I remember picking up this Baseball Digest from June 1980 for a single dollar at a card show ages ago. I mainly picked it up for the nice cover featuring Nolan Ryan and a personal favorite of mine, J. R. Richard, in some of the best uniforms ever.
Richard was a much better pitcher than Ryan during their single season together and overall, Richard was one of the best pitchers of the late 70's. He won 18 or more games four consecutive years before his career came to an abrupt end after suffering a stroke during the 1980 season. The issue of the Digest is from June 1980 and Richard would suffer the stroke the next month on July 30th.
Another article that caught my eye from this issue, "Don't Feel Sorry For Major League Lefties."
But let's get to why I bring up this old issue of Baseball Digest: THE BASEBALL CARD ADS. In the back pages of Baseball Digest there were regularly send-away ads for baseball cards, often team sets, at prices that make me drool today!
Take for example: 1,000 Renata Galasso cards for $11.99 + $2.00 shipping.
Or complete sets from 1978 for $18.50 and 1979 for $16.50. Plastic sheets for 22 cents each ... god only knows what the quality of those was like.
Here's an ad for the Sportscaster set that was issued from 1977-1979. As you read, the set was like Columbia House subscription service that would send you 24 cards a month that you had the opportunity to return if you didn't like them.
I used to really enjoy these posters when I was a kid and the football checklist features a lot of semi-stars that wouldn't normally get the poster treatment.
This last ad solved a mystery for me. I had purchased this Bill Madlock patch on eBay a while ago but I really didn't have any additional information about it.
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