#471 Billy Hoeft

Believe it or not, this is the LAST card I have in the hopper to post! It could be a while before I get ahold of those 17 elusive cards that stand between me and completion, so the updates are going to be less frequent than they have been in recent months. However, I'm thinking that I might go back and give the first few card posts a re-do, since it took a while for me to focus more in-depth on each individual featured player. So this isn't goodbye, it's just "smell ya later".

Anyhow, this finely rounded card comes from Ed. Billy Hoeft is hatless player number 1,345 (an approximate guess) in the set, having gone from the Braves to the Tigers in the offseason. By the time the card was in stores, it was already outdated; Detroit released Hoeft before the season started, and he joined the Cubs in May 1965. Whoops!

Fun facts about Billy Hoeft:

-Billy was born in Oshkosh, WI and signed with the Tigers out of high school in 1950.

-He was only 20 when he made it to the majors in 1952. He earned his first career save and each of his first two wins in games vs. the Yankees, and finished 2-7 with 4 saves and a 4.32 ERA.

-On September 7, 1953, he went the distance in a 4-2 win over the White Sox. He scattered eight hits and performed a rare feat by striking out the side (Jim Rivera, Mike Fornieles, and Chico Carrasquel) on just nine pitches in the top of the seventh inning!

-After taking his lumps for a few years, the light went on for Hoeft in 1955. He led the American League with 7 shutouts en route to a team-best 16-7 record, 2.99 ERA, and 133 strikeouts. He also made the only All-Star team of his career.

-Despite seeing his ERA jump to 4.06 in 1956, Billy won 20 games against 14 losses.

-He hit two of his three career home runs on July 14, 1957, driving in three runs to help his own cause in a complete game 10-2 win over Hal Brown and the Orioles.

-He was unable to build on his early successes, and found himself working mostly out of the bullpen for three teams in 1959, going from Detroit to Boston to Baltimore.

-Billy's most successful campaign as a reliever came in 1961, when he went 7-4 with 3 saves, a 2.02 ERA, and 100 strikeouts in 138 innings in 35 games (12 starts) for the Orioles.

-He also spent time with the Giants, Braves, and Cubs, retiring in 1966 after 15 years in the big leagues. He had a career record of 97-101 with 33 saves and a 3.94 ERA.

-After baseball, Hoeft sold printing equipment. He died of cancer at age 77 last year.

#335 Mickey Lolich

The last of the recent three-spot of cards from Ed is this gently used Mickey Lolich. I'll probably look to upgrade this one when I can. Lolich is the author of one of my favorite quotes. The overweight hurler once said, "All the fat guys watch me and say to their wives, 'See, there's a fat guy doing okay. Bring me another beer'."

Fun facts about Mickey Lolich:

-A Portland, OR native, Mickey was naturally right-handed but learned to throw lefty after breaking his left arm as a child and performing exercises to strengthen the previously immobilized muscles. He signed with the Tigers in 1958 for a $30,000 bonus.

-He finally got the call to the big leagues at age 22 in 1963, after learning to command his pitches rather than just relying on throwing hard. He earned his first win with a 3-1 decision over the Angels on May 28. He went the distance, scattering eight hits that day.

-Lolich took a great leap forward in 1964, going 18-9 with a 3.26 ERA and leading Detroit with 6 shutouts, 12 complete games, a 1.12 WHIP, and 192 strikeouts.

-After contributing to the Tigers' American League championship in 1968 with a 17-9 mark and a 3.19 ERA, Mickey practically carried them to a World Series win over the Cardinals. He hurled complete game victories in each of his three starts, outdueling Bob Gibson in a 4-1 win in the Game Seven clincher. In all, he allowed 5 earned runs in 27 innings (1.67 ERA), striking out 21 batters and walking only 6 to earn Series MVP honors. He even hit his only career home run in the third inning of Game Two to push his lead to 2-0!

-He had a pair of 16-strikeout games in 1969, baffling the Angels on May 23 and shutting down the Pilots two starts later on June 9.

-The lefty was a three-time All-Star, including a career year in 1971: 25-14, 2.92 ERA. He led the American League in wins and also led with 29 complete games, 376 innings pitched, and 308 strikeouts (the latter a team record). He finished second to Vida Blue in Cy Young voting. Blue was 24-8 with a 1.82 ERA and 301 strikeouts, but pitched 64 fewer innings.

-Mickey was excellent in 1972 as well, going 22-14 with a 2.50 ERA, 23 complete games, and 250 strikeouts in 327.1 innings. He helped the Tigers capture the A.L. East crown, but did not pick up a win in either ALCS start against the Athletics. He pitched into the 11th inning in the opener, but was pulled with a 2-1 lead after allowing a pair of singles. Reliever Chuck Seelbach allowed both runs to score on a Gonzalo Marquez single, and Lolich was saddled with the loss. In Game Four, he helped the Tigers stave off elimination with nine innings of one-run ball (leaving his career postseason ERA at 1.57), but left with the scored tied. Seelbach (that guy AGAIN) surrendered two runs in the top of the tenth, but the Tigers rallied with three of their own in the bottom of the inning. Detroit lost a 2-1 heartbreaker in Game Five to miss out on the World Series.

-Detroit's fortunes plummeted in the mid-1970s, and Lolich was saddled with 39 losses in 1974 and 1975. The Tigers swapped him to the Mets in December 1975 for Rusty Staub, but his fortunes were no better: he went 8-13 in 1976 despite a 3.22 ERA. He butted heads with his trainer and pitching coach, and sat out the second year of his contract in 1977.

-Mickey ended his career with a two-year stint in San Diego, retiring in 1979 with a career record of 217-191 in parts of 16 seasons. He had a 3.44 lifetime ERA, and struck out 2,832 batters, still 18th-most in history.

