#287 Jose Tartabull - Boston Red Sox

Jose Milages Tartabull
Boston Red Sox
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  165
Born:  November 27, 1938, Cienfuegos, Cuba
Signed:  Signed by the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent before 1958 season
Major League Teams:  Kansas City Athletics 1962-1966; Boston Red Sox 1966-1968; Oakland Athletics 1969-1970

World Series Appearances:  Boston Red Sox 1967

A light-hitting outfielder, Jose Tartabull played in parts of nine seasons in the majors, but he's best remembered for a throw to the plate during the Impossible Dream season in 1967 for the Red Sox.  Tartabull was originally drafted by the Giants and traded to the Athletics in late 1961.  He'd appear in 107 games as a rookie in 1962, serving as the fourth outfielder on the ninth place Athletics team.  Dealt to the Red Sox in June 1966, Tartabull would again settle in as a back-up to regular outfielders Carl Yastrzemski (#130), Reggie Smith (#660) and Tony Conigliaro (#330).  On August 27, 1967, with the Red Sox battling the Twins and White Sox for the league lead, the Red Sox held a 4-3 lead over the White Sox heading to the bottom of the ninth inning.  With the tying run on third base, Duane Josephson (#222) lofted a soft line drive to right, caught by Tartabull, who wasn't known for a strong throwing arm.  Tartabull's throw home was high, causing catcher Elston Howard to leap in the air, but Howard caught the ball and came down on  home plate in time to catch the runner.  The Red Sox won the game, briefly taking possession of first place, with the throw serving as an impetus for the team and their fans.

1993 Pinnacle #478

Tartabull played for three more big league seasons following his heroics in 1967, and he'd retire in 1972 after playing in Mexico.  In 749 games, Tartabull batted .261 with a pair of home runs, 107 RBIs and 81 stolen bases.  His son, Danny Tartabull, played for 14 seasons with the Mariners, Royals, Yankees, Athletics, White Sox and Phillies.  The younger Tartabull was an All-Star with the Royals in 1991.

Building the Set / Card #265
March 12, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)

In mid-March last year, over a year ago at this point, Doug and I attended the Philadelphia Sports Collectors Show, held within the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  My main focus for this show was accumulating as many 1969 Topps commons as possible, which I did by adding a grand total of 193 cards to our set.  That's almost 30% of the entire set added in one enjoyable afternoon.  I wrote a full summary of the show in a post over at The Phillies Room, found here.

This is the 188th of the 193 commons and semi-stars purchased, pulled and stacked from the first two neon green binders housing 1969 Topps cards at the multi-table spread of Uncle Dick's Cards from Babylon, New York.  My method was simple - I pulled up a chair, found a card I needed, picked the best of the group from the binder page and set it aside.  After each 100 cards, I'd ask the dealer to tell me how much damage I had done so far.  With a budget in mind, I kept going twice, continuing after card #100 and card #200, and stopping at card #298.  The final amount due was 17% off the sticker price for the pile of 193 cards, with this card costing me a little over $2.

The Card / Red Sox Team Set / Accuracy Index -7

It looks as if the photos used for Tartabull's 1967, 1968 and 1969 Topps cards were all taken at the same time by the batting cages.  Credit to the Topps' cartoonist here for demonstrating what it would have looked like when Tartabull originally signed with the Giants.  The game-winning pinch-hit mentioned in the write-up happened on April 29, 1967 at Fenway Park.  The Athletics had taken a 10-9 lead in the top of the 15th when Rick Monday (#105) hit a solo home run.  Reliever Jack Aker (#612) couldn't retire the Red Sox, loading the bases and giving up Tartabull's game-winning single to score Conigliaro.

Accuracy Index:  Tartabull loses points for the former team's uniform (-5) and since he didn't play for the Red Sox in 1969 (-2).

1969 Season
Despite batting .281 in 1968, Tartabull was left off the Red Sox opening day roster in 1969, beginning the season with the Triple-A Louisville Colonels.  He was batting .216 in 14 games with the Colonels when the Red Sox sold him to the Athletics on May 7th.  Tartabull appeared in 75 games for Oakland, batting .267 with 11 doubles and 11 RBIs.  He gained more regular playing time as the season progressed, ultimately starting 34 games in center field and 21 games in left field.

