Friday, August 30, 2019

#60 Mayo Smith - Philadelphia Phillies


Edward Mayo Smith
Philadelphia Phillies
Manager


Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  183
Born:  January 17, 1915, New London, MO
Drafted:  Drafted by the Philadelphia Athletics from the Detroit Tigers in the 1944 Rule 5 draft.
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Athletics 1945
As a Manager:  Philadelphia Phillies 1955-1958; Cincinnati Reds 1959; Detroit Tigers 1967-1970
Died:  November 24, 1977, Boynton Beach, FL (age 62)

Mayo Smith spent almost four decades in organized baseball, first as an outfielder in the Tigers, Reds, Athletics and Yankees system between 1933 and 1952, and then as a manager for the Phillies, Reds and Tigers between 1955 and 1970.

Smith's sole year as a player in the big leagues came in 1945 when he hit .212 over 73 games for the Athletics.  He was named the manager of the Phillies in October 1954 at the age of 39, replacing the outgoing Terry Moore.  The Phillies never finished above fourth place in his 3 1/2 years at the helm, and he was fired in mid-1958.  Smith briefly managed the 1959 Reds before getting fired again mid-season.

He found his most success as manager of the Tigers for four seasons, leading the Tigers to a World Series title in 1968.  The Cardinals had taken a commanding three games to one lead in that series, but the Tigers won three in a row to take the title.  Smith was named A.L. Manager of the Year in 1968 and would manage the Tigers for two more seasons.  He was fired following the 1970 season and replaced by Billy Martin (#181), having gone 363-285.  After a single season as a scout for the Oakland Athletics in 1971, Smith officially retired from baseball.

Building the Set
October 1, 1987 in Bridgeton, NJ - Card #49
My notes indicate we bought this card at Hummel's in Bridgeton, NJ a few days before my 14th birthday.  We acquired three Phillies card that day - Smith, Murry Dickson (#211) and Frank Baumholtz (#274) and I don't know how much we paid for the trio.  My memories of Hummel's are hazy at best, but I seem to recall it was a large building with a sprawling liquor store on the first floor and a baseball card shop on the second floor.  With baseball card stores booming in the mid to late 1980s, we'd often take a ride to one of the four or five local card shops we were lucky enough to have near us.  October 1st was a Thursday, so it's strange to me that we would have made the 20 minute or so drive to Hummel's on a week night after work and school.  My approaching birthday might have contributed to the motivation for the trip.

I tried to find Hummel's on Google Maps and sure enough a liquor store came up, but not the one I remember.  I remember a bigger builder, with the second floor, and this clearly isn't it.


The Card
We're through 60 cards in the set, and Smith is only the second Phillies card to appear.  All other teams have had at least three cards up to this point, with the Athletics and Pirates leading the way with five cards each.  Mayo is the first of four subjects in the set with the last name of Smith with two Hals (#62 and #283) and an Al (#105) coming up.

I can only assume the photographer asked Smith to give his best "get down and slide" sign for the pose found here.  And kudos to the artist responsible for the back three panels of this card, as there clearly wasn't a lot of material with which to work.  While the back also indicates Smith was a lefty, his Baseball Reference page indicates he threw right-handed.

Smith is one of only two manager cards featured in the 1956 set, along with Walter Alston (#8).  I've always been curious as to why Smith was chosen as a subject along with the well-known (and successful) Alston instead of any other Major League manager.  Here's a list of all the managers who could have had cards in the 1956 set, in order of each team's finish from the 1955 season.  No offense to Smith, but there's a few better candidates than him in this list:

  • Dodgers - Walter Alston
  • Braves - Charlie Grimm (1955-56) or Fred Haney (1956)
  • Giants - Leo Durocher (1955) or Bill Rigney (1956)
  • Phillies - Mayo Smith 
  • Reds - Birdie Tebbetts
  • Cubs - Stan Hack
  • Cardinals - Eddie Stanky (1955), Harry Walker (1955) or Fred Hutchinson (1956)
  • Pirates - Fred Haney (1955) or Bobby Bragan (1956)
  • Yankees - Casey Stengel
  • Indians - Al Lopez
  • White Sox - Marty Marion
  • Red Sox - Pinky Higgins
  • Tigers - Bucky Harris
  • Athletics - Lou Boudreau
  • Orioles - Paul Richards
  • Senators - Chuck Dressen
1956 Season
Returning for his second season as manager of the Phillies, Smith guided the team to a 71-83 record and a fifth place finish in the National League.  The team performed well for most of the season, climbing to just one game under .500 as late as August 8th.  Despite the rough year, Smith was given a one year extension following the season and he'd hang on to manage through all of 1957 and half of the 1958 season.

