#288 Bob Mabe

 

Bob Mabe  Baltimore Orioles

Career: Bob Mabe had a long minor league career and was 28 when he hit the majors with the Cardinals in 1958. Along the way, he had a couple of big seasons for the Cards' Houston Buffs farm team where he won 37 games over two years. He was traded to the Reds after a 3-9 mark with the Cards. His year in Cincy was marginally better. Well, his ERA exploded but he managed to win four games. Then his contract was sold to the Orioles where he made his last couple of appearances. 

In 1960: Mabe was lit up in both his early-season appearances in Baltimore and was soon in the minors where he pitched in five games total for the AA clubs of the Orioles and Senators. That was the end of the line for his career. 

Off The Charts: Over on my '59 Topps blog, I mentioned that Mabe was an avid golfer and worked in management for K-Mart and Dan River Mills after retirement. I don't know where I found that info because there isn't a lot on the 'net for him.

The most interesting thing about Bob Mabe is his expression on his '59 card. 

#269 Gene Green

 

Gene Green  Baltimore Orioles

Career: I covered Gene Green's career a few months back when his card arrived as one of the last in my 1960 Leaf set chase. You can go there with this link.

In 1960: He played nearly all year at Miami, the Orioles' top farm club and hit .275 as the Marlins' #1 backstop. There were a ton of future and former big-leaguers on that Miami club. That includes 20-year-old Dave 'Swish' Nicholson who fanned 22 times in 56 plate appearances. 

Green played in one game for the Orioles late in September. He got a hit in four trips.

Off The Charts: The Rochester sports blog Pickin' Splinters named Green as the best catcher in the history of the Red Wings' franchise. 

The list of best plate protectors in Red Wings history:

1. Gene Green. Green impacted the Red Wings even after he left Norton Street, when he faced his former team in Miami as a member of the original Marlins, an International League team. Green hit two home runs in a doubleheader on April 26, 1960, one to tie the first game and the other a go-ahead grand slam in the nightcap, to pace the Marlins to a 4-1, 5-3 sweep.

“Green for Governor!” Democrat and Chronicle sportswriter George Beahon quoted one fan exclaiming after the 26-year-old’s slam to left-center field.

The IL Rookie of the Year was a strong candidate for public office after the 1956 Governor’s Cup championship season. He batted .300 with 23 home runs and 96 RBIs, the latter two numbers representing Triple A career highs.

“The Animal” was a double shy of the cycle in Game 7 of the Governor’s Cup Finals in Toronto, driving in five of the seven Red Wing runs.

“I didn’t believe it last night and I didn’t believe it this morning until I read the paper- twice,” Green cracked to Beahon the next day. Few were stunned when the catcher, who also played outfield, was posthumously inducted to the Red Wings Hall of Fame in 2011.

The Card: The drawn 'bird' logo on Green's cap in the B&W action pic is laughable.

 

#267 Jim Marshall

Jim Marshall  Boston Red Sox

Career: Jim Marshall broke in with the Orioles in 1958 after spending time at Long Beach State, with three different minor league systems and (I'm assuming here) some military service time. In Baltimore he was behind Bob Boyd in the first base pecking order. Marshall was traded during his rookie season to the Cubs and played for the Giants, Mets, and Pirates over five seasons totaling just over 400 games. Despite being listed with Boston on this card he never played for them (see below).

A career .240ish Hitter, Marshall played in the inaugural game for the 1962 Mets, and was the second pinch-hitter called on by Casey Stengel on Opening Day. Three weeks later, with Marshall hitting .344 as a bench piece, he was traded to the Pirates where he ended his playing day later that season.

When his major league career was done Marshall took his bats to Japan and had three successful seasons with the Chunichi Dragons. He displayed the power he had flashed back in AAA ball and was an All-Star.

He was back in the US after that, managed in the Cubs' chain, and had stints as a big-league manager with the Cubs and Athletics. He later scouted the States for the Japanese Leagues, held a job scouting for the Yanks and eventually became the chief scout for the Diamondbacks in the Pacific Rim. At last report, he still holds that job.

In 1960: After being acquired via trade from the Cubs the previous November, Marshall was traded by the Red Sox TWICE before the season even started. They dealt him to the Indians on March 16 along with Sammy White for Russ Nixon. When White refused to report to Cleveland the deal was voided as of March 25th. Four days later Marshall was headed to the Giants for pitcher Al Worthington.

With the Giants, Marshall served as a pinch hitter and filled in at first and in left. He got into 75 games and hit ..237 with a pair of homers over 188 at-bats.

Off The Charts:  Marshall, an Los Angeles area native, was good enough at basketball in high school to receive a scholarship offer from John Wooden at UCLA. He instead played a year of baseball at Long Beach State before he was signed by the White Sox.

Like this snippet from an interview Marshal did a few years back for this blog:

 A trade to the Orioles finally gave Marshall his shot at the majors in 1958 when he was 27 years old.   He roomed with 21-year-old Brooks Robinson that year. "There was never any doubt about his fielding, but he really wasn't a very good hitter back then. We're still friends. In fact, I just talked to him recently. I always tell him, 'I knew you before you could hit.' But he really worked hard on his hitting and he made himself into a very, very good hitter. That's always impressed me. And you have to give [Orioles manager] Paul Richards credit, he stuck with him because he couldn't hit anything at first. Richards could see what Brooks would become."

The Card: Just a bit of his Cubs' cap logo peeking out over the brim in this one.

#264 Robin Roberts

Robin Roberts   Philadelphia Phillies

Career: Hall of Famer Robin Roberts was an Illinois native (and Michigan State alum) who won 286 games while pitching for mostly mediocre ballclubs. He had a brief but highly successful taste of the minors in 1948 and then was called up to the Phils. He quickly became one of the best right-handers in the game. He pitched a ridiculous 305 complete games. Between 1950 and 1956 he averaged 22 wins and 26 complete games a season. LOL


Each year from 1952 through 1955 Roberts led the NL in wins. Over that span, he was 97-52 (.651) while the Phils were 322-294 (.523) as a team. 

After his time in Philadelphia, just as it began to look like all the innings had degraded his arm, he found his way to Baltimore in 1962 where he had a resurgence and he pitched very well as a mid-rotation starter for the better part of three years. He finished up with some time with the Astros and Cubs. He was inducted into the Hall in 1976 after four election cycles.

Notable Achievements

• 7-time NL All-Star (1950-1956)
• 4-time NL Wins Leader (1952-1955)
• 5-time NL Innings Pitched Leader (1951-1955)
• 2-time NL Strikeouts Leader (1953 & 1954)
• 5-time NL Complete Games Leader (1952-1956)
• NL Shutouts Leader (1950)
• 15 Wins Seasons: 10 (1949-1956, 1958 & 1959)
• 20 Wins Seasons: 6 (1950-1955)
• 25 Wins Seasons: 1 (1952)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 14 (1949-1960, 1963 & 1964)
• 300 Innings Pitched Seasons: 6 (1950-1955)
• Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1976

In 1960: This was Roberts' last relatively effective year in Philadelphia. His ERA was just over 4 and he went 12-16. He allowed the most homers among NL pitchers (although that wasn't unusual for Roberts).

Off The Charts:  Roberts made one start in the 1950 World Series against the Yankees. He pitched a complete game in Game Two and took the 2-1 loss against Allie Reynolds.

Roberts worked a season in the Phils' radio booth after he retired and then became the head baseball coach at the University of South Florida. He had diverse interests both during and after his career. He was involved in the Players Association for many years. Roberts owned a seafood company and played basketball during his offseasons with a team of other ballplayers.

The Card: Roberts had 221 wins, was a seven-time All-Star, had led the league in wins and strikeouts several times when 1959 had ended. Yet, he didn't rate a 'star' number on the checklist? I don't get it.

#254 Arnie Portocarrero

Arnie Portocarrero  Baltimore Orioles

Career: A New York native of Puerto Rican descent, Arnie Portocarrero was signed by the Philadelphia Athletics in 1950 after a very successful high school career. He spent two seasons in the low minors, two years at my favorite Army base, Ft. Dix in New Jersey.

When he returned to the A's he jumped into the starting rotation and became the ace, at least for a season. His nine wins led the club. Arnie wasn't as successful in '55 and when he got off to a tough start in '56 (he'd hurt his arm in winter ball) he was shipped to the minors. 1957 was a mixed bag and early in 1958, he was dealt to the Orioles. Charm City revived him for a bit and he had some nice outings there including back-to-back shutouts in May/June over the red Sox and Tigers. He finished with a 15-11 mark, the most wins on the team, and in his career.

Arnie never came close to replicating that '59 season and after a couple of seasons with the Orioles and in their farm system, he retired. He went to work for U. S. Rubber as a salesman and stayed active playing amateur baseball around Kansas City.

In 1960: This was in for Arnie. He was on the O's staff through mid-June. He got into thirteen games making five starts and pitching about 40 innings. His results weren't ugly (3-2, 4.43) but the Baby Birds staff was formed and there apparently wasn't room for a 28-year-old journeyman. He was sent down to AAA Miami and made ten starts there the rest of the way.

Off The Charts: Arnie Portocarrero made it into a few fun oddball issues in the 50s. He had two cards in the 1955/56 Rodeo Meats Athletics regional issue. There are some color variations in there as well. Plus he had a 'premium' card related to the set. Getting the straight scoop on how the premiums were distributed is difficult. In fact, everything I come across about the Rodeo sets conflicts with whatever story I read previously.

Below is a Rodeo Meats 'Premium' of Portocarrero. This is part of a set of 16(?) which were apparently not premiums in the normal hobby sense. I believe they are more along the lines of the team-issued picture packs that were a common thing back in the 50s and 60s. Sold by the team at the stadium or through the mail as a complete set.

He's also paired with Curt Roberts in Topps' 1955 DoubleHeader set.

Roberts as seen with the card unfolded:

Our guy Arnie on the reverse:

Flip it and fold it and here's Arnie with feet:

#241 Albie Pearson

Albie Pearson  Baltimore Orioles

Career: Pearson, one of baseball's most interesting characters, signed with the Red Sox in 1953. He had originally signed (for a song) as a pitcher but the Class C San Jose club was short on position players and Pearson was given a spot in the outfield. He was very successful in the Sox' chain but never was able to break through to the majors.

Boston traded Pearson to the Senators in January of 1958 and he became the Nats' starting centerfielder. He hit .275 and excelled in the field. He won the RoY award over Ryne Duren and Gary Bell. 

It can't be very often that a player comes off a Rookie of the Year season and finds himself dealt off within a few months. That's what happened to Pearson in 1959. He was hurt and his bat failed him and the Senators traded him to the Orioles in May.

The Angels drafted him from the Orioles in the '61 expansion draft and he played the rest of his career with the Halos. He had his best overall season in 1963 and made the All-Star starting lineup, getting a couple of hits in the game. He played into the 1966 season and then retired to devote his life to his Christian ministries. That work continues today.

In 1960: Pearson split the year between the Orioles and their Miami AAA club hitting .244 in 48 games as the Orioles fourth outfielder. 

Off the Charts: From my post of his 1959 Topps cards over on that blog...

Since his retirement, Pearson has served as an ordained minister and he and his wife established Father's Heart Ranch in Desert Hot Springs, California, a home for abused, neglected and abandoned boys. His foundation feeds Zambian youth who have lost their family to AIDS.

Pearson is a Renaissance man of sorts. He dabbled as a recording artist, actor, golfer, and disc jockey.

This 1963 article in Sports Illustrated is a fun read. It mentions how Pearson wrote letters to both the Red Sox and Angels trying to persuade them to take a chance on a 5' 5" ballplayer. And it recalls the advice he got from Ted Williams.

Ok, this is cool....Jackie Robinson hosted a series of short (<4 minutes) radio interviews in the late 50s, and one of his guests was Albie Pearson. Enjoy.

And here are a few shots of Albie and Marilyn Monroe taken as he escorted her onto the field for a 1962 pregame something at Dodger Stadium. Because why the hell not?

The Card: One of my favorites here. Albie's '59 card was in the first pack of Topps cards I ever opened, the only one I remember. So I have casually picked up more of his cards thru the years.

That's Orioles pitcher Arnie Portacerrero to Pearson's right with his back to the camera. Portacerrero will have a card coming up here soon. I believe (but wouldn't gamble on) that Griffith Stadium is where this was taken. Comisky also had those types of windows behind the home plate sections but these just seem different. They seem to be wider than those in the old Chicago place. If I could see just a bit more of the upper set of windows I'd know for sure. Comiskey's were very distinctive. They looked like silhouettes of the Astrodome.

#232 Jim Busby

Jim Busby  Boston Red Sox

Career: A multi-sport star at TCU, Jim Busby brokered his speed and decent-enough hitting ability into a 13-season career, mostly in the AL. He had runs with the White Sox (twice), the Senators, Indians, Red Sox and Orioles (twice) in the junior circuit. He capped that with a short run with the Colt 45s in their inaugural 1962 season. Busby covered a lot of outfield ground and led the AL in several defensive categories on multiple occasions.

He made the 1951 All-Star team with the White Sox and was fifth in the AL in hitting in '52 with a .312 average. He was a top ten base stealer for four seasons.

As his playing career wound down he served as a player/coach for the Orioles and the Colt .45s before going into coaching full time. He was frequently on the staff of teams run by fellow north Texan Paul Richards.

One of Busby's sons played for a few years in the Pirates system in addition to helping his father run his citrus grove business. Jim Busby died in 1996 at the age of 69.

In 1960: Busby appeared in the Sox' home opener against the Yankees on April 19. He replaced Ted Williams in left for the top of the ninth. One week later he was released. The Orioles picked him up and he played a month for their AAA club in Miami and was called up in mid-June. He played as their fourth outfielder and a pinch-runner/defensive replacement in nearly 80 games over the rest of the season. He hit .258 in this, his second stint in Charm City.

Off The Charts: Busby's SABR bio notes his great foot speed with this..."In a college track meet he dashed 100 yards in 9.8 seconds, one-half second off the world record at the time. In the majors he was clocked from home to first base in 3.4 seconds, 3/10 of a second slower than Mickey Mantle. Busby tried to promote a match race against Mantle, but the Yankees wouldn’t allow it."

#207 Bob Boyd

Bob Boyd  Baltimore Orioles

Career: Bob Boyd was a member of the Memphis Red Sox in the Negro Leagues in the late 40s. He became the first black player to sign with the Chicago White Sox in 1950 and made his major league debut in 1951 at the age of 31. After being held up in the Cardinals' chain for a few years, he played nine major league seasons including five with the Orioles. The man could hit line drives. His nickname was 'The Rope'. He had a career .293 average.



In 1960: Boyd had been the Orioles leading hitter for several years but he lost his spot at first base to the more powerful Jim Gentile. He played some outfield and pinch-hit and finished with a .317 average in less than a hundred at-bats.

Off The Charts: Boyd was the first player in the modern history of the Baltimore Orioles to hit over .300 in a season.

#190 Gene Woodling

Gene Woodling  Baltimore Orioles

Career: Ohio kid Gene Woodling signed with the Indians in 1940 but it took him a decade to establish himself in the majors. Along that trail to the '49 Yankees (and the first of five consecutive Series titles) Woodling led four different minors leagues in hitting. He also toured the Pacific in the Navy and played ball with Bob Feller and many others. Woodling went from the Indians' chain to the Pirates and then to the PCL's San Francisco Seals before landing with the Yanks. 

He had gotten a few looks at major league pitching but it wasn't until the Yankees stuck him into their outfield that he became an established big-leaguer.  In those five Series with the Bombers he hit .318 and added three homers.

From New York Woodling carried his potent bat (and underrated glove) to Baltimore, back to Cleveland, to Baltimore for another stay, to the Senators, and finally in 1962, to the Original Mets. That was his last season as a player. He retired with a career .284 average (he hit over .300 five times). He was still swinging well at 39 with the Mets in '62 as he hit .274 in 80 games after coming over from the Senators.

In 1960: He played every day, mainly in left, at age 37, and hit over .280 in his final season in Charm City. He even picked up a few MVP votes.


Off The Charts: He was involved in one of the biggest (in terms of numbers) trades in history in November 1954 when he was dealt to the Orioles. Here is the summary per Baseball-Reference:

November 17, 1954: Traded by the New York Yankees with players to be named later, Harry Byrd, Jim McDonald, Willy Miranda, Hal Smith and Gus Triandos to the Baltimore Orioles for players to be named later, Billy Hunter, Don Larsen and Bob Turley. The New York Yankees sent Bill Miller (December 1, 1954), Kal Segrist (December 1, 1954), Don Leppert (December 1, 1954) and Theodore Del Guercio (minors) (December 1, 1954) to the Baltimore Orioles to complete the trade. The Baltimore Orioles sent Mike Blyzka (December 1, 1954), Darrell Johnson (December 1, 1954), Jim Fridley (December 1, 1954) and Dick Kryhoski (December 1, 1954) to the New York Yankees to complete the trade.

That's seventeen players in total. There will not be a quiz later.

Woodling coached for the Orioles through 1967 and earned a sixth ring for the 1966 Orioles' title. He later scouted for the Yanks and Indians.

#181 Billy Loes

Billy Loes  San Francisco Giants

Career: Loes was signed by the Dodgers in 1949 as a local kid from Long Island. He spent only one season in the minors before serving in the military and then jumping into a regular role with the powerhouse Dodgers of the era. Loes won double-digit games in each of his four seasons and had 50 wins for Brooklyn. He pitched in three World Series.

After one disastrous start in 1956 he was sold to the Orioles. In 1957 he had his best season since his rookie year and made his only All-Star team (three scoreless innings, btw). He finished up his career with the Giants and retired after the 1961 season.

In 1960: He made 31 relief appearances for the Giants and nailed down six saves and a 3-2 record. But while he pitched only 45 innings, the lowest of his career, he pitched well enough to earn a spot as a starter in '61.

Off The Charts: Loes is best described as 'eccentric' but to fully appreciate him you need to read his SABR bio. He was a strange guy, no doubt. A sample: On the eve of the 1952 World Series, Loes found himself in a mini-controversy when reporters asked him to clarify his prediction that the New York Yankees would beat his Dodgers in six games. Claiming that he was misquoted, Loes responded, “I never told that guy the Yanks would win it in six. I said they’d win it in seven.”

The Card: There is nothing attractive about this card. Not even the nifty Yankee Stadium locale can save it.

#142 Bill Short Sport Rookie Star

Bill Short   New York Yankees

Career: Six seasons, six teams. Short took a long time to make his way up through the Yankees system. He signed in 1955 and debuted out of Spring Training in 1960. His first game was a win over the Orioles as he went seven innings in a 3-2 win. He dodged a few bullets by allowing five hits and walking six. But a debut win is a debut win.

He was back in the minors in 1961 and was taken by the Orioles in the Rule 5 Draft and pitched for them in 1962 and 1966. In between, he was banging around the Orioles chain. He was traded to the Red Sox in August 1966 and missed out on a shot at pitching in the Series.

From there it was a tour of the NL with stops in Pittsburgh, back in NYC with the Mets, and finally with the Reds in 1969.  His career mark was 5 wins and 11 losses.

In 1960: Game logs for 1960 indicate that he came and went between the Yanks and AAA all season. He was with the team through May but after that he was he got the call to make spot starts and had decent enough results. He took a tough 2-1 loss to the Orioles the week after his debut but his problem was as before: six walks. He finished 3-5 with an ERA of 4.79 in 47 innings.

Short was much better with Richmond. His work there was curtailed a bit by elbow issues, but he had a fine stat line.

Off The Charts: Hard to pin down exactly how this timeline falls, but on his SABR page we find this: Short wrote, “Paul Krichell, scout of the Yankees, signed me after I finished high school, but before I signed I had to go to Watertown, N.Y. to play a year of semi-pro.” That's Night Owl's hometown.

The Card: Love the first line of the write-up on the back...'Bill looks a little like Whitey Ford...'. Really? Then I look a little like Elston Howard.

Seriously, this is another "I remember this card" card. In 1960 I was just branching out from under my Dad's 'umbrella' and finding my own teams. But I was, well, not a 'fan' exactly, but a Yankee 'follower' since they were all over every sports page, and we got three newspapers and listened to Stan Lomax every night before dinner. It was hard NOT to know everything about them. Not to mention that getting a Yankee on a card was a big deal among the couple of friends I had in the year or two we lived on Long Island.

#179 Rip Coleman

Rip Coleman  Baltimore Orioles

Career: Coleman was a 1952 Yankee signee, labeled as "The Next Whitey Ford" by some. He never lived up to that billing in the majors. He had his moments as a minor leaguer and in a few interviews I came across he said he was just more comfortable in the minors. His early results in New York were decidedly mixed and he was one of many Yankees traded to the Athletics in the mid-50s. He had limited success in KC, never harnessed his talent, never overcame his wildness. He finished with the Orioles in 1960 and his big league numbers were 7-25 with a 4.58 ERA.

In 1960: He'd come to the Orioles late in 1959 and pitched a few innings and made the team in the Spring of 1960 but was shelled in four appearances including a start in Yankee Stadium in which he was lifted in the first. He was let go in May and went to Toronto to play for the Indians AAA club there and in typical fashion had a very good year.

Off The Charts: Coleman tells a story of being assured that he wasn't going to be used in the '55 Series games in Brooklyn. Then he found himself on the mound in Ebbets Field in Game Four, and he struggled in the spotlight. He helped write his ticket out of New York the next year when he chose to throw a ball into centerfield rather than hand it to Casey Stengel when Casey came to relieve him in favor of Tom Morgan. Coleman said he was tired of Morgan blowing up his leads.

#166 Chuck Essegian

Chuck Essegian Los Angeles Dodgers

Career: Chuck Essegian was a baseball nomad who played, mostly as a spare outfielder and pinch-hitter, for six clubs over six years. He was known for his power and his career highlight was blasting two pinch homers in the 1959 World Series for the Dodgers. His card's highlight section is a recap o that feat. Interestingly, he had begun '59 with the Cardinals, was sent down, traded to the Dodgers, played in their minor league system, and then was recalled in August. From that point to the end of the season he hit .304 and was a big help in their pennant-winning drive. His best season came with the Indians in 1962 when he played nearly full time and had 21 homers while driving in 50 runs.

At the bottom of this post you'll find the highlights video from the '59 series. It's narrated by Vin Scully. Al Smith's infamous beer shower comes at the 8:00 mark, Essigian's dingers at 8:45 and 31:20. It's worth watching if only to see Big Klu flex those bare arms.

In 1960: Coming off his outstanding '59 adventures he was a disappointment in 1960 batting only .215 in 58 games, mostly as a pinch-hitter.

Off The Charts: Lots of neat stuff with this guy!

He was a two-sport star at Stanford playing baseball and football. He became the second guy to play in both the Rose Bowl and World Series. The first was Jackie Robinson.

His degree was in biology, and he considered becoming a doctor or dentist before deciding baseball was where he belonged.

He was also an accomplished violinist and could have had a career in music according to a few bios I read.

After he retired he got a law degree and was a practicing attorney in Southern California until retiring in 1987. 

Essegian was traded with Jerry Walker from the Orioles to the A's in 1961 and was traded for Jerry Walker as he went from Cleveland to (again) the A's.

And he spent 1961 as part of four franchises. His contract was purchased by the Orioles from the Dodgers on February 1. The Orioles traded him to KC just after Opening Day. The Athletics sold him to the Indians in May.

He got exactly one at-bat with the Orioles in 1961, but he was pictured on his Topps card with them that year. I posted it below.

He's a member of the Armenian American Sports Hall of Fame.

The Card: Another one of the cards I remember from when it was fresh out of cello packs I picked up at the EJ Korvette store in Hicksville, Long Island.

The very brief bird sighting.

#127 Ronnie Hansen Sport Rookie Star

Ronnie Hansen Baltimore Orioles

Career: Born in Nebraska and raised in California, Hansen was a multi-sport high school star who turned down scholarship offers to sign with the Orioles in 1956. After a promising pro debut year in 1956 in the Orioles' chain, he sat out the 1957 season due to required back surgery. His back gave him problems throughout his career.  He was a tall (6'3")  shortstop with a great glove and range. Hansen wasn't a great hitter over the course of his career but he was above average at a position that usually didn't require a big bat to make a lineup back then. He played 15 seasons in the AL for the Orioles, White Sox, Senators, Yankees, and (briefly) the Royals.

He ranked #1 in various defensive categories during the early 60s. 

In 1960: He had a heck of a rookie season in 1960. Taking control of the Orioles' shortstop job he hit 22 homers, drove in 86 runs, hit .255, and garnered enough MVP votes to rank fifth in the AL. He started both of the All-Star games and got three hits in six trips. He topped it off by being awarded the AL Rookie of the Year award. As an Orioles fan, I find it cool that all the first-place votes went to the flock of 'Baby Birds' as they were known. Hansen got 22, Chuck Estrada and Jim Gentile received the others (one each).

Off The Charts: From Wikipedia...

On July 30, while playing for the Senators in a game against the Cleveland Indians, Hansen turned the eighth unassisted triple play in major league history and the first in 41 years. In the bottom of the first inning, Hansen caught a line drive off the bat of Joe Azcue, touched second base to put out Dave Nelson, then tagged Russ Snyder coming from first base. In the at-bats following the triple play, Hansen struck out six consecutive times – four times on July 30, and twice more on July 31.

The Card:  This signed copy came from a stash of autographed cards I picked up years ago from Larry Dhuly, a card dealer I've known since we worked together at the Houston Post in the early 70s.  He closed his storefront some years ago but still promotes shows across Texas and sets up at TriStar shows here.

#153 Bobby Thomson

Bobby Thomson  Boston Red Sox

Career: Thomson famously hit the "Shot Heard 'Round The World', the pennant-winning homer off Brooklyn's Ralph Branca in the third game of the 1951 playoff series between the Giants and Dodgers. He's known for that, the most iconic homer in baseball history, but he was a durable, versatile, and dependable player for many years. Playing for the Giants, Braves, and Cubs in the NL and briefly for the Red Sox and Orioles as well, Thomson had 264 homers and a .275 career average. He was a three-time All-Star in a league loaded with All-Star talent in the outfield.

In 1960: This was Thomson's swan song. After being traded to the Red Sox the previous December by the Cubs, he played in 40 games, was hitting .263, and was released on July 1st.  He signed three days later with the Orioles but barely saw the field before being sent on his way at the end of the month. He then went to work as a sales executive in the NY area and spent much of his life re-telling the story of his famous home run.

Off The Charts: Odds and ends from various sources on the web...

• Willie Mays was the on-deck hitter when Thomson hit that homer off Branca.
• He hurt his ankle in the spring of 1954 which opened up and opportunity for Hank Aaron to gain a foothold in the Braves' lineup.
• Thomson and Ralph Branca became close friends in the years following their playoff meeting.
• The Shot game placed second on ESPN's SportsCentury ranking of the Ten Greatest Games of the 20th Century, behind the 1958 NFL Championship Game. Sports Illustrated ranked Thomson's home run fifteenth on its list of the 100 Greatest Moments in Sports History

On the off chance someone hasn't seen/heard this already, here is a mashup of Russ Hodges' famous call on top of the game video.

#106 Billy Gardner

Billy Gardner  Baltimore Orioles

Career: Gardner played 19 seasons in the bigs, five as a regular and four of those with the Orioles thru the late 1950s. He had a career .237 average and his best season came in 1957 when he led the AL with 36 doubles (as well as in at-bats and plate appearances). He played with two Series-winning clubs, the Giants in 1954 (his rookie year) and the 1961 Yankees. He did not appear in the '54 Series but he made the box score in the '61 Series with one AB. 

He later spent five seasons managing the Twins and a short stint as a replacement for Dick Howser in Kansas City when Howser had to undergo cancer treatment.


In 1960: He was traded to the Senators early in April and hit .257  with a career-high 56 RBIs in what would be his last season as a regular.

Off The Charts: His son, Billy Gardner Jr, has been involved in baseball as well and is, at last look, working as the roving coordinator for the Nationals.

The Card: There's that yellow, orange, black and white pattern again. Looks as good with the Orioles as it does with the Pirates.

#98 Gordon Jones

Gordon Jones  Baltimore Orioles

Career: He spent three years each in the minors and the military before he made the staff of the '54 Cardinals. He started 19 games over two seasons before being transitioned to bullpen work. He pitched for five clubs and made numerous trips between the majors and minors until he retired after the '65 season. He won 15 of 33 decisions for the Giants, Orioles, A's and Colts/Astros in addition to the Cards.

In 1960: He was dealt to the Orioles late in '59 along with Jackie Brandt.

Off The Charts: After his playing career, Jones served for 1 1⁄2 seasons as the Major League pitching coach of the Astros—the full 1966 season and the first three months of the 1967 campaign. He was fired on July 8, 1967, by manager Grady Hatton after a rift developed between Jones and some members of his pitching staff. -Wikipedia

The Card: Top Three color combo for me. Does that look like Wrigley to you because it looks like Wrigley to me. 

#89 Hal Brown

Hal Brown  Baltimore Orioles

Career: The bulk of his 14-year major league career came with the Orioles. He began in the Red Sox chain but came under the wing of Paul Richards in Seattle and he followed Richards to Chicago to make his debut. The knuckleballer was traded to Boston and then and later to the Orioles where he was reunited with Richards. He was primarily a starter but worked quite a bit out of the bullpen over the years. He finished his career with two games as a Yankee and a couple of seasons as a Colt .45 in Houston.

In 1960: He was the vet among the Baby Birds staff that featured four others aged 22 or under. He had 12 wins (a career high) and just five losses in 20 starts (30 appearances overall). His WHIP led the league although nobody would have known that stat had you asked around back then. He easily had the best K/W ratio on the staff fanning three hitters for each walk allowed. 

Off The Charts: From his SABR bio... In early 1943 he learned that he was about to be drafted, so he enlisted in the Army Air Force. He served as a gunner on bombers based in England. During one attack on Nazi submarine bases in France, his plane took heavy fire. “We got hit and didn’t make it back to England,” Brown said. “We had to bail out. They picked us up after a few hours in the (English) Channel."

The Card: Great color combo, old school logo, Yankee Stadium photo, highlights list and cartoon.  What a 1960card should be.

#79 Walt Dropo

Walt Dropo  Baltimore Orioles

Career: After a three-sport starring role at UConn and an Army stint Walt Dropo exploded into the AL by becoming the 1950 Rookie of the Year with the Red Sox. He wasn't even on the club to start the season. But when he got his call-up he made the most of it by hitting .322 with 34 homers and tying teammate Vern Stephens with 144 RBI for the league lead. He had another fine season in '52 but overall he never could replicate that rookie year. He played 13 years for five clubs and then went into his families' fireworks business.

In 1960: This was his second full season with the Orioles and he got about 180 at-bats but was being pushed aside by rookie star Jim Gentile. He had a decent average (.268) but by the end of May the following season he was out of baseball.

Off The Charts: He was nicknamed 'Moose' for both his size and his hometown of Moosup, Connecticut. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears and the old ABL Providence franchise but chose baseball for both the quick check and his love of the game.

The Card: I like a lot about this one, the colors, the cartoon that references his nickname, and the great portrait shot.