Who is the man: Jarvis Tatum had spent 1970 with the California Angels, playing in 75 games and batting .238. He was traded to the Red Sox in the deal that sent Tony Conigliaro to the Angels in October of 1970.
Can ya dig it: It's been awhile since we've seen an airbrushed cap in this set. Topps weirdly airbrushed the Angels logo off Tatum's cap, but left the brim red. The Red Sox did not wear red brims at that time, so nobody was being fooled with this photo.
Right on: This is Tatum's first and only solo card. And he's airbrushed.
You see this cat Tatum is a bad mother: The Congliaro trade that Tatum was involved in wasn't just notable because of Congliaro being dealt by the Red Sox, but also because of the name similarities in the deal. Joining Jarvis Tatum in going from the Angels to the Red Sox was another Tatum, pitcher Ken. And heading in the other direction from the Red Sox to the Angels was another pitcher, Ray Jarvis. There were Jarvises and Tatums flying everywhere. That's kind of bad-ass.
Shut your mouth: Tatum never played a game in the Red Sox organization. He was released by Red Sox on April 4, 1971 and spent 1971 playing in Japan.
No one understands him but his woman: Tatum's last major league game was on Oct. 1, 1970. And his first solo card was issued a few months later, with him listed with a team for which he never played. That is almost tragic.
(A word about the back): You're looking at Tatum's career numbers on the back of this card. It's not often you can say that.
It's odd that they airbrushed a B on his cap in the back picture but not on the front. Also, a minor league game featuring Hawaii vs. Eugene! That speaks to a long-gone era right there.
ReplyDeleteGot so excited as a kid to get a Red Sox card. Too bad he never even made it to the regular season.
ReplyDeleteShortly after the trade, I remember that "The Sports Huddle," a popular weekend radio sports show in Boston suggested that in the upcoming NFL draft the Patriots should draft Jack Tatum so that Boston could "corner the market on Tatums."
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure, but I don't think he *ever* reported to the Red Sox for ST. Never saw any posed headshots of him in a Boston cap.
I remember this card. For some reason, I seem to remember the cards with airbrushed caps better than the others. Maybe it is the oddness of dark, logo-less cap that made an impression on me. John Cumberland and Steve Huntz made the same impression.
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