Showing posts with label 1964. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1964. Show all posts

Monday, December 12, 2022

#289 Gordy Coleman - Cincinnati Reds


Gordon Calvin Coleman
Cincinnati Reds
First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  215
Born:  July 5, 1934, Rockville, MD
Signed:  Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before 1953 season
Major League Teams:  Cleveland Indians 1959; Cincinnati Reds 1960-1967
Died:  March 12, 1994, Cincinnati, OH (age 59)

Gordy Coleman played parts of nine seasons in the majors and was the regular first baseman for the 1961 National League pennant-winning Reds.  Coleman's best year professionally came as a member of the Mobile Bears of the Southern Association, an Indians minor league affiliate, in 1959.  After missing two full seasons due to military service, Coleman returned to baseball in 1959 and won his league's triple crown, batting .353 with 30 home runs and 110 RBIs.  He appeared in only six games for the Indians before he was dealt to the Reds with Billy Martin and Cal McLish for Johnny Temple in December 1959.  Coleman saw regular playing time with the Reds between 1961 and 1963, and his home run in Game 2 of the 1961 World Series against the Yankees helped lead to the only Reds win of the series.

He'd lose playing time to Deron Johnson (#75) and then Tony Perez (#581), last appearing in the majors in 1967.  In 773 big league games, Coleman batted .273 with 98 home runs and 387 RBIs.  Coleman was elected into the Cincinnati Reds hall of Fame in 1972, and he'd work for the team over the next several decades first in their public relations department as director of the speakers bureau, and later as a color commentary on Reds television broadcasts between 1990 and 1994.


Building the Set
December 3, 2022 from The Philly Show (Bob Lennon) - Card #596
This was the second of four final cards acquired for our set at The Philly Show, the Philadelphia Sports Collectors Show, held within the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  We arrived at the show in a steady rain right after doors opened at 9am, secured our autograph tickets and started walking the floor prior to the arrival of most of the crowd.  My goal for the show was simple:  Find the last four cards needed to complete our 1965 Topps set.  I wrote a full summary of the show in this post over at The Phillies Room.

The first two cards needed to complete our set took a while to find, but I eventually added the Orlando Cepeda (#360) card and this Coleman card within the first hour of walking around.  I still have no idea why the Coleman card proved to be so elusive.  I had seen the card at various shows throughout the past few years, but all copies seemed to be banged up with soft corners.  This card is the best version of the card I had come across.  Spying a great looking 1969 Topps Roberto Clemente (#160) card at the same table I found the Coleman card, I swung a deal to add that card as well.  I told the dealer the Clemente card marked our first big purchase for our new 1969 Topps set, which seemed to genuinely make his day.  Two down, two to go.

The Card / Reds Team Set
The back of the card highlights Coleman's big World Series home run.  With the Yankees holding a 1-0 advantage, Game 2 started with three scoreless innings.  Coleman connected for a two-run home run in the fourth off Ralph Terry (#406) with Frank Robinson (#120) scoring ahead of him.  The home run would become somewhat moot a half inning later when Yogi Berra (#470) hit a two-run home run of Reds' pitcher Joey Jay (#174) to tie the score.  A big hit from Johnny Edwards (#418) in the sixth gave the Reds a 3-2 lead and they'd go on to win their only game with the Yankees ultimately winning in five.

This is the last common card to be added to our set and therefore the last common card I'll post about on this blog.  One of the side effects of blogging through 598 cards is I've picked up a lot of baseball knowledge from the mid-1960s I would have otherwise never had.  Guys like Coleman need to be appreciated and remembered, and I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge what an unbelievably important resource the SABR website is.

1965 Season
Coleman was again the Reds' opening day first baseman, and he'd settle into a platoon with the right-handed hitting Perez.  Coleman totaled 87 starts at first base, with Perez making 66 starts.  In 108 total games, Coleman batted .302 with 14 home runs and 57 RBIs.

