#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

#377 Willie Stargell - Pittsburgh Pirates

Wilver Dornel Stargell
Pittsburgh Pirates
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  188
Born:  March 6, 1940, Earlsboro, OH
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent, August 7, 1958
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1962-1982
Died:  April 9, 2001, Wilmington, NC (age 61)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1988

Willie Stargell spent his entire 21-year career with the Pirates, and was one of the most feared power hitters of his generation.  As the club's regular left fielder throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, Stargell made his first of seven All-Star teams in 1964.  In 1971, he helped lead the Pirates to a World Championship title over the Orioles, batting .295 during the season with a league leading 48 home runs and 125 RBIs.  He'd continue to slug home runs throughout the 1970s, with his tally of 296 home runs leading all players during the decade.  His blasts were often moonshots, and he holds the distinction of hitting the longest home run in Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium history.  In 1973, he crossed the 100-RBI plateau for the fifth and final time, leading the league with 119 RBIs, and also leading the league in home runs (44), doubles (23) and slugging percentage (.646).

Moving to first base in the mid-1970s, he emerged as a veteran team leader, earning his affectionate nickname of "Pops."  In 1979, he again won the N.L. MVP, to go along with NLCS MVP and World Series MVP honors as his Pirates again defeated the Orioles in the World Series.  He retired following the 1982 season with a career average of .282, 2,232 hits, 475 home runs and 1,540 RBIs.  The Pirates had retired his #8 a month before his final game, and Stargell was a first ballot Hall of Famer in 1988.

Stargell briefly served as the first base coach for the Braves (1986-1988) following his retirement, and he'd also later work in the Pirates front office.  Two days before he passed away, the Pirates unveiled a statute of Stargell at their new PNC Park.

Building the Set

August 4, 2022 from Fremont, CA - Card #591

I got an itch for some vintage baseball cards in late July, as I hadn't added any new cards to our 1965 Topps set since May or my Diamond Stars set since June.  Taking advantage of some discounts offered at The Battersbox online store, I settled on a relatively pricey Ernie Lombardi card along with the card of former Phillies manager Steve O'Neill.  Also arriving in early August was this Stargell card, purchased from eBay seller gmw422 from Fremont, California.  Adding this Stargell card gets us down to needing only seven cards before our set is completed and I thought the card was a bargain at $27.

These cards arrived during the Phillies' Alumni Weekend, one of the best weekends of the year for Phillies fans.  I wrote about Doug's success in adding autographs from several returning alumni over at this post at The Phillies Room.  Following the game of August 5th, the Phillies were 58-48 and in third place in the division, nine games behind the Mets.  Writing this post nearly three months later on October 28th, I'm killing time getting ready for World Series Game 1 in Houston, with the Phillies facing off against the Astros.  This whole postseason experience has been surreal to me, with the Phillies now just four wins away from clinching the franchise's third championship title.  Hard to believe, Harry.

The Card / Pirates Team Set
This is Stargell's third appearance in a Topps flagship set and his second solo card, as his 1963 Topps appearance came on a multi-player, floating heads Rookie Stars card.  The back of the card highlights his high school basketball career, as well as his 1964 break-out season.

1965 Season
Stargell was the Pirates' regular left fielder, with Bill Virdon (#69) in center and Roberto Clemente (#160) in right.  He made his second All-Star team and drove in over 100 runs (107) for the first time in his career.  Stargell started in left field for the National League All-Stars, hitting a two-run second inning home run off Mudcat Grant (#432).  In 144 games overall, he batted .272 with 27 home runs, leading the Pirates.

1963 Topps #553

1971 Topps #230

1975 Topps #100

1979 Topps #55

1982 Topps #715

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #553
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (20):  1963-1982
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2022 Topps Pristine #163

1,287 - Stargell non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 10/28/22.

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

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #376 Jim Landis - Kansas City Athletics

Next Card:  #378 Chuck Estrada - Baltimore Orioles

#549 Cubs Rookie Stars - Roberto Pena / Glenn Beckert

Roberto Cesar Pena
Chicago Cubs
Shortstop

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'8"  Weight:  170
Born:  April 17, 1937, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1965-1966; Philadelphia Phillies 1968; San Diego Padres 1969; Oakland Athletics 1970; Milwaukee Brewers 1970-1971
Died:  July 23, 1982, Santiago, Dominican Republic (age 45)

Glenn Alfred Beckert
Chicago Cubs
Second Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  190
Born:  October 12, 1940, Pittsburgh, PA
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent before 1962 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1965-1973; San Diego Padres 1974-1975
Died:  April 12, 2020, Englewood, FL (age 79)

Roberto Pena played sparingly with the Cubs for a few seasons, and in 1968 became the first major league Dominican-born player to play as a regular starting shortstop when he earned that job with the Phillies.  After batting a career-high .260 in 138 games, Pena was left unprotected following the season and selected by the Padres in the 1968 expansion draft.  He was the first second baseman in Padres franchise history, making 32 starts at second base, 21 starts at shortstop and 53 starts at shortstop throughout the year.  On the move again following the season, Pena began the 1970 season with the Athletics before a trade in mid-May sent him to Milwaukee.  He led all American League shortstops in fielding percentage in 1970 with a .979 mark.  His final big league action came in 1971 as a super utility player for the Brewers.  Pena appeared in 587 big league games overall, batting .245.  He'd later serve as a minor league instructor and scout in the Brewers organization.

During his 11-year major league career, including nearly a decade with the Cubs, Glenn Beckert was a four-time All-Star and a Gold Glove winner in 1968.  He and Don Kessinger were the Cubs' steady double play combination for most of the 1960s.  Beckert's Gold Glove season saw him bat .294 with a league-leading 98 runs scored.  He'd make the first of four consecutive All-Star teams in 1969 and Beckert finished as the runner-up to the league's batting title in 1971 when he batted .342.  Tough to strike out, he led the league five times in at-bats per strike out.  Beckert spent the final two seasons of his career as a back-up infielder for the Padres in 1974 and 1975.  In 1,320 career games, he batted .283 with 685 runs scored and his 3,712 assists as a second baseman are currently 70th on the all-time list.  Beckert was among the many Cubs' immortals inducted into the inaugural Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame class in 2021.

Building the Set

May 3, 2022 from Wenonah, NJ (Gar Miller Cards) - Card #590

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 Cubs Rookie Stars 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 / Cubs Team Set
For some reason, this Rookie Stars card proved difficult to find as it was never present in any of the commons binders I flipped through at the Philly Shows I attended over the past few years.  Pena is hatless and wearing a Pirates jersey here, and this is his rookie card.  This is also Beckert's rookie card, and perhaps his popularity among Cubs' fans is part of the reason for the card's scarcity.

1965 Season - Pena
On December 9, 1964, the Pirates traded Pena to the Cubs for Andre Rodgers (#536) and cash.  He won the starting shortstop job for the Cubs out of spring training, going 3 for 6 with three errors on opening day against the Cardinals.  Pena struggled both at the plate and defensively, leading the league with 17 errors through June 9th, while batting only .219.  He was demoted to Double-A Dallas Fort-Worth, where he'd play the bulk of the season before a September promotion.  In 51 games with the Cubs, he batted .218 with a pair of home runs and 12 RBIs.

Phillies Career - Pena
On November 29, 1966, the Phillies drafted Pena from the Cubs in the annual minor league draft.  He spent the entire 1967 season with the San Diego Padres, then the Phillies' top farm team.  Pena began the 1968 season back in the minors before earning a promotion in late April as the Phillies decided shortstop Don Money could benefit from more time in the minors.

As the first Dominican-born everyday shortstop in the majors, Pena was second in the league in errors committed at the position with 32.  Following the season, the Padres selected him as the 48th pick in the 1968 expansion draft, ending his brief time with the Phillies.

1965 Season - Beckert
Primarily a shortstop the year before, Beckert moved to second base and won the Cubs' starting job out of spring training.  He was the club's opening day second baseman, and he'd go on to make 152 starts at the position, solidifying a strong infield with Kessinger at shortstop, Ernie Banks (#510) at first base and Ron Santo (#110) at third base.  In 154 games overall, Beckert batted .239 with 73 runs scored.

1966 Topps #559

2011 Chachi 1968 #PR1

1969 Topps #184

1970 Topps #44

1971 Topps #334

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Pena
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #549
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1965-1966, 1969-1971
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1971 Topps #334

32 - Pena non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 10/20/22.

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

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Beckert
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #549
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1965-1975
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1993 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes #8

96 - Beckert non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 10/20/22.

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

1966 Topps #232

1968 Topps #101

1972 Topps #45

1973 Topps #440

1975 Topps #484

Previous Card:  #548 Dick Stigman - Minnesota Twins

Next Card:  #550 Mel Stottlemyre - New York Yankees

#266 Bert Campaneris - Kansas City Athletics

Dagoberto Campaneris
Kansas City Athletics
Shortstop-Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  160
Born:  March 9, 1942, Pueblo Nuevo, Cuba
Signed:  Signed by the Kansas City Athletics as an amateur free agent, April 25, 1961
Major League Teams:  Kansas City Athletics 1964-1967; Oakland Athletics 1968-1976; Texas Rangers 1977-1979; California Angels 1979-1981; New York Yankees 1983

A speedy and steady fielding shortstop for most of his 19-year major league career, Bert Campaneris was a six-time All-Star and a three-time World Champion as a member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty of the early 1970s.  He first came to fame in 1965 when he became the first player to play all nine positions during a game in a publicity stunt staged by A's owner Charlie Finley.  Campaneris led the league with 51 steals in 1965, his first of four consecutive years leading the American League in that category.  He'd lead in six seasons overall with his 62 steals in 1968 his career best.  That 1968 season, the Athletics first in Oakland, was also his finest year in the majors as he batted .276 while leading the league with 177 hits.  Campaneris would play in his first of three consecutive postseasons in 1972, but earned a suspension when he threw his bat at Tigers' pitcher Lerrin LaGrow in Game 2 of the ALCS.  He batted .263 in his three World Series appearances, as the Athletics won in 1972, 1973 and 1974.  Campaneris was the starting shortstop for the American League All-Star teams in 1973, 1974 and 1975.

He signed as a free agent with the Rangers following the 1976 season, and Campaneris spent the final years of his big league career as a back-up infielder and pinch-hitter, leading the league in sacrifice bunts twice.  The veteran retired following one last stint in the majors with the Yankees, replacing an injured Willie Randolph in 1983.  He batted .259 in 2,328 games, collecting 2,249 hits and 649 stolen bases, currently 14th all-time.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Richie's Sports Cards - Manalapan, NJ) - Card #586

This is the last 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.  

With 101 new cards secure in my red backpack, I wanted to return to a dealer's table where I had seen this Campaneris rookie card displayed in a glass-covered case earlier in the morning.  I asked to see the card, offered what I thought was a fair price, the dealer counteroffered and I accepted.  With that, the day was done and we had 102 new cards for our 1965 Topps set that would take me until mid-October to appreciate, compose posts for and put away, and we were 12 cards away from a complete set.

Since that early March day, we've added seven more cards, so the official need list as of this writing is down to a measly five - three of which I'd consider to be fairly expensive.  I'll get through the seven cards added between April and September in the next few weeks, and then there could be a lull in posting as I save up enough allowance money for the final five.

The Card / Athletics Team Set
Topps lists his position as "SS-OF" on this card, but Campaneris is the shortstop on the Topps 1964 All-Star Rookie team, joining his nine teammates as displayed below.  The back of the card mentions the two home runs he hit in his big league debut.  Called up by the Athletics in late July, he debuted on July 23rd against the Twins, batting second and playing shortstop.  Campaneris hit a first inning home run off Jim Kaat (#62), singled in the third, grounded out in the fifth, and homered again off Kaat in the seventh.  The first inning home run came on the very first pitch he saw, and he's one of five players to hit two home runs in their major league debuts.  Trevor Story last did it in 2016.

This card has been reprinted several times, appearing in the 2001 Topps Archives, 2003 Topps Shoebox Collection and 2005 Topps Rookie Cup Reprints sets.  It's the final card we needed to complete the Athletics team set.

#290

#18

#523

#224

#118

#460

#266

#305

#55

#340

1965 Season
Campaneris was the opening day shortstop, moving to left field for quite a few starts until early June, with Wayne Causey (#425) seeing shortstop duty.  Campaneris would ultimately start 103 games at shortstop, 37 games in left field and one game in center field.  In 144 games overall, he batted .270 with a league-leading 12 triples and 51 stolen bases.

On their way to a 103 loss season, Finley advertised in advance that Campaneris would be playing all nine positions in the September 8th game against the Angels.  Campaneris started at shortstop, moving progressively to second base, third base, left field, center field, right field, pitcher and finally, catcher.  He pitched the eighth inning in a close 2-1 game with the Angels leading.  Campaneris gave up an RBI-single to Joe Adcock, but struck out Bobby Knoop (#26) to end the inning.  Moving behind the plate for the ninth, Campaneris had to leave the game following a home plate collision with Ed Kirkpatrick (#393).

1966 Topps #175

1969 Topps #495

1975 Topps #170

1979 Topps #620

1984 Topps #139

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #266
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (20):  1965-1984
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2016 Topps Archives Fan Favorite Autographs #FFA-BC

231 - Campaneris non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 10/10/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #265 Jim Pagliaroni - Pittsburgh Pirates

Next Card:  #267 Washington Senators Team Card