#530 Jim Maloney - Cincinnati Reds

James William Maloney
Cincinnati Reds
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  190
Born:  June 2, 1940, Fresno, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent, April 1, 1959
Major League Teams:  Cincinnati Reds 1960-1970; California Angels 1971

All but one season of Jim Maloney's 12-year major league career was spent pitching for the Reds, where he was a 20-game winner twice and the owner of two no-hitters thrown in 1965 and 1969.  After three unspectacular seasons as a swingman on the Reds' pitching staff, Maloney joined the starting rotation for good in 1963, going 23-7 with a 2.77 ERA in 250 1/3 innings pitched and striking out a career-high 265.  It was the first of four consecutive seasons (and five overall) in which he'd cross the 200 innings pitched threshold.  Maloney came down to earth somewhat in 1964, winning only 15 games, but then he enjoyed another 20-win season in 1965 while being named to the National League All-Star team.  On June 14, 1965 against the Mets, Maloney threw ten hitless inning but allowed a home run to Johnny Lewis (#277) to lead off the 11th.  The Reds lost the game, 1-0.

He was credited with an actual no-hitter on August 19, 1965 against the Cubs, which also went ten innings.  Maloney gave up ten walks and hit a batter in the game, throwing 187 total pitches.  His second no-hitter came on April 30, 1969 against the Astros, with the Astros' Don Wilson no-hitting the Reds on the following night.  A ruptured Achilles tendon shortened Maloney's career, and he'd pitch briefly for the Angels in 1971 in his final big league action.  Maloney earned a lifetime record of 134-84 with a 3.19 ERA in 302 games pitched, accumulating 1,605 strikeouts.  He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1973.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #528

This is the 44th 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.  Having wandered aimlessly among the dealer tables looking for binders with vintage commons, I decided to check to see if Uncle Dick's had refreshed their inventory following the December show, during which I had wiped out both their 1965 Topps binders.  Much to my pleasant surprise, they had.  This Maloney card was $8 and was one of 49 commons and semi-stars purchased in my triumphant return to Uncle Dick's and his replenished neon green binders.

Depending on my ability to compose five posts a week on the cards acquired at this show, I should be completely caught up on this blog by mid-October.  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 / Reds Team Set
That looks to be a spring training ballpark in the photo?  I've mentioned this before, but I wish I had more knowledge of historic ballparks from the 1950s and 1960s in order to better identify some of the stadiums featured on these cards.  The back of the card mentions his single-season franchise strikeout record of 265 in 1964, which was broken in 1982 when Mario Soto struck out 274.

Maloney's final Topps flagship appearance comes in the 1972 set and features him with the Cardinals.  He had signed with St. Louis on January 4, 1972, but was released on April 9, 1972, having never appeared in a game for the club.

1965 Season
As mentioned above, this was one of Maloney's best seasons and he was 20-9 with a 2.54 ERA in 33 starts.  As arguably the team's MVP, he threw one unofficial no-hitter and one official no-hitter.  He was hit hard in the All-Star Game, relieving Juan Marichal (#50) in the fourth inning and allowing five runs on five hits and two walks.  He surrendered home runs to Dick McAuliffe (#53) and Harmon Killebrew (#400).

1961 Topps #436

1963 Topps #444

1964 Topps #420

1969 Topps #362

1972 Topps #645

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1961 Topps #436
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1961, 1963-1972
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2001 Topps Archives #130

102 - Maloney non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 6/21/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #529 Jerry Fosnow - Minnesota Twins

Next Card:  #531 Chuck Hiller - San Francisco Giants

#529 Jerry Fosnow - Minnesota Twins

Gerald Eugene Fosnow
Minnesota Twins
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  195
Born:  September 21, 1940, Deshler, OH
Signed:  Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before 1959 season
Major League Teams:  Minnesota Twins 1964-1965

Jerry Fosnow originally signed with the Indians and was unceremoniously released by the club after pitching three seasons in their minor league system.  He signed with the Twins in 1962, vowing to make the majors and prove the Indians wrong.  Fosnow spent all of 1962 and 1963 in the Twins' minor league system, but earned a promotion in late June 1964.  He appeared in seven games out of the Twins' bullpen, allowing 13 runs in 10 2/3 innings for a 10.97 ERA.  He fared better in 1965, making the club out of spring training and earning the win in the 1965 season opener against the Yankees after pitching two innings of scoreless relief.  Fosnow appeared in 29 games for the Twins, all in relief, and was sent back down to the minor leagues in July.  Suffering from an apparent arm injury, he'd struggle the rest of the season with the Twins' top farm team in Denver, and he wouldn't be recalled by the club for the stretch run.  Having won the American League pennant, the Twins would go on to lose the 1965 World Series to the Dodgers in seven games.

