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Pedro Gonzalez
New York Yankees
Infield-Outfield
Born: December 12, 1937, San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic
Signed: Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1958 season
Major League Teams: New York Yankees 1963-1965; Cleveland Indians 1965-1967
Died: January 10, 2021, San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic (age 83)
One of the first 15 players from the Dominican Republic to play in the majors, Pedro Gonzalez appeared in 407 games over five seasons with the Yankees and Indians. Between 1963 and early 1965, Gonzalez played in 101 games for the Yankees, making 26 starts at second base, first base, shortstop and right field. Traded to the Indians in May 1965, Gonzalez played in 306 games for Cleveland over three seasons and was the club's opening day second baseman in 1966. He continued to play professionally through the 1974 season with minor league teams in the Indians, Cardinals and Pirates organizations, as well as parts of three seasons in the Mexican League. Gonzalez was a career .244 batter in the majors with 264 hits, eight home runs and 70 RBIs.
Building the Set
April 2, 2021 from Manchester, MO - Card #240
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 Gonzalez card came from eBay seller ace64cards from Manchester, Missouri for a winning bid of $2.99, and I'll attribute the relatively high price to the fact he's a Yankee. 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 / Yankees Team Set
If you're looking to track down a Gonzalez rookie card, be prepared to pay a hefty premium. He's one of three other floating heads on the 1963 Topps rookie card of Pete Rose (#207). He shares a 1964 Topps Rookie Stars card with Archie Moore before finally making his solo debut in the 1965 Topps set. The back of the card references his Eastern League batting title with the Binghamton Triplets in 1960, when he hit .327.
1965 Season
Gonzalez made the Yankees' opening day roster and appeared in seven games with the club before a May 10th trade sent him to the Indians. The Yankees received first baseman Ray Barker (#546) in return. With the Indians, Gonzalez had his best big league season, appearing in 116 games and batting .253 with five home runs and 39 RBIs. He was the Indians' regular second baseman, starting 111 games at the position, before a young Dick Howser (#92) received the bulk of the starts at second over the final few weeks of the season.
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1963 Topps #537
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6): 1963-1967, 1986
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1967 Topps #424
33 - Gonzalez non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/8/21.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database
The Card / Yankees Team Set
If you're looking to track down a Gonzalez rookie card, be prepared to pay a hefty premium. He's one of three other floating heads on the 1963 Topps rookie card of Pete Rose (#207). He shares a 1964 Topps Rookie Stars card with Archie Moore before finally making his solo debut in the 1965 Topps set. The back of the card references his Eastern League batting title with the Binghamton Triplets in 1960, when he hit .327.
1965 Season
Gonzalez made the Yankees' opening day roster and appeared in seven games with the club before a May 10th trade sent him to the Indians. The Yankees received first baseman Ray Barker (#546) in return. With the Indians, Gonzalez had his best big league season, appearing in 116 games and batting .253 with five home runs and 39 RBIs. He was the Indians' regular second baseman, starting 111 games at the position, before a young Dick Howser (#92) received the bulk of the starts at second over the final few weeks of the season.
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First Mainstream Card: 1963 Topps #537
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6): 1963-1967, 1986
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1967 Topps #424
33 - Gonzalez non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/8/21.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia
Previous Card: #96 Sonny Siebert - Cleveland Indians
Previous Card: #96 Sonny Siebert - Cleveland Indians
Next Card: #98 Bob Miller - Los Angeles Dodgers
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