Phillies Career
Smith's record as Phillies manager was 264-282-2, and his best season came in 1957 when the Phillies battled at the top of the division until mid-July.  That team finished that season right at .500 with a 77-77 record.  The play was much of the same at the start of the 1958 season, and the Phillies reached a winning record on July 12th at 39-38.  However, the team lost eight of their next nine games and Smith was fired on July 22nd.  Whiz Kids manager Eddie Sawyer was brought back to replace Smith, his second managerial stint with the club.

Smith received two mainstream baseball cards to mark his time with the Phillies, in the 1955 and 1956 Topps sets.  He also appears in the 1956, 1957 and 1958 Jay Publishing Phillies sets, as well as in the oddball 1956 Topps Pins and 1956 Topps Hocus Focus sets.  He's also in the rare 1955 Felin's Franks Match the Phillies set, which according to my edition of the Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards, may not have actually been released.

1955 Topps #130
1967 Topps #321
1968 Topps #544
1969 Topps #40
1970 Topps #313
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Topps #130
First Topps Card (as a manager):  1955 Topps #130
Last Topps Card (as a manager):  1970 Topps #313
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1970 Topps #313
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1955-1956, 1967-1970

26 - Smith non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/3/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Phillies Room
SABR
The Trading Card Database

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.

Friday, August 23, 2019

#59 Jose Santiago - Cleveland Indians


Jose Guillermo Santiago
Cleveland Indians
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  175
Born:  September 4, 1928, Coamo, Puerto Rico
Signed:  Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before 1949 season
Major League Teams:  Cleveland Indians 1954-1955; Kansas City Athletics 1956
Died:  October 9, 2018, San Juan, Puerto Rico (age 90)

A 13-year professional player, Jose Santiago had pitched for two seasons with the New York Cubans in the Negro League before the Indians signed him before the 1948 season.  He was one of the best pitchers in Cleveland's minor league system for five seasons between 1949 and 1953, compiling a record of 77-47 to go along with a 2.93 ERA.  However, given the Indians' existing starting pitching of Bob Feller (#200), Mike Garcia (#210), Early Wynn (#187) and Bob Lemon (#255), it wasn't easy for Santiago, let alone any other pitcher, to earn a spot in the rotation.  After appearing in just one game in 1954, Santiago was added to the bullpen in 1955 where he appeared in 17 games, going 2-0 with a 2.48 ERA.  He was sold to the Athletics in May 1956, appearing in nine games.  Santiago would continue to play minor league baseball through the 1959 season within the Reds, Orioles and Cubs systems before retiring.

Following his playing career, Santiago remained active in baseball as he was a one-time owner of the Caguas Criollos of the Puerto Rico Winter League.  As a businessman, Santiago was known as a boxing promoter and owner of a horse stable whose horses were successful in winning a number of races.

Building the Set
Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ - Card #4
This Santiago card was one of the Original 44, and I've relayed the story of how my Dad and I began collecting the 1956 Topps set a few times - most recently with the Pedro Ramos (#49) post here.

The Card
This is the first and last mainstream baseball card issued for Santiago, and it's fitting that the back of his card pays tribute to his excellent minor league career in the first two panels.  It looks as if he added his middle initial "G" to his signature as an afterthought.  If the player standing behind Santiago is wearing #8, and it's hard to tell the uniform number, it's most likely infielder Kenny Kuhn who appeared in 4 games for the Indians in 1955 as an 18-year old.

His few other baseball card appearances are limited to oddball issuances, including a card in the 1956 Kansas City Livestock Night postcard set, a 1972 sticker in the Puerto Rico Winter League set and a few cards in the 1975 TCMA set celebrating the 1954 Indians team.  Santiago signed a few hundred copies of his reprinted 1956 Topps card for inclusion in the 2005 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs insert set.

1956 Season
Sold to the Athletics on May 16th, Santiago made nine appearances (including five starts) with the club between the end of May and mid-July.  He didn't fare very well, going 1-2 with an 8.31 ERA over 21 2/3 innings pitched.  Demoted to the minors, Santiago appeared in 11 games for the Triple-A Columbus Jets.

1975 TCMA
1954 Cleveland Indians
2005 Topps Heritage Real One
Autographs Red #RO-JSA
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #59
First Topps Card:  1956 Topps #59
Last Topps Card:  1956 Topps #59
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2005 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #RO-JSA
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  1956

6 - Santiago non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/2/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.

Friday, August 16, 2019

#58 Ed Roebuck - Brooklyn Dodgers


Edward Jack Roebuck
Brooklyn Dodgers
Pitcher


Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  185
Born:  July 3, 1931, Millsboro, PA
Signed:  Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1949 season
Major League Teams:  Brooklyn Dodgers 1955-1957; Los Angeles Dodgers 1958, 1960-1963; Washington Senators 1963-1964; Philadelphia Phillies 1964-1966
Died:  June 14, 2018, Lakewood, CA (age 86)

All but one of Ed Roebuck's 460 appearances in the Major Leagues came in relief, and he served as one of the game's most reliable relievers from the mid-1950s through the mid-1960s.  Roebuck was a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers team that won a World Series in 1955 and lost the Series in 1956 to the Yankees.  In 6 1/3 innings in the 1955 and 1956 World Series, he allowed only one run, and had an impressive ERA of 1.42.  Perhaps Roebuck's best season was 1962 when he went 10-2 with a 3.09 ERA and nine saves while appearing in 64 games for the Dodgers.  In his 11-year career, he finished in the top ten in the league in saves and appearances four different times.

After a few mediocre seasons with the Senators, Roebuck found new life with the Phillies, serving as one of their most durable relievers during the 1964 season but unfortunately he was part of that team's epic, late season collapse.  One of the game's most proficient fungo hitters, Roebuck was invited to Houston in 1964 to hit fungos as high as he could inside the Astrodome, still under construction, to make sure the roof would be high enough once official games commenced.

Following his playing days, Roebuck served as a scout for the Dodgers, Phillies, Braves, Reds, Pirates and Red Sox.  He retired in 2006 after earning his second World Series ring in 2004 as a scout for the Red Sox.

Building the Set
August 29, 1988 in Millville, NJ - Card #62
I shared this story back in March when I posted the Tom Brewer (#34) card, but I'll repeat it again here.  The Roebuck card was one of four cards I acquired for our 1956 Topps set via a trade, and all I had to surrender were a bunch of 1988 Topps doubles.

We were about a year in to officially collecting the 1956 Topps set when I added four cards to the set through a trade with a friend of mine.  Now my friend probably has no recollection of this, but I'm going to omit his name to protect the innocent.  In the summer of 1988, I was aware of a few different baseball card collectors from my school.  Most of them were busy accumulating as many "Future Stars" cards from the 1988 Topps set as possible, convinced these cards would be worth hundreds of dollars in a matter of a few short years.  The Kevin Elster card was a particularly hot commodity, as was anything with a Topps Rookie Cup on it such as the cards for Mark McGwire, Mike Greenwell, Ellis Burks and Casey Candaele.

My friend had four 1956 Topps cards set aside in an "oldies" pile, and I'm guessing he had added these to his collection by accident or maybe through an older relative.  In any event, I went over to his house this late summer day in August, equipped with my 1988 Topps doubles, and ready to deal.  I don't remember the specifics of the trade, but I ended up with four 1956 Topps commons and he ended up with a small stack of 1988 Topps rookies.  We were both happy with our respective hauls, so in our minds it was a fair deal.

I've lost track of this friend over the years, but his name lives on in my official records of how each card in our 1956 Topps set was obtained.

The Card
Here's something I found extremely interesting, and I've been tracking this since starting this project.  Roebuck's card is the 47th card in the set to feature a player also included within the 1955 Topps set.  However, his is the first instance of a card using a different photo for his 1956 Topps card than what was used for his 1955 Topps card.  Why did Topps suddenly decide to go with a new photo for Roebuck's 1956 Topps card, when it had used the same photo for the prior 46 players?

1956 Season
Roebuck appeared in 43 games for the Dodgers, all in relief, going 5-4 with a 3.93 ERA.  Only closer Clem Labine had more appearances in relief that season for the Dodgers with 62.  He led the National League in wild pitches with 10.  Against the Yankees in the 1956 World Series, Roebuck appeared in three games, pitching 4 1/3 innings and allowing only one hit and one run - a solo home run to Mickey Mantle in Game 4.

