#614 Astros Rookie Stars - Tom Griffin / Skip Guinn

Thomas James Griffin
Houston Astros
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  210
Born:  February 22, 1948, Los Angeles, CA
Drafted:  Drafted by the Houston Astros in the 1st round (4th pick) of the 1966 amateur draft, January 29, 1966
Major League Teams:  Houston Astros 1969-76; San Diego Padres 1976-77; California Angels 1978; San Francisco Giants 1979-81; Pittsburgh Pirates 1982

Dragon Eugene Guinn
Houston Astros
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  180
Born:  October 25, 1944, St. Charles, MO
Signed:  Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent before 1964 season
Major League Teams:  Atlanta Braves 1968; Houston Astros 1969, 1971

A star high school athlete from Los Angeles, Tom Griffin pitched in 14 big league seasons, primarily with the Astros.  Griffin's rookie season was perhaps his best, as he was 11-10 with a 3.54 ERA in 31 starts.  He had exactly 200 strikeouts in 188 1/3 innings pitched.  Griffin would move back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen with the Astros over the next 6 1/2 seasons, winning 14 games in 1974 and crossing the 200 inning plateau for the only time in the majors with 211 innings pitched.  Picked up on waivers by the Padres in August 1976, Griffin spent a year and a half in San Diego.  He'd finish his career with the Angels, Giants and Pirates, having a mini resurgence with the Giants in 1980, going 5-1 with a 2.76 ERA mostly in relief.  For his career, Griffin was 77-94 in 401 games pitched, with a 4.07 ERA.  He had 1,054 strikeouts in 1,494 2/3 innings pitched.  His 81 career wild pitches currently rank 200th on the all-time list, and he twice led the league in hit batters in 1980 (8) and 1981 (7).

Skip Guinn made 35 relief appearances with the Braves and Astros between 1968 and 1971.  He pitched in three games with the Braves in 1968, was left unprotected in the 1968 expansion draft, and was the 17th pick overall by the Expos.  Guinn was then dealt to the Astros on April 8, 1969 when Donn Clendenon (#208) refused to report to Houston following his trade from Montreal.  Guinn pitched in a career-high 28 games for the Astros in 1969, and a series of rough outings saw his ERA at 6.67 for the season.  He'd spend all of 1970 in the minor leagues and make four more relief appearances with the Astros in 1971.  Guinn pitched in the Astros, Cubs and Royals organizations through the 1973 season before retiring.  His grandson, Kyle Harrison, has pitched with the Giants and Red Sox the past three seasons.

Building the Set / Card #584
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 25th of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 25th of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little over $1.50 after the dealer discount.

The Card / Astros Team Set / Griffin Accuracy Index -3 / Guinn Accuracy Index +5
This is the rookie card for both.  Griffin may be wearing an Astros hat, and Guinn definitely is.  Kudos to Topps for rushing a photo of Guinn, as he was acquired by the Astros on opening day.

Accuracy Index:  Griffin loses points for the mystery hat, and Guinn's half of the card scores a +5.

1969 Season - Griffin
Griffin won a roster spot out of spring training, and slotted into the starting pitching rotation behind Don Wilson (#202) and Larry Dierker (#411).  All three pitchers would finish the season with at least 200 strikeouts, as Griffin reached the mark with nine strikeouts in his final start of the season on September 28th.  Griffin led all National League pitchers in strikeouts per nine innings with a 9.558 mark.

1969 Season - Guinn
Guinn was 1-2 with the aforementioned 6.67 ERA for the Astros.  In four different outings, he allowed runs without recording an out.  With the Double-A Savannah Senators, Guinn made one start and threw seven shutout innings. 

1970 Topps #578

1973 Topps #468

1975 Topps #188

1978 Topps #318

1982 Topps #777

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Griffin
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #614
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1969-71, 1973-82
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1982 Topps #777
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  52 in the Beckett online database as of 10/24/25.

Sources - Griffin:  

Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Guinn
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #614
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3):  1969-71
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1971 Topps #741
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  9 in the Beckett online database as of 10/24/25.

Sources - Guinn:  

Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

1970 Topps #316

1971 Topps #741

#613 Jim Beauchamp - Cincinnati Reds / #615 Len Gabrielson - Los Angeles Dodgers

#526 Hector Torres - Houston Astros

Hector Epitacio Torres
Houston Astros
Shortstop

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  175
Born:  September 16, 1945, Monterrey, Mexico
Signed:  Signed by the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent, March 25, 1962
Major League Teams:  Houston Astros 1968-70; Chicago Cubs 1971; Montreal Expos 1972; Houston Astros 1973; San Diego Padres 1975-76; Tortono Blue Jays 1977

Hector Torres was originally drafted by the Giants in 1962 (as a 16-year-old), traded to the Angels in 1966, and traded again to the Astors in 1967.  He won the opening day shortstop job for the Astros in 1968, and he'd appear in a career-high 128 games, batting .223 with 11 doubles, a home run and 24 RBIs.  Torres was fifth in the league in errors committed at shortstop with 24.  He'd bounce around the next five years, spending time with the Cubs, Expos and back with the Astros for part of the 1973 season.  After a full season in the minors in 1974, Torres re-emerged with the Padres in 1975, making 90 starts at either shortstop, third base or second base.  In his best season in the majors, Torres batted .259 with five home runs and 26 RBIs for the fourth place club.  He'd finish up his career with the expansion Blue Jays, as their opening day shortstop in 1977.  Torres became the first player to appear with both Canadian-based major league teams, and he hit the first grand slam in Blue Jays history on June 27, 1977 off the Yankees' Ron Guidry.

After a few more years in the minors, Torres retired as a player and began his minor league managerial career.  He managed in the Blue Jays' system (1982, 1985-86, 1993), with the Brewers' organization (2003) and in Mexico (2005).  Torres was a coach for the Cito Gaston (#304) managed Blue Jays in 1990 and 1991.  In his 622 games in the majors, Torres batted .216 with 46 doubles, 18 home runs and 115 RBIs. 

Building the Set / Card #574
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 15th of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 15th of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little over $2 after the dealer discount.

The Card / Astros Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

The rookie shortstop pool must have been shallow in 1968, as Topps named Torres to its All-Star Rookie team for the year.  The cartoon on the back highlights Torres' heroics in the Little League World Series.  He starred in the 1958 series as a member of the Monterrey, Mexico Little League team.

Accuracy Index:  Torres' card earns a +5.

1969 Season
It would appear as if Torres was hurt for much of the 1969 season, as he played in a combined 63 games with the Astros and the Triple-A Oklahoma City 89ers.  Having lost his starting shortstop job to Denis Menke (#487), Torres played in 34 games for the Astros, batting .159 with two extra-base hits.  With the 89ers, he played in 29 games and batted .238.

1970 Topps #272

1971 Topps #558

1972 Topps #666

1976 Topps #241

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #526
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1969-72, 1976
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Fleer ProCards #988
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  50 in the Beckett online database as of 10/11/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#525 Earl Wilson - Detroit Tigers / #527 Al Lopez MG - Chicago White Sox

#656 Dan Schneider - Houston Astros

Daniel Louis Schneider
Houston Astros
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  170
Born:  August 29, 1942, Evansville, IL
Signed:  Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent, June 11, 1962
Major League Teams:  Milwaukee Braves 1963-64; Atlanta Braves 1966; Houston Astros 1967, 1969

Dan Schneider pitched in parts of five big league seasons with the Braves and Astros.  As a lefty reliever specialist, he appeared in a career-high 54 games with the Astros in 1967, going 0-2 with a 4.96 ERA over 52 2/3 innings and recording a pair of saves.  In 117 career major league games, all but eight in relief, Schneider was 2-5 with a 4.71 ERA, 86 strikeouts and 70 walks.  He pitched in the Cardinals' system in 1970 before retiring.  In 2019, Schneider was inducted into the University of Arizona Hall of Fame, where he had made the College All-American Team in 1962.

