#84 Ron Herbel - San Francisco Giants

Ronald Samuel Herbel
San Francisco Giants
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  195
Born:  January 16, 1938, Denver, CO
Signed:  Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before 1958 season
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1963-1969; San Diego Padres 1970; New York Mets 1970; Atlanta Braves 1971
Died:  January 20, 2000, Tacoma, WA (age 62)

A steady reliever and occasional starter over 9 big league seasons, Ron Herbel earned notoriety as quite possibily the worst hitting baseball player ever.  His career average of .029 (6 for 206) ranks worst all-time among batters with at least 100 plate appearances.

As a pitcher, he found more success, enjoying his best seasons in 1964 and 1965 with the Giants.  He led the league in appearances in 1970 with 76, starting the season with the Padres but then traded to the Mets in September.  In 331 career games (79 starts), Herbel went 42-37 with a 3.82 ERA and 16 saves.

August 22, 2020 - My Mom with her grandkids

Building the Set
August 21, 2020 from Charleston, SC - Card #146
In my largest (by volume) purchase to date, I spent an enjoyable hour or so in mid-August browsing the eBay store of seller mantlerulz and clicking Add to Cart on 30 different cards.  We had previously added 29 cards to our set back in February from the Philly Show.  The 30 cards, all commons, cost me $52 total (before shipping and taxes) with the cards ranging in prices from $1 to $6.  I love this haul and I found the seller's store by accident when I was browsing eBay in an attempt to add a few more cheap cards from the set's first series.  With the exception of the cards for Dick Howser (#92) and manager Birdie Tebbets (#301), along with the few former Phillies in the lot, most of the players featured on these cards are unknown to me.  In the coming weeks, I'll go through each of these new cards for our set in detail, and we've now passed the quarter mark for completion of the complete set.  We still have a long way to go, and quite a few pricey cards to add but any day I can add 30 commons in excellent shape and at a low prices is a great day.  This Herbel card was $1.

The Card / Giants Team Set
Herbel had previously appeared in the last two years' Topps sets, sharing those cards with other rookies on Rookie Stars cards.  This is his first solo card.  The back of the card points out Herbel's two top winning seasons (15-4 in 1960, 16-5 in 1961) in the minor leagues and his one losingest season (13-18 in 1963).

1965 Season
The Giants finished as runners up in the National League behind the pennant winning Dodgers, and Herbel was one of four pitchers to start at least 20 games for the club.  Serving as the occasional fourth starter behind Juan Marichal (#50), Bob Shaw (#428) and Gaylord Perry (#193), Herbel made 21 starts and appeared in 47 games overall.  He went 12-9 with a 3.85 ERA with 1 save and 1 complete game, and the 12 wins would be a career high.  His complete game came on May 21st, which is also the game in which he collected his first big league hit against Astros pitcher Don Nottebart (#469).

1963 Topps #208

1964 Topps #47

1967 Topps #156

1970 Topps #526

1972 Topps #469

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #208
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1963-1972
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1972 Topps #469

33 - Herbel non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/29/20.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #83 George Thomas - Detroit Tigers

Next Card:  #85 Willie Smith - Los Angeles Angels

#80 Turk Farrell - Houston Astros

Richard Joseph Farrell
Houston Astros
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  215
Born:  April 8, 1934, Boston, MA
Signed:  Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent before 1953 season
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 1956-1961; Los Angeles Dodgers 1961; Houston Colt .45s 1962-1964; Houston Astros 1965-1967; Philadelphia Phillies 1967-1969
Died:  June 10, 1977, Great Yarmouth, United Kingdom (age 43)

His SABR biography refers to Dick "Turk" Farrell as a "fierce competitor; prankster; beloved teammate" in quick succession and later uses the adjective "fun-loving" to sum him up.  In 14 Major League seasons, mostly with the Phillies and the Colt .45s/Astros, Farrell was a five-time All-Star and found success as both a starter and a relief pitcher.  As a rookie closer with the Phillies in 1957, he went 10-2 with a 2.38 ERA and a team-leading 10 saves.  He was one of the team's most reliable relievers between 1957 and 1960 before hitting a mid-career slump in 1961.  He was swapped to the Dodgers that season on May 4th, with the Dodgers hoping he'd be a suitable replacement for their injured closer Ed Roebuck (#52).  He wasn't, and after a tough season in Los Angeles, Farrell was left unprotected in the expansion draft and selected by the Colt .45s.

