#15 Boog Powell - Baltimore Orioles

John Wesley Powell
Baltimore Orioles
First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  230
Born:  August 17, 1941, Lakeland, FL
Signed:  Signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent before 1959 season
Major League Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 1961-74; Cleveland Indians 1975-76; Los Angeles Dodgers 1977

World Series Appearances:  Baltimore Orioles 1966, 1969-71

Slugger Boog Powell helped lead the Orioles to their first two World Championship titles in 1966 and 1970, while also winning MVP honors in 1970.  Powell was a four-time All-Star, finishing in the top ten in the American League for batting average three times and in the top ten for both home runs and RBIs in seven different seasons.  While he never led the league in either category, he cleared the 30 home run plateau four times and drove in over 100 runs three times.  During his MVP campaign of 1970, Powell batted .297 with 35 home runs and 114 RBIs, a few short in each category from his 1969 career highs (37 home runs with 121 RBIs).

After two seasons in Cleveland and a brief stint with the Dodgers late in his career, Powell retired in 1977 after 2,042 games.  He had a lifetime .266 average with 339 home runs and 1,187 RBIs.  His 303 home runs with the Orioles are third on their all-time franchise list behind Cal Ripken (431) and Eddie Murray (343).  Powell was elected into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame in 1979 and throughout the early 1990s and 2000s, he could be found at Boog's Barbecue on game days, a highly recommended stop if you ever visit Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

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

Building the Set / Card #624

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 second of those 12, and the 65th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  True to its advertising, this card was stunningly less than a dollar after the discount.

The Card / Orioles Team Set / Accuracy Index +1

This is the first card in the set to repeat a photo collectors had already seen, as the same exact photo of Powell is used for his 1968 Topps card.  A lot of the cartoons used on the back of these cards are fairly basic, but this one genuinely made me chuckle.  His success in the 1966 World Series and his team-leading 22 homer runs in 1968 are highlighted in the write-up.  That's a low tally by today's standards, but 1968 is universally regarding as the Year of the Pitcher.

Topps reprinted this card in its 2002 Topps Archives set.

Accuracy Index:  Powell's card drops to +1 for the repeat photo usage.

1969 Season
From his SABR biography, written by Joseph Wancho: 

Powell had a great season in 1969, smacking 37 home runs and 25 doubles, and setting career marks in RBIs (121) and batting average (.304).  He was the American League’s starting first baseman in the All-Star Game.  He had an 18-game hitting streak from May 9 to May 30, falling two short of the club record set by Bob Nieman in 1956.  On August 16 at Sick’s Stadium in Seattle, he hit an inside-the-park home run off former teammate Steve Barber (#233).  He made only seven errors at first base.  "Boog has come so far in the last couple of years," said second baseman Dave Johnson (#203).  "He used to hug the line and just cover the bag four or five years ago, playing every hitter the same.  Now he’ll come off, allowing me to shade second."  After sweeping the Twins in the playoffs, the Orioles fell flat in the 1969 World Series, losing to the underdog New York Mets in five games.  Powell had a disappointing Series, hitting .263 with no extra-base hits and four strikeouts.

1962 Topps #99

1967 Topps #230

1970 Topps #410

1975 Topps #625

1977 Topps #206

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1962 Topps #99
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (16):  1962-77
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2020 Topps Update Decades' Best #DB-22
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  368 in the Beckett online database as of 2/1/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#14 Al McBean - San Diego Padres / #16 Giants Rookie Stars

#13 Mickey Stanley - Detroit Tigers

Mitchell Jack Stanley
Detroit Tigers
Outfield-Shortstop

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  185
Born:  July 20, 1942, Grand Rapids, MI
Signed:  Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent before 1961 season
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1964-78

World Series Appearances:  Detroit Tigers 1968

Known primarily for his defense, Mickey Stanley played 15 seasons in the majors, all with his home state Tigers.  His best season statistically coincided with the Tigers winning the World Series in 1968.  As the club's everyday centerfielder, Stanley played in 153 games, batting .259 with 11 home runs and 60 RBIs that season, while also winning his first of four career Gold Gloves.  With stronger offense needed for the stretch run and the World Series, manager Mayo Smith (#40) moved Stanley to shortstop late in the season, a position he had never played professionally.  The move paid off, with the slugging Willie Horton (#180), Jim Northrup (#580) and Al Kaline (#410) in the outfield, and Stanley replacing the light-hitting Ray Oyler (#178) in the infield.  Stanley would occasionally play shortstop during the 1969 season, but he'd remain as the club's most used center fielder through the early 1970s.

Stanley shifted to a super utility and pinch-hitting role beginning in 1974.  In his last season with the club, in 1978, Stanley helped usher in a new era of Tigers stars, playing alongside rookies Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker, Lance Parrish and Jack Morris.  He retired with a lifetime batting average of .248, with 1,243 hits, 117 home runs and 500 RBIs.  His .993 fielding percentage as a center fielder is currently 20th all-time.

Building the Set / Card #623

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 first of 12, and the 64th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  True to its advertising, this card was less than a dollar after the discount.

The Card / Tigers Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Topps chose a great photo of Stanley that works well with the set's design.  If the player making a cameo behind him is wearing #2, it would be Jake Wood if the photo is from 1967 or Tommy Matchick (#344) if the photo is from 1968.  The write-up on the back of the card refers to manager Smith's "World Series surprise" of having his Gold Glove outfielder move to shortstop for the series.

Accuracy Index:  Stanley card earns a strong +5.

1969 Season
From his SABR biography, written by Jerry Nechal: 

[Following the World Series win,] Stanley's fortunes turned quickly the following spring.  The newspapers were filled with speculation about a permanent move to shortstop.  On the first day of spring training Mickey injured his throwing arm.  In 2007 he remembered that day, "The first ground ball . . . Dick Tracewski (#126) hit one in the hole; being the young showoff, I picked it up and threw it off the wrong foot . . . It hurt my arm and that was it for the rest of my career.  I played with a bad arm . . . It definitely took the fun out of baseball for me, because that was my biggest asset."  Despite the injury, Stanley led the team with 149 games played, 59 of them at shortstop.  He returned to the outfield as a regular after Tom Tresh (#212) was acquired from the Yankees in June to play short.  Stanley won his second Gold Glove and set a Tigers record by playing in 220 consecutive errorless games as an outfielder.  His batting average slipped to .235, but he had a career-high 70 RBI as the Tigers finished 19 games behind Baltimore.

1966 Topps #198

1970 Topps #383

1975 Topps #141

1977 Topps #533

1979 Topps #692

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1966 Topps #198
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (14):  1966-79
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2004 Upper Deck Legends Timeless Teams #78
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  79 in the Beckett online database as of 2/1/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#12 1968 N.L. Strikeout Leaders / #14 Al McBean - San Diego Padres

#402 Ken Boswell - New York Mets

Kenneth George Boswell
New York Mets
Second Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  170
Born:  February 23, 1946, Austin, TX
Drafted:  Drafted by the New York Mets i the 4th round of the 1965 amateur draft, June 8, 1965
Major League Teams:  New York Mets 1967-74; Houston Astros 1975-77

World Series Appearances:  New York Mets 1969, 1973

Ken Boswell spent 11 seasons in the majors, seeing World Series action twice with the Mets in 1969 and 1973.  Boswell was a September call-up in 1967, never to return to the minor leagues, and one of his best season statistically was his rookie campaign of 1968.  In 75 games, Boswell batted .261 with four home runs and 11 RBIs while getting the majority of playing time at second base.  He was a member of the 1969 Amazin' Mets team that won the World Series, and his five RBIs in the NLCS against the Braves led the team.  Strong seasons followed in 1970 and 1971, with Boswell driving in a career-high 44 runs in 1970 and hitting a career-best 20 doubles in 1971.  Consistently working on his infield defense, Boswell put together an 85-game errorless streak in 1970.

He settled into a pinch-hitting role with the Mets in 1973, and was 3 for 3 in that year's World Series as a pinch-hitter against the Athletics.  Dealt to the Astros following the 1974 season, Boswell would play three seasons in Houston before retiring.  In 930 big league games, Boswell batted .248 with 91 doubles, 31 home runs and 244 RBIs.

Building the Set / Card #620
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 26th of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 61st 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

This is Boswell's rookie card, and his Topps 1968 All-Star Rookie trophy is front and center.  Topps was high on the prospect given his success in the minor leagues and during his rookie season, as evidenced by the write-up and cartoon on the back of the card.  The cartoon has an uncorrected error, as Boswell's home run at Dodger Stadium came on September 30, 1967, not during the 1966 season.  Boswell connected off Don Drysdale (#400) for his first big league home run.

Accuracy Index:  Boswell's card earns a +5.  It's a great looking card, even if it's a Mets card.

1969 Season
Boswell played in 102 games overall with the Mets, making 91 starts at second base.  He batted .279 with three home runs and 32 RBIs, but was hot for the Mets down the stretch.  From his SABR biography, written by Mike Bender: 

He hit .407 over his last 29 games, with 12 multi-hit efforts, including six in a row from September 9 through September 18 . . . Boswell had arguably the biggest hit in Mets history, up to that time, on September 10.  His 12th-inning, two-out single scored the winning run in the first game of a doubleheader against the Expos - a win that put the Mets into first place for the first time in team history . . .

The Atlanta Braves, the Mets' opponent in the inaugural National League Championship Series, were scheduled to start three right-handed pitchers in the series.  Boswell and the rest of Gil Hodges's (#564) left-handed platoon would start each of the games.  It was a quick series.  After going hitless and making an error in the first game, Boswell hit two-run homers (his first since mid-July) in Game Two and Game Three, driving in four runs, as the Mets completed an unexpected three-game sweep.  He finished the series with a .333 average and a team-high five RBIs. 

On the field one last time in '69, Boswell started against Jim Palmer (#573) at Shea Stadium in Game Three, the first World Series game in New York since 1964 and the first ever-Series game at Shea Stadium.  Batting fifth, he had a single and run scored in three at-bats, as the Mets shut out the Orioles in a game best remembered for Tommie Agee’s (#364) acrobatics in the outfield.  Boswell did not play in either of the final two games of the Series, both wins in the team’s final at-bat . . . The 1969 season was Boswell’s finest year. He set career highs in runs (48), triples (7), batting average (.279), and slugging percentage (.381), and tied his career high for stolen bases with seven.

1970 Topps #214

1971 Topps #492

1972 Topps #306

1974 Topps #645

1977 Topps #429

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #402
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1969-77
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2001 Upper Deck Legends of New York #71
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  59 in the Beckett online database as of 1/25/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#401 Jake Gibbs - New York Yankees / #403 Bob Miller - Minnesota Twins

#380 Stan Bahnsen - New York Yankees

Stanley Raymond Bahnsen
New York Yankees
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  185
Born:  December 15, 1944, Council Bluffs, IA
Drafted:  Drafted by the New York Yankees in the 4th round of the 1965 amateur draft, June 8, 1965
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1966, 1968-71; Chicago White Sox 1972-75; Oakland Athletics 1975-77; Montreal Expos 1977-1981; California Angels 1982; Philadelphia Phillies 1982

A workhorse early in his career and appropriately nicknamed "Bahnsen Burner," Stan Bahnsen was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1968 before going on to have his most success with the White Sox in the early 1970s.  Bahnsen was 17-12 with a 2.05 ERA in 267 1/3 innings pitched in his rookie campaign, earning him nearly unanimous rookie accolades.  He'd suffer a sophomore slump in 1969, and he wouldn't fully regain his rookie form until a trade to the White Sox before the 1972 season.  Bahnsen won 21 and 18 games respectively for Chicago in 1972 and 1973, making over 40 starts each season.  Wear and tear started showing in the mid-1970s, and Bahnsen gradually shifted to a full-time relief role after a few seasons in Oakland and then moving on to the Expos in 1977.  He'd pitch in more games for the Expos (204) than any of the other five teams he'd appear with in the majors, bolstering their bullpen for five seasons.

Bahnsen's last action in the majors came in 1982, as he pitched in seven games with the Angels and his final eight big league games with the Phillies as a September call-up.  He was 146-149 lifetime, with a 3.60 ERA in 574 games pitched.  Bahnsen struck out 1,359, threw 73 complete games, including 16 shutouts, and had 20 career saves.

2015 Chachi Phillies Missing
Links of the 1980s #4

Building the Set / Card #617
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 23rd of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 58th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  Unsleeved, this card cost less than $1 after a dealer discount.

The Card / Yankees Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Bahnsen shared Rookie Stars cards in the 1967 and 1968 Topps sets, and this is his first solo baseball card, which is appropriate given his Rookie of the Year accolades.  The back of the card highlights his rookie season success, and notes only Mel Stottlemyre (#470) had more wins on the Yankees than Bahnsen, with 21.

Accuracy Index:  Bahnsen's card earns a +5.

