#612 Jack Aker - Seattle Pilots

Jackie Delane Acker
Seattle Pilots
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  190
Born:  July 13, 1940, Tulare, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Kansas City Athletics as an amateur free agent, June 9, 1959
Major League Teams:  Kansas City Athletics 1964-67; Oakland Athletics 1968; Seattle Pilots 1969; New York Yankees 1969-72; Chicago Cubs 1972-73; Atlanta Braves 1974; New York Mets 1974

Nicknamed "Chief," given his Potawatomi ancestry, Jack Aker spent parts of 11 seasons in the majors, pitching solely in relief and primarily with the Athletics and Yankees.  Aker established himself early as an effective back-end of the bullpen fireman, using his side-armed sinker ball to lead the league in saves in 1966 with 32.  That was to be his career year, as he was 8-4 with a 1.99 ERA in 66 appearances and 113 innings pitched for the seventh place Athletics.  Aker was arguably that club's MVP.  Left unprotected in the 1968 expansion draft, Aker was selected by the Pilots as the 24th pick overall.  The reliever had fallen out of favor with Athletics' owner Charles O. Finley in recent years, leading to his availability in the draft.

Aker was only with the Pilots a month and a half before being dealt to the Yankees.  He was a steady presence in the Yankees bullpen in 1969 and the early 1970s, leading the club in saves in 1969 (11) and 1971 (4).  Aker was traded to the Cubs in early 1972, and he'd pitch the last three seasons of his big league career with the Cubs, Braves and Mets before retiring in 1974.  In 495 games, Aker was 47-45 with a 3.28 ERA and 124 career saves.  He began his minor league managerial career in 1975, managing in the Mets (1975-82) and Indians (1984-85) organizations.  Aker was the big league pitching coach for the Indians between 1985 and 1987.

Building the Set / Card #582
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 23rd of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 23rd of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little over $4 after the dealer discount.

The Card / Pilots Team Set / Accuracy Index +10

Maybe the best Pilots card in the set?  And Aker was only with the club for 15 games (see below) and was terrible before being shipped to the Bronx.  The back of the card highlights his American League Fireman of the Year honors from 1966, as determined by The Sporting News.

Accuracy Index:  Aker's card earns a +10 high score for the accurate depiction in the new Pilots' uniform.

1969 Season
Aker earned the save in the Pilots' inaugural game on April 8th.  He struggled in 15 games with the Pilots, going 0-2 with a 7.56 ERA in 16 2/3 innings pitched.  On May 20th, he was traded to the Yankees for Fred Talbot (#332), and he'd quickly turn his season around.  Aker strung together 33 straight scoreless innings in relief over 18 appearances.  As mentioned above, he led the Yankees' staff with 11 saves and had an impressive 2.06 ERA in 65 2/3 innings pitched.

1966 Topps #287

1968 Topps #224

1971 Topps #593

1974 Topps #562

1987 Topps #11

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1966 Topps #287
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1966-74, 1987
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1988 ProCards #1134
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  54 in the Beckett online database as of 10/20/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#611 Braves Rookie Stars / #613 Jim Beauchamp - Cincinnati Reds

#83 Mike Ferraro - Seattle Pilots

Michael Dennis Ferraro
Seattle Pilots
Third Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  175
Born:  August 18, 1944, Kingston, NY
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1962 season
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1966, 1968; Seattle Pilots 1969; Milwaukee Brewers 1972

As a Manager:  Cleveland Indians 1983; Kansas City Royals 1986
Died:  July 20, 2024, Las Vegas, NV (age 79)

Mike Ferraro played in 162 major league games in parts of four seasons, spending the most time in the big leagues as a coach in the 1980s and early 1990s.  Ferraro was a September call-up by the Yankees in 1966, making it into 10 games late in the season in an audition for the third base job that had been held by Clete Boyer (#489).  After spending all of 1967 back in the minors, he'd come up for 23 more games with the Yankees in 1968, and was the club's opening day third baseman.  Drafted by the Pilots in the expansion draft, Ferraro was on the club's opening day roster, but only played in five games before heading back down to the minors again.  He'd see the most action with the Brewers in 1972, appearing in 124 games as the club's most used third baseman.  Ferraro batted .255 with a pair of home runs and 29 RBIs, and it was to be his last action in the majors as a player.