1950-1969 Phillies Postcards

He rebounded in Houston, where he'd be one of the franchise's first star players.  Now a starting pitcher, he lost 20 games for the expansion team in 1962, but provided an anchor to an otherwise undependable rotation.  In 1965, he surrendered the first home run in the Astrodome when Mickey Mantle (#350) connected off him in an exhibition game.  In 1967, Farrell reunited with his original team when the Phillies purchased him from the Astros.  He served as one of the team's top relievers for three seasons before his release in November 1969.  Farrell attempted comebacks within the Braves' and Cardinals' organizations but 1969 was to be his last season in the majors.

While working in England as a safety supervisor on offshore oil rigs, Farrell was tragically killed in an auto accident in 1977.

Building the Set
August 21, 2020 from Charleston, SC - Card #145
In my largest (by volume) purchase to date, I spent an enjoyable hour or so in mid-August browsing the eBay store of seller mantlerulz and clicking Add to Cart on 30 different cards.  We had previously added 29 cards to our set back in February from the Philly Show.  The 30 cards, all commons, cost me $52 total (before shipping and taxes) with the cards ranging in prices from $1 to $6.  I love this haul and I found the seller's store by accident when I was browsing eBay in an attempt to add a few more cheap cards from the set's first series.  With the exception of the cards for Dick Howser (#92) and manager Birdie Tebbets (#301), along with the few former Phillies in the lot, most of the players featured on these cards are unknown to me.  In the coming weeks, I'll go through each of these new cards for our set in detail, and we've now passed the quarter mark for completion of the complete set.  We still have a long way to go, and quite a few pricey cards to add but any day I can add 30 commons in excellent shape and at a low prices is a great day.  This Farrell card was only $1.

The Card / Astros Team Set
Like the other Astros in the first series of the set, Farrell is pictured wearing a Colt .45s hat and the team designation on the front of the card is "Houston" with a generic Texas logo.  His solid outing in the 1958 All-Star Game is highlighted on the back of the card.  Farrell pitched the final two innings of the game for the N.L., striking out four of the seven batters he faced - Jackie Jensen, Bill Skowron (#70), Frank Malzone (#315) and Ted Williams.

1965 Season
This was Farrell's fourth and final year appearing at the All-Star Game.  He was one of three Astros pitchers to make at least 20 starts, along with Bob Bruce (#240) and Don Nottebart (#469).  Farrell went 11-11 with a 3.50 ERA over 33 appearances (29 starts) with 8 complete games and 3 shutouts.  In the All-Star Game, Farrell relieved Sandy Koufax (#300) and pitched a scoreless eighth inning in a game the N.L. would win, 6-5.

Phillies Career
Farrell, along with fellow relievers Jim Owens (#451) and Jack Meyer, were members of a partying group of players dubbed the Dalton Gang, as they were known during their time with the Phillies to enjoy the post-game nightlife.  He first left the organization on May 4, 1961, traded to the Dodgers with Joe Koppe for Don Demeter (#429) and Charley Smith (#22).  After a successful stint with the Astros as a starter, he returned to the Phillies in 1967.  Over nine seasons with the Phillies, Farrell appeared in 359 games, making only 2 starts, and going 47-41 with a 3.25 ERA.  He accumulated 65 saves with the Phillies, which puts him 10th all-time among the franchise's save leaders.  Possessing an above-average fastball, Farrell struck out 403 batters in 600 2/3 innings pitched with the club.

1958 Topps #76

1961 Topps #522

1963 Topps #277

1966 Topps #377

1969 Topps #531

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1958 Topps #76
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12):  1958-1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #256

82 - Farrell non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/29/20.

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

Previous Card:  #79 1st Series Checklist 1-88

Next Card:  #81 Don Buford - Chicago White Sox

#51 Billy Bryan - Kansas City Athletics

William Ronald Bryan
Kansas City Athletics
Catcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  200
Born:  December 4, 1938, Morgan, GA
Signed:  Signed by the Kansas City Athletics as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams:  Kansas City Athletics 1961-1966; New York Yankees 1966-1967; Washington Senators 1968

Billy Bryan spent the bulk of his eight seasons in the majors as a back-up catcher for the A's between 1961 and 1966.  Given the chance to start on a regular basis in 1965, Bryan posted career high numbers in just about every offensive category, including average (.252), home runs (14) and RBIs (51).  He had his best professional seasons in the minors, hitting an even 100 home runs over eight minor league seasons.  In 1962 with the Albuquerque Dukes, Bryan led the team in home runs (25) and RBIs (85) while hitting .293.

