| In 1969, during an era of expansion, migration, and general staleness, Major League Baseball was thrown a curveball when the Governor’s League, a competing institution of professional ballplayers, emerged on the field to compete for the hearts of fans throughout the country.
The brain child of Rick Bindle, a local entrepreneur, and baseball fanatic, it entertained spectators for five years with its outside-the-box approach and carefree attitude. But it was the most motley collection of ballplayers the sport has ever seen that held the admiration of a nation and kept the seats packed most every night.
From Hapson Moncrief, whose case of the yips was so strong it spawned his nickname of “Good Grief,” to “Mr. 6-4-3” himself, Coderick Auberbach, who hit into the routine inning-ender often, including twice in one inning (!) during one August night, to legendary manager Burl Gravetta who once fielded a team of howler monkeys to play an exhibition against their Double-AA affiliate (ending in a 1-1 tie), these pickle cards (named for the backyard recreational activity played between two bases) are our living monument to the league that remained a constant topic of conversation in homes, offices, and media outlets during that time, pushing MLB into second-fiddle status.
On the eve of their 50th Anniversary, these cards will transport you to a simpler time, when it was all about nothing more than the beauty of America’s pastime, a time when it was about nothing more than the innocence of playing in a field and running home. |
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