#77 Harvey Haddix - St. Louis Cardinals

Harvey Haddix
St. Louis Cardinals
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'9"  Weight:  170
Born:  September 18, 1925, Medway, OH
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent before 1947 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1952-1956; Philadelphia Phillies 1956-1957; Cincinnati Reds 1958; Pittsburgh Pirates 1959-1963; Baltimore Orioles 1964-1965
Died:  January 8, 1994, Springfield, OH (age 68)

1961 Topps #410

A three-time All-Star and a three-time Gold Glove winner, Harvey Haddix enjoyed a successful 14-year career in the big leagues, winning 136 games and a World Series ring with the 1960 Pirates.  His most famous feat was pitching a 12-inning perfect game against the Braves on May 26, 1959, a game he ultimately lost when the Braves scored an unearned run in the 13th inning.

Haddix was a 20-game winner in 1953, the first of his three years in a row to make the N.L. All-Star team.  That was his best season, as he went 20-9 with a 3.06 ERA, including 19 complete games and six shutouts.  He won at least 10 games in nine different seasons.  Given the nickname "Kitty" in part because of his fielding prowess on the mound, Haddix went the entire 1959 season without committing an error.  Some sources have him earning the nickname "The Kitten" due to his resemblance to Harry "The Cat" Brecheen (#229), while other sources note he had the nickname before ever becoming a teammate of Brecheen's.

In the 1960 World Series, Haddix started and won Game 5 and was the winning pitcher in Game 7 when Bill Mazeroski hit his game-winning home run against the Yankees' Ralph Terry.  Following his playing career, Haddix went on to coach for the Mets, Reds, Red Sox, Indians and Pirates.

Building the Set
December 11, 1996 from Winston-Salem, NC - Card #147

1982 Donruss #651

I was obsessed with the 1982 Donruss set when it came out.  I think it was a combination of the cards being much brighter than their 1982 Topps counterparts, more readily available than packs of 1982 Fleer and the addition of Diamond Kings cards.  The Babe Ruth puzzle didn't hurt either.  Cards of coaches were also a novelty to me, as I had never had any coach cards in my collection.  Haddix shows up in the 1982 Donruss set as a coach for the Pirates, and it struck me as odd to see someone who had to be at least 90 years old (a) in a baseball card set and (b) wearing the garish yellow jerseys of the Pirates, complete with black pillbox hat.  (Haddix was actually only 56 in 1981.)  Upon pulling the card from a pack, I assumed it had to be worth a small fortune.

I remember asking my Dad about Haddix and wanting to know more about the 12-inning perfect game he had thrown in 1959, only to have the Pirates ultimately lose the game.  My Dad had a vivid memory of that game and after he told me all about it, that 1982 Donruss card of an old coach became one of the most prized cards in my growing collection.

I have a vague memory of buying this card back in 1996 right before heading home from college for my winter break.  I paid $7 for the card from Tommy's Collectibles and I would have slipped it into my Dad's Christmas stocking as a Christmas present for "his collection."  When I could, I enjoyed tracking down cards of players that would have had some meaning to my Dad and me, and Haddix fit the bill.

The Card
It's strange to see an action shot of a pitcher as he appears to circle third, having lost his hat, and heading home.  Or is he beating out a play at first base?

Haddix had 1,575 career strikeouts, hitting the 150 strikeout plateau in five different seasons.  His fine 1953 season earned him second place in the N.L. Rookie of the Year voting behind the Dodgers' Jim Gilliam.  I believe this is the first appearance of a cartoon cat on the back of a 1956 Topps card.

1956 Season/Phillies Career
On May 11th, Haddix was traded with Ben Flowers and Stu Miller (#293) to the Phillies for Murry Dickson (#211) and Herm Wehmeier (#78).  Even though he originally didn't want to go to the Phillies, Haddix had a good season, compiling a record of 12-8 after tweaking his mechanics with the help of pitching coach Whit Wyatt.  He would have had 16 wins if not for four blown saves by the Phillies bullpen.  Following the season, and according to his SABR biography, manager Mayo Smith (#60) said the acquisition of Haddix had been the "year's most pleasant surprise."

Haddix was back in the Phillies starting rotation in 1957, appearing in 27 games and going 10-13 with a 4.06 ERA.  His inconsistency landed him in the bullpen for part of the season, but his best game came in July when he threw an 11-inning complete game shutout against the Cubs.  Haddix was dealt to the Reds following the 1957 season for outfielder Wally Post (#158).  In parts of two seasons with the Phillies, Haddix had a record of 22-21 over 58 games and a 3.74 ERA.

Haddix appears in the 1957 Topps set with the Phillies, and a few years back I modified his original 1956 Topps card to update it for his actual team that season.

1953 Topps #273

1957 Topps #265

1959 Topps #184

1961 Topps #100

1965 Topps #67

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1953 Topps #273
First Topps Card:  1953 Topps #273
Representative Phillies Card:  1957 Topps #265
Last Topps Card:  1965 Topps #67
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2014 Panini Golden Age #74
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1953-1965

108 - Haddix non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 11/23/19.

Sources:  
1965 Topps Blog
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.

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Set Order: #76 Ray Crone - Milwaukee Braves / #78 Herman Wehmeier - Philadelphia Phillies

Order Collected: #161 Joe DeMaestri - Kansas City Athletics / #220 Del Ennis - Philadelphia Phillies

#76 Ray Crone - Milwaukee Braves

Raymond Hayes Crone
Milwaukee Braves
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  165
Born:  August 7, 1931, Memphis, TN
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent, July 7, 1949
Major League Teams:  Milwaukee Braves 1954-1957; New York Giants 1957; San Francisco Giants 1958

Ray Crone pitched in parts of five seasons with the Braves and Giants, earning a career record of 30-30 with a 3.87 ERA over 137 games, with 61 starts.  With the Braves in the mid-1950s, he was often an overlooked fourth or fifth starter, pitching in the same rotation as Warren Spahn (#10), Lew Burdette (#219) and Bob Buhl (#244).  He enjoyed his finest season in 1956 (see below) and in June 1957, the Braves traded him with Danny O'Connell (#272) and Bobby Thomson (#257) to the Giants for Red Schoendienst (#165).  Crone pitched briefly for the Giants following the team's move to San Francisco in 1958.

Following three more seasons in the minors with the Tigers, Athletics and Colt .45s organizations, Crone retired in 1961.  Following his playing days, Crone served as a scout for the Expos, Orioles, Padres and Diamondbacks.

Building the Set
December 2, 2000 from Raleigh, NC - Card #207
I went nuts and bought 16 cards for our 1956 Topps set on this day at the Sports Card & NASCAR Collectibles Show in Raleigh.  My records show the 16 cards set me back $55 which I would have considered to be a small fortune back then.  I hadn't yet moved back north yet, so I was still living in Raleigh at this time planning for my eventual escape.  I would have provided my Dad with an updated checklist following this show as he was back in New Jersey.

The Card
This is Crone's third appearance in a Topps set, with his 1954 rookie card using a different photo than his 1955 and 1956 cards.  The no-hitter referenced in the middle panel on the back of the card came on August 20th against the St. Paul Saints while Crone was pitching for the Toledo Sox.  It was a seven-inning no-hitter as it was the first game of a double header.

His first Braves start came on May 23, 1954, prior to him being sent back down to Toledo.  Crone threw 10 innings and the information presented by Topps on the back of the card is actually incorrect.  Crone did come to bat in the 10th inning, but the Braves had already taken a 4-2 lead on RBIs from Andy Pafko (#312) and Hank Aaron (#31).  Crone grounded to third to end the inning.  However, Crone did hit a ninth inning single to drive home Howie Pollet (#262) and give the Braves a 1-0 lead at the time.

1956 Season
Crone went 11-10 for the Braves, appearing in 35 games (21 starts) with an ERA of 3.87.  On May 26th, Crone earned a complete-game 11-inning win when the Braves outlasted the Reds to win 3-1.  He allowed one run on seven hits while striking out four, lowering his season ERA to 1.80 in the process.  Heading into the final weekend of the season, the Braves were in first place by a half game.  But they would lose two of three to the Cardinals and the Dodgers swept the Pirates to win the N.L. pennant.  Crone's roommate during the 1956 season was Braves' outfielder Chuck Tanner (#69).

1954 Topps #206

1955 Topps #149

1957 Topps #68

1958 Topps #272

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1954 Topps #206
First Topps Card:  1954 Topps #206
Last Topps Card:  1958 Topps #272
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2007 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-RC
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1954-1958

19 - Crone non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 11/23/19.

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.

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Set Order: #75 Roy Sievers - Washington Nationals / #77 Harvey Haddix - St. Louis Cardinals

Order Collected: #245 Billy Goodman - Boston Red Sox / #93 George Susce, Jr. - Boston Red Sox

#75 Roy Sievers - Washington Nationals

Roy Edward Sievers
Washington Nationals
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  195
Born:  November 18, 1926, St. Louis, MO
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Brown as an amateur free agent, October 14, 1944
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Browns 1949-1953; Washington Senators 1954-1959; Chicago White Sox 1960-1961; Philadelphia Phillies 1962-1964; Washington Senators 1964-1965
Died:  April 3, 2017, Spanish Lake, MO (age 90)

A prolific American League slugger, usually overshadowed by the likes of Mickey Mantle (#135) and Ted Williams (#5), Roy Sievers was the Rookie of the Year in 1949 and a four-time All-Star.  Over his 17-year big league career, he slugged 318 home runs and tallied 1,147 RBIs with a lifetime .267 batting average.  Playing for the basement dwelling Senators, his offensive feats weren't as publicized as those of his counterparts in New York and Boston, but Topps did see fit to give him a Baseball Thrills card in its 1959 set to highlight his accomplishments.

1959 Topps #465

Limited by shoulder injuries early in his career, Sievers blossomed once traded by the Browns to the Senators in February 1954.  He hit at least 20 home runs in every season between 1954 and 1962, driving in at least 100 runs in four of those seasons.  His best season came in 1957 when he hit career highs in home runs (42) and RBIs (114) leading the league in both categories.  He finished third in MVP voting that season behind Mantle and Williams.

Along with Gil Hodges (#145), he's one of two early members of the 300 home run club not in the Hall of Fame.  Sievers also holds the distinction of playing for both Washington expansion teams, finding the most success with the franchise that would ultimately become the Twins in 1961 and then finishing his career with the franchise that would move to Texas and become the Rangers in 1972.

Building the Set
July 31, 1993 in Ocean City, NJ - Card #118
This is one of five 1956 Topps cards I purchased at the Ocean City baseball card show during the summer of '93.  My notes indicate we paid $6 for the card, and it's in absolutely pristine shape.

I already wrote about the summer of '93 with the Frank House (#32) post back in February, but it's worth repeating here.  After missing much of my freshman spring semester with a bad case of mono, I spent the summer mostly resting at home and taking make-up classes at nearby Rowan College of New Jersey (now Rowan University).  Looking back now, it's strange to me that I have so few memories or pictures from that summer.  I found pictures I took from an Orioles-Twins game at Camden Yards with shots of Fernando Valenzuela pitching to Dave Winfield and Kirby Puckett, and another picture of Cal Ripken at bat.  There were also pictures of my Nana's house in Sea Isle, which I think I spent part of that summer painting (again).  But that's it.

I know it was just another summer day at the time, but I'd love to have one picture of my Dad and me as we were about to attend this baseball card show that Saturday afternoon in Ocean City.

The Card
The head shot used for Sievers is the same from his 1954 and 1955 Topps cards.  The action shot appears to show Sievers wearing his road Senators uniform, and sunglasses, pulling back a ball from either foul territory in left field or possibly saving a home run.  The Senators' road uniforms featured no pinstripes and the blue block W in 1954 and 1955, with their home uniforms featuring pinstripes.

Although he won Rookie of the Year honors with the Browns in 1949, his next four seasons with the club were marked with disappointment and lengthy slumps.  Sievers suffered a dislocated shoulder injury on August 1, 1951 while playing for the San Antonio Missions, a Browns' farm team.  He'd spend the next few seasons trying to overcome that injury before the Browns finally traded him to the Senators prior to the 1954 season for Gil Coan.

1956 Season
As the regular left fielder for the Senators, Sievers appeared in 152 games (missing only two of his team's 154 games) and hit .253 with a team leading 29 home runs.  He had 95 RBIs, which was one less than the 96 accumulated by right fielder Jim Lemon.  At the time, Sievers and Lemon formed one of the most feared home run hitting duos on any team along with Mantle and Yogi Berra (#110) from the Yankees.  Sievers appeared in his first of five All-Star Games in 1956, playing in both 1959 games.  In his sole plate appearance in the 1956 game, Sievers pinch-hit for pitcher Early Wynn (#187) in ninth, popping out against pitcher Johnny Antonelli (#138).

Phillies Career
On November 28, 1961, the White Sox traded Sievers to the Phillies for John Buzhardt and Charley Smith.  Having moved to first base for good in 1959 due to lingering shoulder issues, the Phillies picked up Sievers to take over that position from fading prospect Pancho Herrera.

Sievers provided a veteran presence in an otherwise young clubhouse, as the 35-year-old Sievers was the only regular on the 1962 Phillies club older than 27.  Along with Don Demeter, Tony Gonzalez and Johnny Callison, that 1962 team boasted the first quartet of players in franchise history to each hit at least 20 home runs.

Sievers' production fell in 1963 due a fractured rib suffered in spring training when he was hit by a Jim Maloney fastball.  He hit only 19 home runs that season, with his biggest blast being his 300th career home run on June 19th.  That home run, off Mets' reliever Roger Craig (#63), was a walk-off two-run shot to give the Phillies a 2-1 victory.  Struggling at the start of the 1964 season, Sievers was sold to the expansion Senators (the second version) where he was used primarily as a pinch-hitter for the remainder of the season.

In his 2 1/2 years with the Phillies, Sievers hit .244 over 331 games, hitting 44 home runs and driving in 178 runs.  He had a number of Phillies baseball card appearances between 1962 and 1964, most notably appearing with the team in the 1962, 1963 and 1964 Topps flagship sets.

1950 Bowman #16

1951 Topps Red Backs #9

1959 Topps #340

1963 Topps #283

1965 Topps #574

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1950 Bowman #16
First Topps Card:  1951 Topps Red Backs #9
Representative Phillies Card:  1963 Topps #283
Last Topps Card:  1965 Topps #574
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-RS
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (15):  1951-1965

115 - Sievers non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 11/6/19.

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.

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Set Order: #74 Jim King - Chicago Cubs / #76 Ray Crone - Milwaukee Braves

Order Collected: #55 Wally Moon - St. Louis Cardinals / #82 Bill Renna - Kansas City Athletics

#74 Jim King - Chicago Cubs

James Hubert King
Chicago Cubs
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  185
Born:  August 27, 1932, Elkins, AR
Acquired:  Send from Vernon (Longhorn) to the St. Louis Cardinals in an unknown transaction before the 1951 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1955-1956; St. Louis Cardinals 1957; San Francisco Giants 1958; Washington Senators 1961-1967; Chicago White Sox 1967; Cleveland Indians 1967
Died:  February 23, 2015, Fayetteville, AR (age 82)

Jim King was the starting left fielder for the first game ever played by the San Francisco Giants, and he was the longest tenured member of the expansion Washington Senators having joined that club in 1960 and departing in the middle of the 1967 season.  Playing in parts of 11 seasons, King was a career .240 hitter and hit 117 home runs.  His best seasons came with the Senators where he hit his career highs for average (.270 in 1961), home runs and RBIs (24 and 62 in 1963).  He hit for the cycle and accomplished a three-home run game in 1964.  His SABR biography notes he was heartbroken when the Senators traded him to the White Sox on June 15, 1967, as he and his family loved the city and King loved playing for manager Gil Hodges (#145).

Building the Set
September 25, 2005 in Ft. Washington, PA - Card #260
This was a late edition to our set and one of 11 cards we purchased at the 92nd Philadelphia Sports Card Show held at the convention center in Ft. Washington.  My records show we paid $6 for this card. With the Ocean City baseball card shows long gone by now, our only options for local baseball card shows were the "Philly Shows" held in Ft. Washington at the time or the occasional mall baseball card show.

I wrote about this show and this period in our life back with the Chuck Stobbs (#68) post.

The Card
King looks to me like he should be a catcher and I can't picture him as the "Arkansas Humming Bird" as depicted on the back of his card.  A quick Google search for this nickname didn't turn up anything on King, but it did get a number of hits for Lon Warneke who was born in Mount Ida, Arkansas and played for the Cubs, Cardinals and Cubs again between 1930 and 1945.

This is King's rookie card, and he'd go on to appear in Topps' flagship sets in 1957 and 1958, and then 1961 through 1967.

The middle and right panels refer to his minor league heroics, and while King did play for the Fresno Cardinals in 1951, his 1954 team was not the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings.  King spent the entire 1954 season with the Class-A Omaha Cardinals.  He was left unprotected by the Cardinals following that season and was selected by the Cubs on November 22nd in the annual Rule 5 draft.

1956 Season
In 118 games for the Cubs, King hit .249 with 15 home runs and 54 RBIs.  He and Monte Irvin (#194) platooned in left field, with Irvin starting 88 games there to King's 69.  He led all National League left fielders with nine assists.

1957 Topps #186

1958 Topps #332

1962 Topps #42

1965 Topps #38

1967 Topps #509

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #74
First Topps Card:  1956 Topps #74
Last Topps Card:  1967 Topps #509
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA 1960s I #207
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1956-1958, 1961-1967

30 - King non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 11/2/19.

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.

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #73 Wayne Terwilliger - New York Giants / #75 Roy Sievers - Washington Nationals

Order Collected: #68 Chuck Stobbs - Washington Nationals / #105 Al Smith - Cleveland Indians