#243 Bubba Phillips

Bubba Phillips  Cleveland Indians

Career: Bubba Phillips was a better football than baseball player when he got to Southern Mississippi University. He'd only played softball in high school. But he became a diamond standout and he signed with the Tigers in 1948. He made the Tigers in 1955 after a minor league stretch and time in the Army. He played for the Tigers, Indians and White Sox as an outfielder and third baseman through 1964.

Phillips hit .255 for his career. He was never an all-star but got some scattered MVP votes in 1961.

In the 1959 World Series for the Sox, he played three games and went three for ten including a double.

In 1960: Despite a solid season in 1959 with the White Sox Phillips was dealt to the Indians as part of the trade that brought Minnie Minoso back to Chicago. Phillips went on to have the worst season of his career, hitting only .207 and losing his full-time job at third. But as noted, he bounced back with a nice season in 1961.

Off The Chart: Phillips had one small movie role, playing Coach Hardy for a 1981 biopic on Satchel Paige. The film, Don’t Look Back, starred Louis Gossett Jr. as Paige.

The Card: Fun cartoon of Bubba swimming with the fishes.

#240 Luis Aparicio

Luis Aparicio  Chicago White Sox

Career: Signed by the White Sox out of Venezuela in 1954 on the recommendation of fellow Venezuelan shortstop Chico Carrasquel, Luis Aparicio went on to play for 18 seasons as a shortstop for three AL clubs, the White Sox, Orioles, and Red Sox. He was the 1956 AL Rookie of the Year after leading the league in assists, putouts, and stolen bases.

He played in two World Series, facing the Dodgers both times. He was on the losing end in 1959 with the Sox but got his ring with the Orioles in 1966. He was a ten-time All-Star, won nine Gold Gloves and led the AL in steals for the first nine years of his career. Aparicio received MVP votes as a 22-year-old rookie and as a 38-year-old vet in his next-to-last season in Boston (and eight times in-between). In 1959 Aparicio was second in the MVP balloting to teammate Nellie Fox.

Aparicio was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1984. He is third on the list of games played at shortstop behind Omar Vizquel and Derek Jeter. He never appeared at another position other than shortstop.

In 1960: Coming off his near-MVP season Aparicio raised his numbers nearly across the board. His average jumped 20 points while his OPS, Slugging, and RBIs were also up. While he hit two homers as opposed to six the previous year and had eight fewer stolen bases, he again led the AL in almost every defensive category as a shortstop and he actually raised many of those stats. But his MVP share dropped to the point he was 22nd in the voting.

Off The Charts: Aparicio comes from a baseball family. His father, Luis Sr., was considered a superstar in Venezuela and has a stadium named for him in their hometown of Maracaibo. His uncle Ernesto, also a well-known player, was instrumental in teaching Luis Jr. the game. 

This quote is from Aparicio's page at the Hall of Fame site:

"He's the best I've ever seen,” former White Sox owner and future Hall of Famer Bill Veeck said in 1959. “He makes plays which I know can't possibly be made, yet he makes them almost every day.”

#199 Dick Donovan

Dick Donovan  Chicago White Sox

Career: Dick Donavan's career was a series of peaks and valleys. His first peak came in the second half of the 50s when he was a front-line starter for the White Sox and earned All-Star recognition. He averaged about 15 wins a year over a four-year span and in 1957 was second in the Cy Young voting. He also pitched very well in the '59 Series versus the Dodgers in a losing cause.

Donavan's second peak came with the Senators and Indians in the early 60s when again he was an All-Star and he had a 20-win season for the Tribe. He also won an ERA crown in the AL.

In 1960: In between those peaks came this valley. With a sore arm, Donavan pitched only 79 innings and was hit hard in pretty much all of them. It was bad enough that he was left exposed in the expansion draft and he ended up with Washington in 1961. That move led to his resurgence, his early 60s peak.

Off the Charts: According to Wikipedia...His friend Wyatt gave him the idea to sell insurance, and Donovan had a home business selling insurance during his MLB career. In 1963, he earned his stockbroker's license and joined the Boston-based firm Eastman & Dillon. After his baseball career, he served as the executive vice president for Bache & Co. In 1980, he opened a real estate appraisal office in Quincy, which he ran until 1994. Additionally, Donovan served as a distributor with Earth Care Products, a Quincy company that makes products out of recycled plastic.

#189 Harry Simpson

Harry Simpson  Chicago White Sox

Career: Much traveled Negro League vet, 'Suitcase' Simpson had played three seasons for the Philadelphia Stars before signing with the Indians in 1949. He was an outfield staple for three seasons in Cleveland beginning in 1951. Unfortunately, he broke his wrist in 1954 and the team farmed him out when he was healthy so he missed out on their 111 win season and AL title.

He was traded to Kansas City where he was an All-Star in 1956 and then on to the Yankees where he got to play in the 1957 Series. He was dealt back to the Athletics during 1958 and missed winning a Series with the Yanks. He finished his career with a couple of stints in Chicago sandwiched around a short run with the Pirates in 1959.

In 1960: Simpson was finished with the majors, but not with baseball. He spent the year in San Diego with the Sox' AAA club. Didn't have a particularly good season (.222) but he played two more full years with better numbers.

Off The Charts: He played in Mexico in 1963/64 before retiring to work as a machinist in the aircraft industry. He died at only 57 years of age.

SABR sez: He picked up his nickname during his Negro League days. Harry wore a size 13 shoe, and a sportswriter dubbed him “Suitcase” Simpson, based on a character by that name with feet as large as suitcases, in the comic strip “Toonerville Folks.

He said he didn't like the nickname, but eventually got used to it. It ended up on his gravestone.

The Card: One of my favorites in this set. Comiskey batting cage shot earns big points. And these unis, with the red outlined S-O-X logo is great. This is, IMHO, the White Sox' best look.

#169 Jake Striker

Jake Striker  Chicago White Sox

Career: Not many pitchers could boast of a perfect record but Wilber 'Jake' Striker won his only big-league decision when he beat the Athletics in late 1959. He was with the Indians and had come thru their system after being signed out of Heidelberg College in 1952. Not long after that September win, he was sent to the White Sox in a deal that was headlined by Minnie Minoso going to the Sox and Norm Cash heading to Cleveland. Striker totaled just over 10 innings in the majors and left baseball after a few minor league stops through the 1962 season.

In 1960: He made the Sox staff in 1960 and pitched in back-to-back games against the Tigers in April with one good and one not-so-good result. He headed back to the Sox AA level club and never returned to the majors.

Off The Charts: 'Striker' is a perfect name for a pitcher. He worked for the Timken Company for thirty years after baseball. I found no evidence that he went on to coach high school baseball as the card's cartoon sez was his goal. He passed away in 2013 having survived his wife and oldest child. This is his only Topps card but I came across one newspaper photo of his and his young family. 

The Card: This is probably the fourth copy of this card to pass through the binder. The first one, part of my original lot buy, was brutal. I bought one or two that had flaws that I hadn't noticed in the eBay pics. This one is miscut but it'll do.

#131 Ed Hobaugh Sport Rookie Star

Ed Hobaugh  Chicago White Sox

Career: Hobaugh was a hard-throwing Michigan State pitching star who signed with the White Sox in 1956 and pitched a no-hitter for his Class B minor league team three weeks later. He served two years in the Army and then pitched for the Sox at AA for a couple of years. He had some success but never got a shot at their big league roster. He was taken by the Senators in the expansion draft and pitched in parts of three seasons in Washington from 1961 to 1963. Hobaugh hung around the minors for most of the decade after that, mainly in the Pirates chain, and then managed in the low minors. He finished with a 7-9 career record in just over 200 innings for the Nats.

In 1960: Pitching for the Sox' AAA club in San Diego, Hobaugh saw his numbers dip from previous seasons which is likely why he was left available in the expansion draft.

Off The Charts: At Michigan State his teammates included major leaguer Ron Perranoski and professional football legend Earl Morrall on a club that finished third in the CWS in 1956.

After baseball Hobaugh became a physical-education teacher and assistant baseball coach (yeah!) – serving under his eldest son, Bradley, the head coach – in the Armstrong (Pa.) School District.

#116 Jim Rivera

Jim Rivera  Chicago White Sox

Career: The basics... Rivera was a speedy, slick-fielding outfielder for the Sox from 1952 thru 1961. His time with them was bracketed by partial seasons with the Browns and Athletics. He was a career .256 hitter with some pop to go with his fleet feet. But numbers don't tell Rivera's story. As I did when I posted his '59 Topps card on that set's blog, I am going to point you to an entry on the Baseball Fever board that details Rivera's (ahem) checkered history. A longer version can be found by hitting up his SABR bio.

In 1960: As noted in the SABR bio linked above, Rivera lost his starting job when the White Sox made a trade with Cleveland to bring back Minnie Minoso. Rivera played in only 48 games, mostly as a defensive replacement and pinch-runner. He only had 20 plate appearances in total. That's less than all but one of the Sox' full-time pitching staff.

Off The Charts: He wrapped up his career with time as a manager in Puerto Rico, as a minor league player-coach in the AA and PCL, and as a player in the Mexican Leagues. He lived to be 96.

The Card: Yes, my copy of this card is mis-cut, just as it looks in the scan above.  And, yes, I am posting a bit out of my usual numerical sequence. I hadn't intended to with this one but sometimes you just push the wrong button, yes?

#100 Nellie Fox

Nellie Fox  Chicago White Sox

Career: Hall of Famer Fox was a 12 time All-Star with the White Sox. He sandwiched 14 outstanding seasons on the South Side between some time with the Philadelphia A's and a season and change with the Astros. Known as an outstanding bunter, he led the AL in sacrifice hits twice and was in the Top Ten 15 times. He rarely fanned and is fifth all-time in most AB per K.

In 1960: Coming off his MVP season of '59 his numbers fell slightly but he led the league in triples, won a Gold Glove, and made the All-Star squad. This is the last 'good' hitting year of his career.

Off The Charts: Wikipedia tells an interesting tale of how he began his major league career..."Fox at age 16 in 1944, thought that he had a good chance to sign on with a professional baseball team due to player shortages from World War II. His mother wrote a letter on her son's behalf to Connie Mack the owner/manager of the Philadelphia Athletics which enabled him to attend an open tryout that spring for the Athletics in Frederick, Maryland. Fox caught the attention of Mack who signed him to a professional contract."

The Card: Not sure how I've missed this thru the years but the White Sox unis, with the red-trimmed numbers and logos, sort of parallel the red-railed Comiskey Park seats. It's a neat little detail that I have to believe was intentional. That could be a Jack Davis cartoon although I wouldn't put money on it. Noting Fox' MVP award day is a nice touch.

#69 Billy Goodman

Billy Goodman  Chicago White Sox

Career: Goodman had a 16-year career which had gone largely under-the-radar given what he accomplished. He played for 11 seasons with the Red Sox and won the 1950 batting title with a .354 mark. He finished second (to Phil Rizzuto) in the MVP voting that year. Overall, in 17 seasons with Boston, the White Sox, Orioles and expansion Colt 45s, he had a career .300 average and played every position except pitcher and catcher. He was twice an All-Star and he picked up MVP votes in six seasons. He had three hits and an RBI in the 1959 Series. 

In 1960: His career was beginning to wind down and he was little used by Al Lopez in '60 as he got only 77 at-bats. He was left available in the AL expansion draft after the season but went undrafted.

Off The Charts: After his big league days he became the player/manager of the Durham Bulls and pitched a bit for them. That meant that the only position he hadn't played as a pro was catcher.

The Card: Classic White Sox card with Goodman sporting that cap with the red-outlined lettering (I love that one) and the TV sleeve numbers. He's at Yankee Stadium and the card has a sweet color combo. And, hey, howdy, hey...he's wearing a cap!

#59 Juan Pizarro

Juan Pizarro  Milwaukee Braves

Career: He pitched for eight clubs over a span of 18 seasons and had a career that is often overlooked. His stats (131 wins, a sub 3.80 ERA and a good WHIP land him in the 'Hall of the Above Average' His best seasons came in 1963 and '64 with the White Sox and he made the All-Star teams in those two years. He won a ring with the '57 Braves and appeared in the '58 Series with them as well. 

In 1960: In his final season of four with the Braves he saw his stats (and workload) decline. He appeared in 21 games (17 starts) with a 4.55 ERA. He was dealt to the AL champion White Sox in a three-team deal after the season. The trade brought Roy McMillan to the Braves from the Reds.

Off The Charts: As a professional Pizarro won nearly 400 games including the majors (131), minors (66), the Mexican league (38) and the Puerto Rican Winter League (157). 

The Card: Another Seals Stadium shot with a nice color combo and the colorful Braves cap. I'm partial to Pizarro cards and have a nice PC of him.

#57 Win-Savers

Turk Lown - Gerry Staley

In 1960: Following up on their AL title season that is documented in the card's text, these two relievers had solid years. Staley went 13-8 over 64 relief appearances with 10 saves while Lown added five saves.


The Card: A lot of these combo shots from vintage Topps sets feel like they were included just because they had a picture sitting around. This one had some reasoning behind it. Staley and Lown were a valuable 1-2 punch for Al Lopez in 1959.

Nice Yankee Stadium shot. #20 in the background Johnny Romano. He was the only White Sox player to wear that number in 1958/59, the two years that Lown and Staley were there prior to the card being issued.

The back is seriously mis-cut. But that sure isn't enough to warrant an upgrade.

#41 Barry Latman

Barry Latman  Chicago White Sox

Career: Barry Latman's career peaked in 1961 when he was an All-Star for the Indians and fashioned a 13-5 recond for a club that was five games below .500 for the season. In all, he pitched for 11 years for the White Sox, Indians, Angels, and Astros. That '61 campaign was the only time he had more wins than losses. He only taste of the postseason came in 1959 with the Sox but he didn't get into a game.

In 1960: On the eve (literally) of the season, Latman was dealt to the Indians for Herb Score. As Cleveland's fourth starter he had a pedestrian 7-7 mark with an ERA about 4 and a WHIP approaching 1.5. 

Off The Charts: From Latman's SABR bio page..."In 1954 [as an 18-year-old], Latman began a five-year correspondence with Ty Cobb, who had seen him pitch on TV. After some time the two met and Cobb watched Latman pitch. He told Barry that he had the stuff to pitch in the major leagues, and sent him a series of encouraging letters."

Off the Charts II: Grammarly wants to auto-correct 'Latman' to 'Batman'. Every time. 

The Card: Light blue and red combo with the old Comiskey in the background...nice. Add a fun Jack Davis cartoon and the SH bullet list and you've got a nice card. I like it despite the fact that two on Latman's 'highlights' came against my Orioles. 

#23 Eddie Fisher

Eddie Fisher  San Francisco Giants

Career: The knuckleballing reliever pitched for six teams over a 15-year major league career. 1965 was his best season by far as he had 15 wins and 24 saves to go along with his 0.94 WHIP. He finished fourth in the MVP balloting that season (for a White Sox team that ended up second in the AL). That effort earned him a trade to the Orioles the following June. Like everyone else in the '66 Orioles bullpen (except Moe Drabowsky) he earned a ring without breaking a sweat.

In 1960: After a mid-season 1959 debut with the Giants that proved rather bumpy after a first appearance win, Fisher spent the season as a starter in Tacoma for the Giants' AAA club. He got into three games after a September call-up.

WikiFacts: He shares a name with the 1950's singer/actor and serial 'celeb marrying' Eddie Fisher, Carrie Fisher's dad.

The Card: Love the pink on the front. I wish I had a dollar for every vintage Topps card back cartoon that showed a 'pirate' walking the plank.  As for the picture on the front...my guess is Wrigley Field.

#1 Early Wynn

Early Wynn, Chicago White Sox

Career: A Hall of Famer, Early Wynn won exactly 300 games over the course of 23 seasons. He pitched his entire career in the AL, hurling for the Nats, Indians and White Sox. He made a return engagement with Cleveland in 1963 and won that elusive #300 in Kansas City in June in a game in which he struggled to make five innings. That was the next-to-last start of his career.

In 1960: He was coming off his 22 win, Cy Young Award season. He went 13-12 with numbers that indicated his time as an ace was coming to a close. He was an All-Star for the seventh (and final) time and pitched two hitless innings in the second of two ASGs played that year.

WikiFact: He earned that '59 Cy Young at the age of 39 which is not the record for the oldest winner. Gaylord Perry (age 40) and Roger Clemens (age 42) were both older when they won. Wynn's award came during the time when one Cy Young was given out instead of one in each league.

The Card: Sometimes I'll have a comment on the card, sometimes I may post a card of the player that I have in my collection that I really like. For example, this beauty from the '53 Bowman Color set. Great card from a terrific set.

But I also should mention that I enjoy the fact that Wynn's Game One shutout of the Dodgers in the 1959 World Series is included in the Season's Highlights block.

#328 Earl Battey

Earl Battey  Chicago White Sox

Career: After coming through the White Sox system and three seasons as a back-up Battey's career took off in Washington. After being traded from the Sox to the Senators just before this card was issued he went on to backstop that franchise as they moved to Minnesota. He helped the Twins win the AL Pennant in 1965.

During his seven seasons as the Twins primary catcher he made four All Star squads and won three straight Gold Glove awards ('60-'62). He also finished in the Top Ten in MVP votes three times. He hit .302 in 1961 and had career highs in homers (26) and RBI (84) in 1963. There were not a whole lot of catchers who matched his combination of hitting and defense during his heyday.

In 1960: Battey was traded to the Senators two weeks before the 1960 season opened. And when it did he was ready. He had a couple of hits including a two run homer in support of Camilo Pascual's nifty three hit 15 strikeout performance in a win over the Red Sox. Handed the starting job he slashed a solid 15/60/.270 and picked up his first Gold Glove.

WikiFacts: Battey's SABR bio has the story of his original signing by Chicago:

According to Bob Vanderberg, Chicago Tribune assistant sports editor, “Billy Pierce told me the story that when the Sox were in California training, Paul Richards after practice asked Billy to go with him to see a high-school game. When Billy asked why, Richards told him about a great young catcher [Battey] who supposedly was the best in the country.” White Sox scout Hollis Thurston signed Battey to a $3,999 contract. His mother was ill and his family needed the money. At that time, a player signing for a bonus of $4,000 or more had to be kept on the major-league roster for at least two years.

The Card: It has an interesting color combo and you have to love old Comiskey in the background. For me though the uni Battey wears makes it such a nice card. I love the pinstripe look and especially the red-trimmed elements. I've always liked the white and red S-O-X logo's cap. It took me a long time to find a well made example.. I finally nabbed one when we saw the Sox play in Chicago last summer.

#256 Dick Brown

Dick Brown  Chicago White Sox

Career: Dick Brown signed with the Cleveland Indians and in 1953 began a climb thru their system that saw him debut in the bigs in 1957. He gained playing time as his career moved him to the White Sox and he was the Tigers starter in 1961 and 1962. He was dealt to the Orioles and again worked his way into what was to be a starting job in 1966 when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Another tumor was found soon after and his career as a player was over. He scouted for the Orioles for several years until his death in 1970. He was only 35 years old.

In 1960: Prior to the 1960 season he was traded by the Indians with Don Ferrarese, Minnie Minoso and Jake Striker to the Chicago White Sox for Norm Cash, Bubba Phillips and John Romano. He spent quite a bit of the season in the minors (curiously he was playing for an Orioles affiliate) but manged to get 43 at bats for the Sox, He hit only .163 in what was his worst season as a major league catcher. He was traded to the Tigers after the season by way of an initial trade to the Braves.

WikiFacts: Brown was a high school catcher for Herb Score and was dating Score's sister Helen when Score signed with the Indians. Brown was planning on going to dental school, but Helen told the Indians they should sign Score's catcher also. The Indians needed catchers in their minor league system, so they did in 1953. -Baseball Reference Bullpen

The Card: I'm gonna take a guess here and say it's Municipal Stadium in this one. He gets the small write-up rather than a season highlights listing. That's always a letdown. It's one of many capless player poses. At least there's a reason for this one...he was traded in the off season.

#365 Minnie Minoso

Minnie Minoso  Chicago White Sox

Career: Minoso began his pro career with the New York Cubans of the Negro Leagues in 1946. He finished with a cameo at the age of 77 as a member of the independent St. Paul Saints in 2003. In between he spent 17 seasons in the majors winning three Gold Gloves, being named to 7 All Star squads, finishing second in the 1951 ROY balloting and four times finishing in the top five in MVP votes. He led the A.L. at various times in hits, doubles, triples, hit by pitches (many times) and sac flys.  He was a player/manager in Mexico for quite awhile in the '60s and '70s.

In 1960: This was his first season back with Chicago after having spent seven years with the from 1951 thru 1957. He made the All Star team and led the A.L. with 184 hits. He hit 20 homers and drove in 105 runs.

WikiFacts: From his Wikipedia page: "Miñoso's White Sox uniform number 9 was retired in 1983, and a statue of him was unveiled at U.S. Cellular Field in 2004. Miñoso was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in Exile in 1983, and to the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996."

The Card: Looks like Topps tried to replicate the White Sox jerseys by putting their sleeve number over the Chief Wahoo logo on the sleeve. But the Sox wore the number on the other sleeve.  They get points for trying though.

#538 Frank Barnes

Frank Barnes  Chicago White Sox

Career: Barnes began his pro career at the age of 18 with the Indianapolis Clowns. Two decades later he retired after a stretch in the Mexican League at the age of 40. Along the way he had a few looks at the bigs with the Cardinals. He was 1-3 in 15 major league games across 1957, '58 and '60. In 1958 he was used as a pinch-runner for Stan Musial following "the Man"'s 3,000th career base hit.

Baseball took him from Charleston to Seattle, from Toronto to Reynosa. All told with including his minor league, Negro league and Mexican League numbers he likely has over 200 wins in his career.

In 1960: He began the year in the minors but was called up in late April to St. Louis pitching in four scattered games. The last of those was a May 14 start in Wrigley Field in which he took the loss. The back of this card notes a May 19 option date on which Barnes was sent to Toronto. I don't think that is entirely accurate. Baseball Reference lists that date as the one on which he was purchased by the White Sox. Whatever the case actually is he never made it back to the majors after those early appearances in 1960 for the Cards.

WikiFacts: Lots of info on Barnes from various websites:

From Cardinals blog RetroSimba:

On March 9, 1958, the Cardinals started Barnes against Yankees ace Whitey Ford in the second exhibition game of the spring. Barnes pitched well, yielding a run in three innings.

In his first 15 spring training exhibition innings, Barnes gave up a total of two runs, prompting The Sporting News to describe his performance as “dazzling pitching.” Impressed, the Cardinals put Barnes on their Opening Day roster. For Barnes, two highlights of his stint with the 1958 Cardinals occurred in May. Musial delivered his 3,000th career hit, a RBI-double to left-center off the Cubs’ Moe Drabowsky, on May 13 at Chicago.

Hutchinson lifted Musial for a pinch-runner, choosing Barnes for the honor. Barnes raced home from second on a single to left by Don Blasingame, tying the score at 3-3 in a game the Cardinals would win, 5-3.

Five days later, on May 18, Barnes earned his only big-league win.
In the opener of a doubleheader against the Dodgers at St. Louis, Barnes, in relief of Mabe, pitched six innings and held the Dodgers to one run (a Johnny Roseboro home run) and four hits. The losing pitcher was future Hall of Famer Don Drysdale, who relieved starter Fred Kipp in the second and gave up two runs and five hits in four innings. Billy Muffett relieved Barnes in the ninth and earned the save in a 6-5 Cardinals victory.

From the Yes Network blog:

On July 19,1950, Pitcher Frank Barnes and OF Elston Howard were purchased by the New York Yankees from Kansas City Monarchs (Negro American League)). Both players were sent to the Yankees minor league team at Muskegon (Central League). Frank went 8-4 with 2.23 ERA in 15 games. In 1951, Frank returned to Muskegon, where he posted a 15-6 record in 15 games with a 2.23 ERA. He was promoted to AA San Francisco Seals (PCL). He appeared in only 2 games for the Seals, while posting a 0-0 record.
In August of 1951, Frank was sent from the  New York Yankees to the St. Louis Browns in an unknown transaction. Pitcher Frank Barnes and several other black Yankees minor league players (Vic Power, Ruben Gomez, Artie Wilson and others) would be traded away during the 1951-1954 seasons, once Yankees GM George Weiss had decided that Elston Howard would be the 1st black Yankees MLB player.

The Card: The original lot of 1960s I bought on eBay that got this collection off and running contained 200 cards or so. Most were in very collectible condition and most were from the middle couple of series. This Barnes is an exception. It's from the high number 7th Series and it's very much in need of an upgrade. This is his only card btw.

And I think I really will upgrade it because I like this one a lot. Neat picture of Barnes and it's the rare Topps card of the era that shows Sportsman's Park (Busch I). I found the original shot which Topps retouched to show Barnes in a Sox cap. Images below. And looking at the card again I just have the impression that the 'action' black-and-white shot is on Barnes in a Negro League uni. It's just got that 'feel'.

Here is the Barnes pic used on the card and a bonus shots from his days in the Negro Leagues and in the Yankee chain at Muskegon:

#121 Camilo Carreon Sport Magazine Rookie Star

Camilo Carreon  Chicago White Sox

Career: After a solid minor league run Carreon made the Sox club in 1961 as their reserve catcher. He was the nominal starter in 1962, playing ahead of Sherm Lollar that year and J. C. Martin the next. He was a reserve in '63 and then was shipped off to Cleveland in a three team deal (K.C. was the thrid party) that saw name players Rocky Colivito, Tommy John and Tommy Agee switching clubs. He saw his last major league action during a brief stint with the '66 Orioles. Following more minor league play he did some coaching in Arizona and groomed his son Mark for a big league career.

His career numbers show a .264 average and 14 homers in 1100 plate appearances.

In 1960: Despite the Topps 'back of the card' hype Carreon wasn't quite ready for the bigs in 1960. He spent the year with San Diego, the Sox' AAA club and got a September call-up. He appeared in eight games for Chicago.

WikiFacts: From his SABR bio.....

Camilo Carreon's devotion to his children helped turn out a handful of adults that any parent would be proud of and who also revered their father for his guidance. His involvement with his friends and the baseball community in Tucson evoked many similar feelings. After a battle with cancer, Carreon died on September 2, 1987, at the age of 50. Six days later Mark made his debut in the major leagues as a September call-up of the Mets. On that day he pinch-hit for Sid Fernandez in the third inning and hit into a fielder’s choice. Memorial services for Cam were well-attended both in Tucson and in Colton [California, his hometown], where he is buried. Later, a memorial was dedicated in his honor at the El Rio Golf Course in Tucson, where he spent many afternoons with his closest friends. In 2006, Carreon was posthumously elected to the Colton Hall of Fame, the first Hispanic so honored. His family was present for the induction.

The Card: A point penalty for the rather washed out colors and off-centeredness of this one. Big bonus points for the nostalgic value these orange-y rookie star cards bring me. I remember how cool I thought they were as a kid. I wonder if the Sport Magazine editors really wrote the card back blurbs?

The cartoon references Carreon's days as a schoolboy hoops star. It doesn't look like a Jack Davis cartoon but Davis did one for Carreon's '62 card and it too was a basketball piece. I found it in the archives of an auction house. Boy would I love an original Jack Davis.

#505 Ted Kluszewski

Ted Kluszewski  Chicago White Sox

Career: Klu was a star slugger in Cincinnati for a decade before finishing up his career with the Pirates, He was known for his 'guns' and he wore the sleeveless Reds' jerseys with torn undershirts that showed them off. White Sox and Angels as his career wound down. He was a four time NL All Star and the NL MVP runner-up in 1954 as he led the league with 54 homers and 141 RBI. He hit three homers in the 1959 World Series. He was pretty nifty in the field as well. He led the NL in fielding % for five consecutive years.

Kluszewski remained in the game after his playing days. He was the Reds' batting coach under Sparky Anderson and later served as the franchise's minor league hitting instructor.

In 1960: He was fighting the back problems that plagued his last years in the bigs but he was still able to put up a .293 average with a .364 OBP as a part time starter for the Sox.

WikiFacts: From his NY Times obit:

Theodore Bernard Kluszewksi was born in Argo, Ill., on Sept. 10, 1924. The Reds discovered Kluszewski at Indiana University, where he played football and baseball. The Reds held spring training at the university from 1943 to 1945.
Kluszewski drew the Reds' attention because he was hitting line drives that broke through a wooden outfield fence. He signed for a $15,000 bonus in 1946 and was assigned to the Columbia team in the Sally League.

The Card: Another portrait shot but the colors are bright and I like the combo and th Flying Sox' logo. Damn, I wish every card had been printed on the cream colored cardboard.

Bonus pics of Big Klu: