Wednesday, October 22, 2025

#535 Phil Regan - Chicago Cubs


Philip Raymond Regan
Chicago Cubs
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  200
Born:  April 6, 1937, Otsego, MI
Signed:  Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent before 1956 season
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1960-65; Los Angeles Dodgers 1966-68; Chicago Cubs 1968-72; Chicago White Sox 1972
World Series Appearances:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1966
As a Manager:  Baltimore Orioles 1995

For parts of seven decades, Phil Regan has been involved with professional baseball as a pitcher, coach or manager.  Affectionally nicknamed "the Vulture" by Sandy Koufax for his proclivity of picking up late game wins in relief, Regan enjoyed his best seasons in the mid-1960s with the Dodgers.  Prior to coming to Los Angeles, he was a 10-game winner with the Tigers in three different seasons.  Regan was an All-Star with the Dodgers in 1966, a year in which he led the league with 21 saves and went 14-1 with a 1.62 ERA, earning him some MVP votes.  He earned National League Reliever of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year honors from The Sporting News for his career year.  Regan also pitched well for the Dodgers in that year's World Series, but his club was swept in four games by the Orioles.  He'd lead the league again in saves in 1968 with 25, then as a member of the Cubs' pitching staff.  Regan made at least 50 pitching appearances five years in a row between 1966 and 1970.  For his career, he was 96-81 over 551 games with a 3.84 ERA and 92 saves.

After retiring as a player, Regan began a long second career as a collegiate, minor and major league coach, as well as a long-time manager in the Venezuelan Winter League.  At the major league level, Regan coached with the Mariners (1984-86), Indians (1994 and 1999), Cubs (1997-98) and Mets (2019).  He managed the Orioles for one season in 1995, guiding the team to a third place finish and a 71-73 record.

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

Building the Set / 
Card #575
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)
On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show.  The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year.  I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova.  I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.

I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set.  The first place I stopped was a table with well-organized and well-marked binders of commons and semi-stars with 20% Off notes across the front of each binder.  

I took my time and found 32 commons and semi-stars needed before asking to see the dealer's star cards from the set.  It turned out this first purchase was also my biggest, as I spent over half my allotted budget here, America's Pastime from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, before moving on to my second stop.  This was the 16th of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 16th of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little over $2 after the dealer discount.

The Card / Cubs Team Set / Accuracy Index -8
Regan is wearing a Dodgers jersey here, and the veteran pitcher was acquired from Los Angeles by the Cubs on April 23, 1968 with Jim Hickman (#63) for Jim Ellis and Ted Savage (#471).  Hatless photos in the later series of the set are somewhat rare, and it's surprising Topps couldn't get a picture of Regan in his Cubs gear in time for this card's release.  The cartoon recounts an impressive feat as Regan twice won both ends of double headers in 1968, doing it on April 21st against the Mets (while he was still with the Dodgers) and on July 7th against the Pirates.  In his Cubs debut, he saved both ends of a double header on April 28th against the Astros.

Accuracy Index:  Regan's card scores the somewhat standard -8.

1969 Season
In his first full season with the Cubs, Regan pitched in 71 games, the third highest total among all National League relievers.  He was 12-6 with a 3.70 ERA in 112 innings pitched.  Regan's 17 saves led the Cubs and were the fifth most in the league.

1961 Topps #439
1966 Topps #347
1968 Topps #88
1970 Topps #334
1987 Topps #156

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1961 Topps #439
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1961-72, 1987
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2021 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-PR
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  87 in the Beckett online database as of 10/11/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

#526 Hector Torres - Houston Astros


Hector Epitacio Torres
Houston Astros

Shortstop

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  175
Born:  September 16, 1945, Monterrey, Mexico
Signed:  Signed by the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent, March 25, 1962
Major League Teams:  Houston Astros 1968-70; Chicago Cubs 1971; Montreal Expos 1972; Houston Astros 1973; San Diego Padres 1975-76; Tortono Blue Jays 1977

Hector Torres was originally drafted by the Giants in 1962 (as a 16-year-old), traded to the Angels in 1966, and traded again to the Astors in 1967.  He won the opening day shortstop job for the Astros in 1968, and he'd appear in a career-high 128 games, batting .223 with 11 doubles, a home run and 24 RBIs.  Torres was fifth in the league in errors committed at shortstop with 24.  He'd bounce around the next five years, spending time with the Cubs, Expos and back with the Astros for part of the 1973 season.  After a full season in the minors in 1974, Torres re-emerged with the Padres in 1975, making 90 starts at either shortstop, third base or second base.  In his best season in the majors, Torres batted .259 with five home runs and 26 RBIs for the fourth place club.  He'd finish up his career with the expansion Blue Jays, as their opening day shortstop in 1977.  Torres became the first player to appear with both Canadian-based major league teams, and he hit the first grand slam in Blue Jays history on June 27, 1977 off the Yankees' Ron Guidry.

After a few more years in the minors, Torres retired as a player and began his minor league managerial career.  He managed in the Blue Jays' system (1982, 1985-86, 1993), with the Brewers' organization (2003) and in Mexico (2005).  Torres was a coach for the Cito Gaston (#304) managed Blue Jays in 1990 and 1991.  In his 622 games in the majors, Torres batted .216 with 46 doubles, 18 home runs and 115 RBIs. 

Building the Set / 
Card #574
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)
On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show.  The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year.  I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova.  I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.

I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set.  The first place I stopped was a table with well-organized and well-marked binders of commons and semi-stars with 20% Off notes across the front of each binder.  

I took my time and found 32 commons and semi-stars needed before asking to see the dealer's star cards from the set.  It turned out this first purchase was also my biggest, as I spent over half my allotted budget here, America's Pastime from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, before moving on to my second stop.  This was the 15th of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 15th of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little over $2 after the dealer discount.

The Card / Astros Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
The rookie shortstop pool must have been shallow in 1968, as Topps named Torres to its All-Star Rookie team for the year.  The cartoon on the back highlights Torres' heroics in the Little League World Series.  He starred in the 1958 series as a member of the Monterrey, Mexico Little League team.

Accuracy Index:  Torres' card earns a +5.

1969 Season
It would appear as if Torres was hurt for much of the 1969 season, as he played in a combined 63 games with the Astros and the Triple-A Oklahoma City 89ers.  Having lost his starting shortstop job to Denis Menke (#487), Torres played in 34 games for the Astros, batting .159 with two extra-base hits.  With the 89ers, he played in 29 games and batted .238.

1970 Topps #272
1971 Topps #558
1972 Topps #666
1976 Topps #241

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #526
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1969-72, 1976
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Fleer ProCards #988
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  50 in the Beckett online database as of 10/11/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Monday, October 20, 2025

#509 Manny Sanguillen - Pittsburgh Pirates


Manuel de Jesus Sanguillen
Pittsburgh Pirates
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  193
Born:  March 21, 1944, Colon, Panama
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent, October 2, 1964
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1967, 1969-76; Oakland Athletics 1977; Pittsburgh Pirates 1978-80
World Series Appearances:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1971, 1979

If not for Johnny Bench (#95), Manny Sanguillen would be picked by many baseball experts as the best National League catcher in the early 1970s.  Sanguillen played in 13 big league seasons, all but one of those with the Pirates, and was a member of six pennant-winning Pirate teams throughout the decade.  He played a key part in helping Pittsburgh to a World Series title in 1971, and he'd win his second World Series ring as super utility player in 1979.  Sanguillen assumed the Pirates' starting catching duties in 1969, and his best season came in 1971 when he was named to the first of his three All-Star Game appearances.  He batted .319 that season with 26 doubles, seven home runs and 81 RBIs, a career best.  Sanguillen batted .379 (11 for 29) in the 1971 World Series, won by the Pirates in seven games over the Orioles, and his hit total was second in the series behind only Roberto Clemente (#50) with 12.  He was scheduled to join Clemente on the 1972 New Year's Eve flight to Puerto Rico that crashed, claiming Clemente's life, but Sanguillen had misplaced his car keys, missing the flight.

