#398 Tito Francona - Atlanta Braves

John Patsy Francona
Atlanta Braves
Outfield-First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  190
Born:  November 4, 1933, Aliquippa, PA
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Browns as an amateur free agent before 1952 season
Major League Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 1956-57; Chicago White Sox 1958; Detroit Tigers 1958; Cleveland Indians 1959-64; St. Louis Cardinals 1965-66; Philadelphia Phillies 1967; Atlanta Braves 1967-69; Oakland Athletics 1969-70; Milwaukee Brewers 1970

Died:  February 13, 2018, New Brighton, PA (age 84)

A journeyman bench player for most of his career, Tito Francona found his greatest success during the late 1950s/early 1960s with the Indians.  He was an All-Star in 1961, the year in which he hit his career high in RBIs with 85.  Francona batted a career best .363 over 122 games for the Indians in 1959 and led the league in doubles with 36 in 1960.  Over his 15-year career, Francona never appeared in the postseason.

Francona was sold to the Cardinals in December 1964, beginning a six-season odyssey that would take him to the Phillies, Braves, Athletics and Brewers where he wrapped up his playing days in 1970.  In 1,719 career games, Francona amassed 1,395 hits, 125 home runs and 656 RBIs.  His son Terry played for 10 seasons in the majors and went on to manage the Phillies, Red Sox, Indians/Guradians and Reds.  Terry won two World Series titles with the Red Sox in 2004 and 2007, and he took the Indians to the World Series in 2016 where they lost to the Cubs in seven games.

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

Building the Set / Card #619
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 25th of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 60th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  Unsleeved, this card cost less than $1 after a dealer discount.

The Card / Braves Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Topps took photos of Francona by the batting cages at a visiting ballpark at some point in 1967, after he had joined the Braves, and two photos from the session appear on his 1968 and 1969 Topps cards.  The back of the card explains how Francona had filled in for the injured Rico Carty (#590) in 1968, batting .286 in 122 games.

Accuracy Index:  It's another +5 for this card.

1969 Season
Francona split the season between the Braves and Athletics, batting a healthy .318 overall with five home runs and 42 RBIs.  From his SABR biography, written by Joseph Wancho: 

For the most part he came off the bench to play all three outfield positions as well as first base.  His average dropped a bit (.258 over five years in the National League).  "I believe Tito is a better hitter now than I've ever seen him," said Atlanta manager Lum Harris (#196).  "I know one thing.  When they throw that steamer (fastball) up there, he can hit anybody who walks out to the mound." 

On August 22, 1969, the Braves sold Francona to the Oakland Athletics.  Again he was thrust into the reserve role.  Three weeks after joining the A's, on September 12, Francona equaled his career-best mark of five hits in a game.  He went 5-for-5 against Chicago, driving in two runs and scoring twice in a 12-5 Oakland win.

Phillies Career
On April 10, 1967, Francona was sold by the Cardinals to the Phillies.  In 27 games with the club, he hit .205 (15 for 73) with a double and three RBIs.  His services were needed solely for him to fill in at first for an injured Bill White (#588) and when White was activated in late May, Francona served only as a pinch-hitter or late inning defensive replacement.  

With his playing time significantly decreased, the Phillies sold him to the Braves on June 12th, a little over two months after they had acquired him.  His very short tenure with the Phillies is memorialized on his 1967 Topps card.

1957 Topps #184

1961 Topps #503

1967 Topps #443

1970 Topps #663

1985 Topps #134

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1957 Topps #184
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (15):  1957-70, 1985
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2016 Topps Archives #306
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  96 in the Beckett online database as of 1/25/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog / The Phillies Room

#397 Chuck Dobson - Oakland Athletics / #399 Bob Bailey - Montreal Expos

#385 Orlando Cepeda - Atlanta Braves

Orlando Manuel Cepeda
Atlanta Braves
First Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  210
Born:  September 17, 1937, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Signed:  Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before 1955 season
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1958-66; St. Louis Cardinals 1966-68; Atlanta Braves 1969-72; Oakland Athletics 1972; Boston Red Sox 1973; Kansas City Royals 1974

World Series Appearances:  San Francisco Giants 1962; St. Louis Cardinals 1967-68
Hall of Fame Induction:  1999

Nicknamed "Cha Cha" and "the Baby Bull," Orlando Cepeda was one of the most feared sluggers of his era, earning a spot on 11 All-Star teams and winning MVP honors in 1967.  At just 20 years old, Cepeda was the opening day first baseman in the Giants' first game in San Francisco in 1958, and his stellar season would lead to unanimous Rookie of the Year honors.  He batted .312 while leading the league with 38 doubles, finishing second on his team behind Willie Mays (#190) with 25 home runs and tying Mays for the team lead with 96 RBIs.  Cepeda would have one of his best seasons in 1961, batting .311 while leading the league with 46 home runs and 142 RBIs - both career bests.  Traded to the Cardinals in May 1966 for pitcher Ray Sadecki (#125), Cepeda proved to be a catalyst for St. Louis, leading them to a World Championship in 1967.  He was the unanimous choice for the league's MVP.

Dealt again, this time to Braves before the start of the 1969 season, Cepeda helped lead Atlanta to the first National League West division title.  He moved to the American League for the 1973 season, winning the first Outstanding Designated Hitter Award with the Red Sox.  He retired with 2,351 hits, a lifetime .297 batting average, 379 home runs and 1,365 RBIs.  Personal problems kept him away from the game for a bit, but he'd come back to the Giants as a scout and team ambassador in 1987.  Cepeda was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999 by the Veterans Committee, with the Giants retiring his #30 that same year.

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

Building the Set / Card #570
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 11th of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 11th of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost about $16 after the dealer discount.  I definitely overpaid for this card, as I kept seeing it for much cheaper at other tables later in the show.

The Card / Braves Team Set / Accuracy Index -8

This has got to be one of the most boring cards in the set, and a card not fitting for one of the top sluggers in the game.  I'm assuming Cepeda is wearing a Cardinals jersey here, and Topps had to act quickly to switch his team designation and add a note on the back explaining to collectors he had recently been traded to Atlanta.  Cepeda signed a reprint version of this card for the 2018 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs insert set.

Accuracy Index:  Cepeda's card scores a -8 for the former team jersey (-5) and lack of a hat (-3).

1969 Season
On March 17th, Cepeda was dealt to the Braves straight-up for Joe Torre (#460).  Disappointed to be leaving St. Louis, he nevertheless had a great season, batting .257 in 154 games with 22 home runs and 88 RBIs for the division winning club.  Cepeda started 152 of the club's 162 games at first base, with the remaining 10 games started by Tito Francona (#398) with 10, Henry Aaron (#100) with three and Tommie Aaron (#128) with two.  Cepeda was second on the club in home runs and RBIs behind only Aaron.  In the first NLCS, Cepeda was hot, batting .455 (5 for 11) with a Game 3 home runs off Nolan Ryan (#533), but the Mets still swept the Braves in three games.

1958 Topps #343

1961 Topps #435

1964 Topps #390

1967 Topps #20

1974 Topps #83

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1958 Topps #343
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (18):  1958-75
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2024 Topps Heritage #192
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  1,171 in the Beckett online database as of 10/5/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

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

#384 Larry Shepard MG - Pittsburgh Pirates / #386 Jim McGlothlin - California Angels

#300 Felipe Alou - Atlanta Braves

Felipe Rojas Alou
Atlanta Braves
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  195
Born:  May 12, 1935, Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic
Signed:  Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent, November 14, 1955
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1958-63; Milwaukee Braves 1964-65; Atlanta Braves 1966-69; Oakland Athletics 1970-71; New York Yankees 1971-73; Montreal Expos 1973; Milwaukee Brewers 1974

World Series Appearances:  San Francisco Giants 1962
As a Manager:  Montreal Expos 1992-01; San Francisco Giants 2003-06

The oldest of the three Alou brothers, Felipe Alou enjoyed a 17-year big league career, playing primarily with the Giants and Braves, and then went on to be a successful manager for the Expos and Giants.  Alou came up with the Giants in 1958, and was named to his first of three All-Star Games in 1963.  On September 15, 1963, the three Alou brothers played in the Giants' outfield for the first time together with Felipe in center, Jesus (#22) in right and Matty (#490) in left.  The brothers' time together didn't last long, as Felipe Alou was traded to the Braves in December 1963 as part of a seven-player trade.  He'd enjoy his best seasons as a player on the Braves, making the 1966 and 1968 All-Star teams while leading the league in hits both those seasons (218 and 210, respectively.)  Alou also led the league with 122 runs scored in 1966, finished second for the batting title behind his brother Matty with a .327 average, and finished fifth in the year's MVP voting.  Alou spent the early 1970s as a reserve and pinch-hitter before retiring as a player following the 1974 season.

He joined the Expos' organization in 1976 as a minor league coach, and he'd stay with the franchise for 25 years.  Alou served as a coach for the team between 1979 and 1992 before taking over as their manager on May 22, 1992, replacing Tom Runnells.  He guided the Expos to their most successful stretch in their short franchise history, including a 74-40 record in the strike-shortened 1994 season, in which he was named National League Manager of the Year.  He'd later guide the Giants into the playoffs in 2003 when his team won 100 games.  As a player, Alou played in 2,082 games and collected 2,101 hits while batting .286 with 206 home runs and 852 RBIs.  As a manager, he oversaw 2,055 games and had a record of 1,033 and 1,021.  Alou is one of just three players in major league history to have 2,000 hits, 200 home runs and win 1,000 games a manager, along with Joe Torre (#460) and Frank Robinson (#250).

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

Building the Set / Card #569
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 tenth of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the tenth of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little over $2 after the dealer discount.

The Card / Braves Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This is Alou's second appearance in the set, as he appeared on the National League Batting Leaders card (#2) earlier.  The back of the card sums up the statistics from his strong 1968 season, and the cartoon highlights his seven hits in the 1962 World Series.  Alou went 7 for 26 (.269) in the series as the Giants fell to the Yankees in seven games.

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

Inserts:  Alou 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
Alou started hot as the Braves' regular center fielder, and he was batting .320 through early June when a pitch thrown by the Cardinals' Chuck Taylor broke a finger.  He'd lose playing time upon his return to the recently acquired Tony Gonzalez (#501), and his sole postseason action was limited to a pinch-hitting appearance against the Mets in Game 3 of the NLCS.  For the season, Alou batted .282 in 123 games, with 13 doubles, five home runs and 32 RBIs.  With a crowded Braves outfield, Alou was dealt to the Athletics on December 3rd for starting pitcher Jim Nash (#546).

1959 Topps #102

1965 Topps #383

1974 Topps #485

1992 Topps Traded #3T

2006 Topps #289

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1959 Topps #102
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (23):  1959-74, 1992-93, 2001, 2003-06
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2023 Topps Living #604
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  191 in the Beckett online database as of 10/4/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#299 Mark Belanger - Baltimore Orioles / #301 Darrell Brandon - Seattle Pilots

#627 George Stone - Atlanta Braves

George Heard Stone
Atlanta Braves
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  205
Born:  July 9, 1946, Ruston, LA
Drafted:  Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 5th round of the 1966 amateur draft, June 7, 1966
Major League Teams:  Atlanta Braves 1967-72; New York Mets 1973-75

World Series Appearances:  New York Mets 1973

Drafted by the Braves in 1966, George Stone made his big league debut a year later as a September call-up.  After an additional audition in 1968, he'd be up for good in 1969.  Stone went 13-10 with a 3.65 in 36 games in 1969, helping to lead the Braves to the National League West pennant.  He'd get his first taste of postseason action that year against the Mets, the team for which, a few years later, he'd have the most success.  Stone won 11 games in 1970 while throwing a career-high 207 1/3 innings.  A swingman for the Braves the next two seasons, he was traded to the Mets on November 2, 1972 with Felix Millan (#210) for Danny Frisella (#343) and Gary Gentry (#31).  Stone was a key member of the Mets' pitching staff in 1973, going 12-3 with a 2.80 ERA and winning his last eight decisions to help the Mets reach the postseason.  He started Game 4 of the NLCS against the Reds, and was used out of the bullpen in a losing World Series effort against the Athletics.  Stone earned a save in Game 2 of the World Series.

