 |
 |
Robert Nathan Floyd
Baltimore Orioles
Infield
Born: October 20, 1943, Hawthorne, CA
Signed: Signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent before 1964 season
Major League Teams: Baltimore Orioles 1968-70; Kansas City Royals 1970-74
Larry Wayne Burchart
Cleveland Indians
Pitcher
Born: February 8, 1946, Tulsa, OK
Drafted: Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 3rd round of the 1967 amateur draft, June 6, 1967
Major League Teams: Cleveland Indians 1969
Roland Glen Fingers
Oakland Athletics
Pitcher
Born: August 25, 1946, Steubenville, OH
Signed: Signed by the Kansas City Athletics as an amateur free agent, December 24, 1964
Major League Teams: Oakland Athletics 1968-76; San Diego Padres 1977-80; Milwaukee Brewers 1981-82, 1984-85
World Series Appearances: Oakland Athletics 1972-74
Hall of Fame Induction: 1992
Hall of Fame Induction: 1992
After a successful collegiate career at Oklahoma State University, and two successful seasons in the Dodgers' minor league system, Larry Burchart was selected by the Indians in the 1968 rule 5 draft. He'd join Cleveland's bullpen for the 1969 season, appearing in 29 games and pitching to a 4.25 ERA in 42 1/3 innings pitched. Burchart had his season, and likely his career, cut short following a violent collision at first base with the Red Sox' George Scott (#574). Having torn muscles in his pitching shoulder, Burchart pitched for two more seasons in the minor leagues before retiring from baseball.
With his signature handle-bar mustache, Rollie Fingers authored a 17-season Hall of Fame career, winning three World Series rings with the Athletics and earning both American League MVP and Cy Young Award honors in 1981. Fingers helped usher in the modern closer role, dominating at the back-end of the bullpen, and leading the league in saves in 1977 (35), 1978 (37) and the strike-shortened 1981 (28). He was a seven-time All-Star, including four straight appearances with the Athletics between 1973 and 1976. That run corresponded with the Athletics dynasty that won three straight World Championships between 1972 and 1974. Fingers was the MVP of the 1974 series, after winning the first game and saving the final three wins. He departed Oakland in 1976 as a free agent, and after four dominant seasons with the Padres, Fingers joined the Brewers for the final act of his career.
He helped pitch the Brewers to their first postseason berth in 1981, going 6-3 with a 1.04 ERA in 78 innings pitched. Fingers retired following the 1985 season as the all-time saves leader with 341, the record until surpassed by Jeff Reardon in 1992. He was 114-118 lifetime with a 2.90 ERA in 1,701 1/3 innings pitched, and his 709 career games finished still ranks fifth all-time. Fingers was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992, the second reliever in the Hall, after Hoyt Wilhelm (#565). His #34 was retired by both the Athletics and the Brewers.
Building the Set / Card #543
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 over the past seven months, I've composted a post for each of the 98 commons and semi-stars I pulled from the binder.
But I had one more card to purchase from Uncle Dick's Cards. My Dad taught me one particular negotiation tactic at some of the earliest baseball card shows we attended together, held inside the Ocean City Music Pier in the early to mid-1980s. I had already expressed interest in this Hall of Fame rookie card before diving into the last binder of commons. After totaling the cards I had committed to purchase, I asked the dealer what kind of a deal he could give me on the Fingers card, seeing as I had just shown him I was an interested buyer. The suggested price offered was lower than the sale price on the sticker, and I added this key card from the set to my day's haul.
The Card / Orioles Team Set / Indians Team Set / Athletics Team Set
Floyd Accuracy Index -3 / Burchart Accuracy Index +5 / Fingers Accuracy Index +5
No offense to Floyd or Burchart, but this card is rightfully known as the "Rollie Fingers rookie card," and I would have been hard pressed to name the other two players with Fingers before adding this card to our set. Topps has reprinted the card a few times over the years, both with Floyd and Burchart and without. They created a great "card that never was" in 2018 for Fingers to sign as part of the Topps Heritage release.
