1982 Squirt #14; 1982 Topps #100, #162 (Home Run Leaders), #163 (RBI Leaders), #339 (All-Star); 1982 Topps Stickers #3 & #5 (League Leaders), #74, #123 (All-Star)A fictionalized account of the conversation between Mike Schmidt, Phillies Hall of Fame third baseman, and a Topps photographer, Spring Training 1981:
Mike Schmidt: So you're here to take my picture for my 1982 Topps cards? That's great.
Topps Photographer: Yes, sir. I was thinking maybe if you just kneel over there on the grass with your bat and then . . .
MS: Have you seen my 1981 Topps card? It. Is. Awesome. Years from now, the youth of today will publicly celebrate the glory that is that baseball card.
TP: Of course they will. If you could maybe just look at the camera over here . . .
MS: It's the eye black you know. Kids dig it. And I look as if I'm shouting something important, something critical to the game. I'll tell you a little secret though - I was yelling at Del Unser.
TP: OK . . . could you just raise your chin slightly up and to the right? Wait. Del Unser?
MS: I was yelling at Del Unser in the dugout. He was messing with my eye black supply and I wasn't about to have that happen. Pinch hitters don't need eye black. Everybody knows that.
TP: Right . . . Well, I think I'll just snap a few more quick head shots and be on my way, so if you could just turn a little to the left . . .
MS: Wait, should I put on some eye black?
TP: Actually, I think I'm good to go . . . I need to get a few shots of George Vukovich, Dickie Noles and Marty Bystrom and then I'm done for the day.
MS: Do you want me to look like I'm about to field a sharp grounder or do you need a shot of me in my batter's stance? Wait . . . that's it? I didn't even stand up! Do you want me to yell at Unser again?
This is pretty awesome.
ReplyDeleteI am a handful of teams before I move on to the 1982 cards...and I really can't wait to move onto 1983, all three companies cards in 1982 were pretty awful. 1982 Fleer would get my vote for worst set of all time. Awful design, worst photography I've ever seen on cards with so many out of focus shots taken either during bad weather or night games. These 1982 Topps were baseball cards with racing stripes. Donruss was OK, but would do better in the decade.
I have a soft spot in my collecting heart for the '82 Donruss set. I loved that set, due partly to the fact the '82 Topps and '82 Fleer sets were so subpar.
ReplyDeleteWe have an autograhed card along with Glen Wilson
ReplyDeleteDad - You're thinking of the '86 Topps set. We did in fact get Schmidt and Wilson's autographs on their '86 Topps cards at a baseball card show in Cherry Hill (?), I think.
ReplyDelete