mfc MH- Mets First Spring Training, 1962.

The latest mfc card is another Metropolitan History card. I do enjoy making these cards. The Mets first win of the 1962 season will be up next.

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Currently colorizing this photo below to use on a card in the future. I think the rarity of the photo (and the great quality) was the main reason I chose to colorize it. The caption is pretty detailed with it's information: Hall of Fame inductee Red Faber gives pitching tips to members of the New York Mets during the 1964 Hall of Fame Weekend in Cooperstown.

That's a lot of info. It must have been the annual Hall Of Fame game in 1964. Can anyone name the players? I'm sure of all but two of them. If anyone has more knowledge pertaining to what's pictured please share. I have no idea other than the caption what to put on this card back, so if anyone wants to embellish writing one up for it, knock yourself out. I'll use it and credit you
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And it's not do hard the writing (opposed to the layout). You just add those baseball cliche lines we grew up reading over and over

The 8-MH-4 card back pictured above was written by Robert Lipsyte, a former New York Times columnist who covered the Mets’ first spring training for the newspaper. He is the author of the memoir “An Accidental Sportswriter.”

mfc8-MH-4 source photo for  colorization from Bettman/Corbis:

Uhh, lets go, Mets....

CHOW FOR NOW

1972 METS LEADERS

 I almost forgot about making these for 1972.

 I did not like the 1973 Topps leader cards. They copped out and put both leagues on one card. Weak.

Was there a cardboard shortage or something?

They started doing that in '73 and continued this practice until 1976 when they went back to separate cards for each league.

 Then in 1977 they switched back.

Who made these decisions at Topps? Sometimes they made you wonder.

It did make for some cool cards, like this one with Seaver and Ryan. It irked me then (it just reminded me that Ryan was no longer a Met) but now I realize how special both those pitchers were for baseball, never mind the Mets. It's a treat seeing them share a card. 

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 I don't like the way these custom cards came out. I don't think Topps would have done a lay-out like this on the pitchers cards, but I want all that info on there, so that's the way it ends up. If I included a card back I'd change around the pitching leaders design. There's too much going on in the circles.

This batting leaders card is close to what Topps might have done, but still does not look right. I tried various lay-outs for both cards and these are the final cuts. I'll be cheap like Topps and put the batting leader and the homerun leader on the same card. Weak.

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Rest in peace Don Zimmer, a true character of the game.

He will be missed.

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I'M BACK BAABY!!

COMING NEXT: 

The 1974 Mets Opening Day Line-up

1962 Met Fantazy Card Opening Day Line-up

The Mets would play the St. Louis Cardinals on April 11th, 1962. This was their very first opening day game and took place on the road. They would lose this game by a score of 11-4. _________________________________________

As read by Bob Murphy:

Batting first, Centerfielder....

Batting Second, the shortstop...

Batting Third, second baseman...

Batting in the cleanup position, left fielder...

Batting fifth, the right fielder...

And batting sixth for the Mets, first baseman

Batting seventh and playing third...

Batting eight, the catcher...

Starting pitcher for the Mets, warming up in the bullpen...

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Leader card: 1963 Mets '62 Pitching leaders:

Now maybe you can see what I mean by early Met leader cards looking funny. Meh, it is what it is. Gotta take the bad with the good. '62 leader cards have been added to the '63 Fantazy Met Card page.
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CREDITS:
>Gus Bells '62 card image provided by Fat-Jack at Baseball-Birthdays.com.
>Don Zimmers '62 card image was provided by Batmagadanleadoff at The Crane Pool Forum.