Fun facts about Dave Vineyard:
-This is the only baseball card issued for Dave Vineyard during his brief career.
-The native of Clay, West Virginia is the only player from the Mountain State to pitch for the Orioles.
-Signed with the Indians out of high school in 1959, but was drafted away by the O's later that year.
-Made his major league debut in July 1964, in the midst of his sixth pro season.
-His second career start (of six) was his best. Just six days after his debut, Dave two-hit the Senators, winning 7-2. He struck out seven and walked four in a complete-game effort, and didn't surrender his first hit until the seventh.
-Vineyard also got his first of two career hits in that game, singling in the seventh inning.
-On September 7, 1964, came on in relief of Dave McNally, who had given up four runs to the Athletics without retiring a batter in the first inning. Vineyard allowed just two runs in six innings while striking out a career-high 11 men, but the Birds fell to the A's, 6-1.
-His stats for 1964, his lone season in the majors: 2-5, 4.17 ERA in 54 innings. He struck out 50 and walked 27. He struggled with arm injuries thereafter, and never made it back to the bigs.
-Back in the minors, Dave pitched no-hitters in 1966 (for Rochester vs. Toledo) and 1967 (for Toronto vs. Rochester).
Haven't heard the name Dave Vineyard in a long time. I really like the color combo of the 65 Orioles Tops cards. The grey looks good with the black and orange.
ReplyDeleteRawlings made terrific gloves back in those days. Used real leather, not the synthetic stuff that's used now. I still use a Rawlings Wally Bunker model that I bought in 1965. It was the biggest glove they had at the sporting goods store. I played the outfield and first base so I got one I could use at both spots. I knew we couldn't afford a fielders and a firstbasemens glove. I think it ran about $13. That was more than most gloves cost then. I treasured that glove and broke it in right, oiling it constantly. I sent it off about 10 years ago to be restrung. Came back looking about as good as it did back in the day. If you dig up Bunker's 65 Topps you can see it, looking exactly like mine. He even has his index finger outside of it. I did that because I thought it looked cool and because we had some infielders who threw pretty hard and I ended up with really painfully bruised fingers if I kept it in. That glove got me through Legion ball, high school ball, intramural softball and a couple of decades worth of city league softball. I still use it to play catch with my sons when they are home.
Kevin, thanks for letting me reminisce.
Bob - Thanks for the great story! My first glove was a Catfish Hunter model, handed down from my dad. I think it was a Wilson. My first of my very own was a black Rawlings Ken Griffey, Jr. I still have it, but it's seen better days. :)
ReplyDeleteJust a brief word to let you know that this is my favorite blog of all the baseball card blogs.
ReplyDelete1965 was the first year I began collecting cards, so this set is filled with memories of cards that I literally haven't seen in over 40 years. I can recall going down to the local deli every day in the summertime with my friends waiting to see if the newest box of cards had come out yet. Being from Cleveland there was nothing like pulling a Sam McDowell card out of a pack. I can't remember but I think there were 5 cards to a pack along with the gum for I want to say only a nickle a pack I could be wrong on that though. Sometimes we would pool our money and buy a whole box and run home to see what we got.
Sadly my collection ended up in a shoebox somewhere, which was eventually tossed when I thought I had "outgrown" the hobby. If only I had known then what I know now.
Again many thanks for the memories.
Dick
Dick - Thanks for your comment! I'm glad you're enjoying the blog. As much as readers like yourself seem to enjoy getting reacquainted with old names, I'm having a great time learning more about players that I've only heard of in passing (if at all!).
ReplyDeleteSometimes the text writers for the cardbacks don't get it right:
ReplyDelete"He'll see lots of duty in '65 with the Orioles"
I guess that's better than writing
"Dave was just filling in as a live body in the bullpen, but the Orioles will probably be good enough in 1965 that Dave will get to be good friends with the Kodak people in Rochester."
Mmayes - You can say that again! I just checked out the 1965 Oriole bullpen: Stu Miller (1.89 ERA), Dick Hall (3.07), Don Larsen (2.67), Harvey Haddix (3.48), and some 19-year-old named Jim Palmer (3.72). No wonder Dave didn't get another shot! Only two Oriole pitchers had a higher ERA in 1965 than Dave's 4.17 the year before: Darold Knowles and Frank Bertaina, who pitched a total of 20 and 2/3 innings. Once again, I'm envious that these great teams were before my time.
ReplyDeleteThis is the only baseball card I have, as Dave is my uncle!
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing this card for years, my Mom has one that was given to her, and signed by Dave since he is her cousin!!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was growing up, my next door neighbor have this particular Dave Vineyard card. It was his prized possession because it was the only Dave Vineyard card. One of the other kids in the neighborhood stole this card in 1966 from him and he stills talks about it to this day - it scarred his childhood. The kids' family moved back to Texas the next year.
ReplyDeleteBack then, we actually used to play various games with these cards. If we just would have taken care of them - we could have cashed in on them now. My neighbor does not have his cards anymore as his mom threw the shoebox away when he was in college. I think I am the only person who still has his cards. We used to throw around Brooks and Frank Robinson cards all the time because there were so many - we didn't think they would be worth so much because of the various types, however, we thought a Dave Vineyard card would be worth a lot of money.
I have spoken to my favorite player, Bobby Richardson (Yankee) on the phone several times this year..class act of a gentleman
ReplyDeleteDave vineyards is one of the best men that I have ever known.He just lost his wife of over 50 some years and now he list his spunk in life.he us a good person.and in pretty good health. He is 83 yes s old!I'm married to his only son David k vineyard II.and am proud to call big Dave my father on law.
ReplyDelete