Card Show in San Francisco Part IV (nice vintage cards)

At the Tristar Cardshow in San Francisco last weekend I was able to find some nice vintage cards.  I like to add cards from the 50s and 60s to my collection.  I'm thinking that I might never complete any of the sets from these years, but I continue to plug away getting cards that I need. 

At the show, I looked at some boxes of one dollar cards was able to find two nice cards from the Topps 1968 set.

Topps 1968

 

1967 World Series - Game 2 Card #152 & Topps Game Al Kaline Card #27

 

I got a card of Game 2 from the 1967 World Series when Carl Yaztremski hit two homers in the Red Sox 5-0 victory over the Cardinals.  The victory even the series at a game a piece.  Jim Lonborg pitched a one-hitter hurling 8 2/3 innings without allowing a hit until Julian Javier doubled with two outs in the top of the ninth inning.

 

I was also able to find a game card of Al Kaline.  I can still remember my little league days sitting in the dugout playing a game with this set of cards as they could possibly be the best baseball card game ever.

 

At the show I was fortunate to find a table where a dealer had over a thousand cards from the 50s and 60s and he selling them for a dollar a piece. 
 

Here are some of the cards I got.

Topps 1958 Pitchers

I got cards of a couple of pitchers who started their careers in the 50s, and pitched into the 60s and the early 70s.

Camilo Pascal #219 & Milt Pappas #457

Camilo Pascual, a 18 year veteran, played for the Senators, who became the Twins in 1961 (1954-1966), then for the second Senators franchise (1967-1969), Reds (1969), Dodgers (1970), and Indians (1971).  Pascal was a 20-game winner twice, in 1962–63, while pitching for the Twins.  Pascual led the American League in strikeouts in 1961 (221), 1962 (206), and 1963 (202). He was selected to the American League All-Star team 5 times.

Milt Pappas, a 17-year veteran, pitched for the Orioles (1957-1965), Reds (1966-1968), Braves (1968-1970) and Cubs (1970–1973).  Pappas was named an American League All-Star in 1962, pitching in both All-Star games (from 1959 to 1962, Major League Baseball had two All-Star games).  Although, Pappas never won 20 games during any single season, he did win 10 or more games in every season between 1958 and 1972.  On September 2, 1972 he pitched a no-hitter against the Padres in the Cubs 8-0 victory.  He retired the first 26 batters in the game and loss his perfect game when he walked pinch hitter Larry Stahl.

A couple of Mets  

Topps 1964 Rusty Staub 109 and Topps 1966 Ed Kranepool 212

  

Ed Kranepool played 19 seasons for the Mets.  He begun his career as a 17 year old playing with the Mets in their inaugural season during 1962.  Rusty Staub, who played 23 seasons in the major leagues, was also teenager when debuted as a young 19 year old in 1963 with the Colt 45s.  Staub played in his first game on April 9, 1963 and his birthday in on April 1, 1944 (no fooling). 

 

Kranepool and Staub played together on the Mets during 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1975.  The Mets won the National League pennant in 1973, losing the World Series to the A's in seven games.  During that season, Staub was the Mets regular right fielder and Kranepool shared time at first base with John Milner.   In December 1975, Staub was traded to the Tigers in a deal that netted the Mets pitcher Mickey Lolich and he returned and ended his career with the Mets, playing between 1981 and 1985 in New York.    

 

World Series Champion Managers

Topps 1965 Dick Howser #92 and Topps 1967 Dave Johnson #363

 

Here are a couple of cards of infielders who would later become the managers of teams that won the World Series in successive years during the 1980s.  Dick Howser was the manager of the 1985 World Champion Royals and Dave Johnson lead the Mets to their second World Championship in 1986.

 

The Announcers

 

Topps 1965 Mike Shannon #43 and Topps 1967 Ken Harrelson #188

 

Here are a couple of major league players who continued careers in major league baseball becoming announcers.

 

Mike Shannon was born July 15, 1939 in St. Louis.  He played nine seasons with the Cardinals beginning in 1962.  He was a part of the 1964, 1967, and 1968 teams that appeared in the World Series, winning World Series Championships in 1964 and 1967.  

 

Upon completing his playing career, Shannon moved to the broadcast booth in 1972.  He worked three decades with Jack Buck and has been broadcasting Cardinal games for the last 44 years.

 

Ken Harrelson played for four teams: the Athletics (1963–66, 1967), Senators (1966–67), Red Sox (1967–69), and Indians (1969–71).   In 1971, Harrelson retired at midseason to pursue a professional golf career.  He played in the 1967 World Series for the Red Sox, against Shannon's Cardinals. 

Harrelson turned to a broadcasting career beginning in 1975 with the Red Sox when he partnered with Dick Stockton.   However, after being publicly critical of player personnel decisions made by Boston co-owner Haywood Sullivan, he was fired at the close of the 1981 season.  Harrelson then served as a White Sox announcer from 1982 to 1985 and briefly left broadcasting in 1986 to become the White Sox's General Manager.

During the 1987–1988 seasons, Harrelson was the television play-by-play man for Yankees and he served as a backup color commentator on NBC's Game of the Week broadcasts from 1984–1989.  Harrelson returned to the White Sox in 1990 as their play-by-play announcer during television broadcasts, teaming up with Tom Paciorek until 2000 and then working with Darrin Jackson from 2000 to 2008.  In 2009, he began broadcasting with former Chicago Cubs color analyst Steve Stone and today they continue to broadcast White Sox games.

Harrelson is often credited with inventing the batting glove by wearing a golf glove while at bat with the A's.

 

Pitchers who are a part of making Yankee History

 

 Topps 1961 Don Larsen #177 and Tracy Stallard #81

 

Don Larsen will always have a part in Yankee lore (although this card pictures him with the Kansas City A's) for the perfect game he pitched against the Dodgers in the 1956 World Series.  Tracy Stallard was never a Yankees, but he will be remembered as the starting pitcher on October 1, 1961, when the Yankees played the Red Sox.   In the fourth inning of the game, Stallard faced off against Yankee right fielder Roger Maris.  Maris homered to right field which was his 61st home run of the year, breaking Babe Ruth's single season home run record when in 1927, he hit 60 home runs.  Maris' home run was the only run of the game.      

 

Bo Belinsky

 

Topps 1966 Bo Belinsky #506 & Topps 1967 Bo Belinsky #447

 

Bo Belinsky was a major league pitcher who made the most out of his 28 victories.  Belinsky major league debut was on April 18, 1962, and he became an instant southern California celebrity when he opened the season with four straight wins including a May 5 no-hitter against the Orioles.  Later Belinsky was romantically linked to such women as  Ann Margret, Connie Stevens, Tina Louise, and Mamie Van Dore.  Van Dore was his fiancée for a year.

 

                           

            Ann Margret                                                        Connie Stevens                                        

 

               

           Tina Louise                                                       Bo with Mamie Van Dore 

 

  

Alou Brothers

 

 Topps 1964 Felipe Alou #65, Topps 1965 Matty Alou #318 and Topps 1964 Jesus Alou #47

 

The Alou brothers played together with the 1963 Giants.  The brothers did play together in eight games, when Felipe, then 28, was a regular outfielder for the San Francisco Giants; Matty, 24, was a defensive replacement (he started only six games) and pinch hitter; and Jesus, 21, was a September call-up. They never started a game together but they did play in the same outfield for a few innings in September of that year.  These were the only times in major league history that three brothers were in the same lineup, and playing together in the outfield.

 

When Jesus made his debut on September 10, Manager Al Dark had the Alou brothers bat consecutively in the eighth inning, Jesus and Matty as pinch hitters before Felipe came up. The Alous went 0 for 3 against the Mets’ Carlton Willey.  On September 15, Felipe played all three outfield positions, and Matty and Jesus joined him in the outfield as late-inning substitutes.  Jesus entered the game in the 7th inning playing right field, and Matty entered the game in left field in the 8th inning, as Felipe moved to center field.  This was the first time in major league history that three brothers played in a game together in the same outfield.

Baseball Fathers and Sons: Part III, Topps 1962

Acquiring Topps 1962 cards for my Fathers and Sons set.

Some of the cards that I acquired to add to my father and son set came from ebay purchases.  Ebay was used as the local card shop and fellow collectors didn't have the cards I needed.  Two of the cards would have been difficult finds at any card shop.  In my research in identifying cards for Jim McKnight, father of Jeff McKnight, and Ed Olivares, father of Omar Olivares, Jim's and Ed's only cards were in the Topps 1962 set.  Their cards were in the 7th series, part of the Rookie Parade cards that finish the set.  Collectors of the Topps 1962 set know cards from the 7th series are short print cards.

The decision I wrestled with was it worth paying the price to add the Jim McKnight and Ed Olivares cards to my collection.  With the understanding that these Topps 1962 cards were the only cards for both players, I needed to make a decision if I wanted to pay a premium price for these cards. I decided to go for it.  My feeling was that if I was going to collect father and son sets, I would need these cards.

I went to ebay and found auctions for both the Jim McKnight and Ed Olivares cards.  I can't remember  what I paid for the cards, but current auctions on ebay for these cards have a bid of $10.50 for the McKnight card and a $11.50 for the Olivares card, with three days left in each auction.  The lowest Buy it Now prices on ebay for these cards is currently $35 for the McKnight card and $32.25 for the Olivares card.  If I remember correctly I paid closer to the Buy it Now price for these cards.

For the sons, Jeff McKnight and Omar Olivares, it was easier to find their cards as I already had them in my collection. McKnight had 13 cards issued beginning with four cards from 1990.  His cards from that year were in the Topps Debut '89 and Upper Deck sets and minor league cards from CMC and Pro Cards AAA.  Olivares first cards were in the 1990 minor league CMC and Pro Cards AAA sets.  He has had over 45 cards issued with his first major league cards found in 1991 Donruss, Score, Topps, Topps Debut '90, Ultra Update, & Upper Deck sets.

I started to wonder why Jim McKnight and Ed Olivares only cards were in the Topps 1962 set.  McKnight and Olivares played in the 60s when Topps was the only regular issued set.  I'd never heard of either of them and found out that part of the reason their only cards were in the Topps 1962 set was that they each played in the major leagues for part of two seasons in the early 60s.

The Fathers

 

Jim McKnight

 

Topps 1962 Rookie Parade Card # 597 

 

Jim McKnight was born on June 1, 1936 in Bee Branch, Arkansas.  He was signed in 1955 by the Cardinals and in June 1960, was traded to the Cubs for outfielder, Walt Moryn.  He made his big league debut on September 22 of that year, in the second game of a doubleheader in the Cubs 6-1 loss to the Pirates.  In the top of the 5th inning McKnight pinch hit for pitcher Joe Schaffernoth and fouled out to third baseman Don Hoak.  He appeared in two more games during the 1960 season, including a start in right field on September 23, in the second game of a doubleheader, a 5-1 loss to the Cardinals.  Hitting 8th in the lineup, McKnight batted three times against Cardinals pitcher, Ray Sadecki, and got his first major league hit, a single in the 5th inning. 

McKnight returned to the Cubs in the 1962 season, playing in 60 games, batting .224.  McKnight's only multiple RBI game of his career came on May 18, 1962, in the Cubs 11-8 victory over the Phillies.  He entered the game at third base in the bottom of the eighth inning, and his ninth inning single, off reliever Jack Baldschun, plated Ernie Banks and George Altman, the final runs scored that day.

In December 1962, he was traded to the Milwaukee Braves for Ken Aspromonte.  McKnight never appeared in another major league game.  However, between 1963 and 1971, he played for the AAA affiliates of the Braves, Giants, and Phillies.  In 1964, McKnight play on the Toronto Maple Leafs of the Intentional League, who were managed by Hall of Famer Sparky Anderson. 

1972 was McKnight's final year as a player, as he was player-manager for the Decatur Commodores, the single A affiliate of the Giants.   McKnight played in seven games that year ending the season with a .125 batting average (three hits in 24 at bats).  The Commodores overall record for the year was 48-79, finishing in fourth place (out of five teams) during both the first and second half of the season, in the South Division of the Midwest League.  All told, McKnight appeared in 1,954 minor league games and finished his major league career playing in 63 games with a .231 batting average (21 hits in 93 at bats) with no home runs and six RBI. 

 

Ed Olivares

 

Topps 1962 Rookie Parade Card # 598 

Ed Olivares was born November 5, 1938 in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.  He signed with the Phillies in 1957 and in 1958, he was sent to the Cardinals .  Olivares major league debut was on September 16, 1960 in the Cardinals 6-2 loss to the Giants.  In the 7th inning, he entered the game as a pinch hitter for pitcher Bob Grim.  Giants' reliever Stu Miller struck him out.  Olivares appeared in two more games in 1960 and ended the season with a .000 batting average in five at bats, striking out three times.

Olivares returned to the Cardinals during the 1961 season.  His first appearance during the year was on July 28, in a Cardinal 6-2 victory over the Braves.  He started in right field, hitting eighth in the lineup.  In the eighth inning Olivares got his first major league hit, a single off Braves reliever Don McMahan.  After getting on base, Curt Flood run for him, and Olivares finished the game with one hit in four at bats. 

Two days later, in the first game of a doubleheader against the Braves, Olivares entered the game in the 8th inning, pitch hitting for Cardinals reliever, Lindy McDaniel.  The Cardinals started the inning trailing the Braves 3-1.  Olivares reached base on a fielder choice when Red Schoendienst was forced at second base.  Later in the inning, he scored the Cardinals second run, his first career run, on Julian Javier's single.  The Cardinals took a 5-3 lead during the inning, thanks to Bill White's three run home run, and ended up winning the game 5-3.

