#558 Tom Burgmeier - Kansas City Royals

Thomas Henry Burgmeier
Kansas City Royals
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  185
Born:  August 2, 1943, St. Paul, MN
Signed:  Signed by the Houston Colt .45s as an amateur free agent, September 24, 1961
Major League Teams:  California Angels 1968; Kansas City Royals 1969-73; Minnesota Twins 1974-77; Boston Red Sox 1978-82; Oakland Athletics 1983-84

A veteran of 17 major league seasons, all in the American League and with all but three of his 745 career appearances in relief, Tom Burgmeier enjoyed steady success throughout his career as a reliable lefty arm out of the bullpen.  Burgmeier was the most frequently used reliever by the Angels in 1968, appearing in 56 games, before the team decided to leave him unprotected for the expansion draft.  Selected as the 47th pick in the expansion draft, Burgmeier was a member of the Royals' bullpen for five seasons, serving as their closer in 1971 and earning 17 saves.  He'd go on to have lengthy stints with the Twins and Red Sox throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.  His best season came in 1980 with Boston, as Burgmeier was 5-4 with a 2.00 ERA and 24 saves in 62 appearances, earning a trip to the All-Star Game.

He'd make 49 relief appearances with the Ahtletics in his penultimate season in 1983, and injuries cut short his final season in the majors in 1984, leading to his retirement as a player at the age of 41.  Burgmeier would return to the game in the early 1990s, serving as a minor league pitching coach for the Royals and Orioles through the late 2000s.  He was the Royals' bullpen coach in 1991, and again between 1998 and 2000.  For his big league career, Burgmeier was 79-55 with a 3.23 ERA in 1,258 2/3 innings pitched.  At the time of his retirement, his 102 saves were among the highest on the all-time leaderboard.

Building the Set / Card #474
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
On Sunday, December 15th, Doug and I attended the latest Philly Show, spaciously spread out inside Hall A of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  I wrote a full show report over at The Phillies Room, including some thoughts on attending the show with our oldest son, who first graced the Philly Show floors back in 2012.

Having had success the prior two shows at Uncle Dick's Cards with his well-organized, neon common binders, I opted to pull up a chair once again at the friendly dealer's array of tables.  The aim was simple:  Clear out Uncle Dick's 1969 Topps commons, starting off where I had left off the year before with card #501 and going through the end of the set, card #664.  In less than 25 minutes, I completed my quest, and this is the 30th of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me a little less than $2.

The Card / Royals Team Set / Accuracy Index +10

This is Burgmeier's rookie card, featuring a photo taken during spring training in 1969.  The write-up on the back mentions the Royals would plan to use him as a starter or reliever, and that didn't prove to be accurate.  His fielding skills are also mentioned, and Burgmeier had led all pitchers with seven double plays in 1968.

Accuracy Index:  Burgmeier's card takes +10 honors for the expansion uniform.

1969 Season
Burgmeier was an Original Royal, on the club's opening day roster, and appearing in relief in the first franchise game.  He was 3-1 with a 4.17 ERA in 31 games pitched and 54 innings thrown.

1971 Topps #431

1975 Topps #478

1979 Topps #524

1981 Topps #320

1984 Topps #33

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #558
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (15):  1969-73, 1975-84
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Fleer ProCards #582
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  75 in the Beckett online database as of 2/28/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#557 Frank Fernandez - New York Yankees / #559 Cardinals Rookie Stars

#555 Jim Hart - San Francisco Giants

Jim Ray Hart
San Francisco Giants
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  185
Born:  October 30, 1941, Hookerton, NC
Signed:  Signed by the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1963-73; New York Yankees 1973-74

Died:  May 19, 2016, Acampo, CA (age 74)

Slugger Jim Ray Hart spent a decade playing for the Giants, hitting at least 23 home runs five consecutive seasons between 1964 and 1968.  Hart finished as the Rookie of the Year ruuner-up, tied with Rico Carty (#590) and behind Dick Allen (#350) in 1964, when as the Giants' everyday third baseman he batted .286 with 31 home runs and 81 RBIs.  His numbers would improve in 1965 and in 1966 Hart was named to his only All-Star team.  That was to be his career year as he batted .285 with a career-high 33 home runs and 93 RBIs.  He'd drive in 99 runs in 1967, splitting time between third base and left field.  Hart struggled defensively and he'd move to a reserve role with the Giants in 1969.  After a few more seasons with the club, which included multiple stints in the minor leagues, Hart was sold to the Yankees before the 1973 season.  He'd DH for the Yankees in his last full season in the majors, batting .254 with 13 home runs and 52 RBIs.

Hart would play parts of three seasons in the Mexican League before retiring in 1976.  For his big league career, Hart batted .278 with 1,052 hits, 170 home runs and 578 RBIs.  He was one of several inaugural inductees into the San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame in 2008.

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

Building the Set / Card #473
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
On Sunday, December 15th, Doug and I attended the latest Philly Show, spaciously spread out inside Hall A of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  I wrote a full show report over at The Phillies Room, including some thoughts on attending the show with our oldest son, who first graced the Philly Show floors back in 2012.

Having had success the prior two shows at Uncle Dick's Cards with his well-organized, neon common binders, I opted to pull up a chair once again at the friendly dealer's array of tables.  The aim was simple:  Clear out Uncle Dick's 1969 Topps commons, starting off where I had left off the year before with card #501 and going through the end of the set, card #664.  In less than 25 minutes, I completed my quest, and this is the 29th of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me a little less than $2.

The Card / Giants Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

It looks as if the photos for this card and Hart's 1968 Topps card were taken at the same time.  A game against the Phillies is highlighted on the back of the card.  On June 6, 1968, at Candlestick Park, Hart hit two three-run home runs in leading the Giants to a 7-2 win over the Phillies.  His home runs came off Phillies' pitcher Rick Wise (#188) and Turk Farrell (#531).

Accuracy Index:  Hart's card scores a solid +5.

1969 Season
Hart was the opening day left fielder for the Giants, but injuries throughout the season limited him to just 71 starts - 68 in left and three at third base.  In 95 games overall, he batted .254 with three home runs and 26 RBIs in his toughest season in the majors to this point in his career.

1964 Topps #452

1965 Topps #395

1968 Topps #73

1972 Topps #733

1974 Topps #159

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #452
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1964-74
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #269
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  44 in the Beckett online database as of 2/26/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#554 Frank Bertaina - Washington Senators / #556 A's Stars CPC

#554 Frank Bertaina - Washington Senators

Frank Louis Bertaina

Washington Senators
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  177
Born:  April 14, 1944, San Francisco, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent before 1961 season
Major League Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 1964-67; Washington Senators 1967-69; Baltimore Orioles 1969; St. Louis Cardinals 1970

Died:  March 3, 2010, Santa Rosa, CA (age 65)

Once considered a top pitching prospect for the Orioles, Frank Bertaina appeared in only 99 major league games over seven different seasons.  He flashed signs of brilliance at times with the Orioles, but was never able to fully repeat the success he found with their top farm team in Rochester.  He earned a World Series ring with the club in 1966, although he did not pitch in the postseason.  Traded to the Senators with Mike Epstein (#461) for Pete Richert (#86) in May 1967, Bertaina would appear in a career-high 27 games for Washington in 1968.  He'd pitch for two more seasons, briefly returning to Baltimore, before calling it a career.

Bertaina was 19-29 with a 3.84 ERA for his career, striking out 280 batters over 413 innings pitched.  Due to the success he had with the International League's Rochester Red Wings, he was inducted into that club's Hall of Fame.

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

Building the Set / Card #472
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
On Sunday, December 15th, Doug and I attended the latest Philly Show, spaciously spread out inside Hall A of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  I wrote a full show report over at The Phillies Room, including some thoughts on attending the show with our oldest son, who first graced the Philly Show floors back in 2012.