Phillies Career
On April 21, 1964, the Senators sold Roebuck to the Phillies and he appeared in 60 games in relief.  In parts of three seasons with the Phillies, Roebuck appeared in 110 games, pitching to a 10-8 record and a 2.83 ERA.  He recorded 15 saves, second only to Jack Baldschun (27 saves) during that same stretch.  During the late season collapse of 1964 resulting in ten straight losses, Roebuck pitched in four games and was scored upon only once.

The Phillies released him following the 1965 season, but he re-signed with them as a free agent and appeared in six games before getting released again on July 23, 1966.  He served as a scout for the Phillies after retiring as an active player, but I can't find any reference to what years he was with the club either online or from the team's yearbooks or media guides.

Roebuck's most readily available Phillies baseball card can be found in the 1965 Topps set.  He's also in the 1964 Philadelphia Bulletin set, the 1978 TCMA The 1960s set and he signed reprints of his 1965 Topps card for the 2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs insert set.

1955 Topps #195
1961 Topps #6
1964 Topps #187
1965 Topps #52
1978 TCMA The 1960s #165
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Topps #195
First Topps Card:  1955 Topps #195
Representative Phillies Card:  1965 Topps #52
Last Topps Card:  1965 Topps #52
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-ER
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1955-1956, 1958, 1960-1965

52 - Roebuck non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 7/22/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Phillies Room
SABR
The Trading Card Database

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.

Friday, August 9, 2019

#57 "Duke" Maas - Detroit Tigers


Duane Frederick Maas
Detroit Tigers
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  170
Born:  January 31, 1929, Utica, MI
Signed:  Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent before 1949 season
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1955-1957; Kansas City Athletics 1958; New York Yankees 1958-1961
Died:  December 7, 1976, Mount Clemens, MI (age 47)

"Duke" Maas started 91 games and relieved in 104 over his seven-year big league career with the Tigers, Athletics and Yankees.  As a reliable back of the rotation pitcher or middle reliever, Maas compiled a lifetime record of 45-44 and a 4.19 ERA with 15 saves.  He won a World Series ring with the Yankees in 1958 when they defeated the Braves in seven games.

Maas was traded to the Yankees from the Athletics in mid-June 1958 with Virgil Trucks (#117) for Bob Grim (#52) and Harry Simpson (#239).  He had arguably his best years with the Yankees, serving as an occasional starter but mostly as a reliever.  In his four seasons in pinstripes, Maas went 26-12 with a 4.21 ERA.  The Yankees left him unprotected in the 1960 expansion draft, and he was the third overall pick by the Los Angeles Angels.  Although he spent spring 1961 with the Angels, he was traded back to the Yankees right before the start of the regular season.  He'd appear in just one game for the Yankees in April 1961, the last appearance of his Major League career.

Building the Set
June 20, 1992 in Ocean City, NJ - Card #104
This is one of 11 cards (and the 6th I've covered on this blog) that my Dad and I bought in June 1992 at the Ocean City baseball card show held on the boardwalk at the Music Pier.  We paid $60 for the lot of 11 cards, which at the time was most likely a steal.  Chronologically, I have this listed as the 104th card we added to the set.  Like the other cards in this lot, this card is gorgeous with four sharp corners.  I'd love to get into my time machine and buy whatever other 1956 Topps cards this dealer had for sale as they're some of the finest cards in our set.

I would have just graduated high school when we attended this show, and I'd be heading off to college in the fall.  If I had to guess, I'd say we purchased this lot of 11 cards from a baseball card dealer who had a store called Diamond Dust.  His cards were always nicely displayed in binders and I remember his table would be positioned in the back right of the lower level of the Music Pier.

After purchasing these cards, Dad and I undoubtedly sat at the counter of Mack & Manco's, enjoying a few slices with birch beer.

The Card
This is Maas' first mainstream baseball card appearances, as his 18 appearances in 1955 weren't enough to merit him late series inclusion in either the Bowman or Topps sets.  His facsimile autograph reflects his actual first name of Duane.  Once again, my lack of knowledge about old ballparks comes into play as I'm not sure in which stadium Maas is posing for his action shot.

I've found whenever a player's high school career is referenced on the back of these cards, it usually means the artist was struggling to fill all three panels.

