Modern Vintage SGAs

Browsing Ebay recently, I noticed that a few teams have offered SGA bobbleheads that mimic the vintage nodders of the 1960s.  I have seen these pieces for the Twins, Brewers and Phillies.  I also know that the Marlins did one of these back in the early 2000s as they had a paucity of established and historical players to choose from.

It would be really neat to see these for every team.  They bear a great resemblance to the 1960s nodders, are comparably inexpensive, and are not burdened with chipped paint and other wear.  If anyone knows of other teams that have issued these I would love to know about them.  I would also like to know which company produced them.  Share any info in the comments below and I will follow up.  Here are images of these neat pieces.

EDIT: I added the vintage mascot SGA done by the Cardinals on August 8, 2016.
 

Bobblehead Blog

For those of you that enjoy reading the musings of other bobblehead collectors, take a look at The Bobblehead Blog.  I didn't see any information about the author of the blog, but the author takes a loo at various bobbleheads and offers thoughts on them.  His/her comments are interesting and the blog includes information on giveaway schedules which are very useful.  The most recent group of reviews are of various Red Sox items, such as Luis Tiant (picture borrowed from the blog).

  

Considering that I listed Tiant as one of my "missing issues" I will likely add Luis to my chase list.  

Its interesting to note that after being a team that issued very few bobbleheads over the years, the Red Sox are finally in on the action.  Using the Bobblehead Blog list, Boston will issue The Green Monster, Carlton Fisk, Tiant, Mike Napoli and Fred Lynn this season.

The Red Sox Fisk giveaway appears to be the fourth piece issued of Fisk.  As someone who is big on bobbleheads that provide a strong likeness of the subject, I thought I would include photos of all four and compare them.

Overall the four Fisk pieces are pretty solid.  To me, the least accurate of the four was the White Sox AGP giveaway in 2004:

   image from 7th-inningstretch.com

Early AGP pieces were fairly generic with many of the faces, but this one is decent.  I certainly recognize Fisk with the 1980s Sox uniform.  If I saw the face without the uniform, I might not make Fisk my first guess, but he would probably be one of my first three or four guesses.

The bronze medal goes to Forever Collectibles for this retail issue:

   image from bobblesgalore.com

Again in the Boston uniform, it is a no-brainer.  Looking at just the face, it is pretty clear that this is Fisk.  

The silver medal goes to the 2015 BoSox SGA issue.

   image from espn.com

This one looks like Fisk and the pose reflects an iconic baseball moment.  Even if it were spray painted white a baseball fan would know that this was from game 6 of the 1975 World Series.

My favorite Fisk issue was given out several years ago by the Lowell Spinners minor league team.  I am generally not deeply interested in minor league issues, but this one is in an MLB uniform and is a fantastic likeness of Fisk as a young player.  

 

As the years go, bobblehead issues get better and better.  That said, some players (Fisk and Rod Carew come to mind) have been done well whenever they've been done.

So, all these months later I am going to jump my list back to 25.  I am not really adding anything to my collection right now, but am selling a few things on Ebay so if I can put together a few bucks I may jump at something priced right.  I have added Carlos Gonzalez, Don Mincher and Bill Mazeroski over the past year. There are currently 17 items that remain on my list:

1  Boog Powell (Red Cross)
2  Andre Dawson SGA (Expos)
3  Lefty O'Doul SGA
4  Tim Raines SGA (Expos)
5  Stomper Mascot (Oakland Kids Club 2003)
6  Mookie Wilson SGA
7  Ryan Zimmerman 2010 SGA
8  Dennis Eckersley SGA
9  Frank Thomas White Sox SGA
10 Eric Davis Reds SGA
11 Tino Martinez SGA
12 Rickey Henderson Stolen Base King
13 Larry Walker Rockies SGA
14 Stan Musial (Cards SGA)
15 Ryne Sandberg (Cubs SGA 2009)
16 David Ortiz SGA
17 Giancarlo Stanton SGA

The new list items are:

18/19/20  Three current Twins (my team).  Kurt Suzuki (A's SGA), Ervin Santana (Angels SGA) and Brian Dozier (Twins SGA).  All of these are cool and reasonable likenesses.

          


21 Ron Darling (Mets SGA).  He was a mainstay on my APBA teams in the 1980s and I enjoy listening to him talk about baseball.  Of course, you's expect that of a Yale guy.




22  Carlos May (White Sox fantasy camp giveaway).  May was one of my first favorite players in the 1970s, probably based on liking his baseball card.  His career was ruined by an injury sustained while serving in the Marine reserves.  The 1960s were a different time for ballplayers.  I have great respect for those that have served the USA.  I can't find a picture of the May piece, but I am including a shot of Bill Melton who was the Sox fantasy camp bobblehead from another season.  That would be just as good.  For now, I will call this one either May or Melton.  I suspect that both are scarce and expensive.



23  Mike Moustakas (2015 Royals SGA).  This one is a cool pose that I don't see all over the place.  I have a bunch of Royals, but most are the 1970s guys.  This one is a good representative for the modern day Royals.



24  Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn.  (Indians SGA).  I wish I'd have jumped on one of these when they came out.  Most out there now are above my price range.  I thought Major League was an OK movie, but have some friends who have it in their top five. That said, the Vaughn character bobblehead is very cool and immediately recognizable.



25  Magic Johnson (Dodgers SGA 2013).  This one is more available than most on this list and I suspect will be the next one I get.  I was a big Laker fan in the 1980s.  Magic is an icon and a guy that has been an inspiration in dealing with HIV.  The bobblehead looks like Magic, has him in the Dodger jersey worn over dress clothes and has him palming a baseball...unique and conceptually interesting.

List Update

Ernie Whitt, Norm Cash, Tony Womack, JR Richard and Lou Whitaker off the list...all for under my target prices except Whitaker which was just a couple of bucks over.  For the moment I am not going to add 5 more to the list.

Here is the list update:

1  Boog Powell (Red Cross)
2  Andre Dawson SGA (Expos)
3  Lefty O'Doul SGA
4  Tim Raines SGA (Expos)
5  Stomper Mascot (Oakland Kids Club 2003)
6  Mookie Wilson SGA
7  Ryan Zimmerman 2010 SGA
8  Dennis Eckersley SGA
9  Frank Thomas White Sox SGA
10 Eric Davis Reds SGA
11 Tino Martinez SGA
12 Rickey Henderson Stolen Base King
13 Larry Walker Rockies SGA
14 Stan Musial (Cards SGA)
15 Ryne Sandberg (Cubs SGA 2009)
16 Carlos Gonzalez (Rockies SGA)
17 David Ortiz SGA
18 Giancarlo Stanton SGA
19 Bill Mazeroski 2006 SGA
20 Don Mincher SGA (Huntsville)

I found a story by Grant Brisbee on SB Nation from 2013 in which the author lists the American League Bobbleheads that are the most notable misses for each American League team.  The article is both entertaining and useful for those of us who are interested.  Because it is a year old and because not all great minds think alike, I figured that I would compare my list to his.  Will have to find his NL list later, but here are his AL list and mine.

Angels - He lists Mike Trout which has since been made and uses Jim Fregosi as a backup as he figured that Trout was on his way.  Fregosi is a solid choice for the Angels but I will choose Mike Witt.  Witt was a very good pitcher in his day and tossed perfect game and a combined no-hitter for the Angels.  He was also 6'7" which would allow for some visual interest.  He was the best Angels pitcher for several years.  Not as valuable over his time as Fregosi was, but remembered by more fans at this point I would think.

Astros - Grant lists Cesar Cedeno.  I can't argue with that.

Rangers - He mentions Alex Rodriguez but admits that people in Texas would hate that.  He uses Jim Sundberg as a backup.  I have no interest in A-Rod, and Sundberg is not a bad second choice.  That said, I will go with Buddy Bell.  Either way, it must be done in the powder blue uniforms which my son wonderfully (referring to the Twins, but applicable in many cases) referred to as "nurse uniforms".

Athletics - Grant chose Dwayne Murphy, a solid but uninspiring choice.  Most of the cool A's have been done, but there are a few of the 1970s crew that I would like to see.  That list includes Sal Bando, Joe Rudi, Bert Campaneris and Gene Tenace. Its a tough call because I would like to see any of those.  Sal Bando was the best player of that group by a shade over Campy.  He also had a batter mustache.  Bando it is.

Mariners - He chose Alvin Davis.  This is a tough one because there is little to choose from among the old-time Mariners.  Anyone of note since 1995 seems to have been done.  I am reaching for someone with more pizzazz than Davis...nope, can't come up with one.

Tigers - He picked Hal Newhouser.  Wonderful pitcher from a long time ago.  I would pick Norm Cash among those that the MLB tigers never did - or perhaps Alan Trammell as a player rather than as a manager.  But the Great Lakes Loons version of Cash is solid and there is a Trammell manager version which is a pretty fair likeness. Thus, I will opt for character on this one and go with Mark Fidrych.  He was something of a bobblehead in real life and a "nod" to his nickname ("The Bird") would be fun.  Anyone who remembers him would have to enjoy that.

Indians - Grant went with Albert Belle who has since been done, and it is a pretty fun piece.  That leaves the field open. There were few great Indians from the 1960s-1990s. Andre Thornton...unexciting.  Oscar Gamble's afro would be cool except that Oakland did a Coco Crisp fro already.  Joe Charbonneau's hair?  Awesome, but obscure.  I will go old school cool on this one and take Rocky Colavito.

Twins - He took Cesar Tovar.  As a long-time Twins fan I support that.  He played every position in one game so his bobblehead could have s bunch of gloves on the ground.

Royals - He picked Amos Otis.  I have this one at 50/50 between Otis and Bo Jackson.  Otis was more valuable over his career but Jackson was more colorful.  Based on the possibilities, I will go with Bo Jackson.

White Sox - Grant's pick was Wilbur Wood over Ray Durham and (since done) Ron Kittle.  Wood is another guy who just isn't horribly interesting to me, although I was never a ChiSox fan.  He is up there in WAR for the Sox, but I will go with Luis Aparicio, an All-Star most years in Chicago and a Hall of Famer.

Yankees - He likes Ron Guidry.  There are so many great Yankees and many appear to have been done as retail pieces but not SGA.  Rather than spend a year figuring out which are which, I will nominate Graig Nettles and Roy White but settle on Guidry along with him.

Rays - Minimal history here. He likes Wade Boggs.  I will use this space to complain that all of the Rays bobbleheads have been minis (or at least much smaller than other teams).  That said, I am looking for memorable or good players with something colorful about them.  Boggs as a Ray does nothing for me (though I'd love the Red Sox to do one of him).  In a fairly bare cupboard, I will go with Carlos Pena.

Orioles - He picked Mark Belanger, a great glove who hit nothing for some outstanding teams.  The Red Cross did Boog Powell with a chef hat in honor of his barbeque business.  It is cool and so was Boog.  I would rather have a Boog Powell than a Belanger even if Belanger's defense made him very valuable to the Orioles.

Red Sox - Boston has done almost no bobbleheads.  Yaz is the obvious choice, but there is a decent piece of him that was sold through his personal web site.  Carlton Fisk is another option, but the Pawtucket Sox did him perfectly.  Bill Lee was colorful but his CCCP cap doesn't amuse me anymore.  Despite the pain that goes with knowing that the Twins released him for nothing, I will join Grant in advocating Luis Tiant.

Blue Jays-  He throws out the idea of the 1980s outfield as a three man piece including Lloyd Moseby, George Bell and Jesse Barfield.  Not a bad idea.  Barfield was the best player of the group, so I will choose him. 

Time to find his NL list and read that one.  Great work Grant.

After lots of attempts to go low on Ebay, I have managed to snag a few more off of my list. They are generally ones that are readily available and inexpensive. That is, however, just fine with me. Removed from the list were Prince Fielder (Crown SGA), Fred Patek (SGA), Lance Berkman (Original SGA), Dave Parker (Lumber Company SGA), Ichiro (2012 SGA), Nomar Garciapara (Boston SGA), Ozzie Smith (HOF),and Bill Freehan.

Here is the list update:
1  Boog Powell (Red Cross)
2  Ernie Whitt SGA
3  Andre Dawson SGA (Expos)
4  Lefty O'Doul SGA
5  Tim Raines SGA (Expos)
6  Stomper Mascot (Oakland Kids Club 2003)
7  Norm Cash (2010 Great Lakes SGA)
8  Mookie Wilson SGA
9  Ryan Zimmerman 2010 SGA
10 Dennis Eckersley SGA
11 Frank Thomas White Sox SGA
12 Eric Davis Reds SGA
13 Tino Martinez SGA
14 Rickey Henderson Stolen Base King
15 Larry Walker Rockies SGA
16 Lou Whitaker SGA (Grand Rapids)
17 Stan Musial (Cards SGA)
18 Tony Womack (Diamondbacks SGA)
19 Ryne Sandberg (Cubs SGA 2009)
20 Carlos Gonzalez (Rockies SGA)

I have left Cash on the list after getting Freehan, so I have 20 remaining. I will add four to the list now: 

21. David Ortiz (2014 SGA) 

This one is brand new and I tend to shy away from those because the initial prices are way too high, but this one is all out cool. Papi started his career as a Twin (my team) and despite his admission of using PEDs, he is a great hitter, a great character, and his love of Boston (my wife's home town) shown most notably after the 2013 Marathon attack is a great player-community bonding moment.

22.  Giancarlo Stanton (2012 Miami SGA)  

I really liked the old Marlins uniforms because they felt very old school, despite the teal color. Pinstripes, nice; fish logo, fantastic.  I still haven't completely warmed to the new orange and black or the stylized jumping marlin...but I no longer place them in the same category as the Cincinnati Bengals or Seattle Seahawks.  Stanton is a great talent who will probably be hitting bombs in St. Louis, Texas, or New York some time soon.  After a few years of that we will all be thinking back to his days in Miami.  Once I have this one, he can hang out with the Royals' Carlos Beltran bobblehead.

 

23.  Bill Mazeroski (Pirates SGA 2006)

I have the 2001 Maz SGA but I really like the look of the 2006 issue.  The earlier piece was an AGP that was among the first to be issued, but the later one has a cooler pose and doesn't look quite as generic as the 2001 version.



24. Don Mincher (Huntsville Stars SGA 2003)

Mincher was a member of the 1965 Twins team that won the AL.  He was a fine hitter who also played for Oakland and the Seattle Pilots, Washington and Texas.  I don't usually go after Minor League issues, but if I recall this one was of Mincher in a Twins uniform.  Out of the ordinary Twins bobble for sure.  Sadly, Mincher passed in 2012.  I can't locate of photo of the bobble, but I will have to keep an eye out for one.

25.  J.R. Richard (Houston SGA)

Richard was an imposing strikeout pitcher before suffering a stroke in 1980. During the second half of the 1970s he was widely regarded as the toughest pitcher to hit in the National League.  His personal story was very sad for many years, but his life apparently stabilized after becoming a minister.  This piece does a nice job of depicting a tall, rangy fireballer and features the 1970s Astros uniforms...which were hideous then, but retro cool now.  Right down to the white Adidas cleats.  It would have been fun to see how good he could have been for several more years.  If Richard were still pitching it is entirely possible that the 1986 Astros would have won the World Series rather than the bad boy Mets.

Athletics Bobblehead Resource

I found a pretty solid Athletics bobblehead web site today, entitled Mr. Kinney's Class so I am guessing that the owner is a teacher.   I am not sure that it is exhaustive or tries to be, but there are a ton of pictures and the items in his collection are arranged by year.  There is some research value here if you are interested in getting your A's items figured out and there is entertainment value if you just want to see what A's items are out there.  I didn't know that the Philadelphia A's Historical Society made and sold bobbleheads.  The two that are shown here look quite cool.