The Lesser Knowns: 1973 Topps Edition

As I have been working on my 1973 Topps set, I've had the urge to share some of my thoughts on the set. I recently showed off five cards in the set with "hidden" Hall of Famers. Today's theme will be an intersection of my collection of the "lesser knowns" and the 1973 Topps set. 

Put simply, a "lesser known" is a baseball player who reminds you of a more famous person. I categorize these players into a few groups:

• Players with a more famous baseball player in the family.
• Players sharing the same name with a more famous baseball player.
• Players sharing the same name with a more famous athlete in a different sport.
• Players sharing the same name with another more famous person.

Here are some the "lesser knowns" from the 1973 Topps set:

Card #41 - Tom Walker

Tom had a modest six-year career in MLB, while his son Neil played 12 seasons and won a Silver Slugger Award. 

Card #43 - Randy Moffitt

The name Randy Moffitt might not immediately strike you as a lesser known until I tell you that tennis legend Billie Jean King's maiden name was Moffitt. She is Randy's sister. 

Card #221 - Fred Kendall

Fred Kendall did spend 12 years in MLB, which is an impressive feat, but his son Jason was a three time All-Star during his 15 years in the majors. With Fred also being a catcher, though, he probably deserves some credit for his son's success. 

Card #351 - Jimmy Stewart

More notable is the actor with the same name, known for many popular films including, It's a Wonderful Life, Rear Window, the original Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. I feel like they kind of look alike, at least a little bit.

Card #358 - Jim Nettles

Jim's brother Graig played 22 seasons in MLB and made 6 All-Star teams. Graig is the only "better known" who also has a card in the 1973 set (#498):

Card #437 - John Kennedy

MLB's John Kennedy started his career in the majors in 1962, just a year after the more famous John Kennedy took the office of the U.S. presidency.

Card #444 - Ken Brett

Ken played a very respectable 14 years in MLB but is overshadowed by one of the all-time greats. His brother is Kansas City Royals Hall of Famer George Brett. 

Card #557 - Bernie Williams

Bernard "Bernie" Williams played sparingly during a short four years in MLB. Bernabe "Bernie" Williams spent 16 seasons with the New York Yankees, amassing four World Series rings while making the All-Star team five times. 

Lesser knowns are ultimately relative to a single person's perspective. With that in mind, I'll tell you that I considered the following players, but decided to pass on including them as they had MLB careers ranging from respectable to very good:

#39 Dave Roberts

#108 Bill Russell

#133 Dave Roberts

#176 Chuck Taylor

Did I miss anyone? Let me know in the comments. And if you're interested in seeing more lesser known players that are a part of my mini collection, click here. 

Bo Knows Frankensets

As I've alluded to in recent posts, I am very close to completing my Frankenset. Being in the final stages, I've identified my final steps toward completion.

1) Wait for my recently acquired smelly cards to de-stinkify so I can go through the ones I set aside as Frankenset candidates. Hoping I don't have to wait more than another week. I might have to do a fresh batch of baking soda in each box. Stay tuned.

2) File some of my recent acquisitions in their respective slots. (More on this in a moment.)

3) Compile a listing of the cards in Excel (this is mostly complete).

4) Fill in the blank slots with checklist cards (this will probably take the longest of any of the steps). If anyone has created a custom checklist before, I would appreciate tips in the comments below.

After I complete the set, I'll have to decide how to unveil it. I have been posting just my top three cards from each page a page at a time for a few months now, but might go back to the beginning and show each page card by card. Or I might pick a random page to show each time. We'll see. 

I've made great strides in the last couple months on the Frankenset due in large part to Card Barrel, which has a fantastic supply of inexpensive cards from random sets and years for me to choose from. Those people are undoubtedly puzzled each time I place an order, wondering why in the world I would choose the cards I do. 

Sometimes, there are some great Frankenset candidates in the vintage era, and that's where I've sought out other help. Specifically, Bo from Baseball Cards Come to Life and I recently swung a trade for some mostly vintage cards that I would have had to pay way too much for on Card Barrel. Instead, I was able to take advantage of Bo's extensive trade list to nab some great cards for my final push. Behold the beauty:

1976 Topps #639, Fred Kendall; 1981 Topps #541, Steve Swisher

Leading off with a couple "lesser knowns." Both men had more famous sons become major leaguers, Jason and Nick respectively. Bonus points for the Swisher beard. 

1976 Topps #363 Dave Collins; 1972 Topps #284 Ike Brown; 1979 Topps #31 Tom House 

Some solid 70s glasses with some notable facial hair sprinkled in.

1974 Topps #382 Bob Moose

This card checks so many Frankenset boxes. Hair, mustache, facial expression, name. Phenomenal.

1994 Pinnacle #490, Chris Sabo

In a Frankenset where "glasses" is a category, it would be a crime to exclude Chris Sabo's goggles. Bonus points for appearing with the Orioles, for whom he played only 68 games.

1973 Topps #483, Dal Maxvill

A guy named "Dal." I had no idea what that was short for, and I didn't even have to go to baseball-reference.com for assistance. The back of the card has his full name: Charles Dallan Maxvill.

1973 Topps #530 Jim Kaat

An AL pitcher at the plate in a set from the year the DH debuted. Unbeatable. 

So there are nine more fantastic cards for the Frankenset. Bo is a pleasure to trade with and he makes it even easier with his trade list and want lists. Thanks Bo!