#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

#485 Gaylord Perry - San Francisco Giants

Gaylord Jackson Perry
San Francisco Giants
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  205
Born:  September 15, 1938, Williamston, NC
Signed:  Signed by the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent, June 3, 1958
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1962-71; Cleveland Indians 1972-75; Texas Rangers 1975-77; San Diego Padres 1978-79; Texas Rangers 1980; New York Yankees 1980; Atlanta Braves 1981; Seattle Mariners 1982-83; Kansas City Royals 1983

Died:  December 1, 2022, Gaffney, SC (age 84)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1991

Gaylord Perry established himself as one of the premier pitchers in baseball in the 1960s with the Giants, before going on to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues with the Indians in 1972 and the Padres in 1978.  He was the first to accomplish that feat.  Known for potentially throwing a spitball ("real or imagined" as his Hall of Fame biography puts it), Perry constantly outmatched batters over his 22-year career.

Perry was a five-time All-Star and a five-time 20-game winner.  He led the league in wins three times - in 1970 with 23, 1972 with 24 and 1978 with 21.  In 690 career starts, he threw 303 complete games and 53 shutouts, joining the 300-win club in 1982.  His 314 career wins are currently 17th on the all-time list and his 3,534 career strikeouts are currently 9th on the all-time list.  Along with his brother Jim (#146), the Perry's are the second-winningest brother combination in baseball history (529 wins) behind Joe (#43) and Phil Niekro (#355) (539 wins).

Perry pitched a no-hitter against the Cardinals and Bob Gibson (#200) on September 17, 1968.  He was elected into baseball's Hall of Fame in 1991 on his third year of eligibility with 77.2% of the votes cast in favor of his election.

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

Building the Set / Card #572
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)

On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show.  The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year.  I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova.  I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.

I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set.  The first place I stopped was a table with well-organized and well-marked binders of commons and semi-stars with 20% Off notes across the front of each binder.  

I took my time and found 32 commons and semi-stars needed before asking to see the dealer's star cards from the set.  It turned out this first purchase was also my biggest, as I spent over half my allotted budget here, America's Pastime from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, before moving on to my second stop.  This was the 13th of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 13th of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little over $6 after the dealer discount.

The Card / Giants Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Topps got some mileage out of the photos they took of Perry during a photo shoot from 1963, using photos from the session, showing Perry in a black warm-up jacket, for his 1964, 1965, 1966 and 1969 Topps cards.  The cartoon on the back highlights his win in the 1966 All-Star Game, his first of five times being named to the team.  Perry pitched two scoreless innings in the ninth and tenth innings in 1966, as the game was won by a walk-off single from Maury Wills (#45) to score Tim McCarver (#475).  The brief write-up highlights his 1968 no-hitter.

This is one of 23 cards available in the set's fifth series available as either "yellow letter" or "white letter" variations, with the yellow letter variations being more prevalent.  This is the more prevalent yellow letter variation with Perry's last name printed in yellow.

Accuracy Index:  Perry's card scores a +5 despite this being the fourth time collectors had seen his warm-up jacket.

1969 Season
Perry had another fantastic season, going 19-14 for the Giants with a 2.49 ERA in 40 appearances and 39 starts.  He threw 26 complete games, including three shutouts, and led the league with 325 1/3 innings pitched.  His strikeout total of 233 was fifth best in the league.  I took this from Perry's SABR biography on the umpire-related challenges Perry faced during the season: 

In June of 1969, National League president Warren Giles instructed umpires to immediately remove any pitcher from the game if convinced the hurler was putting any lubricant on the ball. Two days later, with Perry on the mound against the Mets, Doug Harvey threw out several balls, checked Perry’s uniform and cap, and found nothing. A few weeks later, Ed Sudol made Perry pull his pants legs up over his knees to be checked. Soon thereafter, umpire Chris Pelekoudas wiped Perry’s face and neck with a towel. Eventually Giant general manager Chub Feeney complained to the league office about the harassment, and the protests slowed down.

1962 Topps #199

1971 Topps #140

1975 Topps #530

1979 Topps #321

1984 Topps #6

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1962 Topps #199
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (23):  1962-84
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2024 Topps Heritage Oversized 1975 Topps Box Loaders #OB-48
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  874 in the Beckett online database as of 10/9/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

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

#484 Joe Gordon MG - Kansas City Royals / #486 Paul Casanova - Washington Senators

#31 Mets Rookie Stars - Gary Gentry / Amos Otis

Gary Edward Gentry
New York Mets
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  170
Born:  October 6, 1946, Phoenix, AZ
Drafted:  Drafted by the New York Mets in the 3rd round of the 1967 amateur draft, June 6, 1967
Major League Teams:  New York Mets 1969-72; Atlanta Braves 1973-75

