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Robert Leroy Rodgers
California Angels
Pitcher
Bats: Both Throws: Right Height: 6'2" Weight: 190
Born: August 16, 1938, Delaware, OH
Signed: Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent before 1956 season
Major League Teams: Los Angeles Angels 1961-65; California Angels 1966-69
Born: August 16, 1938, Delaware, OH
Signed: Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent before 1956 season
Major League Teams: Los Angeles Angels 1961-65; California Angels 1966-69
As a Manager: Milwaukee Brewers 1980-82; Montreal Expos 1985-91; California Angels 1991-94
After being selected from the Tigers in the 1960 expansion draft, Buck Rodgers assumed regular catching duties for the Angels in the early 1960s, finishing as runner-up for American League Rookie of the Year honors in 1962 behind the Yankees' Tom Tresh (#212). He was a light-hitting switch-hitter, known for his defense, and he led the league in runners caught stealing three times (1962, 1964 and 1967). Rodgers caught Bo Belinsky's (#366) no-hitter on May 5, 1962. He spent his entire big league playing career with the Angels, batting .232 over 932 games with 31 home runs and 288 RBIs.
Rodgers served as a coach with the Twins (1970-74), Giants (1976) and Brewers (1978-80) before getting his shot managing. He took over on an interim basis for George Bamberger in 1980 when Bamberger suffered a heart attack. Bamberger briefly returned, but resigned on September 9th. Rodgers guided the Brewers to the best American League record during the first half of the strike-shortened 1981 season, but the team lost to the Yankees in the divisional playoffs. He managed the Expos next for 6 1/2 seasons, winning 1987 National League Manager of the Year honors when his team improved to 91-71. Rodgers' final managerial job saw him return to the Angels, but he was injured in a highway bus accident in 1992 missing the bulk of the season. Rodgers was fired 40 games into the 1994 season, and his lifetime managerial record was 784-774 over 13 seasons.
After being selected from the Tigers in the 1960 expansion draft, Buck Rodgers assumed regular catching duties for the Angels in the early 1960s, finishing as runner-up for American League Rookie of the Year honors in 1962 behind the Yankees' Tom Tresh (#212). He was a light-hitting switch-hitter, known for his defense, and he led the league in runners caught stealing three times (1962, 1964 and 1967). Rodgers caught Bo Belinsky's (#366) no-hitter on May 5, 1962. He spent his entire big league playing career with the Angels, batting .232 over 932 games with 31 home runs and 288 RBIs.
Rodgers served as a coach with the Twins (1970-74), Giants (1976) and Brewers (1978-80) before getting his shot managing. He took over on an interim basis for George Bamberger in 1980 when Bamberger suffered a heart attack. Bamberger briefly returned, but resigned on September 9th. Rodgers guided the Brewers to the best American League record during the first half of the strike-shortened 1981 season, but the team lost to the Yankees in the divisional playoffs. He managed the Expos next for 6 1/2 seasons, winning 1987 National League Manager of the Year honors when his team improved to 91-71. Rodgers' final managerial job saw him return to the Angels, but he was injured in a highway bus accident in 1992 missing the bulk of the season. Rodgers was fired 40 games into the 1994 season, and his lifetime managerial record was 784-774 over 13 seasons.
Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.
Building the Set / Card #600
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)
The Card / Angels Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
1969 Season
In his final season as a player, Rodgers appeared in only 18 games for the Angels in June, August and September, and he received his final start in the majors on the last day of the season. The bulk of his playing time came with the Triple-A Hawaii Islanders, where he appeared in 44 games, batting .255. I'm guessing Rodgers would have had to approve a demotion, given his veteran status, and knowing his future path, his time with the Islanders was likely also in a coaching capacity.
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1962 Topps #431
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (20): 1962-69, 1973-74, 1981, 1985-93
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2018 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-BRO
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 86 in the Beckett online database as of 12/31/25.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
Building the Set / Card #600
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)
Milestone card #600! 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 5th of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 41st of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day. Sleeved, this card cost less than $2 after a dealer discount.
The Card / Angels Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
This is Rodgers' final Topps card as an active player, and the career stats are complete except for his final 18 games in 1969 - see below. The photo dates to at least 1966, as a photo from the same session is used for his 1967 Topps card. The back of the card digs deep into Rodgers' past, covering highlights from 1956, 1958, 1961 and 1962. Rodgers signed reprints of this card for the 2018 Topps Heritage release.
Accuracy Index: Rodgers card scores a +5.
1969 Season
In his final season as a player, Rodgers appeared in only 18 games for the Angels in June, August and September, and he received his final start in the majors on the last day of the season. The bulk of his playing time came with the Triple-A Hawaii Islanders, where he appeared in 44 games, batting .255. I'm guessing Rodgers would have had to approve a demotion, given his veteran status, and knowing his future path, his time with the Islanders was likely also in a coaching capacity.
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First Mainstream Card: 1962 Topps #431
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (20): 1962-69, 1973-74, 1981, 1985-93
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2018 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-BRO
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 86 in the Beckett online database as of 12/31/25.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia