#434 Jerry Koosman AS - New York Mets

All-Star cards returned to Topps sets in 1968 under The Sporting News banner for a three-year run between 1968 and 1970.  Topps included 20 All-Star cards in its 1969 set, featuring 10 All-Stars from each league and one player from each position, including both a right-handed and left-handed pitcher.  

Building the Set / Card #559
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Vintage Cardboard Collectibles)

On Sunday, December 15th, Doug and I attended the latest Philly Show, spaciously spread out inside Hall A of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  I wrote a full show report over at The Phillies Room, including some thoughts on attending the show with our oldest son, who first graced the Philly Show floors back in 2012.

Having spent the first half hour or so pulling 98 commons and semi-stars from the neon green binder of Uncle Dick's Cards, and adding the big purchase of the day, the Rollie Fingers (#597) rookie card, and after adding a few more star cards, the remaining cash I had was starting to burn a hole in my wallet.  I had noticed the common/semi-star boxes at the tables of Vintage Cardboard Collectibles, and I found 14 more cards for our 1969 Topps set and six cards for our not-yet-officially collecting 1959 Topps set.  This is the last of those 14 cards.  After the obligatory dealer discount, I handed over the last of my cash, and we exited the show for the drive home.

And with this post, for the first time in a very, very long time, I am completely caught up on creating a post for each card added to our 1969 Topps set build . . . so far.  My project table is empty.  I posted about the 147 cards acquired at the December 2023 Philly Show between May 2024 and January 2025.  Next came posts covering the 134 cards purchased at the December 2024 Philly Show, published starting in January 2025 and ending here.  The next Philly Show takes place next weekend, the weekend of September 19th, and I plan on adding as many of the remaining 105 cards needed for our set as possible (and within my spending budget).

The Card / Mets Team Set / Pete Rose Puzzle

Jerry Koosman (#90) relieved Bill Singer (#575) in the 1969 All-Star Game, allowing a double to Rico Petrocelli (#215) and striking out Brooks Robinson (#550) in 1 2/3 innings of work.  Koosman had earned a save in the 1968 All-Star Game, striking out the only batter he faced, Carl Yastrzemski (#130), to end the game and preserve a 1-0 victory for the National League.

The stock photo used in the background behind Koosman features the Giants' Billy Pierce pitching to an unidentified Yankees batter during the 1962 World Series from a card from the 1963 Topps set.  Like Koosman, Pierce was a lefty, so the choice of photo is at least somewhat logical.  The backs of these All-Star cards contain a puzzle piece of either Pete Rose (#120) or Yastrzemski.  The back of Koosman's card features Rose's armpit.

Topps All-Star Card Appearances (2):  1969-70

1963 Topps #147

1970 Topps #468

Sources:  
Baseball Reference

Sports Collectors Daily - Mistaken Identities

#433 Denny McLain AS - Detroit Tigers / #435 Sam McDowell AS - Cleveland Indians

#431 Bill Freehan AS - Detroit Tigers

All-Star cards returned to Topps sets in 1968 under The Sporting News banner for a three-year run between 1968 and 1970.  Topps included 20 All-Star cards in its 1969 set, featuring 10 All-Stars from each league and one player from each position, including both a right-handed and left-handed pitcher.  

Building the Set / Card #558
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Vintage Cardboard Collectibles)

On Sunday, December 15th, Doug and I attended the latest Philly Show, spaciously spread out inside Hall A of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  I wrote a full show report over at The Phillies Room, including some thoughts on attending the show with our oldest son, who first graced the Philly Show floors back in 2012.

Having spent the first half hour or so pulling 98 commons and semi-stars from the neon green binder of Uncle Dick's Cards, and adding the big purchase of the day, the Rollie Fingers (#597) rookie card, and after adding a few more star cards, the remaining cash I had was starting to burn a hole in my wallet.  I had noticed the common/semi-star boxes at the tables of Vintage Cardboard Collectibles, and I found 14 more cards for our 1969 Topps set and six cards for our not-yet-officially collecting 1959 Topps set.  This is the 13th of those 14 cards.  After the obligatory dealer discount, I handed over the last of my cash, and we exited the show for the drive home.

The Card / Tigers Team Set / Pete Rose Puzzle

Bill Freehan (#390) was an 11-time All-Star, starting behind the plate seven consecutive times, between 1966 and 1972, and having his streak broken by Carlton Fisk in 1973.  Freehan was 2 for 2 in the 1969 All-Star Game, hitting a solo home run of Steve Carlton (#255) in the third and adding an RBI-single against Bob Gibson (#200) in the fourth.  He was one of the only bright spots for the junior circuit, as they lost the game by a score of 9-3.

The stock photo used in the background is actually Freehan from a photo featured earlier in the set on a World Series subset card (#165).  The backs of these All-Star cards contain a puzzle piece of either Pete Rose (#120) or Carl Yastrzemski (#130).  The back of Freehan's card features the top of Rose's hat.

Topps All-Star Card Appearances (3):  1968-70

1968 Topps #375

1970 Topps #465

Sources:  
Baseball Reference

Sports Collectors Daily - Mistaken Identities

#430 Johnny Bench AS - Cincinnati Reds / #432 Bob Gibson AS - St. Louis Cardinals

#417 Ken Harrelson AS - Boston Red Sox

All-Star cards returned to Topps sets in 1968 under The Sporting News banner for a three-year run between 1968 and 1970.  Topps included 20 All-Star cards in its 1969 set, featuring 10 All-Stars from each league and one player from each position, including both a right-handed and left-handed pitcher.  

Building the Set / Card #557
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Vintage Cardboard Collectibles)

On Sunday, December 15th, Doug and I attended the latest Philly Show, spaciously spread out inside Hall A of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  I wrote a full show report over at The Phillies Room, including some thoughts on attending the show with our oldest son, who first graced the Philly Show floors back in 2012.

Having spent the first half hour or so pulling 98 commons and semi-stars from the neon green binder of Uncle Dick's Cards, and adding the big purchase of the day, the Rollie Fingers (#597) rookie card, and after adding a few more star cards, the remaining cash I had was starting to burn a hole in my wallet.  I had noticed the common/semi-star boxes at the tables of Vintage Cardboard Collectibles, and I found 14 more cards for our 1969 Topps set and six cards for our not-yet-officially collecting 1959 Topps set.  This is the 12th of those 14 cards.  After the obligatory dealer discount, I handed over the last of my cash, and we exited the show for the drive home.

The Card / Red Sox Team Set / Carl Yastrzemski Puzzle

This is Ken Harrelson's fourth and final appearance in the set, after having appeared on two League Leaders cards (#3 and #5) and his base card (#240).  He's in a Senators uniform on the League Leaders cards, and a Kansas City Athletics uniform on the latter two cards.  After enjoying an All-Star season with the Red Sox in 1968, Harrelson was surprisingly dealt to the Indians on April 19, 1969, as part of a six-player deal.  Harmon Killebrew (#375) started at first base for the American League All-Stars in 1968, with Harrelson making a pinch-hitting appearance in the game's third inning.  He flew to left against Don Drysdale (#400).  Boog Powell (#15) started at first in the 1969 All-Star Game, and it's odd Topps went with Harrelson here instead of Killebrew or Powell. 

The stock photo used in the background behind Harrelson has yet to be identified, but the article linked below figured out by combining the background photos on this card and Johnny Bench's All-Star card (#430), a full action scene showing a mystery play emerges.  The backs of these All-Star cards contain a puzzle piece of either Pete Rose (#120) or Carl Yastrzemski (#130).  The back of Harrelson's card features Yaz, Harrelson's former teammate by the time this card came out.

Topps All-Star Card Appearances (1):  1969

Sources:  
Baseball Reference

Sports Collectors Daily - Mistaken Identities

#416 Willie McCovey AS - San Francisco Giants / #418 Tommy Helms AS - Cincinnati Reds

#297 Deron Johnson - Philadelphia Phillies

Deron Roger Johnson
Philadelphia Phillies
Third Base-First Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  200
Born:  July 17, 1938, San Diego, CA
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1956 season
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1960-61; Kansas City Athletics 1961-62; Cincinnati Reds 1964-67; Atlanta Braves 1968; Philadelphia Phillies 1969-73; Oakland Athletics 1973-74; Milwaukee Brewers 1974; Boston Red Sox 1974; Chicago White Sox 1975; Boston Red Sox 1975-76

World Series Appearances:  Oakland Athletics 1973
Died:  April 23, 1992, Poway, CA (Age 53)

Slugger Deron Johnson accumulated 245 home runs over a 16-year career that benefited from the advent of the American League designated hitter in 1973.  Johnson enjoyed a career year in 1965, leading the National League in RBIs with 130 and slugging 32 home runs while hitting .287.  He finished fourth that season in MVP voting behind the eventual winner Willie Mays (#190), Sandy Koufax and Maury Wills (#45).  He hit over 20 home runs in a season six times and cleared the 80 RBI mark seven times.

From the 1969 Phillies Yearbook

His sole postseason appearance came in 1973 with the World Champion Athletics.  Johnson appeared in six of the seven games, hitting .300 (3 for 10).  Following his playing days, Johnson served as a coach for the Angels (1979-80, 1989-91), Mets (1981), Phillies (1982-84), Mariners (1985-86) and White Sox (1987).  When he passed away from lung cancer in 1992, the Angels honored their former coach by wearing his initials, "DJ," on the sleeve of their jerseys for the remainder of the season.

Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.

Building the Set / Card #556
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Vintage Cardboard Collectibles)

On Sunday, December 15th, Doug and I attended the latest Philly Show, spaciously spread out inside Hall A of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  I wrote a full show report over at The Phillies Room, including some thoughts on attending the show with our oldest son, who first graced the Philly Show floors back in 2012.

Having spent the first half hour or so pulling 98 commons and semi-stars from the neon green binder of Uncle Dick's Cards, and adding the big purchase of the day, the Rollie Fingers (#597) rookie card, and after adding a few more star cards, the remaining cash I had was starting to burn a hole in my wallet.  I had noticed the common/semi-star boxes at the tables of Vintage Cardboard Collectibles, and I found 14 more cards for our 1969 Topps set and six cards for our not-yet-officially collecting 1959 Topps set.  This is the 11th of those 14 cards.  After the obligatory dealer discount, I handed over the last of my cash, and we exited the show for the drive home.

The Card / Phillies Team Set / Accuracy Index -8

I'd guess Johnson is wearing a Reds' road uniform here, as the Braves uniforms (his team in 1968) had a stripe around the collars.  His solid 1965 season is highlighted in the write-up on the back of the card.

Accuracy Index:  It's yet another -8 for Johnson's card due to the former team uniform (-5) and lack of a hat (-3).

1969 Season
Johnson was the opening day third baseman for the Phillies, but ended up playing more games in left field than any of his other teammates.  He started 131 games overall - 70 in left field, 47 at third base and 14 at first base.  In 138 games, Johnson batted .255 with 17 home runs and 80 RBIs.  The latter mark second on the team behind Dick Allen (#350), who drove in 89.

Phillies Career
Johnson was purchased from the Braves by the Phillies on December 3, 1968.  He had a good run with the Phillies, serving as their regular left fielder in 1969, and then moving back to first base for the next three seasons.  In 563 games with the Phillies, the longest tenure with any team during his career, Johnson hit .251 with 88 home runs and 304 RBIs.  He hit 22 home runs at home in 1971, breaking Del Ennis' home record set in 1950.  On July 10th and 11th, Johnson hit four consecutive home runs against the Expos, which he listed as one of his career highlights along with playing in the World Series.

Having lost the starting first baseman's job in 1973 to Willie Montanez, Johnson was traded to the A's on May 2nd for Jack Bastable.  He'd return to the Phillies in 1982 and he served as the team's hitting and first base coach during the Pat Corrales (#382) and Paul Owens era between 1982 and 1984.

1959 Topps #131

1962 Topps #82

1971 Topps #490

1974 Topps #312

1976 Topps #529

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1959 Topps #131
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (16):  1959-62, 1964-74, 1976
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1990 Swell Baseball Greats #34
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  91 in the Beckett online database as of 8/17/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog / The Phillies Room

#296 Andy Messersmith - California Angels / #298 Dave Nicholson - Kansas City Royals

#289 Bart Shirley - Los Angeles Dodgers

Barton Arvin Shirley
Los Angeles Dodgers
Infield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  183
Born:  January 4, 1940, Corpus Christi, TX
Signed:  Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1961 season
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1964, 1966; New York Mets 1967; Los Angeles Dodgers 1968

Stuck behind Maury Wills (#45) and Jim Gilliam in the Dodgers' infield depth chart in the early 1960s, Bart Shirley saw limited playing time with the club.  He was a September call-up in 1964, appearing in 18 games and batting .274, before returning to the minors for all of 1965.  He made the Dodgers' opening day roster in 1966, but appeared in only 12 games between April and June, heading back to Triple-A for the rest of the summer.  Selected by the Mets in the annual rule 5 draft before the 1967 season, Shirley appeared in six games in New York, going 0 for 12, before being returned to the Dodgers.  His final big league action came in 1968 when he batted .181 in 39 games in Los Angeles.  After spending all of 1969 and 1970 in the minors, Shirley finished up his playing career with two seasons in Japan, batting .183 in 246 games for the Chunichi Dragons.

Building the Set / Card #555
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Vintage Cardboard Collectibles)

On Sunday, December 15th, Doug and I attended the latest Philly Show, spaciously spread out inside Hall A of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  I wrote a full show report over at The Phillies Room, including some thoughts on attending the show with our oldest son, who first graced the Philly Show floors back in 2012.

Having spent the first half hour or so pulling 98 commons and semi-stars from the neon green binder of Uncle Dick's Cards, and adding the big purchase of the day, the Rollie Fingers (#597) rookie card, and after adding a few more star cards, the remaining cash I had was starting to burn a hole in my wallet.  I had noticed the common/semi-star boxes at the tables of Vintage Cardboard Collectibles, and I found 14 more cards for our 1969 Topps set and six cards for our not-yet-officially collecting 1959 Topps set.  This is the tenth of those 14 cards.  After the obligatory dealer discount, I handed over the last of my cash, and we exited the show for the drive home.

The Card / Dodgers Team Set / Accuracy Index +3

This is one of three appearances by Shirley in a Topps flagship set and he shares a Rookie Stars card in his other two appearances.  The cartoon refers to Shirley's time as a football player at the University of Texas.

Accuracy Index:  Shirley's card drops to a +3 since he didn't actually play with the Dodgers in 1969.

1969 Season
With the Spokane Indians in the Pacific Coast League, Shirley batted .302 in 128 games with 27 doubles, four triples and 54 RBIs.  The solid season with the Indians didn't merit a call-up to the Dodgers.

1966 Topps #591

1967 Topps #287

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1966 Topps #591
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3):  1966-67, 1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #289
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  11 in the Beckett online database as of 8/17/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#288 Ken Holtzman - Chicago Cubs / #290 Jim Kaat - Minnesota Twins

#268 Al Spangler - Chicago Cubs

Albert Donald Spangler
Chicago Cubs
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  175
Born:  July 8, 1933, Philadelphia, PA
Signed:  Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent, June 14, 1954
Major League Teams:  Milwaukee Braves 1959-61; Houston Colt .45s 1962-64; Houston Astros 1965; Los Angeles Angels 1965; California Angels 1966; Chicago Cubs 1967-71

The original left fielder for the expansion Houston Colt .45s, Al Spangler enjoyed a 13-year big league career.  A native of Philadelphia and an All-American baseball player while at Duke University, Spangler was originally drafted by the Braves but selected by Houston in the premium phase of the 1961 expansion draft.  With Houston, Spangler was their top hitter the first two years of the team's existence and he drove in their first ever run with an RBI triple in the bottom of the first on opening day 1962.

Spangler served in a reserve role for the Cubs during the final five seasons of his career, and he coached in the Cubs system between 1971 and 1973, serving on the big league staff in 1971 and 1974.  In 912 major league games, Spangler batted .262 with 21 home runs and 175 RBIs.

Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.

Building the Set / Card #554
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Vintage Cardboard Collectibles)

On Sunday, December 15th, Doug and I attended the latest Philly Show, spaciously spread out inside Hall A of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  I wrote a full show report over at The Phillies Room, including some thoughts on attending the show with our oldest son, who first graced the Philly Show floors back in 2012.

Having spent the first half hour or so pulling 98 commons and semi-stars from the neon green binder of Uncle Dick's Cards, and adding the big purchase of the day, the Rollie Fingers (#597) rookie card, and after adding a few more star cards, the remaining cash I had was starting to burn a hole in my wallet.  I had noticed the common/semi-star boxes at the tables of Vintage Cardboard Collectibles, and I found 14 more cards for our 1969 Topps set and six cards for our not-yet-officially collecting 1959 Topps set.  This is the ninth of those 14 cards.  After the obligatory dealer discount, I handed over the last of my cash, and we exited the show for the drive home.

The Card / Cubs Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Spangler is shown posing in Shea Stadium, with a blurry Mets logo visible behind him on the ballpark's scoreboard.  His high lifetime batting average is highlighted in the write-up on the back, and the cartoon celebrates his 12 triples in 1959 while a member of the American Association's Louisville Colonels.

This card has a little more wax stain on it than I'd prefer, and had the lighting been a little better at the show, this likely would have been rejected for our set.

Accuracy Index:  Spangler's card scores a +5.

1969 Season
Now 35 years old and in a reserve role, Spangler appeared in 82 games for the Cubs, batting .211 with four home runs and 23 RBIs.  He started the season hot, batting .351 as late as May 12th, but a prolonged slump saw him gradually lose playing time to Jim Hickman (#63).  Spangler suffered a heal injury in June that contributed to his decline throughout the year.

1960 Topps #143

1964 Topps #406

1968 Topps #451

1970 Topps #714

1974 Topps #354

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #143
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1960-66, 1968-70, 1974
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #171
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  66 in the Beckett online database as of 8/17/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#267 Vicente Romo - Cleveland Indians / #269 Al Weis - New York Mets

#256 Gates Brown - Detroit Tigers

William James Brown
Detroit Tigers
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  220
Born:  May 2, 1939, Crestline, OH
Signed:  Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1963-75

World Series Appearances:  Detroit Tigers 1968
Died:  September 13, 2013, Detroit, MI (age 74)

Gates Brown spent his entire big league career with the Tigers, serving as a clutch left-handed bat off the bench for 13 seasons.  Brown won two World Series rings with the Tigers - his first as a player in 1968 and his second as the team's hitting coach in 1984.  Of his 1,051 career games, only 430 appearances saw Brown on the field playing defense.  He was used as a pinch-hitter 522 times and he still holds the American League records for most pinch-hit at-bats (414), pinch-hits (107) and pinch-hit home runs (16).  His clutch hitting in 1968 is credited with helping the Tigers reach the World Series.  Brown was a career .257 hitter with 84 home runs and 322 RBIs.  He served as the Tigers' first base or hitting coach for seven seasons between 1978 and 1984.

I don't like to copy and paste passages verbatim, but I couldn't resist with this excerpt from Brown's Wikipedia biography:  "On August 7, 1968, Brown wasn't in the starting lineup, and decided to grab two hot dogs from the clubhouse.  He was ordered by manager Mayo Smith (#40) to pinch hit.  He notoriously stuffed the hot dogs in his jersey to hide them from his manager. 'I always wanted to get a hit every time I went to the plate.  But this was one time I didn't want to get a hit.  I'll be damned if I didn't smack one in the gap and I had to slide into second - head first, no less.  I was safe with a double.  But when I stood up, I had mustard and ketchup and smashed hot dogs and buns all over me.  The fielders took one look at me, turned their backs and damned near busted a gut laughing at me.  My teammates in the dugout went crazy.'  After fining Brown $100, Smith said, 'What the hell were you doing eating on the bench in the first place?' Brown replied, 'I decided to tell him the truth.  I said, 'I was hungry.  Besides, where else can you eat a hot dog and have the best seat in the house.'"

Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.

Building the Set / Card #553
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Vintage Cardboard Collectibles)

On Sunday, December 15th, Doug and I attended the latest Philly Show, spaciously spread out inside Hall A of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  I wrote a full show report over at The Phillies Room, including some thoughts on attending the show with our oldest son, who first graced the Philly Show floors back in 2012.

Having spent the first half hour or so pulling 98 commons and semi-stars from the neon green binder of Uncle Dick's Cards, and adding the big purchase of the day, the Rollie Fingers (#597) rookie card, and after adding a few more star cards, the remaining cash I had was starting to burn a hole in my wallet.  I had noticed the common/semi-star boxes at the tables of Vintage Cardboard Collectibles, and I found 14 more cards for our 1969 Topps set and six cards for our not-yet-officially collecting 1959 Topps set.  This is the eighth of those 14 cards.  After the obligatory dealer discount, I handed over the last of my cash, and we exited the show for the drive home.

The Card / Tigers Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Brown wore #26 during most of his career with the Tigers, and his uniform number is poking through here on the back of his jersey.  I'm guessing this photo and the photo used for his 1968 Topps card were taken at the same session.  On the back, Brown's first home run in his major league debut is highlighted.  On June 19, 1963, and with the Tigers trailing the Red Sox, 4-1 in the top of the 5th inning, Brown pinch-hit for Tigers pitcher Don Mossi and hit a home run off Red Sox pitcher Bob Heffner.  The Tigers would go on to lose the game, 9-2.

Brown appeared on 12 flagship Topps cards throughout his career, and there's little to no variety to the dozen cards.  With the exception of only his first and last cards, he's shown holding a bat and either getting ready to swing or already in his follow-through.

Accuracy Index:  Brown's card scores a +5.

1969 Season
Brown appeared in 60 games for the Tigers, batting .204 with a home run and six RBIs.  He made 14 starts in left field and his other 44 appearances were as a pinch-hitter.  Brown was 8 for 39 as a pinch-hitter for the season, batting .205 in that role.

1964 Topps #471

1968 Topps #583

1970 Topps #98

1972 Topps #187

1975 Topps #371

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #471
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12):  1964-75
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1990 Pacific Senior League #199
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  57 in the Beckett online database as of 8/17/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#255 Steve Carlton - St. Louis Cardinals / #257 Jim Ray - Houston Astros