#133 World Series Game 2 - Stottlemyre Wins

The 1964 World Series opened in St. Louis on October 7th and it ended 8 days later back in St. Louis with the Cardinals winning the decisive Game 7.

It was the fifth time these two teams had faced each other in the World Series, with the Yankees winning in 1928 and 1943 and the Cardinals prevailing in 1926 and 1942.  This also marked the end of an era for the Yankees, as the club had appeared in 14 of 16 fall classics since 1949 and they wouldn't appear again until 1976.  Former Yankee catcher Yogi Berra (#470) was in his first year as the team's manager, and he'd be unceremoniously fired following the series loss and replaced with (ironically enough) the Cardinals' manager, Johnny Keane (#131).  Keane would only last with the Yankees until 20 games into the 1966 season.

World Series cards were a key subset in Topps offerings throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with a card highlighting each game along with a series capping "Celebration" card.

Building the Set
May 13, 2021 from N. Topsail Beach, NC - Card #276
After adding a number of star cards in April, I decided I should focus on a group of commons for our set in May.  I set out specifically to add reasonably priced cards from the set's second series and I found a few eBay sellers running specials on recent set breaks.  In total, I added 23 cards over three-day period with this World Series card coming from Let's Play Ball located in N. Topsail Beach, North Carolina for $10.85.  This was one of two cards to arrive from Let's Play Ball, as I found a reasonably priced Norm Cash (#153) card from them too.  This is the final card we needed to complete the 8-card World Series subset.

The Card / Cardinals Team Set / Yankees Team Set

This game was a lot closer than the final score indicates, as the Yankees won 8-3 to tie the series up at 1-1.  With the first two games in the books, both teams headed to St. Louis for Game 3 after an off-day.

The pitching match-up for this game was rookie Mel Stottlemyre (#550), who had made his big league debut just a few months earlier on August 16th.  Stottlemyre went 9-3 with a 2.06 ERA over 12 impressive starts for the Yankees, pitching five complete games and two shutouts. 19-game winner Bob Gibson (#320) was on the mound for the Cardinals.  The Cardinals scored first in the third inning but the Yankees quickly tied the score in the fourth.  The Yankees took the lead for good in the sixth when Gibson gave up a costly walk to Mickey Mantle (#350) to begin the inning.  Mantle would move to second when Joe Pepitone (#245) was hit by a pitch, and he'd come around to score on a Tom Tresh (#440) single to center.  The Yankees would score four times against Gibson with the Cardinals' ace departing after eight innings.  The Cardinals scored a pair of meaningless late-inning runs, but the Yankees put the game out of reach with four more runs in the ninth off relievers Barney Schultz (#28) and Gordie Richardson.

Stottlemyre gets the card here for his complete game win.  He allowed three runs on seven hits, while striking out four.  As the back of this card mentions, Phil Linz (#369) was the offensive star for the Yankees, collecting three hits, including a ninth inning solo home run off Schultz.

Sources:
Baseball Reference

Prior Card:  #132 World Series Game 1

Next Card:  #134 World Series Game 3

#166 Indians Rookie Stars - George Culver / Tommie Agee

George Raymond Culver
Cleveland Indians
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  185
Born:  July 8, 1943, Salinas, CA
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent, May 9, 1963
Major League Teams:  Cleveland Indians 1966-1967; Cincinnati Reds 1968-1969; St. Louis Cardinals 1970; Houston Astros 1970-1972; Los Angeles Dodgers 1973; Philadelphia Phillies 1973-1974

Tommie Lee Agee
Cleveland Indians
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  195
Born:  August 9, 1942, Magnolia, AL
Signed:  Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before 1961 season
Major League Teams:  Cleveland Indians 1962-1964; Chicago White Sox 1966-1967; New York Mets 1968-1972; Houston Astros 1973; St. Louis Cardinals 1973
Died:  January 22, 2001, New York, NY (age 58)

George Culver spent nine seasons in the big leagues and pitched a no-hitter against the Phillies on July 29, 1968 while a member of the Reds.  That was his best season in the majors, as he went 11-16 with a 3.23 ERA over 42 apperances.  Serving mainly as a reliever throughout his career, Culver was popular among his teammates and known as a team comic.  After being released by the Phillies in 1974, Culver spent part of the 1975 season in Japan playing for the Nippon Ham Fighters.  In 335 career games, he was 48-49 with a 3.62 ERA and 23 saves.  After retiring as a player, Culver began his second career as a minor league manager and coach.  For 30 years, Culver served in various roles throughout the Phillies and Dodgers organizations. 

Tommie Agee toiled in the Indians' system for four seasons before an eight-player, three-team trade sent him to the White Sox before the start of the 1965 season.  With the White Sox, Agee broke out in 1966, making his first All-Star team, winning A.L. Rookie of the Year honors and also capturing the first of two career Gold Gloves.  The Mets acquired him from the White Sox following the 1967 season and Agee would provide stellar defense in center field for the eventual 1969 World Champions, the Miracle Mets.  He's best remembered for making two dramatic catches in center field during Game 3 of the Series, and he'd win his second Gold Glove in 1970.  In 1,130 career games, Agee batted .255 with 130 home runs and 433 RBIs.  Extremely popular among Mets' fans, Agee was inducted posthumously into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 2002.

Building the Set
May 13, 2021 from Marco Island, FL - Card #275
After adding a number of star cards in April, I decided I should focus on a group of commons for our set in May.  I set out specifically to add reasonably priced cards from the set's second series and I found a few eBay sellers running specials on recent set breaks.  In total, I added 23 cards over three-day period with this Indians Rookie Stars card coming from Super Bowl Auctions located in Marco Island, Florida for $5.  This is the last of 15 cards added from this particular eBay seller.  As of this writing, and after adding a few star cards late in May, we're the proud owners of a complete series two from the 1965 Topps set.

The Card / Indians Team Set
Neither of these players spent any time with the Indians in 1965.  Topps included Culver on this Rookie Stars card before the pitcher had ever played a big league game.  He'd make his debut on September 7, 1966 as a late-season call-up for the Indians.  Agee would appear on another Rookie Stars card in the 1966 Topps set, this time with the White Sox, before getting his first solo card in the 1967 Topps set.

1965 Season - Culver
Culver appeared in 38 games for the Triple-A Portland Beavers, going 10-11 with a 4.95 ERA in 28 starts.  He was second on the club in strikeouts (139) to the 190 strikeouts by Tom Kelley.

Phillies Career - Culver
Culver was claimed off waivers from the Dodgers by the Phillies on August 10, 1973, and Dodgers pitcher Tommy John (#208) credited Culver's departure as the reason his team didn't reach the play-offs that season.  John maintained Culver's departure upset the chemistry of the Dodgers.  With the Phillies, Culver was used sparingly and appeared in 14 games in 1973, going 3-1 with a 4.82 ERA.  He made the team's opening day roster in 1974 and again was used sparingly, getting into only 14 games in April, May and June.  He had a 6.65 ERA over 21 2/3 innings pitched when the Phillies released him on June 28th.

Culver returned to the Phillies in 1981 as a roving minor league instructor and for the next decade-plus he spent time as a coach or manager for the team's Double-A team in Reading or their Triple-A teams in Portland, Maine and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

1965 Season - Agee
Agee appeared in 10 games for the White Sox as a September call-up and batted .158 (3 for 19).  With the Indianapolis Indians, Agee played in 106 games and batted .226 with eight home runs, 33 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.

1967 Topps #499

1968 Topps #319

1971 Topps #291

1973 Topps #242

1974 Topps #632

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Culver
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #166
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1965, 1967-1974
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1993 Fleer ProCards #2558

51 - Culver non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/30/21.

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

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Agee
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #166
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1965-1974
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2005 Upper Deck Classics #91

129 - Agee non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/30/21.

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

1967 Topps #455

1969 Topps #364

1970 Topps #307

1972 Topps #245

1974 Topps Traded #630T

Previous Card:  #165 Dick Ellsworth - Chicago Cubs

Next Card:  #167 Bill Wakefield - New York Mets

#161 Frank Baumann - Chicago Cubs

Frank Matt Baumann
Chicago Cubs
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  205
Born:  July 1, 1933, St. Louis, MO
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent before 1952 season
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 1955-1959; Chicago White Sox 1960-1964; Chicago Cubs 1965
Died:  December 13, 2020, St. Louis, MO (age 87)

Frank Baumann played 11 seasons in the majors, and his early years with the Red Sox were hampered by an arm injury suffered while serving in the military during the Korean War.  He flourished after a November 1959 trade sent him to the White Sox for first baseman Ron Jackson, and he enjoyed a career year in 1960 when he won the A.L. ERA title.  He compiled a 13-6 record and a 2.67 ERA over 47 games (20 starts) to take the title over the Tigers' Jim Bunning (#20) who had a 2.79 mark.  Baumann struggled the following season, leading the league in earned runs with 117.  His appearances with the White Sox steadily declined and he was dealt to the cross-town Cubs following the 1964 season.  Baumann made only four appearances with the Cubs before getting sent down to Salt Lake City, where he concluded his playing career.  In 244 big league games, Baumann was 45-38 with a 4.11 ERA, including 19 complete games and four shutouts.

Building the Set
May 13, 2021 from Marco Island, FL - Card #274
After adding a number of star cards in April, I decided I should focus on a group of commons for our set in May.  I set out specifically to add reasonably priced cards from the set's second series and I found a few eBay sellers running specials on recent set breaks.  

In total, I added 23 cards over three-day period with this Baumann card coming from Super Bowl Auctions located in Marco Island, Florida for $2.  As of this writing, and after adding a few star cards late in May, we're the proud owners of a complete series two from the 1965 Topps set.

The Card / Cubs Team Set
This is Baumann's final appearance in a Topps flagship set, and he's wearing a White Sox jersey here.  The back of the card highlights his offseason trade and mentions his huge bonus to sign with the Red Sox in 1952.  Baumann received a $90,000 signing bonus from Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey.  Baumann signed a reprinted version of this card for the 2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs insert set.

1965 Season
Baumann was dealt to the Cubs on December 1, 1964 for catcher Jimmie Schaffer (#313).  By the time collectors were pulling this card out of packs of 1965 Topps, Baumann's major league career was already most likely over.  He appeared in four games for the Cubs, going 0-1 with a 7.36 ERA over 3 2/3 innings pitched, before being demoted to the Salt Lake City Bees in May.  With the Bees, he appeared in 11 games, making ten starts and earning a 2-5 record with a 5.94 ERA.

1958 Topps #167

1960 Topps #306

1961 Topps #550

1962 Topps #161

1964 Topps #453

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1958 Topps #167
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (8):  1958-1965
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-FB

33 - Baumann non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/30/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #160 Bob Clemente - Pittsburgh Pirates

Next Card:  #162 Russ Nixon - Boston Red Sox

#159 Jim Duffalo - San Francisco Giants

James Francis Duffalo
San Francisco Giants
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  175
Born:  November 25, 1935, Helvetia, PA
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1955 season
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1961-1965; Cincinnati Reds 1965

Pitcher Jim Duffalo played 17 seasons professionally, with five seasons spent in the big leagues with the Giants and Reds.  Originally signed by the Pirates, he won a career-high 17 games in his first minor league season with the Class D Brunswick club.  In June 1958, he was sent from the Pirates to the Giants in an "unknown transaction" per his Baseball Reference page, and he made his long-awaited major league debut on April 12, 1961.  He was a member of the 1962 N.L. Champion Giants, but did not appear in that year's World Series.  Duffalo appeared in at least 20 big league games each season between 1961 and 1965, enjoying his best year in 1964 when he went 5-1 with a 2.92 ERA over 35 games.  He also recorded three saves that season.  Duffalo was dealt to the Reds in May 1965 and he'd see his last major league action with 22 games for Cincinnati.

He continued to pitch in the Reds, Dodgers, Astros, Giants and Cubs systems through the 1972 season, ultimately retiring in 1972 at the age of 36.  Duffalo appeared in 387 minor league games and 141 major league games.  For his major league career, he was 15-8 with a 3.39 ERA and six saves.

Building the Set
May 13, 2021 from Marco Island, FL - Card #273
After adding a number of star cards in April, I decided I should focus on a group of commons for our set in May.  I set out specifically to add reasonably priced cards from the set's second series and I found a few eBay sellers running specials on recent set breaks.  In total, I added 23 cards over three-day period with this Duffalo card coming from Super Bowl Auctions located in Marco Island, Florida for $4.  As of this writing, and after adding a few star cards late in May, we're the proud owners of a complete series two from the 1965 Topps set.

The Card / Giants Team Set
Duffalo signed a reprint of this card for inclusion in the 2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs set, and the is also his fourth and final Topps flagship card.  The cartoon on the back highlights his 1959 ERA title, when he had a 2.91 ERA for the Eastern League's Springfield Giants.

1965 Season
Duffalo began the season with the Giants and appeared in two games with the club before being dealt to the Reds on May 4th for left-handed reliever Bill Henry (#456).  With the Reds, Duffalo appeared in 22 games and went 0-1 with a 3.45 ERA over 44 1/3 innings pitched.  He appeared in his final big league game on September 10th against his original franchise, the Pirates.

1962 Topps #578

1963 Topps #567

1964 Topps #573

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1962 Topps #578
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1962-1965
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-JD

16 - Duffalo non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/30/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #158 Dick Sisler MG - Cincinnati Reds

Next Card:  #160 Bob Clemente - Pittsburgh Pirates

#143 Pirates Rookie Stars - John Gelnar / Jerry May

John Richard Gelnar
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  185
Born:  June 25, 1943, Granite, OK
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1963 season
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1964, 1967; Seattle Pilots 1969; Milwaukee Brewers 1970-1971

Jerry Lee May
Pittsburgh Pirates
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  190
Born:  December 14, 1943, Staunton, VA
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1961 season
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1964-1970; Kansas City Royals 1971-1973; New York Mets 1973
Died:  June 30, 1996, Swoope, VA (age 52)

John Gelnar appeared in seven games for the Pirates during the 1964 season and then would have to wait until August 1967 to make his return to the big leagues.  He was sold to the Royals in October 1968 and then dealt to the Pilots with Steve Whitaker right before the start of the 1969 season for Lou Piniella.  He found some success as a middle reliever for the Pilots and for the Brewers after the team's move to Milwaukee.  Gelnar appeared in a career high 53 games for the Brewers in 1970, going 4-3 with a 4.19 ERA over 92 1/3 innings pitched.  For his career he was was 7-14 in 111 games with a 4.18 ERA and seven saves.

Jerry May was an above-average defensive catcher known for his ability to call a game and his penchant for throwing out would-be base stealers.  Originally a back-up to Jim Pagliaroni (#265), May was the Pirates' regular catcher for their 1967 and 1968 seasons.  He hit a career high .271 in 1967 and drove in a career high 33 runs in 1968.  Catching prospect Manny Sanguillen took over at catcher beginning in 1968, and the Pirates dealt May to the Royals prior to the 1971 season.  He'd serve mainly as a back-up to Ed Kirkpatrick (#393) and Fran Healy during his three seasons in Kansas City.  After four games with the Mets in 1973 and a brief return to the Pirates' minor league system, May retired as a player.  In 556 games, he batted .234 with 15 home runs and 130 RBIs.

Building the Set
May 13, 2021 from Marco Island, FL - Card #272
After adding a number of star cards in April, I decided I should focus on a group of commons for our set in May.  I set out specifically to add reasonably priced cards from the set's second series and I found a few eBay sellers running specials on recent set breaks.  In total, I added 23 cards over three-day period with this Pirates Rookie Stars card coming from Super Bowl Auctions located in Marco Island, Florida for $4.  As of this writing, and after adding a few star cards late in May, we're the proud owners of a complete series two from the 1965 Topps set.

The Card / Pirates Team Set
This wouldn't be the last appearance on a Rookie Stars card for either Gelnar or May.  Gelnar shows up again in the 1967 Topps set, sharing a card with outfielder George Spriggs.  May is on a 1966 Topps Rookie Stars card with Frank Bork (#592), and he'd get his first solo card in 1967.

On the back, Gelnar's 12-5 record with the Asheville Tourists in 1963 is touted, and he'd win 12 games again in 1966 with the Triple-A Columbus Jets.  May's 21 home runs in 1962 with the Batavia Pirates represented a professional career high for him.

1965 Season - Gelnar
Gelnar spent the entire season with the Jets, going 9-7 with a 2.84 ERA over 28 starts.  He pitched four complete games, including one shutout.  He'd return to the Jets for the entire 1966 season.

1965 Season - May
May spent the bulk of the 1965 season with the Jets as their regular catcher.  In 101 games, he batted .257 with four home runs and 34 RBIs.  May was a September call-up and appeared in four games with the Pirates, all as a late inning defensive replacement.  He went 1 for 2 with an RBI during his month with the club.

1967 Topps #472

1970 Topps #393

1971 Topps #604

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Gelnar
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #143
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1965, 1967, 1970-1971
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2020 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-JG

16 - Gelnar non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/29/21.

Sources - Gelnar:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Other Notable Baseball Cards - May
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #143
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1965-1973
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1973 Topps #558

44 - May non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/29/21.

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

1966 Topps #123

1967 Topps #379

1970 Topps #423

1971 Topps #719

1973 Topps #558

Previous Card:  #142 Bill Monbouquette - Boston Red Sox

Next Card:  #144 Ed Kranepool - New York Mets

#112 Derrell Griffith - Los Angeles Dodgers

Robert Derrell Griffith
Los Angeles Dodgers
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  168
Born:  December 12, 1943, Anadarko, OK
Signed:  Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1962 season
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1963-1966

Derrell Griffith appeared in four different seasons for the Dodgers, playing in a career high 78 games in 1964.  He was the team's regular third baseman that season for a stretch of games between mid-June and late July, and he also received a number of starts in both left and right field.  A string of injuries and slumps limited his time with the Dodgers in both 1965 and 1966 to just a combined 45 games.  In November 1966, the Dodgers traded Griffith along with Tommy Davis (#370) to the Mets for Jim Hickman (#114) and Ron Hunt (#285).  He was in the Mets system for less than four months when he was dealt again to the Braves for Sandy Alomar (#82).  Less than three months after that, Griffith was traded again, this time to the Astros as the player to be named later from an earlier deal.  He never made it back to the majors and retired having appeared in 124 big league games with a .260 average, 77 hits and five home runs.

Building the Set
May 13, 2021 from Marco Island, FL - Card #271
After adding a number of star cards in April, I decided I should focus on a group of commons for our set in May.  I set out specifically to add reasonably priced cards from the set's second series and I found a few eBay sellers running specials on recent set breaks.  In total, I added 23 cards over three-day period with this Griffith card coming from Super Bowl Auctions located in Marco Island, Florida for $4.  As of this writing, and after adding a few star cards late in May, we're the proud owners of a complete series two from the 1965 Topps set.

The Card / Dodgers Team Set
This is Griffith's rookie card and he'd go on to appear in two more Topps flagship sets.  I don't want to take anything away from him here, but the cartoon on the back is a bit misleading as his 254 plate appearances in 1964 would not have been enough for him to qualify for a batting title.  Making matters worse, the cartoonist also inflated his average by .004, as he finished with a .290 average.  Willie Davis (#435), who had 652 plate appearances, won the Dodgers' batting title in 1964 with his .294 average.

1965 Season
Griffith began the year in the minor leagues and came up to the Dodgers for a 14-game stretch in May and again as a September call-up.  With the Dodgers, the eventual World Series winners, he made nine starts in left field and one start in right.  In 22 games, he batted .171 (7 for 41) with a home run and two RBIs.  For the Triple-A Spokane Indians, Griffith batted .281 over 114 games with eight home runs and 53 RBIs.

1966 Topps #573

1967 Topps #502

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #112
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3):  1965-1967
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2016 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-DGR

10 - Griffith non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/29/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #111 Lee Thomas - Boston Red Sox

Next Card:  #113 Steve Barber - Baltimore Orioles