He'd latch on with the Yankees organization as a minor league manager, joining the rebuilding American League club in 1979 as their third base coach.  Ferraro had coaching stints with the Yankees (1979-82), Royals (1984-86), Yankees again (1987-91) and Orioles (1993).  He briefly managed the Indians in 1983, beginning the season with a 40-60 record before being replaced by Pat Corrales (#382).  He won a World Series ring with the Royals in 1985, and took over as the team's manager in 1986 for an ailing Dick Howser.  Ferraro's record as a major league manager was 76-98.

Building the Set / Card #549
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 fourth 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 / Pilots Team Set / Accuracy Index -8

Ferraro is clearly wearing a Yankees uniform here, and the photo was likely taken at the same time as the photo used on his 1968 rookie card.  His past accolades with the Yankees are mentioned on the back.  He did in fact start the first 13 games for the club at third base in 1968, before being replaced for most of the rest of the season by Bobby Cox (#237).  Ferraro was batting only .148 when he lost the starting job to Cox.

Accuracy Index:  This is an early series card, and the -8 score is fairly common until we get later in the set.

1969 Season
Ferraro played in five games for the Pilots, all in April, going 0 for 5.  On April 30th, Ferraro and Gerry Schoen were traded to the Orioles for minor leaguer Lloyd Fourroux, Tom Fisher and John O'Donoghue.  Ferraro appeared in 115 games for the Rochester Red Wings, the Orioles' top farm team, batting .279 with 19 doubles, four home runs and 40 RBIs.

1968 Topps #539

1972 Topps #613

1983 Topps Traded #32T

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1968 Topps #539
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1968-69, 1972, 1983
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1990 Topps TV New York Yankees #4
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  33 in the Beckett online database as of 8/9/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#82 Pirates Rookie Stars / #84 Bob Humphreys - Washington Senators

#651 Gus Gil - Seattle Pilots

Tomas Gustavo Gil
Seattle Pilots
Second Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  180
Born:  April 19, 1939, Caracas, Venezuela
Signed:  Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent before 1959 season
Major League Teams:  Cleveland Indians 1967; Seattle Pilots 1969; Milwaukee Brewers 1970-71

Died:  December 8, 2015, Phoenix, AZ (age 76)

While he only played sparingly in the major leagues in parts of four seasons, Gus Gil played 16 seasons in the minor leagues and 19 seasons in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League.  Gil was a prototypical light hitting, but great fielding infielder, spending seven seasons climbing through the Reds' minor league farm system after they signed him in 1959.  Signed by the Indians following the 1966 season, Gil would finally make his big league debut in 1967, serving as a back-up to Indians' regular second baseman, Vern Fuller (#291).  He was one of the first players added to the Pilots' roster when the club acquired him from the Indians on May 13, 1968 for Chuck Cottier (#252) and cash.  Gil appeared in a career-high 92 games for the Pilots in 1969, batting .222 as a back-up infielder.  He was a member of the inaugural Brewers' team in 1970, and while he appeared in his final major league game in 1971, Gil continued to play in the minor leagues through the 1976 season.

He'd later manage in the Venezuelan and minor leagues and was inducted into the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008.  In 221 big league games, Gil batted .186 with 16 doubles, one lone home run and 37 RBIs.

1967 Topps #253

Building the Set / Card #535
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 91st 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 / Pilots Team Set / Accuracy Index +10

Gil appeared on one other Topps card during his career, his 1967 rookie card, shared with Indians prospect Bill Davis (#304).  He appeared on quite a few Venezuelan baseball cards throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.  Topps correctly states on the back that Gil "is a sensation with his glove."

Accuracy Index:  Gil's card earns a +10 for the expansion uniform.  This is one of six cards in the set showing the Pilots' new uniforms.

1969 Season
Gil was on the Pilots' roster all season, and of his 92 games played, 44 were starts - 27 at third base, 12 at second base and five at shortstop.  He batted .278 (10 for 36) as a pinch-hitter.  It's interesting to me that Gil wasn't given more of a chance, especially since the most frequently used shortstop by the Pilots, Ray Oyler (#178), batted just .165 for the season.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1967 Topps #253
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1967, 1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #651
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  19 in the Beckett online database as of 7/13/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#650 Ted Williams MG - Washington Senators / #652 Eddie Watt - Baltimore Orioles

#631 John Kennedy - Seattle Pilots

John Edward Kennedy
Seattle Pilots
Shortstop

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  185
Born:  May 29, 1941, Chicago, IL
Signed:  Signed by the Washington Senators as an amateur free agent before 1961 season
Major League Teams:  Washington Senators 1962-64; Los Angeles Dodgers 1965-66; New York Yankees 1967; Seattle Pilots 1969; Milwaukee Brewers 1970; Boston Red Sox 1970-74

World Series Appearances:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1965
Died:  August 9, 2018, Peabody, MA (age 77)

Sharing a name and a birthday (May 29th) with the 35th President of the United States, this John Kennedy was a middle infielder for 12 seasons in the big leagues.  Kennedy's only season as an everyday player for a full season came in 1964 when he was the starting third baseman (81 games) or shortstop (43 games) for Gil Hodges' (#564) Senators.  Kennedy was traded to the Dodgers with Claude Osteen (#528) in December 1964 in the trade that sent Frank Howard (#170) and four other players to the Senators.  With the Dodgers, he appeared in 104 games in 1965 and won a World Series ring with the club.  Kennedy would go on to serve as a back-up infielder for the Pilots during their only year of existence and finished his playing career with 4 1/2 seasons with the Red Sox.  In 856 games, Kennedy was a .225 lifetime hitter with 32 home runs and 185 RBIs.

He served as a scout and minor league manager with the Boston, Oakland and New York Yankees' organizations between 1975 and 2001.  Kennedy managed the North Shore Spirit in the independent Northern League between 2003 and 2006.

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

Building the Set / Card #521
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 77th 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 / Pilots Team Set / Accuracy Index +10

Browsing through the dealer's wares at an early 1980s baseball card show, most likely held inside the Ocean City Music Pier in New Jersey, this was the first Pilots card I ever saw.  I had no idea the Pilots had existed, and I remember this card sending me down a rabbit hole within the baseball books at our library trying to learn more information about these mysterious Pilots.  The back of the card explains how Kennedy came to the Pilots and highlights his high school athletic success.

Accuracy Index:  Kennedy's card earns a solid +10 for the Pilots' expansion uniform.

1969 Season
After spending the entire 1968 season in the minor leagues, Kennedy was purchased by the Pilots from the Yankees on November 13, 1968.  In 61 games with the Pilots, Kennedy batted .234 with three doubles, a triple and four home runs.  He had 14 RBIs all season.  For some reason receiving less playing time than the light-hitting Ray Oyler (#178), Kennedy made 18 starts at third base and 14 starts at shortstop.  He was featured in Jim Bouton's book, Ball Four, in Bouton's entry for June 18th: 

John Kennedy flew into a rage at [umpire] Emmett Ashford over a called strike and was tossed out of the game. Still raging, he kicked in the water cooler in the dugout, picked it up and threw it onto the field. Afterward, we asked him what had gotten into him. He really isn’t that type. And he said, "Just as I got called out on strikes, my greenie kicked in."

1964 Topps #203

1966 Topps #407

1970 Topps #53

1971 Topps #498

1973 Topps #437

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #203
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1964-67, 1969-73
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1973 Topps #437
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  44 in the Beckett online database as of 6/6/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#630 Bobby Bonds - San Francisco Giants / #632 Jon Warden - Kansas City Royals

#577 Mike Hegan - Seattle Pilots

James Michael Hegan
Seattle Pilots
First Base-Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  188
Born:  July 21, 1942, Cleveland, OH
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent, August 9, 1961
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1964, 1966-67; Seattle Pilots 1969; Milwaukee Brewers 1970-71; Oakland Athletics 1971-73; New York Yankees 1973-74; Milwaukee Brewers 1974-77

World Series Appearances:  New York Yankees 1964; Oakland Athletics 1972
Died:  December 25, 2013, Hilton Head, SC (age 71)

Mike Hegan grew up around baseball as his father, Jim Hegan, was a long-time catcher and a five-time All-Star between 1941 and 1960.  The younger Hegan was drafted by the Yankees, and he'd appear in five regular season games in 1964 as a September call-up.  With an injury to Tony Kubek, Hegan was added to the World Series roster following the season, seeing action in three different postseason games.  He wouldn't get a shot at regular playing time until the Pilots picked him up in one of the franchise's first transactions.  Hegan was the opening day right fielder for the Pilots, and he was named the Pilots' only All-Star for that year's All-Star Game.  Don Mincher (#285) replaced Hegan on the roster as the outfielder was injured at the time.  The Pilots relocated to Milwaukee for the 1970 season, and Hegan was the opening day first baseman for the Brewers, ultimately appearing in a career-high 148 games.  Hegan's next role was as a pinch-hitter and defensive replacement for the Athletics' dynasty of the early 1970s.  He'd go to the postseason in 1971 and 1972 with the team and win a ring when the Athletics defeated the Reds in seven games in 1972.

1976 Topps #69

The next five years saw Hegan as a reliable bench player and designated hitter, doing repeat stints with the Yankees and then the Brewers.  In 966 games, Hegan batted .242 with 504 hits, 53 home runs and 229 RBIs.  He'd begin his second career in the Brewers' broadcast booth between 1978 and 1988, and joined the Indians broadcast team in 1989, retiring following the 2011 season.

Building the Set / Card #486
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 42nd 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 / Pilots Team Set / Accuracy Index -8

Hegan is wearing a Yankees jersey here, and it's odd Topps couldn't get a photo of him in his new uniform when the other Pilots players on the checklist this late are all sporting their new Pilots' gear.  The write-up on the back explains Hegan had joined the organization before the expansion draft.  Jim Hegan makes a cameo in the cartoon, and the elder Hegan was a coach with the Yankees (1960-73; 1979-80) during both of the younger Hegan's stints with the club.

Accuracy Index:  Hegan scores a rare, for a later series card, -8.

1969 Season
On June 14, 1968, the Pilots purchased Hegan's contract from the Yankees, making him one of the first players on the Pilots' roster.  He hit the first home run in Pilots' history, a two-run shot on opening day in the top of the first, off the Angels' Jim McGlothlin (#386).  Tommy Harper (#42) had doubled to lead off the game.  Hegan was batting .296 when he was selected to the American League All-Stars, but an injury derailed his trip to RFK Stadium in Washington.  Hegan appeared in 95 games overall, batting .292 with eight home runs and 37 RBIs.

1967 Topps #553

1970 Topps #111

1971 Topps #415

1973 Topps #382

1977 Topps #507

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1967 Topps #553
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1967-77
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2002 Upper Deck Vintage Special Collection Game Jersey #S-MH
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  56 in the Beckett online database as of 3/16/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#576 Phillies Rookie Stars / #578 Don Bosch - Montreal Expos

#563 Marty Pattin - Seattle Pilots

Martin William Pattin
Seattle Pilots
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  180
Born:  April 6, 1943, Charleston, IL
Drafted:  Drafted by the California Angels in the 7th round of the 1965 amateur draft
Major League Teams:  California Angels 1968; Seattle Pilots 1969; Milwaukee Brewers 1970-71; Boston Red Sox 1972-73; Kansas City Royals 1974-80

World Series Appearances:  Kansas City Royals 1980
Died:  October 3, 2018, Charleston, IL (age 75)

Marty Pattin was a reliable starting pitcher for the Seattle Pilots during the one year of their existence, was a member of the first Milwaukee Brewers team and spent the final seven years of his career with the Royals, culminating with a trip to the World Series.  Originally drafted by the Angels, Pattin was the 18th pick in the 1968 expansion draft, after he appeared in 52 games that season, mostly out of the Angels' bullpen.  He was the opening day starting pitcher for the Pilots, and only Gene Brabender (#393) would make more starts than Pattin throughout the season.  When the Pilots relocated to Milwaukee, Pattin was the second pitcher to start, behind opening day starter Lew Krausse (#23).  Pattin was the Brewers' lone representative at the 1971 All-Star Game.

Pattin went to the Red Sox in October 1971 as part of a massive, 10-player deal.  After two decent seasons in Boston, he was dealt to Kansas City in October 1973 for Dick Drago (#662).  Pattin settled in with the Royals for the remainder of his career, now relieving more than starting.  His final action in the big leagues came during the 1980 World Series, pitching a scoreless seventh inning in Game 6 and striking out Mike Schmidt and Greg Luzinski.  Pattin was 114-109 lifetime in 475 games pitched, with a 3.62 ERA in 2,038 2/3 innings.  He struck out 1,179, threw 64 complete games and notched 25 saves.  He was the head coach for the University of Kansas baseball team between 1982 and 1987.

Building the Set / Card #478
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 34th 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 / Pilots Team Set / Accuracy Index +10

This is Pattin's rookie card.  In a photo taken during spring training in 1969, Pattin is modeling the first practice uniforms hastily assembled for the new club before they debuted a more stylized and nautical look come opening day.  The write-up on the back of the card mentions Pattin had already pitched for parts of three seasons in Seattle, working for the Triple-A Seattle Angels.

Accuracy Index:  Pattin earns a high score of +10 for showing off the Pilots new, albeit temporary, uniforms.

1969 Season
17 pitchers started games for Joe Schultz's (#254) Pilots team in 1969, with Brabender (29 starts) and Pattin (27 starts) getting the ball most often.  In probably his worst season in his 13-year big league career, Pattin was 7-12 with a 5.62 ERA in 34 games overall.  He threw a two-hit shutout on April 29th against the Angels.

1971 Topps #579

1973 Topps #415

1976 Topps #492

1978 Topps #218

1981 Topps #389

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #563
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1969-81
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1983 Galasso 1969 Seattle Pilots #28
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  52 in the Beckett online database as of 3/7/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#562 Bob Watson - Houston Astros / #564 Gil Hodges MG - New York Mets

#534 Jerry McNertney - Seattle Pilots

Gerald Edward McNertney
Seattle Pilots
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  180
Born:  August 7, 1936, Boone, IA
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent before 1958 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago White Sox 1964, 1966-68; Seattle Pilots 1969; Milwaukee Brewers 1970; St. Louis Cardinals 1971-72; Pittsburgh Pirates 1973

Jerry McNertney was originally drafted as a first baseman and an outfielder, but a conversion to catcher helped him find work with the White Sox as a back-up between 1964 and 1968.  Despite coming late to the position, he led all catchers with a 54.8% caught stealing percentage in 1967.  Left unprotected by the White Sox in the 1968 expansion draft, he was the 7th pick overall by the Pilots.  McNertney was the team's opening day catcher, and he'd start 110 games behind the plate while having his best season in the majors.  Batting .241 for the last place club, McNertney attained careers highs in runs (39), hits (99), doubles (18), home runs (eight) and RBIs (55).  He was the final batter in the Pilots' short history, striking out to end the team's final game before moving to Milwaukee for the 1970 season.

Also the opening day catcher for the Brewers in their first ever game, McNertney would gradually lose playing time to Phil Roof (#334) throughout the season.  He'd spend two seasons with the Cardinals as a back-up in 1971 and 1972, and play in nine games with the Pirates in 1973 before retiring.  McNertney batted .237 for his career, with 337 hits, 27 home runs and 163 RBIs.  He briefly served as a bullpen coach with the Yankees (1984) and Red Sox (1988).

Building the Set / Card #460
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 16th 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 / Pilots Team Set / Accuracy Index +10

After seeing so many Pilots cards early in the set featuring hatless players or hats with dark blobs on the front, it's great that we're starting to see the actual Pilots hats and uniforms on cardboard.  Topps seems excited by McNertney's addition to the Pilots, exclaiming, "Drafted from Chicago!" on the back.

Accuracy Index:  Top marks for featuring a new expansion team uniform.

1969 Season
As mentioned above, this was McNertney's best season.  He caught more games than any other American League catcher (122), and lead the league in runners caught stealing with 35.

1964 Topps #564

1968 Topps #14

1970 Topps #158

1971 Topps #286

1972 Topps #584

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1964 Topps #564
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1964, 1968-72
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1987 ProCards #762
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  47 in the Beckett online database as of 2/2/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#533 Nolan Ryan - New York Mets / #535 Phil Regan - Chicago Cubs