Mail Day: Suckers for 63s

     On this edition of Mail Day, we bring you a couple more Listia finds. These arrived in the bird box courtesy of SultanofSleaze. They were offered at a price we couldn't refuse. What can we say? We're suckers for 63s.

1963 Topps #22

1963 Topps #172

Binder Pages--Farewell Edition: Matt Adams

Matt "Big City" Adams

     Matthew James Adams was born on August 31, 1988 in in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania. He attended Philipsburg-Osceola High School and played baseball at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania.

 

2012 Bowman Chrome #23

 Matt was selected by the Cardinals in the 23rd round of the 2009 draft (699th overall). He spent 3 years in the Cardinals farm system before being called up by the big club.

2012 Topps Pro Debut #120

     Matt was a much anticipated prospect. The word coming out of the Minor Leagues was that Matt had a big bat and also hit for average. It was good news since, in 2012, the Cardinals core group of players were beginning to show their ages. 

2012 Topps Pro Debut All-Stars #AS-MA

Adams recorded a .315 batting average, 83 home runs, and 297 runs batted in while in the minors.

2012 Topps Update & Highlights #US-179

He played in his first Major League game on May 20, 2012. He went 2-for-4 and scored a run.

2013 Topps Making Their Mark #MM-37

On May 27, 2012, "Big City" hit his first major league home run. It came in the bottom of the sixth inning. Chad Quall was on the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies. Matt went 2-for-4 in the game with a home run and a double. The Cardinals won the game, 8-3.

2015 Topps 1st Home Run Silver and Gold Parallels #FHR-16

     Matt registered only 48 at-bats in 31 games with the Cardinals in 2017. During that time, he hit .292 with one home run, seven runs batted in, and four runs scored.

2015 Topps #372

On May 20, 2017 (exactly five years after playing his first game as a Cardinal), Adams was traded to the Atlanta Braves. It's a bittersweet parting because he never received enough playing time to show his full potential as a Cardinal. With limited playing time in St. Louis, it was the best that could possibly happen for him. The Cardinals also gave up some cash and received first baseman Juan Yepez. Most (sane) Cardinals fans believe it wasn't nearly enough, but with Adams' contract set to expire at least the Cardinals received something in return.

2015 Topps Heart of the Order #HOR-15

Since joining the Braves, "Big City" is hitting .299, with 12 HR, 31 RBIs, and 24 R in 134 AB through 34 games. Good luck in Atlanta, Matt. You will be missed and we at Cardinal Sauce are pulling for you.

Mailday: Sweet Listia Find

1987 M&Ms #24 Ozzie Smith

     We've been purging unwanted items via Listia over the last month. As a result, we've been looking to use our credits to bring in needed items for our collection. When it comes to Ozzie Smith, our largest player collection, it's becoming more and more difficult to find items other than autographed and memorabilia cards. When we came across the lot containing this card, we had to have it, but we didn't really want the other cards in the lot. Luckily, our plan panned out. Rather than taking a shot at winning the lot or bidding the lot up to our maximum ability, we backed off and let the user Fischman win it for half of what we were willing to bid. After it ended, we contacted him and proceeded to make an offer that he couldn't refuse. We generously offered roughly four times the credits than the card is valued. Our viewpoint: we saved a ton of credits by not going after the lot and a ton of time by not having to individually list the cards that were in it. Not to mention, the time to get an oddball card is when you finally find it. We aren't sure how we missed this sweet oddball the first time around. 1987 was the first year we collected on a serious level and food issue promos have always been favorite additions to the collection.

     When the envelope came, we quickly realized that Fischman evened out the deal a bit by throwing in a couple extras. The first of which was a 2015 Donruss Mark McGwire card. Since we haven't been purchasing many new issues other than the obligatory box of birthday Topps, this card was a welcome addition to the collection.

2015 Donruss #184 Mark McGwire

          And he didn't stop there. Fischman also threw in this beautiful offering from 2016 Diamond Kings. The vibrant colors make this an outstanding card and it's even textured like an oil on canvas. It ended up being our favorite card in the bunch.

2016 Diamond Kings #52 Adam Wainwright

     All in all, we're very happy with the new additions. We leave you with these thoughts: Go after what you want, but be smart, honest, and fair. Everything else will work itself out.

Collect Hard!

Binder Pages--Cardinals Hall of Fame Edition: Lou Brock

Lou Brock aka "The Franchise"

     Louis Clark Brock was born on June 18, 1939 in El Dorado, Arkansas. His parents, Maud and Paralee Brock, were sharecroppers. When Brock was two years old, his father, Maud, abandoned the family. Lou's mother, Paralee, moved Lou and his eight siblings to Collinston, Louisiana where she worked as a field hand and housekeeper.  

     As a youth, Lou showed athletic and academic talent. He attended Union High School in Monroe, Louisiana where he played baseball and basketball. Despite the fact Brock was not scouted by collegiate baseball or basketball teams, Brock earned a scholarship to Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA based on his academic record. 

     According to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, Brock worked as a janitor and mowed lawns until baseball season began. He tried out for the team, but wasn't getting much attention from the coach. One day, he collapsed in the outfield while shagging fly balls and it caught the attention of coach, Emory Hines. Brock asserted that he wanted to play baseball and Hines asked him to hit. Lou got five swings and hit four balls over the fence. Brock had a lackluster freshman year, but, as a sophomore, led the Southern University Jaguars to a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) championship. On August 22, 1960, Lou was drafted by the Chicago Cubs and was offered a $30,000 signing bonus. For a young man who had grown up in poverty, it was more than enough to coax Lou out of returning to school for his senior year.

Chicago Cubs (1961-1964)

     Lou spent the 1961 season in St. Cloud, Minnesota playing for the Rox, a Class C affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. He posted a .361 batting average, scored 118 runs, and stole 38 bases. It earned him a late-season call-up. Brock experienced little success with the major league club, only acquiring one hit in eleven at bats over four games. 

     Despite his dismal debut in 1961, Lou earned a spot on the Cubs roster out of spring training in 1962 and, subsequently, cracked the starting lineup. He struggled with the Cubs, establishing himself as a .250 hitter and only stealing fifty bases over the course of two and a half seasons. On June 15, 1964, the Cubs traded Brock, along with Jack Springer and Paul Toth, to the St. Louis Cardinals for Ernie Broglio, Bobby Shantz, and Doug Clemens. It seemed like a good deal for the Cubs at the time. Broglio won 18 games in 1963, but wasn't able to match his prior production with the Cardinals. He won only seven games during his time with the Cubs from 1964-1966. By the end of the '66 season, Broglio's major league career was over. Brock, on the other hand, was just hitting his stride.

St. Louis Cardinals (1964-1979)

1966 Topps #125

     Brock made an immediate impact after he joined the Cardinals in 1964 by posting a .348 batting average, scoring 81 runs, and stealing 33 bases. According to The Encyclopedia of Arkansas, the Cubs limited his baserunning, but when he reached St. Louis he was turned loose and told to take as many bags as he could. The advice paid dividends for Lou and St. Louis. The Cardinals bested the New York Yankees in the 1964 World Series. In seven games, Lou batted .300, scored two runs, and drove in five.

     1965 marked a couple firsts in Lou's career. It was the first time that he scored 100 runs with one team (Brock scored 100 runs in 1964 with the Cubs and Cardinals) and it was also the first time that he stole 50 bases in one season. 

     In 1966, he grabbed 74 bags, the best in the National League and began a four-year stretch of leading the league in stolen bases.

1968 Topps #520

     Brock became an All-Star in 1967, his first of six All-Star appearances. Lou batted .299 that year while blasting 21 home runs, scoring 113 runs, and stealing 52 bases. Lou and the Cardinals found themselves, once again, in the World Series--this time against the Boston Red Sox. Brock batted .415, scoring 8 runs, and stealing 7 bases as the Cardinals defeated the Red Sox in 7 games.

     Brock improved upon his 1967 World Series performance by batting .464 while belting two home runs and, once again, stealing 7 bases in the 1968 World Series. Despite Lou's heroic performance, the Cardinals fell to the Detroit Tigers in seven games.

1970 Topps #330

     Brock continued to steal 50+ bases per season in the early 70s and batted over .300 in each season from 1970 to 1972. Lou returned to the All-Star Game in 1971 and 1972 when he recorded his final two 200+ hit seasons.

1972 Topps #200

 Brock put up strong numbers in 1973 by hitting .297 and scoring over 100 runs for the fifth time in his career while stealing 63 bases, but in 1974, Lou did what some thought would be impossible. He broke Maury Will's single-season stolen base record of 104 bags by nabbing 118 bases.

1973 Topps #320

   

1974 Topps #60

1975 Topps #2

     Lou's record stood untouched for eight years before it was surpassed by Rickey Henderson in 1982.

   

1975 Topps #309

In addition, Brock made his fifth All-Star appearance.

To Be Continued

1975 Topps #540

Card of the Day: 3/26/16

2016 Topps Gold #319 Adam Wainwright 1995/2016

I felt good out there. I've still got to sharpen just a bit, but things are falling into place. -Adam Wainwright

Card of the Day: 3/25/16

2013 Topps Making Their Mark #MM36 Carlos Martinez

     As Martinez makes his Major League dreams come true, he continues to make his mark on the St. Louis Community and in his homeland, the Dominican Republic, by helping children realize their dreams through the Tsunami Waves Foundation. Tsunami Waves mission statement is: "to inspire and empower children to achieve their full potential and make their dreams a reality."

     Please enjoy the video presentation.

Card of the Day: 3/24/16

2001 Fleer Triple Crown # Fernando Tatis

     Hey, look! Another Fernando Tatis card from 2001. Thank you card companies for producing a bazillion sets in the late 90s and early 2000s. Tatis must have been doing his Ken Griffey, Jr. impression when this photo was shot. Backward hat, shades, back pocket hanging out, and squaring up the ball. Too bad he didn't imitate the Hall of Fame career part. Still, two grand slams in an inning is pretty cool. Ken Griffey, Jr. never did that. 

Card of the Day: 3/23/16

1982 Donruss #498 Darrell Porter

     He touched so many people through baseball, through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, through his writing. The end doesn't diminish any of that. But the end does tell the saddest story, the one of a man who found God, worked with children, loved to fish, cherished his family but still could not summon the power to beat cocaine. -Joe Posnanski, sportswriter

Card of the Day: 3/22/16

1959 Topps #162 Bobby G. Smith

     Bobby Gene Smith was born on May 28, 1934 in Hood River, Oregon. He was signed by the Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1952. Bobby made his debut for the Cardinals on April 16, 1957. From 1957-59, Smith compiled a .231 batting average with little run production. As a result, the Cardinals traded him to the Phillies in exchange for Carl Sawatski after the 1959 season. 

     Bobby found himself in a Cardinals uniform, once again, after the Cardinals acquired him in a trade with the Chicago Cubs halfway through the 1962 season. The Cardinals received Smith along with Daryl Robertson in exchange for Alex Grammas and Don Landrum. Consequently, Smith failed to impress; batting .231 with little run production. The Cardinals sold him to the Boston Red Sox after the season ended.

     

Card of the Day: 3/21/16

2015 Panini Father's Day Jumbo Relics Kolten Wong

My dad always told me to never be satisfied where you're at. -Kolten Wong

Card of the Day: 3/20/16

2012 Topps Pro Debut Signatures Charlie Tilson

     Charles Everett Tilson was born December 2, 1992 in Wilmette, Illinois. The Cardinals chose Charlie in the second round of the 2011 draft. During four seasons in the Cardinals farm system, Charlie has compiled a .296 batting average while scoring 212 runs and stealing 76 bases. He's been a Minor League All-Star for the past two seasons, but is trying to break into an already crowded Cardinals outfield. Charlie attended Spring Training in 2016, but was optioned to Triple-A Memphis just six days ago. If someone in the outfield gets hurt, expect to see Charlie filling the hole. 

Card of the Day: 3/19/16

2013 Bowman Blue #21 Michael Wacha RC 271/500

     Michael Joseph Wacha was born on July 1, 1991 in Iowa City, Iowa. The Cardinals chose Wacha in the first round of the 2012 draft. Due to four years of playing time at Texas A&M University, Michael quickly made the move to the Major Leagues. He made his first appearance for the Cardinals on May 30, 2013. In three seasons, Wacha has accumulated 26 wins while only losing 14 and posting a 3.21 cumulative ERA.

Card of the Day: 3/17/16

2001 Fleer Tradition #373 Keith McDonald

I'm numb. I was running with my head down. I didn't even see it go out and I almost tripped over first base. -Keith McDonald 

Card of the Day: 3/16/16

1982 Donruss #404 Ken Oberkfell

There are so many new faces around here, I thought I'd been traded. -Ken Oberkfell

Card of the Day: 3/15/16

1954 Topps #158 Peanuts Lowrey

     Harry Lee Lowrey was born on August 27, 1917 in Culver City, California. In 1937, Peanuts was signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent. The Cardinals bought Lowrey's contract from the Cincinnati Reds on September 7, 1950. He played 4+ seasons with the Cardinals, logging 441 games. During that time, Lowrey batted .278 for the club.

     The origin of Peanuts' nickname is something of a mystery, but it is thought to be derived from events on his grandfather's ranch. When Lowrey was a child, he spent time at his grandfather's ranch where several episodes of Our Gang were filmed. Peanuts served as an extra in some of the episodes. It is rumored that actress Thelma Todd offered to buy Harry a bag of peanuts if he behaved properly while on set. Another theory is: Lowrey's grandfather once described Harry "as small as a peanut." It is unclear how Lowrey came about the nickname, but it's abundantly clear that Peanuts Lowrey has one of the coolest monikers in baseball history.

Card of the Day: 3/14/16

2015 Topps 1st Home Run Medallion Matt Carpenter

Baseball, in general, is a game of failure. If you live and die only with your success in this game, or any tangible thing, you are just never going to be happy. There are too many ups and downs. You can go a week or even a month without getting a hit. Having faith is the only way I can possibly imagine living life and also playing the game. -Matt Carpenter

Card of the Day: 3/11/16

1999 Stadium Club Video Replay #VR1 Mark McGwire

     There's not a pill or an injection that's going to give me, going to give any other player the hand-eye coordination to hit a baseball. -Mark McGwire

Card of the Day: 3/10/16

2001 Fleer Tradition #349 Andy Benes

     Did You Know?

On September 6, 2002, Andy (pitching for the Cardinals) faced off against his brother, Cubs pitcher Alan Benes, in what was only the seventh time a pair of brothers pitched against each other in a Major League game. Andy got the better of Alan by pitching a complete game. Alan was removed from the game in the third inning. The Cardinals won 11-2.

Card of the Day: 3/9/16

1982 Donruss #246 Lary Sorensen

     Lary Alan Sorensen was born in Detroit, Michigan on October 4, 1955. The Cardinals acquired Sorensen on December 12, 1980 when the Milwaukee Brewers dealt him along with Sixto Lezcano and David Green for Pete Vuckovich, Ted Simmons, and Rollie Fingers. Although a seemingly lop-sided trade in favor of the Brewers, the Cardinals traded Sorensen after the 1981 season for Lonnie Smith who became a key player in the Cardinals' 1982 World Series Championship run. Their opponents in the series? The Milwaukee Brewers.

     During Sorensen's time in St. Louis, he was a mediocre, yet consistent pitcher. In 23 games started, he won 7, lost 7, posted a 3.27 ERA, and rung up 52 batters on strikes. 

Card of the Day: 3/8/16

1954 Red Man #NL10 Red Schoendienst

     We at Cardinal Sauce are particularly excited to share this card. Pictures don't do justice to these Red Man cards. They are some of the most vibrant-colored cards of the 1950s. They came in packages of Red Man chewing tobacco and, thus, this is the first tobacco card in the Cardinal Sauce collection. Collectors had to cut these out of the package so condition depends on how skillfully the acquirer wielded the scissors or, in many cases, pocket knife. As a result, top condition cards are rare. In addition, these came with a coupon tab on the bottom. Fifty tabs could be exchanged for a baseball cap featuring the redeemer's team of choice. It's relatively difficult to find cards still containing the tab and that also affects the values of these cards. This particular card is missing the tab and has some minor wear. We think it would grade out at Very Good (VG). Regardless, it quickly became the favorite oddball in the Cardinal Sauce collection.