#236 Manny Mota - Montreal Expos

Manuel Rafael Mota
Montreal Expos
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  160
Born:  February 18, 1938, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Signed:  Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent, February 21, 1957
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1962; Pittsburgh Pirates 1963-68; Montreal Expos 1969; Los Angeles Dodgers 1969-80, 1982

World Series Appearances:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1977-78

Manny Mota enjoyed 20 seasons in the majors as an outfielder and pinch-hit specialist and was a Dodgers coach for 33 consecutive years following his playing days.  Mota was a professional hitter, and with the exception of a few seasons throughout his long career, he was never an everyday player.  After debuting with the Giants and then spending six seasons with the Pirates, Mota was taken as the second pick by the Expos in the 1968 expansion draft.  He spent a half season with the Expos, and then was dealt with Maury Wills (#45) to the Dodgers for Ron Fairly (#122) and Paul Popovich (#47), beginning an association with the club that continues to this day.  His best season came in 1970 when he appeared in a career-high 124 games as the club's regular left fielder.  Mota batted .305 with 37 RBIs that season, and he was an All-Star in 1973.  Following that All-Star season, Mota settled into his role as a successful bat off the bench and he made only eight starts between 1974 and 1982.

Mota appeared in three postseasons with the Dodgers (1974, 1977 and 1978), and although he batted .375 (3 for 8) his team never won it all.  He set the all-time pinch-hit mark in 1979, passing the 144 pinch-hits collected by Smoky Burgess.  Lenny Harris eclipsed Mota's mark in 2001.  In 1,536 career games, Mota batted .304 with 1,149 hits and he finally got his World Series ring with the Dodgers in 1981.  Mota would win another ring with the club in 1988.  He served as a Dodgers coach between 1980 and 2012, and that tenure is second only in length to Nick Altrock who coached with the Washington Senators for 42 seasons between 1912 and 1953.  After his retirement as a coach, Mota remained with the Dodgers as a minor league hitting instructor and as a color commentator for the team's Spanish language broadcasts.

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

Building the Set / Card #567
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)

On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show.  The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year.  I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova.  I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.

I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set.  The first place I stopped was a table with well-organized and well-marked binders of commons and semi-stars with 20% Off notes across the front of each binder.  

I took my time and found 32 commons and semi-stars needed before asking to see the dealer's star cards from the set.  It turned out this first purchase was also my biggest, as I spent over half my allotted budget here, America's Pastime from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, before moving on to my second stop.  This was the eighth of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the eighth of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little over $2 after the dealer discount.

The Card / Expos Team Set / Accuracy Index -8

Topps didn't want to mess around with a Pirates' logo peaking through on Mota's helmet, so the touch-up artist went to town with the black paint.  An unidentified Pirates teammate is making a cameo appearance in the background, and this photo was likely taken at the same time as the photo used on Mota's 1968 Topps card.  The back of the card explains how Mota found himself on the Expos and touts hit excellent hitting, bunting and fielding skills.

Accuracy Index:  Mota's card scores a -8 and I'd dock more points if I could for the over aggressive paint job on his helmet.

1969 Season
Mota appeared in 31 games with the Expos, batting .315 and making 21 starts before his June 11th trade to the Dodgers.  With the Dodgers, he appeared in 85 games, batting .323.

1963 Topps #141

1965 Topps #463

1973 Topps #412

1978 Topps #228

1980 Topps #3

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #141
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (18):  1963-80
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2017 Topps Archives Fan Favorites Autographs #FFA-MM
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  161 in the Beckett online database as of 10/2/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#235 Jim Hunter - Oakland Athletics / #237 Bobby Cox - New York Yankees

#198 Willie Smith - Chicago Cubs

Willie Smith
Chicago Cubs
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  182
Born:  February 11, 1939, Anniston, AL
Signed:  Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1963; Los Angeles Angels 1964-65; California Angels 1966; Cleveland Indians 1967-68; Chicago Cubs 1968-70; Cincinnati Reds 1971

Died:  January 16, 2006, Anniston, AL (age 66)

Originally drafted as a pitcher by the Tigers, Willie Smith converted to a full-time outfielder/first baseman after a few seasons and then enjoyed a nine-season career in the big leagues.  He occasionally returned to pitching throughout his career and in 1964 he became the last major leaguer, before Shohei Ohtani, to pitch in at least 15 games and appear in his team's line-up at a different position in at least 15 games or more in the same season.

