#165 Dick Ellsworth - Chicago Cubs

Richard Clark Ellsworth
Chicago Cubs
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  180
Born:  March 22, 1940, Lusk, WY
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent, June 16, 1958
Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1958, 1960-1966; Philadelphia Phillies 1967; Boston Red Sox 1968-1969; Cleveland Indians 1969-1970; Milwaukee Brewers 1970-1971

One of the most reliable starting pitchers for a long run of awful Cubs teams, Dick Ellsworth won 22 games in 1963 and was a N.L. All-Star in 1964.  The 1963 season was by far his best over a 13-year career as Ellsworth went 22-10 with a 2.11 ERA and garnered some MVP votes.  He struck out 185 batters over 290 2/3 innings.  It wasn't being tracked then, but his 1963 WAR of 9.9 puts him in the company of Willie Mays - 10.6 (#250), Sandy Koufax - 9.9 (#300), and Hank Aaron - 9.1 (#170) for the year.  He leads all Cubs pitchers in several pitching categories for the decade of the 1960s, including wins (84), games started (235), complete games (71) and innings pitched (1,611).

After leaving the Cubs in a trade with the Phillies in December 1966, Ellsworth never found the same success he had enjoyed in Chicago, although he did go 16-7 with a 3.03 ERA for the 1968 Red Sox.  In 407 career games, Ellsworth went 115-137 with a 3.72 ERA and 1,140 strikeouts.

Building the Set
December 7, 2019 from King of Prussia, PA - Card #20
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.

1966 Phillies Postcards

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 Ellsworth 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
The back of the card references the one-hitter Ellsworth threw against the Phillies in June 1963.  The game was on June 1st, and the only hit allowed was a bunt single by Wes Covington (#583) in the fifth with the Phillies trailing, 1-0.  The write-up on the back is actually incorrect as it was Hippo Vaughn who was the last left-handed pitcher with 20 wins before Ellsworth, and he did that in 1919.  No Cubs left-handed pitcher has won 20 games since Ellsworth.  Both Larry Jackson (#420) and Ellsworth had 148 strikeouts for the Cubs in 1964.  Ellsworth, at card #67, is one of 72 players featured within the 1965 Topps Embossed insert set and one of four Cubs in the set.

Cubs Team Set

1965 Season
The Cubs finished in 8th place with a 72-90 record and Ellsworth was second on the team in games started with 34 behind Jackson's 39.  Ellsworth went 14-15 with a 3.81 ERA with a sore elbow and lack of run support contributing to his low win total.  He pitched a one-hitter against the Dodgers on May 15th and didn't allow an earned run, but his team still lost, 3-1.

Phillies Career
On December 7, 1966, the Cubs traded Ellsworth to the Phillies for Ray Culp (#505) and cash.  He was to bolster a strong pitching rotation that already included Jim Bunning (#20), Chris Short and his former Cubs teammate Jackson.  The starting pitching held up their end of the bargain in 1967, but the offense did not and the Phillies finished with a 82-80 record and in fifth place.  Ellsworth had an inconsistent season, and he found himself in the bullpen for a stretch.  His best performance was most likely his first start of the season, in which he allowed a run in a complete game victory over the Mets.  He also pitched a complete game shutout against the Cubs on August 12th, and at one point had thrown 19 2/3 scoreless innings in relief.

A little over a year after first joining the Phillies, he was dealt to the Red Sox on December 15, 1967 with Gene Oliver (#106) for Mike Ryan (#573) and cash.  In his one season with the Phillies, Ellsworth went 6-7 over 32 games (21 starts) with a 4.38 ERA.

1960 Topps #125

1963 Topps #399

1967 Topps #359

1969 Topps #605

1971 Topps #309

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #125
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12):  1960-1971
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1971 Topps #309

The photo used for Ellsworth's 1966 Topps card was actually his former teammate, Ken Hubbs, who had died in a plane crash on February 12, 1964.

58 - Ellsworth non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/26/19.

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:  #164 Al Spangler - Houston Astros

Next Card:  #166 Indians Rookie Stars