1960 Topps #257
1961 Topps #194
1962 Topps #508
1964 Topps #577
1967 Topps #61

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #257
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (8):  1960-1967
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1967 Topps #61

49 - Coleman non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/4/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Monday, December 5, 2022

#360 Orlando Cepeda - San Francisco Giants


Orlando Manuel Cepeda
San Francisco Giants
First Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  210
Born:  September 17, 1937, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Signed:  Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before 1955 season
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1958-1966; St. Louis Cardinals 1966-1968; Atlanta Braves 1969-1972; Oakland Athletics 1972; Boston Red Sox 1973; Kansas City Royals 1974
Hall of Fame Induction:  1999

Nicknamed "Cha Cha" and "the Baby Bull," Orlando Cepeda was one of the most feared sluggers of his era, earning a spot on 11 All-Star teams and winning MVP honors in 1967.  At just 20 years old, Cepeda was the opening day first baseman in the Giants' first game in San Francisco in 1958, and his stellar season would lead to unanimous Rookie of the Year honors.  He batted .312 while leading the league with 38 doubles, finishing second on his team behind Willie Mays (#250) with 25 home runs and tying Mays for the team lead with 96 RBIs.  Cepeda would have one of his best seasons in 1961, batting .311 while leading the league with 46 home runs and 142 RBIs - both career bests.  Traded to the Cardinals in May 1966 for pitcher Ray Sadecki (#230), Cepeda proved to be a catalyst for St. Louis, leading them to a World Championship in 1967.  He was the unanimous choice for the league's MVP.

Dealt again, this time to Braves before the start of the 1969 season, Cepeda helped lead Atlanta to the first N.L. West division title.  He moved to the American League for the 1973 season, winning the first Outstanding Designated Hitter Award with the Red Sox.  He retired with 2,351 hits, a lifetime .297 batting average, 379 home runs and 1,365 RBIs.  Personal problems kept him away from the game for a bit, but he'd come back to the Giants as a scout and team ambassador in 1987.  Cepeda was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999 by the Veterans Committee, with the Giants retiring his #30 that same year.

Building the Set

December 3, 2022 from The Philly Show (Oldfootball.com - Mercersburg, PA) - Card #595
This was the first of four final cards acquired for our set at The Philly Show, the Philadelphia Sports Collectors Show, held within the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  We arrived at the show in a steady rain right after doors opened at 9am, secured our autograph tickets and started walking the floor prior to the arrival of most of the crowd.  My goal for the show was simple:  Find the last four cards needed to complete our 1965 Topps set.  I wrote a full summary of the show in this post over at The Phillies Room.

The first two cards needed to complete our set took a while to find, but I eventually added this Cepeda card and the Gordy Coleman (#289) card within the first hour of walking around.  Cepeda was found in box of commons and semi-stars at the table hosted by A.J. Firestone of oldfootball.com, from Mercersburg.  I didn't balk at the $12 price tag, gladly paying the price and getting the Cepeda back from the dealer in a sandwich bag.  One down, three to go.

The Card / Giants Team Set
Cepeda first appeared in the set on the Home Run Leaders card (#4) with teammates Mays and Jim Ray Hart (#395).  The back of the card highlights his Rookie of the Year win in 1958, even though the cartoon shows him receiving an MVP award.  His average of .304 was indeed tops on the Giants in 1964, with Mays behind him at .296.  Mays was second in doubles as well with 21 to Cepeda's 27.  The card is reprinted, albeit in a stylized painted format, in the 2001 Topps Gallery Heritage insert set.

1965 Season
Chronic knee problems plagued Cepeda throughout his career, and in 1965 he was limited to just 33 games throughout the season.  He appeared in seven games through early May, mainly as a pinch-hitter, before landing on the disabled list.  Returning in mid-August, Cepeda was again used almost exclusively as a pinch-hitter, making five starts all season.  He batted .176 with a home run and five RBIs in the worst season of his big league career.  Cepeda had offseason knee surgery, making a successful comeback in 1966.

