Collecting and Translating the 1973 Calbee Bat-Backs (Part 12)
Happy New Year. Today ’ s entry marks the first time in a while the run is interrupted. #64 is the last Block 1 card I need and it has proven stubbornly elusive. Starting with that card, and ending with #72, Block 1 closes out with 9 cards (all featuring Chunichi Dragons players) that curiously come with or without player and team names on the front. Adding to this, cards #63 and #65 feature essentially the same blurb on the back, just slightly reworded. I don ’ t know the reason for these quirks, but they are part of what makes ‘ 73 Calbee one of the most endlessly absorbing baseball card sets in existence. #61 Yamamoto (Ko) - Outfielder (Hiroshima) Strong Throwing, Good Fielding, Good Hitting: Yamamoto (Ko) Yamamoto was lauded, along with Hanshin ’ s Tabuchi, as a powerful hitting combo during their Hosei University days. With a .258 average last year, he is getting closer to .300 and is keen on being a step ahead of Tabuchi in becoming a three-hundred hitter. Yam...