#93 Jack Fisher - New York Mets

John Howard Fisher
New York Mets
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  215
Born:  March 4, 1939, Frostburg, MD
Signed:  Signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent, June 24, 1957
Major League Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 1959-1962; San Francisco Giants 1963; New York Mets 1964-1967; Chicago White Sox 1968; Cincinnati Reds 1969

An innings eater for several bad Mets teams in the mid-1960s, Jack Fisher led the league twice in losses with 24 in 1965 and 18 in 1967.  Fisher's best seasons came early in his career with the Orioles and he went 12-11 with a 3.41 ERA in 1960, at one point pitching 29 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings.  Fisher gave up a few milestone home runs during his career, surrendering a home to Ted Williams on September 28, 1960 in his final major league at-bat and also giving up Roger Maris' (#155) record-tying 60th home run on September 26, 1961.  Fisher threw the first official pitch at Shea Stadium in 1964 as the starting pitcher for the team's home opener.  He appeared in 160 games for the Mets, going 38-73 with a respectable 4.12 ERA in 133 starts.  He spent the last two seasons of his career with the White Sox and Reds, and was released by the Angels on opening day 1970.

In exactly 400 career appearances, Fisher was 86-139 with a 4.06 ERA and 1,017 strikeouts over 1,975 2/3 innings pitched.  In his retirement, he owned and operated Fat Jack's sports bar in Easton, Pennsylvania, so named because of the nickname given to him by former teammate Hoyt Wilhelm (#276).

May 12, 2021

Building the Set
May 13, 2021 from Marco Island, FL - Card #270
After adding a number of star cards in April, I decided I should focus on a group of commons for our set in May.  I set out specifically to add reasonably priced cards from the set's second series and I found a few eBay sellers running specials on recent set breaks.  In total, I added 23 cards over three-day period with this Fisher card coming from Super Bowl Auctions located in Marco Island, Florida for $5.  This was the card that originally sent me on my quest, as it was the last card we needed out of the first 100 in the set.  It wasn't easy to track down in good shape, and I'm guessing that's because it's a Mets card.

The day before these cards arrived, we proudly celebrated our oldest son Doug's induction into the National Junior Honor Society.

The Card / Mets Team Set
This is one of four Mets cards Fisher appeared on within Topps flagship sets between 1964 and 1967.  Like the Charlie Smith (#22) card before it, this card gives us a fantastic look at the New York World's Fair patch the Mets wore on their sleeves during the 1964 season.  Flipping to the back of the card, Fisher struck out 115 in 1964, only three behind the 118 struck out by fellow starting pitcher Tracy Stallard (#491).  And he'd top his 227 2/3 innings pitched in 1964 with 253 2/3 innings pitched in 1965.

1965 Season
Used more than any other starting pitcher for the Mets, Fisher went 8-24 with a 3.94 ERA over 43 games and 36 starts.  The Mets lost 112 games overall to finish in the basement of the National League.  Impressive by today's standard, Fisher went the distance in 10 games out of his 36 starts.  And despite his sub-4.00 ERA, he also led the league in earned runs with 111.  It was the second year in a row Fisher led the league in that category.

1960 Topps #46

1962 Topps #203

1964 Topps #422

1967 Topps #533

1970 Topps #684

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #46
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1960-1970
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2008 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-JF

Fisher wasn't in the 1959 Topps set, but Topps created a "what if" card in the style of the 1959 Topps cards for him to sign as part of the 2008 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs insert set.

54 - Fisher non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/29/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #92 Dick Howser - Cleveland Indians

Next Card:  #94 Charlie Lau - Baltimore Orioles

#146 Ron Hansen - Chicago White Sox

Ronald Lavern Hansen
Chicago White Sox
Shortstop

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  190
Born:  April 5, 1938, Oxford, NE
Signed:  Signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent before 1956 season
Major League Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 1958-1962; Chicago White Sox 1963-1967; Washington Senators 1968; Chicago White Sox 1968-1969; New York Yankees 1970-1971; Kansas City Royals 1972

Ron Hansen spent over half his career with the Chicago White Sox, roaming their infield for seven seasons between 1963 and 1969 with a brief stay with the Senators during the 1968 season.  Hansen won A.L. Rookie of the Year honors in 1960, the same season he started at shortstop for both All-Star Games, when he batted .255 with 22 home runs and 86 RBIs.  He'd hit 20 home runs in 1964, but he'd never come close to those power numbers again during his career.  A smooth fielding shortstop, Hansen led the league four times in overall assists and finished in the top five among all shortstops in fielding percentage five times.  While playing for the Senators on July 30, 1968, Hansen turned the eighth unassisted triple play in major league history.  His stint with the Senators was unusual in that he was dealt to the club on February 13, 1968 with infielder Tim Cullen one of the players coming to the White Sox.  Less than six months later on August 2nd, Hansen and Cullen were again swapped, this time straight-up with Hansen returning to the White Sox.

From the 2008 Phillies Yearbook

Hansen retired following the 1972 season with 1,007 hits and a .234 lifetime batting average to go along with 106 home runs and 501 RBIs.  He had an impressive .968 fielding percentage.  Hansen would serve as the first base coach for the Brewers between 1980 and 1983, and with the Expos between 1985 and 1989.  Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Hansen served as an advance scout first for the Yankees and then for the Phillies, retiring after the Phillies won their World Championship in 2008.

Building the Set
May 13, 2021 from Marco Island, FL - Card #269
After adding a number of star cards in April, I decided I should focus on a group of commons for our set in May.  I set out specifically to add reasonably priced cards from the set's second series and I found a few eBay sellers running specials on recent set breaks.  In total, I added 23 cards over three-day period with this Hansen card coming from Super Bowl Auctions located in Marco Island, Florida for $2.50.  As of this writing, and after adding a few star cards late in May, we're the proud owners of a complete series two from the 1965 Topps set.

The Card / White Sox Team Set
On January 14, 1963, Hansen was part of a six-player trade between the Orioles and White Sox that sent one future Hall of Famer, Hoyt Wilhelm (#276), to the White Sox and sent another future Hall of Famer, Luis Aparicio (#410), to the Orioles.  This is Hansen's second Topps flagship card with the White Sox.  The back of the card highlights his A.L. Rookie of the Year win and his .500 batting average from both of the 1960 All-Star Games.  He was the starting shortstop in the first game, going 1 for 2 with a single off Bob Friend (#392).  Ironically enough, it was Aparicio who replaced him in the field in the sixth inning.  In the second All-Star Game, Hansen again started at shortstop and went 2 for 4 with hits off Johnny Podres (#387) and Stan Williams (#404).  He played the entire second game at short.

1965 Season
Hansen appeared in all 162 games for the White Sox, starting all but one game at shortstop.  Al Weis (#516) started at short on August 18th, with Hansen eventually entering that game as a pinch-runner.  Hansen batted .235 with 11 home runs and 66 RBIs.  On August 29th, Hansen set the major league record for most chances by a shortstop in a doubleheader with 29 total chances.  Game one of the double header went 14 innings.

Phillies Connection
It looks as if Hansen's last season with the Phillies came in 2008, as he's present in the team's 2008 Yearbook but missing from the 2009 edition.

1959 Topps #444

1961 Topps #240

1969 Topps #566

1971 Topps #419

1972 Topps #763

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1959 Topps #444
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (14):  1959-1972
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2021 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-RH

95 - Hansen non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/29/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #145 Luis Tiant - Cleveland Indians

Next Card:  #147 Dennis Bennett - Boston Red Sox

#142 Bill Monbouquette - Boston Red Sox

Willliam Charles Monbouquette
Boston Red Sox
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  190
Born:  August 11, 1936, Medford, MD
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent, June 21, 1955
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 1958-1965; Detroit Tigers 1966-1967; New York Yankees 1967-1968; San Francisco Giants 1968
Died:  January 25, 2015, Gloucester, MA (age 78)

Bill Monbouquette was a three-time All-Star with the Red Sox and a 20-game winner in 1963.  On May 12, 1961, he struck out 17 Senators batters, a Red Sox strikeout record that stood until Roger Clemens struck out 20 batters in a game in 1986.  Monbouquette no-hit the White Sox on August 1, 1962, with only a second inning walk to Al Smith erasing his perfect game bid.  He spent eight seasons with the Red Sox and was dealt to the Tigers following the 1965 season for George Smith (#483), George Thomas (#83) and Jackie Moore (#593).  He spent the final three seasons of his big league career with the Tigers, Yankees and Giants, mainly pitching in relief.  For his career, Monbouquette was 114-112 with a 3.68 ERA and 1,122 strikeouts.

