#232 Steve Blass - Pittsburgh Pirates

Stephen Robert Blass
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  165
Born:  April 18, 1942, Canaan, CT
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1964, 1966-1974

In his 10 seasons pitching with the Pirates, Steve Blass helped the club reach the postseason in 1971 and 1972, and his complete game victory over the Orioles in Game 7 secured the 1971 World Series Championship.  Blass won at least 10 games in six different seasons.  He was 18-6 with a 2.12 ERA in 1968 and he struck out a career-high 147 batters in 1969.  Blass threw a league-leading five shutouts in 1971, and he'd throw two complete game victories in that year's World Series.  His finest season came in 1972 when he was named to the All-Star team and was 19-8 with a 2.49 ERA in a career-high 249 2/3 innings pitched.  He turned in two more stellar performances in the 1972 NLCS, allowing just three earned runs in 15 2/3 innings, but the Reds prevailed in five games.

In 1973, Blass inexplicably lost complete command of his pitches.  He made 23 appearances for the Pirates, walking 84 and hitting 12 batters in 88 2/3 innings.  After a year in the minors, he retired as a player and he'd begin his lengthy career as a Pirates broadcaster in 1983.  Blass worked in the Pirates broadcast booth until retiring in 2019, and he was inducted into the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame that same year.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime - Fair Lawn, NJ) - Card #485
This is the first of 102 cards acquired for our set from the Baseball Card Sports Memorabilia Show, affectionately known as The Philly Show, held in the basement of the Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia in early March.  We went nuts and left the show needing only 12 more cards to complete our 1965 Topps set, and I wrote about the show in detail over at The Phillies Room.  This Blass card was a little over $4 and was one of 13 cards purchased from the dealer America's Pastime from Fair Lawn, New Jersey.

Depending on my ability to compose five posts a week on the cards acquired at this show, I should be completely caught up by mid-October.  So get used to seeing this passage on the blog!  It's entirely feasible we complete our 1965 Topps set by the end of 2022, although nine of the remaining 12 cards needed are fairly expensive.

The Card / Pirates Team Set
This is Blass' rookie card and Topps was banking on the young pitcher spending the season in the Pirates' rotation.  His first big league shutout came on June 9, 1964 against the Phillies.  Blass held the Phillies to four hits while striking out seven.  First baseman John Herrnstein (#534) struck out three times against Blass.

1965 Season
Blass appeared in 24 games for the Pirates in 1964, but he'd spend the entire 1965 season in the minors pitching for the Triple-A Columbus Jets.  With the Jets, he was 13-11 with a 3.07 ERA in 28 games, making 25 starts.  Blass led the team in wins, complete games (7), shutouts (4) and strikeouts (117), but he wouldn't earn a promotion back to the Pirates until the start of the 1966 season.

1966 Topps #344

1968 Topps #499

1971 Topps #143

1972 Topps #229

1974 Topps #595

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #232
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1965-1974
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2021 Topps Archives Fan Favorites Autographs #FFA-SB

69 - Blass non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/1/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #231 Jerry Adair - Baltimore Orioles

Next Card:  #233 Don Zimmer - Washington Senators

#250 Willie Mays - San Francisco Giants

Willie Howard Mays
San Francisco Giants
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  170
Born:  May 6, 1931, Westfield, AL
Signed:  Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent, June 20, 1950
Major League Teams:  New York Giants 1951-1952, 1954-1957; San Francisco Giants 1958-1972; New York Mets 1972-1973
Hall of Fame Induction:  1979

In many ways, these posts covering the cards of well-known Hall of Famers are much harder to compose than the posts for the cards of short-time, little known players.  What could I possibly write here about Willie Mays, the "Say Hey Kid," that hasn't already been written or that properly pays tribute to one of the greatest baseball players of all time?

