[null, {"document_url": "http://reallybadbaseballcards.blogspot.com/2013/06/backs.html", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-poECgzOfnX4/Uch5miHPQzI/AAAAAAAACcI/RKEbDrXv4Uk/s320/braun.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-poECgzOfnX4/Uch5miHPQzI/AAAAAAAACcI/RKEbDrXv4Uk/s320/braun.jpg", "formatted_filename": "braun", "rendered_width": 225, "rendered_height": 320}, null, {"document_url": "http://reallybadbaseballcards.blogspot.com/2013/06/backs.html", "unformatted_src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8HpESjlsXmw/Uch5uibPblI/AAAAAAAACcQ/xkLftIkHgyM/s1600/reed.jpg", "src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8HpESjlsXmw/Uch5uibPblI/AAAAAAAACcQ/xkLftIkHgyM/s1600/reed.jpg", "formatted_filename": "reed"}, null, {"document_url": "http://reallybadbaseballcards.blogspot.com/2013/06/backs.html", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HkdjGEQXcAA/Uch50zG_DfI/AAAAAAAACcY/nY0q9HV32Yc/s320/faul.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HkdjGEQXcAA/Uch50zG_DfI/AAAAAAAACcY/nY0q9HV32Yc/s320/faul.jpg", "formatted_filename": "faul", "rendered_width": 320, "rendered_height": 230}, null, {"document_url": "http://reallybadbaseballcards.blogspot.com/2013/06/backs.html", "unformatted_src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mZVyroFFFSE/Uch57W2i0SI/AAAAAAAACcg/0LlalG2qcA8/s320/mcmullen.jpg", "src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mZVyroFFFSE/Uch57W2i0SI/AAAAAAAACcg/0LlalG2qcA8/s320/mcmullen.jpg", "formatted_filename": "mcmullen", "rendered_width": 227, "rendered_height": 320}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://reallybadbaseballcards.blogspot.com/2013/06/backs.html", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJTr9PTioxI/Uch6ITvU2_I/AAAAAAAACcw/Neniwv9pwXg/s320/bennett.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJTr9PTioxI/Uch6ITvU2_I/AAAAAAAACcw/Neniwv9pwXg/s320/bennett.jpg", "formatted_filename": "bennett", "rendered_width": 320, "rendered_height": 227}, null, null]


In general, I shy away from the backs of cards.  First, I’m sure I could do a whole other blog on them.  Second, my Topps Big Book of Baseball Cards doesn’t show them!

Needless to say, though, I have run across a couple of beauts over the years – ones that I just had to share.  I already showed you some of those from the 1950s.  So, here are some from the ‘60s and ‘70s … Ooh, a little quiz!

Oh, fer chrissakes!  Who’s gonna know this one?  I mean other than Mrs. Braun.  And possibly Mr. Braun – at least for the first couple of years of the marriage.

Steve Braun was up for 15 years in the 70s and 80s.  A starter for half that time, his subsequent longevity can be attributed to an ability to pinch hit.  He hit over 100 of them, and currently ranks 12th all time. Another tough one, huh?  Let’s see …  Um, Steve Braun?  Mrs. Steve Braun?  No?  Man, this one is a lot harder than that last one.

Ron Reed was up for 19 years.  He played in three decades – the 60s, 70s, and 80s.  In those 19 years, Ron was both a pretty decent starter and a pretty decent reliever.  He is one of only 16 players to finish with 100 wins and 100 saves.  (How many others can you name?  See below for answers.)

I got it!  I got it!  It was Gene Conley. Wow, what a weirdo.  This has got to be a ‘60s card.

Bill Faul sounds like a legitimate flake.  I was able to uncover several stories about him swallowing live frogs and biting the heads off of parakeets.  I also found one wear he reported to spring training wearing a cowboy hat and riding a bicycle.  (See his obit for all the stories.)

Hmm, I wonder why they didn’t put any of that on the back of his card though? Back then, ballplayers pumped gas.  These days, ballplayers own oil companies.

Ken McMullen was a pretty decent 3rd baseman.  Over 15 years, he got over 5000 at bats, 150 homers, and 600 RBIs.  Defensively, he led his league in eight categories, from basic stuff like putouts, to wild, Sabermetric stuff like total zone runs.

More Ken here and here. So, is that a good thing or a bad thing?  Kind of reminds me of ol’ Hal Griggs.

Cisco Carlos, not to be confused with Carlos Cisco, got in four years with the Chisox and Senators in the late 60s.  In the one year he was part of the rotation for the White Sox, he went 4-14.

His Wikipedia entry ends with the following:

“For more than 20 years, Carlos has been a kitchen professional.  He is currently the owner of Cabinets by Design in Phoenix, Arizona.”

The entry also includes the URL for the Cabinets by Design website.  Do you think Cisco actually made the entry himself?

And here's what Carlos looked right from the front side. Way to go, Dave!  That’s definitely not something every 19-year-old can say (or 18-year-old, for that matter).

Dave was a genuine one-game wonder.  On June 12, 1964, he pitched one inning, gave up two hits and one earned run, and recorded one strikeout.

Answer:  Ron Reed, John Schmoltz, Hoyt Wilhelm, Dennis Eckersley, Tom Gordon, Rich Gossage, Rollie Fingers, Bob Stanley, Dave Giusti, Lindy McDaniel, Roy Face, Stu Miller, Ron Kline, Ellis Kinder, Firpo Marberry

Posted by Cliff at 9:58 AM