World Series Appearances:  New York Mets 1969

Amos Joseph Otis
New York Mets
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  165
Born:  April 26, 1947, Mobile, AL
Drafted:  Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 5th round of the 1965 amateur draft, June 8, 1965
Major League Teams:  New York Mets 1967, 1969; Kansas City Royals 1970-83; Pittsburgh Pirates 1984

World Series Appearances:  Kansas City Royals 1980

After pitching Arizona State University to a College World Series title in 1967, Gary Gentry was drafted by the Mets and he'd spend one full season in the minors before joining the Mets' starting pitching rotation to start the 1969 season.  Manager Gil Hodges (#564) slotted Gentry behind Tom Seaver (#480) and Jerry Koosman (#90) to start the season, and he'd go 13-12 in 35 starts with a 3.43 ERA in 233 2/3 innings pitched.  Gentry threw a shutout against the Cardinals on September 24th to clinch the National League East pennant.  He was also the winning pitcher in World Series Game 3, besting the Orioles' Jim Palmer (#573) and throwing 6 2/3 shutout innings.  The Mets would win the Championship in five games.  Gentry pitched well in three more seasons with the Mets before a trade in November 1972 sent him to the Braves.  His tenure with the Braves was marred by injuries, and he'd pitch in just 26 games for the club over three seasons.  In 157 big league games, Gentry was 46-49 with a 3.56 ERA and 615 strikeouts in 902 2/3 innings pitched.

Amos Otis played in parts of 17 seasons in the majors, 14 of those seasons with the Royals.  After a few brief stints with the Mets in 1967 and 1969, Otis was traded to the Royals before the 1970 season, and he'd be the club's every day center fielder for the next dozen years.  He was a four-time All-Star with the Royals, while leading the league in doubles twice (1970 and 1976) and stolen bases (1971).  A stellar defender, Otis won Gold Gloves in 1971, 1973 and 1974.  He helped lead Kansas City to their first playoff berth in 1976, and Otis' best season statistically came in 1978 when he batted .298 with 22 home runs, 96 RBIs and 32 stolen bases.  His sole trip to the World Series came in 1980, and while the Royals lost to the Phillies in six games, Otis batted .478 (11 for 23) with three home runs.  In 1,998 big league games, Otis batted .277 with 193 home runs, 1,007 RBIs and 341 stolen bases, wrapping up his career among the Royals' all-time leaders for most offensive categories.  He was inducted into the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame in 1986.

Building the Set / Card #562
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)

On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show.  The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year.  I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova.  I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.

I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set.  The first place I stopped was a table with well-organized and well-marked binders of commons and semi-stars with 20% Off notes across the front of each binder.  

I took my time and found 32 commons and semi-stars needed before asking to see the dealer's star cards from the set.  It turned out this first purchase was also my biggest, as I spent over half my allotted budget here, America's Pastime from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, before moving on to my second stop.  This was the third of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the third of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little over $4 after the dealer discount.

The Card / Mets Team Set / Gentry Accuracy Index -3 / Otis Accuracy Index -3
I'd guess both Gentry and Otis are wearing Jacksonville Suns hats here, which was the Triple-A team of the Mets and both players' team for the entire 1968 season.  There's a chance Otis is wearing a hat from his early days in the Red Sox farm system.  Topps recycled the same photo for Gentry on his 1970 card, blocked out hat logo and all.  The back of the card touts both player's minor league accomplishments.

Accuracy Index:  Both players score a -3 for the hats without logos.

1969 Season - Gentry
The accolades from Gentry's rookie seasons are highlighted above.  His 13 wins were third on the club behind Seaver (25) and Koosman (17).  Gentry set career highs in wins and innings pitched.  He struck out 154, which would be one less than the 155 he'd strike out in 1971.

1969 Season - Otis
Otis split the season between New York and Triple-A Tidewater.  With the Mets, he appeared in 48 games, batting .151 as mostly a pinch-hitter, pinch-runner or late inning defensive replacement.  With the Tides, Otis batted .327 in 71 games with 10 home runs and 43 RBIs.  On December 3rd, Otis was traded with Bob Johnson (#261) to the Royals for Joe Foy (#93).

1970 Topps #153

1971 Topps #725

1972 Topps #105

1974 Topps #415

1975 Topps #393

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Gentry
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #31
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1969-75
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1975 Topps #393
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  44 in the Beckett online database as of 9/30/25.

Sources - Gentry:  

Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Otis
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #31
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (16):  1969-84
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2023 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs High Number #ROA-AO
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  160 in the Beckett online database as of 9/30/25.

Sources - Otis:  

Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

1971 Topps #610

1974 Topps #65

1977 Topps #290

1981 Topps #585

1984 Topps Traded #89T

#30 Bob Allison - Minnesota  Twins / #32 Sammy Ellis - California Angels

#558 Tom Burgmeier - Kansas City Royals

Thomas Henry Burgmeier
Kansas City Royals
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  185
Born:  August 2, 1943, St. Paul, MN
Signed:  Signed by the Houston Colt .45s as an amateur free agent, September 24, 1961
Major League Teams:  California Angels 1968; Kansas City Royals 1969-73; Minnesota Twins 1974-77; Boston Red Sox 1978-82; Oakland Athletics 1983-84

A veteran of 17 major league seasons, all in the American League and with all but three of his 745 career appearances in relief, Tom Burgmeier enjoyed steady success throughout his career as a reliable lefty arm out of the bullpen.  Burgmeier was the most frequently used reliever by the Angels in 1968, appearing in 56 games, before the team decided to leave him unprotected for the expansion draft.  Selected as the 47th pick in the expansion draft, Burgmeier was a member of the Royals' bullpen for five seasons, serving as their closer in 1971 and earning 17 saves.  He'd go on to have lengthy stints with the Twins and Red Sox throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.  His best season came in 1980 with Boston, as Burgmeier was 5-4 with a 2.00 ERA and 24 saves in 62 appearances, earning a trip to the All-Star Game.

He'd make 49 relief appearances with the Ahtletics in his penultimate season in 1983, and injuries cut short his final season in the majors in 1984, leading to his retirement as a player at the age of 41.  Burgmeier would return to the game in the early 1990s, serving as a minor league pitching coach for the Royals and Orioles through the late 2000s.  He was the Royals' bullpen coach in 1991, and again between 1998 and 2000.  For his big league career, Burgmeier was 79-55 with a 3.23 ERA in 1,258 2/3 innings pitched.  At the time of his retirement, his 102 saves were among the highest on the all-time leaderboard.

Building the Set / Card #474
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)
On Sunday, December 15th, Doug and I attended the latest Philly Show, spaciously spread out inside Hall A of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  I wrote a full show report over at The Phillies Room, including some thoughts on attending the show with our oldest son, who first graced the Philly Show floors back in 2012.

Having had success the prior two shows at Uncle Dick's Cards with his well-organized, neon common binders, I opted to pull up a chair once again at the friendly dealer's array of tables.  The aim was simple:  Clear out Uncle Dick's 1969 Topps commons, starting off where I had left off the year before with card #501 and going through the end of the set, card #664.  In less than 25 minutes, I completed my quest, and this is the 30th of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me a little less than $2.

The Card / Royals Team Set / Accuracy Index +10

This is Burgmeier's rookie card, featuring a photo taken during spring training in 1969.  The write-up on the back mentions the Royals would plan to use him as a starter or reliever, and that didn't prove to be accurate.  His fielding skills are also mentioned, and Burgmeier had led all pitchers with seven double plays in 1968.

Accuracy Index:  Burgmeier's card takes +10 honors for the expansion uniform.

1969 Season
Burgmeier was an Original Royal, on the club's opening day roster, and appearing in relief in the first franchise game.  He was 3-1 with a 4.17 ERA in 31 games pitched and 54 innings thrown.

1971 Topps #431

1975 Topps #478

1979 Topps #524

1981 Topps #320

1984 Topps #33

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #558
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (15):  1969-73, 1975-84
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Fleer ProCards #582
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  75 in the Beckett online database as of 2/28/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#557 Frank Fernandez - New York Yankees / #559 Cardinals Rookie Stars

#99 Twins Rookie Stars - Danny Morris / Graig Nettles

Danny Walker Morris
Minnesota Twins
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  200
Born:  June 11, 1946, Greenville, KY
Signed:  Signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent before 1964 season
Major League Teams:  Minnesota Twins 1968-69

Died:  September 23, 2023, Oakland City, IN (age 77)

Graig Nettles
Minnesota Twins
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  180
Born:  August 20, 1944, San Diego, CA
Drafted:  Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 4th round of the 1965 amateur draft, June 8, 1965
Major League Teams:  Minnesota Twins 1967-69; Cleveland Indians 1970-72; New York Yankees 1973-83; San Diego Padres 1984-86; Atlanta Braves 1987; Montreal Expos 1988

World Series Appearances:  New York Yankees 1977-78, 1981; San Diego Padres 1984

Danny Morris pitched professionally for nine seasons, winning 16 games twice - with the Wisconsin Rapids Twins in 1965 and the Denver Bears in 1968.  His success in 1968 earned him a September call-up to Minnesota, where he pitched well in three games.  Morris was 0-1 with 1.69 ERA in 10 2/3 innings pitched in that brief audition.  Back with Denver to start the 1969 season, Morris would be recalled by the Twins in June, pitching in three more games.  He'd stick around in the minors through the 1972 season, never leaving the Twins organization, before retiring from baseball.  In six big league games, Morris was 0-2 with a 2.81 ERA in 16 innings pitched.

2001 Topps Archives #60

One of the best defensive third baseman of his era, Graig Nettles began his 22-year major league career with the Twins and Indians.  He'd show signs of what was to come during the decade in 1971 when he batted .261 with 28 home runs and 86 RBIs, leading the American League with a 7.5 bWAR as the Indians' third baseman.  Dealt to the Bronx in November 1972, Nettles would go on to enjoy the best years of his career.  He was a five-time All-Star between 1975 and 1980, winning Gold Gloves in 1977 and 1978.  Nettles helped lead the Yankees to pennants in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980 and 1981, winning World Championships in 1977 and 1978.  He led the league with 32 home runs in 1976 and attained career highs in home runs (37) and RBIs (107) in 1978.  Nettles would finish his career in the National League, earning one more trip to the World Series with the Padres in 1984, and one more All-Star Game berth in 1985.

Nettles played in 2,700 games, batting .248 with 2,225 hits, 390 home runs and 1,314 RBIs.  His defensive statistics at third base are among the all-time leaders as of this writing for games played (3rd with 2,412), assists (2nd with 5,279), double plays turned (3rd with 470) and fielding percentage (80th at .961).

Building the Set / Card #442
April 9, 2024 from Wenonah, NJ (Gar Miller Baseball Cards)
On April 7th, I received an e-mail from Gar Miller, hobby icon, informing me and other customers he had recently updated his inventory of vintage baseball cards for sale at garmillercards.com.  In need of some vintage cardboard, and wanting to see if Miller had any Diamond Stars cards I needed, I decided to check out the new inventory.  

1969 Topps #99 (No Loop Version)

A high-number Red Lucas card from the Diamond Stars set was reasonably priced, so I added it, a few cards needed for our 1969 Topps set and a few random Phillies-related cards to my cart and submitted my order.  Given the proximity of Miller to our house, I wasn't surprised when the cards arrived in our mail box in two days.  The Nettles rookie card joined Ernie Banks (#20) and Don Drysdale (#400) as the trio of cards added to our 1969 Topps set.

The Card / Twins Team Set / Morris Accuracy Index +5 / Nettles Accuracy Index +5
There are two versions of this card, one with a loop connecting the black border behind the blue circle with Twins in it, and one with no loop.  I have the loop version, and it seems as if one version isn't any rarer than the other.  Morris has a hard-to-find card in the 1967 Topps Venezuelan set, and this is his first and last appearance on a mainstream baseball card.  Nettles is listed as an outfielder, his primary position until the 1970 season when Indians' manager Alvin Dark (#91) opted to have Nettles as his opening day third baseman.  The Nettles half of the card was reprinted a few times in 2001 and 2002 as part of the Topps Archives set and the Team Topps Legends Autographs insert set.

The #8 on Nettles' helmet would seem to indicate he borrowed teammate's Ron Clark's (#561) helmet for the photo, as Clark wore #8 for the Twins between 1967 and 1969.

Accuracy Index:  Both sides of the card earn a solid +5.

1969 Season - Morris
Morris struggled somewhat in his return to the minors, going 9-9 with a 5.81 ERA in 26 games and 24 starts for the Bears.  He started for the Twins on June 17th against the Angels, lasting three innings and giving up three runs (two earned).  His final big league action came on June 29th against the Royals, pitching two innings of scoreless relief.

1969 Season - Nettles
In his first full season in the majors, Nettles appeared in 96 games for the Twins, batting .222 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs.  He made 60 starts overall for Billy Martin's (#547) Twins - 44 starts in left field and 16 starts at third base.  He was third on the Twins' third base depth chart behind Harmon Killebrew (#375) and Rick Renick.  Nettles had one at-bat in the ALCS, pinch-hitting in Game 3 and striking out against the Orioles' Jim Palmer (#573).

On December 10th, the Twins traded Nettles, Dean Chance (#620), Bob Miller (#403) and Ted Uhlaender (#194) to the Indians for Luis Tiant (#560) and Stan Williams (#118).

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Morris
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #99
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #99
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  6 in the Beckett online database as of 12/28/24.

Sources - Morris:  

Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Nettles
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #99
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (20):  1969-88
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2024 Topps Living #723
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  505 in the Beckett online database as of 12/28/24.

Sources - Nettles:  

Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

1971 Topps #324

1976 Topps #169

1980 Topps #710

1984 Topps Traded #83T

1988 Topps #574

#98 Dave Giusti - San Diego Padres / #100 Hank Aaron - Atlanta Braves