1962 Topps #451

1964 Topps #276

1967 Topps #56

1968 Topps #555

1970 Topps #481

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1962 Topps #451
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (8):  1962-1964, 1966-1970
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1993 Pinnacle #478
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  37 in the Beckett online database as of 3/18/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#286 Dock Ellis - Pittsburgh Pirates / #288 Ken Holtzman - Chicago Cubs

#285 Don Mincher - Seattle Pilots

Donald Ray Mincher
Seattle Pilots
First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  205
Born:  June 24, 1938, Huntsville, AL
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent before 1956 season
Major League Teams:  Washington Senators 1960; Minnesota Twins 1961-1966; California Angels 1967-1968; Seattle Pilots 1969; Oakland Athletics 1970-1971; Washington Senators 1971; Texas Rangers 1972; Oakland Athletics 1972

World Series Appearances:  Minnesota Twins 1965; Oakland Athletics 1972
Died:  March 4, 2012, Huntsville, AL (age 73)

Don Mincher was a veteran of 13 big league seasons, playing in the final seasons of both 20th Century Washington baseball teams and in the first seasons of their new locations in Minnesota and Texas.  He was an All-Star in 1967 with the Angels, perhaps his best season, and the only Pilots player to appear in the All-Star Game in the team's sole year of existence in 1969.  Mincher hit at least 20 home runs in five different seasons, reaching a career high in 1970 with 27.  He drove in at least 70 runs in three different seasons.  Mincher won a World Series ring with the Athletics in his final season in the big leagues, and he had a key pinch-hit in Game 4 of the 1972 World Series to help his team to victory.  In 1,400 career games, Mincher batted .249 with exactly 200 home runs and 643 RBIs.

Mincher began his second career as a minor league executive in 1985, serving as the president and general manager of his hometown Huntsville Stars until 2001.  While he never played for the club, the Stars, then an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, retired his #5 in 2008.  He'd go on to serve as president of the Southern League until 2011.

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

Building the Set / Card #264
March 12, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)

In mid-March last year, over a year ago at this point, Doug and I attended the Philadelphia Sports Collectors Show, held within the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  My main focus for this show was accumulating as many 1969 Topps commons as possible, which I did by adding a grand total of 193 cards to our set.  That's almost 30% of the entire set added in one enjoyable afternoon.  I wrote a full summary of the show in a post over at The Phillies Room, found here.

This is the 187th of the 193 commons and semi-stars purchased, pulled and stacked from the first two neon green binders housing 1969 Topps cards at the multi-table spread of Uncle Dick's Cards from Babylon, New York.  My method was simple - I pulled up a chair, found a card I needed, picked the best of the group from the binder page and set it aside.  After each 100 cards, I'd ask the dealer to tell me how much damage I had done so far.  With a budget in mind, I kept going twice, continuing after card #100 and card #200, and stopping at card #298.  The final amount due was 17% off the sticker price for the pile of 193 cards, with this card costing me a little over $2.

The Card / Pilots Team Set / Accuracy Index -8

Mincher is shown wearing an Angels jersey and hat, in a photo likely taken in 1967 and at the same time as the photo used for his 1968 Topps card.  The cartoon became outdated following Mincher's appearance in the 1969 All-Star Game - see below.  In the 1967 All-Star Game, he pinch-hit for pitcher Gary Peters (#34) in the eighth inning and singled off Bob Gibson (#200).

Accuracy Index:  Mincher scores a -8 for the Angels jersey (-5) and logo-less hat (-3).

Inserts:  Mincher is one of 48 decals in the Topps Decals insert set.  It's basically the same photo used for his base card, except he's got his glasses on.

1969 Season
Mincher was the 2nd pick in the 1968 expansion draft, and the Pilots' overall #1 pick, selected from the Angels.  The opening day first baseman for the Pilots, he'd start 118 games at the position and play in 140 games overall.  Mincher and Mike Hegan (#577) were both selected to the All-Star Game, with only Mincher appearing in the game, pinch-hitting for Denny McLain (#150) in the fourth inning.  Facing Gibson again, Mincher struck out.  

He batted .246 for the Pilots with a team-leading 25 home runs and 78 RBIs.  Tommy Davis (#135) took the team RBI crown with 80.  In January 15, 1970, before the Pilots moved to Milwaukee and become the Brewers, Mincher was dealt with Ron Clark (#561) to the Athletics for Mike Hershberger (#655), Lew Krausse (#23), Phil Roof (#334) and Phil Sanders.

1960 Topps #548

1965 Topps #108

1968 Topps #75

1970 Topps #185

1972 Topps #242

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #548
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1960-1972
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1983 Galasso 1969 Seattle Pilots #10
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  67 in the Beckett online database as of 3/17/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#284 Expos Rookie Stars / #286 Dock Ellis - Pittsburgh Pirates

#284 Expos Rookie Stars - Jerry Robertson / Mike Wegener

Jerry Lee Robertson
Montreal Expos
Pitcher

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  205
Born:  October 13, 1943, Winchester, KS
Drafted:  Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 27th round of the 1965 amateur draft, June 8, 1965
Major League Teams:  Montreal Expos 1969; Detroit Tigers 1970

Died:  March 24, 1996, Burlington, KS (age 52)

Michael Denis Wegener
Montreal Expos
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  215
Born:  October 8, 1946, Denver, CO
Signed:  Signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent before 1964 season
Major League Teams:  Montreal Expos 1969-1970

Pitcher Jerry Robertson was originally drafted by the Cardinals in 1965, and when St. Louis left him unprotected before the 1968 expansion draft, the Expos took him as the 38th pick.  Robertson made the inaugural opening day roster for the expansion club, pitching 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief  in the first game in franchise history.  He'd move into the starting rotation in late May, where he'd remain for the duration of the year, going 5-16 in 27 starts, throwing three complete games.  Robertson was dealt to the Tigers in December 1969, and his last big league action came in relief with Detroit during the first half of the 1970 season.  Robertson had a career record of 5-16 with a 3.94 ERA and one save in 49 appearances, including 27 starts.

From the 1968 Phillies Yearbook

Mike Wegener pitched professionally for 14 seasons, including a full two seasons with the Expos in 1969 and 1970.  Wegener pitched in the Phillies' system between 1965 and 1968, and was a 10-game winner with the Miami Marlins, then the Phillies' Florida State League affiliate, in 1965.  The Expos made him the 15th pick in the 1968 expansion draft, and while he'd start the season in the bullpen, he'd make his first big league start on April 20, 1969.  Wegener was on the team for the entire 1970 season, but appeared in only 25 games and was 3-6 with a 5.26 ERA.  He surrendered the 3,000th hit of Willie Mays' (#190) career on July 18, 1970.  Wegener last appeared in the majors in September 1970, but he'd pitch through the 1977 season in the minor league systems of the Expos, Mets and Giants before retiring.  He was 8-20 lifetime with a 4.73 ERA in 57 games, striking out 159 in 270 innings pitched.

Building the Set / Card #263
March 12, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)

In mid-March last year, over a year ago at this point, Doug and I attended the Philadelphia Sports Collectors Show, held within the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  My main focus for this show was accumulating as many 1969 Topps commons as possible, which I did by adding a grand total of 193 cards to our set.  That's almost 30% of the entire set added in one enjoyable afternoon.  I wrote a full summary of the show in a post over at The Phillies Room, found here.

This is the 186th of the 193 commons and semi-stars purchased, pulled and stacked from the first two neon green binders housing 1969 Topps cards at the multi-table spread of Uncle Dick's Cards from Babylon, New York.  My method was simple - I pulled up a chair, found a card I needed, picked the best of the group from the binder page and set it aside.  After each 100 cards, I'd ask the dealer to tell me how much damage I had done so far.  With a budget in mind, I kept going twice, continuing after card #100 and card #200, and stopping at card #298.  The final amount due was 17% off the sticker price for the pile of 193 cards, with this card costing me a little over $2.

The Card / Expos Team Set / Robertson Accuracy Index -8 / Wegener Accuracy Index -8
Robertson is either wearing a Cardinals jersey and hat, or the uniform of a Cardinals' minor league team.  Wegener is either wearing a Phillies jersey, or the uniform of a Phillies' minor league team.  It's the rookie card for both.

Accuracy Index:  The two players are demonstrating the two ways to score a -8 in my scoring system by wearing an old team's uniform, and having either a hat with no logo or no hat at all.

1969 Season - Robertson
As mentioned above, Robertson was an original Expo, and manager Gene Mauch (#606) moved him into the starting pitching rotation in mid-May as support for Bill Stoneman (#67) and Mudcat Grant (#306), the only two effective starting pitchers for the club over the season's first six weeks.  He'd lead the Expos' pitching staff with a bWAR of exactly 1.0.  On December 3rd, the Expos traded Robertson to the Tigers in exchange for Joe Sparma (#488).

1969 Season - Wegener
Wegener ended up being the third most used starting pitcher for the Expos, and his 26 starts were third on the club behind Stoneman and Robertson.  He threw 165 2/3 innings, striking out 124, which again was third on the club.

Phillies Connection - Wegener
As mentioned above, Wegener spent four seasons in the Phillies minor league system, making it as high as Triple-A San Diego in 1968.  The team's 1968 Yearbook lists him among the "Farm System Stand-Outs," noting he had been plagued by arm troubles in recent years.

1970 Topps #661

1971 Topps #651

1970 Topps #193

1971 Topps #608

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Robertson
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #284
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3):  1969-1971
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1971 Topps #651
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  9 in the Beckett online database as of 3/11/24.

Sources - Robertson:  

Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Wegener
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #284
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3):  1969-1971
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1971 Topps #608
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  20 in the Beckett online database as of 3/11/24.

Sources - Wegener:  

Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#283 Sandy Alomar - Chicago White Sox / #285 Don Mincher - Seattle Pilots

#283 Sandy Alomar - Chicago White Sox

Santos Alomar
Chicago White Sox
Second Base

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'9"  Weight:  140
Born:  October 19, 1943, Salinas, Puerto Rico
Signed:  Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent before 1960 season.
Major League Teams:  Milwaukee Braves 1964-1965; Atlanta Braves 1966; New York Mets 1967; Chicago White Sox 1967-1969; California Angels 1969-1974; New York Yankees 1974-1976; Texas Rangers 1977-1978

Sandy Alomar played in nearly 1,500 games over his 15 year career before embarking on a long coaching career between 1986 and 2009.  Used sparingly over the fist four seasons of his big league career, Alomar got his first shot as an every day player with the White Sox in the late 1960s and the Angels in the early 1970s.  He went to the All-Star Game in 1970 and led the league in plate appearances in both 1970 and 1971 as the Angels' regular second baseman.  His longevity was most likely due to his versatility in the field, as he was able to play all infield and outfield positions.  An excellent bunter, Alomar was also speedy on the basepaths and accumulated 227 career stolen bases.  Over his career, he finished in the top ten for stolen bases six times and in the top ten for singles four times.  He finished his playing career as a reliable pinch hitter for the Yankees and Rangers in the mid-1970s.

Alomar was a long-time manager in both Puerto Rico and the minor leagues in between major league coaching stints with the Padres (1986-1990), Cubs (2000-2002), Rockies (2003-2004) and Mets (2005-2009).  He's the father of long-time catcher Sandy Alomar, Jr., who has served as an interim manager for the Indians, and Hall of Fame second baseman Roberto Alomar.

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

Building the Set / Card #262
March 12, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)

In mid-March last year, over a year ago at this point, Doug and I attended the Philadelphia Sports Collectors Show, held within the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  My main focus for this show was accumulating as many 1969 Topps commons as possible, which I did by adding a grand total of 193 cards to our set.  That's almost 30% of the entire set added in one enjoyable afternoon.  I wrote a full summary of the show in a post over at The Phillies Room, found here.

This is the 185th of the 193 commons and semi-stars purchased, pulled and stacked from the first two neon green binders housing 1969 Topps cards at the multi-table spread of Uncle Dick's Cards from Babylon, New York.  My method was simple - I pulled up a chair, found a card I needed, picked the best of the group from the binder page and set it aside.  After each 100 cards, I'd ask the dealer to tell me how much damage I had done so far.  With a budget in mind, I kept going twice, continuing after card #100 and card #200, and stopping at card #298.  The final amount due was 17% off the sticker price for the pile of 193 cards, with this card costing me a little over $2.

The Card / White Sox Team Set / Accuracy Index -12

Alomar is hatless and wearing a Mets jersey, in a photo already used in the 1968 Topps set, and taken in 1967.  Despite playing for parts of three seasons with the White Sox, and in 167 games, Alomar never appeared in a Topps flagship set wearing an actual White Sox uniform.  The back of the card highlights his infield versatility and his team-leading 20* stolen bases in 1968.

*This is an uncorrected error as Alomar had 21 stolen bases and teammate Tommy McCraw (#388) had 20.

Accuracy Index:  Alomar's card sinks to -12 for the Mets jersey (-5), the previously used photo (-4) and the lack of a hat (-3).

1969 Season
Alomar was the opening day second baseman for the White Sox, getting off to a slow start in 22 games with the team, before a mid-May trade sent him to the Angels.  On May 14th, Alomar and Bob Priddy (#248) were dealt to California for Bobby Snoop (#445).  He assumed the every day second baseman role with the Angels, batting .250 with 18 stolen bases and 30 RBIs over the duration of the season.  Alomar teamed with shortstop Jim Fregosi (#365) for one of the stronger double play combinations in the American League.  Alomar's 138 singles were second in the league.

1965 Topps #82

1967 Topps #561

1973 Topps #123

1976 Topps #629

1979 Topps #144

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #82
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (15):  1965-1979
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2016 Topps Archives 65th Anniversary Edition #A65-SAS
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  86 in the Beckett online database as of 3/11/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#282 Pat Jarvis - Atlanta Braves / #284 Expos Rookie Stars

#282 Pat Jarvis - Atlanta Braves

Robert Patrick Jarvis
Atlanta Braves
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  180
Born:  March 18, 1941, Carlyle, IL
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams:  Atlanta Braves 1966-1972; Montreal Expos 1973

Pat Jarvis was a solid starting pitcher for the Braves in the the late 1960s into the early 1970s, winning at least 13 games in four straight seasons between 1967 and 1970.  Jarvis joined the Braves' rotation in 1967, winning 15 games to lead the team's staff.  He was a 16-game winner in 1968, making 34 starts and pitching to a career-best 2.60 ERA with 14 complete games.  Jarvis struck out a team-leading 157 over 256 innings pitched that year, forming a strong one-two combination with Phil Niekro (#355) atop the Braves' pitching rotation.  His career year came in 1970, when Jarvis was 16-16 with a 3.61 ERA in 34 starts, including 11 complete games.  His output would decline in the succeeding years, and Jarvis' last action in the majors came in 1973 with the Expos.

In 249 big league games, Jarvis was 85-73 with a 3.58 ERA and 755 strikeouts over 1,284 innings pitched.  Following his playing days, Jarvis was elected as sheriff of DeKalb County in Georgia, serving in the role for nearly 20 years.  In 1995, he pleaded guilty to federal mail fraud and was sentenced to 15 months in prison.\

Building the Set / Card #261
March 12, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)

In mid-March last year, over a year ago at this point, Doug and I attended the Philadelphia Sports Collectors Show, held within the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  My main focus for this show was accumulating as many 1969 Topps commons as possible, which I did by adding a grand total of 193 cards to our set.  That's almost 30% of the entire set added in one enjoyable afternoon.  I wrote a full summary of the show in a post over at The Phillies Room, found here.

This is the 184th of the 193 commons and semi-stars purchased, pulled and stacked from the first two neon green binders housing 1969 Topps cards at the multi-table spread of Uncle Dick's Cards from Babylon, New York.  My method was simple - I pulled up a chair, found a card I needed, picked the best of the group from the binder page and set it aside.  After each 100 cards, I'd ask the dealer to tell me how much damage I had done so far.  With a budget in mind, I kept going twice, continuing after card #100 and card #200, and stopping at card #298.  The final amount due was 17% off the sticker price for the pile of 193 cards, with this card costing me $1.25.

The Card / Braves Team Set / Accuracy Index +1

Topps re-used the photo featured on Jarvis' 1967 rookie card here.  He wore #33 with the Braves, so this photo, showing him wearing a uniform number ending in six, is likely from spring training in 1966.  The back of the card highlights his success in 1968, and his league-leading 185 strikeouts while pitching for the Duluth-Superior Dukes in 1963.

Accuracy Index:  Jarvis drops to a +1 given the photo had been used before.

1969 Season
Jarvis was 13-11 with a 4.43 ERA in 37 appearances for the National League West pennant-winning Braves.  He started NLCS Game 3 against the Mets, and was the losing pitcher after allowing six runs on 10 hits over 4 1/3 innings.  The Mets would sweep the Braves in three games.

