In Or Out? 12

First…my sympathies to Lou Brock’s family and to the St. Louis Cardinals. I tried to find a picture of Lou Brock’s 1974 APBA card. (That year he set a major league record, since broken, for the number of stolen bases in a season. Brock also used to hold the record for most stolen bases in a career and amassed more than 3,000 hits.) How many of you have heard of APBA or Strat-O-Matic? Here is a picture of an APBA card:

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This is the APBA representation of George Sisler’s 1922 season. He had a .420 batting average that season. Yes, .420. We have all learned that batting average is not the most important offensive statistic for a player, but that still sounds good to me. Yes, Sisler’s numbers were aided by playing in a home park very favorable for hitters. I believe his batting average at home that year was .473.

Anyway, back to Lou Brock…I remember that his was the first 1974 APBA card I looked at after receiving the set in the mail. Receiving the APBA cards, and later the Strat-O-Matic cards, was one of the highlights of the year for me. I even used to dream of the UPS truck driving down my street to deliver the Strat-O-Matic set.

In college I met another APBA fanatic, Art. One year we didn’t want to wait to receive the cards in the mail so we drove to the APBA headquarters to pick up the cards.

From Sports Illustrated a picture of Lou Brock:

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“And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”

– John Donne

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I thought I would go back in time for the latest edition of In Or Out?

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From wallpaperup.com a picture of a 1934 Packard Twelve Convertible Victoria bodied by Dietrich. As I have written more than once before, ten years ago I had little or no interest in cars of this vintage. I am now very fond of many of these “prewar” cars.

The 1934 Packard Twelve was Model 1108 in the company nomenclature. Despite offering dozens of different model variants that year, total Packard production was just 8,000 units, of which only 960 were Model 1108. Of course, 1934 was in the middle of the Great Depression. In December of that year the unemployment rate was still almost 22 percent.

The Packard V-12 was an “old-fashioned” undersquare (bore < stroke) engine of 445 cubic inches in displacement and producing 160 HP. Despite looking in several sources I could not find a torque rating.

All right, folks…1934 Packard Twelve Convertible Victoria bodied by Dietrich. In Or Out?

#InOrOut?

#LouBrock

#APBA

#1934PackardTwelveConvertible

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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18 thoughts on “In Or Out? 12

  1. Anyone who loves classic cars HAS to vote IN on this one. The classic lines, the iconic Packard wire wheels, the suicide doors and the beautiful Victoria body. And best of all the Packard V-12.

    Rest in Peace Mr. Brock and prayers for his family.

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  2. Sorry it is an out for me. Great looks, but no room in the garage. I could park 2 other cars in the space it takes up.

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    1. Thanks, C/2. Would it be In if you had a 60 x 30 garage? I’ll count your vote as Out. 4-1 In for the 1934 Packard.

      My ultimate fantasy is to live in a 12-car garage with an attached house.

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  3. “My ultimate fantasy is to live in a 12-car garage with an attached house.”

    Sounds similar to my lottery dream home; a 300′ by 300’ “garage” with a 1,200 square foot apartment (I’m single so that’s all I really need) right in the middle of the building. Picture windows on all 4 walls so I can see all my toys. And if I had the money to build that, you can bet that my car/motorcycle collection would be of museum quantity.

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    1. Yes, I imagine a similar setup except that my wonderful wife and I would live on top of our garage, a garage that’s maybe 80 x 40. 3,200 “raw” square feet would be enough space especially if it were all on one level. An 80 x 40 garage wouldn’t be able to house 12 cars, but six would be very comfortable in there.

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  4. You all are pikers. I would NEED a Home Depot Warehouse store size garage including a shop to maintain/build the car collection.

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