Showing posts with label 1984. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1984. Show all posts

Monday, December 19, 2022

#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 first of 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
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

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
1967 Topps #589
1968 Topps #46
1969 Topps #232
1970 Topps #626
1973 Topps #517

Previous Card:
  #580 Jimmie Hall - Minnesota Twins

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

#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

Saturday, November 13, 2021

#537 Angels Rookie Stars - Marcelino Lopez / Rudy May / Phil Roof


Marcelino Pons Lopez
Los Angeles Angels
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  195
Born:  September 23, 1943, La Habana, Cuba
Signed:  Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent, October 3, 1959
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 1963; Los Angeles Angels 1965; California Angels 1966-1967; Baltimore Orioles 1967, 1969-1970; Milwaukee Brewers 1971; Cleveland Indians 1972
Died:  November 29, 2001, Hialeah, FL (age 58)

Rudolph May
Los Angeles Angels
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  205
Born:  July 18, 1944, Coffeyville, KS
Signed:  Signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent, November 5, 1962
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Angels 1965; California Angels 1969-1974; New York Yankees 1974-1976; Baltimore Orioles 1976-1977; Montreal Expos 1978-1979; New York Yankees 1980-1983

Phillip Anthony Roof
Los Angeles Angels
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  190
Born:  March 5, 1941, Paducah, KY
Signed:  Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent, May 26, 1959
Major League Teams:  Milwaukee Braves 1961, 1964; Los Angeles Angels 1965; Cleveland Indians 1965; Kansas City Athletics 1966-1967; Oakland Athletics 1968-1969; Milwaukee Brewers 1970-1971; Minnesota Twins 1971-1976; Chicago White Sox 1976; Toronto Blue Jays 1977

Marcelino Lopez pitched in parts of eight big league seasons, finding his most success with the Angels and Orioles.  Lopez was one of the Angels top starters in his rookie season of 1965, and his 14-13 record and 2.93 ERA earned him second place in the Rookie of the Year voting.  He was converted to a reliever a few seasons later and he was one of the Orioles' top arms out of the bullpen in 1969 and 1970 - the two years they won the American League pennant.  Lopez earned a World Series ring with the club in 1970 when they defeated the Reds.  He'd last pitch in the majors with the Indians in 1972 and then spent two more seasons pitching in the minors and in Mexico before retiring.  In 171 big league appearances, Lopez was 21-29 with a 3.53 ERA and 260 strikeouts in 423 1/3 innings pitched.

Rudy May played in parts of 16 big league seasons, spending most of his time with the Angels and Yankees.  Known best for his curve ball, May won at least 10 games in eight different seasons, setting a career high in 1977 with 18 wins for the Orioles.  He enjoyed a career year in 1980 with the Yankees, going 15-5 with a 2.46 ERA to lead the league.  May made three appearances in the 1981 World Series with the Yankees, but his club fell to the Dodgers in six games.  He compiled a lifetime record of 152-156 over 535 big league games, with a 3.46 ERA and 1,760 strikeouts.  May's strikeout tally is currently 122nd on the all-time list.

Phil Roof was an excellent defensive catcher, which provided for his longevity in the league despite his struggles at the plate.  Roof was primarily a back-up throughout his career, except for a few years in the mid-1960s with the Athletics and in the Brewers' inaugural season in 1970.  He appeared in a career high 127 games in 1966 batting .209 with 44 RBIs.  He hit a career high 13 home runs in 1970 with the Brewers and then settled in for the remainder of the decade as a back-up with the Twins.  Roof was the first player acquired by the expansion Blue Jays, added to the club two weeks before the expansion draft.  Roof had a career average of .215.  He shifted into a coaching and managing career in 1978 before his retirement in 2005.  Roof coached at the major league level with the Padres (1978), Mariners (1983-1988) and Cubs (1990-1991).  He then managed for 16 seasons in the Twins organization, recording his 1,000th minor league win in 2004.

Building the Set
September 5, 2021 from Deptford Mall Baseball Card Show - Card #348
On the Sunday before Labor Day, we had planned to head to Hersheypark for the day but rain was in the forecast and we decided to postpone our Hershey visit until October.  Suddenly with no plans, I voluntarily agreed to step foot into another mall as I had remembered seeing a modest baseball card show being advertised for the weekend.  Modest turned out to be an understatement, as there were less than 10 tables present and only a few tables were selling anything older than from the 1990s.  One dealer had a few boxes of vintage Topps cards, and with $20 to spend and after the dealer told me everything was 50% off the sticker price, I found five cards we needed for our set.  Strangely enough, the dealer only had 1965 Topps cards featuring Braves, Angels or Astros players.  This Angels Rookie Stars card was $4.

