#121 Gene Alley - Pittsburgh Pirates

Leonard Eugene Alley
Pittsburgh Pirates
Shortstop

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  160
Born:  July 10, 1940, Richmond, VA
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1959 season
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1963-1973

Gene Alley was a steady defender for the Pirates for over a decade between 1963 and 1973.  With his double play partner Bill Mazeroski (#95), Alley won Gold Gloves for his work at shortstop in 1966 and 1967 and the duo set a record for most double plays in a season with 161 in 1966.  He hit a career high .299 that season and was a two-time All-Star in 1967 and 1968.  Alley appeared in the 1970, 1971 and 1972 postseason with the Pirates, winning a ring with the club in 1971.  He retired following the 1973 season mainly due to lingering shoulder and knee injuries.  For his career, Alley batted .254 with 999 hits, one short of the 1,000-hit plateau.

Building the Set
April 2, 2021 from Manchester, MO - Card #239
It's a strange time.  Spring has arrived, we finally attended a Phillies game in person and it seems as if with the arrival of the vaccine the pandemic could soon be behind us.  But I still find myself anxious, occasionally having trouble sleeping at night, and I know many of my friends and family feel the same way.  I went the entire month of March without adding to our 1965 Topps set, and as the month came to a close I decided to start off April with the purchase of a group of commons.  In search specifically for series two cards, I veered into the higher series when I found sellers on eBay auctioning off batches of cards from recent set breaks.  Over the course of a few days, I ended up winning 16 cards for $48 for an average of $3 per card.  This Alley card came from eBay seller ace64cards from Manchester, Missouri for a winning bid of $1.25.  With the weather getting warmer, having enjoyed a beer at a few Phillies games and 16 new cards in our collection, the month is starting off on the right foot.

The Card / Pirates Team Set
Having appeared on a Rookie Stars card with Orlando McFarlane in the 1964 Topps set, this is Alley's first solo card.  His fielding skills are highlighted on the back of the card, as are some Virginia high school accolades celebrating his basketball skills and his .429 high school batting average.

1965 Season
This was Alley's first full season with the Pirates, and he'd appear in 153 games making 102 starts at shortstop.  Alley was the club's opening day second baseman, and he'd make 36 starts there, while Mazeroski recovered from a broken foot.  When Mazeroski returned, Alley took over the regular shortstop duties from Dick Schofield (#218).  Alley batted .252 with 5 home runs and 47 RBIs, and although not tracked at the time, he was first in the National League in Defensive WAR with a 3.5 mark.

1964 Topps #509

1967 Topps #283

1968 Topps #53

1971 Topps #416

1973 Topps #635

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #509
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1964-1973
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes #138

66 - Alley non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/7/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #120 Frank Robinson - Cincinnati Reds

Next Card:  #122 Bill Pleis - Minnesota Twins

#260 Don Drysdale - Los Angeles Dodgers

Donald Scott Drysdale
Los Angeles Dodgers
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'5"  Weight:  190
Born:  July 23, 1936, Van Nuys, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1954 season
Major League Teams:  Brooklyn Dodgers 1956-1957; Los Angeles Dodgers 1958-1969
Died:  July 3, 1993, Montreal, Canada (age 56)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1984

One of the most dominant pitchers of his era, Don Drysdale was the 1962 N.L. Cy Young Award winner, won World Series rings with the Dodgers in 1959, 1963 and 1965, and threw a then-record 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings in 1968.  He was a nine-time N.L. All-Star.  Drysdale won at least 15 games in 7 different seasons, culminating with his career-high 25 wins in 1962.  He led the league in strikeouts three times and innings pitched twice.  Not afraid to keep batters off the plate, Drysdale led the league in hit batters five times and his 154 hit batters over his career ranks 19th on the all-time list.  His amazing run of 58 2/3 innings also came with a record six consecutive shutouts.  Fellow Dodgers' pitcher Orel Hershiser broke the record with 59 consecutive scoreless innings in 1988.  For his career, Drysdale was 209-166 with a 2.95 ERA and 2,486 strikeouts.  A decent hitter too, he was a career .186 batter with 29 home runs and 113 RBIs.  

While playing, Drysdale was a guest star on several television shows, appearing on The Rifleman, Leave It to Beaver and The Brady Bunch, among other shows.  Following his retirement due in part to a chronically sore shoulder, Drysdale began a lengthy broadcasting career.  He worked with the Expos (1970-1971), Rangers (1972), Angels (1973-1979, 1981), White Sox (1982-1987) and Dodgers (1988-1993), while also broadcasting games nationally for NBC and ABC.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984, the same year the Dodgers retired his #53.  Drysdale passed away in 1993 after a heart attack suffered on the road before a Dodgers-Expos game.

Building the Set
February 22, 2021 from Wenonah, NJ - Card #238
I purchased five cards from Gar Miller and his online store back in December, and on a dreary February afternoon I decided to head back to his website to look specifically for series two semi-stars.  I added this Drysdale card for a reasonable $25, along with three other cards.  He doesn't need my endorsement, but I can't recommend Gar Miller's online store enough.  There are no pictures of the cards, but the website is well-organized, his grading is conservative and the prices are more than reasonable.

The Card / Dodgers Team Set
Drysdale was an established and popular All-Star, as well as a two-time World Series winner when this card was issued.  His seven home runs hit in 1958 are highlighted on the back, and he'd tie that mark with seven home runs in 1965.  Drysdale topped the 200-strikeout plateau six times in his career, including 1964 when he struck out 237.  The text on the back of this card should be considered an uncorrected error, as Drysdale actually finished third in the Majors (#12) behind Bob Veale (#195) with 250 and Bob Gibson (#320) with 245.

Drysdale, at card #15, is one of 72 players featured within the 1965 Topps Embossed insert set and one of four Dodgers in the set.  He's also in the harder to find 1965 Topps Transfers insert set.

1965 Season
With Sandy Koufax (#300) and Drysdale at the top of their pitching rotation, the 1965 Dodgers won 97 games and eventually defeated the Twins in the World Series.  Drysdale made one more start than Koufax with 42 to Koufax's 41.  Drysdale went 23-12 with a 2.77 ERA over 308 1/3 innings pitched while striking out 210.  He led the league with 12 hit batters.

In the World Series, he started Game 1 when Koufax declined to pitch due to the Yom Kippur holiday.  Drysdale was shelled by the Twins, giving up seven runs in 2 2/3 innings.  He'd win Game 4 however, throwing a complete game and striking out 11.  The Dodgers would defeat the Twins in seven games.

1957 Topps #18

1962 Topps #340

1963 Topps #360

1968 Topps #145

1969 Topps #400

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1957 Topps #18
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1957-1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2021 Topps Throwback Thursday #24

576 - Drysdale non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/23/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #259 Tigers Rookie Stars

Next Card:  #261 Duke Carmel - New York Yankees

#95 Bill Mazeroski - Pittsburgh Pirates

William Stanley Mazeroski
Pittsburgh Pirates
Second Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  183
Born:  September 5, 1936, Wheeling, WV
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1954 season
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1956-1972
Hall of Fame Induction:  2001

Bill Mazeroski was an excellent defensive second baseman, a 10-time All-Star with the Pirates throughout the 1960s and the hero of the club's 1960 World Series Championship season.  Known mostly for his glove, Mazeroski won eight Gold Gloves and he's the all-time leader for double plays turned by a second baseman with 1,706.  His career putouts (4,974) at the position currently rank him 7th, while his career assists (6,685) are 5th on the all-time list.  Mazeroski and Roberto Clemente (#160) are the only two Pirates players to be members of both the 1960 and 1971 World Championship teams.  He hit one of the most iconic home runs in baseball history in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series.  With the score tied at 9-9, Mazeroski led off the bottom of the ninth inning, and homered off Yankees' pitcher Ralph Terry (#406) to give the Pirates an improbable walk-off win and the World Series title.