Fosnow pitched in the minor league systems of the Twins and Dodgers through the 1967 season.  In 36 total big league games, he was 3-4 with a 5.65 ERA over 57 1/3 innings pitched.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #527

This is the 43rd 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.  Having wandered aimlessly among the dealer tables looking for binders with vintage commons, I decided to check to see if Uncle Dick's had refreshed their inventory following the December show, during which I had wiped out both their 1965 Topps binders.  Much to my pleasant surprise, they had.  This Fosnow card was a surprising $6 and was one of 49 commons and semi-stars purchased in my triumphant return to Uncle Dick's and his replenished neon green binders.

Depending on my ability to compose five posts a week on the cards acquired at this show, I should be completely caught up on this blog by mid-October.  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 / Twins Team Set
This is it for Fosnow - his first and last mainstream baseball card.  He signed reprints of this card for inclusion in the 2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs insert set.  The cartoon on the back highlights a no-hitter he threw while a member of the Selma Cloverleafs in the Class D Alabama-Florida League in 1959.

1965 Season
Dealing with an arm injury, Fosnow appeared in 29 games for the Twins before his demotion in July.  He was 3-3 with a 4.44 ERA over 46 2/3 innings pitched.  In his last major league game on July 16th, he allowed three runs on two hits and three walks as the Twins were blown out by the Athletics, 10-2.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #529
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  1965
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-JF

3 - Fosnow non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 6/20/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #528 George Altman - Chicago Cubs

Next Card:  #530 Jim Maloney - Cincinnati Reds

#527 Jeff Torborg - Los Angeles Dodgers

Jeffrey Allen Torborg
Los Angeles Dodgers
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  195
Born:  November 26, 1941, Plainfield, NJ
Signed:  Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1963 season
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1964-1970; California Angels 1971-1973
As a Manager:  Cleveland Indians 1977-1979; Chicago White Sox 1989-1991; New York Mets 1992-1993; Montreal Expos 2001; Florida Marlins 2002-2003

A light-hitting back-up catcher, Jeff Torborg spent a decade as a player in the majors and another 11 years as a big league manager, winning American League Manager of the Year honors in 1990.  Torborg came up with the Dodgers in 1964, and he'd remain with the club through the 1970 season as the back-up for John Roseboro (#405) and later Tom Haller (#465).  He was behind the plate for Sandy Koufax's (#300) perfect game on September 9, 1965, and he'd later catch Bill Singer's no-hitter on July 20, 1970 and Nolan Ryan's first no-hitter on May 15, 1973.  He was a career .214 hitter with eight home runs and 101 RBIs, and never appeared in more than 100 games a season until his final year in the majors with the Angels in 1973.

Torborg retired as a player, coaching (1975-1977) and then managing the Indians (1977-1979).  He served as a long-time coach with the Yankees (1980-1988) and took over as manager for the White Sox in 1989.  Torborg won Manager of the Year honors in 1990 after guiding the team to a 94-win season.  He'd later manage the Mets, Expos and Marlins, but never finished above fourth place with any of those clubs.  His lifetime managerial record was 634-718.  When not managing, Torborg worked in the broadcast booth for CBS, Fox and FSN South through the mid-2000s.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #526

This is the 42nd 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.  Having wandered aimlessly among the dealer tables looking for binders with vintage commons, I decided to check to see if Uncle Dick's had refreshed their inventory following the December show, during which I had wiped out both their 1965 Topps binders.  Much to my pleasant surprise, they had.  This Torborg card was $8 and was one of 49 commons and semi-stars purchased in my triumphant return to Uncle Dick's and his replenished neon green binders.