The first line of Mays' Hall of Fame plaque sums up his career fairly well:  "One of baseball's most colorful and exciting stars, excelled in all phases of the game."  Mays was the 1951 Rookie of the Year, the National League's MVP in 1954 and 1965, a 24-time All-Star (a record), a 12-time Gold Glove winner, and the batting champ in 1954, the same season he led the Giants to their first World Series title since 1933.  His Baseball Reference WAR of 156.2 is third all-time for position players behind his godson Barry Bonds and Babe Ruth.  Upon his retirement, he ranked third all-time in home runs (660), runs (2,062) and total bases (6,066).  Mays' #24 was retired by the Giants in 1972, and the World Series MVP trophy was renamed for him in 2017.

He played the game with joyful abandon, and I would have loved to have seen him play live.

Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1956 Topps blog.

Building the SetDecember 25, 2021 from Lake Havasu City, AZ - Card #484

Acquired from Kyle's Sports Cards from Lake Havasu City, Arizona in early December, Doug's "big" baseball card Christmas present from Santa was this Mays card.  While he was way more into the PS5 found under the Christmas tree, I like the idea of continuing the tradition started by my Dad and then continued by my Mom of Santa bringing one blockbuster card each Christmas.  Last year it was the Steve Carlton (#477) rookie card, and this year it was the arguably the second or third priciest card needed for our set behind Sandy Koufax (#300) and well behind the Mickey Mantle (#350) card.  To Doug's credit, he of course realize this was an expensive card and I'm proud of him for knowing how important Mays was to the game.

With everyone vaccinated and the pandemic hopefully in our rear-view mirror, this past Christmas was marked by a return to large family gatherings, a ton of food and a lot of laughs.  I wrote about my Mom's baseball-related gifts to me over at The Phillies Room.

1975 Topps #203

1982 Topps Kmart 20th Anniversary #8

1997 Topps Willie Mays Reprints #19

1997 Topps Willie Mays Finest Reprints #19

2016 Topps Berger's Best #B2-1965

The Card / Giants Team Set
I'd consider this a fairly iconic baseball card and it's been reprinted several times over the years when celebrating Mays' second league MVP win in 1965.  Personally, I first saw the card as part of the 1982 Topps Kmart 20th Anniversary set, and then again a few years later on the MVP subset found within the 1975 Topps set my Dad and I were collecting.  The back of the card contains a brief summary of some of Mays' accolades, and then just lines of glorious statistics. 

1965 Season
Mays had an amazing season, and arguably the best of his career.  In 157 games, he batted .317 with 52 home runs (to lead the league) and 112 RBIs.  He led the National League in on-base percentage (.398), slugging percentage (.645), and OPS (1.043).  Mays led off and played center field for the National League All-Stars, playing the entire game and going 1 for 3 with a lead-off home run and a pair of walks.  He won his ninth Gold Glove in a row.  Mays hit his 500th career home run on September 13th in the Astrodome off Astros' pitcher Don Nottebart (#469), joining a club that consisted of only four other players at the time - Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott and Ted Williams.  Following the season, with the Giants missing the World Series when they finished two games behind the Dodgers, Mays won his second MVP award by besting Dodgers' teammates Koufax and Maury Wills.

1951 Bowman #305

1954 Topps #90

1959 Topps #464

1961 Topps #579

1973 Topps #305

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1951 Bowman #305
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (25):  1952-1975, 1986
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2022 Topps Opening Day Bomb Squad #BS-6

2,256 - Mays non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/12/22.