Bryan wrapped up his big league career as a back-up for the Yankees and Senators, and after a few seasons in the minors with the Senators and Phillies organizations, he retired in 1970.  Bryan was a career .216 hitter with 41 home runs and 125 RBIs over 374 games.

Building the Set
August 21, 2020 from Charleston, SC - Card #144
In my largest (by volume) purchase to date, I spent an enjoyable hour or so in mid-August browsing the eBay store of seller mantlerulz and clicking Add to Cart on 30 different cards.  We had previously added 29 cards to our set back in February from the Philly Show.  The 30 cards, all commons, cost me $52 total (before shipping and taxes) with the cards ranging in prices from $1 to $6.  I love this haul and I found the seller's store by accident when I was browsing eBay in an attempt to add a few more cheap cards from the set's first series.  With the exception of the cards for Dick Howser (#92) and manager Birdie Tebbets (#301), along with the few former Phillies in the lot, most of the players featured on these cards are unknown to me.  In the coming weeks, I'll go through each of these new cards for our set in detail, and we've now passed the quarter mark for completion of the complete set.  We still have a long way to go, and quite a few pricey cards to add but any day I can add 30 commons in excellent shape and at a low prices is a great day.  This Bryan card was $1.

The Card / Athletics Team Set
The photo here was taken during the 1963 season on the road as Bryan switched to #9 for the 1964 season.  Also, and as demonstrated by Bryan's history of Topps cards below, Topps dubbed him Billy whenever he was pictured wearing a green hat, but the more business-like Bill all other times.

I felt the need to look up why Bryan would be intentionally walked three times in a game, as indicated by the write-up on the back.  This happened on April 27, 1963 against the Senators in a game the A's would win, 7-3.  Each time Bryan was intentionally walked in that game, the Senators retired the next batter to end an inning - so it worked.  The two times he wasn't intentionally walked he flew out to center and then hit a two-run home run off Jim Duckworth.  Barry Bonds holds the record now with four intentional walks in a game.

1965 Season
As mentioned above, this was Bryan's best season in the majors.  He appeared in 108 games, starting 89 games behind the plate.  Rene Lachemann (#526) was Bryan's back-up, starting 54 games.  The A's, managed by Mel McGaha (#391), finished in the basement of the American League, losing 103 games.

Phillies Connection
In 1970, his final season playing professional baseball, Bryan appeared in 18 games for the Class-A Spartanburg Phillies.  The 31-year-old catcher was by far the oldest player on that team as most players were in their teens or early 20s.  Bryan briefly served as the back-up catcher to Dan Benoit and future big leaguer Jim Essian.

1963 Topps #236

1966 Topps #332

1967 Topps #601

1968 Topps #498

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #236
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1963, 1965-1968
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2017 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-BB

16 - Bryan non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/25/20.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Previous Card:  #50 Juan Marichal - San Francisco Giants

Next Card:  #52 Ed Roebuck - Philadelphia Phillies

#39 Gerry Arrigo - Minnesota Twins

Gerald William Arrigo
Minnesota Twins
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  185
Born:  June 12, 1941, Chicago, IL
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams:  Minnesota Twins 1961-1964; Cincinnati Reds 1965-1966; New York Mets 1966-1967; Cincinnati Reds 1967-1969; Chicago White Sox 1970

Splitting his time almost equally between starting and relieving throughout his career, Gerry Arrigo was a left-handed pitcher who appeared in 194 games over 10 different big league seasons.  He was drafted away from the White Sox by the Twins as part of the 1960 expansion draft, and he wouldn't appear in more than seven games for the Twins until the 1964 season.  He found his most success during his second stint with the Reds, hitting his career highs in 1967 for wins (12), games (36), innings pitched (205 1/3) and strikeouts (140).  Arrigo had a career 35-40 record with a 4.14 ERA and 433 strikeouts.

Building the Set
August 21, 2020 from Charleston, SC - Card #143
In my largest (by volume) purchase to date, I spent an enjoyable hour or so in mid-August browsing the eBay store of seller mantlerulz and clicking Add to Cart on 30 different cards.  We had previously added 29 cards to our set back in February from the Philly Show.  The 30 cards, all commons, cost me $52 total (before shipping and taxes) with the cards ranging in prices from $1 to $6.  I love this haul and I found the seller's store by accident when I was browsing eBay in an attempt to add a few more cheap cards from the set's first series.  With the exception of the cards for Dick Howser (#92) and manager Birdie Tebbets (#301), along with the few former Phillies in the lot, most of the players featured on these cards are unknown to me.  In the coming weeks, I'll go through each of these new cards for our set in detail, and we've now passed the quarter mark for completion of the complete set.  We still have a long way to go, and quite a few pricey cards to add but any day I can add 30 commons in excellent shape and at a low prices is a great day.  This Arrigo card set me back only $1.

The Card / Twins Team Set
The angle of this picture makes Arrigo's glove look enormous.

Arrigo appeared on a Twins Rookie Stars card in 1964 with fellow pitching prospect Dwight Siebler (#326), and this is his first solo card.  As mentioned on the back, Arrigo was already with the Reds by the time this card came out as on December 4, 1965, the Twins had traded him to Cincinnati for Cesar Tovar (#201).  The shutout mentioned happened on June 26th against the White Sox, with Arrigo taking a no-hitter into the ninth inning.  Mike Hershberger (#89) promptly singled to center to lead-off the ninth and ruining the bid, but Arrigo retired the next three batters to complete his shutout.

1965 Season
Arrigo pitched for the Reds and two different teams in the Reds' minor league system in 1965.  With the Reds, he appeared in 27 games (5 starts), going 2-4 with a 6.17 ERA and a pair of saves.  He'd rebound somewhat in 1966, and then enjoyed his best season in 1967.  Arrigo spent a very brief time with the Mets in 1966, traded to the team in May but then sold back to the Reds in August.

1964 Topps #516

1966 Topps #357

1968 Topps #302

1969 Topps #213

1970 Topps #274

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #516
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1964-1970
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2019 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-GA

35 - Arrigo non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/23/20.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Previous Card:  #38 Jim King - Washington Senators

Next Card:  #40 Frank Howard - Los Angeles Dodgers

#25 Al McBean - Pittsburgh Pirates

Alvin O'Neal McBean
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  165
Born:  May 15, 1938, Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1958 season
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1961-1968; San Diego Padres 1969; Los Angeles Dodgers 1969-1970; Pittsburgh Pirates 1970

One of the top relievers of the early 1960s, Al McBean was the first pitcher in the majors born in the U.S. Virgin Islands.  For three seasons, from 1963 to 1965, McBean placed in the top ten among N.L. pitchers for saves and appearances.  He enjoyed his best season in 1964, recording a career high 21 saves and being named The Sporting News' N.L. Fireman of the Year.  He recorded 19 saves the following year but then the Pirates returned their closer duties to Roy Face (#347), coming back from an injury, in 1966.

McBean was a popular, fun-loving player with a somewhat quirky personality.  The best man at his wedding in 1962 was his Pirates' roommate Roberto Clemente (#160).  In parts of 10 seasons, McBean appeared in 409 games (76 starts), compiling a 67-50 record and a 3.13 ERA with 63 saves.  As of this writing, he's still active within his community in St. Thomas.

Building the Set
August 21, 2020 from Charleston, SC - Card #142
In my largest (by volume) purchase to date, I spent an enjoyable hour or so in mid-August browsing the eBay store of seller mantlerulz and clicking Add to Cart on 30 different cards.  We had previously added 29 cards to our set back in February from the Philly Show.  The 30 cards, all commons, cost me $52 total (before shipping and taxes) with the cards ranging in prices from $1 to $6.  I love this haul and I found the seller's store by accident when I was browsing eBay in an attempt to add a few more cheap cards from the set's first series.  With the exception of the cards for Dick Howser (#92) and manager Birdie Tebbets (#301), along with the few former Phillies in the lot, most of the players featured on these cards are unknown to me.  In the coming weeks, I'll go through each of these new cards for our set in detail, and we've now passed the quarter mark for completion of the complete set.  We still have a long way to go, and quite a few pricey cards to add but any day I can add 30 commons in excellent shape and at a low prices is a great day.

The Card / Pirates Team Set
This is the card that kicked off my shopping spree with eBay seller mantlerulz.  Looking for a McBean card in good shape, I was somewhat surprised to find this card for sale at just $1. Fortunately, I decided to browse the seller's store, finding 29 other low-priced cards for our set. The back of the card details McBean's successful exploits in 1963 and 1964 as the Pirates' top reliever.

McBean, at card #14, is one of 72 players featured within the 1965 Topps Embossed insert set and one of four Pirates in the set.

1965 Season
McBean had his third (and final) exceptional season in the back end of the Pirates' bullpen.  He again led the staff in appearances with 62 and compiled a 6-6 record with a 2.29 ERA and 19 saves.  Led by McBean, the Pirates bullpen also boasted strong seasons from Tommie Sisk (#558), Don Schwall (#362), Wilbur Wood (#478) and Frank Carpin.

Phillies Connection
McBean was released by the Pirates (his second stint with the club) on May 18, 1970 and signed with the Phillies.  In 1970 and 1971, he appeared in 32 games for the Triple-A Eugene Emeralds, managed by former Phillies catcher Andy Seminick.  McBean went 13-9 with a 4.82 ERA over 190 innings pitched, but he never got the call from the Phillies.  He retired following the 1971 season.

1962 Topps #424

1964 Topps #525

1967 Topps #203

1969 Topps #14

1970 Topps #641

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1962 Topps #424
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1962-1970
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1981 TCMA The 1960s II #435

41 - McBean non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/23/20.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #24 Minnesota Twins Team Card

Next Card:  #26 Bobby Knoop - Los Angeles Angels

#7 1964 A.L. ERA Leaders - Chance & Horlen

Beginning in 1961, Topps started including league leader cards in its sets and there are 12 league leaders cards kicking off the 1965 Topps set.

Building the Set
August 21, 2020 from Charleston, SC - Card #141
In my largest (by volume) purchase to date, I spent an enjoyable hour or so in mid-August browsing the eBay store of seller mantlerulz and clicking Add to Cart on 30 different cards.  We had previously added 29 cards to our set back in February from the Philly Show.  The 30 cards, all commons, cost me $52 total (before shipping and taxes) with the cards ranging in prices from $1 to $6.  I love this haul and I found the seller's store by accident when I was browsing eBay in an attempt to add a few more cheap cards from the set's first series.  With the exception of the cards for Dick Howser (#92) and manager Birdie Tebbets (#301), along with the few former Phillies in the lot, most of the players featured on these cards are unknown to me.  In the coming weeks, I'll go through each of these new cards for our set in detail, and we've now passed the quarter mark for completion of the complete set.  We still have a long way to go, and quite a few pricey cards to add but any day I can add 30 commons in excellent shape and at a low prices is a great day.

This league leaders card was $2.50, and we now have 9 of the 12 league leaders cards in the set.

The Card
I'm assuming to be consistent with the N.L. ERA Leaders (#8) card, featuring only Sandy Koufax (#300) and Don Drysdale (#260), Topps decided to feature only the top two A.L. ERA Leaders here as well.  That means Whitey Ford (#330) and his 2.13 ERA got the shaft here, all because Chris Short wouldn't sign a contract with Topps and couldn't be featured on the N.L. ERA Leaders card.

This is the third and final appearance for Dean Chance (#140) on an A.L. leaders card, as he's also on the A.L. Pitching Leaders (#9) and A.L. Strikeout Leaders (#11) cards.  Chance's four appearances on four different cards in the set has to make him one of the most represented players (if not the most represented) in the entire 598-card run.  This was the only time Chance led the league in ERA during his 11-year career.

Joel Horlen (#480) finished second twice in ERA with a 1.88 mark in 1964 and a 2.43 mark in 1966.  He finally topped the league in 1967 with a 2.06 ERA over 258 innings pitched - a career high for him.  The 1964 White Sox starting pitching rotation boasted three different pitchers in the top five for ERA in 1964 with Horlen at second, Gary Peters (#430) fourth and Juan Pizarro (#125) fifth.

Angels Team Set / White Sox Team Set

Prior Card:  #6 1964 N.L. RBI Leaders

Next Card:  #8 1964 N.L. ERA Leaders

#460 Richie Allen - Philadelphia Phillies

Richard Anthony Allen
Philadelphia Phillies
Third Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  187
Born:  March 8, 1942, Wampum, PA
Signed:  Signed as an amateur free agent by the Philadelphia Phillies before the 1960 season
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 1963-1969; St. Louis Cardinals 1970; Los Angeles Dodgers 1971; Chicago White Sox 1972-1974; Philadelphia Phillies 1975-1976; Oakland Athletics 1977

2006 Toyota Phillies Wall of Fame Postcards

A seven-time All-Star and the A.L. MVP in 1972, Dick Allen was one of the most feared sluggers of the '60s and '70s.  He won Rookie of the Year honors in 1964, hitting .318 and leading the league in runs scored (125) and triples (13) the year the Phillies heartbreakingly collapsed down the stretch.  The first black superstar for the Phillies, he dealt with racism throughout his climb up the team's minor league system and experienced a tense relationship with the media and fanbase during his years with the club.  Still, he was a prolific power hitter, landing in the top ten for home runs in National League in five seasons with the Phillies between 1964 and 1969.

Allen requested and received a trade following the 1969 season, and he played for two seasons with the Cardinals and Dodgers before landing with the White Sox in 1972 and experiencing another power surge.  He hit .308 for the 1972 White Sox and led the league in home runs (37) and RBIs (113) en route to winning the league's MVP honors.  Allen was coaxed out of retirement following the 1974 season and re-joined the Phillies in 1975.  He saw his first and only postseason action with the club in 1976, teaming with Mike Schmidt and Greg Luzinski to form a formidable middle of the line-up.

Over 15 big league seasons, Allen hit .292 with 351 home runs and 1,119 RBIs, and he's widely acknowledged as one of the best players in the history of the game not yet in the Hall of Fame.  He'll get another shot at the Hall in December when The Golden Days Committee is scheduled to vote again.  On August 13, 2020, the Phillies announced they would be retiring Allen's #15, reversing a long-time policy of the club not to retire the number of any player not yet in the Hall of Fame.

Building the Set
August 18, 2020 from Morton Grove, IL - Card #140
I went searching on eBay for this card the day the Phillies announced they would be retiring Allen's #15 during a September 3rd ceremony, marking the 53rd anniversary of Allen's big league debut.  This is the fourth time I've decided to purchase a card no matter what, given the circumstances of a specific day.  Here's the list so far:

• Don Larsen (#389) - Purchased on New Year's Day 2020 after the pitcher's passing.
• Jim Kaat (#62) - Purchased in February at the Philly Show as the pitcher was one of the show's autograph guests.  I wanted to buy the card there and have Kaat sign it.
• Al Kaline (#130) - Bought on April 6th after the Hall of Famer had passed away.
• Richie Allen (#460) - Shopped for and purchased on August 13th, the day of the Phillies' announcement.

I honestly didn't expect the Allen card to be as pricey as it ended up being, but this continues the recent trend of prices going up for these vintage Topps cards.  I still suspect the pandemic has had the unexpected side effect of bringing people to or back into the hobby.  I looked through quite a few cards and took my time with my decision before settling on a card for sale from the exotically named eBay seller, psychedelicart69.

The Card / Phillies Team Set
This is a beautiful baseball card with the golden All-Star Rookie trophy perfectly positioned.  Flipping to the back, Allen's two home run day came on October 4th, after the Phillies had already completed their collapse.  Topps then summarizes the highlights of Allen's stellar rookie year.

While not a reprint, Allen received a card in the style of the 1965 Topps set in the 2004 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites set.  Allen, at card #36, is one of 72 players featured within the 1965 Topps Embossed insert set and one of four Phillies in the set.  He's also in the harder to find 1965 Topps Transfers insert set.

1965 Season
Allen again served as the team's regular third baseman, starting 160 of the team's 162 games.  He hit .302 with 20 home runs and 85 RBIs, with his numbers dipping slightly from the prior year.  He originally refused to report to spring training, requesting a hefty raise following his rookie campaign and eventually coming to terms with then general manager John Quinn for $20,000.  Allen hit the first ever regular season home run at the Astrodome on April 12th and hit a home run that reportedly went 510 feet off the Cubs' Larry Jackson (#420) on May 29th.

Prior to the game on July 3rd and according to various accounts, Frank Thomas (#123) and Allen got into a fight.  Different reports have Thomas using racial slurs or swinging a bat in Allen's direction after Allen had taken a swing at him.  Whatever truly happened marked the end of Thomas' Phillies career as he was put on waivers following the game and sold to the Astros on July 10th.  There's a great article, linked here and authored by Frank Fitzpatrick, that appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer in 2015 to mark the 50th anniversary of the fight.

At the All-Star Game on July 13th, Allen was the starting N.L. third baseman and went 1 for 3 with a single off Pete Richert (#252).

Phillies Career
In his nine seasons with the Phillies, Allen hit .290 with 204 home runs and 655 RBIs.  He currently ranks second in club history with a .530 slugging percentage (behind Chuck Klien's .553) and 10th on the team's all-time home run list.  He was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame in 1994.

He also joined the team's front office in 1994 as a fan representative and the 2020 Phillies Media Guide lists his current official title as Club Ambassador.

1964 Topps #243

1966 Topps #80

1968 Topps #225

1975 Topps #400

1976 Topps #455

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #243
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1964-1976
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2009 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions #15

226 - Allen non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/17/20.

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

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