#3 AL Home Run Leaders: Harmon Killebrew, Boog Powell, and Mickey Mantle

I received this card as part of a generous gift from Dean of Dean's Cards. He also sent along some vintage Orioles that I needed, and all he asked for in return was a link exchange. You can check out his blog here. Thanks, Dean!

This is a bittersweet posting, coming the week after Harmon Killebrew's cancer-related death. But at least it allows us to celebrate his skills as a power hitter. In 1964, Harmon led the American League for the fourth time in his great career and the third straight season. He set a career high with 49 longballs, 30 of them coming before the All-Star break. He was hottest in May (12 HR in 26 games) and June (14 HR in 30 games). With 24 homers coming with runners on base, nearly half of his total four-baggers put crooked numbers on the board. He feasted on Boston pitchers, victimizing them 9 times in 18 games. Before all was said and done, he would win a fifth home run crown in 1967 (44) and a sixth in his MVP year, 1969 (49), retiring in 1975 with 573 career HR.

Orioles slugger Boog Powell was a distant runner-up with 39 homers, but that total represented a career high. He did lead the American League with a .606 slugging percentage in 1964, and probably would have given Harmon a run for his money if he hadn't missed 28 games with injuries in mid-June and late August. He made the most of the 21 games he did play in June, going deep 12 times that month. He drove in other runners with 18 of his homers, but somehow went hitless in 10 at-bats with the bases loaded. He feasted on the arms of the lowly Senators, clouting 10 round-trippers in 18 games against Washington. Boog retired after failing to hit a home run in 1977 with the Dodgers; still, he amassed 339 HR in his career. He reached double digits in homers in 14 straight seasons - every year in which he played at least 100 games.

The third-place finisher was Mickey Mantle with 35 homers; it was the last time he topped 30 in his legendary stint with the Yankees. With years of wear and tear beginning to take their toll, the 32-year-old played in 143 games, finishing with 115 less plate appearances than Killebrew. A four-time home run king, Mantle was remarkably consistent in 1964. He hit 16 balls over the fence at Yankee Stadium and 19 on the road. 17 came in the first half and 18 in the second half. After going homerless in eight April games, his totals for the following months were eight, seven, five, eight, and seven. 17 longballs came with the bases empty, and 18 with men on. His most frequent whipping boys were the Kansas City Athletics, whom he clobbered 7 times in 16 games. The Mick retired in 1968 with 536 career home runs, but there's no telling how many he would have hit with better health.

Topps did something neat with the leaderboard on the back, listing each of the 25 American Leaguers who hit at least 20 home runs, and then accounting for all of the grand slams hit in 1964. As you can see, Boston's Dick Stuart and Chicago's Pete Ward tied for the lead with three grannies apiece. Surprisingly, Red Sox catcher Bob Tillman and A's center fielder Nelson Mathews were the only others to hit more than one grand slam.

#577 American League Rookie Stars: Darold Knowles, Richie Scheinblum, and Don Buschhorn

I'm pretty sure this is the only three-team rookie card in the set.  Topps was clearly trying to fill out the set by the time they got to the seventh and final series.

Fun facts about Darold Knowles:

-Darold was born in Brunswick, MO and attended the University of Missouri before signing with the Orioles in 1961.

-He appeared in five games with Baltimore in 1965, but was hit hard.  Was vastly improved in 1966, when he went 6-5 with a 3.05 ERA and a team-leading 69 appearances and 13 saves for the Phillies.

-Knowles was traded to the Senators prior to the 1967 season. In four full seasons in Washington, he never posted an ERA higher than 2.70.

-Made his only All-Star team in 1969, when he went 9-2 with a 2.24 ERA and 13 saves in 53 relief appearances.

-Had an odd statistical season in 1970, posting a 2-14 record out of the bullpen with a 2.04 ERA. He ranked third in the American League with 27 saves, a career high.

-Posted a personal-best 1.37 ERA for the 1972 Athletics while serving as a setup man for Rollie Fingers, and also notched 11 saves. A late-season thumb injury kept him out of the World Series.

-Despite starting only eight games in his career, he did hurl a shutout: on August 14, 1973 he scattered six hits and five walks to blank the Red Sox despite striking out just one batter. The A's won 1-0 on a sixth-inning squeeze by Dick Green that was mishandled by hard-luck Boston starter Bill Lee.

-Pitched in his only Fall Classic in 1973, but made it count. He became the only pitcher in major league history to appear in seven games in a single World Series, notching two saves and only allowing one unearned run in six and one-third innings as the A's outlasted the Mets.

-Also pitched for the Cubs, Rangers, Expos, and Cardinals in the late 1970s. He retired after being released by St. Louis in May 1980. In parts of 16 seasons he was 66-74 with 143 saves and a 3.12 ERA.

-Darold has coached for the Cardinals (1983) and Phillies (1989-1990). In recent years, he's been a minor league pitching instructor in the Pirates and Blue Jays organizations.

Fun facts about Richie Scheinblum:

-A native of New York City, Richie attended Long Island University's C.W. Post Campus and signed with the Indians in 1964.

-Had a very brief cup of coffee with the Indians at age 22 in 1965, and also had short stints with the Tribe in 1967 and 1968.

-Began the 1969 season on the Cleveland roster, but endured an 0-for-34 start to the year. He finished the season with a .186 average and 13 RBI, spending most of the year as a pinch hitter.

-Spending most of the 1971 season at AAA Denver, Richie was named the American Association MVP. He hit .388/.490/.725 with 25 home runs and 108 RBI.

-Joined the Royals in 1972 and became the team's everyday right fielder. It was his only season as a regular, and he made the All-Star team by hitting .300 with a .383 on-base percentage.

-He began the 1973 season relegated to the Reds bench, but gained the Angels' starting right field job following a June trade and hit .328 with a .417 on-base percentage in 77 games in California.

-Reached base all six times he came to the plate on July 28, 1973, going 5-for-5 with an intentional walk, a double, 3 runs scored, and 2 RBI as the Angels romped to a 19-8 win over the Royals.

-Scheinblum split the 1974 season between the Angels and Royals, and finished with a six-game run with the Cardinals. He hit only .183 in what would prove to be his final big league season. In parts of 8 seasons, he batted .263 with a .343 on-base percentage, 13 home runs, and 127 RBI.

-Capped his career with a two-year stint with the Hiroshima Carp in Japan, batting .295/.349/.468. He was the first player to homer from both sides of the plate in one game in the Japanese league.

-After his baseball career ended, Richie opened a jewelry store in Anaheim. Eventually he settled in Palm Harbor, FL and worked for a company that applied logos to clothing items.

Fun facts about Don Buschhorn:

-Don was born in Independence, MO and signed with the Athletics out of high school in 1964.

-After pitching only 15 minor league games, he was promoted to the big leagues, making his debut on May 15, 1965 against the Twins. He got the start, gave up two runs in five innings, and was saddled with the loss in a 2-0 game.

-Buschhorn stayed in the majors until early August, appearing in 12 games with a 4.35 ERA in 31 innings. It was his only exposure to the major leagues.

-He pitched in the minors for the Athletics through 1969, going 21-27 with a 4.11 ERA.

#150 Brooks Robinson

Brooksie! It's hard to beat back-to-back Hall of Fame contemporaries with Baltimore ties who played their entire 20-plus year careers in one city.

Fun facts about Brooks Robinson:

-Brooks was born in Little Rock, AR and signed with the Orioles in 1955.

-He hit .331 with a .489 slugging percentage for the Class B York (PA) White Roses to earn a September callup to the majors in his first pro season. He's fond of telling the story of his debut on September 17, 1955. Getting the start at third base, the 18-year-old went 2-for-4 with an RBI in a 3-1 win over the Senators. He called home and bragged to his parents that he didn't know why the O's hadn't promoted him sooner. He then proceeded to go 0-for-18 with 10 strikeouts for the remainder of the season!

-After injuries, offensive struggles, and a few returns to the minor leagues, Brooks finally enjoyed a measure of success in 1960. He batted .294 with 27 doubles, 9 triples, 14 home runs and 88 RBI. He led the Orioles in doubles, triples, and batting average, as well as runs scored (74). That year he made the first couple of his 18 career All-Star appearances, and won the first of his record 16 Gold Gloves for his extraordinary play at third base.

-His best single-season performance came in 1964, when he set career highs with a .317 average, .368 on-base percentage, .521 slugging percentage, 145 OPS+, 28 home runs, and an American League-best 118 RBI. He breezed by Mickey Mantle in MVP voting, becoming the first Oriole to win the honor.

-Over the years, Robinson participated in nine postseason series with the Birds, accumulating a .303 average in 39 games. He totaled 17 runs scored, 8 doubles, 5 home runs, and 22 RBI. One of those homers came off of Don Drysdale in Game 1 of the 1966 World Series, and gave the O's a 3-0 lead in a game they won 5-2.

-Brooksie's 1970 postseason gets its own bullet point. He went 7-for-12 (.583) with a couple doubles and a pair of RBI in Baltimore's 3-game ALCS sweep over the Twins. For an encore, he was named MVP of the World Series. He was 9-for-21 (.429) with 5 runs scored, 2 doubles, 2 homers, and 6 RBI, and frustrated the Reds with a number of acrobatic plays at the hot corner. He earned the nickname "Hoover" for his glovework, and prompted Johnny Bench to quip, "If we had known he wanted a new car that bad, we'd have chipped in and bought him one".

-He set a big league record (tied by Carl Yastrzemski) by playing his entire 23-year career with one team. Though his bat faltered in his last few seasons, he gave Oriole fans one last thrill with a pinch-hit, walk-off three-run homer off of Cleveland's Dave LaRoche on April 19, 1977. It was his first walk-off home run in five years, and the final four-bagger of his career.

-Brooks retired in August 1977 with a .267 career average, 482 doubles, 268 home runs, and 1,357 RBI. He is still the career leader at third base in games played, putouts, total zone runs, assists, and range factor per nine innings. Of course, he also holds a record for grounding into triple plays, having managed the regrettable feat four times.

-The Orioles retired his #5 at the end of the 1977 season, and he and Frank Robinson are the charter members of the Orioles Hall of Fame. He was a first-ballot inductee to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.

-Robinson has stayed active. He spent several years as a color analyst on Orioles' TV broadcasts, and is currently the president of the MLB Players Alumni Association, which promotes interaction between retired players and fans as well as assisting former major leaguers financially and legally. He is also an investor in Opening Day Partners, which owns four independent minor league clubs in the Atlantic League. One of those teams, the York Revolution, named a plaza at the entrance to their stadium in his honor. There is also a statue there depicting Brooks as a member of the York White Roses.

#33 Jackie Brandt

Alright! Seems like a while since I've posted one of my Orioles. This is one of three O's in the batch that allowed me to complete the team set. In searching for information about Jackie Brandt, I found this great cover photo from the April 10, 1961 issue of Sports Illustrated. I love the Internet.

Fun facts about Jackie Brandt:

-A native of Omaha, NE, Jackie signed with the Cardinals at age 18 in 1953.

-He breezed through the St. Louis farm system in three years, making the major league roster in the spring of 1956 after hitting .305 with 62 extra-base hits at AAA Rochester. He held his own in limited playing time, batting .286 for the first two months of the season. Frank Lane, the notoriously deal-happy Cards' GM, traded him to the Giants that June as part of a nine-player deal. Given a larger opportunity to play, he hit .299 with 11 home runs in 98 games with San Francisco.

-Brandt missed 1957 and most of the 1958 season thanks to military duty. He hit .270 with a dozen home runs as the Giants' left fielder in 1959 and won a Gold Glove.

-He found himself in new environs again in 1960 following a trade to Baltimore. He would be an everyday player for five of his six seasons as an Oriole, and enjoyed a career year in 1961: .297 AVG, .371 OBP, 93 R, 16 HR, 72 RBI. He was selected to the All-Star Games that summer.

-Jackie set personal bests with 29 doubles, 19 homers, and 75 RBI in 1962.

-His teammates called him "Flakey". Popular anecdotes abound: once in New York he claims to have convinced some of his pals to take an hourlong cab ride to an ice cream parlor so he could get a more exotic flavor than the standard hotel fare. Once he got there, he couldn't decide, so he got vanilla. Other examples can be found in this article.

-As his production dipped around age 30, the O's replaced Brandt with the younger Paul Blair. Jackie finished his big league career with short stints in Philadelphia and Houston in 1966-1967. In parts of 11 big league seasons he hit .262 with 112 home runs and 485 RBI.

-He dabbled in the Astros' minor league system through the 1970 season, even pitching in a few games. From 1971-1974 he was a minor league manager for Houston and San Diego.

-After his baseball career ended, he returned home to Omaha and became a driver for UPS.

-Jackie claimed in an interview that he once played 36 holes of golf with some friends who were visiting from out-of-town, and proceeded to go 7-for-8 in a doubleheader that same evening (2 2B, 2 HR, 3 1B)! This sounds like a case for the Baseball-Reference game logs. I checked his home run log to see which home runs came in doubleheaders. He hit a homer in each end of a doubleheader on August 7, 1960, but went "only" 4-for-11. Likewise, there was a two-homer game in the nightcap of an April 22, 1961 twinbill against the Yankees, but overall he was 4-for-8 on that day. An August 8, 1961 two-fer against the A's looks promising: 2-for-2 with a pair of longballs and a pair of walks in the second game. The first brings us a 2-for-3 with a triple, a walk, and a sac fly. Overall: 4-for-5, but he reached base 7 times in 9 trips with 4 runs scored and 4 RBI. These are the only three occasions in which he had two homers in a doubleheader. If the story has any merit, the August 8 games against Kansas City would be our best match.

#499 Stu Miller

Assuming this photo was taken in the spring of 1964, Stu Miller would have been 36 years old. He doesn't look a day over 50.

Fun facts about Stu Miller:

-Stu was born in Northampton, MA and signed with the Cardinals in 1949.

-St. Louis promoted him to the majors in August 1952. The 24-year-old made an immediate splash by completing five of his first six starts, including a six-hitter against the Cubs in his debut and a four-hitter against the same team a few weeks later. Overall he was 6-3 with a 2.05 ERA in a dozen games.

-Poor results in his second and third seasons relegated him back to the minors, but Miller regained his footing after the Giants acquired him in 1957. A year later, he led all National League pitchers with a 2.47 ERA in 41 games (20 starts).

-Teammates and opponents alike seemed baffled by his success. Stu was only 5'11" and weighed between 150 and 165 pounds during his career. Milt Pappas said that he had three speeds for his pitches: "Slow, slower, and slowest". Frank Robinson claimed that he didn't know how Miller's soft tosses reached home plate. Orioles teammates sarcastically dubbed him "Bullet".

-In 1961, Miller made his only All-Star team by crafting a 14-5 record and a 2.66 ERA in relief and pacing the N.L. with 17 saves. He picked up the win on his home field in the Midsummer Classic, but his appearance was notable because he committed a balk due to the notorious high winds at Candlestick Park! Contrary to popular belief, he was not "blown off the mound". Instead, a strong gust caused him to jerk his shoulders while in the set position.

-Following the 1962 season, he joined the Orioles in a six-player trade and delivered immediate results. In his first season in Baltimore, he led the American League with career highs of 71 games pitched and 27 saves. His 2.24 ERA was the best on his team as well.

-At age 37, he had a career year in 1965: 14-7, 24 saves, and a 1.89 ERA and 0.997 WHIP. He was rewarded with a seventh-place finish in MVP balloting.

-In five years with the O's at the end of his career, he had an incredible 2.37 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and an even 100 saves. Of course there was also the one that got away: on April 30, 1967, he relieved Steve Barber in the ninth inning of a 1-1 tie game against Detroit. Barber had allowed no hits but walked ten, and Miller inherited runners on the corners with two out. He induced a grounder to short by Don Wert, but Mark Belanger could not handle the throw to second base cleanly and the winning run scored. Al Kaline followed with a groundout, but the Birds came up empty in their final at-bat and Barber and Miller combined for a losing no-hitter. He also made dubious history two weeks later by surrendering Mickey Mantle's 500th career home run - the only time the Mick took him deep in 18 career meetings.

-Miller closed out his career with two games in 1968 for the Braves. In parts of 16 seasons he was 105-103 with 154 saves and a 3.24 ERA.

-Stu currently lives in Cameron Park, CA. He owned a liquor store for several years after his playing days, and he and his wife Jane have six children (four sons, two daughters).

#396 Frank Bertaina

This is one of those photos in this set that is just full of fun quirks: the great 1960s Orioles road uniform, the mysterious background lurker, the positioning of Frank Bertaina's glove (do you think that anyone actually opens their glove up that quickly after delivering a pitch?). I even like that you can see the veins protruding from his pitching hand - the veins on my arms bulge kind of like that. More than you wanted to know, I'm sure.

Fun facts about Frank Bertaina:

-A native San Franciscan, Frank signed with the Orioles at age 17 in 1961.

-He shot through the minors, debuting with the O's in August 1964 in his third pro season. That year he had gone 11-4 with a 1.99 ERA at AA Elmira and struck out 121 hitters in 131 innings.

-The 20-year-old pitched in only six games for the Birds in his first taste of the majors, but he did earn his first career win in memorable fashion. On September 12, 1964, the lefty held Kansas City to a single hit, a fifth-inning leadoff double by Doc Edwards. He scattered five walks and struck out seven men to blank the A’s, 1-0. Incredibly, the Birds managed only one hit themselves, a John Orsino double in the bottom of the eighth. Bertaina bunted him to third and Jackie Brandt delivered the winning run with a sacrifice fly to make K.C.’s Bob Meyer a hard-luck loser. The Orioles actually set a record that day for the fewest official at-bats in a nine-inning game. Because they were home, they did not bat in the ninth. They had just one hit and one walk, and the walk was erased on a double play. Taking into account three sac bunts and the sac fly, the O’s were credited with only 19 at-bats!

-Despite some early success, Bertaina found it difficult to crack a rotation that included Wally Bunker, Milt Pappas, Steve Barber, and Dave McNally (to say nothing of Jim Palmer, who arrived in 1965). All told, he spent parts of five seasons at AAA Rochester, long enough to compile a 44-20 record. In 1965 he led the International League with 188 strikeouts in 181 innings, contributing to his Red Wings-record 501 career K's. He is a member of the Rochester Red Wings Hall of Fame.

-Splitting the 1966 season between Baltimore and Rochester, he won 9 of his 11 minor league starts with a 2.33 ERA and had a 3.13 ERA in 63.1 big league innings. Though the O's won the World Series, he did not pitch in the postseason.

-Frank had a reputation as an eccentric fellow; teammate and fellow pitcher Moe Drabowsky dubbed him "Toys in the Attic".

-In May 1967, the Orioles traded him to Washington. He had his most sustained success that season, going 7-6 with a 2.99 ERA overall and topping all Senators pitchers with four shutouts.

-He struggled in 1968, going 7-13 for the Sens with a 4.66 ERA and leading the American League with 17 wild pitches. Over the following two seasons, he had short stints back in Baltimore and in St. Louis, and he was through as a big leaguer at age 26. In parts of seven seasons he had a 19-29 record and a 3.84 ERA.

-Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle batted just .111 (2-for-18, 3 BB) against Bertaina with a single home run and RBI.

-Frank suffered a fatal heart attack at age 65 last March in Santa Rosa, CA.

#378 Chuck Estrada

As far as I know, Chuck Estrada is no relation to Erik Estrada. If Chuck had pitched in the late 1970s, he probably would have tired of teammates calling him "Ponch".

Fun Facts about Chuck Estrada:

-A native of San Luis Obispo, CA, Chuck signed with the Braves as a teenager in 1956.

-Milwaukee sent him to the Orioles in 1958, and he made his major league debut on April 21, 1960, striking out five Senators in two scoreless innings of relief.

-Baltimore soon moved Estrada to the rotation, and the results were encouraging to say the least. He went 18-11 to tie Jim Perry for the American League lead in wins, also led the loop with seven hits allowed per nine innings, and had a 3.58 ERA. He paced the O's with 12 complete games and 144 strikeouts, though his 101 walks were less auspicious. He was chosen as an All-Star and as The Sporting News' Pitcher of the Year, and finished second to teammate Ron Hansen in Rookie of the Year balloting. He even received eight percent of the A.L. MVP vote!

-There was no sophomore jinx for Chuck, who followed up his rookie effort with a 15-9 record and a 3.69 ERA. He again lead the league with 6.8 H/9 IP, but also topped all A.L. pitchers with 132 walks allowed. Once more he paced Oriole pitchers with 160 strikeouts.

-On June 6, 1961, he struck out a dozen Angels in a two-hit shutout. He also walked six, but who's counting?

-The Birds averaged just 3.38 runs per game in Estrada's 1962 starts, and he led the league in losses. His record tumbled to 9-17 despite a decent 3.83 ERA. He did set a career high with 165 strikeouts, but issued 121 free passes.

-The discovery of a bone spur and chips in his right elbow in early June brought the hurler's 1963 season to a premature end. He threw only 54.2 innings the following year with a 5.27 ERA, and spent all of 1965 at AAA Rochester.

-Chuck's major league career came to an unglamorous end with short and ineffective stints with the Cubs in 1966 and Mets in 1967. In his final pro season, he pitched for the single-A Visalia Mets in 1969 and managed the club for a portion of the year.

-In parts of seven seasons he was 50-44 with a 4.07 ERA.

-Estrada served as pitching coach for the Rangers (1973), Padres (1978-1981), and Indians (1983).

#363 Bob Johnson

I bet you didn't know it was Johnson week here on the ol' blog. Actually, Bob is the last of the five Johnsons we'll see in the 1965 Topps set. We're already acquainted with Alex, Davey, Deron, and Ken. Making some progress now...

Fun facts about Bob Johnson:

-A native of Omaha, NE, Bob played unaffiliated ball with the Pauls Valley (OK) Raiders in 1954 and was acquired by Detroit the following year.

-The Athletics claimed him in the Rule V draft and brought him to the majors in 1960. He hit .205 in 76 games as a 24-year-old rookie.

-The second Senators franchise grabbed him that offseason in the expansion draft, and he claimed their starting shortstop job in the second half of 1961. He acquitted himself well, hitting .295 with 20 extra-base hits in 61 games.

-In 1962, he was a full-time player for the only time in his MLB career. Splitting most of his time between third base and shortstop, he batted .288 with 20 doubles and 12 home runs (placing him second on the Sens in all three categories).

-Traded to the Orioles, Bob was recast as a pinch hitter. Aside from a .295 average in 1963, his overall numbers were nothing special in Baltimore. But he did lead the American League with 15 pinch hits in 45 at-bats in 1964.

-Johnson spent the last four years of his career packing his bags and repacking them, playing for six different clubs (Orioles, Mets, Reds, Braves, Cardinals, A's).

-In 1967, his lone season in New York, he turned in his best effort as a part-timer, batting .348 overall and .382 (13-for-34) as the N.L.'s best pinch hitter while, as always, playing all four infield positions.

-On August 8, 1967, his leadoff home run in the bottom of the 11th inning gave the Mets a 3-2 walkoff win over Atlanta.

-When his 11-year career wrapped up in 1970, he was a .272 hitter with 44 home runs and 330 RBI. Coincidentally, his career average as a pinch hitter was also .272!

-Not only did Bob have more plate appearances against Jim Kaat than he did against anyone else, but he also battered Kaat to the tune of a .425 average (17-for-40), two doubles, one triple, two home runs, and seven RBI. On April 17, 1970, he also hit the final home run of his career off of the 283-game winner, who likely was not sad to see him go!

#343 Mike McCormick

If I had to describe Mike McCormick in one word, that word would be "squinty". BONUS FUN FACT! He is just one of three major leaguers by that name. The first was a Scottish native who played third base for the Brooklyn Superbas in 1904, and the second patrolled the outfield for several teams in the 1940s.

Fun facts about Mike McCormick:

-Mike hailed from Pasadena, CA and garnered attention as a 17-year-old American Legion pitcher. He threw four no-hitters, struck out 26 batters in a game, and won 49 games total.

-The Giants (still in New York at the time) signed him in 1956 as a $60,000 bonus baby and he saw action in three big league games before turning 18.

-He was eased into the team's rotation over the span of a few years, and went 11-8 with eight complete games in his second full season.

-In 1959, he managed a rare feat, pitching a no-hitter while allowing a hit. *record scratch* Yes, he completed five hitless innings on June 12 at Philadelphia before surrendering a hit in the sixth frame. However, rain stopped the game before the inning could be completed, and per the rules, the game was official after five innings, with the incomplete sixth being wiped out!

-Mike was an All-Star for the first time at 21, as he led all National League pitchers in 1960 with a 2.70 ERA and completed a career-high 15 games to match his win total. He repeated as an All-Star the following year.

-The mid-Sixties were a forgettable time for the southpaw, as he lost his regular spot in the San Francisco rotation in 1962, was traded to Baltimore the following year and won only six of 21 starts, spent most of 1964 at AAA Rochester, and had to regain his form with a two-year exile to the American League basement (located in Washington, D.C.).

-Returning to the Giants in 1967, all seemed right in Mike's world once more. He won the first National League Cy Young Award (one award had been given across both leagues previously) and finished sixth in MVP voting. His stats, with N.L. ranks in parentheses: 22-10 record (1st), 2.85 ERA (missed top ten by .09), 14 complete games (7th), five shutouts (2nd). He was also chosen as the league's Comeback Player of the Year, though the voters were likely looking at his win total only; he'd had a 3.46 ERA (101 ERA+) for the Senators in 1966, but went 11-14 with crummy run support.

-He must have had a thing for round numbers. He reportedly hit the 500th home run ever struck by a pitcher, and on July 14, 1968, he served up Hank Aaron's 500th career homer!

-After two more decent years on the San Francisco staff (23-23, 3.46 ERA), he got knocked around while toiling for the Giants and Yankees in 1970 and the Royals in 1971. He finished a 16-year major league career with 134 wins, 128 losses, and a 3.73 ERA.

-Mike has been married twice and has three daughters and two sons.

#303 Johnny Orsino

Okay, patient readers, I'm back from my own All-Star Break of sorts, a week well-spent at the beach. Here to welcome me back is the "Horse", Johnny Orsino. I'm a fan of the batting cage in the background, as well as the close-up of the old Orioles road jersey. The placket piping and the classic bird on the sleeve really do tie it all together.

Fun facts about Johnny Orsino:

-A native of Teaneck, NJ, Johnny signed with the Giants as a teenager in 1957.

-He showed prodigious power in the minors, reaching 40 extra-base hits in each of his first four seasons.

-Played only 43 games over two seasons (1961-1962) for San Francisco, hitting .275 with four homers.

-Traded to the Orioles in the six-player deal that also landed Stu Miller for the Birds. Announced his presence with home runs in each of his first five at-bats in Spring Training.

-Playing a career-high 116 games in 1963, Orsino cranked out 19 homers and 18 doubles, drove in 56 runs, and batted .272. His 133 OPS+ was third among American League catchers, trailing only All-Stars Earl Battey and Elston Howard.

-Lost playing time over the next two seasons as he slumped to .227 with 17 home runs in 158 contests.

-Was dealt to the Senators after the 1965 season and ended his career with a whimper, collecting just four hits in 15 games over the following two years. Continued playing out the string in the minor leagues through the 1969 campaign.

-In parts of seven big league seasons, he hit .249 with 40 homers and 123 RBI.

-Managed briefly and unsuccessfully in the Indians' farm system, winning 103 games and losing 177 between AA Jersey City and AA Chattanooga in 1977 and 1978. Later in life, he became a golf pro and coached golf at Florida Atlantic University.

-On July 26, 1963, he hit a three-run homer off of a fellow two-sport athlete: White Sox pitcher (and future NBA Hall of Famer) Dave DeBusschere.

#473 Orioles Rookie Stars: Paul Blair and Dave Johnson

Wow. I'm sure I've talked about how hit-or-miss these multi-rookie cards are, but this is almost certainly the best of the bunch. The Braves Rookie Stars card with Clay Carroll and Phil Niekro is the only challenger, I'd say. It's hard to beat six combined All-Star appearances and 11 Gold Gloves, though!

Fun facts about Paul Blair:

-A native of Cushing, OK, Paul attended high school in Los Angeles before signing with the Mets in 1962.

-The Orioles snatched him up via the (now defunct) first-year minor league draft, and he made his major league debut late in 1964 at age 20.

-Earned the O's starting center field job the following year, but really came on in 1966. That year he hit .277 in the regular season and his solo home run off of Claude Osteen delivered a 1-0 win for the Birds in the third game of the World Series. In the next game, he caught the final out to clinch Baltimore's first championship.

-Won the first of his eight Gold Gloves in 1967 and batted a career-high .293 and led the American League with 12 triples. He was a speedy and dazzling defender in center field who played especially shallow, often racing back to the wall to rob opposing hitters.

-Was an All-Star for the first time in 1969 (he would return to the Midsummer Classic in 1973), when he hit .285 and established personal bests in runs (102), doubles (32), home runs (26), and RBI (76), and stole 20 bases for the first time. He batted .400 and drove in six runs in the Orioles' three-game ALCS sweep of the Twins, but (like many of his teammates) his bat fell cold in the shocking five-game World Series loss to the Mets.

-Had a memorable hot streak in the 1970 World Series win over the Reds, batting .474 (9-for-19) in five games. For his career, he was a .288 hitter with the O's and Yankees in six Fall Classics (his teams won four and lost two).

-After his average dipped to .197 in 1976, Baltimore traded Paul to the Yankees. He pulled reserve duty in the Bronx for two years, memorably replacing Reggie Jackson in right field in mid-inning on June 18, 1977 when Jackson enraged manager Billy Martin with a supposed lack of effort on a Jim Rice double. Martin and Jackson came to blows in the dugout in a nationally televised game.

-After a poor season with the Reds in 1979, Blair retired and took a job with the Yankees as a minor league instructor, but returned to active duty in June for a dozen games, mostly as a defensive replacement. He finished his career with a .250 average in parts of 17 seasons, to go with 134 home runs, 620 RBI, and 171 steals.

-Paul kept busy after his playing days, serving as head coach at Fordham University (1983) and Coppin State (1998-2002) and coaching in the Astros organization. He also briefly played for the Gold Coast Suns of the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989.

-Blair currently lives in Owings Mills, MD and still makes appearances at Orioles events. Though he suffered a heart attack last December, he recovered quickly and took part in a reunion of members of the 1970 World Champs at last month's Orioles FanFest.

Fun facts about Dave(y) Johnson:

-Davey was born in Orlando, FL, and briefly attended Texas A & M University before signing with the Orioles in 1962.

-He debuted with the O's in the 1965 season at age 22. Early the following season, they traded starting second baseman Jerry Adair to clear the way for Johnson.

-Was an All-Star for the first of four seasons in 1968, and won the first of three straight Gold Gloves the following year.

-Starred in the 1970 postseason, batting .364 with two homers in a three-game ALCS sweep of the Twins and adding a .313 mark with a .476 on-base percentage in the World Series victory over the Reds.

-His finest season in Baltimore came in 1971, when he hit .282 with 18 home runs and 72 RBI.

-After slumping badly in 1972, he was traded to the Braves to make way for the younger Bobby Grich. Davey's first season in Atlanta was remarkable, as he broke Rogers Hornsby's 50-year-old record for home runs by a second baseman, walloping 43 and joining Hank Aaron and Darrell Evans as the first trio of teammates to top 40 homers in a season. He was named Comeback Player of the Year in the N. L.

-Spent 1975 and 1976 in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants, where he was chosen by revered manager Shigeo Nagashima as the first foreign player on the team in nearly a decade. For much of his time with the Giants, he battled injuries as well as his manager and teammates. Despite hitting 26 homers in 1976, winning a Gold Glove, and spurring a worst-to-first season for his club, he was essentially blackballed from the league after feuding with Nagashima and refusing a pay cut.

-Returned to the U.S. and played well in 1977 and 1978 in reserve duty for the Phillies and Cubs. Finished his playing career with a .261 average, 136 home runs, and 609 in parts of 13 seasons.

-Was a successful manager for the Mets (1984-1990), Reds (1993-1995), Orioles (1996-1997), and Dodgers (1999-2000), finishing first or second in 11 of his 12 full seasons. His greatest triumph came in 1986, as he led the Mets to a 108-54 record and a thrilling World Series win over the Red Sox. He often clashed with ownership, leading to his frequent departures from clubs.

-Since his major league managerial career ended, Davey has been active with USA Baseball, managing America's teams in the 2005 and 2007 Baseball World Cups (winning the crown in the latter by toppling Cuba), the 2008 Summer Olympics (bronze medal), and 2009 World Baseball Classic. He is currently a senior advisor for the Washington Nationals.

#410 Luis Aparicio

In keeping with this week's trend of Class of 1984 Hall of Famers with solid nicknames, today brings "Little Looie". The half-obscured patch on his left sleeve was worn by the Orioles in 1964 to commemorate the sesquicentennial (that's 150th) anniversary of the Star Spangled Banner, which was written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 during the British bombardment of Baltimore's Fort McHenry. Nothing like a little history lesson with your baseball card blog reading, huh?

Fun facts about Luis Aparicio:

-Luis was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, and signed with the White Sox in 1954. His father Luis Sr. and his uncle Ernesto were well-known infielders in their home country.

-At age 22, he began the 1956 season as Chicago's starting shortstop and became the first foreign-born player to win the American League Rookie of the Year award. That year he hit .266 and led the league in steals with 21; it was the first of nine consecutive seasons that he would be the stolen base king.

-Was an All-Star in ten different seasons and also won nine Gold Gloves.

-In 1959, he sparked the "Go-Go Sox" with 56 steals in addition to his flashy defense, and finished second in MVP voting to his double play partner Nellie Fox. The two were good friends off the field, and Luis named his son after Nellie.

-Despite Aparicio's strong performance in the 1959 World Series (8-for-26 [.308]), Chicago was bested by the Dodgers in six games.

-Was traded to the Orioles in a six-player deal prior to the 1963 season. The swap involved another former Rookie of the Year (Ron Hansen) and a fellow future Hall of Famer (Hoyt Wilhelm).

-Spent five years with the O's, winning a World Championship with them in 1966. That season he hit .276 with 25 swipes and a career-high 25 doubles and finished ninth in MVP balloting.

-Returned to Chicago in another six-player trade in November 1967. Spent only three seasons with the Pale Hose the second time around but posted the two highest single-season batting averages of his career despite being in his mid-thirties (.280 in 1969 and .313 in 1970).

-Finished his career with three years in Boston, retiring in 1973 as a .262 hitter over his 18 seasons. He hit 394 doubles, 83 home runs, and 791 RBI, and stole 506 bases (20th-best in history when he retired, still 34th-best). Also held the following records (since broken) for a shortstop: most games played, assists, and double plays.

-Was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984. The White Sox retired his #11 that year, though he gave permission for it to be "un-retired" in 2010 for fellow countryman Omar Vizquel, who broke his record for games played by a shortstop. Among other honors, he was inducted into the Venezuelan Hall of Fame in 2003, threw out the first pitch at the White Sox' first home World Series game in 2005, and had a statue in his likeness (alongside a statue of keystone partner Nellie Fox) unveiled at Chicago's U.S. Cellular Field in 2006. Additionally, the best Venezuelan player in the major leagues has received the Luis Aparicio Award each year since 2004.

#539 Herm Starrette

Okay, Herm's out of order because I wrote up the last post before checking my list. He's been patiently waiting with his asymmetrical undersleeves. Seriously, was the sleeve on his pitching arm longer than the one on his glove arm, or is there just slippage on the latter? You tell me.

Fun facts about Herm Starrette:

-A native of Statesville, NC, Herm pitched at Lenoir-Rhyne College before signing with the Orioles in 1958.

-Won 58 games in five full minor league seasons before making the jump from A to AAA in 1963.

-Made his major league debut on July 1, 1963 and pitched well in relief for the O's, compiling a 3.46 ERA in 26 innings.

-He was the first man born in Statesville to pitch in the majors.

-Entered in a mop-up role on August 15, 1963 with the Twins leading Baltimore 13-1. He loaded the bases and then stranded all three runners by striking out the side.

-Earned his only major league win on June 28, 1964 with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief at Washington.

-Appeared in only nine games for the Orioles in 1964-1965, despite allowing just three earned runs in 20 innings.

-In the midst of his fourth season at AAA Rochester in 1966, the 27-year-old Starrette retired, leaving him with a 1-1 record and a 2.54 ERA in 27 MLB games spanning three seasons.

-Surrendered only one home run in 46 innings in the bigs. The batter was Yankee catcher Elston Howard.

-Spent another 35 years in pro baseball as a major league coach, minor league instructor, instruction coordinator, and farm system director. He worked with the Orioles, Giants, Phillies (he was the pitching coach for the 1980 World Champions), Brewers, Cubs, Expos, and Red Sox.

#204 Russ Snyder

I always enjoy seeing the palm trees in the background of spring training photos. Right about now, I would desperately love to see some palm trees up close and personal. Maybe that has something to do with a miserable rainy Monday in November in the Mid-Atlantic. Ugh.

Fun facts about Russ Snyder:

-Born in Oak, NE, he signed with the Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1953.

-Despite a strong batting record at every stop in the minors (including an eye-popping .432 in 138 games in his first pro season at class D McAlester), Russ moldered in the stacked New York farm system for six seasons before he was mercifully dealt to the Athletics.

-Finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 1959 even though he played in just 73 games. Hit .313 with a .367 on-base percentage in his first crack at American League pitching.

-After a sophomore slump, Snyder was sent to the Orioles in a six-player trade. Though he was a part-timer for much of his tenure in Charm City, he was a valuable role player, including batting averages of .305 in 1962 and .306 in 1966. He ranked third in the A.L. with 18 steals in 1963.

-On April 29, 1962, Russ achieved a rare feat by delivering two pinch-hits in one inning. Facing Kansas City, he batted for pitcher Wes Stock and led off the seventh inning with a game-tying home run. The O's batted around and tacked on four more runs, allowing Snyder to come to the plate again with two runners on base. He delivered an RBI single, putting the cap on a six-run rally.

-Capped his career-best 1966 season by appearing in Baltimore's four-game World Series sweep of the Dodgers. He reached base three times in eight trips to the plate and had and RBI single against Don Drysdale in Game One.

-Spent the last three years of his career with the White Sox, Indians, and Brewers before retiring in 1970. In a dozen seasons in the majors, he hit .271 with 150 doubles, 42 home runs, and 319 RBI.

-Hit his final home run off of future Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter. In total, he took Hunter deep three times, tying his career high against any pitcher. He victimized another Cooperstown denizen (Jim Bunning) thrice, and also performed the feat against 215-game winner and three-time All Star Jim Perry.

-Other interesting tidbits: Frank Robinson once doubled, but was called out when baserunner Snyder passed him going the other way (he assumed the blast to the center field fence had been caught and was retreating); against the Senators, he once scored from second base on a flyout; and in 1966, he caught the final out of the game that allowed the Orioles to clinch their first pennant.

-Post-baseball, Russ went home to Nelson, NE and operated a tavern/steakhouse for a decade before working for the Government Soil Conversation Office.

#9 1964 AL Wins Leaders: Chance, Peters, Bunker, Pizarro, and Wickersham

Happy Thanksgiving, folks! I'm thankful for this nifty card, one of a couple dozen that I received in a trade from Steve, a diehard Cubs fan who has a blog of his very own. Give it a look, why not?

The labeling on this card is pretty murky. On the front it just says, "Pitching Leaders". Way to narrow it down, Topps. The back gives the more specific (and delightfully quirky) "Victory Leaders". These men are victors! They exult in the lamentations of their conquered foes' women! Huzzah!

Whereas some of the league leaders cards feature multiple Hall of Famers in one fell swoop, not one of the five men pictured here has gotten the call to Cooperstown. Of the quintet, Juan Pizarro was the winningest over the course of his career with 131 W's. But in 1964, they were five of the finest pitchers in the American League. Let's break it down.

Dean Chance was the standard bearer with 20 wins and nine losses, as well as a miniscule 1.65 ERA. He was the runaway Cy Young Award winner, back when there was just one winner for all of MLB. Tying him in the win department was Gary Peters of the White Sox, who was followed closely by teammate Pizarro with 19. Also clocking in with one win for each of his 19 years was Rookie of the Year runner-up Wally Bunker, who's giving a Brady Bunch-esque sideways glance to Juan. Then there's Dave Wickersham, who also fell a game short of the big 2-0. Dave never topped a dozen wins in any other season, incidentally.

I love the detail that they put into the leaderboards in this set. Assuming that I can count this late at night, the top 54 winners in the A.L. are listed here. This may very well be the only time that Bob Heffner and John O'Donoghue were ever mentioned in the same space as Robin Roberts and Mickey Lolich. You'll also notice the misspelling of Jim Kaat's last name as "Katt", which recurs on his own card. No respect.

#15 Robin Roberts

Sit back and get comfortable, because today's post is the first of an entire box full of 1965 Topps that I received from the magnanimous Jamie Whyte. He was willing to part with this cardboard smorgasbord because he is no longer actively collecting. In return, he simply asked for cards "of some particular interest or merit". I did my best to extract a variety of sharp-looking cards from my collection, and sent them off to Jamie, but I assure you that anything I gave him paled in comparison to my half of the trade. So again, I offer my hearty thanks!

Fun facts about Robin Roberts:

-A Springfield, IL native, Robin served in the U.S. Army in World War II, then signed with the Phillies in 1948 out of Michigan State University.

-He went 9-1 with a 2.06 ERA at Class B Wilmington and was promoted to the majors by June of his first pro year, sporting a 3.19 ERA and completing nine of his 20 starts for a bad Philly team.

-After notching 15 W's in his sophomore season, Robin led the very young 1950 Phillies squad to the World Series. He won 20 games for the first of six straight seasons (before he came along, the Phils hadn't had a 20-game winner since Grover Cleveland Alexander in 1917!) and pitched amazing ball in the Fall Classic. In Game 2, he lost a 10-inning complete-game heartbreaker to the Yankees, 2-1, and returned in relief in Game 4, pitching a scoreless inning in vain as New York completed the sweep.

-Was the National League's Player of the Year in 1952 (as voted by The Sporting News): 28-7, 2.59 ERA, 30 complete games, 45 walks in 330 innings, 1.02 WHIP.

-For his career, Robin was a seven-time All-Star and led the National League in wins four straight years, complete games five straight years, innings pitched five straight years, strikeouts twice, and shutouts and WHIP once each. He also topped the loop in home runs allowed five times, but allowed such a low number of baserunners that it didn't hurt him badly to say the least!

-The Phillies released Roberts after a dismal 1961 (1-10, 5.85), and the Yankees cut him the following Spring Training. The Orioles took a flyer on the 35-year-old and reaped the benefits: in three and a half seasons, Robin won 42, lost 36, and notched a 3.09 ERA for the Birds. He also served as a veteran influence on a talented young pitching staff.

-Had short stints with the Astros and the Cubs to wrap up his career. In 19 seasons, he was 286-245 with a 3.41 ERA, 2,357 strikeouts, and 305 complete games.

-Was the only pitcher to beat the Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta Braves.

-Among his post-career accolades, he has had his uniform number retired by the Phillies and the Vermont Mountaineers (he had moonlighted as a basketball player, briefly playing for a pro team in VT), and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.

-Coached the University of South Florida baseball team (1977-1985), guiding the Bulls to their first NCAA postseason tournament in 1982. To this day, he is active with the Baseball Hall of Fame.

#290 Wally Bunker

This is what card collecting is all about. An Oriole, a Rookie Cup, and an impressively miscut piece of cardboard. Oh yeah.

Fun facts about Wally Bunker:

-Originally from Seattle, Bunker signed with the Orioles in 1963.

-Went 10-1 with a 2.55 ERA at A-level Stockton in his first pro season to earn a September promotion to Baltimore. He was just eighteen at the time!

-Made the big league club out of Spring Training in 1964 and had an incredible rookie season, leading the O's with a 19-5 record, a 2.69 ERA, and a 1.04 WHIP. His .792 win percentage led the American League. It's hard to believe that he finished a distant second in Rookie of the Year balloting, but winner Tony Oliva's .323 average, 32 home runs, and 94 RBI were pretty persuasive. However, Wally was The Sporting News' AL Rookie Pitcher of the Year.

-Wally was known for a sharp sinker; Mickey Mantle said that it was a pitch "you could break your back on". The Mick went 2-for-9 (.222) with one RBI vs. the young righty.

-Unfortunately, he came up with a "sore arm" (likely torn tendons or ligaments that went undetected) in 1965, and injuries would severely affect his career thereafter. He did win 10 games in that season and the following one, but his earned run average climbed steadily.

-Wally had one last moment in the sun with the Orioles in the 1966 World Series, twirling a 1-0 shutout of the Dodgers on six hits. He struck out six batters in the second of three consecutive whitewashes by the young Baltimore pitchers, who stunned the favored L.A. team in a four-game sweep.

-After health woes limited Bunker to 159 innings combined in 1967 and 1968, the Birds left him unprotected in the expansion draft. He was claimed by the Royals, and threw the first pitch in team history the following April.

-Staying on the mound for a full season for the first time in years, Wally led Kansas City with a 12-11 record and 3.23 ERA in 1969.

-In 1969, Bunker tossed the last of three career one-hitters. However, there wasn't much drama in those games. Jay Johnstone's single to lead off the seventh in the September 11, 1969 game was the deepest that Wally went into one of his gems without surrendering a hit.

-He suffered through another injury-marred campaign the following year (2-11, 4.22), and threw his last pitch in the majors at age 26. For his career, he won 60 and lost 52 with a 3.51 ERA in parts of nine seasons.

#67 Harvey Haddix

This is one of my favorite Orioles cards in this set. I remember reading about Harvey Haddix's lost-perfect-game (more on that later) as a kid, so a few years later it blew my mind when I found out that he went on to pitch for my favorite team. Harvey just has a classic baseball face; there's a lot of character in it. You can see every inch and line of that character in his 1964 Topps card, of course. I bet he would've been a big hit in the High Definition era.


Fun facts about Harvey Haddix:


-As a 21-year-old lefthander from Medway, OH, he signed with the Cardinals in 1947.


-Did not debut with St. Louis until 1952, in part because he served in the military the previous year. Was nicknamed "Kitten" due to his similarity to veteran teammate Harry "the Cat" Brecheen, who would later serve as his pitching coach in Baltimore.


-His first full season was the best of his career, as he went 20-9 with a 3.06 ERA and a league-leading six shutouts in 1953. He earned the first of three consecutive All-Star selections and was runner-up to Jim Gilliam in the Rookie of the Year voting, largely because Gilliam's Dodgers were the National League Champions.


-Won three straight Gold Gloves as the National League's top-fielding pitcher, 1958-1960.


-As a Pirate, turned in what is widely regarded as the best single-game pitching performance in major league history on May 26, 1959. Harvey threw 12 perfect innings against the defending N.L. champion Braves, but lost the whole ball of wax in the 13th. Third baseman Don Hoak's throwing error allowed Felix Mantilla to reach first. Eddie Mathews bunted the runner to second, Hank Aaron was intentionally walked, and Joe Adcock hit a three-run homer that was scored as a double thanks to a baserunning mishap. Eventually, the final score was recorded as 1-0. In 1993, ex-Brave Bob Buhl admitted that Milwaukee had been stealing signs, and still couldn't touch Haddix for 12 innings!


-Karma rewarded Harvey in 1960, as he won two games in the Pirates' seven-game World Series triumph over the Yankees, including the clincher in relief.


-Spent the last two years of his career (1964-1965) as a reliever for the Orioles, and excelled on an excellent Baltimore staff in 1964 (5-5, 2.31 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 10 SV).


-In parts of fourteen season, went 136-113 with 99 complete games, 1,575 strikeouts, and a 3.63 ERA.


-Because I love pitchers' hitting stats, Harvey was competent with the bat, hitting .212 in his career and turning in seasons of .289 and .309. He crushed the recently-featured Ron Kline (6-for-16, 2 BB, 2 K, 4 RBI, 1.069 OPS).


-Much like "the Cat", "the Kitten" became a pitching coach after he stepped off of the mound. He served in that capacity for the Mets, Reds, Red Sox, Indians, and Pirates.


-Haddix died in 1994 of emphesyma. He was 68 years old at the time.

#231 Jerry Adair

This is a first for me when it comes to vintage card collecting. I've seen homemade "traded" cards before, but this is the first homemade error card that I can recall. The anonymous designer had correctly designated Jerry Adair as a Kansas City Royal following his selection in the 1968 expansion draft, but then second-guessed himself. Perhaps he was still confused by the Athletics' recent relocation from Kansas City to Oakland and hedged his bets. Then again, maybe this card was altered again during Adair's coaching stint with the A's. Poor Jerry looks just as confused as the previous owner of his card.

Fun facts about Jerry Adair:

-An Oklahoman through and through, he signed with the Orioles for a $40,000 bonus in 1958 after starring in both baseball and basketball at Oklahoma State University.

-Had his finest all-around season with the bat in 1962, his second year as a regular: .284, 29 2B, 11 HR, 48 RBI.

-Carved out a reputation as an excellent defensive player, setting a record with 89 straight errorless games (a total of 458 chances) at second base in 1964.

-Led the American League with a .994 fielding percentage in 1964 and a .986 mark in 1965.

-Had a reputation as a tough player who often took the field with various nagging injuries. During the first game of a doubleheader against the Tigers in 1964, he was struck in the mouth with an errant throw and suffered a laceration that required 11 stitches. He was reportedly back in uniform for Game Two.

-After spending a year on the south side of Chicago, changed socks via a June 1967 trade to Boston. Played an important role for the "Impossible Dream" Red Sox, hitting .291 and filling in at three different infield positions (shortstop, second base, third base).

-Unfortunately, hit .125 (2 for 16) in Boston's seven-game World Series loss to the Cardinals.

-His major league career ended in 1970 with the Royals. In parts of thirteen seasons, he batted .254 with 57 home runs and 366 RBI.

-Played one season in Japan with the Hankyu Braves before embarking on a brief coaching career with the Athletics (1972-1974) and Angels (1975).

-Liver cancer ended his life prematurely; he passed away in 1987 at age 50.

#188 Sam Bowens

Whoops! I went a bit out of order in posting the AL Batting Leaders card from Don. Before I traded with him, I got a couple of well-loved Orioles from Ed in one of our face-to-face swap meets. First up is Sam Bowens, whose card redefines the term "rounded corners". I like it.

Fun facts about Sam Bowens:

-Born in Wilmington, NC, Sam played for the Nashville Elite Giants of the Negro League and attended Tennessee State University before signing with the Orioles as a free agent in 1960.

-Spent parts of three years in the minors with the Rochester Red Wings, where he was acknowledged by some as the fastest player in the league.

-After hitting .333 in 15 games in Baltimore in 1963, was one-third of the team's starting outfield in 1964 (along with Jackie Brandt and Boog Powell).

-Hit .263 with 22 home runs and 71 RBI that year, tying an Orioles rookie record for longballs that has since been broken by Cal Ripken, Jr.

-Could not follow up on his strong freshman effort, struggling with a leg injury, alcoholism and a 1965 beaning. He hit no higher than .210 in any subsequent season.

-Hung on as a major leaguer for six seasons in total, largely on the strength of his glove and powerful throwing arm.

-Though he played for the Orioles in 1966, he did not get into a single World Series game.

-Finished his career with the Senators. When they optioned him to the minors in 1969, he took his sweet time reporting...13 days total.

-Hit 6-for-13 (.462) with a double and three home runs in his career against Jim "Mudcat" Grant, a two-time All-Star.

-Sam died in Wilmington in 2003 at age 64. He was survived by three children, all of whom lived in Indianapolis, IN at the time of his death.