On that same day, in the second game of the doubleheader against the Braves, Olivares started in right field, batting seventh, in a 3-2 extra inning loss.  During the game, off Braves starter Warren Spahn, he got his first and only career RBI, when his sixth inning sacrifice fly plated Bill White, which tie the game at 2.  The Braves won the game in the tenth inning when Hank Aaron single scored Lee Maye.

 

In October 1961, Olivares was the Houston Colt 45s' 33rd selection in the 1961 National League expansion draft.  The Topps 1962 baseball card pictures him as a Colt 45 even though he never appeared in any games for them.  After the 1961 season with the Cardinals he did not played another game in the major leagues.  He finished his career in the minor leagues playing from 1963 to 1966 with affiliates of the Colt 45s, Twins, and Tigers.  In two major league seasons, Olivares appeared in 24 games, ending with a .143 career batting average (5 hits in 35 at bats) with no home runs and one RBI.

 

The Sons

 

Jeff McKnight 

 

1990 Upper Deck Jeff McKnight Card # 162

Jeff McKnight was born on February  18, 1963 in Conway, Arkansas.  He played in the major leagues from 1989 to 1994 for the Mets and Orioles.  He made his major league debut with the Mets on June 6, 1989 in a 8-4 loss to the Cubs.  In the top of the 5th inning, he pinch hit for Mets reliever, Roger McDowell, and singled off Calvin Schiraldi.  McKnight appeared in six games that season. Then in December 1989, he signed a contract with the Orioles and played the next two seasons in Baltimore.  On September 12, 1990, McKnight hit his first career home run, leading off the 8th inning against Tigers starter, Jack Morris.  The homer was a game winner as it gave the Orioles a 2-1lead, the final score of the game.  In December 1991, McKnight signed a contract returning to the Mets.  He played the 1992, 1993, and 1994 seasons in New York.  His best season was in 1993 when he appeared in 105 games, batting .256 (42 hits in 156 at bats) with two homers and 13 RBI.  McKnight ended his career with a .233 career batting average (94 in 404 at bats) with five homer runs and 34 RBI.  During his career, he played every position except centerfield and pitcher.  Recently, on March 1, 2015, McKnight passed away after battling leukemia for 10 years.

Omar Olivares

 

1991 Score Omar Olivares Card #748

 

Omar Olivares was born July 6, 1967 in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.  Olivares pitched in the major leagues from 1990 to 2001.  He made his major league debut on August 18, 1990, pitching 8 innings as the starting pitcher for the Cardinals, getting a no decision in the 3-2 11 inning loss to the Astros.  That year, he got his first major league win on September 13, pitching six innings as the Cardinals starter in the 6-4 victory over the Expos.  For his career, Olivares appeared in 349 games, starting 229 games, while playing for eight teams: the Cardinals, A's, Phillies, Pirates, Angels, Tigers, Rockies, and Mariners.  He finished his career with a record of 77 wins and 86 losses, 16 complete games, two shutouts, and four saves.  His best season was in 1999, when he spent time with the Angels and A's.  He finished the 1999 season with 15 wins and 11 losses and four complete games.  After the July 29 trade from the Angels, Olivares recorded seven wins and 2 losses for the A's. 

 

Jeff McKnight and Omar Olivares faced each other once, in a September 23, 1992 game between the Mets and the Cardinals.  McKnight, started at 2nd base and batting 5th, went 1 for 3 against Olivares, the Cardinals starting pitcher.  McKnight singled off Olivares in the first inning.  Olivares retired McKnight in the fourth and seventh innings and pitched eight innings and left the game with the scored tied at one.  In the top of the ninth inning, the Mets scored twice, with the second run coming in on McKnight's second single of the game, off Cardinal reliever Lee Smith, that plated Daryl Boston with the Mets third and final run.  The Cardinals scored a run in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Mets starter Dwight Gooden finished with a complete game, retiring Tracy Goodson for the last out, while stranding Ray Lankford at third base and Rod Brewer at first base.

Fathers, Jim McKnight and Ed Olivares careers crossed paths in the minor leagues while playing in the Texas League for the Tulsa Drillers, the Cardinals AA affiliate.  They spent time playing together during the 1959 season.  McKnight played the entire season in Tulsa, appearing in 103 games, batting .332 with 6 home runs and 69 RBI.  Olivares spent part of the 1959 season playing for the Drillers, appearing in 15 games, batting .182 with 1 home run and 9 RBI.