#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.

#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.”

#148 Carl Yastrzemski Sport Rookie Star

Carl Yastrzemski  Boston Red Sox

Career: He was the son of a Long Island potato farmer who passed along a love of baseball. And he landed in the Hall of Fame after a remarkable career that began with him stepping into the void left by Ted Williams' retirement.

Yaz played for 23 seasons with the Red Sox and had almost 425 at-bats at the age of 43 in his final season. Here is a list of his career highlights from the Baseball-Reference Bullpen:

• 1959 MVP Carolina League Raleigh Capitals
• 18-time AL All-Star (1963, 1965-1979, 1982 & 1983)
• AL MVP (1967)
• AL Triple Crown (1967)
• 1970 All-Star Game MVP
• 7-time AL Gold Glove Winner (1963, 1965, 1967-1969, 1971 & 1977)
• 3-time AL Batting Average Leader (1963, 1967 & 1968)
• 5-time AL On-Base Percentage Leader (1963, 1965, 1967, 1968 & 1970)
• 3-time AL Slugging Percentage Leader (1965, 1967 & 1970)
• 4-time AL OPS Leader (1965, 1967, 1968 & 1970)
• 3-time AL Runs Scored Leader (1967, 1970 & 1974)
• 2-time AL Hits Leader (1963 & 1967)
• 2-time AL Total Bases Leader (1967 & 1970)
• 3-time AL Doubles Leader (1963, 1965 & 1966)
• AL Home Runs Leader (1967)
• AL RBI Leader (1967)
• 2-time AL Bases on Balls Leader (1963 & 1968)
• 20-Home Run Seasons: 8 (1965, 1967-1970, 1976, 1977 & 1979)
• 30-Home Run Seasons: 3 (1967, 1969 & 1970)
• 40-Home Run Seasons: 3 (1967, 1969 & 1970)
• 100 RBI Seasons: 5 (1967, 1969, 1970, 1976 & 1977)
• 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 2 (1967 & 1970)
• Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1989

What is there to add about this talented, consistent, and durable star?

In 1960:  Yaz was still a year away from his big-league debut. He'd torn up the league in B level ball in 1959, and he did the same when he jumped to AAA in 1960. For the Red Sox' Minneapolis Millers he batted .339 on almost 200 hits including 36 doubles. He only hit seven homers, but he was apparently saving his power for Fenway. He'd played second in his initial season but was moved to the outfield by the organization when he hit AAA.

Off The Charts: Yaz' grandson, Mike, has traveled through a few organizations but in 2019 seemed to find a home in the Giants' outfield and had a nice first big-league season. Last September he homered in his first game ever in Fenway Park. (See below)

A Carl Yastrzemski career highlight film:

The Card: This is one of the more valuable and sought-after cards in the 1960 set, definitely the prize among the rookies. My copy was a modest graded version that I freed from the slab. He's listed as a second baseman, but he was, as noted above, an outfielder in 1960.

It happens to be the last of the Sport Rookie Stars subset (they were alphabetical in the checklist).

Bonus videos...Carl and Mike Yastrzemski homer at Fenway.

Extended coverage of Mike Yaztrzemski's home run last September.

#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.

#73 Bob Gibson

Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals

Career: Simply put Hall of Famer Bob Gibson is among the greatest ever to take the mound. His 1968 season may be the most dominant one ever turned in by a pitcher is baseball history, at least modern history.

Notable Achievements:

• 8-time NL All-Star (1962, 1965-1970 & 1972)
• NL MVP (1968)
• 2-time NL Cy Young Award Winner (1968 & 1970)
• 1964 World Series MVP
• 1967 World Series MVP
• 9-time NL Gold Glove Winner (1965-1973)
• NL ERA Leader (1968)
• NL Wins Leader (1970)
• NL Strikeouts Leader (1968)
• NL Complete Games Leader (1969)
• 4-time NL Shutouts Leader (1962, 1966, 1968 & 1971)
• 15 Win Seasons: 10 (1962-1966 & 1968-1972)
• 20 Win Seasons: 5 (1965, 1966 & 1968-1970)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 12 (1961-1966, 1968-1972 & 1974)
• 300 Innings Pitched Seasons: 2 (1968 & 1969)
• 200 Strikeouts Seasons: 9 (1962-1966, 1968-1970 & 1972)
• Won two World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals (1964 & 1967)
• Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1981

In 1960: He split the season between Rochester and the Cards. Still learning his craft he went 3-6 with an ERA over 5 while making 12 starts and appearing in 27 games overall. A year later he would start to resemble the real Bob Gibson.

WikiFacts: Personal note reprinted from my '59 Topps blog: I was fortunate enough to see Gibson pitch and believe me, he was a real badass on the mound. My favorite memory comes, ironically, from 1975, his last season and the final time I saw him perform. I attended this game in mid-August with a friend of mine who happens to be a lifelong Cardinal fan. As Gibby's career came to an end he struggled through a year that saw him saddled with a 3-10 record and an ERA over five. But on this day Gibson came into the game after the Cards had taken a one run lead in the top of the eleventh. I distinctly recall watching from seats behind the Cardinal dugout as he stalked out to the mound with that look that few pitchers had. My friend and I both saw it and said to one another 'Game over." And it was. Gibby blew away three Astros (looking!!) to wrap up the game.

The Card: It's creased and the corners are worn down but that's fine by me. I could have held out for a better copy but maybe vintage Gibson cards in my collection are supposed to be "well loved"! My 1959 Gibby is the only card to have survived my childhood. Maybe that's why he's special to me.