Well, I certainly did not expect to see the giant stack of returns in the mailbox, but there they were! I received:
Bill Renna Diamond Signatures Athletics
1956 Bill Renna Topps 82 Athletics
1958 Bill Renna Topps 473 Red Sox
I really, really do love getting those 1956es back. They're such beautiful cards and the autographs pop. When the 1956 Topps was produced, Renna was in the prime of his six-year career. Renna was one of the players who made the trip from Philadelphia to Kansas City when the Athletics moved. Usually a right and left fielder, Renna averaged 112 games between 1954 and 1955, along with 10 HR and 40 RBI. An American League player all the way, Renna spend his rookie year in New York and finished his major league career at the age of 34 with the Red Sox. Renna is a graduate of Santa Clara University. The Jesuit institution has a pretty cool alumni list! Frank Arellanes (Red Sox) and Steve Nash attended. (Though not at the same time.)
1987 Pat Gillick (Jays Team Card) Donruss 252 Blue Jays
1978 Pat Gillick (Jays Team Card) Topps 626 Blue Jays
Hall of Famer Pat Gillick is one of the most successful front-office people of the past 30 years. We all remember the Blue Jays World Championships he won in addition to the 2008 Phillies Series win that capped his career. Just like Renna, Gillick grew up in California. Gillick took a position in the front office of the Blue Jays in 1976, just as the club was starting. I love thinking about what that must have been like. You start out with expansion draft players and try to work through those tough years until you can really establish yourself. It must have felt like the film Major League, just over the course of a decade and without Charlie Sheen. A lot of people forget that Gillick was the GM of the Orioles. (At least I did.) Sadly, the Orioles have not made the playoffs since he left in 1998. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year. (And yes, Gillick should have gone in with Marvin Miller.)
1987 Ernie Whitt Topps 698 Blue Jays
1983 Ernie Whitt Topps 302 Blue Jays
1989 Ernie Whitt Donruss 591 Blue Jays
I was a big fan of Ernie Whitt as a kid, so long as he wasn't playing the Tigers. He was one of the original Blue Jays and was an incredibly steady catcher for them between 1977 and 1989. He was certainly one of the best catchers of the 80s, accumulating nearly all of his stats during that decade. Baseball-Reference lists him as the 942nd-best hitter of all time, with a .324 OBP, 134 HR and 534 RBI. In recent years, he was worked with the Canadian national team. (Even though he was born in Detroit. I wonder how that works.)
1975 Bill Lee Topps 128 (end of signature smudged) Red Sox
1973 Bill Lee Topps 224 Red Sox
We all love Bill Lee because he is an interesting guy and doesn't get wrapped up in the standard baseball talk. ("You know, you just have to go out there and do your best, there's no I in team...") Bill Lee pitched between 1969 and 1982, playing for the Red Sox and the Expos. (One of the oldest clubs, then one of the youngest!) The 358th-best pitcher of all time, Lee was an All-Star in 1973 when he went 17-11 with a 3.51 ERA. (Unfortunately, he didn't play.) Maybe it's just me, but I am always surprised to learn about barnstorming and other semi-pro ball. Lee pitched for the Traveling All-Stars put together by Oil Can Boyd. (If I recall correctly, Derek Bell ended "Operation Shut Down" to play for that team, as well.) In 2010, Lee started and won a game for the Broxton Rox...How many folks win a ballgame at the age of 64?
1961 Bob Friend Topps 270 Pirates
Yet another awesome Pittsburgh return from those special teams. Bob Friend is a Purdue man and spent his offseasons on campus, earning a degree in economics. During that time, he was already an established All-Star pitcher. Can you imagine sitting next to such a person in class? Although he had a lifetime 3.58 ERA, Friend had only a .461 record, going 197-230 over 16 years. In the 1956 All-Star Game, Bob Friend was the winner over Billy Pierce (another great signer). He struck out Ted Williams and Mickey Mantle and was relieved by Warren Spahn.
1961 Dick Schofield Topps 453 Pirates
Talk about an athletic family! Dick Schofield is the father of Dick Jr., a reliable shortstop in the 1980s and 1990s. Schofield's daugher Kim was a track-and-field athlete who competed at the Olympic trials. He is also the grandfather of Jayson Werth. Schofield played for 19 seasons (from 1953 and 1971!), and the highlight might be the 1960 season. Dick Groat was out with a broken wrist, and Schofield made the most of the opportunity, hitting .333 that season with an OBP of .429. As a member of the 1968 Cardinals team, Schofield received no plate appearances in the World Series, but served as a pinch runner in games 5 and 7.
Phew....can you imagine a better group of returns, all on the same day?
Bill Renna Diamond Signatures Athletics
1956 Bill Renna Topps 82 Athletics
1958 Bill Renna Topps 473 Red Sox
I really, really do love getting those 1956es back. They're such beautiful cards and the autographs pop. When the 1956 Topps was produced, Renna was in the prime of his six-year career. Renna was one of the players who made the trip from Philadelphia to Kansas City when the Athletics moved. Usually a right and left fielder, Renna averaged 112 games between 1954 and 1955, along with 10 HR and 40 RBI. An American League player all the way, Renna spend his rookie year in New York and finished his major league career at the age of 34 with the Red Sox. Renna is a graduate of Santa Clara University. The Jesuit institution has a pretty cool alumni list! Frank Arellanes (Red Sox) and Steve Nash attended. (Though not at the same time.)
1987 Pat Gillick (Jays Team Card) Donruss 252 Blue Jays
1978 Pat Gillick (Jays Team Card) Topps 626 Blue Jays
Hall of Famer Pat Gillick is one of the most successful front-office people of the past 30 years. We all remember the Blue Jays World Championships he won in addition to the 2008 Phillies Series win that capped his career. Just like Renna, Gillick grew up in California. Gillick took a position in the front office of the Blue Jays in 1976, just as the club was starting. I love thinking about what that must have been like. You start out with expansion draft players and try to work through those tough years until you can really establish yourself. It must have felt like the film Major League, just over the course of a decade and without Charlie Sheen. A lot of people forget that Gillick was the GM of the Orioles. (At least I did.) Sadly, the Orioles have not made the playoffs since he left in 1998. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year. (And yes, Gillick should have gone in with Marvin Miller.)
1987 Ernie Whitt Topps 698 Blue Jays
1983 Ernie Whitt Topps 302 Blue Jays
1989 Ernie Whitt Donruss 591 Blue Jays
I was a big fan of Ernie Whitt as a kid, so long as he wasn't playing the Tigers. He was one of the original Blue Jays and was an incredibly steady catcher for them between 1977 and 1989. He was certainly one of the best catchers of the 80s, accumulating nearly all of his stats during that decade. Baseball-Reference lists him as the 942nd-best hitter of all time, with a .324 OBP, 134 HR and 534 RBI. In recent years, he was worked with the Canadian national team. (Even though he was born in Detroit. I wonder how that works.)
1975 Bill Lee Topps 128 (end of signature smudged) Red Sox
1973 Bill Lee Topps 224 Red Sox
We all love Bill Lee because he is an interesting guy and doesn't get wrapped up in the standard baseball talk. ("You know, you just have to go out there and do your best, there's no I in team...") Bill Lee pitched between 1969 and 1982, playing for the Red Sox and the Expos. (One of the oldest clubs, then one of the youngest!) The 358th-best pitcher of all time, Lee was an All-Star in 1973 when he went 17-11 with a 3.51 ERA. (Unfortunately, he didn't play.) Maybe it's just me, but I am always surprised to learn about barnstorming and other semi-pro ball. Lee pitched for the Traveling All-Stars put together by Oil Can Boyd. (If I recall correctly, Derek Bell ended "Operation Shut Down" to play for that team, as well.) In 2010, Lee started and won a game for the Broxton Rox...How many folks win a ballgame at the age of 64?
1961 Bob Friend Topps 270 Pirates
Yet another awesome Pittsburgh return from those special teams. Bob Friend is a Purdue man and spent his offseasons on campus, earning a degree in economics. During that time, he was already an established All-Star pitcher. Can you imagine sitting next to such a person in class? Although he had a lifetime 3.58 ERA, Friend had only a .461 record, going 197-230 over 16 years. In the 1956 All-Star Game, Bob Friend was the winner over Billy Pierce (another great signer). He struck out Ted Williams and Mickey Mantle and was relieved by Warren Spahn.
1961 Dick Schofield Topps 453 Pirates
Talk about an athletic family! Dick Schofield is the father of Dick Jr., a reliable shortstop in the 1980s and 1990s. Schofield's daugher Kim was a track-and-field athlete who competed at the Olympic trials. He is also the grandfather of Jayson Werth. Schofield played for 19 seasons (from 1953 and 1971!), and the highlight might be the 1960 season. Dick Groat was out with a broken wrist, and Schofield made the most of the opportunity, hitting .333 that season with an OBP of .429. As a member of the 1968 Cardinals team, Schofield received no plate appearances in the World Series, but served as a pinch runner in games 5 and 7.
Phew....can you imagine a better group of returns, all on the same day?
