#492 Gene Freese

I've wandered home after spending the weekend snowed in with my better half in Calvert County, so it's time to get back on the horse with this now-45-year-old card set. Next man up is Gene Freese, who to the best of my knowledge was never nicknamed "Mr. Freese". Batman? Anybody?

Fun facts about Gene Freese:

-Born in Wheeling, WV, Gene signed with the Pirates in 1953 as a nineteen-year-old.

-His older brother George Freese was a third baseman who briefly played for the Tigers, Pirates, and Cubs.

-Gene cracked the Pittsburgh starting lineup as a 21-year-old rookie in 1955, alternating between second base and third base and hitting .253 with 21 doubles, eight triples, and 14 homers.

-After a sophomore slump, he rebounded in 1957 with a career-high .283 average as a part-time starter at three positions (adding a few games in left field).

-Played for five teams in a four-year span (Pirates, Cardinals, Phillies, White Sox, Reds), and actually had a productive run in the midst of all of that movement. In 1959, he hit 23 homers for the Phillies, including consecutive pinch-hit longballs in April.

-Placed third in the American League with 32 doubles for the White Sox in 1960, and drove in 79 runs as the primary third baseman.

-Was a crucial cog for the pennant-winning Reds in 1961, reaching personal bests with 26 home runs and 87 RBI. The Yankees shut him down in the World Series, as he managed one double in the five-game series.

-A broken ankle in 1962 derailed his career, as return engagements with the Pirates and ChiSox were unproductive, and he finished his major league career with the Astros in 1966.

-After prolonging his career in AAA in 1967-1968, Gene called it quits. In his big league career, he hit .254 with 115 home runs and 432 RBI in parts of a dozen seasons.

-Freese returned to the minors to manage the Brewers' AA Shreveport team in 1973-1974, racking up a 129-147 record. Later, he owned the Third Base Inc. night club in nearby New Orleans.

#371 Frank Kreutzer

Here's the nattily bespectacled Frank Kreutzer, who the Senators scouted while he was working at the local public library. Full disclosure: This cheap joke is not to be interpreted as a dig at librarians. Why, my own girlfriend is a librarian.

Fun facts about Frank Kreutzer:

-Frank called Buffalo, NY home. He attended Villanova University before signing with the Red Sox in 1961.

-The White Sox drafted him out of Boston's organization after his first pro season, and he made his major league debut in September 1962.

-Won his first career start on September 28, 1963, allowing one run on three hits in five innings. Chicago topped the Senators, 7-2.

-Earned his only career save on June 4, 1964, when he was perfect against the Indians for the final four innings of a 5-1 triumph.

-Split the 1964 season between the Pale Hose and the Senators. It was one of only two full seasons in the bigs for Frank, and his best overall. He was 5-7 with a 4.10 ERA as a swingman.

-Had a memorable day on July 2, 1965. Three-hit the Tigers for his only career shutout...and hit his only career home run - a two-run shot off of opposing starter Hank Aguirre!

-Spent much of the four seasons from 1966-1969 pitching at AAA for the Senators, Braves, and Pirates, resurfacing for a disastrous nine-appearance stretch in Washington in late 1966 (0-5, 6.03 ERA) and two so-so innings in D.C. in 1969.

-In parts of six seasons in MLB, Frank was 8-18 with a 4.40 ERA.

-His eight wins rank fifth all-time among Villanova alumni. Turn-of-the-20th-Century righthander Red Donahue leads the way with 164...but you probably knew that already.

-Kreutzer allowed as many home runs (one) to pitcher Eddie Watt (three career HR) as he did to Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle (536 career HR). Baseball's an odd game.

#346 Bobby Bragan

This card gives one of the best looks at the Braves uniform in this entire set. Leaving aside any political correctness, I really think this is one of the more aesthetically pleasing designs in baseball, and I'm glad that Ted Turner came to his senses after fooling around with pinstripes and bright blues and lower-case letters and all of that nonsense in the 1970s.

Fun facts about Bobby Bragan:

-Bobby was born in Birmingham, AL in 1917, and was a weak-hitting shortstop and catcher (not a common combination!) for the Phillies and Dodgers from 1940-1944 and 1947-1948. He hit .240 with 15 home runs and 172 RBI.

-While playing for Brooklyn in 1947, the Southern native was one of several players who signed a position opposing the presence of their new teammate Jackie Robinson. However, Bragan quickly relented after getting to know Robinson and witnessing the hardships that the African-American star endured.

-Bobby was a protege of legendary baseball executive Branch Rickey, who gave him his first managerial job with the AA Fort Worth Cats in 1948 after removing him from the big league roster to make way for young Roy Campanella. The new skipper was an instant success, winning the league championship in his first try and posting a winning record in each of his five seasons. He liked Fort Worth so much that he made his home there, putting down roots that would span six decades.

-In 1953, he jumped to the Hollywood Stars, an unaffiliated club in the Pacific Coast League, and again won the league's crown in his first year there (106 wins, 74 losses). The following season, the Stars became a farm team for Rickey's Pittsburgh Pirates. After winning 192 games at the helm in 1954-1955, Bragan was hired to manage the big league club.

-He lasted only a year and a half in Pittsburgh, winning 102 games and losing 155 (.397) before being replaced in August 1957 by Danny Murtaugh. Bobby didn't wait long before catching on as the Indians manager the next year. This time, he was fired only 67 games into his first season with a 31-36 record and a fourth-place standing in the American League.

-Bragan returned to the Dodger organization (and the Pacific Coast League) in 1959 as the field boss for the Spokane Indians. There, he invigorated a struggling Maury Wills by instructing the speedy infielder to become a switch hitter.

-After coaching for the Dodgers and Astros in the early 1960s, Bobby received one more shot as a big league manager with the Braves in 1963. His teams posted winning records in each of his three full seasons, but finished no higher than fifth in the National League. Once again, he was dismissed in the middle of a season, bringing his major league managerial career to a close in 1966. His career record was 443-478, a winning percentage of .481.

-He continued his lengthy baseball career by moving into executive positions, including stints as the president of the Texas League (1969-1975) and of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (1975-1978), the latter being the governing body of the entire minor leagues. He held a front office job for the Rangers beginning in 1979, and represented the club well into his eighties. In 1991, he founded the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation, a scholarship fund for teens with collegiate and career aspirations.

-The Fort Worth Cats retired his number 10 in 1994, and a decade later they allowed him to make baseball history. On August 16, 2005, Bobby managed the club for one night only. At 87 years, nine months, and 16 days of age, he broke Connie Mack's record as the oldest manager ever in professional baseball. Playing up to his reputation as an adversary of umpires, he got himself ejected from the game in the third inning! (As you may have guessed, he's also the oldest person to ever be tossed from a game.)

-Bragan, a member of the Alabama and Texas Sports Halls of Fame, suffered a fatal heart attack just a few days ago (January 21, 2010). He was 92.

#263 Marty Keough

Wow, check out Marty's bulging right eye in this photo. This may be the first instance of the Evil Eye in the 1965 Topps set. Maybe he spotted Pete Rose makin' moves on his old lady. Check yourself, Pete...Marty don't play that.

Fun facts about Marty Keough:

-A native of Oakland, CA, Marty signed with the Red Sox in 1952 when he was only 17.

-His younger brother Joe Keough was an outfielder for the Athletics, Royals, and White Sox from 1968-1973. His son Matt Keough pitched for several teams (primarily the Athletics) from 1977-1986.

-Had only one hit in his first twenty big league at-bats: a single off of three-time All-Star Bob Turley.

-Spent parts of five seasons as a reserve outfielder in Boston, backing up stars like Jimmy Piersall, Jackie Jensen, and Ted Williams.

-Was drafted by the Senators in 1961 and played a career-high 135 games, hitting 18 doubles, nine triples (second-best in the A.L.), and nine home runs while batting .249.

-Following a trade to Cincinnati, Marty hit a career-high .278 in 1962 with seven homers in only 230 at-bats.

-In just eight career at-bats against pitcher Turk Farrell, he hit three home runs and walked four times for a 1.625 OPS. He also hit seven of his 43 career longballs against future Hall of Famers.

-Finished his big league career in 1966 with the Braves and Cubs. In parts of 11 seasons, he hit .242 with 43 home runs and 176 RBI.

-Played in Japan with the Nankai Hawks in 1968. His son Matt would also play in Japan, making them a rare American father-son duo in the Land of the Rising Sun.

-Managed the short-season Class A Tri-City Padres in 1970. Has also scouted for the Padres, Dodgers, and Cardinals.

#262 Bud Daley

Say, wait a minute! The Indians didn't wear pinstripes in the 1960s, did they? Why, no! No they didn't! Those are Yankee pinstripes, as Bud was traded to Cleveland on November 27, 1964. This is the veteran's last baseball card, as the Tribe released him on April 9. Sad but true.

Fun facts about Bud Daley:

-Hailing from Orange, CA, Bud signed with the Indians as a teen in 1951.

-Daley's (non-throwing) right arm was withered. When he was born, the doctor used a medical instrument to deliver him and slipped, pinching the right arm and damaging nerves in his shoulder.

-Despite a strong minor league record (78-49 in the Cleveland farm system), the knuckleballer struggled in parts of three seasons with his first big league club, going 3-9 with a 4.87 ERA before being dealt in early 1958 to Baltimore, who in turn flipped him to Kansas City.

-After posting a 3.31 ERA in relief in his first year with the A's, he became the top starter for the cellar-dwellers with back-to-back All-Star appearances in 1959 and 1960. He led the club with 16 wins in each of those two seasons and completed 25 games total. His 3.16 ERA in 1959 was eighth-best in the league.

-Tossed four consecutive complete games from May 23-June 6, 1959. In that span, he was 4-0 with an 0.75 ERA, allowing four runs (three earned) on 26 hits in 36 innings. He struck out 17 and walked three, and even contributed with the bat. In those four games, Bud batted .375 (6-for-16) with 7 RBI. When you're hot, you're hot!

-In 1960, he formed a "Daley Double" battery with A's catcher Pete Daley (no relation).

-Bud was traded to the Yankees during the 1961 season and contributed to back-to-back World Champions in 1961 and 1962, including a 3.59 ERA in 43 games in the latter season.

-He shined in World Series play, allowing six hits and two runs (both unearned) in eight innings spanning three postseason games. When starter Ralph Terry was chased in the third inning of Game Five of the 1961 Series, Bud put out the fire and went the distance, earning the win in the clinching game of the Fall Classic.

-An arm injury midway through the 1964 season prematurely ended his career. He finished with a 60-64 record in parts of ten seasons with a 4.03 ERA.

-He and his wife Dorothy owned B & D Sprinklers, a lawn sprinkler company in Lander, WY. Currently, they are enjoying retirement in Riverton, WY.

#244 Lindy McDaniel

I think we can safely add "Lindy" to the list of names we may never see again in baseball. His birth name was Lyndall, by the way. I was going to make a Triple Lindy joke, but regrettably McDaniel never hit a three-bagger in his career. Que sera, sera.

Fun facts about Lindy McDaniel:

-Born in Hollis, OK, Lindy signed as a bonus baby with the Cardinals in 1955.

-His brother Von McDaniel was a pitcher and a fellow St. Louis bonus baby; they were teammates in 1957 and 1958. Another brother, Kerry Don McDaniel, was a minor league pitcher for the Cards.

-After appearing in only four games as a 19-year-old rookie, he hit the ground running in 1956, amassing a 3.40 ERA in 39 games (32 as a reliever). The following year he started a career-high 26 games and went 15-9 with a 3.49 ERA and 10 complete games.

-Was the Cardinal bullpen ace by 1960, when he had a career year: 12-4 (including 12-2 in relief), 2.09 ERA, 26 saves (led the N.L. in this category for the second straight year), 0.94 WHIP, and 105 strikeouts against just 24 walks (4.38-to-1). He made his only All-Star team, finished third in Cy Young and fifth in MVP voting, and won the inaugural Sporting News Reliever of the Year Award.

-After a couple of down years, Lindy was traded to the Cubs in a six-player deal. He rebounded with a strong 1963 season: 13-7, 2.86 ERA, and a league-best 22 saves. The effort earned him a second Reliever of the Year Award.

-While pitching for the Yankees in August 1968, he retired 32 consecutive batters over a span of four relief appearances. On August 23, 1968, he entered a tied game in the ninth inning and stymied the Tigers for seven perfect innings. After McDaniel was long gone, the game was ruled a tie at the conclusion of the 19th inning!

-Had one of his best seasons at age 34 in 1970, when he went 9-5 with 29 saves, a 2.01 ERA, and a 0.99 WHIP for the Yankees.

-Lindy must have had Detroit's number. On August 4, 1973, he entered a game in Tiger Stadium in the second inning and held the home team to six hits and one run in thirteen innings, earning the win.

-Retired after two solid seasons with the Royals. In a 21-year career, he was 141-119 with a 3.45 ERA and 172 saves. He appeared in 987 games, which was second only to Hoyt Wilhelm at the the time of his retirement.

-A longtime devoted member of the Church of Christ, McDaniel wrote a monthly newsletter entitled Pitching for the Master. It was distributed to his fellow church members and other MLB players and their families.

#173 Detroit Tigers Team

The Tigers had a fair season in 1964, winning 85 and losing 77, but that was only good enough for fourth place in the American League, a distant 14 games behind the Yankees and a dozen back of the third-place Orioles. A 19-28 start buried the Bengals early; although the club went 66-49 after that low point on June 7, they had too much ground to cover. Manager Chuck Dressen's charges scored 699 runs and allowed 678. The Detroit fans were not exactly inspired by the team's near-.500 play, ranking sixth in the ten-team league with a total attendance of 816,139.

Detroit was a middle-of-the-road offense, ranking third in runs and OPS (.714) but seventh in doubles (199) and home runs (157). No player hit more home runs than shortstop Dick McAuliffe's 24. First baseman Norm Cash (23 HR) and utility player Don Demeter (22) were close behind. Cash paced the club with 83 RBI. The three Tiger All-Stars were catcher Bill Freehan (.300, 18 HR, 80 RBI), second baseman Jerry Lumpe (.256...second base must've been a weak offensive position in the A.L.), and right fielder Al Kaline (.293, 31 2B, 17 HR, 68 RBI).

The pitching wasn't much to write home about overall, as the Motor City Kitties ranked no higher than fifth in any statistical category; that includes a 3.84 team ERA that placed seventh out of ten A.L. teams. The staff was carried by the righty-lefty tandem of Dave Wickersham (19-12, 3.44 ERA, 11 CG) and Mickey Lolich (18-9, 3.26 ERA, 12 CG). Fred Gladding was the best among the relievers with a 3.07 ERA, seven wins, and seven saves.

While the Tigers stumbled in 1964, they did have plenty of talent. The promise of players like Freehan, Cash, McAuliffe, Kaline, Willie Horton, and Lolich would finally pay dividends in 1968, when the club stormed over the American League with 103 wins en route to a seven-game World Series victory over the defending champion Cardinals. Detroit made the most out of their sole Fall Classic appearance between 1946 and 1983!

#77 Doug Camilli

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the ocean...it's another massive deposit of cards from Max! These originally arrived in my mailbox in late March of 2009, and there are some good ones yet to come. Um, not that I'm selling Doug Camilli short. I just love the odd, slightly off-center, glove-coming-at-you framing style of this photo. I also like that you can see the #35 on the front of his jersey, as well as the palm trees in the background. I was ready to say that this was Vero Beach, FL, but Doug's wearing a road jersey, so I guess he could be anywhere in Florida...

Fun facts about Doug Camilli:

-His father, Dolph Camilli, was a major league first baseman from 1933-1945, and hit .277 with 239 home runs. He spent six seasons with the Dodgers and was the 1941 N.L. MVP while manning first base in Brooklyn.

-Doug was born in Philadelphia, PA and attended Stanford University before signing with the Dodgers in 1957.

-Shares his September 22 birthday with Hall of Famers Tommy Lasorda and Bob Lemon.

-Made his major league debut on September 25, 1960, and singled off of future Hall of Famer Juan Marichal for his first career hit.

-Playing in his fifth career game on October 1, 1960, he lasted all 14 innings behind the plate and went 4-for-7 at-bat with a double, two runs scored, and an RBI. However, the Cubs outlasted L.A., 10-8.

-Was a backup for his entire career, peaking at 75 games played and 193 at-bats in 1965.

-His best season was 1962, when he hit .284 with four homers and 22 RBI in 45 games.

-Caught Sandy Koufax's third no-hitter, a 3-0 victory over the Phillies on June 4, 1964.

-Was sold to the Senators prior to the 1965 season, and hit just .195 in three seasons in Washington before retiring to become the club's bullpen coach. Was activated for a single game in 1969, and went 1-for-3 to leave his batting average tantalizingly short of the Mendoza line at .19947. Hit 18 home runs and drove in 80 over parts of nine seasons.

-Coached for the Red Sox from 1970-1973, and coached and managed in their farm system for two decades after that. From 1985-1988, he compiled a 261-291 record as the skipper at Class A Greensboro and Winter Haven.

#513 New York Yankees Team

Here comes the last card from my first trade with Kris. Thanks again! This might be the best team card in the set, between the wacky 45-degree angle and the snazzy Yankees emblem resting between the two bat boys. As a bonus, it's waaayyy miscut. Two thumbs up!

By the time most fans saw this card, they were probably sick to death of the Yankees. As you can see, the Bronx Bombers were the American League Champions in 1964, winning 99 games and losing 63 to squeak past the 98-win White Sox and 97-win Orioles. New York spent only 38 days in first place all season, compared to 111 for Baltimore, but they stood alone atop the A.L. when it mattered most. It made for an astounding 15th pennant for the club in an 18-year span dating back to 1947, but this would prove to be their last trip to the postseason until 1976. Somewhat fittingly, this dynastic era for the Yanks ended with a World Series loss, as the Cardinals outlasted them in seven games. Try to dry your eyes.

In the regular season, New York scored 730 runs (second-best in the league) and allowed only 577 (fourth-best). They topped the junior circuit with a total attendance of 1,305,638 at the original Yankee Stadium.

Though the Yankees were #2 in the league in runs scored and batting average (.253), they were not an especially potent offensive club. Three starters topped 16 home runs: first baseman Joe Pepitone (28 HR, 100 RBI), center fielder Mickey Mantle (.303, 35 HR, 111 RBI), and right fielder Roger Maris (.281, 26 HR, 71 RBI). Despite his power, Pepitone failed to post a league-average OPS+, walking only 24 times for an anemic on-base percentage of .281. This didn't stop the decision-makers from tabbing him for the All-Star Game. In addition to Joe, three other New York hitters were selected for the Midsummer Classic: Mantle, catcher Elston Howard (.313, 15 HR, 84 RBI), and second baseman Bobby Richardson (.267, 25 2B...yes, he was voted in by his peers).

The Yank pitchers were no slouches, either; their 3.15 team ERA ranked third and only one pitcher threw at least 50 innings with an ERA above 3.84. The rotation was anchored by All-Star Whitey Ford (17-6, 2.13 ERA, 8 SHO), who was ably flanked by youngsters like Jim Bouton (18-13, 3.02) and Al Downing (13-8, 3.47). Aside from wins, the New York staff also led the league with 45 saves, topped by rookie Pete Mikkelsen's 15 closeouts.

#475 Clete Boyer

One thing you'll notice about this batch of cards that Kris sent me is that they're in very good condition with one exception: the original owner treated them as prototypes for Topps Traded. In this case, a youngster came across this card somewhere between 1967 and 1971 and realized that Clete Boyer was no longer a Yankee, but an Atlanta Brave! As you can see, he fixed that little anachronism with a trusty pencil. Thanks, kid!

Fun facts about Clete Boyer:

-Born in Cassville, MO, Clete signed with the Athletics as a bonus baby in 1955, meaning that he jumped straight to the majors at age 18.

-Two brothers (Ken Boyer and Cloyd Boyer) also played in the majors. Cloyd pitched from 1949-1955, and Ken was a contemporary of Clete with a reputation as one of the best third baseman of the era. Two other brothers, Len and Ron, played minor league baseball.

-In parts of three seasons in Kansas City, he saw action in 124 games, batting .226 with a single home run.

-After being sent to the Yankees in a 13-player trade in mid-1957, Boyer was optioned to the minors and didn't return to the majors for good until 1960.

-In the Bronx, he gained a reputation as an excellent defensive third baseman with some pop in his bat (averaging nearly 14 home runs in his seven full seasons there). However, he was overshadowed by Baltimore's Brooks Robinson, who won the Gold Glove every year that Clete played in New York.

-Like most Yankees of the 1950s and 1960s, Clete had a few shining moments in the World Series. He made a couple of dazzling plays with the glove in the 1961 Fall Classic, hit a tie-breaking home run in Game One of the 1962 Series, and combined with brother (and opponent) Ken to become the first brothers to homer in the same postseason game in the final contest of the 1964 Series.

-Was traded to the Braves prior to the 1967 season and played in Atlanta for five seasons. Highlights included a career-high 26 homers and 96 RBI in 1967 and finally winning his first (and only) Gold Glove in 1969. The latter feat made him and brother Ken (a five-time winner) the first pair of brothers to each gain recognition as top fielders.

-A disagreement with manager Lum Harris and general manager Paul Richards led to his release in mid-1971, bringing an end to his major league career after 16 seasons. In total, he was a .242 hitter with 162 home runs and 654 RBI.

-He continued his playing career in Japan from 1972-1975, playing alongside legendary slugger Sadaharu Oh with the Taiyo Whales. After coaching with the Whales the following season, Clete returned stateside and coached with Oakland (1980-1985) and the Yankees (1988, 1992-1994). He also managed the Bradenton Explorers (later the Daytona Beach Explorers) of the Senior Professional Baseball League in 1989 and 1990.

-In 2000, he opened "Clete Boyer's Hamburger Hall of Fame", a Yankee-themed restaurant in Cooperstown, NY. He passed away in 2007 at age 70, due to complications from a brain hemorrhage.