Who is the man: Dave Bristol was in his second season as manager of the Brewers when this card appeared in packs. He took over the team when it was still the Seattle Pilots during that limbo period in early 1970 when the team didn't know whether they'd play in Seattle or Milwaukee.
Can ya dig it: This is the highest-numbered card that I received in that trade for my first 1971s when I was a young teen. I remember sorting those cards by number on the floor of my bedroom and placing the Bristol card way to the right of the other cards.
Right on: I do believe Bristol is stowing a chaw.
You see that cat Bristol is a bad mother: Bristol was the youngest manager in baseball when he took over the Cincinnati Reds' job in July of 1966. He was 33.
Shut your mouth: Bristol said he chewed tobacco because he was told a younger manager would look silly chewing bubble gum.
No one understands him but his woman: Bristol's 1977 Braves team lost 16 straight games. Owner Ted Turner put Bristol on a 10-day leave of absence in May and managed the team himself despite no baseball knowledge. After another loss, NL president Chub Feeney intervened and removed Turner, who eventually convinced Bristol to return and manage the rest of the season.
(A word about the back): All of Bristol's winning seasons in the majors came with the Reds, from 1966-69. He was then replaced by Sparky Anderson, and not only did Bristol never register another winning season, but he missed out on the Big Red Machine.
Being a Milwaukee native, there is certain fascination with the Brewer's first year and how tumultuous the decision of where to play was. They played spring training as the Seattle Pilots. As the team equipment left Arizona, the trucks were held up in Utah, awaiting word whether to NW or East by NE (Milwaukee), one can just imagine drivers standing around a pay phone waiting for the word. What a return for MLB to Milwaukee and quite an adventure for Bristol.
ReplyDeleteAir brushes Pilots uniforms make me sad. I don't care that they left Seattle for Milwaukee, there's just precious few Topps cards of actual Pilots uniforms. Seems wrong to airbrush them.
ReplyDeleteThere is a website TheCowboysGuide.com that makes "cards that never were" for sale. (I have bought some of there football cards already.) They are mostly Cowboys and Packers football cards, but I recently read where they have a Milwaukee Brewers set in the style of 1970 Topps cards.
ReplyDeleteI don't think his uniform is airbrushed. They literally took all Seattle information off the uniforms and put Milwaukee on, from what I heard. But I agree about being sad. 1970 was my first year collecting cards and this 7 year old liked the Pilots cards for some reason (I think it had something to do with that mountain down the left-field line that my brother and I called 'the dirt pile') and was stunned to see the Brewers in 1971.
ReplyDeleteI just want to know what stadium that is with aqua-colored seats.