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Norman Dalton Cash
Detroit Tigers
First Base
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.
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)
The Card / Tigers Team Set / Accuracy Index +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.
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
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.
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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
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