Saturday, November 30, 2024

#459 Dave Boswell - Minnesota Twins


David Wilson Boswell
Minnesota Twins
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  185
Born:  January 20, 1945, Baltimore, MD
Signed:  Signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent before 1963 season
Major League Teams:  Minnesota Twins 1964-70; Detroit Tigers 1971; Baltimore Orioles 1971
World Series Appearances:  Minnesota Twins 1965
Died:  June 11, 2012, Joppa, MD (age 67)

One of the hottest high school pitching prospects of his day, Dave Boswell signed with the Twins in 1963, and would debut with the club in 1964.  He helped the club reach the World Series in 1965, with Boswell pitching 2 2/3 innings against the Dodgers in Game 5.  His 12-5 mark in 1966 gave him a .706 winning percentage, leading the American League.  He'd win 14 games in 1967, 10 games in 1968, and a career-best 20 games in 1969.  A workhorse throughout his days with the Twins, he'd suffer an arm injury in Game 2 of the 1969 ALCS against the Orioles, eventually cutting his career short.  Boswell pitched 10 2/3 innings in that game, which was ultimately lost to the Orioles and Dave McNally (#340) on Curt Motton's (#37) walk-off single in the 11th. 

Boswell stuck around a few more years, but was never the same.  He last pitched for the Orioles in 1971, watching from the sidelines as his team lost the World Series to the Pirates in seven games.  Boswell was released by the Orioles in April 1972.  For his career, he was 68-56 in 205 games (151 starts) with a 3.52 ERA, 37 complete games and six shutouts.  He struck out 882 over 1,065 1/3 innings pitched.

Building the Set / 
Card #404
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 112th of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost a little less than a dollar.

The Card / Twins Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
Topps used photos from the same session for Boswell's 1968 and 1969 cards.  The back of the card highlights his appearance in the 1965 World Series, and his durability as a pitcher.

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

1969 Season
This was a memorable season for Boswell.  He and Jim Perry (#146) were the aces of the Twins' staff, with Boswell going 20-12 with a 3.23 ERA in 39 games.  Only Perry with 261 2/3 innings threw more innings than Boswell's 256 1/3.  

On August 6th, Boswell was involved in a bar brawl in which the pitcher knocked out teammate Bob Allison (#30), who was trying to intervene in a developing row between Boswell and coach Art Fowler.  Manager Billy Martin (#547) entered the fracas, and knocked Boswell unconscious.  Boswell was hospitalized and required 20 stitches, reportedly, following the altercation with his manager.

In Game 2 of the ALCS, Boswell and McNally were locked in a scoreless tie after 10 innings.  Boswell struck out Frank Robinson (#250) to end the 10th, severely injuring his shoulder and ultimately leading to the premature end of his baseball career.

1967 Topps #575
1968 Topps #322
1970 Topps #70
1970 Topps #325
1971 Topps #675

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1967 Topps #575
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1967-71
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1981 TCMA The 1960s II #403
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  27 in the Beckett online database as of 11/24/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Thursday, November 28, 2024

#458 Curt Blefary - Houston Astros


Curtis Leroy Blefary
Houston Astros

Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  195
Born:  July 5, 1943, Brooklyn, NY
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1962 season
Major League Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 1965-68; Houston Astros 1969; New York Yankees 1970-71; Oakland Athletics 1971-72; San Diego Padres 1972
World Series Appearances:  Baltimore Orioles 1966
Died:  January 28, 2001, Pompano Beach, FL (age 57)

Curt Blefary edged out Marcelino Lopez for American League Rookie of the Year honors in 1965, hitting .260 with 22 home runs and 70 RBIs.  In 1966, and at 22 years old, he was the every day left fielder for the Orioles team that would go on to sweep the World Series against the Dodgers.  Nicknamed "Clank" by teammate Frank Robinson (#250) for his questionable fielding skills, Blefary made the rare position shift to first base and catcher after starting his career as an outfielder.  He was behind the plate for Tom Phoebus' (#185) no-hitter against the Red Sox on April 27, 1968.  After a season as the regular first baseman for the Astros in 1969, Blefary spent the last three seasons in the big leagues as a back-up with the Yankees, Athletics and Padres.  He hit .237 over 974 games with 112 home runs and 382 RBIs.

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

Building the Set / 
Card #403
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 111th of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost a little less than a dollar.

The Card / Astros Team Set / Accuracy Index -8
Blefary is wearing an Orioles jersey in this photo.  The cartoon on the back highlights the three home runs he hit against the Angels on June 6, 1967 in a 16-4 drubbing by the Orioles.  His home runs came off Angels' pitchers Pete Cimino, Jack Sanford and Lew Burdette.  The write-up contains an odd statement, noting Blefary is "devoted to the game and will play anywhere on the field."  I guess this is a fancier way of saying he's extremely versatile.

Accuracy Index:  Blefary's card scores the somewhat standard -8, which is becoming rarer as we get deeper into the set.

1969 Season
In what turned out to be a great deal for the Orioles, the Astros acquired Blefary and minor leaguer John Mason on December 4, 1968, for Mike Cuellar (#453), Enzo Hernandez and Elijah Johnson.  The deal was precipitated by Blefary falling out with new Orioles' manager Earl Weaver (#516).  Blefary made 149 starts at first base for the Astros, and in 155 games overall he batted .253 with 12 home runs and 67 RBIs.  He connected for a career-best 26 doubles to lead the team.  On December 4th, exactly a year following his trade from Baltimore, the Astros shipped Blefary to the Yankees for Joe Pepitone (#589).

1965 Topps #49
1966 Topps #460
1968 Topps #312
1971 Topps #131
1972 Topps #691

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #49
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (8):  1965-72
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1981 TCMA The 1960s II #412
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  62 in the Beckett online database as of 11/17/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

#457 Dalton Jones - Boston Red Sox


James Dalton Jones
Boston Red Sox
Third Base-First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  180
Born:  December 10, 1943, McComb, MS
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent, June 4, 1961
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 1964-69; Detroit Tigers 1970-72; Texas Rangers 1972
World Series Appearances:  Boston Red Sox 1967

Dalton Jones spent nine big league seasons as an infielder and pinch-hitter, and he's probably best remembered as a member of the "Impossible Dream" American League Champion Red Sox.  Jones made at least 50 starts for the Red Sox each season between 1964 and 1969, except 1967, spending time at second, third or first base.  He settled into a role as a light-hitting left-handed bat off the bench, but attained a starring role in the 1967 World Series.  Jones appeared in 6 of the 7 games of the Series, batting .389 (7 for 18) and second only to Carl Yastrzemski (#130) on the club with the highest batting average.

Jones was traded to the Tigers in December 1969, and he spent two full seasons in Detroit before being dealt to the Rangers in May 1972.  Jones was a career .235 batter over 907 games with 41 home runs and 237 RBIs.

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

Building the Set / 
Card #402
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 110th of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost a little less than a dollar.

The Card / Red Sox Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
The photos used for Jones' 1969 and 1970 Topps card were taken within a few seconds of one another.  Topps had a tough time keeping up with Jones' versatility in the infield.  For his 10 appearances on Topps flagship cards, here's the break-down of his listed position:  2B (4), 2B-3B (1), 3B-2B (1), 3B-1B (1), 1B-3B (1), Infield (1) and no position was listed in 1972.  The back of the card references how Jones got the regular first baseman's job after George Scott's (#574) prolonged slump.  Jones batted .262 (81 for 309) with three home runs and 52 RBIs as a pinch-hitter over his career.

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

1969 Season
In his final season with the Red Sox, Jones appeared in 111 games, batting .220 with three home runs and 33 RBIs.  He made 80 starts throughout the season for manager Dick Williams (#349) - 74 at first base, more than any other teammate, five at third base and one at second base.  With Jones not producing offensively at first base, Boston traded him to the Tigers on December 13th in exchange for infielder Tommy Matchick (#344).

1964 Topps #459
1967 Topps #139
1968 Topps #106
1971 Topps #367
1973 Topps #512

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #459
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1964-73
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1990 Pacific Senior League #55
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  45 in the Beckett online database as of 11/17/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

#455 Sonny Siebert - Cleveland Indians


Wilfred Charles Siebert
Cleveland Indians
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  190
Born:  January 14, 1937, St. Mary, MO
Signed:  Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before 1958 season
Major League Teams: Cleveland Indians 1964-69; Boston Red Sox 1969-73; Texas Rangers 1973; St. Louis Cardinals 1974; San Diego Padres 1975; Oakland Athletics 1975

Drafted by both the Indians and the St. Louis Hawks of the NBA, Sonny Siebert opted for a baseball career and spent 12 years in the majors as a successful starting pitcher.  He had been drafted as an outfielder, and after two seasons in the Indians minor league system he convinced the club to let him switch to pitching.  The move paid off as Siebert went 61-48 for the Indians with a 2.76 ERA between 1964 and 1969.  He threw a no-hitter against the Senators on June 10, 1966, and he was an American League All-Star that season as well.  He'd return to the All-Star Game in 1971 with the Red Sox.  Siebert finished in the top ten in ERA in four different seasons (1965-67 and 1971) and was a 16-game winner three times.

Siebert owned a career record of 140-114 and a 3.21 ERA with 1,512 strikeouts.  He's the last American League pitcher to hit two home runs in one game, accomplishing the feat on September 2, 1971.  He had a career batting average of .173 with 12 home runs.  Siebert was a pitching coach at various levels in the Padres and Rockies organizations between 1985 and 1998, serving as the pitching coach for the Padres in 1994 and 1995.

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

Building the Set / 
Card #401
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 109th of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost a little less than a dollar.

The Card / Indians Team Set / Accuracy Index +1
This exact photo can be found on Siebert's 1967 Topps card.  The back of the card mentions Siebert was one of the Indians' big four, with the others being Sam McDowell (#220), Luis Tiant (#560) and I'm assuming either Stan Williams (#118) or Steve Hargan (#348).  His one-hitter against the Orioles came on May 19, 1968, with Curt Blefary (#458) breaking up the no-hitter with a double in the seventh.

Accuracy Index:  Siebert's card is accurate (+5), but loses points (-4) since collectors had seen the same photo before.

1969 Season
Perhaps as a result of money-saving measures by both teams, the Indians dealt Siebert, Joe Azcue (#176) and Vicente Romo (#267) to the Red Sox on April 19th for Dick Ellsworth (#605), Ken Harrelson (#240) and Juan Pizarro (#498).  Siebert had pitched in two games for the Indians, and following the trade he jumped right into the Red Sox starting pitching rotation.  While he had success as a starter, manager Dick Williams (#349) needed some bullpen help and Siebert finished the season as a reliever.  His combined numbers for the full season were 14-11, with a 3.76 ERA in 45 games, including 24 starts.  Siebert had five saves with the Red Sox, third most on the team behind Romo and Sparky Lyle (#311).

1964 Topps #552
1966 Topps #197
1967 Topps #95
1971 Topps #710
1975 Topps #328

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #552
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12):  1964-75
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1976 SSPC #484
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  86 in the Beckett online database as of 11/17/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Monday, November 25, 2024

#453 Mike Cuellar - Baltimore Orioles


Miguel Angel Cuellar
Baltimore Orioles

Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  165
Born:  May 8, 1937, Las Villas, Cuba
Signed:  Signed by the Cincinnati Redlegs as an amateur free agent before 1957 season
Major League Teams:  Cincinnati Reds 1959; St. Louis Cardinals 1964; Houston Astros 1965-68; Baltimore Orioles 1969-76; California Angels 1977
World Series Appearances:  Baltimore Orioles 1969-71
Died:  April 2, 2010, Orlando, FL (age 72)

Lefty Mike Cuellar began his career with the Reds, Cardinals and Astros, but he's best known for his dominant string of seasons with the Orioles, including Baltimore's World Championship season of 1970.  Cuellar was used mainly in relief early in his career, appearing in 32 games for the eventual World Champion Cardinals in 1964.  He won 16 games with the Astros in 1967, making his first of four All-Star teams, in a sign of good things to come.  Cuellar was dealt to the Orioles in December 1968, and over the next several years he was a key member of a powerhouse starting pitching rotation that included Jim Palmer (#573), Dave McNally (#340) and Pat Dobson (#231).  His first of four 20-win seasons came in 1969 when Cuellar was 23-11 with a 2.38 ERA on his way to co-Cy Young honors with Denny McLain (#150).  Cuellar was 24-8 in 1970, pitching in a career high 297 2/3 innings and leading the league with 21 complete games.  His team downed the Reds in five games in the World Series, with Cuellar winning the decisive Game 5.

His last All-Star season came in 1974 when he was 22-10 with a 3.11 ERA in 38 starts.  For his career, Cuellar was 185-130 with a 3.14 ERA, 172 complete games and 36 shutouts.  He struck out 1,632 batters.  Inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame in 1982, Cuellar still ranks high among that franchise's all-time pitching greats. 

