Funny, Goofy, and
just plain Silly Page!!!
1960 Topps #1 Johnny Unitas                                                                                                                                                                                                1976 Topps #564 Kurt Bevacqua Bubble Gum Champ
On this page, it's "anything goes." Our Funny, Goofy, and just plain Silly Page features just that- cards that are funny, goofy or silly. It's a fun page so kick back and enjoy some classic cardboard
hilarities!
1955 Topps #85 Don Mossi
Don Mossi was a decent pitcher, won 101 games, lost 80 and had a decent 3.43 ERA in 12 big league seasons, but do you think Topps could have chose a better picture than the large portrait shot
on this 1955 Topps card? Granted, you cannot turn a frog into a prince, but couldn't Topps have used a different picture or simply just airbrushed out Mossi's face? A face only a mother could love. I
know this is cruel and my apologies, but jeez lu-eeez!!! The following I copied from Anonymous Supporter on Don Mossi's Baseball Reference Page (courtesy of
Baseball-Reference.com):

"He could run ugly, hit ugly, throw ugly, field ugly, and ugly for power. He was ugly to all fields and you never saw a player uglier in the clutch. We love you Don!!"
1961 Topps # Clarence "Choo Choo" Coleman RC
First, the picture. Look at this 1961 Topps # Clarence "Choo Choo" Coleman card. Does this guy look like he's ready for the big leagues? Does he look like he is happy to make the big club, and
fulfill his lifelong dreams of becoming a major league ballplayer? Does he look ready to catch a 95 mph fastball? Sorry Choo-Choo that your big league career did not pan out as planned (
.197
lifetime batting mark over 3 seasons). However we do have some classic cardboard to remember you by. Of course Mets fans remember Choo Choo. He was one of the original '62 Mets squad that
lost 120 games in their first season. As Casey Stengel, their manager said, "Can anyone here play this game???"
1977 Topps #610 Jose Cardenal                                                         "M-I-C...K-E-Y...M-O-U-S-E...."                                                            1976 Topps Traded #74T Oscar Gamble
I just couldn't help it! Oscar Gamble was about as famous for his hair as his baseball abilities. Maybe even more so. I remember a few years ago going to a baseball exhibit at the Pasadena Main
Library and they had actual curlers that Gamble would use for his fro. Another player who spent a lot of time with his hair was Joe Pepitone. But this Oscar Gamble card is a classic. Jose Cardenal
had a cool one going as well, but couldn't match Gamble. You gotta love the 1970's! Get yer groove on!
1958 Topps #407 Carlton Willey
The "shucks, I just screwed Mary Jane in the cornfields" look. The gap between his two front teeth. The "morgue" like look of his skin, not to mention the last name of "Willey."  It just doesn't get any
better than this!
1981 Topps #26 U.L. Washington                                                1958 Topps #287 Sam Jones
What's unique about these two players was that both were frequently photographed with toothpicks in their mouths. On both these 1981 Topps #26 U.L. Washington and 1958 Topps #287
"Sad" Sam Jones
cards there is a toothpick on the right side of their mouths. Maybe U.L was the reincarnated "Sad" Sam Jones. Or maybe they just got through eating steaks. Regardless it
makes for some silly cardboard!
More funny, goofy and just plain silly cards coming soon! If you have any you would like to contribute please
email me at
nowbatting19@yahoo.com Tim
O

O

2007 Topps #40 Derek Jeter (Bush, Mantle "error" card)
Now I like gags as much as the next guy. Sure it would be fun to work at Topps and do little things like add
Mickey Mantle and George Bush on a
2007 Topps Derek Jeter baseball card. But to actually let it go into
production? Sounds like a marketing ploy to me and this card did garner National attention when collector's
started pulling it out of packs in 2007. Pretty lame by Topps. I can understand if one or two got out in the hobby
through someone who worked at Topps, but there are many more examples than one or two. Personally I find it
incredibly low of Topps but I guess they needed the dough. That aside, it makes for an interesting card. I "lifted"
this image off eBay. By the way, Mantle is pictured holding a bat in the dugout and EX President George W.
Bush is standing up behind the dugout. Nice going Topps. That's the kind of thing that keep old-time Topps'
collectors (like myself) from buying your newer products.
1970 O-Pee-Chee #314 Bill McCool
I really don't know if Bill McCool was a good pitcher, lousy pitcher, or what. But I do like his name and don't you forget it. The name is "MCCOOL....Bill McCOOL..." Check out the high ridin hat.
McCool must have been a gunslinger ready to intimidate feeble hitters with just his name and the high ridin hat. Maybe later in life he became a private dick. He could have had his own hit TV show,
simply called "McCOOL." Bill McCool, you are the man!
1969 Topps #653 Aurelio Rodriguez (uncorrected error)
What's funny about this 1969 Topps baseball card is that it is not Aurelio Rodriguez at all. The picture is of the Angels' bat boy. Off hand I can't remember his name (Pedro Garcia?) but it's
definitely NOT Aurelio Rodriguez. This was a genuine goof by Topps and is considered a classic error card. The picture was never corrected so if you want Aurelio Rodriguez's first card that
pictures the real Aurelio Rodriguez you are going to have to pick up a 1970 Topps card. How would you like to be this bat boy though? Having your own card owned by millions of baseball fans
across the Nation. Pretty cool.
1974 Topps #125 Nate Colbert (Washington variation)                    1974 Topps #125 Nate Colbert (San Diego, Correct version)
Another classic Topps goof is the 1974 Topps "Washington" variation cards. It was rumored that the San Diego Padres were going to move to Washington. Topps jumped the gun and produced some
of the Padres' cards with "Washington  Nat'L Lea." instead of "San Diego Padres." These are error cards and also considered variations as well. Obviously the Padres didn't move to Washington as
rumored as these cards were being found in packs back in 1974. The "Washington" variation cards are not difficult to find and are slightly higher in price than the regular Topps "San Diego Padres"
cards. If I am not mistaken, I believe
Nate Colbert set or tied a record by hitting 5 home runs in a double header.
"McCOOL"
1954 Bowman #42 Billy Loes
"I have the ball. Now what do you want me to do with it????"
1972 O-Pee-Chee #33 Billy Martin
This might just be an accident, but check out Billy's left hand. I had never really noticed it until I read something about it. It may or may not be intentional. Sorry if it offends... By the way, I think
Billy Martin
should be in the Hall Of Fame. He was a winner when he played and he was a winner as a manager. One of the best managers, ever. Check out our Hall Of Fame Page!
1958 Topps #306 Whammy Douglas
Surely you jest. "Whammy???" No way could Whammy get away with that name today, not even when I was a kid in the 60's. I would have gotten beaten up daily and by the looks of the picture above it
sure doesn't look like Whammy could defend himself. No, I am sure he got pummelled daily. Poor Whammy...
1977 Topps #244 John Mayberry (back of card)
Now do you want to see something REALLY funny? Check out the back of this card and read the cartoon caption on the left. It reads "A 1910 baseball card of Honus Wagner is valued at over
$1000.00." That is no typo folks. Back in 1977 you could get a T206 White Border Honus Wagner (and probably that was the best known example at the time) for a thousand bucks. Today that card is
valued at over 2 MILLION DOLLARS!!! Now THAT is funny!
1959 Fleer The 3 Stooges #1 Curly                                          #2 Moe                                                             #3 Larry
In 1959 Fleer issued a couple big sets featuring some big names. Probably the best known is the 1959 Fleer Ted Williams set, as Williams signed an exclusive contract with Fleer. Which meant that
if you wanted a Ted Williams card from 1959-1961 you had to buy Fleer, not Topps. Also issued that same year was a set devoted exclusively to
The 3 Stooges (Curly, Moe, & Larry). Each of the
Stooges was pictured on the first three cards of the set. The other cards featured scenes from Stooges shorts. Considered a classic non-sports set today, these are very fun cards to collect. Nyuck
nyuck nyuck!!!
Has neck...                                                Has no neck...
1972 Venezuela Sticker #162 Ed Brinkman                                            1971 Topps Walt Williams
Meet "giraffe neck" shortstop Ed Brinkman of the Detroit Tigers. Have you ever seen a neck like that (except on a giraffe of course)? On the flip side you have Walt "No Neck" Williams, and that was
his real nickname folks. No kidding.
1978 Topps #312 Greg Minton
This is about as ugly as it gets, in fact I've seen better looking corpses. I don't know if Topps airbrushed this card or what happened, but I certainly hope Greg Minton sued Topps for putting such
an ugly card out for millions of kids to see. How would you like to have been Greg Minton signing and handing out these cards to kids? I know how Minton feels; I had plenty of bad school photos
took of me and decades later I am still traumatized by them. I remember one year flushing an entire set of my school pics down the toilet. But you can't do that with a million baseball card pictures of
Greg Minton, spread all over the world. His cards will outlive both you and I, especially the ones graded and slabbed in tamper proof holders like this PSA graded MINT 9 example. Can you believe
someone paid $6-$10 to have this card graded? I can't.