#286 Ray Semproch

 

 

 

 

Ray Semproch  Detroit Tigers

Career: Roman "Ray" Semproch liked to make a splash. He signed with the Phils in 1951 and won 17 games in his first minor league season. He was 13-11 in his rookie year with the Phils in 1958. In between, he worked his way up the ladder, improving with each step, and spent a couple years in the employ of Uncle Sam.

Semproch led the NL in wins at the All-Star break in '58 with 11, but things got sidetracked from there. In '59 Semproch's results continued downhill and he was dealt to the Tigers in the off-season. He was traded again, to the Dodgers, before being taken by the Senators in the Rule 5 draft. The Nats turned right around shipped him to the Angels where he pitched very briefly and was soon out of baseball.

In 1960: Semproch worked in 17 games out of the Tigers' bullpen with an ERA of 4.00 and a 3-0 record before being traded to the Dodgers. He pitched the rest of the year with their Spokane club in the PCL. He won 11 games and had a 3.96 ERA which was very good in a hitters league. 

Off The Charts: Semproch worked in his brother's Italian restaurant after baseball. He's 89 these days and I found a pic of him from 2019 with one of those stadium pieces which is drawn using the franchise's players' names.

#278 Stan Williams

 

 

 

Stan Williams  Los Angeles Dodgers

Career: Stan Williams, a Denver native, signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954 and worked his way up through their system over the next three seasons. In '58, with the club now on the West Coast, Williams had a fast start at the AAA level and was called to Los Angeles early in the summer. He made 21 starts and went 9-7 and he carved out a place for himself among the Dodgers' top shelf staff.

 

Williams, who at 6'3" 225 lbs was an imposing figure on the mound, won 43 games between 1959 and 1961 for the Dodgers. He averaged 163 strikeouts over that span.

In 1959 Williams lost his regular rotation spot in the second half of the season but got a huge win with three hit-less innings to wrap up the second playoff game over the Braves. He was traded to the Yankees for Moose Skowron in November of 1962 and was in the Bronx for two seasons, one as a starter and the next primarily out of the bullpen.

 

Williams moved on the the Indians, Twins, Red Sox and Cardinals before hanging up his glove and turning to coaching in the early 70s.

 

Williams served as a pitching coach for 14 MLB seasons, with the Red Sox, Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds. He was also an advance scout for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Washington Nationals.

In 1960: Williams went 14-10 and made the NL All-Star squad. He was credited with a Hold in the second ASG of that year with two scoreless innings.

Off The Charts: Williams pitched very well in all of his postseason appearances. With the '59 Dodgers (World Series), the '63 Yankees (World Series, and the '69 Twins (ALCS) he totaled 11 innings over four games, allowed only three hits, no runs, and fanned eight. You can probably add the '59 playoff game since it was essentially a post-season game.

The Card: The yellow/blue/white combo and the Memorial Coliseum backdrop make for an attractive card.

#265 Rip Repulski

Rip Repulski  Los Angeles Dodgers

Career: Eldon 'Rip' Repulski was signed by the Cardinals after a top-notch career as a baseball and football player at his Minnesota high school and St. Cloud State University. He spent six seasons moving up the Cards' chain. That wasn't unusual given the depth of talent some franchises held in those days.

Repulski made the St. Louis roster in 1953 and laid claim to the starting centerfield job. He had a solid season and got some Rookie of the Year consideration. He played four seasons for the Redbirds and hit .276 over that span. He had a reputation as a good defensive player, too. He made his only All-Star squad in 1956 and them was promptly traded to the Phils after the season.

In Philly, Ripulski hit 20 homers in 1957 but had a sub-par '58 and was traded again, this time to the Dodgers. His days as a regular were over and Repulski spent a couple of seasons in both LA and Boston coming off the bench as a pinch-hitter and spare outfield glove. The Sox released him mid-year in '61 and he caught on with the Twins AAA club. He retired after that and returned to his hometown to operate his bar.

In 1960: In May, after just a handful of at-bats with the Dodgers, Repulski was traded to the Red Sox. He hit .243 as their primary right-handed pinch-hitter and occasional starter in left. BTW... Repulski hit a grand slam at Fenway Park in his first American League at-bat. He hit it in the bottom of the eighth on May 10 against the White Sox. Ted Williams had drawn an intentional walk to load 'em up for Repulski who was batting for Gary Geiger who'd been announced as a pinch hitter before a pitching change by Chicago. His blast broke open a 5-5 game. The Red Sox hung on for a 9-7 win.

Off The Charts: Rip drew an intentional walk in his only at-bat in the 1959 World Series. In the bottom of the eighth inning of Game Five, after Ron Fairly was announced as a pinch-hitter for Don Demeter with Chicago up 1-0, the Sox countered by bringing Billy Pierce in from the bullpen. Repulski was then sent in for Fairly and drew his pass. Dick Donavan relieved Pierce and got out of the inning. The Dodgers would have to wait until Game Six in Chicago to wrap up the title.

According to his SABR bio, Repulski owned and operated a bar in St. Cloud, Minnesota, not far from where he was raised and where he went to college. A couple of paragraphs pretty much sum up his persona:

Repulski was a “hands-on” owner of his liquor establishment, frequently coming out from behind the bar to share tales of his baseball career with anyone who might have even a dim connection with the sport.

Never one to allow anything to get in the way of a good story, Rip regaled his audiences with tales of his ball-field exploits: how he escaped death in plane and bus crashes, that he could still hit left-handed pitching, that the Cardinals kept him in the minors too long, and that his lifetime batting average was the same as Yogi Berra’s (it wasn’t). The stories went on and on until closing time.

Rip did a VW Wagon commercial. No date available for this. Clever stuff.

#255 Jim Gilliam

Jim Gilliam  Los Angeles Dodgers

Career: Jim 'Junior' Gilliam was a baseball junkie from his youngest days. He left school at 14 to play ball for some semi-pro clubs around his native Nashville, Tennessee. He soon found himself signed and playing for the Baltimore Elite Giants of the Negro National League. It was there that veteran George Scales got him into switch-hitting, a tool that helped make him so valuable in later years.

Gilliam signed with Brooklyn in 1951 after four years with the Elite Giants and he reported to the AAA Montreal Royals. Wikipedia reports that he wasn't sent to the AA Ft. Worth Cats because black players were not welcome in the Texas League. No mention of that in Gilliam's SABR bio which is usually pretty thorough. SABR does, however, tell us that Gilliam was 'loaned' to the Cubs organization in 1950 by the Elite Giants on a conditional deal but the Cubs were not impressed enough to sign him. His Baseball-Reference stats don't show and numbers with either of the Cubs' farm teams mentioned so perhaps it was a winter ball sort of thing.

But, anyway, Gilliam had solid two minor league seasons in Montreal and made his major league debut with the Dodgers in 1953. He made a real splash in Brooklyn and won the NL Rookie of the Year Award easily over Harvey Haddix of the Cardinals. He was an iron man, playing second, left, and right and rarely missing a game it seems. He had over 700 plate appearances, a plateau that he reached several times both in the majors and minors. He also led the NL in triples.

Gilliam played his entire fourteen-year career with the Dodgers. Many years he rotated through the starting nine, playing second, third, and two or all three outfield slots.

He was a part of seven World Series clubs and took home four rings. His Series average was only .211 but he hit two homers in his first, the 1953 Series against the Yankees. He was a two-time All-Star and homered in front of the hometown Los Angeles crowd in the second ASG in 1959.

Gilliam coached for the Dodgers after he finally retired (he had been a player/coach at the end). He had hoped to become a manager (there had, of course, been no black managers in the majors at that point) but the opportunity never came his way. He stayed with the Dodgers as a coach until he passed away in 1978.


In 1960: His .248 average was the lowest of his career to that point but his OBP remained fairly high due to his ability to draw walks. His other numbers, RBI,  runs, extra-base hits, etc. remained on a par with his previous few seasons.

Off The Charts: Gilliam was named the Dodgers' first base coach in 1965 as his skills were on the decline. But struggles by his intended replacement at third, John Kennedy, inspired the Dodgers to push Gilliam back to full-time playing status. He responded with a .280 season and a key defensive play in the '65 Series. SABR relates this story of the meeting where he was asked to return to the field...

Buzzie Bavasi called a meeting of the front office and dugout management. According to Bavasi: “We talked over several possibilities… Finally, I said, ‘Let’s reactivate Old Slowfoot.’ Gilliam, attending the meeting as a coach, looked at me out of the corner of his eye. We were playing the Cardinals that night. He said, ‘You picked a fine day to bring me back. We’re going against [Bob] Gibson tonight. Wait until tomorrow.’”

Here are a few quotes from the same SABR bio:

“Junior played to win ballgames,” Fairly said. “He didn’t care who was the player who won the game so long as the Dodgers won the game. Jim didn’t worry about personal things like that.”

The difficult to please and proud of it coach Leo Durocher, said of him, “He never – and I mean never – misses a sign. He does everything right. He’s a double pro.”

Added Gilliam’s long-time skipper, Walter Alston: “He doesn’t make any mistakes…He gives you 100 percent, day in and day out. He never moans. He’s a good team man. If I had eight like him, I wouldn’t have to give a single sign.”

The Card: Nice shot of Gilliam at the Polo Grounds. This color combo (blue/yellow/black/red/black) is the most common one in the '60 set. It appears 50 times and is the 'standard (most used) for the Indians, Braves, and Dodgers.

#234 Don Demeter

Don Demeter  Los Angeles Dodgers

Career: As a Brooklyn Dodger signee in the early 50s Demeter, a centerfielder, drew comparisons to then Dodger star Duke Snider. He obviously didn't hit that level as a player but he had a nice eleven-year career that included a World Series ring with the '59 Dodgers.

He also played for the Phils, Tigers, Red Sox, and Indians. A modest man, Demeter says he would have liked to have been around Boston for the '67 pennant run. But he claims that the deal that sent him to the Indians that summer for Gary Bell was the pivotal piece in the Red Sox season.

Demeter, always referred to as tall and lanky (6'4 190), retired at the age of 32 saying that as much as he enjoyed baseball there were other things in life he wanted to pursue. He finished with a .265 career average and 163 homers. He received MVP votes a few times in the early 60s during his time with the Phils.

In 1960: Demeter was hitting .274 and showing new-found consistency early in July when he collided with teammate Maury Wills and fractured his wrist. That ended his season and the injury likely led to a slow start in 1961 that prompted a trade to the Phillies.

Off The Charts: Demeter, a man of great faith, founded and ministered a church in his hometown of Oklahoma City.


This great little six-minute video was made by Demeter's granddaughter a decade ago. A nice mix of highlight clips and Demeter talking about his life in the game, his family, and his faith.

Demeter and his wife lost their son, Todd, to Hodgkin’s Disease in 1996. Todd Demeter had been a second-round pick of the Yankees who had not reached the majors and was working in his father's business.

#206 Claude Osteen

Claude Osteen  Cincinnati Reds

Career: Osteen took some time to get it going but once he did he was a top-notch pitcher for a run of strong Dodger clubs. He came out of his Ohio high school as a much-ballyhooed athlete and signed with the Reds in 1957 and even got into one big league game that same week as a 17-year-old. He spent several years moving up and down between the Reds and their AAA club and ran out of options after a demotion in 1961.

Rather than risk losing him to a Rule 5 claim after the season the Reds dealt him to the Senators. He found his stride in D.C. and had three solid seasons for the Nats. His stock rose to the point where they could deal him to the Dodgers for Frank Howard after a 15-win 1964.

With the Dodgers, he had nine double-digit win seasons and made three NL All-Star squads. He was in the shadows of some Dodger greats like Koufax, Drysdale, and Sutton and never got the recognition he deserved.

He pitched exceptionally well in both the 1965 and 1966 World series. Although he was 1-2 in three starts his numbers were much better than that. In 21 innings he allowed just 12 hits and two earned runs. He posted an ERA of 0.86 and a 0.857 WHIP.

The Dodgers traded him to the Astros for Jimmy Wynn in December of 1973 and he wound up his career with Houston, the Cardinals, and the White Sox. He was out of baseball after 1975.

In 1960: He spent the year sitting in the Reds' bullpen because he was out of options and they couldn't risk losing him. He got into 20 games and lost his only decision in a spot start against the Giants. Overall his ERA of 5.03 wasn't indicative of what was to come.

Off The Charts: Osteen's nickname was 'Gomer' because of his resemblance to TV's Gomer Pyle as played by Jim Nabors.

The Card: Is the same picture used here for the main shot and the b/w 'action' shot? Looks like it. Osteen's eyes are sorta/kinda not looking the same way in the two pics but the main color pic is 'Flexochromed' so the artist/retoucher can play around with those sorts of details.

#202 Fred Kipp

Fred Kipp  Los Angeles Dodgers

Career: Fred Kipp began his run with the Dodgers in Brooklyn when he signed in 1953. He had a really good year with a couple of their Class B clubs and then spent time with the US Army. He had some up and down results as a starter over three seasons in the minors before sticking with the Dodgers as a knuckleballing reliever in 1958. His numbers were not good.

Kipp was back in the minors in '59 and got a late call-up but wasn't on their World Series roster. The next three years were spent mostly at the top levels of the Yankees' system.

In all, he had a career mark of 6-7 in 47 games in the majors.

In 1960: Kipp was traded (at his request) to the Yankees on the eve of the season's opening. He made four appearances in pinstripes through the end of May and then was sent down to AAA Richmond where he had a fine year out of the bullpen.

Off The Charts: Kipp pitched (ever so briefly) on consecutive Series-winning staffs, the '59 Dodgers, and '60 Yanks. He totaled six games and seven innings.

Kipp has a website for the 2018 book he co-wrote with his son entitled The Last Yankee Dodger. The title comes from his being the last living player to have been a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers, The LA Dodgers, and the Yankees.

I had forgotten about his 1959 card and dug up my old post from that blog. Another Memorial Coliseum shot.

Some notes from that post...

Kipp is a member of the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame (don't laugh, Walter Johnson is in there, too. So is Ralph Houk) and attended Emporia State. I had a good friend who went there after we graduated high school in Jersey. Never really told me why.

#191 Johnny Klippstein

Johnny Klippstein  Los Angeles Dodgers

Career: Klippstein pitched professionally from 1944 through 1967. He signed his first contract after attending a Cardinals' tryout camp on a whim at the age of 16. He was, at that point, the grizzled veteran of one season of high school ball. His big-league debut came with the Cubs in 1950. He'd spent five seasons in the minors, been drafted into the Army, and been drafted twice more,,, by the Dodgers from the Cards and by the Cubs from the Dodgers.

Klippstein went on to pitch for eighteen seasons for eight clubs. Through most of the fifties, he jumped from a starter's role to a reliever's one for the Cubs and Reds. Cincy moved him to the bullpen in 1958, and he was a bullpen guy for the rest of his career. He threw hard but was plagued by wildness as a starter. He claimed that pitching more frequently out of the bullpen helped him gain more control of his pitches. Klippstein pitched in two World Series, first with LA in '59, and then with the Twins in 1965. He threw 4.2 scoreless innings over those two Classics.


In 1960: He was sent to the Indians on the eve of Opening Day and, being told he would be the team's closer, had one of his best years. He tied for the league lead with 14 saves, easily a career-high. 

Off The Charts: A funny story from his SABR bio: In one of the most memorable games of his career, Klippstein relieved Bob Purkey to start the 11th inning in a 0-0 game against the Houston Colt .45’s at Colt Stadium [in 1962]. In the top of the 13th, Klippstein hit his fifth career home run, a solo shot, and then pitched his third consecutive scoreless inning to give the Reds a 1-0 victory, the first time a National League pitcher had won a 1-0 game in extra innings with a home run. Circling the bases, Klippstein said, “I looked to Bob Aspromonte who was playing third base, I said, ‘If you think you’re surprised, imagine how I feel?’

