#169 1968 World Series - Tigers Celebrate Their Victory

The 1968 World series marked the last time two teams faced off in the Fall Classic without having to first advance via a playoff series.  With Major League Baseball expanding to 24 teams in 1969, the two leagues were split into four divisions and a League Championship Series would determine the World Series opponents between 1969 and 1993.

The Cardinals and Tigers were powerhouses in their respective leagues, easily advancing to the World Series.  This was a rematch of the 1934 World Series, when the Gashouse Gang of the Cardinals had bested the Tigers in seven games.  The Tigers would prevail this time, winning their first title since 1945, and their third World Series title overall as the Cardinals couldn't repeat after winning in 1967 against the Red Sox.

World Series cards were a key subset in Topps flagship sets throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with a card highlighting each game along with a series capping "Celebration" card.  Topps designed its World Series cards in its 1969 set to have the appearance of the front page of a newspaper, with The Sporting News getting some free publicity as the paper's banner.

Building the Set / Card #643

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

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

I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set.  I'm not even sure how best to describe the fifth table I visited.  I typically steer clear of tables that look incredibly disorganized or tables that look as if the dealer put minimal effort into his/her display.  This table was both.  But the crudely designed, hand-made sign advertising "Entire Table is 50% Off" made me stop and at least look at what was in the 1969 Topps hodgepodge of cards.  And I'm glad I did.  It took me a solid 20-25 minutes to go through the cards that were loosely in order, but I found seven cards I needed with either mislabeled prices (?) or prices that hadn't been updated since the 1980s.  I paid a little over $0.50 for this World Series card, the third of seven cards purchased from what I'm calling the Crazy Boxes table, and I wished I had made this table my first stop.

The Card / Tigers Team Set / Cardinals Team Set  

Dick McAuliffe (#305), Denny McLain (#150) and Willie Horton (#180) are featured on the obligatory World Series wrap-up/celebration card, and I always appreciated these somewhat oddball inclusions into the Topps base sets.  There's a whole lot of very small statistics on the card's back, and anyone interested in reading any of that would first need to find a magnifying glass.

Sources:

Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

#168 1968 World Series Game 7 / #170 Frank Howard - Washington Senators

#168 1968 World Series Game 7 - Lolich Series Hero Outduels Gibson

The 1968 World series marked the last time two teams faced off in the Fall Classic without having to first advance via a playoff series.  With Major League Baseball expanding to 24 teams in 1969, the two leagues were split into four divisions and a League Championship Series would determine the World Series opponents between 1969 and 1993.

The Cardinals and Tigers were powerhouses in their respective leagues, easily advancing to the World Series.  This was a rematch of the 1934 World Series, when the Gashouse Gang of the Cardinals had bested the Tigers in seven games.  The Tigers would prevail this time, winning their first title since 1945, and their third World Series title overall as the Cardinals couldn't repeat after winning in 1967 against the Red Sox.

World Series cards were a key subset in Topps flagship sets throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with a card highlighting each game along with a series capping "Celebration" card.  Topps designed its World Series cards in its 1969 set to have the appearance of the front page of a newspaper, with The Sporting News getting some free publicity as the paper's banner.

Building the Set / Card #642

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

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

I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set.  I'm not even sure how best to describe the fifth table I visited.  I typically steer clear of tables that look incredibly disorganized or tables that look as if the dealer put minimal effort into his/her display.  This table was both.  But the crudely designed, hand-made sign advertising "Entire Table is 50% Off" made me stop and at least look at what was in the 1969 Topps hodgepodge of cards.  And I'm glad I did.  It took me a solid 20-25 minutes to go through the cards that were loosely in order, but I found seven cards I needed with either mislabeled prices (?) or prices that hadn't been updated since the 1980s.  I paid a little over $0.50 for this World Series card, the second of seven cards purchased from what I'm calling the Crazy Boxes table, and I wished I had made this table my first stop.

The Card / Tigers Team Set / Cardinals Team Set  

Starting on only two days rest, Mickey Lolich (#270) again got the call to start the game, his third start of the series.  Bob Gibson (#200), also making his third start, but on three days rest, was set to face Lolich in the deciding game of the 1968 World Series.  Advertised as a pitcher's duel, Lolich and Gibson did not disappoint, with both shutting down the other team's offense through six innings.  In the top of the seventh, and with two outs, Norm Cash (#80) and Willie Horton (#180) both singled.  Jim Northrup (#580) hit a fly ball that some said would have been typically caught by Gold Glove center fielder Curt Flood (#540), but Flood initially misjudged the ball and it fell in for a two-run triple.  Bill Freehan (#390) then doubled Northrup home and the Tigers had a 3-0 lead, plenty of support for Lolich.  The Tigers added another run in the top of the ninth when Don Wert (#443) singled home pinch-runner Dick Tracewski (#126).

Mike Shannon (#110) connected for a solo home run off Lolich in the bottom of the ninth, spoiling his shutout, but Tim McCarver (#475) hit a pop foul caught by Freehan a batter later, giving the Tigers the title.  Gibson ended the series with a record 35 strikeouts, but Lolich was named World Series MVP.

Sources:

Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

#167 1968 World Series Game 6 / #169 Tigers Celebrate Their Victory

#166 1968 World Series Game 5 - Kaline's Key Hit Sparks Tiger Rally

The 1968 World series marked the last time two teams faced off in the Fall Classic without having to first advance via a playoff series.  With Major League Baseball expanding to 24 teams in 1969, the two leagues were split into four divisions and a League Championship Series would determine the World Series opponents between 1969 and 1993.

The Cardinals and Tigers were powerhouses in their respective leagues, easily advancing to the World Series.  This was a rematch of the 1934 World Series, when the Gashouse Gang of the Cardinals had bested the Tigers in seven games.  The Tigers would prevail this time, winning their first title since 1945, and their third World Series title overall as the Cardinals couldn't repeat after winning in 1967 against the Red Sox.

World Series cards were a key subset in Topps flagship sets throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with a card highlighting each game along with a series capping "Celebration" card.  Topps designed its World Series cards in its 1969 set to have the appearance of the front page of a newspaper, with The Sporting News getting some free publicity as the paper's banner.

Building the Set / Card #635

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 first of those six cards, and it cost less than $6 after a discount.

The Card / Cardinals Team Set / Tigers Team Set  

With the Cardinals leading the series three games to one, it was do or die time for the Tigers.  Mickey Lolich (#270), the Tigers' Game 2 winner, again took the mound and pitched a complete game, allowing three runs on nine hits while striking out eight.  All three runs allowed by Lolich came in the first inning, and he settled down after that.  The Tigers chipped away against Cardinals' starter Nelson Briles (#60) with a pair of runs in the fourth inning on RBIs from Norm Cash (#80) and Jim Northrup (#580).  Trailing 3-2 heading to the bottom of the seventh, Briles allowed Lolich to reach with a single, chasing him from the game to be relieved by Joe Hoerner (#522).

Needing seven outs to secure the World Series title, Hoerner allowed four straight baserunners, coughing up the lead and giving the Tigers the momentum shift they needed.  Dick McAuliffe (#305) singled and Mickey Stanley (#13) walked to load the bases.  Al Kaline (#410) brought two runs home with a single to center, giving the Tigers the lead.  Cash added another RBI single and the inning would end with the Tigers now ahead, 5-3.

I was able to find the image Topps used for the card fairly quickly from the Getty Images website, and the photo actually depicts Kaline hitting his Game 3 home run off the Cardinals' Ray Washburn (#415) in a losing effort.  Tim McCarver (#475) was behind the plate for the Cardinals throughout the series, but that's home plate umpire Stan Landes shown here, while Doug Harvey was actually behind the plate for Game 5.

Sources:

Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

#165 1968 World Series Game 4 / #167 1968 World Series Game 6

#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

#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

#305 Dick McAuliffe - Detroit Tigers

Richard John McAuliffe
Detroit Tigers
Second Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  176
Born:  November 29, 1939, Hartford, CT
Signed:  Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent before 1957 season
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1960-73; Boston Red Sox 1974-75

World Series Appearances:  Detroit Tigers 1968
Died:  May 13, 2016, Farmington, CT (age 76)

Dick McAuliffe spent all but two seasons of his16-year big league career with the Tigers, where he was an All-Star for three straight seasons between 1965 and 1967.  He was the regular second baseman for the 1968 Tigers team that defeated the Cardinals in seven games in the 1968 World Series.  Known for his unusual batting stance, McAuliffe enjoyed one of his best seasons in 1968 when he led the league with 95 runs scored and went the entire season without grounding into a double play - still an American League record.  He struggled at times defensively, leading the league twice for errors committed as a shortstop in 1964 and as a second baseman in 1967.  He finished in the top 10 in triples in the American League eight times.

McAuliffe was traded to the Red Sox in October 1973 for Ben Oglivie.  He had started the 1975 season as the manager for the Red Sox' Double-A team in Bristol, but was recalled and activated by the Red Sox in August appearing in seven games.  He retired following the 1975 season having appeared in 1,763 games and accumulating 1,530 hits with a .247 average.  He had 197 lifetime home runs.  

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

Building the Set / Card #614
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 20th of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 55th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  Unsleeved, this card cost less than $1 after a dealer discount.

The Card / Tigers Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This card features a photo likely taken at the same time as the photo used for McAuliffe's 1968 Topps card.  His high home run totals for a shortstop (24 in 1964 and 23 in 1966) are highlighted on the back, along with the home run he hit in Game 3 of the 1968 World Series off Cardinals' pitcher Ray Washburn (#415).  For a few decades, McAuliffe held the Tigers' franchise record for most home runs in a season by a shortstop and a second baseman.  His shortstop record was surpassed by Alan Trammell in 1987, and his second baseman record was topped by Lou Whitaker in 1989.

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

1969 Season
From his SABR biography, written by John Cizik: 

A knee injury and subsequent surgery derailed his 1969 season, limiting the 29-year-old McAuliffe to 74 games.  He still managed 11 homers and 33 RBIs.  He matched 1968's error total with nine.  He would play four more years with Detroit, never reaching the heights of the 1960s.

1962 Topps #527

1966 Topps #495

1968 Topps #285

1973 Topps #349

1974 Topps #495

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1962 Topps #527
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1962-1974
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2004 Upper Deck Legends Timeless Teams #74
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  80 in the Beckett online database as of 1/18/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#304 Padres Rookie Stars / #306 Jim Grant - Montreal Expos

#163 1968 World Series Game 2 - Tiger Homers Deck the Cards

The 1968 World series marked the last time two teams faced off in the Fall Classic without having to first advance via a playoff series.  With Major League Baseball expanding to 24 teams in 1969, the two leagues were split into four divisions and a League Championship Series would determine the World Series opponents between 1969 and 1993.

The Cardinals and Tigers were powerhouses in their respective leagues, easily advancing to the World Series.  This was a rematch of the 1934 World Series, when the Gashouse Gang of the Cardinals had bested the Tigers in seven games.  The Tigers would prevail this time, winning their first title since 1945, and their third World Series title overall as the Cardinals couldn't repeat after winning in 1967 against the Red Sox.

World Series cards were a key subset in Topps flagship sets throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with a card highlighting each game along with a series capping "Celebration" card.  Topps designed its World Series cards in its 1969 set to have the appearance of the front page of a newspaper, with The Sporting News getting some free publicity as the paper's banner.

Building the Set / Card #601
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 6th of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 42nd of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  Sleeved, this card cost less than $2 after a dealer discount.

The Card / Tigers Team Set / Cardinals Team Set

After getting shutout by Bob Gibson in Game 1, the Tigers' bats awakened against Cardinals' starting pitcher Nelson Briles in Game 2, played on October 3, 1968.  Briles worked a 1-2-3 inning in the first with Willie Horton connecting for a home run with one out in the top of the second.  Briles' counterpart, Mickey Lolich, hit a solo home run in the third, and Norm Cash homered to lead off the sixth, chasing Briles from the game.  Steve Carlton entered in relief and would allow a two-run single to Dick McAuliffe to give the Tigers a commanding 5-0 lead.

The Cardinals scored their lone run in the bottom of the sixth, when Orlando Cepeda singled home Lou Brock.  With the score 6-1 heading to the ninth, Cardinals' reliever Joe Hoerner gave up two final runs on bases loaded walks to Don Wert and Lolich.

The card shows Horton hitting his home run with Tim McCarver behind the plate for the Cardinals, and home plate umpire Jim Honochick looking on.  Lolich would never hit a regular season home run, and was a lifetime .110 batter with five doubles and a pair of triples.  The home run and then later a bases loaded walk, makes this easily his top offensive game in his 13-year big league career.

Sources:

Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

#162 1968 World Series Game 1 / #164 1968 World Series Game 3

#80 Norm Cash - Detroit Tigers

Norman Dalton Cash
Detroit Tigers
First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  185
Born:  November 10, 1933, Justiceburg, TX
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent, May 21, 1955
Major League Teams:  Chicago White Sox 1958-59; Detroit Tigers 1960-74

World Series Appearances:  Chicago White Sox 1959; Detroit Tigers 1968
Died:  October 11, 1986, Beaver Island, MI (age 52)

Slugger Norm Cash was a steady presence in the Tigers line-up as their regular first baseman for 15 seasons between 1960 and the early 1970s.  Traded from the White Sox in December 1959 with Bubba Phillips and John Romano for Minnie Minoso and three other players, Cash paid long-term dividends as a four-time All-Star.  His .361 average in 1961 led the league and he belted at least 20 home runs in 11 different seasons.  That 1961 season was probably his best as he hit 41 home runs and had 132 RBIs, both career highs, to go along with his league-leading average.  Cash was also a fine defensive first baseman, leading the American League in assists three times and fielding percentage twice.  He helped guide the Tigers to a World Series title in 1968, hitting .385 with a home run in the seven-game series against the Cardinals.

A fan favorite, Cash played in 2,089 games and had 1,820 career hits, 377 home runs and 1,104 RBIs to go along with his .271 batting average.  Upon his retirement in 1974, his 377 home runs were the fourth most by an American League left-handed hitter behind Babe Ruth, Ted Williams (#650) and Lou Gehrig.  His 373 home runs are currently second on the all-time Tigers list, behind Al Kaline's (#410) 399.  Kaline, Cash's teammate throughout their Tigers careers, said of Cash, "When you mention Norm Cash, I just smile.  He was just a fun guy to be around and a great teammate.  He always came ready to play."  Tragically, Cash drowned at the young age of 52 after slipping and falling off a dock after a night out.

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

Building the Set / Card #597
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 2nd of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 38th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day. Sleeved, this card cost less than $2 after a dealer discount.

The Card / Tigers Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

To me, Cash looks younger here than he does on some of his Topps cards released prior to 1969, so it's anyone's guess how old this photo actually is.  His heroics from the 1968 World Series are summarized in the write-up on the back of the card.

Accuracy Index:  Cash's card earns a solid +5.

1969 Season
Cash enjoyed another in a long line of high production seasons, appearing in 142 games and batting .280 with 22 home runs and 74 RBIs.  His Tigers fell to second place in the American League after winning the World Championship in the prior year.

1959 Topps #509

1961 Topps #95

1968 Topps #256

1972 Topps #150

1974 Topps #367

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1959 Topps #509
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (16):  1959-74
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2013 Panini Golden Age #77
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  170 in the Beckett online database as of 11/13/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#79 Milt Pappas - Atlanta Braves / #81 Mel Queen - Cincinnati Reds