#559 Ed Bailey - San Francisco Giants

Lonas Edgar Bailey
San Francisco Giants
Catcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  205
Born:  April 15, 1931, Strawberry Plains, TN
Signed:  Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent before 1950 season
Major League Teams:  Cincinnati Reds 1953-1961; San Francisco Giants 1961-1963; Milwaukee Braves 1964; San Francisco Giants 1965; Chicago Cubs 1965; California Angels 1966
Died:  March 23, 2007, Knoxville, TN (age 75)

Catcher Ed Bailey was named to six All-Star teams throughout his 14-year big league career.  After a few years in the early 1950s bouncing between the minors and majors, Bailey came up for good in 1956 and produced a career year.  In 118 games with the Reds, he batted .300 with 28 home runs and 75 RBIs - all career highs.  He was also the National League's starting catcher in that year's All-Star Game.  Bailey established himself as one of the top catchers in the league in the late 1950s and early 1960s, hitting at least 11 home runs in eight straight seasons between 1956 and 1963, while also hitting for average and fielding his position well.  Bailey led all catchers in caught stealing percentage in 1957, and he'd finish in the top five in that category in five different seasons.  Bailey was behind the plate for Juan Marichal's no-hitter on June 15, 1963.

He settled into a back-up role towards the end of his career, playing a few games into the 1966 season with the Angels before retiring.  Bailey appeared in 1,212 big league games, batting .256 with 915 hits, 155 home runs and 540 RBIs.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #535

This is the 51st 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.  Having wandered aimlessly among the dealer tables looking for binders with vintage commons, I decided to check to see if Uncle Dick's had refreshed their inventory following the December show, during which I had wiped out both their 1965 Topps binders.  Much to my pleasant surprise, they had.  

This Bailey card was $6 and was one of 49 commons and semi-stars purchased in my triumphant return to Uncle Dick's and his replenished neon green binders.

Depending on my ability to compose five posts a week on the cards acquired at this show, I should be completely caught up on this blog by mid-October.  It's entirely feasible we complete our 1965 Topps set by the end of 2022, although nine of the remaining 12 cards needed are fairly expensive.

The Card / Giants Team Set
Bailey is shown in a Braves jersey here, as Topps used a photo from the same spring training session that yielded the photo used for his 1964 Topps card.  On the back, there's no room to mention his trade from the Braves to the Giants.  The cartoon highlights his three home runs hit on June 24, 1956 against the Dodgers.  His victims were Dodgers' pitchers Don Bessent, Ed Roebuck (#52) and Roger Craig (#411).

1965 Season
On February 1st, the Giants re-acquired Bailey from the Braves in exchange for pitcher Billy O'Dell (#476).  He began the season as the back-up to Tom Haller (#465), appearing in 24 games and making five starts behind the plate and one start at first base.  On May 29th he was dealt to the Cubs with Bob Hendley (#444) and Harvey Kuenn (#103) for Dick Bertell (#27) and Len Gabrielson (#14).  Bailey entered a three-way platoon at catcher with Chris Krug and Vic Roznovsky (#334), making 45 starts.  In 66 total games with the Cubs, Bailey batted .253 with five home runs and 23 RBIs.  Eight of those RBIs came on July 22nd when he went 4 for 4 with two home runs, including a grand slam.

1953 Topps #206

1957 Topps #128

1962 Topps #459

1964 Topps #437

1966 Topps #246

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1953 Topps #206
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1953-1955, 1957-1966
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Topps Archives 1954 #184

76 - Bailey non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 7/28/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #558 Tommie Sisk - Pittsburgh Pirates

Next Card:  #560 Boog Powell - Baltimore Orioles

#554 Chico Ruiz - Cincinnati Reds

Giraldo Ruiz
Cincinnati Reds
Infield

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  169
Born:  December 5, 1938, Santo Domingo, Cuba
Signed:  Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent before 1958 season
Major League Teams:  Cincinnati Reds 1964-1969; California Angels 1970-1971
Died:  February 9, 1972, San Diego, CA (age 33)

As a Phillies fan, Chico Ruiz's name evokes stories of the great collapse of 1964 as his steal of home on September 21, 1964 resulted in the start of a ten game losing streak that would cost the Phillies the pennant.  With Art Mahaffey (#446) on the mound and Frank Robinson (#120) at the plate in the sixth inning of a scoreless game, Ruiz made the bold decision to steal home.  He was safe, with catcher Clay Dalrymple (#372) unable to handle the pitch and the Phillies' historic collapse had started.  They had been up by 6 1/2 games with 12 games to play prior to Ruiz's dash for the plate.  

Known for his speed, Ruiz saw limited playing time at the start of his big league career, as the Reds had Pete Rose (#207) at second base, Deron Johnson (#75) at third base and Leo Cardenas (#437) at shortstop.  Ruiz enjoyed his best seasons in 1967 and 1968, seeing semi-regular playing time after Cardenas broke a finger.  Ruiz appeared in 85 and 88 games respectively those two seasons, batting .220 and .259.  He was dealt to the Angels following the 1969 season with Alex Johnson (#352), and he'd conclude his big league career with two seasons as a back-up infielder and pinch-hitter for California.  In his rocky final year in the majors, Ruiz was accused of often arguing with Johnson and he allegedly pointed a gun at his teammate in the Angels' clubhouse following the team's loss on June 13, 1971.  (This is ironic given the cartoon Topps uses on the back of this card.)

Ruiz was released following the season and was set to attend spring training with the Royals in 1972.  On February 9, 1972, he died in a single car accident while driving outside of San Diego.  Ruiz appeared in 565 big league games, collecting 276 hits, 34 stole bases, including one unforgettable steal of home, and batting .240.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #534

This is the 50th 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.  Having wandered aimlessly among the dealer tables looking for binders with vintage commons, I decided to check to see if Uncle Dick's had refreshed their inventory following the December show, during which I had wiped out both their 1965 Topps binders.  Much to my pleasant surprise, they had.  

This Ruiz card was $6 and was one of 49 commons and semi-stars purchased in my triumphant return to Uncle Dick's and his replenished neon green binders.

Depending on my ability to compose five posts a week on the cards acquired at this show, I should be completely caught up on this blog by mid-October.  It's entirely feasible we complete our 1965 Topps set by the end of 2022, although nine of the remaining 12 cards needed are fairly expensive.

The Card / Reds Team Set
Despite not making his big league debut until April 13, 1964, Ruiz appeared in the 1963 Topps set on a multi-player Rookie Stars card, and he'd repeat on a Rookie Stars card in the 1964 set.  This is his first solo appearance in a Topps set.  The back of the card highlights his speed, and there's an uncorrected error in the first line of the text as Ruiz split time between Cincinnati and San Diego in 1964, not 1965.

1965 Season
Ruiz spent the entire season with the Reds, but was the last man off the bench and appeared in only 29 games with 18 plate appearances.  He batted just .111 with a pair of hits the entire year.  His season ended on August 25th when as a pinch-runner he broke his ankle on a slide into third base.

1963 Topps #407

1964 Topps #356

1967 Topps #339

1969 Topps #469

1971 Topps #686

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #407
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1963-1971
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #35

39 - Ruiz non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 7/28/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #553 Astros Rookie Stars

Next Card:  #555 Jack Baldschun - Philadelphia Phillies

#547 Jake Wood - Detroit Tigers

Jacob Wood
Detroit Tigers
Second Base-Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  163
Born:  June 22, 1937, Elizabeth, NJ
Signed:  Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent before the 1957 season
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1961-1967; Cincinnati Reds 1967

Jake Wood won the Tigers' starting second baseman job out of spring training in 1961, and started 160 games at the position for a team that won 101 games but finished in second place to the Yankees.  He led the league in triples (14), errors at second (25) and strikeouts (141), placing sixth in the Rookie of the Year voting.  He started the majority of the Tigers' games at second base in 1962 and 1963, but a dislocated finger cost him playing time in the second half of the 1963 season.  Still, he hit .271 in 1963 with 11 home runs.  Veteran Jerry Lumpe (#353) was acquired prior to the 1964 season, and Wood settled into a bench role.  He'd make only 22 starts in 1964, 19 in 1965 and 49 in 1966.  Wood was sold to the Reds in June 1967 and he'd wrap up his big league career with 16 games for Cincinnati.

Overall, Wood batted .250 in 608 major league games, collected 469 hits, 35 home runs and 168 RBIs.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #533

This is the 49th 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.  Having wandered aimlessly among the dealer tables looking for binders with vintage commons, I decided to check to see if Uncle Dick's had refreshed their inventory following the December show, during which I had wiped out both their 1965 Topps binders.  Much to my pleasant surprise, they had.  

This Wood card was $6 and was one of 49 commons and semi-stars purchased in my triumphant return to Uncle Dick's and his replenished neon green binders.

Depending on my ability to compose five posts a week on the cards acquired at this show, I should be completely caught up on this blog by mid-October.  It's entirely feasible we complete our 1965 Topps set by the end of 2022, although nine of the remaining 12 cards needed are fairly expensive.

The Card / Tigers Team Set
Like a lot of the cards of his Tigers teammates, Wood is posed on the team's spring training field with a large light standard behind him as well as several field house buildings.  The back of the card celebrates his versatility in the filed and his success as a pinch-hitter.  The "2B-OF" position designation is an odd choice by Topps as Wood had appeared in one game as a left fielder in 1964.  For his career, he'd play three games in the outfield over seven seasons.

1965 Season
With Lumpe returning as the regular second baseman, Wood made only 17 starts at second base, with one start each at first and third.  He appeared in 58 games, with 30 pinch-hit appearances and eight pinch-run assignments.  He batted a decent .288 with a pair of home runs and seven RBIs in his limited playing time, and was 9 for 25 as a pinch-hitter, good for a .360 average.

1961 Topps #514

1962 Topps #427

1964 Topps #272

1966 Topps #509

1967 Topps #394

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1961 Topps #514
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1961-1967
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2016 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-JW

36 - Wood non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 7/28/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #546 Indians Rookie Stars

Next Card:  #548 Dick Stigman - Minnesota Twins

#545 Jesus Alou - San Francisco Giants

Jesus Maria Rojas Alou
San Francisco Giants
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  190
Born:  March 24, 1942, Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic
Signed:  Signed by the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent, August 25, 1958
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1963-1968; Houston Astros 1969-1973; Oakland Athletics 1973-1974; New York Mets 1975; Houston Astros 1978-1979

The youngest of the three Alou brothers, Jesus Alou enjoyed a 15-year big league career, playing primarily with the Giants and Astros.  Alou made his major league debut on September 10, 1963 and on September 15, 1963, the three Alou brothers played in the Giants' outfield for the first time together with Felipe (#383) in center, Jesus in right and Matty (#318) in left.  Jesus Alou's best season came in 1965 when he batted .298 as the Giants' regular right fielder, while hitting a career high nine homes and 52 RBIs.  Left unprotected in the 1968 expansion draft, he was selected by the Expos and then traded to the Astros.  A steady hitter for several seasons with the Astros, he was sold to the Athletics in July 1973 and he'd win two World Series rings with the club as a key bat off the bench and occasional designated hitter.  After a year in the Mexican League and having spent all of 1977 out of baseball, Alou made a comeback with the Astros in 1978, batting .324 as one of the league's top pinch-hitters.  He served as a player-coach in 1979 before retiring.

In 1,380 major league games, Alou collected 1,216 hits with 32 home runs and 377 RBIs.  He'd go on to work in the front offices and scouting departments for the Expos, Marlins and Red Sox.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #532

This is the 48th 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.  Having wandered aimlessly among the dealer tables looking for binders with vintage commons, I decided to check to see if Uncle Dick's had refreshed their inventory following the December show, during which I had wiped out both their 1965 Topps binders.  Much to my pleasant surprise, they had.  This Alou card was the most expensive of the lot and was one of 49 commons and semi-stars purchased in my triumphant return to Uncle Dick's and his replenished neon green binders.

Depending on my ability to compose five posts a week on the cards acquired at this show, I should be completely caught up on this blog by mid-October.  It's entirely feasible we complete our 1965 Topps set by the end of 2022, although nine of the remaining 12 cards needed are fairly expensive.

The Card / Giants Team Set
Alou first appeared in the 1964 Topps set, sharing a Rookie Stars card with pitcher Ron Herbel (#84) and this is his first solo card.  The cartoon on the back highlights his .545 average against the Cubs in 1964.  Confirming this with the splits from his Baseball Reference page, Alou was 18 for 33 against the Cubs and an also impressive 18 for 45 (.400) against his future team in Houston.

1965 Season
As mentioned above, this was Alou's best season statistically.  Just 23 years old, he was the Giants' opening day right fielder and he'd make 132 starts at all three outfield positions.  The Giants used nine different players for starts in left field, with Alou in right and Willie Mays (#250) in center a steady presence in the line-up.

1964 Topps #47

1967 Topps #332

1972 Topps #716

1975 Topps #253

1980 Topps #593

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #47
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (15):  1964-1976, 1979-1980
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2005 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites #67

71 - Alou non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 7/25/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #544 Howie Reed - Los Angeles Dodgers

Next Card:  #546 Indians Rookie Stars

#543 Ed Connolly - Boston Red Sox

Edward Joseph Connolly
Boston Red Sox
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  190
Born:  December 3, 1939, Brooklyn, NY
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent, June 1961
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 1964; Cleveland Indians 1967
Died:  July 1, 1998, New Canaan, CT (age 58)

Ed Connolly pitched in parts of two seasons in the majors with the Red Sox and Indians.  A lifelong Red Sox fan whose father, Ed Connolly Sr., caught with the team between 1929 and 1932, the younger Connolly made the club out of spring training in 1964.  He spent the entire season with Boston, appearing in 27 games and making 15 starts.  Connolly was 4-11 that season for the eighth place Red Sox, with a 4.91 ERA and 73 strikeouts over 80 2/3 innings pitched.  He pitched a complete game shutout against the Athletics on September 15, 1964, allowing just two hits while striking out 12.  Connolly spent the next two seasons in the minors before returning to the majors with the Indians in 1967.  He struggled with his control and was 2-1 with a 7.48 ERA in 15 games pitched.

Sold to the California Angels' top farm team following the 1967 season, he didn't make the club following spring training and Connolly retired from baseball.  In 42 big league games he was 6-12 with a 5.88 ERA, with 118 strikeouts to 98 walks in 130 innings pitched.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #531

This is the 47th 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.  Having wandered aimlessly among the dealer tables looking for binders with vintage commons, I decided to check to see if Uncle Dick's had refreshed their inventory following the December show, during which I had wiped out both their 1965 Topps binders.  Much to my pleasant surprise, they had.  This Connolly card was (surprisingly) $6 and was one of 49 commons and semi-stars purchased in my triumphant return to Uncle Dick's and his replenished neon green binders.

Depending on my ability to compose five posts a week on the cards acquired at this show, I should be completely caught up on this blog by mid-October.  It's entirely feasible we complete our 1965 Topps set by the end of 2022, although nine of the remaining 12 cards needed are fairly expensive.

The Card / Red Sox Team Set
This is Connolly's lone mainstream baseball card appearance, with his one other baseball card being a 1964 JD McCarthy postcard.  The cartoon on the back mentions Ed Sr., although Ed Jr. would have been a toddler while his father was still active in the majors.  The narrative on the back notes his promotion to the Red Sox following spring training in 1964 and his demotion down to Toronto (see below) early in the 1965 season.

1965 Season
Connolly won a job with the Red Sox coming out of spring training, but didn't appear in a game before being sent down to the International League on April 22nd.  With the Toronto Maple Leafs for the duration of the season, he appeared in 22 games, making 14 starts, and was 2-5 with a 4.31 ERA.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #543
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  1965
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #543

2 - Connolly non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 7/25/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #542 Lou Klimchock - Milwaukee Braves

Next Card:  #544 Howie Reed - Los Angeles Dodgers

#542 Lou Klimchock - Milwaukee Braves

Louis Stephen Klimchock
Milwaukee Braves
Infield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  180
Born:  October 15, 1939, Hostetter, PA
Signed:  Signed by the Kansas City Athletics as an amateur free agent before 1957 season
Major League Teams:  Kansas City Athletics 1958-1961; Milwaukee Braves 1962; Washington Senators 1963; Milwaukee Braves 1963-1965; New York Mets 1966; Cleveland Indians 1968-1970

Lou Klimchock played professionally for 15 seasons, with none of his 12 seasons in the majors spent without also some time in the minor leagues.  His best season came early when he batted .389 with 25 home runs and 112 RBIs for the Pocatello A's of the Class C Pioneer League in 1958.  He'd repeat that minor league success throughout his career, earning frequent call-ups to the majors.  Klimchock appeared in 86 games for the Athletics between 1958 and 1961, and 76 games for the Braves between 1962 and 1965, never matching the success he found in the minors, or receiving regular playing time.  He played in a career-high 90 games for the Indians in 1969, hitting .287 with six home runs and 26 RBIs as a back-up third and second baseman.

For his big league career, Klimchock appeared in 318 games, batting .232 with 13 home runs and 69 RBIs.  In the minors, he batted .292 with 1,481 hits, 150 home runs and 747 RBIs.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #530

This is the 46th 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.  Having wandered aimlessly among the dealer tables looking for binders with vintage commons, I decided to check to see if Uncle Dick's had refreshed their inventory following the December show, during which I had wiped out both their 1965 Topps binders.  Much to my pleasant surprise, they had.  This Klimchock card was $4 and was one of 49 commons and semi-stars purchased in my triumphant return to Uncle Dick's and his replenished neon green binders.

Depending on my ability to compose five posts a week on the cards acquired at this show, I should be completely caught up on this blog by mid-October.  It's entirely feasible we complete our 1965 Topps set by the end of 2022, although nine of the remaining 12 cards needed are fairly expensive.

The Card / Braves Team Set
This photo is from the 1963 season when Klimchock wore #16 with the Braves.  As he shuttled frequently between the minors and majors, he never quite earned a permanent number with the team, wearing #18 in 1962, #16 in 1963 and #11 with the club through the 1965 season.  This is also Klimchock's only Topps flagship baseball card showing him wearing a Braves uniform.  The write-up on the back of the card highlights his solid 1964 season playing for the Denver Bears, then the Braves' top farm club.  He batted .334 in 153 games for the Bears, leading the team with 112 RBIs.  He was second on the team in home runs with 19, behind Tommie Aaron (#567) who had hit 21.

1965 Season
Klimchock made the Braves opening day roster as a back-up infielder, but was used sparingly between April and mid-July.  In just 34 games, he batted .077 (3 for 39) with only two starts at first base in late April.  Sent down to the Atlanta Crackers in late July, Klimchock appeared in 29 games, batting .265 with a pair of home runs and 13 RBIs.  On September 25th, he and fellow infielder Ernie Bowman were sent to the Mets as the players to be named later in the August 5th trade in which the Braves had acquired outfielder Billy Cowan (#186).

1960 Topps #137

1962 Topps #259

1963 Topps #542

1966 Topps #589

1970 Topps #247

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #137
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1960-1963, 1965-1966, 1970
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2019 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-LK

22 - Klimchock non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 7/25/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #541 White Sox Rookie Stars

Next Card:  #543 Ed Connolly - Boston Red Sox

#536 Andre Rodgers - Pittsburgh Pirates

Kenneth Andre Ian Rodgers
Pittsburgh Pirates
Shortstop

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  200
Born:  December 2, 1934, Nassau, Bahamas
Signed:  Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before 1954 season
Major League Teams:  New York Giants 1957; San Francisco Giants 1958-1960; Chicago Cubs 1961-1964; Pittsburgh Pirates 1965-1967
Died:  December 13, 2004, Nassau, Bahamas (age 70)

Andre Rodgers was the first major leaguer born in the Bahamas, and he spent 11 seasons with the Giants, Cubs and Pirates.  A talented cricket player, Rodgers taught himself the game of baseball and was signed by the Giants after trying out for the club in 1954.  He played in parts of four seasons as a back-up infielder with the Giants before being traded to the Braves in October 1960 for Al Dark.  He was dealt again before the 1961 season started, heading to the Cubs.  In Chicago, Rodgers became the club's regular shortstop in 1962 with Ernie Banks (#510) moving over to first base.  Rodgers appeared in 138 games in 1962, batting a career-high .278.  He and second baseman Ken Hubbs provided steady defense up the middle for the second division Cubs, with Rodgers leading all shortstops in double plays turned in 1963 with 100.  Rodgers' biggest power year came in 1964 when he hit 12 home runs and drove in 46 runs.

Traded to the Pirates following the 1964 season, Rodgers would play his final three big league seasons in Pittsburgh as a back-up to Gene Alley (#121) and as a right-handed bat off the bench.  After spending all of 1968 in the minor leagues, Rodgers signed with the Taiyo Whales in Japan for the 1969 season.  In 854 big league games, Rodgers batted .249 with 628 hits, 45 home runs and 245 RBIs.  He helped popularize baseball in his native country, paving the way for future big league Bahamians such as Ed Armbrister, Tony Curry and Jazz Chisholm.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #529

This is the 45th 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.  Having wandered aimlessly among the dealer tables looking for binders with vintage commons, I decided to check to see if Uncle Dick's had refreshed their inventory following the December show, during which I had wiped out both their 1965 Topps binders.  Much to my pleasant surprise, they had.  This Rodgers card was $6 and was one of 49 commons and semi-stars purchased in my triumphant return to Uncle Dick's and his replenished neon green binders.

Depending on my ability to compose five posts a week on the cards acquired at this show, I should be completely caught up on this blog by mid-October.  It's entirely feasible we complete our 1965 Topps set by the end of 2022, although nine of the remaining 12 cards needed are fairly expensive.

The Card / Pirates Team Set
Rodgers is hatless and wearing a Cubs jersey here.  The back of the card highlights Rodgers' league-leading performance in 1963 among all National League shortstops with putouts, assists, total chances and double plays.  What's not mentioned is that Rodgers also led all shortstops, and all National League fielders for that matter, with 35 errors.

1965 Season
The Cubs traded Rodgers to the Pirates on December 9, 1964 for infielder Roberto Pena (#549) and cash.  In 75 games with the Pirates, Rodgers batted .287 with a pair of home runs and 25 RBIs.  He made 41 starts, seeing action at shortstop, third baseman and (briefly) first base.

1957 Topps #377

1959 Topps #216

1963 Topps #193

1964 Topps #336

1967 Topps #554

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1957 Topps #377
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1957, 1959-1967
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #52

41 - Rodgers non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 6/21/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #535 Jack Kralick - Cleveland Indians

Next Card:  #537 Angels Rookie Stars