1976 Hostess #142 - Gary Matthews

 

* The cut isn't quite this bad -- I cut off that part of the card on the scanner

* I wish the Giants could have kept him for a few more years. Gary had a good and productive career.

1976 Hostess #41 - John Montefusco

 

I have gotten to a place where I can spend a little each month on cards, so I decided to start completing my Giants sets.

John Montefusco had two great seasons and two decent seasons with the Giants before injuries and personality conflicts affected his career. 

The card is in better shape than the scan indicates -- I'm still learning how to use this thing!

Wallet Card in July

The Apes' star took a trip to Smith's Ballpark in Salt Lake City to watch the Salt Lake City Bees (Angels) take on the El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres). It's been several years since I've been able to attend a minor league game, but since I'm moving to the area I should be able to attend more.

A few observations:

* The little league players  must have really gotten a kick out of taking the field before the game. I would have given a few toes to be able to do that when I was that age.

* I wonder if players change their walk up music when they get in a slump. Former Giant Gary Brown had a Taylor Swift song and was batting .207. He went 0 for 2 but he had a sac fly and made a game-saving catch in the eighth inning.

* It was strange not seeing beer sold at the game, but the crowd (about 6000) was more pleasant.

* The card is showing some wear after being in my wallet for over six months, but it's still in one piece.

1960 Fleer #36 - Mel Ott

• This is my first PSA card. I got it off of eBay for a couple of bucks. I'm not sure if I like slabbed cards or not. It's nice that the card is authenticated. I once bought a 1957 Yogi Berra that looked really nice. I ran into financial problems several years later and tried to sell the card, only to be told that the card was trimmed. On the other hand, there's something impersonal about having cards surrounded by plastic.
• Mel Ott is largely forgotten today. He was a Hall of Fame right fielder for the New York Giants. Mel led the National League in home runs five times. Until guys like Hank Aaron and Willie Mays came along Ott was the all-time leading home run hitter. Ott was an NL all star 11 straight times (1934-1944).
• Mel Ott's SABR biography

2015 Topps #67 - Hunter Pence

• It was disheartening to see the blurb on my phone from MLB.com. Hunter Pence was hit in the arm by a pitch in the sixth inning of the Giants' third exhibition game. He's expected to miss 6-8 weeks due to a fractured ulna bone. At least it happened in spring training so he won't miss as much time when the games count. The Giants will have a tough time replacing him for the first part of the season.
• This is a great shot of Hunter going after a ball in the outfield.

1983 Donruss #605 - Guy Sularz

• Guy Sularz was an infielder who played in parts of four seasons with the Giants from 1980-1983.
• Sularz was drafted by the Giants in 1974. He played in the minors from 1974-1980. Guy's best minor league season was with AAA Phoenix in 1978. He batted .294 in 144 games and had a .370 on base percentage. Sularz was always good at getting on base - he had a lifetime .370 on base percentage in 11  minor league seasons.
• Guy got his first taste of the majors as a September call-up in 1980. Sularz started 23 games at second base and batted .246 in 25 games. Guy didn't show much power -- his slugging percentage was only .292.
• In 1981 Sularz spent most of the year in Phoenix. He was called up in September and batted .200 (4 for 20) in 10 games.
• Guy spent most of the 1982 season as a backup infielder for the Giants. He batted .228 in 63 games.
• Sularz was in Phoenix in 1983. He was called up in September, but Guy didn't get to play much. He batted .100 (2 for 20) in ten games.
• Guy was in Phoenix for the entire 1984 season. After the 1984 season he was offered a contract to be a player-coach in Phoenix. Sularz turned down the offer and retired.
• Sularz used some money he saved up during his playing days to enroll in junior college. He decided to become a firefighter and worked in Phoenix in the early 1990s.
• Guy retired as the all-time Phoenix Giants/Firebirds leader in games, hits, doubles, and total bases.
• Sularz returned to his roots as a fan and rooted for the Dodgers (ugh!) after he left the Giants organization.
• Guy is now a real estate agent in Mesa, AZ.

Wallet Card - Standin' on The Corner...

...in Winslow, Arizona!

I was driving on I-40 through Winslow and I figured I'd stop and get a picture with our favorite ape. There is actually a corner in Winslow that is fixed up complete with a statue of Glenn Frey.

Across the street there is a gift shop called "Standin' on The Corner." There is constant Eagles (or Eagles-connected) music being played on the outside speakers. There aren't many good pictures because it was really cold and windy that day. I jumped out of the truck, took a few quick pictures, and jumped back in so that I could go to Flagstaff to take a Praxis test. Arizona is so spread out that the closest testing site for me is 120 miles away.