#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

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

#409 Astros Rookie Stars - Jim Beauchamp / Larry Dierker

James Edward Beauchamp
Houston Astros
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  190
Born:  August 21, 1939, Vinita, OK
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent before 1958 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1963; Houston Colt .45s 1964; Houston Astros 1965; Milwaukee Braves 1965; Atlanta Braves 1967; Cincinnati Reds 1968-1969; Houston Astros 1970; St. Louis Cardinals 1970-1971; New York Mets 1972-1973
Died:  December 25, 2007, Union City, GA (age 68)

Lawrence Edward Dierker
Houston Astros
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  215
Born:  September 22, 1946, Hollywood, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Houston Colt .45s as an amateur free agent before 1964 season
Major League Teams:  Houston Colt .45s 1964; Houston Astros 1965-1976; St. Louis Cardinals 1977
As a Manager:  Houston Astros 1997-2001

Jim Beauchamp's best year in baseball came in 1963 when he hit .337 with 31 home runs and 105 RBIs for the Tulsa Oilers, winning Texas League MVP honors.  He'd go on to appear in parts of 10 major league seasons as an outfielder, first baseman and pinch-hitter, with two separate stints with both the Cardinals and Astros.  He appeared in a career high 77 games for the Cardinals in 1971 and wrapped up his playing career with two seasons for the Mets.  His final games as a player came during the 1973 World Series, when he went 0 for 4 as a pinch-hitter, as the Mets lost to the Athletics in seven games.  Beauchamp managed in the minors between 1975 and 1990, and joined the Braves' major league coaching staff in 1991.  He served as the bench coach for manager Bobby Cox between 1991 and 1998, winning a World Series ring with the Braves in 1995.  Upon his passing, the Braves wore a memorial patch with his nickname "Beach" during their 2008 season.

With the exception of a brief stint at the end of his pitching career with the Cardinals, Larry Dierker has been a part of the Houston organization since the club drafted him at the age of 17.  He made his big league debut on his 18th birthday and would pitch with the Astros for the next 12 seasons.  Dierker was a two-time All-Star (1969, 1971) and a 20-game winner in 1969.  That was his career year, as he set personal bests for wins, starts (37), complete games (20), innings pitched (305 1/3) and strikeouts (232).  In his final full season, Dierker pitched a no-hitter on July 9, 1976 against the Expos.  He moved to the Astros broadcast booth between 1979 and 1996, and was named the team's manager in 1997.  Dierker won Manager of the Year honors in 1998 when he guided the Astros to 102 wins and their second division title in as many years.  He'd take the Astros to the NLDS four times between 1997 and 2001, but they never won a series.  The Astros retired his #49 in 2002, and he was inducted into the Houston Astros Hall of Fame in 2019.

Building the Set

October 12, 2021 from Valley Cottage, NY - Card #376

This Astros Rookie Stars card along with three other cards needed for our set were bonus additions to a large purchase I made from OLDBBCards Vintage Sports Cards from Valley Cottage, New York on my birthday.  The bubble envelope containing the cards arrived a little over a week later.  I'm also slowly collecting the 1934-36 Diamond Stars set, and I took advantage of the seller's 20% off sale being offered in their eBay store to add the Earl Averill card, the most expensive card I've purchased for that set to date.  Before checking out, I browsed the seller's other cards for sale and found four reasonably priced cards needed for our 1965 Topps set.  The Beauchamp/Dierker card was $8 after applying the discount.

I spent a relatively low-key birthday watching our oldest son Doug help his team win a travel baseball game in the morning, receiving the Pete Rose (#207) card for our set, and then walking over to my sister's house for a cook-out with family that afternoon.  It was a wonderful day!

The Card / Astros Team Set
Beauchamp would appear on three Rookie Stars cards, first in 1964 with Mike White (#31), then on this card, and finally in 1966 with Dick Kelley.  The back of the card appropriately comments on Beauchamp's success in 1963 in the Texas League.  This is Dierker's rookie card, and Topps has blacked out the .45s logo that would have been on his hat.

1965 Season - Beauchamp
Beauchamp made the Astros' opening day roster and was their opening day right fielder.  He started off hot, but slumped by mid-May when his average was down to .189.  On May 23rd, the Astros traded Beauchamp and Ken Johnson (#359) to the Braves for Lee Maye (#407).  Beauchamp would spend the bulk of the season playing for the Triple-A Atlanta Crackers, where he'd hit .259 in 88 games.  He earned a September call-up and appeared in four games with the Braves, going 0 for 3 with a sacrifice fly, all as a pinch-hitter

1965 Season - Dierker
Dierker made 26 appearances for the Astros, including 19 starts.  He went 7-8 with a 3.50 ERA over 146 2/3 innings pitched with 109 strikeouts.  Dierker was the club's most frequently used fourth starter behind Bob Bruce (#240), Turk Farrell (#80) and Don Nottebart (#469).

1964 Topps #492

1967 Topps #307

1971 Topps #322

1972 Topps #594

1974 Topps #424

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Beauchamp
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #492
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1964-1967, 1969, 1971-1974
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1990 CMC #283

66 - Beauchamp non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 11/3/21.

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

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Dierker
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #409
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (16):  1965-1978, 2001-2002
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2002 Topps Chrome #286

94 - Dierker non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 11/3/21.

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

1966 Topps #228

1969 Topps #411

1976 Topps #75

1978 Topps #195

2002 Topps #286

Previous Card:  #408 Larry Sherry - Detroit Tigers

Next Card:  #410 Luis Aparicio - Baltimore Orioles

#282 Giants Rookie Stars - Dick Estelle / Masanori Murakami

Richard Henry Estelle
San Francisco Giants
Pitcher

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  170
Born:  January 18, 1942, Lakewood, NJ
Signed:  Signed by the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1964-1965

Masanori Murakami
San Francisco Giants
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  180
Born:  May 6, 1944, Kita Tsuru-gun, Japan
Signed:  Signed by the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent before 1964 season
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1964-1965

Dick Estelle appeared in 12 games for the Giants between 1964 and 1965, compiling a 1-2 record and a 3.23 ERA.  He was a September call-up both seasons and he pitched fairly well, starting 7 of his 12 games.  He earned his sole big league win on September 22, 1964, pitching eight strong innings against the Astros.  After his 1965 appearance with the Giants, Estelle pitched seven more seasons in the minor leagues moving from the Giants to the Twins and finally to the Brewers' organization.

Masanori Murakami was the first Japanese-born player to appear in the Major Leagues.  Signed by the Giants from the Nankai Hawks, Murakami made his debut in September 1964 and came back the following season to perform as one of the Giants' top relievers.  In 54 games with the Giants, he went 5-1 with a 3.43 ERA and 9 saves.  In 74 1/3 innings in 1965, Murakami struck out 85 batters and walked only 22.  Following the season and the expiration of his Giants contract, he returned to Japan and was a successful pitcher in the Nippon Professional League until his retirement following the 1982 season.  Over 18 seasons in Japan, Murakami went 103-82 with a 3.64 ERA and 758 strikeouts.

The Giants honored Murakami with a bobble head in 2008, and he threw out the first pitch prior to a Giants game in 2014 celebrating the 50th anniversary of his debut.

Building the Set
June 8, 2020 from Thornwood, NY - Card #105
I wasn't looking for this card when I stumbled upon it for sale in the eBay store of seller B&E Collectibles from Thornwood, NY.  I've been trying to track down cards for the 1958 Hires Phillies team set and I found B&E's auction for the Jack Sanford (#228) card from that relatively hard to find oddball issue.  Always looking to combine shipping and hopefully earn a discount, I searched the seller's store and found a 1961 Topps Rub-Off card for Frank Herrera I had never seen before, and this Giants Rookie Stars card.  I've long been aware of this card as it has often been prominently displayed at various baseball card shows I've attended throughout the years, and I remember not knowing why this particular card would be included in the stacks of stars and semi-stars from the 1960s available for sale from various dealers.  I later learned Murakami's historic debut was the reason the card sold at a premium.

I became much more cognizant of the card once we started officially collecting the set, and seeing the card for sale at recent baseball card shows, I thought the price displayed was always rather steep.  I was happy to pay $15 for this card and given the shape it's in, I was surprised it didn't go for a higher amount.

The Card
This is the first and last Topps card for Murakami, and Estelle would show up again on a 1966 Rookie Stars card this time with catcher Jack Hiatt (#497).  The back of the card notes Murakami's debut, and the lefty pitcher is now known as a pioneer in Major League baseball among Asian players.

In 2002, Topps repurposed the card for an eight-card East Meets West insert set included with its 2002 flagship issuance.  These new cards remove Estelle and pairs a Japanese born player with Murakami.

Giants Team Set

1965 Season - Estelle
Estelle spent most of the season pitching for the Tacoma Giants in the Pacific Coast League.  As one of the team's primary starting pitchers, he went 7-12 with a 3.94 ERA, pitching two complete game shutouts.  He appeared in six games for the Giants in September and October, finishing with no record and a 3.97 ERA.  He started the final game of the season for the Giants, lasting 3 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Reds.

1965 Season - Murakami
As mentioned above, Murakami was a huge part of the Giants bullpen in 1965, appearing in 45 games and finishing second on the team in saves with 8.  Only closer Frank Linzy (#589) had more with 20.

Murakami pitched the entire season knowing he'd be returning to Japan in 1966.  During the 1964 offseason, Japanese commissioner Yushi Uchimura had determined Murakami would be permitted to pitch the 1965 season for the Giants but then he'd be returned to the Nankai Hawks.

1966 Topps #373

2002 Topps East Meets West #EW-HN

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Estelle
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #282
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1965-1966
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1966 Topps #373

5 - Estelle non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 6/30/20.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Murakami
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #282
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  1965
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2003 Stadium Club Co-Signers #CS-MI

18 - Murakami non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 6/30/20.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.

Previous Card:  #281 Bill Stafford - New York Yankees

Next Card:  #283 Fred Whitfield - Cleveland Indians