The wait is over. Adding ’69 to the Series.

Posted by [email protected] | Mar 29, 2019 | Sports | 0 |

The New York Times, Thursday, March 28th, 2019

New York Mets, complete set of 1970 Topps cards, plus Tom Seaver cards rom other years (not pictures are cards of other players from other years.)

New York Mets, complete set of 1970 Topps cards, plus Tom Seaver cards from other years (not pictured are cards of other players from other years.)

About 15 years ago I rebuilt my disarrayed collection of baseball cards mostly from the 1970’s and early 80’s. As the collection grew, so did my vision. The collection itself consists of all the playoff teams from 1969 to 1983. My long range plan is to sell the cards on the 50th anniversary of each season.

For example, in 1969 the New York Mets defeated the Atlanta Braves in the NL Championship Series and the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series after the Orioles had beaten the Minnesota Twins in the AL Championship Series. I have complete sets of all four teams, plus add on cards of players from other seasons.

Hence, the first year of a potential sale is upon us. The likely target audience are die-hard Mets fans who can relieve the season through the cards, as well as enjoy cards from the teams the Mets vanquished in the postseason.

Actually, the hoopla is a already beginning. Yesterday, in “Meet the (Champion) Mets: It Was All in the Cards: A look at the championship team captured in the 1969 Topps Baseball set” , The New York Times published a special insert section including a two page feature on MY cards.

My set includes, of course, the most valuable cards of Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan.

(top) Nolan Ryan (bottom) Tom Seaver

My set has a unique feature. Decades ago, Milton Bradley produced it’s OFFICIAL Baseball Game. My set includes a dozen Mets from the 1969 Edition.

from the 1969 edition of the Milton Bradley OFFICIAL Baseball Game

The set includes highly valued cards from the other teams. The Frank Robinson card could nicely be paired with a glove signed by Robinson (and Cal Ripken Jr.).

From Frank Robinson and a glove signed at the 1988 Orioles-Red Wings exhibition game

The Atlanta Braves set incudes several Hank Aaron cards, including several 1974 Hank Aaron Specials.

(top and bottom left) Hank Aaron 1970 Tpps (bottom right)

(top and bottom left) Hank Aaron 1970 Topps (bottom right) 1974 Topps Hank Aaron Special # 6 that includes an image of the 1970 card.

Some cursory research leads me to believe the four team sets combined are worth close to $2000. These cards would make an ideal gift for an older fan who experienced the 1969 Mets’ miracle season. Make an unrefusable offer.

Whether or not I have the heart to actually part with the cards, 1969 now can be added to the Series highlighting other seasons from this classic period in baseball history.

UPDATE: On Monroe Avenue, I spotted two die hard Mets fans, Jackie and Adam. Some of their favorite players over the years are Keith Hernandez, David Wright and Jacob DeGrom. Next week, Jackie and Adam plan to see Tim Tebow of the Syracuse Mets play at Frontier Field. 4/7/19

SEE 1969 48 years ago when Rochester saw its first “Designated Pinch Hitter”

From 48 years ago when Rochester saw its first “Designated Pinch Hitter”

1971 45 years ago when the Pittsburgh Pirates fielded a team of “All brothers out there” and Opening Day, 1971, at Boldo’s Armory

(left) from 45 years ago when the Pittsburgh Pirates fielded a team of “All brothers out there” (right) Opening Day, 1971, at Boldo’s Armory

1972 Baseball was better 45 years ago

From Baseball was better 45 years ago

1973 On Yogi Berra and Dale Berra and the 1973 World Series and Willie Mays and my father

from On Yogi Berra and Dale Berra and the 1973 World Series and Willie Mays and my father

1974 When the P.A. announcer told us Nixon had resigned. On the passing of Anna Silver and a most memorable Silver Stadium game

From When the P.A. announcer told us Nixon had resigned. On the passing of Anna Silver and a most memorable Silver Stadium game

1981 The 1981 baseball strike comes to Rochester. When Dave Winfield made 1.3 million a year!

From The 1981 baseball strike comes to Rochester. When Dave Winfield made 1.3 million a year!

1985 30 years ago when George Brett won the World Series (and Morganna the Kissing Bandit)

17 Jul 1979, Seattle, Washington, USA --- Morganna Hugging George Brett --- Image by © Neal Preston/CORBIS

From 30 years ago when George Brett won the World Series (and Morganna the Kissing Bandit)

1986 30 years ago when Billy Buck broke Rhode Island’s heart

From 30 years ago when Billy Buck broke Rhode Island’s heart

About The Author

[email protected]

Welcome to Talker of the Town! My name is David Kramer. I have a Ph.D in English and teach at Keuka College. I am a former and still active Fellow at the Nazareth College Center for Public History and a Storyteller in Residence at the SmallMatters Institute. Over the years, I have taught at Monroe Community College, the Rochester Institute of Technology and St. John Fisher College. I have published numerous Guest Essays, Letters, Book Reviews and Opinion pieces in The New York Times, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, the Buffalo News, the Rochester Patriot, the Providence Journal, the Providence Business News, the Brown Alumni Magazine, the New London Day, the Boston Herald, the Messenger Post Newspapers, the Wedge, the Empty Closet, the CITY, Lake Affect Magazine and Brighton Connections. My poetry appears in The Criterion: An International Journal in English and Rundenalia and my academic writing in War, Literature and the Arts and Twentieth Century Literary Criticism. Starting in February 2013, I wrote for three Democratic and Chronicle blogs, "Make City Schools Better," "Unite Rochester," and the "Editorial Board." When my tenure at the D & C ended, I wanted to continue conversations first begun there. And start new ones. So we created this new space, Talker of the Town, where all are invited to join. I don’t like to say these posts are “mine.” Very few of them are the sole product of my sometimes overheated imagination. Instead, I call them partnerships and collaborations. Or as they say in education, “peer group work.” Talker of the Town might better be Talkers of the Town. The blog won’t thrive without your leads, text, pictures, ideas, facebook shares, tweets, comments and criticisms.