Depending on my ability to compose five posts a week on the cards acquired at this show, I should be completely caught up on this blog by mid-October.  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 / Dodgers Team Set
Torborg's rookie card can be found in the 1964 Topps set, as he shares a Rookie Stars card with outfielder Al Ferrara (#331).  This is his first solo Topps card.  The back of the card explains who Torborg is for those baseball and Dodgers fans who didn't realize he was on the team's roster the entire 1964 season.  Roseboro started 116 games at catcher for the Dodgers in 1964, with Doug Camilli (#77) starting 36 and Torborg starting 12.  The cartoon celebrates his successful collegiate career, as Torborg batted .537 for Rutgers University in 1963, and had his #10 retired by the college in 1992.

1965 Season
Torborg made his debut with the Dodgers on May 10, 1964, and never returned to the minor leagues.  With the Dodgers in 1965, he appeared in 56 games, making 42 starts behind the plate, and batting .240 for the National League pennant winners.  The Dodgers defeated the Twins in seven games to win the World Championship, with Roseboro catching every inning of every game.

1964 Topps #337

1973 Topps #154

1978 Topps #351

1990 Topps #21

2003 Topps #273

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #337
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (19):  1964-1973, 1978-1979, 1989-1993, 2002-2003
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2004 Fleer Greats of the Game #73

72 - Torborg non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 6/20/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #526 Athletics Rookie Stars

Next Card:  #528 George Altman - Chicago Cubs

#516 Al Weis - Chicago White Sox

Albert John Weis
Chicago White Sox
Second Base

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  160
Born:  April 2, 1938, Franklin Square, NY
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent before 1959 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago White Sox 1962-1967; New York Mets 1968-1971

Al Weis was a successful middle infielder in the majors for ten seasons, starting his career with the White Sox and winning a World Series ring with the Mets in 1969.  Weis saw regular playing time at second base for the White Sox in 1964, taking over that position following the trade of Nellie Fox (#485) to the Colt .45s.  Weis appeared in a career-high 133 games, batting .247 with 22 stolen bases, the second most in the league behind Luis Aparicio (#410).  He returned to a bench role in 1965 and 1966, providing steady defense whenever Don Buford (#81) wasn't starting.  Weis hit a career low .155 in 1966 over 129 games.  The following year, his season was prematurely ended on June 27, 1967 when Frank Robinson (#120) broke his leg when sliding into second base to break up a double play.

Weis was traded to the Mets following the 1967 season, and he'd be used by manager Gil Hodges (#99) mostly as a late inning defensive replacement.  Before the Amazin' 1969 season, his most memorable moment with the club was allowing a ground ball to go through his legs in the 24th inning of his Mets debut on April 15, 1968.  The Astros won the contest 1-0 as a result of Weis' error.  Not known for having much power, Weis hit a solo home off Orioles pitcher Dave McNally (#249) in the bottom of the seventh inning during Game 5 of the 1969 World Series.  The home run tied the game 3-3, and the Mets would go on to win the game and the series.  Weis was a career .219 hitter over 800 big league games and he retired from baseball after being released by the Mets on July 1, 1971.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #525

This is the 41st 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.  Having wandered aimlessly among the dealer tables looking for binders with vintage commons, I decided to check to see if Uncle Dick's had refreshed their inventory following the December show, during which I had wiped out both their 1965 Topps binders.  Much to my pleasant surprise, they had.  This Weis card was $4 and was one of 49 commons purchased in my triumphant return to Uncle Dick's and his replenished neon green binders.

Depending on my ability to compose five posts a week on the cards acquired at this show, I should be completely caught up on this blog by mid-October.  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 / White Sox Team Set
This is a classic, archetypal baseball card - posed shot showing the player batting, blue skies in the background, some trees for good measure and the wonderful color combinations found throughout the 1965 Topps set.  I'm assuming the photo used for Weis' 1966 Topps card was taken during the same session.  The back of the card highlights his speed, defensive skills and switch-hitting abilities.  Weis gave up switch-hitting during the 1968 season, batting exclusively right-handed for the remainder of his career. He batted .206 over his career as a left-handed batter and .229 as a right-handed batter.

Weis' rookie card is one of the most expensive cards to be found in the 1963 Topps set.

1965 Season
Weis played in 103 games, making 34 starts at second base, two starts in center field and one start at shortstop.  He batted a career-high .296 (40 for 135) and his lone home run came on May 7th off the Twins' Dick Stigman (#548).

1963 Topps #537

1964 Topps #168

1966 Topps #66

1970 Topps #498

1971 Topps #751

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #537
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1963-1971
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2018 Topps Heritage Miracle of '69 #MO69-AW

57 - Weis non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 6/7/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #515 Vern Law - Pittsburgh Pirates

Next Card:  #517 Angels Rookie Stars

#511 Ron Locke - New York Mets

Ronald Thomas Locke
New York Mets
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  168
Born:  April 4, 1942, Wakefield, RI
Signed:  Signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent before 1963 season
Major League Teams:  New York Mets 1964

Ron Locked pitched professionally for eight seasons, appearing in 25 games for the Mets in 1964 in his lone stint in the majors.  He made three starts to go along with 22 relief appearances, going 1-2 overall with a 3.48 ERA in 41 1/3 innings pitched.  Locke's longest big league outing came on August 2, 1964 against the Colt .45s, when he pitched seven innings giving up a pair of runs on five hits to earn his first and only big league win.  He pitched in the minor league systems of the Mets, Phillies, Reds and Braves through the 1970 season before retiring from baseball.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #524

This is the 40th 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.  Having wandered aimlessly among the dealer tables looking for binders with vintage commons, I decided to check to see if Uncle Dick's had refreshed their inventory following the December show, during which I had wiped out both their 1965 Topps binders.  Much to my pleasant surprise, they had.  This Locke card was $4 and was one of 49 commons purchased in my triumphant return to Uncle Dick's and his replenished neon green binders.

1964 Topps #556

Depending on my ability to compose five posts a week on the cards acquired at this show, I should be completely caught up on this blog by mid-October.  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 / Mets Team Set
Locke's rookie card appears as a high number in the 1964 Topps set, and he shares a Rookie Stars card with fellow Mets pitching prospect Steve Dillon.  This is Locke's first and last solo mainstream baseball card, and the 1964 New York World's Fair patch is front and center on his sleeve.  The cartoon on the back of the card shows Locke in his offseason shipyard activity, which has to be a first on a Topps baseball card.  His minor league success and his lone win against Houston in 1964 are also highlighted.

1965 Season
Despite having some success in the majors in 1964, Locke spent all of 1965 in the minor leagues.  Between Double-A Williamsport and Triple-A Buffalo, he was 10-9 with a 3.07 ERA in 26 games, including 24 starts.  Locke threw six complete games with Williamsport, including two shutouts.

Phillies Connection
His Baseball Reference statistics show Locke as having pitched nine games for the Macon Peaches in 1966, then the Phillies Double-A affiliate in the Southern League, managed by former catcher Andy Seminick.  Locke was 6-3 with a 2.25 ERA for the Peaches and he'd find his way back to the Mets organization for the 1967 season.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #556
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1964-1965
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #511

4 - Locke non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/29/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #510 Ernie Banks - Chicago Cubs

Next Card:  #512 Cap Peterson - San Francisco Giants

#508 7th Series Checklist 507-598

It's the Sunday before Memorial Day as I compose this post, which is set to be published at some point in July.  We're eight cards away from completing our 1965 Topps set.  Three of the cards needed aren't much of a surprise - Sandy Koufax (#300), Mickey Mantle (#350) and the Tony Perez rookie card (#581).  If I had to guess, I'd say the Mantle card will be the final card added.  Three more of the cards needed are also stars, but not as pricey as the first three - Orlando Cepeda (#360), Willie Stargell (#377) and Carl Yastrzemski (#385).  The last two cards needed are the Yankees team card (#513) and the lone common that has eluded us - Reds' first baseman Gordy Coleman (#289).

We started collecting this set pre-pandemic, pre-War in Ukraine and pre-Joe Biden's presidency.  To say the last three years have been eventful would be a gross understatement.  Collecting this set, and composing these posts - sometimes in bursts, sometimes only one or two every other week - has provided a much-needed escape from the real world, a respite in our troubled times.  This blog is finite and will end once I publish a post for the 598th card added, again most likely the Mantle card.  I've already decided which set we'll be collecting next, and I'd expect to officially launch a companion blog for that set at some point later in 2022 or early in 2023.

April 24, 2022

We're near the end of another school year and my wife Jenna, a dedicated and non-stop hard working third grade teacher, is looking forward to the upcoming summer break.  Doug will continue to play baseball throughout the summer, with an eye towards making his high school's Varsity team in the spring.  With his hard work and positive attitude, I like his chances of making the team as a sophomore.  Ben will keep up his tennis and piano lessons, while his amazing imagination will not be taking any time off any time soon.  Inconceivably, he'll start seventh grade in the fall.  There will be trips this summer, some which have been delayed since the summer of 2020, we'll spend time at the shore and we'll share a lot of laughs.  I'm grateful for my family, our health and the fact I can escape for a few hours at a time and write about old baseball cards.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #523

This is the 39th 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.  Having wandered aimlessly among the dealer tables looking for binders with vintage commons, I decided to check to see if Uncle Dick's had refreshed their inventory following the December show, during which I had wiped out both their 1965 Topps binders.  Much to my pleasant surprise, they had.  This checklist, the final checklist needed for our set, was $8 and was one of 49 commons purchased in my triumphant return to Uncle Dick's and his replenished neon green binders.

The Card / Checklists
As mentioned above, we have every card on this checklist except for the Yankees team card and "N.L. Rookie Stars" card which happens to feature future Hall of Famer Perez.  There are two variations for this checklist card, one featuring large print on front and the other with small print on front.  The easiest way to tell the difference between the two variations is that the small print version, the version we have for our set, features more yellow space below Athletics Rookies and Indians Rookies.  The large print version has noticeably less space.

Previous Card:  #507 Sammy Ellis - Cincinnati Reds

Next Card:  #509 Red Sox Rookie Stars

#507 Sammy Ellis - Cincinnati Reds

Samuel Joseph Ellis
Cincinnati Reds
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  175
Born:  February 11, 1941, Youngstown, OH
Signed:  Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent before 1961 season
Major League Teams:  Cincinnati Reds 1962, 1964-1967; California Angels 1968; Chicago White Sox 1969
Died:  May 13, 2016, Temple Terrace, FL (age 75)

Sammy Ellis pitched in parts of seven big league seasons, reaching the pinnacle of his career in 1965 when he made the National League All-Star team and won 22 games.  The Reds' top reliever in 1964, Ellis made 52 appearances out of the bullpen and had a 2.57 ERA over 122 1/3 innings pitched as the team's closer.  He saved a career-high 14 games for a Reds team that would eventually finish as a runner-up to the Cardinals for the league pennant.  Converted to a starting pitcher for the 1965 season, Ellis went 22-10 with a 3.79 ERA in 44 games, including 39 starts.  Perhaps due to his unrelenting workload, he'd develop arm problems shortly thereafter, and was never the same pitcher again.  Ellis continued to pitch through the 1971 season, last appearing for the Athletics' Double-A team in Birmingham.  He retired with a 63-58 record and a 4.15 career ERA, with 677 strikeouts.

In the mid 1970s, Ellis began his second career as a minor and major league pitching coach.  He served on the big league staffs of the Yankees (1982-1986), Cubs (1989-1992), Mariners (1993-1994), Red Sox (1996) and Orioles (2000).

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #522

This is the 38th 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.  Having wandered aimlessly among the dealer tables looking for binders with vintage commons, I decided to check to see if Uncle Dick's had refreshed their inventory following the December show, during which I had wiped out both their 1965 Topps binders.  Much to my pleasant surprise, they had.  This Ellis card was $4 and was one of 49 commons purchased in my triumphant return to Uncle Dick's and his replenished neon green binders.

Depending on my ability to compose five posts a week on the cards acquired at this show, I should be completely caught up on this blog by mid-October.  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 / Reds Team Set
Having appeared on multi-player Rookie Stars cards in the 1963 and 1964 Topps sets, this is Ellis' first solo Topps baseball card.  Wearing uniform #32 throughout his major league career, you can see the #2 peaking through on Ellis' back here.  The back of the card celebrates his successful 1964 campaign as one of the Reds' top relievers.

1965 Season
This was Ellis' big year in the majors, and he and Jim Maloney (#530) were both 20-game winners for the Reds.  He threw 15 complete games, with two shutouts and saved a pair of games for good measure.  He led the league in home runs allowed (35) and earned runs (111) while throwing an impressive 263 2/3 innings.  Ellis threw 14 innings in a game on June 29th, with his team ultimately losing to the Pirates, 2-1, in 16 innings.

