Wednesday, March 31, 2021

#240 Bob Bruce - Houston Astros


Robert James Bruce
Houston Astros
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  200
Born:  May 16, 1933, New York, NY
Signed:  Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent before 1953 season
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1959-1961; Houston Colt .45s 1962-1964; Houston Astros 1965-1966; Atlanta Braves 1967
Died:  March 14, 2017, Plano, TX (age 83)

Bob Bruce's main claim to fame is that he threw the final pitch from a member of the Colt .45s in Houston's Colt Stadium on September 27, 1964 and then threw the first pitch from a member of the Houston Astros inside the Astrodome on April 12, 1965.  Traded by the Tigers to the expansion Colt .45s on December 1, 1961 for Sam Jones, Bruce was one the franchises first reliable starting pitchers.  Although the team struggled mightily in its early years, Bruce, Ken Johnson (#359) and Turk Farrell (#80) consistently led the club in games started.  Bruce's best season came in 1964 when he went 15-9 with a 2.76 ERA over 35 games pitched.  On April 19th of that year against the Dodgers, he threw an Immaculate Inning, recording three outs on nine strikes and three strikeouts.

Bruce was dealt to the Braves on December 31, 1966 in a trade that sent future Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews (#500) to Houston.  He pitched with the Braves in 1967 before retiring with a 49-71 record and a 3.85 career ERA over 219 games pitched.

Building the Set
February 13, 2021 from Edmonds, WA - Card #227
Busy with my chosen profession, rarely leaving the house and anxiously awaiting the return of live baseball, I turned to eBay in early February for some cardboard therapy.  After another largely unsuccessful bidding exercise on a 1965 Topps set break hosted by Greg Morris Cards, I went the Buy It Now route with 10 cards from Mitchell's Cards located in Edmonds, Washington.  As we've been completely unable to find packs of 2021 Topps locally, the much-needed package of baseball cards was a welcome sight in our mailbox on February 13th.  I spent $34 on the 10 cards from Mitchell's, with this Bruce card costing $1.50.

The Card / Astros Team Set
Like all other Astros cards in the set appearing after the first series, Bruce is shown hatless and wearing a Colts jersey.  On the back of the card, his one-hitter thrown against the Reds on April 26, 1963 is highlighted.  Bruce allowed a first inning single to Vada Pinson (#355) and then held the Reds hitless over the next eight innings.  No one on the Colts' staff in 1964 came close to his four shutouts, with Johnson and Don Larsen (#389) each throwing one a piece.

1965 Season
Bruce was the Astros' opening day pitcher, losing 2-0 to the Phillies with his sole blemish being a two-run home run allowed to the Phillies' Dick Allen (#460) in the third inning.  The Astros lost 97 games in 1965, and Bruce went 9-18 with a 3.72 ERA over 35 games.  He suffered from a complete lack of run support as his Astros offense scored only 20 runs over the 18 games he lost.  His 34 starts and 229 2/3 innings pitched led the club with Farrell (29 starts and 208 1/3 innings) finishing second in both categories.

1960 Topps #118
1961 Topps #83
1964 Topps #282
1966 Topps #64
1967 Topps #417

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #118
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (8):  1960-1967
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2016 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-BB

38 - Bruce non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/25/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Monday, March 29, 2021

#366 Dan Schneider - Milwaukee Braves


Daniel Louis Schneider
Milwaukee Braves
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  170
Born:  August 29, 1942, Evansville, IL
Signed:  Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent, June 11, 1962
Major League Teams:  Milwaukee Braves 1963-1964; Atlanta Braves 1966; Houston Astros 1967, 1969

Dan Schneider pitched in parts of five big league seasons with the Braves and Astros.  As a lefty reliever specialist, he appeared in a career-high 54 games with the Astros in 1967, going 0-2 with a 4.96 ERA over 52 2/3 innings and recording a pair of saves.  In 117 career major league games, all but 8 in relief, Schneider was 2-5 with a 4.71 ERA with 86 strikeouts and 70 walks.  He pitched in the Cardinals' system in 1970 before retiring.  In 2019, Schneider was inducted into the University of Arizona Hall of Fame, where he had made the College All-American Team in 1962.

February 18, 2021 - Opening first packs of the year
Building the Set
February 13, 2021 from Edmonds, WA - Card #226
Busy with my chosen profession, rarely leaving the house and anxiously awaiting the return of live baseball, I turned to eBay in early February for some cardboard therapy.  After another largely unsuccessful bidding exercise on a 1965 Topps set break hosted by Greg Morris Cards, I went the Buy It Now route with 10 cards from Mitchell's Cards located in Edmonds, Washington.  As we've been completely unable to find packs of 2021 Topps locally, the much-needed package of baseball cards was a welcome sight in our mailbox on February 13th*.  I spent $34 on the 10 cards from Mitchell's, with this Schneider card costing $1.50.

*I broke down and overpaid for two blaster boxes of 2021 Topps via eBay, and they arrived on February 18th.  I was grateful to open packs of new baseball cards, but my current collecting interests still belong to the older Topps cards when the design was far less busy and the players' names were prominently displayed.

The Card / Braves Team Set
Schneider appeared on a floating heads Rookie Stars card in the 1963 Topps set, and had his solo debut on a baseball card in 1964 Topps.  This is his third and final Braves card.  The back of the card is hopeful for big things from Schneider for the 1965 season.  Signed out of college in 1962, he never pitched below Triple-A in his nine professional seasons.  Bobby Bragan (#346) was the Braves' manager in 1965 and (spoiler alert) Schneider did not win a regular job on his pitching staff.

1965 Season
Schneider spent the entire season with the Atlanta Crackers, the Braves' top farm team in the International League.  In 43 games (23 starts) he went 10-7 with a 3.03 ERA, throwing 184 innings to lead the Crackers' staff.  Schneider would return to the Braves (now playing in Atlanta) in June 1966, and the club would trade him to the Astros that October.

1963 Topps #299
1964 Topps #351
1967 Topps #543
1968 Topps #57
1969 Topps #656

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #299
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1963-1965, 1967-1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #656

18 - Schneider non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/21/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Saturday, March 27, 2021

#265 Jim Pagliaroni - Pittsburgh Pirates


James Vincent Pagliaroni
Pittsburgh Pirates
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  210
Born:  December 8, 1937, Dearborn, MI
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent, June 17, 1955
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 1955, 1960-1962; Pittsburgh Pirates 1963-1967; Oakland Athletics 1968-1969; Seattle Pilots 1969
Died:  April 3, 2010, Grass Valley, CA (age 72)

Signed as a bonus baby by the Red Sox in 1955, Jim Pagliaroni appeared in one game for the club that season before serving two years in the Army and then playing two more seasons in the minors before returning to the Red Sox in 1960.  He was the regular catcher for the Red Sox in 1961 and 1962 before a trade sent him to the Pirates.  He'd enjoy the best seasons of his 11-year big league career with the Pirates in the mid-1960s.  Perhaps his best season came in 1964 when he batted a career high .295.  He'd hit a career-high 17 home runs in 1965, and he'd lead all catchers in fielding percentage in 1966 with a .997 mark, committing only 2 errors in 118 games.  

Jerry May (#143) took over the catching duties for the Pirates in 1967 and Pagliaroni was sold to the Athletics on December 3, 1967.  He was behind the plate for Catfish Hunter's (#526) perfect game on May 8, 1968, the first perfect game thrown in the American League since 1922.  Pagliaroni saw his final action with the expansion Pilots in 1969, sharing catching duties with Jerry McNertney.  For his career, Pagliaroni played in 849 games and batted .252 with 90 home runs and 326 RBIs.

Building the Set
February 13, 2021 from Edmonds, WA - Card #225
Busy with my chosen profession, rarely leaving the house and anxiously awaiting the return of live baseball, I turned to eBay in early February for some cardboard therapy.  After another largely unsuccessful bidding exercise on a 1965 Topps set break hosted by Greg Morris Cards, I went the Buy It Now route with 10 cards from Mitchell's Cards located in Edmonds, Washington.  As we've been completely unable to find packs of 2021 Topps locally, the much-needed package of baseball cards was a welcome sight in our mailbox on February 13th.  I spent $34 on the 10 cards from Mitchell's, with this Pagliaroni card costing $1.50.

The Card / Pirates Team Set
This card comes in the middle of a five-card run of Pirates cards in Topps sets for Pagliaroni.  On the back, his high school batting average is celebrated along with his .295 batting mark in 1964.  Among qualified batters, only Roberto Clemente (#160) hit higher with a league-leading .339 average.

1965 Season
Pagliaroni appeared in a career-high 134 games as the Pirates' everyday catcher, batting .268 with 17 home runs and 65 RBIs.  His 17 home runs set a Pirates franchise mark for most from a catcher and manager Harry Walker described Pagliaroni as the team's unofficial leader.  Often prone to injuries, he injured a mostly injury-free season, accounting for his high game appearances total.  The Pirates battled for the pennant for most of the season, ultimately finishing in third place behind the Dodgers and Giants.

