#5 1964 A.L. RBI Leaders - Robinson, Stuart, Mantle & Killebrew

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
December 25, 2020 from Las Vegas, NV - Card #197

This is one of 32 cards (mostly commons) I received from Jenna and our sons on Christmas morning, as I was asked to do some surrogate shopping on their behalf and I gladly obliged.  Hunting specifically for first series cards, this was the biggest card added and the final "star" card needed in order to complete the first series set.  I purchased this card at what I thought was a reasonable price from eBay seller mmartin9, the same seller who sold me the Whitey Ford (#330) card in October.  This was the last of the League Leaders cards needed, and the 12 cards look fantastic all together in 9-pocket binder pages.

The Card
Four of the seven American League sluggers to cross the 100-RBI threshold in 1964 are featured on this card with Rocky Colavito (#380), Joe Pepitone (#245) and Leon Wagner (#367) just missing the cut.  Brooks Robinson's (#150) 118 RBIs marked a career high and the only time he finished with a league-leading total.  The 1964 A.L. MVP would finish in the league's top ten eight different times, never finishing in the top three again after 1964.

Dick Stuart (#280) had led the league with 118 RBIs in 1963, and his 114 RBIs in 1964 marked the third and final time during his career that he'd drive in at least 100 runs.  Stuart was traded to the Phillies after the 1964 season for pitcher Dennis Bennett (#147).  I'll keep track of this as I collect more cards in the set, but I think he's the only person to appear on two cards on two different teams within the 1965 Topps set.  The pricey-ness of this card is caused by Mickey Mantle's (#350) presence.  1964 was to be Mantle's final year with a high RBI tally, and the fourth and final time he had at least 100 RBIs.  Mantle had led the league previously in 1956 with 130 RBIs in one of his three MVP years.

Harmon Killebrew (#400) was just getting started.  He'd finish his career with a staggering nine seasons of driving in at least 100 runs or more, leading the league in 1962, 1969 and 1971.  

Orioles Team Set / Red Sox Team Set / Yankees Team Set / Twins Team Set  

Previous Card:  #4 1964 N.L. Home Run Leaders

Next Card:  #6 1964 N.L. RBI Leaders

#69 Bill Virdon - Pittsburgh Pirates

William Charles Virdon
Pittsburgh Pirates
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  175
Born:  June 9, 1931, Hazel Park, MI
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1950 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1955-1956; Pittsburgh Pirates 1956-1965, 1968
As a Manager:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1972-1973; New York Yankees 1974-1975; Houston Astros 1975-1982; Montreal Expos 1983-1984

Bill Virdon was the 1955 N.L. Rookie of the Year, winning the award in a year in which he hit his career highs in both home runs (17) and RBIs (68) as the every day center fielder for the Cardinals.  In May 1956, the Cardinals dealt Virdon to the Pirates, and that's where he'd play the rest of his big league career.  With the Pirates, Virdon was the team's regular center fielder for the decade between 1956 and 1965, winning a Gold Glove in 1962 and a World Championship with the club in 1960.  He led the league in triples with 10 in 1962 and finished in the top ten twice for assists by an outfielder due to his strong throwing arm.  Virdon retired following the 1965 season to focus on coaching and managing, but was activated for a few games in 1968 when the Pirates had a rash of players depart for military service.  For his career, Virdon batted .267 with 81 triples, 91 home runs and 502 RBIs.

1982 Donruss #144

Virdon managed for parts of 13 seasons in the majors, compiling a lifetime record of 995-921.  He was named The Sporting News' Manager of the Year in 1974 and 1980.  He had three first place finishes during his managerial career, with the Pirates in 1972 and with the Astros in 1980 and 1981.  Virdon also had four different stints as a coach with the Pirates (1968-1971, 1986, 1993, 2001-2002) and briefly returned to the Astros as a coach in 1997.

My earliest memory of Virdon is when Phillies broadcaster Richie Ashburn told viewers during the 1980 NLCS that Virdon reminded him of his elementary school math teacher.  (That might not be the exact quote, but you get the gist.)

Building the Set

December 25, 2020 from Marco Island, FL - Card #196
This is one of 32 cards (mostly commons) I received from Jenna and our sons on Christmas morning, as I was asked to do some surrogate shopping on their behalf and I gladly obliged.  Hunting specifically for first series cards, this is one of 11 cards I added from eBay seller njlionsfan from Clinton, New Jersey.  This Virdon card was only $1.

The Card / Pirates Team Set
Virdon is gifted with a face that didn't age at all over the years.  From his first Topps flagship set appearance in 1956 to this 1965 Topps card to his final appearance as the Expos' manager on a 1984 Topps card, Virdon looks exactly the same.  This is his final card as a player, and he'd go on to appear on 11 more Topps flagship cards as a manager.  On the back, Virdon's Rookie of the Year win is highlighted as is his league leading .333 average with the 1954 Rochester Red Wings.

This card was reprinted for Virdon to sign as part of the 2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs insert set.

1965 Season
In his final full season as a player, Virdon appeared in 135 games for the Pirates and batted .279.  The veteran was still the team's regular center fielder, patrolling the Pirates outfield flanked by Willie Stargell (#377) in left and Roberto Clemente (#160) in right.  He informed the Pirates that 1965 would be his last as a player and the team released him on November 22nd.  He began his managerial career in 1966,  managing in the Mets minor league system for a few seasons.

1955 Bowman #296

1959 Topps #190

1961 Topps #70

1972 Topps #661

1984 Topps #111

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Bowman #296
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (21):  1956-1965, 1972-1973, 1975-1981, 1983-1984
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-BV

129 - Virdon non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/6/21.

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

Previous Card:  #68 Del Crandall - San Francisco Giants

Next Card:  #70 Bill Skowron - Chicago White Sox

#56 Ron Kline - Washington Senators

Ronald Lee Kline
Washington Senators
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  205
Born:  March 9, 1932, Callery, PA
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1950 season
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1952, 1955-1959; St. Louis Cardinals 1960; Los Angeles Angels 1961; Detroit Tigers 1961-1962; Washington Senators 1963-1966; Minnesota Twins 1967; Pittsburgh Pirates 1968-1969; San Francisco Giants 1969; Boston Red Sox 1969; Atlanta Braves 1970
Died:  June 22, 2002, Callery, PA (age 70)

A veteran of 17 big league seasons and 736 career appearances, Ron Kline enjoyed a career as a dependable reliever for 10 different teams.  His longest stint with any one team came at the beginning of his career with the Pirates, his hometown team, where he pitched for eight seasons primarily as a starting pitcher.  Kline missed two seasons early in his career due to military service in 1953 and 1954.  Despite his record of 14-18, 1956 was probably his best season as he started 39 games and had an ERA of 3.38.  It wasn't tracked at the time, but his WAR for pitchers in 1956 (4.9) was fourth in the N.L. behind Johnny Antonelli, Bob Friend (#392) and Warren Spahn (#205).

As a reliever later in his career, Kline finished in the top ten in saves four times, topping the A.L. leaders list in 1965 with 29 saves for the Senators.  After retiring from baseball, Kline returned to his hometown of Callery, PA where he served as the town's mayor for several years.

Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1956 Topps blog.

Building the Set

December 25, 2020 from Marco Island, FL - Card #195
This is one of 32 cards (mostly commons) I received from Jenna and our sons on Christmas morning, as I was asked to do some surrogate shopping on their behalf and I gladly obliged.  Hunting specifically for first series cards, this is one of 11 cards I added from eBay seller njlionsfan from Clinton, New Jersey.  This Kline card was only $2.

The Card / Senators Team Set
Kline appeared on three Topps flagship cards during his tenure with the Senators and impressively all three photos used seem to come from different sessions.  Topps goes all the way back 14 years for the highlight to use on the back of the card, pointing out Kline's successful season for the 1951 Bartlesville Pirates in the Class D Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League.  Kline is in the harder to find 1965 Topps Transfers insert set, but he's not in the 1965 Topps Embossed insert set.

1965 Season
Kline actually earned some MVP votes as one of the top relievers in the American League.  His 29 saves were five better than the two relievers tied for second with 24 - Stu Miller (#499) of the Orioles and Eddie Fisher (#328) of the White Sox.  Kline appeared in a career-high 74 games and was 7-6 with a 2.63 ERA over 99 1/3 innings pitched.  He actually didn't get all the save opportunities for the Senators, as Steve Ridzik (#211) recorded 8 saves in 1965 with Bennie Daniels (#129), Mike McCormick (#343) and Howie Koplitz recording one save each.

1953 Topps #175

1956 Topps #94

1959 Topps #265

1963 Topps #84

1969 Topps #243

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1953 Topps #175
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (15):  1953, 1956-1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1991 Topps Archives 1953 #175

Kline's last three Topps flagship baseball cards, from 1967, 1968 and 1969, feature almost identical (and hatless) photos with Kline looking in slightly different directions.

59 - Kline non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/4/21.

Sources:  
1956 Topps Blog

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Previous Card:  #55 Tony Conigliaro - Boston Red Sox

Next Card:  #57 St. Louis Cardinals Team Card

#54 Joe Gibbon - Pittsburgh Pirates

Joseph Charles Gibbon
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  200
Born:  April 10, 1935, Hickory, MS
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1957 season
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1960-1965; San Francisco Giants 1966-1969; Pittsburgh Pirates 1969-1970; Cincinnati Reds 1971-1972; Houston Astros 1972
Died:  February 20, 2019, Newton, MS (age 83)

Joe Gibbon spent parts of 13 seasons in the majors, finding success as a starting pitcher for the Pirates in the early 1960s before converting to a full-time reliever.  He won a spot on the Pirates opening day roster in 1960, riding the success he had achieved the season before as the team's top pitching prospect.  With the Columbus Jets in 1959, Gibbon went 16-9 with a 2.60 ERA and a league leading 152 strikeouts.  He was a member of the the World Champion Pirates in 1960 and his best season came in 1961 when he went 13-10 with a 3.32 ERA over 29 starts.  Later as a reliever, Gibbon twice saved 11 games in a season - with the Giants and Pirates in 1969 and again with the Reds in 1971.

Updated list at the end of 2020

Over his career, Gibbon went 61-65 with a 3.52 ERA over 419 games, with 32 saves.  In 2010, Gibbon, along with former teammates Bill Virdon (#69), Joe Christopher (#495) and Bob Oldis attended ceremonies at PNC Park in Pittsburgh to mark the 50th anniversary of the team's 1960 World Series victory.

Building the Set
December 25, 2020 from Marco Island, FL - Card #194
This is one of 32 cards (mostly commons) I received from Jenna and our sons on Christmas morning, as I was asked to do some surrogate shopping on their behalf and I gladly obliged.  Hunting specifically for first series cards, this is one of 11 cards I added from eBay seller njlionsfan from Clinton, New Jersey.  This Gibbon card was $2.50.

The Card / Pirates Team Set
Gibbon was already a veteran by the time this card was issued, having pitched in five seasons with the Pirates and appearing within Topps sets since his 1960 debut season.  I'm not familiar with the "back on the beam" saying in the cartoon on the back of the card to go along with Gibbon leading the International League in strikeouts in 1959.  Any thoughts?

His 1960 World Series appearances weren't that memorable, as both came during blow-out losses to the Yankees.  In Game 2, Gibbon allowed a three-run home run to Mickey Mantle (#350) in the seventh in an eventual 16-3 Yankees win.  In Game 3, he pitched a scoreless 8th inning in a 10-0 loss to the Yankees.  Given Bill Mazeroski's (#95) walk-off, Series winning home run in Game 7, it's easy to forget those blow-out losses.

