From the Favorites Box: Shigeru Takada, 1976 JCM17 Multicolor #11

A series where I post some thoughts about favorite cards. Previous cards in the series are available here.

About a year and a half ago, I shared an image of a vintage Japanese baseball card. It featured Shigeru Takada, one of the many stars on the dominant Yomiuri Giants teams of the 1970s.

The card wasn't in my collection, but I was so taken aback by the design that I referred to it as eye candy.

I also said the following:

"If I had the actual card in my collection, this blog post would have been part of my Favorites Box series. But alas, I only have the digital image of the card. At least for now." 

Well, I'm happy to say we've got an update on that "for now" statement. 

 

  

Mr. Takada is officially part of my collection!

A few months ago, some of the cards from this set appeared for sale on ebay. They were fairly affordable, considering the apparent scarcity. (It was the first time I'd ever seen any of them come up for sale.)

I added the Takada card to my ebay cart immediately, and after looking through a few of the seller's other listings, decided that Mr. Takada should have some friends over here at Nine Pockets Headquarters.

From left to right, that's Kenji Awaguchi (Yomiuri Giants), Senichi Hoshino (Chunichi Dragons), and Koichi Tabuchi (Hanshin Tigers).

The color and artistry these cards exhibit made them hard to pass up. I mean, look over on the right, for example. Koichi Tabuchi has just swung the bat and launched an absolute comet into outer space.

You might also notice that these cards are smaller than the traditional 2.5 x 3.5 inches. (They measure 2 inches x 2 5/8 inches.) Doesn't matter, though. They're still stunners.

Equally stunning is that the entire set consists of only 16 cards. So I'm a quarter of the way to set completion! That's not necessarily a goal, but if more of these cards come up for sale, I'd certainly consider adding them to the collection.

Here's what the card backs look like:

They're a little sparse. However, when you have such fantastic card fronts, who needs much of anything on the backs?

But hang on a second. There's a little more to share here.

The seller was kind enough to add a few extra cards to the package.

 

More menko goodness!

Clockwise from the top left, we have:

• 1948 Pinwheel Menko (JRM 26) #600 Hideo Fujimoto. Japanese baseball HOF 1976
• 1948 Pinwheel Menko (JRM 26) #800 Michio Nishizawa. Japanese baseball HOF 1977
• 1948 Multicolor Background Menko (JRM 19) #NNO Juzo Sanada. Japanese baseball HOF 1990
• 1948 Multicolor Background Menko (JRM 19) #NNO Noboru Aota. Japanese baseball HOF 2009

I'm always grateful for ebay card sellers who do generous things like this. I definitely added him to my "Saved Sellers" list.

But right now, it's really about the Shigeru Takada card.

This year has been much more about organizing and displaying the cards I already have, and less about purchasing more cards. I mean, I've picked up a few cards here and there. And I've made some trades to help me complete a few sets. 

But these cards? I just couldn't pass them up. And they're definitely not going in a dark box, inside another dark box, inside a closet. I'm going keep them a little more available—in the Favorites Box. 

They're pieces of art. And as collectors, we've got to make sure we appreciate stuff like this from time to time. Open up that box. When friends or family members stop by, get excited to share them.  

 

Look at these cards. These cards are EXACTLY why I love this hobby.

 

I think we all have examples like that in our collection. And for giving me that feeling—a card I enjoy so much that I'm eager to show it to other people—1976 JCM17 Multicolor #11 has a spot in my box of favorite cards.

Thank you again to Sean at Getting Back into Baseball Cards . . . in Japan for sharing this card a few years ago and inspiring me.

 

1976 Japanese Menko Eye Candy

 

Feast your eyes on this:

 

 

You're looking at Shigeru Takada of the Yomiuri Giants.

 

And that card he's on is a piece of eye candy.

 

It's from a 1976 set of Japanese cards that I came across a few years ago on Sean's blog, Getting Back into Baseball Cards . . . in Japan. I sure was thankful for it, and figured with 2024 Opening Day around the corner, it would be a good time to finally circulate it around the blogs again.

 

Look at the angle of those lines and how the Takada family name follows along. Add a strong hitter's follow-through, and the whole design makes it seem like Shigeru has just walloped a ball deep into left field. The flat, bright background colors only help the action stand out. (It also looks like there's a soft baseball cap tucked into his back pocket, which always adds some coolness points.)

 

It's just really good design. And remember, we're talking about a time when so much was done by hand. Imagine an illustrator sitting at a drawing table with a ruler, pencils, pens, inks, masking tape, and paints, and creating this beautiful piece of art—all for a little baseball card that kids might toss around or tack to their wall. 

 

Pretty special, isn't it?

 

If I had the actual card in my collection, this blog post would have been part of my Favorites Box series. But alas, I only have the digital image of the card. At least for now.

 

As for the man himself, Shigeru Takada had a very successful 13-year career with the Giants. The outfielder was the 1968 Central League rookie of the year, and played for many seasons alongside Sadaharu Oh. Here are some career numbers:

 

1512 games played, 1384 hits, 838 runs, 229 doubles, 32 triples, 139 home runs, 499 RBI, 200 stolen bases, .273/.339/.414. 

 

Takada also made multiple All-Star teams, took home multiple Diamond Glove awards, and helped the Giants to six championships.

And he's got a heck of a baseball card up there.

 

Thanks, Sean, for the inspiration. Here's to the new MLB (and NPB) season!

 

From the Favorites Box: Johhny Bench, 1976 Topps #300

A series where I post some thoughts about favorite cards. Previous cards in the series are available here. 

 

 

Have a look at the scene on this card.

 

 

It's July. High noon. The sun is baking down on everything.

 

And there's Johnny Bench. He's either upset because a baserunner slid into home and beat the throw, or he's upset because a young, foolish rookie has just tried to steal second base, and Bench had to gun the poor kid down. 

 

I like that second scenario better. Bench is surrounded by the dust that he himself kicked up during the throw. The glare is cast toward the other members of the rookie gang, and it says it all:

 

Don’t you ever try that again. 

 

It's hard to deny that you're looking at a gunslinger on this card. In fact, if you swapped out that baseball uniform for a wild west getup and airbrushed out that metal fence behind him, Johnny Bench would look like a sheriff walking the streets of a Wild West town. He's the guy in the white hat. Protecting the townsfolk. The young rookie still lies there in the dirt at second base, and in the quiet that follows, you can almost hear Bench's spurs jingling as he silently walks back toward home plate. 

 

Even the name Johnny Bench sounds like it could be a sheriff's name.

 

As for his baseball career, I don't think I need to list many of Mr. Bench's accomplishments here because they're so well known. World Series rings, All-Star appearances, Gold Gloves, MVP awards. Then there were the TV show appearances and commercials.

 

And the baseball card above really sums it up. You just can't mess with that guy.

 

For pairing up a legendary player with a legendary piece of cardboard, 1976 Topps #300 has a spot in my box of favorite cards.