#376 Royals Rookie Stars - Mike Fiore / Jim Rooker

Michael Gary Joseph Fiore
Kansas City Royals
First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  175
Born:  October 11, 1944, Brooklyn, NY

Signed:  Signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent before 1963 season
Major League Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 1968; Kansas City Royals 1969-70; Boston Red Sox 1970-71; St. Louis Cardinals 1972; San Diego Padres 1972

James Phillip Rooker
Kansas City Royals
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  195
Born:  September 23, 1942, Lakeview, OR

Signed:  Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent, June 21, 1960
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1968; Kansas City Royals 1969-72; Pittsburgh Pirates 1973-80

World Series Appearances: Pittsburgh Pirates 1979

An original member of the Kansas City Royals, Mike Fiore appeared in a career-high 107 games for the expansion club, and is in the team's record books for hitting the first home run in team history.  Fiore had been a September call-up by the Orioles in 1968 before being left unprotected in the 1968 expansion draft.  He was with the Royals for a little over a season before a trade in late May 1970 sent him to the Red Sox.  Fiore would spend the bulk of the next three seasons as a left-handed bat off the bench, and was a career .222 (18 for 81) pinch-hitter.  His last appearance in the majors came in 1972, but he was a fixture in the International League for five more seasons, suiting up for the Triple-A teams of the Braves, Yankees, Orioles and Pirates.  Fiore batted .227 in the majors with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs.

Jim Rooker was a veteran of 13 big league seasons, having his most success over eight years with the Pirates.  With the expansion Royals, Rooker served as a swingman for four seasons, making 68 starts and 104 appearances overall.  He was a 10-game winner in 1970 to lead the club.  Following the 1972 season, Rooker was dealt to the Pirates in exchange for reliever Gene Garber.  He continued to work out of the bullpen in 1973, but he joined the starting pitching rotation in 1974, winning 15 games and throwing a career-high 15 complete games.  Rooker was a veteran on the team's staff during their World Championship year in 1979, going 4-7 with a 4.60 ERA in 19 appearances.  He started Games 1 and 5 against the Orioles, allowing just one earned run in 8 2/3 innings pitched and earning the win in Game 5.

Rooker retired in 1980, and joined the Pirates broadcast booth, where he worked until 1993.  For his career, Rooker was 103-109 with a 3.46 ERA in 319 games pitched.  He recorded 976 strikeouts in 1,810 1/3 innings pitched.

Building the Set / Card #350
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 58th of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost me less than $1.

The Card / Royals Team Set / Fiore Accuracy Index -8 / Rooker Accuracy Index -8
This is the rookie card for both Fiore and Rooker.  The  back of the card contains an uncorrected error, as Rooker is not a right-hander.

Accuracy Index:  Fiore's side of the card scores a -8, since he's wearing what I'm assuming to be an Orioles uniform (-5) and his hat is blacked out (-3).  It's the same score for Rooker, as he would appear to be in a Tigers uniform.

1969 Season - Fiore
Fiore was with the Royals all season, making 88 starts at first base, five starts in center field and a single start in left field.  He started more games at first than any other Royals teammate, earning playing time over opening day first baseman Chuck Harrison (#116).  His historic home run came in the Royals' fifth game, on April 13th, off the Athletics' Blue Moon Odom (#195).  Fiore was one of the club's top position players, batting .274 and reaching career highs in every major offensive category, including runs (53), hits (93), doubles (14), home runs (12) and RBIs (35).  Only Ed Kirkpatrick (#529) and Bob Oliver (#662) had more home runs than Fiore, with 14 and 13, respectively.

1969 Season - Rooker
Save for four games in the minors, Rooker was with the expansion Royals for the entire season.  In 28 games, including 22 starts, he was 4-16 with a 3.75 ERA, throwing eight complete games, including one shutout.  Rooker led the Royals' pitching staff in losses, with four other pitchers losing at least 10 games.

Phillies Connection - Rooker
On June 8, 1989, Rooker was in the broadcast booth for the Pirates when they went up 10-0 in the first inning in a game at Veterans Stadium.  He made the comment that "If we don't win this one . . . I'll walk back to Pittsburgh."  The Phillies came from behind to win the game, 15-11, and Rooker would make good on his promise following the season.  He walked the 300-mile-plus route from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, while raising money for charity.

1970 Topps #709

1971 Topps #287

1972 Topps #199

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Fiore
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #376
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1969-72
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA Columbus Clippers #0083
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  19 in the Beckett online database as of 8/26/24.

Sources - Fiore:  

Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Rooker
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #376
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1969-72, 1974-80
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1981 Fleer #368
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  35 in the Beckett online database as of 8/31/24.

Sources - Rooker:  

Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

1970 Topps #222

1974 Topps #402

1975 Topps #148

1979 Topps #584

1980 Topps #694

#375 Harmon Killebrew - Minnesota Twins / #377 Gary Bell - Seattle Pilots

#374 Bob Tillman - Atlanta Braves

John Robert Tillman
Atlanta Braves
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  205
Born:  March 24, 1937, Nashville, TN
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent, January 18, 1958
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 1962-67; New York Yankees 1967; Atlanta Braves 1968-70

Died:  June 23, 2000, Gallatin, TN (age 63)

For all but two of his nine big league seasons, Bob Tillman served as a back-up catcher for the Red Sox, Yankees and Braves.  His best season came in 1964 when he earned an opportunity to serve as the Red Sox regular catcher, and he delivered with a .278 batting average, 17 home runs and 61 RBIs.  He was the Red Sox opening day catcher again in 1965, but offensive struggles caused manager Billy Herman to give more starts to either Mike Ryan (#28) or Russ Nixon (#363).  Tillman was briefly a member of the Impossible Dream Red Sox team in 1967, as he appeared in 30 games for the club but was sold to the Yankees on August 8th.  Following the 1967 season, Tillman was dealt to the Braves with Dave Roberts (#536) for Bobby Cox (#237).  He'd play his final three seasons in the majors with Atlanta.  Tillman was dealt to the Brewers in December 1970, but the club released him the following February and his big league career was over.  In 775 big league games, Tillman batted .232 with 79 home runs and 282 RBIs.

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

Building the Set / Card #349
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 57th of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost me less than $1.

The Card / Braves Team Set / Accuracy Index -12

Tillman looks absolutely thrilled to have his photo taken here, and collectors would have already seen his beaming image on his 1968 Topps card.  Topps was completely off with its prediction on the back of the card for Tillman's 1969 season.  Joe Torre (#460) was dealt to the Cardinals on March 17th in exchange for Orlando Cepeda (#385).  And Tillman didn't play one inning at first base during his entire major league career.  He had one pinch-hit appearance during the season.

Accuracy Index:  Tillman's card scores a -12.  We've seen the photo before (-4), he's hatless (-3) and wearing a Red Sox away jersey (-5).

1969 Season
In his penultimate season, Tillman served as back-up to Braves' regular catcher Bob Didier (#611), starting 52 games, including opening day and the final game of the season.  He batted .195 in 69 games, with 12 home runs and 29 RBIs.  He saw his only postseason action in the 1969 NLCS against the victorious Mets,   replacing Didier behind the plate to catch the bottom of the eighth of Game 3.

1962 Topps #368

1964 Topps #112

1967 Topps #36

1968 Topps #174

1971 Topps #244

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1962 Topps #368
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1962-71
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #172
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  45 in the Beckett online database as of 8/18/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#373 Fred Lasher - Detroit Tigers / #375 Harmon Killebrew - Minnesota Twins

#373 Fred Lasher - Detroit Tigers

Frederick Walter Lasher
Detroit Tigers
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  190
Born:  August 19, 1941, Poughkeepsie, NY
Signed:  Signed by the Washington Senators as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams:  Minnesota Twins 1963; Detroit Tigers 1967-70; Cleveland Indians 1970; California Angels 1971

World Series Appearances:  Detroit Tigers 1968
Died:  February 27, 2022, Altoona, WI (age 80)

Fred Lasher pitched in six big league seasons and was a key member of the Tigers' bullpen during the team's World Championship season of 1968.  Lasher was drafted by the Senators and made his big league debut with the Twins in April 1963.  He'd pitch well in 11 games with the Twins, but it would take three more years in the minors and a trade to the Tigers for him to return to the majors.  In 1968, Lasher was 5-1 with five saves for the Tigers with a 3.33 ERA in 34 relief appearances.  He also threw two scoreless innings in Game 4 of the World Series against the Cardinals.  Lasher continued working out of the Tigers' bullpen until May 1970 when he was dealt to the Indians.  He'd appear in two games for the Angels in 1971 before returning to the minors, where he ended his professional career with the pennant-winning Salt Lake City Angels.

Lasher was 11-13 lifetime with 22 saves.  He had a 3.88 ERA in 151 games, and made just one career start.

Building the Set / Card #348
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 56th of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost me less than $1.

The Card / Tigers Team Set / Accuracy Index -8

Lasher's rookie card can be found in the 1968 Topps set, and he's wearing the same pinstriped jersey on that card as he's wearing here.  The photos are likely from 1963, Lasher's only season with the Twins.  Topps gives him high praise on the back, calling Lasher the Tigers' top reliever in 1968.  I think Pat Dobson (#231) or John Hiller (#642) have better claims to that title, as Dobson had a 2.66 ERA in 125 innings pitched with seven saves, and Hiller had a 2.39 ERA in 128 innings pitched.  Even Daryl Patterson (#101) may have been statistically better, with a 2.12 ERA in 68 innings.

Accuracy Index:  It's another hatless photo (-3) of a player wearing an old team's uniform (-5).

1969 Season
Working in 32 games in relief for the Tigers, Lasher was 2-1 with a 3.07 ERA in 44 innings pitched.  It was a frustrating year for Lasher, as he was usually the last pitcher out of manager Mayo Smith's (#40) bullpen, despite his success the previous year.

1968 Topps #447

1970 Topps #356

1971 Topps #707

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1968 Topps #447
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1968-71
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2020 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-FL
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  18 in the Beckett online database as of 8/18/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#372 Adolfo Phillips - Chicago Cubs / #374 Bob Tillman - Atlanta Braves

#372 Adolfo Phillips - Chicago Cubs

Adolfo Emilio Phillips
Chicago Cubs
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  175
Born:  December 16, 1941, Bethania, Panama
Signed:  Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent, September 21, 1960
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 1964-66; Chicago Cubs 1966-69; Montreal Expos 1969-70; Cleveland Indians 1972

Adolfo Phillips played in eight big league seasons, and was the everyday center fielder for the Cubs between 1966 and 1968.  Phillips debuted with the Phillies in 1964 as a September call-up, witnessing first hand the team's epic collapse down the stretch drive.  He was a back-up outfielder for the Phillies in 1965 before a trade sent in to Chicago at the start of the 1966 season.  Phillips would assume regular center field duties for the Cubs, and had his best season in 1967.  In 144 games that year, he batted .268 with career highs in home runs (17) and RBIs (70), while leading the league with 29 intentional walks.  The high amount of free walks set a record at the time, and was due to Phillips staying in the eight-hole all season in manager Leo Durocher's (#147) line-up.

A broken hand at the start of the 1969 season cost him playing time and may have eventually led to his trade to the Expos that June.  Phillips finished his big league career with two seasons in Montreal and a comeback attempt with the Indians in 1972.  He'd continue to play professionally through the 1979 season, spending four full seasons playing in Mexico.  Phillips batted .247 in 649 major league games, with 463 hits, 59 home runs and 173 RBIs.

Building the Set / Card #347
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 55th of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost me less than $1.

The Card / Cubs Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Collectors hadn't seen this photo of Phillips before, although the pose is similar to his pose on his 1968 Topps card.  The write-up on the back somehow combines his league-leading 46 stolen bases in 1962, and his 14 outfield assists in 1966.  The cartoon highlights the three home runs Phillips hit against the Mets on June 11, 1967.  His victims were former teammate Jack Lamabe, Chuck Estrada and Don Shaw (#183).

Accuracy Index:  Phillips' card scores a solid +5.

1969 Season
Phillips appeared in 28 games for the Cubs, and the start of his season was delayed after a pitch from the Reds' Pedro Borbon broke his hand in a spring training game on March 11th.  Getting little playing time, the Cubs traded the popular Phillips to the Expos with Lamabe for Paul Popovich (#47), on July 11th.  Reunited with his former manager Gene Mauch (#606), Phillips made 48 starts in center field but a prolonged slump cost him playing time as the season progressed.  Overall, he batted .218 for the year with four home runs and eight RBIs.

Phillies Career
Phillips made his debut with the Phillies in September 1964, and returned to the minors at the start of the 1965 season with no room for him in the Phillies outfield that consisted of Johnny Callison (#133), Tony Gonzalez (#501) and John Briggs (#73).  He was called up in mid-July, batting .230 in 41 games for the Phillies through the remainder of the season.  In 1966, Phillips was the club's opening day center fielder, leading off and going 0 for 3.  He'd never start another game for the Phillies, and his last appearance with the club came on April 15th as a pinch-runner.  On April 21, 1966, in one of the worst deals in Phillies' history, Phillips was traded to the Cubs with John Herrnstein and Fergie Jenkins (#640), for Bob Buhl and Larry Jackson.  In 56 games with the Phillies, Phillips batted .223 with three home runs and five RBIs.

1966 Topps #32

1967 Topps #148

1968 Topps #202

1970 Topps #666

1971 Topps #418

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1966 Topps #32
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1966-71
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1971 Topps #418
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  33 in the Beckett online database as of 8/18/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
The Phillies Room

#371 San Bando - Oakland Athletics / #373 Fred Lasher - Detroit Tigers

#371 Sal Bando - Oakland Athletics

Salvatore Leonard Bando
Oakland Athletics
Third Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  195
Born:  February 13, 1944, Cleveland, OH

Drafted:  Drafted by the Kansas City Athletics in the 6th round of the 1965 amateur draft, June 8, 1965
Major League Teams:  Kansas City Athletics 1966-67; Oakland Athletics 1968-76; Milwaukee Brewers 1977-81

World Series Appearances:  Oakland Athletics 1972-74
Died:  January 20, 2023, Oconomowoc, WI (age 78)

Sal Bando played 16 years in the majors, and was the team captain for an Athletics dynasty that won three straight World Series titles between 1972 and 1974.  Bando was a four-time All-Star with the Athletics, and one of the best third baseman in the American League in the 1970s, often overshadowed by the Orioles' Brooks Robinson (#550).  His career year came in 1969 when he batted .281 with 31 home run and 113 RBIs, both power figures being career bests.  Bando hit at least 20 home runs in six different seasons and drove in at least 100 runs twice.  He was runner-up for the American League MVP award in 1972, finishing behind teammate Vida Blue, and he led the league in doubles with 32 in 1973.  Bando departed Oakland following the 1976 season and spent five more years as the Brewers' third baseman and designated hitter before retiring in 1981.  He batted .254 for his career, with 1,790 hits, 289 doubles, 242 home runs and 1,039 RBIs.  Bando held the Athletics' franchise record for home runs (192) and RBIs (789) until being passed by Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire, respectively.

Bando's second act was as a successful front office executive.  He joined the Brewers' front office and was named the club's general manager in 1991, holding that position until 1999.  Bando is a member of both the Oakland Athletics Hall of Fame and the Milwaukee Brewers Wall of Honor.

Building the Set / Card #346
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 54th of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost me a little over $1.

The Card / Athletics Team Set / Accuracy Index +2

The photo used for Bando's 1968 Topps card is just slightly different from the photo used here, with Bando removing his Kansas City hat for both.  He'd appear again later in the set on an A's Stars card (#556) with Bert Campaneris (#495) and Danny Cater (#44).  Topps reprinted the card for its 2002 Topps Archives set, with Bando also signing copies of the reprint for an Autographs insert included with that set.

Still young in his career, Topps uses the back of the card to discuss his minor league success and his .480 average at the College World Series in 1964, as a member of the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Accuracy Index:  Bando's card is accurate (+5), but loses points given he's hatless (-3).

1969 Season
Manager Hank Bauer (#124) named Bando as team captain in May 1969, and he'd hold that title until leaving the club via free agency following the 1976 season.  Bando had a career year, as mentioned above, and started all 162 games for the Athletics at third base.  Only right fielder Reggie Jackson (#260) topped his offensive numbers.

1967 Topps #33

1972 Topps #650

1974 Topps #103

1975 Topps #380

1981 Topps #623

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1967 Topps #33
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (15):  1967-81
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2022 Topps Allen & Ginter #324
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  162 in the Beckett online database as of 8/11/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#370 Juan Marichal - San Francisco Giants / #372 Adolfo Phillips - Chicago Cubs

#370 Juan Marichal - San Francisco Giants

Juan Antonio Marichal
San Francisco Giants
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  185
Born:  October 20, 1937, Laguna Verde, Dominican Republic
Signed:  Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before 1957 season
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1960-73; Boston Red Sox 1974; Los Angeles Dodgers 1975

World Series Appearances:  San Francisco Giants 1962
Hall of Fame Induction:  1983

Juan Marichal won more games than any other major league pitcher in the 1960s, dominating the league with a high leg kick and pinpoint control.  A mainstay in the Giants' pitching rotation, Marichal was a 20-game winner in six seasons, and a 25-game winner in three seasons.  He threw a no-hitter against the Colt .45s on June 15, 1963, and a few weeks later on July 2nd he matched up against the Braves and Warren Spahn, pitching a complete game, 16-inning shutout.  He topped the league with shutouts in 1965 with 10 and had the best ERA in the league at 2.10 in 1969.  Marichal never won a Cy Young Award and was frequently overshadowed by his contemporaries Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson (#200).

Reaching the postseason only twice (in 1962 and 1971), Marichal used the All-Star Game as his national stage.  In eight All-Star games, Marichal went 2-0 pitching 18 innings while striking out 12 and pitching to an ERA of 0.50.  He won All-Star Game MVP honors in 1965, pitching three shutout innings.  Marichal's many pitching accomplishments are somewhat overshadowed by an incident that took place on August 22, 1965.  At bat against Koufax and the rival Dodgers, Marichal incited a 14-minute brawl that started when he hit Dodgers' catcher John Roseboro (#218) over the head with his bat.  Roseboro and Marichal would reconcile in later years, making public appearances together.

Marichal's career numbers are staggering - 243-142, 2.89 ERA, 244 complete games and 52 shutouts, and 2,303 strikeouts.  The Giants' retired Marichal's #27 in 1975 and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983, his third year on the ballot.  He became the first Dominican born player enshrined in the Hall, paving the way for his fellow countrymen Pedro Martinez in 2015 and Vladimir Guerrero in 2018.

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

Building the Set / Card #345
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 53rd of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost me a little over $4.  Honestly, I was a bit shocked to find this Marichal card included in the common/semi-star binder, initially thinking the dealer had made a mistake.

The Card / Giants Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This is one of three appearances by Marichal in the set, as he appeared earlier on the National League Pitching Leaders card (#10), and he'd appear later with teammate Willie McCovey (#440) on a Giants Heroes card (#572).  Topps does its best to cram in as many highlights on the back as possible, but Marichal's line after line of impressive statistics do the job just fine.

Accuracy Index:  Marichal's card scores a solid +5 as collectors hadn't seen this photo before.

Inserts:  Marichal is included in the 35 card Topps Deckle Edge insert set, one of 11 Hall of Famers in the set.

1969 Season
Marichal was again one of the best pitchers in the league, going 21-11 with a league-leading 2.10 ERA in 37 appearances.  He just missed the 300-inning plateau, finishing with 299 2/3 innings pitched for the season.  Marichal threw 27 complete games and led the league with eight shutouts.  For the eighth year in a row, he was named a National League All-Star.

1961 Topps #417

1963 Topps #440

1968 Topps #205

1972 Topps #568

1974 Topps Traded #330T

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1961 Topps #417
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (15):  1961-74, 2001
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2024 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-JMA
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  1,118 in the Beckett online database as of 8/10/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

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

#369 Bob Skinner MG - Philadelphia Phillies / #371 Sal Bando - Oakland Athletics