#286 Athletics Rookie Stars - Jim Dickson / Aurelio Monteagudo

James Edward Dickson
Kansas City Athletics
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  185
Born:  April 20, 1938, Portland, OR
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1958 season
Major League Teams:  Houston Colt .45s 1963; Cincinnati Reds 1964; Kansas City Athletics 1965-1966

Aurelio Faustino Monteagudo
Kansas City Athletics
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right Height:  5'11"  Weight:  180
Born:  November 19, 1943, Caibarien, Cuba
Signed:  Signed by the Kansas City Athletics as an amateur free agent before 1961 season
Major League Teams:  Kansas City Athletics 1963-1966; Houston Astros 1966; Chicago White Sox 1967; Kansas City Royals 1970; California Angels 1973
Died:  November 10, 1990, Ramos Arizpe, Mexico (age 46)

Jim Dickson spent four season in the Pirates' minor league system before being selected by the Colt .45s in the 1961 minor league draft.  He'd appear in 13 games for Houston in 1963 and another four games for the Reds in 1964 before finding his greatest success in the majors with the Athletics in 1965 and 1966.  Dickson appeared in a career-high 68 games in 1965, leading the team in appearances ahead of fellow relievers John Wyatt (#590) and Wes Stock (#117) who had 65 and 62 appearances respectively.  He appeared in 24 games for the Athletics in 1966 before beginning four seasons in the minors to wrap up his professional career.  Through the 1970 season, he pitched within the Athletics, Giants and Astros organizations.  For his big league career, Dickson was 5-3 with a 4.36 ERA over 109 games with three saves.

Aurelio Monteagudo found greater success in the Venezuelan and Mexican leagues than he did in the Major Leagues.  Monteagudo pitched in parts of seven seasons with five different clubs, appearing in a career high 21 games for the 1970 Royals.  In the majors, Monteagudo totaled 72 games, going 3-7 with a 5.05 ERA and four saves over 132 innings pitched.  He pitched for 20 seasons in Venezuela compiling a lifetime record of 79-81 with 897 strikeouts between 1963 and 1982.  Monteagudo also found success in Mexico, pitching a no-hitter in 1979 and leading the league in strikeouts with 222 in 1978.  He was tragically killed in a car accident in 1990 and inducted posthumously into the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009. 

Building the Set
April 3, 2021 from Roaring Spring, PA - Card #253
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 Rookie Stars card came from eBay seller Mom and Pop Card Shop from Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania for a winning bid of $2.49.  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 / Athletics Team Set
Both Dickson and Monteagudo previously appeared in the 1964 Topps set on two different Rookie Stars cards.  Dickson was on a Reds Rookie Stars card with Bobby Klaus (#227), and the back of this card mentions his time with Cincinnati.  The Athletics selected him from the Reds on November 30, 1964 in the annual rule 5 draft and I'm assuming he's wearing a Reds jersey in the photo used here.

Monteagudo shares his 1964 Topps card with Dick Green (#168).  The back of the card describes him as a native of Venezuela, but he was actually born in Cuba.  Monteagudo's family moved to Venezuela from Cuba after Fidel Castro's rise to power.  His father, Rene Monteagudo, was a pitcher and outfielder with the Senators and Phillies between 1938 and 1945.  With the Phillies in 1945, the elder Monteagudo appeared in 114 games, batting .301 as a pitcher, outfielder and pinch-hitter.

1965 Season - Dickson
By far the best season of his career, Dickson was a reliable reliever for an Athletics team that lost 103 games.  He went 3-2 with a 3.47 ERA over 85 2/3 innings pitched.

From 1974 Phillies Yearbook

1965 Season - Monteagudo
Monteagudo appeared in only four games for the Athletics as a September call-up.  He had no record and a 3.86 ERA over seven innings pitched.  He spent the rest of the season pitching for the Vancouver Mounties in the Pacific Coast League.  In 27 starts, Monteagudo went 11-10 with a 3.32 ERA over 171 innings pitched.

