#80 Norm Cash - Detroit Tigers

Norman Dalton Cash
Detroit Tigers
First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  185
Born:  November 10, 1933, Justiceburg, TX
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent, May 21, 1955
Major League Teams:  Chicago White Sox 1958-59; Detroit Tigers 1960-74

World Series Appearances:  Chicago White Sox 1959; Detroit Tigers 1968
Died:  October 11, 1986, Beaver Island, MI (age 52)

Slugger Norm Cash was a steady presence in the Tigers line-up as their regular first baseman for 15 seasons between 1960 and the early 1970s.  Traded from the White Sox in December 1959 with Bubba Phillips and John Romano for Minnie Minoso and three other players, Cash paid long-term dividends as a four-time All-Star.  His .361 average in 1961 led the league and he belted at least 20 home runs in 11 different seasons.  That 1961 season was probably his best as he hit 41 home runs and had 132 RBIs, both career highs, to go along with his league-leading average.  Cash was also a fine defensive first baseman, leading the American League in assists three times and fielding percentage twice.  He helped guide the Tigers to a World Series title in 1968, hitting .385 with a home run in the seven-game series against the Cardinals.

A fan favorite, Cash played in 2,089 games and had 1,820 career hits, 377 home runs and 1,104 RBIs to go along with his .271 batting average.  Upon his retirement in 1974, his 377 home runs were the fourth most by an American League left-handed hitter behind Babe Ruth, Ted Williams (#650) and Lou Gehrig.  His 373 home runs are currently second on the all-time Tigers list, behind Al Kaline's (#410) 399.  Kaline, Cash's teammate throughout their Tigers careers, said of Cash, "When you mention Norm Cash, I just smile.  He was just a fun guy to be around and a great teammate.  He always came ready to play."  Tragically, Cash drowned at the young age of 52 after slipping and falling off a dock after a night out.

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

Building the Set / Card #597
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.  My second stop was the aptly named Vintage Sports table.  I always appreciate a dealer with clear signage explaining their pricing method, and Vintage Sports had a marker in their selection of 1969 Topps cards laying out that cards without a sleeve were $1 and cards with a sleeve were $2.  I had one "high number" in a sleeve, and that was a whopping $4. 

I found 28 commons needed before moving on to my third stop.  This was the 2nd of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 38th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day. Sleeved, this card cost less than $2 after a dealer discount.

The Card / Tigers Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

To me, Cash looks younger here than he does on some of his Topps cards released prior to 1969, so it's anyone's guess how old this photo actually is.  His heroics from the 1968 World Series are summarized in the write-up on the back of the card.

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

1969 Season
Cash enjoyed another in a long line of high production seasons, appearing in 142 games and batting .280 with 22 home runs and 74 RBIs.  His Tigers fell to second place in the American League after winning the World Championship in the prior year.

1959 Topps #509

1961 Topps #95

1968 Topps #256

1972 Topps #150

1974 Topps #367

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1959 Topps #509
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (16):  1959-74
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2013 Panini Golden Age #77
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  170 in the Beckett online database as of 11/13/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#79 Milt Pappas - Atlanta Braves / #81 Mel Queen - Cincinnati Reds

#25 Roy White - New York Yankees

Roy Hilton White
New York Yankees
Outfield

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  160
Born:  December 27, 1943, Los Angeles, CA
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent, July 1, 1961
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1965-79

World Series Appearances:  New York Yankees 1976-78

A switch-hitting, lifetime Yankee, Roy White bridged the gap between the waning years of the Yankees dynasty of the early 1960s to the resurgent dynasty of the Yankees teams of the late 1970s.  The club's starting left fielder for ten seasons between 1968 and 1977, White was an All-Star in 1969 and 1970.  Playing in all 162 games in 1970, White attained career highs in the triple crown categories, batting .296 with 22 home runs and 94 RBIs.  He was a solid presence in the Yankee line-up during their lean years in the early 1970s, and later, a key member of the team that won American League pennants three years in a row between 1976 and 1978.  White's last great year came in 1976 when he batted .286 with a career-best 31 stolen bases, while leading the league with 104 runs scored.  He won World Series rings with the Yankees in 1977 and 1978.  He left the Yankees following the 1979 season, playing three more seasons in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants, and retiring in 1982.

In 1,881 big league games, all with the Yankees, White batted .271 with 1,803 hits, 160 home runs, 758 RBIs and 233 stolen bases.  He later served as a coach with the Yankees in two stints (1983-86, 2004-05) and was a minor league hitting coach in the Athletics' organization.

Building the Set / Card #596
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.  My second stop was the aptly named Vintage Sports table.  I always appreciate a dealer with clear signage explaining their pricing method, and Vintage Sports had a marker in their selection of 1969 Topps cards laying out that cards without a sleeve were $1 and cards with a sleeve were $2.  I had one "high number" in a sleeve, and that was a whopping $4. 

I found 28 commons needed before moving on to my third stop.  This was the 1st of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 37th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  Even with the clear signage, I still received a dealer discount, and this card cost less than a dollar, a bargain for a Yankees card.

The Card / Yankees Team Set / Accuracy Index +1

This is the exact same photo used for White's 1968 Topps card.  The write-up on the back of the card highlights his strong 1968 season, noting he led the Yankees in runs (89), hits (154), doubles (20) and RBIs (62).  His 20 stolen bases tied him with second baseman Horace Clarke (#87) for the team lead.  White's bWAR of 4.4 was the highest among all Yankee position players, topping Mickey Mantle's (#500) 2.7 mark.

Accuracy Index:  It's a great posed shot at Yankee Stadium, but the card scores only a +1 due to the repeat photo usage.

1969 Season
White made 125 starts in left field for the Yankees, and was named to his first of two All-Star Games.  In 130 games overall, he batted .290 with seven home runs and 74 RBIs.  He connected for 30 doubles and had a solid .392 on-base percentage, the best mark of his career.

1966 Topps #234

1968 Topps #546

1975 Topps #375

1978 Topps #16

1980 Topps #648

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1966 Topps #234
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (14):  1966, 1968-80
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2009 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions #152
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  253 in the Beckett online database as of 11/11/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#24 Walt Alston MG - Los Angeles Dodgers / #26 Clay Carroll - Cincinnati Reds

#601 Tug McGraw - New York Mets

Frank Edwin McGraw
New York Mets
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  170
Born:  August 30, 1944, Martinez, CA
Signed:  Signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent, June 12, 1956
Major League Teams:  New York Mets 1965-67, 1969-74; Philadelphia Phillies 1975-84

World Series Appearances:  New York Mets 1973; Philadelphia Phillies 1980
Died:  January 5, 2004, Brentwood, TN (age 59)

One of the most popular players of his era, Tug McGraw was a key component of the 1969 Miracle Mets and he also recorded the final out in the 1980 World Series to give the Phillies their first championship in franchise history.  McGraw was an All-Star in 1972 and 1975 and he finished in the top ten in saves in seven different seasons.  Over 19 seasons, McGraw appeared in 824 games, compiling a 96-92 record with 180 saves and 3.14 ERA.

1992 Philadelphia Phillies
ALS Autograph Party Photocards

McGraw is the rare player who was able to be equally beloved by both Mets and Phillies fans, and writing this now I'm struggling to think of any other player who has been able to straddle that divide.

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

Building the Set / Card #595
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 36th of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 36th of 91 cards for set added overall on the day.  McGraw was the fourth of four star cards I'd add from America's Pastime, and I likely paid a premium given the popularity of McGraw in the Philly area.

The Card / Mets Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Topps had to scoot McGraw's photo over to the left to make room for the purple name and position circle on the front of the card.  His minor league successes are highlighted on the back.  We also get a rare in-season highlight, noting McGraw was the winning pitcher for the Mets on April 9th.  Mets' starter Jim McAndrew (#321) departed the second game of the season after one inning, with McGraw allowing a run on five hits over 6 1/3 innings of relief.  He struck out seven batters, and Nolan Ryan (#533) relieved him to record the final five outs and earn a save.

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

1969 Season
McGraw emerged as an elite reliever during the 1969 season, appearing in 42 games for the eventual World Champions, and going 9-3 with a 2.24 ERA in 100 1/3 innings pitched.  He made four starts and threw a complete game victory over the Cubs on May 4th.  McGraw's 12 saves were one fewer than his right-handed complement out of the bullpen, Ron Taylor (#72).  He was crucial down the stretch for the Mets, and in August, September and October, McGraw was 4-1 with seven saves and a 0.50 ERA in 18 relief appearances, spanning 36 innings.  His services were needed only once in the postseason, as he pitched a scoreless three innings in NLCS Game 2, earning a save.

Phillies Career
McGraw was traded to the Phillies with Don Hahn on December 3, 1974 for Mac Scarce, John Stearns and Del Unser (#338).  Between 1975 and 1984, he was one of the most reliable relievers for the Phillies, appearing in 463 games and recording 94 saves.  Upon retirement, he was the Phillies all-time saves leader, but he's since been passed by five other relievers.  McGraw struck out Willie Wilson in Game 6 of the 1980 World Series, leaping off the mound in one of the most iconic moments in Philadelphia sports history.  He was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame in 1999.

1965 Topps #533

1966 Topps #124

1975 Topps #67

1981 Topps #404

1985 Topps #157

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1965 Topps #533
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (21):  1965-85
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2017 Topps Update Postseason Celebrations #PC-3
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  181 in the Beckett online database as of 11/8/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog / The Phillies Room

#600 Tony Oliva - Minnesota Twins / #602 Cubs Rookie Stars

#510 Rod Carew - Minnesota Twins

Rodney Cline Carew
Minnesota Twins
Second Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  170
Born:  October 1, 1945, Gatun, Panama
Signed:  Signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent, June 24, 1964
Major League Teams:  Minnesota Twins 1967-78; California Angels 1979-85

Hall of Fame Induction:  1991

One of the greatest hitters of all time, Rod Carew played 19 years in the majors, making the American League All-Star team in an astonishing 18 consecutive seasons between 1967 and 1984.  Carew was the 1967 Rookie of the Year, and he'd win his first of seven batting titles in 1969.  He eclipsed 200 hits in a season four times, culminating with his 239 hit season in his career year of 1977.  During that MVP season, Carew batted .388 while leading the league in runs scored (128), hits, triples (16) and on-base percentage (.449).  He'd join the Angels in 1979 via free agency, solidifying his Hall of Fame career with seven more stellar seasons.  Carew retired following the 1985 seasons with a .328 batting average (currently 40th all-time), 3,053 hits (currently 28th), including 2,404 singles (currently ninth).  He had 353 career stolen bases.

He was a first ballot Hall of Famer in 1991.  His seven batting titles were second only to Ty Cobb, and in 2016, the American League batting title was officially renamed the Rod Carew American League batting title.  Carew's #29 was retired by the Twins in 1987 and by the Angels in 1986.  Carew served as the hitting coach for the Angels (1992-99) and Brewers (2000-01).

Building the Set / Card #594
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 35th of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 35th of 91 cards for set added overall on the day.  Carew was the third of four star cards I'd add from America's Pastime.

The Card / Twins Team Set / Accuracy Index +1

This is the exact picture used on Carew's 1968 Topps card, and the picture shows up again on his 1969 Topps Deckle Edge insert card.  The back of the card highlights his two All-Star Game appearances to date, and he'd go on to add 16 more.  The write-up touches on his early success as "one of the leading batters in the A.L."  Carew signed a reprint of this card for the 2018 Topps Heritage set.

Accuracy Index:  Carew's card drops to a +1 since collectors had already seen this photo.

Inserts:  Carew is included in the 35 card Topps Deckle Edge insert set.

1969 Season
Carew had already won Rookie of the Year honors and been a two-time All-Star, but 1969 was his first true superstar season.  Along with winning his first batting title, Carew played in 123 games, collecting 152 hits, including 30 doubles and eight home runs.  He had 19 stolen bases on the year, including seven steals of home.

1968 Topps #80

1970 Topps #290

1975 Topps #600

1980 Topps #700

1986 Topps #400

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1967 Topps #569
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (20):  1967-86
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2025 Topps Heritage 1976 Redefined #76R-9
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  2,560 in the Beckett online database as of 11/8/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

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

#509 Manny Sanguillen - Pittsburgh Pirates / #511 Diego Segui - Seattle Pilots

#375 Harmon Killebrew - Minnesota Twins

Harmon Clayton Killebrew
Minnesota Twins
Third Base-First Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  195
Born:  June 29, 1936, Payette, ID
Signed:  Signed by the Washington Senators as an amateur free agent, June 19, 1954
Major League Teams:  Washington Senators 1954-60; Minnesota Twins 1961-74; Kansas City Royals 1975

World Series Appearances:  Minnesota Twins 1965
Died:  May 17, 2011, Scottsdale, AZ (age 74)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1984

Harmon Killebrew was one of the most prolific sluggers of his era, and upon his retirement he was fourth on the major league all-time home run list and second to Babe Ruth in the American League.  Killebrew led the league six times in home runs and three times in RBIs.  He was a 13-time All-Star and received MVP votes in 11 different seasons.  He helped lead the Twins to the their first pennant in 1965, and while he hit .286 in the World Series, the Dodgers prevailed in seven games.  In 1967, he hit the longest home run ever recorded at Minnesota's Metropolitan Stadium at 520 feet.  Killebrew attained career highs in home runs (49) and RBIs (140) in 1969 and won the league's MVP honors that season.  He wrapped up his 22-year big league career with a final season with the Royals, serving as the team's designated hitter.  When the Royals visited Minnesota in early May 1975, the Twins held a pre-game ceremony to retire Killebrew's #3.  He was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame in 1984, and was in the inaugural class of the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame in 2000.  In 2,435 games, Killebrew accumulated 2,086 hits while batting .256.  He hit 573 career home runs to go along with 1,584 RBIs.

After retiring as a player, Killebrew served as a broadcaster for the Twins, Athletics and Angels between 1976 and 1988.  He also briefly served as a hitting instructor with the Athletics.  Nicknamed "Killer" on the field, by all accounts Killebrew was one of the kindest and most well-respected men to ever play the game.

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

Building the Set / Card #593
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 34th of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 34th of 91 cards for set added overall on the day.  Killebrew was the second of four star cards I'd add from America's Pastime, and the most expensive card I added at the show.

The Card / Twins Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This is such an iconic card, and a card I first saw when I added the 1982 Topps Kmart box set to my relatively new and growing collection.  Topps has reprinted the card a few times, most notably within its 2002 Topps Archives-related releases.  There's no room for a cartoon on the back of the card, just lines of incredibly impressive stats.

Accuracy Index:  The Killer earns a +5.

Inserts:  Killebrew is included as one of the 48 decals in the Topps Decals insert set.

1969 Season
His MVP season, along with career highs in home runs and RBIs, Killebrew batted .276 with a league-leading 145 walks and a .427 on-base percentage.  He started in all 162 games for the Twins, although he was often replaced late in the game with a pinch-runner or defensive upgrade.  True to the position designation on his card, Killebrew started 96 games at third base and 66 games at first base.  He topped Boog Powell (#15) for league MVP honors, earning 16 first place votes to Powell's six votes.  Frank Robinson (#250) captured the remaining two votes.

1955 Topps #124

1962 Topps #70

1966 Topps #120

1972 Topps #51

1975 Topps #640

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Topps #124
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (20):  1955-56, 1958-75
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2025 Topps Holiday Evergreen #E-18
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  2,008 in the Beckett online database as of 11/8/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

National Baseball Hall of Fame
Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1956 Topps Blog / 1965 Topps Blog

#374 Bob Tillman - Atlanta Braves / #376 Royals Rookie Stars

#237 Bobby Cox - New York Yankees

Robert Joe Cox
New York Yankees
Third Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  180
Born:  May 21, 1941, Tulsa, OK
Signed:  Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1959 season
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1968-69

As a Manager:  Atlanta Braves 1978-81; Toronto Blue Jays 1982-85; Atlanta Braves 1990-10
Hall of Fame Induction:  2014

As a player, Bobby Cox appeared in 220 games for the Yankees in 1968 and 1969, batting .225 with 22 doubles, nine home runs and 58 RBIs.  He was the club's most regularly used third baseman in 1968, and his full season at the hot corner earned him a place on the Topps 1968 All-Star Rookie team.  Cox began his minor league managerial career in 1971 in the Yankees' farm system.  After guiding teams to winning records in each of his six seasons at the helm, Cox was the first base coach for Billy Martin's (#547) World Champion Yankees club in 1977.  Named the new Braves manager prior to the 1978 season, Cox's first stint with the club saw steady improvement, but he was fired following the 1981 season and quickly snatched up by the Blue Jays to be their manager.  Cox led the Blue Jays to their first winning season in franchise history in 1983 and a division title in 1985.  He'd re-join the Braves in 1986 as their general manager.

Cox returned to the dugout in 1990, and he'd guide the Braves for the next 21 seasons.  He led the team to 14 division pennants during that time, with the Braves getting to the World Series in 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996 and 1999.  They'd win one World Championship in 1995, defeating the Indians in six games.  Cox recorded 100-win seasons six times and his lifetime win total of 2,504 is currently fourth all-time.  He won Manager of the Year honors in 1985, 1991, 2004 and 2005, and his 158 life-time ejections is tops all-time among all big league managers.  His #6 was retired by the Braves in 2011, and Cox was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2014 by the Expansion Era Committee.

Building the Set / Card #592
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 33rd of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 33rd of 91 cards for set added overall on the day.  Cox was the first of four star cards I'd add from America's Pastime, and the only card I feel I overpaid for from the show.

The Card / Yankees Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This is Cox's rookie card and the first and last card of his in a Topps flagship set as a player.  The back of the card explains how he had come to the Yankees.  Cox bounced around throughout the 1960s, spending time in the organizations of the Dodgers (1959-64), Cubs (1965-66), and Braves (1966-67).  On December 7, 1967, he was traded by the Braves to the Yankees for Dale Roberts and Bob Tillman (#374).  Topps reprinted this card in its 2005 Topps Rookie Cup Reprints insert set.

Accuracy Index:  Cox's rookie card earns a +5.

1969 Season
Cox served as a bat off the bench for the Yankees, not earning a start until May 4th.  In 85 games, he batted .215, making 50 starts at third base and six starts at second base.  He'd spend all of 1970 with the Triple-A Syracuse club, having seen his last big league action as a player.

1978 Topps #93

1985 Topps #411

1992 Topps #489

2005 Topps #269

2009 Topps #17

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #237
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (23):  1969, 1978-81, 1983-86, 1990-93, 2001-10
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2010 Topps Heritage #137
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  127 in the Beckett online database as of 11/8/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

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

#236 Manny Mota - Montreal Expos / #238 Ken Johnson - Atlanta Braves