[8] yeah, when i was researching the cards, i really didn’t wanna get the original with the split. i found that in 2001, topps reissued it as part of their “topps archives reserve” series. the Thurman one is just him by himself! it’s gray, glittery, shiny and heavy. not my favorite card, but again, glad to have it. the back, is #189, lists his complete minor league batting record on one line and has the following statement:

‘signed out of kent state u; he was named to all-american baseball of 1968. has good arm, great desire.’

i was originally thinking of putting these all in one of the those baseball card frames; but it doesn’t really work, with some cards being vertical and some being horizontal, along with some other non-artistic aspects.

i’ve become a Dick Allen fan in more recent years, as i’ve studied the game more and read so much great material online. i don’t remember him much from growing up, though. Dick Allen, Vada Pinson and Stan Musial, are 3 standouts for me that i wish i knew more about when i was a kid…

yeah, the Mattingly rookie & ’86 cards are both cool and i, too, dig Thurman’s John Hancock on the pictured card here.

Thurman was my first “idol” growing up. he’s the first death i had to experience and i’ll never forget that horrible day, sitting on the floor of my apt. in Far Rockaway. i was a really little kid, but man, was that sad. i still get emotional about it and i think it’s a major reason why i have such a genuine fear of flying.

just this year, i set out on a mission to collect all the Thurman Munson cards Topps issued. hell, i already have a cool Thurman t-shirt, plaque up in my den and photo behind my main kit at my drum studio.

i was successful in getting all the Topps cards he was on! i also learned that in recent years, some of the old cards were re-issued. this was fine by me. this 1971 card was reissued this year. the only difference is the lower case topps logo is in the top right corner of the action shot. looks good. glossy finish, semi thick card-stock. apparently, there were 2 different issues of this. i made sure to get the one that has the stats, picture and info that was on the back of the original ’71 card. good stuff.

the other reissues i got, were the ’77 All-Star and 1970 Rookie (only Thurman, not the original split); everything else i got are the original Topps cards, including the “In Action” ’72 shot.

i got some weird 1980 “In Memoriam” card. looks like someone made it, put it on a metal backing. was there an official card of this? i can’t correctly recall and can’t find proof of it anywhere. either way, i’m glad to have it, along with the rest of my thurman topps collection! : )

I’ll never forget his homer well over the 430′ sign in the ’78 ALCS.

I remember that Mattingly, too. I’m not a big fan of the ’86 set, but that is a cool picture of The Hit Man.

I wasn’t a big card collector, though I had dozens of cards over the years. The only one of significant value I had was an autographed Willie Upshaw card from the 80′s after my Dad built an in-ground pool for him. Mom never threw anything away I had, yet everything I ever had from childhood is gone except my memories. Good thing those are really good! >;)

But I carried baseball cards of my hero, Dick Allen in my wallet for years. When one wore out, I bought another. My fave-1971 Topps, number 650-Rich Allen. i loved the guy.Sat in first base boxes when he wrote in dirt with spikes. When he was on the field, you watched him. At bat, you held your breath.

So, you wonder. How good could he have been? How good could The Mick have been? Then again, The Mick heard boos, but not for being black.