#581 N.L. Rookie Stars - Tony Perez / Kevin Collins / Dave Ricketts

Atanacio Perez
Cincinnati Reds
First Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  175
Born:  May 14, 1942, Camaguey, Cuba
Signed:  Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent, March 12, 1960
Major League Teams:  Cincinnati Reds 1964-1976; Montreal Expos 1977-1979; Boston Red Sox 1980-1982; Philadelphia Phillies 1983; Cincinnati Reds 1984-1986
As a Manager:  Cincinnati Reds 1993; Florida Marlins 2001

Hall of Fame Induction:  2000

Kevin Michael Collins
New York Mets
Infield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  180
Born:  August 4, 1946, Springfield, MA
Signed:  Signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent before 1964 season
Major League Teams:  New York Mets 1965, 1967-1969; Montreal Expos 1969; Detroit Tigers 1970-1971
Died:  February 20, 2016, Naples, FL (age 69)

David William Ricketts
St. Louis Cardinals
Catcher

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  190
Born:  July 12, 1935, Pottstown, PA
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent before 1957 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1963, 1965, 1967-1969; Pittsburgh Pirates 1970
Died:  July 13, 2008, St. Louis, MO (age 73)

1984 Fleer #636

As the first baseman for the Big Red Machine in the mid-1970s, and often cited as the team's leader, Tony Perez helped the Reds win back-to-back World Championships in 1975 and 1976.  Perez drove in over 100 runs in seven seasons between 1967 and 1980, and drove in at least 90 runs between 1967 and 1977.  He was a seven-time All-Star and the MVP of the 1967 game due to his game-winning home run in the 15th inning off Catfish Hunter (#526).  Nicknamed "Big Dog" or "Doggie," Perez helped propel Cincinnati to its four World Series throughout the 1970s with a career year in 1970.  He batted .317 that season with 40 home runs and 129 RBIs, with all three marks career bests.  His RBI tally of 954 in the 1970s was second for the decade behind his teammate Johnny Bench.

Perez was dealt to Montreal following the 1976 season, and he continued his steady hitting with the Expos and later the Red Sox between 1977 and 1982.  In 1983, he was reunited with his Big Red Machine teammates Pete Rose (#207) and Joe Morgan (#16), as all three helped the Phillies reach the World Series.  He spent the final three seasons of his playing career back in Cincinnati, playing for player-manager Rose and serving mainly as a successful pinch-hitter.  Perez retired with a lifetime .279 average, 2,732 hits, 505 doubles, 379 home runs and 1,652 RBIs.  

2001 Topps Archives #273

He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1998 and had his #24 retired by the team in 2000.  Perez was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.  He briefly managed in the majors with the Reds (1993) and Marlins (2001), and coached for the Reds between 1987 and 1992.  He served as a Special Assistant to the General Manager for the Marlins between 1993 and 2017.

Kevin Collins played in parts of six big league seasons, primarily with the Mets between 1965 and 1969.  An infielder, he was frequently shuttled between the minor and major leagues while with New York, appearing in 58 games for the team in 1968 while batting .201.  In June 1969, he was one of five players sent to Montreal for Donn Clendenon (#325), who would go on to win World Series MVP honors for the Mets.  Collins appeared in a career-high 68 games in 1969 between the Mets and Expos, getting occasional starts at second or third base.  His best season in the majors was also his last, as he batted .268 with the Tigers in 1971.  Collins collected 81 hits while batting .209 with six home runs and 34 RBIs in his 201 games in the majors.

Dave Ricketts was a back-up catcher for six seasons in the majors, mostly with the Cardinals.  He appeared a career-high 57 games for the pennant-winning Cardinals in 1967, making 16 starts.  Ricketts made three pinch-hitting appearances in the World Series, won by the Cardinals over the Red Sox in seven games.  He appeared in only 20 games for the Cardinals in 1968, but still served a valuable role as batting practice pitcher and bullpen catcher.  Ricketts was a lifetime .249 hitter with one home run, hit off Pirates reliever Dennis Ribant (#73) on September 4, 1967.  Following his playing days, Ricketts served as a long-time coach for the Pirates (1970-1973) and Cardinals (1974-1975, 1978-1991).  He'd win a second World Series ring with the Cardinals in 1982 as a member of their coaching staff.

Building the Set
December 3, 2022 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime - Fair Lawn, NJ) - Card #597
This was the third 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) and the Gordy Coleman (#269) cards within the first hour of walking around.  With Cepeda and Coleman out of the way, I turned my attention to the Perez rookie card and the BIG final card needed for our set - Mickey Mantle (#350).  Perez came quickly, as I found a gorgeous version of the card for sale from dealer America's Pastime from Fair Lawn, New Jersey.  Again looking to bundle that card with another card needed for our 1969 Topps set, I set my sights on the Reggie Jackson rookie card.  What followed was my first of two successful negotiation sessions of the day, as I was able to add both cards for what I deemed to be extremely reasonable (and fair) price.  The Jackson card will find its way under the Christmas tree for Doug, so please keep that one quiet for now.  Three down, one to go.

The Card / Reds Team Set / Mets Team Set / Cardinals Team Set
For the set's seventh and final series, Topps must have realized it needed to squeeze a bunch more players onto its Rookie Stars cards but it was quickly running out of room within the checklist.  This is one of six cards in the high series featuring three players on one Rookie Stars card, and it's one of two such cards featuring players from multiple teams.  Its American League counterpart (#577) features Darold Knowles, Richie Scheinblum and Don Buschhorn.

This is the rookie card for all three players, and it's been reprinted in the 2001 Topps Archives (see above) and 2003 Topps Shoebox Collection sets, with Collins and Ricketts omitted.  Collins wouldn't appear on a Topps flagship card again until 1969.

1965 Season - Perez
Perez spent the season in a platoon at first base with Gordy Coleman (#289), making 66 starts overall to Coleman's 87.  In 104 games, Perez batted .260 with 12 home runs and 47 RBIs. 

Phillies Career - Perez
Perez was released by the Red Sox on November 1, 1982, and signed with the Phillies on January 31, 1983.  Rose had been with the club since 1979, helping the team win its first World Championship in 1980, and Morgan had been acquired from the Giants in mid-December 1982.  With the three former teammates reunited, and an aging core of veterans starting for the Phillies, the 1983 squad was dubbed the Wheeze Kids, playing off the Whiz Kids nickname for the 1950 team.  Perez, now 41 years old, was with the Phillies for only the one season, appearing in 91 games and batting .241 with six home runs and 43 RBIs.

He was the club's opening day first baseman, with Rose moving temporarily to right field.  Perez started 63 games in total at first base, and also made two starts at first during the 1983 World Series against the Orioles.  Overall he batted .273 (3 for 11) in the postseason, as the Phillies fell in five games.  Coming full circle, he was sold to the Reds on December 6, 1983.

1966 Topps #72

1970 Topps #380

1976 Topps #325

1983 Topps Traded #85T

2002 Topps #303

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Perez
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #581
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (25):  1965-1986, 1993, 2002, 2010
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2022 Topps Heritage Then and Now #TAN-PT

1,014 - Perez non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/5/22.

Sources - Perez:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
The Phillies Room
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

1965 Season - Collins
Collins was a September call-up, making his major league debut on September 1st and entering the game as pinch-hitter in the game's third inning.  He'd bat .174 (4 for 23) for the Mets in 11 games.

1965 Season - Ricketts
Ricketts bounced around a bit during the season, spending time with three different AAA teams in Indianapolis (White Sox affiliate), Toledo (Yankees affiliate) and Jacksonville (Cardinals affiliate).  He'd play in 11 games for the Cardinals in early April and mid-August through the end of the season, making eight starts behind the plate.  Ricketts batted .241 (7 for 29) in his limited action in St. Louis.

1969 Topps #127

1970 Topps #707

1971 Topps #553

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Collins
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #581
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1965, 1969-1971
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1971 Topps #553

16 - Collins non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/6/22.

Sources - Collins:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Ricketts
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #581
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1965, 1967-1970, 1973
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1990 Topps TV St. Louis Cardinals #4

34 - Ricketts non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/6/22.

Sources - Ricketts:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

1967 Topps #589

1968 Topps #46

1969 Topps #232

1970 Topps #626

1973 Topps #517

Previous Card:  #580 Jimmie Hall - Minnesota Twins

Next Card:  #582 Bob Schmidt - New York Yankees

#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

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #288 Jack Hamilton - Detroit Tigers

Next Card:  #290 Wally Bunker - Baltimore Orioles

#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 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

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #359 Ken Johnson - Houston Astros

Next Card:  #361 5th Series Checklist 353-429

#385 Carl Yastrzemski - Boston Red Sox

Carl Michael Yastrzemski
Boston Red Sox
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  175
Born:  August 22, 1939, Southampton, NY
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent, November 29, 1958
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 1961-1983
Hall of Fame Induction:  1989

For over two decades, Carl Yastrzemski was a mainstay at Fenway Park, as the team's regular left fielder, then first baseman and finally designated hitter.  One of the all-time Red Sox fan favorites, Yastrzemski made his first of 18 All-Star teams in 1963, while also being awarded his first of seven Gold Gloves.  That was also the season he won his first of three batting titles with a .321 average.  He'd produce consistently stellar seasons throughout the 1960s, culminating with his triple crown win in 1967 (.326 average, 44 home runs, 121 RBIs) en route to the league MVP award and an American League pennant for his Impossible Dream Red Sox.  Yastrzemski continued his superstar output throughout the 1970s, again helping to lead the Red Sox to the World Series in 1975.  On September 12, 1979, he became the first American League player with 3,000 career hits and 400 home runs.

He retired at the end of the 1983 season having appeared in 3,308 games, 2nd on the all-time list behind Pete Rose (#207).  His career at-bats (11,988), hits (3,419), doubles (646) and walks (1,845) are all currently in the top ten all-time.  Yastrzemski tallied 452 home runs and 1,844 RBIs, and along with Ted Williams, the player he replaced, is at the top of just about every offensive category on the Red Sox all-time lists.  His #8 was retired by the Red Sox in 1989, the same year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot.

Building the Set

September 15, 2022 from San Diego, CA (Kit Young Cards) - Card #593

This card was part of a larger stress-induced purchase from Kit Young Cards in mid-September.  The stress was all work related, and while some people choose to relieve stress through less productive means, I opted to purchase several vintage baseball cards.  The centerpiece of the haul was this Yaz card, which dropped the number of cards needed for our complete set down to five.  Joining Yaz were Diamond Stars cards of Joe Stripp and Lloyd Waner, along with a League Leaders card from the 1969 Topps set, which will be my focus after the last five cards needed from 1965 are tracked down.  

September 2022 was a blur.  I travelled for work the better part of two weeks, school started, the boys' fall sports schedules (cross country and baseball) were non-stop and there was little to no time to rest or to enjoy baseball card purchases.  Taking a mental health day in early October, I was happy to have the time to catch my breath and truly appreciate the new baseball cards that helped get me through that month.

The Card / Red Sox Team Set
I feel this is an iconic baseball card, and I love it's now in our collection.  Topps reprinted this card for its 2010 Topps Cards Your Mom Threw Out insert set.  Yastrzemski's name appears in white text on the front of the card, while every other Red Sox card in the set uses yellow for the player's name.  The back of the card mentions his two batting titles to date, in 1959 in the Carolina League and in 1963.  Yastrzemski's fielding skills often get overlooked, and he led all outfielders in assists in seven different seasons between 1962 and 1977.

1965 Season
The Red Sox would lose 100 games, but the all-star play of Yastrzemski gave fans reasons to hope.  In 133 games, Yastrzemski batted .312 with 20 home runs and 72 RBIs as the club's regular left fielder for the fifth straight season.  He hit for the cycle on May 14th, adding an extra home run for bonus points.  On September 25th, the Red Sox faced off against the Athletics and their starting pitcher, 58-year-old Satchel Paige.  Paige pitched three innings with Yastrzemski collecting the only hit, a double, against him.

1960 Topps #148

1963 Topps #115

1967 Topps #355

1975 Topps #280

1983 Topps #550

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #148
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (25):  1960-1984
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2022 Topps Pristine #149

2,870 - Yastrzemski non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 11/12/22.

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

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #384 Johnny Klippstein - Minnesota Twins

Next Card:  #386 Cubs Rookie Stars