#357 Carl Taylor - Pittsburgh Pirates

Carl Means Taylor
Pittsburgh Pirates
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  200
Born:  January 20, 1944, Sarasota, FL
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1962 season
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1968-69; St. Louis Cardinals 1970; Kansas City Royals 1971; Pittsburgh Pirates 1971; Kansas City Royals 1972-73

Carl Taylor was a super utility player, spending parts of six seasons in the majors.  He appeared in career-high 104 games in each of the 1969 season with the Pirates and the 1970 season with the Cardinals, earning playing time behind the plate, at first base and both corner outfield positions.  Taylor was a frequently used pinch-hitter and for his career he batted .293 with 39 pinch-hits.  Most of his career was spent with the Pirates and Royals, with the Pirates re-acquiring him for the 1971 stretch run before selling him back to the Royals following the World Series.  Taylor was a member of that 1971 World Series Pirates team, although he was ineligible for the postseason given he was acquired after September 1st.

Taylor finished up his big league career with two full seasons in Kansas City, catching in a career-high 63 games in 1973 as a back-up to Fran Healy.  In 411 major league games, Taylor batted .266 with 10 home runs and 115 RBIs.  He's the stepbrother of former Orioles' great Boog Powell (#15).

Building the Set / Card #335
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 43rd of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost me little less than $1.

The Card / Pirates Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

That looks to be #10 on the front of Taylor's jersey, but according to Baseball Reference, he wore #36 and #44 during his first stint with the Pirates.  Topps lists Taylor's position as catcher, which makes sense since he caught in 29 games in 1968.  But in 1969, he played defense 59 times, not once behind the plate.  Taylor wouldn't catch again until the 1972 season with the Royals.  The cartoon on the back features a cameo by Powell, who I'm assuming is the slightly larger cartoon player.

Accuracy Index:  Taylor's card scores a +5 for accuracy.

1969 Season
Taylor had his best season in the majors, batting .348 in 104 games with 10 doubles, four home runs and 33 RBIs.  He received starts from manager Larry Shepard (#384) at first base (21), left field and right field (15 each).  He batted a gaudy .415 (17 for 41) as a pinch-hitter, with a double and six RBIs.

1968 Topps #559

1970 Topps #76

1971 Topps #353

1973 Topps #99

1974 Topps #627

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1968 Topps #559
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1968-71, 1973-74
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1990 Pacific Senior League #160
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  24 in the Beckett online database as of 7/5/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#356 Frank Quilici - Minnesota Twins / #358 Athletics Rookie Stars

#356 Frank Quilici - Minnesota Twins

Francis Ralph Quilici
Minnesota Twins
Infield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  170
Born:  May 11, 1939, Chicago, IL
Signed:  Signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent before 1961 season
Major League Teams:  Minnesota Twins 1965, 1967-70

World Series Appearances:  Minnesota Twins 1965
As a Manager:  Minnesota Twins 1972-75
Died:  May 14, 2018, Burnsville, MN (age 79)

Frank Quilici spent two decades in the Twins' organization as an infielder, coach, manager and broadcaster.  He was pushed into duty with the Twins in 1965 when their regular second baseman, Jerry Kindall, couldn't overcome a hamstring injury.  Quilici batted .208 down the stretch for the American League pennant winners, and then played every inning of all seven World Series games against the Dodgers.  He batted .200 (4 for 20) in the World Series, and his most notable moment came in Game 1 when he collected two hits, a double and a single, in the same inning against Dodgers' starter Don Drysdale (#400).  He'd return to the minors in 1966, and see his playing time diminish in the late 1960s with the arrival of Rod Carew (#510).  In 405 big league games, Quilici batted .214 with 23 doubles, five home runs and 53 RBIs.

He joined the Twins' coaching staff in 1970, and was surprisingly promoted to the manager's position in July 1972 when Bill Rigney (#182) was fired.  At just 33 years old at the time, he was the youngest manager in the majors.  His teams hovered around the .500 mark during each of his 3 1/2 years at the helm, never finishing better than third place in the American League West.  He was fired at the end of the 1975 season, with a lifetime record of 280-287.  Quilici remained with the Twins through the early 1980s as part of the club's radio broadcast team.

Building the Set / Card #334
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 42nd of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost me little less than $1.

The Card / Twins Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Quilici is shown demonstrating his bunting stance, and he'd have 11 sacrifices throughout his five-year big league career.  The back of the card highlights in cartoon form his two hits in an inning in the 1965 World Series, and the write-up reminds collectors he played in all seven games in that series.  Quilici did in fact have his best year as a player in 1968, batting a career best .245 over 97 games.

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

1969 Season
Quilici played in a career-high 118 games, batting .174 primarily as a late-inning defensive replacement for Carew at second base or Harmon Killebrew (#375) at third base.  He made 30 starts throughout the season - 23 at second base and seven at third base.

1966 Topps #207

1968 Topps #557

1971 Topps #141

1974 Topps #447

1975 Topps #443

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1966 Topps #207
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (8):  1966, 1968-71, 1973-75
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1975 Topps #443
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  32 in the Beckett online database as of 7/5/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#355 Phil Niekro - Atlanta Braves / #357 Carl Taylor - Pittsburgh Pirates

#354 Nate Oliver - New York Yankees

Nathaniel Oliver
New York Yankees
Second Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  160
Born:  December 13, 1940, St. Petersburg, FL
Signed:  Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent, June 9, 1959
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1963-67; San Francisco Giants 1968; New York Yankees 1969; Chicago Cubs 1969

World Series Appearances:  Los Angeles Dodger 1966

Nate Oliver was a light-hitting middle infielder who enjoyed his best season in 1964 with the Dodgers.  He appeared in 99 games that year, batting .243 with 21 RBIs and he took over the everyday second baseman's job from Dick Tracewski (#126) in mid-June.  Oliver also served as the Dodgers' primary middle infield back-up in 1966 and 1967, appearing in 80 and 77 games respectively.  He appeared in Game 4 of the 1966 World Series as a pinch-runner.

He was traded to the Giants in February 1968, spending the final two years of his big league career with the Giants, Yankees and Cubs.  He had one at-bat with the Yankees before being traded to the Cubs in April 1969 for Lee Elia (#312).  In 410 career games, Oliver hit .226 with a pair of home runs and 45 RBIs.  After retiring, Oliver managed or coached within the organizations of the Angels, Cubs and White Sox between the late 1980s and the mid 2000s.  In 1988, Oliver was serving as the manager of the Class A Reno Silver Sox.  At 47 years old, he was apparently activated for a game with the Silver Sox and had one at bat.

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

Building the Set / Card #333
December 3, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
With the posting of this card, this blog is now half-way through its run.  My version of a master set will consist of the 664 base cards, plus the two cards showing players with different teams - Clay Dalrymple (#151) and Donn Clendenon (#208).  At the pace I'm going, I could complete our 1969 Topps set in early 2025, which means I'd likely wrap up this blog in late 2025 or early 2026.

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 41st of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost me little less than $1.

The Card / Yankees Team Set / Accuracy Index -8

Oliver is wearing a Dodgers jersey here, with the photo likely taken at the same time as the photo used for his 1968 Topps card.  The back of the card celebrates his appearance in the 1966 World Series and also explains why his team designation is the Yankees on the front of the card.

Accuracy Index:  Oliver scores a somewhat standard -8.

1969 Season
The Giants traded Oliver to the Yankees on December 6, 1968 for infielder Charley Smith (#538).  In the third game of the season, on April 10th, Oliver pinch-hit for pitcher Fritz Peterson (#46), hitting a dribbler fielded by the catcher, with Oliver being thrown out at first.  Thus ended his Yankees career.  Over a week later, on April 19th, Oliver was sent to the Cubs where he'd play in 44 games over the remainder of the season.  He batted .159 (7 for 44) with three doubles and one home run, making nine starts at second base in his final big league action.

1963 Topps #466

1965 Topps #59

1966 Topps #364

1968 Topps #124

1970 Topps #223

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #466
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1963, 1965-66, 1968-70
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1981 TCMA The 1960s II #389
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  34 in the Beckett online database as of 7/5/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#353 Jeff Torborg - Los Angeles Dodgers / #355 Phil Niekro - Atlanta Braves

#353 Jeff Torborg - Los Angeles Dodgers

Jeffrey Allen Torborg
Los Angeles Dodgers
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  195
Born:  November 26, 1941, Plainfield, NJ
Signed:  Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1963 season
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1964-70; California Angels 1971-73

As a Manager:  Cleveland Indians 1977-79; Chicago White Sox 1989-91; New York Mets 1992-93; Montreal Expos 2001; Florida Marlins 2002-03

A light-hitting back-up catcher, Jeff Torborg spent a decade as a player in the majors and another 11 years as a big league manager, winning American League Manager of the Year honors in 1990.  Torborg came up with the Dodgers in 1964, and he'd remain with the club through the 1970 season as the back-up for John Roseboro (#218) and later Tom Haller (#310).  He was behind the plate for Sandy Koufax's perfect game on September 9, 1965, and he'd later catch Bill Singer's (#575) no-hitter on July 20, 1970 and Nolan Ryan's (#533) first no-hitter on May 15, 1973.  He was a career .214 hitter with eight home runs and 101 RBIs, and never appeared in more than 100 games a season until his final year in the majors with the Angels in 1973.