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

Building the Set / 
Card #400
December 3, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
Milestone card #400!  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 108th of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost a little less than $2.

The Card / Orioles Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
This card features a very recent photo, taken during spring training in 1969.  The back of the card highlights his 16 wins with the Astros in 1967, foreshadowing the success still to come.  The write-up mentions his second place finish to Sandy Koufax in the 1966 ERA race.  Cuellar finished with a 2.22 mark to Koufax's 1.73 ERA.  He'd appear again in the set on one of the four combo player cards in the set, along with his other Bird Hill Aces (#532).

Topps reprinted this card in its 2002 Topps Archives set.

Accuracy Index:  Cuellar's card impressively scores a +5.

1969 Season
In what would prove to become a lopsided deal, Cuellar, Enzo Hernandez and minor leaguer Elijah Johnson were dealt from the Astros to the Orioles on December 4, 1968 for Curt Blefary (#458) and minor leaguer John Mason.  Cuellar finished the season second in wins (23), fifth in strikeouts (182), third in complete games (18) and third in shutouts (five).  In hindsight, McLain likely should have been the unanimous choice for Cy Young, as his bWAR of 8.1 led the league with Cuellar's bWAR of 4.4 not even in the top ten.  Cuellar and McLain both received ten first place votes, with the Twins' Jim Perry (#146) receiving three first place votes and Cuellar's teammate McNally receiving the remaining first place vote.

1959 Topps #518
1967 Topps #97
1971 Topps #332
1974 Topps #560
1977 Topps #162

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1959 Topps #518
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (15):  1959-60, 1965-77
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2005 Topps Retired Signature Edition #84
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  143 in the Beckett online database as of 11/17/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Saturday, November 23, 2024

#452 Al Ferrara - San Diego Padres


Alfred John Ferrara
San Diego Padres

Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right Height:  6'1"  Weight:  200
Born:  December 22, 1939, Brooklyn, NY
Signed:  Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1959 season
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1963, 1965-68; San Diego Padres 1969-71; Cincinnati Reds 1971
World Series Appearances:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1966
Died:  November 15, 2024 (age 84)

Al Ferrara was a colorful character who was an accomplished pianist as a teenager, had cameos in episodes of Gilligan's Island and Batman, and also happened to play parts of eight seasons in the major leagues.  He was a member of the 1963 and 1965 Dodgers teams that won World Series titles, although he didn't appear in any of those postseason games.  Ferrara's best season came in 1967 when he appeared in 122 games for the Dodgers and batted .277 with 16 home runs and 50 RBIs.  Selected by the Padres in the expansion draft, he appeared in 138 games in both the 1969 and 1970 seasons as a back-up outfielder and pinch-hitter.  After a brief stint with the Reds in 1971 almost exclusively as a pinch-hitter, Ferrara retired from baseball.  In 574 career games, he batted .259 with 51 home runs and 198 RBIs.

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

Building the Set / 
Card #399
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 107th of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost a little less than $1.

The Card / Padres Team Set / Accuracy Index +10
Ferrara holds the distinction of owning the first baseball card to feature the expansion Padres' uniform.  Up until this point in the team set, Padres cards featured players either hatless or with dark blotches on their caps, covering their former team's logos.  Not counting Rookie Stars cards, there would be only two more cards in the set showing off the Padres' brown and gold uniforms - Jose Arcia (#473) and Johnny Podres (#659).

This is one of 23 cards available in the set's fifth series available as either "yellow letter" or "white letter" variations, with the yellow letter variations being more prevalent.  This is the more prevalent yellow letter variation with Ferrara's first name printed in yellow.

Accuracy Index:  Ferrara's card earns a high score of +10.
Inserts:  Ferrara is included in the 35 card Topps Deckle Edge insert set.  Topps recycled the same photo used for his 1967 Topps card for the insert.


1969 Season

Ferrara was the 30th pick in the 1968 expansion draft, moving from the Dodgers to the Padres.  He was the most regularly used left fielder for manager Preston Gomez (#74), making 95 starts at the position.  Ferrara batted .260 with 14 home runs and a career-high 56 RBIs.  His most frequent outfield partners were Cito Gaston (#304) in center field and Ollie Brown (#149) in right field.

1964 Topps #337
1966 Topps #487
1967 Topps #557
1970 Topps #345
1971 Topps #214

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #337
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (8):  1964-71
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2020 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-AF
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  52 in the Beckett online database as of 11/17/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia