Wednesday, November 20, 2024

#449 Paul Lindblad - Oakland Athletics


Paul Aaron Lindblad
Oakland Athletics

Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  185
Born:  August 9, 1941, Chanute, KS
Signed:  Signed by the Kansas City Athletics as an amateur free agent before 1963 season
Major League Teams:  Kansas City Athletics 1965-67; Oakland Athletics 1968-71; Washington Senators 1971; Texas Rangers 1972; Oakland Athletics 1973-76; Texas Rangers 1977-78; New York Yankees 1978
World Series Appearances:  Oakland Athletics 1973; New York Yankees 1978
Died:  January 1, 2006, Arlington, TX (age 64)

A lefty relief specialist, Paul Lindblad was a workhorse throughout his 14 major league seasons.  Lindblad came up with the Athletics in 1965 and found a regular spot on their pitching staff in 1966.  For 12 straight seasons between 1966 and 1977, he appeared in at least 36 games, topping the 60-game appearance threshold five different times.  Dealt to the Senators in May 1971, Lindblad would move with the team to Arlington in 1972 and he was the Rangers' most dependable pitcher in their inaugural season.  He led the league that year with 66 appearances and had a 2.62 ERA and nine saves in 99 2/3 innings pitched.  Returning to Oakland in 1973, he won a pair of World Series rings with the Athletics in 1973 and 1974.

Lindblad hit career highs in appearances (68) and innings pitched (122 1/3) in 1975, and went 9-1 with a 2.72 ERA.  His final few seasons were spent with a second stint with the Rangers and with the Yankees, with whom he won another World Series ring in 1978.  His final appearance in the majors came in Game 1 of the 1978 World Series, eventually won by the Yankees in six games.  Lindblad was 68-63 lifetime with a 3.29 ERA in 655 games pitched.  He had 64 career saves.  He'd return to baseball as a minor league pitching coach with the Brewers between 1987 and 1993.

Building the Set / 
Card #397
December 3, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
Doug and I returned to The Philly Show in early December, once again held inside the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  eBay has taken over sponsorship of the show, with the quaint, bubble-lettered Philly Show logo that had been in place since the 1980s replaced with a more modern logo, keeping with the times.  I wrote about the show in a post over at The Phillies Room.

Similar to my strategy from March, I wanted to focus on accumulating commons and having found success with Uncle Dick's Cards before, I didn't mess around and headed right for the neon green binders.  I pulled 145 cards from the binder containing cards 301 to the end of the set, stopping when I reached 500.  This card was the 105th of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost a little less than $1.

The Card / Athletics Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
This is only the second card in the set so far to feature an Athletics player with the relatively new "A" logo on the cap.  Reggie Jackson's (#260) iconic rookie card was the first.  The write-up on the back of the card explains how Lindblad had shifted into a full-time relief role.  The shutout mentioned was his only career shutout, and it came on July 16, 1967 at White Sox Park.  Finally, the cartoon mentions Lindblad being used as a pinch-hitter.  It happened three times between 1966 and 1967, with the pitcher going 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

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

1969 Season
The Athletics used Lindblad in a swing role in 1966 and 1967, and the 1969 season was the first in which he was a full-time reliever.  In 60 games, which tied him for the team lead with Rollie Fingers (#597), Lindblad was 9-6 with a 4.14 ERA in 78 1/3 innings pitched.  He saved nine games, second on the team to Fingers, who had 12 saves.

1966 Topps #568
1971 Topps #658
1972 Topps #396
1975 Topps #278
1979 Topps #634

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1966 Topps #568
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (14):  1966-79
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2002 Upper Deck Vintage Special Collection Game Jersey #S-PL
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  59 in the Beckett online database as of 11/14/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#448 Bob Tolan - Cincinnati Reds / #450 Billy Williams - Chicago Cubs

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

#448 Bob Tolan - Cincinnati Reds


Robert Tolan
Cincinnati Reds
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left Height:  5'11"  Weight:  170
Born:  November 19, 1945, Los Angeles, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1963 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1965-68; Cincinnati Reds 1969-70, 1972-73; San Diego Padres 1974-75; Philadelphia Phillies 1976-77; Pittsburgh Pirates 1977; San Diego Padres 1979
World Series Appearances:  St. Louis Cardinals 1967-68; Cincinnati Reds 1970, 1972

Bobby Tolan enjoyed a 13-year major league career, playing in four World Series and winning a ring with the Cardinals in 1967.  He had his best seasons with the Reds as their regular center fielder, reaching the World Series with the club in 1970 and 1972.  Tolan attained career highs in home runs (21) and RBIs (93) in 1969 and then led the league with 57 stolen bases in 1970 while batting a career high .316.  After rupturing his Achilles tendon and missing the entire 1971 season, Tolan won the Comeback Player of the Year award in 1972, batting .283 with 82 RBIs and 42 stolen bases.

After his time with the Reds, Tolan played for the Padres, Phillies and Pirates, serving as mainly a pinch-hitter or back-up first baseman.  He played in Japan with the Nankai Hawks in 1978.  Tolan appeared in 1,282 games, batting .265 with 86 home runs, 497 RBIs and 193 stolen bases.  He later served as a coach with the Padres (1980-83) and Mariners (1987) and was player/manager of the St. Petersburg Pelicans in the Senior baseball league (1989-90).

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

Building the Set / 
Card #396
December 3, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
Doug and I returned to The Philly Show in early December, once again held inside the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  eBay has taken over sponsorship of the show, with the quaint, bubble-lettered Philly Show logo that had been in place since the 1980s replaced with a more modern logo, keeping with the times.  I wrote about the show in a post over at The Phillies Room.

Similar to my strategy from March, I wanted to focus on accumulating commons and having found success with Uncle Dick's Cards before, I didn't mess around and headed right for the neon green binders.  I pulled 145 cards from the binder containing cards 301 to the end of the set, stopping when I reached 500.  This card was the 104th of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost a little over $1.

The Card / Reds Team Set / Accuracy Index -8
Tolan is wearing a Cardinals' jersey here.  The back of the card explains how Tolan came to Cincinnati from St. Louis (see below). 

Accuracy Index:  Topps can't really be faulted for not having a photo of Tolan in his new Reds' uniform, although at this point in the set we've started to see photos from spring training in 1969.  It's back to -8 for Tolan's score.

1969 Season
On October 11, 1968, the Cardinals traded Tolan and Wayne Granger (#551) to the Reds for Vada Pinson (#160).  As the regular center fielder for the Cardinals, and as mentioned above, Tolan reached his best power numbers with 21 home runs and 93 RBIs.  He batted .305, and was in the top five in the league for hits (194), triples (10) and stolen bases (26).  He led all National League outfielders with 362 putouts.  Only Pete Rose (#120), Johnny Bench (#95) and Tony Perez (#295) had a higher bWAR on the Reds than Tolan.

Phillies Career
Released by the Padres on February 12, 1976, Tolan signed with the Phillies right before the start of the season on April 1st.  He filled in as the team's regular first baseman in May with Dick Allen (#350) out with an injury.  A valuable utility player for the eventual National League East pennant winners, Tolan started 41 games at first base, 11 games in center field, seven games in left field and two games in right field.  In 110 total games, he batted .261 with five home runs and 35 RBIs.  In the NLCS against his former Reds team, Tolan went 0 for 3. 

He started the 1977 season with the Phillies, appearing in 15 games and batting .125 (2 for 16) before being released on May 25th.  The Pirates picked him less than a month later.

