Two more 1981 Fleer Star Stickers: Bake McBride & Greg Luzinski

In my continued quest for a signed 1981 Fleer Star Sticker set, I've two new pickups to highlight.

Bake McBride via Private Signing

C'mon. Look at that card. Fantastic.

"Shake 'n Bake" played 11 (often injury-shortened) seasons for the Cardinals, Phillies, and Indians. He was the 1974 N.L. Rookie of the Year, a 1976 All-Star, and a World Series champion in 1980.

In that '74 ROY campaign, he slashed .303/.369/.394, stole 30 bases and scored 81 runs over 150 games. McBride hit over .300 the next two seasons as well, with a career-high .335 mark in 1976.

After struggling through 42 games with the Cardinals in 1977, he was dealt to the Phillies. He finished the season hitting .339 with 11 home runs and 27 stolen bases. He posted a career-best 87 RBI for the 1980 World Series champs.

Injuries forced McBride to retire at the age of 33. He retired with a .299 batting average, 1,153 hits, 63 home runs, and 183 stolen bases.

Greg Luzinski via Ebay

Another 1980 World Series champ.

Greg "The Bull" Luzinski was a four-time All-Star and the 1975 N.L. RBI leader. In each season from 1975 through 1978, he was finished in the Top 10 of the MVP vote.

Over 11 seasons with the Phillies, Luzinski slugged 223 home runs. He joined the Chicago White Sox after the 1980 title season and was resurgent in a designated hitter role. He hit 84 more home runs over four seasons with the ChiSox.

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1981 Fleer Star Sticker Set Progress: 49 of 125 (39.2%)

Rollie Fingers TTM Success

Sent: 6/8/2020 | Received: 6/16/2020 | 8 days
1/1: 1981 Fleer Star Sticker
Address: Home (Las Vegas, NV) from SportsCollectors.Net

Another 1981 Fleer Star Sticker success, and a Hall of Famer to boot.

Fingers revolutionized the reliever role over a 17-year career with the Athletics, Padres, and Brewers. He helped usher in the age of the closer, and at the time of his retirement his 341 career saves were the most all time.

He is a three-time World Series champion, a seven-time All-Star, a four-time Rolaids Relief Man of the Year, and a three-time MLB saves leader.

In 1981, his first season in Milwaukee, Fingers won the American League's (AL) Most Valuable Player Award and Cy Young Award. He went 6-3 and racked up 28 saves while posting a 1.04 ERA over 78 innings. He edged Rickey Henderson by nine votes, despite a WAR deficit of 1.5.

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1981 Fleer Star Sticker Set Progress: 47 of 125 (37.6%)

TTM Success: Two 2019 Spring Training Returns

I have some catching up to do on TTM returns, so let’s go with a two-fer. Surprising June/July 2020 returns that were sent during Spring Training 2019.

Chad Green TTM Success

Sent: 2/19/2019 | Received: 6/22/2020 | 489 days
1/1: 2019 Topps
Address: c/o NY Yankees ST

Chad Green had a bizarre 2019. He was atrocious in April – allowing 14 earned runs in 7 2/3 innings – before being optioned to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Following the stint in Triple-A, Green returned to form, posting a 2.64 ERA the rest of the way. In the process, he served as both a middle-innings reliever and as an opener (making 15 starts) with the ability to pitch multiple innings when necessary. More likely than not, he’ll fill that role again in 2020.

Sal Romano TTM Success

Sent: 3/7/2019 | Received: 7/1/2020 | 482 days
2/2: 2018 Topps, 2019 Reds Team Set
Address: c/o Cincinnati Reds ST

If you’re a follower of SportsCollectors.net’s recent successes page, Sal Romano has been a popping up a lot, signing from his home – which surprise, surprise is one town over (I had no idea). Unable to find any of his cards, I figured I’d miss this boat.

Lo an behold, I couldn’t find carts because I sent them already; to Arizona last Spring. And they found their way home.

The Southington, CT native as had 41 starts and 67 appearances over three seasons with the Reds. Romano worked exclusively in relief last season, at the MLB level, and struggled to a 7.71 ERA (and 1.837 WHIP).

Gratitude for Free Cards | Thank You (x3)

Quick apology for my recent respite: Sorry. I’ve been busy of late. Good busy though. Most of my preoccupation is owed to a return to the Little League diamond.

Ages 8 and up in my neck of the woods have been welcomed back for an abbreviated summer season, so I'm coaching my older son Luke's team, the AAA Rangers.

Here in Connecticut, we’re one of the few states where Covid cases have been in decline. So with – no kidding – three pages of extra safety protocols, we’re back to playing baseball; we're back before MLB. It’s baseball with masks, restrictions on food (including gum and sunflower seeds), and a distanced dugout… but it’s baseball.

Back to cards...

Busy or no, I’m required to come back – if only – to express my thanks to a trio of bloggers and some generous goodies that have arrived in the mail recently. In the order I received them:

1. Thank you to Nick from Dime Boxes

I participated in three of Nick’s recent Free Stuff Friday giveaways and scored quite a few cool cards. I stuck mostly to the 70s (Ron Santo, Manny Sanguillen, Dock Ellis, Oscar Gamble) but strayed a couple of times off plan (Ron Washington, Satchel Paige).

The highlight, however, was this 1969 Deckle Edge Willie Mays.

I don’t have nearly enough Willie Mays in the collection – in fact the Willie Bloomquist-to-Willie Mays ratio in my collection is completely out of whack. 

2. Thank you to Jon from A Penny Sleeve for Your Thoughts

Again, jumped on a few Free Stuff Friday posts, and this time focused on (mostly) on cards for my eldest’s collection: two 1985 Hygrade Jackie Robinsons (he has a growing Jackie collection) and, of course, a few for his Yankees’ binders (Rizzuto x2 and Munson). The Jackie Robinsons aren't pictured as my son scooped them up and added him to his binder before I had a chance to snap a pic.

Plus, a couple odd balls for me…

I’m kind of a Christmas nut. Clark Griswold is a role model of mine. Love these.

3. Thank you to Greg from Night Owl Cards

I lucked into a Night Owl giveaway having earned an entry with a comment on a previous post. Greg offered up 16 prize packs that were so stuffed with cool items that I was paralyzed with indecision while a few items came off the board. I pulled myself together and came away with these four 1979 Topps Baseball Comics.

I’m not going to lie, these were not on my radar before I saw them up for grabs but I was charmed by their pop art-feel and now that they’ve arrived, I’m not at all disappointed with my selection. I may try to acquire the other 29. I love them.

He also added a trio of cards clearly clearly sourced by my recently added “Players I Collect” page. Thank you for that.

Didi goes to Luke’s collection and though the Carter is a dupe, the J.P. Richard card amazingly isn’t.


I’m under no delusions that I can offer any traffic or visibility to these three card-blogging giants, so I can’t steer any readers their way. Rather, I say again, thank you gentlemen. I am floored by your generosity. And as soon as I put together a few things that might interest you, I’ll send them your way.