He was dealt to the Rangers on February 24, 1976 for Bill Hands (#115), with both pitchers retiring instead of reporting to their new teams.  In 203 games, including 145 starts, Stone was 60-57 with a 3.89 ERA in 1,020 2/3 innings pitched.

Building the Set / Card #518
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 74th of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me less than $2.

The Card / Braves Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This is Stone's rookie card, and he's modeling the new pinstriped home jerseys debuted by the Braves in 1969.  Cecil Upshaw (#568) has the only other card in the set showing the new uniforms.  The cartoon on the back of the card lets collectors know that Stone and Upshaw were cousins.  The write-up on the back summarizes Stone's successful ascent to the majors in 1968.

Accuracy Index:  Stone's card earns a +5 and could have received extra credit for showing the new Braves uniforms.

1969 Season
Stone began the season in the Braves' bullpen, but moved into the starting pitching rotation in late April.  As mentioned above, his pitching helped the Braves to the first National League West pennant.  On September 12th against the Astros, Stone hit his only career home run to give the Braves a 4-3 win.

1970 Topps #122

1972 Topps #601

1974 Topps #397

1975 Topps #239

1976 Topps #567

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #627
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (8):  1969-76
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1976 Topps #567
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  28 in the Beckett online database as of 5/31/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#626 Gene Michael - New York Yankees / #628 Red Sox Rookie Stars

#611 Braves Rookie Stars - Bob Didier / Walt Hriniak / Gary Neibauer

Robert Daniel Didier
Atlanta Braves
Catcher

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  190
Born:  February 16, 1949, Hattiesburg, MS
Drafted:  Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 4th round of the 1967 amateur draft, June 6, 1967
Major League Teams:  Atlanta Braves 1969-72; Detroit Tigers 1973; Boston Red Sox 1974

Walter John Hriniak
Atlanta Braves
Catcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  180
Born:  May 22, 1943, Natick, MA
Signed:  Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent, June 15, 1961
Major League Teams:  Atlanta Braves 1968-69; San Diego Padres 1969

Gary Wayne Neibauer
Atlanta Braves
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  200
Born:  October 29, 1944, Billings, MT
Drafted:  Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 2nd round of the 1966 amateur draft, June 7, 1966
Major League Teams:  Atlanta Braves 1969-72; Philadelphia Phillies 1972; Atlanta Braves 1973

Selected by the Braves in the 1965 draft, Bob Didier made the team's opening day roster in 1969 and would appear in a career-high 114 games throughout his rookie season.  As the team's most regularly used catcher, he batted .256 with 16 doubles and 32 RBIs, helping the Braves to the National League West pennant and earning the catcher's spot on the Topps 1969 All-Star Rookie squad.  He'd never repeat the success from his rookie season, dealing with arm and back injuries throughout the rest of his playing career.  Didier retired as a player in 1976, after a few seasons in the minor leagues, and pivoted to a coaching role.  He managed and coached in the minor leagues until the early 2010s, and served on the big league coaching staffs of the Athletics (1984-86) and Mariners (1989-90).  In 247 big league games, Didier batted .229 with 51 RBIs.

Walt Hriniak played in only parts of two major league seasons with the Braves and Padres, but he'd develop into one of the best and well-known hitting coaches in the game in the 1980s and 1990s.  Hriniak was a September call-up by the Braves in 1968, and he'd play in seven games for the team early in the 1969 season before a trade in mid-June sent him to the Padres.  He'd appear in 31 games for the Padres in their inaugural season, his last action as a player in the majors.  Hriniak played in the minors through the 1973 season.  His coaching journey began in the minor leagues, and Hriniak became known as a tireless and precise batting practice pitcher.  He'd soon be sharing his hitting theories as a coach with the Expos (1974-75), Red Sox (1977-88) and White Sox (1989-1995), with Carl Yastrzemski (#130), Wade Boggs and Frank Thomas among his students.  It's amazing that Hriniak, a lifetime .253 batter in the majors with no extra-base hits, would go on to be the trusted hitting advisor to many Hall of Famers.

Gary Neibauer spent parts of five seasons in the majors, with all but nine of his 75 appearances coming with the Braves.  Neibauer relieved in a career-high 29 games in his rookie season of 1969, going 1-2 with a 3.90 ERA.  He'd bounce back and forth between Atlanta and their Triple-A team in Richmond in 1970 and 1971, and was dealt to the Phillies in mid-June 1972.  After a brief stint with the Phillies, Neibauer returned to the Braves in 1973, pitching in his final 16 big league games.  Overall, he was 4-8 with a 4.78 ERA and one save in 148 2/3 innings pitched.

Building the Set / Card #511
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 67th of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me less than $3.

The Card / Braves Team Set

Didier Accuracy Index +5 / Hriniak Accuracy Index +5 / Neibauer Accuracy Index +5
This is one of 11 Rookie Stars cards featuring a trio of players from the seventh and final series of the set.  That's 33 additional rookies or prospects Topps felt the need to squeeze into last series of their 1969 set, giving collectors a look at a bunch of rookies who, in most cases, had spent time or been a contributor to their team throughout the year.  Didier is wearing a Braves hat and jersey, and Topps gave us a better look at his catching gear on his 1970 card.  This is the rookie card for all three players.

Accuracy Index:  All three players score a +5 for their accurate depictions.

1969 Season - Didier
Bob Tillman (#374) got the opening day start behind the plate for the Braves, but Didier started the next five games and quickly earned more playing time than the veteran Tillman.  He'd start 108 games overall, with Tillman getting 52 starts and fellow catcher Hriniak making a pair of starts.  In the NLCS against the Mets, Didier went 0 for 11 as the Braves were swept in three games.

1970 Topps #232

1971 Topps #432

1973 Topps #574

1974 Topps #482

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Didier
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #611
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1969-71, 1973-74
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Fleer ProCards #986
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  31 in the Beckett online database as of 5/24/25.

Sources - Didier:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

1969 Season - Hriniak
Hriniak broke a bone in his right thumb, starting the season on the disabled list and handing the catching duties to Didier.  It's likely by the time this card was created, he was already with the Padres organization, as he was traded on June 13th with Andy Finlay and Van Kelly for Tony Gonzalez (#501).  Hriniak started 17 games behind the plate for the Padres, backing up their regular, Chris Cannizzaro (#131).  He'd play in his final big league game on September 30th.

1969 Season - Neibauer
I'm not sure if Neibauer made the Braves' opening day roster or not, as he did start three games at some point during the season for their top affiliate in Richmond.  With Atlanta, he was one of manager Lum Harris' (#196) most frequently used relievers, pitching 57 2/3 innings.  Only closer Cecil Upshaw (#568) with 105 1/3 innings pitched in relief had more action.  Neibauer pitched a scoreless inning in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Mets.

Phillies Career - Neibauer
On June 15, 1972, the Braves traded Neibauer and Jim Nash (#546) to the Phillies for Joe Hoerner (#522) and Andre Thornton.  It was a very good deal for the Braves, and a very bad deal for the Phillies.  Neibauer pitched in nine games for the Phillies throughout the summer and was 0-2 with a 5.30 ERA in 18 2/3 innings pitched.  He was either injured or just not used, given his limited appearances out of the bullpen throughout the second half of the season.  He'd start the 1973 season with the Triple-A Eugene Emeralds before being released by the Phillies on June 22nd, and re-signing with the Braves that same day.  Neibauer's very brief stint with the Phillies did result in him appearing in the team's 1972 photo card set.

1970 Topps #392

1970 Topps #384

1971 Topps #668

1972 Topps #149

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Hriniak
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #611
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1969-70
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1970 Topps #392
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  14 in the Beckett online database as of 5/24/25.

Sources - Hriniak:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Neibauer
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #611
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1969-72
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1972 Topps #149
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  11 in the Beckett online database as of 5/24/25.

Sources - Neibauer:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
The Phillies Room

#610 Jim Hardin - Baltimore Orioles / #612 Jack Aker - Seattle Pilots