#441 Denver Lemaster - Milwaukee Braves

Denver Clayton Lemaster
Milwaukee Braves
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  182
Born:  February 25, 1939, Corona, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent, June 16, 1958
Major League Teams:  Milwaukee Braves 1962-1965; Atlanta Braves 1966-1967; Houston Astros 1968-1971; Montreal Expos 1972

Denny Lemaster made his major league debut on July 15, 1962, and joined the Braves' starting pitching rotation on a regular basis in 1963.  Lemaster first exceeded the 200-innings pitched mark in 1963, and he'd reach that milestone in five different seasons.  He attained his career highs in strikeouts with 190 in 1963 and in wins with 17 in 1964.  Lemaster set a then Braves team record with 14 strikeouts in a game in 1966, and he was one of the team's representatives, along with Henry Aaron (#170) and Joe Torre (#200), at the 1967 All-Star Game.  He was traded to the Astros following that 1967 season with Denis Menke (#327) for Chuck Harrison and Sonny Jackson (#16).  In Houston, Lemaster solidified a young starting pitching rotation, winning 10 games in 1968 and 13 games in 1969.  An excellent fielder, Lemaster was errorless in four different seasons between 1964 and 1969, leading all National League pitchers with a 1.000 fielding percentage.  He pivoted to the bullpen in 1971 and pitched 42 games in relief as one of the Astros' better relievers.

Lemaster spent one last season in the majors with the Expos in 1972 before retiring.  In 357 career games, including 249 starts, Lemaster was 90-105 with a 3.58 ERA and 1,305 strikeouts in 1,787 2/3 innings pitched.

Building the Set
December 4, 2021 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards, Babylon, NY) - Card #442
You'll be seeing this particular passage on my 1965 Topps blog for quite some time as we added a whopping 97 cards to our set during the December Philadelphia Sports Collectors Show.  If I'm ambitious and compose posts for five cards a week, I should be completely caught up by the end of May.  If I'm not as ambitious, I might still be going through this stack by the time we hit July.  Either way, I'll enjoy the process and I'm looking forward to taking my time.  I've posted a complete summary of this fantastic show over at The Phillies Room.

After securing Doug's Jim Thome autograph, I returned to Uncle Dick's and their neon green shirts, pulled up a chair, and settled in.  Over the course of 45 minutes or so, I found 79 cards needed for our set, including this Lemaster card which was a little less than $4 after the dealer discount.  I was surrounded by six or seven other seated collectors, all who looked similar to me, with a touch of gray, focused on their individual quests.  I wiped out Uncle Dick's two 1965 Topps commons binders, paid for my haul and then retreated to a table with Doug to update our checklist.

The Card / Braves Team Set
The two in Lemaster's uniform number of 23 is peaking through on the front of his jersey.  There's an uncorrected error here as Topps uses white for Lemaster's name, while every other Braves card in the set features the player's name in yellow.

Flipping to the back of the card, his 11 straight strikeouts came in 1959 while he was a member of the Single-A Jacksonville Braves.  Lemaster's 185 strikeouts were indeed tops among all Braves pitchers in 1964 with Tony Cloninger (#520) finishing second with 163 strikeouts.  And if you're keeping score at home, Topps refers to the pitcher as Denver on six of his flagship cards, and the less formal Denny on his other four cards.

1965 Season
Although an arm injury caused him to slump early, Lemaster spent the entire season with the Braves as a solid fourth starter behind Cloninger, Wade Blasingame (#44) and Ken Johnson (#359).  He was 7-13 with a 4.43 ERA in 32 games, including 23 starts.

1963 Topps #74

1964 Topps #152

1967 Topps #288

1971 Topps #636

1972 Topps #371

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #74
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1963-1972
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #17

49 - Lemaster non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/11/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #440 Tom Tresh - New York Yankees

Next Card:  #442 Vic Power - Los Angeles Angels

#436 Don Elston - Chicago Cubs

Donald Ray Elston
Chicago Cubs
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  165
Born:  April 6, 1929, Campbellstown, OH
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent, December 6, 1947
Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1953; Brooklyn Dodgers 1957; Chicago Cubs 1957-1964
Died:  January 2, 1995, Evanston, IL (age 65)

With the exception of one inning he threw for the Dodgers in 1957, Don Elston spent his entire nine year major league career with the Cubs.  A durable reliever, Elston made his debut with the Cubs in 1953 but then would return to the minor leagues for three full seasons.  On May 5, 1957, Elston threw a scoreless ninth inning for the Dodgers against the Braves but then was traded back to the Cubs a few weeks later.  He'd appear in at least 60 games three seasons in a  row between 1958 and 1960, leading the league in 1958 and 1959 with 69 and 65 appearances respectively.  Elston was named to both National League All-Star teams in 1959, earning the save in the first game.  He'd finish third in the league in saves that season with a career-high 14.