Phillies Connection - Monteagudo
The Phillies acquired infielder Billy Grabarkewitz and a player to be named later from the Angels on August 14, 1973 for two players to be named later.  Infielder Denny Doyle went to the Angels with Monteagudo and outfielder Chris Coletta heading to the Phillies on December 6th.  According to Monteagudo's entry in the Phillies' 1974 Yearbook, the team was hoping he'd bolster their bullpen, 29 years after his father had played with the club.

However, Monteagudo struggled mightily in spring training, appearing in three games and allowing 11 hits and six earned runs over six innings pitched for a 9.00 ERA.  The Phils cut him from the team and he latched on with Pericos de Puebla in the Mexican League.  Topps still went ahead and included him in its 1974 Traded set.

1964 Topps #524

1966 Topps #201

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Dickson
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #524
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3):  1964-1966
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2015 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-JD

10 - Dickson non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/18/21.

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

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Monteagudo
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #466
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1964-1967, 1971-1972, 1974
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1981 TCMA The 1960s II #432

26 - Monteagudo non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/18/21.

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

1964 Topps #466

1966 Topps #532

1971 Topps #129

1972 Topps #458

1974 Topps Traded #139T

Previous Card:  #285 Ron Hunt - New York Mets

Next Card:  #287 Gary Kolb - Milwaukee Braves

#334 Vic Roznovsky - Chicago Cubs

Victor Joseph Roznovsky
Chicago Cubs
Catcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  170
Born:  October 19, 1938, Shiner, TX
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1958 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1964-1965; Baltimore Orioles 1966-1967; Philadelphia Phillies 1969

Vic Roznovsky played in parts of five big league seasons, appearing in 205 games and batting .218 with four home runs and 38 RBIs.  He appeared in a career-high 71 games for the Cubs in 1965, as the team used four different primary catchers throughout the season.  Roznovsky started 44 games behind the plate, with Chris Krug starting 46, Ed Bailey (#559) starting 45 and Dick Bertell (#27) starting 29.  Roznovsky was dealt to the Orioles before the 1966 season, and he served as rookie catcher Andy Etchebarren's back-up throughout the season.  He won a World Series ring with the Orioles that season, and although he was on the team's roster for the postseason he didn't make it into any games.  Roznovsky retired from baseball after 13 games with the Phillies in 1969.

Building the Set
April 3, 2021 from Roaring Spring, PA - Card #252
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 Roznovsky card came from eBay seller Mom and Pop Card Shop from Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania for a winning bid of $2.49.  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 / Cubs Team Set
This is Roznovsky's rookie card, earned after appearing in 35 games in 1964 with the Cubs.  The back of the card highlights his high school basketball skills and explains how he came to the Cubs.  Signed originally by the Pirates, Roznovsky went to the Giants before the 1960 season in what Baseball Reference calls an "unknown transaction."  He was drafted from the Giants by the Cubs on December 2, 1963 in the annual minor league draft.

1965 Season
As mentioned above, Roznovsky appeared in a career-high 71 games.  He batted .221 with three home runs and 15 RBIs as the Cubs couldn't seem to settle on a regular catcher.  Randy Hundley arrived in 1966 and he'd stabilize the position for the Cubs through the 1973 season.

Phillies Career
On April 12, 1969, the Orioles traded Roznovsky to the Phillies for minor league pitcher Anthony Giresi and catcher John Sullivan (#593).  With Dave Watkins serving as regular catcher Mike Ryan's (#573) back-up throughout most of the season, Roznovsky's services were rarely needed.  It appears as if he was with the club throughout the entire season, appearing in a few games each month in April, May, June, July, August and September.  But he never started and despite all that time on the roster, he only appeared in 13 games.  All of his appearances began with him pinch-hitting and twice he stayed in the game to spend some time behind the plate.  In those 13 games, Roznovsky's total Phillies output was a .231 average (3 for 13) with one RBI.

1966 Topps #467

1967 Topps #163

1968 Topps #428

1969 Topps #368

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #334
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1965-1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #368

16 - Roznovsky non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/16/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #333 Tommie Reynolds - Kansas City Athletics

Next Card:  #335 Mickey Lolich - Detroit Tigers

#136 World Series Game 5 - 10th Inning Triumph

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
April 3, 2021 from Roaring Spring, PA - Card #251
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 World Series card came from eBay seller Mom and Pop Card Shop from Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania for a winning bid of $4.99.  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 / Cardinals Team Set / Yankees Team Set

The series was tied at two wins a piece when the teams faced off for Game 5.  Starting pitchers Bob Gibson (#320) and Mel Stottlemyre (#550) were locked in a pitching duel until the top of the fifth inning when the Cardinals scored a pair of runs.  Gibson singled to center off Stottlemyre and then Curt Flood (#415)  reached on a costly error by Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson (#115).  Lou Brock (#540) singled home Gibson with Flood advancing to third.  Flood then scored when Bill White (#190) grounded out to second.

Both pitchers then cruised through eight innings with the Cardinals holding their 2-0 lead heading to the bottom of the ninth.  Mickey Mantle (#350) led off and reached when shortstop Dick Groat (#275) couldn't cleanly field his ground ball.  Gibson then retired Elston Howard (#450) and Joe Peptione (#245).  With two outs, Tom Tresh (#440) homered to deep center, dramatically tying the game.  Pedro Gonzalez (#97) popped out to end the inning, and the game went into extras.

With Pete Mikkelsen (#177) now on the mound for the Yankees, White walked to begin the 10th and advanced to second on a Ken Boyer (#100) bunt base hit.  White stole third and Boyer was forced at second on a fielder's choice ground out by Groat.  With runners on the corners, Tim McCarver (#294) launched a home run to right field over the head of Mantle, giving the Cardinals a 5-2 lead.  Gibson came out in the bottom of the inning and retired the Yankees to give St. Louis a 3-2 lead overall in the Series.  

In the video embedded below, you can see the exact moment the photo used for this card was taken at the 0:27 mark.  Colorizing the black and white photo, Topps got the Cardinals' helmet color right but they're actually wearing red sleeves and not blue.  That's Shannon, White, Groat and McCarver from left to right.

Sources:
Baseball Reference

Prior Card:  #135 World Series Game 4

Next Card:  #137 World Series Game 6

#94 Charlie Lau - Baltimore Orioles

Charles Richard Lau
Baltimore Orioles
Catcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  190
Born:  April 12, 1933, Romulus, MI
Signed:  Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent before 1952 season
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1956, 1958-1959; Milwaukee Braves 1960-1961; Baltimore Orioles 1961-1963; Kansas City Athletics 1963-1964; Baltimore Orioles 1964-1967; Atlanta Braves 1967
Died:  March 18, 1984, Key Colony Beach, FL (age 50)

As a player, Charlie Lau appeared in parts of 11 seasons primarily as a back-up catcher with four different teams, with over half his career spent with the Orioles.  While with the Braves, Lau caught Warren Spahn's (#205) second career no-hitter on April 28, 1961.  He had two different stints with the Orioles, and had perhaps his finest season in 1965 when he appeared in 68 games and batted .295.  Lau earned a lifetime batting average of .255 with 16 home runs and 140 RBIs and he never played in the postseason.

As a hitting coach, Lau was revered by some the game's greats as he taught from a list of his hitting "Absolutes," including "A balanced, workable stance," and "having the bat in the launching position as soon as the front foot touches down."  He spent 15 years a big league coach with the Orioles (1969), Athletics (1970), Royals (1971-1978), Yankees (1979-1981) and White Sox (1982-1983).  Lau's hitting pupils counted among their ranks Hal McRae, Willie Wilson, George Brett, Lou Piniella, Greg Luzinski, Carlton Fisk and Harold Baines.  The #6 he wore while a coach with the White Sox has been unofficially retired by the team with no player wearing the number since 1980.  Walt Hriniak, a Lau pupil and the White Sox hitting coach between 1989 and 1995, wore the number in honor of his teacher.

April 3, 2021 - With one of Lau's pupils,
Greg Luzinski, at Citizens Bank Park

Building the Set
April 3, 2021 from Roaring Spring, PA - Card #250
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 Lau card came from eBay seller Mom and Pop Card Shop from Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania for a winning bid of $1.99.  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 / Orioles Team Set
I'll have to pay closer attention to this, but I don't recall seeing a card yet with a batter posing with a batting glove on.  It stood out to me on Lau's card here.  The four doubles in a game highlighted on the back of the card came on July 13, 1962 against the Indians.  Lau went 4 for 5, doubling twice off Jim Perry (#351) and twice off Frank Funk.

1965 Season
Lau started 1963 with the Orioles and ended the season with the Athletics.  The following season, he started with the Athletics and ended with the Orioles.  In 1965, he got to spend the entire season in Baltimore.  Lau was third on the catching depth chart on the Orioles in 1965, starting 32 games to the 73 started by Dick Brown and 55 started by John Orsino (#303).  As mentioned above, he batted a career high .295 over 68 games and had two home runs with 18 RBIs.  He split his time almost evenly between catching and pinch-hitting with 35 games behind the plate and 36 appearances as a pinch-hitter.  He found some success as a pinch-hitter, batting .276 (8 for 29).

1958 Topps #448

1961 Topps #261

1964 Topps #229

1967 Topps #329

1974 Topps #166

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1958 Topps #448
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1958, 1960-1967, 1973-1974
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1974 Topps #166

38 - Lau non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/15/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #93 Jack Fisher - New York Mets

Next Card:  #95 Bill Mazeroski - Pittsburgh Pirates

#341 Bobby Bolin - San Francisco Giants

Bobby Donald Bolin
San Francisco Giants
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  185
Born:  January 29, 1939, Hickory Grove, SC
Signed:  Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent, December 10, 1956
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1961-1969; Milwaukee Brewers 1970; Boston Red Sox 1970-1973

Bobby Bolin pitched in more games (345) for the Giants during the 1960s than any other pitcher, topping both Juan Marichal (#50) and Gaylord Perry (#193) who had 328 and 289 appearances respectively.  Bolin was a 10-game winner in four different seasons and made his sole World Series appearance in 1962, pitching in two games against the Yankees.  A reliable starting pitcher during the peak of his career, his best season came in 1968 during the "Year of the Pitcher."  Bolin went 10-5 that season over 34 starts, earning a 1.99 ERA, second only to Bob Gibson (#320) and his ERA of 1.12.  A reliever at the end of his career, he saved a career-high 15 games for the Red Sox in 1973.  Bolin's career record was 88-75 over 13 seasons with a 3.40 ERA.  He had 51 saves and 1,175 lifetime strikeouts.

Building the Set
April 3, 2021 from Roaring Spring, PA - Card #249
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 Bolin card came from eBay seller Mom and Pop Card Shop from Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania for a winning bid of $1.99.  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 / Giants Team Set
Bolin was a veteran in terms of Topps sets when this card was released, as it's his fifth straight appearance in a Topps set.  On the back, Bolin's minor league no-hitters are highlighted.  He threw his first on August 12, 1957 while with the Michigan City Whitecaps and his second came on August 23, 1959, with the Eugene Emeralds.  His lifetime ERA was 3.07 at Candlestick Park, and 3.64 everywhere else.

1965 Season
Bolin split time evenly between starting and relieving for the Giants, making 45 appearances with 13 starts and 15 in relief.  He went 14-6 with a 2.76 ERA and a pair of saves.  This season would mark the first of four in a row in which the Giants would finish the season in second place.

1961 Topps #449

1963 Topps #106

1968 Topps #169

1970 Topps #574

1974 Topps #427

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1961 Topps #449
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (14):  1961-1974
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #109

52 - Bolin non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/15/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #340 Tony Oliva - Minnesota Twins

Next Card:  #342 Bob Rodgers - Los Angeles Angels

#239 Doc Edwards - Kansas City Athletics

Howard Rodney Edwards
Kansas City Athletics
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  215
Born:  December 10, 1936, Red Jacket, WV
Signed:  Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before 1958 season
Major League Teams:  Cleveland Indians 1962-1963; Kansas City Athletics 1963-1965; New York Yankees 1965; Philadelphia Phillies 1970
As a Manager:  Cleveland Indians 1987-1989
Died:  August 20, 2018, San Angelo, TX (age 81)

Doc Edwards caught in parts of four seasons between 1962 and 1965 with the Indians, Athletics and Yankees, before making an unlikely comeback with the Phillies in 1970 after four years away from the majors.  Earning his nickname during his time as a Navy Corpsman, Edwards was signed to the Indians by former player and future Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner.  He was dealt to the Athletics in May 1963 and he'd play the bulk of his major league career in Kansas City.  Appearing in 71 games in 1963 and a career-high 97 games in 1964, Edwards shared catching duties with Charlie Lau (#94), Haywood Sullivan and Billy Bryan (#51).  Dealt to the Yankees in May 1965, Edwards filled in for the injured Elston Howard (#450), appearing in 45 games.  After four seasons in the minors, Edwards was named the Phillies' bullpen catcher for 1970 and was activated when a string of injuries to the team's catchers left them short at the position.  In 317 games, Edwards batted .238 in the majors with 15 home runs and 87 RBIs.

From the 1970 Phillies Yearbook

After finally retiring as a player, Edwards began a full-time, 40-year coaching and managing odyssey.  Spending most of that time in the minor and independent leagues, Edwards was on the big league coaching staffs of the Phillies (1970-1972), Indians (1985-1987) and Yankees (1990-1991).  He managed the Indians between 1987 and 1989, taking over for the fired Pat Corrales (#107), but not able to have much success with the second division club.  In parts of three seasons, his Indians had a record of 173-207.  Edwards managed the independent Atlantic City Surf to a championship season in 1998, and he wrapped up his baseball career as the manager of the San Angelo Colts in the United Baseball League between 2009 and 2014.

Building the Set
April 3, 2021 from Roaring Spring, PA - Card #248
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 Edwards card came from eBay seller Mom and Pop Card Shop from Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania for a winning bid of $2.49.  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 / Athletics Team Set
If not for his appearances in Topps flagship sets in 1988 and 1989 as the Indians' manager, this would have been Edwards' last Topps card.  It appears as if Edwards is sporting a Jim Pagliaroni (#265) model catchers' mitt? The two catchers may have crossed paths in the early 1960s when Edwards was with the Indians and Pagliaroni was with the Red Sox.

His minor league fielding skills are highlighted with the cartoon on the back, as is his trade from the Indians in 1963.  Cleveland sent Edwards and $100,000 to the Athletics in exchange for catcher Joe Azcue (#514) and infielder Dick Howser (#92).  This card was reprinted, signed by Edwards and included in the 2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs insert set.

1965 Season
Edwards made the Athletics' opening day roster as their back-up catcher and appeared in six games before being dealt to the Yankees on May 3rd.  New York sent catcher Johnny Blanchard (#388) and pitcher Rollie Sheldon (#254) to the Athletics in exchange.  With Howard injured, the Yankees had initially turned to Blanchard to catch but they decided they needed an upgrade and dealt for Edwards.  Steady defensively, Edwards struggled at the plate.  In 45 games with the Yankees, he batted .190 with a home run and nine RBIs.  With Howard returning in mid-June, Edwards stuck around a little bit but was eventually sent down to the Toledo Mud Hens, where he'd appear in 20 games and bat .317.

Phillies Career
On November 28, 1967, the Phillies drafted the unprotected Edwards from the Astros in the annual minor league draft.  He'd spend two seasons catching for the club's top farm teams in San Diego (1968) and Eugene (1969) before being named the club's bullpen coach to start the 1970 season.  At just 33 years old, he was the youngest coach in the majors at the time.  During the May 2nd game against the Giants, both regular catcher Tim McCarver (#294) and then back-up catcher Mike Ryan (#573) broke their hands, forcing the use of emergency catcher Jim Hutto.  A month later, on June 6th and in an effort to stabilize the catching position, Edwards was returned to active duty.  He went 3 for 5 in his first big league game in four years.  In 35 games, Edwards batted a respectable .269 but he returned to the coaching ranks in 1971.  He moved on from the Phillies following the 1972 season following the dismissal of manager Frank Lucchesi and the hiring of new manager Danny Ozark.

1962 Topps #594

1963 Topps #296

1964 Topps #174

1988 Topps #374

1989 Topps #534

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1962 Topps #594
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1962-1965, 1988-1989
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-DE

42 - Edwards non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/15/21.

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

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #238 Joe Moeller - Los Angeles Dodgers

Next Card:  #240 Bob Bruce - Houston Astros