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Earl Lawrence Wilson
Detroit Tigers
Pitcher
Born: October 2, 1934, Ponchatoula, LA
Signed: Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent, May 11, 1953
Major League Teams: Boston Red Sox 1959-60, 1962-66; Detroit Tigers 1966-70; San Diego Padres 1970
World Series Appearances: Detroit Tigers 1968
Died: April 23, 2005, Southfield, MI (age 70)
An above average starting pitcher in the mid to late-1960s, Earl Wilson won 22 games with the Tigers in 1967 and helped that club win a World Series title in 1968. Wilson began his career with the Red Sox and was their first black pitcher when he debuted in 1959. On June 26, 1962, Wilson threw a no-hitter against the Angels and hit a home run in the winning effort. He struggled somewhat with occasional wildness, leading the league in both walks and wild pitches in 1963. Wilson was dealt to the Tigers on June 14, 1966, after a racist incident occurred that he was told by Boston management to "forget about."
Died: April 23, 2005, Southfield, MI (age 70)
An above average starting pitcher in the mid to late-1960s, Earl Wilson won 22 games with the Tigers in 1967 and helped that club win a World Series title in 1968. Wilson began his career with the Red Sox and was their first black pitcher when he debuted in 1959. On June 26, 1962, Wilson threw a no-hitter against the Angels and hit a home run in the winning effort. He struggled somewhat with occasional wildness, leading the league in both walks and wild pitches in 1963. Wilson was dealt to the Tigers on June 14, 1966, after a racist incident occurred that he was told by Boston management to "forget about."
With the Tigers, he found his greatest success, including his 1967 season when he led the league in wins. In 1968, he supported a pitching rotation that also included Denny McLain (#150) and Mickey Lolich (#270) on the way to winning the World Series. Wilson finished his career with a 121-109 record and a 3.69 ERA over 338 games pitched. Originally a catcher, he was also an accomplished hitter, batting .195 for his career with 35 home runs - 33 as a pitcher and 2 as a pinch-hitter. Only Wes Ferrell (38), Bob Lemon (37), Warren Spahn (35) and Red Ruffing (34) have hit more home runs as a pitcher.
Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.
Building the Set / Card #458
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.
The Card / Tigers Team Set / Accuracy Index +1
1969 Season
Coming off his appearance in the 1968 World Series, Wilson had another solid season in 1969. He was 12-10 with a 3.31 ERA in 35 starts for the Tigers, with only McLain and Lolich starting more games. Wilson threw 214 2/3 innings, eclipsing the 200-inning plateau for the seventh and final time in his career. On June 15th, Wilson authored a two-hit shutout against the Athletics.
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1960 Topps #249
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11): 1960-61, 1963-71
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2001 Fleer Boston Red Sox 100th Anniversary #50
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 76 in the Beckett online database as of 2/1/25.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
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 14th of 98 commons pulled from the binder. After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me around $1.75.
The Card / Tigers Team Set / Accuracy Index +1
Topps used this exact same photo for Wilson's 1968 card, and they'd go for the trifecta, using the photo once again for his 1970 card. The back touches on Wilson's career highlights, including his 1962 no-hitter, his skill at the plate and his winning nine straight games in 1966 after being traded from the Red Sox. In August 1966, Wilson was 7-0 in seven starts with four complete games and a 2.30 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings pitched.
Accuracy Index: The uniform is accurate (+5), but collectors would have seen this photo before (-4).
1969 Season
Coming off his appearance in the 1968 World Series, Wilson had another solid season in 1969. He was 12-10 with a 3.31 ERA in 35 starts for the Tigers, with only McLain and Lolich starting more games. Wilson threw 214 2/3 innings, eclipsing the 200-inning plateau for the seventh and final time in his career. On June 15th, Wilson authored a two-hit shutout against the Athletics.
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First Mainstream Card: 1960 Topps #249
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11): 1960-61, 1963-71
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2001 Fleer Boston Red Sox 100th Anniversary #50
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 76 in the Beckett online database as of 2/1/25.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog
1965 Topps Blog
#524 Expos Rookie Stars / #526 Hector Torres - Houston Astros
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