Cards from 83 Bats and a Gypsy Queen Trade

Recently, Mark from the very interesting blog 83 Bats contacted me to offer up some cards from my wantlist.  Well I certainly wasn't going to turn that down.  He also sent some other random cards my way.  He really helped out in my SSPC needs.  Here is the package:

1.  Rus Laribee.  Laribee never made the Major Leagues, but he did have an impressive season in Double A in 1980 and had some pop.  He made it to Triple A for one season but stopped playing after that.  He has the distinction of striking out seven times in a 33 inning game.

2.  Dave Koza.  Koza also never played in Boston, but he had a much longer career.  He also made it to Triple A but languished there for six seasons.  He also had some impressive power in his bat.  

3.  Scott Hatteberg.  There were a ton of SPs in 2001 Topps Heritage for the Red Sox.  It has made it a pretty slow set to collect.  Hatteberg had his worst season in 2000 and could no longer play catcher.  He would have his career resurgence in Oakland at first base in 2001.

4.  Carl Yastrzemski.  1983 saw the retirement of three great players.  Johnny Bench and Yaz were two of the greatest players in history for their respective teams.  Gaylord Perry also retired but for some reason did not appear on this card. 

5.  Bob Montgomery.  Montgomery is one of the more obscure players to have a career lasting at least ten seasons all for one Major League team.  He was a career backup catcher to Carlton Fisk and others.

6.  Jim Willoughby.  Willoughby was Boston's top reliever for a couple of seasons, including the 1975 season when he played a critical role in the team's ascendance to the World Series.

7.  Jim Burton.  Burton replaced Willoughby in the final game of the 1975 World Series.  It was a pretty big mistake as Burton allowed the winning runs to score.  

8.  Dick Drago.  Drago spent two stints with the Red Sox.  He was a relief specialist who also spot-started occasionally.  Drago had some impressive seasons with the Red Sox in his second stint, toward the end of his career.

9.  Dwight Evans.  He looked so young in this picture.  I had to look at the back of the card to see who this was.  Evans of course is one of the longest tenured Red Sox players ever, playing with the team from 1972 to 1990.  

10.  Tim Blackwell.  Blackwell is one of the most obscure players in this set for the Red Sox.  Despite having a long career and playing in 103 games for the Red Sox in two seasons, this is his only mainstream card with the Red Sox.  He does appear in a Boston Herald set though.  No Topps cards.

11.  Rick Miller.  Like Drago, Miller was a Red Sox player in two different stints.  He was an impressive defensive player and could hit a little bit.  Miller left Boston as a free agent and was traded back as part of the deal that sent Rick Burleson and Butch Hobson to the Angels for Miller, Carney Lansford, and Mark Clear.

12.  Rico Petrocelli.  Petrocelli was another long-term Red Sox player.  He was a terrific defensive player who started at shortstop then moved to third when Boston acquired Luis Aparicio.  Petrocelli hit 40 home runs one season.

13.  Jim Rice.  Yet another long-term Red Sox player.  Rice is of course a Hall of Famer, one of the more controversial choices.

14.  Doug Mientkiewicz.  I was shocked I did not have this card.  Mientkiewicz made the final putout of the 2004 World Series, then was traded to the Mets for Ian Bladergroen who never played for Boston.

Thanks a lot for the cards Mark!

And next came a package of Gypsy Queen cards I needed: 

There is a nice selection of base cards here, including yet another photo-shopped Red Sox hat that doesn't exist on David Price.  I love the Betts Glove Stories.  This was a game-saving catch to nail down a complete game victory for Rich Hill.  Unfortunately Hill will likely never have a Red Sox card.