#130 Carl Yastrzemski - Boston Red Sox

Carl Michael Yastrzemski
Boston Red Sox
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  175
Born:  August 22, 1939, Southampton, NY
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent, November 29, 1958
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 1961-83

World Series Appearances:  Boston Red Sox 1967, 1975
Hall of Fame Induction:  1989

For over two decades, Carl Yastrzemski was a mainstay at Fenway Park, as the team's regular left fielder, then first baseman and finally designated hitter.  One of the all-time Red Sox fan favorites, Yastrzemski made his first of 18 All-Star teams in 1963, while also being awarded his first of seven Gold Gloves.  That was also the season he won his first of three batting titles with a .321 average.  He'd produce consistently stellar seasons throughout the 1960s, culminating with his triple crown win in 1967 (.326 average, 44 home runs, 121 RBIs) en route to the league MVP award and an American League pennant for his Impossible Dream Red Sox.  Yastrzemski continued his superstar output throughout the 1970s, again helping to lead the Red Sox to the World Series in 1975.  On September 12, 1979, he became the first American League player with 3,000 career hits and 400 home runs.

He retired at the end of the 1983 season having appeared in 3,308 games, second on the all-time list behind Pete Rose (#120).  His career at-bats (11,988), hits (3,419), doubles (646) and walks (1,845) are all currently in the top ten all-time.  Yastrzemski tallied 452 home runs and 1,844 RBIs, and along with Ted Williams (#650), the player he replaced, is at the top of just about every offensive category on the Red Sox all-time lists.  His #8 was retired by the Red Sox in 1989, the same year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot.

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

Building the Set / Card #641

September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Crazy Boxes)

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.  I'm not even sure how best to describe the fifth table I visited.  I typically steer clear of tables that look incredibly disorganized or tables that look as if the dealer put minimal effort into his/her display.  This table was both.  But the crudely designed, hand-made sign advertising "Entire Table is 50% Off" made me stop and at least look at what was in the 1969 Topps hodgepodge of cards.  And I'm glad I did.  It took me a solid 20-25 minutes to go through the cards that were loosely in order, but I found seven cards I needed with either mislabeled prices (?) or prices that hadn't been updated since the 1980s.  I paid $7.50 for this perfectly decent Yastrzemski card, the first of seven cards purchased from what I'm calling the Crazy Boxes table, and I wished I had made this table my first stop.

The Card / Red Sox Team Set / Accuracy Index +1

Collectors had already seen this photo on Yastrzemski's 1968 Topps card.  The write-up on the back highlights his Triple Crown win in 1967 and his recent back-to-back batting titles.  His two opening day home runs in 1968 came off the Tigers' Pat Dobson (#231) and Daryl Patterson (#101) in a 7-3 win.

Yastrzemski signed reprints of this card for the 2018 Topps Heritage set.

Accuracy Index:  The card slips to a +1 for the repeat photo.

Inserts:  Yastrzemski is included in the 35 card Topps Deckle Edge insert set and is one of 48 decals in the Topps Decals insert set.  He's one of 27 players to appear in both insert sets.

1969 Season
An amazing year for any other player, Yastrzemski's 1969 season could be considered a down year by his standards, as it came in-between his career years of 1967, 1968 and 1970.  He played in all 162 Red Sox games, batting .255 with 40 home runs and 111 RBIs.  The RBI tally led the club and his home run total tied him with Rico Petrocelli (#215) for the team lead.  Yastrzemski finished in the top ten in the American League for slugging and on-base percentage, runs scored, home runs, RBIs and walks.  He led all outfielders with 17 assists and won his fifth of seven career Gold Gloves.

1960 Topps #148

1963 Topps #115

1967 Topps #355

1975 Topps #280

1983 Topps #550

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #148
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (25):  1960-84
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2025 Topps Archives #258
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  3,033 in the Beckett online database as of 2/28/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

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

#129 Bill McCool - San Diego Padres / #131 Chris Cannizzaro - Pittsburgh Pirates

#545 Willie Stargell - Pittsburgh Pirates

Wilver Dornel Stargell
Pittsburgh Pirates
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  188
Born:  March 6, 1940, Earlsboro, OH
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent, August 7, 1958
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1962-82

World Series Appearances:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1971, 1979
Died:  April 9, 2001, Wilmington, NC (age 61)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1988

Willie Stargell spent his entire 21-year career with the Pirates, and was one of the most feared power hitters of his generation.  As the club's regular left fielder throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, Stargell made his first of seven All-Star teams in 1964.  In 1971, he helped lead the Pirates to a World Championship title over the Orioles, batting .295 during the season with a league leading 48 home runs and 125 RBIs.  He'd continue to slug home runs throughout the 1970s, with his tally of 296 home runs leading all players during the decade.  His blasts were often moonshots, and he holds the distinction of hitting the longest home run in Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium history.  In 1973, he crossed the 100-RBI plateau for the fifth and final time, leading the league with 119 RBIs, and also leading the league in home runs (44), doubles (23) and slugging percentage (.646).

Moving to first base in the mid-1970s, he emerged as a veteran team leader, earning his affectionate nickname of "Pops."  In 1979, he again won the league's MVP award, to go along with NLCS MVP and World Series MVP honors as his Pirates again defeated the Orioles in the World Series.  He retired following the 1982 season with a career average of .282, 2,232 hits, 475 home runs and 1,540 RBIs.  The Pirates had retired his #8 a month before his final game, and Stargell was a first ballot Hall of Famer in 1988.

Stargell briefly served as the first base coach for the Braves (1986-88) following his retirement, and he'd also later work in the Pirates front office.  Two days before he passed away, the Pirates unveiled a statute of Stargell at their new PNC Park.

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

Building the Set / Card #634

September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Niagara Sports Cards)

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 third stop was a smaller table with the impossible to pass up offer of 1969 Topps commons that were only $1, unless marked.  The binder was right at the end of the table, making it an even easier sell.  The prices on some of the cards were stunningly low, so I was even more surprised when the dealer, Niagara Sports Cards, gave me an even deeper discount upon tallying up my total.

I found 12 cards needed from Niagara Sports Cards, and this was the 12th of those 12, and the 75th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  The card was marked at $10, but I paid a little over $7 for it after the bulk dealer discount was applied. 

The Card / Pirates Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

The photo for this card was likely taken at the same time as the photo used for Stargell's 1968 Topps card.  The back of the card notes his 33 home runs in 1966, setting a club record for left handers.  The cartoon depicts the three home runs Stargell hit on June 24, 1965, victimizing the Dodgers' Don Drysdale (#400) twice and reliever John Purdin (#161) once.

Accuracy Index:  Pops scores a +5.

1969 Season
Again as the everyday left fielder, Stargell enjoyed his best season to date with the Pirates, batting .307 in 145 games with 29 home runs and 92 RBIs.  His average was 8th best in the league, and his .382 on-base percentage and .556 slugging percentage were 9th and 4th best respectively.  Stargell was also solid on defense, with his .968 fielding percentage ranking second among all National League left fielders.

1963 Topps #553

1971 Topps #230

1975 Topps #100

1979 Topps #55

1982 Topps #715

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #553
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (20):  1963-82
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2025 Topps Allen & Ginter Relics #AGR-WST
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  1,391 in the Beckett online database as of 2/14/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

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

#544 Tigers Rookie Stars / #546 Jim Nash - Oakland Athletics

#427 Tony Oliva AS - Minnesota Twins

All-Star cards returned to Topps sets in 1968 under The Sporting News banner for a three-year run between 1968 and 1970.  Topps included 20 All-Star cards in its 1969 set, featuring 10 All-Stars from each league and one player from each position, including both a right-handed and left-handed pitcher.  

Building the Set / Card #629

September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Niagara Sports Cards)

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 third stop was a smaller table with the impossible to pass up offer of 1969 Topps commons that were only $1, unless marked.  The binder was right at the end of the table, making it an even easier sell.  The prices on some of the cards were stunningly low, so I was even more surprised when the dealer, Niagara Sports Cards, gave me an even deeper discount upon tallying up my total.

I found 12 cards needed from Niagara Sports Cards, and this was the seventh of those 12, and the 70th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  I paid less than a dollar for it after the bulk dealer discount was applied. 

The Card / Twins Team Set / Pete Rose Puzzle

Tony Oliva (#600) was an eight-time All-Star between 1964 and 1971, although he did not appear in the 1969 All-Star Game.  He had made previous starts in 1964 and 1966 (right field), and in 1967 (center field).  The starting American League outfield for the 1969 All-Star Game was Frank Howard (#170), Reggie Jackson (#260) and Frank Robinson (#250), with Carl Yastrzemski (#130), Oliva and Willie Horton (#180) getting the nod as the starting outfielders in this Topps subset.

The black and white photo behind Oliva is 1963 Topps #147, featuring Game 6 of the 1962 World Series.  Giants pitcher Billy Pierce is on the mound, and he had appeared behind Jerry Koosman on his All-Star card (#434).  At-bat is one of three Yankee lefties - Tony Kubek, Roger Maris (#164) or Whitey Ford.  The backs of these All-Star cards contain a puzzle piece of either Pete Rose (#120) or Yastrzemski.  The back of Oliva's card features half of Rose's head.

Topps All-Star Card Appearances (2):  1968-69

1963 Topps #147

1968 Topps #371

Sources:  
Baseball Reference

Sports Collectors Daily - Mistaken Identities

#426 Curt Flood AS - St. Louis Cardinals / #428 Lou Brock AS - St. Louis Cardinals

#381 Ed Kranepool - New York Mets

Edward Emil Kranepool
New York Mets
First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  205
Born:  November 8, 1944, New York, NY
Signed:  Signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent, June 27, 1962
Major League Teams:  New York Mets 1962-79

World Series Appearances:  New York Mets 1969, 1973
Died:  September 8, 2024, Boca Raton, FL (age 79)

Ed Kranepool played in 18 major league seasons, and his complete list of career transactions from his Baseball Reference page is extremely impressive:

At the end of his career, Kranepool had amassed 1,853 games with the Mets, still tops in franchise history.  He was a member of the original expansion Mets in 1962 at the age of 17, an All-Star in 1965, a World Series winner with the Miracle Mets in 1969 and a top pinch-hitter for the club during the latter part of his career between 1974 and 1979.

Primarily a first baseman, Kranepool's best season came in 1971 when he drove in a career high 58 runs and hit .280 with 14 home runs.  He owned a lifetime batting average of .261 with 118 career home runs.  Kranepool was the original all-time hits leader for the Mets with 1,418, but he's since been surpassed by David Wright (1,777) and Jose Reyes (1,491).  He was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1990.

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

Building the Set / Card #618
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Vintage Sports)

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 24th of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 59th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  Sleeved, this card cost less than $2 after a dealer discount.

The Card / Mets Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

A great-looking card of the legendary Met, and Topps used a photo that works really well with the set's design.  The cartoon on the back of the card highlights Kranepool's status as the dean of the Mets' roster, and he'd go on to play another decade with the club.

Accuracy Index:  Kranepool's card earns the standard +5.

1969 Season
Kranepool was the most regularly used first baseman for the Mets, making 97 starts at the position, but losing playing time as the season progressed to Donn Clendenon (#208).  He batted .238 with 11 home runs and 49 RBIs.  From his SABR biography, written by Tara Krieger: 

"Spring Training, Gil Hodges (#564) wanted you to lead by example," Kranepool said of early 1969. "He built the ballclub around leadership.  First, we had to get over .500 - we never got to the .500 level before - it's the only way to win the game.  The team that makes the fewest mental mistakes does.  We didn't beat ourselves; we had good pitching and defense; we started to play well. We did get to .500, beat L.A. and San Diego, and went on a 10-game winning streak." 

. . . The Mets finished the year with a league-best 100-62 record and swept the Braves in the three-game divisional playoff to win their first pennant and face the 109-win American League champion Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.  Though Kranepool played all three NLCS games against Atlanta - and batted .250 - Kranepool was benched in favor of the right-handed-hitting Donn Clendenon for all but one of the Series' five games (the only game started by a right-handed pitcher).  Kranepool made it count, hitting a home run off Dave Leonhard (#228) in the eighth inning of Game Three.  After 800 defeats - most of which Kranepool had witnessed himself - the Mets were crowned world champions.

