#272 Chuck Schilling

I bet you didn't know that there was a Schilling on the Red Sox before Curt. Something tells me that this one kept more of his opinions to himself, though.

Fun facts about Chuck Schilling:

-Born in Brooklyn, NY, Chuck signed with the Red Sox in 1958 after playing at Manhattan College.

-He hit .314 at AAA Minneapolis in his second pro season, prompting Boston to name him their starting second baseman in 1961.

-In his rookie season, Chuck hit .259 with a .340 on-base percentage. He also scored 87 runs and drove in 62 while doubling 25 times. The local media selected him as the Red Sox Player of the Year.

-Schilling had a reputation as a great defensive player. He led all American League second basemen with a .991 fielding percentage and 449 assists in 1961.

-A wrist injury cost him over 40 games and hampered his production in his sophomore season; he would never reach the offensive marks of his first big league season again.

-After posting a second straight sub-.300 on-base percentage in 1963, Chuck lost his starting job in 1964. He played only 118 games over the following two years.

-He hit only three home runs in 1965, but two of them came in pinch hit appearances in consecutive games!

-Boston traded him to the Twins on the eve of the 1966 season, but he retired before appearing in any games.

-In five seasons, he hit .239 with 23 home runs and 146 RBI.

-Chuck stayed busy after baseball, playing competitive softball until age 69 and teaching high school math back in Long Island.

#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.

#265 Jim Pagliaroni

Jim looks solemn in this photo. Maybe he's trapped in the batting cage and is resigned to a life as a caged animal.

Fun facts about Jim Pagliaroni:

-Born in Dearborn, MI, Jim signed with the Red Sox as a bonus baby in 1955.

-He made his debut at age 17, but appeared in only one game before going to the minors for seasoning.

-Jim returned to Boston in 1960, hitting .306 in 28 games.

-He took over the starting duties behind the plate in 1961, and hit a game-tying grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning on June 18. The Sox had given up five runs in the top of the frame to fall behind 12-5, and rallied back for eight runs and a thrilling walkoff win. For an encore, he caught all 13 innings of the second game of that day's doubleheader and hit the game-winning homer!

-Caught Bill Monbouquette's no-hitter in 1962 and Catfish Hunter's perfect game in 1968.

-Was traded to Pittsburgh and spent four seasons as their primary catcher (1963-1966).

-Set a Pirates record for home runs by a catcher with 17 in 1965, also driving in a career-high 65 runs.

-Finished his career with a year-plus in Oakland and a forty-game swing with the Seattle Pilots, playing his last game in 1969.

-In parts of 11 seasons he hit .252 with 90 home runs and 326 RBI.

-After retiring, Jim went on to live in Grass Valley, CA, where he was executive director of a food and agricultural company servicing the Pacific Rim. He passed away just last month, having suffered from cancer and heart ailments. He was 72.

#264 Bob Buhl

Bob Buhl (rhymes with "mule") does not look like a man to be trifled with.

Fun facts about Bob Buhl:

-Born in Saginaw, MI, Bob signed with the White Sox as a teenager in 1947.

-Chicago let him go after his first pro season and he signed with the Braves.

-After serving in the military for two years (1951-1952), during which time he was a paratrooper in the Korean War, he finally debuted in Milwaukee in 1953 and went 13-8 with a 2.97 ERA that was third in the National League. He would go on to six top-ten finishes in ERA in his career.

-In 1956, Bob set a major league record by beating the eventual pennant-winning Dodgers eight times in one season. In nine games (eight starts) vs. dem Bums, he was 8-1 with a 2.42 ERA. He completed four of his starts, including a six-hit shutout on July 12.

-He posted double-digit wins in nine of the ten seasons in which he was healthy and starting full-time. His career year was 1957, when he went 18-7 (a league-leading .720 win percentage) with a 2.74 ERA and 14 complete games for the World Champion Braves. He was hit hard in two abbreviated World Series starts, but his teammates picked him up and downed the Yankees in seven games.

-His lone All-Star appearance was in 1959, when he was 15-9 with a 2.86 ERA and a league-best four shutouts.

-Bob was traded to the Cubs in 1962 and set a record for offensive futility by going 0-for-70 on the season. His 0-for-87 skid that spanned two seasons is another record. For his career, he had the most at-bats of any player with a sub-.100 average (76-for-857, .089).

-In 1966, Chicago dealt the 37-year-old pitcher to the Phillies along with Larry Jackson for three players, including a 23-year-old rookie named Fergie Jenkins. Buhl had a 4.93 ERA in 35 games for the Phils. Jackson had a 2.95 ERA and won 41 games over three seasons, but Jenkins won 282 more games en route to the Hall of Fame.

