1972 Topps In Action: Mets & Dietz-a-palooza
 

The big, audacious 1972 Topps set featured 72 "In Action" cards, which were my favorites as a 7- and 8-year-old kid when the set came out. I particularly remember coveting the Vida Blue In Action card, which showed him gazing skyward at a pop-up. Roberto Clemente was my favorite player and I remember being disappointed at his In Action card, which shows him apparently reacting to a called strike. Now I think it's a pretty cool picture of Clemente.

I completed the 787-card set more than 30 years ago and while I often look at the cards, I've never separated out all the In Action cards and looked at them by themselves until the other day. A couple things jumped out at me:

-- There are 11 New York Mets featured. Seems excessive.

-- There are zero Baltimore Orioles even though the Os were coming off three AL championships and were loaded with stars.

-- At least 28 of the In Action photos were taken at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

-- Giants catcher Dick Dietz appears in at least five In Action cards -- his own, Clarence Gaston, Pete Rose, Ron Santo and Ollie Brown. And Dietz is most likely the catcher in the Joe Pepitone and Billy Williams In Action cards as well. (The Giants catcher in the Clemente card is Russ Gibson.)

-- Somebody at Topps had a thing for mediocre catchers. Tom Haller, Pat Corrales, Curt Blefary and Ed Kirkpatrick were not even starters but were featured on In Action cards.

I'd love to read anyone else's thoughts...

I still look at that and wonder what they were thinking? It is a great shot, especially now, but it certainly isn't an action shot, imo. :confused:

That 'Dietz phenomenon' is hysterical. Great catch (pun intended)!!!

***Self-promotion Alert***
Check out this thread I did a while back. It includes 1972 'In Action' shots of almost all of the ignored HOF'ers (save a few managers) and a few other things…
http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=219771

I wonder if this set had anything to do with the explosion of action cards thereafter. Maybe Topps noticed an increased interest? 1971 had a fair amount before it, but they really seemed to take off in 73-74. I am glad either way. Despite some of the cards being hard to tell who the player was, I enjoy the action shots better than boring poses and close up portraits.

We know what Billy would think...

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...C%20Martin.jpg

My favorite is SF Giants pitcher Ron Bryant, who's in action card is him trying to lay down a bunt...not a cool pitching photo...but a bunt.

Oh, and what about the Darrell Evans In Action card? I don't know...something awkward about that shot...he looks like a dolphin jumping out of the water...

http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/...psaopq940o.jpghttp://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/...psuq3vqt0g.jpg

[QUOTE=Robs70sCards;1635454]Oh, and what about the Darrell Evans In Action card? I don't know...something awkward about that shot...he looks like a dolphin jumping out of the water...


I've been baffled by the Darrell Evans card since I was a kid. He's jumping up like he's trying to snare a line drive, but he's looking up like he's waiting for a pop up.

Cool thread on '72 should-have-been IA cards.

We covered Mr. Evans before, too:

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=180407

[QUOTE=geosluggo;1635474]Exactly! If it's above his head you think he would be fully extended in an attempt to snag it. If the ball is still in the infield you would this his head would be more forward. Maybe it's that instance where the ball is way over his head but he's making a leap as a reflex, but know he has no chance? Bizarre use of an action photo either way.

I'm relieved to know that I'm not the only one who has put some thought into this card lol :D

Yet another 'fringe' sport that was never approved for the Olympics:

Synchronized Infielding.



.

This was the one that always got to me.

Is he ordering a Coke from a vendor?


http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/-awAAO...AL/s-l1600.jpg

As a Detroit Tiger fan, I was very disappointed in the Tiger player selection for the in action cards. The Tigers were world series champs a mere four years earlier and one of 4 teams in the playoffs in 1972, and still had almost all of their 1968 stars on the team, yet there were only 2 Tiger in action cards - the manager and the backup catcher. The Billy Martin card was fun, but the Tom Haller card was inconsequential. Where were Al Kaline, Norm Cash, Willie Horton, Dick McAuliffe, Mickey Lolich, Jim Northrup, and Bill Freehan? An in action card of portly pinch hitting star Gates Brown delivering a line drive would have been great.

I feel your pain, but as a Mets fan I was in heaven. It seems every single player on the team got an 'In Action' shot. I'm surprised there wasn't an 'In Action' card of Ken Boswell's neighbor going to the mailbox included in the set. That's how over the top the Mets inclusion was.

I don't think the ball was hit over Evans into left field, not a single person in the crowd is looking in that direction. They are all looking toward the first base grandstand area. I am going to guess that Evans misread the ball off of the bat of a Mets right handed hitter and instinctively leaped when he thought it was coming his way, but it was actually a foul pop that went off into the right field line seats.

This Evans card is one of the Great In Action mysteries. Not sure if I'm buying the foul pop to the right side, Cliff. Maybe a bizarre reaction by Evans on his own throwing error to first?

I find the In Action cards to be fascinating, a big part of that sets appeal. Why not just have every team in there?

1972 Topps
 

My favorite set ever.
I posted about this before.
Out of 72 IA cards 6 teams had none.
Baltimore with the Robinsons,Powell, Palmer, McNally Etc a true powerhouse
St. Louis with Torre(MVP) Brock, Gibson
Cleveland,Texas,Milwaukee and Houston
While the Mets had 11 cards,Giants 10 and the Padres,A's,Yanks,Pirates and Reds had 5 each. The Padres with 5?
even the Dodgers and Angels only had 3 between the 2 of them.
As a Mets fan I was happy but the breakdown is totally scewed in favor of the Giants and Mets.
I am glad that George Mitterwald and Steve Renko were picked! I almost forgot about Paul Schaal.