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Billy Rolland Cowan
New York Yankees
Outfield
Born: August 28, 1938, Calhoun City, MS
Signed: Signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent, January 12, 1961
Major League Teams: Chicago Cubs 1963-64; New York Mets 1965; Milwaukee Braves 1965; Philadelphia Phillies 1967; New York Yankees 1969; California Angels 1969-72
The regular center fielder for the Cubs in 1964, Billy Cowan then spent four seasons bouncing around before finding a home with the Angels from 1969 to 1972. His best season in professional baseball came in 1963 when he was named the MVP of the Pacific Coast League after batting .315 with 25 home runs and 120 RBIs for the Salt Lake City Bees. The opening day center fielder for the Cubs in 1964, Cowan struggled throughout the season, batting .241 with 128 strikeouts (second in the National League) while leading all center fielders with 10 errors. The Cubs traded him to the Mets in January 1965, beginning a five-team, four-year odyssey before he landed with the Angels in July 1969.
In four seasons with California, Cowan batted .278 with 13 home runs and 55 RBIs serving as a pinch-hitter and fourth outfielder. In 493 career games, Cowan hit .236 with 40 home runs and 125 RBIs.
Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.
Building the Set / Card #589
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)
The Card / Yankees Team Set / Accuracy Index -8
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 30th of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 30th of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little over $4 after the dealer discount.
The Card / Yankees Team Set / Accuracy Index -8
This card marks Cowan's return to Topps sets after a four year absence, and the photo shows him wearing a Cubs jersey from as late as 1964. His minor league accolades are summarized in the write-up on the back.
Accuracy Index: Cowan's card scores a -8.
1969 Season
The Yankees selected Cowan from the Phillies in the annual rule 5 draft on December 2, 1968 (see below). Cowan began the season with the Yankees, appearing in 32 games and batting .167 (8 for 48) with a home run. Manager Ralph Houk (#447) pencilled his name into the line-up seven times in either left or center field. On July 26th, his contract was sold to the Angels, his home for the next 2 1/2 seasons. Cowan made it into 28 games with the Angels, batting .304 in mostly a pinch-hitting role.
Phillies Career
On April 28, 1966, Cowan was briefly traded back to the Cubs from the Braves for Bobby Cox (#237) and cash. The Cubs then flipped him to the Phillies on June 22, 1966 for Norm Gigon. Cowan spent the rest of the 1966 season playing for the San Diego Padres - then the Phillies' top farm team. He got his shot back in the majors when he was recalled by the Phillies in late June 1967. Appearing in 34 games, and making 13 starts in left field and three starts in right field, Cowan batted .153 (9 for 59). He'd spend the entire 1968 season back with the Padres where he batted .280 while leading the team in both home runs (19) and RBIs (73). Left unprotected that offseason, the Yankees selected Cowan from the Phillies in the annual rule 5 draft. Cowan has no Phillies baseball cards to mark his short time with the club.
The Yankees selected Cowan from the Phillies in the annual rule 5 draft on December 2, 1968 (see below). Cowan began the season with the Yankees, appearing in 32 games and batting .167 (8 for 48) with a home run. Manager Ralph Houk (#447) pencilled his name into the line-up seven times in either left or center field. On July 26th, his contract was sold to the Angels, his home for the next 2 1/2 seasons. Cowan made it into 28 games with the Angels, batting .304 in mostly a pinch-hitting role.
On April 28, 1966, Cowan was briefly traded back to the Cubs from the Braves for Bobby Cox (#237) and cash. The Cubs then flipped him to the Phillies on June 22, 1966 for Norm Gigon. Cowan spent the rest of the 1966 season playing for the San Diego Padres - then the Phillies' top farm team. He got his shot back in the majors when he was recalled by the Phillies in late June 1967. Appearing in 34 games, and making 13 starts in left field and three starts in right field, Cowan batted .153 (9 for 59). He'd spend the entire 1968 season back with the Padres where he batted .280 while leading the team in both home runs (19) and RBIs (73). Left unprotected that offseason, the Yankees selected Cowan from the Phillies in the annual rule 5 draft. Cowan has no Phillies baseball cards to mark his short time with the club.
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Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1964 Topps #192
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5): 1964-65, 1969, 1971-72
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1978 TCMA The 1960s I #282
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 19 in the Beckett online database as of 10/26/25.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5): 1964-65, 1969, 1971-72
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1978 TCMA The 1960s I #282
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 19 in the Beckett online database as of 10/26/25.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia
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