#660 Reggie Smith - Boston Red Sox

Carl Reginald Smith
Boston Red Sox
Outfield

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  180
Born:  April 2, 1945, Shreveport, LA
Signed:  Signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent, June 21, 1963
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 1966-73; St. Louis Cardinals 1974-76; Los Angeles Dodgers 1976-81; San Francisco Giants 1982

World Series Appearances:  Boston Red Sox 1967; Los Angeles Dodgers 1977-78, 1981

Switch-hitting, seven-time All-Star Reggie Smith was a slugging outfielder for parts of 17 big league seasons, known for his consistency and strong throwing arm.  Smith's early years were spent with the Red Sox, where he was runner-up for the American League Rookie of the Year award in 1967 and won a Gold Glove in 1968.  He led the league in doubles twice with 37 in 1968 and 33 in 1971.  Smith made the first of his seven All-Star Game teams in 1969.  Dealt to the Cardinals following the 1973 season, Smith played 2 1/2 solid seasons in St. Louis before a trade in June 1976 brought him to the Dodgers.  He'd enjoy some of his best seasons in Los Angeles, helping to lead the team to three World Series berths and winning a ring in 1981.  He clubbed a career high 32 home runs in 1977 and added three more home runs in the 1977 World Series against the Yankees.  Smith reached double digits in home runs in 14 straight seasons between 1967 and 1980, and he eclipsed 50 RBIs in 13 different seasons.

After a final year in the majors with the San Francisco Giants in 1982, Smith finished out his playing career with two seasons in Japan, starring for the Yomiuri Giants.  In 1,987 games, he batted .287 with 314 home runs and 1,092 RBIs.  Smith came back to the Dodgers as the team's hitting coach between 1994 and 1998.  He was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2000.

Building the Set / Card #540
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
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 had success the prior two shows at Uncle Dick's Cards with his well-organized, neon common binders, I opted to pull up a chair once again at the friendly dealer's array of tables.  The aim was simple:  Clear out Uncle Dick's 1969 Topps commons, starting off where I had left off the year before with card #501 and going through the end of the set, card #664.  In less than 25 minutes, I completed my quest, and this is the 96th of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me less than $3, which was surprising to me as I always considered Smith to worthy of star or semi-star card prices.

The Card / Red Sox Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This is Smith's third appearance in a Topps flagship set, as he appeared in both the 1967 and 1968 issuances.  The back of the card focuses on his 1968 break-out season.

Accuracy Index:  Smith's card earns a late-series standard +5.

1969 Season
Smith was one of the top offensive threats on the Red Sox, along with shortstop Rico Petrocelli (#215) and left fielder Carl Yastrzemski (#130).  He played in 143 games, making 135 starts in center field and three starts in left field, while batting a team-leading .309 with 25 home runs and 93 RBIs.  He finished second in the league in batting, behind Rod Carew (#510) who batted .332.  Smith was among the top ten statistically in the league for slugging and on-base percentages, hits, doubles, triples (second) and RBIs.

1967 Topps #314

1972 Topps #565

1977 Topps #345

1981 Topps #75

1983 Topps #282

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1967 Topps #314
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (17):  1967-83
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2013 Panini USA Baseball Champions #35
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  191 in the Beckett online database as of 7/27/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#659 Johnny Podres - San Diego Padres / #661 Jim Merritt - Cincinnati Reds

#656 Dan Schneider - Houston Astros

Daniel Louis Schneider
Houston Astros
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  170
Born:  August 29, 1942, Evansville, IL
Signed:  Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent, June 11, 1962
Major League Teams:  Milwaukee Braves 1963-64; Atlanta Braves 1966; Houston Astros 1967, 1969

Dan Schneider pitched in parts of five big league seasons with the Braves and Astros.  As a lefty reliever specialist, he appeared in a career-high 54 games with the Astros in 1967, going 0-2 with a 4.96 ERA over 52 2/3 innings and recording a pair of saves.  In 117 career major league games, all but eight in relief, Schneider was 2-5 with a 4.71 ERA, 86 strikeouts and 70 walks.  He pitched in the Cardinals' system in 1970 before retiring.  In 2019, Schneider was inducted into the University of Arizona Hall of Fame, where he had made the College All-American Team in 1962.

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

Building the Set / Card #539
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
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 had success the prior two shows at Uncle Dick's Cards with his well-organized, neon common binders, I opted to pull up a chair once again at the friendly dealer's array of tables.  The aim was simple:  Clear out Uncle Dick's 1969 Topps commons, starting off where I had left off the year before with card #501 and going through the end of the set, card #664.  In less than 25 minutes, I completed my quest, and this is the 95th of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me less than $2.

The Card / Astros Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Even though Schneider pitched for the Astros in 1967, I believe this photo is from spring training in 1969.  Schneider wore #58 during his final stint in the majors in 1969, and that looks to be the side of a "5" peaking through on the back of his jersey in this photo.  His demotion to the minors (see below) is noted on the back of the card.

Accuracy Index:  Schneider's score is a +5.

1969 Season
After spending the entire 1968 season pitching for the Columbus Jets, the Pirates' top farm team, Schneider rejoined the Astros' organization.  He made the club's opening day roster, pitching in his final six big league games, before a demotion on April 28th sent him to Triple-A Oklahoma City.  At some point during the season, Schneider joined the Cardinals' organization, as he finished the season with their Triple-A team in Tulsa.  In his six games with the Astros, Schneider was 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA in 7 1/3 innings pitched.

1963 Topps #299

1964 Topps #351

1965 Topps #366

1967 Topps #543

1968 Topps #57

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #299
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1963-65, 1967-69
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #656
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  18 in the Beckett online database as of 7/27/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#655 Mike Hershberger - Oakland Athletics / #657 Bobby Murcer - New York Yankees

#655 Mike Hershberger - Oakland Athletics

Norman Michael Hershberger
Oakland Athletics
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  175
Born:  October 9, 1939, Massillon, OH
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent before 1959 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago White Sox 1961-64; Kansas City Athletics 1965-67; Oakland Athletics 1968-69; Milwaukee Brewers 1970; Chicago White Sox 1971

Died:  July 1, 2012, Massillon, OH (age 72)

Mike Hershberger was the regular right fielder for the White Sox between 1962 and 1964, before serving in the same role with the Athletics between 1965 and 1967.  Hershberger drove in at least 40 runs in five different seasons, hitting his career high with 57 in 1966.  That was the season he also led the league in sacrifice flies with seven.  A fine fielder with a strong arm, Hershberger led all right fielders in assists for three seasons in a row between 1965 and 1967.  In 11 seasons, all in the American League, he batted .252 with 26 home runs and 344 RBIs.

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

Building the Set / Card #538
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
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 had success the prior two shows at Uncle Dick's Cards with his well-organized, neon common binders, I opted to pull up a chair once again at the friendly dealer's array of tables.  The aim was simple:  Clear out Uncle Dick's 1969 Topps commons, starting off where I had left off the year before with card #501 and going through the end of the set, card #664.  In less than 25 minutes, I completed my quest, and this is the 94th of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me less than $1.50.

The Card / Athletics Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This is a great looking Athletics card.  The photo features the relatively new Oakland hat, one of the many in the late series of the set, along with the earlier Reggie Jackson (#260) card, taken during spring training in 1969.  Hershberger's success from the 1968 season is highlighted on the back.

Accuracy Index:  The card scores a solid +5.

1969 Season
This was Hershberger's final season with the Athletics, and he had settled into a full-time reserve outfielder role.  In 51 games, he batted .202 with a pair of doubles and a home run.  32 of those appearances were starts, including an opening day start in left field.  On January 15, 1970, Hershberger, Lew Krausse (#23), Phil Roof (#334) and Ken Sanders were dealt to the Pilots, soon to be the Brewers, for Ron Clark (#561) and Don Mincher (#285).

1962 Topps #341

1964 Topps #465

1966 Topps #236

1970 Topps #596

1971 Topps #149

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1962 Topps #341
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1962-71
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #287
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  49 in the Beckett online database as of 7/27/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#654 White Sox Rookie Stars / #656 Dan Schneider - Houston Astros

#654 White Sox Rookie Stars - Carlos May / Don Secrist / Rich Morales

Carlos May
Chicago White Sox
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  200
Born:  May 17, 1948, Birmingham, AL
Drafted:  Drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 1st round (18th pick) of the 1966 amateur draft
Major League Teams:  Chicago White Sox 1968-76; New York Yankees 1976-77; California Angels 1977

World Series Appearances:  New York Yankees 1976

Donald Laverne Secrist
Chicago White Sox
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  195
Born:  February 26, 1944, Seattle, WA
Signed:  Signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent before 1963 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago White Sox 1969-70

Died:  January 30, 2025, Centralia, IL (age 80)

Richard Angelo Morales
Chicago White Sox
Infield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  170
Born:  September 20, 1943, San Francisco, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent before 1963 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago White Sox 1967-73; San Diego Padres 1973-74

Carlos May was a two-time All-Star and spent 8 1/2 of his ten seasons in the majors with the White Sox.  He took over as the regular left fielder for the White Sox in 1969, making his first All-Star Game, and finishing third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting.  May appeared in at least 140 games for the White Sox each season between 1970 and 1974, made the All-Star team again in 1972, and attained career highs in home runs (20) and RBIs (96) in 1973.  He'd see his only World Series action with the Yankees in 1976 as their designated hitter.  May continued his playing career in Japan, starring for the Nankai Hawks between 1978 and 1981.  In 1,165 major league games, May batted .274 with 90 home runs and 536 RBIs.  His older brother, Lee May (#405), played for 18 seasons in the majors, most notably with the Reds and Astros.  Carlos May, born on May 17th, wore #17 during his time with the White Sox and held the distinction of having his name and his birthday on the back of his jersey.

Don Secrist pitched professionally for nine seasons, spending time in the White Sox bullpen in 1969 and 1970.  He made the team's opening day roster in 1969, relieving in 19 games before a broken hand prematurely ended his season.  Secrist returned to the White Sox for nine games in 1970, his final action in the majors.  In 28 big league games, he was 0-1 with a 5.93 ERA in 54 2/3 innings pitched.

The light-hitting, slick-fielding Rich Morales played in parts of eight major league seasons, primarily with the White Sox.  Playing in the middle infield, Morales spent four full seasons as a back-up for Chicago, appearing in a career-high 110 games in 1972.  He'd finish up his big league career in the same role with the Padres in 1973 and 1974.  In 480 games, Morales batted .195 with 26 doubles, six home runs and 64 RBIs.  He served on the big league coaching staff of the Braves in 1987, working with his former White Sox manager, Chuck Tanner.  Morales worked as a minor league coach and scout between the late 1970s and early 2010s.

Building the Set / Card #537
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
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 had success the prior two shows at Uncle Dick's Cards with his well-organized, neon common binders, I opted to pull up a chair once again at the friendly dealer's array of tables.  The aim was simple:  Clear out Uncle Dick's 1969 Topps commons, starting off where I had left off the year before with card #501 and going through the end of the set, card #664.  In less than 25 minutes, I completed my quest, and this is the 93rd of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me less than $3.

The Card / White Sox Team Set

May Accuracy Index +5 / Secrist Accuracy Index -3 / Morales Accuracy Index -3
This is the rookie card for all three players, and the only appearance Secrist ever made on a mainstream baseball card.

Accuracy Index:  I'm going to assume May is wearing a White Sox hat here, and who knows what the other guys are actually wearing.  May scores a +5 due to my favorable scoring, and the hatless duo next to him drop to -3.

1969 Season - May
In his rookie season, May was the opening day left fielder for the White Sox and his strong first half earned him a trip to the All-Star Game.  He and his brother Lee became the first brothers to face off in the All-Star Game, as Lee was representing the Reds for the National League.  May batted .281 for the season, with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs.  He finished third to Lou Piniella (#394) for the Rookie of the Year award, but was named The Sporting News' Rookie of the Year over Piniella.

1970 Topps #18

1972 Topps #525

1974 Topps #195

1975 Topps #480

1977 Topps #633

Other Notable Baseball Cards - May
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #654
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1969-77
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Ted Williams #21
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  79 in the Beckett online database as of 7/26/25.

Sources - May:
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

1969 Season - Secrist
On the club's opening day roster, Secrist's major league debut came on April 11th, the first game played by the Pilots in their home ballpark, Sick's Stadium, in his home town of Seattle.  He broke his hand in a game against the Twins on July 17th, ending his season.  He'd make one appearance with the Tucson Toros.  In his 19 major league games, Secrist was 0-1 with a 6.08 ERA in 40 innings pitched.

1969 Season - Morales
Morales appeared in 55 games, batting .215.  He made 33 starts throughout the season - 29 at second base and four at shortstop.

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Secrist
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #654
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #654
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  2 in the Beckett online database as of 7/26/25.

Sources - Secrist:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Morales
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #654
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1969-74
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1990 ProCards #1072
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  25 in the Beckett online database as of 7/26/25.

Sources - Morales:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

1970 Topps #91

1971 Topps #267

1972 Topps #593

1973 Topps #494

1974 Topps #387

#653 Aurelio Rodriguez - California Angels / #655 Mike Hershberger - Oakland Athletics

#652 Eddie Watt - Baltimore Orioles

Eddie Dean Watt
Baltimore Orioles
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  183
Born:  April 4, 1941, Lamoni, IA
Signed:  Signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent, September 5, 1961
Major League Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 1966-73; Philadelphia Phillies 1974; Chicago Cubs 1975

World Series Appearances:  Baltimore Orioles 1969-71

Eddie Watt pitched in parts of 10 seasons in the majors, having the most success as one of the key relievers for the Orioles dynasty that went to the World Series three years in a row between 1969 and 1971.  Watt joined the Orioles' pitching staff in 1966, and the 13 starts he made that season would be the last starts of his career.  Converted to full-time reliever, he appeared in at least 30 games for the Orioles each season between 1967 and 1973.  His best season statisically came early, as he was 3-5 with a 2.26 ERA in 49 games and 103 2/3 innings pitched for the Orioles in 1967.  Watt helped lead the Orioles to the first of three American League pennants in 1969, securing 16 saves and having a career-best 1.65 ERA in 71 innings pitched.  He won a World Series ring with the Orioles in 1970, following their defeat of the Reds in five games.

Watt wrapped up his career with the Phillies and Cubs, and he spent several years as a minor league pitching coach between the late 1970s and the early 2000s.  In 411 career big league games, Watt was 38-36 with a 2.91 ERA and 80 saves in 659 2/3 innings pitched.  He was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame in 2000.

From the 1974 Phillies Yearbook

Building the Set / Card #536
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
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 had success the prior two shows at Uncle Dick's Cards with his well-organized, neon common binders, I opted to pull up a chair once again at the friendly dealer's array of tables.  The aim was simple:  Clear out Uncle Dick's 1969 Topps commons, starting off where I had left off the year before with card #501 and going through the end of the set, card #664.  In less than 25 minutes, I completed my quest, and this is the 92nd of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me less than $1.50.

The Card / Orioles Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Watt is shown posing at Yankee Stadium.  The back of the card highlights his success at Elmira in 1965, and with Baltimore in 1968.

Accuracy Index:  Watt's card scores a standard +5.

1969 Season
As mentioned above, this was one of Watt's finest seasons.  He relieved in 56 games, leading the staff in appearances and saves.  The Mets stunned the Orioles in the World Series, and Watt allowed the go-ahead and eventual winning run in the fifth and deciding game of the series, taking the loss.  With the game tied at 3-3 heading to the bottom of the eighth, Watt allowed a lead-off double to Cleon Jones (#512), and Jones would score on a double by Ron Swoboda (#585) to give the Mets the lead. 

Phillies Career
The Phillies purchased Watt's contract from the Orioles on December 7, 1973, and he'd appear in 42 games for Danny Ozark's club throughout the 1974 season.  Only lefty Mac Scarce appeared in more games (58) than Watt, and Watt had one more save (six) than Scarve (five) to lead the team.  Watt was 1-1 overall with a 3.99 ERA in 38 1/3 innings pitched.  He struggled with his control throughout the season, something that had never been a problem for him before.  Watt had 26 walks to 23 strikeouts throughout the year, although eight of those walks were intentional.  Watt was with the Phillies throughout spring training in 1975, but the club released him on April 6th, right before the start of the regular season.  He'd sign with the Cubs a few weeks later.

He appears with the Phillies in the 1974 Topps Traded and 1975 Topps sets.

1966 Topps #442

1967 Topps #271

1970 Topps #497

1972 Topps #128

1975 Topps #374

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1966 Topps #442
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1966-75
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2004 Upper Deck Legends Timeless Teams #43
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  60 in the Beckett online database as of 7/26/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
The Phillies Room

#651 Gus Gil - Seattle Pilots / #653 Aurelio Rodriguez - California Angels