#332 Ted Abernathy - Cleveland Indians

Theodore Wade Abernathy
Cleveland Indians
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  215
Born:  March 6, 1933, Stanley, NC
Signed:  Signed by the Washington Senators as an amateur free agent before 1952 season
Major League Teams:  Washington Senators 1955-1957, 1960; Cleveland Indians 1963-1964; Chicago Cubs 1965-1966; Atlanta Braves 1966; Cincinnati Reds 1967-1968; Chicago Cubs 1969-1970; St. Louis Cardinals 1970; Kansas City Royals 1970-1972
Died:  December 16, 2014, Gastonia, NC (age 71)

Ted Abernathy was a durable reliever who spent 14 years in the majors, topping the league in relief appearances three times and leading the league in saves twice.  Abernathy developed an effective submarine pitching motion following right shoulder surgery in 1959.  After pitching sporadically with the Senators in the late 1950s and 1960, Abernathy began a string of ten consecutive seasons between 1963 and 1972 in which he'd relieve in at least 40 games.  He developed into one of the game's top closers, making 84 appearances in 1965 with the Cubs and saving a league leading 31 games.  Abernathy enjoyed a career year in 1967 with the Reds, pitching to a 1.27 ERA in 70 games and 106 1/3 innings pitched while leading the league with 28 saves.  He'd finish his career as one of the first closers in Royals' franchise history, appearing in his final major league games in 1972.

Abernathy owned a lifetime record of 63-69 in 681 games pitched, with a 3.46 ERA and 149 saves.  His saves total is still within the top one hundred of all-time as of this writing.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Sports Cards Plus - Cooper City, FL) - Card #557

This is the 73rd 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.  This lot, including this Abernathy 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 / Indians Team Set
Abernathy wore #36 during his two seasons pitching for the Indians.  His Topps flagship set appearances skip around a bit, as he first appeared in a Topps set in 1957, came back in 1959 and 1960, and then had a three-year absence until 1964.  The back of the card highlights his minor league success and mentions his side-arm style of pitching.

1965 Season
On April 11th, the day before opening day, Abernathy was sold by the Indians to the Cubs and he'd immediately be inserted onto the Cubs' roster as their closer.  Abernathy had a fantastic season for the eighth place club, with he and Lindy McDaniel (#244) combining to make 155 appearances.  Abernathy was 4-6 with a 2.57 ERA in 84 games, recording 31 saves to lead the league.  He won The Sporting News Fireman of the Year honors following the season.

1957 Topps #293

1964 Topps #64

1968 Topps #264

1969 Topps #483

1973 Topps #22

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1957 Topps #293
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1957, 1959-1960, 1964-1973
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1973 Topps #22

49 - Abernathy non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/11/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #331 Dodgers Rookie Stars

Next Card:  #333 Tommie Reynolds - Kansas City Athletics

#325 Donn Clendenon - Pittsburgh Pirates

Donn Alvin Clendenon
Pittsburgh Pirates
First Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  209
Born:  July 15, 1935, Neosho, MO
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1957 season
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1961-1968; Montreal Expos 1969; New York Mets 1969-1971; St. Louis Cardinals 1972
Died:  September 17, 2005, Sioux Falls, SD (age 70)

Donn Clendenon played in parts of 12 seasons in the major leagues, but he's best remembered for hitting three home runs in 1969 World Series and winning World Series MVP honors as his Miracle Mets defeated the highly favorited Orioles in five games.  Clendenon finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 1962, behind Ken Hubbs, when he batted .302 for the Pirates in 80 games.  He'd settle in as the every day first baseman for the Pirates, striking out a lot, but hitting for power and driving in an average of 83 runs between 1963 and 1968.  He reached his career highs in home runs (28) and RBIs (98) in 1966.  With top prospect Al Oliver ready to take over at first base for the Pirates, the team decided to leave Clendenon unprotected in the 1968 expansion draft.  

Drafted by the Expos in October 1968, Clendenon was dealt to the Astros in January 1969, but refused to report due to his rocky relationship with Harry Walker (#438), the manager of Houston who had previously managed in Pittsburgh.  Clendenon began the season with the Expos and was eventually dealt to the Mets in mid-June.  With the Mets, Clendenon split time at first base with Ed Kranepool (#144) and he'd start four of the team's five World Series games, batting .357 (5 for 14) with a double and three home runs.  He'd play three more seasons with the Mets and Cardinals before retiring.  Clendenon appeared in 1,362 games, batting .274 with 1,273 hits, 159 home runs and 682 RBIs.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Sports Cards Plus - Cooper City, FL) - Card #556

This is the 72nd 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.  This lot, including this Clendenon 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 / Pirates Team Set
Clendenon is giving the Topps photographer a classic "first baseman waiting for the catch" pose here.  The back of the card features a cartoon celebrating the 28 home runs hit with the Savannah Pirates in 1960.

1965 Season
Clendenon appeared in all but one of the Pirates' 163 games, making 156 starts at first base.  He batted .301, which was second on the team behind Roberto Clemente's (#160) .329 average.  Clendenon hit 14 home runs and had 96 RBIs, again second on the team behind Willie Stargell's (#377) 107.  This was his first season playing under new Pirates' manager Walker, with whom he'd later clash.

1962 Topps #86

1964 Topps #163

1967 Topps #535

1970 Topps #306

1972 Topps #671

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1962 Topps #86
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1962-1972
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2002 Fleer Fall Classic #83

110 - Clendenon non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/11/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #324 Bobby Locke - Los Angeles Angels

Next Card:  #326 Dwight Siebler - Minnesota Twins

#321 Rusty Staub - Houston Astros

Daniel Joseph Staub
Houston Astros
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  190
Born:  April 1, 1944, New Orleans, LA
Signed:  Signed by the Houston Colt .45s as an amateur free agent, September 11, 1961
Major League Teams:  Houson Colt .45s 1963-1964; Houston Astros 1965-1968; Montreal Expos 1969-1971; New York Mets 1972-1975; Detroit Tigers 1976-1979; Montreal Expos 1979; Texas Rangers 1980; New York Mets 1981-1985
Died:  March 29, 2018, West Palm Beach, FL (age 73)

A professional hitter, Rusty Staub played parts of 23 seasons in the major leagues, making six All-Star teams and collecting 2,716 hits.  Staub holds the distinction of being one of the first stars of two different franchises - the Colt .45s/Astros and Expos.  He made his first two All-Star Games in 1967 and 1968 with the Astros, and led the league in 1967 with 44 doubles.  Dealt to the expansion Expos before their inaugural 1969 season, Staub was about to embark on the best three years of his career.  He belted a career-high 30 home runs in 1970, and he batted .296 in his three-year stint in Montreal, earning the affectionate nickname "Le Grand Orange."  He was the centerpiece of a big trade with the Mets right before the start of the 1972 season, and in total he'd spend nine seasons in New York, in two different stints.

Staub collected over 100 RBIs in three different seasons - 1975 with the Mets, and then 1977 and 1978 with the Tigers - driving home a career-high 121 runs in 1978 as Detroit's full-time designated hitter.  He spent the last several seasons of his career back with the Mets in mainly a pinch-hitting role.  Staub played in 2,951 games, owned a .279 career batting average and his hit tally is currently 65th on the all-time list.  He retired as the only player in major league history to collect at least 500 hits with four different teams. Staub was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1986, and he became the first Expos player to have his number retired (#10) in 1993.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Sports Cards Plus - Cooper City, FL) - Card #555

This is the 71st 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.  This lot, including this Staub 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.

This Staub card completes the Astros team set, which can be viewed in all its (mostly) hatless glory here.

The Card / Astros Team Set
The Topps photographer who took this picture must have forgotten to ask Staub to remove his hat for a few photos, and as a result the .45s logo on the hat is simply colored over.  He joins Nellie Fox (#485), Ken Johnson (#359), Larry Yellen (#292) and Larry Dierker (#409) as Astros players sporting all black hats in the set.  The cartoon on the back of the card highlights Staub's high school basketball career in New Orleans.  Staub's first career home run, referenced in the write-up on the back, came on June 3, 1963.  It was a two-run shot off the Dodgers' Don Drysdale (#260) in the fourth inning, and the Colt .45s would go on to win the game, 2-1.

1965 Season
Staub was the most regularly used right fielder for the Astros, making 103 starts at the position and appearing in 131 games overall.  He batted .256 with 20 doubles, 14 home runs and 63 RBIs.

1963 Topps #544

1970 Topps #585

1975 Topps #90

1978 Topps #370

1986 Topps #570

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #544
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (22):  1963-1971, 1974-1986
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2012 Panini Golden Age #90

276 - Staub non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/11/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #320 Bob Gibson - St. Louis Cardinals

Next Card:  #322 Rick Wise - Philadelphia Phillies

#318 Matty Alou - San Francisco Giants

Mateo Rojas Alou
San Francisco Giants
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'9"  Weight:  160
Born:  December 22, 1938, Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic
Signed:  Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before 1957 season
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1960-1965; Pittsburgh Pirates 1966-1970; St. Louis Cardinals 1971-1972; Oakland Athletics 1972; New York Yankees 1973; St. Louis Cardinals 1973; San Diego Padres 1974
Died:  November 3, 2011, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (age 72)

The middle brother among the three Alou brothers, Matty Alou enjoyed a 15-year big league career, playing primarily with the Giants and Pirates.  Alou came up with the Giants in 1960 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 (#545) in right and Matty in left.  Matty Alou was traded to the Pirates following the 1965 season, and he'd enjoy his best years in Pittsburgh.  He won the league's batting title in 1966 with a .342 mark, beating out his brother Felipe who batted .327 for the Braves.  As the starting center fielder for the Pirates, Alou batted over .330 in four consecutive seasons between 1966 and 1969, making the National League All-Star team in both 1968 and 1969.  In the latter season, he led the league in hits (231) and doubles (41).

Alou wrapped up his major league career as a reserve and pinch-hitter in the early 1970s, winning a World Series ring with the Athletics in 1972.  After beginning the 1974 season with the Padres, Alou moved to Japan where he'd play two and a half seasons with the Taiheiyo Club Lions.  For his major league career, Alou appeared in 1,667 games, collecting 1,777 hits while batting .307.  He clubbed 236 doubles, 31 home runs and 427 RBIs.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Sports Cards Plus - Cooper City, FL) - Card #554

This is the 70th 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 commons, semi-stars and team cards needed for our set, including this Alou card, with the average price per card working out to around $6 a piece.  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 / Giants Team Set
The back of the card makes the obligatory reference to his two baseball playing brothers.  Alou appeared in two World Series during his career, batting .333 (4 for 12) in the 1962 World Series against the Yankees, but his team fell in seven games.  In the 1972 World Series, Alou played every inning of all seven games for the Athletics in right field, struggling mightily at the plate and batting just .042 (1 for 24).

1965 Season
Given more playing time and a semi-regular job in left field, Alou called this season his worst in baseball as he didn't produce.  He appeared in 117 games for the Giants, batting just .231 with a pair of home runs and 18 RBIs.  Often in the same line-up with his brother Jesus in right and Willie Mays (#250) in center, Matty Alou stared 42 games in left, gradually losing playing time to Len Gabrielson (#14) as the season progressed.  Alou was dealt to the Pirates on December 1st for Joe Gibbon (#54) and Ozzie Virgil (#571), and he was about to embark on the best years of his career.

1961 Topps #327

1967 Topps #10

1969 Topps #490

1972 Topps #395

1974 Topps #430

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1961 Topps #327
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (14):  1961-1974
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2005 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites #41

118 - Alou non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/9/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #317 Don McMahon - Cleveland Indians

Next Card:  #319 Ken McMullen - Washington Senators

#297 Dave DeBusschere - Chicago White Sox

David Albert DeBusschere
Chicago White Sox
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'6"  Weight:  225
Born:  October 16, 1940, Detroit, MI
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent, April 1, 1962
Major League Teams:  Chicago White Sox 1962-1963
Died:  May 14, 2003, New York, NY (age 62)

Dave DeBusschere pitched in 36 games for the White Sox in 1962 and 1963, before beginning an illustrious professional basketball career that saw him named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996, and joining other all-time greats on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.  DeBusschere made a quick leap to the majors in 1962, appearing in eight games before a stint in the minor leagues that summer.  He returned as a September call-up to pitch in four more games.  DeBusschere spent all of 1963 with the White Sox, appearing in 24 games, including 10 starts, and going 3-4 with a 3.09 ERA over 84 1/3 innings pitched.  He'd spend two seasons in the minors before leaving baseball behind and focusing on his basketball career.  For his major league career, DeBusschere was 3-4 with a 2.90 ERA in 36 games.

DeBusschere played with the Detroit Pistons between 1962 and 1968, and then with the New York Knicks from 1968 to 1974.  He was a two-time NBA champion (1970 and 1973) and an eight-time NBA All-Star.  DeBusschere became the ABA's commissioner for the 1975-76 season, helping to bring about the merger between the ABA and the NBA.  His #22 was retired by the Knicks in 1981.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Sports Cards Plus - Cooper City, FL) - Card #553

This is the 69th 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 commons, semi-stars and team cards needed for our set, including this DeBusschere card, with the average price per card working out to around $6 a piece.  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 / White Sox Team Set
Topps managed to get DuBusschere into three baseball card sets, despite his limited time in the majors.  This is his final Topps flagship baseball card appearance, but he'd start appearing in Topps basketball sets beginning with their 1969-70 release.  The back of the card highlights his two-sport status and mentions he was serving as a player-coach for the Pistons.

1965 Season
DeBusschere spent the entire season pitching for the Indianapolis Indians, his final year of professional baseball.  As the team's most used starting pitcher, he was 15-12 with a 3.65 ERA in 34 starts, including ten complete games and a shutout.  He led the club in strikeouts (176) and innings pitched (244).  DeBusschere switched to basketball full-time after the International League season ended, turning down a September call-up by the White Sox.

1963 Topps #54

1964 Topps #247

1969-70 Topps #85

1971-72 Topps #107

1972-73 Topps #105

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #54
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3):  1963-1965
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2010 TriStar Obak #102

10 - DeBusschere non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/9/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #296 Tony Taylor - Philadelphia Phillies

Next Card:  #298 Jim Stewart - Chicago Cubs

#295 Dick Radatz - Boston Red Sox

Richard Raymond Radatz
Boston Red Sox
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'6"  Weight:  230
Born:  April 2, 1937, Detroit, MI
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent, June 1959
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 1962-1966; Cleveland Indians 1966-1967; Chicago Cubs 1967; Detroit Tigers 1969; Montreal Expos 1969
Died:  March 16, 2005, Easton, MA (age 67)

Relief specialist Dick Radatz was one of the game's original and top closers in the early 1960s, earning spots on two All-Star teams and leading the league in saves in his rookie season of 1962 and again in 1964.  Radatz was arguably the game's top reliever during the first three years of his big league career.  He finished third in the 1962 Rookie of the Year voting, and was named the league's Fireman of the Year by The Sporting News.  Radatz was 9-6 with a 2.24 ERA with a league leading 62 appearances and 24 saves that season.  He saved 23 games in 1963, becoming the first pitcher ever with back-to-back 20-save seasons.  Radatz enjoyed a career-year in 1964, going 16-9 with a 2.29 ERA while leading the league with 67 appearances and 29 saves.  He struck out a career-best 181 over 157 innings pitched.  He recorded 10 strikeouts in his two All-Star Game appearances, with his victims including Willie Mays (#250), Willie McCovey (#176), Duke Snider and Henry Aaron (#170).

Radatz recorded his fourth and final season of at least 20 saves in 1965, and his output steadily declined thereafter.  He pitched four more seasons, bouncing around somewhat, before making a final 22 appearances with the Expos in 1969.  For his career, Radatz was 52-43 with a 3.13 ERA and 120 saves.  He recorded 745 strikeouts over 381 games and 693 2/3 innings pitched.  He was Boston's original all-time saves leader and his 104 saves while with the Red Sox are currently fourth on their all-time list.  Radatz was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Sports Cards Plus - Cooper City, FL) - Card #552

This is the 68th 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 commons, semi-stars and team cards needed for our set, including this Radatz card, with the average price per card working out to around $6.  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 / Red Sox Team Set
Radatz has the same serious expression on each of his Topps flagship cards issued throughout the 1960s.  The cartoon on the back celebrates his five strikeouts from the 1963 All-Star Game, but neglects to mention he repeated the feat at the 1964 All-Star Game.  Radatz also surrendered the game-winning, three-run home to Johnny Callison (#310) in the bottom of the ninth in that game, sending the National League to a 7-4 victory.  His 79 appearances in 1964 were second to the Athletics' John Wyatt (#590), who had 81.

1965 Season
Radatz was 9-11 with a 3.91 ERA and a team-leading 22 saves, which is impressive given the Red Sox lost 100 games.  He appeared in 63 games, striking out 121 over 124 1/3 innings pitched.

1962 Topps #591

1963 Topps #363

1966 Topps #475

1967 Topps #174

1969 Topps #663

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1962 Topps #591
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1962-1967, 1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2003 Fleer Tradition #69

51 - Radatz non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/9/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #294 Tim McCarver - St. Louis Cardinals

Next Card:  #296 Tony Taylor - Philadelphia Phillies