27 December 2012

because no double play collection is complete without johnny evers

ah yes, the chicago second sacker johnny evers, seen here on a 1994 upper deck american epic card
with (who else?) joe tinker in the background (not shown: frank chance), became synonymous with the 6-4-3 double play turn thanks to four pennants in five years, and two world series titles back in the early 1900's (not to mention a certain poem).  if only jim murray had written a poem about russell to lopes to garvey...

gagne to deshields to karros was neither as catchy nor as successful as tinker to evers to chance.  here's greg gagne on his 1997 topps stadium club card
all three of the chicago players are in the hall of fame, and there are plenty of other hall of famers who could turn a mean two as well.  here's roberto alomar on a 1993 score select stars insert
with another hall of famer sliding in.

here's alomar again on a 1993 upper deck future heroes insert card
and phil rizzuto on a 2003 fleer flair card
plus ryne sandberg on a diamond parallel card from 2011 topps lineage
and the cloth parallel from the same set.
i think that nomar could have been a hall of famer if he had stayed healthy.  here's his 1998 pacific paramount card
you don't have to be a hall of famer (or even a hall of very good player) to have some nice double play cards.  case in point - kevin polcovich.  we've seen his 1998 topps card before,
but i am showing it again because it features a play that continues on his 1998 topps stadium club card
and that's not the only 'same play' double play that polcovich participated in.  take a look at greg maddux's 1999 topps stadium club card
followed by his 1999 topps gallery card
well done, kevin polcovich.  not bad for a guy who played a total of 165 career games.

2 comments:

  1. Jim,

    Received your package today. I should send a real email, but have been so busy of late and not sure where i wrote it down. Had a rough Xmas time with many gatherings and a family issue as well, which made free time almost non-existent. I actually have your stuff sitting there waiting for a box. I will make every attempt to get that sent off by early next week, hopefully at the latest. i need to get to the bank and was planning to swing by the PO for a mailer too. I hope that will be tomorrow.

    thanks again for that set. i started buying them and as far as i can tell, they started the packaged sets in 2006? I can't find a 2006 set though and had landed 07-12, except for 2009...the set you sent! thank you.

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