1963 Topps #228

1965 Topps #144

1975 Topps #324

1978 Topps #49

1980 Topps #641

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #228
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (18):  1963-80
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2020 Topps Archives Snapshots #AS-EK
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  210 in the Beckett online database as of 1/25/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#380 Stan Bahnsen - New York Yankees / #382 Pat Corrales - Cincinnati Reds

#269 Al Weis - New York Mets

Albert John Weis
New York Mets
Second Base-Shortstop

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  160
Born:  April 2, 1938, Franklin Square, NY
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent before 1959 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago White Sox 1962-67; New York Mets 1968-71

World Series Appearances:  New York Mets 1969

Al Weis was a successful middle infielder in the majors for ten seasons, starting his career with the White Sox and winning a World Series ring with the Mets in 1969.  Weis saw regular playing time at second base for the White Sox in 1964, taking over that position following the trade of Nellie Fox to the Colt .45s.  Weis appeared in a career-high 133 games, batting .247 with 22 stolen bases, the second most in the league behind Luis Aparicio (#75).  He returned to a bench role in 1965 and 1966, providing steady defense whenever Don Buford (#478) wasn't starting.  Weis hit a career low .155 in 1966 over 129 games.  The following year, his season was prematurely ended on June 27, 1967 when Frank Robinson (#250) broke his leg when sliding into second base to break up a double play.

Weis was traded to the Mets following the 1967 season, and he'd be used by manager Gil Hodges (#564) mostly as a late inning defensive replacement.  Before the Amazin' 1969 season, his most memorable moment with the club was allowing a ground ball to go through his legs in the 24th inning of his Mets debut on April 15, 1968.  The Astros won the contest 1-0 as a result of Weis' error.  Not known for having much power, Weis hit a solo home off Orioles pitcher Dave McNally (#340) in the bottom of the seventh inning during Game 5 of the 1969 World Series.  The home run tied the game 3-3, and the Mets would go on to win the game and the series.  Weis was a career .219 hitter over 800 big league games and he retired from baseball after being released by the Mets on July 1, 1971.

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

Building the Set / Card #610
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Vintage Sports)

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 16th of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 51st of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  Sleeved, this card cost less than $2 after a dealer discount, a bargain for a Mets card from the set.

The Card / Mets Team Set / Accuracy Index -8

Weis is wearing a White Sox jersey and hat here, and there's a really good chance the photo came from the same session as the photos used for his 1965, 1966 and 1968 Topps cards.  The back of the card lets collectors know how Weis had joined the Mets.  On December 15, 1967, the White Sox traded Weis and Tommie Agee (#364) to the Mets for Buddy Booker, Tommy Davis (#135), Jack Fisher (#318) and Billy Wynne.

Accuracy Index:  It's our second -8 in a row for the former team jersey and logo-less hat.

1969 Season
Weis played in 103 games for the Mets, batting .215 during the regular season with nine doubles, a pair of home runs and 23 RBIs, tying his career high set in 1964.  But he was a surprisingly shocking force in the World Series.  From his SABR biography, written by Michael Cahill: 

Among the Miracle Mets there was none more miraculous than Al Weis.  He led both teams' regulars in the Series with a batting average of .455, more than double his regular season average.  He had a 5-for-11 Series with a home run, four singles, four walks, and three RBI - one of which won Game Two and other tied Game Five.  His slugging percentage was .727 and his on-base average was .563. 

Donn Clendenon (#208), with three home runs, received the Series MVP Award.  Weis's achievement did not go unnoticed, however.  The New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America voted him their Series MVP award, known as the Babe Ruth Award. It marked only the fourth time that the Babe Ruth Award, given out annually since 1949 (compared with the Series MVP that had been doled out since 1955), had not gone to the same man who won the MVP.

1963 Topps #537

1964 Topps #168

1966 Topps #66

1970 Topps #498

1971 Topps #751

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #537
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1963-71
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2018 Topps Heritage Miracle of '69 #MO69-AW
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  58 in the Beckett online database as of 1/6/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#268 Al Spangler - Chicago Cubs / #270 Mickey Lolich - Detroit Tigers

#170 Frank Howard - Washington Senators

Frank Oliver Howard

Washington Senators
Outfield-First Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'7"  Weight:  255
Born:  August 8, 1936, Columbus, OH
Signed:  Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent, March 5, 1958
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1958-64; Washington Senators 1965-71; Texas Rangers 1972; Detroit Tigers 1972-73

World Series Appearances:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1963
As a Manager:  San Diego Padres 1981; New York Mets 1983

A prolific power threat throughout his 16-year big league career, Frank Howard was the 1960 National League Rookie of the Year, a World Champion with the Dodgers in 1963 and a four-time All-Star with the Senators in the late 1960s/early 1970s.  As the regular right fielder for the Dodgers in the early 1960s, Howard had one of his best seasons in 1963, leading the eventual World Champions in home runs with 28 while hitting .263.  He hit .300 in that World Series, with a key home run off Whitey Ford (#330) in Game 4.

Traded to the Senators in December 1964 as part of a seven-player deal, Howard's power numbers improved and he hit a career high 44 home runs in both 1968 and 1970, leading the league both times.  His career-high 126 RBIs in 1970 also led the league.  He followed the Senators to Texas when they became the Rangers, and upon his retirement he held almost every offensive record for the Senators/Rangers franchise which have since all been surpassed by Jim Sundberg, Toby Harrah or Juan Gonzalez.  Upon his retirement, his 382 career home runs were 8th most in MLB history among all right-handed batters.  In 1,895 games, Howard hit .273 with 1,119 RBIs, and after playing part-time with the Tigers in 1973 at the age of 36, he still wasn't ready to retire.

Howard signed in Japan to play for the Taiheiyo Club Lions in 1974, but a mighty swing in his very first at-bat hurt his back and he'd never play again.  Howard served as a coach for the Brewers (1977-80), Mets (1982-83), Brewers again (1985-86), Mets again (1994-96), Mariners (1987-88), Yankees (1989, 1991-93) and Devil Rays (1998-99).  He briefly managed the Padres (1981) and Mets (1983), compiling a record of 93-133 over two seasons.  Still extremely popular in the Washington, D.C. area, Howard was one of the prominent former players to take part in a pre-game ceremony prior to the first ever Nationals game in 2005.

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

Building the Set / Card #602
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Vintage Sports)

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 7th of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 43rd of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  Sleeved, this card cost less than $2 after a dealer discount - an absolute bargain for someone of Howard's stature.

The Card / Senators Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Topps reprinted this card in its 2002 Topps Archives set.  The back of the card highlights his big power year in 1968.  His record setting 10 home runs in six games, as depicted by the cartoon, came early in the 1968 season, between May 12th and May 18th.

Accuracy Index:  Howard's card scores a +5.  Although the photo used is similar to the one used on his 1967 Topps card, the two pictures were taken at different times, given Howard is wearing different glasses in each photo.

Inserts:  Howard is included in the 35 card Topps Deckle Edge insert set and is one of 48 decals in the Topps Decals insert set.

1969 Season
From his SABR biography, written by Mark Armour:  

After the Senators' 10th-place finish [in 1968], new owner Bob Short took over in January 1969 and decided to replace [manager Jim] Lemon (#294) after his single season. To replace Lemon, Short lured Ted Williams (#650) out of his eight-year retirement, surprising everyone around the game. For Howard, this would be another turning point, perhaps the most important one. Williams believed he knew how to make Howard a better hitter. "He called me into his office one day in the spring of '69," Howard recalled. "He said, 'Bush! Come on in here.' I’d only been in camp a couple of days, and I’m thinking, 'Gee, I'm not in his doghouse already, am I?'"

"Can you tell me how a guy who hit 44 home runs only got 48 walks?" asked Williams. After Howard offered some explanation, his manager got to the point. "Well, let me ask you. Can you take a strike? I’m talking about if it's a tough fastball in a tough zone, first pitch. Or if it's a breaking ball, you're sitting on a fastball … Can you take a strike? You know, try to get yourself a little better count to hit in?" Howard said he could. "Well try it for me."

Howard increased his walk total from 54 to 102, while his strikeouts fell from 141 to 96. He took advantage of more hitter's counts, and ended up hitting .296 with 48 home runs and 111 RBIs. He led the league with 330 total bases, and finished among the leaders in on-base-percentage (.402) and slugging percentage (.574). He hit a home run off Steve Carlton (#255) in the All-Star Game, held at his home park of RFK Stadium.

1960 Topps #132

1963 Topps #123

1970 Topps #550

1973 Topps #560

1984 Topps #621

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #132
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (17):  1960-1973, 1981, 1983-1984
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2023 Topps Living #687
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  455 in the Beckett online database as of 12/31/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#169 Tigers Celebrate Their Victory / #171 Glenn Beckert - Chicago Cubs