Round And Round

Back at it on the 1970 Baseball Stars Candy Lids this week kids, with a look at the dozen American Leaguers in the set.

Yankee Stadium shots are ubiquitous in vintage Topps sets.  Luis looks pretty happy here, doesn't he?

Jim Fregosi in the classic Angels cap; it would change in 1971.

One of the nice things about this set is it mostly captures the 1969 expansion teams in their inaugural duds; Topps still had the Pilots on the banner for Mike Hegan, which gives us another dating clue as they didn't move to Milwaukee until April Fool's Day 1970.

 The Capitol Punisher at the height of his powers:

More staining above and below. Instead of finding a centered lid for Mr. October, I thought it would be instructive to show the die cut was not always on the money.  Quite a few of these lids are found off center.

Another Yankee Stadium shot for The Killer: 

Sudden Sam and his stellar sideburns are also shown at Yankee Stadium, he is upwardly off-center!

My vote for worst shot in the set goes to Denny McLain:

Sweet Lou was traded to the Royals on April 1, 1969 after being taken by the Pilots in the expansion draft but I guess Topps never got a shot of the upcoming Rookie of the Year in Royals attire in time for this set. That airbrushed hat is an atrocity....and given all the new pix taken in '69, I have to think he was in his Indians togs in the original shot. Did you know the Indians almost moved to Seattle in 1965?

Frank Robinson at Yankee Stadium in a "Big Bird" Orioles cap-classic:

Speaking of the Yankees, poor Mel Stottlemyre essentially spanned their dark years:

What better way to end our look at the set than with Yaz in --where else?--Yankee Stadium:

Topps followed with another candy lid set featuring baseball players in 1973 after extensively working up what appears to have been an intended 1972 version.  Gum Berries and Rocks O'Gum were issued on the Non-Sports side in various stages from 1971 to 1974 or so, indicating Topps clearly was enamored of the format.