1969 Season
From Bahnsen's SABR biography, written by John Gabcik: 

For the 1969 season, Major League Baseball enacted two major changes in an attempt to adjust what was perceived as a disproportionate advantage to pitchers - the height of the mound was lowered from 15 to ten inches, and the strike zone was officially tightened. Bahnsen, who at times had difficulty controlling his curve, and whose fastball had benefited from the higher mound, was skeptical.  "I don’t like the lower mound, but the smaller strike zone doesn’t bother me since I’m not a spot pitcher," he told The Sporting News.  Bahnsen knew himself well.  He struggled with the lower mound throughout 1969, as his record dropped to 9-16 and his ERA almost doubled. A significant factor, given the times, was that Bahnsen tended to tire in later innings.  He completed only five of his 33 starts, a performance that magnified the weakness of the New York bullpen.

Phillies Career
Bahnsen began the 1982 season in the Angels' bullpen, pitching relatively well in five of his seven outing with the club.  But the team released him on May 14th, and the Phillies picked him up two weeks later on May 31st.  Bahnsen spent the summer with the Triple-A Oklahoma City 89ers, then the Phillies' top farm team, and was 4-3 with a 4.89 ERA in 23 games and 46 innings pitched.  Surprisingly, with the team still somewhat in a pennant race, he was called up in September and pitched better than expected.  In his final eight games in the majors, Bahnsen had a 1.35 ERA, allowing two earned runs in 8 2/3 innings pitched.  Looking at the bWAR of every Phillies' reliever used in 1982, only Ron Reed (2.6) (#177) and Bahnsen (0.6) had scores above zero.

He'd start the 1983 season with the team's new Triple-A team in Portland, struggling mightily with a 11.37 ERA in 25 1/3 innings pitched.  At some point, the Phillies cut ties with Bahnsen, ending his career.

Bahnsen is perhaps best remembered by Phillies fans as the pitcher who surrendered Mike Schmidt's 48th home run of the 1980 season, leading the Phillies to the National League East division title.  Audio of that blast, featuring Andy Musser's call, can be found here.

1967 Topps #93

1972 Topps #662

1975 Topps #161

1977 Topps #383

1982 Topps #131

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1967 Topps #93
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (16):  1967-82
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2002 Upper Deck Vintage Special Collection Game Jersey #S-STB
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  82 in the Beckett online database as of 1/25/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
The Phillies Room

#379 Ken Boyer - Los Angeles Dodgers / #381 Ed Kranepool - New York Mets

#347 Randy Hundley - Chicago Cubs

Cecil Randolph Hundley
Chicago Cubs
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  170
Born:  June 1, 1942, Martinsville, VA
Signed:  Signed by the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1964-65; Chicago Cubs 1966-73; Minnesota Twins 1974; San Diego Padres 1975; Chicago Cubs 1976-77

He played his first eight big league games with the Giants, but Randy Hundley is best known as the long-time leader and catcher for the Cubs, the team he played in 947 games with over ten seasons.  Blocked behind Tom Haller (#310) in San Francisco, Hundley got the chance to start for the Cubs when the team acquired him before the 1966 season.  His 19 home runs in 1966 set a National League record for rookie catchers, and he'd finish fourth in Rookie of the Year voting.  He'd enjoy arguably his best season in 1967, winning a Gold Glove, and batting .267 with 25 doubles, 14 home runs and 60 RBIs.  He'd make the All-Star team in 1969, his last great season before the heavy workload behind the plate started taking a toll on him.  Between 1970 and 1976, Hundley was injured more often than not, although he did regain the starting catcher's job for the Cubs in 1972 and 1973.

Hundley briefly spent time with the Twins and Padres before returning to the Cubs in 1976 for his swan song.  He served as the team's bullpen coach in 1977, activated late in the season and appearing in his final two games before retiring as a player.  In 1,061 career games, Hundley batted .236 with 82 home runs and 381 RBIs.  He managed in the Cubs' minor league system between 1979 and 1981, and was a part of a large inaugural class of Cubs Hall of Fame inductees in 2021.  Hundley is also credited with starting and running fantasy camps, now prevalent throughout the spring trainings of many big league teams.

Building the Set / Card #616
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 22nd of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 57th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  Unsleeved, this card cost less than $1 after a dealer discount.

The Card / Cubs Team Set / Accuracy Index +1

It's a great pose, but collectors had already seen this photo on Hundley's first solo card in the 1967 Topps set.  A few highlights from the 1967 season are covered on the back of the card - his 13-game hitting streak and his record-setting low of only four errors all season.

Accuracy Index:  Again, great card, but it scores only a +1 due to the repeat photo.

1969 Season
Hundley batted .255 with 18 home runs and 64 RBIs, starting 145 of the Cubs' 163 regular season games behind the plate.  From his SABR biography, written by Steve Dunn: 

For Randy and other Cub mainstays such as Ernie Banks (#20), [Ron] Santo (#570) and [Billy] Williams (#450), the 1969 season was the highlight and lowlight of their time in Chicago.  On August 14, the Cubs enjoyed a nine-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals and a 10-game cushion over the New York Mets after being in first place for 155 straight days. 

But the lead had shrunk to a half-game in early September when the Mets beat the Cubs twice in New York . . . It only got worse for the Cubs when they lost twice to the Philadelphia Phillies, while the Mets rolled over the Montreal Expos four times, putting the upstart New Yorkers in first place for good.  Like most of the other Cub regulars, Randy’s performance at the plate declined greatly in September.  On June 1, he was hitting .307 with eight homers, but he hit only .151 in the last month of the season. 

Nevertheless, the ironman catcher was named to the National League All-Star team for the first time and led the league's catchers in fewest errors and double plays turned by a catcher and tied for most games and assists.  He also hit a grand slam and a double on May 28, 1969, in a 9-8 win over the Giants.

1966 Topps #392

1967 Topps #106

1972 Topps #258

1976 Topps #351

1977 Topps #502

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1966 Topps #392
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1966-74, 1976-77
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2006 Fleer Greats of the Game #73
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  85 in the Beckett online database as of 1/19/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#346 Wayne Comer - Seattle Pilots / #348 Steve Hargan - Cleveland Indians

#296 Andy Messersmith - California Angels

John Alexander Messersmith
California Angels
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  200
Born:  August 6, 1945, Toms River, NJ
Drafted:  Drafted by the California Angels in the 1st round (12th pick) of the 1966 amateur draft, June 7, 1966
Major League Teams:  California Angels 1968-72; Los Angeles Dodgers 1973-75; Atlanta Braves 1976-77; New York Yankees 1978; Los Angeles Dodgers 1979

World Series Appearances:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1974

A four-time All-Star, Andy Messersmith pitched in a dozen big league seasons, peaking in 1975 with the Dodgers, and then steadily declining due to ongoing arm injuries.  Originally a first round pick by the Angels, he debuted with the club in the summer of 1968 and joined their starting rotation in 1969.  That season, Messersmith was 16-11 with a 2.52 ERA in 40 games pitched, earning MVP votes.  He was a 20-game winner with the Angels in 1971 and in November 1972 Messersmith was part of a blockbuster seven-player deal, sending him to the Dodgers with Ken McMullen (#319) in exchange for five players, including Frank Robinson (#250).  His best years came with the Dodgers.  He won 20 and 19 games in 1974 and 1975, respectively, helping his club reach the World Series in 1974.  Messersmith won Gold Gloves both seasons and led the league in complete games (19), shutouts (seven) and innings pitched (321 2/3) in 1975.

He'd play a huge role in ushering in the age of free agency, playing the 1975 season without a signed contract under baseball's one-year reserve clause.  Following a successful season, he won his arbitration case before arbitrator Peter Seitz, becoming a free agent and ultimately signing a $1 million, three-year deal with the Braves.  Although he made the All-Star team in 1976, Messersmith was never quite the same following his heavy workload season of 1975.  He'd pitch in 62 games between 1976 and 1979, going 18-22 with a 3.83 ERA for the Braves, Yankees and back with the Dodgers.  Lifetime, he was 130-99 with a 2.86 ERA in 344 games pitched, with 1,625 strikeouts.

Building the Set / Card #612
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 18th of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 53rd 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 the rookie card of a relatively well-known pitcher from his era.

The Card / Angels Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

As just mentioned, this is Messersmith's rookie card, and Topps did a nice job getting the future star into a low series of the set.  The back of the card summarizes his ascent from the minor leagues to the Angels' bullpen to their starting pitching rotation in 1968.  Topps has surprisingly never reprinted this card.

Accuracy Index:  Messersmith's card earns a +5.

1969 Season
From his SABR biography, written by Eric Golanty: 

In 1969 Messersmith broke into the Angels' starting rotation, appearing in 40 games, pitching 250 innings with a 16-11 record, 2.52 ERA, and 211 strikeouts.  At 24 years old, Messersmith was making his mark.  Opposing managers, including Billy Martin (#547), credited Messersmith with "the best stuff" in the league.

1970 Topps #430

1972 Topps #160

1975 Topps #440

1977 Topps #80

1979 Topps #278

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #296
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1969-79
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1979 O-Pee-Chee #139
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  105 in the Beckett online database as of 1/9/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#295 Tony Perez - Cincinnati Reds / #297 Deron Johnson - Philadelphia Phillies