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It’s time to take a look at another vintage sports merch catalog from Kevin “Gashouse” Cearfoss’s collection. We’ve already examined his NFL catalogs from 1970, 1971, and 1973, and today we’re going to shift sports and look at a 1976 MLB catalog.
Like all of Kevin’s catalogs, this one was intended for retailers looking to stock their stores, not for consumers. The cover is shown above; here’s the inside front cover and the first page:
The first full-page spread shows a Dodgers Stadium photo that I believe is from the 1974 World Series — Dodgers lined on up on the left, A’s on the right. Note, however, that there are five umpires, instead of the usual World Series contingent of six:
“Okay,” you’re saying, “but what about the merch?” Okay, okay — here’s some of what’s inside:
• Start ’em young with these bibs and toddler tees. I do like the illustrations on them:
• Gotta like the belt buckles shown on this next spread:
• Sadly, almost all of the models in this catalog are White. One of the few exceptions is shown on this next spread:
• Naturally, I love the green/yellow A’s rain jacket shown on this next spread:
• Oh man, so many interesting things on this next two-page spread. The kid wearing multiple wristbands! The raglan-sleeved T-shirt with the Royals’ logo on both sleeves! The numbered socks! Dig:
• Why would you put other teams’ logo stickers on your favorite team’s helmet? Or on your clothing? Meanwhile, look at the sneakers on the right-hand page — I can imagine a young Brinke Guthrie being all over those:
• Oh man, look at the shorts on the next right-hand page. You can almost feel those kids getting beaten up after school, am I right?
• I have no memory of either the shirts or the leather wristbands shown on this next spread — guess they weren’t a hit:
• This next spread is right up my alley — helmet buggies and other miniature items on the left, striped team-logo tube sox on the right:
• Nothing says 1970s like a helmet lamp:
• Check that — nothing says 1970s like a team-logo bedspread:
• For this next spread, check out the posters on the left-hand page. Seems kinda odd that they all have just a photo, without the player’s name or team logo. I had a poster like that, of Mets outfielder Tommie Agee, in my childhood bedroom, so I guess that was just the standard poster style at the time, but it seems oddly minimalist now:
• No retail caps from New Era in 1976 — they were from American Needle:
• Oh baby, check out the radios shown on the next right-hand page. And they even got Oakland’s white shoes right:
• Everyone — everyone — loves magnetic standings boards, am I right? Got ’em right here:
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Want to see more? There are a few pages I left out, but you can see the entire catalog here.
(My continued thanks to Kevin Cearfoss for sharing his catalog collection with me and allowing me to share it with you.)
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Another season in the books: In Monday’s Ticker, reader Derek Linn noted that Atlanta had won every World Series game in which they’d worn a uni combo for the first time, and had lost every Series game in which they wore a uni combo for the second time. That pattern continued last night, as they broke out their road greys for the first time in the Series and defeated the Astros to win their first championship since 1995. You can see their full Fall Classic uni sequence, from Game One through Game Six, above.
I was rooting for Houston and, especially, for Dusty Baker, so I’m a bit sad that they lost. But I’m sadder, as I always am around this time of year, that the baseball season is over. And I’m saddest of all that when baseball reappears next year, there’s a strong possibility that it may come with ads on the jerseys and/or batting helmets, since both the owners and the union have shown signs of wanting to go that route in the new collective bargaining agreement.
But we’ll worry about that if and when the time comes. For now, congrats to Atlanta, and especially to longtime Uni Watch reader and lifelong Atlanta fan Marty Buccafusco, who I assume has a big smile on his face today. Enjoy it, Marty!
Now then: How many days until pitchers and catchers?
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November pin reminder: In case you missed it on Monday, our latest Uni Watch Pin Club design is soccer-themed — a Pin Club first! I love how the winged stirrup is kicking the ball.
This pin was produced in a numbered edition of 150, with the number and month laser-etched onto the back. As of this morning, there were 43 remaining. You can get yours here while supplies last.
ITEM! North Carolina party update: Last week I mentioned that I’d be convening a Uni Watch gathering during my upcoming trip to Durham, N.C., but hadn’t yet finalized the details.
I’ve now decided that the party will take place on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2:30pm, at Tobacco Road, so you can officially mark that down on your calendar.
This will be the first Uni Watch gathering since the 20th-anniversary parties in 2019. I’m looking forward to meeting lots of you!
(Big thanks to everyone who provided info and suggestions about the venue — much appreciated.)
The Ticker
By Lloyd Alaban
Baseball News: Check out the unusual cap logo that the Clearwater Phillies, had back around 1990 — a “C” with water trailing it (from Steven Cook). … The Green Bay Booyah of the Northwoods League are changing their name to the Green Bay Rockers (from Brian Kerhin).
Football News: Color Rash unis for the Steelers on Monday (from our own Phil Hecken). … The Cardinals have never won while wearing mono-black (from Sion Fawkes). … Ball State TE Jordan Williams’s nameplate overlapped his shoulder stripes last night. Ditto for teammate Brett Anderson (No. 23) (from L.J. Sparvero). … This article includes a team photo of the UNC squad from 1893 (!) (from Eric Bangeman).
Hockey News: The Oilers on Monday hosted Indigenous Celebration Night, which came with a commemorative logo (from Wade Heidt). … A sportswriter has listed 10 hockey sweaters that need to return (from our own Phil Hecken). … Northern Michigan has added a memorial helmet decal in honor of P.A. announcer Tim “Mac” Macintosh, who died last month (from Jerry Nitzh).
Basketball News: Not sure if any players will actually wear them, but some of the new NBA City Edition uniforms will apparently have some really nice striped socks (from @boo_hickey). … Kevin Cearfoss’s latest 3D logo is a doozy: Spurs Fiesta!
Soccer News: Two players on the NWSL’s Washington Spirit got framed shirts for appearance milestones last weekend. Midfielder Tori Huster hit 150 (all with the Spirit), and fullback Kelley O’Hara hit 100 total NWSL appearances with three teams (from our own Jamie Rathjen). … New shirts for the Milwaukee Torrent of the National Premier Soccer League (from Ed Zelaski).
Grab Bag: Troy added its “Power T” logo to the main intersection at the front of campus this week (from Ben Whitehead). … Interesting choice of font sizes for “Fitzgerald” among the names in Notre Dame’s Heritage Hall (from @Atxprogress). … The Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League have released their holiday-themed jerseys (from @PhillyPartTwo). …
Excited about the gathering in Durham. You picked a great location!
I too am verklempt about the end of baseball season. I guess it’s about 14 weeks until the first pitchers and catchers report to Florida and Arizona.
One interesting sidelight to Houston’s organization. Did you know that, sometime this season, three of their minor-league teams wore their Rainbow Guts jerseys? Sugar Land Skeeters, Fayetteville Woodpeckers, and Asheville Tourists all wore them for at least one game in 2021.
Perhaps time for the parent club to do the same?
Quick typo: The UNC photo is from 1893, not 1993
Fixed.
Love the catalog pics. Wonder why the Pirates were the only team to merit a color pennant?
Under the football ticker, that UNC picture is from 1893, not 1993. I was wondering why there was an exclamation point in parentheses!
The shirts in the catalog with the player’s face in the middle of the diamond were available in Long Island. I had a Felix Millan and an Ed Kranepool, but the shirt color was a faded blue or gray.
I haven’t been reading regularly so this may be old news but is Stephen Weatherly wearing SUNGLASSES in Sunday’s game? I can’t say I’ve seen a football player wearing sunglasses in a game before.
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Pretty sure those are just the goggles he usually wears, with the lighting in the photo making them look tinted:
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In any case, there is precedent for NFL players wearing shades. Details here:
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Hey Paul… well according to what I’ve looked up so far, Pitchers and Catchers report the week of the Super Bowl!!Gotta love that!!
What really struck me in this post was the kids to the left of the leather wristbands in the MLB catalog. Nothing about their clothing, hairstyles, etc. would look out of place today in 2021. Amazing how styles sometimes cycle back around like that.
No mullets!
Busy day at work meant I didn’t read yesterday’s column until today. I hope no one will mind my posting this question here:
The item yesterday about Von Miller wearing No. 40 with the Rams made me think of similar situations where a player has been granted permission to wear a number that was either retired or informally taken out of circulation, “with the blessing of” the retired player or his surviving family. I’ve always wondered: Has there ever been a case of a player or family refusing to give their blessing to have the number used again? Or would we just not hear about those, since the current player would just choose another number?
Odd that the A’s and Brewers magnets traded divisions on the standings board. Also interesting that the Phillies are the only team with two different magnets on that page.
“The Cardinals have never won while wearing mono-black ”
Good! Maybe they’ll stop wearing it.
I’m still calling it The RAC. link
“The first full-page spread shows a Dodgers Stadium photo that I believe is from the 1974 World Series — Dodgers lined on up on the left, A’s on the right. Note, however, that there are five umpires, instead of the usual World Series contingent of six”
Wikipedia lists a six-man crew for that World Series, so I guess one of them is either buried in the fold, or was using the bathroom or something.
If the DH comes to the National League this year, it looks like Kendall Graveman will go down as the last pitcher to have an at-bat (in the 9th inning of game 5), and Zach Greinke will be the last pitcher with a hit (in the 2nd inning of game 4).
Ohtani will presumably remain in the batting order, so pitchers — or at least one pitcher — will continue to hit (and get hits).
What will change is that every game will likely have *at least* one DH. In other words, no DH-free games, although the Angels will sometimes go DH-free.
Ah, good point!
We can only hope that the DH stays out of the NL, and ads stay off uniforms.
I didn’t care about the World Series thus year. You had a convicted cheater going up against a team that will not drop an incredibly racist fan chant. The Golden State Warriors kept their nickname while dropping Native American imagery IN THE LATE 1960’S. The Braves could do the same.
Funny how Rob Manfred forced Cleveland to drop Chief Wahoo but doesn’t care about the Tomahawk Chop, which IMO is much more offensive than Wahoo and have been saying it for years. Wonder how much money Atlanta is bribing him.
Obviously, I’m opposed to Atlanta’s team name and the chop. But let’s please not post wild allegations/speculations about bribery. Things like that have no place here. (Also, this particular speculation doesn’t even make sense, since Manfred took the All-Star Game away from Atlanta.)
I’m a Mets’ fan, but I’m genuinely happy for Atlanta. The victory ends a long championship drought for the city. By my math, San Diego and Buffalo are the remaining big league towns with longer gaps in their title aspirations.
Oops: Cincinnati.
If you’re looking at just Baseball:
Cincinnati Reds won the 1990 World Series (31 years ago).
It’s the Cleveland Guardians who haven’t won a WS in 73 years. Longer droughts than Cincinnati by those who have won at least one WS are Pittsburgh (42 years) Baltimore (38 years) Detroit (37 years) Mets (35 years) and Athletics (32 years)
San Diego, Tampa Bay, Colorado, Seattle, Milwaukee, Texas have not won a World Series. Seattle has never played in a World Series.
I forgot about the All Star game, so good point on that, and I do apologize on the bribery comment. But Manfred did say he didn’t care about the Braves using the Tomahawk Chop.
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Yes, we know he said that (I never claimed otherwise). I simply asked that you discuss these issues rationally, not by posting wild speculations/allegations. That’s all.
You’re certainly entitled to your opinion. That’s all that it is, though. I’m sure we can debate this back and forth for a long time, but Chief Wahoo was way more offensive than the chop. A horrible stereotypical caricature in bright red color? Hell Knockahoma was as bad as Wahoo. I agree with Paul too, there’s no way in hell Atlanta was bribing Manfred to allow the chop, that’s ridiculous.
My step-dad is half Blackfoot Indian and I was never bothered by Wahoo, or Chief Noc-A-Homa. But the Tomahawk Chop is pretty bad.
Troy added its “Power T” logo to the main intersection at the front of campus this week (from Ben Whitehead).
Am I the only person who thinks it a fool’s errand to paint your insignia on the street? I had very little sympathy for the creators of “Black Lives Matter” muralists who insisted on putting their art on the tarmac, only to have it befouled by vandals, tire tracks, and general abuse the ground suffers. WHAT DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TO IT? Reminds me of the hockey teams who insist on putting the crest on the locker room carpet, and then abuse the knaves foolish enough to tread on it.
I’d never really thought about it in other contexts… but a thousand times yes to the hockey locker rooms. That has never made the least bit of sense to me.
Nice restaurant for your party Paul.
From the Raleigh menu, I would choose either the mushroom burger or the sirloin steak yummy.
By the way what in the world are grits? Every time I’m visiting the states I always see this option on the menu. It just does not look very appetizing.
I would describe grits as a corn meal mush, similar to cream of wheat or polenta.
Eek! Nuff said, no thank you.
Grits with a fried egg on top
Grits with garlic and cheddar cheese mixed in
…are just 2 ways to enjoy grits for breakfast. Grits are awesome.
Two events that normally happen in the same week: Pitchers and catchers report, and the Westminster Dog Show. I look forward to the AP’s Ben Walker reporting on both. :)
Pitchers and Catchers report on 2/14/22 exactly 102 days away!
That picture of Dodger Stadium in ’74 may be of the one and only World Series game I was ever lucky enough to attend. I love that it was in daytime, when World Series games were meant to be played. I love the blue ad-less outfield walls and the ad-less playing field and foul territory. It was a beautiful day in spite of the Dodgers losing.
The “Fitz” prefix at the start of a surname means “son of” i.e. it’s the Anglo-Norman or Hiberno-Norman version of a patronymic like the “Mac” or “Mc” prefix in Gaelic or the “-ovich” suffix in Russian. As such, like “Mac” or “Mc” it is sometimes styled with lower-case letters preceding the ‘real name’ that the ‘son of’ refers to.
Rebranding to the Cleveland Guardians has begun.
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Two more Michigan schools have rid themselves of Native American mascots and imagery.
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I still have my NFL & NBA magnet standings boards from the mid-80s, so seeing the MLB board brought back memories. Very cool to see.