1969 Topps: #420 Ron Santo AS

Saturday, October 26, 2024

#420 Ron Santo AS - Chicago Cubs

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 #379
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.

1969 Topps #166

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 87th of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost a little over $2.

The Card / Cubs Team Set / Carl Yastrzemski Puzzle

Ron Santo was a nine-time All-Star, and was the starting third baseman at the 1969 All-Star Game in Washington, sharing the infield with shortstop and teammate, Don Kessinger (#225). Batting fifth, Santo was 0 for 3 in the game, before being replaced at third by Tony Perez (#295) in the sixth. Santo earned a .333 (5 for 15) All-Star Game average in his nine appearances, making four starts.

The stock photo used in the background behind Santo is Tigers' slugger Al Kaline (#410), and eagle-eyed collectors would recognize the photo of Kaline from earlier in the set, on the 1968 World Series Game #5 card (#166). The backs of these All-Star cards contain a puzzle piece of either Pete Rose (#120) or Carl Yastrzemski (#130). The back of Santo's card features Yaz's belt and the bottom left of the puzzle.

Topps All-Star Card Appearances (4): 1968-70, 1974