Elston pitched through the 1964 season and was released by the Cubs before opening day in 1965.  He was 49-54 with a 3.69 ERA and 64 saves in 450 games pitched.  His 449 appearances with the Cubs are currently fourth all-time for the franchise, behind Charlie Root (605), Carlos Marmol (483) and Lee Smith (458).

Building the Set
December 4, 2021 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards, Babylon, NY) - Card #441
You'll be seeing this particular passage on my 1965 Topps blog for quite some time as we added a whopping 97 cards to our set during the December Philadelphia Sports Collectors Show.  If I'm ambitious and compose posts for five cards a week, I should be completely caught up by the end of May.  If I'm not as ambitious, I might still be going through this stack by the time we hit July.  Either way, I'll enjoy the process and I'm looking forward to taking my time.  I've posted a complete summary of this fantastic show over at The Phillies Room.

After securing Doug's Jim Thome autograph, I returned to Uncle Dick's and their neon green shirts, pulled up a chair, and settled in.  Over the course of 45 minutes or so, I found 79 cards needed for our set, including this Elston card which was a little less than $4 after the dealer discount.  I was surrounded by six or seven other seated collectors, all who looked similar to me, with a touch of gray, focused on their individual quests.  I wiped out Uncle Dick's two 1965 Topps commons binders, paid for my haul and then retreated to a table with Doug to update our checklist.

The Card / Cubs Team Set
Elston wore #36 during his second and longest stint with the Cubs.  This is his last appearances in a Topps set, and Elston would have been a minor league coach (see below) by the time collectors were finding this card in packs.  Baseball Reference puts his minor league win tally at 118, 14 more than the 104 Topps gives him credit for on the back of this card.

1965 Season
Following his release, Elston joined the Triple-A Salt Lake City Bees, the Cubs' top farm team, as a player/coach.  He spent the entire season with the Bees, making 33 appearances (including two starts) and was 4-8 with a 3.58 ERA in 93 innings pitched.  Elston officially retired as a player following the season.

1957 Topps #376

1958 Topps #363

1959 Topps #520

1961 Topps #169

1964 Topps #111

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1957 Topps #376
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1957-1965
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #143

33 - Elston non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/11/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #435 Willie Davis - Los Angeles Dodgers

Next Card:  #437 Chico Cardenas - Cincinnati Reds

#434 Dave Morehead - Boston Red Sox

David Michael Morehead
Boston Red Sox
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  185
Born:  September 5, 1943, San Diego, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent, June 16, 1961
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 1963-1968; Kansas City Royals 1969-1970

Dave Morehead pitched for eight seasons in the majors with the Red Sox and Royals.  In his major league debut on April 13, 1963, Morehead pitched a complete game shutout against the Senators, striking out ten and limiting the offense to five hits.  With the Red Sox consistently in the second division in the early 1960s, Morehead lost more games than he won, leading the league in 1965 with 18 losses.  On September 16, 1965, and with Bob Tillman (#222) catching him, Morehead pitched a no-hitter against the Indians in front of only 1,247 fans at a Thursday afternoon game at Fenway Park.  His lone blemish was a second inning walk to Rocky Colavito (#380).

Arm injuries limited his output over the next three seasons, and while he pitched in only ten games during the regular 1967 season, Morehead made a pair of scoreless relief appearances in the World Series against the Cardinals.  Left unprotected following the 1968 season, he was selected by the Royals in the expansion draft and he was a member of the club's inaugural bullpen.  Morehead pitched two seasons in Kansas City before his arm troubles prematurely ended his career.  In 177 career games, including 134 starts, Morehead was 40-64 with a 4.15 ERA in 819 1/3 innings pitched.

Building the Set
December 4, 2021 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards, Babylon, NY) - Card #440
You'll be seeing this particular passage on my 1965 Topps blog for quite some time as we added a whopping 97 cards to our set during the December Philadelphia Sports Collectors Show.  If I'm ambitious and compose posts for five cards a week, I should be completely caught up by the end of May.  If I'm not as ambitious, I might still be going through this stack by the time we hit July.  Either way, I'll enjoy the process and I'm looking forward to taking my time.  I've posted a complete summary of this fantastic show over at The Phillies Room.

After securing Doug's Jim Thome autograph, I returned to Uncle Dick's and their neon green shirts, pulled up a chair, and settled in.  Over the course of 45 minutes or so, I found 79 cards needed for our set, including this Morehead card which was a little less than $4 after the dealer discount.  I was surrounded by six or seven other seated collectors, all who looked similar to me, with a touch of gray, focused on their individual quests.  I wiped out Uncle Dick's two 1965 Topps commons binders, paid for my haul and then retreated to a table with Doug to update our checklist.

The Card / Red Sox Team Set
The cartoon on the back highlights Morehead winning the unofficial Boston Rookie of the Year title in 1963, which apparently came with a trophy and a can of beans.  His promise for "greatness" is highlighted in the narrative below the cartoon, as is his sharp breaking curve ball.

1965 Season
The highlight of Morehead's season was obviously his September no-hitter.  He was one of four starters used most frequently by a Red Sox club that would lose 100 games, along with Earl Wilson (#42), Bill Monbouquette (#142) and Jim Lonborg (#573).  Morehead was 10-18 with a 4.06 ERA in 34 games, throwing five complete games and two shutouts.  His first shutout of the season came on September 4th at Yankee Stadium, and he allowed only three Yankees hits, including a pair to third baseman Clete Boyer (#475).

1963 Topps #299

1966 Topps #135

1967 Topps #297

1969 Topps #29

1971 Topps #221

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #299
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1963-1971
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2001 Fleer Boston Red Sox 100th Anniversary #68

39 - Morehead non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/11/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #433 John Bateman - Houston Astros

Next Card:  #435 Willie Davis - Los Angeles Dodgers

#425 Wayne Causey - Kansas City Athletics

James Wayne Causey
Kansas City Athletics
Shortstop

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  175
Born:  December 26, 1936, Ruston, LA
Signed:  Signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent, June 4, 1955
Major League Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 1955-1957; Kansas City Athletics 1961-1966; Chicago White Sox 1966-1968; California Angels 1968; Atlanta Braves 1968

As a bonus baby signing by the Orioles in 1955, Wayne Causey spent the first 2 1/2 seasons on the team's big league roster, playing sparingly.  He appeared in 135 games overall for the Orioles, seeing the most action in his first season as an 18-year-old, when he made 41 starts for the team at third base.  With Brooks Robinson (#150) coming up, Causey's time with the Orioles ultimately came to an end and he'd next play in the majors with the Athletics in 1961.  With the Athletics, he enjoyed his best seasons in 1963 and 1964 as the team's regular shortstop, earning MVP votes in both seasons.  He batted a career-high .281 in 1964 and led the league with 265 times on base, but struggled somewhat defensively, finishing third in the American League with 25 errors.

Causey retired following the 1968 season after serving as a back-up infielder and pinch-hitter for the White Sox, Angels and Braves.  In 1,105 career games, he collected 819 hits, batting .252 with 35 home runs and 285 RBIs.

Building the Set
December 4, 2021 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards, Babylon, NY) - Card #439
You'll be seeing this particular passage on my 1965 Topps blog for quite some time as we added a whopping 97 cards to our set during the December Philadelphia Sports Collectors Show.  If I'm ambitious and compose posts for five cards a week, I should be completely caught up by the end of May.  If I'm not as ambitious, I might still be going through this stack by the time we hit July.  Either way, I'll enjoy the process and I'm looking forward to taking my time.  I've posted a complete summary of this fantastic show over at The Phillies Room.

After securing Doug's Jim Thome autograph, I returned to Uncle Dick's and their neon green shirts, pulled up a chair, and settled in.  Over the course of 45 minutes or so, I found 79 cards needed for our set, including this Causey card which was a little less than $4 after the dealer discount.  I was surrounded by six or seven other seated collectors, all who looked similar to me, with a touch of gray, focused on their individual quests.  I wiped out Uncle Dick's two 1965 Topps commons binders, paid for my haul and then retreated to a table with Doug to update our checklist.

The Card / Athletics Team Set
The photo used is the exact same used for Causey's 1963 and 1964 Topps cards, and it was taken at some point during the 1963 season as that's the first season the Athletics wore the kelly green and gold road uniforms.  The #2 is visible on Causey's uniform, and there are two Athletics players lounging in the dugout behind him.  Zooming in, it looks as if the uniform numbers visible are #11 and #1, and in 1963 those numbers belonged to Jerry Lumpe (#353) and Sammy Esposito or Dick Howser (#92), respectively.   The cartoon on the back of the card references Causey's bonus baby status.  His team-leading .281 average in 1964 is also highlighted, and Rocky Colavito (#380) had finished second on the Athletics with a .274 average.

This card must have been on the top of the pack as there's wax residue on the card's front.  Causey, at card #21, is one of 72 players featured within the 1965 Topps Embossed insert set and one of three Athletics in the set.  He's also in the harder to find 1965 Topps Transfers insert set.

1965 Season
Causey spent the entire season as a back-up infielder, spelling Dick Green (#168) at second base, Ed Charles (#35) at third base and Bert Campaneris (#266) at shortstop.  Overall, he was in the starting line-up 132 times, making 59 starts at shortstop, 40 starts at second base and 33 starts at third base.  In 144 games, his second highest single season total, Causey batted .261 with three home runs and 34 RBIs.

1962 Topps #496

1963 Topps #539

1966 Topps #366

1967 Topps #286

1969 Topps #33

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1962 Topps #496
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (8):  1962-1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #8

40 - Causey non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/11/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #424 Gary Bell - Cleveland Indians

Next Card:  #426 Milwaukee Braves Team Card

#424 Gary Bell - Cleveland Indians

Wilbur Gary Bell
Cleveland Indians
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  196
Born:  November 17, 1936, San Antonio, TX
Signed:  Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before 1955 season
Major League Teams:  Cleveland Indians 1958-1967; Boston Red Sox 1967-1968; Seattle Pilots 1969; Chicago White Sox 1969

Pitching as a starter, a reliever and an occasional closer, Gary Bell was a four-time All-Star over 12 major league seasons.  Arm problems hampered him early in his career, but Bell was a 16-game winner in 1959 and made his first two All-Star teams in 1960.  Serving as the Indians' closer in 1965, he converted a career-high 16 saves.  His best season came in 1966 when he was 14-15 with a 3.22 ERA for the Indians in 40 games, including 37 starts.  He pitched a career best 254 1/3 innings that season and made his third All-Star team.  After a decade in Cleveland, Bell was dealt to the Red Sox in June 1967 to help with their pennant hopes.  When the Impossible Dream team improbably clinched the American League pennant, Bell appeared in three World Series games, starting Game 3 against the Cardinals' Nelson Briles (#431).  The Cardinals would prevail in seven games.

Bell made his final All-Star team in 1968 with the Red Sox and was selected by the Pilots following the season in the expansion draft.  He'd play one last season in 1969 with the Pilots and White Sox.  Bell earned a career record of 121-117 over 519 games, with a 3.68 ERA and 50 saves.

Building the Set
December 4, 2021 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards, Babylon, NY) - Card #438
You'll be seeing this particular passage on my 1965 Topps blog for quite some time as we added a whopping 97 cards to our set during the December Philadelphia Sports Collectors Show.  If I'm ambitious and compose posts for five cards a week, I should be completely caught up by the end of May.  If I'm not as ambitious, I might still be going through this stack by the time we hit July.  Either way, I'll enjoy the process and I'm looking forward to taking my time.  I've posted a complete summary of this fantastic show over at The Phillies Room.

After securing Doug's Jim Thome autograph, I returned to Uncle Dick's and their neon green shirts, pulled up a chair, and settled in.  Over the course of 45 minutes or so, I found 79 cards needed for our set, including this Bell card which was a little less than $4 after the dealer discount.  I was surrounded by six or seven other seated collectors, all who looked similar to me, with a touch of gray, focused on their individual quests.  I wiped out Uncle Dick's two 1965 Topps commons binders, paid for my haul and then retreated to a table with Doug to update our checklist.

In the middle of all of this, Doug won one of the day's door prizes, which turned out to be an Eagles Super Bowl canvas print.  He was thrilled to win, but slightly disappointed the prize wasn't baseball related as neither of us are big football fans.

The Card / Indians Team Set
Given his status as a veteran pitcher, there isn't much room on the back of his card for anything other than statistics.  At first glance, I thought the shirt worn by the cartoon version of Bell said "Muscle," but I quickly realized it actually said "Mobile," the team Bell pitched for in 1957.

1965 Season
No Indians pitcher appeared in more games than Bell, who entered 60 games, all in relief, and threw 103 2/3 innings.  Bell saved 16 games as the team's closer, and he was 6-5 overall with a 3.04 ERA.  He hit his first and last career home run on May 23rd off the Red Sox' Jim Lonborg (#573).

1959 Topps #327

1962 Topps #273

1966 Topps #525

1968 Topps #43

1969 Topps #377

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1959 Topps #327
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1959-1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1989 Pacific Legends II #213

62 - Bell non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/11/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #423 Jesse Gonder - New York Mets

Next Card:  #425 Wayne Causey - Kansas City Athletics

#423 Jesse Gonder - New York Mets

Jesse Lemar Gonder
New York Mets
Catcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  180
Born:  January 20, 1936, Monticello, AR
Signed:  Signed by the Cincinnati Redlegs as an amateur free agent before 1955 season
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1960-1961; Cincinnati Reds 1962-1963; New York Mets 1963-1965; Milwaukee Braves 1965; Pittsburgh Pirates 1966-1967
Died:  November 14, 2004, Oakland, CA (age 68)

Originally drafted by the Reds, Jesse Gonder began his big league career with the Yankees after a March 1960 trade sent him to the Bronx.  He'd appear in 22 games for the Yankees in 1960 and 1961 before being traded back to Cincinnati in December 1961.  In 1962, Gonder would enjoy the best season of his professional career, as a member of the Triple-A San Diego Padres, then the Reds' top farm team.  He led the Pacific Coast League in batting (.342) and RBIs (116) and was named the league's most valuable player.  He'd spend the next four seasons exclusively in the majors, serving as a back-up catcher and pinch-hitter for the Mets, Braves and Pirates.  Gonder appeared in a career-high 131 games in 1964 for the Mets, starting 82 games behind the plate and entering 47 games as a pinch-hitter.  He hit .270 that season, reaching major league career high totals with seven home runs and 35 RBIs.

Gonder last appeared in the majors in 1967 with the Pirates, but he'd play two more seasons after that in the Braves, Angels and Giants organizations before retiring.  In 1969, he made the opening day roster of the expansion Padres, but was released by the club before appearing in a game.  In 395 games, Gonder batted .251 with 26 home runs and 94 RBIs.

Building the Set
December 4, 2021 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards, Babylon, NY) - Card #437
You'll be seeing this particular passage on my 1965 Topps blog for quite some time as we added a whopping 97 cards to our set during the December Philadelphia Sports Collectors Show.  If I'm ambitious and compose posts for five cards a week, I should be completely caught up by the end of May.  If I'm not as ambitious, I might still be going through this stack by the time we hit July.  Either way, I'll enjoy the process and I'm looking forward to taking my time.  I've posted a complete summary of this fantastic show over at The Phillies Room.

After securing Doug's Jim Thome autograph, I returned to Uncle Dick's and their neon green shirts, pulled up a chair, and settled in.  Over the course of 45 minutes or so, I found 79 cards needed for our set, including this Gonder card which was a little under $4 after the dealer discount.  I was surrounded by six or seven other seated collectors, all who looked similar to me, with a touch of gray, focused on their individual quests.  I wiped out Uncle Dick's two 1965 Topps commons binders, paid for my haul and then retreated to a table with Doug to update our checklist.

The Card / Mets Team Set
You can barely see the number two in Gonder's uniform #12 on the back of his jersey.  On the back of the card, his fantastic season in 1962 is justifiably highlighted with a cartoon.  It's mentioned he had served as a back-up to both Elston Howard (#450) with the Yankees and Johnny Edwards (#418) with the Reds.  Gonder's weight is shown at 195, which is 15 pounds more than his Baseball Reference weight of 180 and perhaps explains the use by Topps of the adjective "husky" to describe the catcher.

1965 Season
Gonder began the season with the Mets, appearing in 53 games and batting .238.  Only 13 of those 53 appearances were starts as Gonder was mostly used as a pinch-hitter by Mets manager Casey Stengel (#187).  On July 21st, Gonder was dealt to the Braves for Gary Kolb (#287).  He'd serve as a third catcher behind Joe Torre (#200) and Gene Oliver (#106), while making 21 pinch-hitting appearances in 31 games.  In total, Gonder batted .209 for the season with five home runs and 14 RBIs.  Left unprotected by the Braves following the season, he was drafted by the Pirates on November 29th in the annual rule 5 draft.

1963 Topps #29

1964 Topps #457

1966 Topps #528

1967 Topps #301

1969 Topps #617

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #29
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1963-1967, 1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #238

44 - Gonder non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/10/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #422 Aubrey Gatewood - Los Angeles Angels

Next Card:  #424 Gary Bell - Cleveland Indians