Thursday, February 29, 2024

#232 Dave Ricketts - St. Louis Cardinals


David William Ricketts
St. Louis Cardinals
Catcher

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  190
Born:  July 12, 1935, Pottstown, PA
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent before 1957 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1963, 1965, 1967-1969; Pittsburgh Pirates 1970
World Series Appearances:  St. Louis Cardinals 1967-1968
Died:  July 13, 2008, St. Louis, MO (age 73)

Dave Ricketts was a back-up catcher for six seasons in the majors, mostly with the Cardinals.  He appeared a career-high 57 games for the pennant-winning Cardinals in 1967, making 16 starts.  Ricketts made three pinch-hitting appearances in the World Series, won by the Cardinals over the Red Sox in seven games.  He appeared in only 20 games for the Cardinals in 1968, but still served a valuable role as batting practice pitcher and bullpen catcher.  Ricketts was a lifetime .249 hitter with one home run, hit off Pirates reliever Dennis Ribant (#463) on September 4, 1967.  Following his playing days, Ricketts served as a long-time coach for the Pirates (1970-1973) and Cardinals (1974-1975, 1978-1991).  He'd win a second World Series ring with the Cardinals in 1982 as a member of their coaching staff.

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

Building the Set / 
Card #230
March 12, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
In mid-March, 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 153rd 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 / Cardinals Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
The photos used for this card and Ricketts' 1968 Topps cards seem to come from the same session.  That's a long write-up on the back for a reserve catcher, and Topps does a nice job highlighting the stronger aspects of Ricketts' game.  Tim McCarver (#475) is mentioned as the team's regular All-Star catcher.

Accuracy Index:  Ricketts' card scores a +5 for the accurate Cardinals uniform.

1969 Season
Ricketts batted .273 in 30 games with the Cardinals, making seven starts behind the plate and was third on the team's catching depth chart behind McCarver and Joe Torre (#460), who mainly played at first base.  As a pinch-hitter, Ricketts batted .278 (5 for 18) with a double and three walks.  On October 21st, he was traded with Dave Giusti (#98) to the Pirates for minor leaguer Frank Vanzin and Carl Taylor (#357).

1965 Topps #581
1967 Topps #589
1968 Topps #46
1970 Topps #626
1973 Topps #517

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #581
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1965, 1967-1970, 1973
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1990 Topps TV St. Louis Cardinals #4
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  34 in the Beckett online database as of 2/9/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

#230 Rusty Staub - Montreal Expos


Daniel Joseph Staub
Montreal Expos
First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  190
Born:  April 1, 1944, New Orleans, LA
Signed:  Signed by the Houston Colt .45s as an amateur free agent, September 11, 1961
Major League Teams:  Houson Colt .45s 1963-1964; Houston Astros 1965-1968; Montreal Expos 1969-1971; New York Mets 1972-1975; Detroit Tigers 1976-1979; Montreal Expos 1979; Texas Rangers 1980; New York Mets 1981-1985
World Series Appearances:  New York Mets 1973
Died:  March 29, 2018, West Palm Beach, FL (age 73)

A professional hitter, Rusty Staub played parts of 23 seasons in the major leagues, making six All-Star teams and collecting 2,716 hits.  Staub holds the distinction of being one of the first stars of two different franchises - the Colt .45s/Astros and Expos.  He made his first two All-Star Games in 1967 and 1968 with the Astros, and led the league in 1967 with 44 doubles.  Dealt to the expansion Expos before their inaugural 1969 season, Staub was about to embark on the best three years of his career.  He belted a career-high 30 home runs in 1970, and he batted .296 in his three-year stint in Montreal, earning the affectionate nickname "Le Grand Orange."  He was the centerpiece of a big trade with the Mets right before the start of the 1972 season, and in total he'd spend nine seasons in New York, in two different stints.