No offense to Floyd or Burchart, but this card is rightfully known as the "Rollie Fingers rookie card," and I would have been hard pressed to name the other two players with Fingers before adding this card to our set. Topps has reprinted the card a few times over the years, both with Floyd and Burchart and without. They created a great "card that never was" in 2018 for Fingers to sign as part of the Topps Heritage release.
Accuracy Index: Burchart and Fingers both score a +5, and Floyd loses points for the mystery jersey and lack of a hat.
1969 Season - Floyd
Floyd appeared in 39 games for the Orioles, batting .202 with four doubles. He made 19 starts all season - 12 at shortstop, backing up Belanger, five at second base and two at third base. His other appearances came as a late inning defensive replacement, and he made one pinch-hitting appearance all season, going 0 for 1.
Floyd appeared in 39 games for the Orioles, batting .202 with four doubles. He made 19 starts all season - 12 at shortstop, backing up Belanger, five at second base and two at third base. His other appearances came as a late inning defensive replacement, and he made one pinch-hitting appearance all season, going 0 for 1.
|
|
|
|
Other Notable Baseball Cards - Floyd
First Mainstream Card: 1969 Topps #597
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5): 1969-72, 1974
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1997 Topps Stars Rookie Reprints #5
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 30 in the Beckett online database as of 8/3/25.
Sources - Floyd:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
First Mainstream Card: 1969 Topps #597
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5): 1969-72, 1974
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1997 Topps Stars Rookie Reprints #5
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 30 in the Beckett online database as of 8/3/25.
Sources - Floyd:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
1969 Season - Burchart
Burchart had to remain on the Indians' roster all season given they had picked him up in the rule 5 draft. He appeared in five games for the Indians in April, before his collision with Scott during the game on April 18th. Burchart would miss two months while recovering, and likely should have taken more time to heal. He'd pitch fairly well upon his return though, and for the season Burchart was 0-2 with a 4.25 ERA.
Burchart had to remain on the Indians' roster all season given they had picked him up in the rule 5 draft. He appeared in five games for the Indians in April, before his collision with Scott during the game on April 18th. Burchart would miss two months while recovering, and likely should have taken more time to heal. He'd pitch fairly well upon his return though, and for the season Burchart was 0-2 with a 4.25 ERA.
1969 Season - Fingers
Following a September call-up in 1968, Fingers came up for good in 1969. He began the season as a fifth starter for the Athletics, but found most of his work from the bullpen. In 60 appearances, including eight starts, Fingers was 6-7 with a 3.71 ERA in 119 innings pitched. No other reliever was used more frequently than him, and Fingers led the club with 12 saves.
Following a September call-up in 1968, Fingers came up for good in 1969. He began the season as a fifth starter for the Athletics, but found most of his work from the bullpen. In 60 appearances, including eight starts, Fingers was 6-7 with a 3.71 ERA in 119 innings pitched. No other reliever was used more frequently than him, and Fingers led the club with 12 saves.
|
|
|
|
|
Other Notable Baseball Cards - Burchart
First Mainstream Card: 1969 Topps #597
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2): 1969-70
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1997 Topps Stars Rookie Reprints #5
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 6 in the Beckett online database as of 8/3/25.
Sources - Burchart:
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia
First Mainstream Card: 1969 Topps #597
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2): 1969-70
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1997 Topps Stars Rookie Reprints #5
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 6 in the Beckett online database as of 8/3/25.
Sources - Burchart:
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia
Other Notable Baseball Cards - Fingers
First Mainstream Card: 1969 Topps #597
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (18): 1969-86
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2025 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-RF
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 966 in the Beckett online database as of 8/3/25.
Sources - Fingers:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
First Mainstream Card: 1969 Topps #597
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (18): 1969-86
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2025 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-RF
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 966 in the Beckett online database as of 8/3/25.
Sources - Fingers:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
|
|
|
|
|
