Some Topps paperwork, that's what! I've been somewhat focused on paper items used or issued by Topps of late and a couple of fairly strange items have randomly popped up.
Leading off is an award bestowed by Topps on Mike Sadek for First Team honors in his NCAA Collegiate District in 1967:
Yes, it's all fancified with ribbons and retaining bands, making it look kind of elegant. However, the portfolio that contained it was just made of cheap cardboard:
There were eight NCAA Divisions for 1967 and the whole thing ended, of course, at the College World Series. Assuming they gave ten awards per district (which would match the major league All Star Rookies count as they considered both LHP and RHP) there would have been 80 first teamers in '67.
Sadek was, as noted, a Catcher and had a nondescript eight year career with the Giants covering 1973 and then 1975-81. He had very little power (five dingers in 813 big league AB's) except when it came to his arm, which was a rocket. The Giants took him in the twelfth round of the 1966 amateur draft but he didn't sign. The Twins took him a year later (fifth round of the secondary draft) then ended up with Giants after all in a Rule 5 claim in 1969; I guess they really wanted him.
He was sent down for the entire 1974 season after debuting in 1973, and that year in the minors was the only year he started more than 100 games in his career as the Giants were trying to increase his workload. His competition after he was recalled was not stiff, with Dave Rader, Marc Hill and Milt May starting over him.
Speaking of catchers, here's a (fuzzy) document related to the 1975 Bubble Gum Blowing Contest that Topps used as a promotional vehicle for Bazooka. They took this thing seriously, with Joe Garagiola as the host for the televised finals. The contest also gave us some pretty bizarre ephemera but I haven't seen this one before:
I tried to improve the focus but my AI enhancement program just made it worse! It's easy enough to pick out the highlights. On August 12, 1975 John Stearns (that's the Catcher kids!), Bob Apodaca and Wayne Garrett took parts in the New York Mets heat. As you can see, Stearns won it in a squeaker! Bud Harrelson and Tom Seaver (road roomies did ya know?) were the judges and signed as witnesses. How did they measure the bubbles? Why, with this handy device:
We all know Kurt Bevaqcua of the Brewers won the title, but how did Stearns do? Well he lost in the first round:
You may note the Athletics had a pinch bubble blower as their team winner, Angel Mangual, played a mere 8 games for Oakland before being released on June 1, 1976. Why the Tigers and Pirates didn't participate will remain a mystery.
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