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Camilo Alberto Pascual
Minnesota Twins
Pitcher
Born: January 20, 1934, La Habana, Cuba
Signed: Signed by the Washington Senators as an amateur free agent before 1952 season
Major League Teams: Washington Senators 1954-1960; Minnesota Twins 1961-1966; Washington Senators 1967-1969; Cincinnati Reds 1969; Los Angeles Dodgers 1970; Cleveland Indians 1971
If not for Camilo Pascual, the Senators/Twins teams of the late 1950s/early 1960s would have lost a lot more games than they actually did. Pascual was a mainstay in those teams' pitching rotations, making at least 25 starts in 11 different seasons between 1956 and 1967. He was named to seven All-Star teams and was a 20-game winner in 1962 and 1963. Pascual led the A.L. in complete games in 1959, 1962 and 1963 and in shutouts in 1959, 1961 and 1962. He struck out over 200 in a season four times, leading the league in that category in 1961, 1962 and 1963. He finished in the top four in ERA in the A.L. in four different seasons. Pascual holds the record for opening day strikeouts, having fanned 15 Red Sox on opening day in 1960. Ted Williams described Pascual's overhand curveball as the "most feared curveball in the American League for 18 years."
The Twins, who had moved from Washington, traded Pascual to the expansion Washington Senators in December 1966, giving him the distinction of having pitched for both versions of the expansion Senators teams.
Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1956 Topps blog.
Building the Set
June 19, 2021 from Moorestown Mall Baseball Card Show - Card #323
Following our youngest son Ben's flawless performance of Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy at his piano recital, our family headed to the Moorestown Mall in New Jersey to browse a real live baseball card show. Traditionally, I only venture into malls for baseball card shows and I can't honestly remember the last time, pre-pandemic, I had stepped foot into a mall. The show was small, hosted by S&B Sports Promotions, with about a dozen tables and not much vintage to offer, but it was a sight for sore eyes. It took us only about 15 minutes to scout the whole place out and I was lucky enough to find a friendly dealer with 1960s and 1970s Topps cards in great shape, in order and (best of all) reasonably priced. I took my time going through his 1965 Topps commons, settling on 29 cards we needed and adding a card from the star pile to give us 30 new cards total. I spent an even $100 (after a generous dealer discount) and this Pascual card was about $3.25.
The Card / Twins Team Set
Pascual already appeared in the set on the A.L. Strikeout Leaders card (#11). And it appears as if Topps used a photo from the same session for both Pascual's 1965 and 1966 main flagship cards. The cartoon on the back highlights one of three seasons Pascual led the league in shutouts. I wonder why Topps didn't go with his league leading (and career high) eight shutouts in 1961 for the cartoon? In 1964, his 14 complete games were second in the league behind Dean Chance's (#140) 15. Pascual is in the harder to find 1965 Topps Transfers insert set, but he's not in the 1965 Topps Embossed insert set.
1965 Season
Ironically, Pascual had an off-year in 1965 after carrying the franchise for so many years as one of their most reliable pitchers. He was shut down late in the summer for shoulder surgery. In 27 starts, Pascual was 9-3 with a 3.35 ERA, serving as an often limited starting pitcher behind Mudcat Grant (#432), Jim Kaat (#62) and Jim Perry (#351). Pascual made one World Series appearance, starting Game 3 in Los Angeles and lasting only five innings. He took the loss in the game, allowing three runs on eight hits without a strikeout. The Dodgers would win the series in seven games.
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1955 Topps #84
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (16): 1955-1970
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1994 Topps Archives 1954 #255
137 - Pascual non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/31/21.
Building the Set
June 19, 2021 from Moorestown Mall Baseball Card Show - Card #323
Following our youngest son Ben's flawless performance of Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy at his piano recital, our family headed to the Moorestown Mall in New Jersey to browse a real live baseball card show. Traditionally, I only venture into malls for baseball card shows and I can't honestly remember the last time, pre-pandemic, I had stepped foot into a mall. The show was small, hosted by S&B Sports Promotions, with about a dozen tables and not much vintage to offer, but it was a sight for sore eyes. It took us only about 15 minutes to scout the whole place out and I was lucky enough to find a friendly dealer with 1960s and 1970s Topps cards in great shape, in order and (best of all) reasonably priced. I took my time going through his 1965 Topps commons, settling on 29 cards we needed and adding a card from the star pile to give us 30 new cards total. I spent an even $100 (after a generous dealer discount) and this Pascual card was about $3.25.
The Card / Twins Team Set
Pascual already appeared in the set on the A.L. Strikeout Leaders card (#11). And it appears as if Topps used a photo from the same session for both Pascual's 1965 and 1966 main flagship cards. The cartoon on the back highlights one of three seasons Pascual led the league in shutouts. I wonder why Topps didn't go with his league leading (and career high) eight shutouts in 1961 for the cartoon? In 1964, his 14 complete games were second in the league behind Dean Chance's (#140) 15. Pascual is in the harder to find 1965 Topps Transfers insert set, but he's not in the 1965 Topps Embossed insert set.
1965 Season
Ironically, Pascual had an off-year in 1965 after carrying the franchise for so many years as one of their most reliable pitchers. He was shut down late in the summer for shoulder surgery. In 27 starts, Pascual was 9-3 with a 3.35 ERA, serving as an often limited starting pitcher behind Mudcat Grant (#432), Jim Kaat (#62) and Jim Perry (#351). Pascual made one World Series appearance, starting Game 3 in Los Angeles and lasting only five innings. He took the loss in the game, allowing three runs on eight hits without a strikeout. The Dodgers would win the series in seven games.
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First Mainstream Card: 1955 Topps #84
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (16): 1955-1970
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1994 Topps Archives 1954 #255
137 - Pascual non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/31/21.
Sources:
1956 Topps Blog
1956 Topps Blog
