Showing posts with label Los Angeles Dodgers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Los Angeles Dodgers. Show all posts

Thursday, October 2, 2025

#12 N.L. Strikeout Leaders - Bob Gibson / Fergie Jenkins / Bill Singer


Beginning in 1961, Topps started including league leader cards in its sets and there are 12 league leaders cards kicking off the 1969 Topps set.  League leader cards can be found at the beginning of each Topps set issued in 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968 and 1969.

Building the Set / 
Card #561
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 second of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the second of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little over $2 after the dealer discount.

The Card / Cardinals Team Set / Cubs Team Set Dodgers Team Set
Future Hall of Famers Bob Gibson (#200) and Fergie Jenkins (#640) were the runaway favorites to earn the league leader honors for strikeouts in 1968.  Gibson nearly missed matching his career-high mark of 270 strikeouts, set in 1965, he'd strike out one more in 1969 with 269, and he'd reach a new career best with 274 strikeouts in 1970.  He struck out 10, 11 and 11 respectively in his final three September starts.  Jenkins would lead the league a year later with 273 strikeouts in 1969.  He had led the league in strikeouts for most of 1968, with Gibson's dominant final three starts eventually overtaking him.

And Bill Singer (#575) is just happy to be here with his 227 strikeouts in 1968.  Singer would also set a career high in 1969 with 247 strikeouts.

Monday, September 8, 2025

#289 Bart Shirley - Los Angeles Dodgers


Barton Arvin Shirley
Los Angeles Dodgers
Infield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  183
Born:  January 4, 1940, Corpus Christi, TX
Signed:  Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1961 season
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1964, 1966; New York Mets 1967; Los Angeles Dodgers 1968

Stuck behind Maury Wills (#45) and Jim Gilliam in the Dodgers' infield depth chart in the early 1960s, Bart Shirley saw limited playing time with the club.  He was a September call-up in 1964, appearing in 18 games and batting .274, before returning to the minors for all of 1965.  He made the Dodgers' opening day roster in 1966, but appeared in only 12 games between April and June, heading back to Triple-A for the rest of the summer.  Selected by the Mets in the annual rule 5 draft before the 1967 season, Shirley appeared in six games in New York, going 0 for 12, before being returned to the Dodgers.  His final big league action came in 1968 when he batted .181 in 39 games in Los Angeles.  After spending all of 1969 and 1970 in the minors, Shirley finished up his playing career with two seasons in Japan, batting .183 in 246 games for the Chunichi Dragons.


Building the Set / 
Card #555
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Vintage Cardboard Collectibles)
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 spent the first half hour or so pulling 98 commons and semi-stars from the neon green binder of Uncle Dick's Cards, and adding the big purchase of the day, the Rollie Fingers (#597) rookie card, and after adding a few more star cards, the remaining cash I had was starting to burn a hole in my wallet.  I had noticed the common/semi-star boxes at the tables of Vintage Cardboard Collectibles, and I found 14 more cards for our 1969 Topps set and six cards for our not-yet-officially collecting 1959 Topps set.  This is the tenth of those 14 cards.  After the obligatory dealer discount, I handed over the last of my cash, and we exited the show for the drive home.

The Card / Dodgers Team Set / Accuracy Index +3
This is one of three appearances by Shirley in a Topps flagship set and he shares a Rookie Stars card in his other two appearances.  The cartoon refers to Shirley's time as a football player at the University of Texas.

Accuracy Index:  Shirley's card drops to a +3 since he didn't actually play with the Dodgers in 1969.

1969 Season
With the Spokane Indians in the Pacific Coast League, Shirley batted .302 in 128 games with 27 doubles, four triples and 54 RBIs.  The solid season with the Indians didn't merit a call-up to the Dodgers.

1966 Topps #591
1967 Topps #287

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1966 Topps #591
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3):  1966-67, 1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #289
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  11 in the Beckett online database as of 8/17/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Saturday, May 31, 2025

#615 Len Gabrielson - Los Angeles Dodgers


Leonard Gary Gabrielson
Los Angeles Dodgers
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  210
Born:  February 14, 1940, Oakland, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent, July 19, 1959
Major League Teams:  Milwaukee Braves 1960, 1963-64; Chicago Cubs 1964-65; San Francisco Giants 1965-66; California Angels 1967; Los Angeles Dodgers 1967-70

Len Gabrielson was a corner outfielder who bounced around a bit before settling in with the Dodgers in the late 1960s.  Acquired by the Cubs in June 1964, the club was confident enough in his potential to trade away Lou Brock (#85) to the Cardinals, inserting Gabrielson in Brock's place as their regular right fielder.  Less than a year later, he was on the move again, traded to the Giants.  Gabrielson found some success with the Dodgers after a short stint with the Angels, and he appeared in 324 games for the team over four seasons as a regular left fielder or later as a left-handed bat off the bench.  Gabrielson hit a career high 10 home runs in 1968, leading the Dodgers.

In parts of nine seasons, Gabrielson played in 708 games, hitting .253 with 37 home runs and 176 RBIs.

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


Building the Set / 
Card #512
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 68th 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 / Dodgers Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
Photos from the same session are used for both Gabrielson's 1968 and 1969 Topps cards.  The back of the card highlights his team-leading 10 home runs in 1968, and the cartoon goes all the way back to 1960 when Gabrielson had 24 outfield assists with the Jacksonville Braves.  (The cartoon contains an uncorrected error as Jacksonville is in the South Atlantic League and not the International League.)

Accuracy Index:  Gabrielson's card is the latest +5.

1969 Season
Despite his relative success the prior season with the Dodgers, Gabrielson was back in a reserve role for much of 1969.  He was Walter Alston's (#24) opening day right fielder, but he'd make just 42 starts all season, as more outfield playing time went to Manny Mota (#236), Willie Davis (#65), Andy Kosco (#139), Willie Crawford (#327) and Bill Russell.  Gabrielson batted .270 with a home run and 18 RBIs.

1963 Topps #253
1965 Topps #14
1966 Topps #395
1968 Topps #357
1970 Topps #204

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #253
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (8):  1963-70
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1970 Topps #204
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  28 in the Beckett online database as of 5/25/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Monday, March 24, 2025

#575 Bill Singer - Los Angeles Dodgers


William Robert Singer
Los Angeles Dodgers
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  184
Born:  April 24, 1944, Los Angeles, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1961 season
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1964-72; California Angels 1973-75; Texas Rangers 1976; Minnesota Twins 1976; Toronto Blue Jays 1977

Bill Singer spent nine years of his 14-year big league career with the Dodgers, was a two-time All-Star and threw a no-hitter in 1970.  Singer was used sparingly by the Dodgers between 1964 and 1966, appearing in just seven games over those three seasons.  He'd join the starting pitching rotation for good in 1967, and enjoyed a career year in 1969 when he was 20-12 with a 2.34 ERA in 41 appearances.  Singer threw his no-hitter on July 20, 1970 against the Phillies at Dodger Stadium, striking out ten.  Dealt to the Angels in a blockbuster, seven-player deal in November 1972, Singer would win 20 games again in 1973 and make his second All-Star team.  He was the opening day starter in the first game in Blue Jays franchise history in 1977.  Singer was 118-127 lifetime in 322 games pitched, with a 3.39 ERA and 1,515 strikeouts.

Following his playing career, Singer served as a scout and in the front office with the Marlins, Pirates, Dodgers, Mets and Diamondbacks organizations.  His baseball executive days were marred by a racially motivated incident involving then Dodgers' assistant GM Kim Ng in 2003, leading to his dismissal from a position with the Mets.

Building the Set / 
Card #485
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 41st of 98 commons pulled from the binder.  After a generous dealer discount due to my bulk purchase, this card cost me a little less than $2.

The Card / Dodgers Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
This is Singer's second appearance in the set, as he shows up on the 1968 N.L. Strikeout Leaders card (#12).  This photo appears to be from spring training in 1969, with spectators pressed up against a fence behind Singer.  A similar photo was used for Singer's 1970 Topps card.  The cartoon on the back foreshadows the big league no-hitter still to come the following season.

Accuracy Index:  Singer's card scores a solid +5.

1969 Season
Easily his career year, as mentioned above, Singer and lefty Claude Osteen (#528) formed an impressive one-two punch at the top of the Dodgers' starting pitching rotation.  Osteen was also a 20-game winner.  Singer pitched in a career-high 41 games and threw a career-high 315 2/3 innings, a mark he'd match in 1973.  He also struck out a career best 227 batters.

1966 Topps #288
1970 Topps #490
1974 Topps #210
1975 Topps #40
1977 O-Pee-Chee #85

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1966 Topps #288
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12):  1966-77
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1977 Topps #346
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  90 in the Beckett online database as of 3/16/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Monday, March 3, 2025

#552 Dodgers Rookie Stars - Ted Sizemore / Bill Sudakis


Theodore Crawford Sizemore
Los Angeles Dodgers
Second Base-Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  165
Born:  April 15, 1945, Gadsden, AL
Drafted:  Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 15th round of the 1966 amateur draft
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1969-70; St. Louis Cardinals 1971-75; Los Angeles Dodgers 1976; Philadelphia Phillies 1977-78; Chicago Cubs 1979; Boston Red Sox 1979-80

William Paul Sudakis
Los Angeles Dodgers
Third Base

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  190
Born:  March 27, 1946, Joliet, IL
Signed:  Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1964 season
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1968-71; New York Mets 1972; Texas Rangers 1973; New York Yankees 1974; California Angels 1975; Cleveland Indians 1975
Died:  September 15, 2021, Palm Springs, CA (age 75)
Originally signed as a catcher, Dodgers' manager Walter Alston (#24) moved Ted Sizemore to shortstop at the start of spring training in 1969.  Sizemore was the club's opening day shortstop, but he'd shift over to second base in June following the Dodgers' re-acquisition of Maury Wills (#45) from the Expos.  His strong rookie season led to Rookie of the Year honors, but injuries contributed to a sophomore slump in 1970.  Sizemore was dealt to the Cardinals following the 1970 season in exchange for future Hall of Famer Dick Allen (#350).  One of his best seasons came in 1973 with the Cardinals, as he batted .282 as their regular second baseman while leading the league with 25 sacrifices.  His last regular playing time came with the Phillies in the late 1970s, helping that club reach the NLCS in 1977 and 1978.  Sizemore wrapped up his 12 years in the majors as a back-up infielder and pinch-hitter with the Cubs and Red Sox.

In 1,411 games, Sizemore batted .262 with 188 doubles, 23 home runs and 430 RBIs.  His second base fielding statistics for assists (3,761), putouts (2,928) and double plays turned (835) are all currently within the top 100 all-time.  Following his playing days, Sizemore worked as an executive for both Rawlings and the Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.).

May 19, 1969 cover of Sports Illustrated
Following a September call-up in 1968, Bill Sudakis was the Dodgers' opening day third baseman.  He'd collect a career-high 53 RBIs in 1969, but the arrival of Steve Garvey meant the Dodgers had to get creative with Sudakis to keep his bat in the line-up.  He'd be tried out at catcher, first base and the corner outfield positions during his tenure with the Dodgers, but bad knees limited his playing time.  Sudakis found success with the Rangers in 1973, batting .255 with a career best 15 home runs, and he'd split time between first base and DH in 1974 with the Yankees.  He'd wrap up his playing days as a back-up first baseman and pinch-hitter with the Angels and Indians.  In 530 big league games, Sudakis batted .234 with 59 home runs and 214 RBIs.

Building the Set / Card #470
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 26th 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 / Dodgers Team Set / Sizemore Accuracy Index -3 / Sudakis Accuracy Index +5
This is the rookie card for both players and Topps did a nice job squeezing in the eventual Rookie of the Year winner late into the set.  I wonder how many Topps base cards between 1952 and 2005 contained the position designation of "2B-C"?

Accuracy Index:  Sizemore might be wearing a Dodgers' uniform here, so I'll dock him just three points for being hatless.  Sudakis scores a standard +5.

1969 Season - Sizemore
His first year in the majors was also one of his best as Sizemore slid into the shortstop role vacated by Zoilo Versalles (#38).  He made 159 starts overall - 42 at shortstop and 117 at second base - batting .271 with 20 doubles, four home runs and 46 RBIs.  His .979 fielding percentage at second base was second best in the league behind the Braves' Felix Millan (#210).

Phillies Career - Sizemore
On December 20, 1976, the Dodgers traded Sizemore and a player to be named later (Quency Hill) to the Phillies for catcher Johnny Oates.  Having lost Dave Cash to free agency, Sizemore became the club's regular second baseman in 1977, one of the best seasons in franchise history.  The 101-win Phillies won the National League pennant for the second season in a row, but fell to the Dodgers in four games in the NLCS.  A costly error by Sizemore in Game 3 allowed the Dodgers to seal a comeback 6-5 win.  Sizemore batted .281 for the season with 47 RBIs, while turning a league-leading 104 double plays.

In 1978, Sizemore was again the team's opening day second baseman, but he broke his hand in late April, missing all of May and most of June.  He batted only .219 during the regular season, but hit .385 (5 for 13) in the NLCS against the Dodgers, lost again by the Phillies in four games.  On February 23, 1979, the Phillies traded Sizemore, Barry Foote, Jerry Martin and minor leaguers Henry Mack and Derek Botelho to the Cubs for Manny Trillo, Greg Gross and Dave Rader.  In 260 games with the Phillies, Sizemore batted .256 with 32 doubles, four home runs and 72 RBIs.
1969 Season - Sudakis
By bWAR standards, this was Sudakis' best season in the majors as he earned a 1.9 mark.  In 132 games, again a career high, he batted .234 with 14 home runs and 53 RBIs.  He made 118 starts at third base for the Dodgers, and his .946 fielding percentage was third best int he league.


From the 1978 Phillies Yearbook

1970 Topps #174
1973 Topps #128
1977 Topps #366
1979 Topps #297
1980 Topps #81

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Sizemore

First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #552
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12):  1969-80
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1980 Topps #81
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  53 in the Beckett online database as of 2/25/25.

Sources - Sizemore:  

Other Notable Baseball Cards - Sudakis

First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #552
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1969-75
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1975 Topps #291
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  33 in the Beckett online database as of 2/25/25.

Sources - Sudakis:  
1970 Topps #341
1971 Topps #253
1973 Topps #586
1974 Topps #63
1975 Topps #291

Thursday, January 23, 2025

#400 Don Drysdale - Los Angeles Dodgers


Donald Scott Drysdale
Los Angeles Dodgers
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'5"  Weight:  190
Born:  July 23, 1936, Van Nuys, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1954 season
Major League Teams:  Brooklyn Dodgers 1956-57; Los Angeles Dodgers 1958-69
World Series Appearances:  Brooklyn Dodgers 1956; Los Angeles Dodgers 1959, 1963, 1965-66
Died:  July 3, 1993, Montreal, Canada (age 56)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1984

One of the most dominant pitchers of his era, Don Drysdale was the 1962 National League Cy Young Award winner, won World Series rings with the Dodgers in 1959, 1963 and 1965, and threw a then-record 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings in 1968.  He was a nine-time All-Star.  Drysdale won at least 15 games in seven different seasons, culminating with his career-high 25 wins in 1962.  He led the league in strikeouts three times and innings pitched twice.  Not afraid to keep batters off the plate, Drysdale led the league in hit batters five times and his 154 hit batters over his career ranks 20th on the all-time list.  His amazing run of 58 2/3 innings also came with a record six consecutive shutouts.  Fellow Dodgers' pitcher Orel Hershiser broke the record with 59 consecutive scoreless innings in 1988.  For his career, Drysdale was 209-166 with a 2.95 ERA and 2,486 strikeouts.  A decent hitter too, he was a career .186 batter with 29 home runs and 113 RBIs.  

While playing, Drysdale was a guest star on several television shows, appearing on The RiflemanLeave It to Beaver and The Brady Bunch, among other shows.  Following his retirement due in part to a chronically sore shoulder, Drysdale began a lengthy broadcasting career.  He worked with the Expos (1970-71), Rangers (1972), Angels (1973-79, 1981), White Sox (1982-87) and Dodgers (1988-93), while also broadcasting games nationally for NBC and ABC.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984, the same year the Dodgers retired his #53.  Drysdale passed away in 1993 after a heart attack suffered on the road before a Dodgers-Expos game.

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

Building the Set / Card #443
April 9, 2024 from Wenonah, NJ (Gar Miller Baseball Cards)
On April 7th, I received an e-mail from Gar Miller, hobby icon, informing me and other customers he had recently updated his inventory of vintage baseball cards for sale at garmillercards.com.  In need of some vintage cardboard, and wanting to see if Miller had any Diamond Stars cards I needed, I decided to check out the new inventory.  

A high-number Red Lucas card from the Diamond Stars set was reasonably priced, so I added it, a few cards needed for our 1969 Topps set and a few random Phillies-related cards to my cart and submitted my order.  Given the proximity of Miller to our house, I wasn't surprised when the cards arrived in our mail box in two days.  The Drysdale card joined Ernie Banks (#20) and the Graig Nettles rookie card (#99) as the trio of cards added to our 1969 Topps set.

The Card / 
Dodgers Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
This is Drysdale's final appearance in a Topps flagship set, and it's a shame Topps didn't give him a career capping card in its 1970 Topps set.  He appears earlier in the set on the 4th Series checklist card (#314).  The bak of the card highlights his 1962 Cy Young Award winning season and his 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless inning streak from 1968.  Topps reprinted the card in its 2001 Topps Archives set.

Accuracy Index:  His final contemporaneous Topps card scores a +5.
Inserts:  Drysdale is included as one of the 48 decals in the Topps Decals insert set.

1969 Season
Drysdale was limited to 12 starts for the Dodgers throughout the season, and was 5-4 with a 4.45 ERA in 62 2/3 innings pitched.  Having started 35 or more games for nine straight seasons, Drysdale's recurring shoulder injuries finally became insurmountable.  Diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff, the pitching great retired, throwing in his last major league game on August 5th against the Pirates.  His final strikeout victim was Willie Stargell (#545), who Drysdale K'd in the top of the fifth inning.

1957 Topps #18
1962 Topps #340
1963 Topps #360
1965 Topps #260
1968 Topps #145

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1957 Topps #18
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1957-69
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2023 Topps Allen & Ginter Spotless Spans #SS-9
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  632 in the Beckett online database as of 12/28/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia