Monday, April 19, 2021

#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

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