#217 Walt Alston MG - Los Angeles Dodgers

Walter Emmons Alston
Los Angeles Dodgers
Manager

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  195
Born:  December 1, 1911, Venice, OH
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1935
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1936
As a Manager:  Brooklyn Dodgers 1954-1957; Los Angeles Dodgers 1958-1976
Died:  October 1, 1984, Oxford, OH (age 72)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1983

As a player, Walter Alston had one at-bat with the 1936 Cardinals, striking out against Cubs pitcher Lon Warneke.

In his 23 seasons managing the Dodgers, Alston led the team to seven National League pennants and four World Championships in 1955, 1959, 1963 and 1965.  Alston's Dodgers finished with winning records in 19 of those 23 seasons and his 2,040 wins as a manager led to his induction into the Hall of Fame in 1983.  The three-time National League Manager of the Year (1955, 1959 and 1963) was known for his use of statistical analysis and for signing 23 one-year contracts, eschewing any long-term deals with the Dodgers.

With a few games left in the 1976 season, Alston stepped down as the Dodgers manager, handing over the job to Tommy Lasorda who would manage the team until 1995.  Alston's #24 was retired by the Dodgers in 1977.

Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1956 Topps blog.

Building the Set
March 27, 2020 from Cincinnati, OH - Card #88
This is one of seven cards I purchased from Dean's Cards in Cincinnati (via eBay) during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and in the midst of the first few weeks of the worldwide quarantine.  (That's a sentence I can't believe I actually just wrote.)

After purchasing four commons for reasons I've explained in the posts for Cal Koonce (#34), Nate Oliver (#59), Gary Kolb (#287) and Nelson Mathews (#87), I decided I had some money left over in my eBay purchasing budget and started hunting for a few semi-star cards.  This Alson card fit the bill along with the cards of Elston Howard (#350) and the mysterious (to me) Zoilo Versalles (#157).

Doug was more excited with the two boxes of 2020 Topps Gypsy Queen I bought on an impulse than he was with these cards when they arrived, but he was still glad to add a few cards to our growing set.  I'm assuming these will be the last cards I purchase for our 1965 set for a little while.

1966 Topps #116

The Card
Alston was still at the beginning of a run within Topps flagship sets that would see him appear in every Topps set between 1960 and 1976.  You can get a better look at the spectators behind him with his 1966 Topps card as Topps used a photo from the same session for both Alston's 1965 and 1966 Topps cards.  I'd guess the photo was taken during spring training in 1964.

Flipping the card over, the bio would be outdated following the end of the 1965 season as Alston guided the Dodgers to their fourth World Series title under his watch.  There would be two more N.L. pennants to come in 1966 and 1974.  His minor league managerial career is mentioned in his bio, and his 13 years in the minors were split between the Cardinals organization (1940-1942) and the Dodgers organization (1944-1953).

Dodgers Team Set

1965 Season
Alston's Dodgers won the N.L. pennant with a record of 97-65 and they defeated the Twins in the 1965 World Series in seven games.  The Dodgers spent most of the season in first place, but they fell as far as third place as late as September 15th.  Over the final 16 games of the season, the club went 15-1 to clinch the pennant.  Don Drysdale (#260) and Sandy Koufax (#300) were each responsible for four of those eight wins.

1956 Topps #8

1960 Topps #212

1963 Topps #154

1972 Topps #749

1976 Topps #46

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #8
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (19):  1956, 1958, 1960-1976
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2019 Diamond Kings #7

222 - Alston non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/6/20.

Sources:  
1956 Topps Blog
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database

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.

Prior Card:  #216 Al Worthington - Minnesota Twins

Next Card:  #218 Dick Schofield - Pittsburgh Pirates

#87 Nelson Mathews - Kansas City Athletics

Nelson Elmer Mathews
Kansas City Athletics
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  195
Born:  July 21, 1941, Columbia, IL
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent before 1959 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1960-1963; Kansas City Athletics 1964-1965

Nelson Mathews played in parts of six seasons with the Cubs and Athletics, appearing in 157 games in 1964 as the Athletics' regular center fielder.  He batted .239 with 14 home runs and 60 RBIs, but he also led the league that season in strikeouts with 143.  Mathews compiled a .223 career batting average with 22 home runs and 98 RBIs, last appearing in the majors in 1965.  In 1966 and 1967 he played in the minor league systems of the Athletics, Tigers and Phillies.

His son T.J. Mathews was a reliever for eight seasons between 1995 and 2002 with the Cardinals, Athletics and Astros.

Building the Set
March 27, 2020 from Cincinnati, OH - Card #87
This is one of seven cards I purchased from Dean's Cards in Cincinnati (via eBay) during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and in the midst of the first few weeks of the worldwide quarantine.  (That's a sentence I can't believe I actually just wrote.)  While sorting cards and organizing my collection one Saturday in mid-March, I came across a signed Mathews card from the 2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs insert set.  We had opened several boxes of 2014 Topps Heritage, and this was one of the rarer cards we found as it's signed in red ink and numbered to 65.

I purchased an original version of the Mathews card for our set, along with copies of cards we had received as buybacks and a few semi-star cards.  This Mathews card cost me $3.25 (plus combined shipping).

Doug was more excited with the two boxes of 2020 Topps Gypsy Queen I bought on an impulse than he was with these cards when they arrived, but he was still glad to add a few cards to our growing set.  I'm assuming these will be the last cards I purchase for our 1965 set for a little while.

The Card
That's a big #5 on Mathews' left shoulder and this is a great look at the Athletics' home uniforms from 1964.  I can't tell if the player visible in the background behind Mathews' hands is wearing uniform #3 or a uniform number in the thirties.  If it's just a #3, that's George Alusik who appeared in 102 games in 1964 with the Athletics.  On the back of the card, Topps calls attention to the two seasons Mathews led the minor leagues in triples.  He had 10 triples with the San Antonio Missions in 1961, and another 10 triples for the Wenatchee Chiefs in 1962.

Athletics Team Set

1965 Season
Mathews started the season with the Athletics, but he had lost his every day center fielder's job to Jim Landis (#376).  In 67 games, he hit .212 with 2 home runs and 15 RBIs before being demoted to Triple-A Vancouver Mounties in mid-July.  With the Mounties, Mathews played in 37 games and batted .246.  He'd not return to the big leagues again.

Phillies Connection
Mathews ended up in the Phillies organization in 1967, the last year he'd play professional baseball.  With the Double-A Reading Phillies, he appeared in 21 games and hit .209 with 6 RBIs.  Frank Lucchesi was the manager of that Reading team that also featured Dallas Green (#203) and Robin Roberts (#15) attempting to make comebacks.

1963 Topps #54

1964 Topps #366

2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs Red Ink #ROA-NM

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #54
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3):  1963-1965
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-NM

10 - Mathews non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/5/20.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia

Prior Card:  #86 Les Narum - Washington Senators

Next Card:  #88 Jack Lamabe - Boston Red Sox

#287 Gary Kolb - Milwaukee Braves

Gary Alan Kolb
Milwaukee Braves
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  194
Born:  March 13, 1940, Rock Falls, IL
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1960, 1962-1963; Milwaukee Braves 1964-1965; New York Mets 1965; Pittsburgh Pirates 1968-1969
Died:  July 3, 2019, Charleston, WV (age 79)

Mostly serving as a part-time outfielder, Gary Kolb played every position except pitcher and shortstop during his seven different seasons in the big leagues.  He appeared in a career high 75 games for the 1963 Cardinals, hitting .271 with 3 home runs and 10 RBIs.  On September 29, 1963, future Hall of Famer Stan Musial was playing in his final game and he collected the last hit of his career in the sixth inning off the Reds' Jim Maloney (#530).  Kolb was the pinch-runner manager Johnny Keane (#131) sent in to run for Musial so that the legend could receive one final ovation from the St. Louis fans.  Kolb was also the last Cardinals player to wear #20 before Lou Brock (#540), and the number has since been retired in Brock's honor.

The Cardinals traded Kolb to the Braves with Jimmie Coker (#192) in April 1964 in the deal that sent Bob Uecker (#519) to St. Louis.  Kolb last appeared in the majors with the Pirates, but he spent four more full seasons playing for the Pirates top farm club in Charleston between 1970 and 1973.  For his career, Kolb appeared in 293 games, batting .209 with 6 home runs and 29 RBIs.

Building the Set
March 27, 2020 from Cincinnati, OH - Card #86
This is one of seven cards I purchased from Dean's Cards in Cincinnati (via eBay) during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and in the midst of the first few weeks of the worldwide quarantine.  (That's a sentence I can't believe I actually just wrote.)  While sorting cards and organizing my collection one Saturday in mid-March, I came across several buybacks I had from the 1965 Topps set that had been box toppers from boxes of 2014 Topps Heritage we had purchased six years earlier.  Topps had added a gold stamp to each of the buybacks, celebrating the 50th anniversary of their 1965 set.

While debating whether or not I should add these buybacks to my set, and going back and forth on that decision, I finally decided the whole "dilemma" would be moot if I just purchased new versions of the old cards.  Kolb, along with Cal Koonce (#34) and Nate Oliver (#59), was one of the three cards I purchased to replace the buybacks and the new Kolb card cost me $3.50 (plus combined shipping).

Doug was more excited with the two boxes of 2020 Topps Gypsy Queen I bought on an impulse than he was with these cards when they arrived, but he was still glad to add a few cards to our growing set.  I'm assuming these will be the last cards I purchase for our 1965 set for a little while.

The Card
I think I should start tracking hatless photos appearing in the set.  Kolb is shown from the neck up as he's most likely wearing a Cardinals jersey here even though he had spent the entire 1964 season with the Braves.  On the back of the card, the cartoon pays tribute to his football playing days at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  His 1962 league-leading fielding efforts came with the Double-A Tulsa Oilers.

Braves Team Set

1965 Season
Kolb appeared in 24 games for the Braves, batting .259, and on July 21st he was traded to the Mets for Jesse Gonder (#423).  With the Mets, Kolb played in 40 games, batting .167 (15 for 90), playing all three outfield positions, first base and third base.  He started 23 games for the Mets in their outfield.  Kolb spent all of 1966 playing for the Triple-A Jacksonville Suns and was traded to the Pirates in December 1966.

1964 Topps #119

1968 Topps #407

1969 Topps #307

1978 TCMA The 1960s I #283

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #119
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1964-1965, 1968-1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #283

18 - Kolb non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/5/20.

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.

Prior Card:  #286 Athletics Rookie Stars

Next Card:  #288 Jack Hamilton - Detroit Tigers

#59 Nate Oliver - Los Angeles Dodgers

Nathaniel Oliver
Los Angeles Dodgers
Second Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  160
Born:  December 13, 1940, St. Petersburg, FL
Signed:  Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent, June 9, 1959
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1963-1967; San Francisco Giants 1968; New York Yankees 1969; Chicago Cubs 1969

Nate Oliver was a light-hitting middle infielder who enjoyed his best season in 1964 with the Dodgers.  He appeared in 99 games that year, batting .243 with 21 RBIs and he took over the everyday second baseman's job from Dick Tracewski (#279) in mid-June.  Oliver also served as the Dodgers' primary middle infield back-up in 1966 and 1967, appearing in 80 and 77 games respectively.  He appeared in Game 4 of the 1966 World Series as a pinch-runner.

He was traded to the Giants in February 1968, spending the final two years of his big league career with the Giants, Yankees and Cubs.  He had one at-bat with the Yankees before being traded to the Cubs in April 1969 for Lee Elia.  In 410 career games, Oliver hit .226 with a pair of home runs and 45 RBIs.  After retiring, Oliver managed or coached within the organizations of the Angels, Cubs and White Sox between the late 1980s and the mid 2000s.  In 1988, Oliver was serving as the manager of the Class A Reno Silver Sox.  At 47 years old, he was apparently activated for a game with the Silver Sox and had one at bat.

Building the Set
March 27, 2020 from Cincinnati, OH - Card #85
This is one of seven cards I purchased from Dean's Cards in Cincinnati (via eBay) during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and in the midst of the first few weeks of the worldwide quarantine.  (That's a sentence I can't believe I actually just wrote.)  While sorting cards and organizing my collection one Saturday in mid-March, I came across several buybacks I had from the 1965 Topps set that had been box toppers from boxes of 2014 Topps Heritage we had purchased six years earlier.  Topps had added a gold stamp to each of the buybacks, celebrating the 50th anniversary of their 1965 set.

While debating whether or not I should add these buybacks to my set, and going back and forth on that decision, I finally decided the whole "dilemma" would be moot if I just purchased new versions of the old cards.  Oliver was one of the three cards I purchased to replace the buybacks and the new card cost me $3 (plus combined shipping).

Doug was more excited with the two boxes of 2020 Topps Gypsy Queen I bought on an impulse than he was with these cards when they arrived, but he was still glad to add a few cards to our growing set.  I'm assuming these will be the last cards I purchase for our 1965 set for a little while.

The Card
Oliver shares a 1963 Rookie Stars card with Tony Martinez, Jerry Robinson and Bill Freehan (#390).  This is his first solo card.  Oliver's roomate (and teammate) Jim Gilliam is mentioned on the back.  The two would have played together for the Dodgers between 1963 and 1966.  Oliver only stole 17 bases over his seven different seasons in the majors, and he was caught 15 times.

Dodgers Team Set

1965 Season
Oliver appeared in just 8 games for the Dodgers, hitting a perfect 1.000 (1 for 1).  In his two plate appearances he singled and laid down a sacrifice bunt.  He appeared on the field twice at second base with his other appearances coming either as a pinch runner or pinch hitter.  With the Dodgers top farm team, the Spokane Indians, Oliver appeared in 122 games and hit .284 with a team-leading 28 stolen bases.

1963 Topps #466

1966 Topps #364

1968 Topps #124

1969 Topps #354

1970 Topps #223

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #466
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1963, 1965-1966, 1968-1970
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1981 TCMA The 1960s II #389

34 - Oliver non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/4/20.

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.

Prior Card:  #58 Fred Talbot - Chicago White Sox

Next Card:  #60 Jim O'Toole - Cincinnati Reds

#34 Cal Koonce - Chicago Cubs

Calvin Lee Koonce
Chicago Cubs
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  185
Born:  November 18, 1940, Fayetteville, NC
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent, May 31, 1961
Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1962-1967; New York Mets 1967-1970; Boston Red Sox 1970-1971
Died:  October 28, 1993, Winston-Salem, NC (age 52)

Originally a starting pitcher, Cal Koonce developed into a reliable reliever for the Cubs, Mets and Red Sox over a 10-year big league career.  Koonce won a career-high 10 games with the Cubs during his rookie season of 1962 and recorded a career-high 11 saves with the Mets in 1968.  He never quite replicated the success he had in his rookie season when he went 10-10 with a 3.97 ERA in 30 starts (35 games overall).  He was a member of the 1969 World Champion Mets, although he did not appear in the postseason.

Koonce had a lifetime record of 47-49 with a 3.78 ERA over 334 games.  Following his playing days, Koonce was the head baseball coach at Campbell University (1980-1986) and a scout for the Texas Rangers.  He passed away in 1993 after a four-year battle with lymphoma.

Building the Set
March 27, 2020 from Cincinnati, OH - Card #84
This is one of seven cards I purchased from Dean's Cards in Cincinnati (via eBay) during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and in the midst of the first few weeks of the worldwide quarantine.  (That's a sentence I can't believe I actually just wrote.)  While sorting cards and organizing my collection one Saturday in mid-March, I came across several buybacks I had from the 1965 Topps set that had been box toppers from boxes of 2014 Topps Heritage we had purchased six years earlier.  Topps had added a gold stamp to each of the buybacks, celebrating the 50th anniversary of their 1965 set.

While debating whether or not I should add these buybacks to my set, and going back and forth on that decision, I finally decided the whole "dilemma" would be moot if I just purchased new versions of the old cards.  Koonce was one of the three cards I purchased to replace the buybacks and the new card cost me $2.45 (plus combined shipping).

Doug was more excited with the two boxes of 2020 Topps Gypsy Queen I bought on an impulse than he was with these cards when they arrived, but he was still glad to add a few cards to our growing set.  I'm assuming these will be the last cards I purchase for our 1965 set for a little while.

The Card
Koonce's rookie card appeared in the 1963 Topps set and he'd be left out of the 1964 Topps set.  He wore #34 during his time with both the Cubs and the Mets.  Nolan Ryan had worn #34 with the Mets when he came up with the club as a rookie in 1966, but he switched to #30 presumably so that the newly acquired veteran Koonce would have his familiar number.  Ryan would get his #34 back with the Astros and Rangers.

Flipping to the back of the card, the one-hit shutout referenced came on July 13, 1962.  Don Blasingame (#21) ruined Koonce's no-hitter with a single to center in the fourth.  Koonce also walked a batter in the game.  His 2.03 ERA in 1964 should be discounted a little as he only appeared in six games.

Cubs Team Set

1965 Season
Koonce went 7-9 for the Cubs, appearing in 38 games and making 23 starts.  He threw 3 complete games with one shutout and had an ERA of 3.69.  He was a regular in the starting pitching rotation that also consisted of Larry Jackson (#420), Dick Ellsworth (#165) and Bob Buhl (#264).  Using their experimental College of Coaches, rotating different coaches into the manager's position, the Cubs finished in 8th place in the N.L. with a 72-90 record.

1963 Topps #31

1966 Topps #278

1968 Topps #486

1969 Topps #303

1971 Topps #254

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #31
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (8):  1963, 1965-1971
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1971 Topps #254

32 - Koonce non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/4/20.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

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.

Prior Card:  #33 Jackie Brandt - Baltimore Orioles

Next Card:  #35 Ed Charles - Kansas City Athletics

#176 Willie McCovey - San Francisco Giants

Willie Lee McCovey
San Francisco Giants
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  198
Born:  January 10, 1938, Mobile, AL
Signed:  Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent, March 12, 1955
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1959-1973; San Diego Padres 1974-1976; Oakland Athletics 1976; San Francisco Giants 1977-1980
Died:  October 31, 2018, Palo Alto, CA (age 80)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1986

August 2019 - Overlooking McCovey Cove

Willie McCovey enjoyed a 22-year Hall of Fame career that saw him reach the All-Star Game six times and earn N.L. MVP honors in 1969.  He appeared in only 52 games his rookie season in 1959, but his .354 average along with 13 home runs were enough to make him the unanimous choice for Rookie of the Year.  McCovey, nicknamed "Stretch," led the league in home runs in 1963, 1968 and 1969.  He also led the league in RBIs in those latter two years, with his 1969 season leading to his MVP award with a .320 average, 45 home runs and 126 RBIs.  He had been previously named the MVP of the 1969 All-Star Game after hitting two home runs in the contest.  McCovey played in one World Series, with the Giants losing in 1962 to the Yankees.

McCovey had 521 career home runs when he retired, placing him seventh on the all-time list at the time.  He accumulated a lifetime batting average of .270 with 1,555 RBIs.  McCovey hit his final home run on May 3, 1980, giving him the distinction, along with Ted Williams, Rickey Henderson and Omar Vizquel, of having homered in four different decades.  His 18 grand slams are the most ever in the National League.

The Giants retired his #44 in 1980, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986, his first year of eligibility.  When the Giants moved into their new ballpark in 2000 (now called Oracle Park), the San Francisco Bay inlet beyond the right field fence was named McCovey Cove.

Building the Set

February 29, 2020 from King of Prussia, PA - Card #83
Doug and I attended the Philadelphia Sportscard & Memorabilia Show held on the bottom floor of the Valley Forge Casino on the final day of February.  This was our first baseball card show of 2020 and the fourth show we've attended in Valley Forge since March 2019.  I did a post over at The Phillies Room with a few pictures of Doug taken with some of the show's autograph guests.  We ended up adding 23 cards to our set, with this being the last one.

In the general vicinity of the autograph seekers' holding pen was a table hosted by Bel Air Sports Cards out of Bel Air, Maryland.  The dealer had neatly organized stacks of star cards from the 1960s on display and I started browsing through the 1965 Topps stack.  I found four cards I liked, got Doug's approval, and handed the cards to the dealer to tally up my total.  The prices on the four cards totaled $50 and I was prepared to pay that amount as the sign advertising the cards indicated they had already been marked down.  The dealer said, "How about $45 for the lot," and I accepted.  This McCovey card was originally marked at $15.

The scan shown above are my notes from the show, memorializing for my records where the cards came from and how much we paid for them.

The Card
The Giants have some great looking cards in the 1965 Topps set, and this card is no exception.  The back mentions McCovey's 1959 Rookie of the Year Award honors.

Topps issued a painted version of the card in its 2001 Topps Gallery Heritage insert set, and there's a reprint of the card in the 2012 Topps Archives Reprints insert set.

Giants Team Set

1965 Season
McCovey was moved to first base at the start of the 1965 season to replace the injured Orlando Cepeda (#360) and he'd end up starting 150 of the Giants' 163 games at first base.  He responded with another successful season, hitting .276 with 39 home runs and 92 RBIs.  Both marks were second on the club behind Willie Mays (#250), who had an MVP season with 52 home runs and 112 RBIs.  McCovey finished second in the league behind Mays in home runs, and he was also second in the league in walks with 88.  He finished in the top five in the league in both on-base and slugging percentage.  The Giants were in the mix for the pennant until the final week of the season when the Dodgers pulled ahead of them.

1960 Topps #316

1969 Topps #440

1972 Topps #280

1975 Topps #450

1980 Topps #335

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #316
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (21):  1960-1980
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2020 Topps Heritage '71 Topps Greatest Moments Boxloader #19

1,385 - McCovey non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/24/20.

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

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.

Prior Card:  #175 Bob Aspromonte - Houston Astros

Next Card:  #177 Pete Mikkelsen - New York Yankees