1965 Topps #116
1972 Topps #3
1975 Topps #402
1977 Topps #188
1980 Topps #708

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #116
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (14):  1965-77, 1980
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2002 Topps Super Teams #84
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  92 in the Beckett online database as of 11/10/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia
Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog / The Phillies Room

#447 Ralph Houk MG - New York Yankees / #449 Paul Lindblad - Oakland Athletics

Monday, November 18, 2024

#447 Ralph Houk MG - New York Yankees


Ralph George Houk
New York Yankees
Manager

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  193
Born:  August 9, 1919, Lawrence, KS
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1939 season
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1947-54
World Series Appearances:  New York Yankees 1947, 1952, 1961-63
As a Manager:  New York Yankees 1961-63, 1966-73; Detroit Tigers 1974-78; Boston Red Sox 1981-84
Died:  July 21, 2010, Winter Haven, FL (age 90)

As the back-up to Yogi Berra's back-up during his playing days, Ralph Houk saw limited major league action in his parts of eight seasons with the Yankees.  He earned the most playing time in his rookie season of 1947, playing in 41 games, and batting .272 with 12 RBIs.  Houk had a pinch-hit single in 1947's World Series Game 6, the first of four World Series winners Houk played for between his rookie season and 1952.  Between 1948 and 1954, he appeared in a low range of one to a high of 14 games each season, retiring with a .272 lifetime average, 43 hits, no home runs and 20 RBIs.  In his last few years as an active player, Houk transitioned into the role of full-time bullpen coach.  He'd manage in the minors for a few seasons before assuming the role of Casey Stengel's first base coach in 1958.  Houk took over for Stengel as the club's manager beginning in 1961.

His Yankees won 109 games in 1961, and defeated the Reds in five games in the World Series.  They'd win the pennant and World Series again in 1962, defeating the Giants in seven games.  Houk's 1963 team won 104 games, but were swept in the 1963 World Series by the Dodgers.  He'd move into the front office in 1964 as the Yankees' general manager, but return to the dugout in 1966 following the firing of Johnny Keane.  Houk's tenure with the Yankees came to an end following the 1973 season, and he'd join the Tigers as their manager between 1974 and 1978.  His final managerial stint came with the Red Sox between 1981 and 1984.  Houk's record as a manager was 1,619-1,531, including three pennants and a pair of World Championship titles.

Building the Set / Card #395
December 3, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
Doug and I returned to The Philly Show in early December, once again held inside the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  eBay has taken over sponsorship of the show, with the quaint, bubble-lettered Philly Show logo that had been in place since the 1980s replaced with a more modern logo, keeping with the times.  I wrote about the show in a post over at The Phillies Room.

Similar to my strategy from March, I wanted to focus on accumulating commons and having found success with Uncle Dick's Cards before, I didn't mess around and headed right for the neon green binders.  I pulled 145 cards from the binder containing cards 301 to the end of the set, stopping when I reached 500.  This card was the 103rd of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost a little less than $2.

The Card / Yankees Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
This card is so, so close to using the exact same photo as Houk's 1968 Topps card, but the manager has turned his head ever so slightly here.  The back of the card pays tribute to his pennant winning teams from 1961, 1962 and 1963.

This is one of 23 cards available in the set's fifth series available as either "yellow letter" or "white letter" variations, with the yellow letter variations being more prevalent.  This is the more prevalent yellow letter variation with Houk's last name printed in yellow.

Accuracy Index:  Houk's card just barely scores a +5.

1969 Season
Now 49 years old and in his third full season back at the helm for the Yankees, Houk guided his club to a 80-81 finish in the American League East, 28 1/2 games behind the Orioles and a fifth place finish.  Mel Stottlemyre (#470) and Fritz Peterson (#46) were bright spots for the Yankees.  Stottlemyre was 20-14 with a 2.82 ERA in 39 starts, while Peterson was 17-16 with a 2.55 ERA in 37 starts.  Closer Jack Aker (#612), rescued from the Pilots, had 11 saves and a 2.06 ERA in 38 appearances.

Left fielder Roy White (#25) led the club with a .290 average.  Right fielder Bobby Murcer (#657) had a team-leading 26 home runs and 82 RBIs.  Mickey Mantle (#500), who had retired following the 1968 season, had his #7 retired on Mickey Mantle Day at Yankee Stadium on June 8th.  Joe DiMaggio, the player Mantle had replaced, presented him with his plaque.  On August 8th, catcher Thurman Munson made his big league debut, catching a complete game shutout thrown by Al Downing (#292).

1952 Topps #200
1962 Topps #88
1968 Topps #47
1978 Topps #684
1985 Topps #11

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1952 Topps #200
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (21):  1952, 1960-63, 1967-78, 1981, 1983-85
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2004 Topps Fall Classic Covers #FC1961
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  112 in the Beckett online database as of 11/10/24.

Update Cards
For my 1965 Topps blog, I used the team card posts to come up with five or six candidates per team for an imaginary update series.  With no team cards in the 1969 Topps set, I'll use each manager card for this exercise, and come up with a list of deserving cards to be included in an 8th/update series.
  • Thurman Munson (c) - Munson's rookie card would appear in the 1970 Topps set, but I'd give him a card in my update series.
  • Jack Kenney (3b) - The regular third baseman, Jack Kenney (#519) shared a Rookie Stars card with Len Boehmer in the main set.
  • Ron Woods (cf) - Ron Woods (#544) was also on a Rookie Stars card in the main set, but with his former team, the Tigers.
  • Bill Burbach (rhp) - Fifth starter Bill Burbach (#658) was on a three-player Rookie Stars card late in the set.  He appeared in 31 games overall, making 24 starts.
  • Jack Aker (rhp) - Aker is in the set with the Pilots.  He came over to the Yankees in a May 20th trade that sent Fred Talbot (#332) to Seattle.
  • Jimmie Hall (of) - And finally, Jimmie Hall (#61) was a back-up outfielder with the Yankees, and he appears early in the set with the Indians.
Sources:  
Baseball Reference - Houk / Baseball Reference - 1969 Yankees / SABR / Wikipedia
Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#446 Claude Raymond - Atlanta Braves / #448 Bob Tolan - Cincinnati Reds

Saturday, November 16, 2024

#446 Claude Raymond - Atlanta Braves


Jean Claude Marc Raymond
Atlanta Braves
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  175
Born:  May 7, 1937, St. Jean, Canada
Signed:  Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent before 1955 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago White Sox 1959; Milwaukee Braves 1961-63; Houston Colt .45s 1964; Houston Astros 1965-67; Atlanta Braves 1967-69; Montreal Expos 1969-71

Claude Raymond earned the distinction of becoming the first major league player born in Quebec to be selected to the All-Star Game, a feat he accomplished in 1966 with the Astros.  An effective reliever for most of his career, Raymond recorded 82 career saves, hitting his career best 23 in 1970 with the Expos.  Over 12 seasons, Raymond went 46-53 with a 3.66 ERA in 449 games, with all but 7 of those games in relief.

Following his retirement, Raymond stayed with the Expos as their French language radio analyst (1973-84) and later television analyst (1985-01).  He was a coach for the team during its final three years in Montreal from 2002 to 2004.  Raymond was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984.

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

Building the Set / 
Card #394
December 3, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
Doug and I returned to The Philly Show in early December, once again held inside the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  eBay has taken over sponsorship of the show, with the quaint, bubble-lettered Philly Show logo that had been in place since the 1980s replaced with a more modern logo, keeping with the times.  I wrote about the show in a post over at The Phillies Room.

Similar to my strategy from March, I wanted to focus on accumulating commons and having found success with Uncle Dick's Cards before, I didn't mess around and headed right for the neon green binders.  I pulled 145 cards from the binder containing cards 301 to the end of the set, stopping when I reached 500.  This card was the 102nd of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost less than a dollar.

The Card / Braves Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
Raymond wore #36 in his parts of three seasons in Atlanta.  The photo looks to be taken at the same time as the photo used for his 1968 Topps card.  I like the imagery of Raymond "joining the Braves' wigwam" in the write-up on the back of the card.  His 54 appearances in 1957 came as a member of the Class A Jacksonville Braves in the South Atlantic League.

Accuracy Index:  Raymond's card earns a +5.  We're on a surprising run of accurate, +5 scores, which I'm assuming is going to become more prevalent as I move in to collecting higher numbered cards.

1969 Season
Raymond began the season in the Braves' bullpen, appearing in 33 games and pitching 48 innings.  On August 19th, seemingly without a place on the first place Braves' pitching staff, Raymond was sold to the last place, expansion Expos.  Raymond became the first native of Quebec to pitch for the new Canadian team, and even though he went from the pennant race to the basement, he was thrilled to join his home-town club.  For the entire season, Raymond was 3-4 with a 4.89 ERA in 48 appearances and 70 innings pitched.  He recorded one save each with the Braves and Expos.

1963 Topps #519
1964 Topps #504
1967 Topps #364
1968 Topps #166
1971 Topps #536

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #519
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1963-71
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2020 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-CR
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  47 in the Beckett online database as of 11/10/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Thursday, November 14, 2024

#445 Bobby Knoop - California Angels


Robert Francis Knoop
California Angels

Second Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  170
Born:  October 18, 1938, Sioux City, IA
Signed:  Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent before 1956 season
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Angels 1964; California Angels 1965-69; Chicago White Sox 1969-70; Kansas City Royals 1971-72

Bobby Knoop enjoyed a nine-year major league career, winning a Gold Glove three years in a row (1966-68) for his work at second base and earning a trip to the All-Star Game in 1966.  Known for his defense, Knoop is acknowledged as one of the better fielding infielders of the 1960s as he had fantastic range and a strong throwing arm.  Along with shortstop Jim Fregosi (#365), Knoop formed a solid double play combination for the Angels between 1964 and 1969.  He was the club's MVP four seasons in a row, a mark since tied by Garret Anderson and Mike Trout.  In 1,153 career games, Knoop hit .236 with 56 home runs and 331 RBIs.  He currently ranks within the top 100 in MLB history for putouts, assists and double plays turned as a second baseman.

Following his playing career, Knoop served as a coach, scout and front office advisor between the mid-1970s and his retirement in 2019.  He coached at the Major League level with the White Sox (1977-78), Angels (1979-96, 2013-18), Blue Jays (2000) and Rockies (2008-12).  Knoop was elected into the Angels Hall of Fame in 2013.

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

Building the Set / 
Card #393
December 3, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
Doug and I returned to The Philly Show in early December, once again held inside the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  eBay has taken over sponsorship of the show, with the quaint, bubble-lettered Philly Show logo that had been in place since the 1980s replaced with a more modern logo, keeping with the times.  I wrote about the show in a post over at The Phillies Room.

Similar to my strategy from March, I wanted to focus on accumulating commons and having found success with Uncle Dick's Cards before, I didn't mess around and headed right for the neon green binders.  I pulled 145 cards from the binder containing cards 301 to the end of the set, stopping when I reached 500.  This card was the 101st of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost less than a dollar.

The Card / Angels Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
The photos used for Knoop's 1967, 1968 and 1969 Topps cards were all likely taken at the same time.  The cartoon on the back depicts his original signing by the Braves, and the write-up mentions his three Gold Glove wins.

Accuracy Index:  Knoop scores a +5.

1969 Season
Knoop began the season with the Angels, and was once again their opening day second baseman.  He appeared in 27 games, and was batting .197, when the Angels traded him to the White Sox for Sandy Alomar (#283) and Bob Priddy (#248).  Knoop took over Alomar's second base job with the White Sox, eventually making 100 starts at the position throughout the rest of the season.  He batted .229 with six home runs and 41 RBIs with Chicago. 

1964 Topps #502
1965 Topps #26
1967 Topps #175
1970 Topps #695
1972 Topps #664

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #502
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1964-72
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #234
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  59 in the Beckett online database as of 11/1/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

#444 Joe Moeller - Los Angeles Dodgers


Joseph Douglas Moeller
Los Angeles Dodgers
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'5"  Weight:  192
Born:  February 15, 1943, Blue Island, IL
Signed:  Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1962, 1964, 1966-71
World Series Appearances:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1966

Only two months removed from turning 19, Joe Moeller made his first big league start with the Dodgers on April 18, 1962, becoming the youngest starting pitcher in Dodgers history.  He battled injuries throughout his career, missing significant playing time and ultimately settling into a role as an occasional starter and middle reliever.  Moeller pitched two innings for the Dodgers in the 1966 World Series, allowing a run on a hit and a walk.  He was selected by the Astros in the 1967 rule 5 draft, but returned to the Dodgers prior to the start of the 1968 season.  Moeller appeared in a career-high 31 games in 1970, going 7-9 with a 3.92 ERA and four saves.  He last appeared in the majors in 1971, but continued to pitch for two more seasons in the Padres and Phillies minor league systems.

Moeller spent several years coaching and scouting until his retirement in 2015.  He served as a coach for Rod Dedeaux's USC team in 1986 and the Korean National Team in the 1996 Olympics.  Moeller would manage the Samsung Lions in Korea in 1997 before returning home and taking a position with the Dodgers in public relations.  He'd later serve as an advance scout for the Expos and Marlins, serving on the Marlins staff during their 2003 World Championship season.

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

Building the Set / 
Card #392
December 3, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
Doug and I returned to The Philly Show in early December, once again held inside the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  eBay has taken over sponsorship of the show, with the quaint, bubble-lettered Philly Show logo that had been in place since the 1980s replaced with a more modern logo, keeping with the times.  I wrote about the show in a post over at The Phillies Room.

Similar to my strategy from March, I wanted to focus on accumulating commons and having found success with Uncle Dick's Cards before, I didn't mess around and headed right for the neon green binders.  I pulled 145 cards from the binder containing cards 301 to the end of the set, stopping when I reached 500.  This card was the milestone 100th of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost less than a dollar.

The Card / Dodgers Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
Moeller last wore #38 with the Dodgers in 1967, switching to #27 for the 1968 season.  The back of the card highlights his success in the minors during the 1968 season, and his basketball hobby.

This is one of 23 cards available in the set's fifth series available as either "yellow letter" or "white letter" variations, with the yellow letter variations being more prevalent.  This is the more prevalent yellow letter variation with Moeller's last name printed in yellow.

Accuracy Index:  Moeller's card earns a +5.

1969 Season
Moeller appeared in 23 games for the Dodgers, making four starts.  He was 1-0 with a 3.33 ERA.  He was either the last man out of the bullpen or hurt for stretches of the 1969 season, as he made four appearances or less in each of April, May, June, July and August.  Of the 51 1/3 innings he pitched the entire season, 10 2/3 of those innings came in September over six appearances.

Phillies Connection
Moeller was dealt by the Padres to the Phillies on May 30, 1973, and he reported to the Phillies top farm club in Eugene, Oregon.  His statistics with the Eugene Emeralds are apparently missing as Baseball Reference shows him with 16 appearances for the club, with no other information available.  Per the Phillies 1974 Media Guide, Moeller made 23 appearances with the Emeralds, pitching 63 innings and going 1-7 with a 5.43 ERA.

1963 Topps #53
1965 Topps #238
1966 Topps #449
1970 Topps #97
1971 Topps #288

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #53
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1963-71
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2020 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-JM
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  38 in the Beckett online database as of 10/31/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia