#545 Willie Stargell - Pittsburgh Pirates

Wilver Dornel Stargell
Pittsburgh Pirates
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  188
Born:  March 6, 1940, Earlsboro, OH
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent, August 7, 1958
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1962-82

World Series Appearances:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1971, 1979
Died:  April 9, 2001, Wilmington, NC (age 61)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1988

Willie Stargell spent his entire 21-year career with the Pirates, and was one of the most feared power hitters of his generation.  As the club's regular left fielder throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, Stargell made his first of seven All-Star teams in 1964.  In 1971, he helped lead the Pirates to a World Championship title over the Orioles, batting .295 during the season with a league leading 48 home runs and 125 RBIs.  He'd continue to slug home runs throughout the 1970s, with his tally of 296 home runs leading all players during the decade.  His blasts were often moonshots, and he holds the distinction of hitting the longest home run in Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium history.  In 1973, he crossed the 100-RBI plateau for the fifth and final time, leading the league with 119 RBIs, and also leading the league in home runs (44), doubles (23) and slugging percentage (.646).

Moving to first base in the mid-1970s, he emerged as a veteran team leader, earning his affectionate nickname of "Pops."  In 1979, he again won the league's MVP award, to go along with NLCS MVP and World Series MVP honors as his Pirates again defeated the Orioles in the World Series.  He retired following the 1982 season with a career average of .282, 2,232 hits, 475 home runs and 1,540 RBIs.  The Pirates had retired his #8 a month before his final game, and Stargell was a first ballot Hall of Famer in 1988.

Stargell briefly served as the first base coach for the Braves (1986-88) following his retirement, and he'd also later work in the Pirates front office.  Two days before he passed away, the Pirates unveiled a statute of Stargell at their new PNC Park.

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

Building the Set / Card #634

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 12th of those 12, and the 75th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  The card was marked at $10, but I paid a little over $7 for it after the bulk dealer discount was applied. 

The Card / Pirates Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

The photo for this card was likely taken at the same time as the photo used for Stargell's 1968 Topps card.  The back of the card notes his 33 home runs in 1966, setting a club record for left handers.  The cartoon depicts the three home runs Stargell hit on June 24, 1965, victimizing the Dodgers' Don Drysdale (#400) twice and reliever John Purdin (#161) once.

Accuracy Index:  Pops scores a +5.

1969 Season
Again as the everyday left fielder, Stargell enjoyed his best season to date with the Pirates, batting .307 in 145 games with 29 home runs and 92 RBIs.  His average was 8th best in the league, and his .382 on-base percentage and .556 slugging percentage were 9th and 4th best respectively.  Stargell was also solid on defense, with his .968 fielding percentage ranking second among all National League left fielders.

1963 Topps #553

1971 Topps #230

1975 Topps #100

1979 Topps #55

1982 Topps #715

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #553
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (20):  1963-82
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2025 Topps Allen & Ginter Relics #AGR-WST
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  1,391 in the Beckett online database as of 2/14/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

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

#544 Tigers Rookie Stars / #546 Jim Nash - Oakland Athletics

#335 Bill Mazeroski - Pittsburgh Pirates

William Stanley Mazeroski
Pittsburgh Pirates
Second Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  183
Born:  September 5, 1936, Wheeling, WV
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent before 1954 season
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1956-72

World Series Appearances:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1960, 1971
Hall of Fame Induction:  2001

Bill Mazeroski was an excellent defensive second baseman, a 10-time All-Star with the Pirates throughout the 1960s and the hero of the club's 1960 World Series Championship season.  Known mostly for his glove, Mazeroski won eight Gold Gloves and he's the all-time leader for double plays turned by a second baseman with 1,706.  His career putouts (4,974) at the position currently rank him 7th, while his career assists (6,685) are 5th on the all-time list.  Mazeroski and Roberto Clemente (#50) are the only two Pirates players to be members of both the 1960 and 1971 World Championship teams.  He hit one of the most iconic home runs in baseball history in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series.  With the score tied at 9-9, Mazeroski led off the bottom of the ninth inning, and homered off Yankees' pitcher Ralph Terry to give the Pirates an improbable walk-off win and the World Series title.

Mazeroski spent his entire playing career with the Pirates, batting .260 with 138 home runs and 853 RBIs.  After retiring as a player, he served as a Pirates coach for one season in 1973, and was the third base coach for the Mariners in 1979 and 1980.  His #9 was retired by the Pirates in 1987, and the Veteran's Committee voted him into the Hall of Fame in 2001 on the strength of his glove work at second base.

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

Building the Set / Card #628

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 sixth of those 12, and the 69th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  The card was marked at $3, but I paid a little over $2 for it after the bulk dealer discount was applied.

The Card / Pirates Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

There are a lot of lines of statistics on the back of Mazeroski's card, and he'd add four more lines before calling it a career.  The write-up highlights his eight Gold Glove wins and acknowledges Mazeroski as the best fielding second baseman active in the majors.  The cartoon focuses on 1960, and Topps could have gone with a celebratory Mazeroski crossing home plate instead of playing defense.

Accuracy Index:  A great-looking card, earning a +5.

1969 Season
Mazeroski was once again the Pirates' opening day second baseman, but he'd start just 64 games at the position, losing playing time as the season progressed to Gene Alley (#436), Jose Martinez, and over the last month of the season, rookie Dave Cash.  In 67 games overall, he batted .229.  From his SABR biography, written by Bob Hurte: 

Indications that he was winding down became noticeable.  He was still a valuable commodity but in a different way.  He quietly assumed a new position on the team.  He became a mentor, the elder statesman to a new crop of young players.  The 1969 alignment featured Richie Hebner (#82) (21 years old) at third, Freddie Patek (#219) (24) played short, and Bob Robertson (#468) (22) was at first.  There was no communication gap among them; their willing ears devoured Mazeroski's wisdom and information on how to play hitters.  Mazeroski passed Frankie Frisch's career total for assists with his 6,027th at Wrigley Field in Chicago on April 14, 1969.  Statistically, however, 1969 was a subpar season for him both defensively and offensively.

1957 Topps #24

1959 Topps #415

1961 Topps #312

1970 Topps #440

1972 Topps #760

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1957 Topps #24
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (19):  1957-74, 2001
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2025 Topps Allen & Ginter #326
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  850 in the Beckett online database as of 2/4/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

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

#334 Phil Roof - Oakland Athletics / #336 Jim Roland - Minnesota Twins

#286 Dock Ellis - Pittsburgh Pirates

Dock Phillip Ellis
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pitcher

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  205
Born:  March 11, 1945, Los Angeles, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent, January 14, 1964
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1968-75; New York Yankees 1976-77; Oakland Athletics 1977; Texas Rangers 1977-79; New York Mets 1979; Pittsburgh Pirates 1979

World Series Appearances:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1971; New York Yankees 1976
Died:  December 19, 2008, Los Angeles, CA (age 63)

Dock Ellis pitched in a dozen major league seasons, primarily with the Pirates, where he was an All-Star in 1971 and helped lead the team to five pennants in six seasons between 1970 and 1975.  On June 12, 1970, Ellis threw a no-hitter against the Padres, later admitting he threw the game while under the influence of LSD.  Ellis' best season statistically came in 1971 as he was 19-9 with a 3.06 ERA in 31 starts.  He threw a career-high 226 2/3 innings, striking out 137 as the Pirates eventually defeated the Orioles in the World Series.  Ellis was also the starting pitcher for the National League in that year's All-Star Game.

He had a number of memorable run-ins throughout his career both on and off the field, and admittedly struggled with substance abuse.  Dealt to the Yankees following the 1975 season, largely in part to a complete fall-out with Pirates' manager Danny Murtaugh, Ellis was a 17 game winner for the Yankees in 1976 and pitched in his second World Series.  He won American League Comeback Player of the Year honors for his first season in the Bronx.  Following his criticism of Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner, Ellis was on the move again before the 1977 season, this time shipped to Oakland.  He finished up his playing days with the A's, Rangers, Mets and a brief return trip to the Pirates.  In 345 career games, Ellis was 138-119 with a 3.46 ERA and 1,136 strikeouts in 2,128 inning pitched.

Building the Set / Card #611
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 17th of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 52nd of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  Sleeved, this card cost less than $2 after a dealer discount, a bargain for the rookie card of a relatively well-known pitcher from his era.

The Card / Pirates Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This is Ellis' rookie card, and given the player boycott of Topps during the 1967-68 seasons, it's impressive Topps was able to get a picture of him in his Pirates uniform.  His minor league successes are highlighted on the back of the card.  I was surprised to see this card has never been reprinted.

Accuracy Index:  Ellis' rookie card earns a +5.

1969 Season
Ellis made his debut with the Pirates in 1968, and earned a spot in their pitching rotation out of spring training in 1969.  He was 11-17 with a 3.58 ERA in 35 games, including 33 starts.  Ellis struck out a career-high 173 batters, second on the club behind the 213 strikeouts from Bob Veale (#520).

1971 Topps #2

1972 Topps #180

1977 Topps #71

1978 Topps #209

1980 Topps #117

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #286
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12):  1969-80
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2021-22 Topps Project70 #874
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  82 in the Beckett online database as of 1/6/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#285 Don Mincher - Seattle Pilots / #287 Jose Tartabull - Boston Red Sox

#509 Manny Sanguillen - Pittsburgh Pirates

Manuel de Jesus Sanguillen
Pittsburgh Pirates
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  193
Born:  March 21, 1944, Colon, Panama
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent, October 2, 1964
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1967, 1969-76; Oakland Athletics 1977; Pittsburgh Pirates 1978-80

World Series Appearances:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1971, 1979

If not for Johnny Bench (#95), Manny Sanguillen would be picked by many baseball experts as the best National League catcher in the early 1970s.  Sanguillen played in 13 big league seasons, all but one of those with the Pirates, and was a member of six pennant-winning Pirate teams throughout the decade.  He played a key part in helping Pittsburgh to a World Series title in 1971, and he'd win his second World Series ring as super utility player in 1979.  Sanguillen assumed the Pirates' starting catching duties in 1969, and his best season came in 1971 when he was named to the first of his three All-Star Game appearances.  He batted .319 that season with 26 doubles, seven home runs and 81 RBIs, a career best.  Sanguillen batted .379 (11 for 29) in the 1971 World Series, won by the Pirates in seven games over the Orioles, and his hit total was second in the series behind only Roberto Clemente (#50) with 12.  He was scheduled to join Clemente on the 1972 New Year's Eve flight to Puerto Rico that crashed, claiming Clemente's life, but Sanguillen had misplaced his car keys, missing the flight.

Sanguillen led the league with 51 runners caught stealing in 1974, and he'd bat a career-high .328 in 1975.  On November 5, 1976 he was dealt to the Athletics (with cash) for the services of manager Chuck Tanner.  The Pirates would re-acquire Sanguillen in April 1978, and he'd settle into a back-up, utility role over the final three seasons of his big league career.  In 1,448 games, Sanguillen batted .296 with 205 doubles, 65 home runs and 585 RBIs.  The popular former Pirate could be found at PNC Park at Manny's BBQ in recent years, and the Pirates inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2024.

Building the Set / Card #573
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 14th of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 14th of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little over $3 after the dealer discount.

The Card / Pirates Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This is a great card and the photo works well with the 1969 Topps design.  Sanguillen appeared in 30 games for the Pirates in 1967, leading Topps to give him his rookie card in their 1968 set.  The back of the card highlights his .328 average in 1966 with the Carolina League's Raleigh Pirates and his strong throwing arm.  Sanguillen finished in the top five among catchers for assists in five different seasons, leading the league with 72 assists in 1971.

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

1969 Season
Jerry May (#263) was the Pirates' opening day catcher, but Sanguillen soon replaced him in the line-up, ultimately making 107 starts behind the plate to May's 50.  Sanguillen batted .303 with 21 doubles, five home runs and 57 RBIs.  His only blemish for the season is that he led all National League catchers with 17 errors.  Sanguillen was behind the plate for Bob Moose's (#409) no-hitter against the Mets on September 20th, one of his proudest accomplishments in the majors.

1968 Topps #251

1972 Topps #60

1975 Topps #515

1979 Topps #447

1981 Topps #226

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1968 Topps #251
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (14):  1968-81
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2021 Topps Archives Movie Poster Cards #MPC-1
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  131 in the Beckett online database as of 10/10/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#508 Moe Drabowsky - Kansas City Royals / #510 Rod Carew - Minnesota Twins

#192 Jose Pagan - Pittsburgh Pirates

Jose Antonio Pagan
Pittsburgh Pirates
Infield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'9"  Weight:  160
Born:  May 5, 1935, Barceloneta, Puerto Rico
Signed:  Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before 1955 season
Major League Teams:  San Francisco Giants 1959-65; Pittsburgh Pirates 1965-72; Philadelphia Phillies 1973

World Series Appearances:  San Francisco Giants 1962; Pittsburgh Pirates 1971
Died:  June 7, 2011, Sebring, FL (age 76)

As of one the better fielding shortstops in the National League, Jose Pagan's best seasons of his 15-year major league career came as a member of the Giants in the early 1960s.  Pagan's career year in 1962 coincided with the Giants winning the National League pennant.  In 164 games, he batted .259 with seven home runs and career highs with 73 runs scored and 57 RBIs.  Pagan also led all National League shortstops in fielding percentage with a .973 mark.  In the World Series, while the Yankees downed the Giants in seven games, Pagan batted .368 (7 for 19) with a home run.  He was traded to the Pirates in May 1965, and he'd serve in a back-up role for the club for seven and half seasons.

The Pirates won the National League pennant in 1970 and 1971, defeating the Orioles in the 1971 World Series in seven games.  Pagan, a valuable utility player for the Pirates, drove in the eventual winning run in the decisive Game 7, doubling home Willie Stargell (#545) to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead.  The team would win the game, 2-1, giving Pittsburgh its first World Series victory since 1960.  Pagan played a final season with the Phillies in 1973 before retiring.  He'd return to the Pirates as a coach for five seasons between 1974 and 1978.  In 1,326 games, Pagan batted .250 with 922 hits and 387 runs scored.

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

Building the Set / Card #565
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 sixth of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the sixth of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little less than a dollar after the dealer discount.

The Card / Pirates Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Pagan wore #11 with the Pirates during his eight years with the club, as shown on this card.  He's shown wearing the same black batting glove, on his right hand, on his 1968 Topps card, meaning the photos used for his 1968 and 1969 cards were likely taken at the same time.  The cartoon highlights his 1962 World Series heroics, similar to his 1965 Topps card.  I love the last sentence of the write-up on the back, "Jose can really spark a team."

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

1969 Season
Pagan had a great season as a super utility player with the Pirates, appearing in 108 games and batting .285 with nine home runs and 42 RBIs.  He led all pinch-hitters with an impressive .442 (19 for 43) average.  Pagan started in 55 of his 108 games played - making starts at third base (36), left field (18) and right field (1).

Phillies Career
Released by the Pirates following the 1972 season, Pagan signed with the Phillies on November 13, 1972.  He appeared in 46 games overall, with 30 of those appearances as a pinch-hitter.  Pagan made ten starts for the club, with eight starts coming at third base to give the young Mike Schmidt a rest.  He batted .205 overall and in his final at-bat on August 15, 1973, he pinch-hit for reliever Ron Diorio and struck out against former teammate Juan Marichal (#370).  Pagan was released by the Phillies the following day, on August 16th.

1960 Topps #67

1962 Topps #565

1966 Topps #54

1971 Topps #282

1973 Topps #659

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #67
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (14):  1960-73
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #102
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  74 in the Beckett online database as of 10/1/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

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

#191 Lindy McDaniel - New York Yankees / #193 Don Cardwell - New York Mets

#8 1968 N.L. ERA Leaders - Bob Gibson / Bobby Bolin / Bob Veale

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 #546
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 first 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 / Cardinals Team Set / Giants Team Set / Pirates Team Set

It's Bob, Bobby and Bob on the ERA League Leaders card, and given Bob Gibson's (#200) stunningly low 1.12 ERA from the year of the pitcher, he could have appeared on this card all by himself.  Bobby Bolin's (#505) 1.98 ERA isn't too shabby either, although according to Baseball Reference, it actually rounds up to 1.99.  Baseball Reference goes the opposite way for Bob Veale (#520), rounding his ERA down to 2.05 for the season.  Gibson's historic mark is the third lowest in National League history if you count Tim Keefe's 0.86 mark in 105 innings pitched in 1880.  Mordecai Brown is a more accurate comparison, as his ERA was 1.04 in 1906 in 277 1/3 innings pitched.  Gibson's mark came over 304 2/3 innings, which included 28 complete games (out of 34 starts) and 13 shutouts.  This was the only year in Gibson's 17-year career in which he led the league in ERA.  Bolin and Veale would never have a mark this low again.

The back of the card lists every eligible pitcher with at least 162 innings thrown in 1968, rounding out with the Phillies' Rick Wise (#188) and his 4.55 ERA in 182 innings pitched.  Having some more room, Topps gave collectors a list of essentially the top relievers, with Ronnie Kline (#and his 1.67 ERA leading the way.

#7 1968 A.L. ERA Leaders / #9 1968 A.L. Pitching Leaders