Bill,

Very nice. Would love to see some pics of your room or better yet stop by and say hi if I'm ever in your area. I bet it's quite impressive.

Hey Alan:

Anytime you find yourself in SE Pennsylvania, you're welcome to visit.

Funny story along these lines is that I sit on the Board of a local scholarship organization and our main fund raiser each year is a summer Golf Tournament which we invite about 20 or so former ballplayers, as well as a headliner or two.

This particular year one of our headliners was Lee Smith (pre HOF induction) and I volunteered to pick him up at the Phila. airport and to drive him to the hotel where everyone was staying.

For whatever reason we stopped at my home along the way and of course I had to take Lee down into the basement and he seemed to get a kick out of the things I had displayed.

Anyways, later that evening at the reception I was hanging around Lee and the head of the Orioles alumni group (as well as a former PR guy with the club) introduced himself to Smith and Lee shook his hand, pointed to me and said "By the Way, this guy has all your shit."

To this day, we still laugh at that story!

Really like the Dave Nicholson 8x10. The attendance was better than the few previous posts...

Cool story. Was the alumni guy Bill Stetka?

Bill,

I’m partial to street signs that’s for sure. Hopefully we’ll get to see all your signs eventually in the thread. The one pictured on the stairway is extremely nice.

Oh...and I’m with Alan. I want a tour!

yes sir

Day 79 (March 19, 2020 – 079)

After Brooks’ playing days he remained with the team and was a popular member of the Orioles local television broadcast crew. I guess you would call this picture an oversized snapshot (5x7) of Brooks in his suit that was taken during this time frame.

Attachment 389803

The News American television program booklet from 1979. Brooks is wearing a suit in this one as well AND it’s from 1979 on Day 79 so I’m sure it relates in some way…

The TV Book

Attachment 389804

Mark:

I've never seen that photo or that News American TV Book before (both nice)..

Here is a team photo of the 1960 Fox Cities club which was managed by Earl Weaver (who is sitting next to Cal Ripken Sr.)....Other notables include Pat Gillick (who appears to be air-brushed on the photo), Boog Powell, Dean Chance & Bob Saverine):

https://i.imgur.com/DdcA8dy.jpg

1960 Fox Cities Foxes
 

Thanks Bill. Love the team photo. I believe the front row also pictures Earl's son, Mike Weaver, as a batboy.

I always have a hard time deciding what to share. I guess this was a hint to talk Foxes.

As the photo suggests, the 1960 Fox Cities Foxes were a pretty good team. They finished 82-56 and were a Class B affiliate in the Three-I League, which was Illinois, Iowa and Indiana. The only problem with that is the Foxes resided in Appleton, Wisconsin. In fact, there were no teams from Illinois and Indiana, while teams from Nebraska, Kansas and Wisconsin had franchises in the league.

Here are a few other items from 1960.

1960 Program

Attachment 389820

1960 Schedule

Attachment 389821

Bill mentioned Dean Chance and Boog Powell

Attachment 389818

Attachment 389819

A few players I've posted earlier, Pete Ward, John Papa and Jim Lehew, appeared for the Foxes as well as Leslie "Buster" Narum, who played briefly with the O's.

Attachment 389822

Definitely have some great players who put on a uniform for the Foxes. Another player looks to be added to the photo as well or am I mistaken?

Think we should have retained Chance when we had the option. Oh, well; he went on to have a pretty good career. I “think” I have a picture with Brooks and Chance somewhere.

Really like the Boog photo you chose today. Is that a team issue or just normal photograph?

Day 80 (March 20, 2020 – 080)

Ok, this may sound a little weird, but I really like collecting the small portrait shots of Brooks the newspapers used for the paper. Now, I don’t really have a lot of them, but would like to get as many different ones that I don’t have. So, if you have any please send them my way…

July 2, 1961 Brooks Robinson small portrait for newspaper

Attachment 389946
Attachment 389947

July 31, 1966 Brooks Robinson small portrait for newspaper

Attachment 389948
Attachment 389949

Very cool photos Mark!

Here is a Press Credential from the 1983 ALCS signed/inscribed by series MVP, Mike Boddicker:

https://i.imgur.com/6TGVCdp.png

Brooks Robinson
 

Mark,

As I mentioned in a previous post, these small photos are actually part of sheets that the Orioles would provide to newspapers, magazines, etc. Many of them correspond to the Morton Tadder 8x10 photos and help to identify the year or range of years. Sometimes the same photo was used over a period of years. I'll check my duplicates when I get back to Maine.

Here are the Brooks Robinson sheets from 1967-1977.

Id ultimately would like to acquire more memorabilia items from the 1983 season. I only have a few miscellaneous items. Again I think the autograph enhances the piece in this instance.