Mazeroski spent his entire playing career with the Pirates, batting .260 with 138 home runs and 853 RBIs.  After retiring as a player, he served as a Pirates coach for one season in 1973, and was the third base coach for the Mariners in 1979 and 1980.  His #9 was retired by the Pirates in 1987, and the Veteran's Committee voted him into the Hall of Fame in 2001 on the strength of his glove work at second base.

Building the Set
February 22, 2021 from Wenonah, NJ - Card #237
I purchased five cards from Gar Miller and his online store back in December, and on a dreary February afternoon I decided to head back to his website to look specifically for series two semi-stars.  I added this Mazeroski card for a reasonable $20, along with three other cards.  He doesn't need my endorsement, but I can't recommend Gar Miller's online store enough.  There are no pictures of the cards, but the website is well-organized, his grading is conservative and the prices are more than reasonable.

The Card / Pirates Team Set
For a player known for his fielding, it's unfortunate that only one of Mazeroski's Topps flagship cards (from 1959) shows him in a fielding pose.  The back of the card appropriately sums up his dramatic World Series home run as crushing New York.  Mazeroski, at card #23, is one of 72 players featured within the 1965 Topps Embossed insert set and one of four Pirates in the set.  He's also in the harder to find 1965 Topps Transfers insert set.

1965 Season
This was the first season Mazeroski was paired with his most frequent double play partner - shortstop Gene Alley (#121) - and they'd go on to form the most successful double play combination in the majors between 1965 and 1972.  Mazeroski began the season on the disabled list after breaking his foot while running the bases in a spring training game.  He'd appear in 130 games, batting .271 and ultimately winning the sixth of his eight Gold Gloves.

1957 Topps #24

1959 Topps #415

1961 Topps #312

1970 Topps #440

1972 Topps #760

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1957 Topps #24
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (19):  1957-1974, 2001
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2021 Topps Throwback Thursday #15

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

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #94 Charlie Lau - Baltimore Orioles

Next Card:  #96 Sonny Siebert - Cleveland Indians

#116 Cardinals Rookie Stars - Dave Dowling / Bob Tolan

David Barclay Dowling
St. Louis Cardinals
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  181
Born:  August 23, 1942, Baton Rouge, LA
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent, September 8, 1963
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1964; Chicago Cubs 1966

Robert Tolan
St. Louis Cardinals
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left Height:  5'11"  Weight:  170
Born:  November 19, 1945, Los Angeles, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1963 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1965-1968; Cincinnati Reds 1969-1970, 1972-1973; San Diego Padres 1974-1975; Philadelphia Phillies 1976-1977; Pittsburgh Pirates 1977; San Diego Padres 1979

On September 19, 1964, and space on their expanded roster, the Cardinals added two left-handed pitchers to their bullpen - Dave Dowling, who would appear in two big league games, and future Hall of Famer Steve Carlton (#477).  Dowling made his debut on October 3rd, pitching a scoreless inning against the Mets.  He'd appear in his second and final game the following season on September 22, 1966, now pitching with the Cubs.  Dowling pitched a complete game against the Reds, allowing 10 hits and two runs while striking out three.  He'd pitch through the 1968 season in the minors before retiring and beginning his second career as a dentist.  Establishing dentistry practices in Washington, Arizona and California, Dowling working in orthodontics for nearly 40 years.  

Bobby Tolan enjoyed a 13-year Major League career, playing in four World Series and winning a ring with the Cardinals in 1967.  He enjoyed his best seasons with the Reds as their regular center fielder, reaching the World Series with the club in 1970 and 1972.  Tolan reached career highs in home runs (21) and RBIs (93) in 1969 and then led the league with 57 stolen bases in 1970 while batting a career high .316.  After rupturing his Achilles tendon and missing the entire 1971 season, Tolan won the Comeback Player of the Year award in 1972, batting .283 with 82 RBIs and 42 stolen bases.

After his time with the Reds, Tolan played for the Padres, Phillies and Pirates, serving as mainly a pinch-hitter or back-up first baseman.  He played in Japan with the Nankai Hawks in 1978.  Tolan appeared in 1,282 games, batting .265 with 86 home runs, 497 RBIs and 193 stolen bases.  He later served as a coach with the Padres (1980-1983) and Mariners (1987) and was player/manager of the St. Petersburg Pelicans in the Senior baseball league (1989-1990).

