Wednesday, February 15, 2012

no. 17 - billy sorrell


Who is the man: Good question. Billy Sorrell had just completed his most successful major league season. He played in 57 games for the fledgling Kansas City Royals in 1970. It would be his third and final season in the majors.

Can ya dig it: I really do dig the setting sun skyline behind Sorrell.

Right on: There's no telling what uniform Sorrell is wearing. Could be the Royals, or the Mets who purchased him in 1968, or the Giants for whom he played in 1967, or the Phillies for whom he played in 1965. If I could identify spring training stadiums, I might have a clue.

You see this Sorrell is a bad mother: Sorrell's baseball card claim to fame is that he shares a rookie card with Fergie Jenkins in the 1966 Topps set. But he's not that bad-ass, or else it wouldn't be referred to as "The Fergie Jenkins Rookie Card."

Shut your mouth: I thought this guy was a pitcher for a long time. Yeah, I know it says "3b-ss" right on the front, but the photo says "pitcher" to me.

No one understands him but his woman: We've reached the first player in this set that I had never heard of until obtaining his card. There are a lot of players like this in this set because 1) it's such a large set and 2) it came out four years before I started collecting cards. I'm still not sure why Sorrell received a card in this set.


(A word about the back): Uh-oh, the dreaded Little League, Connie Mack and American Legion ball trifecta. You know there isn't much to say when a card is calling you a Little League veteran.

4 comments:

  1. "Veteran of Little League"? Really? That's terrible. You shouldn't get a card if they have to mention Little League on the back.

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  2. My little league exploits are still legendary - where is my 1987 topps card?

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  3. Hmmm... I thought I had heard of every player from my youth. Never heard of this guy either. Had to go look him up. He passed away on July 22, 2008 in Rancho Bernardo, CA.

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  4. I first saw this guy in 1967 on that set's Giants Rookies card. He shares the card with catcher Dick Dietz (although Topps thought Dietz was an outfielder).

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