Project Durham Bulls #51 - Clint Courtney

1962 -1963 Durham Bulls

Background- 

Clint Courtney spent the better part of a decade playing in the Majors as a backup catcher, appearing in games for the Yankees, Browns, Orioles, Senators, White Sox, and A's. Seems like a pretty good player off the bench, but I really like that he was nicknamed  "Scrap Iron" while playing for the St. Louis Browns over two fights he incited with the Yankees.  During one incident he spiked Billy Martin, and then proceeded to punch him when the Yankees infielder protested being spiked.  The following season Courtney spiked Phil Rizzuto, while trying to stretch a single into a double, which resulted in Billy Martin jumping on him during a fight that ensued.  For years, the fight held the American League record for fines.   

Clint Courtney played his last game in the Majors in 1961 for the Baltimore Orioles.  He would spend the next three seasons in the Houston Colts Minor League system working with younger players.  Courtney was 35 and 36 years old for his two seasons with the Durham Bulls.  The Bulls were an Astros affiliate at that time, and they had some good Major League quality talent on the roster.  By the mid 1960s, the Astros used Clint Courtney as their bullpen coach.  He had been considered for several managing jobs along the way.  

After leaving the Astros in 1970, Clint Courtney spent the rest of his life working as a coach in the Minor Leagues.  He managed the Richmond Braves on several different occasions during the 1970s, before he passed away playing ping pong against some of the team's players on a road trip in 1975.  

Card- 

There are not a ton of Clint Courtney cards, but they are all from really good sets.  It was honestly sort of a hard decision to choose which card I should add to my collection.  I ended up narrowing it down to trying to find a St. Louis Browns card, and then after that I decided to go with his 1953 Bowman card.  There are far too few St. Louis Browns cards in my collection.  

I Love The 1990s Cardinals Part 75 - Omar Oliveras

Omar Oliveras was a second generation Cardinal.  His father Ed played briefly for the Cardinals in the early 1960s, appearing in games for both the 1960 and 1961 teams.  In all, the elder Oliveras had 35 at bats in his Cardinals career, and picked up exactly 5 hits.  Omar did a little better.  

Ed Oliveras does not have a Cardinals card, but does appear in the 1962 Topps set as a Colts prospect.  

Omar Oliveras made his debut in August of 1990 after the Cardinals season was more or less over.  He would spend two seasons as a starter, and then two more as a spot starter and long reliever.  I don't want to talk too much about Omar's numbers.  I should point out that he spent 12 years as a middle reliever and made $13 million.  

Really, let's talk about Omar's cards.  If the 1990s Cardinals cards had a superlatives list, Omar Oliveras would easily win "Worst Photography" and "Best Card Back".  The vote would not be all that close.  

Let's go positive first.  

Upper Deck might have started putting pictures on the back of cards, but these 1993 Leaf cards took it to another level.  Throwing a pitch centered in between the legs of the Arch.  This should probably be the picture on the front, only it's not.  

Here is the front of the card.  

I feel let down.  

Now, the worst photograph on a 1990s Cardinals card.  Surprisingly it's on an Upper Deck card.  

The batting helmet is airbrushed.  The bat is flying out of his hands.  No idea where the ball is headed.  The bat and ball are blurred.  I know there are worse looking cards, but this takes the cake for 1990s Cardinals cards.  

Shall we look at a few more?  

I like that he wore 00 for part of his time as a Cardinal.  Pretty catchy.  If only they had shirseys in the early 1990s.  I would buy a 00 Oliveras shirt.  

Last one for Omar.  He is a long reliever after all.  

I like this landscape style card with the catcher and umpire out of focus in the background, and Oliveras throwing in the center of the picture.  Well played Topps.  

Weekend Countdown: Top 10 Fernando Tatis Cardinals Cards

This past week was the twentieth anniversary of Fernando Tatis hitting two grand slams in one inning.  It does not feel like it has been that long, but here we are.....

Tatis has also gotten a few mentions recently too with the play of his son Fernando Tatis Jr..  Kid is off to a really good start.  

Here are this week's rules:

• This post is only of cards of Fernando Tatis on the Cardinals both in picture and in label.  No "now with Expos" or "now with Cardinals" cards.

• My actual favorite Fernando Tatis card is his 1998 Skybox EX Essential Credentials card. 

• The ten cards are ranked in order of how much I love them.  

10.  1999 Fleer Tradition - I like the St. Louis Stars uniform on the card. 

9. 1998 Fleer Update - I like the St. Louis Stars uniform on the card.  This is also the first card that Fernando Tatis had in a Cardinals uniform.  In fact, this is the only 1998 Cardinals card of Fernando Tatis.  There were not many update sets that year, no Topps or Upper Deck.  This was it.  Picture looks familiar.  

8. 2001 Topps - One of his last Cardinals cards.  Always liked this picture with the dark background and the white home Cardinals uniform.  Also like that the card is landscape.  

7. 1999 SP Signature Autograph - This was a good set for Cardinals autographs.  Love Fernando's signature.  You can clearly read the "F. Tatis", but it has a really unique.  

6. 2001 Fleer Autographics - One of Fernando's last autographs as a Cardinal.  I had a ton of these cards, always sort of liked these.  

5. 2016 Bowman - Remember when Fernando Tatis Jr. was a White Sox prospect.  Hard to believe that the Padres got him for James Shields.  

4. 2016 Topps Archives - The first year I collected was 1983.  Big fan of the design.  I am not sure how exactly it is connected to Fernando, but this is a great card.  

3. 2000 Fleer Tradition - Great looking card.  Complete rip off of the 1954 Topps set.  

2.  2000 Pacific Revolution - My favorite Cardinals autograph of Fernando.  I like the green background on this card.  Nice look.  

1. 2001 Topps Heritage - Glad that Topps found a way to squeeze Fernando into this set.  This had been released after he was traded to the Expos, obviously could have easily not been a Cardinal here.  Also has to be about his final Cardinals card.  

This Isn't The Card You're Looking For....

Bowman has been out for a few weeks, and I have barely touched any of the cards.  I am cutting back on sets, but since this is more or less a Minor League product, I am all over it.  I saw the checklist a few weeks back and was really excited to see some of the names from the Cardinals system, plus a few Durham Bulls/future Durham Bulls.

It was a happy time, and then people started opening packs. 

I understand that there will always be some level of prospecting, but this year seems to be ridiculous.  Three and four digit prices for guys who are playing in the Florida State League?  The Cardinals prospects are not that bad, but they are not great either.  I am being patient, and the prices seem to be coming down a bit. 

In the meantime, I was not really looking for any NC State players, but I found one that was inexpensive. 

Deatherage was a tenth round pick by the Tigers last summer, and played Rookie League, and two different A Ball stops.  He hit really well last summer, and I was actually guessing that this would be a card that would be out of my reach to start.  Deatherage hit over .320, had almost 20 steals, and more than 20 extra base hits, in 60 games. 

He's off to a slow start this year, but I am still happy to get a copy of this card. 

I Love The 1990s Cardinals Part 74 - Edgar Renteria

Ozzie Smith was the Cardinals shortstop for much of the 1990s, and was eventually replaced by Royce Clayton after he retired.  In 1998, the Cardinals traded Clayton away to the Texas Rangers, in the middle of the season, for third baseman Fernando Tatis.  The Cardinals played all sorts of different players at shortstop during the second half of the 1998, none of them were good.  

Prior to the 1999 season, the Cardinals traded Braden Looper, Armando Almanza, and Pablo Ozuna to the Marlins in exchange for Edgar Renteria. 

He's wearing teal on his rookie card.  You should buy this card.  

Renteria was only 19 when he reached the Majors, and 22 when he was traded to the Cardinals.  He was a work in progress at this point in his career, but he had also made a name for himself as one of the few Major Leaguers to have a walk off hit in the deciding game of the World Series.  

Only one year of 1990s baseball cards for Edgar Renteria in a Cardinals uni.  It was not actually really all that great for two reasons.  Kind of makes this a short post.  

Reason One- Topps used the same picture in all of their products.  All of their products.

Here's his 1999 Topps card.  

  

and his 1999 Topps Finest card.  

I think the smile is slightly different.  

I could scan his Bowman card and put it on here, but you will never believe the picture that Topps used for the card.  He's actually not holding the bat, but everything else is the same.  The photographer from Topps spent a whole two minutes taking pictures of Edgar Renteria in Spring Training.  

and I am spent.  

Reason 2- He has a bunch of cards that have a Cardinals logo, but the picture shows him as a Marlin.  

Like this one....

or this one.....

Of course, there are a few different Edgar Renteria cards from 1999 that get it right.  

and they are pretty nice.  

Weekend Countdown: Top 10 Bowman Cardinals Cards

It's Bowman season.  People spending hundreds of dollars for cards of players in the Florida State League.  Here are the rules for this week:

• Bowman cards include the old Bowman cards too, not just the ones from the 1990s and 2000s

• There are only Bowman cards in this post.  Not Bowman Chrome, Heritage, Draft, or even autographs.  

• The cards in the list have to show the player in a Cardinals uniform. The Scott Rolen Bowman rookie is a sweet card, but he's in a Phillies uniform.  

• These are my favorite Bowman cards based on baseball cards, not playing career.  

Count it down.  

10. 1994 Bowman Dmitri Young 

Bowman was a prospect heavy set at this point, and Dmitri Young was the prospect of all Cardinals prospects back in the day.  I guess if I touched the Oscar Taveras card, he probably surpassed the hype of Dmitri Young.  Maybe.  

9. 2012 Bowman Carlos Martinez 

Carlos was a big deal as a Minor Leaguer, but also a perfect example of how out of hand people get with the Bowman comparisons.  I believe that Pedro Martinez was the name that was frequently thrown around when C-Mart was coming up through the Minors.  He's not Pedro Martinez, just a really good pitcher.  Who spent more than $100 on a Carlos Martinez Bowman card?  (I know people did).  

8. 1951 Bowman Marty Marion 

Remember when I used to get the Bowman Draft sets and pick on all the airbrushing?  This Marty Marion card is from a great set, but the picture on my copy has always bothered me.  It looks grainy and pixelated, sort of like a Bowman Draft card.  I know cleaner copies have better pictures, but I got this dirt cheap at a card show complete with staple holes at the top.  Still love the card.  

7. 2009 Bowman David Freese 

If we put David Freese's first Bowman card on a different design, I would probably rank it higher, but I really am not a fan of the 2009 Bowman set.  The giant box with the facsimile signature on it is way too big.  

6. 1990 Bowman Ray Lankford 

Personal bias, plus the rainbow borders on these look sweet.  

5 . 2004 Bowman Yadier Molina 

Flies under the radar a bit as a good Bowman card.  Obviously a card that may not touch some of the other cards on the list in terms of style, but Yadi turned out to be a good player.  What 70 something number do you think he is wearing in this picture?  Got to be Spring Training.  

4. 1951 Bowman Enos Slaughter 

Love the picture on the card, even if it is crinkled on my copy.  The dark background looks good, sort of like an Olan Mills photo.  

3. 1955 Bowman Tommy Alston 

Alston was the first African-American player on the Cardinals.  Always felt like this was sort of an iconic Cardinals card.  The 1955 Bowman set has always been distinct with the television design, like that Alston got a baseball card right away too.  Also a North Carolina guy from Greensboro.  

2. 2001 Bowman Albert Pujols 

The best modern Bowman Cardinals card, and the best right handed player in the history of the team.  

1. 1948 Bowman Stan Musial 

The best vintage Bowman Cardinals card, and the best left handed player in the history of the team.  

Better With Time

When did the Devil Rays uniforms start to look good?  When the team was first announced as an expansion team back in the 1990s, I was not a big fan of their uniforms.  These looked ridiculous. 

The Rays brought them back last year as part of their 20th Anniversary.  Suddenly they looked half way decent.  Nice enough that I went out and got a card of Blake Snell with the old Rays logo. 

What has changed over the last twenty years that has made these more appealing?  Maybe it is the players.  Twenty years ago the Rays were overcrowded with old guys who were past their prime.  Wade Boggs, Wilson Alvarez, and Vinny Castilla.  

Not a big fan. 

Most of the current Rays were on the Durham Bulls at some point. It is hard to go against players you spend time watching.  I draw the line at Blake Snell wearing a Cubs or Yankees uniform, but that might have some influence.   

The hats are also different.  The bottom card has a TB over the ray, the Snell card just has the Ray.  Little cleaner look.  

Back to the Snell card for a second.  I know that the manu-patch card is tired and old, almost as much as relic cards, but there are still nice ones every once in awhile.  The Topps manu-patch cards in this year's Series 1 cards are supposed to be old "retro" hat logos.  

It works well on the Snell card.  I also got the Yadier Molina card from the set.  

Yeah.  The Cardinals really do not change much.  At least the picture came from a game where the Cardinals were wearing their old 1970s/1980s polyester road uniforms.