#619 Royals Rookie Stars - Bill Butler / Pat Kelly / Juan Rios

William Franklin Butler
Kansas City Royals
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  210
Born:  March 12, 1947, Hyattsville, MD
Drafted:  Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 37th round of the 1965 amateur draft, June 8, 1965
Major League Teams:  Kansas City Royals 1969-71; Cleveland Indians 1972; Minnesota Twins 1974-75, 1977

Harold Patrick Kelly
Kansas City Royals
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  185
Born:  July 30, 1944, Philadelphia, PA
Signed:  Signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent, September 11, 1962
Major League Teams:  Minnesota Twins 1967-68; Kansas City Royals 1969-70; Chicago White Sox 1971-76; Baltimore Orioles 1977-80; Cleveland Indians 1981

World Series Appearances:  Baltimore Orioles 1979
Died:  October 2, 2005, Chambersburg, PA (age 61)

Juan Onofre Velez Rios
Kansas City Royals
Infield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  185
Born:  July 14, 1942, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
Signed:  Signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent before 1965 season
Major League Teams:  Kansas City Royals 1969

Died:  August 28, 1995, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico (age 53)

Bill Butler was a mainstay in the Royals' starting pitching rotation over the first two years of the franchise's existence.  Drafted from the Tigers as the 22nd pick in the 1968 expansion draft, Butler spent the entire 1969 season with the Royals, making 29 starts and 34 appearances overall.  He tied with Roger Nelson (#279) for the second most starts on the club, with only Wally Bunker (#137) and his 31 starts eclipsing Butler and Nelson.  Butler returned to the rotation in 1970, slotted as the number three starter behind Bunker and Dick Drago (#662).  He pitched in the minors for most of 1972 and 1973, joining the Twins following the 1973 season.  Butler appeared in 55 games for the Twins over parts of three seasons, last pitching in the majors in 1977.  In 134 big league games, he was 23-35 with a 4.21 ERA.

Pat Kelly was a 15-year big leaguer, finding the most success over six seasons as the regular right fielder for the White Sox.  Kelly appeared in 20 games for the Twins in 1967 and 1968, before becoming a regular with the expansion Royals.  He had one of the best seasons of his career in the Royals' inaugural year of 1969, batting .264 with 20 doubles, eight home runs and 32 RBIs.  He'd join the White Sox in 1971, earning an All-Star Game nod in 1973.  Kelly moved on to the Orioles in 1977, hitting career highs for RBIs in 1977 with 49 and for home runs in 1978 with 11.  Now a bench player, he helped the Orioles reach the World Series in 1979, and he was 1 for 4, with a walk, in pinch-hitting appearances in the Fall Classic against the Pirates.  Kelly retired following the 1981 season, having appeared in 1,385 games and batting .264 with 76 home runs, 418 RBIs and 250 stolen bases.  A born again Christian, Kelly became an ordained minister following his playing days.

1970 Topps #89

Juan Rios' sole season in the majors came in 1969 as a back-up middle infielder for the Royals.  Originally signed by the Mets, he played in three minor league seasons in their organization before the Expos selected him in the annual rule 5 draft.  On March 15, 1969, the Expos sold his contract to the Royals, and he was required to remain on their big league roster all season or be returned to the Mets.  Rios made 43 starts throughout the year - 30 at second base, 10 at shortstop and three at third base.  In 87 games overall, he batted .224 with five doubles, a home run and five RBIs.  Rios played for six more seasons after his stint with the Royals, last playing professionally in 1975 for the Bravos de Reynosa in the Mexican League

Building the Set / Card #587
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 28th of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 28th of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little over $4 after the dealer discount.

The Card / Royals Team Set

Butler Accuracy Index -8 / Kelly Accuracy Index +10 / Rios Accuracy Index -8
This is the rookie card for all three players.  I'm guessing Butler is wearing a Tigers hat here, and I'll take a wild stab that Rios is actually wearing an Expos uniform.  Topps would have had time to get a picture of Rios in his Expos garb during spring training, and then pivoted to the logo less hat once he joined the Royals.

Accuracy Index:  It's interesting Topps had a perfectly good photo of Kelly for this card, but they went the blotched out logo route for the photo used on his 1970 Topps card.

1969 Season - Butler
Butler was a pleasant surprise for the expansion club, going 9-10 with a 3.90 ERA in 193 2/3 innings pitched, in what was by far his best season in the majors.  His 156 strikeouts were 10th best in the league, and his four shutouts were fourth best.  Butler's efforts landed him a spot on the Topps 1969 All-Star Rookie team as the squad's left-handed pitcher.

1970 Topps #377

1971 Topps #681

1975 Topps #549

1976 Topps #619

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Butler
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #619
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1969-71, 1975-76
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 SSPC 270 #61
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  27 in the Beckett online database as of 10/25/25.

Sources - Butler:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

1969 Season - Kelly
Kelly played his way into a regular outfield role for the Royals, starting more games in right field (60) than any other player while tying Bob Oliver (#662) with 44 starts in center field.  Kelly led the Royals with 40 stolen bases in 53 attempts.

1969 Season - Rios
Rios gave manager Joe Gordon (#484) a defensive and pinch-running option late in games, although he did commit nine errors in 221 chances for a .959 fielding percentage.

1970 Topps #57

1972 Topps #326

1975 Topps #82

1979 Topps #188

1982 Topps #417

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Kelly
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #619
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1969-80, 1982
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1982 Topps #417
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  53 in the Beckett online database as of 10/25/25.

Sources - Kelly:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Rios
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #619
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1969-70
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1970 Topps #89
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  10 in the Beckett online database as of 10/25/25.

Sources - Rios:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#618 Ramon Webster - Oakland Athletics / #620 Dean Chance - Minnesota Twins

#662 Royals Rookie Stars - Dick Drago / George Spriggs / Bob Oliver

Richard Anthony Drago
Kansas City Royals
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  190
Born:  June 25, 1945, Toledo, OH
Signed:  Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent, September 16, 1964
Major League Teams:  Kansas City Royals 1969-73; Boston Red Sox 1974-75; California Angels 1976-77; Baltimore Orioles 1977; Boston Red Sox 1978-80; Seattle Mariners 1981

World Series Appearances:  Boston Red Sox 1975
Died:  November 3, 2023, Tampa, FL (age 78)

George Herman Spriggs
Kansas City Royals
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  175
Born:  May 22, 1937, Jewell, MD
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1963 season
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1965-67; Kansas City Royals 1969-70

Died:  December 22, 2020, Prince Frederick, MD (age 83)

Robert Lee Oliver
Kansas City Royals
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  205
Born:  February 8, 1943, Shreveport, LA
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1963 season
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1965; Kansas City Royals 1969-72; California Angels 1972-74; Baltimore Orioles 1974; New York Yankees 1975

Died:  April 19, 2020, Rio Linda, CA (age 77)

Dick Drago pitched in parts of 13 seasons in the majors and was one of the first aces of the Royals' pitching staff.  A key member of the Royals during their first five seasons, Drago made at least 33 starts each year between 1970 and 1973, enjoying a career year in 1971 when he was 17-11 with a 2.98 ERA in 34 starts.  He finished fifth in the Cy Young Award voting that season.  Drago joined the Red Sox following the 1973 season, and he'd see his only postseason action with Boston in 1975.  After leading the club with 15 saves, Drago played a pivotal role in the World Series against the Reds, getting tagged with the loss in Game 2 and pitching three scoreless innings in Game 6, won by Carlton Fisk's walk-off home run in the 12th.  Drago pitched well throughout the next six seasons, saving 13 games with the Red Sox in 1979 and finishing his playing career with the Mariners in 1981.  In 519 big league games, Drago was 108-117 with a 3.62 ERA and 58 saves.

The speedy George Spriggs tallied at least 324 stolen bases during ten seasons in the minor leagues, and appeared briefly in the majors with the Pirates and Royals.  In over half of his 56 total games with the Pirates between 1965 and 1967, Spriggs was used as a pinch-hitter.  His contract was sold to the expansion Royals in October 1968, and he'd be a member of the team's opening day roster before a demotion to the minors in early June 1969.  Spriggs played in a career-high 51 games with the Royals in 1970, batting .208 and collecting his sole big league home run.  He played for two more seasons in the Mets' minor league system before retiring.  In 130 games, Spriggs batted .191 with the one home run and 12 RBIs.