1956 Season
Maas had a rough 1956 season, going 0-7 with a 6.54 ERA before getting sent down to Triple-A Charleston in mid-July.  He'd bounce back to win 10 games for the Tigers in 1957, a season in which he threw a career high eight complete games.

1957 Topps #405
 
1958 Topps #228
 
1959 Topps #167
 
1961 Topps #387
 
2001 Upper Deck Legends of New York
Game Jersey #LYJ-DM
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #57
First Topps Card:  1956 Topps #57
Last Topps Card:  1961 Topps #387
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2001 Upper Deck Legends of New York Game Jersey #LYJ-DM
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1956-1961

22 - Maas non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 6/1/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.

Friday, August 2, 2019

#56 Dale Long - Pittsburgh Pirates


Richard Dale Long
Pittsburgh Pirates
First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  205
Born:  February 6, 1926, Springfield, MO
Acquired:  Traded by Middletown (Ohio State) with Kenneth Braden to the Cincinnati Reds for Dick Oder and Joseph Turczak, May 1945
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1951; St. Louis Browns 1951; Pittsburgh Pirates 1955-1957; Chicago Cubs 1957-1959; San Francisco Giants 1960; New York Yankees 1960; Washington Senators 1961-1962; New York Yankees 1962-1963
Died:  January 27, 1991, Palm Coast, FL (age 64)

Dale Long played in parts of ten seasons in the Majors, compiling a .267 lifetime average and hitting 132 home runs.  Long's best season came in 1956 when he made the All-Star team and hit career highs in both home runs (27) and RBIs (91).  Known more for his bat than his glove, Long led all first basemen in errors in three different season, including his career best year of 1956.

Turning down an offer from the Green Bay Packers, Long opted for a baseball career and toiled in the minor leagues for ten seasons before becoming a regular with the Pirates in 1955.  In 1958 with the Cubs, he caught two innings in a pair of games as a late-inning replacement, becoming the first left-handed catcher in the Majors since Jiggs Donahue in 1902.  (To date, Benny Distefano is the last left-handed catcher to appear in the Majors, having caught in three games in 1989.)

Long appeared in two World Series with the Yankees, who lost to the Pirates in 1960 but defeated the Giants in 1962.  He served as a Yankees player/coach in 1963.

Building the Set
January 8, 2000 in Raleigh, NC - Card #194
This is one of three cards I purchased at the Raleigh Sportscard & Memorabilia Show, along with Alex Grammas (#37) and Frank Sullivan (#71).  My records show I paid $3 for the card.  I would have had to call my Dad to tell him to update his lists, as he was still working in Millville, NJ at the time.

The late 1990s and early 2000s were a very confusing time for me, and those years are all but lost in my memory.  I have little to no recollection as to the apartments or houses in which I was living or the things I was doing on a day to day basis.  Pictures from this era are scarce but I was able to find this shot of my sister and my Dad from New Year's Eve 1999.  A week later, I was back in Raleigh attending a baseball card show and looking for cards needed for our 1956 Topps set.

The Card
Long is shown wearing the helmet mandated by Pirates General Manager Branch Rickey, and he joins teammates Roy Face (#13), Roberto Clemente (#33) and Gene Freese (#46) so far in sporting the helmet.  I found this summary from SABR explaining Rickey's introduction of the helmets in September 1952, to be worn at all times by Pirates players and coaches - at bat and in the field.

The first panel on the back of Long's card pays homage to his experimental catching phase, adding a deadpan, "It didn't work."  His sole possession of the triples title in 1955 was thwarted by Willie Mays (#130) who also hit 13 triples that season.

1956 Season
As mentioned above, 1956 was Long's best season and he anchored a Pirates infield consisting of Bill Mazeroski at second, Dick Groat (#24) at shortstop and Frank Thomas (#153) at third.  He hit eight home runs in eight consecutive games between May 19th and May 28th, breaking the record of homering in six straight games set previously by five different players, including Lou Gehrig and Mays.  Long's mark was matched by Don Mattingly in 1987 and Ken Griffey, Jr. in 1993.

1955 Topps #127
1959 Topps #414
1962 Topps #228
1963 Topps #484
1990 Pacific Legends #92
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Topps #127
First Topps Card:  1955 Topps #127
Last Topps Card:  1963 Topps #484
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1990 Pacific Legends #92
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1955-1963

54 - Long non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/24/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.