-Philadelphia released Buhl in 1967, capping his 15-year career. Overall he was 166-132 with a 3.55 ERA and 111 complete games.

-Bob passed away in Titusville, FL, in February 2001. He was 72 at the time. Former Braves roommate Eddie Mathews died just two days later.

#255 Camilo Pascual

It's the little things in life that matter. Like the blurry be-stirruped Twin that is loitering in the background near the dugout. Who could it be? All I can say for sure is that it ain't Earl Battey.

Fun facts about Camilo Pascual:

-Camilo (aka "Little Potato") was originally from Havana, Cuba. He signed with the Senators in 1952 as an 18-year-old.

-His older brother Carlos pitched in two games for Washington in 1950.

-Camilo made his major league debut in 1954, but struggled with control for his first four seasons and went 20-54 with a 5.10 ERA in that span.

-He showed signs of what was to come with his 1958 performance, leading the Sens in ERA (3.15) and strikeouts (146), and posting the best strikeout-per-nine-innings mark in the American League (7.4).

-Pascual made his first All-Star team in 1959, and would go on to receive the honor in five seasons during a six-year period. That year he posted his first winning record (17-10) and led the league with 17 complete games and six shutouts, leading to a tidy 2.64 ERA. He would have two more complete game crowns and two more shutout crowns by the middle of the 1960s.

-On July 19, 1961, he tied a career high by striking out 15 Angels in a five-hit shutout, as the Twins won 6-0. It was one of five games that year in which he whiffed ten or more hitters.

-He performed a hat trick as the A.L.'s leading strikeout pitcher each year from 1961-1963. The 1963 season was his best: 21-9, 2.46 ERA, 18 CG, 202 K, 1.15 WHIP.

-After spending 13 years pitching for the Washington/Minnesota franchise, he was traded to...the second Senators franchise, where he spent his last two years as a full-time starter before rounding out his career with pit stops in Cincinnati, Los Angeles, and Cleveland.

-He retired in 1971, having won 174 games (fourth all-time among Cubans) and lost 170 in his 18-year career. He boasted a 3.63 ERA and completed 132 games. He struck out 2,167 batters, still 55th all time.

-Camilo coached for the Twins (1978-1980).

#253 Danny Cater

I see the name Danny Cater and I think of cartoon critter Wally Gator. "See you later, Danny Cater!" Hmm...it's a good thing John Sterling wasn't around to deliver home run calls for him.

Fun facts about Danny Cater:

-Hailing from Austin, TX, Danny signed with the Phillies in 1958 fresh out of high school.

-He was named the Appalachian League MVP in his first pro season, as he hit .345 and slugged .586 with Johnson City.

-Hit for average and power at each minor league stop, and made the big league club in 1964. He made only 160 trips to the plate in 60 games, but did hit .296 with 45 runs scored.

-Traded to the White Sox, Danny was a starter in his sophomore season and hit .270 with a career-best 14 home runs.

-He was dealt again the following year, going to the Athletics in a midseason deal. He spent three-plus seasons with that club, including a memorable 1968 campaign in which he finished second in the American League with a .290 average. It was a notoriously poor year for hitters, as the entire A.L. hit .230 overall and only batting champ Carl Yastrzemski (.301) topped .300.

-Speaking of batting average, pitcher and author Jim Bouton claimed in Ball Four that Cater had the ability to figure out his "on his way down to first base".

-Danny followed his stint in Oakland with two years in the Bronx, hitting a career-best .301 with 76 RBI for the 1970 Yankee squad that finished runner-up to the A.L. East champion Orioles.

-Traded to Boston for pitcher Sparky Lyle in a deal that had major benefits for the Yankees, Cater was just a part-time player for the Red Sox for three seasons before winding down his career with a 22-game swing through St. Louis in 1975.

-In addition to a pair of five-hit games, he totaled four hits in a game eighteen times. On August 12, 1973, the 33-year-old infielder went 4-5 with a double, a homer, four runs scored, and four RBI in a 14-8 victory over the Angels.

-For his 12-year career, he hit .276 with minimal power (.377 slugging percentage), totaling 66 home runs and 519 RBI.

#251 Billy Herman

Look, it's Billy Herman! If we were playing Jeopardy and there was a "Before and After" category, you could combine him with another manager in this set: Billy Herman Franks.

Fun facts about Billy Herman:

-Born William Jennings Bryan Herman (yes, really) in New Albany, IN, he was purchased by the Cubs from Louisville of the American Association in 1931.

-After hitting .327 in 25 games as a 21-year-old rookie, Billy played in all 154 games in 1932 and hit .314 with 42 doubles, 102 runs scored, and 206 hits for the National League champs. He finished ninth in MVP voting, the the first of five top-ten finishes for him.

-He appeared in four World Series (three with the Cubs and one with the Dodgers), and his team lost all of them. He did stand out in the 1935 Fall Classic, hitting .333 (8-for-24) and slugging .625 with a home run and six RBI against the Tigers.

-Was an All-Star for ten straight seasons, 1934-1943.

-Led the National League with 227 hits and 57 doubles in 1935, batting a career-best .341. He topped .300 seven times in all.

-Served in the Navy for two years during World War II before finishing his career with two abbreviated seasons as a Dodger, Brave, and Pirate.

-Batted .304 with a .367 on-base percentage, 486 doubles, 47 home runs, and 839 RBI in parts of 15 seasons. He struck out only 428 times in 8641 plate appearances!

-Coached for the Dodgers, Braves, Red Sox, Angels, and Padres in the decades following his retirement.

-Also had two stints as a manager. Went 61-92 as player-manager of the Pirates in 1947, then spent parts of three seasons (1964-1966) as Red Sox skipper, losing 100 games in his only full year at the helm.

-Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee in 1975, and enshrined in the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame four years later. He passed away in 1992, about a week after his 83rd birthday.

#243 Reds Rookie Stars: Ted Davidson and Tommy Helms

Here's a little math problem as I post my first card in a week: work conference + home renovations = less time for blogging. Fortunately you gentle readers are a kind lot and have not been sending me irate emails and comments demanding more frequent updates. As a token of my gratitude, here's a two-for-one Reds rookie card! In case you've lost track, this was part of a ginormous lot of set needs that were sent to me by Jamie Whyte. Thanks again, Jamie!

Fun facts about Ted Davidson:

-Ted was born in Las Vegas, NV, and signed with the Reds at age 20 in 1960.

-It took him five and a half seasons to climb from Class D ball to the major leagues; he went 50-32 in that span.

-He joined the Reds in July of 1965 and got his first major league win in his third appearance. Cincy starter Joey Jay was knocked out of the box after facing seven batters in the first inning, and Davidson entered with his team trailing 3-0. He went the distance, allowing a single run, and the offense rallied to a 6-4 victory.

-Ted was a valuable member of the bullpen as a rookie, posting a 2.23 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP in 24 games.

-As one of three pitchers on the 1966 Reds to appear in fifty games, he put up a 3.90 ERA, won five games, and saved four.

-The southpaw's career was likely shortened by a bizarre and frightening incident in March 1967. He and his estranged wife Mary Ruth got into a heated argument at a bar in Tampa and she shot him three times (twice in the right chest and once in the left abdomen) with a .22 caliber pistol. He was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery and was lucky to have survived.

-It was remarkable that Ted pitched again at all, much less in the same year. He appeared in nine games for Cincinnati in 1967, and then split 1968 between the Reds and Braves. His best days were apparently behind him, as he allowed 20 runs in 28.1 innings with the two clubs.

-Davidson spent the 1969 season bouncing around AAA for the Cubs, White Sox, and Indians before calling it a career. In parts of four major league seasons he was 11-7 with five saves and a 3.69 ERA.

-He likely hated to face Dick Allen. The mercurial slugger touched him up for four home runs and eight RBI in just 14 plate appearances for a 1.571 OPS!

-He was 66 years old when he passed away in 2006 in Bullhead City, AZ.

Fun facts about Tommy Helms:

-A native of Charlotte, NC, Tommy signed with the Reds in 1959 at age 18.

-He debuted with Cincy in 1964 and hit .381 in 21 games the following year.

-Cracking the Reds starting lineup at third base in 1966, Helms was named N.L. Rookie of the Year. He batted .284 with nine homers and 49 RBI. His home runs and runs scored (72) were both career highs.

-After being switched to second base, he had back-to-back All-Star appearances in 1967 and 1968, starting the latter game.

-Won a pair of Gold Gloves in 1970 and 1971, setting a team record with 130 double plays turned in 1971.

-Hit the Reds' first homer following their move to Riverfront Stadium on July 1, 1970.

-Was traded to the Astros in a late 1971 blockbuster eight-player deal that is most notable for bringing Joe Morgan to Cincinnati.

-Hit .269 in four seasons in Houston before finishing his career with short stints in Pittsburgh (1976-1977) and Boston (1977). In 14 seasons, Tommy hit .269 with 34 home runs and 477 RBI.

-Was notoriously difficult to strike out, fanning only 301 times in 5,333 career trips to the plate.

-He co-owned a vending machine company with fellow ex-Red Pete Whisenant. Tommy also coached for the Rangers in 1981 and 1982, and rejoined the Reds as a coach from 1983-1989. He served two terms as the team's interim manager, taking over during Pete Rose's suspension in 1988 and following Rose's banishment from baseball the following year. His teams won 28 games and lost 36. Later, Helms managed in the minor leagues for the Cubs' AA Charlotte affiliate (1990) and for the independent Atlantic City Surf (2000-2001).

#242 George Brunet

George Brunet looks like a guy that knew how to have fun. With his sweat-slicked hair (complete with cowlick), sideways leer, and whatever that is that's sticking out from his jersey (a wayward shirt tag?), this might be the most visually intriguing portrait in this set.

Fun facts about George Brunet:

-Born in Houghton, MI, way up at the tip of the Upper Peninsula, George began pitching professionally in independent ball in 1953. He was 18 at the time. Two years later, he signed with the Athletics.

-While pitching for AA Little Rock in 1957, he was a bit lacking in run support. From June 21 to August 3, his teammates failed to score a single run while he was on the mound: a 52 and 1/3 inning drought. He lost eight straight starts but led the league in strikeouts with 235.

-Brunet debuted with the A's in 1956, but did not exceed 60 innings in a major league season until 1965. By that time, he was with the Angels, his fifth team of nine total.

-He was a decent starter for the Halos for four and a half seasons, compiling a 3.13 ERA (peaking at 2.56 in 1965) yet twice leading the league in losses.

-While with the Seattle Pilots in 1969, George alleged told teammate Jim Bouton that he never wore underwear because he didn't want to have to worry about losing it.

-He last pitched in the bigs in 1971 with the Cardinals. In parts of 15 seasons, he won 69 games and lost 93 with a 3.62 ERA.

-The lefthander returned to the minors from 1971-1973, wrapping up a minor league career in which he appeared for 16 different clubs in 15 seasons. He is believed to hold the minor league record with 3,175 strikeouts.

-At age 38, George moved to Mexico and began pitching for the club in Coza Rica. He plied his trade in the Mexican League all the way up to 1989, when he was 54 years old! He holds the Mexican League record with 55 shutouts, and he played professionally for 37 years, which it's safe to say is another record.

-George stayed in Coza Rica to teach the game to others, right up until a heart attack ended his life in 1991.

-In 1999, Brunet was posthumously elected to the Salon de la Fama, the Mexican baseball Hall of Fame.

#241 Mack Jones

When I pulled this card to scan, my first thought was "Mack the Knife". Not surprisingly, that was actually Mack's nickname during his career! By the way, I love that he has his outfielder's glove stashed in his back pocket.

Fun facts about Mack Jones:

-Born in Atlanta, GA, Mack signed with the Braves at age 19 in 1958.

-He debuted with Milwaukee in 1961 and tied a modern National League record with four hits in his first game, including a single and a double in two at-bats against Hall of Famer Bob Gibson.

-Hit .298 with 6 home runs and 26 RBI over his first 47 games in 1962, but slumped to .206 with four homers and 10 RBI over the next 44 games and spent the rest of the year in AAA. He wouldn't spend a full season in the majors until 1965.

-That 1965 season was a good one, as Jones slammed a career-high 31 home runs and added 75 RBI with a .262 average.

-After the Braves moved to Atlanta, Mack spent two years playing in his hometown, hitting 23 homers in 1966 despite a shoulder injury that cost him a few dozen games.

-After a one-year stop in Cincinnati, he joined the new Expos franchise. On April 14, 1969, his three-run home run in the first inning was the first longball ever hit in an MLB game in Canada.

-He was a popular player in Montreal, hitting a career-best .270 with 22 round-trippers and a personal high of 79 RBI in 1969. The left field bleachers in Jarry Park were dubbed "Jonesville" during his time there.

-Mack played for two and a half years with the Expos, wrapping up a ten-year major league career in 1971 with a .252 average, .347 on-base percentage, 133 home runs and 415 RBI.

-He coached youth football and baseball later in his life, and was selected for the Syracuse Baseball Wall of Fame in 2000. Back in 1964, he had narrowly missed winning the International League triple crown as a member of that city's AAA Chiefs franchise, as described on the card back below.

-Jones died at age 65 in 2004, a victim of stomach cancer.