Bob Oliver was a September call-up in 1965 by the Pirates, his original team, making it into three games as a late inning defensive replacement in left field or as a pinch-runner.  He'd spend the next three seasons in the minor leagues before getting a shot again with the expansion Royals.  Oliver was the club's opening day right fielder in 1969, and his versatility proved to be useful for the new club.  He was an early stand-out for those Royals teams, driving in a career-best 99 runs in 1970 while hitting 27 home runs.  Both marks led the team.  Oliver was dealt to the Angels in May 1972, and he'd have his most productive two years in the majors between 1972 and 1973.  In parts of three seasons with the Angels, Oliver batted .262 with 45 home runs and 214 RBIs in 395 games.  He'd play two more seasons in the majors, and three more seasons in the minors, before retiring in 1979.  In 847 big league games, Oliver batted .256 with 94 home runs and 419 RBIs.

His son, Darren Oliver, pitched in 20 big league seasons, with nine different teams, spending 10 years with the Rangers.

Building the Set / Card #541
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 penultimate and 97th 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 / Royals Team Set

Drago Accuracy Index +10 / Spriggs Accuracy Index +10 / Oliver Accuracy Index +10
This is the rookie card for Drago and Oliver only, as Spriggs had already appeared in Topps sets.  Spriggs shares a card with John Gelnar in 1967 and with Bill Rohr in 1968.

Accuracy Index:  It's a high score of +30 for the three-player card, as all three players are showing off the new Royals hats.

1969 Season - Drago
Drago was selected from the Tigers in the expansion draft, and he made the Royals' opening day roster, initially working out of the bullpen.  He'd move into the starting rotation in early May, ultimately appearing in 41 games and making 26 starts.  Drago was 11-13 with a 3.77 ERA in his rookie season, pitching 200 2/3 innings.  Only Wally Bunker (#137) with 12 wins and 222 2/3 innings pitched topped Drago in those categories.

1970 Topps #37

1975 Topps #333

1977 Topps #426

1980 Topps #271

1982 Topps #742

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Drago
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #662
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (14):  1969-82
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1989 Topps Senior League #17
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  56 in the Beckett online database as of 7/27/25.

Sources - Drago:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

1969 Season - Spriggs
As mentioned above, Spriggs made the Royals' opening day roster as a back-up outfielder.  He'd make three starts in left field in April and a start in right field in September, before and after a summer-long minor league stint with the Omaha Royals.  Spriggs batted .311 in 117 games for Omaha, collecting 15 home runs, 62 RBIs and 46 stolen bases.  With the Royals in 23 games, he batted .138 (4 for 29).

1969 Season - Oliver
Oliver made 102 starts for the Royals in 1969 - 44 in center field, 41 in right field, four in left field, eight at first base and five at third base.  In 118 games overall, he batted .254 with 13 home runs, leading the team, and 43 RBIs.  Oliver hit the first grand slam in Royals franchise history, connecting off the Pilots' Jim Bouton on July 4th.  He also made history with a six-hit game on May 4th.

Phillies Connection - Oliver
Oliver spent the 1976 season with the Triple-A Oklahoma City 89ers, the Phillies' top farm team.  In 96 games, he batted .325 with 10 home runs and 55 RBIs.  The Phillies were one of the best teams in the league in 1976 and did not need Oliver's services during the year.

1967 Topps #472

1968 Topps #314

1971 Topps #411

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Spriggs
First Mainstream Card:  1967 Topps #472
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1967-69, 1971
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1971 Topps #411
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  11 in the Beckett online database as of 7/27/25.

Sources - Spriggs:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Oliver
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #662
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1969-75
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1975 SSPC #18
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  43 in the Beckett online database as of 7/27/25.