After retiring as a player, he worked as a scout for the Yankees between 1970 and 1975.  Monbouquette moved to the Mets organization in 1976 where he worked mainly in the minor league system, but served as the Mets' pitching coach in 1982 and 1983.  He returned to the Yankees as their pitching coach in 1985 and 1986.  Monbouquette was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2000 and was given a World Series ring when the Red Sox won the Championship in 2004.

Building the Set
May 13, 2021 from Marco Island, FL - Card #268
After adding a number of star cards in April, I decided I should focus on a group of commons for our set in May.  I set out specifically to add reasonably priced cards from the set's second series and I found a few eBay sellers running specials on recent set breaks.  In total, I added 23 cards over three-day period with this Monbouquette card coming from Super Bowl Auctions located in Marco Island, Florida for $2.75.  As of this writing, and after adding a few star cards late in May, we're the proud owners of a complete series two from the 1965 Topps set.

The Card / Red Sox Team Set
I haven't talked a lot about the colors Topps used for each team within the set.  Some of the colors chosen are complete misses (Braves, White Sox come to mind) while some of the colors chosen work really well, which is the case with all Red Sox cards.  The green background here is fantastic and even though green isn't one of the team's primary colors, I associate the green with Fenway Park and the Green Monster in left field.  This is just a fantastic looking card.  Monbouquette's lengthy last name means the font on the front and the back needed to be smooshed together.  His no-hitter in deservedly the cartoon highlight on the back.

1965 Season
This was Monbouquette's last season in Boston and he went 10-18 with a 3.70 ERA over 35 starts.  His 18 losses led the league and the Red Sox finished ninth in the league with 100 losses.  Monbouquette was one of four Red Sox pitchers to make at least 31 starts with Earl Wilson (#42), Dave Morehead (#434) and Jim Lonborg (#573) also soaking up innings for the team.

1959 Topps #173

1961 Topps #562

1963 Topps #480

1967 Topps #482

1969 Topps #64

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1959 Topps #173
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1959-1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2001 Fleer Boston Red Sox 100th Anniversary #20

80 - Monbouquette non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/28/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #141 Charlie James - Cincinnati Reds

Next Card:  #143 Pirates Rookie Stars

#131 Johnny Keane MG - New York Yankees

John Joseph Keane
New York Yankees
Manager

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  165
Born:  November 3, 1911, St. Louis, MO
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent before 1930 season
As a Manager:  St. Louis Cardinals 1961-1964; New York Yankees 1965-1966
Died:  January 6, 1967, Houston, TX (age 55)

It was fascinating to read about Johnny Keane, the manager who led the Cardinals to the 1964 World Series, only to lave St. Louis to take over the team they defeated, the New York Yankees, the following season.  Keane played 15 seasons in the minor leagues, all in the Cardinals' organization, never earning a big league promotion.  His 1935 season was cut short when he was beaned in the head with a pitch, and he spent almost a week in a coma and six weeks overall in the hospital with a fractured skull.  Keane began his managerial career in 1938, spending 17 seasons working his way up through the Cardinals' minor league system before being named the big club's third base coach for the 1959 season.  His minor league managerial record was 1,357-1,166.

Keane took over as the Cardinals' manager on July 6, 1961 following the dismissal of Solly Hemus.  As manager of the Cardinals, he served as mentor for pitcher Bob Gibson (#320) and he guided the club to a surprising World Series berth in 1964 following the late-season collapse of the Phillies.  After winning the World Series over the Yankees, Keane shockingly handed owner August Busch his letter of resignation during a press conference the day after the Game 7 victory.  Yankees manager Yogi Berra (#470) was fired that same day, and Keane was named New York's new manager four days later.  He was subsequently named the National League Manager of the Year.  Keane's Yankees tenure didn't go as planned, and he was replaced 20 games into the 1966 season, becoming the first Yankees manager to be fired midseason since 1910.  He had a career big league managerial record of 398-350.  Shortly after accepting a job as a scout for the California Angels in December 1966, Keane passed away suddenly from a heart attack at the age of 55.

Building the Set
May 13, 2021 from Marco Island, FL - Card #267
After adding a number of star cards in April, I decided I should focus on a group of commons for our set in May.  I set out specifically to add reasonably priced cards from the set's second series and I found a few eBay sellers running specials on recent set breaks.  In total, I added 23 cards over three-day period with this Keane card coming from Super Bowl Auctions located in Marco Island, Florida for $2.75.  As of this writing, and after adding a few star cards late in May, we're the proud owners of a complete series two from the 1965 Topps set.

The Card / Yankees Team Set
I have to hand it to Topps for rushing this card of Keane as the new Yankees' manager into the set.  Keane is wearing a Cardinals' jersey here, and the photo is from the same session that yielded his 1964 Topps card.  The back of the card does its best to sum up "one of the most surprising sports stories of the year."  I wonder if Topps planned the placement of Keane's card right before the World Series subset on purpose?  The card for the new Cardinals manager, Red Schoendienst (#556), would appear in the final series of the set.

1965 Season
Keane guided the declining Yankees to a 77-85 record, their first losing record in 40 seasons.  In Jim Bouton's (#30) Ball Four book, the former Yankees pitcher notes Keane was always viewed as an outsider by the Yankees players and it didn't help matters that he replaced the popular Berra.

1960 Topps #468

1962 Topps #198

1963 Topps #166

1964 Topps #413

1966 Topps #296

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #468
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1960, 1962-1966
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1981 TCMA The 1960s II #371

20 - Keane non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/28/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #130 Al Kaline - Detroit Tigers

Next Card:  #132 World Series Game 1

#117 Wes Stock - Kansas City Athletics

Wesley Gay Stock
Kansas City Athletics
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  188
Born:  April 10, 1934, Longview, WA
Signed:  Signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent before 1956 season
Major League Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 1959-1964; Kansas City Athletics 1964-1967

All but three of Wes Stock's 321 major league pitching appearances came in relief, and he was a reliable middle reliever for nine seasons before beginning a lengthy coaching career.  Stock's best season came in 1964 as he went 8-3 with a 2.30 ERA in a combined 64 games (a career high) between the Orioles and Athletics.  He pitched 113 2/3 innings that season and saved five games.  For his career, Stock was 27-13 with a 3.60 ERA and 22 saves.  Released by the Athletics on May 16, 1967, Stock replaced Cot Deal as the team's pitching coach that July.  Stock spent the 1968 and 1969 seasons as a roving minor-league pitching instructor for the Mets before being hired as the Seattle Pilots' pitching coach for their 1970 season.  The Pilots moved to Milwaukee prior to the start of the season and Stock was the Brewers' first pitching coach, serving in that role between 1970 and 1972.

1975 Topps #466

He returned to the Athletics, now in Oakland, for their 1973 season and won World Series rings with the club in 1973 and 1974.  Wearing his white coach's hat, Stock makes a cameo on the 1975 Topps card celebrating the A's third straight World Series title.  Stock left the Athletics following the 1976 season, and was the first pitching coach in Seattle Mariners franchise history, working with young Mariners pitchers between 1977 and 1981.  He then took a brief turn as a broadcaster for the Mariners in 1982 and 1983, before his final coaching job found him back in Oakland between 1984 and 1986.

Building the Set
May 13, 2021 from Marco Island, FL - Card #266
After adding a number of star cards in April, I decided I should focus on a group of commons for our set in May.  I set out specifically to add reasonably priced cards from the set's second series and I found a few eBay sellers running specials on recent set breaks.  In total, I added 23 cards over three-day period with this Stock card coming from Super Bowl Auctions located in Marco Island, Florida for $2.75.  As of this writing, and after adding a few star cards late in May, we're the proud owners of a complete series two from the 1965 Topps set.

The Card / Athletics Team Set
This is Stock's first card with the Athletics, as he was acquired from the Orioles on June 15, 1964 for catcher Charlie Lau (#94).  His 182 strikeouts while with the Aberdeen Pheasants in 1956 are highlighted with the cartoon on the back.  The double header, double wins came on May 26, 1962 against the Indians.  Stock pitched two shutout innings of relief in the first game and then came back to throw three shutout innings in the second game.  I can't imagine that feat ever being repeated today.

1965 Season
In his first full season with the Athletics, Stock appeared in 62 games, going 0-4 with a 5.24 ERA.  He made two spot starts for a team that lost 103 games.  Stock led all Athletics' relievers in innings pitched with 99 2/3.  Only Jim Dickson (#286) and John Wyatt (#590), with 68 and 62 appearances respectively, appeared in more games than Stock.  Despite the regular use he got during the season, Stock was somehow omitted from he 1966 Topps set.

1960 Topps #481

1961 Topps #26

1964 Topps #382

1967 Topps #74

1977 Topps #597

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #481
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1960-1965, 1967, 1973, 1975, 1977
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #154

36 - Stock non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/28/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #116 Cardinals Rookie Stars

Next Card:  #118 Hal Lanier - San Francisco Giants

#109 Walt Bond - Houston Astros

Walter Franklin Bond
Houston Astros
First Base-Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'7"  Weight:  228
Born:  October 19, 1937, Denmark, TN
Signed:  Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before 1957 season
Major League Teams:  Cleveland Indians 1960-1962; Houston Colt .45s 1964; Houston Astros 1965; Minnesota Twins 1967
Died:  September 14, 1967, Houston, TX (age 29)

Walt Bond played the final five seasons of his professional baseball career after being diagnosed with leukemia in 1962.  Bond passed away from the disease in 1967 following his final season in baseball.

Bond appeared in a career high 148 games with the Colt .45s in 1964, starting 76 games at first base, 28 games in left field and 41 games in right field.  He batted .254 that season reaching career highs in both home runs with 20 and RBIs with 85.  He appeared in 117 games during the team's inaugural year as the Astros in 1965, and was the club's opening day first baseman.  Bond was dealt to the Twins in April 1966, spending the entire season in the minor leagues.  He made the Twins' opening day roster in 1967, but was released by the club after only 10 games.  He signed with the Mets' organization and appeared in three games for the Triple-A Jacksonville Suns before his declining health forced him from the game.

In 365 major league games, Bond batted .256 with 307 hits, 41 home runs and 179 RBIs.

Building the Set
May 13, 2021 from Marco Island, FL - Card #265
After adding a number of star cards in April, I decided I should focus on a group of commons for our set in May.  I set out specifically to add reasonably priced cards from the set's second series and I found a few eBay sellers running specials on recent set breaks.  In total, I added 23 cards over three-day period with this Bond card coming from Super Bowl Auctions located in Marco Island, Florida for $2.75.  As of this writing, and after adding a few star cards late in May, I'm one elusive card away from having a complete second series.

The Card / Astros Team Set
Bond is the last Astros card in the set to feature the "Houston" pennant with the mocked-up Texas logo in the corner.  He's also the last Astros card in the set featuring the now defunct .45s logo on the front of his hat.  His team-leading home run and RBI totals from 1964 are highlighted on the back of the card.  Bond, at card #50, is one of 72 players featured within the 1965 Topps Embossed insert set and one of three Astros in the set.  He's also in the harder to find 1965 Topps Transfers insert set.

1965 Season
With the re-branded Astros, Bond started the season as the team's everyday first baseman, but lost playing time throughout the year to a number of players.  Bond started 68 games at first, with Jim Gentile getting 62 starts and five other Astros starting the remaining games.  In 117 games, Bond batted .263 with seven home runs and 47 RBIs.  Bond was dealt to the Twins on April 10, 1966 for catcher Ken Retzer.

1960 Topps #552

1963 Topps #493

1964 Topps #339

1966 Topps #431

1967 Topps #224

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #552
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1960-1961, 1963-1967
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1967 Topps #224

24 - Bond non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/24/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #108 Don Mincher - Minnesota Twins

Next Card:  #110 Ron Santo - Chicago Cubs