#83 Mike Ferraro - Seattle Pilots

Michael Dennis Ferraro
Seattle Pilots
Third Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  175
Born:  August 18, 1944, Kingston, NY
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1962 season
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1966, 1968; Seattle Pilots 1969; Milwaukee Brewers 1972

As a Manager:  Cleveland Indians 1983; Kansas City Royals 1986
Died:  July 20, 2024, Las Vegas, NV (age 79)

Mike Ferraro played in 162 major league games in parts of four seasons, spending the most time in the big leagues as a coach in the 1980s and early 1990s.  Ferraro was a September call-up by the Yankees in 1966, making it into 10 games late in the season in an audition for the third base job that had been held by Clete Boyer (#489).  After spending all of 1967 back in the minors, he'd come up for 23 more games with the Yankees in 1968, and was the club's opening day third baseman.  Drafted by the Pilots in the expansion draft, Ferraro was on the club's opening day roster, but only played in five games before heading back down to the minors again.  He'd see the most action with the Brewers in 1972, appearing in 124 games as the club's most used third baseman.  Ferraro batted .255 with a pair of home runs and 29 RBIs, and it was to be his last action in the majors as a player.

He'd latch on with the Yankees organization as a minor league manager, joining the rebuilding American League club in 1979 as their third base coach.  Ferraro had coaching stints with the Yankees (1979-82), Royals (1984-86), Yankees again (1987-91) and Orioles (1993).  He briefly managed the Indians in 1983, beginning the season with a 40-60 record before being replaced by Pat Corrales (#382).  He won a World Series ring with the Royals in 1985, and took over as the team's manager in 1986 for an ailing Dick Howser.  Ferraro's record as a major league manager was 76-98.

Building the Set / Card #549
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Vintage Cardboard Collectibles)

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 spent the first half hour or so pulling 98 commons and semi-stars from the neon green binder of Uncle Dick's Cards, and adding the big purchase of the day, the Rollie Fingers (#597) rookie card, and after adding a few more star cards, the remaining cash I had was starting to burn a hole in my wallet.  I had noticed the common/semi-star boxes at the tables of Vintage Cardboard Collectibles, and I found 14 more cards for our 1969 Topps set and six cards for our not-yet-officially collecting 1959 Topps set.  This is the fourth of those 14 cards.  After the obligatory dealer discount, I handed over the last of my cash, and we exited the show for the drive home.

The Card / Pilots Team Set / Accuracy Index -8

Ferraro is clearly wearing a Yankees uniform here, and the photo was likely taken at the same time as the photo used on his 1968 rookie card.  His past accolades with the Yankees are mentioned on the back.  He did in fact start the first 13 games for the club at third base in 1968, before being replaced for most of the rest of the season by Bobby Cox (#237).  Ferraro was batting only .148 when he lost the starting job to Cox.

Accuracy Index:  This is an early series card, and the -8 score is fairly common until we get later in the set.

1969 Season
Ferraro played in five games for the Pilots, all in April, going 0 for 5.  On April 30th, Ferraro and Gerry Schoen were traded to the Orioles for minor leaguer Lloyd Fourroux, Tom Fisher and John O'Donoghue.  Ferraro appeared in 115 games for the Rochester Red Wings, the Orioles' top farm team, batting .279 with 19 doubles, four home runs and 40 RBIs.

1968 Topps #539

1972 Topps #613

1983 Topps Traded #32T

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1968 Topps #539
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1968-69, 1972, 1983
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1990 Topps TV New York Yankees #4
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  33 in the Beckett online database as of 8/9/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#82 Pirates Rookie Stars / #84 Bob Humphreys - Washington Senators

#40 Mayo Smith MG - Detroit Tigers

Edward Mayo Smith
Detroit Tigers
Manager

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  183
Born:  January 17, 1915, New London, MO
Drafted:  Drafted by the Philadelphia Athletics from the Detroit Tigers in the 1944 Rule 5 draft.
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Athletics 1945

