#425 Carl Yastrzemski AS - Boston Red Sox

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 #638

September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Richie's 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.  After about 90 minutes of walking and buying, while running low on funds, and even lower on stamina, I found a nice display of vintage Topps star cards at Richie's Sports Cards, from Manalpan, New Jersey.  I quickly and easily picked up six more star cards needed for our set from Richie's, my fourth stop of the show.  This is the fourth of those six cards and it cost a little over $13 after a discount.

1960 Topps #390

The Card / Red Sox Team Set / Carl Yastrzemski Puzzle

Carl Yastrzemski appears on three cards in the set (#1, #130 and this card) and his image appears on the backs of 10 All-Star cards in the form of a puzzle.  Fittingly, the final card back I needed to complete my Yaz puzzle is on the back of this card.  The completed puzzle is shown below, in its slightly lopsided glory.

Yastrzemski was an 18-time All-Star between 1963 and 1983, going to 15 straight Mid-Summer Classics between 1965 and 1979.  The starting American League outfield for the 1969 All-Star Game was Frank Howard (#170), Reggie Jackson (#260) and Frank Robinson (#250), with Yastrzemski, Tony Oliva (#600) and Willie Horton (#180) getting the nod as the starting outfielders in this Topps subset.  Yastrzemski replaced Jackson in the top of the sixth inning in the 1969 All-Star Game, and he'd fly out to left in his only at-bat against Jerry Koosman (#90).

The article linked below identifies the black and white photo behind Yaz as coming from a World Series subset card found in the 1960 Topps set.  That's Luis Aparicio (#75) trying to field the ball for the White Sox, with Nellie Fox behind him.  Jim Landis is on the card too, but Yastrzemski's head blocks him here.

Topps All-Star Card Appearances (5):  1968-70, 1978, 1980

1968 Topps #369

1970 Topps #461

1978 Topps #40

1980 Topps #720

Sources:  
Baseball Reference

Sports Collectors Daily - Mistaken Identities

#424 Pete Rose AS - Cincinnati Reds / #426 Curt Flood AS - St. Louis Cardinals

#180 Willie Horton - Detroit Tigers

William Wattison Horton
Detroit Tigers
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  209
Born:  October 18, 1942, Arno, VA
Signed:  Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent, August 7, 1961
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1963-77; Texas Rangers 1977; Cleveland Indians 1978; Oakland Athletics 1978; Toronto Blue Jays 1978; Seattle Mariners 1979-80

World Series Appearances:  Detroit Tigers 1968

Slugger Willie Horton played in parts of 18 seasons in the majors, finding the most success early in his career as the regular left fielder for the Tigers and then later in his career as one of the best designated hitters in the game.  He enjoyed a career year in 1968, batting .285 with 36 home runs and 85 RBIs while helping the Tigers to a World Championship title over the Cardinals.  Horton was a four-time All-Star and he topped 100 RBIs three times, in 1965, 1966 and later in 1979.  He collected at least 20 home runs in seven different seasons.  Horton became one the league's top designated hitters in the mid-1970s, prolonging his career and enjoying productive seasons in the majors through the late 1970s.  He won the league's Outstanding Designated Hitter award in 1975 with the Tigers and in 1979 with the Mariners.  Horton last played in the big leagues in 1980, but he prolonged his career with two seasons playing for the Pirates top farm team in Portland and then playing in Mexico in 1983.  When he retired, Horton's 325 career home runs ranked sixth among all American League right-handed hitters.

Popular and superstitious, Horton reportedly used the same batting helmet throughout his career, painting it whenever he joined a new club.  He collected 1,993 hits while batting .273 and driving in 1,163 runs.  Horton briefly served as a big league coach with the Yankees (1985) and White Sox (1986).  In 2000, the Tigers placed a statue of Horton outside Comerica Park and also retired his #23.  Horton and former teammate Al Kaline (#410) threw out the first pitch of the 2006 World Series in Detroit.

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

Building the Set / Card #625

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 third of those 12, and the 66th 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 / Tigers Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This is Horton's fourth of five total appearances in the set, as the slugger appeared on the 1968 A.L. Home Run Leaders card (#5) and two World Series subset cards (#163 and #169).  He'd also appear on an All-Star card (#429) later in the set.  The back of the card summarizes his 1968 highlights.

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

Inserts:  Horton 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
From his SABR biography, written by Dan Holmes: 

In contrast with the previous season, 1969 was filled with disappointment for Horton.  Mired in a 4-for-35 slump on May 15, Willie left the team midgame and disappeared for four days due to "personal pressures."  When he came back, he had lost more than $1,300 in pay and was admonished by Detroit General Manager Jim Campbell.  On June 28 in Baltimore, Horton pulled up at second base on a double and tore thigh muscle in his right leg.  The injury forced him to miss 10 games and relegated him to the bench for seven more.  He played the final weeks of the season with a sore right hand.  Nonetheless, Horton still managed 91 RBI and 28 home runs.

1964 Topps #512

1968 Topps #360

1972 Topps #750

1975 Topps #66

1980 Topps #532

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #63
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (17):  1964-80
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2014 Panini Golden Age #97
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  269 in the Beckett online database as of 2/1/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#179 Dan Pavletich - Chicago White Sox / #181 Mel Nelson - 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

#338 Del Unser - Washington Senators

Delbert Bernard Unser

Washington Senators
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  180
Born:  December 9, 1944, Decatur, IL
Drafted:  Drafted by the Washington Senators in the 1st round (18th pick) of the 1966 amateur draft, June 7, 1966
Major League Teams:   Washington Senators 1968-71; Cleveland Indians 1972; Philadelphia Phillies 1973-74; New York Mets 1975-76; Montreal Expos 1976-78; Philadelphia Phillies 1979-82

World Series Appearances:  Philadelphia Phillies 1980

Del Unser played 15 seasons in the majors, and was an everyday center fielder for the Senators, Indians, Phillies and Mets between 1968 and 1975, but most fans will remember him for his late-career pinch-hitting prowess that contributed to the Phillies' first World Championship title in 1980.  Unser first earned regular playing time with the Senators in 1968, and although he batted just .230 with a home run and 30 RBIs in his rookie season, he finished as Rookie of the Year runner-up to Stan Bahnsen (#380).  He batted .286 with a league-leading eight triples in 1969 and overall spent four strong seasons with the Senators.  Dealt to the Indians prior to the 1972 season, Unser's stay in Cleveland would last one year before he began his first stint with the Phillies in 1973.  He'd bat a career-high .294 with the Mets in 1975, essentially his last full season as an everyday player.

After two and half seasons in Montreal, Unser was reacquired by the Phillies in 1979 via free agency and he'd settle into an almost full-time role as a pinch-hitter.  He batted .455 (5 for 11) in the 1980 postseason, with two clutch pinch-hit doubles helping the Phillies defeat the Royals in Games 2 and 5 of the World Series.  Unser retired in 1982 with a .258 career average, 179 doubles, 42 triples, 87 home runs and 481 RBIs.  He'd serve as a coach with the Phillies between 1985 and 1988, and then as the team's farm director between 1990 and 1999.

From the 1980 Phillies Yearbook

Building the Set / Card #615
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 21st of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 56th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  Unsleeved, this card cost less than $1 after a dealer discount.

The Card / Senators Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This is Unser's rookie card, and most importantly, as celebrated I think a few times over on the wonderful and prolific Night Owl Cards blog, this could be the first baseball card to feature an actual photograph taken at night.  I had always known of Unser because of his heroics while with the Phillies, so it's even cooler to know he graces a landmark baseball card.  The back of the card explains how Unser's hot spring in 1968 led to him landing a regular job with the Senators on his way to a solid rookie campaign.

Accuracy Index:  Unser's card scores a +5, although I'd give it a few extra points for the night-related awesomeness.

1969 Season
Under new manager Ted Williams (#650), Unser played in 153 games and had one of the strongest seasons of his career.  His 57 RBIs would ultimately be the second highest total of his career, behind the 61 he drove in with the Phillies in 1974.

Phillies Career
On November 30, 1972, the Indians traded Unser and minor leaguer Terry Wedgewood to the Phillies for Roger Freed and Oscar Gamble.  Unser would be the club's opening day center fielder in 1973 and 1974, batting .276 overall in 278 games with 22 home runs and 113 RBIs.  On December 3, 1974, Unser was packaged with Mac Scarce and John Stearns in a trade with the Mets that brought the Phillies Don Hahn, Dave Schneck and most importantly, reliever Tug McGraw (#601).  Unser would return to the Phillies for a second time, signing with the club as a free agent on March 29, 1979.

Unser played all three outfield positions and some first base during his second stint with the Phillies, but his biggest contribution was as a pinch-hitter.  He'd set a record on July 10, 1979, hitting his third of three consecutive pinch-hit home runs.  Unser's heroics in the 1980 postseason are well-known to all Phillies fans.  Along with his two huge pinch-doubles in the World Series, Unser's pinch-single off the Astros' Ken Forsch in NLCS Game 5 tied the game, and he'd score the eventual winning run a few innings later in the top of the 10th.  In 550 games overall with the Phillies, Unser batted .268 with 55 doubles, 28 home runs and 158 RBIs.

He was manager John Felske's and Lee Elia's (#312) first base and hitting coach for four seasons.  And in his role as the team's farm director in the 1990s, he helped oversee the development of Mike Lieberthal, Jimmy Rollins and Scott Rolen, among many others.

1970 Topps #336

1975 Topps #138

1978 Topps #348

1980 Topps #6

1982 Topps #713

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #338
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (14):  1969-82
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1982 Topps #713
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  79 in the Beckett online database as of 1/18/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
The Phillies Room

#337 Marty Martinez - Houston Astros / #339 Reds Rookie Stars

#286 Dock Ellis - Pittsburgh Pirates

Dock Phillip Ellis
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pitcher

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  205
Born:  March 11, 1945, Los Angeles, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent, January 14, 1964
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1968-75; New York Yankees 1976-77; Oakland Athletics 1977; Texas Rangers 1977-79; New York Mets 1979; Pittsburgh Pirates 1979

World Series Appearances:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1971; New York Yankees 1976
Died:  December 19, 2008, Los Angeles, CA (age 63)

Dock Ellis pitched in a dozen major league seasons, primarily with the Pirates, where he was an All-Star in 1971 and helped lead the team to five pennants in six seasons between 1970 and 1975.  On June 12, 1970, Ellis threw a no-hitter against the Padres, later admitting he threw the game while under the influence of LSD.  Ellis' best season statistically came in 1971 as he was 19-9 with a 3.06 ERA in 31 starts.  He threw a career-high 226 2/3 innings, striking out 137 as the Pirates eventually defeated the Orioles in the World Series.  Ellis was also the starting pitcher for the National League in that year's All-Star Game.

He had a number of memorable run-ins throughout his career both on and off the field, and admittedly struggled with substance abuse.  Dealt to the Yankees following the 1975 season, largely in part to a complete fall-out with Pirates' manager Danny Murtaugh, Ellis was a 17 game winner for the Yankees in 1976 and pitched in his second World Series.  He won American League Comeback Player of the Year honors for his first season in the Bronx.  Following his criticism of Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner, Ellis was on the move again before the 1977 season, this time shipped to Oakland.  He finished up his playing days with the A's, Rangers, Mets and a brief return trip to the Pirates.  In 345 career games, Ellis was 138-119 with a 3.46 ERA and 1,136 strikeouts in 2,128 inning pitched.

Building the Set / Card #611
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 17th of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 52nd 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 / Pirates Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This is Ellis' rookie card, and given the player boycott of Topps during the 1967-68 seasons, it's impressive Topps was able to get a picture of him in his Pirates uniform.  His minor league successes are highlighted on the back of the card.  I was surprised to see this card has never been reprinted.

Accuracy Index:  Ellis' rookie card earns a +5.

1969 Season
Ellis made his debut with the Pirates in 1968, and earned a spot in their pitching rotation out of spring training in 1969.  He was 11-17 with a 3.58 ERA in 35 games, including 33 starts.  Ellis struck out a career-high 173 batters, second on the club behind the 213 strikeouts from Bob Veale (#520).

1971 Topps #2

1972 Topps #180

1977 Topps #71

1978 Topps #209

1980 Topps #117

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #286
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12):  1969-80
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2021-22 Topps Project70 #874
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  82 in the Beckett online database as of 1/6/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#285 Don Mincher - Seattle Pilots / #287 Jose Tartabull - Boston Red Sox