1965 Season
Gibbon had one of the roughest seasons of his career, going 4-9 with a 4.51 ERA over 31 games, including 15 starts.  He started the season in the Pirates' starting pitching rotation but finished the year as a seldom-used middle reliever.  On December 1st, Gibbon was traded with Ozzie Virgil (#571) to the Giants for Matty Alou (#318).

1960 Topps #512

1963 Topps #101

1967 Topps #541

1970 Topps #517

1972 Topps #382

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #512
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12):  1960-1970, 1972
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #219

41 - Gibbon non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/4/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Previous Card:  #53 Dick McAuliffe - Detroit Tigers

Next Card:  #55 Tony Conigliaro - Boston Red Sox

#76 Sam McDowell - Cleveland Indians

Samuel Edward McDowell
Cleveland Indians
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'5"  Weight:  190
Born:  September 21, 1942, Pittsburgh, PA
Signed:  Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams:  Cleveland Indians 1961-1971; San Francisco Giants 1972-1973; New York Yankees 1973-1974; Pittsburgh Pirates 1975

Bolstering the Indians' starting pitching rotation through the mid to late-1960s, Sudden Sam McDowell was a six-time All-Star, won the ERA title in 1965 and led the league five times in strikeouts.  He was a superstar with the Indians, and his sneaky fastball contributed to 8 seasons in a row with at least 9 or more wins between 1964 and 1972.  His best season came in 1970 when he finished third in the A.L. Cy Young voting behind Jim Perry (#351) and Dave McNally (#249).  That season, McDowell went 20-12 with a 2.92 ERA over 305 innings pitched, which led the league.  He also led the league with 304 strikeouts, the second time in his career he had reached the 300 strikeout plateau in a season.  While he missed out on the Cy Young, The Sporting News named him their A.L. Pitcher of the Year.

McDowell struggled somewhat with his control throughout his career and those struggles intensified following the 1971 season when he demanded a trade from the Indians.  McDowell was dealt to the Giants for future Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry (#193) and the two pitchers' careers headed in opposite directions.  McDowell pitched briefly for the Yankees and Pirates before retiring.  He struggled with alcoholism before entering a rehabilitation facility and then eventually earning a college degree in sports psychology and addiction.  McDowell served as a sports addiction counselor with the Blue Jays and Rangers, earning a 1993 World Series ring with the Blue Jays.

The popular character Sam Malone from the television show Cheers, and as portrayed by Ted Danson, was apparently based on McDowell.

Building the Set
December 25, 2020 from Marco Island, FL - Card #193
This is one of 32 cards (mostly commons) I received from Jenna and our sons on Christmas morning, as I was asked to do some surrogate shopping on their behalf and I gladly obliged.  Hunting specifically for first series cards, this is one of 11 cards I added from eBay seller njlionsfan from Clinton, New Jersey.  This McDowell card was $1.50.

The Card / Indians Team Set
The photos for McDowell's 1964 and 1965 Topps cards were taken seconds apart, with #17 moving closer for the 1965 Topps photo.  Assuming the photo was taken at some point in 1963, that's Mike de la Hoz (#183) talking to a fan as the infielder wore that number for Cleveland that season.  On the back, McDowell's two shutouts from 1964 are mentioned.  The first came on June 12th against the Athletics, with the second coming on September 30th against the Red Sox.  McDowell would lead the league with 5 shutouts in 1966.

His wildness is also mentioned here.  Along with his five seasons leading the league in strikeouts, McDowell also led the league five times in walks, including a career high 153 in 1971.

1965 Season
The ace of the Indians' pitching staff, the 22-year-old McDowell went 17-11 with a league-leading 2.18 ERA in 42 games, including 35 starts.  He threw 14 complete games, which included 3 shutouts.  The Indians still finished in 5th place in the American League, but McDowell was arguably the MVP of the team.  In his 11 losses, the Indians provided little to no run support for McDowell, getting shut out 3 times and scoring only one run 4 times.  McDowell led the league with 325 strikeouts, becoming only the fifth pitcher since 1900 to strike out 300 or more in a season.

1962 Topps #591

1967 Topps #295

1970 Topps #650

1973 Topps #511

1974 Topps #550

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1962 Topps #591
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1962-1974
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2013 Panini Golden Age #71

159 - McDowell non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/3/21.

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

Previous Card:  #75 Deron Johnson - Cincinnati Reds

Next Card:  #77 Doug Camilli - Los Angeles Dodgers

#21 Don Blasingame - Washington Senators

Don Lee Blasingame
Washington Senators
Second Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  160
Born:  March 16, 1932, Corinth, MS
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent before 1953 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1955-1959; San Francisco Giants 1960-1961; Cincinnati Reds 1961-1963; Washington Senators 1963-1966; Kansas City Athletics 1966
Died:  April 13, 2005, Fountain Hills, AZ (age 73)

Don Blasingame played 17 years of professional baseball, with 12 seasons in the major leagues and 3 more seasons in Japan in the late 1960s.  He found the most success early in his career as the every day second baseman for the Cardinals between 1956 and 1959, taking that position over from future Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst (#556).  He earned MVP votes in 1957 when he hit .271 with career highs in home runs (8), RBIs (58), runs scored (108) and stolen bases (21).  Blasingame was an All-Star in 1958.  In 1960, Blasingame married Sara Cooper, the daughter of Walker Cooper, a teammate of Blasingame's with the Cardinals in 1956 and 1957.  

After a brief stint with the Giants, Blasingame became the regular second baseman for the Reds, playing in the 1961 World Series against the Yankees, before Pete Rose (#207) took his starting job in 1963.  He played two and a half seasons with the Senators and 12 games with the Athletics before heading to Japan.  Blasingame played for the Nankai Hawks between 1967 and 1969, and later served as a coach in Japan between 1970 and 1978.  He'd go on to manage the Hanshin Tigers (1979-1980) and the Hawks (1981-1982) before returning to the U.S.

1995 Reading Phillies
Team Issue #29

Building the Set
December 25, 2020 from Marco Island, FL - Card #192
This is one of 32 cards (mostly commons) I received from Jenna and our sons on Christmas morning, as I was asked to do some surrogate shopping on their behalf and I gladly obliged.  Hunting specifically for first series cards, this is one of 11 cards I added from eBay seller njlionsfan from Clinton, New Jersey.  This Blasingame card was $1.50.

The Card / Senators Team Set

This is Blasingame's 10th and final appearance in a Topps flagship set, and I'm surprised by that.  He appeared in 129 games in 1965 and another 80 games in 1966 so his inclusion in either the 1966 or 1967 Topps sets wouldn't have been unwarranted.  The cartoon on the back highlights his 11-year-old Texas League batting average from 1954.  The write-up below that at least mentions his All-Star Game selection in 1958.  Blasingame's .267 average for the 1964 Senators was second only to Chuck Hinton's (#235) .274 average among qualified batters.

1965 Season
In Blasingame's last season as an every day player in the majors, he appeared in 129 games and started 95 games at second for the Senators.  Ken Hamlin saw most of the remaining action at second, starting 62 games.  Blasingame hit only .223 with 47 runs scored and 18 RBIs.

Phillies Connection
Blasingame worked in the Phillies' minor league system between 1989 and 1998.  According to the 1998 Phillies Media Guide, Blasingame had been the team's Field Coordinator for the Phillies minor league system with his title being revised to Coordinator of Instruction in 1998.  His son, Kent Blasingame, played for two seasons in the Phillies minor league system in 1994, with Single-A Clearwater, and in 1995, with Double-A Reading.

1956 Topps #309

1958 Topps #199

1961 Topps #294

1962 Topps #103

1964 Topps #327

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #309
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1956-1965
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #84

Given his long tenure in Japan, Blasingame also appeared on a number of Japanese baseball card issues.

57 - Blasingame non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/3/21.

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

Previous Card:  #20 Jim Bunning - Philadelphia Phillies

Next Card:  #22 Charlie Smith - New York Mets