1958 Topps #343
1961 Topps #435
1964 Topps #390
1967 Topps #20
1974 Topps #83

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1958 Topps #343
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (18):  1958-1975
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2022 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-OC

1,075 - Cepeda non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/3/22.

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

Monday, November 14, 2022

#513 New York Yankees Team Card


Beginning in 1956 and going all the way through to 1981, with a one year absence in 1969, Topps included team cards in its flagship sets.  There are 19 team cards in the set, and this is the final one we needed.  Only the Houston Astros, in flux because of their name change from the Colt .45s, did not receive a team card in the set.

Building the Set
August 15, 2022 from Houston, TX - Card #592
From a collecting perspective, I spent a lot of the summer avoiding the urge to buy the seven remaining cards needed for our set from eBay or online dealers.  It would have been easy enough to simply click a few buttons, enter my credit card information, and wait for the envelopes to arrive in the mail.  (I still think the Mickey Mantle (#350) will be the final card added to our set, simply due to its high price tag.)  But I was mostly successful in resisting the urge to click our way to completing this set, wanting to finish the set in person at a baseball card show.  I failed a few times, including when I purchased this Yankees team card in early August from eBay seller txsurf, located in Houston, Texas.

I couldn't resist the price of this card, especially since Yankees cards continue to carry a premium in the northeast.  I also added a Bobby Murcer card from the 1969 Topps set, and I'll be starting with that set's blog soon.  After adding this team card, we were down to needing just six more cards for a complete set, and (spoiler alert) I ended up splurging and adding the Carl Yastrzemski (#385) and Sandy Koufax (#300) cards in September and October, respectively.  After nearly three years of collecting, the final four are now Mantle, the Tony Perez (#581) rookie card, Orlando Cepeda (#360) and for some strange reason, Gordy Coleman (#289).


The Card / Yankees Team Set
I couldn't find an exact match for the source photo Topps used for this card, but I easily found a photo taken from the same shoot but from straight ahead and not from the right.  The angle of the photo used for the Topps team card is unusual, with all players and coaches shifting their view sideways.  The 1964 Yankees had minimal transactions during the season, so there's no way to determine at what point during the year this photo was taken.

Former Yankees manager Yogi Berra (#470) is seated in the front row, to the left of the team logo, and he'd be unceremoniously fired following the World Series loss to the Cardinals in 1964.  Berra would spend the 1965 season as a player-coach for the crosstown Mets.

1963 Topps #247
1964 Topps #433
1966 Topps #92
1967 Topps #131

1965 Season
This was the first of what would be a decade-plus of seasons in which the Yankees would bid farewell to a number of aging veterans and attempt a rebuild process.  They'd finish in sixth place in 1965 and drop all the way into last place in 1966.  Under new manager Johnny Keane (#131), who had just defeated them in the World Series as manager of the Cardinals, the team was 77-85, enduring their first losing season since 1925!  The club played the first exhibition game in Houston's Astrodome on April 9, 1965, with Mantle hitting the first home run in the history of the new domed ballpark.  Not one Yankees player crossed the 100-RBI threshold, with center fielder Tom Tresh (#440) winning the team's triple crown with a .279 average, 26 home runs and 74 RBIs.  Mantle was limited to 122 games and batted only .255 with 19 home runs.

On the mound, Mel Stottlemyre (#550) was a 20-game winner, with Whitey Ford (#330) winning 16 games.  Pedro Ramos (#13) was the team's top reliever, saving 18 games.  Shortstop Murcer made his major league debut on September 8th, and he'd be one of the team's few bright spots throughout the early 1970s.

Update Cards
For each team card featured, I'll be building a checklist of cards that could have been included in a 1965 Topps update set.  I'm trying to come up with six potential cards for each team, and easily got to that total for the Yankees.  As is the case with teams going through rebuilds, there were quite a few candidates to pick from here and I narrowed it down to those players with the most games without a card or those players who would have an impact on the club in the coming years.  Of the six players listed below, only Edwards wouldn't appear with the Yankees in the 1966 Topps set.
  • Bobby Murcer (ss) - As mentioned above, Murcer made his big league debut as a September call-up.  He'd be a four-time All-Star with the Yankees and win a Gold Glove in center field in 1972.
  • Roger Repoz (of) - Repoz appeared in 79 games, batting just .220 as the team's fourth outfielder.
  • Ray Barker (1b) - Barker came over the Yankees on May 10th with Pedro Gonzalez (#97) going to the Indians.  Barker, who appears with the Indians on a Rookie Stars (#546) card, played in 98 games for New York.
  • Horace Clarke (3b) - Clarke saw action in 51 games.  He'd spend 10 seasons with the Yankees, and was their every day second baseman between 1967 and 1973.
  • Doc Edwards (c) - The back-up catcher is in the set with the Athletics (#239), but he appeared in 45 games for the Yankees after a trade on May 3rd.
  • Roy White (of) - White made his debut a day before Murcer and he'd be the regular Yankees left fielder between 1968 and 1977, making two All-Star Game appearances.
Sources
Baseball Reference

Monday, October 24, 2022

#380 Rocky Colavito - Cleveland Indians


Rocco Domenico Colavito
Cleveland Indians
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  190
Born:  August 10, 1933, New York, NY
Signed:  Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before 1951 season
Major League Teams:  Cleveland Indians 1955-1959; Detroit Tigers 1960-1963; Kansas City Athletics 1964; Cleveland Indians 1965-1967; Chicago White Sox 1967; Los Angeles Dodgers 1968; New York Yankees 1968

One of the most prolific power hitters of the late 1950s and early 1960s, slugger Rocky Colavito played for 14 seasons in the majors, accumulating 374 career home runs.  He made his debut with the Indians late in the 1955 season, and was the runner-up for Rookie of the Year in 1956, his first of 11 straight seasons with at least 20 home runs.  Colavito led the league with a .620 slugging percentage in 1958 and drove in 113 runs, the first year out of six total in which he'd eclipse the century mark for RBIs.  In 1959, he was named to the first of nine All-Star teams and led the league with 42 home runs.  On June 10, 1959, Colavito connected for four consecutive home runs against the Orioles, joining Lou Gehrig as the second player in American League history with four home runs in a game.

1964 Topps Giants #9
Surprisingly dealt to the Tigers right before the start of the 1960 season for batting champion Harvey Kuenn (#103), the fan favorite left Cleveland and continued his impressive slugging in Detroit.  With the Tigers in 1961, he hit .290 with career highs in both home runs (45) and RBIs (140).  He'd return to Cleveland for the 1965 season in an eight-player, three-team trade, leading the league in RBIs with 108.  Always an above-average defender, in 1965 he would become the first American League outfielder to play a complete season with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.  Colavito spent the final two years of his playing career as a bench player and pinch-hitter for the Indians, White Sox, Dodgers and Yankees.  He tallied 1,730 hits while batting .266 and driving in 1,159.  He'd later coach for the Indians (1973, 1976-1978) and Royals (1982-1983) and was one of four ejected during the 1983 pine tar game between the Royals and Yankees.  Joining Colavito with ejections in that game were George Brett, Royals' manager Dick Howser (#92) and Yankees' pitcher Gaylord Perry (#193).

Building the Set
May 3, 2022 from Wenonah, NJ (Gar Miller Cards) - Card #589
Growing up in South Jersey, I'd look forward to the Ocean City Baseball Card show every summer, saving my precious birthday or gas mowing money so that I could spend it all during one glorious afternoon inside the Ocean City Music Pier among dozens of tables of vintage baseball cards.  When my wife Jenna texted me that there was a baseball card show coming up in Ocean City on April 30th, I admittedly got giddy.  We needed 11 cards to complete our 1965 Topps set, I had plans to begin collecting a 1969 Topps set, and I figured I'd add a Diamond Stars card or two to that growing set.  We loaded the family in the car, trekked down to Ocean City, and I stepped inside the Music Pier for the first time in over 20 years.

The memories came flooding back, but none of the former baseball card dealers from my youth did.  There were maybe 15 tables scattered on the lower portion of the Music Pier floor and I immediately scanned mostly shiny slabbed cards, bobble heads, signed jerseys, and nary a vintage baseball card in sight.  It was a little depressing.  Determined to come away with something, anything for my collection, I scoured a "3 for $20" box and came away with a few cards for Doug's collection, namely Alec Bohm relic cards, and six cards from sets I'm not even collecting yet.

All of this is meant as a prelude to how this Colavito card ended up in my collection.  My budgeted show money burning a hole in my pocket, I navigated over to Gar Miller Cards' online store when we got home and held my own virtual baseball card show.  I added four cards to our Diamond Cards set, crossed off three more cards for our 1965 Topps set and threw in a few cool cards to add to the 1969 Topps pile I've started.

The Card / Indians Team Set
Topps blacked out the Athletics' logo on Colavito's hat, recycling a photo first used for the 1964 Topps Giants set.  The back of the card highlights his four home runs in a game performance from 1959, as well as his re-acquisition by the Indians.

I've now written about the massive eight-player trade that brought Colavito back to Cleveland for the 1965 season in eight posts, and I wanted to show all the players together in one mini gallery below.  As the set progressed into the third series, Topps started updating the players' team designations, beginning with the Tommy John (#208) card.

#17 - Indians to White Sox
#166 - Indians to White Sox
#208 - Indians to White Sox
#578 - White Sox to Indians
#89 - White Sox to Athletics
#376 - White Sox to Athletics
#58 - White Sox to Athletics
#380 - Athletics to Indians

1965 Season
Playing again for the Indians for the first time since 1959, Colavito started all 162 of the team's games in right field.  He batted .287 with 26 home runs and a team-leading 108 RBIs, as the Indians finished in fifth place.  He led the league in RBIs and walks (93), and was the starting right fielder for the American League All-Stars.  On September 6th, Colavito collected his 1,000th career RBI in the second game of a double header against the Senators.

1957 Topps #212
1959 Topps #420
1961 Topps #330
1966 Topps #150
1968 Topps #99

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1957 Topps #212
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1957-1968, 1973
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2014 Panini Golden Age #81

243 - Colavito non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 10/18/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Saturday, October 22, 2022

#372 Clay Dalrymple - Philadelphia Phillies


Clayton Errol Dalrymple
Philadelphia Phillies
Catcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  195
Born:  December 3, 1936, Chico, CA
Acquired:  Obtained by the Milwaukee Braves from the Sacramento Solons (PCL) as part of a minor league working agreement
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 1960-1968; Baltimore Orioles 1969-1971

Clay Dalrymple was the regular catcher for the Phillies throughout much of the 1960s, earning the job due to his handling of the pitching staff and his above average defensive skills.  Dalrymple led all catchers in assists and runners caught stealing in three different seasons (1961, 1963 and 1965).  He peaked offensively with the Phillies in 1962, hitting career highs with a .276 average, 11 home runs and 54 RBIs.  Dalrymple led the league with eight sacrifice flies in 1964, and had a front row seat for the team's collapse in September.  He was behind the plate on September 21, 1964 when Chico Ruiz (#554) stole home to give the Reds a 1-0 victory and begin the Phillies' 10-game losing streak.

Dalrymple saw his playing time decrease during his last few years with the Phillies, sharing catching duties with Pat Corrales (#107), Bob Uecker (#519), Gene Oliver (#106) and finally Mike Ryan (#573).  A target of the Phillies' fans ire, Dalrymple requested a trade and was accommodated when the team sent him to the Orioles before the 1969 season.  Having come so close to the postseason in 1964, Dalrymple finally saw October action when the Orioles won the A.L. East pennant in 1969.  He was 2 for 2 with a pair of pinch-hit singles in the Series as the Orioles fell to the Mets in five games.  A broken ankle hobbled Dalrymple his final two years in the majors, and he retired following the 1971 season.

April 30, 2022 - Inside a mostly empty Music Pier
In 1,079 career games, Dalrymple batted .233 with 710 hits, 55 home runs and 327 RBIs.  For his career, Dalrymple ranks in the top 100 (98th) for double plays turned by a catcher with 79, and his 48.8% caught stealing percentage is currently 30th all-time.  

Building the Set
May 3, 2022 from Wenonah, NJ (Gar Miller Cards) - Card #588
Growing up in South Jersey, I'd look forward to the Ocean City Baseball Card show every summer, saving my precious birthday or gas mowing money so that I could spend it all during one glorious afternoon inside the Ocean City Music Pier among dozens of tables of vintage baseball cards.  When my wife Jenna texted me that there was a baseball card show coming up in Ocean City on April 30th, I admittedly got giddy.  We needed 11 cards to complete our 1965 Topps set, I had plans to begin collecting a 1969 Topps set, and I figured I'd add a Diamond Stars card or two to that growing set.  We loaded the family in the car, trekked down to Ocean City, and I stepped inside the Music Pier for the first time in over 20 years.

The memories came flooding back, but none of the former baseball card dealers from my youth did.  There were maybe 15 tables scattered on the lower portion of the Music Pier floor and I immediately scanned mostly shiny slabbed cards, bobble heads, signed jerseys, and nary a vintage baseball card in sight.  It was a little depressing.  Determined to come away with something, anything for my collection, I scoured a "3 for $20" box and came away with a few cards for Doug's collection, namely Alec Bohm relic cards, and six cards from sets I'm not even collecting yet.

All of this is meant as a prelude to how this Dalrymple card ended up in my collection.  My budgeted show money burning a hole in my pocket, I navigated over to Gar Miller Cards' online store when we got home and held my own virtual baseball card show.  I added four cards to our Diamond Cards set, crossed off three more cards for our 1965 Topps set and threw in a few cool cards to add to the 1969 Topps pile I've started.

The Card / Phillies Team Set
With many of Dalrymple's baseball cards, including this one, there's no mistaking the player featured is a catcher.  The back of the card mentions his boxing prowess, and Dalrymple was 11-1 at Chico State, becoming heavyweight champion of the Far Western Conference.  This card completes our Phillies team set, marking it the second time I've put together a complete Phillies team set of 30 cards, with the first instance in my 1960s Phillies baseball card binder.

1965 Season
Dalrymple was back as the Phillies' regular catcher in 1965 following the September 1964 collapse.  He made 85 starts behind the plate, sharing playing time with Corrales and Gus Triandos (#248).  In 103 games overall, he batted .213 with just 14 extra base hits, including four home runs.

Phillies Career
Dalrymple played in the Braves' organization for the 1959 season, and was left unprotected in that offseason's rule 5 draft.  Selected by the Phillies in the draft on November 30, 1959, Dalrymple began the 1960 season as back-up to regular catcher Jimmie Coker (#192).  He'd take over the position full-time in 1961, making the first of five opening day starts behind the plate, with his streak broken in 1966 by Uecker.  As mentioned above, he assumed a part-time role with the club beginning in 1966, and was dealt to the Orioles on January 20, 1969 for outfielder Ron Stone.  In 1,006 games with the Phillies over nine seasons, Dalrymple batted .234, collecting 674 hits.

1960 Topps #523
1962 Topps #434
1964 Topps #191
1968 Topps #567
1971 Topps #617

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1960 Leaf #143
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12):  1960-1971
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2020 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-CD

71 - Dalrymple non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 10/18/22.

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