Alan,

Thanks for checking for me once you return. Most of the small portrait shots that I have are small, cut from the sheets, but some are larger like the ‘66 I pictured. That one is around 3x5; do you think the newspaper’s just enlarged the photo from the sheet?

Brooks Robinson
 

Good question. I've never seen one as big as 3x5. I suppose they could have enlarged the photo, depending what they needed it for in the newspaper.

Possibly the most unique card ever published. A picture is Wirth a thousand words.

Please delete this post
 

[QUOTE=rkrolewicz;1963701]Possibly the most unique card ever published. A picture is Wirth a thousand words.[/QUOT.

1964 Baltimore Orioles
 

Day 81 (March 21, 2020 – 081)

The Orioles were making quite a run for the pennant in 1964. The O’s were in a in a tight three-way battle with the Yankees and the White Sox for the American League pennant. The Orioles did fall short in ’64, but it was a really good year for the Birds.

Pennant Fever album

Attachment 390069
Attachment 390070

Baltimore Orioles
 

Mark,

As a 6 year old, 1964 was the first year I paid much interest to baseball. My dad loved baseball, but didn't cheer for any particular team. Growing up in Maine, I didn't realize I was supposed to be a Red Sox fan. I fell in love with the Orioles and Brooks Robinson. I don't remember really collecting anything until a couple years later when I discovered baseball cards.

Here are a few programs from that memorable 1964.

The regular season programs featured Brooks Robinson on one of the covers and I've always wondered if the batter silhouette on the other program isn't also Brooks. Looks like a shaved helmet to me. :D

Attachment 390079 Attachment 390080


Newspapers back then provided scorecards for their readers.

Attachment 390075 Attachment 390076


Several programs celebrated local business nights.

Attachment 390077 Attachment 390078


When a team is successful, they also attract the attention of local car dealers. Ford vs Chevy...

Attachment 390073 Attachment 390074

Mark:

You're correct in that 1960 team photo the player on the top row on the right
was also photo shopped in.

Here is a team photo/program from the 1962 Fox Cities club. That team now had Cal Ripken Sr. as a player/manager and included Eddie Watt. I love how someone colored in the program (dated inside as May 28th) cover....

https://i.imgur.com/Swdo802.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/qlXodXh.jpg

About 10 years ago, Cal Ripken Sr. was inducted into the Appleton Baseball Hall of Fame & they gave out a Bobblehead to commemorate the occasion:

https://i.imgur.com/6coi17X.jpg

1962 fox Cities Foxes
 

Bill,

I love how I'm slowly converting you and Mark to minor league guys. :D

The 1962 Foxes moved from the Three-I League and Class B affiliation to the Midwest League and dropped to a Class D team. They finished 61-63 and along with Cal Ripken Sr and Eddie Watt featured another future Oriole. Tom Fisher appeared in 2 games for the 1967 Orioles.

Attachment 390119

Attachment 390123

Career minor leaguer, Steve Cosgrove, also pitched for the Foxes

Attachment 390124

Thanks for a great background on your beginning of being an Orioles fan. Glad you didn’t go with the Red Sox.

Sure looks like a silhouette is of the same photo just reverse/inverted (you know what I mean). Gotta be Brooks (at least we’ll go with it).

Chevy wins! :D

Awesome program! It has it all...

Looks like a well made bobblehead.

Day 82 (March 22, 2020 – 082)

Brooks has throughout his career as well as post career conducted signings in many different venues (I can’t count that high…). I have a few advertisements for these events and today we have a small poster type ad for an event sponsored by ScreenMates which is an apparel company. This signing occurred on January 22nd, but I’m not sure of the year since I didn’t personally attend and too lazy (I mean too busy) to try to find out.

MEET Brooks Robinson small poster ad

Attachment 390223

1961 Fox Cities Foxes
 

Over the last week, the thread has highlighted the 1960 and 1962 Fox Cities teams. I thought I would fill in the gap today, with the 1961 Foxes.

1961 marked the last year that the Foxes played in the Class B Three-I League. The following year they would drop to Class D. They finished 67-62 and were again managed by Earl Weaver.

Attachment 390246


Attachment 390247

Several future Orioles would play for the Foxes, including Dave McNally, in his first year of pro ball. Others were Sam Bowens, John Miller, Herm Starrette and Dave Vineyard.

Attachment 390241

Attachment 390245

Attachment 390242

Attachment 390243

Attachment 390244

A couple others in the team photo included Jim Leggett and future Orioles trainer Ralph Salvon.

Attachment 390240

Ralph Salvon with his mentor Eddie Weidner

Attachment 390248

Mark:

I took a peek at past calendars & noted that in 1993 January 22nd was on a Friday....Since Brooks is shown with Camden Yards in the background, it has to be post '92....Of course it could be '97, but I'd bet on 1993.

Here is a team photo of the 1963 Aberdeen (SD) Pheasants, which was a Class D team in the Northern League who finished 65-55.

The club was once again managed by Cal Ripken Sr. and other notables include both Eddie Watt & Andy Etchebarren (who had made his MLB debut the previous September):


https://i.imgur.com/vQrwuNS.jpg

While this game used bat wasn't used by Etch while he was a member of the Orioles, here is a cracked bat of his from his time with the Angels (I had it signed when he was managing the Aberdeen Ironbirds):

https://i.imgur.com/JPAasOs.jpg

1963 Aberdeen Pheasants
 

Bill,

You've been holding back on some nice minor league stuff. I absolutely love that Pheasants team photo. First refusal if you ever get rid of it :)

The companion scorecard.

Attachment 390260

The Foxes have some great looking programs and team photos. Are photos, with the minor league uniforms, hard to come by?

I’m a big fan of McNally.

1993 sounds about right.

Man, that is a GREAT looking team photo!

1961 Rochester Red Wings
 

Mark,

I have some original individual photos of players in their minor league uniforms. I've found them harder to find than minor league team photos. Here an example from the 1961 Rochester Red Wings. I'll post more as the year progresses and the Red Wings are discussed.

John Anderson

Attachment 390330

Day 83 (March 23, 2020 – 083)

Isn’t it ironic that Brooks Robinson was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Baltimore Orioles also won the World Series in 1983? It was a good year for the Birds and now all I can do now is reminisce about the good ole’ days.

1983 Orioles Yearbook

Attachment 390411

After the 1983 World Series win the Orioles put up some ORIOLE BLVD. street signs for the celebration and parade and this is one of them. I know the Orioles have put up different street signs over the years for Earl, Brooks and Frank; possibly others as well.

1983 Oriole Blvd. street sign

Attachment 390412
Attachment 390413

1983 World Series mug

Attachment 390414
Attachment 390415

1984 Street and Smith's Baseball Yearbook

Attachment 390416

1958 All Star Game Bowl
 

Good morning, several pieces from the 1958 All Star Game have been posted, so I thought I'd share a bowl presented to the players who were selected for the Game.

Mark:

If memory serves me right there was an ad on the back cover of that '83 Yearbook that one could drop their yearbook off at a local car dealership (All Star Dodge?) & Brooks would sign it and it would returned to you...Wonder how many people took advantage of that?

Here is a neat photograph signed both by Brooks & Bowie Kuhn from his Induction ceremony (which I regret not being there).

https://i.imgur.com/dsi8sle.jpg

Mike:

Was that the bowl that was issued to Gil MacDougald?

Bill

Hi Bill, no, although I saw that one on Ebay. I showed the McDougald bowl to my wife and she said if I bought that one, she wasn't going to be the one who cleaned the tarnish off of it.

The above bowl was passed down to me from my grandparents who bought it at an auction who knows how many years ago. Unfortunately, I don't know who the bowl was supposedly presented to.

Thanks, my buddy was the seller of that McDougald bowl & he told me last week that it recently sold....I agree that it's too bad that the recipient's name weren't engraved on them.

Awesome photo! As an Orioles fan who grew up and now lives in Rochester - much appreciated!

1983 HOF Induction
 

Bill,

My wife and I attended the 1983 Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Brooks. It was in front of the library then and attendance was smaller than current inductions. My most vivid memory was the group of buses from Baltimore and the sea of orange that arrived, just before the start of the ceremony . They attended the induction ceremony and then all loaded back onto the bus to head back to Baltimore. There was at least a dozen buses, maybe more. I'm getting old ...

A few items from the weekend. I also picked up a HOF Brown Bat (349/500). The numbers were distributed randomly, so the fifth person in line wouldn't have received #5. The bat is at home and I don't have a photo to share. Maybe someone has one they can post.

Attachment 390465

Attachment 390464 Attachment 390466


Plus a 2013 Bobblehead celebrating his MVP and World Series championships

Attachment 390467

1983 HOF Induction
 

Found this online, but someone with a better scan feel free to post it.

1983 HOF Brown Bat

Attachment 390470

Mike,

That is a very cool piece. Would have been neat to have the players name, but still extremely nice...

Alan,

Wish I could have attended; was in school that the time and couldn’t make it even though I tried.

Also, do you really need two tickets?!? I have a stub and it’s all sticky for some reason.

Nice bobblehead; I’ll have to pick that example up at some point. Looks nice.

Love the photo and the autographs!!

Posted for Scott (quitcrab)

Item related to the 1983 World Series. The piece is around 11x14 and on thick board.

Attachment 390480
Attachment 390481

I was going to post the 1983 HOF bat close to the induction, but here's a quick picture of the bat.

Attachment 390489

1983 HOF Induction
 

Mark,

Ha Ha... Probably not. I'm sure my wife won't mind giving up her seat for a friend. I'll see what I can do when I get home. :D