After retirement, Klippstein was a loyal Cubs fan and season ticket holder.  He was also active in their Old Timers Association.

#132 Frank Howard Sport Rookie Star

Frank Howard  Los Angeles Dodgers

Career: Howard, who had one of the great nicknames (The Capitol Punisher), was known for his size and prodigious homers. His 16-year big league career was divided between the Dodgers and Senators/Rangers, with a brief spin in Detroit at the end. He had a run of 44, 48, and 44-homer seasons from 1968-1970 when offense was at a premium in baseball. He was also able to keep a .273 career average and hit exactly .296 on three occasions. His homer off Whitey Ford in Game Four of the 1963 World Series helped the Dodgers wrap up a sweep of the Yankees.

Ted Williams took over as manager of the Senators in 1969. He persuaded Howard to lay off pitches that were not in his wheelhouse. Howard responded with a much better ration of walks to strikeouts and upped his batting average while continuing to hit with power.  Howard later said of Williams: “I was ready to hit if it was my pitch, but if it was something other than I was looking for, I took it. I was laying off some bad pitches, getting more counts in my favor, and all because of Ted Williams. He’s one in a million! A marvelous, marvelous, man!”

In 1960: He started the year at AAA Spokane but his .371 average through 26 games prompted a late May call-up to the Dodgers. Hondo didn't disappoint, either. He slashed 23/77/.268/.320 and won Rookie of the Year honors in the NL.

Off The Charts: Howard played for seven seasons with Washington, and he led the team in homers and RBIs in all seven of them. In addition to the interest he drew for his baseball skills Howard was drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors of the NBA following an All-American college hoops career at Ohio State.

#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.

#128 Bill Harris Sport Rookie Star

Bill Harris  Los Angeles Dodgers

Career: Harris had a long minor league career before he made it onto a Topps card. He had debuted as a pro in 1951. Harris was able to pitch once for the Dodgers in Brooklyn in 1957 and once for them in Los Angeles in 1959. Both appearances came in the last days of the season. He hung around pitching in the minors until 1965 enduring bottom rung, 'B' classification, independent ball at one point.

In 1960: Back in the day some bigger organizations had more than one AAA-level farm club. Harris pitched for both of the Dodgers' teams, Spokane and Montreal. He was a combined 8-6 with an ERA in the mid 3.50s.

Off The Charts: Harris (in his first game) was the starter in the last game caught by Roy Campanella on September 29, 1957. Campy pinch-hit on the 29th and never played again after his accident that following winter.

The Card: He was 29 when the 1960 season opened and was among the oldest of the Rookie Stars in this set. It's his only Topps card.

#124 Jim Donohue Sport Rookie Star

Jim Donohue  St. Louis Cardinals

Career: Donohue pitched in 70 games over the course of two major league seasons for three different teams, none of which were the St. Louis Cardinals. After four and a half seasons in the Cards' chain, he was traded to the Dodgers in 1960 and was subsequently taken in the Rule 5 draft by the Tigers, traded to the Angels and then on to the Twins. All within 23 months. He made nine starts over those two seasons and put up a 4.29 ERA with a 6-8 record.

In 1960: Traded mid-year from the Cards to the Dodgers, Donohue went from the Rochester Red Wings to the St. Paul Saints. Both the Cardinals and Dodgers had huge, loaded farm systems. 33 players with Rochester in 1960 had, or would have big-league experience. 18 players with St. Paul fell into the same category. Donohue went 9-7 in 38 games (11 starts) between the two AAA teams.

Off The Charts: Donohue was a St. Louis native and graduate of Christian Brothers College High School where one of his teammates was Mike Shannon, future Cardinal infielder and broadcaster. He was also the son of a St. Louis policeman. He was once asked why he didn't follow his father into law enforcement. He replied: "I'd rather pitch than get shot at." Fair enough.

The Card: His cap got an oversized airbrush job on that '60 card. Topps reused the photo in 1961 with a different airbrush. Now it showed Donohue with the Tigers. Still not very well done.

#105 Larry Sherry

Larry Sherry  Los Angeles Dodgers

Career: Larry Sherry came up thru the Dodgers' chain as a starting pitcher but was converted to relief when he made the majors and became a front line player in 1959. His older brother Norn was a catcher with the Dodgers for much of Larry's tenure. Larry pitched in four of the six World Series games in '59 as the Dodgers beat the White Sox. He allowed only one earned run in his 12+ innings and recorded two saves and two wins. Needless to say, he was named Series MVP. After six years with the Dodgers, he was dealt to the Tigers where he continued his role as stopper. He finished his career with the Astros and a brief stop with the Angels in 1968. He was a pitching coach and minor league manager after his playing days.

In 1960: Coming off his sterling Series showing Sherry had one of his better seasons, winning 14 games and garnering some MVP votes.

Off The Charts: On May 7, 1960, Norm Sherry hit a home run to give Larry a win over Philadelphia.

The Card: Yellow, pink, black, and white looks better than it sounds as a card color combo. I get a Wrigley vibe from the bit of background in this shot. I wouldn't bet on it though.

#88 John Roseboro

John Roseboro   Los Angeles Dodgers

Career: He spent 11 seasons with the Dodgers before finishing his career with the Twins and Senators. He was a four-time All-Star and twice was awarded a Gold Glove. He played in four World Series with the Dodgers and won three rings. His outstanding career is sometimes overshadowed by the publicity he received stemming from the Juan Marichal 'bat incident' of 1965. 

In 1960: He was sidelined for chunks of June and July and played the fewest games of any season during his stretch as the Dodgers' #1 catcher. His .213 average was the lowest of his career for a full season.

Off The Charts: Wikipedia sez..."After several years of bitterness over their famous altercation, Roseboro and Marichal became friends in the 1980s. Roseboro personally appealed to the Baseball Writers' Association of America not to hold the incident against Marichal after he was passed over for election to the Hall of Fame in his first two years of eligibility. Marichal was elected in 1983, and thanked Roseboro during his induction speech..."

The Card: Memorial Coliseum lurks ghost-like in the background. Topps opted for the capless shot even though they must have had others to use showing Roseboro in Dodgers gear. It wasn't like he'd been recently traded. He shares a special card, Dodger Backstops, with Joe Pignatano in this set. I featured it in 2015.

#62 Roger Craig

Roger Craig  Los Angeles Dodgers

Career: Craig had a nice four-year spell in the minors and a two-year military break before he debuted with the '55 Brooklyn Dodgers. He pitched seven years for them, on both coasts. Later he pitched through 1966 for the Phils, Cardinals, Mets, and Reds. He lost 20+ games for the Mets in each of their first two seasons which doesn't help his sub-.500 career win percentage. He almost split his appearances evenly between starts and the bullpen over the course of his career. He got MVP votes in 1959 when he won 11 games with four shutouts after being brought up in June.

He pitched in four World Series and won three of them. He later was a longtime pitching coach and had a 10-year managerial career with the Padres and Giants. His SF team won a pennant in 1989.

In 1960: He was coming off his best year and had 8 wins but his other numbers had begun to edge upwards which is why he was allowed to go to the Mets in the expansion draft a few years later. 

Off The Charts: He became associated with the split-finger fastball as a pitching coach and is sometimes credited with inventing it. Craig set the record straight: “People think I invented that,” Craig said. “I did not. Bruce Sutter did. I just found a way to teach it and it worked out.”

The Card: It's an oddly cropped photo. I get the feeling that this was a multi-player picture and this was how it had to be cropped to include only Craig. My guess on the locale is Wrigley Field. But I say that with not much confidence.

The cartoon references his second-half contributions to the Dodgers' 1959 championship season.

#47 Don Zimmer

Don Zimmer  Los Angeles Dodgers

Career: Zimmer is probably the 'baseball lifer'. He said many times that he never drew a paycheck other than from a baseball team. He played a dozen years in the majors, about as many in the minors and Japan. He managed in the majors for 13 seasons and then coached into his 80s. Oh, and he worked as a coach and manager in the minors as well.

