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Robert Thomas Asrpomonte
Atlanta Braves
Outfield-Third Base
Born: June 19, 1938, Brooklyn, NY
Signed: Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent, June 20, 1956
Major League Teams: Brooklyn Dodgers 1956; Los Angeles Dodgers 1960-61; Houston Colt .45s 1962-64; Houston Astros 1965-68; Atlanta Braves 1969-70; New York Mets 1971
A strong defensive third baseman, Bob Aspromonte's claims to fame include being the first ever third baseman for the Houston Colt .45s/Astros and for being the last Brooklyn Dodgers player active in the major leagues. Aspromonte appeared in one game for the 1956 Dodgers as a September call-up and then wouldn't return to the majors until making the club's opening day roster in 1960. Left unprotected in the 1961 expansion draft, Aspromonte was the third pick by the Colt .45s and he'd serve as the regular third baseman for the team until 1968. He enjoyed his best season in 1964, batting .280 with career highs in both home runs (12) and RBIs (69).
Traded to the Braves before the 1969 season, Aspromonte saw his lone postseason play that year, going 0 for 3 against the Mets in the NLCS. He retired with 1,103 hits, 60 home runs, 457 RBIs and a .252 average. He threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Astros game on April 10, 2012, marking the club's 50th anniversary and he was in the inaugural class of inductees into the Houston Astros Hall of Fame in 2019. Aspromonte's older brother Ken appeared in seven big league seasons between 1957 and 1963 with the Red Sox, Senators, Indians (twice), Angels, Braves and Cubs.
Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.
Building the Set / Card #464
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 / Braves Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
1969 Season
On December 4, 1968, the Astros dealt Aspromonte to the Braves in exchange for infielder Marty Martinez (#337). A reserve at this point in his career, Aspromonte made 43 starts for the Braves in 1969 - 22 at third base and 21 in left field. He batted .253 with three home runs and 24 RBIs. In his sole postseason experience, Aspromonte pinch-hit in all three NLCS games against the Mets, grounding out and popping up twice against Tom Seaver (#480), Tug McGraw (#601) and Nolan Ryan (#533).
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 20th 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 / Braves Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
Topps impressively got a photo of Aspromonte in his new Braves uniform, likely during spring training. I also appreciate how Topps tilted the photo so that the purple name/position circle wouldn't cover part of Aspromonte's head. The cartoon on the back highlights his strong defense at third base, while the write-up mentions his record six grand slams. Aspromonte held Houston's franchise record for grand slams until Carlos Lee passed him when he hit his seventh grand slam in 2011.
Accuracy Index: It's a solid +5 for Aspromonte's card, and I'd give it a few bonus points given the quick turn-around by Topps.
1969 Season
On December 4, 1968, the Astros dealt Aspromonte to the Braves in exchange for infielder Marty Martinez (#337). A reserve at this point in his career, Aspromonte made 43 starts for the Braves in 1969 - 22 at third base and 21 in left field. He batted .253 with three home runs and 24 RBIs. In his sole postseason experience, Aspromonte pinch-hit in all three NLCS games against the Mets, grounding out and popping up twice against Tom Seaver (#480), Tug McGraw (#601) and Nolan Ryan (#533).
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First Mainstream Card: 1960 Topps #547
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13): 1960-72
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1972 Topps #659
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 95 in the Beckett online database as of 2/15/25.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog
1965 Topps Blog
#541 Joe Verbanic - New York Yankees / #543 Fred Newman - Boston Red Sox
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