1967 Topps Fred Valentine

I hope that everyone had a good Dec. 25th. If you celebrate Christmas, I hope that Santa was good to you and your family. If not, I hope that you saw something good at the movies or enjoyed whatever tradition that you've developed over the years.

I don't normally post on Sundays, but I've had enough football and I don't want to go back out to shovel again right now :) So here's a bonus cards for whoever else is hanging around their computers on a holiday weekend.

Who is this? Former Washington Senators and Baltimore Orioles outfielder Fred Valentine
What is this? An autographed card from the 1967 Topps set
Where'd I get it? Nick from Baseball Happenings got it signed for me last month.


Why is this so special? I love the 1967 Topps set. It has a nice, simple design that emphasizes the photos. I'm in the minority, but I prefer the classic posed portrait shots to the standard action photos that dominate modern baseball card sets. This is a great-looking card, and Valentine's careful signature only adds to it.

Valentine played in the major leagues for seven seasons between 1959 and 1968 before finishing his baseball career in Japan.

According to Baseball Reference, Valentine and George Altman were the first players from Tennessee State University to reach the major leagues. (I now have autographs from both, though I did not realize there was a connection between the two until now.) Valentine was also an All-American quarterback for Tennessee State and could have played pro football instead of opting for baseball.

Wikipedia claims that Valentine was nicknamed "Wally the Biscuit Killer," but I don't think I believe them. (If it's true, I'd love to learn the origin of that nickname.)

1967 Topps Phil Linz

Who is this? Phil Linz, a 1960s major league infielder for the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets

What is this? An autographed card from the 1967 Topps set

Where'd I get it? I wrote to Linz and asked him to sign it. He returned it in a little over a week. It's my first autograph of 2010.

How much did it cost? Approximately $2, between the cost of the card & postage

Why is this so special? Phil Linz was never a star. He was a utility player who came along near the end of a Yankee dynasty. Most baseball fans wouldn't remember him today except for one story involving a harmonica.

After a Yankees loss in 1964, Linz was teaching himself to play the harmonica on the team bus. First-year manager Yogi Berra didn't feel that this was appropriate, so he told Linz to stop. Linz didn't hear what Berra said, so he asked teammate Mickey Mantle. Mantle told him to play it louder. Linz did, Berra flipped and the press turned it into a bigger story than it deserved to be.

Berra and Linz were reunited on the 1967 Mets, and they staged a photo to commemorate the harmonica incident that Linz now includes on his business cards. He also includes a musical note after his autograph, which is pretty unique and shows a sense of humor.

For more about Phil Linz, check out this article on Baseball Savvy.