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All-Star cards returned to Topps sets in 1968 under The Sporting News banner for a three-year run between 1968 and 1970. Topps included 20 All-Star cards in its 1969 set, featuring 10 All-Stars from each league and one player from each position, including both a right-handed and left-handed pitcher.
Building the Set / Card #384
December 3, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
December 3, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
Doug and I returned to The Philly Show in early December, once again held inside the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania. eBay has taken over sponsorship of the show, with the quaint, bubble-lettered Philly Show logo that had been in place since the 1980s replaced with a more modern logo, keeping with the times. I wrote about the show in a post over at The Phillies Room.
Similar to my strategy from March, I wanted to focus on accumulating commons and having found success with Uncle Dick's Cards before, I didn't mess around and headed right for the neon green binders. I pulled 145 cards from the binder containing cards 301 to the end of the set, stopping when I reached 500. This card was the 92nd of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost a little less than $2.
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| 1970 Topps #467 |
Denny McLain was coming off his 31-win season in 1968, and as the reigning Cy Young and MVP from the American League, it's no wonder this is one of the pitcher's six appearances in the 1969 Topps set. McLain is the right-handed pitcher on The Sporting News All-Star team, with Sam McDowell (#220) getting the nod as the left-handed pitcher. McLain pitched two scoreless innings in relief in the actual 1968 All-Star Game, allowing a hit and two walks and striking out Willie McCovey (#440). In the 1969 All-Star Game, McLain again relieved and McCovey got his revenge with a solo home run in the top of the fourth.
The black-and-white background photo may be McLain, but it's most likely an anonymous pitcher from the Topps archives, blurry enough to pass for McLain. Linked below is a great article from Sports Collectors Daily, and the author did his best in tracking down the origins of the action photos appearing on these All-Star subset cards.
The backs of these All-Star cards contain a puzzle piece of either Pete Rose (#120) or Carl Yastrzemski (#130). The back of McLain's card features a close-up of Rose's shoulder.
Topps All-Star Card Appearances (2): 1969-70
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Baseball Reference
#432 Bob Gibson AS - St. Louis Cardinals / #434 Jerry Koosman AS - New York Mets