#615 Len Gabrielson - Los Angeles Dodgers

Leonard Gary Gabrielson
Los Angeles Dodgers
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  210
Born:  February 14, 1940, Oakland, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent, July 19, 1959
Major League Teams:  Milwaukee Braves 1960, 1963-64; Chicago Cubs 1964-65; San Francisco Giants 1965-66; California Angels 1967; Los Angeles Dodgers 1967-70

Len Gabrielson was a corner outfielder who bounced around a bit before settling in with the Dodgers in the late 1960s.  Acquired by the Cubs in June 1964, the club was confident enough in his potential to trade away Lou Brock (#85) to the Cardinals, inserting Gabrielson in Brock's place as their regular right fielder.  Less than a year later, he was on the move again, traded to the Giants.  Gabrielson found some success with the Dodgers after a short stint with the Angels, and he appeared in 324 games for the team over four seasons as a regular left fielder or later as a left-handed bat off the bench.  Gabrielson hit a career high 10 home runs in 1968, leading the Dodgers.

In parts of nine seasons, Gabrielson played in 708 games, hitting .253 with 37 home runs and 176 RBIs.

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

Building the Set / Card #512
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 68th 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 $1.50.

The Card / Dodgers Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Photos from the same session are used for both Gabrielson's 1968 and 1969 Topps cards.  The back of the card highlights his team-leading 10 home runs in 1968, and the cartoon goes all the way back to 1960 when Gabrielson had 24 outfield assists with the Jacksonville Braves.  (The cartoon contains an uncorrected error as Jacksonville is in the South Atlantic League and not the International League.)

Accuracy Index:  Gabrielson's card is the latest +5.

1969 Season
Despite his relative success the prior season with the Dodgers, Gabrielson was back in a reserve role for much of 1969.  He was Walter Alston's (#24) opening day right fielder, but he'd make just 42 starts all season, as more outfield playing time went to Manny Mota (#236), Willie Davis (#65), Andy Kosco (#139), Willie Crawford (#327) and Bill Russell.  Gabrielson batted .270 with a home run and 18 RBIs.

1963 Topps #253

1965 Topps #14

1966 Topps #395

1968 Topps #357

1970 Topps #204

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #253
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (8):  1963-70
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1970 Topps #204
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  28 in the Beckett online database as of 5/25/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#614 Astros Rookie Stars / #616 Don McMahon - Detroit Tigers

#611 Braves Rookie Stars - Bob Didier / Walt Hriniak / Gary Neibauer

Robert Daniel Didier
Atlanta Braves
Catcher

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  190
Born:  February 16, 1949, Hattiesburg, MS
Drafted:  Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 4th round of the 1967 amateur draft, June 6, 1967
Major League Teams:  Atlanta Braves 1969-72; Detroit Tigers 1973; Boston Red Sox 1974

Walter John Hriniak
Atlanta Braves
Catcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  180
Born:  May 22, 1943, Natick, MA
Signed:  Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent, June 15, 1961
Major League Teams:  Atlanta Braves 1968-69; San Diego Padres 1969

Gary Wayne Neibauer
Atlanta Braves
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  200
Born:  October 29, 1944, Billings, MT
Drafted:  Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 2nd round of the 1966 amateur draft, June 7, 1966
Major League Teams:  Atlanta Braves 1969-72; Philadelphia Phillies 1972; Atlanta Braves 1973

Selected by the Braves in the 1965 draft, Bob Didier made the team's opening day roster in 1969 and would appear in a career-high 114 games throughout his rookie season.  As the team's most regularly used catcher, he batted .256 with 16 doubles and 32 RBIs, helping the Braves to the National League West pennant and earning the catcher's spot on the Topps 1969 All-Star Rookie squad.  He'd never repeat the success from his rookie season, dealing with arm and back injuries throughout the rest of his playing career.  Didier retired as a player in 1976, after a few seasons in the minor leagues, and pivoted to a coaching role.  He managed and coached in the minor leagues until the early 2010s, and served on the big league coaching staffs of the Athletics (1984-86) and Mariners (1989-90).  In 247 big league games, Didier batted .229 with 51 RBIs.

Walt Hriniak played in only parts of two major league seasons with the Braves and Padres, but he'd develop into one of the best and well-known hitting coaches in the game in the 1980s and 1990s.  Hriniak was a September call-up by the Braves in 1968, and he'd play in seven games for the team early in the 1969 season before a trade in mid-June sent him to the Padres.  He'd appear in 31 games for the Padres in their inaugural season, his last action as a player in the majors.  Hriniak played in the minors through the 1973 season.  His coaching journey began in the minor leagues, and Hriniak became known as a tireless and precise batting practice pitcher.  He'd soon be sharing his hitting theories as a coach with the Expos (1974-75), Red Sox (1977-88) and White Sox (1989-1995), with Carl Yastrzemski (#130), Wade Boggs and Frank Thomas among his students.  It's amazing that Hriniak, a lifetime .253 batter in the majors with no extra-base hits, would go on to be the trusted hitting advisor to many Hall of Famers.

Gary Neibauer spent parts of five seasons in the majors, with all but nine of his 75 appearances coming with the Braves.  Neibauer relieved in a career-high 29 games in his rookie season of 1969, going 1-2 with a 3.90 ERA.  He'd bounce back and forth between Atlanta and their Triple-A team in Richmond in 1970 and 1971, and was dealt to the Phillies in mid-June 1972.  After a brief stint with the Phillies, Neibauer returned to the Braves in 1973, pitching in his final 16 big league games.  Overall, he was 4-8 with a 4.78 ERA and one save in 148 2/3 innings pitched.

Building the Set / Card #511
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 67th of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me less than $3.

The Card / Braves Team Set

Didier Accuracy Index +5 / Hriniak Accuracy Index +5 / Neibauer Accuracy Index +5
This is one of 11 Rookie Stars cards featuring a trio of players from the seventh and final series of the set.  That's 33 additional rookies or prospects Topps felt the need to squeeze into last series of their 1969 set, giving collectors a look at a bunch of rookies who, in most cases, had spent time or been a contributor to their team throughout the year.  Didier is wearing a Braves hat and jersey, and Topps gave us a better look at his catching gear on his 1970 card.  This is the rookie card for all three players.

Accuracy Index:  All three players score a +5 for their accurate depictions.

1969 Season - Didier
Bob Tillman (#374) got the opening day start behind the plate for the Braves, but Didier started the next five games and quickly earned more playing time than the veteran Tillman.  He'd start 108 games overall, with Tillman getting 52 starts and fellow catcher Hriniak making a pair of starts.  In the NLCS against the Mets, Didier went 0 for 11 as the Braves were swept in three games.

1970 Topps #232

1971 Topps #432

1973 Topps #574

1974 Topps #482

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Didier
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #611
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1969-71, 1973-74
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Fleer ProCards #986
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  31 in the Beckett online database as of 5/24/25.

Sources - Didier:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

1969 Season - Hriniak
Hriniak broke a bone in his right thumb, starting the season on the disabled list and handing the catching duties to Didier.  It's likely by the time this card was created, he was already with the Padres organization, as he was traded on June 13th with Andy Finlay and Van Kelly for Tony Gonzalez (#501).  Hriniak started 17 games behind the plate for the Padres, backing up their regular, Chris Cannizzaro (#131).  He'd play in his final big league game on September 30th.

1969 Season - Neibauer
I'm not sure if Neibauer made the Braves' opening day roster or not, as he did start three games at some point during the season for their top affiliate in Richmond.  With Atlanta, he was one of manager Lum Harris' (#196) most frequently used relievers, pitching 57 2/3 innings.  Only closer Cecil Upshaw (#568) with 105 1/3 innings pitched in relief had more action.  Neibauer pitched a scoreless inning in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Mets.

Phillies Career - Neibauer
On June 15, 1972, the Braves traded Neibauer and Jim Nash (#546) to the Phillies for Joe Hoerner (#522) and Andre Thornton.  It was a very good deal for the Braves, and a very bad deal for the Phillies.  Neibauer pitched in nine games for the Phillies throughout the summer and was 0-2 with a 5.30 ERA in 18 2/3 innings pitched.  He was either injured or just not used, given his limited appearances out of the bullpen throughout the second half of the season.  He'd start the 1973 season with the Triple-A Eugene Emeralds before being released by the Phillies on June 22nd, and re-signing with the Braves that same day.  Neibauer's very brief stint with the Phillies did result in him appearing in the team's 1972 photo card set.

1970 Topps #392

1970 Topps #384

1971 Topps #668

1972 Topps #149

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Hriniak
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #611
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1969-70
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1970 Topps #392
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  14 in the Beckett online database as of 5/24/25.

Sources - Hriniak:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Neibauer
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #611
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1969-72
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1972 Topps #149
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  11 in the Beckett online database as of 5/24/25.

Sources - Neibauer:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
The Phillies Room

#610 Jim Hardin - Baltimore Orioles / #612 Jack Aker - Seattle Pilots

#610 Jim Hardin - Baltimore Orioles

James Warren Hardin
Baltimore Orioles
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  175
Born:  August 6, 1943, Morris Chapel, TN
Signed:  Signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent before 1962 season
Major League Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 1967-71; New York Yankees 1971; Atlanta Braves 1972

Died:  March 9, 1991, Key West, FL (age 47)

Originally drafted by the expansion Mets, Jim Hardin pitched for four seasons in the Mets' organization before being drafted by the Orioles in November 1965 in the minor league draft.  He'd earn a promotion in June 1967, taking the roster spot of an injured Jim Palmer (#573).  Hardin pitched well over the second half of the 1967 season (8-3, 2.27 ERA in 111 innings pitched), but pitched even better in 1968, his first full season in the majors.  Hardin was 18-13 that year with a 2.51 ERA in 35 starts, throwing 244 innings, second on the club to only Dave McNally (#340) with 273 innings pitched.  Hardin was a key contributor to the Orioles dynasty that won American League East pennants in 1969, 1970 and 1971, and won the World Series in 1970.  However, Hardin didn't appear in any postseason games with the Orioles.

Arm problems derailed his career during the 1970 season.  He'd pitch sparingly with the Orioles and Yankees in 1971, finishing up his big league time pitching in 26 games with the Braves in 1972.  In parts of six seasons, Hardin was 43-32 with a 3.18 ERA in 751 2/3 innings pitched.  He struck out 408 to just 202 walks in the majors.

Building the Set / Card #510
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 66th of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me less than $1.50.

The Card / Orioles Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This is Hardin's second appearance in the set, as he graced one of only four Combo Player Cards from Series 6.  He's one of four "Bird Hill Aces" (#532) on the card along with Tom Phoebus (#185), McNally and Mike Cuellar (#453).  The photo used for Hardin's solo card was likely taken at the same time as the combo photo, during 1969 spring training.  The cartoon on the back shows how Hardin came to the Orioles from the Mets, and the write-up highlights his success during the 1968 season.  He was 5-1 overall against the Senators, with a 2.09 ERA in 51 2/3 innings pitched.

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

1969 Season
Coming off his best season, Hardin bounced between the starting rotation and the bullpen in 1969, finishing with a 6-7 record and a 3.60 ERA in 30 games, including 20 starts.  On May 10th, he hit a walk-off home run off the Royals' Moe Drabowsky (#508) to give the Orioles a 6-5 win.  He'd hit a three-run home run against the White Sox in a 17-0 shutout victory on July 27th.

1968 Topps #222

1970 Topps #656

1971 Topps #491

1972 Topps #287

1973 Topps #124

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1968 Topps #222
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1968-73
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1973 Topps #124
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  27 in the Beckett online database as of 5/24/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#609 Phil Gagliano - St. Louis Cardinals / #611 Braves Rookie Stars

#609 Phil Gagliano - St. Louis Cardinals

Philip Joseph Gagliano
St. Louis Cardinals
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  180
Born:  December 27, 1941, Memphis, TN
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent, September 6, 1959
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1963-70; Chicago Cubs 1970; Boston Red Sox 1971-72; Cincinnati Reds 1973-74

World Series Appearances:  St. Louis Cardinals 1967-68
Died:  December 20, 2016, Hollister, MO (age 74)

Phil Gagliano was a key utility player for the Cardinals throughout the 1960s, and he'd play every position except pitcher, catcher and center fielder over his 12-year big league career.  Gagliano appeared in a career high 122 games in 1965, mostly filling in for slumping second baseman, Julian Javier (#497).  He was a member of the Cardinals' pennant-winning teams in 1964, 1967 and 1968, and he'd play in his only winning World Series with the club in 1967 when St. Louis defeated the Red Sox in seven games.  Gagliano would continue in his utility role with the Cardinals until a trade in May 1970 sent him to the Cubs.  He'd spend just a season with the Cubs before landing with the Red Sox and settling into a full-time pinch-hitting role.  Gagliano batted a career-high .324 with the Red Sox in 1971, serving as their top bat off the bench.  He'd move on to the Reds for the final two seasons of his career, making one last playoff appearance in the 1973 NLCS against the Mets.  Gagliano was released by the Reds following the 1974 season, ending his baseball career.

He was a career .238 batter with 14 home runs and 159 RBIs.  As a pinch-hitter, he batted .201 with 55 pinch-hits in 333 plate appearances.  Gagliano's younger brother Ralph played his sole major league game on September 21, 1965 with the Indians.

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

Building the Set / Card #509
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 65th of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me less than $1.50.

The Card / Cardinals Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Gagliano wore #16 with the Cardinals during his entire eight-year run with the club.  Topps used a picture from the same photo session on Gagliano's 1970 card.  It's odd Topps would use the Outfield designation for his position, as Gagliano ha played in the infield more than the outfield in each season he had been in the majors.  The back of the card highlights his minor league putouts in 1965 in cartoon form, and the write-up discusses his role as a super-utility player for the Cardinals.

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

1969 Season
In his last full season with the Cardinals, and now fully settled into a reserve role, Gagliano appeared in 62 games, batting .227 with a home run and 10 RBIs.  He made 26 starts all season - 15 at second base, five each at first base and third base, and one start in right field.  Gagliano had a rough time of it as a pinch-hitter, batting just .095 (2 for 21).

1964 Topps #568

1967 Topps #304

1970 Topps #143

1972 Topps #472

1974 Topps #622

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #568
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1964-74
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1974 Topps #622
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  32 in the Beckett online database as of 5/24/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#608 Dick Simpson - New York Yankees / #610 Jim Hardin - Baltimore Orioles

#608 Dick Simpson - New York Yankees

Richard Charles Simpson
New York Yankees
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  176
Born:  July 28, 1943, Washington, DC
Signed:  Signed by the Los Angeles Angels as an amateur free agent before 1961 season
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Angels 1962-65; Cincinnati Reds 1966-67; St. Louis Cardinals 1968; Houston Astros 1968; New York Yankees 1969; Seattle Pilots 1969

Dick Simpson played in seven major league seasons, seeing the most action in 1966 with 92 games for the Reds and in 1968 with 47 starts for the Astros.  In 1969, his final year in the majors, Simpson played in 26 games for the Pilots during their first and last season, batting .176.  He appeared in 288 career games, and had a .207 average with 15 home runs, 56 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.

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

1969 Seattle Pilots 5x7

Building the Set / Card #508
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 64th 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 / Yankees Team Set / Accuracy Index -8

Simpson appeared on four multi-player Rookie Stars cards between 1963 and 1966, before getting his first solo baseball card appearance in 1967.  It's hard to say for certain, but I'm guessing he's wearing a Reds away jersey in this photo.  Two trades are mentioned on the back of the card.  The write-up covers his trade from the Astros to the Yankees, and the cartoon suitcase is for his trade from the Orioles to the Reds, which saw Frank Robinson (#250) join the Orioles in 1965.

Accuracy Index:  I get the sense Topps is grasping for players to feature towards the end of the set, and Simpson's card is another in a run of -8 scores.

1969 Season
Simpson was on the move quite a bit over his final two seasons in the majors.  He was a member of four different organizations in 1968, spending time on the payrolls of the Reds, Cardinals, Astros and Yankees.  The Astros traded him to the Yankees on December 4, 1968 for Dooley Womack (#594), and Simpson began the season as a back-up outfielder for the Yankees, appearing in six games.  On May 19th, he was traded again to the Pilots for Jose Vidal (#322).  Simpson was used sparingly by the Pilots, playing in 26 games for the club in May, June and August.  For the season, he batted .194 in 32 games with a pair of home runs and nine RBIs.  Simpson ended the year as part of yet another trade, going to the Giants on December 12th for Bobby Bolin (#505).

1963 Topps #407

1964 Topps #127

1966 Topps #311

1967 Topps #6

1968 Topps #459

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #407
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1963-69
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #608
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  24 in the Beckett online database as of 5/23/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#607 Dick Bosman - Washington Senators / #609 Phil Gagliano - St. Louis Cardinals