Dime Box Heroes: "Lefty" gets left behind

1974 Topps #95 Steve Carlton

Even vintage can be fair game when it comes to dime boxes.

This card came from the same dime box as an awesome Robin Yount card I've previously blogged about.

Only three men in baseball history have struck out more hitters than Steve Carlton. To think that I found a card of "Lefty" in his prime in a dime box is simply amazing.

Carlton had a bit of an off year in 1973, going 13-20 with a 3.90 ERA. He had one of the best pitching seasons in baseball history in '72, going 27-10 with a 1.98 ERA and 310 K's. All with a Phillies team that would finish in last place that year.

He'd be back in top form in 1974, leading the league with 240 strikeouts.

As you can see from the scan, this card isn't in too great of shape. There's a few creases at the top and bottom of the card. And by touching it, I can tell that water was probably applied to this card at some point in its lifespan, as the surface is rough to the touch.

But there's one thing you should know about me: I really don't care about condition. Especially when it comes to older cards. Is it nice to have a card in better condition over one that's not in that great of shape? Of course. But I'm not going to complain if a card has a few creases or dings on it. 

In the end, it's cheaper anyways. Which is good if you don't have a lot of money in the first place.

This is an amazing shot of Carlton, and one of the best I've seen from the entire 1974 Topps set. From the look of determination in his face to the early in-action photo to the awesome 1970's Phillies uniform, this card has pretty much everything you'd want on a piece of cardboard.

It just goes to show that you really can find almost anything in a dime box.