Having had success the prior two shows at Uncle Dick's Cards with his well-organized, neon common binders, I opted to pull up a chair once again at the friendly dealer's array of tables.  The aim was simple:  Clear out Uncle Dick's 1969 Topps commons, starting off where I had left off the year before with card #501 and going through the end of the set, card #664.  In less than 25 minutes, I completed my quest, and this is the 28th of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me less than a dollar.

The Card / Senators Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

The Senators switched to red hats from blue for the 1968 season, so this photo could date from the team's 1968 spring training.  There aren't nearly enough pictures of players with warm-up jackets under their jerseys these days.  The back of the card highlights two of Bertaina's best games - his first win against the Angels on September 20, 1964, in which he allowed a fifth inning double to Doc Edwards, and his 11 shutout innings against the Twins on August 26, 1968.

Accuracy Index:  Bertaina's card earns a +5.

1969 Season
Bertaina began the season in the Senators' bullpen, and earned a few starts throughout April, May and June.  Struggling with his wildness, Bertaina failed to impress new manager Ted Williams (#650) and he was demoted to Triple-A Buffalo after surrendering a game-winning, 13th inning home run to Reggie Jackson (#260) on June 11th.  When Bertaina refused to report to Buffalo, the Senators traded him back to the Orioles on June 16th for minor league pitcher P.J. Campbell.  After 22 impressive starts with Rochester, during which he went 12-3 with a 3.67 ERA in 152 innings, he earned a brief, three-game call-up to the Orioles.  For the season, Bertaina was 1-3 with a 5.62 ERA, with 30 strikeouts and 26 walks in 41 2/3 innings pitched.

1965 Topps #396

1966 Topps #579

1968 Topps #131

1970 Topps #638

1971 Topps #422

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #396
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1965-66, 1968-71
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1981 TCMA The 1960s II #446
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  26 in the Beckett online database as of 2/26/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#553 Ron Davis - Pittsburgh Pirates / #555 Jim Hart - San Francisco Giants

#553 Ron Davis - Pittsburgh Pirates

Ronald Everette Davis
Pittsburgh Pirates
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  175
Born:  October 21, 1941, Roanoke Rapids, NC
Signed:  Signed by the Houston Colt .45s as an amateur free agent before 1961 season
Major League Teams:  Houston Colt .45s 1962; Houston Astros 1966-68; St. Louis Cardinals 1968; Pittsburgh Pirates 1969

World Series Appearances:  St. Louis Cardinals 1968
Died:  September 5, 1992, Houston, TX (age 50)

Ron Davis made his big league debut on August 1, 1962, with the Colt .45s and per the statistics kept by Baseball Reference, he was the 12,000th player in major league history.  After his cup of coffee (six games) in 1962, Davis spent all of the next three seasons in the  minors.  He earned another promotion in 1966, appearing in 48 games for the Astros and batting .247 with a pair of home runs.  Davis' first entire season in the majors came in 1967, and it was also his strongest season.  As the club's most regularly used left fielder, he made 70 starts and batted .256 with seven home runs and 38 RBIs.  He'd split the 1968 season between the Astros and Cardinals and was dealt to the Padres that December.

Davis was dealt again to the Pirates right before the start of the 1969 season, and he'd play in his final 62 big league games for Pittsburgh.  He'd spend the next two seasons getting regular playing time with the Pirates' Triple-A team before retiring in 1971.  Davis appeared in 295 games, collected 199 hits and batted .233 with ten home runs and 79 RBIs for his career.

Building the Set / Card #471
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
On Sunday, December 15th, Doug and I attended the latest Philly Show, spaciously spread out inside Hall A of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  I wrote a full show report over at The Phillies Room, including some thoughts on attending the show with our oldest son, who first graced the Philly Show floors back in 2012.

Having had success the prior two shows at Uncle Dick's Cards with his well-organized, neon common binders, I opted to pull up a chair once again at the friendly dealer's array of tables.  The aim was simple:  Clear out Uncle Dick's 1969 Topps commons, starting off where I had left off the year before with card #501 and going through the end of the set, card #664.  In less than 25 minutes, I completed my quest, and this is the 27th of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me less than a dollar.

The Card / Pirates Team Set / Accuracy Index -8

Davis has appearances in three Topps' sets, and I'm pretty sure the photos used for his 1968 and 1969 cards were taken within seconds of each other.  I was familiar with the pitcher Ron Davis, and didn't realize there was also an outfielder Ron Davis.  The brief write-up on the back explains how Davis came to Pittsburgh via San Diego.

Accuracy Index:  Davis scores a -8 for the lack of a hat (-3) and the Astros jersey (-5).

1969 Season
On December 3, 1968, the Cardinals traded Davis, Danny Breeden (#536), Ed Spiezio (#249) and minor leaguer Philip Knuckles to the Padres for Dave Giusti (#98).  He'd spend spring training with the new Padres team and was dealt to the Pirates on March 28th with Bobby Klaus (#387) for Chris Cannizzaro (#131) and Tommie Sisk (#152).  Davis made just ten starts all season, and the bulk of his playing time came as a late-inning defensive replacement.  He batted .234 with a double, a triple and four RBIs.

1967 Topps #298

1968 Topps #21

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1967 Topps #298
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3):  1967-69
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #553
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  19 in the Beckett online database as of 2/25/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#552 Dodgers Rookie Stars / #554 Frank Bertaina - Washington Senators

#552 Dodgers Rookie Stars - Ted Sizemore / Bill Sudakis

Theodore Crawford Sizemore
Los Angeles Dodgers
Second Base-Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  165
Born:  April 15, 1945, Gadsden, AL
Drafted:  Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 15th round of the 1966 amateur draft
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1969-70; St. Louis Cardinals 1971-75; Los Angeles Dodgers 1976; Philadelphia Phillies 1977-78; Chicago Cubs 1979; Boston Red Sox 1979-80

William Paul Sudakis
Los Angeles Dodgers
Third Base

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  190
Born:  March 27, 1946, Joliet, IL
Signed:  Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1964 season
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1968-71; New York Mets 1972; Texas Rangers 1973; New York Yankees 1974; California Angels 1975; Cleveland Indians 1975

Died:  September 15, 2021, Palm Springs, CA (age 75)

Originally signed as a catcher, Dodgers' manager Walter Alston (#24) moved Ted Sizemore to shortstop at the start of spring training in 1969.  Sizemore was the club's opening day shortstop, but he'd shift over to second base in June following the Dodgers' re-acquisition of Maury Wills (#45) from the Expos.  His strong rookie season led to Rookie of the Year honors, but injuries contributed to a sophomore slump in 1970.  Sizemore was dealt to the Cardinals following the 1970 season in exchange for future Hall of Famer Dick Allen (#350).  One of his best seasons came in 1973 with the Cardinals, as he batted .282 as their regular second baseman while leading the league with 25 sacrifices.  His last regular playing time came with the Phillies in the late 1970s, helping that club reach the NLCS in 1977 and 1978.  Sizemore wrapped up his 12 years in the majors as a back-up infielder and pinch-hitter with the Cubs and Red Sox.

In 1,411 games, Sizemore batted .262 with 188 doubles, 23 home runs and 430 RBIs.  His second base fielding statistics for assists (3,761), putouts (2,928) and double plays turned (835) are all currently within the top 100 all-time.  Following his playing days, Sizemore worked as an executive for both Rawlings and the Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.).

May 19, 1969 cover of Sports Illustrated

Following a September call-up in 1968, Bill Sudakis was the Dodgers' opening day third baseman.  He'd collect a career-high 53 RBIs in 1969, but the arrival of Steve Garvey meant the Dodgers had to get creative with Sudakis to keep his bat in the line-up.  He'd be tried out at catcher, first base and the corner outfield positions during his tenure with the Dodgers, but bad knees limited his playing time.  Sudakis found success with the Rangers in 1973, batting .255 with a career best 15 home runs, and he'd split time between first base and DH in 1974 with the Yankees.  He'd wrap up his playing days as a back-up first baseman and pinch-hitter with the Angels and Indians.  In 530 big league games, Sudakis batted .234 with 59 home runs and 214 RBIs.

Building the Set / Card #470
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
On Sunday, December 15th, Doug and I attended the latest Philly Show, spaciously spread out inside Hall A of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  I wrote a full show report over at The Phillies Room, including some thoughts on attending the show with our oldest son, who first graced the Philly Show floors back in 2012.

Having had success the prior two shows at Uncle Dick's Cards with his well-organized, neon common binders, I opted to pull up a chair once again at the friendly dealer's array of tables.  The aim was simple:  Clear out Uncle Dick's 1969 Topps commons, starting off where I had left off the year before with card #501 and going through the end of the set, card #664.  In less than 25 minutes, I completed my quest, and this is the 26th of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me less than $2.

The Card / Dodgers Team Set / Sizemore Accuracy Index -3 / Sudakis Accuracy Index +5
This is the rookie card for both players and Topps did a nice job squeezing in the eventual Rookie of the Year winner late into the set.  I wonder how many Topps base cards between 1952 and 2005 contained the position designation of "2B-C"?

Accuracy Index:  Sizemore might be wearing a Dodgers' uniform here, so I'll dock him just three points for being hatless.  Sudakis scores a standard +5.

1969 Season - Sizemore
His first year in the majors was also one of his best as Sizemore slid into the shortstop role vacated by Zoilo Versalles (#38).  He made 159 starts overall - 42 at shortstop and 117 at second base - batting .271 with 20 doubles, four home runs and 46 RBIs.  His .979 fielding percentage at second base was second best in the league behind the Braves' Felix Millan (#210).

Phillies Career - Sizemore
On December 20, 1976, the Dodgers traded Sizemore and a player to be named later (Quency Hill) to the Phillies for catcher Johnny Oates.  Having lost Dave Cash to free agency, Sizemore became the club's regular second baseman in 1977, one of the best seasons in franchise history.  The 101-win Phillies won the National League pennant for the second season in a row, but fell to the Dodgers in four games in the NLCS.  A costly error by Sizemore in Game 3 allowed the Dodgers to seal a comeback 6-5 win.  Sizemore batted .281 for the season with 47 RBIs, while turning a league-leading 104 double plays.

In 1978, Sizemore was again the team's opening day second baseman, but he broke his hand in late April, missing all of May and most of June.  He batted only .219 during the regular season, but hit .385 (5 for 13) in the NLCS against the Dodgers, lost again by the Phillies in four games.  On February 23, 1979, the Phillies traded Sizemore, Barry Foote, Jerry Martin and minor leaguers Henry Mack and Derek Botelho to the Cubs for Manny Trillo, Greg Gross and Dave Rader.  In 260 games with the Phillies, Sizemore batted .256 with 32 doubles, four home runs and 72 RBIs.

1969 Season - Sudakis
By bWAR standards, this was Sudakis' best season in the majors as he earned a 1.9 mark.  In 132 games, again a career high, he batted .234 with 14 home runs and 53 RBIs.  He made 118 starts at third base for the Dodgers, and his .946 fielding percentage was third best int he league.

From the 1978 Phillies Yearbook

1970 Topps #174

1973 Topps #128

1977 Topps #366

1979 Topps #297

1980 Topps #81

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Sizemore
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #552
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12):  1969-80
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1980 Topps #81
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  53 in the Beckett online database as of 2/25/25.

Sources - Sizemore:  

Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
The Phillies Room

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Sudakis
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #552
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1969-75
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1975 Topps #291
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  33 in the Beckett online database as of 2/25/25.

Sources - Sudakis:  

Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

1970 Topps #341

1971 Topps #253

1973 Topps #586

1974 Topps #63

1975 Topps #291

#551 Wayne Granger - Cincinnati Reds / #553 Ron Davis - Pittsburgh Pirates