1967 Topps #370 - Tommy Davis
Tommy Davis made a name for himself with the Dodgers earlier in the decade, winning the NL batting title for consecutive seasons in 1962 and 1963. He was an All-Star during both seasons, and a big contributor when the Dodgers won it all in '63. The Dodgers shipped him to the Mets shortly after the 1966 season ended though. Despite a successful 1967 season in New York (.302 average/16 HR/32 doubles/73 RBI), he was traded to the White Sox at season's end. The cardboard representation of Davis' lone season with the Mets makes the cut for the franken-set!
1967 Topps #52 - Dennis Higgins
Dennis Higgins made 241 appearances over the course of a 7-year career at the Major League level. Two of those games were starts, the other 239 came in relief appearances. 1967 was a year he'd like to forget I'm sure, as he surrendered 8 earned runs in just 12.1 innings of work. This one makes the cut, at least for now...
1967 Topps #145 - Larry Brown
Larry Brown lasted a dozen seasons in Major League Baseball, which is pretty impressive given that he rarely batted above .250 in any given year. 1967 was particularly rough, as he saw a career high in plate appearances with 562, yet swatted just .227. He's also got a card standing in the way when it comes to the franken-set binder:
1967 Topps #95 - Sonny Siebert
The last of the '67s comes in the form of Sonny Siebert. Sonny was a two-sport star who was actually drafted by the Indians and the St. Louis Hawks (of the NBA) at the same time. He was twice an All-Star, but his greatest claim to fame is probably the no-hitter he threw against the Senators in the summer of '66. With no current competition for slot 95, Sonny is in!
1965 Topps #242 - George Brunet
George Brunet was a journeyman MLB pitcher from the mid-'50s through the early '70s. It's no surprise that he's depicted sans hat here, as he was already playing for his 5th different franchise by 1965, and would play for four more teams before taking his talents south to Mexico. He would pitch in Mexico well into his '50s, and was actually inducted into the Mexican Baseball HOF in 1999 (though he passed away due to a heart attack in 1991).
1965 Topps #307 - Barry Latman
No worries though, the very next card in the stack is teammate Barry Latman, who is sporting his hat, and who makes the franken-set without contest. Barry was nearing the end of his career here, he'd play two more seasons (with Houston) after 1965 and that was it.
1965 Topps #156 - Bob Sadowski
Much like Barry Latman, Bob Sadowski here also makes the franken-set, and also was nearing the end of his career when this card was created. He finished out the '65 season with the Braves, their last in Milwaukee, and the team dealt him to Boston before 1966. After just 5 starts and some bullpen work with Boston, his career was over. His last appearance came on the 4th of July, 1966.
1965 Topps #31 - Mike White
This card is particularly cool, because it represents the very first Houston Colt .45s card to make the franken-set! Mike White's career lasted from 1963 through 1965, but he appeared in just 3 games in '63 and just 8 games in '65. So, his 89 games in 1964 make up for the bulk of his MLB experience. He may not have accomplished much of note during his brief time in pro baseball, but I'm excited to add a new and relatively obscure franchise to the franken-set.
1964 Topps #347 - Bobby Wine
Next up we've got shortstop Bobby Wine of the Phillies. Bobby had just captured a Gold Glove at shortstop in 1963, but 1964 wasn't so great a year as the Phillies choked away the division, ultimately losing it on the final day of the season. Slot 347 is already occupied in the binder:
1964 Topps #52 - Chuck Hinton
Last card for today is another nice '64 featuring outfielder Chuck Hinton. Chuck was speedy on the base paths but possessed some power as well, hitting 10 or more home runs in six different seasons. This one is cool too because 1964 was the only season in his career where Chuck was named an All-Star.
I should have the final post featuring the buybacks Shane K sent up later this week, and it looks almost certain that it will push me over the 300 card mark!
Franken-set Progress: 296/792 (37%)
"Rejected" Buybacks: 82
Total Buybacks in Collection: 378
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2 comments:
That reminds me. I really need to organize my Jewish players collection. Barry Latman was on my radar at one time. I'm not sure if I ever picked one up. I do have an LA Angels cap (repro of course). Barry would have been on the same team as another famous Jewish pitcher, Bo Belinsky. Of course Sandy was also in LA at the time. You know what they say about Hollywood.
Glad I could make a dent in that Franken set Shane!! Hope that 67 Topps I sent finds a way in too!
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