#438 Gary Waslewski - St. Louis Cardinals

Gary Lee Waslewski
St. Louis Cardinals
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  190
Born:  July 21, 1941, Meriden, CT
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 1967-1968; St. Louis Cardinals 1969; Montreal Expos 1969-1970; New York Yankees 1970-1971; Oakland Athletics 1972

World Series Appearances:  Boston Red Sox 1967

Gary Waslewski made his big league debut on June 11, 1967, when his Red Sox team was in fourth place, five games behind the league leading White Sox.  He'd pitch in 11 more games for the Red Sox during the regular season, and when they improbably made the World Series, Waslewski found himself as the Game 6 starter, facing off against the Cardinals' Dick Hughes (#39).  The Red Sox would win that game (Waslewski got a no decision) but lose the decisive Game 7.  He'd serve as a swingman for the Red Sox in 1968 and was dealt to his 1967 World Series opponents, the Cardinals, in December 1968 for Dick Schofield (#18).  He'd be on the move again mid-way through the 1969 season, and he'd pitch his best stretch of baseball as a member of the expansion Expos.  Waslewski would appear in a career-high 42 games in 1969, and he'd pitch in 32 games in 1970 with the Expos and the Yankees.  A knee injury in 1971 cut short his career, and Waslewski would see his final major league action in eight games with the Athletics in 1972.  He attempted a few comebacks, last pitching for the Red Sox' Triple-A team in Pawtucket in 1974.

Waslewski pitched in 152 games over six seasons, going 11-26 with a 3.44 ERA over 410 1/3 innings pitched.  He was one of many former Red Sox players in attendance at the 50th anniversary celebration of the 1967 Red Sox team during the 2007 season.

Building the Set / Card #54
January 17, 2023 from Greg Morris Cards - Los Angeles, CA
On the evening of January 8th, I found myself sitting in Terminal C of the Philadelphia International Airport waiting to board my flight to Dallas.  Earlier that day, I had enjoyed watching our oldest son Doug at a winter track meet as he pole vaulted for his high school.  I was in a good mood despite the the fact that like most flights that day, my flight had been delayed.  This was for a work trip, and I was doing my best to stay positive and keep myself in the post-holiday happiness hangover that had lingered into the year's second week.  eBay seller Greg Morris Cards, based out of Los Angeles, somehow seems to post cards from various vintage baseball card set breaks on a weekly basis, with the cards typically all in fantastic condition.  With time to kill, knowing that bidding on baseball cards was a surefire good mood sustainer, and having only 40 cards so far for our 1969 Topps set, I pleasantly passed the time by bidding on 62 commons, all with no previous bidders, and all ending within the next 30 hours.

The next afternoon, while on a break at our work conference in the Hilton Anatole, I checked on the auctions, noting I had been outbid on a few, but was still the high bidder for most of the 62 cards.  That night, as auctions were close to ending, and as I was enjoying a few adult beverages at the fine Rodeo Goat establishment across the street from the Hilton, my Apple Watch began vibrating every few seconds as I was outbid on dozens of auctions.  When the dust had settled, I had won 24 new cards at an average price of about $2.50 per card.  This Waslewski card was $1.37, and arrived a week after I had made the return trip home from Dallas.

The Card / Cardinals Team Set / Accuracy Index -8

Everything about this card is odd.  It's cropped weird.  The photo is way too dark and it's looks as if it's a poor resolution copy of a long distance shot of Waslewski.  Despite his World Series start, Waslewski didn't receive a card in the 1968 Topps set and this is his rookie card.  He's clearly wearing a Red Sox uniform here.  The back of the card highlights his World Series appearances and his acquisition over the winter by the Cardinals.

Accuracy Index:  Waslewski only loses eight points, as I didn't come up for a point deduction for "weird looking card."  He drops five for the Red Sox uniform and three for the blacked out hat.

1969 Season
Waslewski started the season in the Cardinals' bullpen and was used sparingly in the first few months, making it into just 12 games and pitching 20 2/3 innings between opening day and June 2nd.  On June 3rd, he was traded to the Expos for Mudcat Grant (#306) and he'd be one of the best pitchers for the expansion team.  Waslewski appeared in 30 games overall, making 14 starts.  He was 3-7 with a 3.29 ERA, including three complete games and a shutout on July 6th against the Phillies.

1970 Topps #607

1971 Topps #277

1972 Topps #108

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #438
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1969-1972
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1972 Topps #108
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  15 in the Beckett online database as of 2/4/23.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#437 Luis Alcaraz - Kansas City Royals / #439 White Sox Rookie Stars