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

Building the Set / Card #539
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 95th 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 / Astros Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Even though Schneider pitched for the Astros in 1967, I believe this photo is from spring training in 1969.  Schneider wore #58 during his final stint in the majors in 1969, and that looks to be the side of a "5" peaking through on the back of his jersey in this photo.  His demotion to the minors (see below) is noted on the back of the card.

Accuracy Index:  Schneider's score is a +5.

1969 Season
After spending the entire 1968 season pitching for the Columbus Jets, the Pirates' top farm team, Schneider rejoined the Astros' organization.  He made the club's opening day roster, pitching in his final six big league games, before a demotion on April 28th sent him to Triple-A Oklahoma City.  At some point during the season, Schneider joined the Cardinals' organization, as he finished the season with their Triple-A team in Tulsa.  In his six games with the Astros, Schneider was 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA in 7 1/3 innings pitched.

1963 Topps #299

1964 Topps #351

1965 Topps #366

1967 Topps #543

1968 Topps #57

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #299
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1963-65, 1967-69
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #656
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  18 in the Beckett online database as of 7/27/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#655 Mike Hershberger - Oakland Athletics / #657 Bobby Murcer - New York Yankees

#594 Dooley Womack - Houston Astros

Horace Guy Womack
Houston Astros
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  170
Born:  August 25, 1939, Columbia, SC
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1958 season
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1966-68; Houston Astros 1969; Seattle Pilots 1969; Oakland Athletics 1970

Pitcher Dooley Womack pitched professionally for 14 seasons, spending eight full seasons in the minor leagues before earning a promotion to the Yankees in 1966.  His best season came in 1967 when Womack relieved in 65 games, going 5-6 with a 2.41 ERA.  He was the most frequently used reliever by manager Ralph Houk (#447), leading the club with 18 saves, and was the winning pitcher on May 14, 1967, the game in which Mickey Mantle (#500) hit his 500th career home run.  Womack didn't return to the success he found in 1967, relieving in 45 games in 1968 and going 3-7 with a 3.21 ERA and only a pair of saves.  Within a nine-month period following the 1968 season, Womack was dealt first to the Astros and then to the Pilots.  He'd pitch relatively well for both clubs, but spent most of 1970 pitching for the Reds' Triple-A team in Indianapolis.

Womack's last big league action came with two games for the Athletics, after the club had purchased his contract from the Reds on August 14, 1970.  For his career, Womack was 19-18 with a 2.95 ERA in 193 games pitched, with 177 strikeouts and 111 walks over 302 1/3 innings.

Building the Set / Card #501
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 57th of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me less than $1.50.

The Card / Astros Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Kudos to Topps for getting a photo of Womack during spring training in 1969 wearing his new club's uniform.  The back is mostly his long list of minor and major league pitching statistics.  This is his last appearance in a Topps flagship set, and despite his successful 1969 season, Topps omitted him from its 1970 release.

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

1969 Season
On December 4, 1968, Womack was traded by the Yankees to the Astros for outfielder Dick Simpson (#608).  He relieved in 30 games for the Astros, going 2-1 with a 3.51 ERA in 51 1/3 innings pitched.  On August 24th, he was dealt straight up to the Pilots for veteran pitcher Jim Bouton.  Womack appeared in nine games and was 2-1 with a 2.51 ERA in 14 1/3 innings pitched.  Bouton would write in his tell-all memoir Ball Four, "Maybe it's me for a hundred thousand, and Dooley Womack is just a throw-in.  I'd hate to think that at this stage of my career I was being traded even-up for Dooley Womack."

1966 Topps #469

1967 Topps #77

1968 Topps #431

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1966 Topps #469
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1966-69
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1981 TCMA The 1960s II #339
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  16 in the Beckett online database as of 5/11/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#593 Don Nottebart - Chicago Cubs / #595 Lee Maye - Cleveland Indians

#562 Bob Watson - Houston Astros

Robert Jose Watson
Houston Astros
Catcher-Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  201
Born:  April 10, 1946, Los Angeles, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Houston Astros as an amateur free agent, January 31, 1965
Major League Teams:  Houston Astros 1966-79; Boston Red Sox 1979; New York Yankees 1980-82; Atlanta Braves 1982-84

World Series Appearances:  New York Yankees 1981
Died:  May 14, 2020, Houston, TX (age 74)

Bob Watson was a baseball lifer.  He played in parts of 19 seasons as a two-time All-Star, served as a coach, and was the second African-American general manager in major league history, helping to build the 1996 World Champion Yankees team.  Watson was a member of the Astros for 14 seasons, and as their regular left fielder between 1971 and 1974, then moving to first base between 1975 and 1978, he drove in at least 80 runs in five seasons.  One of his best seasons came in 1973 when he was named to his first All-Star Game, and batted .312 with 16 home runs and 94 RBIs.  Watson went to his second All-Star Game in 1975.  He set career highs with 22 home runs and 110 RBIs in 1977, and he hit for his first cycle that season on June 24th.  His home run totals were likely diminished given he played a majority of his games in the pitcher-friendly Astrodome.

Traded to the Red Sox in July 1979, Watson hit for the cycle with the club that September 15th, becoming the first player to accomplish the feat in both leagues.  He helped the Yankees reach the World Series in 1981, and even though his team fell to the Dodgers, Watson batted .318 with a pair of home runs during the series.  He'd retire as a player following three final seasons with the Braves, serving mainly as a pinch-hitter.  In 1,832 games, Watson batted .295 with 184 home runs and 989 RBIs.  After serving as the Athletics' hitting coach between 1986 and 1988, he was hired to the be the Astros' general manager following the 1988 season.  Watson moved to the Yankees as their GM between 1995 and 1998, and his last role in baseball was as MLB's vice president in charge of discipline, rules and on-field operations between 2002 and 2010.  He was inducted into the Houston Astros Hall of Fame in 2020.

Building the Set / Card #477
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 33rd of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me a little over $4, and was one of the pricier cards purchased from Uncle Dick's.

The Card / Astros Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This is Watson's rookie card, and he'd eventually appear in 17 Topps flagship sets.  The write-up on the back of the card mentions Watson's original position of catcher.  There's more on that below, and during his long career, Watson would appear behind the plate in 10 games, making a pair of starts in 1973.  Topps reprinted this card in its 2001 Topps Archives set.

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

1969 Season
Watson appeared in only 20 games for the Astros, batting .275 with three doubles during three different stints with the club in April, mid-June and as a September call-up.  Watson was the team's opening day left fielder, but he was asked to report to the Savannah Senators to work on his catching skills.  Watson dutifully reported, but nearly quit the game due to the rampant racism he encountered in Savannah.  At some point during the season, the Astros moved Watson to their Triple-A team in Oklahoma City, where the slugger batted .408 in 61 games with seven home runs and 48 RBIs.

1973 Topps #110

1975 Topps #227

1978 Topps #330

1981 Topps #690

1985 Topps #51

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #562
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (17):  1969-85
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2013 Panini USA Baseball Champions #38
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  154 in the Beckett online database as of 3/1/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#561 Ron Clark - Minnesota Twins / #563 Marty Pattin - Seattle Pilots

#499 Astros Rookie Stars - Don Bryant / Steve Shea

Donald Ray Bryant
Houston Astros
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'5"  Weight:  200
Born:  July 13, 1941, Jasper, FL
Signed:  Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent, June 24, 1959
Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1966; Houston Astros 1969-70

Died:  January 22, 2015, Jacksonville, FL (age 73)

Steven Francis Shea
Houston Astros
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  215
Born:  December 5, 1942, Worcester, MA
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent before 1961 season
Major League Teams:  Houston Astros 1968; Montreal Expos 1969

Died:  March 4, 2015, North Hampton, NH (age 72)

Don Bryant played briefly in the majors, but spent 13 seasons and 871 games in the minor leagues between 1960 and 1973.  Drafted by the Tigers, Bryant spent the first 5 1/2 seasons of his professional career climbing the ranks of Detroit's minor league system.  In 1962 with the D-Level Jamestown Tigers, Bryant batted .272 while attaining career highs in a single season for home runs and RBIs, with eight and 65, respectively.  Sold to the Cubs in December 1965, he'd finally crack the major leagues, playing 13 games with Chicago in the summer of 1966.  Bryant was back to the minors for two more seasons before getting another chance with the Astros in 1969.  For his big league career, he batted .220 in 59 games, with one home run and 13 RBIs.

Bryant finished up his playing days as a player-coach with the Pawtucket Red Sox in 1973.  Pawtucket's manager, Darrell Johnson, was promoted to manage the Red Sox in 1974, and brought Bryant with him.  Bryant served as Johnson's bullpen coach with the Red Sox (1975-76) and Mariners (1977-80).

Steve Shea was originally signed by the Cubs in 1961, but released by the team three years later.  After being out of baseball for over a year, Shea signed with the Astros in August 1965.  He'd earn a promotion in July 1968, eventually pitching in 30 games, all in relief, for Houston.  Shea was 4-4 with a 3.38 ERA and six saves in his lone season with the Astros, and those six saves led the team.  Right before the start of the 1969 season, Shea was sold to the expansion Expos.  He'd make 10 appearances with the Expos, pitching fairly well, before getting demoted back to the minors.  Shea wouldn't return to the big leagues before retiring from baseball in 1971.  In 40 games with the Astros and Expos, he was 4-4 with a 3.22 ERA in 50 1/3 innings pitched.

Building the Set / Card #437
December 3, 2023 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards)

This is it!  After a full year of having these cards stacked on my project table, I finally picked up the last card on the bottom of the pile to admire and write about for this blog.  I have a few more cards to go before I'm completely up to date, but it's nice to have this haul from last December cleared out and properly bindered.

Doug and I returned to The Philly Show in early December, once again held inside the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  eBay has taken over sponsorship of the show, with the quaint, bubble-lettered Philly Show logo that had been in place since the 1980s replaced with a more modern logo, keeping with the times.  I wrote about the show in a post over at The Phillies Room.

Similar to my strategy from March, I wanted to focus on accumulating commons and having found success with Uncle Dick's Cards before, I didn't mess around and headed right for the neon green binders.  I pulled 145 cards from the binder containing cards 301 to the end of the set, stopping when I reached 500.  This card was the last of 145 cards purchased for our set, and after the dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, it cost a little less than a dollar.

The Card / Astros Team Set / Bryant Accuracy Index +5 / Shea Accuracy Index -7
This is the rookie card for both players, and the first and last card for Shea.

Accuracy Index:  Bryant scores a standard +5, but Shea drops to -7, losing points since he didn't actually play for the Astros in 1969.

1969 Season - Bryant
On December 2, 1968, the Astros selected Bryant from the Giants in the annual rule 5 draft.  Required to stay on the Astros roster all season, Bryant made it into 31 games, batting .186 with a home run and six RBIs.  In a rare start on May 1st against the Reds, Bryant caught Don Wilson's second career no-hitter.  He'd make just 18 starts all season as the back-up to regular catcher Johnny Edwards.

1969 Season - Shea
On April 3rd, the Expos purchased Shea's contract from the Astros.  He make his Expos debut six days later, pitching two-thirds of a scoreless inning on April 9th.  He was used sparingly by manager Gene Mauch over the first two months of the season, appearing in 10 games overall, and having a 2.87 ERA in 15 2/3 innings pitched.  Shea struck out 11 and walked eight.  Demoted to the Triple-A Vancouver Mounties for the remainder of the season, Shea appeared in 33 games, all in relief, and was 2-5 with a 3.68 ERA over 71 innings pitched.

1970 Topps #473

1974 Topps #403

1977 Topps #597

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Bryant
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #499
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1969-70, 1974, 1977
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1977 Topps #597
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  13 in the Beckett online database as of 12/3/24.

Sources - Bryant:  

Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Shea
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #499
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #499
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  2 in the Beckett online database as of 12/3/24.

Sources - Shea:  

Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#498 Juan Pizarro - Boston Red Sox / #500 Mickey Mantle - New York Yankees