#164 Al Spangler - Houston Astros

Albert Donald Spangler
Houston Astros
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  175
Born:  July 8, 1933, Philadelphia, PA
Signed:  Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent, June 14, 1954
Major League Teams:  Milwaukee Braves 1959-1961; Houston Colt .45s 1962-1964; Houston Astros 1965; Los Angeles Angels 1965; California Angels 1966; Chicago Cubs 1967-1971

The original left fielder for the expansion Houston Colt .45s, Al Spangler enjoyed a 13-year big league career.  A native of Philadelphia and an All-American baseball player while at Duke University, Spangler was originally drafted by the Braves but selected by Houston in the premium phase of the 1961 expansion draft.  With Houston, Spangler was their top hitter the first two years of the team's existence and he drove in their first ever run with an RBI triple in the bottom of the first on opening day 1962.

Spangler served in a reserve role for the Cubs during the final five seasons of his career, and he coached in the Cubs system between 1971 and 1973, serving on the big league staff in 1971 and 1974.

Building the Set
December 7, 2019 from King of Prussia, PA - Card #19
We were up to 11 cards for our 1965 Topps set, and I honestly had it in mind that I wanted to purchase one fairly major "star" card during our remaining time at the Philadelphia Sportscard & Memorabilia Show inside the Valley Forge Casino.  The showroom floor was packed as we were now into the early afternoon and autograph guests were showing up every 15 minutes or so.  The PA announcer would call out ticket numbers in groups of 10 all while imploring collectors to back away from the entrance that led into the autograph signing area.

That was the backdrop when we came upon the table for MJW Collectibles out of Somerdale, NJ.  This dealer had a bunch of 1960s Topps binders spread out, and the sign on the 1965 Topps binder caught my eye - ALL CARDS $1.  And with Doug's help, I dug in.

I first determined I'd buy 10 cards, and then that went up to 15.  My only criteria was that the cards needed to be a good shape with four sharp corners.  Doug helped me pick the cards in best shape, especially when there were several of the same card to a page.  This Spangler card was one of the 15 commons we added from MJW Collectibles.  Some were fairly random additions, and others had some meaning to me and I'll feature each of the cards acquired in upcoming posts.

The Card
This is the first card in the set to feature the team name "Astros," as the other Astros cards up to this point simply state "Houston" on the front pennant.  With the exception of the photo used for his 1960 Topps rookie card, Spangler's other Topps flagship cards feature the same stoic look from the outfielder with nary a smile.  Spangler was actually tied for the team lead in walks in 1962 with first baseman Norm Larker.  Spangler, at card #53, is one of 72 players featured within the 1965 Topps Embossed insert set and one of three Astros in the set.  He's also in the harder to find 1965 Topps Transfers insert set.

1965 Season
Spangler got off to a slow start for the Astros in 1965, and the team acquired Lee Maye from the Braves on May 23rd to try to provide some more offensive punch from the team's left fielder.  A week later, on June 1st, Spangler was dealt to the Angels for Don Lee (#595).  Spangler was used by the Angels primarily as a pinch-hitter and late inning defensive replacement but he did serve as a veteran mentor to the Angels' young outfield trio of Jose Cardenal, Rick Reichardt and Ed Kirkpatrick.  Spangler would lose his job as the team's fourth outfielder in 1966 due to the arrival of prospect Jay Johnstone.

For the season, Spangler hit .236 over 89 games with the Astros and Angels.

1960 Topps #143

1964 Topps #406

1968 Topps #451

1970 Topps #714

1974 Topps #354

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #143
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1960-1966, 1968-1970, 1974
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #171

59 - Spangler non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/24/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.

Prior Card:  #163 John Briggs - Philadelphia Phillies

Next Card:  #165 Dick Ellsworth - Chicago Cubs

#158 Dick Sisler MG - Cincinnati Reds

Richard Allan Sisler
Cincinnati Reds
Manager

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  205
Born:  November 2, 1920, St. Louis, MO
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent, February 17, 1939
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1946-1947; Philadelphia Phillies 1948-1951; Cincinnati Reds 1952; St. Louis Cardinals 1952-1953
As a Manager:  Cincinnati Reds 1964-1965
Died:  November 20, 1998, Nashville, TN (age 78)

1951 Bowman #52

One of my Dad's favorite players, Dick Sisler was a star for the Phillies enjoying his best season as a member of the 1950 Whiz Kids.  Brother of Dave and son of Hall of Famer George, Sisler is best known for his 10th inning home run against the Dodgers on the last day of the 1950 season sending the Phillies to victory and giving the team its first National League pennant since 1915.  Even though he only played for the Phillies for four seasons, his status as a franchise legend was cemented with that swing.

Sisler was an All-Star with the Phillies in 1950, the season he reached career highs for average (.296), home runs (13) and RBIs (83).  The Phillies didn't prevail against the Yankees in 1950, but he still won two World Series rings with the Cardinals in 1946 as a bench player and again with the Cardinals in 1967 as the team's first base coach.  For his eight-year career he hit .276 with 55 home runs and 360 RBIs.

Following his playing career, he first served as a coach with the Reds in 1961 for manager Fred Hutchinson.  He was promoted to manager of the Reds when Hutchison was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  Fired at the end of the 1965 season, Sisler went on to coach for the Cardinals (1966-1970), Padres (1975-1976) and Mets (1979-1980).  He worked throughout the 1980s as a roving hitting instructor in the Cardinals minor league system and was a frequent autograph guest at baseball card shows during the hobby's emergence that decade.

I mentioned at the top Sisler was one of my Dad's favorite players, and it's by pure luck and with no planning this post will appear on what would have been his 76th birthday.  On Christmas day 2007, my Dad gave me Sisler's 1951 Bowman card and I've used that card as the centerpiece of the banner on my flagship blog, The Phillies Room.  Along with that card my Dad included a note within the package noting that it was the first baseball card he ever saw.

Building the Set
December 7, 2019 from King of Prussia, PA - Card #18
We were up to 11 cards for our 1965 Topps set, and I honestly had it in mind that I wanted to purchase one fairly major "star" card during our remaining time at the Philadelphia Sportscard & Memorabilia Show inside the Valley Forge Casino.  The showroom floor was packed as we were now into the early afternoon and autograph guests were showing up every 15 minutes or so.  The public address announcer would call out ticket numbers in groups of 10 all while imploring collectors to back away from the entrance that led into the autograph signing area.

That was the backdrop when we came upon the table for MJW Collectibles out of Somerdale, NJ.  This dealer had a bunch of 1960s Topps binders spread out, and the sign on the 1965 Topps binder caught my eye - ALL CARDS $1.  And with Doug's help, I dug in.

I first determined I'd buy 10 cards, and then that went up to 15.  My only criteria was that the cards needed to be a good shape with four sharp corners.  Doug helped me pick the cards in best shape, especially when there were several of the same card to a page.  This Sisler card was one of the 15 commons we added from MJW Collectibles.  Once I saw this card, and the great shape it was in, it was an absolute no-brainer that it needed to be added to the stack.

The Card
This is Sisler's final Topps card, and his last mainstream baseball card appearance until the mid-1970s.  Looking closely at the photo, I first thought there was a blemish just under the brim of Sisler's hat and on his forehead.  But the mark appears on every instance of the card, so perhaps it's a bandage?  This is our first manager card from the set, and I like the idea of the backs of the manager cards containing a bio.

Sisler's bio mentions his family lineage.  I'd argue that Sisler's "biggest thrill" wasn't his pinch-hit single in the 1950 All-Star Game, but rather the home run hit off Don Newcombe on October 1, 1950 to win the pennant for the Phillies.  Coincidentally, he was pinch-hitting for Newcombe in the 1950 All-Star Game, and he collected his single off Bob Lemon in the fifth inning.

1965 Season
Sisler managed the Reds to a 89-73 record, good enough for fourth place in the National League.  The team had been in first place as late as July 19th, but a late season swoon and surges from the Dodgers, Giants and Pirates dropped them to fourth.  The team was just three games out of first place heading into the final week of the season but lost seven of their final eight games.  The late season collapse cost Sisler his job and he was fired at the end of the season.

Phillies Career
On April 7, 1948, the Phillies acquired Sisler from the Cardinals for Ralph LaPointe and $30,000.  Originally disappointed to be leaving his hometown Cardinals, Sisler later realized it was the best break of his career.  He was the team's regular first baseman in 1948 but lost time to Eddie Waitkus at the start of 1949, as Waitkus was a better defender and was having a better year at the plate.  Relegated to pinch-hitting duties, Sisler was forced back into a starting role after Waitkus was shot by a deranged woman in Chicago on June 14, 1949.

At the start of the 1950 season, and with Waitkus recovering and reclaiming first base, Sisler challenged manager Eddie Sawyer to move him back to the outfield.  His hard work paid off and Sisler had the best season of his career.  He along with the other Whiz Kids won the National League pennant but they couldn't handle the powerhouse Yankees in the World Series, getting swept in four games.  Sisler went 1 for 17 (.059) in the Series.

After a decent 1951 season, Sisler was traded on December 10th to the Reds with Niles Jordan, Eddie Pellagrini and Andy Seminick for Smoky Burgess (#198), Howie Fox and Connie Ryan.  In 508 games for the Phillies, Sisler hit .287 with 39 home runs and 241 RBIs.

1949 Bowman #205

1951 Topps Blue Backs #8

1952 Topps #113

1964 Topps #162

1980 TCMA 1950 Phillies #0006

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1949 Bowman #205
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1951-1952, 1964-1965
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1987 TCMA 1950 Phillies #8

62 - Sisler non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/24/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Phillies Room
SABR
The Trading Card Database

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.

Previous Card:  #157 Zoilo Versalles - Minnesota Twins

Next Card:  #159 Jim Duffalo - San Francisco Giants

#141 Charlie James - Cincinnati Reds

Charles Wesley James
Cincinnati Reds
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  195
Born:  December 22, 1937, St. Louis, MO
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent before 1958 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1960-1964; Cincinnati Reds 1965

Charlie James briefly assumed the starting left fielder job in for his hometown Cardinals after Stan Musial retired in 1963, but the acquisition of Lou Brock (#540) from the Cubs in June 1964 cut short his time as a starter.  The starting right fielder for the Cardinals in 1962, James was moved to left following Musial's retirement.  One of his biggest hits of his career was a three-run home run on opening day 1964 off the Dodgers' Sandy Koufax (#300).  His predecessor Musial had thrown out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game.

In parts of five seasons with the Cardinals, he hit .256 with 29 home runs and 172 RBIs.  A bench player down the stretch run in 1964, James had three pinch-hitting appearances in the World Series, going hitless.  James finished his six-year career with the Reds in 1965, appearing in 26 games and hitting .205.

Building the Set
December 7, 2019 from King of Prussia, PA - Card #17
We were up to 11 cards for our 1965 Topps set, and I honestly had it in mind that I wanted to purchase one fairly major "star" card during our remaining time at the Philadelphia Sportscard & Memorabilia Show inside the Valley Forge Casino.  The showroom floor was packed as we were now into the early afternoon and autograph guests were showing up every 15 minutes or so.  The PA announcer would call out ticket numbers in groups of 10 all while imploring collectors to back away from the entrance that led into the autograph signing area.

That was the backdrop when we came upon the table for MJW Collectibles out of Somerdale, NJ.  This dealer had a bunch of 1960s Topps binders spread out, and the sign on the 1965 Topps binder caught my eye - ALL CARDS $1.  And with Doug's help, I dug in.

I first determined I'd buy 10 cards, and then that went up to 15.  My only criteria was that the cards needed to be a good shape with four sharp corners.  Doug helped me pick the cards in best shape, especially when there were several of the same card to a page.  This James card was one of the 15 commons we added from MJW Collectibles.  Some were fairly random additions, and others had some meaning to me and I'll feature each of the cards acquired in upcoming posts.

The Card
This is the last of six appearances for James in a Topps flagship set.  Topps went with Charley for his 1960, 1961, 1963 and 1964 cards, and he's Charlie in 1962 and 1965.  James signed reprints of this card for inclusion in the 2014 Topps Heritage release.  It's impressive that Topps was able to swap James' team from the Cardinals to the Reds in time for this card.  The trade took place on December 14th with James and Roger Craig (#411) heading to the Reds for Bob Purkey (#214).  The photo is undoubtedly from the same session that yielded James' 1964 Topps' photo and both are extremely tightly cropped.

I was really confused upon first reading, "The outfielder was Rookie of the Year in 1958," especially since James made his big league debut in 1960.  His SABR biography points out that he was the Texas League Rookie of the Year, hitting .278 with 19 home runs and 104 RBIs for the Double-A Houston Buffaloes.

1965 Season
James was used sparingly by the Reds in 1965, as manager Dick Sisler (#158) awarded the starting left fielder's job to the incumbent, Tommy Harper (#47), instead of James.  Of his 26 appearances with the Reds, only six were starts.  He was sent down to the minors after not making the Reds out of spring training in 1966 and refusing to report, James retired from the game at 28.

1960 Topps #517

1961 Topps #561

1962 Topps #412

1963 Topps #83

1964 Topps #357

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #517
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1960-1965
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-CJA

21 - James non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/23/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.

Prior Card:  #140 Dean Chance - Los Angeles Angels

Next Card:  #142 Bill Monbouquette - Boston Red Sox

#103 Harvey Kuenn - San Francisco Giants

Harvey Edward Kuenn
San Francisco Giants
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  187
Born:  December 4, 1930, West Allis, WI
Signed:  Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent, June 9, 1952
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1952-1959; Cleveland Indians 1960; San Francisco Giants 1961-1965; Chicago Cubs 1965-1966; Philadelphia Phillies 1966
As a Manager:  Milwaukee Brewers 1975, 1982-1983
Died:  February 28, 1988, Peoria, AZ (age 57)

One of the most prolific hitters in the American League throughout the 1950s, Harvey Kuenn was the A.L. Rookie of the Year in 1953 and was named to eight straight All-Star teams between 1953 and 1960.  He and Al Kaline (#130) led the Tigers offense during those years, but the club never finished higher than fourth place in the junior circuit.  A shortstop early in his career, Kuenn led the league in hits four times (1953, 1954, 1956 and 1959), doubles three times (1955, 1958 and 1959) and took the batting crown in 1959 with a .353 average.  He was swapped to the Indians in April 1960 for Rocky Colavito (#380), a blockbuster deal involving two All-Stars.

1982 Donruss #578

After a season in Cleveland, Kuenn moved to the National League where he'd play six more seasons for the Giants, Cubs and Phillies.  He'd see his only postseason play with the Giants in the 1962 World Series.  Over his 14-year career, Kuenn hit .303 with 2,092 hits.

Kuenn became a coach for the Brewers in 1972 and he served as an interim manager for a game in 1975 following the firing of Del Crandall (#68).  He was named the team's permanent manager on June 2, 1982, replacing Buck Rodgers (#342), and he led that Brewers team to their first and only World Series appearance to date.  Despite losing to the Cardinals in the World Series, Kuenn and his team, affectionately called "Harvey's Wallbangers," cemented themselves as fan favorites in Milwaukee.

Building the Set
December 7, 2019 from King of Prussia, PA - Card #16
We were up to 11 cards for our 1965 Topps set, and I honestly had it in mind that I wanted to purchase one fairly major "star" card during our remaining time at the Philadelphia Sportscard & Memorabilia Show inside the Valley Forge Casino.  The showroom floor was packed as we were now into the early afternoon and autograph guests were showing up every 15 minutes or so.  The PA announcer would call out ticket numbers in groups of 10 all while imploring collectors to back away from the entrance that led into the autograph signing area.

That was the backdrop when we came upon the table for MJW Collectibles out of Somerdale, NJ.  This dealer had a bunch of 1960s Topps binders spread out, and the sign on the 1965 Topps binder caught my eye - ALL CARDS $1.  And with Doug's help, I dug in.

I first determined I'd buy 10 cards, and then that went up to 15.  My only criteria was that the cards needed to be a good shape with four sharp corners.  Doug helped me pick the cards in best shape, especially when there were several of the same card to a page.  This Kuenn card was one of the 15 commons we added from MJW Collectibles.  Some were fairly random additions, and others had some meaning to me and I'll feature each of the cards acquired in upcoming posts.  I was honestly surprised to find Kuenn among the commons.

The Card
This always seemed to me to be one of the more iconic cards in the 1965 Topps set, for reasons completely unknown.  It's just one of those cards I've been aware of since very early in my collecting career.  It was my Dad who pointed out to me in the early 1980s that Kuenn's name was pronounced "Keen," and not "Ku-yen" as I had been pronouncing it.  I first became aware of Kuenn's existence because of his inclusion in the 1982 Donruss set on a coach's card.

In 1959, Kuenn easily beat out his teammate Kaline (.327) and Boston's Pete Runnels (.314) for the
batting title.

1965 Season
Now 34 years old, Kuenn started the season as the Giants' opening day left fielder with Jesus Alou (#545) in right and Willie Mays (#250) in center.  He lost more and more time in left to Matty Alou (#318) and on May 29th, the Giants traded Kuenn, Ed Bailey (#559) and Bob Hendley (#444) to the Cubs for Dick Bertell (#27) and Len Gabrielson (#14).  Kuenn appeared in 54 games for the Cubs and his combined totals for the season were fairly decent - a .296 average over 89 games.

On September 9th, Kuenn was the final out recorded in Sandy Koufax's (#300) no-hitter.  He was the final out in two of Koufax's four no-hitters, doing it for the first time in 1963.  Also during the 1965 season, Kuenn was part of a four-player committee, along with Jim Bunning (#20), Bob Friend (#392) and Robin Roberts (#15), to hire Marvin Miller as head of the player's union.

Phillies Career
The Cubs sold Kuenn to the Phillies three games into the 1966 season on April 23rd.  He spent the rest of the season with the Phillies, his final season in the Majors, serving as a right-handed pinch-hitter and occasional back-up in left for Tony Gonzalez (#72) or at first base for Bill White (#190).  Kuenn appeared in 86 games for the Phillies, hitting .296 with 9 doubles and 15 RBIs.  He received an invitation to spring training in 1967, but he abruptly announced his retirement right before the start of camp to take a job with a television station in Milwaukee.

Kuenn's time with the Phillies produced no official baseball cards.

1954 Topps #25

1956 Topps #155

1959 Topps #70

1966 Topps #372

1984 Topps #321

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1954 Topps #25
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (16):  1954, 1956-1966, 1973-1974, 1983-1984
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2019 Diamond Kings DK Materials #87

165 - Kuenn non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/23/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Phillies Room
SABR
The Trading Card Database

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.

Prior Card:  #102 Steve Boros - Cincinnati Reds

Next Card:  #104 2nd Series Checklist 89-176

#58 Fred Talbot - Chicago White Sox

Frederick Leanland Talbot
Chicago White Sox
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  195
Born:  June 28, 1941, Washington, DC
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent before 1959 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago White Sox 1963-1964; Kansas City Athletics 1965-1966; New York Yankees 1966-1969; Seattle Pilots 1969; Oakland Athletics 1969-1970
Died:  January 11, 2013, Falls Church, VA (age 71)

A starting pitcher at the beginning of his career, Fred Talbot spent the latter part of his career as a middle reliever.  In parts of eight seasons between 1963 and 1970, Talbot compiled a record of 38-56 with a 4.12 ERA.  His best seasons came in 1964 when he pitched a pair of complete game shutouts for the Athletics and in 1969 for the expansion Pilots when he went 5-8 with a 4.16 ERA.  Talbot was the victim of a few practical jokes orchestrated by teammate Jim Bouton (#30) and as recounted in Bouton's book Ball Four.

Talbot spent the bulk of his career with the Yankees between 1966 and 1969, appearing in 89 games and making 52 starts.  His Yankees record was 14-24 with a 3.99 ERA.

Building the Set
December 7, 2019 from King of Prussia, PA - Card #15
We were up to 11 cards for our 1965 Topps set, and I honestly had it in mind I wanted to purchase one fairly major "star" card during our remaining time at the Philadelphia Sportscard & Memorabilia Show inside the Valley Forge Casino.  The showroom floor was packed as we were now into the early afternoon and autograph guests were showing up every 15 minutes or so.  The PA announcer would call out ticket numbers in groups of 10 all while imploring collectors to back away from the entrance that led into the autograph signing area.

That was the backdrop when we came upon the table for MJW Collectibles out of Somerdale, NJ.  This dealer had a bunch of 1960s Topps binders spread out, and the sign on the 1965 Topps binder caught my eye - ALL CARDS $1.  And with Doug's help, I dug in.

I first determined I'd buy 10 cards, and then that went up to 15.  My only criteria was that the cards needed to be a good shape with four sharp corners.  Doug helped me pick the cards in best shape, especially when there were several of the same card to a page.  This Talbot card was one of the 15 commons we added from MJW Collectibles.  Some were fairly random additions, and others had some meaning to me and I'll feature each of the cards acquired in upcoming posts.

The Card
This is Talbot's rookie card and it's ironic the first line on the back states that "Fred figures strongly in the White Sox plans for '65."  Talbot was part of a massive, eight-player, three-team deal in early 1965 among the White Sox, Indians and Athletics.  Talbot ended up heading to Kansas City and this is his sole White Sox baseball card.

1965 Season
Talbot was the player to be named later in the big deal mentioned above.  The Athletics ended up getting him, Mike Hershberger (#89) and Jim Landis (#376) from the White Sox.  The Indians acquired Cam Carreon (#578) from the White Sox along with Rocky Colavito (#380) from the Athletics.  And the White Sox received Tommie Agee (#166), Tommy John (#208) and John Romano (#17) from the Indians.

Talbot led the A's in games started with 33 and tied Rollie Sheldon (#254) for the team lead in wins with 10.  He had a 10-12 record with a 4.14 ERA and 117 strikeouts over 198 innings pitched.  Both his strikeout and innings pitched totals set career highs for him.

1966 Topps #403

1967 Topps #517

1968 Topps #577

1970 Topps #287

1983 Galasso 1969 Seattle Pilots #17

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #58
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1965-1970
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1983 Galasso 1969 Seattle Pilots #17

23 - Talbot non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/22/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.

Prior Card:  #57 St. Louis Cardinals Team Card

Next Card:  #59 Nate Oliver - Los Angeles Dodgers

#48 Claude Raymond - Houston Astros

Jean Claude Marc Raymond
Houston Astros
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  175
Born:  May 7, 1937, St. Jean, Canada
Signed:  Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent before 1955 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago White Sox 1959; Milwaukee Braves 1961-1963; Houston Colt .45s 1964; Houston Astros 1965-1967; Atlanta Braves 1967-1969; Montreal Expos 1969-1971

Claude Raymond earned the distinction of becoming the first major league player born in Quebec to be selected to the All-Star Game, a feat he accomplished in 1966 with the Astros.  An effective reliever for most of his career, Raymond recorded 82 career saves, hitting his career best 23 in 1970 with the Expos.  Over 12 seasons, Raymond went 46-53 with a 3.66 ERA over 449 games, all but 7 of those games in relief.

2004 Montreal Expos
Postcards

Following his retirement, Raymond stayed with the Expos as their French language radio analyst (1973-1984) and later television analyst (1985-2001).  He was a coach for the team during its final three years in Montreal from 2002 to 2004.  Raymond was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984.

Building the Set
December 7, 2019 from King of Prussia, PA - Card #14
We were up to 11 cards for our 1965 Topps set, and I honestly had it in mind I wanted to purchase one fairly major "star" card during our remaining time at the Philadelphia Sportscard & Memorabilia Show inside the Valley Forge Casino.  The showroom floor was packed as we were now into the early afternoon and autograph guests were showing up every 15 minutes or so.  The PA announcer would call out ticket numbers in groups of 10 all while imploring collectors to back away from the entrance that led into the autograph signing area.

That was the backdrop when we came upon the table for MJW Collectibles out of Somerdale, NJ.  This dealer had a bunch of 1960s Topps binders spread out, and the sign on the 1965 Topps binder caught my eye - ALL CARDS $1.  And with Doug's help, I dug in.

I first determined I'd buy 10 cards, and then that went up to 15.  My only criteria was that the cards needed to be a good shape with four sharp corners.  Doug helped me pick the cards in best shape, especially when there were several of the same card to a page.  This Raymond card was one of the 15 commons we added from MJW Collectibles.  Some were fairly random additions, and others had some meaning to me and I'll feature each of the cards acquired in upcoming posts.

The Card
Raymond is still sporting the .45s logo on his cap, as the name change to the Astros had just gone into effect prior to the 1965 season.  The special draft referenced on the back of his card was a supplemental draft held following the 1963 season to bolster the weak rosters of the expansion Mets and Colt .45s.  And at some point along the way, Raymond lost one of the saves he was credited with in 1962 as his Baseball Reference page gives him 10 saves in 1962 and not the 11 per the back of this card.

1965 Season
Only the Mets kept the Astros out of the National League basement in 1965, but Raymond was one of the club's top relievers.  In 33 games (7 starts - the only 7 starts of his career), Raymond went 7-4 with a 2.90 ERA and five saves.  He earned a complete game victory over the Dodgers on July 4th, allowing six hits.

1963 Topps #519

1964 Topps #504

1967 Topps #364

1969 Topps #446

1971 Topps #536

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #519
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1963-1971
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1981 TCMA 1959 White Sox #39

43 - Raymond non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/22/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.

Prior Card:  #47 Tommy Harper - Cincinnati Reds

Next Card:  #49 Orioles Rookie Stars