1964 TOPPS COIN RON HUNT
Here’s to Ron Hunt, the first Mets player to start an All-Star game.
Hunt manned 2nd base for the 1964 NL All Stars, batting eighth in a lineup that included Roberto Clemente, Billy Williams, Willie Mays, and Orlando Cepeda.
The Mets were hosting the game in a brand-new Shea Stadium (was there ever really such a thing?) that year, so it might be tempting to claim that he was a sentimental choice. But make no mistake– Hunt was legit.
He was runner-up to Pete Rose in the 1963 Rookie-of-the-Year voting, and he was hitting a solid .311 at the break in 1964.
Hunt would go on to have three at bats in the 1964 All-Star game.
He led off the bottom of the third with a single off future Met Dean Chance, and moved to second on a groundout by pinch hitter Willie Stargell. He was stranded there when Chance induced two more groundouts, from Clemente and Dick Groat.
Hunt hit again in the bottom of the fifth, and rolled out to the pitcher, Camilo Pascual. His final plate appearance came against Dick Radatz in the bottom of the seventh, and resulted in a strikeout.
These All-Star coins were featured in late-series 1964 Topps wax and cello packs. They differ in design from the regular coins that appeared in early-series 1964 packs, and actually look more like kissing cousins to the Old London coins that were inserted in packages of Cheez Doodles/Dipsy Doodles in 1965.
So after reading this post I looked up Old London coins and they also did a set in 1964 for the Rocky and Bullwinkle TV show. What are the odds that the coins were wrapped in plastic inside of the Cheez Doodles? We thought gum stains were bad – how hard was it to get Cheez Doodles residue off the coin? To say nothing of the health considerations.
These coins were all produced by Space Magic. That same company also produced actual space coins. The set released in Canada had images or Russian space crafts but those were eliminated in the US release to highlight US space pictures. The Cold War had a long reach
http://www.network54.com/Forum/526604/thread/1370276010/last-1370298588/Space+Coins
Space Magic did a Batman set as well: http://www.landlcollectables.com/catalog/images/SuperHeroes/SHBBatSpcMgcCompSet121111Large.jpg
I wonder if they produced the 1963 Salada/Junket coins, too. I think those were the first of the metal baseball coins…
Can he choke up on the bat more? Possibly.
Thanks for the post Doug. Seems like he had a great career, including a stint with Gary Carter, 20, on the 1974 Expos team.
Doug,
I remember watching the early Mets at the Polo Grounds and the much longed for move to Shea. Those Mets we’re mostly made up of the over-the-hillers, the expansion onliers and a few hopefully bright lighters. The latter included Al Jackson, Jim Hickman and especially Ron Hunt. He was a hard-nosed player who pushed his ability to the limits. Good memories of Hunt. Thanks!
Loved those coins. Course that was the time of the world’s fair too. A great time to visit flushing meadows … never forget the Sinclair exhibit. Good times.