1963 Topps #29

1964 Topps #33

1966 Topps #250

1967 Topps #176

1969 Topps #32

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #29
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1963-1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #293

50 - Ellis non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/28/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #506 Sam Mele MG - Minnesota Twins

Next Card:  #508 7th Series Checklist 507-598

#502 Don Cardwell - Pittsburgh Pirates

Donald Eugene Cardwell
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  195
Born:  December 7, 1935, Winston-Salem, NC
Signed:  Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent before 1954 season
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 1957-1960; Chicago Cubs 1960-1962; Pittsburgh Pirates 1963-1966; New York Mets 1967-1970; Atlanta Braves 1970
Died:  January 14, 2008, Winston-Salem, NC (age 72)

Don Cardwell was a starting pitcher for most of his 14 years in the majors, winning at least 13 games in three different seasons and earning a World Series ring with the 1969 Amazin' Mets.  Cardwell was signed by the Phillies and struggled somewhat during his first three seasons in the majors.  Dealt to the Cubs on May 13, 1960, Cardwell threw a no-hitter in his first start for his new team becoming the first player to accomplish that feat.  He led the league with 38 starts in 1961, and threw a career-high 259 1/3 innings while winning a career-high 15 games.  Cardwell crossed the 200-inning plateau in four different seasons.  Effectively wild, he led the league in hit batters twice, in 1963 and 1965.  As a member of the Mets pitching staff in 1969, he went 8-10 with a 3.01 ERA in 30 appearances, throwing a shutout inning in Game 1 of the World Series against the Orioles.

Cardwell retired in 1970 with a career record of 102-138 in 410 games pitched.  He recorded 1,211 career strikeouts over 2,123 innings pitched.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #521

This is the 37th 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.  Having wandered aimlessly among the dealer tables looking for binders with vintage commons, I decided to check to see if Uncle Dick's had refreshed their inventory following the December show, during which I had wiped out both their 1965 Topps binders.  Much to my pleasant surprise, they had.  This Cardwell card was $4 and was one of 49 commons purchased in my triumphant return to Uncle Dick's and his replenished neon green binders.

Depending on my ability to compose five posts a week on the cards acquired at this show, I should be completely caught up on this blog by mid-October.  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
The creator of this particular card should have nudged the photo of Cardwell over the right a half-inch as he's leaning a little to the left here.  The back of the card highlights his no-hitter for the Cubs, in his first start with the club.  It came in the second game of a double header on May 15, 1960 against the Cardinals in a day game at Wrigley Field.  Cardwell walked the second Cardinals batter of the game, Alex Grammas, ruining the perfect game bid.  He'd retire the next 26 batters in order, striking out seven in the process.  Richie Ashburn contributed an RBI-double and Ernie Banks (#510) contributed a two-run home run in the 4-0 win.

1965 Season
Cardwell was in the Pirates starting pitching rotation all season, making 34 starts and going 13-10 overall with a 3.18 ERA in his first winning season.  He was one of four starters used regularly by the third place Pirates along with Bob Veale (#195), Bob Friend (#392) and Vern Law (#515).  Cardwell threw 12 complete games and two shutouts, and his 240 1/3 innings pitched were second most for his career.

Phillies Career
Cardwell made his big league debut with the Phillies on April 21, 1957, pitching the final three innings of an 8-5 win over the Giants at the Polo Grounds, and saving the game for starter Jack Sanford (#228).  He'd be used primarily as a starter for the Phillies, and his best season with the club came in 1959 when he was 9-10 with a 4.06 ERA in 25 games, including 22 starts.  Cardwell began the 1960 season with the Phillies, but was dealt to the Cubs in mid-May with first baseman Ed Bouchee for infielder Tony Taylor (#296) and catcher Cal Neeman.  He'd throw his no-hitter in his first start with the Cubs, but I'd say the Phillies eventually won the trade given the Wall of Fame career of Taylor, and his role as an ambassador for the club until his passing in 2020.

1957 Topps #374

1959 Topps #314

1961 Topps #564

1967 Topps #555

1970 Topps #83

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1957 Topps #374
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (14):  1957-1970
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1990 Swell Baseball Greats #72

65 - Cardwell non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/28/22.

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

Wikipedia

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