#592 Frank Bork - Pittsburgh Pirates

Frank Bernard Bork
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  175
Born:  July 13, 1940, Buffalo, NY
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1964

Frank Bork spent eight seasons pitching in the Pirates' system between 1960 and 1967, seeing his only big league action with 33 games for Pittsburgh in 1964.  A starter for most of his minor league career, Bork went 19-7 for the Class B Kinston Eagles in 1962 with an impressive 2.00 ERA.  He pitched in 230 innings, striking out 191 as arguably the league's best pitcher.  Kinston also boasted Steve Blass (#232) in their rotation that season, with Blass going 17-3 with a 1.97 ERA and 209 strikeouts.  Bork would earn a promotion to the Pirates making the club's opening day roster in 1964 as a reliever.  He'd appear in ten games before being sent back down to the minors in mid-May, where he'd appear in 17 games for the Triple-A Columbus Jets.  The Pirates would call him back up in late July and he'd stick with the team for the duration of the season.  Bork would spend the next three seasons in the minors before retiring.

In 42 innings pitched in 1964, including 31 relief appearances and two August starts, Bork was 2-2 with a 4.07 ERA and 31 strikeouts.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #545

This is the 61st 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. 

1966 Topps #123

This Bork 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
This is Bork's rookie card, and Topps would bring him back in 1966, sharing a Rookie Stars card with Jerry May (#143).  #36 is peaking through on the front of his Pirates jersey here, and his Baseball Reference page indicates Bork wore three numbers during the 1964 season - #35, #36 and #57.  The write-up on the back of the card is a little misleading, as he made his big league debut on April 15, 1964, and made his first big league start on August 22, 1964.  Dennis Bennett (#147) was the losing pitcher for the Phillies in that game.  Pirates' opening day in 1965 was on April 12th, so Bork must have made the club's opening day roster and then was optioned down to Columbus three days later on April 15th, not appearing in a game.

1965 Season
Back in Columbus for the entire season, Bork made 16 starts and was 6-7 with a 4.06 ERA.  I'm assuming injuries limited him to just 93 innings pitched for the season.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #592
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1965-1966
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1966 Topps #123

7 - Bork non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/1/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #591 Bob Skinner - St. Louis Cardinals

Next Card:  #593 Tigers Rookie Stars

#586 Tommy McCraw - Chicago White Sox

Tommy Lee McCraw
Chicago White Sox
First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  183
Born:  November 21, 1940, Malvern, AR
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago White Sox 1963-1970; Washington Senators 1971; Cleveland Indians 1972; California Angels 1973-1974; Cleveland Indians 1974-1975

Tommy McCraw played in parts of 13 seasons in the majors, finding his most success with the White Sox in the mid to late 1960s.  As a versatile left-handed bat, McCraw saw playing time as a first baseman, pinch-hitter and in all three outfield spots over his first few seasons in Chicago.  He assumed the team's regular first baseman job in 1967, following the departure of Bill Skowron (#70).  A solid defensive first baseman, McCraw would keep his position despite a low batting average and low power output.  He drove in a career-high 48 runs in 1966 and hit his career high in home runs with 11 in 1967.  McCraw would return to part-time player status in 1969 and he was dealt to the Senators before the 1971 season.  He'd play five more seasons, all in the American League, and taking advantage of the new designated hitter role.

McCraw batted .246 with 972 hits, 75 home runs and 404 RBIs in the majors.  Following his playing days, he'd begin a lengthy second career as a long-time hitting coach, serving on Frank Robinson's (#120) staff during Robinson's stint as a manager with four different franchises.  McCraw and Robinson had been teammates later in both players' careers with the Angels and Indians.  McCraw coached with the Indians (1975-1982), Giants (1983-1985), Orioles (1989-1991), Yankees (1992-1996), Astros (1997-2000) and Expos/Nationals (2002-2005).

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #544

This is the 60th 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 McCraw 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 / White Sox Team Set
McCraw wore #14 during his first few years with the White Sox, switching to #24 for the 1965 season.  You can see his #14 on his right jersey sleeve.  His speed is noted in the write-up on the back, and McCraw stole at least ten bases or more in eight different seasons, capped by a career-high 24 stolen bases in 1967.  His platoon with Skowron is also mentioned, but that wouldn't really go into effect until 1966.  In 1965, Skowron started 143 games at first base.  The following season, the platoon was evident with Skowron making 92 starts at first base to McCraw's 66.

1965 Season
McCraw appeared in 133 games for the White Sox, batting .238 with five home runs and 21 RBIs.  He made starts at four different positions, including 30 starts in left field, 14 starts at first base, 14 starts in center field and two starts in right field.

1964 Topps #283

1968 Topps #413

1971 Topps #373

1974 Topps #449

1975 Topps #482

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #283
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12):  1964-1975
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1981 TCMA The 1960s II #353

62 - McCraw non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 7/31/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #585 Hank Fischer - Milwaukee Braves

Next Card:  #587 Joe Sparma - Detroit Tigers

#584 Harry Bright - Chicago Cubs

Harry James Bright
Chicago Cubs
Infield-Outfield-Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  190
Born:  September 22, 1929, Kansas City, MO
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1946 season
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1958-1960; Washington Senators 1961-1962; Cincinnati Reds 1963; New York Yankees 1963-1964; Chicago Cubs 1965
Died:  March 13, 2000, Sacramento, CA (age 70)

Harry Bright's best seasons came in the minor leagues, and he can attribute his longevity in professional baseball to his ability to play multiple positions.  Originally drafted by the Yankees, he was extremely well-traveled between 1946 and 1957, playing for 14 different minor league teams before making his debut with the Pirates in 1958.  Mostly pinch-hitting for the Pirates during several stints with the club over three seasons, his best year came in 1960 while with the Salt Lake City Bees.  Bright batted .314 that season with 27 home runs and 119 RBIs.  With the Senators in 1962, he'd appear in a career-best 113 games, batting .273 as their most frequently used first baseman.  Moving on again to the Yankees, Bright was a member of 1963 American League Champions, although his team was swept by the Dodgers in the World Series.  Bright made two pinch-hitting appearances in the Series, striking out both times.  His first strike out was Sandy Koufax's (#300) 15th in Game 1, which set a record at the time for most strikeouts in a World Series game.

Bright finished his big league career with the Cubs, serving strictly as a pinch-hitter in 27 games in 1965.  Adding to his versatility, Bright had been the player-manager for the Janesville Cubs in 1952 as a 22-year-old.  Following his retirement, he'd return to managing, spending time in the minor league systems of the Cubs (1967-1968), Royals (1969), Athletics (1970-1974, 1976), Brewers (1975) and Braves (1985).  In 336 big league games, Bright hit .255 with 214 hits, 32 home runs and 126 RBIs.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #543

This is the 59th 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 Bright card was $8 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 / Cubs Team Set
This is the first (and only?) triple hyphenated position card in the set, with the versatile Bright having every available position except pitcher listed for him.  By the time this card was issued, Topps could have just gone with "PH" for Bright and that would have been appropriate.  For his big league career, he caught 11 games in 1961 and 1962, played five games in the outfield between 1959 and 1963, and spent the rest of his time at second base (two games), third base (63 games) and first base (136 games).

Bright is hatless and wearing a Yankees jersey in this photo.  The back of the card highlights Bright's versatility along with his veteran status in the game, and this is his last appearance in a Topps flagship set.

1965 Season
Bright signed with the Cubs in March and made the opening day roster strictly as a right-handed bat off the bench.  He pinch-hit in 27 games, batting a respectable .280 (7 for 25) with four RBIs.  I guess the Cubs couldn't afford the luxury of a pure pinch-hitter on their roster for the entire season, and Bright was sent down to the minors one final time in early July.  He'd bat .270 in 39 games for Salt Lake City.

1959 Topps #523

1960 Topps #277

1961 Topps #447

1962 Topps #551

1964 Topps #259

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1959 Topps #523
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1959-1965
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #214

28 - Bright non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 7/31/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #583 Wes Covington - Philadelphia Phillies

Next Card:  #585 Hank Fischer - Milwaukee Braves

#582 Bob Schmidt - New York Yankees

Robert Benjamin Schmidt
New York Yankees
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  205
Born:  April 22, 1933, St. Louis, MO
Signed:  Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before 1951 season
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1958-1961; Cincinnati Reds 1961; Washington Senators 1962-1963; New York Yankees 1965
Died:  May 2, 2015, Debary, FL (age 82)

As a rookie catcher with the Giants in 1958, Bob Schmidt was selected to the National League All-Star team by batting .266 with 12 home runs and 32 RBIs through the first half of the season.  Schmidt didn't make it into the game.  He'd finish the year in a prolonged slump, with his average dropping to .244 and adding just two more home runs.  Schmidt would share catching duties with Hobie Landrith in 1959 and 1960, and in early 1961 the Giants would deal him to the Reds for catcher Ed Bailey (#559).  Schmidt would see limited time with the Reds in 1961 and in 1962 before he was on the move again, this time to the Senators.  With the struggling expansion team he was the team's opening day catcher and saw action in 88 games, while batting .242 with ten home runs and 31 RBIs.  

After spending all of 1964 with the Yankees' top farm team in Richmond, he made the Yankees' opening day roster in 1965 as an insurance policy for the injured Elston Howard (#450).  He'd be returned to the minors in mid-June, playing out the balance of the 1965 season and all of 1966 in Triple-A before retiring.  Schmidt appeared in 454 major league games, collecting 317 hits and batting .243 with 39 home runs 150 RBIs.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #542

This is the 58th 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 Schmidt 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 / Yankees Team Set
This is Schmidt's final appearance in a Topps flagship set, and his only appearance with the Yankees.  The cartoon on the back highlights his .284 average in 1951 while with the Lenoir Red Sox in his first professional season.  The write-up mentions he was destined for Toldeo to start the season, but Howard's injury (see below) resulted in Schmidt sticking around.

1965 Season
Through the first few months of the 1965 season, Schmidt, Johnny Blanchard (#388) and Doc Edwards (#239) shared catching duties for the Yankees while Howard recovered from elbow surgery.  Schmidt would make 11 starts behind the plate between opening day and June 9th, and he'd appear in 20 games overall, batting .250 with a home run and three RBIs, before his demotion.  With the Toledo Mud Hens, Schmidt became the club's regular catcher and batted .294 in 69 games.

1958 Topps #468

1959 Topps #109

1961 Topps #31

1962 Topps #262

1963 Topps #94

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1958 Topps #468
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1958-1963, 1965
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1979 TCMA The 1950s #246

31 - Schmidt non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 7/31/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #581 N.L. Rookie Stars

Next Card:  #583 Wes Covington - Philadelphia Phillies

#580 Jimmie Hall - Minnesota Twins

Jimmie Randolph Hall
Minnesota Twins
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  175
Born:  March 7, 1938, Mount Holly, NC
Signed:  Signed by the Washington Senators as an amateur free agent, June 21, 1956
Major League Teams:  Minnesota Twins 1963-1966; California Angels 1967-1968; Cleveland Indians 1968-1969; New York Yankees 1969; Chicago Cubs 1969-1970; Atlanta Braves 1970

Jimmie Hall played in parts of eight major league seasons, finding his most success early as the starting center fielder and two-time All-Star for the Twins.  Given the chance to start in center field in 1963 when regular Lenny Green (#588) was injured, Hall enjoyed a career year, batting .260 with 33 home runs and 80 RBIs, finishing third in the league's Rookie of the Year voting.  He'd follow that with another big season in 1964, batting .282 with 25 home runs and 75 RBIs and going to his first All-Star Game.  In the Twins' pennant-winning season of 1965, Hall went to his second All-Star Game and finished the season batting .285 with 25 doubles, 20 home runs and 86 RBIs.  He struggled in the World Series, batting just .143 (1 for 7) as the Twins fell to the Dodgers in seven games.

His production fell off steadily following that season.  After three fantastic seasons, Hall was relegated to a platoon and back-up role beginning in 1966, and he'd fill that role for five more seasons in the majors with the Angels, Indians, Yankees, Cubs and Braves.  Hall played in 963 major league games, collecting 724 hits, 100 doubles, 121 home runs, 391 RBIs and batting .254.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #541

This is the 57th 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 Hall 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 / Twins Team Set
The cartoon on the back highlights Hall's All-Star Game appearance in 1964, and he'd go back to the Mid-Summer Classic in 1965.  Also referenced is Hall's record breaking 33 home runs in 1963, which broke the rookie record held by Ted Williams.  The record has since been broken by Mark McGwire, who hit 49 in 1987, Aaron Judge, who hit 52 in 2017 and Pete Alonso, who hit 53 in 2019.

1965 Season
Hall was the Twins' opening day center fielder, and he'd start 129 games overall at that position.  He had another productive year at the plate, earning a career-high average of .285 and reaching at least 20 doubles and 20 home runs for the third season in a row.  Hall was named to his second All-Star team, walking and scoring a run in the fifth inning when Dick McAuliffe (#53) homered.  He made only two starts in the World Series, as he struggled against left-handed pitching and the Dodgers had Sandy Koufax (#300) and Claude Osteen (#570) on their staff.  Joe Nossek (#597) got the starts in center instead of Hall when either Koufax or Osteen was on the mound, with Nossek batting just .200 (4 for 20) in the Series.

1964 Topps #73

1966 Topps #190

1968 Topps #121

1969 Topps #61

1970 Topps #649

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #73
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1964-1970
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1970 Topps #649

37 - Hall non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 7/30/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #579 Dick Smith - Los Angeles Dodgers

Next Card:  #581 N.L. Rookie Stars

#579 Dick Smith - Los Angeles Dodgers

Richard Arthur Smith
Los Angeles Dodgers
Outfield-First Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  205
Born:  May 17, 1939, Lebanon, OR
Signed:  Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1957 season
Major League Teams:  New York Mets 1963-1964; Los Angeles Dodgers 1965
Died:  February 19, 2012, Medford, OR (age 72)

Dick Smith played professionally for 12 seasons, earning time in the majors in three different seasons with the Mets and Dodgers.  Originally signed by Brooklyn, he played in the Dodgers' minor league system for six seasons between 1957 and 1962 before being sold to the relatively new Mets club in October 1962.  He'd appear in 66 games for the Mets in 1963 and 1964, making 29 starts, and serving mainly as a pinch-hitter, pinch-runner or defensive replacement.  A member of the Mets' opening day roster in 1964, he was a utility player for the club until being demoted back to the minors that June.  Following the season, the Dodgers, his original team, acquired him back, trading pitcher Larry Miller (#349) to the Mets.  Smith made the Dodgers' opening day roster in 1965, but appeared in only 10 games before he was once again sent to the minors.

Smith spent three more seasons playing in the minor league systems of the Dodgers, Twins and Senators before calling it a career.  In 76 major league games, Smith batted .218 (31 for 142) with six doubles, a pair of triples and seven RBIs.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #540

This is the 56th 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.  

1964 Topps #398

This Smith 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 / Dodgers Team Set
It's impressive Smith received a card in the set with the Dodgers, given he had been acquired from the Mets in October and spent just 10 games with the team before being optioned to the minors.  The back of the card notes his demotion in May.  He appeared on a Mets Rookie Stars card in the 1964 Topps set with Bill Haas, and this card represents his final mainstream baseball card appearance.

I think Topps used the wrong cartoon on the back of the card?  Smith did in fact make 17 pitching appearances in 1957 and 1958, but I have no idea what the cartoon featured has to do with pitching.

1965 Season
On the Dodgers' opening day roster, Smith started the second game of the season in center field and went 0 for 3 with an RBI, a strikeout and a sacrifice.  He'd appear in eight more games for the Dodgers, never starting, and was sent down to the Triple-A Spokane Indians in early May.  With Spokane, Smith appeared in 115 games, batting .233 with three home runs and 28 RBIs.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #398
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1964-1965
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #579

8 - Smith non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 7/29/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #578 Camilio Carreon - Cleveland Indians

Next Card:  #580 Jimmie Hall - Minnesota Twins

#576 Terry Fox - Detroit Tigers

Terrence Edward Fox
Detroit Tigers
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  175
Born:  July 31, 1935, Chicago, IL
Acquired:  Sent from New Iberia (Evangeline) to the Milwaukee Braves in an unknown transaction, September 23, 1955
Major League Teams:  Milwaukee Braves 1960; Detroit Tigers 1961-1966; Philadelphia Phillies 1966

Terry Fox appeared in 248 big league games over parts of seven seasons, all in relief.  After a brief stint with the Braves in 1960, he joined the Tigers bullpen in 1961 where he'd be a mainstay through the 1965 season.  He was one of the most reliable late-inning relievers in 1961 and 1962 when he posted ERAs of 1.41 and 1.71 while saving 12 and 16 games respectively.  Fox appeared in a career high 46 games in 1963, pitching in also a career high 80 1/3 innings.  He was the most frequently used reliever by the Tigers between 1961 and 1966, appearing in 206 games and recording 55 saves.  He struggled at the start of the 1966 season and the Tigers sold him to the Phillies where he'd pitch in his final 36 major league games.  Fox spent all of 1967 with the Phillies' top farm team in San Diego, retiring from the game following the season.

In 248 total games, Fox was 29-19 with a 2.99 ERA and 59 saves.  He struck out 185 batters over 397 innings pitched.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #539

This is the 55th 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 Fox 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
The back of the card highlights his 21-win season with the New Iberia Pelicans in 1955, before he had been converted to a full-time reliever.  The first line of the write-up on the back, "When his pitcher's arm is sound," makes me think Fox was frequently injured during his career.  The narrative goes on to highlight his success out of the Tigers' bullpen including his 38 saves to date.

1965 Season
This was Fox's last full season in Detroit, and he seemed to share closer's duties with several other pitchers.  While he still led the Tigers bullpen with 10 saves, Larry Sherry (#408) and Fred Gladding (#37) both recorded five saves while Orlando Pena (#311) recorded four saves.  Fox was 6-4 overall with a 2.78 ERA in 42 relief appearances.

Phillies Career
Sold to the Phillies on May 10, 1966, Fox bolstered a bullpen consisting of Darold Knowles (#577), Ray Culp (#505) and veteran Ray Herbert (#399).  He'd appear in 36 games, going 3-2 with a 4.47 ERA and four saves.  Fox would return with the Phillies in spring training in 1967, appearing in the official team photo in the 1967 Phillies Yearbook, but he wouldn't travel north with the team.  Assigned to the San Diego Padres, then the Phillies' top farm team, Fox appeared in just 28 games, going 3-0 with a 5.23 ERA in 43 innings pitched.  That was to be his last action in professional baseball.  He appears in the 1967 Topps set with the Phillies.

1961 Topps #459

1962 Topps #196

1964 Topps #387

1966 Topps #472

1967 Topps #181

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1961 Topps #459
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1961-1967
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1967 Topps #181

18 - Fox non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 7/29/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #575 Jose Pagan - San Francisco Giants

Next Card:  #577 A.L. Rookie Stars