#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

#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

#493 Tigers Rookie Stars - Bill Roman / Bruce Brubaker

William Anthony Roman
Detroit Tigers
First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  190
Born:  October 11, 1938, Detroit, MI
Signed:  Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1964-1965

Bruce Ellsworth Brubaker
Detroit Tigers
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  198
Born:  December 29, 1941, Harrisburg, PA
Signed:  Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent before 1959 season
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1967; Milwaukee Brewers 1970

Originally signed before the 1960 season, Bill Roman was in the midst of his second strong year with the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs in 1964 when the Tigers made him a late season call-up.  In his big league debut on September 30th, Roman pinch-hit for pitcher Fred Gladding (#37) in the seventh inning and hit a home run off Yankees' pitcher Jim Bouton (#30).  He'd make the Tigers' opening day roster in 1965, but only collected four more hits, all singles, over the remainder of his brief big league career.  Roman played in 24 games for the Tigers overall, batting .143 (5 for 35) with his one memorable pinch-hit home run.

Bruce Brubaker pitched for 14 seasons in the minors within the Braves, Tigers, Phillies, Dodgers and Brewers organizations, making it to the majors for exactly two games.  He was a 16 game winner in 1960 at the age of 18, and a 15 game winner in 1964.  Brubaker made his big league debut on April 15, 1967 with the Dodgers, throwing an inning of relief in a lopsided loss to the Cardinals.  He allowed three runs in the outing, including a home run to Lou Brock (#540).  He next pitched in the majors on August 5, 1970 with the Brewers, throwing two innings and allowing a pair of runs on two hits against the White Sox.  He compiled a 13.50 ERA over 3 1/3 innings pitched.

1967 Topps #276

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Sports Cards Plus - Cooper City, FL) - Card #585

This is the 101st 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.  After our 51 card haul from Uncle Dick's, and with more card spending budget still in place, I set out to find another dealer with a binder of 1965 Topps cards with reasonable prices.  I had purchased cards from Sports Cards Plus before, finding the last few cards needed for our 1971 Topps set from this dealer back in December 2019.

Settling in, we found 37 cards needed for our set with an average price per card working out to around $6.  The lot, including this Tigers Rookie Stars card, consisted mostly of semi-stars and team cards.  This was the last of the 37 cards acquired from Sports Card Plus, and after paying for this mini haul we were officially 13 cards away from a complete set, with one more purchase coming to end the day.  I had seen a semi-pricey card we still needed at another dealer's table earlier in my travels, and before leaving the show I headed back to that table to try to negotiate a better deal for the card.

The Card / Tigers Team Set
This is it for Roman, as he doesn't appear on any other baseball cards.  His two cards listed in the TCDB include this original Topps card and the stamped buyback version included within packs of 2014 Topps Heritage.  The Beckett database doesn't even count the buyback version.  Brubaker would get a surprise solo card in the 1967 Topps set with the Dodgers.  This is the final card we needed to complete our Tigers team set.

1965 Season - Roman
Roman began the season with the Tigers, starting three games at first base in April and May.  He'd return to the club in September, serving solely as a pinch-hitter and once as a pinch-runner.  Roman collected just a pair of hits, batting .074 overall in 27 at bats.  Somehow Roman spent the middle part of the season playing for the Toledo Mud Hens, then the Yankees' top farm team in the International League.  With the Mud Hens, Roman batted .299 with four home runs and 29 RBIs.

1965 Season - Brubaker
Brubaker would never pitch for the Tigers, and he spent this entire season with the Syracuse Chiefs.  He was 9-9 with a 3.99 ERA in 28 games overall, pitching a team-leading 187 innings and striking out 128.

Phillies Connection - Brubaker
Left unprotected in the annual rule 5 draft, Brubaker was selected by the Phillies on November 29, 1965.  He'd spend the entire 1966 season with San Diego Padres, then the Phillies' top farm team, going 8-13 with a 4.45 ERA in 29 games.  Left unprotected again following the season, Brubaker was selected by the Dodgers in the 1966 rule 5 draft.

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Roman
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #493
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  1965
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #493

1 - Roman non-parallel baseball card in the Beckett online database as of 10/9/22.

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

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Brubaker
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #493
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1965, 1967
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2016 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-BBR

7 - Brubaker non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 10/9/22.

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

Previous Card:  #492 Gene Freese - Pittsburgh Pirates

Next Card:  #494 Jay Ritchie - Boston Red Sox

#449 Mets Rookie Stars - Jerry Hinsley / Gary Kroll

Jerry Dean Hinsley
New York Mets
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right Height:  5'11"  Weight:  165
Born:  April 9, 1945, Hugo, OK
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1963 season
Major League Teams:  New York Mets 1964, 1967

Gary Melvin Kroll
New York Mets
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'6"  Weight:  220
Born:  July 8, 1941, Culver City, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent, June 5, 1959
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 1964; New York Mets 1964-1965; Houston Astros 1966; Cleveland Indians 1969

Jerry Hinsley appeared in 11 games for the Mets in 1964 and 1967, pitching to an 0-2 record with a 7.08 ERA over 20 1/3 innings pitched.  He spent eight seasons in the minors, playing professionally through the 1971 season.  Hinsley pitched in a career high 143 innings in 1968 for the Double-A Memphis Blues, the Mets' Texas League affiliate, where he was 9-12 with a 3.59 ERA in 24 starts.

Gary Kroll pitched in parts of four seasons in the majors with the Phillies, Mets, Astros and Indians.  After 5 1/2 seasons in the Phillies minor league system, he made his big league debut on July 26, 1964.  He'd pitch in just one more game for the Phillies before a trade in early August sent him to the Mets in exchange for Frank Thomas (#123).  Kroll spent all of 1965 on the Mets' staff, and he was dealt again following the season, this time to the Astros.  He would appear in 10 games for the Astros in 1966 and he'd see his last major league action with 19 relief appearances for the Indians in 1969.  In 71 major league games, Kroll was 6-7 with a 4.24 ERA in 159 1/3 innings pitched.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Sports Cards Plus - Cooper City, FL) - Card #580

This is the 96th 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.  After our 51 card haul from Uncle Dick's, and with more card spending budget still in place, I set out to find another dealer with a binder of 1965 Topps cards with reasonable prices.  I had purchased cards from Sports Cards Plus before, finding the last few cards needed for our 1971 Topps set from this dealer back in December 2019.

Settling in, we found 37 cards needed for our set with an average price per card working out to around $6.  The lot, including this Rookie Stars card, consisted mostly of semi-stars and team cards.  After paying for this mini haul, we were officially 13 cards away from a complete set, with one more purchase coming to end the day.

The Card / Mets Team Set
Hinsley shared a Rookie Stars card in the 1964 Topps set along with pitcher Bill Wakefield (#167), and this is his second (and final) Topps flagship set appearance.  The back of the card mentions Hinsley being selected by the Mets in the annual rule 5 draft from the Pirates, which is a less interesting way of saying they "smoked him out."  This is Kroll's rookie card, and it's impressive to me Topps was able to get a picture of him in a Mets uniform as quickly as they did.  He shows up again in the 1966 Topps set, now on the Astros, but still wearing a Mets jersey.  (Or is that a Phillies jersey?)

1965 Season - Hinsley
Still just 20 years old, Hinsley spent all of 1965 in the minor leagues, splitting time between the Double-A Williamsport Mets and the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.  In 26 starts between the two levels, he was 8-12 with a 4.95 ERA in 129 innings pitched.  He'd spend all of 1966 and most of 1967 pitching in the Mets' minor leagues before a September call-up saw him appear in two games in late 1967.

1965 Season - Kroll
Kroll appeared in 32 games overall for the Mets, making 11 starts.  He was 6-6 with a 4.45 ERA with one save.  His lone career complete game came on April 18th against the Giants, in a game shortened to seven innings, I'm assuming because of rain.  Kroll allowed four hits in that outing while striking out eight.  On January 6, 1966, Kroll was dealt to Houston for outfielder John Weekly and cash.

Phillies Career - Kroll

Kroll's Phillies career was limited to two appearances and three innings during the historically painful season of 1964.  He pitched a pair of innings on July 26th, allowing a run on three hits in a 6-1 loss to the Cardinals.  He'd appear again on August 2nd, pitching a scoreless inning against the Dodgers and striking out Jim Gilliam.  With the Phillies needing a first baseman, Kroll, Wayne Graham and cash were sent to the Mets on August 7th for Thomas.

1964 Topps #576

1966 Topps #548

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Hinsley
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #576
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1964-1965
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #449

5 - Hinsley non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 10/2/22.

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

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Kroll
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #449
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1965-1966
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2015 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-GK

9 - Kroll non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 10/2/22.

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

Previous Card:  #448 Lee Stange - Cleveland Indians

Next Card:  #450 Elston Howard - New York Yankees