As a Manager:  Philadelphia Phillies 1955-58; Cincinnati Reds 1959; Detroit Tigers 1967-70
Died:  November 24, 1977, Boynton Beach, FL (age 62)

Mayo Smith spent almost four decades in organized baseball, first as an outfielder in the Tigers, Reds, Athletics and Yankees system between 1933 and 1952, and then as a manager for the Phillies, Reds and Tigers between 1955 and 1970.  Smith's sole year as a player in the big leagues came in 1945 when he hit .212 in 73 games for the Athletics.  He was named the manager of the Phillies in October 1954 at the age of 39, replacing the outgoing Terry Moore.  The Phillies never finished above fourth place in his 3 1/2 years at the helm, and he was fired in mid-1958.  Smith briefly managed the 1959 Reds before getting fired again mid-season.

He found his most success as manager of the Tigers for four seasons, leading the Tigers to a World Series title in 1968.  The Cardinals had taken a commanding three games to one lead in that series, but the Tigers won three in a row to take the title.  Smith was named American League Manager of the Year in 1968 and would manage the Tigers for two more seasons.  He was fired following the 1970 season and replaced by Billy Martin (#547), having managed Detroit to a  363-285 record.  After a single season as a scout for the Oakland Athletics in 1971, Smith officially retired from baseball.

Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1956 Topps blog.

Building the Set / Card #548
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Vintage Cardboard Collectibles)

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 spent the first half hour or so pulling 98 commons and semi-stars from the neon green binder of Uncle Dick's Cards, and adding the big purchase of the day, the Rollie Fingers (#597) rookie card, and after adding a few more star cards, the remaining cash I had was starting to burn a hole in my wallet.  I had noticed the common/semi-star boxes at the tables of Vintage Cardboard Collectibles, and I found 14 more cards for our 1969 Topps set and six cards for our not-yet-officially collecting 1959 Topps set.  This is the third of those 14 cards.  After the obligatory dealer discount, I handed over the last of my cash, and we exited the show for the drive home.

The Card / Tigers Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This card is almost identical to Smith's card in the 1968 Topps set, as the photographer snapped photos as Smith turned right and then left.  The back of the card highlights the Tigers' recent World Series win.

Accuracy Index:  Smith's card earns a solid +5.

1969 Season
The Tigers weren't able to defend their World Championship title, going 90-72 for the season, and finishing 19 games behind the powerhouse Orioles in the American League East.  Pitching was once again the Tigers' strength, with Denny McLain (#150) going 24-9 with a 2.80 ERA in 325 innings pitched.  McLain led the league in wins, starts (with 49) and shutouts (with nine).  He'd win his second straight Cy Young Award.  Mickey Lolich (#270) had a solid season too, going 19-11 with a 3.14 ERA.  The offense was paced by center fielder Jim Northrup (#580), who batted .295 with 25 home runs and 66 RBIs.  Left fiedler Willie Horton (#180) led the team in both main power categories with 28 home runs and 91 RBIs.

Pitching coach Johnny Sain was fired in August following public disagreements with Smith on how to handle the pitching staff.

Phillies Career
Smith's record as Phillies manager was 264-282-2, and his best season came in 1957 when the Phillies battled at the top of the division until mid-July.  That team finished the season right at .500 with a 77-77 record.  The play was much of the same at the start of the 1958 season, and the Phillies reached a winning record on July 12th at 39-38.  However, the team lost eight of their next nine games and Smith was fired on July 22nd.  Whiz Kids manager Eddie Sawyer was brought back to replace Smith, his second managerial stint with the club.

Smith received two mainstream baseball cards to mark his time with the Phillies, in the 1955 and 1956 Topps sets.  He also appears in the 1956, 1957 and 1958 Jay Publishing Phillies sets, as well as in the oddball 1956 Topps Pins and 1956 Topps Hocus Focus sets.  He's also in the rare 1955 Felin's Franks Match the Phillies set, which according to my edition of the Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards, may not have actually been released.

1955 Topps #130

1967 Topps #321

1968 Topps #544

1970 Topps #313

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Topps #130
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1955-56, 1967-70
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1970 Topps #313
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  26 in the Beckett online database as of 8/9/25.

Update Cards

For my 1965 Topps blog, I used the team card posts to come up with five or six candidates per team for an imaginary update series.  With no team cards in the 1969 Topps set, I'll use each manager card for this exercise, and come up with a list of deserving cards to be included in an 8th/update series.  Maybe because they were the defending World Championships, and they're weren't a lot of offseason moves, but just about every player to play for the Tigers in 1969 received a card in the set.

• Tom Tresh (ss) - This is probably the only "must" for the update set, as Tom Tresh (#212) appears in the set with the Yankees, but after a mid-June trade, he became the everyday second baseman for the Tigers.
• Ike Brown (2b) - Ike Brown's rookie card is in the 1970 Topps set.  He played in 70 games for the Tigers in 1969.
• Mike Kilkenny (lhp) - Lefty swingman Mike Kilkenny is in the set on a Rookie Stars card (#544), but I'd give him a solo card.
• Tom Timmermann (rhp) - Like Brown, Timmermann would receive a rookie card in the 1970 Topps set.
• Cesar Gutierrez (ss) - Infielder Cesar Gutierrez came to the Tigers late in the season from the Giants.  He's on a Rookie Stars card (#16) with the Giants, and his appearance here is a push.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference - Smith / Baseball Reference - 1969 Tigers / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1956 Topps Blog / The Phillies Room

#39 Dick Hughes - St. Louis Cardinals / #41 Bob Barton - San Francisco Giants

#11 1968 A.L. Strikeout Leaders - Sam McDowell / Denny McLain / Luis Tiant

Beginning in 1961, Topps started including league leader cards in its sets and there are 12 league leaders cards kicking off the 1969 Topps set.  League leader cards can be found at the beginning of each Topps set issued in 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968 and 1969.

Building the Set / Card #547
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Vintage Cardboard Collectibles)

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 spent the first half hour or so pulling 98 commons and semi-stars from the neon green binder of Uncle Dick's Cards, and adding the big purchase of the day, the Rollie Fingers (#597) rookie card, and after adding a few more star cards, the remaining cash I had was starting to burn a hole in my wallet.  I had noticed the common/semi-star boxes at the tables of Vintage Cardboard Collectibles, and I found 14 more cards for our 1969 Topps set and six cards for our not-yet-officially collecting 1959 Topps set.  This is the second of those 14 cards.  After the obligatory dealer discount, I handed over the last of my cash, and we exited the show for the drive home.

The Card / Indians Team Set / Tigers Team Set

I initially thought maybe this was the first League Leaders card to feature no Hall of Famers, but looking back there are actually five cards in the 12-card League Leaders subset that fit into that category.  On September 26, 1968, the penultimate day of the regular season, Denny McLain (#150) had 276 strikeouts, Luis Tiant (#560) was third with 264 and Sam McDowell (#220) had 272.  McDowell turned in an 11 strikeout performance against the Orioles in a four-hit shutout, catapulting him into the lead.  McLain would strike out four in his final start of the season the next day, a tune-up for the World Series against the Cardinals.  McDowell led the league in strikeouts five times, peaking with a career-high 325 in 1965.  McLain never before and never again came close to his 1968 tally of 280.  The same can be said for El Tiante, who crossed the 200 strikeout plateau three times during his career, in 1967 with 219, in 1968 with his career-high 264 and in 1973 with 206. 

The Orioles' Eddie Watt (#652) got cheated out of recognition on the card, as he was one of three American League pitchers with 72 strikeouts in 1968.  Topps included Wilbur Wood (#123) twice, showing him with 74 and 72 strikeouts, and the latter was meant to be Watt.  And I found one more uncorrected error in that Clyde Wright (#583) only had 71 strikeouts per Baseball Reference.

#10 1968 N.L. Pitching Leaders / #12 1968 N.L. Strikeout Leaders

#8 1968 N.L. ERA Leaders - Bob Gibson / Bobby Bolin / Bob Veale

Beginning in 1961, Topps started including league leader cards in its sets and there are 12 league leaders cards kicking off the 1969 Topps set.  League leader cards can be found at the beginning of each Topps set issued in 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968 and 1969.

Building the Set / Card #546
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Vintage Cardboard Collectibles)

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 spent the first half hour or so pulling 98 commons and semi-stars from the neon green binder of Uncle Dick's Cards, and adding the big purchase of the day, the Rollie Fingers (#597) rookie card, and after adding a few more star cards, the remaining cash I had was starting to burn a hole in my wallet.  I had noticed the common/semi-star boxes at the tables of Vintage Cardboard Collectibles, and I found 14 more cards for our 1969 Topps set and six cards for our not-yet-officially collecting 1959 Topps set.  This is the first of those 14 cards.  After the obligatory dealer discount, I handed over the last of my cash, and we exited the show for the drive home.

The Card / Cardinals Team Set / Giants Team Set / Pirates Team Set

It's Bob, Bobby and Bob on the ERA League Leaders card, and given Bob Gibson's (#200) stunningly low 1.12 ERA from the year of the pitcher, he could have appeared on this card all by himself.  Bobby Bolin's (#505) 1.98 ERA isn't too shabby either, although according to Baseball Reference, it actually rounds up to 1.99.  Baseball Reference goes the opposite way for Bob Veale (#520), rounding his ERA down to 2.05 for the season.  Gibson's historic mark is the third lowest in National League history if you count Tim Keefe's 0.86 mark in 105 innings pitched in 1880.  Mordecai Brown is a more accurate comparison, as his ERA was 1.04 in 1906 in 277 1/3 innings pitched.  Gibson's mark came over 304 2/3 innings, which included 28 complete games (out of 34 starts) and 13 shutouts.  This was the only year in Gibson's 17-year career in which he led the league in ERA.  Bolin and Veale would never have a mark this low again.

The back of the card lists every eligible pitcher with at least 162 innings thrown in 1968, rounding out with the Phillies' Rick Wise (#188) and his 4.55 ERA in 182 innings pitched.  Having some more room, Topps gave collectors a list of essentially the top relievers, with Ronnie Kline (#and his 1.67 ERA leading the way.

#7 1968 A.L. ERA Leaders / #9 1968 A.L. Pitching Leaders

#650 Ted Williams MG - Washington Senators

Theodore Samuel Williams

Washington Senators
Manager

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  205
Born:  August 30, 1918, San Diego, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent in 1936
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 1939-42, 1946-60

World Series Appearances:  Boston Red Sox 1946
As a Manager:  Washington Senators 1969-71; Texas Rangers 1972
Died:  July 5, 2002, Inverness, FL (age 83)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1966

Known affectionately throughout his career as The Kid, Teddy Ballgame and the Splendid Splinter, Ted Williams is one of the greatest hitters of all-time.  Other than his rookie campaign of 1939, his years serving in World War II (1943-45) and his first year in Korea (1952), Williams was named to the American League All-Star team every year he was active, making the club 19 times, including both All-Star teams in 1959 and 1960.  The MVP in 1946 and 1949, Williams is the last player to hit over .400 in a single season when he hit .406 in 1941.  His Hall of Fame plaque notes he was named Player of the Decade for the 1950s.

Williams won six batting titles, and won the Triple Crown in both 1942 and 1947.  Along with his Triple Crown years, he led the league in home runs in 1941 and 1949, and in RBIs in 1939, 1941 and 1949.  In 2,292 major league games, Williams batted .344 with 521 home runs and 1,839 RBIs.  His career on-base percentage of .482 is still the all-time record, while his slugging percentage of .634 is second all-time.  Williams was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1966, and came out of retirement in 1969 to manage the Senators.  When the Senators moved to Arlington, he was the first manager in Texas Rangers franchise history.  Williams had his #9 retired by the Red Sox and was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999.

Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1956 Topps blog.

Building the Set / Card #545
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Rookie Cards & More)

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 spent the first half hour or so pulling 98 commons and semi-stars from the neon green binder of Uncle Dick's Cards, and adding the big purchase of the day, the Rollie Fingers (#597) rookie card, I still had some energy and a little more left over in my spending budget.  Doug and I kind of walked around aimlessly for a little bit, and a display of vintage Topps cards caught my eye from the dealer Rookie Cards & More.  

The prices seemed somewhat low, and I found two cards I needed for our set - this Williams card and the Brooks Robinson All-Star (#421) card.  Bundling the cards together, I made an offer to the dealer for the pair, and with the offer accepted, we were two cards closer to completing our set.  

The Card / Senators Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This card marks Williams' first appearance in a Topps set since 1958.  Topps must have been caught somewhat off guard by his hiring as the team's manager in February 1969, as they issued a card for his predecessor, Jim Lemon (#294), early in the set, noting that Lemon had been let go in January.  Williams had already appeared in the set on one of the four combo cards (#539), with slugger Mike Epstein (#461).

Accuracy Index:  Williams is all business as he poses in his new Senators' uniform, but the greatest hitter of all-time scores a standard +5.

1969 Season
Williams was coaxed out of retirement by Senators' new owner Bob Short, with a contract reported to be in excess of $1 million.  Williams added former All-Stars Nellie Fox and Wayne Terwilliger to his coaching staff, and guided the Senators to an 86-76 record and their first winning season since joining the league in 1961.  It would actually be their only winning season in the 11 years the team played in Washington, before relocating to Texas for the 1972 season.  Slugger Frank Howard (#170) was his top hitter, winning the Senators' triple crown by batting .296 with 48 home runs and 111 RBIs.  Third baseman Ken McMullen (#319) was another bright spot, batting .272 with 19 home runs and 87 RBIs.  First baseman Epstein contributed 30 home runs, his career high.

On the mound, Dick Bosman (#607) won 14 games and led the league with a 2.19 ERA.  Closer Dennis Higgins (#441) won 10 games and saved a team-leading 16.  For his efforts turning around the Senators' fortunes, Williams was named American League Manager of the Year following the season.

1939 Play Ball #92

1954 Topps #1

1956 Topps #5

1958 Topps #1

1972 Topps #510

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1939 Play Ball #92
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1954-58, 1969-72, 1976
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2025 Topps Tribute #38
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  3,200 in the Beckett online database as of 8/6/25.

Update Cards

For my 1965 Topps blog, I used the team card posts to come up with five or six candidates per team for an imaginary update series.  With no team cards in the 1969 Topps set, I'll use each manager card for this exercise, and come up with a list of deserving cards to be included in an 8th/update series. 

• Lee Maye (rf) - Lee Maye started more games in right field than any other Senators player, and he's in the set on an Indians Rookie Stars (#595) card.
• Zoilo Versalles (inf) - Zoilo Versalles is also in the set with the Padres (#38), a team he'd never play for.  He appeared in 31 games for the Senators after playing in 72 games with the Indians.  I'd probably have him in my update set with the Indians, but maybe he gets a Senators card too if I need to fill out the checklist.
• Darold Knowles (lhp) - Darold Knowles was 9-2 with a 2.24 ERA in 53 relief appearances.  Topps skipped him entirely in its 1969 set.
• Jim Shellenback (lhp) - Jim Shellenback appeared in 30 games and made 11 starts.  He's in the set on a Pirates Rookie Stars (#567) card.
• Toby Harrah (ss) - Toby Harrah was a September call-up by the Senators and he'd go on to be a four-time All-Star.  His rookie card is in the 1972 Topps set.
• Wayne Terwilliger (coach) - If I bump the Versalles' Senators card from the set, I'd give a card to one of my Dad's all-time favorites.  How about that Wayne Ter-WILL-Iger?

Sources:  
Baseball Reference - Williams / Baseball Reference - 1969 Senators / SABR / Wikipedia

National Baseball Hall of Fame
Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1956 Topps Blog

#649 Al Jackson - New York Mets / #651 Gus Gil - Seattle Pilots

#421 Brooks Robinson AS - Baltimore Orioles

All-Star cards returned to Topps sets in 1968 under The Sporting News banner for a three-year run between 1968 and 1970.  Topps included 20 All-Star cards in its 1969 set, featuring 10 All-Stars from each league and one player from each position, including both a right-handed and left-handed pitcher.  

Building the Set / Card #544
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Rookie Cards & More)

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 spent the first half hour or so pulling 98 commons and semi-stars from the neon green binder of Uncle Dick's Cards, and adding the big purchase of the day, the Rollie Fingers (#597) rookie card, I still had some energy and a little more left over in my spending budget.  Doug and I kind of walked around aimlessly for a little bit, and a display of vintage Topps cards caught my eye from the dealer Rookie Cards & More.  

The prices seemed somewhat low, and I found two cards I needed for our set - this Brooks Robinson All-Star card and the first card showing Ted Williams (#650) as manager of the Senators.  Bundling the cards together, I made an offer to the dealer for the pair, and with the offer accepted, we were two cards closer to completing our set.  

The Card / Orioles Team Set / Carl Yastrzemski Puzzle

Topps made a good call here, as Robinson was in the midst of going to 18 straight All-Star Games in a row, between 1960 and 1974.  (They were still playing two games each year in 1960, 1961 and 1962.)  He was not the starter at third base for the American League All-Stars in 1969, however, as that honor went to the Athletics' Sal Bando (#371).  Robinson replaced Bando in the field in the top of the seventh, getting one at-bat in the bottom of the inning, and striking out against Jerry Koosman (#90).  For the record, Robinson started both games in 1961, each game between 1964 and 1968, and then again each game between 1971 and 1974.

That might be Robinson in the black and white background photo featuring more spectators than action, or it could be someone completely different.  The excellent article linked below was not able to identify the stock photo Topps used.  The backs of these All-Star cards contain a puzzle piece of either Pete Rose (#120) or Carl Yastrzemski (#130).  The back of Robinson's card features the "B" logo from Yaz's hat.

Topps All-Star Card Appearances (7):  1961-62, 1968-70, 1974-75

1961 Topps #572

1962 Topps #468

1968 Topps #365

1970 Topps #455

1974 Topps #334

Sources:  
Baseball Reference

Sports Collectors Daily - Mistaken Identities

#420 Ron Santo AS - Chicago Cubs / #422 Don Kessinger AS - Chicago Cubs

#597 A.L. Rookie Stars - Bob Floyd / Larry Burchart / Rollie Fingers

Robert Nathan Floyd
Baltimore Orioles
Infield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  180
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

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  205
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

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  190
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

Bobby Floyd put in seven seasons in the majors as a back-up infielder and pinch-hitter, appearing in a career-high 61 games with the Royals in 1971.  Blocked by Mark Belanger (#299) in Baltimore and Freddie Patek (#219) in Kansas City, Floyd started sparingly while in the majors.  He spent the entire 1969 season on the Orioles roster, but did not see any action in that year's ALDS or World Series.  Dealt to the Royals in June 1970 for Moe Drabowsky (#508), Floyd was a key reserve for the team between 1970 and 1974.  His best season came in 1973 when he batted .333 in 51 games for the Royals.  In 214 big league games, Floyd batted .219 overall with 18 doubles and 26 RBIs.  Floyd would manage in the Mariners and Mets minor league systems following his retirement as a player until the early 2000s.  He served on the Mets' coaching staff in 2001 and 2004.

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.

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.

1970 Topps #101

1971 Topps #646

1972 Topps #273

1974 Topps #41

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

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

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.

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.

1970 Topps #412

1997 Topps Stars Rookie Reprints Autographs #5

2001 Topps Archives #281

2018 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-RF

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

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

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

National Baseball Hall of Fame
Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

1970 Topps #502

1975 Topps #21

1978 Topps #140

1981 Topps Traded #761

1986 Topps #185

#596 Chuck Hartenstein - Pittsburgh Pirates / #598 Ruben Amaro - California Angels