Dear Babe: I’m a 78-year-old native San Franciscan, who attended both the 1961 All Star Game and the ’62 World Series at Candlestick Park. I forgot that I had a program from each of these games. They’ve been stored in a trunk lo these many years. They’re both in very good shape. Both are more than half a century old. I’ll probably pass them on to one of my grandsons.

– Ray Malispina,
Sonora, Calif.

You’ve got one lucky grandson. Long before the Bruce Bochte arrived on the scene to lead the Giants to two World Series titles in the past three years, two of the seminal moments in S.F. Giants history occurred during the events you attended.

The infamous Candlestick Park wind was on display for the whole world to see when Stu Miller, a home-town All-Star, was literally blown off the mound during that 1961 game. That unfortunate turn of events balked home a run that helped the American League erase a 3-1 deficit and tie the game.

The AL All-Stars pushed across a run in the top of the 10th to take a 4-3 lead. Fear not.

Willie Mays doubled home Henry Aaron to tie the game in the bottom of the 10th, and then scored the winning run on a Roberto Clemente’s single.

The 1962 Series between the Giants and Yankees wasn’t decided until Bobby Richardson snagged a line drive off the bat of Willie McCovey to clinch a 1-0 win for New York in the seventh game as the tying and winning runs were racing toward the plate.

The winning pitcher that day was Ralph Terry. Had McCovey’s drive been a couple of feet higher, Terry would have been remembered for giving that walk off hit along with Bill Mazeroski’s homer that ended the 1960 Series.

“EBay made these items more common now days which puts downward pressure on items. The 1961 all star sells for around $240-$295 (near-mint) range; and 1962 series goes for about $175-$200 in clean condition scored,” said
Phil Regli, a longtime
magazine dealer (www.prp
sports.com).

Dear Babe: I was just reading something on the Web about the 1990 cards that are reproductions of paintings done by Craig Pursley.

– Sandra Shockey,
Pinellas County, Fla.

Here’s what I had to say the last time someone asked about these 1990 Bowman inserts:

“Pursley drew 11 images for Topps to use for insert cards in the 1990 Bowman product. Of the inserts cards, Beckett’s Almanac of Baseball Cards and Collectibles lists the 11 cards in the set at $2 with Nolan Ryan the most valuable at $1 and Don Mattingly at 60 cents. The almanac lists the set of 11 large prints of the original artwork at $600. Again, Mattingly and Ryan are the top two in value. Ryan is listed at $250, while Mattingly books at $100.”

Babe notes

There’s a new record number for a baseball card – $2,105,770.50.

That’s what someone bid for a 1909 T206 Honus Wagner graded EX 5 (MC) by PSA in a Goldin Auctions (www.goldinauctions.com) sale that ended last Saturday.

It’s being touted as the highest price ever paid for any baseball card in a public auction.

The NASCAR season is in full swing with Press Pass offering several releases for collectors.

2013 Press Pass Racing, 2013 Total Memorabilia and 2013 Ignite Racing are on hobby store shelves.

For complete details on the products, visit www.presspassin.com.

Babe Waxpak is written by Bill Wagner and is a feature of the Record Searchlight (www.redding.com) in Redding, CA. If you have a question for Babe Waxpak, include your full name and hometown, the card number, year
and manufacturer or send a photocopy. Please do not send cards. The address is: Babe Waxpak, Box 492397, Redding CA 96049-2397 or email babewaxpak@charter.net.

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