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Jonathan Edgar Warden
Kansas City Royals
Pitcher
Born: October 1, 1946, Columbus, OH
Drafted: Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 4th round of the 1966 amateur draft, January 29, 1966
Major League Teams: Detroit Tigers 1968
Jon Warden relieved in 28 games for the eventual 1968 World Champion Tigers, his only taste of the major leagues in his six professional seasons in baseball. Warden was an early draft pick by the Tigers in 1966, and he'd quickly rise through the minor league ranks, earning a spot on the Tigers' opening day roster in 1968. He'd end April with a 3-0 record and a 0.00 ERA in 3 2/3 innings of work. Warden missed time during the season while serving in the Army Reserve, but he'd end the season as one of the top arms out of the Tigers' bullpen, with a 4-1 record and a 3.62 ERA in 37 1/3 innings pitched. Warden was one of an impressive nine pitchers on the Tigers' pitching staff with a save, with his save tally at three for the year. Included on the Tigers' World Series roster, he was the only player from both teams not to make it into the series. The Tigers would defeat the Cardinals in seven games.
Left unprotected in the expansion draft, Warden was taken as the 12th pick by the Royals, but a rotator cuff injury cost him a job with the expansion club. He spent the season in the minors, earning a September call-up, but never pitching in a game with the Royals. He'd pitch for two more seasons in the minors before retiring in 1971.
Building the Set / Card #522
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.
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 78th 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 / Royals Team Set / Accuracy Index +2
This is Warden's first and last appearance in a Topps set, and one of his very few cardboard appearances. it's a shame he got hurt, as this is one of the nicer Royals cards in the set. The cartoon on the back of the card is fantastic, and rather than summarize from his SABR biography, he's a full passage from it to properly pay homage to Warden's musical talents.
Warden served in the Army Reserve during the 1968 season, fulfilling his duties on the weekends. He played the clarinet in his unit's band. On one Sunday in May, Warden took a plane to Ohio to play with the band but rain canceled the performance. He hopped back on a plane and was back in Detroit in time for the game that day. In July, Warden was replaced on the roster when he had to serve in the reserve for a two-week stint of clarinet playing.
Accuracy Index: Warden's card scores a rare +2, earning 10 points for the expansion uniform, but losing points since he didn't play for the Royals in 1969 (-2) or ever (-6).
1969 Season
As mentioned above, Warden never actually pitched with the Royals and his SABR biography does a great job summarizing the ups and downs of his 1969 season. With two teams in the Royals' minor league system, Warden was 8-7 with a 4.94 ERA in 25 games, including 20 starts. He threw seven complete games with a likely torn rotator cuff.
First Mainstream Card: 1969 Topps #632
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1): 1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1969 Topps #632
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 8 in the Beckett online database as of 6/6/25.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
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