Torborg retired as a player, coaching (1975-77) and then managing the Indians (1977-79).  He served as a long-time coach with the Yankees (1980-88) and took over as manager for the White Sox in 1989.  Torborg won Manager of the Year honors in 1990 after guiding the team to a 94-win season.  He'd later manage the Mets, Expos and Marlins, but never finished above fourth place with any of those clubs.  His lifetime managerial record was 634-718.  When not managing, Torborg worked in the broadcast booth for CBS, Fox and FSN South through the mid-2000s.

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

Building the Set / Card #332
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 40th of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost me little over $1.

The Card / Dodgers Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

The pictures used for Torborg's 1965, 1966 and this Topps card were likely all taken within seconds of each other.  The picture used here, of Torborg about to throw down to second base, works well with the 1969 Topps design.  On any other design, the photo would look incredibly off-center.  The write-up on the back of the card notes Roseboro's departure and predicted Torborg might see more playing time.  That ended up not being the case, as Haller got the bulk of the starts behind home plate while batting .263.  Torborg signed with the Dodgers for $100,000 in 1963, accounting for the many money bags in the cartoon on the card's back.

Accuracy Index:  Torborg's card scores a solid +5, a score becoming a little more prevalent as we've crossed over the mid-point of the set.

1969 Season
Now in his fifth full season as the Dodgers' back-up catcher, Torborg batted .185 in 51 games, with four doubles and seven RBIs.  He made 39 starts behind the plate, spelling Haller throughout the season.

1964 Topps #337

1973 Topps #154

1978 Topps #351

1990 Topps #21

2003 Topps #273

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #337
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (19):  1964-73, 1978-79, 1989-93, 2002-03
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2004 Fleer Greats of the Game #73
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  72 in the Beckett online database as of 7/5/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

1965 Topps Blog

#352 Paul Schaal - Kansas City Royals / #354 Nate Oliver - New York Yankees

#352 Paul Schaal - Kansas City Royals

Paul Schaal
Kansas City Royals
Second Base - Third Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  165
Born:  March 3, 1943, Pittsburgh, PA

Signed:  Signed by the Los Angeles Angels as an amateur free agent before 1962 season
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Angels 1964-65; California Angels 1965-68; Kansas City Royals 1969-74; California Angels 1974

Died:  September 1, 2017, Waikoloa, HI (age 74)

Paul Schaal was a solid fielding, light hitting third baseman who was one of the first standout players for the expansion Royals.  Schaal was the Angels' regular third baseman in 1965 and 1966, but his troubles at the plate forced him into a platoon with Aurelio Rodriguez (#653) towards the late 1960s.  Left unprotected for the 1968 expansion draft, Schaal was the 27th pick by the Royals and he'd serve as a back-up infielder for the club in their inaugural season, most frequently filling in for regular third baseman Joe Foy (#93).  Schaal earned the starting job in 1971 and enjoyed a career year, batting .274 with 11 home runs and 63 RBIs.  He'd play a few more seasons with the Royals, but the arrival of a young George Brett led to his trade back to the Angels in 1974.  In 1,128 career games, Schaal batted .244 with 57 home runs and 323 RBIs.

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

Building the Set / Card #331
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 39th of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost me little over $1.

The Card / Royals Team Set / Accuracy Index -8

Schaal is wearing an Angels' jersey here, in a photo likely taken at the same time as the photo used for his 1967 and 1968 Topps cards.  The back of the card explains Schaal's lack of playing time in 1968 as a result of a beaning that came on June 13, 1968 against the Red Sox with pitcher Jose Santiago (#21) on the mound.  Schaal was hit above the left ear and was carried from the field on a stretcher, playing in only two games the rest of the season.

Accuracy Index:  Schaal gets a standard -8 for the Angels jersey (-5) and no hat (-3).

1969 Season
As mentioned above, Schaal was a reliable back-up for the Royals throughout the first season, appearing in 61 games overall and making 45 starts at third base, six starts at second base and four starts at shortstop.  He batted .263 with six doubles, a home run and 13 RBIs.  He had started the season in the minors, but a hot start and an injury to Jerry Adair (#159) resulted in his promotion in May.  With the Triple-A Omaha Royals, Schaal batted a lofty .374 with 17 doubles and a team-leading 1.018 OPS.

1965 Topps #517

1967 Topps #58

1971 Topps #487

1973 Topps #416

1974 Topps #514

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #517
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1965-74
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1974 Topps #514
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  41 in the Beckett online database as of 7/5/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#351 Carroll Sembera - Montreal Expos / #353 Jeff Torborg - New York Mets

#349 Dick Williams MG - Boston Red Sox

Richard Hirschfeld Williams
Boston Red Sox
Manager

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  190
Born:  May 7, 1929, St. Louis, MO
Signed:  Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1947 season
Major League Teams:  Brooklyn Dodgers 1951-54, 1956; Baltimore Orioles 1956-57; Cleveland Indians 1957; Baltimore Orioles 1958; Kansas City Athletics 1959-60; Baltimore Orioles 1961-62; Boston Red Sox 1963-64

World Series Appearances:  Brooklyn Dodgers 1953; Boston Red Sox 1967; Oakland Athletics 1972-73
As a Manager:  Boston Red Sox 1967-69; Oakland Athletics 1971-73; California Angels 1974-76; Montreal Expos 1977-81; San Diego Padres 1982-85; Seattle Mariners 1986-88
Died:  July 7, 2011, Las Vegas, NV (age 82)
Hall of Fame Induction:  2008

As a player, Dick Williams appeared in 13 big league seasons, mostly with the Orioles in three different stints.  He was a valuable super utility player, able to play all three outfield positions, first base, second base and third base.  Williams earned the most playing time with the Athletics in 1959 and 1960, batting .266 with career highs in home runs (16) and RBIs (75) in 1959, and batting a career-best .288 in 1960.  Primarily a pinch-hitter over the final years of his career, Williams last played in the majors in 1964 with the Red Sox.

1981 Donruss #453

He remained with the Red Sox organization as manager for their Triple-A team in 1965 and 1966, leading his team both seasons to first place finishes.  The hard-nosed and intense Williams was named Red Sox manager in 1967, and he led his "Impossible Dream" team to the World Series, the first time Boston had appeared in the Fall Classic since 1946.  He won Manager of the Year honors from The Sporting News, but was out of Boston two years later after clashing with ownership and star Carl Yastrzemski (#130).  Williams next managed the Athletics, leading the club to a 101-win season in 1971, and World Championships in 1972 and 1973.  He surprisingly resigned after another clash with ownership, this time A's owner Charlie Finley.  

Williams would go on to manage the Expos for five seasons, the Padres for four seasons and the Mariners for three seasons before stepping away from major league dugouts.  For his lifetime record of 1,571-1,451, including four pennants and two World Series victories, Williams was voted into the Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee in 2008.  He's also a member of the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame (2006) and the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame (2009).

Building the Set / Card #330
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 38th of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost me little over $1.

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

This card is very similar to Williams' 1968 Topps card, with the young manager just turning his head slightly for the Topps photographer when compared to his prior year baseball card.  There's an unknown Red Sox player making a cameo appearance directly behind Williams.  The back of the card focuses solely on his successful 1967 campaign, leading the Red Sox to the World Series.

Accuracy Index:  Williams' card earns a +5.

1969 Season
The Red Sox couldn't repeat the success they found in 1967, and Williams guided the team to a 82-71 record before being fired on September 23rd and replaced by Eddie Popowski for the final nine games of the season.  Popowski had been the third base coach for the Red Sox.  Shortstop Rico Petrocelli (#215) had a career year, batting .297 with 40 home runs and 97 RBIs, and finishing seventh in the league's MVP voting.  He led all American League players with a bWAR of 10.0.  Yastrzemski also had a 40 home run season and led the club with 111 RBIs.  Ray Culp (#391) was a 17-game winner and the team's top starter, and Sparky Lyle (#311) saved 17 games, third best in the league.

1952 Topps #396

1959 Topps #292

1968 Topps #87

1972 Topps #137

1988 Topps #104

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1952 Topps #396
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (29):  1952-53, 1957-64, 1967-69, 1971-73, 1975-81, 1983-88
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2024 Topps Heritage #134
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  209 in the Beckett online database as of 7/4/24.

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.

The Red Sox had quite a few candidates for this imaginary set, but I limited them to just six cards.

• Eddie Popowski (manager) - Popowski guided the team to a 5-4 record over the final week-plus of the 1969 season.  He'd manager one more game on an interim basis in 1973 after Eddie Kasko departed.
• Mike Nagy (rhp) - Mike Nagy was 12-2 in 33 appearances, including 28 starts, and he'd get his rookie card in the 1970 Topps set.
• Sonny Siebert (rhp) - The early season Ken Harrelson (#240) trade with the Indians caused issues for the Topps checklist creators.  Sonny Siebert (#455) and reliever Vicente Romo (#267) are in the 1969 Topps set with the Indians, but my update set would show them both on the Red Sox.
• Vicente Romo (rhp)
• Dick Schofield (2b) - Dick Schofield (#18) joined the Red Sox in December 1968, and he's in the set with his former team, the Cardinals.
• Red Sox Rookie Stars - Carlton Fisk / Bill Lee - Why not?  Carlton Fisk made his debut on September 18th and Spaceman Bill Lee joined the Red Sox on June 20th, making 20 appearances.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference - Williams / Baseball Reference - 1969 Red Sox / SABR / Wikipedia

National Baseball Hall of Fame
Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#348 Steve Hargan - Cleveland Indians / #350 Richie Allen - Philadelphia Phillies