Smith was only an everyday player for the Angels in 1964 and 1965, and he'd make his mark later in his career as a successful pinch-hitter.  Smith played in 691 games total, taking the field in 461 of those appearances.  His most famous pinch-hit was the extra inning, game-winning home run he hit for the Cubs on opening day 1969 against the Phillies.  For his career, Smith hit .248 with 46 home runs and 211 RBIs, twice finishing in the top ten in triples in the American League.  As a pitcher, he made 29 appearances and went 2-4 with a 3.10 ERA and 2 saves.  Smith wrapped up his professional career with two successful seasons in Japan playing for the Nankai Hawks in 1972 and 1973.  With the Hawks, he hit .259 over 170 games with 29 home runs and 90 RBIs.

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

Building the Set / Card #566
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)

100 cards to go!  On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show.  The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year.  I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova.  I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.

I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set.  The first place I stopped was a table with well-organized and well-marked binders of commons and semi-stars with 20% Off notes across the front of each binder.  

I took my time and found 32 commons and semi-stars needed before asking to see the dealer's star cards from the set.  It turned out this first purchase was also my biggest, as I spent over half my allotted budget here, America's Pastime from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, before moving on to my second stop.  This was the seventh of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the seventh of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little over a dollar after the dealer discount.

The Card / Cubs Team Set / Accuracy Index -8

Neither the Angels nor the Indians had piping around their uniform necks in the 1960s, so I'm assuming Smith is wearing a Tigers uniform here.  He played in 17 games for the Tigers in 1963 before being swapped to Los Angeles on April 28, 1964.  His 1967 and 1968 Topps cards use similar images, sans hat.  The cartoon and write-up on the back of the card reference his former life as a pitcher.  Smith's final pitching appearance in the majors came in 1968 when he pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief against the Giants on August 27th.  Smith entered the game from left field, striking out Dick Dietz (#293) and Bobby Bolin (#505) during his outing.

Accuracy Index:  Smith's card scores a -8 - wrong uniform (-5) and logo less hat (-3).

1969 Season
Smith's opening day heroics, as mentioned above, came on April 8th at Wrigley Field.  The Phillies had taken a 6-5 lead in the top of the 11th, and Barry Lersch (#206), entering his fifth inning of relief for the Phillies, gave up a single to Randy Hundley (#347) and then surrendered Smith's game-winning, walk-off blast.  For the year, Smith batted .246 in 103 games, with nine home runs and 25 RBIs.  He made 46 starts - 30 in left field and 16 at first base.  Smith was the only player other than Ernie Banks (#20) to spend time at first base for the Cubs this season. 

1965 Topps #85

1966 Topps #438

1967 Topps #397

1970 Topps #318

1971 Topps #457

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #85
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1965-71
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1971 Topps #457
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  30 in the Beckett online database as of 10/1/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#197 Dick Selma - San Diego Padres / #199 Jim French - Washington Senators

#192 Jose Pagan - Pittsburgh Pirates

Jose Antonio Pagan
Pittsburgh Pirates
Infield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'9"  Weight:  160
Born:  May 5, 1935, Barceloneta, Puerto Rico
Signed:  Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before 1955 season
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1959-65; Pittsburgh Pirates 1965-72; Philadelphia Phillies 1973

World Series Appearances:  San Francisco Giants 1962; Pittsburgh Pirates 1971
Died:  June 7, 2011, Sebring, FL (age 76)

As of one the better fielding shortstops in the National League, Jose Pagan's best seasons of his 15-year major league career came as a member of the Giants in the early 1960s.  Pagan's career year in 1962 coincided with the Giants winning the National League pennant.  In 164 games, he batted .259 with seven home runs and career highs with 73 runs scored and 57 RBIs.  Pagan also led all National League shortstops in fielding percentage with a .973 mark.  In the World Series, while the Yankees downed the Giants in seven games, Pagan batted .368 (7 for 19) with a home run.  He was traded to the Pirates in May 1965, and he'd serve in a back-up role for the club for seven and half seasons.

The Pirates won the National League pennant in 1970 and 1971, defeating the Orioles in the 1971 World Series in seven games.  Pagan, a valuable utility player for the Pirates, drove in the eventual winning run in the decisive Game 7, doubling home Willie Stargell (#545) to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead.  The team would win the game, 2-1, giving Pittsburgh its first World Series victory since 1960.  Pagan played a final season with the Phillies in 1973 before retiring.  He'd return to the Pirates as a coach for five seasons between 1974 and 1978.  In 1,326 games, Pagan batted .250 with 922 hits and 387 runs scored.

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

Building the Set / Card #565
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)

On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show.  The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year.  I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova.  I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.

I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set.  The first place I stopped was a table with well-organized and well-marked binders of commons and semi-stars with 20% Off notes across the front of each binder.  

I took my time and found 32 commons and semi-stars needed before asking to see the dealer's star cards from the set.  It turned out this first purchase was also my biggest, as I spent over half my allotted budget here, America's Pastime from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, before moving on to my second stop.  This was the sixth of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the sixth of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little less than a dollar after the dealer discount.

The Card / Pirates Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Pagan wore #11 with the Pirates during his eight years with the club, as shown on this card.  He's shown wearing the same black batting glove, on his right hand, on his 1968 Topps card, meaning the photos used for his 1968 and 1969 cards were likely taken at the same time.  The cartoon highlights his 1962 World Series heroics, similar to his 1965 Topps card.  I love the last sentence of the write-up on the back, "Jose can really spark a team."

Accuracy Index:  Pagan's card earns a solid +5.

1969 Season
Pagan had a great season as a super utility player with the Pirates, appearing in 108 games and batting .285 with nine home runs and 42 RBIs.  He led all pinch-hitters with an impressive .442 (19 for 43) average.  Pagan started in 55 of his 108 games played - making starts at third base (36), left field (18) and right field (1).

Phillies Career
Released by the Pirates following the 1972 season, Pagan signed with the Phillies on November 13, 1972.  He appeared in 46 games overall, with 30 of those appearances as a pinch-hitter.  Pagan made ten starts for the club, with eight starts coming at third base to give the young Mike Schmidt a rest.  He batted .205 overall and in his final at-bat on August 15, 1973, he pinch-hit for reliever Ron Diorio and struck out against former teammate Juan Marichal (#370).  Pagan was released by the Phillies the following day, on August 16th.

1960 Topps #67

1962 Topps #565

1966 Topps #54

1971 Topps #282

1973 Topps #659

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #67
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (14):  1960-73
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #102
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  74 in the Beckett online database as of 10/1/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

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

#191 Lindy McDaniel - New York Yankees / #193 Don Cardwell - New York Mets

#162 1968 World Series Game 1 - Gibson Fans 17; Sets New Record!

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The 1968 World series marked the last time two teams faced off in the Fall Classic without having to first advance via a playoff series.  With Major League Baseball expanding to 24 teams in 1969, the two leagues were split into four divisions and a League Championship Series would determine the World Series opponents between 1969 and 1993.

The Cardinals and Tigers were powerhouses in their respective leagues, easily advancing to the World Series.  This was a rematch of the 1934 World Series, when the Gashouse Gang of the Cardinals had bested the Tigers in seven games.  The Tigers would prevail this time, winning their first title since 1945, and their third World Series title overall as the Cardinals couldn't repeat after winning in 1967 against the Red Sox.

World Series cards were a key subset in Topps flagship sets throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with a card highlighting each game along with a series capping "Celebration" card.  Topps designed its World Series cards in its 1969 set to have the appearance of the front page of a newspaper, with The Sporting News getting some free publicity as the paper's banner.

Building the Set / Card #564
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)

On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show.  The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year.  I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova.  I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.

I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set.  The first place I stopped was a table with well-organized and well-marked binders of commons and semi-stars with 20% Off notes across the front of each binder.  

I took my time and found 32 commons and semi-stars needed before asking to see the dealer's star cards from the set.  It turned out this first purchase was also my biggest, as I spent over half my allotted budget here, America's Pastime from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, before moving on to my second stop.  This was the fifth of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the fifth of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little less than $10 after the dealer discount.

The Card / Tigers Team Set / Cardinals Team Set

It was a pitching match-up for the ages with the Tigers' Denny McLain (#150), 31-6 in the regular season with a 1.96 ERA, facing off against the Cardinals' Bob Gibson (#200), 22-9 in the regular season with a 2.12 ERA.  There was no score in the game until the bottom of the fourth, when Roger Maris and Tim McCarver (#475) both walked with one out.  Mike Shannon (#110) singled home Maris and both McCarver and Shannon would come home a batter later on a Julian Javier (#497) single to right.  Tigers' manager Mayo Smith (#40) pinch-hit for McLain in the top of the sixth, with reliever Pat Dobson (#231) taking over.  Lou Brock (#85) gave the Cardinals a 4-0 lead in the seventh with a solo home run off Dobson.  That's all Gibson needed, and he'd strike out the side in the ninth - Al Kaline (#410), Norm Cash (#80) and Willie Horton (#180) - to secure the Game 1 win and set a new strikeout mark for a World Series game.  Sandy Koufax held the prior record of 15 strikeouts in a game, set during the 1963 World Series, and Gibson's record still stands today.

Topps reprinted this card in its 2001 Topps Archives set.

Sources:

Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

#161 John Purdin - Los Angeles Dodgers / #163 1968 World Series Game 2

#144 Bob Hendley - New York Mets

Charles Robert Hendley
New York Mets
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  190
Born:  April 30, 1939, Macon, GA
Signed:  Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent, August 17, 1957
Major League Teams:  Milwaukee Braves 1961-63; San Francisco Giants 1964-65; Chicago Cubs 1965-67; New York Mets 1967

A lefty swingman throughout his seven years in the majors, Bob Hendley earned a lifetime record of 48-52 with a 3.97 ERA, 25 complete games and 522 strikeouts.  His seasons were often abbreviated due to consistent and lingering elbow problems.  Hendley was an 11-game winner with the Braves in 1962, pitching in a career-high 200 innings.  Dealt to the Giants before the 1964 season, he'd win 10 games in San Francisco and strike out at least 100 batters for the third season in a row.  Hendley would spend parts of three seasons with the Cubs, mostly as a reliever, and a half season with the Mets in 1967.  He'd pitch two full seasons in the Mets' minor league system in 1968 and 1969, leaving the game following the 1969 season.  (He received a Mets card in the 1969 Topps set, but had last pitched for the club in September 1967.)

Following his playing days, Hendley was a long-time youth baseball pitching coach, working with various schools in his home state of Georgia.  In 2015, he was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

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

Building the Set / Card #563
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)

On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show.  The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year.  I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova.  I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.

I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set.  The first place I stopped was a table with well-organized and well-marked binders of commons and semi-stars with 20% Off notes across the front of each binder.  

I took my time and found 32 commons and semi-stars needed before asking to see the dealer's star cards from the set.  It turned out this first purchase was also my biggest, as I spent over half my allotted budget here, America's Pastime from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, before moving on to my second stop.  This was the fourth of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the fourth of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little over $2 after the dealer discount.

The Card / Mets Team Set / Accuracy Index +3

The back of the card sums up Hendley's situation with the Mets: "The veteran southpaw is battling back from arm surgery."  This card serves as a career capper for Hendley, as it continues his full minor and major league statistics.

Accuracy Index:  Hendley's card earns a +5 for the accurate uniform, but it loses two points since he never suited up with the Mets in 1969.

1969 Season
Hendley pitched in 27 games for the Triple-A Tidewater Tides, making 19 starts and going 6-6 with a 3.52 ERA in 128 innings pitched.  It was the first (and last) season he threw over 100 innings professionally, having last exceeded that mark in 1964 with the Giants.  Hendley retired following the season.

1961 Topps #372

1962 Topps #361

1965 Topps #444

1966 Topps #82

1967 Topps #256

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1961 Topps #372
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1961-69
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #144
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  26 in the Beckett online database as of 9/30/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#143 Joe Nossek - Oakland Athletics / #145 Max Alvis - Cleveland Indians

#31 Mets Rookie Stars - Gary Gentry / Amos Otis

Gary Edward Gentry
New York Mets
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  170
Born:  October 6, 1946, Phoenix, AZ
Drafted:  Drafted by the New York Mets in the 3rd round of the 1967 amateur draft, June 6, 1967
Major League Teams:  New York Mets 1969-72; Atlanta Braves 1973-75

World Series Appearances:  New York Mets 1969

Amos Joseph Otis
New York Mets
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  165
Born:  April 26, 1947, Mobile, AL
Drafted:  Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 5th round of the 1965 amateur draft, June 8, 1965
Major League Teams:  New York Mets 1967, 1969; Kansas City Royals 1970-83; Pittsburgh Pirates 1984

World Series Appearances:  Kansas City Royals 1980

After pitching Arizona State University to a College World Series title in 1967, Gary Gentry was drafted by the Mets and he'd spend one full season in the minors before joining the Mets' starting pitching rotation to start the 1969 season.  Manager Gil Hodges (#564) slotted Gentry behind Tom Seaver (#480) and Jerry Koosman (#90) to start the season, and he'd go 13-12 in 35 starts with a 3.43 ERA in 233 2/3 innings pitched.  Gentry threw a shutout against the Cardinals on September 24th to clinch the National League East pennant.  He was also the winning pitcher in World Series Game 3, besting the Orioles' Jim Palmer (#573) and throwing 6 2/3 shutout innings.  The Mets would win the Championship in five games.  Gentry pitched well in three more seasons with the Mets before a trade in November 1972 sent him to the Braves.  His tenure with the Braves was marred by injuries, and he'd pitch in just 26 games for the club over three seasons.  In 157 big league games, Gentry was 46-49 with a 3.56 ERA and 615 strikeouts in 902 2/3 innings pitched.

Amos Otis played in parts of 17 seasons in the majors, 14 of those seasons with the Royals.  After a few brief stints with the Mets in 1967 and 1969, Otis was traded to the Royals before the 1970 season, and he'd be the club's every day center fielder for the next dozen years.  He was a four-time All-Star with the Royals, while leading the league in doubles twice (1970 and 1976) and stolen bases (1971).  A stellar defender, Otis won Gold Gloves in 1971, 1973 and 1974.  He helped lead Kansas City to their first playoff berth in 1976, and Otis' best season statistically came in 1978 when he batted .298 with 22 home runs, 96 RBIs and 32 stolen bases.  His sole trip to the World Series came in 1980, and while the Royals lost to the Phillies in six games, Otis batted .478 (11 for 23) with three home runs.  In 1,998 big league games, Otis batted .277 with 193 home runs, 1,007 RBIs and 341 stolen bases, wrapping up his career among the Royals' all-time leaders for most offensive categories.  He was inducted into the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame in 1986.

Building the Set / Card #562
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)

On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show.  The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year.  I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova.  I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.

I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set.  The first place I stopped was a table with well-organized and well-marked binders of commons and semi-stars with 20% Off notes across the front of each binder.  

I took my time and found 32 commons and semi-stars needed before asking to see the dealer's star cards from the set.  It turned out this first purchase was also my biggest, as I spent over half my allotted budget here, America's Pastime from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, before moving on to my second stop.  This was the third of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the third of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little over $4 after the dealer discount.

The Card / Mets Team Set / Gentry Accuracy Index -3 / Otis Accuracy Index -3
I'd guess both Gentry and Otis are wearing Jacksonville Suns hats here, which was the Triple-A team of the Mets and both players' team for the entire 1968 season.  There's a chance Otis is wearing a hat from his early days in the Red Sox farm system.  Topps recycled the same photo for Gentry on his 1970 card, blocked out hat logo and all.  The back of the card touts both player's minor league accomplishments.

Accuracy Index:  Both players score a -3 for the hats without logos.

1969 Season - Gentry
The accolades from Gentry's rookie seasons are highlighted above.  His 13 wins were third on the club behind Seaver (25) and Koosman (17).  Gentry set career highs in wins and innings pitched.  He struck out 154, which would be one less than the 155 he'd strike out in 1971.

1969 Season - Otis
Otis split the season between New York and Triple-A Tidewater.  With the Mets, he appeared in 48 games, batting .151 as mostly a pinch-hitter, pinch-runner or late inning defensive replacement.  With the Tides, Otis batted .327 in 71 games with 10 home runs and 43 RBIs.  On December 3rd, Otis was traded with Bob Johnson (#261) to the Royals for Joe Foy (#93).

1970 Topps #153

1971 Topps #725

1972 Topps #105

1974 Topps #415

1975 Topps #393

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Gentry
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #31
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1969-75
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1975 Topps #393
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  44 in the Beckett online database as of 9/30/25.

Sources - Gentry:  

Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Otis
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #31
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (16):  1969-84
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2023 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs High Number #ROA-AO
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  160 in the Beckett online database as of 9/30/25.

Sources - Otis:  

Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

1971 Topps #610

1974 Topps #65

1977 Topps #290

1981 Topps #585

1984 Topps Traded #89T

#30 Bob Allison - Minnesota  Twins / #32 Sammy Ellis - California Angels