On the second floor of the mall, former Phillies players Lenny Dykstra, Dave Hollins, Mickey Morandini and Kevin Stocker were available for autographs.  Having autographs from everyone in that group except Dykstra, we opted to leave the mall and head to the movies to see Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.  Not a bad way to close out the summer!

The Card / Angels Team Set
Lopez is wearing a Phillies jersey here while May is most likely wearing a White Sox jersey, as he spent all of 1964 pitching in the White Sox organization.  Roof is most likely wearing a Braves jersey.  This is only the rookie card for May as both Lopez and Roof appeared in the 1963 Topps set on Rookie Stars cards.  And this is Roof's third appearance on a Rookie Stars card as he shares a card in the 1964 Topps set with future Hall of Famer Phil Niekro (#461).

1965 Season - Lopez
Lopez spent the entire season in the Angels starting pitching rotation, along with Fred Newman (#101), Dean Chance (#140) and George Brunet (#242).  Lopez made 32 starts, pitching eight complete games and one shutout.  He was named the league's top rookie pitcher and was earned a spot on the Topps All-Star Rookie team.

Phillies Career - Lopez
Lopez was signed as an amateur free agent by the Phillies at just 16 years old and he'd pitch in their minor league system for for three seasons before getting a brief taste of the majors in 1963.  At 19 years old, he started the second end of a double header on April 14, 1963 against the Cardinals, lasting a third of an inning before getting pulled.  Lopez gave up three runs on a run and two walks in his debut, and he'd make three more appearances for the Phillies before being sent back down to their top farm club in Arkansas.  He'd spend the entire 1964 season pitching for the Chattanooga Lookouts, then the Phillies Double-A affiliate in the Southern League.  On September 9, 1964, with the Phillies in need of a first baseman, the Angels sent Vic Power (#442) to Philadelphia for a player to be named later.  The Angels selected Lopez as that player on October 24th.

1963 Topps #549
1966 Topps #155
1967 Topps #513
1971 Topps #137
1972 Topps #652

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Lopez

First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #549
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1963, 1965-1967, 1970-1972
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1972 Topps #652

31 - Lopez non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 9/29/21.

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

1965 Season - May
May made his major league debut on April 18th and he'd spend the entire season with the Angels as their most frequently used fifth starter.  He appeared in 30 games, making 19 starts, and went 4-9 with a 3.92 ERA for the 7th place club.  May threw two complete games, including one shutout against the Orioles on June 6th.  He'd be sent back down to the minors in 1966, not returning to the Angels until the start of the 1969 season.

Phillies Connection - May
May was in the Phillies system for a month and a half in late 1964.  On October 15, 1964, the White Sox traded May to the Phillies for Bill Heath and a player to be named later (minor leaguer Joel Gibson - #368).  On December 3, 1964, the Phillies dealt May and Costen Shockley (#107) to the Angels for pitcher Bo Belinsky (#225).
1965 Season - Roof
Roof began the season with the Angels and was used sparingly as the back-up to regular catcher Bob Rodgers (#342).  He appeared in only nine games with the Angels before being dealt to the Indians on June 15th for a player to be named later and cash.  (Bubba Morton was shipped to the Angels on September 15th.)  With the Indians, Roof received somewhat more playing time as a late inning defensive replacement, appearing in 43 games and batting .173 (9 for 52).  He made only 14 starts behind the plate as he was third in the Indians' catching depth chart behind Joe Azcue (#514) and Duke Sims.
1970 Topps #203
1972 Topps #656
1977 Topps #56
1981 Topps #179
1984 Topps #652

Other Notable Baseball Cards - May

First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #537
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (16):  1965, 1970-1984
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2004 Upper Deck Yankees Classics #58

71 - May non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 9/30/21.

Sources - May:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Roof

First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #324
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (15):  1963-1977
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Fleer ProCards #401

77 - Roof non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 9/30/21.

Sources - Roof:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia
1963 Topps #324
1966 Topps #382
1971 Topps #22
1975 Topps #576
1977 Topps #392

Previous Card:
  #536 Andre Rogers - Pittsburgh Pirates