In 1960: He had already moved on to the Cubs when this card was issued. He was the regular second baseman on the North Side and hit .258 with six homers. He played one more season with the Cubs and made the 1961 All-Star team. 

Off The Charts: Wikipedia sez: During a minor league game on July 7, 1953, Zimmer was struck by a pitch thrown by pitcher Jim Kirk, causing Zimmer to lose consciousness. He suffered a brain injury that required surgery. He woke up two weeks later, thinking that it was the day after the game where the incident took place. This led to Major League Baseball adopting batting helmets as a safety measure to be used by players when at-bat.

The Card: Love the shot of Zim with the Coliseum as the backdrop. I wish I could make out who the player behind him is but the number is unclear. The blurb on the back really sings his praises and the cartoon is one of the better ones and looks (to my eyes at least) to have been done by Jack Davis. Underrated card to be sure!

#29 Clem Labine

Clem Labine  Los Angeles Dodgers

Career: He pitched in 13 big league seasons, mostly with the Dodgers in Brooklyn. He was the Bums' main bullpen guy in their (sometimes) glorious mid-50s. He led the NL in saves in 1956 and 1957 which happened to be the two years he was an All-Star. He pitched in six World Series, five with the Dodgers. He had two Series game wins and two saves. He finished his career in 1962 with a short stint with the Original Mets. He retired to admire his three Series rings after being released a month into the season. 

In 1960: Nearing the end of his career, he was traded to the Tigers in June, released by them in August and was lucky enough to hook on with the World Series-bound Pirates for the last six weeks of the season. His full regular season numbers were pretty decent but like every Pirate pitcher in the Series against the Yankees he was shelled, badly. But as we all know the Bucs pulled out a classic seven-game Series win and Labine had his third ring. 

Off The Charts: The late Robert Creamer, one of our best baseball biographers, wrote this terrific article about Labine for the June 3, 1957 issue of Sports Illustrated. Seriously great writing.

The Card: Super nice color combo and a picture from Wrigley Field. What's not to like?  Interestingly Topps gave his card the 'write-up' treatment rather than the 'bulleted highlights' thing. He had eight saves and five wins in the previous season but I guess it was a matter of them wanting to touch on his career Series exploits rather than just 1959. Can't blame them.

#24 Dick Gray

Dick Gray  St. Louis Cardinals

Career: He was highly touted as he worked his way up the overstocked Dodgers' chain and finally broke through when the club moved west. He was sidetracked by injuries early in the 1958 season and never really recovered his hitting prowess. He never played a full season in the majors finishing with a .239 average and six homers. Four of those homers came in the first nine games ever played by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In 1960: He had five at-bats for the Cardinals before he was traded to the Pirates in May in a deal that sent Julian Javier to St. Louis. The Pirates kept him at AAA for the season where he struggled at the plate hitting .255.  He never returned to the majors.

Off The Chart: Baseball Reference tells us that... 

From the time the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, CA in 1958 until Ron Cey took hold of the third base position for a decade starting in 1973, over three dozen different players where used at the hot corner. But the very first one in that 1958 season was 27-year-old rookie Dick Gray, who arrived in the majors after his big year with St. Paul in 1957.

And from Wikipedia...

Gray was the regular third baseman for the Dodgers in their opening series against the San Francisco Giants at Seals Stadium. On April 16, 1958, in the second game of the series, the Dodgers crushed the Giants, 13–1. In the second inning of that game, Gray belted a two-run homer off Ramón Monzant, to become the first player to hit a home run in Los Angeles Dodgers history.

The Card: Plenty of pink in this first series so far. This is my original copy of this card but I have since upgraded it (along with a few dozen others) thanks to the vintage bins at the local hotel show.

Dodger Team Trio #18, #212 and #463

Los Angeles Dodgers Team Card #18

The 1960 Dodgers were, of course, the defending World Series champs. As so many teams do, they found it tough to repeat and they finished fourth, 13 games behind the Pirates. They again had plenty of pitching but were mid-pack in most important hitting categories.

Sandy Koufax was still a season away from blossoming into the most dominant lefty of his generation. Don Drysdale anchored the staff and his 15-14 mark is a result of the weak Dodgers attack more than anything he did. He had sterling numbers. Frank Howard won the Rookie of the Year award and led the team with 23 homers.  Maury Wills led the league with 50 steals. It was the first of six consecutive seasons he'd be the NL theft leader.

Obviously, the card is marked on the back. I have no issue with marked checklists.


Manager Walt Alston Card #212

I have already posted this Alston card over on my Five Tool Collector blog. Here what I said:

Alston has one at bat in the majors. One. On September 27th of 1936, as a member of the Cardinals, Alston entered the game at first base after Frankie Frisch pinch hit for the ejected Johnny Mize. He came up to bat later and fanned. Made and error at first as well. Never saw the field in a major league game again, as a player at least.

 That didn't deter him from having a standout Hall of Fame career in the Dodgers' dugouts in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. He took over the Dodgers from Charlie Dressen in 1954 and held the job for 23 seasons. His clubs won for World Series' titles and seven NL pennants. he managed 3658 games and won 2040 for a '558 winning percentage. Only four times out of those 23 seasons did the Dodgers finish in the second division of the NL.

The serious and studious looking Alston never signed more than a one year contract as manager of the Dodgers. As always he appears on his card looking like your favorite old uncle. 

It was pointed out in a comment that the card back has an error. The cartoon on the upper right has the dates incorrect. They should read '58 and '59. 

L.A. Dodgers Coaches  Card #463

Of the four coaches pictured Bobby Bragan is the biggest name although Pete Reiser was probably the best known at the time. He was a Dodger outfielder through the 40s known for crashing into outfield walls. 

Bragan managed the Pirates, Indians and most notably, the Braves from the mid-50s through mid-60s. He never won a pennant but spent a lifetime in the game and both Wills and Hank Aaron give him credit for improving their careers.

Greg Mulleavy had a brief big league career with the Red Sox and White Sox in the 30s and then was a coach and scout for the rest of his life. Joe Becker was a catcher who, according to Wikipedia is "a member of the relatively small fraternity of former catchers who became celebrated throughout baseball as a pitching coach (which included men such as Ray Berres, Dave Duncan, Rube Walker and Mike Roarke), Becker coached for four NL championship Dodger clubs, including the 1955, 1959 and 1963 world champions."

#155 Charlie Neal

Charlie Neal  Los Angeles Dodgers

Career: Charlie Neal signed with the Dodgers in 1950 but as a middle infielder his spot on the major league roster was blocked at the top by a couple of guys named Reese and Robinson. He broke through in 1956 with Brooklyn and had a a short but very good eight year career. He peaked in 1959 with sparkling work at bat and in the field. He hit .287 with 19 homers and nearly 90 RBI. Add in 17 stolen bases, a Gold Glove and leading the NL with 11 triples and it's not hard to see how he finished in the top ten in the MVP balloting.

In the 1959 World Series against the White Sox Neal had two homers among his 10 hits and a .370 average. His six RBI in the Series easily topped the team.

Neal was an original '62 Met having come to New York in a trade the winter before the club opened play. He was among the few bright spots for the expansion team but in '63 he was slumping and traded to the Reds in July. He retired after that 1963 season.

Neal is also a vet of the Negro Leagues having played with the Atlanta Black Crackers.

In 1960: He was coming off his best season but his numbers dipped across the board. Despite that he again made the NL All Star squad. It was his second and final time for that honor. His average dropped nearly 30 points to .256 and his homers fell off to just eight.

WikiFacts: Neal had 24 triples in his second minor league season, 1951 with Class B Lancaster. No major leaguer has had that many in a year since 1925. Among current players only Curtis Granderson and Jimmy Rollins have had as many as 20 in a big league season season.

The Card: That's really a nice color combo for a Dodgers player in this set. Neal is in Memorial Coliseum. The season highlights give a good accounting of how well Neal played in 1959. Featured are his fielding marks (tied for most putouts in a game in MLB history) and his postseason exploits (big games in the NL playoff against the Braves and the World Series against Chicago). Too bad the card isn't on the cream colored cardboard.