NOW, ABOUT THOSE OTHER GUYS…
After reviewing the patches/no patches and spring training/season usage of the 1969 Seattle Pilots last time out, similar information will be detailed here on the other three 1969 expansion teams.
Kansas City Royals: Spring and season designs were the same, save for the left sleeve patch. Neither style carried the familiar Royals logo patch, with the spring versions having no patch, and the season designs sporting the MLB 100th Anniversary patch.
San Diego Padres: Patchless in the spring, the Pads home and road shirts during their first regular season bore the San Diego Tricentennial patch. The MLB 100 years patch was not used. Also of note: the Wilson-made 1969 road tan flannels are found with and without NIC tagging. While I can’t say this with total certainty, it is highly possible that the NIC-less versions were spring attire.
Montreal Expos: Like the Royals, no change in spring and season styles, home or road, and, also like the Royals, no patch in the spring, and the MLB 100th Anniversary insignia in the regular season.
Some 1969 Topps cards that show the spring training versions of the three teams noted above: Padres: #452 Al Ferrara; Royals: #603 Joe Keough (home) and #463 Dennis Ribant (road); (Expos) #466 John Boccabella and #496 Larry Jaster.
NFL NEWS
For 2009, the Detroit Lions are temporarily shelving jersey #93. That number was worn in 2008 by Corey Smith, one of the two NFL players lost at sea in a boating accident.
The 2009 NFL season will find a season-long celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the old American Football League. The original AFL teams will do their part by wearing legacy uniforms in games against other original AFL clubs. The teams will don attire of their pre-merger days, and the styles are listed below. Of course, being AFL expansion teams, Miami (1966) and Cincinnati (1968) are not part of the promotion.
Buffalo: Will wear 1965 style unies.
Denver: Patrick Scoggin will like this…retro 1960 brown and mustard yellow threads.
Kansas City: The Chiefs were the Dallas Texans back then, and the Texans’ 1962 duds will be revived.
New England: The old red unies of the old Boston Patriots from 1963 will be the deal here.
New York: The Jets will wear TBTC New York Titans outfits, but the style will be the white, not the dark blue used the last 2 seasons.
Oakland: The current Oakland Raiders will mimic the original Oakland Raiders’ 1963 design, using white jerseys will silver numbers trimmed in black.
San Diego: The Chargers of SD will wear pants from the era of the LA Chargers…white pants with yellow bolts on the legs.
Tennessee: Formed as the Houston Oilers, a blue and white uniform with red accents will be the order of the day here.
Also, all eight teams involved will also sport retro helmets from the AFL era, ranging from the slightly different Raiders logo used back then to the totally redesigned and differently hued helmets of the Patriots, Titans, Broncos and others.
MORE NBA NOCHE LATINA
More sightings of the Hispanic-themed NBA shirts are s follows:
San Antonio..Los Spurs white March 20.
Dallas…Los Mavs green alternates March 25
Chicago…Los Bulls red worn at home March 26
TWO MORE TO AVOID
More eBay offerings that may not have been intended to be misdescribed, but are nonetheless:
Mid-1990s Chicago Bears home Chris Zorich jersey. Described as a game-used jersey, the Champion made shirt is dual tagged, but the second tag is a Pro Line label, not used on Champion NFL gamers.
A 1991 California Angels home, properly tagged, #30 jersey purported to be a Nolan Ryan wearable. Three problems: Ryan was with Texas at the time, the NOB font is wrong, and the jersey is sized a 42 at a time when The Express took 44s and 46s. My own belief? Likely a 1991 legit Angels gamer of Ruben Amaro Jr. (#30, 5-10, 175) that was somehow turned into a Ryan, quite possibly by a previous owner.
OBITUARIES
John Blanchard, former C-1B-OF who played on five straight Yankees pennant winners from 1960-64, died of a heart attack. He was 76.
Whitey Lockman, a 16-year Major Leaguer, predominantly with the New York/San Francisco Giants, passed away at age 82. Lockman also was the manager of the Cubs from mid-1972 to mid-1974.
George Kell, a 3B for the A’s, Tigers, Red Sox, White Sox and Orioles from 1943-57, died in his sleep March 24. Age 86 at his time of death, Kell’s .306 lifetime batting average helped him get in the door at Cooperstown. He also spent several decades as a Tigers broadcaster.
Elmer Weingartner, a wartime player who appeared in 20 games for the 1945 Indians, died at age 90 in the Cleveland suburbs on March 15.
Jeff Komlo, a five year NFL QB who was a fugitive from the law, died in a car accident in Greece at age 52. Komlo appeared in 16 games for the 1979 Detroit Lions, and spent the other four years of his career as a backup for the Lions, Falcons and Buccaneers.
Butch Komives, a 10-year NBA guard who played from 1964-65 to 1973-74 with the Knicks, Pistons, Buffalo Braves and Kansas City-Omaha Kings, died at age 67.
GET HEALTHY, AARON BOONE