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Richard Joseph Farrell
Philadelphia Phillies
Pitcher
Born: April 8, 1934, Boston, MA
Signed: Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent before 1953 season
Major League Teams: Philadelphia Phillies 1956-1961; Los Angeles Dodgers 1961; Houston Colt .45s 1962-1964; Houston Astros 1965-1967; Philadelphia Phillies 1967-1969
Died: June 10, 1977, Great Yarmouth, United Kingdom (age 43)
His SABR biography refers to Dick "Turk" Farrell as a "fierce competitor; prankster; beloved teammate" in quick succession and later uses the adjective "fun-loving" to sum him up. In 14 Major League seasons, mostly with the Phillies and the Colt .45s/Astros, Farrell was a five-time All-Star and found success as both a starter and a relief pitcher. As a rookie closer with the Phillies in 1957, he went 10-2 with a 2.38 ERA and a team-leading 10 saves. He was one of the team's most reliable relievers between 1957 and 1960 before hitting a mid-career slump in 1961. He was swapped to the Dodgers that season on May 4th, with the Dodgers hoping he'd be a suitable replacement for their injured closer Ed Roebuck. He wasn't, and after a tough season in Los Angeles, Farrell was left unprotected in the expansion draft and selected by the Colt .45s.
He rebounded in Houston, where he'd be one of the franchise's first star players. Now a starting pitcher, he lost 20 games for the expansion team in 1962, but provided an anchor to an otherwise undependable rotation. In 1965, he surrendered the first home run in the Astrodome when Mickey Mantle (#500) connected off him in an exhibition game. In 1967, Farrell reunited with his original team when the Phillies purchased him from the Astros. He served as one of the team's top relievers for three seasons before his release in November 1969. Farrell attempted comebacks within the Braves' and Cardinals' organizations but 1969 was to be his last season in the majors.
While working in England as a safety supervisor on offshore oil rigs, Farrell was tragically killed in an auto accident in 1977.
His SABR biography refers to Dick "Turk" Farrell as a "fierce competitor; prankster; beloved teammate" in quick succession and later uses the adjective "fun-loving" to sum him up. In 14 Major League seasons, mostly with the Phillies and the Colt .45s/Astros, Farrell was a five-time All-Star and found success as both a starter and a relief pitcher. As a rookie closer with the Phillies in 1957, he went 10-2 with a 2.38 ERA and a team-leading 10 saves. He was one of the team's most reliable relievers between 1957 and 1960 before hitting a mid-career slump in 1961. He was swapped to the Dodgers that season on May 4th, with the Dodgers hoping he'd be a suitable replacement for their injured closer Ed Roebuck. He wasn't, and after a tough season in Los Angeles, Farrell was left unprotected in the expansion draft and selected by the Colt .45s.
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| 1950-1969 Phillies Postcards |
While working in England as a safety supervisor on offshore oil rigs, Farrell was tragically killed in an auto accident in 1977.
Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.
The Card / Phillies Team Set / Accuracy Index -8
1969 Season
Farrell had an average season for the Phillies, relieving in 46 games and going 3-4 with a 4.00 ERA and three saves. He pitched 74 1/3 innings, allowing 92 hits and 27 walks, and was released on November 4th. Farrell signed with the Braves on April 20, 1970, but was released a little over two weeks later on May 6, 1970.
Phillies Career
Farrell, along with fellow relievers Jim Owens and Jack Meyer, were members of a partying group of players dubbed the Dalton Gang, as they were known during their time with the Phillies to enjoy the post-game nightlife. He first left the organization on May 4, 1961, traded to the Dodgers with Joe Koppe for Don Demeter and Charley Smith (#538). After a successful stint with the Astros as a starter, he returned to the Phillies in 1967. Over nine seasons with the Phillies, Farrell appeared in 359 games, making only 2 starts, and going 47-41 with a 3.25 ERA. He accumulated 65 saves with the Phillies, which puts him 10th all-time among the franchise's save leaders. Possessing an above-average fastball, Farrell struck out 403 batters in 600 2/3 innings pitched with the club.
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1958 Topps #76
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12): 1958-1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1978 TCMA The 1960s I #256
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 83 in the Beckett online database as of 2/8/23.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR
Building the Set / Card #59
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.
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 Farrell card was a little under $4, and arrived a week after I had made the return trip home from Dallas.
The Card / Phillies Team Set / Accuracy Index -8
After being Turk on his flagship cards issued between 1965 and 1968, Farrell was back to being Dick in 1969, his final Topps set appearance. The uniform here is a bit of a mystery, and my best guess is Farrell is wearing a road Astros jersey. It's strange Topps didn't go way back into its archives and use a photo of Farrell in a Phillies uniform from the early 1960s. Or, they could have recycled the photo used for his 1968 Topps card, which is more flattering than this photo.
The back of the card celebrates Farrell's 100th big league win, which came on May 3, 1968 against the Pirates. And maybe he was credited with additional saves after the fact, but Farrell's Baseball Reference page shows him with 12 saves in 1968, not 10 as mentioned on the back of this card.
Accuracy Index: It's the fairly standard -8 for Farrell, given he's hatless (-3) and wearing what's probably an Astros jersey (-5).
1969 Season
Farrell had an average season for the Phillies, relieving in 46 games and going 3-4 with a 4.00 ERA and three saves. He pitched 74 1/3 innings, allowing 92 hits and 27 walks, and was released on November 4th. Farrell signed with the Braves on April 20, 1970, but was released a little over two weeks later on May 6, 1970.
Farrell, along with fellow relievers Jim Owens and Jack Meyer, were members of a partying group of players dubbed the Dalton Gang, as they were known during their time with the Phillies to enjoy the post-game nightlife. He first left the organization on May 4, 1961, traded to the Dodgers with Joe Koppe for Don Demeter and Charley Smith (#538). After a successful stint with the Astros as a starter, he returned to the Phillies in 1967. Over nine seasons with the Phillies, Farrell appeared in 359 games, making only 2 starts, and going 47-41 with a 3.25 ERA. He accumulated 65 saves with the Phillies, which puts him 10th all-time among the franchise's save leaders. Possessing an above-average fastball, Farrell struck out 403 batters in 600 2/3 innings pitched with the club.
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First Mainstream Card: 1958 Topps #76
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12): 1958-1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1978 TCMA The 1960s I #256
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 83 in the Beckett online database as of 2/8/23.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR
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