#338 Del Unser - Washington Senators

Delbert Bernard Unser

Washington Senators
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  180
Born:  December 9, 1944, Decatur, IL
Drafted:  Drafted by the Washington Senators in the 1st round (18th pick) of the 1966 amateur draft, June 7, 1966
Major League Teams:   Washington Senators 1968-71; Cleveland Indians 1972; Philadelphia Phillies 1973-74; New York Mets 1975-76; Montreal Expos 1976-78; Philadelphia Phillies 1979-82

World Series Appearances:  Philadelphia Phillies 1980

Del Unser played 15 seasons in the majors, and was an everyday center fielder for the Senators, Indians, Phillies and Mets between 1968 and 1975, but most fans will remember him for his late-career pinch-hitting prowess that contributed to the Phillies' first World Championship title in 1980.  Unser first earned regular playing time with the Senators in 1968, and although he batted just .230 with a home run and 30 RBIs in his rookie season, he finished as Rookie of the Year runner-up to Stan Bahnsen (#380).  He batted .286 with a league-leading eight triples in 1969 and overall spent four strong seasons with the Senators.  Dealt to the Indians prior to the 1972 season, Unser's stay in Cleveland would last one year before he began his first stint with the Phillies in 1973.  He'd bat a career-high .294 with the Mets in 1975, essentially his last full season as an everyday player.

After two and half seasons in Montreal, Unser was reacquired by the Phillies in 1979 via free agency and he'd settle into an almost full-time role as a pinch-hitter.  He batted .455 (5 for 11) in the 1980 postseason, with two clutch pinch-hit doubles helping the Phillies defeat the Royals in Games 2 and 5 of the World Series.  Unser retired in 1982 with a .258 career average, 179 doubles, 42 triples, 87 home runs and 481 RBIs.  He'd serve as a coach with the Phillies between 1985 and 1988, and then as the team's farm director between 1990 and 1999.

From the 1980 Phillies Yearbook

Building the Set / Card #615
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 21st of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 56th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  Unsleeved, this card cost less than $1 after a dealer discount.

The Card / Senators Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This is Unser's rookie card, and most importantly, as celebrated I think a few times over on the wonderful and prolific Night Owl Cards blog, this could be the first baseball card to feature an actual photograph taken at night.  I had always known of Unser because of his heroics while with the Phillies, so it's even cooler to know he graces a landmark baseball card.  The back of the card explains how Unser's hot spring in 1968 led to him landing a regular job with the Senators on his way to a solid rookie campaign.

Accuracy Index:  Unser's card scores a +5, although I'd give it a few extra points for the night-related awesomeness.

1969 Season
Under new manager Ted Williams (#650), Unser played in 153 games and had one of the strongest seasons of his career.  His 57 RBIs would ultimately be the second highest total of his career, behind the 61 he drove in with the Phillies in 1974.

Phillies Career
On November 30, 1972, the Indians traded Unser and minor leaguer Terry Wedgewood to the Phillies for Roger Freed and Oscar Gamble.  Unser would be the club's opening day center fielder in 1973 and 1974, batting .276 overall in 278 games with 22 home runs and 113 RBIs.  On December 3, 1974, Unser was packaged with Mac Scarce and John Stearns in a trade with the Mets that brought the Phillies Don Hahn, Dave Schneck and most importantly, reliever Tug McGraw (#601).  Unser would return to the Phillies for a second time, signing with the club as a free agent on March 29, 1979.

Unser played all three outfield positions and some first base during his second stint with the Phillies, but his biggest contribution was as a pinch-hitter.  He'd set a record on July 10, 1979, hitting his third of three consecutive pinch-hit home runs.  Unser's heroics in the 1980 postseason are well-known to all Phillies fans.  Along with his two huge pinch-doubles in the World Series, Unser's pinch-single off the Astros' Ken Forsch in NLCS Game 5 tied the game, and he'd score the eventual winning run a few innings later in the top of the 10th.  In 550 games overall with the Phillies, Unser batted .268 with 55 doubles, 28 home runs and 158 RBIs.

