Blog plans for 2016 - Baseball project

Ever since I started sending baseball cards to fellow collectors, I have heard a common question: "What can I send you in return?"

I generally answered the question by saying that I collected Cleveland Browns football cards, but that they didn't need to send me anything - I just wanted to see the cards belong in collections where they are appreciated. I also often answered with a comment that I may start a Mets collection in the future.

Thinking about it, and looking at my Browns collection, I realized that I didn't want to become a general Mets collector. I would need to narrow my scope.

One of the great things about reading everyone's blogs, and looking at their collections, is that it gives you ideas to copy. Although I may eventually look at starting an all-time Mets roster collection, I still felt that was too broad.

So, narrowing further and realizing that a nine pocket sheet is just perfect for a National League baseball lineup, I am pleased to announce that I am going to start a collection of New York Mets Opening Day Starting Lineups!

1993 Opening Day Mets

The main qualification for any slot in a page is that the player has to be in a Mets uniform. I don't care if the position on the card matches the position that they played in that year's opening day, or if the card is from the same year or not, as long as they are in a Mets uniform. I am hoping to not use duplicate cards for more than one year, but as I start the project I will in order to fill the slot in the page.

I looked through my handy Mets cards and started the project. Right now, since they were handy, there are many oddball cards in the collection.



Some of these will stay, some may be replaced if I get a different card that I prefer. I'll probably tie most cards to they year that they represent, but then again it is up to what I want.

I've started the collection with what I had at hand, and 1993 is the only year that I have completed. I'll see how many years I can complete in 2016.


Since this is mainly a Cleveland Browns card blog, I will use a couple of images from the Trading Card Database of Mac Speedie, a Cleveland Brown from 1946-52. Today would have been his 96th birthday.

1950 Bowman #8

1951 Bowman #3

Back of 1951 Bowman #3



I own a copy of the 1951 card. I'll have to look to see if it is in better shape that this one from the database, and replace the scan on there if it is. These are his only two cards.

 

After the 1952 season with the Browns, Speedie left the NFL to play in Canada for the Saskatchewan Roughriders who doubled his pay to sign him. He played two years with the Roughriders, before going to the BC Lions in 1955. He only played one game for the Lions, suffering a hairline fracture in his leg, and torn ligaments in his knee and ankle.

 

He then got into coaching in the AFL, and eventually had a head coaching record of 6-19-1 with the Denver Broncos in the mid-60s. He remained a scout with the Broncos until his retirement in 1982.

 

A member of the Utah Sports Hall of Fame (1972), and the University of Utah's Crimson Club hall of fame (1986), he passed away in 1993.