Sources - Oliver:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

1970 Topps #567

1971 Topps #470

1972 Topps #57

1973 Topps #289

1975 Topps #657

#661 Jim Merritt - Cincinnati Reds / #663 Dick Radatz - Detroit Tigers

#647 Dave Wickersham - Kansas City Royals

David Clifford Wickersham
Kansas City Royals
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  188
Born:  September 27, 1935, Erie, PA
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1955 season
Major League Teams:  Kansas City Athletics 1960-63; Detroit Tigers 1964-67; Pittsburgh Pirates 1968; Kansas City Royals 1969

Died:  June 18, 2022, Overland Park, KS (age 86)

Dave Wickersham began his career with the Athletics as a reliever, before converting to a starting pitcher full-time in 1963.  He went 12-15 that season and was traded in November to the Tigers in the deal that sent Rocky Colavito to Kansas City.  Wickersham enjoyed a career year in 1964, going 19-12 with a 3.44 ERA over 40 appearances with the Tigers.  He set career highs in just about every pitching category, including wins, complete games (11), innings pitched (254) and strikeouts (164).  He faltered a bit in 1965 and was the team's fourth starter behind Mickey Lolich (#270), Denny McLain (#150) and Hank Aguirre (#94).  Working mostly out of the bullpen later in his career, he'd make at least 30 appearances in 1966 and 1967 with the Tigers and in 1969 with the expansion Royals.  He'd retire with a career record of 68-57 over 283 big league games with a 3.66 ERA.

Wickersham is one of four players, along with Aurelio Monteagudo, Moe Drabowsky (#508) and Ken Sanders to play for both the Kansas City Athletics and Royals.  He's also one of four players to have his entire career span exactly each of the 10 seasons during the decade of the 1960s, along with Julio Gotay, Phil Ortega (#406) and Charley Smith (#538).

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

Building the Set / Card #533
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 89th 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 / Royals Team Set / Accuracy Index +10

Wickersham looks to be absolutely thrilled to be a member of the Royals in this photo, taken during the team's spring training in 1969.  The write-up on the back of the card reminds collectors that Wickersham had pitched in Kansas City before, and that he was originally signed by the great Branch Rickey.

Accuracy Index:  Wickersham's card earns a +10 for an accurate expansion uniform appearance.

1969 Season
Wickersham was one of the first players added by the expansion Royals, as his contract was purchased from the Pirates on October 21, 1968.  The veteran showed no signs of slowing down early in the season, relieving in 34 games and going 2-3 with a 3.96 ERA in 50 innings pitched.  For some reason though, his last appearance in the majors was on July 26th, and it seems as if he was demoted to Triple-A Omaha.  With Omaha, Wickersham appeared in 10 games, his final action in professional baseball.  The Royals traded him to the Braves on October 21st for Ron Tompkins, but he'd not pitch at all in 1970.

1961 Topps #381

1963 Topps #492

1964 Topps #181

1967 Topps #112

1968 Topps #288

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1961 Topps #381
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1961-69
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #195
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  43 in the Beckett online database as of 7/12/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#646 Expos Rookie Stars / #648 Bobby Wine - Montreal Expos

#632 Jon Warden - Kansas City Royals

Jonathan Edgar Warden
Kansas City Royals
Pitcher

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  205
Born:  October 1, 1946, Columbus, OH
Drafted:  Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 4th round of the 1966 amateur draft, January 29, 1966
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1968

Jon Warden relieved in 28 games for the eventual 1968 World Champion Tigers, his only taste of the major leagues in his six professional seasons in baseball.  Warden was an early draft pick by the Tigers in 1966, and he'd quickly rise through the minor league ranks, earning a spot on the Tigers' opening day roster in 1968.  He'd end April with a 3-0 record and a 0.00 ERA in 3 2/3 innings of work.  Warden missed time during the season while serving in the Army Reserve, but he'd end the season as one of the top arms out of the Tigers' bullpen, with a 4-1 record and a 3.62 ERA in 37 1/3 innings pitched.  Warden was one of an impressive nine pitchers on the Tigers' pitching staff with a save, with his save tally at three for the year.  Included on the Tigers' World Series roster, he was the only player from both teams not to make it into the series.  The Tigers would defeat the Cardinals in seven games.

Left unprotected in the expansion draft, Warden was taken as the 12th pick by the Royals, but a rotator cuff injury cost him a job with the expansion club.  He spent the season in the minors, earning a September call-up, but never pitching in a game with the Royals.  He'd pitch for two more seasons in the minors before retiring in 1971.

Building the Set / Card #522
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 78th of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me a little less than $1.50.

The Card / Royals Team Set / Accuracy Index +2

This is Warden's first and last appearance in a Topps set, and one of his very few cardboard appearances.  it's a shame he got hurt, as this is one of the nicer Royals cards in the set.  The cartoon on the back of the card is fantastic, and rather than summarize from his SABR biography, he's a full passage from it to properly pay homage to Warden's musical talents. 

Warden served in the Army Reserve during the 1968 season, fulfilling his duties on the weekends. He played the clarinet in his unit's band. On one Sunday in May, Warden took a plane to Ohio to play with the band but rain canceled the performance. He hopped back on a plane and was back in Detroit in time for the game that day. In July, Warden was replaced on the roster when he had to serve in the reserve for a two-week stint of clarinet playing.

Accuracy Index:  Warden's card scores a rare +2, earning 10 points for the expansion uniform, but losing points since he didn't play for the Royals in 1969 (-2) or ever (-6).

1969 Season
As  mentioned above, Warden never actually pitched with the Royals and his SABR biography does a great job summarizing the ups and downs of his 1969 season.  With two teams in the Royals' minor league system, Warden was 8-7 with a 4.94 ERA in 25 games, including 20 starts.  He threw seven complete games with a likely torn rotator cuff.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #632
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #632
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  8 in the Beckett online database as of 6/6/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#631 John Kennedy - Seattle Pilots / #633 Harry Walker MG - Houston Astros

#603 Joe Keough - Kansas City Royals

Joseph William Keough
Kansas City Royals
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  185
Born:  January 7, 1946, Pomona, CA
Drafted:  Drafted by the Kansas City Athletics in the 2nd round of the 1965 amateur draft, June 8, 1965
Major League Teams:  Oakland Athletics 1968; Kansas City Royals 1969-72; Chicago White Sox 1973

Died:  September 9, 2019, San Antonio, TX (age 73)

Joe Keough was selected in the second round of the 1965 amateur player draft by the Kansas City Athletics, and he'd play four seasons in Kansas City, but not with the Athletics.  Keough made his debut with the Oakland Athletics on August 7, 1968, pinch-hitting for Jack Aker (#612) against the Yankees' Lindy McDaniel (#191).  Keough dramatically connected for the first of nine career home runs off McDaniel.  He was the fourth pick in the 1968 expansion draft by the Royals, the eighth pick overall, and Keough made the club's opening day roster.  He pinch-hit in the 12th inning of a 3-3 game with the Twins, singling home the winning run and giving the Royals their first franchise win.

His best season came in a shortened 1970, when Keough batted .322 with four home runs and 21 RBIs in just 57 games.  Keough's 1970 campaign was cut short when he suffered a broken leg on June 28th.  He was the Royals' opening day right fielder in 1971, batting .248 with 30 RBIs in his last regular action in the  majors.  He was a reserve for the Royals in 1972 and dealt to the White Sox in early 1973, where he'd play in his last five big league games.  Keough batted .246 in 332 career games with 26 doubles, nine home runs and 81 RBIs.  His older brother, Marty Keough, played outfield for 11 years with the Red Sox (1956-60), Indians (1960), Senators (1961), Reds (1962-65), Braves (1966) and Cubs (1966).  His nephew, Matt Keough, was a pitcher in the majors for nine seasons, primarily with the Athletics.

Building the Set / Card #505
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 61st 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 / Royals Team Set / Accuracy Index +10

This is Keough's rookie card and a great addition to any collections featuring players at bat racks.  The palm trees prove this photo was taken during the Royals' first spring training earlier in the year.

Accuracy Index:  Keough's card scores a high score of +10.

1969 Season
Keough batted .187 in 70 games with the inaugural Royals team, making 17 starts in both right and center fields and one start in left field.  He had a pair of doubles and seven RBIs.  His older brother Marty gets mentioned in the cartoon on the back of the card, and the write-up touts his minor league accolades and his home run off McDaniel in his first at-bat.  His college football success came at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, California.

1970 Topps #589

1971 Topps #451

1972 Topps #133

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #603
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1969-72
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1972 Topps #133
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  16 in the Beckett online database as of 5/13/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#602 Cubs Rookie Stars / #604 Bobby Etheridge - San Francisco Giants