Don Baylor got fired.

Gary Boyd

Gary had a 0-2 record in 8 games with the 1969 Cleveland Indians

June 2, 2012

Got three returns today.....

Bruce Brubaker

Although he only pitched in 2 major league games, one with the 1967 Dodgers and the other was with the 1970 Milwaukee Brewers, Mr Brubaker won 117 games in the minor leagues. He sent me a nice note and as a PS wrote that his wife's sister's son is Jorge Posada, which would make him Posada's uncle. Cool

George Theodore

George was one of my favorite Mets growing up and he had a horrible collision with Don Hahn in the outfield.

Rich Troedson

Rich pitched for the Padres in 1973 and 1974

June 1, 2012 Lerrin LaGrow

After no returns for 2 days , I got one back today.

Lerrin LaGrow

Mr LaGrow pitched for the Tigers from 1970 to 1975 and then pitched for the Cardinals, White Sox, Dodgers and Phillies