1961 Topps #519
1964 Topps #392
1966 Topps #33
1967 Topps #183
1969 Topps #302

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1961 Topps #519
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1961-1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #91

47 - Pagliaroni non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/20/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

#181 Senators Rookie Stars - Don Loun / Joe McCabe


Donald Nelson Loun
Washington Senators
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  185
Born:  November 9, 1940, Frederick, MD
Signed:  Signed by the Washington Senators as an amateur free agent before 1961 season
Major League Teams:  Washington Senators 1964

Joseph Robert McCabe
Washington Senators
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  190
Born:  August 27, 1938, Indianapolis, IN
Signed:  Signed by the Washington Senators as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams:  Minnesota Twins 1964; Washington Senators 1965

Don Loun spent nine seasons in the Senators' system, appearing in two games with the big club in 1964.  In his big league debut, Loun pitched a complete game shutout against the Red Sox on September 23, 1964, striking out two and allowing five hits.  He'd get knocked around a bit in his second start on October 3, 1964, lasting only four innings against the same Red Sox team.  Those two starts were the extent of his major league career, giving him a 1-1 record and a 2.08 ERA over 13 innings pitched.  Loun stuck around in the Senators' minor league system through the 1969 season and compiled a 52-62 record over 218 minor league games.

1964 Topps #564
Joe McCabe was drafted by the Senators team that moved to Minnesota for the 1961 season, and then was traded to the expansion Senators team from the Twins on October 15, 1964.  He appeared in 14 games in both 1964 and 1965, batting .158 and .185 in those two seasons.  He made a total of 12 starts behind the plate.  McCabe batted .174 (8 for 46) with 21 strikeouts during his two stints in the majors, with a home run and 7 RBIs.

Building the Set
February 13, 2021 from Edmonds, WA - Card #224
Busy with my chosen profession, rarely leaving the house and anxiously awaiting the return of live baseball, I turned to eBay in early February for some cardboard therapy.  After another largely unsuccessful bidding exercise on a 1965 Topps set break hosted by Greg Morris Cards, I went the Buy It Now route with 10 cards from Mitchell's Cards located in Edmonds, Washington.  As we've been completely unable to find packs of 2021 Topps locally, the much-needed package of baseball cards was a welcome sight in our mailbox on February 13th.  I spent $34 on the 10 cards from Mitchell's, with this Rookie Stars card costing $1.50.

The Card / Senators Team Set
This is Loun's first and last baseball card appearance.  McCabe had previously appeared on an American League Rookie Stars card in the 1964 Topps set with Jerry McNertney.  The Twins traded McCabe to the Senators on October 15, 1964 for Ken Retzer (#278).

1965 Season - Loun
Loun spent the entire 1965 season pitching with the Triple-A Hawaii Islanders.  In 26 games (21 starts) he was 6-12 with a 4.46 ERA over 127 innings pitched.  Only Pete Craig (#466) and Jim Hannan (#394) started more games than Loun for the Islanders with 31 and 30 starts respectively.
1965 Season - McCabe
McCabe made the Senators' opening day roster as the back-up to regular catcher Mike Brumley (#523).  His first and only big league home run came on May 2nd against the Indians when he connected in the second inning off Cleveland pitcher Jack Kralick (#535).  He appeared in 14 games through April and May before getting demoted to Triple-A Hawaii where he'd spend the rest of the season.  In 72 games with the Islanders, McCabe hit .226 with 6 home runs and 25 RBIs.  He'd retire from professional baseball following the season.
Other Notable Baseball Cards - Loun
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #181
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  1965
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #181

3 - Loun non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/19/21.

Sources - Loun:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database
Other Notable Baseball Cards - McCabe
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #564
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1964-1965
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #181

5 - McCabe non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/19/21.

Sources - McCabe:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia

Monday, March 22, 2021

#135 World Series Game 4 - Boyer's Grand-Slam


The 1964 World Series opened in St. Louis on October 7th and it ended 8 days later back in St. Louis with the Cardinals winning the decisive Game 7.

It was the fifth time these two teams had faced each other in the World Series, with the Yankees winning in 1928 and 1943 and the Cardinals prevailing in 1926 and 1942.  This also marked the end of an era for the Yankees, as the club had appeared in 14 of 16 fall classics since 1949 and they wouldn't appear again until 1976.  Former Yankee catcher Yogi Berra (#470) was in his first year as the team's manager, and he'd be unceremoniously fired following the series loss and replaced with (ironically enough) the Cardinals' manager, Johnny Keane (#131).  Keane would only last with the Yankees until 20 games into the 1966 season.

World Series cards were a key subset in Topps offerings throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with a card highlighting each game along with a series capping "Celebration" card.

Building the Set
February 13, 2021 from Edmonds, WA - Card #223
Busy with my chosen profession, rarely leaving the house and anxiously awaiting the return of live baseball, I turned to eBay in early February for some cardboard therapy.  After another largely unsuccessful bidding exercise on a 1965 Topps set break hosted by Greg Morris Cards, I went the Buy It Now route with 10 cards from Mitchell's Cards located in Edmonds, Washington.  As we've been completely unable to find packs of 2021 Topps locally, the much-needed package of baseball cards was a welcome sight in our mailbox on February 13th.  I spent $34 on the 10 cards from Mitchell's, with this World Series card costing $8.50, tied with the Tom Tresh (#440) card for the most expensive in the lot.


The Card / 
Cardinals Team Set / Yankees Team Set
The Yankees were up 2-1 in the Series after splitting the first two games in St. Louis and winning the day before on Mickey Mantle's (#350) walk-off home in Game 3 off Cardinals' pitcher Barney Schultz (#28).  In this game, it was the Cardinals' turn to stun the Yankees.

Cardinals pitcher Ray Sadecki (#230) faced off against Yankees' starter Al Downing (#598), with both pitchers having appeared in Game 1.  Downing had relieved Whitey Ford (#330) in that game after Mike Shannon's (#43) two-run home run in the sixth and Sadecki was the starter for St. Louis, lasting six innings and giving up four runs.  Sadecki fared much worse in Game 4, lasting just five batters before manager Keane went to his bullpen and reliever Roger Craig (#411).  In quick succession in the bottom of the first, Phil Linz (#369) doubled, Bobby Richardson (#115) doubled him home, with Roger Maris (#155) and Mantle hitting back-to-back singles to chase Sadecki from the game.  Craig gave up one more single to Elston Howard (#450), and it was 3-0 Yankees.

Craig and Downing both settled in and the offense from both sides stayed relatively quiet until the top of the 6th.  Carl Warwick (#357) and Curt Flood (#415) both singled to open the inning and Dick Groat (#275) reached on an error by second baseman Richardson.  With the bases loaded, Ken Boyer (#100) hit a grand slam to deep left field and the Cardinals had a 4-3 lead.  Ron Taylor (#568) entered the game for the Cardinals in the bottom of the inning and threw four scoreless and hitless innings to lock down the win and earn the save.

Similar to the Game 1 card showing Shannon's home run off Ford, catcher Howard makes an unwanted cameo on this card as well.  That's umpire Hank Soar behind the plate watching the ball leave the ballpark.

Saturday, March 20, 2021

#374 Angels Rookie Stars - Jose Cardenal / Dick Simpson


Jose Rosario Domec Cardenal
Los Angeles Angels
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  150
Born:  October 7, 1943, Matanzas, Cuba
Signed:  Signed by the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent, September 25, 1960
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1963-1964; Los Angeles Angels 1965; California Angels 1966-1967; Cleveland Indians 1968-1969; St. Louis Cardinals 1970-1971; Milwaukee Brewers 1971; Chicago Cubs 1972-1977; Philadelphia Phillies 1978-1979; New York Mets 1979-1980; Kansas City Royals 1980

Richard Charles Simpson
Los Angeles Angels
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  176
Born:  July 28, 1943, Washington, DC
Signed:  Signed by the Los Angeles Angels as an amateur free agent before 1961 season
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Angels 1962-1965; Cincinnati Reds 1966-1967; St. Louis Cardinals 1968; Houston Astros 1968; New York Yankees 1969; Seattle Pilots 1969
Jose Cardenal was a speedy outfielder who hit for average and enjoyed an 18-year career in the big leagues with nine different teams.  He finished as the runner-up with the most stolen bases in the American League in 1965 and 1968, stealing a career-high 40 bases in 1968.  Well-traveled, he spent the most time with the Cubs, where he served as a regular corner outfielder between 1972 and 1977 while batting .296.  In 1973, Cardenal led the Cubs in batting average (.303), doubles (33) and stolen bases (19) and was named the Cubs Player of the Year by Chicago baseball writers.  

Over 2,017 career games, Cardenal hit .275 with 138 home runs, 333 doubles, 775 RBIs and 329 stolen bases, currently 129th on the all-time list.  After retiring as a player, Cardenal coached with the Reds (1993 and 2002-2003), Cardinals (1994-1995), Yankees (1996-1999) and Devil Rays (2000-2001).  He won three World Series rings as the first base coach for the World Champion Yankees in 1996, 1998 and 1999.

Dick Simpson played in seven major league seasons, seeing the most action in 1966 with 92 games for the Reds and in 1968 with 47 starts for the Astros.  In 1969, his final year in the majors, Simpson played in 26 games for the Pilots during their first and last season, batting .176.  He appeared in 288 career games, and had a .207 average with 15 home runs, 56 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.

Building the Set
February 13, 2021 from Edmonds, WA - Card #222
Busy with my chosen profession, rarely leaving the house and anxiously awaiting the return of live baseball, I turned to eBay in early February for some cardboard therapy.  After another largely unsuccessful bidding exercise on a 1965 Topps set break hosted by Greg Morris Cards, I went the Buy It Now route with 10 cards from Mitchell's Cards located in Edmonds, Washington.  As we've been completely unable to find packs of 2021 Topps locally, the much-needed package of baseball cards was a welcome sight in our mailbox on February 13th.  I spent $34 on the 10 cards from Mitchell's, with this Rookie Stars card costing $4.50.

The Card / Angels Team Set
This is Cardenal's rookie card, and he's shown here in his pre-hirstute days, wearing a Giants jersey.  The Angels had acquired Cardenal from the Giants on November 21, 1964 for Jack Hiatt (#497).  Simpson appeared on four Rookie Stars cards in a row between 1963 and 1966, sharing his 1964 card with Aubrey Gatewood (#422) and his 1966 card with Tommy Helms (#243).  He finally received his own solo card in the 1967 Topps set.

1965 Season - Cardenal
In his first full season in the majors, Cardenal was the Angels' regular center fielder, appearing in 134 games.  He stole 37 bases, including three steals of home, while batting .250 with 23 doubles.  Cardenal was named to the Topps All-Star Rookie team following the season.

Phillies Career - Cardenal
The Phillies acquired Cardenal from the Cubs on October 25, 1977 for Manny Seoane.  Used primarily as a first baseman or a pinch-hitter, Cardenal backed up regular first baseman Richie Hebner throughout the 1978 season, appearing in 87 games and hitting .249.  He enjoyed his first postseason experience in that year's NLDS, going 1 for 6 over two games as the Phillies lost to the Dodgers.  Cardenal returned to a  similar back-up role in 1979, but his playing time diminished severely due to the newly acquired Pete Rose (#207).  He had appeared in just 29 games and was batting .208 when the Phillies sold him to the Mets on August 2, 1979, between games of a double header at Shea Stadium.  He was a member of the Phillies for the first game and switched to the Mets for the second game.

Cardenal was the last Phillies player to wear #1 before the team retired it during the 1979 season in honor of Richie Ashburn.  In 116 games with the Phillies, he hit .241 and his final big league at-bat came against the club with the Royals in the 1980 World Series.  In the decisive Game 6, Cardenal was the starting right fielder for the Royals and went 2 for 4.  In the 9th inning, he was stranded on first base when Tug McGraw (#533) struck out Willie Wilson to clinch the title.
1965 Season - Simpson
Simpson played in only 8 games for the Angels, batting .222 (6 for 27) with 3 RBIs.  The bulk of his season was spent with the Seattle Angels, the team's top farm club in the Pacific Coast League.  With Seattle, Simpson appeared in 147 games and batted .301 while leading the club with 24 home runs.  His 79 RBIs were second on the team to Ed Kirkpatrick's (#393) 82.

On December 2nd, the Angels traded him to the Orioles for Norm Siebern (#455). A week later, on December 9th, the Orioles sent him to the Reds with Jack Baldschun (#555) and Milt Pappas (#270) for Frank Robinson (#120).
1966 Topps #505
1972 Topps #757
1975 Topps #15
1978 Topps #210
1981 Topps #473

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Cardenal

First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #374
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (17):  1965-1981
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1989 Pacific Legends II #149

109 - Cardenal non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/18/21.

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

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Simpson

First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #407
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1963-1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #608

24 - Simpson non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/18/21.

Sources - Simpson:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia
1963 Topps #407
1964 Topps #127
1966 Topps #311
1967 Topps #6
1969 Topps #608

Previous Card:
  #373 Curt Simmons - St. Louis Cardinals