Just in case someone is wondering what it takes to get to the plateau that is the CT CodD, there are a few things that can really help your cause...1. I must own the card. You can send it to me, its okay...
2. If you send me the card AND a front and back scan, that would speed things up... Otherwise some more realistic reasons to find your way here include...
3. Being from one of my favorite sets including 1963 Topps, 1964 Topps GIANTS or 1965 Topps baseball OR on a better day 1887 Allen and Ginter.
4. Being a fav player of mine (and there are a BUNCH) helps...
5. I like cartoons and a cool cartoon makes any card Card o' da Day material...
6. Have a nickname. A cool one. Nicknames ARE Nitty Gritty. Even better when there is mystery and I can't figure out why you are referred to as the (insert bad ass moniker here)
7. There are way more than 6 factors, BUT I fear I am loosing you (I'm bored myself) so I will end it here... The final way to guarantee CodD status is to be a bad-ass player with ties to the great state of Oklahoma...
Okay, with the rules specified, lets get down to bizness and show off today's Collective Troll Card o' da Day. This card exemplifies numbers 1, 2, 3 AND 7. There is a chance this guy had a nickname too, but I don't know what it is. Do you? That information could push him into #4 as well... Anyhoo, hailing from Qualls, Oklahoma, the CT Card o' da Day is from 1963 Topps Baseball, card #434 of Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johnny Callison. Callison was coming off a breakout year in '62 when he became an All Star (twice) for the first time (at age 23), paced the NL in triples (10), topped 100 runs scored (107), blasted 23 homers and hit .300 the only time in his 16-year big league career. The next year he made his third All Star appearance and took over in right field for Roberto Clemente. He was hitless in his first 2 plate appearances, but in the bottom of the ninth inning, with 2 outs and 2 men on, Callison delivered... He delivered by crushing a homerun to deep right field, breaking the tie and giving the NL the victory 7-4. It was the 3rd walk-off homer in All Star game history and Callison joined Ted Williams and Stan Musial as the 3 legends to hit 'em. The homer earned Callison MVP honors for the game.
Despite his team's late season collapse that year, Callison finished strong himself and ended the 1964 season with a batting line of .274, 31 homers and 104 RBI. His Phillies finished second in the NL to the Cardinals and Callison finished second in the MVP vote to Cards third baseman Ken Boyer... The one thing his career lacked was October experience... With 4 different teams over 16 seasons Callison never made it to the postseason, but he has made it to the CT Card o' da Day! My 1963 Topps need list is of course up to date, so don't hold back and check it out right here...A HUGE thank you goes out to reader Brian G. for the card AND THE SCAN!!! Thanks for reading! Go Rays! troll out.
Starting with my current blog header pic showing
It probably could have been more, but the Award wasn't given out for each League until 1958 and Power was the dominant fielding first baseman in the AL.
The
Zernial spent 11 seasons playing in the American League and finished in the top-10 in homers six times. In 1951 he paced the league in both homeruns and RBIs.
Hamner was a key member of the Phillies Whiz Kids team that won the National League Pennant in 1950. In the Phils loss to the Yankees Hamner batted .429 in the Series. He was a 3-time All Star and one of the defensive leaders of the Whiz Kids. He also brought some pop to the plate, especially when he topped 20 homers in 1953.
He held the record for homers by a shortstop for the Phillies which stood for over 50 years before Jimmy Rollins broke the mark in 2006.