-He ran a donut shop in the suburbs of Detroit for several years before selling his business and retiring with his wife Joyce. He splits his time between Oregon and Michigan, and his hobbies include biking, archery, shooting, and ham radios. He remained on the Hall of Fame ballot for the full 15 years of eligibility, peaking with 25.5% of the vote in 1988. He has been a Veterans' Committee finalist three times in recent years, but failed to draw enough votes for enshrinement.

#390 Bill Freehan

Today's entry wraps up the donation made by Greg Mader. Thanks again!

As you can see, Bill Freehan sets a great target, even though he's not making eye contact with the pitcher. That's a good way to get your fingers broken, kiddos.

Fun facts about Bill Freehan:

-Bill was a Detroit native and briefly attended the University of Michigan before signing with the Tigers in 1961.

-He debuted with the Tigers in September 1961 after hitting .289 in 77 minor league games. A few months shy of his 20th birthday, he went 4-for-10 with 4 RBI and a walk in his first taste of the bigs.

-Freehan became Detroit's everyday catcher in 1964 and made the first of 11 All-Star teams. He led the club with an even .300 average and 8 triples, and also contributed 18 home runs and 80 RBI. He placed seventh in MVP voting.

-Though his average dipped to .234 in 1965, his defense didn't suffer. Bill won the first of five straight Gold Gloves behind the plate.

-He was runner-up to batterymate Denny McLain in 1968's MVP vote. Freehan caught for a talented staff that included McLain (31-6, 1.96 ERA) and Mickey Lolich (17-9, 3.19 ERA) and also posted career highs in slugging (.454), home runs (25), and RBI (84). His .366 on-base percentage was nearly 70 points above the league average.

-Though he collected only two hits and four walks in the 1968 World Series (.083 AVG, .214 OBP), his defensive play was crucial. In Game Five, he threw out Lou Brock on an attempted steal of second base in the third inning and blocked the plate and tagged Brock out attempting to score in the fifth. The Tigers won the game 5-3 to stave off elimination, and rallied to win the next two games as well and capture the championship.

-Freehan gave fans an inside look at his 1969 season with the book Behind the Mask, with Steve Gelman and Dick Schaap collaborating on the effort.

-On August 9, 1971, he belted three home runs in a wild road game against Boston. All three were solo shots, as the Tigers blew a 7-2 lead and lost 12-11.

-Bill spent his entire career with the Tigers, retiring at the end of the 1976 season. In parts of 15 seasons, he batted .262 with 200 home runs and 758 RBI. Due to the depressed offensive environment of his era, he posted an OPS+ of 112.

-After retiring, he did broadcast work for the Mariners and Tigers, and also returned to the University of Michigan to coach the baseball team from 1989 to 1995.

#408 Larry Sherry

As far as rhyming baseball names go, Larry Sherry is funnier than Don Hahn, but not quite as funny as Greg Legg. Of course, your mileage may vary.

Fun facts about Larry Sherry:

-Larry was born in Los Angeles and signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers out of high school in 1953.

-He began the 1958 season, his sixth in pro ball, on the major league roster but was hit hard in five appearances and demoted. But he continued to tinker with a slider taught to him by his older brother Norm, a catcher in the Dodger organization.

-Sherry returned to the big leagues in July 1959, and became a surprise contributor down the stretch. His overall record that season was 7-2 with a 2.19 ERA and 3 saves. He seemed to improve as the year went along, with his ERA dropping from 3.62 in July to 1.85 in August and all the way down to 1.36 in September.

-Larry truly shined in a relief role in the 1959 World Series. The rookie appeared in four of the six games against the White Sox, earning saves in the first pair of Dodger wins and wins in the other two. He allowed a single earned run in 12.2 innings (0.71 ERA), yielding 8 hits and 2 walks. L.A. jumped out to an early 8-0 lead in Game Six, but manager Walter Alston didn't take any chances, yanking Johnny Podres after a fourth-inning homer by Ted Kluszewski narrowed the margin to 8-3. Sherry kept Chicago off of the scoreboard for the rest of the game, clinching the Series for the Dodgers and the MVP honors for himself.

-Big brother Norm joined him as a teammate in Los Angeles for parts of the 1959 through 1962 seasons, making them the first (and to date, only) battery of Jewish brothers in big league annals. On May 7, 1960, Norm even hit a walkoff homer against Ruben Gomez of the Phillies to deliver a win for his brother! Another brother, George, was a minor-league pitcher for the Pirates in 1951.

-Despite a middling 3.79 ERA in 1960, he posted a 14-10 record with 7 saves in 57 games (3 starts).

-Larry posted four seasons of double-digit saves in his career, including a career-high 20 with the Tigers in 1966 (third-most in the American League).

-He spent parts of six seasons as a Dodger, another three-plus in Detroit, and also had brief runs in Houston and with the Angels before retiring in 1968. In parts of 11 seasons he was 53-44 with 82 saves and a 3.67 ERA.

-Sherry served as a pitching coach for the Pirates (1977-1978) and Angels (1979-1980). He later became a minor league pitching instructor for the Dodgers.

-He was a golf enthusiast and lived for many years with his wife Sally in Mission Viejo, CA. He passed away at age 71 in 2006 after a long bout with cancer.

#153 Norm Cash

Norm Cash appears to be posing in front of his parents' country home. I guess spring training facilities have changed a lot over the last 50 years.

Fun facts about Norm Cash:

-A native of Justiceburg, TX, Norm starred in both football and baseball at Sul Ross State University. He turned down a contract offer from the NFL's Bears and signed with the White Sox in 1955.

-He debuted with Chicago in 1958, seeing action in 13 games in June and July. His first hit was a single off of Hall of Famer Jim Bunning on July 6, 1958.

-Cash was traded twice between end of the 1959 season and the beginning of the following season. First he went to the Indians in a seven-player deal that brought Minnie Minoso back to the White Sox. Then he was dealt from Cleveland to Detroit in early April 1960 for Steve Demeter, who would play only four games with the Tribe.

-Norm practically came out of nowhere in 1961, leading the American League with 193 hits, a .361 average, a .487 on-base percentage, and a 1.148 OPS. He also ranked highly with 119 runs scored, 41 home runs, 132 RBI, and a .662 slugging percentage. He earned the first of four career All-Star nods, and finished fourth in MVP voting behind Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle, and Jim Gentile.

-Though he never again reached the lofty numbers of that 1961 season, Cash topped 20 homers 10 times in an 11-year span, and was league runner-up 3 times (39 in 1962, 30 in 1965, and 32 in 1971).

-He acquitted himself well in the 1968 World Series, batting .385 (10-for-26) with 5 runs scored, a home run, and 5 RBI. He drove in a pair of runs in Game 5 and another pair in Game 6 - both Tigers wins.

-Norm was known for his sense of humor. He and the Tigers were on the other end of Nolan Ryan's second career no-hitter on July 15, 1973. The powerful first baseman struck out twice in his first three at-bats, and he was due up with two outs in the ninth inning. He strode to the plate with a table leg from the clubhouse (mistakenly called a piano leg by Ernie Harwell) instead of a bat. Umpire Ron Luciano told him he couldn't use it, and Cash responded that it didn't matter, because he wouldn't hit him anyway. He grabbed his bat, and popped out to shortstop Rudy Meoli to seal the no-hitter.

-Detroit released him in August 1974, bringing an end to his career. In parts of 17 seasons, he hit .271 with a .374 on-base percentage. He hit 377 home runs and drove in 1,103 runs. Incredibly, he never hit a walkoff home run, though 117 of his longballs gave his team the lead.

-Cash spent time broadcasting games for ABC and for the Tigers, and won two championships with the Detroit Caesars slow-pitch softball team. The club was owned by future Tigers boss Mike Ilitch, and Cash's former teammate Jim Northrup was also a part-time player.

-Not-so-fun fact: Norm was riding in a boat off Beaver Island in northern Lake Michigan in October 1986 when he slipped, struck his head, and drowned. He was 51 years old. He was posthumously inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.

#130 Al Kaline

See? I promised big names this week, and I was true to my word, though we'll call Commish Bob's tongue-in-cheek guess of Frank Bertaina close but no cigar. Al Kaline is the only Baseball Hall of Famer (that I know of) who has a pH value higher than 7.3. Correct me if I'm wrong, baseball/chemistry nerds.

Fun facts about Al Kaline:

-A native of Baltimore, MD, Al went from Southern High School to the major leagues as a $35,000 bonus baby.

-As an 18-year-old rookie in 1953, he appeared in 30 games as a late-inning replacement, collecting 7 hits in 28 at-bats (.250) with 9 runs scored, a home run, and a pair of RBI.

-Kaline was Detroit's starting right fielder in a sophomore, but took a quantum leap the following season at age 20 (1955). He batted .340 to become the youngest player to win a batting title, beating out fellow Tiger great Ty Cobb by a single day. He also paced the A.L. with 200 hits and 321 total bases. He led his team with 121 runs scored, 8 triples, 27 home runs, 82 walks, and a .421 OBP and .546 SLG. His 102 RBI ranked second on the club to Ray Boone. The young slugger made the first of 15 All-Star teams, and was narrowly edged out by Yogi Berra for MVP honors.

-That 1955 campaign started with a bang, as he went 4-for-5 with 3 homers and 6 RBI in a 16-0 romp over the A's on April 17. It was Detroit's sixth game of the year.

-He never did win an MVP, though he was a top-ten finisher nine times. Another second-place finish came in 1963, when he batted .312/.375/.514 with 27 homers and 101 RBI. The numbers show that there were no standout candidates that year, but Elston Howard benefited from putting up a .287/.342/.528 line with 28 home runs and 85 RBI while catching 132 games for the American League Champion Yankees. He won the award in a rout.

-His greatest virtue as an outfielder was his strong and accurate throwing arm, which helped him collect 10 Gold Gloves in his career.

-When the Tigers finally reached the World Series in 1968, Al was 33, but he didn't show his age. The veteran batted .379 (11-for-29) with 2 home runs and 8 RBI to help deliver the Motor City's first baseball championship since 1945. A two-run single off of Nelson Briles in the seventh inning of Game 5 gave the Tigers the lead for good.

-Even in his late thirties, Kaline remained near the league-average in production. He was able to play 147 games in his farewell season of 1974 while DHing full-time, batting .262 with 65 walks, 13 home runs, and 64 RBI. He collected his 3,000th career hit off of Baltimore's Dave McNally in a road game on September 24, a fourth-inning double. Even though he didn't accomplish the feat in front of a home crowd, he was at least able to do it in his home town.

-He spent his entire 22-year career with the Tigers, batting .297 with 498 doubles, 399 home runs, and 1,583 RBI.

-Al had his #6 retired by the Tigers in 1980, the same year in which he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a first-year honoree. He has remained a part of the Detroit organization ever since, serving as a color commentator on TV broadcasts until 2002. He's been a front office consultant and an instructor since then.

#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.

#53 Dick McAuliffe

And so we jump from one care package from Max to the next! Today's card (and the next 10 as well) were sent in June of 2009. In return, he was rewarded handsomely with some various Mets and what have you.

Fun facts about Dick McAuliffe:

-Dick was born in Hartford, CT and signed with the Tigers out of high school in 1957.

-Detroit promoted him to the big leagues in September 1960. He debuted as a pinch hitter on September 17, and got his first start on September 20. In the latter game he went 3-for-5 with a triple and an RBI, with all three hits coming against Indians starter Jim Perry.

-Dick had an unusual batting stance. Per Bill James: "[H]e tucked his right wrist under his chin and held his bat over his head, so it looked as if he were dodging the sword of Damocles in mid-descent. He pointed his left knee at the catcher and his right knee at the pitcher and spread the two as far apart as humanly possible, his right foot balanced on the toes, so that to have lowered his heel two inches would have pulled his knee inward by a foot. He whipped the bat in a sort of violent pinwheel which produced line drives, strikeouts, and fly balls, few ground balls, and not a lot of pop outs."


-He made three straight All-Star teams, 1965-1967. His best all-around year was 1966, when he batted .274 with a .373 on-base percentage, 23 home runs, and 56 RBI.

-McAuliffe was a top-ten player in the American League in several categories in 1967: Wins Above Replacement (4.8 - 9th), OBP (.364 - 9th), runs scored (92 - 5th), triples (7 - 3rd), home runs (22 - 8th), walks (105 - 3rd), and hit by pitch (7 - 9th). He was among the league leaders in triples eight times in a nine-year span.

-In the Tigers' championship season of 1968, Dick led the American League with 95 runs scored and also reached career highs of 24 doubles and 10 triples. As the everyday second baseman, he committed only nine errors. Incredibly, he did not hit into a single double play the whole year. In Game Two of the World Series, his two-run single off of Steve Carlton gave Detroit a 5-0 lead in the sixth inning.

-He infamously incurred a five-day suspension late in the 1968 campaign. On August 22, White Sox pitcher Tommy John buzzed the infielder with two high pitches in the same at-bat. After the second incident, McAuliffe charged the mound and drove his knee into John's shoulder, separating it and putting the pitcher out of commission for the year.

-Prior to the 1974 season, he was traded to the Red Sox for Ben Oglivie. After batting just .210/.310/.320 in 100 games, he accepted a managerial post with Boston's AA Bristol team for the 1975 season. The club went 81-57 under his guidance, and in late August, the Red Sox added the 35-year-old to the major league roster. Appearing in seven games, he went only 2-for-15 at bat and made three errors at third base. The Sox soon deactivated McAuliffe, and released him after the World Series to bring an end to his career.

-In parts of 16 seasons he batted .247 with a .343 on-base percentage, 197 home runs, and 697 RBI.

-After retiring, Dick operated some baseball schools. He also owned a business that installed and repaired coin-operated washing machines and dryers.

#259 Tigers Rookie Stars: Jim Northrup and Ray Oyler

Pro tip: if you're going to airbrush a logo onto somebody's cap, make sure you're not placing the photo right next to a picture of someone wearing the real thing.

Fun facts about Jim Northrup:

-A native of Breckinridge, MI, Jim was a five-sport athlete at nearby Alma College (baseball, football, track, basketball, and golf). He turned down contract offers from the NFL's Bears and AFL's Titans (now the Jets) to sign with the Tigers in 1961.

-He debuted with the Tigers in late 1964, when he was 24 years old. His only hit in 12 at-bats was a double off of Milt Pappas.

-In 1966, Northrup got regular playing time and found his stroke, placing second on the team with 24 doubles while batting .265 with 16 home runs and 58 RBI.

-He was a big contributor to Detroit's World Championship season of 1968. His 153 hits, 29 doubles, and 90 RBI were all tops on the club, and he batted .264 (the team average was .235). Of his 21 home runs, 4 were grand slams; he became the first player ever to hit 3 in a single week.

-The outfielder saved his best for the 1968 World Series, slugging .536 and driving in 8 runs. His Game 4 home run off of Bob Gibson accounted for the only run the Cardinals ace allowed in his first 24 innings in the series. A third-inning grand slam in Game 6 fueled a 13-1 Detroit romp. Finally, his two-out, two-run triple off of Gibson in Game 7 broke a scoreless tie in the seventh inning, setting the stage for a 4-1 Tigers victory in the clincher.

-Jim achieved several career highs in 1969: runs scored (79), doubles (31), home runs (25), and slugging percentage (.508). His .295 average was also a personal best at that juncture.

-On August 28, 1969, he became the first Detroit player since Ty Cobb to go 6-for-6 in a game. The final two hits came in extra innings, with the capper a walk-off two-run homer that downed the A's 5-3.

-Billy Martin took over as Tiger manager in 1971, and the mercurial skipper feuded with Northrup. He pinch hit for the outfielder with the tying run on base in the deciding at-bat of 1972 ALCS (Northrup had hit .357 in the series), a move that did not pay off. The following year, Martin limited him to 119 games (his fewest since his rookie year) despite a .307 batting average.

-He was dealt from the Tigers to the Expos and the Expos to the Orioles in 1974, and finished his career the next year with a .273 average as a part-timer in Baltimore. In parts of 12 seasons he batted .267 with 153 home runs and 610 RBI.

-Jim and ex-Tigers teammate Norm Cash spent a few years playing for the Detroit Caesars, a professional slow-pitch softball team owned by future Tigers boss Mike Illitch. He provided color commentary on Tigers games from 1985 through 1994, and is now the CEO of Jim Northrup and Associates, a Michigan-based manufacturer's representative firm.

Fun facts about Ray Oyler:

-Ray was born in Indianapolis and served in the Marines before signing with the Tigers in 1960.

-After hitting .240 in five minor league seasons, he joined the Detroit club in 1965 at age 26.

-Oyler had a reputation as a talented defensive shortstop, and he would have had to have been. His major league batting averages by year: .186, .171, .207 (this was 1967, when his OPS+ was a career-best 60), .135, .165, .083.

-Believe it or not, Ray was a career .286 hitter (8-for-28) against Tommy John.

-The Seattle Pilots grabbed him with the fifth overall pick of the 1968 expansion draft. Inspired by local disc jockey Bob Hardwick, an excited throng of 15,000 Seattle fans joined the Ray Oyler "S.O.C. I.T. T.O. M.E. .300 Club." The mnemonic stood for "Slugger Oyler Can, In Time, Top Our Manager's Estimate". The club provided the shortstop with a car and apartment for the season, and celebrated with horns and confetti when he came to bat for the first time at home. He responded to this adoration with a go-ahead home run in the following home game, one of seven he hit that year; his previous career total had been eight!

-Pilots teammate and Ball Four author Jim Bouton asserted that Oyler's nickname was "Oil Can Harry", because "he always looks as though he had just changed a set of rings."

-His major league career ended with an ugly 24-game stint with the Angels in 1970. In parts of six seasons, he hit .175 with 15 home runs and 86 RBI.
 
-Ray was a player-coach for the AAA Salt Lake City Angels in 1971 and Hawaii Islanders in 1972.
 
-After retiring, Oyler settled in the Seattle area. He too played slow pitch softball for a time, and also worked for Safeway, a bowling alley, and Boeing.
 
-He died of a heart attack at age 42 in January 1981. Some think that a battle with alcoholism affected his career and shortened his life.

#576 Terry Fox

It just occurred to me that most of the 1965 Topps cards that I own are pretty well-centered. This one, of course, is ridiculously miscut. No biggie.

Fun facts about Terry Fox:

-A Chicago native, Terry began his pro career with the New Iberia (LA) Pelicans of the Evangeline League. He went 21-12 with a 2.95 ERA for the club in 1955, and the Braves subsequently acquired him.

-He won 21 games in relief over two seasons at AAA Sacramento to earn a September callup in 1960. The 25-year-old allowed 4 earned runs in 8.1 innings out of the Milwaukee bullpen.

-Fox joined the Tigers the following season via trade and immediately became a relief ace, allowing only 9 earned runs in 57.1 innings (1.41 ERA) and going 5-2 with a team-leading 12 saves.

-He earned his first career win with four strikeouts in three innings of scoreless relief on April 19, 1961. The Tigers trailed Cleveland 2-1 when Fox replaced Jim Bunning in the seventh inning, and he held down the Tribe as Detroit rallied for four runs in the eighth.

-Terry again paced Detroit pitchers with a career-high 16 saves in 1962. His earned run average was a paltry 1.71.

-Overall, he led the Tigers in saves in four out of his five full seasons with the team, totaling 54 saves in that span.

-Fox seemed to lose his touch at age 30, allowing 7 earned runs (and 3 home runs) in 10 innings before being shipped off to the Phillies in May 1966. His ERA in Philadelphia came down a bit, but was still a mediocre 4.47.

-The Phils sent him down to AAA San Diego in 1967, and he spent his last professional season there.

-In parts of seven MLB seasons, Terry was 29-19 with a 2.99 ERA and 59 saves.

-At last check, he was still making his home in New Iberia, LA.

#563 Julio Navarro

It looks like Julio Navarro missed a spot when he was moussing his hair. Whoops!

Fun facts about Julio Navarro:

-Born on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, Julio signed with the Giants in 1955 at age 19. His signing bonus was a scant $300.

-He struggled with his control in the minors, but showed promise. In 1956, he won the pitching triple crown in the Class D Florida State League, going 24-8 with a 2.16 ERA with the Cocoa Indians. He also showed amazing durability, totaling 246 innings in 22 starts and 27 relief appearances.

-After eight seasons in the Giants organization, Navarro was acquired by the Angels in September 1962 and promoted to the majors for the first time. The 26-year-old had nine relief appearances, compiling a 4.70 ERA but earning a win with 1.1 scoreless innings against the Yankees in his second-ever MLB game.

-Nicknamed "Whiplash" by his teammates, Julio saw action in 57 games for the Halos in 1963, leading the club with 12 saves while going 4-5 with a 2.89 ERA. He kept hitters off-balance with a repertoire that included a sinker, slider, fastball, and screwball. He threw mostly from a sidearm angle, but mixed in an overhand delivery to keep 'em guessing.

-Less than a month into the 1964 season he was traded to the Tigers for Willie Smith. He got off to an awful start with his new club, allowing 14 runs in his first 12.1 innings to earn a demotion to the minors for the next two months. Returning in August, he did a complete 180, putting up a 1.26 ERA in 16 games.

-Julio again spent part of 1965 in AAA, clocking in with a 4.20 ERA in 15 big league games.

-After allowing a walk, a grand slam, and a solo homer to the only three batters he faced in his lone disastrous MLB appearance the following year, Navarro was buried in the minors for four and a half years.

-The Braves finally recalled him in July 1970 and he performed passably with a 4.10 ERA in 26.1 innings. However, he also allowed 7 home runs in 17 games and never returned to the majors. In parts of  six seasons he was 7-9 with 17 saves and a 3.65 ERA.

-His son, Jaime, pitched for four major leagues teams from 1989 through 2000, primarily the Brewers. He was 116-126 with a 4.72 ERA.

-Julio continued pitching in Mexico until 1974. He was also active in the Puerto Rican winter league for 22 seasons, and later scouted for the Cubs (1980-1985) and coached in the minors for the Braves in 1988. He has called Bayamon, P. R. his home for more than four decades.

#547 Jake Wood

The name "Jake Wood" just makes me think of the Blues Brothers, since it's like a mashup of Jake and Elwood. I'm on a mission from God to tell you about Jake Wood. In a bizarre bit of coincidence, Jake Wood is also the name of the British actor who currently voices the Geico Gecko in those endless ubiquitous TV and radio ads.

Fun facts about Jake Wood:

-A native of Elizabeth, NJ, Jake signed with the Tigers in 1957 after attending Delaware State University.

-His younger brother, Richard Wood, was an NFL linebacker for the Jets and Buccaneers (1975-1984).

-Jake spent four years in the minors and hit .300 or better in each season with a good combination of power and speed. He won Detroit's second base job in the spring of 1961 at age 24.

-Wood played all 162 games for the Tigers in his rookie season, and finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting. He batted .258 with 96 runs scored, 17 doubles, 14 triples, 11 home runs, 69 RBI, and 30 steals. He led the American League in triples, but also set a new major league record with 141 strikeouts. The following year, Harmon Killebrew took him off the hook by whiffing 142 times.

-His performance declined across the board in 1962, as he hit .226 in 111 games. Jake struggled with injuries that season and the next, lost his starting job, and never topped 400 plate appearances again.

-On May 8, 1963, he twice hit game-tying home runs against the Yankees in a game that ended 7-6 in favor of the Tigers. As the first batter of the game for the host Tigers, he took Stan Williams deep to knot it at 1-1. Facing Jim Bouton in the bottom of the sixth, he re-tied the game at five with another solo shot. Overall, Jake had seven home runs to lead off a game in his career.

-He did have a few solid years as a part-timer in Detroit. In 1965, he batted .288 in 104 at-bats, including a .360 mark (9-for-25) as a pinch hitter.

-If you're looking for coincidences, Wood's eighth-inning double on April 18, 1965 spoiled Rudy May's no-hit bid in the latter's debut. May, of course, was featured on this very blog three days ago!

-His major league career ended hastily in 1967, as he totaled just 3 hits in 37 at-bats (.081) for the Tigers and Reds. He played out the string in the minors through the 1969 season.

-In parts of seven MLB seasons, Wood hit .250 with 35 home runs and 168 RBI.

#483 George Smith

Whoa...check out the ears on George Smith! Given the intrinsic cruelty of ballplayers, I'm surprised he didn't acquire a nickname like "Dumbo".

Fun facts about George Smith:

-George was born in St. Petersburg, FL, and attended Michigan State University. He signed with the Tigers in 1958.

-Prior to catching on with Detroit, he played in the Negro Leagues with the Indianapolis Clowns.

-Smith debuted with the Tigers in August 1963 and served as the team's regular second baseman for the final two months of the season. He batted just .216 with a .298 on-base percentage and 17 RBI.

-George did play an instrumental role in a 10-1 romp over the Red Sox on August 6, in his second career game. He went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple, two runs scored, and three RBI.

-He saw action in only 37 major league games over the next two seasons, spending most of his time at AAA Syracuse.

-In October 1965, he was one of three players traded to Boston for pitcher Bill Monbouquette. The Red Sox subsequently dealt away incumbent second baseman Felix Mantilla, which paved the way for George to start the lion's share of games at that position. Again he didn't do much with the bat (.213/.283/.340), but he at least showed a bit more power with 8 homers and 19 doubles. Several defensive metrics also indicate that he was one of the American League's top glovemen at second base as well.

-On July 10, 1966, he hit a walkoff grand slam off Chicago's Juan Pizarro with one out in the bottom of the tenth inning. Boston won 10-6 to sweep a doubleheader.

-Smith tore cartilage in his knee in spring training in 1967 and never played another game in the majors,though he did spend some time in the minors in 1967 and 1968.

-In parts of four seasons he batted .205 with 9 home runs and 57 RBI. He was also 9-for-9 as a base stealer.

-George died in June 1987 in St. Petersburg. He was only 49 at the time.

#454 Ed Rakow

It's been a while since I've mentioned where these cards are coming from, and that's because there have been a ton from one source. It's probably a good time to remind you that Jamie Whyte filled some huge holes in my set. Thanks again, Jamie!

Fun facts about Ed Rakow:

-Pittsburgh native Ed "Rock" Rakow played semipro football for the Bloomfield Rams after high school, but lost his quarterback job to Johnny Unitas, who had just been cut by the Steelers! Ed switched to semipro baseball, and made enough of an impression to sign with the Dodgers in 1957.

-He won 55 games in his first four minor league seasons.

-At age 25, Ed debuted with Los Angeles in 1960. Appearing in nine games (two starts), he allowed 18 earned runs in 22 innings for a 7.36 ERA.

-He was traded to the Athletics on the eve of the 1961 season and pitched in 45 games, primarily in relief. Though his 4.76 ERA was subpar, he did have a few standout games. Most notable was his first complete game, an 8-3 win over the Senators on July 14.

-In 1962, Rakow started a career-high 35 games for Kansas City and led the American League with 17 losses. However, he did top all A's pitchers with 14 wins, 11 complete games, 2 shutouts, and 159 strikeouts. His 4.25 ERA was close to league-average.

-The following year, he continued to show improvement with a 9-10 record (for a K.C. team that was just 73-89 overall) and a 3.92 ERA. His first start of the year was his best, as he two-hit the Twins on April 12.

-A trade to the Tigers in 1964 coincided with a shift back to relief work; Ed posted an 8-9 record and a career-best 3.72 ERA that season.

-After putting up a 6.08 ERA in six games in 1965, he was demoted to the minors, where he would spend most of the next four seasons. He returned to the majors for one last time with the Braves in the second half of 1967, allowing 23 runs in 39.1 innings for a 5.26 ERA.

-In parts of seven big league seasons he was 36-47 with a 4.33 ERA.

-Ed passed away in August of 2000 at age 65 in West Palm Beach, FL.

#429 Don Demeter

Maybe it's the angle of the photograph, but Don Demeter's head looks too small for his body here. The rolled-up undersleeves are probably adding to that illusion.
Fun facts about Don Demeter:
-Oklahoma City native Don Demeter signed with the Dodgers out of high school in 1953.
-He broke out in his fourth minor league season with 41 home runs, 128 RBI, and a .384 on-base percentage at AA Fort Worth. He earned a late-season callup to Brooklyn, and homered for his first major league hit.
-In his first full big league season, he hit .256 with 18 homers and 70 RBI for the 1959 Dodgers. The club moved Duke Snider to right field and had Demeter take his place in center.
-Don twice hit three home runs in one game: on April 21, 1959 he had three two-run shots against the Giants, including an inside-the-parker in the third and the game winner in the eleventh; on September 12, 1961 he touched up the Dodgers thrice, including a two-run shot in the first against Sandy Koufax.
-Following a trade to the Phillies in May 1961, he led his new club with 20 home runs and 68 RBI despite playing in only 106 games for Philadelphia.
-1962 was a career year across the board for Don: a .307 average, 29 home runs, and 107 RBI, as well as 85 runs scored and 24 doubles.
-From September 1962 through July 1965, he played 266 consecutive errorless games in the outfield to set a major league record that stood until Darren Lewis broke it in 1993.
-He had another two 20-homer seasons in 1963 and 1964. Before the latter season he was dealt to the Tigers in the trade that sent Jim Bunning to Philly.
-Don finished his career with the Red Sox and Indians in 1967. He was a career .265 hitter with 163 home runs and 563 RBI in parts of 11 seasons.
-Demeter was known for his deep and abiding faith during his playing days, and was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Currently, he is a pastor at a Southern Baptist church in Oklahoma City.

#375 Dave Wickersham

This is not a flattering picture of Dave Wickersham. His complexion looks mottled, and the hands-over-head pose is causing him to draw his chin into his chest, giving the illusion of a double chin. Poor guy.

Fun facts about Dave Wickersham:

-A native of Erie, PA, Dave attended Ohio University and was scouted by Branch Rickey and George Sisler. He signed with the Pirates in 1955.

-After spending five years climbing the ladder in the Pittsburgh farm system, he was drafted by the Athletics prior to the 1960 season. He made his major league debut in September 1960 at age 24, and allowed only one run total in five relief appearances while collecting two saves.

-He struggled in the majors in 1961 due to a back ailment and spent three months back at AA Shreveport, but rebounded in 1962 with an 11-4 record and passable 4.17 ERA. As a starter, he won six of his nine starts with a 3.61 ERA.

-The A's made Dave a full-time starter in 1963, and he tied for the team lead with 12 wins. Although he also lost 15 and posted a so-so 4.09 ERA, he did lead the staff with 237.2 innings.

-That offseason, K.C. traded Wickersham to the Tigers in a five-player deal that netted them Rocky Colavito. The pitcher responded with a career year, going 19-12 with a 3.44 ERA and 11 complete games. He was third in the A.L. (and tops on the team) in victories.

-He missed a chance at his 20th win under unusual circumstances. On October 1, 1964, he made his final start of the year at Yankee Stadium. In the bottom of the seventh, the score was tied 1-1 when errors by first baseman Norm Cash and shortstop Dick McAuliffe put runners on the corners for New York. Phil Linz bunted to Cash and was called safe at first. While Cash argued the call, Wickersham urgently attempted to get umpire Bill Valentine's attention and call timeout so that the runners could not advance further. When Dave grabbed his shoulder, the ump ejected him from the game (the first time the player had ever been run), and Mickey Lolich picked up the win in relief when Detroit ralled for three runs in the ninth. Valentine later regretted his actions, feeling that he had been too impulsive in tossing Wickersham. But the pitcher, a devout Christian, wrote Bill a letter in 2003 to assert his belief that the ump had made the right call and to say that he wished him well.

-He failed to follow up on his success, dropping to 9-14 in 1965 with a 3.78 ERA in sixty less innings. But after being moved into a swing role the next year, he rallied with an 8-3 record and 3.20 ERA.

-Returning to an almost exclusively relief role in 1967, Dave had a career-low 2.74 ERA and allowed 72 hits in 85.1 innings.

-In his final two seasons (1968 with the Pirates and 1969 with the Royals), he split time between the majors and minors. He retired with a 68-57 record, a 3.66 ERA and 18 saves in parts of 10 seasons.

-Wickersham now lives in Shawnee Mission, KS.

#353 Jerry Lumpe

Jerry Lumpe thanks his lucky stars that he wasn't Rusty Kuntz or Mickey Klutts.

Fun facts about Jerry Lumpe:

-Born in Lincoln, MO, Jerry signed with the Yankees in 1951.

-He spent five years in the minors before appearing in 20 games for New York at age 23 in 1956.

-After three-plus seasons as a backup infielder for the Yanks, Jerry was traded in May 1959 to the Athletics.

-Lumpe starred as Kansas City's everyday second baseman, batting .271 or better in each of his four full seasons with the club.

-He peaked with a .301 average, a team-best 34 doubles, 10 triples, 10 home runs, and 83 RBI in 1962. He also pieced together a 20-game hit streak that year.

-On August 20, 1963, his two-run homer off of Washington's Don Rudolph gave the A's a walkoff 7-5 win in 14 innings. On the day he went 4-for-6 with a walk.

-He was an All-Star for the first and only time in 1964, the first year following his trade to the Tigers. However, he was already in decline, hitting .256 with reduced power.

-Detroit released Jerry in October 1967, ending his 12-year career. Overall he hit .268 with 47 home runs and 454 RBI, and played solid defense at second base.

-He hit three home runs off of Hall of Famer Jim Bunning. The only pitcher that Lumpe took deep more often was Ralph Terry (four HR), a man he was once traded for.

-In 1971, Lumpe was a member of the A's coaching staff.

#306 Bubba Phillips

There just haven't been enough Bubbas in MLB history - eight, according to Baseball-Reference. What's worse, the majors have been Bubba-less since Bubba Crosby played his last game with the Yankees in 2006. Simply unacceptable.

Fun facts about Bubba Phillips:

-Born in West Point, MS, Bubba was a Little All-American in baseball and captain of the football team (his position was running back) at Mississippi Southern College, which is now known as the University of Southern Mississippi.

-He began his pro baseball career with the unaffiliated Stroudsburg Poconos before being acquired by the Tigers in 1949.

-He seemed ready for the majors after hitting .291 with 14 homers at AAA Buffalo in 1952, but was delayed by two years of military service. He finally debuted with the Tigers in 1955 at age 27.

-After appearing in 95 games as a rookie, Phillips was traded to the White Sox for pitcher Virgil Trucks. In his first three years in Chicago, he hit .271 in part-time duty.

-Bubba was a contributor to the 1959 American League Champion Pale Hose, hitting .264 with a career-high 27 doubles while starting 86 games at third base and another 17 in the outfield. He appeared in three World Series games, going 3-for-10 with a double.

-A seven-player deal sent him to the Indians for the 1960 season. After a miserable first season with the Tribe (.207 AVG, .249 OBP, .299 SLG), he was rejuvenated in 1961: .264 with 23 doubles and career-highs of 18 homers and 72 RBI. He also swatted the only two grand slams of his career.

-Phillips' power numbers came back down to Earth over the next two years, and he bookended his big league career in 1964 with a 46-game return to Detroit. He caught on with the Milwaukee Braves the following year, but spent the whole season at AAA Atlanta.

-In parts of ten major league seasons, Bubba hit .255 with 62 homers and 356 RBI.

-Despite his relatively low career home run total, Phillips went deep twice in the same game on three occasions!

-He passed away in June 1993 at age 65, and is buried near his home in Mississippi.

#271 Don Wert

Don Wert could perhaps use a better-fitting hat...or a differently-shaped head.

Fun facts about Don Wert:

-A native of Strasburg, in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, Don played collegiately at nearby Franklin & Marshall College and then signed with the Tigers in 1958.

-He was the first F & M alumnus to play in the majors. To date, the only other Diplomat in MLB history is cup-of-coffee Orioles pitcher Jeff Rineer (1979).

-He debuted for Detroit in May of 1963 and hit .259 in 78 games.

-Had a reputation as one of the smoother defensive third basemen in the league. In 1965, he became the only non-Brooks Robinson to lead the A.L. in fielding percentage that decade.

-Was selected as the first-ever Tiger of the Year in 1965, when he hit .261 and added a career-high 73 walks. He also had 12 homers and 54 RBI and finished tenth in MVP balloting.

-His manager Mayo Smith selected him to the All-Star Team in 1968 despite a career-low .200 batting average. His effectiveness was seemingly hampered by a beaning in June that caused him to be stretchered off the field.

-The biggest hit of Don's career came on September 17 of that year, as he clinched the pennant for Detroit with a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth.

-He had only two hits in the Tigers' World Series win over the Cardinals, but did draw six walks to rack up a .375 on-base percentage.

-Wert hit a career-high 14 home runs in 1969, but it was a last hurrah. After a third straight season batting .225 or lower, he was traded to the Senators in the Denny McLain deal.

-Don played in only 20 games in Washington in 1971 before the Sens released him to end his career at age 32. In parts of nine seasons he hit .242 with 77 homers and 366 RBI.

#236 Dennis McLain

You may know today's player better as Denny McLain. Go figure - Topps called Denny "Dennis", but spent years calling Dennis Martinez "Denny". Sheesh. Anyway, this is his rookie card, for those who are into that kind of thing.

Fun facts about Denny McLain:

-Hailing from Chicago, Denny signed with the hometown White Sox right out of high school in 1962.

-The Tigers claimed him on waivers the following year and called him up in September after he won 18 games at A and AA. He won two of his three starts - both complete games.

-An underwhelming 1964 was followed by a breakout the next year: 16-6, 2.61 ERA, 13 complete games, four shutouts, and 192 strikeouts.

-1966 brought Denny's first 20-win season and All-Star selection, but his ERA jumped to 3.92.

-In the Year of the Pitcher (1968), none in the American League was more dominant than McLain. He became the last pitcher to date to win thirty games (31-6), compiled a 1.96 ERA, and led the league in wins, win percentage (.838), complete games (28), innings pitched (336), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.44). He was the unanimous Cy Young and the runaway choice for A.L. MVP. He won only one of his three World Series starts, but it was a Game Six laugher that drew Detroit even with the Cardinals.

-Denny made it back-to-back Cys with a 24-9, 2.80 ERA, nine-shutout effort in 1969 that allowed him to share honors with Mike Cuellar.

-Arm troubles and a deepening gambling addiction caused his career to run off the rails after that. He was shuttled from Detroit to Washington, where he led the league with 22 losses in 1971, to Oakland, and finally to Atlanta, all in the span of three seasons.

-The Braves released McLain in March 1973, ending his major league career at age 28. By the end of the year, he was out of professional baseball altogether. In parts of ten seasons he had gone 131-91 with a 3.39 ERA and 105 complete games.

-Denny made money during and after his career by playing the organ; he even used to play at Tigers games when he was still active.

-His life has often been difficult in the decades since he hung up his spikes. He made cash as a golf hustler, and was imprisoned under drug trafficking, racketeering, and embezzlement charges (the conviction was later reversed). His daughter was killed by a drunk driver at age 26. He spent another six years in prison after a packing company that he owned went bankrupt; the charges were embezzlement, mail fraud, and conspiracy. He currently lives in Pinckney, MI with his wife Sharon.