#504 6th Series Checklist 513-588 / Brooks Robinson

It's Valentine's Day as I compose this post, and I can't think of anything more romantic than a baseball card checklist.  I kid, of course, and I'm taking a break from work on a Saturday in an attempt to keep this blog up to date as it chugs towards its conclusion.  Similar to where I was when I wrote about the 7th Series checklist (#582) back in October, we're 16 cards away from a complete 1969 Topps set, and the goal is to complete the set in 2026.  I've been good at keeping up a somewhat regular posting schedule here, on my new 1955 Bowman blog and my occasionally neglected 1934-36 Diamond Stars blog.  The latter should/could wrap up in 2026 as well, as long as I can find the last two cards needed for my set, including the pricey Hank Greenberg card.

Phillies spring training has started in Clearwater, but the snow and ice from almost a month ago is still piled up outside our house.  It was a brutal January, a better February and I'm hoping for a calmer March.

Once the Phillies season begins in earnest, and as I turn my attention to the daily exercise of posting game recaps, a hobby I thoroughly enjoy, my set building blogs could get less attention.  With the hope of wrapping up this blog and my Diamond Stars blog in the coming months, I need to start to plan what's next.  I've already unofficially started collecting cards for a 1959 Topps set build, but I don't want to neglect the 1960s, and committing to collecting the 1966 Topps set seems like a logical next step.  We shall see.

I continue to be grateful for my health, my family's health, and the ability to spend time each week writing about old baseball cards.

Building the Set / Card #633

September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Niagara Sports Cards)

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.  My third stop was a smaller table with the impossible to pass up offer of 1969 Topps commons that were only $1, unless marked.  The binder was right at the end of the table, making it an even easier sell.  The prices on some of the cards were stunningly low, so I was even more surprised when the dealer, Niagara Sports Cards, gave me an even deeper discount upon tallying up my total.

I found 12 cards needed from Niagara Sports Cards, and this was the 11th of those 12, and the 74th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  The card was marked at $10, but I paid a little over $7 for it after the bulk dealer discount was applied. 

The Card / Orioles Team Set / Checklists

Brooks Robinson (#550) is likely the biggest name to appear in the set's sixth series, nudging out Willie Stargell (#545) for the cameo spot on the front of the card.  Nolan Ryan (#533) would eventually surpass them both, but in 1969 he had yet to throw any of his seven no-hitters, and he was only 139 strikeouts in to a career that would eventually lead him to strike out an all-time record of 5,714.  

I found it funny that Topps couldn't seem to fit in Yankees Rookies for card #519, shortening it instead to "Yank Rookies."  Robinson appears three times in the set, a base card, an All-Star card (#421) and this checklist card.

#503 Larry Brown - Cleveland Indians / #505 Bobby Bolin - San Francisco Giants

#456 Bud Harrelson - New York Mets

Derrel McKinley Harrelson
New York Mets
Shortstop

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  160
Born:  June 6, 1944, Niles, CA
Signed:  Signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent, June 7, 1963
Major League Teams:  New York Mets 1965-77; Philadelphia Phillies 1978-79; Texas Rangers 1980

World Series Appearances:  New York Mets 1969, 1973
As a Manager:  New York Mets 1990-91
Died:  January 10, 2024, East Northport, NY (age 79)

Mets legend Bud Harrelson is the only person to have played a part in both Mets' World Series titles - in 1969 as their starting shortstop, and in 1986 as a coach.  Harrelson played in 16 big league seasons, 13 of those seasons with the Mets.  He was their everyday shortstop for most of the 1970s, and was selected to be an All-Star in 1970 and 1971.  Harrelson's career year came in 1971 when he won a Gold Glove while batting .252 with 16 doubles and 28 stolen bases.  He famously invoked the ire of the Reds' Pete Rose (#120) during the 1973 NLCS, when Harrelson compared the Big Red Machine's hitting prowess to his own.  Rose took exception and his hard slide into Harrelson during Game 3 sparked a bench-clearing brawl.  Harrelson and Rose would become teammates in 1979 with the Phillies, burying the hatchet.  Harrelson wrapped up his lengthy career with a stint with the Rangers in 1980 as a back-up infielder.  In 1,533 career games, he batted .234 with 123 doubles, six home runs, 242 RBIs and 115 stolen bases.

From the 1978 Phillies Yearbook

Harrelson coached in the Mets' minor and major league system between 1982 and 1990.  He replaced Davey Johnson (#203) as the club's manager a little over a month into the 1990 season upon Johnson's dismissal.  Harrelson found some success in 1990, but a second half Mets collapse in 1991 cost him his job.  Harrelson's record at the helm was 145-129.  He'd become part-owner of the Long Island Ducks in 2000, managing the team in its inaugural season.  Harrelson was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1986.

Building the Set / Card #632

September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Niagara Sports Cards)

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.  My third stop was a smaller table with the impossible to pass up offer of 1969 Topps commons that were only $1, unless marked.  The binder was right at the end of the table, making it an even easier sell.  The prices on some of the cards were stunningly low, so I was even more surprised when the dealer, Niagara Sports Cards, gave me an even deeper discount upon tallying up my total.

I found 12 cards needed from Niagara Sports Cards, and this was the tenth of those 12, and the 73rd of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  I paid less than a dollar for it after the bulk dealer discount was applied. 

The Card / Mets Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

The write-up on the back of the card using the adjectives "hustling" and "flashy" to describe Harrelson.  He apparently taught himself how to switch-hit in 1966 while at Triple-A Jacksonville.  That's pretty impressive to learn how to switch-hit at the age of 22!

Accuracy Index:  Harrelson's card holds steady with a +5.

1969 Season
From his SABR biography, written by Eric Aron: 

Harrelson arrived in St. Petersburg in 1969 having spent the winter lifting weights and quitting smoking.  He came in weighing 165 pounds and ceded the lightest-Met prize to 157-pound Amos Otis (#31).  Gil Hodges (#564) favored platoons for his club at the corners in the outfield and infield, plus second base.  Catcher, center field, and shortstop were too important to Hodges to tinker with, even though Jerry Grote (#55) was no great shakes with the bat and Tommie Agee (#364) in center had a lower 1968 batting average than Harrelson (.217). 

Harrelson was sorely missed when he had to serve his military obligation starting in July.  Al Weis (#269) filled in at shortstop and - true to form for the Mets that year - hit both of his home runs for the season in a huge series at Wrigley Field.  Harrelson started just one game in a five-week span because of his obligation, and his batting average, which had surpassed .290 at the beginning of June, got over .250 only a couple of times the rest of the season; he finished at .248.  His .341 on-base percentage was crucial since he usually batted second against right-handers and slid down to eighth against southpaws.  But on a team with the pitching the '69 Mets had, his glove was more important than what he generated with his bat.  Harrelson committed just 19 errors in 119 games at shortstop; his best remembered play of that season was grabbing Joe Torre's (#460) grounder and starting the double play that clinched the first Eastern Division title in National League history and set off a riot at Shea Stadium on September 24.  Harrelson’s game-winning single the night before against Bob Gibson (#200) had set the party in motion by assuring the Mets of at least a tie for the division title. 

Harrelson was practically flawless in the field in the miraculous postseason.  His only error in 44 chances came with one out and no one on in the seventh inning of New York's 11-6 win over the Braves in Game Two of the National League Championship Series.  Though he was only 2-for-11 in the NLCS, he drove in three runs and both his hits went for extra bases - giving Harrelson, who would have a lifetime .288 slugging percentage, a stunning .455 slugging mark in the Mets' three-game sweep.  He batted .176 in the World Series against the Orioles, but he had three singles and three walks to give him a .300 on-base percentage.

Phillies Career
With Tim Foli handed the Mets' shortstop job for the 1978 season, Harrelson was dealt to the Phillies on March 24, 1978, towards the end of spring training, for Fred Andrews and cash.  He was reunited with his former teammate Tug McGraw (#601), and expected to fill in behind a solid infield of Ted Sizemore (#552) at second base and Larry Bowa at shortstop.  Harrelson played in 71 games in 1978, hitting .214 and making 22 starts all season.  Manny Trillo took over for Sizemore at second in 1979, and Harrelson appeared in only 53 games.  He did bat .282 and have an OBP of .395, both high marks for his career, but he made one less start than the year before with 21.  He was released following spring training in 1980, with the team opting to go with Luis Aguayo and Ramon Aviles as their back-up infielders.  In 124 total games with the Phillies, Harrelson batted .241 with seven doubles and 16 RBIs.

1967 Topps #306

1971 Topps #355

1975 Topps #395

1981 Topps #694

1991 Topps #261

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1967 Topps #306
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (17):  1967-81, 1990-91
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2021 Topps x ESPN 30-for-30: "Once Upon a Time in Queens" #33
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  152 in the Beckett online database as of 2/10/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
The Phillies Room

#455 Sonny Siebert - Cleveland Indians / #457 Dalton Jones - Boston Red Sox

#450 Billy Williams - Chicago Cubs

Billy Leo Williams
Chicago Cubs
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  175
Born:  June 15, 1938, Whistler, AL
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent before 1956 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1959-74; Oakland Athletics 1975-76

Hall of Fame Induction:  1987

Billy Williams was as automatic, consistent and reliable as any outfielder of his era.  For 16 seasons with the Cubs, Williams batted third and played left field (except for a two-year detour to right field), appearing in at least 150 games or more in 12 straight seasons.  He was called an Iron Man before Cal Ripken, Jr. came along, as he played in 1,117 consecutive games between 1963 and 1970.  Williams was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1961, and in 1962 he was named to the first of six All-Star teams.  He batted over .300 in five seasons, and collected at least 25 home runs in 10 seasons.  He enjoyed a career year in 1970, batting .322 with 42 home runs and 129 RBIs, finishing second in the league's MVP voting behind Johnny Bench (#95).  Williams led the league that season in runs scored (137) and hits (205).  He won the league's batting crown in 1972 with a .333 average, again finishing as the MVP runner-up behind Bench.  Williams was dealt to the Athletics after the 1974 season for Manny Trillo, Darold Knowles and Bob Locker (#548).  He spent the final two seasons of his career as the designated hitter for Oakland, finally reaching the postseason in 1975 with the club.

Williams retired with a .290 average, 2,711 hits, 426 home runs and 1,475 RBIs.  He served as a long-time coach for the Cubs (1980-82, 1986-87, 1992-01) with another brief tenure as a coach for the Athletics (1983-85).  He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987 and his #26 was retired by the Cubs that same year.  In 1999, Williams was selected to the Cubs All-Century Team and a statute of the long-time outfielder was installed outside Wrigley Field in 2010.

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

Building the Set / Card #631

September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Niagara Sports Cards)

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.  My third stop was a smaller table with the impossible to pass up offer of 1969 Topps commons that were only $1, unless marked.  The binder was right at the end of the table, making it an even easier sell.  The prices on some of the cards were stunningly low, so I was even more surprised when the dealer, Niagara Sports Cards, gave me an even deeper discount upon tallying up my total.

I found 12 cards needed from Niagara Sports Cards, and this was the ninth of those 12, and the 72nd of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  I paid $11 for it after the bulk dealer discount was applied. 

The Card / Cubs Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

There's a ballpark cop forever immortalized with a cameo behind Williams on this card.  The cartoon on the back highlights his 1961 Rookie of the Year win, while the write-up touts his team-leading totals in 1968 for RBIs, doubles and triples.  Williams appears earlier in the set on the National League RBI Leaders card (#4).  As far as I can tell, this card has never been reprinted by Topps.

Accuracy Index:  The model of consistency, like Williams himself, his card scores a +5.

1969 Season
Williams played in all 163 Cubs games, batting .293 with 21 home runs and 95 RBIs.  His 188 hits were fifth best in the league, his 33 doubles were third best and he lead all National League left fielders with 11 assists.  From his SABR biography, written by Mark Armour: 

The 1969 Cubs finally put it all together . . . for five months.  On September 2 they led the surprising New York Mets by five games and appeared to have the race in hand.  Shockingly, the Cubs dropped the next eight while the Mets were going 8-2.  The Cubs lost the lead and finished eight games behind the rampaging New Yorkers.  Chicago finished with 92 wins, its best record since 1945.  Although Williams hit .278 with six home runs during that fateful September, his team hit just .215 with 17 homers.  On September 5, Williams hit two doubles and two home runs off Pittsburgh's Steve Blass (#104), but these were the only four hits Blass allowed in a complete game 9-2 victory.  Losing or winning, Williams just kept playing every day, playing the same game he always played.  "I am not tough to live with after the loss," he admitted.  "I don't carry the game home.  I do what I can, and when I'm done I leave the park.  I leave my glove and I leave my spikes and everything about the game behind me."

The Cubs honored Billy Williams with a "day" on June 29, 1969.  The Cubs hosted the Cardinals in a double-header, and in the second game Williams broke Stan Musial's NL record by playing in his 896th consecutive game.  In the first game, when Williams tied the record, he finished 1-for-4 while Ferguson Jenkins (#640) bested Bob Gibson (#200), 3-1.  In the nightcap, Williams celebrated his record by finishing four-for-five, including a double and two triples, in a 12-1 rout.  Between games the Cubs held a ceremony, for which they had flown Williams' mother and aunt in from Whistler.  Williams was showered with gifts, including a Chrysler Imperial automobile, capping one of the most memorable days of Williams' career.

1961 Topps #141

1968 Topps #37

1970 Topps #170

1972 Topps #439

1976 Topps #525

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1961 Topps #141
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (16):  1961-76
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2025 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #76RO-BW
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  938 in the Beckett online database as of 2/6/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

National Baseball Hall of Fame
Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#449 Paul Lindblad - Oakland Athletics / #451 Rich Rollins - Seattle Pilots

#428 Lou Brock AS - St. Louis Cardinals

All-Star cards returned to Topps sets in 1968 under The Sporting News banner for a three-year run between 1968 and 1970.  Topps included 20 All-Star cards in its 1969 set, featuring 10 All-Stars from each league and one player from each position, including both a right-handed and left-handed pitcher.  

Building the Set / Card #630

September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Niagara Sports Cards)

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.  My third stop was a smaller table with the impossible to pass up offer of 1969 Topps commons that were only $1, unless marked.  The binder was right at the end of the table, making it an even easier sell.  The prices on some of the cards were stunningly low, so I was even more surprised when the dealer, Niagara Sports Cards, gave me an even deeper discount upon tallying up my total.

I found 12 cards needed from Niagara Sports Cards, and this was the eighth of those 12, and the 71st of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  I paid less than $1.50 for it after the bulk dealer discount was applied. 

The Card / Cardinals Team Set / Pete Rose Puzzle

Lou Brock (#85), teammate Curt Flood (#540) and Pete Rose (#120) each get outfield spots on The Sporting News National League All-Star team.  Flood, Henry Aaron (#100) and Willie Mays (#190) were the starting outfielders in the actual 1968 All-Star Game, with Matty Alou (#490), Aaron and Cleon Jones (#512) starting in the outfield in the 1969 game.  I wonder what made Topps give the nod to Brock for this card over Aaron?  Brock was a six-time All-Star, earning a spot on the team in 1967, 1971-72, 1974-75 and 1979.

Linked below is a great article from Sports Collectors Daily, and the author did his best in tracking down the origins of the action photos appearing on these All-Star subset cards.  There's some fantastic detective work explained in the article, but there are six All-Stars cards, including this Brock card, where the author has had no success yet in identifying the background photo.  Ironically, Brock does actually appear as the background photo on the All-Stars card of Rod Carew (#419).

The backs of these All-Star cards contain a puzzle piece of either Rose or Carl Yastrzemski (#130).  The back of Brocks's card features Rose's batting grip.

Topps All-Star Card Appearances (3):  1968-69, 1976

1968 Topps #372

1976 Topps #10

Sources:  
Baseball Reference

Sports Collectors Daily - Mistaken Identities

#427 Tony Oliva AS - Minnesota Twins / #429 Willie Horton AS - Detroit Tigers

#427 Tony Oliva AS - Minnesota Twins

All-Star cards returned to Topps sets in 1968 under The Sporting News banner for a three-year run between 1968 and 1970.  Topps included 20 All-Star cards in its 1969 set, featuring 10 All-Stars from each league and one player from each position, including both a right-handed and left-handed pitcher.  

Building the Set / Card #629

September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Niagara Sports Cards)

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.  My third stop was a smaller table with the impossible to pass up offer of 1969 Topps commons that were only $1, unless marked.  The binder was right at the end of the table, making it an even easier sell.  The prices on some of the cards were stunningly low, so I was even more surprised when the dealer, Niagara Sports Cards, gave me an even deeper discount upon tallying up my total.

I found 12 cards needed from Niagara Sports Cards, and this was the seventh of those 12, and the 70th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  I paid less than a dollar for it after the bulk dealer discount was applied. 

The Card / Twins Team Set / Pete Rose Puzzle

Tony Oliva (#600) was an eight-time All-Star between 1964 and 1971, although he did not appear in the 1969 All-Star Game.  He had made previous starts in 1964 and 1966 (right field), and in 1967 (center field).  The starting American League outfield for the 1969 All-Star Game was Frank Howard (#170), Reggie Jackson (#260) and Frank Robinson (#250), with Carl Yastrzemski (#130), Oliva and Willie Horton (#180) getting the nod as the starting outfielders in this Topps subset.

The black and white photo behind Oliva is 1963 Topps #147, featuring Game 6 of the 1962 World Series.  Giants pitcher Billy Pierce is on the mound, and he had appeared behind Jerry Koosman on his All-Star card (#434).  At-bat is one of three Yankee lefties - Tony Kubek, Roger Maris (#164) or Whitey Ford.  The backs of these All-Star cards contain a puzzle piece of either Pete Rose (#120) or Yastrzemski.  The back of Oliva's card features half of Rose's head.

Topps All-Star Card Appearances (2):  1968-69

1963 Topps #147

1968 Topps #371

Sources:  
Baseball Reference

Sports Collectors Daily - Mistaken Identities

#426 Curt Flood AS - St. Louis Cardinals / #428 Lou Brock AS - St. Louis Cardinals

#335 Bill Mazeroski - Pittsburgh Pirates

William Stanley Mazeroski
Pittsburgh Pirates
Second Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  183
Born:  September 5, 1936, Wheeling, WV
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1954 season
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1956-72

World Series Appearances:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1960, 1971
Hall of Fame Induction:  2001

Bill Mazeroski was an excellent defensive second baseman, a 10-time All-Star with the Pirates throughout the 1960s and the hero of the club's 1960 World Series Championship season.  Known mostly for his glove, Mazeroski won eight Gold Gloves and he's the all-time leader for double plays turned by a second baseman with 1,706.  His career putouts (4,974) at the position currently rank him 7th, while his career assists (6,685) are 5th on the all-time list.  Mazeroski and Roberto Clemente (#50) are the only two Pirates players to be members of both the 1960 and 1971 World Championship teams.  He hit one of the most iconic home runs in baseball history in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series.  With the score tied at 9-9, Mazeroski led off the bottom of the ninth inning, and homered off Yankees' pitcher Ralph Terry to give the Pirates an improbable walk-off win and the World Series title.

Mazeroski spent his entire playing career with the Pirates, batting .260 with 138 home runs and 853 RBIs.  After retiring as a player, he served as a Pirates coach for one season in 1973, and was the third base coach for the Mariners in 1979 and 1980.  His #9 was retired by the Pirates in 1987, and the Veteran's Committee voted him into the Hall of Fame in 2001 on the strength of his glove work at second base.

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

Building the Set / Card #628

September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Niagara Sports Cards)

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.  My third stop was a smaller table with the impossible to pass up offer of 1969 Topps commons that were only $1, unless marked.  The binder was right at the end of the table, making it an even easier sell.  The prices on some of the cards were stunningly low, so I was even more surprised when the dealer, Niagara Sports Cards, gave me an even deeper discount upon tallying up my total.

I found 12 cards needed from Niagara Sports Cards, and this was the sixth of those 12, and the 69th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  The card was marked at $3, but I paid a little over $2 for it after the bulk dealer discount was applied.

The Card / Pirates Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

There are a lot of lines of statistics on the back of Mazeroski's card, and he'd add four more lines before calling it a career.  The write-up highlights his eight Gold Glove wins and acknowledges Mazeroski as the best fielding second baseman active in the majors.  The cartoon focuses on 1960, and Topps could have gone with a celebratory Mazeroski crossing home plate instead of playing defense.

Accuracy Index:  A great-looking card, earning a +5.

1969 Season
Mazeroski was once again the Pirates' opening day second baseman, but he'd start just 64 games at the position, losing playing time as the season progressed to Gene Alley (#436), Jose Martinez, and over the last month of the season, rookie Dave Cash.  In 67 games overall, he batted .229.  From his SABR biography, written by Bob Hurte: 

Indications that he was winding down became noticeable.  He was still a valuable commodity but in a different way.  He quietly assumed a new position on the team.  He became a mentor, the elder statesman to a new crop of young players.  The 1969 alignment featured Richie Hebner (#82) (21 years old) at third, Freddie Patek (#219) (24) played short, and Bob Robertson (#468) (22) was at first.  There was no communication gap among them; their willing ears devoured Mazeroski's wisdom and information on how to play hitters.  Mazeroski passed Frankie Frisch's career total for assists with his 6,027th at Wrigley Field in Chicago on April 14, 1969.  Statistically, however, 1969 was a subpar season for him both defensively and offensively.

1957 Topps #24

1959 Topps #415

1961 Topps #312

1970 Topps #440

1972 Topps #760

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1957 Topps #24
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (19):  1957-74, 2001
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2025 Topps Allen & Ginter #326
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  850 in the Beckett online database as of 2/4/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

National Baseball Hall of Fame
Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#334 Phil Roof - Oakland Athletics / #336 Jim Roland - Minnesota Twins

#295 Tony Perez - Cincinnati Reds

Atanacio Perez
Cincinnati Reds
Third Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  175
Born:  May 14, 1942, Camaguey, Cuba
Signed:  Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent, March 12, 1960
Major League Teams:  Cincinnati Reds 1964-76; Montreal Expos 1977-79; Boston Red Sox 1980-82; Philadelphia Phillies 1983; Cincinnati Reds 1984-86

World Series Appearances:  Cincinnati Reds 1970, 1972, 1975-76; Philadelphia Phillies 1983
As a Manager:  Cincinnati Reds 1993; Florida Marlins 2001
Hall of Fame Induction:  2000

As the first baseman for the Big Red Machine in the mid-1970s, and often cited as the team's leader, Tony Perez helped the Reds win back-to-back World Championships in 1975 and 1976.  Perez drove in over 100 runs in seven seasons between 1967 and 1980, and drove in at least 90 runs between 1967 and 1977.  He was a seven-time All-Star and the MVP of the 1967 game due to his game-winning home run in the 15th inning off Catfish Hunter (#235).  Nicknamed "Big Dog" or "Doggie," Perez helped propel Cincinnati to its first of four World Series throughout the 1970s with a career year in 1970.  He batted .317 that season with 40 home runs and 129 RBIs, with all three marks career bests.  His RBI tally of 954 in the 1970s was second for the decade behind his teammate Johnny Bench (#95).

Perez was dealt to Montreal following the 1976 season, and he continued his steady hitting with the Expos and later the Red Sox between 1977 and 1982.  In 1983, he was reunited with his Big Red Machine teammates Pete Rose (#120) and Joe Morgan (#35), as all three helped the Phillies reach the World Series.  He spent the final three seasons of his playing career back in Cincinnati, playing for player-manager Rose and serving mainly as a successful pinch-hitter.  Perez retired with a lifetime .279 average, 2,732 hits, 505 doubles, 379 home runs and 1,652 RBIs.

From the 1983 Phillies Yearbook

He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1998 and had his #24 retired by the team in 2000.  Perez was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.  He briefly managed in the majors with the Reds (1993) and Marlins (2001), and coached for the Reds between 1987 and 1992.  He served as a Special Assistant to the General Manager for the Marlins between 1993 and 2017.

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

Building the Set / Card #627

September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Niagara Sports Cards)

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.  My third stop was a smaller table with the impossible to pass up offer of 1969 Topps commons that were only $1, unless marked.  The binder was right at the end of the table, making it an even easier sell.  The prices on some of the cards were stunningly low, so I was even more surprised when the dealer, Niagara Sports Cards, gave me an even deeper discount upon tallying up my total.

I found 12 cards needed from Niagara Sports Cards, and this was the fifth of those 12, and the 68th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  The card was marked at $5, but I paid a little under $4 for it after the bulk dealer discount was applied.

The Card / Reds Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Perez's card uses a similar pose as seen on his 1968 Topps card, but the two photos were taken at two different ballparks.  His heroics in the 1967 All-Star Game and his team-leading triple and RBI totals are mentioned on the back of the card.

Accuracy Index:  Perez scores a +5.

1969 Season
Perez enjoyed his third straight All-Star season, and his third straight season as the everyday third baseman for the Reds.  In 160 games, he batted .294 with 37 home runs and 122 RBIs, finishing 10th in the league MVP voting.  He was among all league leaders in home runs (4th), RBIs (3rd), run (7th with 103), hits (6th with 185), doubles (7th with 31), and led the league with 32 errors committed.  Perez would abandon third base for good beginning with the 1972 season.

Phillies Career
Perez was released by the Red Sox on November 1, 1982, and signed with the Phillies on January 31, 1983.  Rose had been with the club since 1979, helping the team win its first World Championship in 1980, and Morgan had been acquired from the Giants in mid-December 1982.  With the three former teammates reunited, and an aging core of veterans starting for the Phillies, the 1983 squad was dubbed the Wheeze Kids, playing off the Whiz Kids nickname for the 1950 team.  Perez, now 41 years old, was with the Phillies for only the one season, appearing in 91 games and batting .241 with six home runs and 43 RBIs.

He was the club's opening day first baseman, with Rose moving temporarily to right field.  Perez started 63 games in total at first base, and also made two starts at first during the 1983 World Series against the Orioles.  Overall he batted .273 (3 for 11) in the postseason, as the Phillies fell in five games.  Coming full circle, he was sold to the Reds on December 6, 1983.

1965 Topps #581

1970 Topps #380

1976 Topps #325

1983 Topps Traded #85T

2002 Topps #303

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #581
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (25):  1965-86, 1993, 2002, 2010
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2025 Topps Heritage Undefeated #U-2
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  1,167 in the Beckett online database as of 2/4/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

National Baseball Hall of Fame
Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog / The Phillies Room

#294 Jim Lemon MG - Washington Senators / #296 Andy Messersmith - California Angels