Sources:  
1956 Topps Blog

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Previous Card:  #249 Dave McNally - Baltimore Orioles

Next Card:  #251 Billy Herman MG - Boston Red Sox

#526 Athletics Rookie Stars - Lachemann / Odom / Lockwood / Hunter

Rene George Lachemann
Kansas City Athletics
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  198
Born:  May 4, 1945, Los Angeles, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Kansas City Athletics as an amateur free agent before 1964 season
Major League Teams:  Kansas City Athletics 1965-1966; Oakland Athletics
As a Manager:  Seattle Mariners 1981-1983; Milwaukee Brewers 1984; Florida Marlins 1993-1996; Chicago Cubs 2002

Claude Edward Lockwood
Kansas City Athletics
Infield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  175
Born:  August 17, 1946, Roslindale, MA
Signed:  Signed by the Kansas City Athletics as an amateur free agent, June 10, 1964
Major League Teams:  Seattle Pilots 1969; Milwaukee Brewers 1970-1973; California Angels 1974; New York Mets 1975-1979; Boston Red Sox 1980

Johnny Lee Odom
Kansas City Athletics
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  178
Born:  May 29, 1945, Macon, GA
Signed:  Signed by the Kansas City Athletics as an amateur free agent, June 1, 1964
Major League Teams:  Kansas City Athletics 1964-1967; Oakland Athletics 1968-1975; Cleveland Indians 1975; Atlanta Braves 1975; Chicago White Sox 1976

James Augustus Hunter
Kansas City Athletics
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  190
Born:  April 8, 1946, Hertford, NC
Signed:  Signed by the Kansas City Athletics as an amateur free agent before, June 8, 1964
Major League Teams:  Kansas City Athletics 1965-1967; Oakland Athletics 1968-1974; New York Yankees 1975-1979
Hall of Fame Induction:  1987
Died:  September 9, 1999, Hertford, NC (age 53)

Rene Lachemann played in only parts of three seasons with the Athletics, but he'd be a part of the game for nearly 50 years as a major league manager and coach.  Lachemann batted .210 in 118 career games with nine home runs.  He began his managerial career in 1973 in the Oakland farm system, and his first shot at managing in the majors came in 1981 with the Mariners.  Lachemann coached with the Red Sox (1985-1986) and Athletics (1987-1992), before being named as the first manager in Marlins franchise history.  He'd later coach with the Cardinals (1997-1999), Cubs (2000-2002), Mariners (2004), Athletics (2005-2007) and Rockies (2013).  Lachemann's career managerial record was 430-561.

Blue Moon Odom spent a dozen years pitching for the Athletics, earning two trips to the All-Star Game and winning three consecutive World Series rings with the team between 1972 and 1974.  Odom's two best seasons came during the franchises's first two years in Oakland.  In 1968, he was 16-10 with a 2.45 ERA and pitched two scoreless innings in the All-Star Game.  In 1969, he was 15-6 with a 2.92 ERA.  Odom was stellar in three postseasons for the Athletics, going 3-1 in 10 games with a 1.13 ERA in 39 2/3 innings pitched.  In his final season, while pitching with the White Sox, Odom threw a combined no-hitter against the Athletics with reliever Francisco Barrios.  Lifetime, Odom was 84-85 with a 3.70 ERA in 295 games pitched.

Originally drafted as an infielder by the Athletics, Skip Lockwood appeared in only 42 games with the club.  He'd return to the big leagues in 1969 with the Pilots, but as a pitcher.  Lockwood pitched in five seasons with the Pilots/Brewers and was a 10-game winner in 1971.  He spent most of his career with the Mets, where he was a 10-game winner for a second time in 1976.  Lockwood was one of the Mets' most heavily used relievers between 1976 and 1978, appearing in at least 56 games in all three seasons and saving a career-high 20 games in 1977.  For his career, Lockwood was 57-97 with a 3.55 ERA.

Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter was one of the most dominant pitchers of his era, winning the Cy Young Award in 1974, earning eight All-Star Game bids and winning a total of five World Series rings with the Athletics and Yankees.  Hunter pitched a perfect game on May 8, 1968, the ninth in baseball history.  He won 20 games or more in five straight seasons, including 25 in his Cy Young winning year of 1974.  He also led the league that season with a 2.49 ERA.  Hunter won 224 games, had a career ERA of 3.26 and tallied 181 complete games with 42 shutouts.  He struck out 2,012 in a career cut short by arm injuries and diabetes.  Hunter was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987 and had his #27 retired by the Athletics in 1991.  He passed away in 1999 after a battle with ALS.

Building the Set
December 4, 2021 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime) - Card #483
After completing my hunt through the 1965 Topps binders at Uncle's Dick spacious set up of tables at The Philly Show, I stretched my legs and updated our checklist.  I've posted a complete summary of this fantastic show over at The Phillies Room.  I had enough of my card show budget remaining to seek out one fairly major purchase, and Doug and I began to make our way through the crowded showroom floor, stopping at tables with 1965 Topps star cards displayed.  We stopped at the table for America's Pastime, and I asked to see two cards - this Hunter rookie card and the Yogi Berra (#470) card.  I made what I considered to be a reasonable offer for the Hunter card, less than the stated sticker price, and the dealer accepted.  

With the Hunter card in hand, along with 96 other new cards for our 1965 Topps set, Doug and I exited the show and began the hour long drive home.  We'd add one more card to our set in 2021, courtesy of Santa on Christmas morning.

The Card / Athletics Team Set
This is the first appearance of all four players on a Topps baseball card.  Topps reused Lachemann's photo for his 1966 Topps card.  Lockwood wouldn't show up again until the 1970 Topps set on a Pilots card, with his position now pitcher instead of infielder.  Topps misidentifies Hunter as "Tim" on the back of the card, and the "NO MINOR LEAGUE RECORD" line is due to Hunter never playing a game in the minor leagues.

1965 Season - Lachemann
This was Lachemann's only full season in the majors, and he served as the back-up to regular catcher Billy Bryan (#51).  Lachemann appeared in 92 games, batting .227 with nine home runs and 29 RBIs.  He made 54 starts behind the plate for an Athletics team that lost 103 games.

1965 Season - Odom
A September call-up, Odom appeared in only one game for the Athletics, on September 22nd.  He pitched one inning against the Senators, allowing a run on a pair of hits and a pair of walks.  With the Class-A Lewiston Broncs, he was 11-14 with a 4.27 ERA in 29 starts.

1966 Topps #157

1968 Topps #422

1983 Topps #336

1985 Topps #628

1993 Topps #505

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Lacheman
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #526
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (8):  1965-1968, 1983-1985, 1993
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2017 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-RL

41 - Lachemann non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/12/22.

Sources - Lachemann:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Odom
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #526
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1965, 1967-1976
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2021 Topps Archives Movie Poster Cards #MPC-10

66 - Odom non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/12/22.

Sources - Odom:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia

1967 Topps #282

1970 Topps #55

1972 Topps #558

1974 Topps #461

1976 Topps #651

1965 Season - Lockwood
As a bonus baby signing, Lockwood was required to spend the entire 1965 season on the Athletics' active roster.  He appeared in 42 games overall, but started only twice at third base.  He was used as pinch-hitter 32 times and as a pinch-runner six times.  Lockwood batted .121 (4 for 33) with nary an extra-base hit.

1965 Season - Hunter
Hunter made his big league debut on May 13, 1965, a month following his 19th birthday.  He was the team's most often used fifth starter, going 8-8 with 32 appearances, including 20 starts.  He struck out 82 in 133 innings pitched.

1970 Topps #499

1972 Topps #118

1976 Topps #166

1979 Topps #481

1981 Topps #233

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Lockwood
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #526
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1965, 1970-1981
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1981 Donruss #217

36 - Lockwood non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/12/22.

Sources - Lockwood:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Hunter
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #526
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (15):  1965-1979
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2021 Topps Heritage 1972 World Series Highlights #72WS-3

678 - Hunter non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/12/22.

Sources - Hunter:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia

1966 Topps #36

1970 Topps #565

1974 Topps #7

1976 Topps #100

1979 Topps #670

Previous Card:  #525 Eddie Bressoud - Boston Red Sox

Next Card:  #527 Jeff Torborg - Los Angeles Dodgers