Building the Set
February 22, 2021 from Wenonah, NJ - Card #236
I purchased five cards from Gar Miller and his online store back in December, and on a dreary February afternoon I decided to head back to his website to look specifically for series two semi-stars.  I added this Cardinals Rookie Stars card for $6, along with the Ken Boyer (#100) card and two other cards I'll feature in upcoming posts.  He doesn't need my endorsement, but I can't recommend Gar Miller's online store enough.  There are no pictures of the cards, but the website is well-organized, his grading is conservative and the prices are more than reasonable.

The Card / Cardinals Team Set
This is the first of three Rookie Stars cards Dowling would appear on, as he'd get cards in the 1966 and 1967 Topps sets with the Cubs.  Tolan would also repeat on a Rookie Stars card in 1966, earning his first solo card in 1967.

1965 Season - Dowling
Claimed off waivers by the Cubs on May 11th, Dowling spent the entire season with the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs in the Texas League.  The Spurs' five-man rotation for most of the season consisted of Chuck Hartenstein, Dowling, Jake Jaeckel (#386), Robert Flynn and Hal Haydel.  Dowling made 24 starts and went 14-7 with a 2.77 ERA, leading the team in wins and complete games with 12.

1965 Season - Tolan
Tolan was a September call-up and made his debut on September 3rd, leading off and playing right field.  He had good company in the outfield that game, with Curt Flood (#415) in center and Lou Brock (#540) in left.  Tolan would appear in 17 games, batting .188 (13 for 69) with a pair of doubles to go along with a pair of stolen bases.

Phillies Career - Tolan
Released by the Padres on February 12, 1976, Tolan signed with the Phillies right before the start of the 1976 season on April 1st.  He filled in as the team's regular first baseman in May with Dick Allen (#460) out with an injury.  A valuable utility player for the eventual N.L. East pennant winners, Tolan started 41 games at first base, 11 games in center field, 7 games in left field and 2 games in right field.  In 110 total games, he batted .261 with 5 home runs and 35 RBIs.  In the NLCS against his former Reds team, Tolan went 0 for 3. 

He started the 1977 season with the Phillies, appearing in 15 games and batting .125 (2 for 16) before being released on May 25th.  The Pirates picked him less than a month later.

1966 Topps #482

1967 Topps #272

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Dowling
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #116
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3):  1965-1967
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1967 Topps #272

8 - Dowling non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/18/21.

Sources - Dowling:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Tolan
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #116
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (14):  1965-1977, 1980
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2002 Topps Super Teams #84

91 - Tolan non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/18/21.

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

1967 Topps #474

1972 Topps #3

1975 Topps #402

1977 Topps #188

1980 Topps #708

Previous Card:  #115 Bobby Richardson - New York Yankees

Next Card:  #117 Wes Stock - Kansas City Athletics

#100 Ken Boyer - St. Louis Cardinals

Kenton Lloyd Boyer
St. Louis Cardinals
Third Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  190
Born:  May 20, 1931, Liberty, MO
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent before 1949 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1955-1965; New York Mets 1966-1967; Chicago White Sox 1967-1968; Los Angeles Dodgers 1968-1969
As a Manager:  St. Louis Cardinals 1978-1980
Died:  September 7, 1982, St. Louis, MO (age 51)

Ken Boyer was the greatest third baseman in the National League in the late 1950s into the early 1960s, winning five Gold Gloves, playing in seven All-Star games and winning the league's MVP award in 1964.  He enjoyed a 15-year career, with the first 11 of those years coming with the Cardinals.  He's been acknowledged by teammates Tim McCarver (#294) and Stan Musial as the true leader of the Cardinals teams of that era and many view him as the greatest third baseman in Cardinals history.  Boyer finished his career with 282 home runs, 1,141 RBIs and a career average of .287. 

1979 Topps #192

After his playing career, Boyer managed the Cardinals for three seasons beginning in 1978.  He compiled a record of 166-190 before being replaced in June 1980 by Whitey Herzog.  Boyer's #14 was retired by the Cardinals in 1984, and he's the only player whose number has been retired by the team who is not in the Hall of Fame.

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

Building the Set
February 22, 2021 from Wenonah, NJ - Card #235
I purchased five cards from Gar Miller and his online store back in December, and on a dreary February afternoon I decided to head back to his website to look specifically for series two semi-stars.  I added this Boyer card for $10, along with three other cards I'll feature in upcoming posts.  He doesn't need my endorsement, but I can't recommend Gar Miller's online store enough.  There are no pictures of the cards, but the website is well-organized, his grading is conservative and the prices are more than reasonable.

The Card / Cardinals Team Set
Boyer rightfully gets the hero number here to celebrate his fantastic 1964 season.  This is also his second of three cards in the 1965 Topps set.  He appeared on the N.L. RBI Leaders card (#6) and he would appear on the upcoming World Series Game 4 card (#135) celebrating his grand slam.  The back of the card highlights his MVP win and the World Series slam.  Boyer, at card #47, is one of 72 players featured within the 1965 Topps Embossed insert set and one of four Cardinals in the set.  He's also in the harder to find 1965 Topps Transfers insert set.

1965 Season
The reigning N.L. MVP and World Champion was back as the starting third baseman for the Cardinals in 1965, but back problems caused his offensive output to decline.  In 144 games, Boyer batted .260 with 13 home runs and 75 RBIs, his final season in St. Louis.  Following the season, and in a move very unpopular to most Cardinals fans, Boyer was dealt to the Mets for Al Jackson (#381) and Charley Smith (#22).  It was the first blockbuster trade in Mets franchise history.

1955 Topps #125

1961 Topps #573

1964 Topps #160

1966 Topps #385

1969 Topps #379

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Topps #125
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (18):  1955-1969, 1975, 1979-1980
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2019 Panini Leather & Lumber Power Alley #PA-10

217 - Boyer non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/18/21.

Sources:  
1956 Topps Blog

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #99 Gil Hodges MG - Washington Senators

Next Card:  #101 Fred Newman - Los Angeles Angels

#137 World Series Game 6 - Bouton Wins Again

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 16, 2021 from Los Angeles, CA - Card #234

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.  I spent at least a solid hour one dreary afternoon browsing the current auctions of Greg Morris Cards from Los Angeles, as that dealer had broken down yet another mint 1965 Topps set for auction.  Of the 20-plus cards I bid on, I ended up winning only five auctions and I feel I overpaid for these cards - although the cards are pristine.  As the auctions wound down, and as the outbid notifications started to pile up on my phone, I upped my existing bids on 10 or so remaining auctions in the hope of coming away with something.  This World Series card was one of the five cards I won, and the most expensive of the bunch, with a winning bid of $6.50.

The Card / Cardinals Team Set / Yankees Team Set

The Cardinals held a 3-2 series lead and were looking to win the Championship behind starting pitcher Curt Simmons (#373).  He faced off against Yankees starting pitcher Jim Bouton (#30), who had previously out-dueled him in Game 2.  Simmons departed with two outs in the top of the 7th with the Yankees holding a 3-1 lead.  The Yankees had taken the lead in the sixth when Roger Maris (#155) and Mickey Mantle (#350) hit back-to-back home runs.

The game became a laugher for the Yankees in the eighth when Elston Howard (#450) singled off Cardinals' reliever Barney Schultz (#28) to score Phil Linz (#369).  After a walk to Tom Tresh (#440), Schultz was relieved by Gordie Richardson who surrendered a grand slam to Joe Pepitone (#245).  No offense to Bouton here, but Pepitone would have been a more logical choice for the front of this card.

Bouton pitched 8 1/3 innings before fading and yielding to reliever Steve Hamilton (#309).  Bouton came away with the win and his final line showed 3 runs on 9 hits while walking 2 and striking out 5.  The win improved his World Series record to 2-0.  The Yankees lived to play another day and forced a Game 7 showdown.

Sources:
Baseball Reference

Prior Card:  #136 World Series Game 5

Next Card:  #138 World Series Game 7