1967 Topps #57

1968 Topps #134

1970 Topps #438

1972 Topps #675

1973 Topps #192

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1967 Topps #57
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1967-1973
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #264
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  37 in the Beckett online database as of 3/11/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#281 Ted Kubiak - Oakland Athletics / #283 Sandy Alomar - Chicago White Sox

#281 Ted Kubiak - Oakland Athletics

Theodore Rodger Kubiak
Oakland Athletics
Shortstop

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  175
Born:  May 12, 1942, New Brunswick, NJ
Signed:  Signed by the Kansas City Athletics as an amateur free agent before 1961 season
Major League Teams:  Kansas City Athletics 1967; Oakland Athletics 1968-1969; Milwaukee Brewers 1970-1971; St. Louis Cardinals 1971; Texas Rangers 1972; Oakland Athletics 1972-1975; San Diego Padres 1975-1976

World Series Appearances:  Oakland Athletics 1972-1973

Ted Kubiak was a middle infielder with a decade of major league experience, best remembered as a member of the Athletics' dynasty that won three consecutive World Series titles between 1972 and 1974.  Kubiak came up with the Kansas City Athletics in 1967, moving with the team to Oakland for the 1968 season.  He'd play as a back-up until a trade to the Seattle Pilots in late 1969 gave him the chance to appear every day.  With the Pilots moving to Milwaukee soon after Kubiak's arrival, he was the opening day shortstop in the Brewers' inaugural game in 1970.  He'd bat .252, a career best, while also collecting 41 RBIs, also a career best.  Reacquired by the Athletics in July 1972, Kubiak was a key bench player for the club, appearing in 15 postseason games and batting .250 overall (3 for 12).

Following a few final years with the Padres, Kubiak retired in 1976 with a .231 lifetime average.  He returned to baseball in 1989 as a minor league manager with the Athletics, and he'd remain in the game as a minor league manager and coach through the mid-2010s.

Building the Set / Card #260
March 12, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)

Home stretch with this haul - finally!  In mid-March last year, over a year ago at this point, Doug and I attended the Philadelphia Sports Collectors Show, held within the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  My main focus for this show was accumulating as many 1969 Topps commons as possible, which I did by adding a grand total of 193 cards to our set.  That's almost 30% of the entire set added in one enjoyable afternoon.  I wrote a full summary of the show in a post over at The Phillies Room, found here.

This is the 183rd of the 193 commons and semi-stars purchased, pulled and stacked from the first two neon green binders housing 1969 Topps cards at the multi-table spread of Uncle Dick's Cards from Babylon, New York.  My method was simple - I pulled up a chair, found a card I needed, picked the best of the group from the binder page and set it aside.  After each 100 cards, I'd ask the dealer to tell me how much damage I had done so far.  With a budget in mind, I kept going twice, continuing after card #100 and card #200, and stopping at card #298.  The final amount due was 17% off the sticker price for the pile of 193 cards, with this card costing me less than a dollar.

The Card / Athletics Team Set / Accuracy Index +2

Kubiak's Baseball Reference page shows his uniform number with the Athletics between 1967 and 1969 as #14, and not the #25 shown on the photo here.  I'm assuming #25 was Kubiak's number during spring training in either 1966 or 1967.  There's a coach with a white hat standing behind Kubiak.  The back of the card highlights the increase in Kubiak's average from .157 in 1967 to .250 in 1968.  Kubiak began switch-hitting in 1962, with Topps still showing him as a left-handed hitter on the back of the card.

Accuracy Index:  Most Astros or Athletics players have been receiving a +2 for the accurate uniform (+5) but a logo less hat (-3).

1969 Season
Kubiak appeared in 92 games for the Athletics, batting .249 with a pair of home runs and 27 RBIs.  He made 37 starts at shortstop, filling in for Bert Campaneris (#495), and 28 starts at second base, filling in for Dick Green (#515).  He hit his first major league home run on June 22nd against the Twins' Jim Kaat (#290).  On December 7th, Kubiak and George Lauzerique (#358) were traded to the Pilots for Ray Oyler (#178) and Diego Segui (#511).

1968 Topps #79

1971 Topps #516

1973 Topps #652

1975 Topps #329

1977 Topps #158

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1968 Topps #79
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1968-1977
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Fleer ProCards #3133
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  59 in the Beckett online database as of 3/11/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#280 Alex Johnson - Cincinnati Reds / #282 Pat Jarvis - Atlanta Braves