Sanguillen led the league with 51 runners caught stealing in 1974, and he'd bat a career-high .328 in 1975.  On November 5, 1976 he was dealt to the Athletics (with cash) for the services of manager Chuck Tanner.  The Pirates would re-acquire Sanguillen in April 1978, and he'd settle into a back-up, utility role over the final three seasons of his big league career.  In 1,448 games, Sanguillen batted .296 with 205 doubles, 65 home runs and 585 RBIs.  The popular former Pirate could be found at PNC Park at Manny's BBQ in recent years, and the Pirates inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2024.

Building the Set / 
Card #573
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)
On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show.  The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year.  I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova.  I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.

I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set.  The first place I stopped was a table with well-organized and well-marked binders of commons and semi-stars with 20% Off notes across the front of each binder.  

I took my time and found 32 commons and semi-stars needed before asking to see the dealer's star cards from the set.  It turned out this first purchase was also my biggest, as I spent over half my allotted budget here, America's Pastime from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, before moving on to my second stop.  This was the 14th of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 14th of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little over $3 after the dealer discount.

The Card / Pirates Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
This is a great card and the photo works well with the 1969 Topps design.  Sanguillen appeared in 30 games for the Pirates in 1967, leading Topps to give him his rookie card in their 1968 set.  The back of the card highlights his .328 average in 1966 with the Carolina League's Raleigh Pirates and his strong throwing arm.  Sanguillen finished in the top five among catchers for assists in five different seasons, leading the league with 72 assists in 1971.

Accuracy Index:  Sanguillen's card scores a solid +5.

1969 Season
Jerry May (#263) was the Pirates' opening day catcher, but Sanguillen soon replaced him in the line-up, ultimately making 107 starts behind the plate to May's 50.  Sanguillen batted .303 with 21 doubles, five home runs and 57 RBIs.  His only blemish for the season is that he led all National League catchers with 17 errors.  Sanguillen was behind the plate for Bob Moose's (#409) no-hitter against the Mets on September 20th, one of his proudest accomplishments in the majors.

1968 Topps #251
1972 Topps #60
1975 Topps #515
1979 Topps #447
1981 Topps #226

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1968 Topps #251
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (14):  1968-81
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2021 Topps Archives Movie Poster Cards #MPC-1
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  131 in the Beckett online database as of 10/10/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Saturday, October 18, 2025

#485 Gaylord Perry - San Francisco Giants


Gaylord Jackson Perry
San Francisco Giants
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  205
Born:  September 15, 1938, Williamston, NC
Signed:  Signed by the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent, June 3, 1958
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1962-71; Cleveland Indians 1972-75; Texas Rangers 1975-77; San Diego Padres 1978-79; Texas Rangers 1980; New York Yankees 1980; Atlanta Braves 1981; Seattle Mariners 1982-83; Kansas City Royals 1983
Died:  December 1, 2022, Gaffney, SC (age 84)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1991

Gaylord Perry established himself as one of the premier pitchers in baseball in the 1960s with the Giants, before going on to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues with the Indians in 1972 and the Padres in 1978.  He was the first to accomplish that feat.  Known for potentially throwing a spitball ("real or imagined" as his Hall of Fame biography puts it), Perry constantly outmatched batters over his 22-year career.

Perry was a five-time All-Star and a five-time 20-game winner.  He led the league in wins three times - in 1970 with 23, 1972 with 24 and 1978 with 21.  In 690 career starts, he threw 303 complete games and 53 shutouts, joining the 300-win club in 1982.  His 314 career wins are currently 17th on the all-time list and his 3,534 career strikeouts are currently 9th on the all-time list.  Along with his brother Jim (#146), the Perry's are the second-winningest brother combination in baseball history (529 wins) behind Joe (#43) and Phil Niekro (#355) (539 wins).

Perry pitched a no-hitter against the Cardinals and Bob Gibson (#200) on September 17, 1968.  He was elected into baseball's Hall of Fame in 1991 on his third year of eligibility with 77.2% of the votes cast in favor of his election.

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

Building the Set / 
Card #572
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)
On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show.  The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year.  I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova.  I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.

I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set.  The first place I stopped was a table with well-organized and well-marked binders of commons and semi-stars with 20% Off notes across the front of each binder.  

I took my time and found 32 commons and semi-stars needed before asking to see the dealer's star cards from the set.  It turned out this first purchase was also my biggest, as I spent over half my allotted budget here, America's Pastime from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, before moving on to my second stop.  This was the 13th of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 13th of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little over $6 after the dealer discount.

The Card / Giants Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
Topps got some mileage out of the photos they took of Perry during a photo shoot from 1963, using photos from the session, showing Perry in a black warm-up jacket, for his 1964, 1965, 1966 and 1969 Topps cards.  The cartoon on the back highlights his win in the 1966 All-Star Game, his first of five times being named to the team.  Perry pitched two scoreless innings in the ninth and tenth innings in 1966, as the game was won by a walk-off single from Maury Wills (#45) to score Tim McCarver (#475).  The brief write-up highlights his 1968 no-hitter.

This is one of 23 cards available in the set's fifth series available as either "yellow letter" or "white letter" variations, with the yellow letter variations being more prevalent.  This is the more prevalent yellow letter variation with Perry's last name printed in yellow.

Accuracy Index:  Perry's card scores a +5 despite this being the fourth time collectors had seen his warm-up jacket.

1969 Season
Perry had another fantastic season, going 19-14 for the Giants with a 2.49 ERA in 40 appearances and 39 starts.  He threw 26 complete games, including three shutouts, and led the league with 325 1/3 innings pitched.  His strikeout total of 233 was fifth best in the league.  I took this from Perry's SABR biography on the umpire-related challenges Perry faced during the season: 
In June of 1969, National League president Warren Giles instructed umpires to immediately remove any pitcher from the game if convinced the hurler was putting any lubricant on the ball. Two days later, with Perry on the mound against the Mets, Doug Harvey threw out several balls, checked Perry’s uniform and cap, and found nothing. A few weeks later, Ed Sudol made Perry pull his pants legs up over his knees to be checked. Soon thereafter, umpire Chris Pelekoudas wiped Perry’s face and neck with a towel. Eventually Giant general manager Chub Feeney complained to the league office about the harassment, and the protests slowed down.
1962 Topps #199
1971 Topps #140
1975 Topps #530
1979 Topps #321
1984 Topps #6

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1962 Topps #199
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (23):  1962-84
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2024 Topps Heritage Oversized 1975 Topps Box Loaders #OB-48
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  874 in the Beckett online database as of 10/9/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Thursday, October 16, 2025

#462 Red Schoendienst MG - St. Louis Cardinals


Albert Fred Schoendienst
St. Louis Cardinals
Manager

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  170
Born:  February 2, 1923, Germantown, IL
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent before 1942 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1945-56; New York Giants 1956-57; Milwaukee Braves 1957-60; St. Louis Cardinals 1961-63
World Series Appearances:  St. Louis Cardinals 1946; Milwaukee Braves 1957-58
As a Manager:  St. Louis Cardinals 1965-76, 1980, 1990
Died:  June 6, 2018, Town and Country, MO (age 95)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1989

Amazingly, 67 of Red Schoendienst's 76 years in baseball were spent as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals organization.  Schoendienst was a 10-time All-Star, a steady hitter and an above-average defender who led all National League second basemen in fielding percentage in six different seasons.  He enjoyed his finest seasons in the early 1950s, batting over .300 three seasons in a row and hitting a career-high .342 in 1953.  He won his first World Series ring with the Cardinals in 1946 and he won the All-Star Game for his league in 1950 with a 14th inning home run.  Schoendienst departed St. Louis in a highly unpopular trade with the Giants in June 1956.  A year later, he was dealt to the Braves and he won his second World Series ring when Milwaukee defeated the Yankees in seven games in the 1957 series.  Schoendienst led the league that season with 200 hits.

After three seasons as a back-up infielder and pinch-hitter in a return trip to the Cardinals in the early 1960s, he retired as a player and began his lengthy coaching and managing career.  In 2,216 career games, Schoendienst collected 2,449 hits while batting .289.  He'd manage the Cardinals in parts of 14 different seasons, over four different decades, winning National League pennants in 1967 and 1968.  His lifetime managerial record was 1,041-955 with a World Series title in 1967.  He served as a coach for the Cardinals (1961-1964, 1979-1995) and Athletics (1977-1978) and won two more World Series rings as a member of the Cardinals coaching staff in 1964 and 1982.  Schoendienst was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989, and the Cardinals retired his #2 in 1996.

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

Building the Set / 
Card #571
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)
On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show.  The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year.  I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova.  I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.

I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set.  The first place I stopped was a table with well-organized and well-marked binders of commons and semi-stars with 20% Off notes across the front of each binder.  

I took my time and found 32 commons and semi-stars needed before asking to see the dealer's star cards from the set.  It turned out this first purchase was also my biggest, as I spent over half my allotted budget here, America's Pastime from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, before moving on to my second stop.  This was the 12th of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 12th of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost less than $5 after the dealer discount.

The Card / Cardinals Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
Topps really had to schmoosh Schoendienst's last name to fit it in the yellow circle on the front of the card.  It looks as if Topps used photos from the same session for Schoendienst's 1967 and 1969 cards, and then photos from another session for his 1968 and 1970 Topps cards.  I'll give them some credit for mixing it up a little.  The back of the card celebrates his All-Star Game winning home run from 1962.

Accuracy Index:  Schoendienst's card scores a +5.

1969 Season
A year after leading the Cardinals to a National League pennant and to within a game of winning back-to-back World Series, Schoendienst guided the club to an 87-75 record and a fourth place finish.  Bob Gibson (#200) and Steve Carlton (255) led the pitching-strong club, going 20-13 and 17-11, respectively and finishing second and third for the best ERA in the leagues with marks of 2.18 and 2.17.  Gibson led the league with 28 complete games, and both he and Curt Flood (#540) were Gold Glove winners.  Center fielder Flood was the Cardinals' top offensive performer, hitting .285 with 31 doubles.  Left fielder Lou Brock (#85) led the league with 53 stolen bases and first baseman Joe Torre (#460) led the Cardinals with 18 home runs and 101 RBIs.  Joe Hoerner (#522) and Chuck Taylor were Schoendienst's top relievers.

1948 Bowman #38
1952 Topps #91
1957 Topps #154
1967 Topps #512
1990 Topps Traded #113T

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1948 Bowman #38
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (24):  1951-53, 1956-62, 1965-76, 1988, 1990
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2023 Panini Chronicles Pinnacle #28
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  702 in the Beckett online database as of 10/8/25.

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.  Surprisingly, there are quite a few great candidates for update cards from the defending National League champions, and I couldn't narrow it down to less than seven cards.
  • Chuck Taylor (rhp) - Taylor got left out of the set altogether, and his rookie card appeared in the 1970 Topps set.
  • Mudcat Grant (rhp) - Mudcat Grant was the second most frequently used reliever before Hoerner, and he's in the set with the Expos (#306).
  • Steve Huntz (ss) - Steve Huntz and Mike Torrez share a Rookie Stars card (#136) and they'd each have solo cards in my update set.
  • Mike Torrez (rhp)
  • Dave Giusti (rhp) - Dave Giusti is in the set with the Padres (#98), a team he never pitched for.  He appeared in 22 games for the Cardinals.
  • Ted Simmons (c) - Future Hall of Famer Ted Simmons was a September call-up in 1968 and 1969, and his rookie card wouldn't appear until the 1971 Topps set.
  • Dick Sisler (coach) - And finally, my Dad's favorite player and former Whiz Kid Dick Sisler coached with the Cardinals between 1966 and 1970.  He'd get a card in my update set.
Sources:  
Baseball Reference - Schoendienst / Baseball Reference - 1969 Cardinals / SABR / Wikipedia

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

#385 Orlando Cepeda - Atlanta Braves


Orlando Manuel Cepeda
Atlanta Braves
First Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  210
Born:  September 17, 1937, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Signed:  Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before 1955 season
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1958-66; St. Louis Cardinals 1966-68; Atlanta Braves 1969-72; Oakland Athletics 1972; Boston Red Sox 1973; Kansas City Royals 1974
World Series Appearances:  San Francisco Giants 1962; St. Louis Cardinals 1967-68
Hall of Fame Induction:  1999

Nicknamed "Cha Cha" and "the Baby Bull," Orlando Cepeda was one of the most feared sluggers of his era, earning a spot on 11 All-Star teams and winning MVP honors in 1967.  At just 20 years old, Cepeda was the opening day first baseman in the Giants' first game in San Francisco in 1958, and his stellar season would lead to unanimous Rookie of the Year honors.  He batted .312 while leading the league with 38 doubles, finishing second on his team behind Willie Mays (#190) with 25 home runs and tying Mays for the team lead with 96 RBIs.  Cepeda would have one of his best seasons in 1961, batting .311 while leading the league with 46 home runs and 142 RBIs - both career bests.  Traded to the Cardinals in May 1966 for pitcher Ray Sadecki (#125), Cepeda proved to be a catalyst for St. Louis, leading them to a World Championship in 1967.  He was the unanimous choice for the league's MVP.

Dealt again, this time to Braves before the start of the 1969 season, Cepeda helped lead Atlanta to the first National League West division title.  He moved to the American League for the 1973 season, winning the first Outstanding Designated Hitter Award with the Red Sox.  He retired with 2,351 hits, a lifetime .297 batting average, 379 home runs and 1,365 RBIs.  Personal problems kept him away from the game for a bit, but he'd come back to the Giants as a scout and team ambassador in 1987.  Cepeda was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999 by the Veterans Committee, with the Giants retiring his #30 that same year.

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

Building the Set / 
Card #570
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)
On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show.  The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year.  I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova.  I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.

I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set.  The first place I stopped was a table with well-organized and well-marked binders of commons and semi-stars with 20% Off notes across the front of each binder.  

I took my time and found 32 commons and semi-stars needed before asking to see the dealer's star cards from the set.  It turned out this first purchase was also my biggest, as I spent over half my allotted budget here, America's Pastime from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, before moving on to my second stop.  This was the 11th of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 11th of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost about $16 after the dealer discount.  I definitely overpaid for this card, as I kept seeing it for much cheaper at other tables later in the show.

The Card / Braves Team Set / Accuracy Index -8
This has got to be one of the most boring cards in the set, and a card not fitting for one of the top sluggers in the game.  I'm assuming Cepeda is wearing a Cardinals jersey here, and Topps had to act quickly to switch his team designation and add a note on the back explaining to collectors he had recently been traded to Atlanta.  Cepeda signed a reprint version of this card for the 2018 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs insert set.

Accuracy Index:  Cepeda's card scores a -8 for the former team jersey (-5) and lack of a hat (-3).

1969 Season
On March 17th, Cepeda was dealt to the Braves straight-up for Joe Torre (#460).  Disappointed to be leaving St. Louis, he nevertheless had a great season, batting .257 in 154 games with 22 home runs and 88 RBIs for the division winning club.  Cepeda started 152 of the club's 162 games at first base, with the remaining 10 games started by Tito Francona (#398) with 10, Henry Aaron (#100) with three and Tommie Aaron (#128) with two.  Cepeda was second on the club in home runs and RBIs behind only Aaron.  In the first NLCS, Cepeda was hot, batting .455 (5 for 11) with a Game 3 home runs off Nolan Ryan (#533), but the Mets still swept the Braves in three games.

1958 Topps #343
1961 Topps #435
1964 Topps #390
1967 Topps #20
1974 Topps #83

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1958 Topps #343
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (18):  1958-75
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2024 Topps Heritage #192
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  1,171 in the Beckett online database as of 10/5/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia