#6 NL RBI Leaders: Ken Boyer, Ron Santo, and Willie Mays

Here comes another heapin' helpin' of cards from our old buddy Max! We'll kick things off with the first National League leaders card that I received in my quest to complete this set. Even as things stand today, I have all of the American League leaders but I'm missing out on three NL cards.

This one celebrates the top RBI men of the senior circuit, led by 1964 MVP Ken Boyer of the World Champion Cardinals. He spent most of the season in the cleanup spot and did just that, driving in a personal-best 119 runs. Interestingly enough, it was the only time he ever led the league in any offensive category. He had some help from the talented hitters who reached base in front of him. He drove in Curt Flood 26 times and Lou Brock 24 times to account for 42% of his RBI.

Next we have the too-recently-departed Ron Santo, always an RBI crown bridesmaid. His 114 RBI in 1964 were his second-best total, behind his 123 driven in in 1969. The third baseman was in the midst of eight consecutive top-ten finishes in this category, peaking at #2 on three different occasions. He did pace the NL in this particular season with 13 triples, 86 walks, and a .398 on-base percentage. Santo was the #4 hitter in 160 of his 161 games in '64, and plated himself 30 times and Billy Williams 27 times.

The Say Hey Kid was the second runner-up in '64 with 111 RBI. Incredibly, this was the fifth-highest single-season total for Willie, and he never topped the NL in this category. His career high came in 1962, when his 141 ranked second to Tommie Davis' 153! As a consolation prize, Mays took home four home run crowns, which includes his league-high total of 47 in 1964. He spent most of the year in the three-hole for the Giants, and shared his largesse: aside from the 47 times he drove himself in, his most frequent collaborator was Harvey Kuenn (17 times).

A glance at the expanded leader board on the back shows that just six men total topped 100 RBI in the National League in 1964, with the others being Joe Torre, Johnny Callison, and Bill White. Everyone with 46 or more runs batted in made the cut, allowing lesser lights like Clay Dalrymple and Gene Oliver to take their bows.

#567 Tommie Aaron

Tommie Aaron (another player who shares my birthday) is the last card in the batch I've been posting from Ed. Thanks again, Ed! Oh, and if you have any doubts about the laziness of Topps in the late 1960s, please note that they used the exact same photo for his 1963 and 1969 cards. That's pretty weak sauce.

Fun facts about Tommie Aaron:

-A native of Mobile, AL, Tommie was 18 when he signed with the Braves in 1958.

-You may know his older brother Hank, who hit 755 home runs in the major leagues and was a first-ballot Hall of Famer. We'll get to him later.

-Tommie joined Hank on the big league club in 1962, playing in a career-high 141 games and playing first base and left field. He hit .231 with 20 doubles, 8 home runs, and 38 RBI.

-In a game against the Phillies on August 4, 1962, he came to bat in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and the bases loaded. The score was tied 3-3, and he slugged a walkoff grand slam off of Jack Baldschun. One of the baserunners that he drove in was his brother.

-Aaron seems to have been tabbed as a "AAAA" player, spending at least half of each season from 1963-1967 in the minors, and returning to AAA (and eventually AA) from 1971-1973. He made the most of it, though, hitting 147 homers in parts of 12 minor league seasons with a .285 average.

-In 1967, he won the International League MVP with a .309 average, 11 home runs, and 56 RBI. Richmond later named their team MVP award in his honor.

-Tommie returned to the Braves in 1968, serving as a part-time player through the 1971 season. His pinch-hit appearance in Game 2 of the 1969 NLCS made the Aarons the first pair of brothers to team up in a League Championship Series.

-In parts of 7 big league seasons, he batted .229 with 13 home runs and 94 RBI. Naturally, he and Hank hold the record for the most total home runs by a pair of brothers, with 768 between them. Eddie (504) and Rich Murray (4) are the only other duo containing a member of the 500 HR club.

-After his retirement, he managed the AA Savannah Braves (1973-1976) and AAA Richmond Braves (1977-1978). After his 1978 club won the International League championship, he served on the big league team's coaching staff for six seasons under Bobby Cox and Joe Torre.

-Tommie died of leukemia at age 45 in 1984. He was posthumously inducted into the International League Hall of Fame in 2008.

#331 Dodgers Rookie Stars: Al Ferrara and John Purdin

Whoa. Is that a creepy portrait of John Purdin or what? It's like one of those paintings where the eyes follow you. It seems like even Al Ferrara is getting the willies.

Fun facts about Al Ferrara:

-Al "The Bull" Ferrara was born in Brooklyn, and played high school ball with Joe Torre and Joe Pepitone. He signed with the Dodgers in 1959.

-He once played piano at Carnegie Hall.

-He hit .321 and slugging .548 at AAA Spokane in 1963, earning a late summer callup to the majors at age 23. He struggled, compiling a .159 average and driving in a single run in 44 at-bats.

-On May 15, 1965, Ferrara spoiled a Dick Ellsworth no-hit bid with an eighth-inning pinch three-run homer. The Dodgers would beat the Cubs 3-1.

-Al was a valuable pinch hitter and occasional outfielder for the Dodgers in 1966, hitting .270 with 5 home runs and 23 RBI in 115 at-bats. He delivered a pinch single off of Dave McNally in his only World Series at-bat, representing the tying run in the ninth inning of Game Four. He would be stranded at second base as the Orioles completed the sweep.

-He started 87 games for L.A. in 1967, batting .277 with a team-leading 16 home runs, a personal best. He was selected as the Dodgers' player of the year.

-After a broken ankle limited Ferrara to two games in 1968, he was claimed by the Padres in the expansion draft. As San Diego's first starting left fielder, he carried a .260 average with 14 home runs and a career-high 56 RBI and paced the club with 22 doubles and a .349 on-base percentage.

-1970 was another productive year for Al, as he compiled a .277 average, 13 home runs, and 51 RBI.

-He split the 1971 season between the Padres and Reds and retired after collecting only 8 hits in 50 at-bats (.160). In parts of 8 seasons he hit .259 with 51 home runs and 198 RBI.

-He appeared on several TV shows, including Gilligan's Island, Batman, and Match Game '74.

Fun facts about John Purdin:

-John was born in Lynx, OH. The Dodgers discovered him while he was serving in the military, and they signed him at age 21 in 1964.

-He had a rapid ascent, going 14-3 with a 1.91 ERA and pitching a no-hitter at Class A Salisbury to earn a promotion to AAA Spokane. After two strong games there, he was summoned to the majors.

-Purdin tossed two scoreless innings of relief in his debut, and made his first start on September 30, 1964. He blanked the Cubs that day, allowing just two singles and one walk.

-His second time around didn't go so smoothly. In 11 games in 1965, the righty put up a 6.75 ERA. He allowed 8 home runs in just 22 innings, accounting for 13 of the 17 earned runs he yielded!

-John did not return to the majors until 1968, when he had a 3.07 ERA as a reliever for the Dodgers with 2 wins, 3 losses, and 2 saves.

-He last pitched in the majors with Los Angeles in 1969, compiling a .606 ERA in 9 games. He spent the next three seasons at AAA Spokane and Hawaii before walking away from the game.

-In parts of 4 seasons, Purdin was 6-4 with a 3.90 ERA.

-He batted only 16 times in the majors, but collected 4 hits (.250).

-John died in Charleston, SC, in March 2010 at age 67.

#238 Joe Moeller

To the best of my knowledge, Joe is not related to any of the other ex-major-league Moellers: Chad, Danny, Dennis, or Ron. Baseball Reference tells me that none of the five Moellers are related to one another. How do you like that?

Fun facts about Joe Moeller:

-Joe was born in Blue Island, IL and attended high school in California before signing with the Dodgers in 1960.

-He won 20 games in his first pro season with a 2.39 cumulative ERA, jumping from Class C Reno to Class A Greenville to AAA Spokane.

-Moeller became the youngest starting pitcher in L.A. Dodgers history when he made his first start at age 19 (plus two months) on April 18, 1962.

-Despite being sent down in July with a 6-5 record, a 5.25 ERA, and 58 walks and 46 strikeouts in 85.2 innings, he did have a couple bright moments. His first big league win was a complete game effort on April 23 in which he topped the Braves 5-2.

-Joe started a career-high 24 games in 1964, a season that was bookended by full seasons at AAA Spokane in 1963 and 1965. He cut down his walk total to 31 in 145.1 innings, but still had a forgettable 7-13 record and 4.21 ERA.

-His best big league season was 1966, when he went 2-4 with a 2.52 ERA while working chiefly as a reliever. He relieved Don Drysdale in the third inning of that year's World Series opener, allowing one run in two innings.

-After abbrievated stints with Los Angeles in the three preceding seasons, Moeller appeared in 31 games in 1970, starting 19 of those. He went 7-9 with a 3.92 ERA overall, but allowed just a pair of earned runs in 21.2 innings of relief (0.83 ERA) and saved four games out of the bullpen.

-Tossed his only career shutout on June 24, 1970, six-hitting the Braves in a 7-0 Dodger win.

-Joe was only 28 when he last pitched in the majors in 1971. He hung on in the minors for two more seasons before retiring. In parts of 8 major league seasons, he was 26-36 with a 4.01 ERA.

-He has been an advance scout for the Marlins since 2002.

#36 Bobby Wine

Here we see shortstop Bobby Wine showing off his fastball grip. For all of his success as a hitter, maybe he should've tried pitching.

Fun facts about Bobby Wine:

-A native of New York City, Bobby signed with the Phillies as a teen in 1957.

-He debuted with the Phils in September 1960, days after turning 21. He had spent the season at AAA Buffalo, hitting .269 with 28 doubles.

-Bobby's first full season in the bigs was 1962, when he hit a career-high .244 with 4 home runs and 25 RBI. Impressively, his home runs came against Stan Williams, Don Drysdale, Juan Marichal, and Harvey Haddix.

-He won his only career Gold Glove for his play at shortstop in 1963, but was regarded as a strong-armed infielder.

-Back problems hounded Wine throughout his career, costing him the majority of the 1966 and 1968 seasons.

-He was drafted by the Expos prior to their inaugural 1969 season and spent the next three years as the club's primary shortstop. In 1970, he appeared in 159 games and set a record (since broken) by turning 137 double plays.

-Bobby lost his starting job to Tim Foli in 1972 and collected only 18 plate appearances before Montreal released him at midseason. In parts of 12 seasons, he batted .215 with 30 home runs and 268 RBI.

-He got into coaching, spending several years with the Phillies (1972-1983), Braves (1985, 1988-1990), and Mets (1993-1996). After Eddie Haas' firing in August 1985, Wine served as Atlanta's interim manager. The club finished with a 16-25 record in his brief tenure.

-He still works for the Braves as a major league advance scout and was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.

-His son Robbie was a catcher who played 23 games for the Astros (1986-1987). He is currently the head baseball coach at Penn State University.

#19 Gates Brown

Oops, I forgot about Gates Brown when I was talking about my more well-loved 1965 Topps cards. This one is practically bisected! Should you be curious, "Gates" was born William James Brown, and is the only major leaguer to go by Gates.

Fun facts about Gates Brown:

-Gates was born in Crestline, OH and signed with the Tigers at age 20 in 1960.

-Though he wasn't considered a complete enough player to be an everyday starter, he established his credentials as a pinch hitter by homering in his first career at bat on June 19, 1963. He took Boston's Bob Heffner deep in the fifth inning while batting for pitcher Don Mossi.

-Brown started 101 games in left field in 1964, by far his highest total in any season. He hit .272 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI, and even stole 11 bases.

-He excelled in emergency duty in 1968, hitting .370 (34-for-92) with 15 extra-base hits, a .442 on-base percentage, and a .685 slugging percentage. In 48 pinch-hit appearances, he was 18-for-40 (.450) with 5 doubles, a triple, 3 home runs, 7 RBI, and 8 walks (.542 OBP, .850 SLG!). This was the third-best single-season average for a pinch hitter (35+ AB), and he played a significant role in Detroit's championship season.

-The most memorable anecdote of Gates' career came from a 1968 game. He wasn't in the starting lineup, so he slipped away to the clubhouse and returned with a couple of hot dogs covered in condiments. Before he could tuck in, manager Mayo Smith ordered him to pinch hit. Having no time to destroy the evidence, Brown stuffed the hot dogs into his jersey and went to bat hoping for once that he wouldn't get a hit. Sure enough, he found a gap between two outfielders and had to dive headfirst into second base to beat the throw. Supposedly he stood up with telltale ketchup and mustard stains - as well as bits of frank and bun - all over his uniform. The opposing fielders doubled over with laughter, and Smith fined his player $100.

-In a standout 1971 season, the pinch hitter and left fielder batted .338 (66-for-195) with 11 home runs and 29 RBI. He started 55 games and subbed in 31 times.


-Gates played in Detroit for all 13 of his big league seasons, retiring in 1975 with a .257 average, 84 home runs, and 322 RBI. His 16 pinch-hit home runs and 107 base hits as a pinch hitter are both American League records.

-Of his 16 pinch homers, 3 were walkoff shots. His solo shot off of Boston's Lee Stange ended a 14-inning affair on August 11, 1968.

-Brown served as the Tigers' hitting coach from 1978 through the championship season of 1984. In 1989, he managed the Orlando Juice of the Senior Professional Baseball League. For several years, he has been a coach at the Tiger Fantasy Camp in Lakeland, FL.

#17 Johnny Romano

Here's Johnny! Romano, that is, the catcher with a lounge singer name. This card introduces a batch of '65s from partner in crime Ed. I would recommend trading with Ed if you get the chance; his want list is up at OBC.

Fun facts about Johnny Romano:

-Johnny was born in Hoboken, NJ. He signed with the White Sox in 1954.

-After clouting 98 home runs in three-plus minor league seasons, he debuted with Chicago in September 1958 at age 24.

-Despite posting an .875 OPS in 53 games as a rookie, Romano was dealt to the Indians in December 1959 as part of a seven-player deal in which the White Sox reacquired 34-year-old Minnie Minoso. The South Siders also gave up a young Norm Cash in the short-sighted deal.

-Tabbed as the primary catcher in Cleveland, he hit .272 with 16 home runs and 52 RBI in 1960.

-1961 was Johnny's breakout year, with 21 home runs and 80 RBI, as well as career highs in doubles (29) and AVG/OBP/SLG (.299/.377/.483). He was an All-Star for the first time.

-He repeated as an All-Star in 1962, and led the Tribe with personal bests of 25 homers and 81 RBI.

-His only two walkoff home runs came in the same week. A two-out, two-run shot off of Kansas City's Diego Segui on May 16, 1962 erased a 9-8 deficit in the ninth inning. Five days later, he again stepped to the plate with two out in the bottom of the ninth. This time, his three-run shot against Baltimore's Billy Hoeft broke a 7-7 tie.

-A broken finger incurred in a home-plate collision cut into his production and playing time in 1963, but he rebounded to have three more effective years as a regular with the Indians and the White Sox. Chicago reacquired him in 1965, and this time Cleveland paid a great price. Romano, Tommie Agee, and Tommy John all went from the Indians to the ChiSox in a three-team deal that saw Rocky Colavito jump from the A's to the Indians.

-He hit two home runs in the same game nine different times over the course of his career.

-He retired after hitting an anemic .121 in 25 games as Tim McCarver's backup with the 1967 Cardinals. In parts of 10 seasons, Johnny hit .255 with a .354 on base percentage, 129 home runs, and 417 RBI.

#27 Dick Bertell

Just to clarify, this is catcher Dick Bertell, not 1930s and 1940s shortstop Dick Bartell, a.k.a. "Rowdy Richard". In fact, this Dick looks quite pleasant and unassuming.

Fun facts about Dick Bertell:

-A native of Oak Park, IL, Dick attended Iowa State University before signing with the Cubs in 1957.

-In his fourth pro season, he received a September callup to Chicago. He debuted on September 22, 1960, driving in a run on a sacrifice fly in his first trip to the plate.

-In 1961, he split catching duties with Sammy Taylor and hit .273 with 33 RBI in 92 games. He also threw out 43.5% of attempted base stealers.

-On August 26, 1961, he led off the ninth inning with a game-tying home run against Pittsburgh fireman Roy Face, sparking a five-run rally that ensured a 7-3 Cubs road win.

-Dick batted a career-high .302 in 1962 while sharing the load behind the plate with Cuno Barragan and Moe Thacker (yes, I just wanted an excuse to drop the names of Cuno Barragan and Moe Thacker).

-He led the National League with a 60.8% caught stealing percentage in 1963, gunning down 45 of 74 would-be thieves!

-Bertell was traded to the Giants during the 1965 season and played sparingly behind starting catcher Tom Haller. He spent all of 1966 at AAA Phoenix.

-He was traded back to the Cubs in April 1967, but played in only two games before returning to the minors. Chicago released him a month later, ending his playing career.

-In parts of 7 seasons, Dick batted .250 with 10 home runs and 112 RBI. He had a 47.6% caught stealing rate for his career.

-He passed away at age 64 in 1999.

#26 Bobby Knoop

Here are the fruits of a short and sweet trade with MattR of A Giant Blog and Project Baseball 1976. He sent me Bobby Knoop and #27 Dick Bertell (to be posted tomorrow) as well as a couple of 1967 Topps Orioles that I needed. In return, I cobbled together some various and sundry Giants cards from his want list. Thanks Matt!

I always thought that Bobby Knoop's name was pretty odd. I assumed it was pronounced "Nupe" (rhymes with loop) on account of the double-o. But analysts and announcers seem to pronounce it "Nopp" (rhymes with cop). Oh well.

Fun facts about Bobby Knoop:

-Bobby was born in Sioux City, IA but attended high school in Montebello, CA before signing with the Braves in 1956.

-He was stuck in the minors for eight years before the Angels claimed him in the Rule 5 draft, ensuring him a spot on the major league roster in 1964. Though he batted just .216 with a .289 on-base percentage, 7 home runs, and 38 RBI, he saw action in all 162 games as a 25-year-old rookie.

-Knoop achieved personal bests in 1965 with a .269 average and 24 doubles.

-His most productive season was 1966, when he socked 17 home runs, drove in a team-high 72 runs, and led the American League with 11 triples. He was named to his only All-Star team.

-Bobby was a gifted defensive second baseman, nicknamed "Nureyev" by sportswriters who compared his dexterity and grace to the Russian ballet dancer. He partnered with shortstop Jim Fregosi to give the Angels a successful double-play combo and won three straight Gold Gloves (1966-1968).

-He was traded to the White Sox in May 1969 when his offense began to slip. However, he remained a top defender during his two seasons in Chicago.

-Though he hit just seven home runs in 1969, two came in a May 30 loss to the Senators.

-Knoop finished his career with the Royals, where he backed up Cookie Rojas in 1971-1972. In parts of 9 big league seasons he batted .236 with 56 home runs and 331 RBI.

-Loved to face: Camilo Pascual (.415/.442/.683 in 43 plate appearances). Hated to face: Steve Barber (.065/.137/.065 in 51 PA).

-He spent nearly a quarter-century coaching for the White Sox, Angels, and Blue Jays. Today he is an assistant coach at Seton Catholic High in Arizona.

#508 Checklist 7th Series

So we end another shipment from Max with...a checklist? Seems like an anti-climax. Oh well, I appreciate the breather, anyway. Thanks Max!

This checklist corresponds to the 7th and final series of 1965 Topps. It encompasses cards #507-598, meaning that there's no hundred-level hero number. #550 goes to young Yankee star Mel Stottlemyre. The other big names here are Ernie Banks, Lou Brock, and Boog Powell (said the biased Orioles fan). Not quite as star-heavy as the other series...Topps seems to have front-loaded the set. Of course, if we check the cards that are simply labeled as "Rookies" we'll find a few more familiar faces: Catfish Hunter, Tug McGraw, and Tony Perez are lurking there. Believe it or don't, I have 84 of the 92 cards featured on this checklist! That's 91.3%, slightly less than my overall set completion of 95.3%. It won't be long now!