[Jeff Alcorn]

Hi Guys,

Missing cards has been an area that I have always been intersted in. The Maury Wills story has long been known in the hobby- about his anger at Topps for not signing him in training camp because they did not think he was much of a prospect and his subsequent refusal to sign with Topps until 1967. However, there are other players that have no cards or are missing years. Off the top of my head-

Marshall Bridges - no cards
Tony Horton - no cards
Diomedes Olivo - no cards
Eddie Kasko - missing in 65 & 66
Bob Lillis - missing in 65, 66, 67
Al Worthington - missing in 69
Doug Clemens - missing his whole career except 67
Arnold Earley - same as Clemens, nothing until 67
Rusty Staub - had a personal services contract with the Mets from 72-74
Jim Gilliam - missing in 65 & 66
Ron Brand - missing in 67
Julio Gotay - missing after 68
Sandy Valdespino - missing after 68
Ron Kline - missing in 70
Juan Pizarro - missing in 70
Jim Grant -missing in 70
Reggie Jackson - missing in 67 & 68
Al Downing - missing in 77
Jim Bouton - missing in 69 & 70
Steve Bailey - no cards
Clyde Wright - missing in 67 & 68
Rickey Clark - missing until 70
Jerry Grote - missing in 77 since he had threatened retirement - there is a prototype in existence, though.

The list could go on & on. In listing missing players, I tried to use only those that were established Major Leaguers or that had played a significant number of games the year before. If I got out the Baseball Encyclopedia I could probably list 100 more that should have been in sets but were not, and these are just the mid-1960s until the mid-1970s. If it had been me, I would print every player, coach, and manager for every season, and with every team they were with, however, only with current photos - not with old photos on the wrong team.

However, since Topps never asked me as a kid back then it is still just a wish of mine that these cards had existed to collect. I am sure that the minute I post this I will think of some more.

Jeff