He was manager John Felske's and Lee Elia's (#312) first base and hitting coach for four seasons.  And in his role as the team's farm director in the 1990s, he helped oversee the development of Mike Lieberthal, Jimmy Rollins and Scott Rolen, among many others.

1970 Topps #336

1975 Topps #138

1978 Topps #348

1980 Topps #6

1982 Topps #713

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1969 Topps #338
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (14):  1969-82
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1982 Topps #713
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  79 in the Beckett online database as of 1/18/26.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
The Phillies Room

#337 Marty Martinez - Houston Astros / #339 Reds Rookie Stars

#170 Frank Howard - Washington Senators

Frank Oliver Howard

Washington Senators
Outfield-First Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'7"  Weight:  255
Born:  August 8, 1936, Columbus, OH
Signed:  Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent, March 5, 1958
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1958-64; Washington Senators 1965-71; Texas Rangers 1972; Detroit Tigers 1972-73

World Series Appearances:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1963
As a Manager:  San Diego Padres 1981; New York Mets 1983

A prolific power threat throughout his 16-year big league career, Frank Howard was the 1960 National League Rookie of the Year, a World Champion with the Dodgers in 1963 and a four-time All-Star with the Senators in the late 1960s/early 1970s.  As the regular right fielder for the Dodgers in the early 1960s, Howard had one of his best seasons in 1963, leading the eventual World Champions in home runs with 28 while hitting .263.  He hit .300 in that World Series, with a key home run off Whitey Ford (#330) in Game 4.

Traded to the Senators in December 1964 as part of a seven-player deal, Howard's power numbers improved and he hit a career high 44 home runs in both 1968 and 1970, leading the league both times.  His career-high 126 RBIs in 1970 also led the league.  He followed the Senators to Texas when they became the Rangers, and upon his retirement he held almost every offensive record for the Senators/Rangers franchise which have since all been surpassed by Jim Sundberg, Toby Harrah or Juan Gonzalez.  Upon his retirement, his 382 career home runs were 8th most in MLB history among all right-handed batters.  In 1,895 games, Howard hit .273 with 1,119 RBIs, and after playing part-time with the Tigers in 1973 at the age of 36, he still wasn't ready to retire.

Howard signed in Japan to play for the Taiheiyo Club Lions in 1974, but a mighty swing in his very first at-bat hurt his back and he'd never play again.  Howard served as a coach for the Brewers (1977-80), Mets (1982-83), Brewers again (1985-86), Mets again (1994-96), Mariners (1987-88), Yankees (1989, 1991-93) and Devil Rays (1998-99).  He briefly managed the Padres (1981) and Mets (1983), compiling a record of 93-133 over two seasons.  Still extremely popular in the Washington, D.C. area, Howard was one of the prominent former players to take part in a pre-game ceremony prior to the first ever Nationals game in 2005.

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

Building the Set / Card #602
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 7th of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 43rd of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day.  Sleeved, this card cost less than $2 after a dealer discount - an absolute bargain for someone of Howard's stature.

The Card / Senators Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Topps reprinted this card in its 2002 Topps Archives set.  The back of the card highlights his big power year in 1968.  His record setting 10 home runs in six games, as depicted by the cartoon, came early in the 1968 season, between May 12th and May 18th.

Accuracy Index:  Howard's card scores a +5.  Although the photo used is similar to the one used on his 1967 Topps card, the two pictures were taken at different times, given Howard is wearing different glasses in each photo.

Inserts:  Howard is included in the 35 card Topps Deckle Edge insert set and is one of 48 decals in the Topps Decals insert set.

1969 Season
From his SABR biography, written by Mark Armour:  

After the Senators' 10th-place finish [in 1968], new owner Bob Short took over in January 1969 and decided to replace [manager Jim] Lemon (#294) after his single season. To replace Lemon, Short lured Ted Williams (#650) out of his eight-year retirement, surprising everyone around the game. For Howard, this would be another turning point, perhaps the most important one. Williams believed he knew how to make Howard a better hitter. "He called me into his office one day in the spring of '69," Howard recalled. "He said, 'Bush! Come on in here.' I’d only been in camp a couple of days, and I’m thinking, 'Gee, I'm not in his doghouse already, am I?'"

"Can you tell me how a guy who hit 44 home runs only got 48 walks?" asked Williams. After Howard offered some explanation, his manager got to the point. "Well, let me ask you. Can you take a strike? I’m talking about if it's a tough fastball in a tough zone, first pitch. Or if it's a breaking ball, you're sitting on a fastball … Can you take a strike? You know, try to get yourself a little better count to hit in?" Howard said he could. "Well try it for me."

Howard increased his walk total from 54 to 102, while his strikeouts fell from 141 to 96. He took advantage of more hitter's counts, and ended up hitting .296 with 48 home runs and 111 RBIs. He led the league with 330 total bases, and finished among the leaders in on-base-percentage (.402) and slugging percentage (.574). He hit a home run off Steve Carlton (#255) in the All-Star Game, held at his home park of RFK Stadium.

1960 Topps #132

1963 Topps #123

1970 Topps #550

1973 Topps #560

1984 Topps #621

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #132
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (17):  1960-1973, 1981, 1983-1984
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2023 Topps Living #687
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  455 in the Beckett online database as of 12/31/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#169 Tigers Celebrate Their Victory / #171 Glenn Beckert - Chicago Cubs

#607 Dick Bosman - Washington Senators

Richard Allen Bosman

Washington Senators
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  205
Born:  February 17, 1944, Kenosha, WI
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur before 1963 season
Major League Teams:  Washington Senators 1966-71; Texas Rangers 1972-73; Cleveland Indians 1973-75; Oakland Athletics 1975-76

An underrated pitcher for his era, Dick Bosman started the last game for the Washington Senators in 1971 and the first game for Texas Rangers in 1972.  His best season came in 1969 when he was 14-5 for Ted Williams' (#650) club with a league leading 2.19 ERA in 193 innings pitched.  Bosman won a career high 16 games in 1970 and another 12 games in 1971.  Upon the Senators' move west to Arlington, Bosman took the mound on opening day 1972, allowing an unearned run over eight innings in a 1-0 loss to the Angels.  Dealt to the Indians in May 1973, Bosman holds the dubious honor of being the only pitcher in history to lose a perfect game as a result of his own error.  On July 19, 1974, he'd still notch the no-hitter against the Athletics, but his errant throw in the game's fourth inning cost him the perfect game.

Bosman was dealt to Oakland in May 1975 with Jim Perry (#146) for Blue Moon Odom (#195).  He'd see his only postseason action in the 1975 ALCS, lost in three games to the Red Sox.  Bosman was released by the Athletics in spring training 1977, ending his big league career.  In 306 games in the majors, Bosman was 82-85 with a 3.67 ERA, 29 complete games, 10 shutouts and 757 strikeouts over 1,591 innings pitched.  He'd serve as a long-time minor and major league pitching coach through the early 2010s, spending time at the big league level with the White Sox (1986-87), Orioles (1992-94) and Rangers (1995-00).

Building the Set / Card #581
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 22nd of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 22nd of 91 cards for set added overall on the day, and it cost a little over $2 after the dealer discount.

The Card / Senators Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Bosman has a great card, featuring the Senators' new red hats that made their debut in 1968, in a photo likely taken during spring training.  The write-up on the back summarizes his success after a 1967 call-up.  I was a little disappointed his SABR biography didn't provide any more details on his drag racing hobby, as depicted by the cartoon on the back of the card.

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

1969 Season
His career year, as mentioned above, Bosman began the season as a swingman, having six starts and five relief appearances until Williams moved him permanently into the starting pitching rotation on June 22nd.  Once the switch was made, Bosman went 10-3 with a 2.10 ERA in 20 starts.  His 14 wins for the season led the Senators' pitching staff, in the club's first winning season in franchise history, and their only winning season during their 11 seasons in Washington.

1967 Topps #459

1971 Topps #60

1973 Topps #640

1974 Topps #465

1977 Topps #101

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1967 Topps #459
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1967-77
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2020 Topps Heritage Senators Final Season Autographs #WSFS-DBO
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  87 in the Beckett online database as of 10/19/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#606 Gene Mauch MG - Montreal Expos / #608 Dick Simpson - New York Yankees

#650 Ted Williams MG - Washington Senators

Theodore Samuel Williams

Washington Senators
Manager

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  205
Born:  August 30, 1918, San Diego, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent in 1936
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 1939-42, 1946-60

World Series Appearances:  Boston Red Sox 1946
As a Manager:  Washington Senators 1969-71; Texas Rangers 1972
Died:  July 5, 2002, Inverness, FL (age 83)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1966

Known affectionately throughout his career as The Kid, Teddy Ballgame and the Splendid Splinter, Ted Williams is one of the greatest hitters of all-time.  Other than his rookie campaign of 1939, his years serving in World War II (1943-45) and his first year in Korea (1952), Williams was named to the American League All-Star team every year he was active, making the club 19 times, including both All-Star teams in 1959 and 1960.  The MVP in 1946 and 1949, Williams is the last player to hit over .400 in a single season when he hit .406 in 1941.  His Hall of Fame plaque notes he was named Player of the Decade for the 1950s.

Williams won six batting titles, and won the Triple Crown in both 1942 and 1947.  Along with his Triple Crown years, he led the league in home runs in 1941 and 1949, and in RBIs in 1939, 1941 and 1949.  In 2,292 major league games, Williams batted .344 with 521 home runs and 1,839 RBIs.  His career on-base percentage of .482 is still the all-time record, while his slugging percentage of .634 is second all-time.  Williams was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1966, and came out of retirement in 1969 to manage the Senators.  When the Senators moved to Arlington, he was the first manager in Texas Rangers franchise history.  Williams had his #9 retired by the Red Sox and was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999.

Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1956 Topps blog.

Building the Set / Card #545
December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (Rookie Cards & More)

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, I still had some energy and a little more left over in my spending budget.  Doug and I kind of walked around aimlessly for a little bit, and a display of vintage Topps cards caught my eye from the dealer Rookie Cards & More.  

The prices seemed somewhat low, and I found two cards I needed for our set - this Williams card and the Brooks Robinson All-Star (#421) card.  Bundling the cards together, I made an offer to the dealer for the pair, and with the offer accepted, we were two cards closer to completing our set.  

The Card / Senators Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This card marks Williams' first appearance in a Topps set since 1958.  Topps must have been caught somewhat off guard by his hiring as the team's manager in February 1969, as they issued a card for his predecessor, Jim Lemon (#294), early in the set, noting that Lemon had been let go in January.  Williams had already appeared in the set on one of the four combo cards (#539), with slugger Mike Epstein (#461).

Accuracy Index:  Williams is all business as he poses in his new Senators' uniform, but the greatest hitter of all-time scores a standard +5.

1969 Season
Williams was coaxed out of retirement by Senators' new owner Bob Short, with a contract reported to be in excess of $1 million.  Williams added former All-Stars Nellie Fox and Wayne Terwilliger to his coaching staff, and guided the Senators to an 86-76 record and their first winning season since joining the league in 1961.  It would actually be their only winning season in the 11 years the team played in Washington, before relocating to Texas for the 1972 season.  Slugger Frank Howard (#170) was his top hitter, winning the Senators' triple crown by batting .296 with 48 home runs and 111 RBIs.  Third baseman Ken McMullen (#319) was another bright spot, batting .272 with 19 home runs and 87 RBIs.  First baseman Epstein contributed 30 home runs, his career high.

On the mound, Dick Bosman (#607) won 14 games and led the league with a 2.19 ERA.  Closer Dennis Higgins (#441) won 10 games and saved a team-leading 16.  For his efforts turning around the Senators' fortunes, Williams was named American League Manager of the Year following the season.

1939 Play Ball #92

1954 Topps #1

1956 Topps #5

1958 Topps #1

1972 Topps #510

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1939 Play Ball #92
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1954-58, 1969-72, 1976
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2025 Topps Tribute #38
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  3,200 in the Beckett online database as of 8/6/25.

Update Cards

For my 1965 Topps blog, I used the team card posts to come up with five or six candidates per team for an imaginary update series.  With no team cards in the 1969 Topps set, I'll use each manager card for this exercise, and come up with a list of deserving cards to be included in an 8th/update series. 

• Lee Maye (rf) - Lee Maye started more games in right field than any other Senators player, and he's in the set on an Indians Rookie Stars (#595) card.
• Zoilo Versalles (inf) - Zoilo Versalles is also in the set with the Padres (#38), a team he'd never play for.  He appeared in 31 games for the Senators after playing in 72 games with the Indians.  I'd probably have him in my update set with the Indians, but maybe he gets a Senators card too if I need to fill out the checklist.
• Darold Knowles (lhp) - Darold Knowles was 9-2 with a 2.24 ERA in 53 relief appearances.  Topps skipped him entirely in its 1969 set.
• Jim Shellenback (lhp) - Jim Shellenback appeared in 30 games and made 11 starts.  He's in the set on a Pirates Rookie Stars (#567) card.
• Toby Harrah (ss) - Toby Harrah was a September call-up by the Senators and he'd go on to be a four-time All-Star.  His rookie card is in the 1972 Topps set.
• Wayne Terwilliger (coach) - If I bump the Versalles' Senators card from the set, I'd give a card to one of my Dad's all-time favorites.  How about that Wayne Ter-WILL-Iger?

Sources:  
Baseball Reference - Williams / Baseball Reference - 1969 Senators / SABR / Wikipedia

National Baseball Hall of Fame
Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1956 Topps Blog

#649 Al Jackson - New York Mets / #651 Gus Gil - Seattle Pilots

#639 Barry Moore - Washington Senators

Robert Barry Moore

Washington Senators
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  190
Born:  April 3, 1943, Statesville, NC
Signed:  Signed by the Washington Senators as an amateur free agent before 1962 season
Major League Teams:  Washington Senators 1965-69; Cleveland Indians 1970; Chicago White Sox 1970

World Series Appearances:  XX

An alum of Pfeiffer University in Misenheimer, North Carolina, along with other notables such as Monty Montgomery, Billy Wynne and Jim Passaro, Sr., Barry Moore pitched in parts of six big league seasons, primarily with the Senators.  Moore was originally a starter, but gradually shifted to the bullpen over his career.  He pitched in one game in May 1965, not returning to the Senators until July 1966.  He'd join their starting pitching rotation in 1967, with only Phil Ortega (#406) and Camilo Pascual (#513) making more starts for Gil Hodges' (#564) squad.  In 27 games that season, Moore was 7-11 with a 3.76 ERA, including three complete games and one shutout.  His best season was likely 1968, when he was 4-6 with a 3.37 ERA in 32 games, including 18 starts.  

Moore struggled with wildness throughout his career, walking 300 and striking out 278 in 599 2/3 innings pitched.  He last appeared in the majors in 1970, but attempted a comeback over three seasons between 1971 and 1973 in the Pirates' system.  In 140 big league games, Moore was 26-37 with a 4.16 ERA.

Building the Set / Card #528
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 84th 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 / Senators Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

The Senators updated their uniforms for the 1968 season, switching to a primarily red color scheme.  This photo was likely taken during spring training in 1969, given the lock-out against Topps the prior spring.  The cartoon on the back of the card celebrates Moore's 12 no-hitters as an amateur, and these would have come while pitching for his youth league/Legion teams or while at Pfeiffer.

Accuracy Index:  Moore's card earns a +5 for the accurate uniform.

1969 Season
With Ted Williams (#650) now managing the Senators, Moore slotted in as the team's fourth starter in 1969, behind Joe Coleman (#246), Dick Bosman (#607) and Jim Hannan (#106).  Moore was 9-8 with a 4.30 ERA in 31 games (25 starts), with four complete games and 134 innings pitched.  He had 67 walks to 51 strikeouts throughout the season.

1967 Topps #11

1968 Topps #462

1970 Topps #366

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1967 Topps #11
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1967-70
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1981 TCMA The 1960s II #360
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  12 in the Beckett online database as of 6/16/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

Blog Update

We'll be taking a little break as the summer kicks into high gear.  I'm looking forward to wrapping up the remaining small stack of cards yet to be featured from our December 2024 haul, and then getting back out to some local shows to find the remaining 105 cards needed for our set.

#638 Ed Sprague - Oakland Athletics / #640 Fergie Jenkins - Chicago Cubs

#623 Hank Allen - Washington Senators

Harold Andrew Allen

Washington Senators
Outfield-Second Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  190
Born:  July 23, 1940, Wampum, PA
Signed:  Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent, April 10, 1960
Major League Teams:  Washington Senators 1966-70; Milwaukee Brewers 1970; Chicago White Sox 1972-73

Died:  May 29, 2024, Bethesda, MD (age 83)

Hank Allen was the older brother of Hall of Famer Dick Allen (#350), who starred for the Phillies, White Sox and three other teams between 1963 and 1977, and Ron Allen, who played briefly for the Cardinals in 1972.  The elder Allen was originally signed by the Phillies in 1960, with the team selling his contract to the Senators in 1965.  He made his debut as a September call-up in 1966, and was the opening day second baseman for the Senators in 1967.  He appeared in a career-high 116 games that year, batting .233 with three home runs and 17 RBIs.  His best season statistically came in 1969 when he batted .277 in 109 games, seeing time at all three outfield spots, second base and third base.  Allen was dealt to the Brewers in 1970, and was a teammate of his younger brother Dick with the White Sox in 1972 and 1973.  In 389 big league games, Allen batted .241 with six home runs and 57 RBIs.

Later in life he became a successful Thoroughbred horse trainer and owner.

Building the Set / Card #516
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 72nd 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 / Senators Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

Allen wore #35 with the Senators and his uniform number is peeking through on the back of his jersey.  Topps wisely highlights his 1962 season in the Pioneer League (see below) in both the cartoon and the brief write-up on the back of the card.

Accuracy Index:  I'd love to award extra points for the jacket under the jersey look, but since I'm not doing that, Allen's card gets the standard +5.

1969 Season
Allen made 56 starts for Ted Williams' (#650) Senators team, including 30 starts in right field.  His 12 stolen bases tied him for the team lead with Ed Stroud (#272).

Phillies Connection
Allen played five seasons in the Phillies' minor league system.  In 1962, with the Magic Valley Cowboys of the Pioneer League, Allen had a monster season when he batted .346 with 37 home runs and 140 RBIs.  Three players from that team eventually made it to the majors - Allen, John Morris (#111) and Adolfo Phillips (#372).

1967 Topps #569

1968 Topps #426

1970 Topps #14

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1967 Topps #569
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1967-70
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1971 Dell Today's Team Stamps
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  16 in the Beckett online database as of 5/30/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#622 Dan Osinski - Washington Senators / #624 N.L. Rookie Stars