Staub collected over 100 RBIs in three different seasons - 1975 with the Mets, and then 1977 and 1978 with the Tigers - driving home a career-high 121 runs in 1978 as Detroit's full-time designated hitter.  He spent the last several seasons of his career back with the Mets in mainly a pinch-hitting role.  Staub played in 2,951 games, owned a .279 career batting average and his hit tally is currently 65th on the all-time list.  He retired as the only player in major league history to collect at least 500 hits with four different teams. Staub was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1986, and he became the first Expos player to have his number retired (#10) in 1993.

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

Building the Set / Card #229
March 12, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
In mid-March, 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 152nd 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 surprisingly only costing me a little over $2.

The Card / Expos Team Set / Accuracy Index -8
Staub is wearing a road Astros jersey here, seen more clearly in his Deckle Edge insert card.  This photo and the photos used for his 1967 and 1968 Topps cards were likely taken at the same time.  The back of the card summarizes a few career highlights and notes his trade to the Expos in January.  On his 1966 line of statistics, Houston is misspelled.

Accuracy Index:  The Astros jersey (-5) and logo less helmet (-3) score Staub's card a -8.
Inserts:  Staub is included in the 35 card Topps Deckle Edge insert set and is one of 48 decals in the Topps Decals insert set.  He's one of 27 players to appear in both insert sets.


1969 Season
On January 22nd, Staub was traded to the Expos for Jesus Alou (#22) and Donn Clendenon (#208), giving the new Montreal franchise their first superstar and one of the most popular players in the early years of the team.  Staub was the opening day right fielder for the Expos, ultimately starting 154 out of 162 games at the position.  He was the team MVP, batting .302 with a team-leading 29 home runs and 79 RBIs.  He didn't get into the game, but Staub was the Expos first All-Star Game representative, and he'd return as the only Expos player for the 1970 and 1971 games.

1963 Topps #544
1970 Topps #585
1975 Topps #90
1978 Topps #370
1986 Topps #570

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #544
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (22):  1963-1971, 1974-1986
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2012 Panini Golden Age #90
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  276 in the Beckett online database as of 2/6/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

#229 Don Lock - Philadelphia Phillies


Don Wilson Lock
Philadelphia Phillies
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  195
Born:  July 27, 1936, Wichita, KS
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1958 season
Major League Teams:  Washington Senators 1962-1966; Philadelphia Phillies 1967-1969; Boston Red Sox 1969
Died:  October 8, 2017, Wichita, KS (age 81)

Don Lock enjoyed a few seasons as one of the Senators' top sluggers in the early 1960s, and played in eight big league seasons overall.  In 1963, Lock was the opening day center fielder for a Senators team that would go on to lose 106 games.  Lock batted .252 while leading the club in both home runs, with 27, and RBIs, with 82.  He improved upon those numbers in 1964, winning the team's triple crown with a .274 average and 28 home runs with 80 RBIs.  Lock then fell into a slump in 1965 and he'd never again enjoy the regular production he had in the prior two seasons.  Following the 1966 season, the Senators traded him to the Phillies and he'd share center field duties with John Briggs (#73) and Tony Gonzalez (#501) in 1967.  He was relegated to back-up duty in 1968 and then dealt to Boston in May 1969.

1967 Dexter Press Phillies
Lock would appear in 53 games for the Red Sox in 1969, and retire following a year playing exclusively with their minor league team in Louisville in 1970.  He was a solid defender when playing regularly, and Lock finished in the top three for assists by a center fielder in five different seasons.  Overall, he batted .238 with 122 home runs and 373 RBIs in 921 big league games.

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

Building the Set / Card #228
March 12, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
In mid-March, 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 151st 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 / Phillies Team Set / Accuracy Index -8
Lock is hatless and wearing a Senators uniform here, despite having joined the Phillies in 1967.  His 1959 and 1960 minor league home run totals are celebrated in the cartoon on the back.  Topps highlights his fielding skills, and Lock finished in the top five among center fielders in fielding percentage four years in a  row between 1963 and 1966.  He led all American League outfielders in putouts with 377 and in double plays turned with six in 1963.

Accuracy Index:  Lock's bare dome costs him points (-3) as does the Senators jersey (-5).

1969 Season
As mentioned above and below, Lock started his final season in the majors with the Phillies and ended it with the Red Sox.  He appeared in only four games with the Phillies, going 0 for 4.  His first game with the Red Sox was on May 11th, and he'd play in 53 games for Boston, batting .224 (13 for 58) with a home run and a pair of RBIs.

Phillies Career
On November 30, 1966, the Phillies acquired Lock from the Senators for pitcher Darold Knowles and cash.  Acquired mainly for his defense, he'd platoon with the left-handed hitting Gonzalez and Briggs in center field throughout the season, appearing in 112 games overall and batting .252.  His 14 home runs were tied for second on the club with Johnny Callison (#133), and Dick Allen (#350) led the team with 23 home runs.  Lock was a true back-up in 1968, appearing in 99 games but making only 58 starts.  He'd hit just .210 and fell out of the Phillies plans in 1969 with the arrival of Larry Hisle (#206).  Lock played four games for the Phillies in early 1969 before a trade sent him to the Red Sox on May 5th for Bill Schlesinger.  In 215 games with the Phillies, Lock batted .232 with 22 home runs and 85 RBIs.  He appeared in three Topps sets with the Phillies, with none of those cards featuring him actually wearing a Phillies uniform.

1963 Topps #47
1964 Topps #114
1965 Topps #445
1966 Topps #165
1968 Topps #59

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #47
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1963-1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #34
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  37 in the Beckett online database as of 2/6/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Monday, February 26, 2024

#228 Dave Leonhard - Baltimore Orioles


David Paul Leonhard
Baltimore Orioles

Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  165
Born:  January 22, 1941, Arlington, VA
Signed:  Signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent before 1963 season
Major League Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 1967-1972
World Series Appearances:  Baltimore Orioles 1969, 1971

Dave Leonhard spent his entire major league career with the Orioles and was a member of their bullpen when the team won three straight American League pennants between 1969 and 1971.  Leonhard won International League Pitcher of the Year honors in 1967, prompting his September call-up and big league debut on September 21st.  He had gone 15-3 with a 2.61 ERA in 176 innings pitched for the Rochester Red Wings.  Starting more games than relieving in 1968, manager Earl Weaver (#516) moved him to the bullpen full time in 1969 and Leonhard put together his best season in the majors.  He was 7-4 with a 2.49 ERA over 94 innings pitched that year and he pitched an inning in the World Series ultimately lost to the Mets.  The Orioles won the World Series in 1970, and while Leonhard was on the roster at time time, he didn't pitch in any games against the Reds.

His appearances with the Orioles decreased in 1971 and 1972, and in June 1973 Leonhard was dealt to the Angels in exchange for Jim Hutto.  He'd pitch in the minor league systems of the Angels, Cubs and Expos before retiring in 1976.  For his major league career, Leonhard was 16-14 with a 3.15 ERA in 117 games pitched.

Building the Set / 
Card #227
March 12, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
In mid-March, 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 milestone 150th 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 / Orioles Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
That's likely a number four peaking through on the back of Leonhard's jersey, and he wore #24 during his brief call-up in 1967.  The cartoon on the back highlights his league leading 209 strikeouts while a member of the Double-A Elmira Pioneers in 1965.  Born in Arlington, Virginia, but calling Baltimore his home, the write-up mentions Leonhard's proximity to Memorial Stadium while growing up.

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

1969 Season
As mentioned above, this was Leonhard's best season.  Weaver's most frequently used relievers were closer Eddie Watt (#652), lefty Pete Richert (#86), and righties Leonhard and Dick Hall.  Leonhard pitched an inning in a losing effort in Game 3 of the World Series, as the Orioles fell to the Mets.  With the Mets ahead 4-0 in the eighth inning, Leonhard surrendered a solo home run to Ed Kranepool (#381) to give the Mets a 5-0 lead, and ultimately the victory.

1968 Topps #56
1970 Topps #674
1971 Topps #716
1972 Topps #527

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1968 Topps #56
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1968-1972
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1972 Topps #527
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  27 in the Beckett online database as of 2/6/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Saturday, February 24, 2024

#227 Frank Johnson - San Francisco Giants


Frank Herbert Johnson
San Francisco Giants
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  155
Born:  July 22, 1942, El Paso, TX
Signed:  Signed by the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent before 1961 season
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1966-1971

Between 1961 and 1971, Frank Johnson was an outfielder in the Giants' organization and his only full season in the major leagues came in 1968.  Johnson was used sparingly by the Giants in 1966 and 1967, appearing in a total of 23 games as a September call-up both seasons.  He made the Giants' opening day roster in 1968, and made starts at third base, shortstop, center field and left field.  Johnson spent most of 1969 back in the minor leagues and enjoyed his best professional season in 1970.  With the Phoenix Giants, he started that season by batting .353 in 29 games before earning a promotion in mid-May.  Johnson batted .273 in 67 games, setting career highs with 44 hits and 31 RBIs.

He'd leave the Giants following the 1971 season, playing a year in Japan with the Lotte Orions.  Johnson spent the next three seasons playing in the minor league systems of the Padres and back with the Giants before retiring in 1975.  In 196 big league games, Johnson batted .211 with four home runs and 43 RBIs.

1971 Topps #128
Building the Set / 
Card #226
March 12, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
In mid-March, 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 149th 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 / Giants Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
This is Johnson's rookie card, and he'd only appear once more in a Topps set, in 1971.  According to Baseball Reference, Johnson wore #20 during the 1968 and 1969 seasons, so this photo could be fairly recent compared to other photos so far in the set.  There's an uncorrected error on the back of the card within the cartoon, as it refers to Johnson having played three infield positions with the Cubs (and not the Giants).

Accuracy Index:  Johnson's card receives a +5.

1969 Season
It looks as if Johnson again made the Giants' opening day roster, but he played in just seven games through early May before being sent back down to the minors.  He batted .100 (1 for 10) in those seven games.  With the Phoenix Giants, Johnson played in 111 games, batting .255 while seeing playing time in the outfield, at first base and at third base.

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #227
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1969, 1971
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2020 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs (High Number) #ROA-FJO
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  10 in the Beckett online database as of 2/4/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Thursday, February 22, 2024

#226 Bruce Howard - Washington Senators


Bruce Ernest Howard
Washington Senators

Pitcher

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  180
Born:  March 23, 1943, Salisbury, MD
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent before 1962 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago White Sox 1963-1967; Baltimore Orioles 1968; Washington Senators 1968

After attending Villanova University, Bruce Howard pitched for six seasons in the majors, primarily with the White Sox.  A reliable starter for the White Sox, Howard had his best two seasons when he went 9-8 with a 3.47 ERA in 1965, followed by 9-5 with a 2.30 ERA in 1966.  In 120 career games, he compiled a record of 26-31 with a 3.18  ERA.  His son David Howard was an infielder with the Royals and Cardinals between 1991 and 1999.

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

Building the Set / Card #225
March 12, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
In mid-March, 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 148th 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 / Senators Team Set / Accuracy Index -10
Howard is wearing a road White Sox jersey in this photo, likely taken at the same time as the photo used for his 1968 Topps card.  He had pitched in a total of 23 big league games in 1968 - 10 with the Orioles and 13 with the Senators.  Unfortunately, Topps' prediction the Senators were looking to Howard "for lots of work in '69" didn't come to pass.

Accuracy Index:  Howard didn't play at all with the Senators in 1969 (-2), and he's wearing a White Sox jersey (-5) and hat with the logo blacked out (-3).

1969 Season
Howard played in his final major league game on September 7, 1968, with the Senators, so the statistics on the back of this card represent his total big league output.  In 1969, he pitched in nine games for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, going 1-2 with a 3.18 ERA.

1964 Topps #107
1965 Topps #41
1966 Topps #281
1967 Topps #159
1968 Topps #293

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #107
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1964-1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #226
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  19 in the Beckett online database as of 2/4/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia