#121 Pittsburgh Pirates Team Card

Topps included full team photos in its baseball card set for the first time in 1956, having previously experimented with team cards in a limited edition 1951 stand-alone set.

Building the Set
July 1, 2007 from Dad's eBay purchases - Card #298
Our first son Doug was born in December 2006, and this happy event led directly to my Dad visiting us on a more regular basis.  Dad was living by himself at this point in Mays Landing, New Jersey and he didn't enjoy the 40 minute drive north to our house.  Among all the very positive memories I have of my Dad, one of my few negative memories is the fact he absolutely seemed to loathe driving and that loathing increased exponentially if there was traffic or if it were dark.  But he made the trips anyway, sometimes staying no more than an hour, because he was so incredibly anxious and excited to spend time with his grandson.

By the time his second grandson (Ben) was born in April 2010, my Dad's health had started to fail and whatever visits we had were pre-arranged or consisted of us visiting him.  Which is why these visits during Doug's infancy and first few years are so special to me.  My Dad would show up usually unannounced, ecstatic to see Doug, there would be some small talk and we'd complain about the Phillies, and then he'd leave.  But on his way out, he'd always say he'd see us again in a few days and I'd look forward to these visits.

This background is needed to better explain how this Pirates team card came into our set.  (I first shared all of this a few years ago in the post for the Jack Harshman card - #29.)  In 2007, My Dad's days mostly consisted of an occasional round of golf, calls and visits to his kids - my sister and me, watching cable news, an afternoon nap and scouring eBay.  Most (but not all) of his eBay purchases benefitted me in the form of 1956 Topps cards we needed for our set.  He'd show up at our house for a visit with Doug and nonchalantly hand me one of his recent purchases.  He handed me this Pirates team card on July 1, 2007.

Throughout 2007, I suspect he had a backlog of purchased 1956 Topps cards piled up on his desk at his house, and he'd grab one or two to deliver to me as he was heading out the door to make the 40 minute drive to visit Doug.  Not to ruin the ending for this blog, but this is how we finished the 1956 Topps set.  Not with one last glorious purchase at a baseball card show, but with my Dad systematically and methodically checking off cards from our checklist through eBay purchases.

Together with my Mom, he'd deliver the last 29 cards we needed to complete the set in 2007 as a Christmas present to me that year.

The Card / Pirates Team Set
Our version of this card is fairly scuffed up on the front.  I found the source photo used for this team card in a recent eBay auction (see above), and Topps crops out the edge of the left field Forbes Field bleachers as well as the towering "Cathedral of Learning" located at the University of Pittsburgh.  The back of the card celebrates the first Pirates dynasty (1901-1903) and lists such franchise luminaries as Honus Wagner, Pie Traynor, Paul and Lloyd Waner, Arky Vaughn and Ralph Kiner.  Kiner had retired following the 1955 season and his release by the Indians.

Listed below are the subjects featured on the card, including a listing of their 1956 Topps card if they had one.  This team photo was taken after June 28th, the day Paul Martin was signed as a free agent bonus baby, but before September 14th, the day Tom Saffell was claimed off waivers by the Athletics.  Both Martin and Saffell are in the photo.

Front Row Hardy Peterson Frank Thomas (#153) Coach Sam Narron Coach John Fitzpatrick Manager Fred Haney Batboy John Fitzpatrick, Jr. (seated) Eddie O'Brien (#116) Bob Friend (#221) Roman Mejias Preston Ward (#328) Lino Donoso

2nd Row Trainer Charles Jorgensen Rice, Traveling secretary Laurin Pepper (#108) Paul Martin (#129) Vern Law (#252) Jack Shepard Dick Hall (#331) Dale Long (#56) Tom Saffell Max Surkont (#209) B. Jorgensen, Property custodian

Back Row Roy Face (#13) Roberto Clemente (#33) Johnny O'Brien (#65) Jerry Lynch (#97) Dick Cole Ron Kline (#94) Dick Littlefield Dick Groat (#24) Gene Freese (#46)

The Pirates called Forbes Field home between 1909 and 1970, moving into Three Rivers Stadium in 1970 and ultimately into PNC Park in 2001.  Flipping to the back, there are just a few categories that need to be updated:

Most Home Runs - 171 in 1999

Most Double Plays - 215 in 1966
Additional Pennant Winning Teams - 1960, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1990, 1991, 1992
Additional Championship Teams - 1960, 1971, 1979

1956 Season
The Pirates were not a very good team in 1956.  Manager Fred Haney was replaced with new manager Bobby Bragan, and under Bragan the team went 66-88 to finish in 7th place in the National League.  Only the Cubs at 60-94 had a worse record.  The team's top hitter was center fielder Bill Virdon, who batted .334 and their power threats were first baseman Dale Long (27 home runs, 91 RBIs) and third baseman Frank Thomas (25 home runs, 80 RBIs).  Bob Friend went 17-17 with a 3.46 ERA and 3 saves for good measure.

Right fielder Roberto Clemente had not yet grown into his full potential, hitting .311 with 7 home runs and 60 RBIs.

Pirates Cards That Never Were
If I were put in charge of a fifth series for the 1956 Topps set, here are the Pirates cards I'd include:

• Bobby Bragan (manager) - Former Phillie Bragan managed the Pirates for just a season and a half, compiling a record of 102-155.  He'd appear on a 1960 coach's card with the Dodgers
• Lee Walls (outfield) - Walls was the club's regular left fielder, appearing in 143 games.  He's got cards in the 1955 Bowman and 1957 Topps set, but he was skipped over in 1956.
• Bill Mazeroski (second base) - The future Hall of Famer and World Series hero was only 19 in 1956 and he'd get a rookie card in the 1957 Topps set.  The late great Bob Lemke created a card for Maz in the style of the 1956 Topps set back in 2012.
• Hank Foiles (catcher) - Foiles appeared in 79 games for the Pirates and he too would appear in the 1957 Topps set.
• Nellie King (relief pitcher) - Along with Roy Face, King was one of two regular Pirates closers in 1956, finishing out 21 games.  He'd appear in the 1955 and 1957 Topps sets.
• Danny Murtaugh (coach) - Murtaugh began his big league coaching career in 1956.  He'd eventually manage the Pirates to two World Series titles in 1960 and 1971 and his #40 would be retired by the club.

Sources
Baseball Reference

#120 Richie Ashburn - Philadelphia Phillies

Don Richard Ashburn
Philadelphia Phillies
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  170
Born:  March 19, 1927, Tilden, NE
Signed:  Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent before 1945 season
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 1948-1959; Chicago Cubs 1960-1961; New York Mets 1962
Hall of Fame Induction:  1995
Died:  September 9, 1997, New York, NY (age 70)

2006 Toyota Phillies Wall of Fame Postcards

The pride of Tilden, Nebraska, Richie Ashburn is one of the most beloved Phillies players and broadcasters of all-time.  In 12 seasons with the Phillies, and as one of the best lead-off hitters and defensive outfielders in the game, Ashburn helped lead the team to the 1950 World Series and went to the All-Star Game in four different seasons.  He led the National League in hits three times (1951, 1953 and 1958), in triples twice (1950 and 1958) and in batting average twice (1955 and 1958).  He finished in second place for the batting title twice (1948 and 1951), both times behind Stan Musial.  Ashburn concluded his 15-year playing career with a lifetime average of .308 and with 2,574 hits.  Among all-time Phillies players, he ranks third in games played (1,794) and hits (2,217) behind only Mike Schmidt and Jimmy Rollins in both categories.  He holds the Phillies franchise record for consecutive games played with 730.

Following his playing days, "Whitey" joined the Phillies broadcast team in 1963 and he was paired up with his good friend and partner Harry Kalas for 27 seasons between 1971 and 1997.  Ashburn had his #1 retired by the Phillies in 1979, the same year he was elected into their Wall of Fame.  He joined the Hall of Fame in 1995, the same year as fellow all-time Phillies great Schmidt.

Building the Set
June 25, 1988 in Ocean City, NJ - Card #58
We purchased this card, along with the card of American League President William Harridge (#1), at the Ocean City baseball card show held inside the Music Pier on the Ocean City Boardwalk.  The show was officially called the "Seashore VIII" by the organizers.  My records show we paid $14 for the card.  This would have been a few months before the start of my freshman year in High School, and I was about a year older than my oldest son is now.  What wonderful memories I have of those baseball card shows.

I've scanned here the one-page brochure we would have received upon paying our admission fee.  There are 54 dealers total, and I definitely recognize some of those names.  Ken Dolinick was better known to us as Diamond Dust, and shortly after entering each year's card show my Dad would at some point say, "I'm heading over to Diamond Dust."  Steve Weiser was the owner of Temdee Collectibles in Turnersville, NJ, which finally closed down several years ago and is now a Domino's Pizza.  Pre-pandemic, I'd pass by that location every day on my commute home from work and I was sad when I first saw the storefront darkened.  Alan Rosen was "Mr. Mint" and we had a few funny encounters with him, and when I get to the Red Schoendienst (#165) card, I'll need to recount the time we sold Rosen a vintage Schoendienst jersey at one of these Ocean City baseball card shows.

My Dad and I were never big autograph hunters, so the show's two big name signers - Brooks Robinson and Bob Lemon (#255) - wouldn't have interested us.

The Card / Phillies Team Set
Our card is definitely off-centered, and there's a noticeable scuff at the bottom, but I'd still consider it a steal at $14.  I've never entertained any thoughts of upgrading the card either.  The umpire hasn't made his call yet, but I'm going to assume Whitey was safe at the close play at third.  The head shot used is the same from Ashburn's 1954 Topps card and he was omitted from the 1955 Topps set, perhaps due to a contractual obligation with Bowman at the time.

The back of the card pays tribute to his 1955 batting title and his six times hitting over .300 so far in his career.  A wonderful and speedy baserunner, the final panel highlights his skills on the base paths.

1956 Season

Ashburn was the Phillies' every day center fielder in 1956, appearing in all 154 games and patrolling the outfield with primarily Del Ennis (#220) in left and Elmer Valo (#3) in right.  He led the club with a .303 average and with 190 hits.  He finished second behind Stan Lopata (#183) for runs scored with 94 to Lopata's 96.  The 1956 Phillies were not a very good team, finishing with a 71-83 record and in fifth place in the National League.  Ashburn's SABR biography notes the team held a Richie Ashburn Day on August 14th, and I can only presume this was designed to try to increase sagging attendance.

Phillies Career
There's not much more to add based on my summary at the top of this post.  There would probably be more of a debate these days given the Phillies' dynasty between 2007 and 2011 and the play of Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.  But if the Phillies were to commission their Mt. Rushmore for the franchise covering the start of the franchise through the mid-2000s, the four players featured would undoubtedly be Ashburn, Robin Roberts (#180), Schmidt and Steve Carlton.

1949 Bowman #214

1951 Topps Blue Backs #3

1957 Topps #70

1959 Topps #300

1963 Topps #135

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1949 Bowman #214
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1951-1952, 1954, 1956-1963
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2020 Panini Diamond Kings All-Time Diamond Kings #ATDK-24

372 - Ashburn non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 10/14/20.

Sources:  
2020 Phillies Media Guide

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame

The Phillies Room
SABR
The Trading Card Database

#119 Larry Jackson - St. Louis Cardinals

Lawrence Curtis Jackson
St. Louis Cardinals
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  175
Born:  June 2, 1931, Nampa, ID
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent before 1951 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1955-1962; Chicago Cubs 1963-1966; Philadelphia Phillies 1966-1968
Died:  August 28, 1990, Boise, ID (age 59)

One of the most underrated National League starting pitchers for 14 seasons, Larry Jackson won 14 or more games 10 times, leading the league in wins with 24 in 1964.  His 194 career wins are the most for any right-handed pitcher since 1900 who never played for a first place team and therefore never reached the postseason.  A reliable workhorse, Jackson made the All-Star team in 1957, 1958, 1960 and 1963.

1950-1969 Phillies Postcards

He led the league in games started (38) and innings pitched (282) in 1960 and topped the league in 1966 with five shutouts.  He was also an outstanding fielder, as demonstrated by his perfect fielding percentages in 1957, 1964, 1965 and 1968.  Pitching for mostly bad teams, Jackson nevertheless compiled a lifetime record of 194-183 with a 3.40 ERA.  Drafted by the Expos in the 1968 expansion draft, Jackson chose to retire rather than report to Montreal.  He'd later serve four terms in the Idaho House of Representatives and ran for governor of the state in 1978.

Building the Set

March 31, 1994 in Vineland, NJ - Card #126
This is one of two cards my Dad and I purchased at the Cumberland Mall Baseball Card Show held in late March 1994.  I would have been home on spring break during my sophomore year of college, and the proximity of this baseball card show would have been too tempting to pass up.  We paid a steep $9 for this card, along with $6 for the Arnold Portocarrero (#53) card.

The Card / Cardinals Team Set
The price seems steep, but the card is in pristine shape.  In the early 1990s, the rookie card craze was in its waning years and as this is Jackson's rookie card maybe that's the reason the card was so pricey.  Flipping to the back, there's reference made to Jackson starting 25 games as a rookie in 1955.  At this point, the Cardinals weren't sure if he'd be a reliever or a starter for the team and it wasn't until 1959 that he became a full-time starting pitcher.  The middle cartoon panel references his fantastic season with the Class C Fresno Cardinals and the final panel highlights two no-hitters he threw during a high school double header.  I couldn't find any reference to that feat, but his SABR biography does mention him pitching both ends of a double header in 1951 for Boise Junior College.  He won both those games, pitching a no-hitter in the second.

1956 Season

Jackson actually served as the Cardinals' closer in 1956, saving 10 games and finishing fourth in the league in that category.  Over 51 appearances, he went 2-2 with a 4.11 ERA and 50 strikeouts over 85 1/3 innings pitched.

Phillies Career
The Phillies acquired Jackson and Bob Buhl (#244) from the Chicago Cubs on April 21, 1966 for three questionable prospects - John Herrnstein, Adolfo Phillips and Fergie Jenkins, who would go on to enjoy a Hall of Fame career.  He slid into the Phillies pitching rotation behind Jim Bunning and Chris Short, recording a 41-45 record over three seasons with a respectable 2.95 ERA.  He led the Phillies staff with a 2.77 ERA in 1968, but the team decided to leave the 37-year-old veteran unprotected in that offseason's expansion draft.  Selected by the Expos, Jackson held true to a promise he had made to retire unless he was playing for a west coast team.  As compensation for losing Jackson, the Phillies sent infielder Bobby Wine to the Expos, who became the team's first regular shortstop.

Jackson appears with the Phillies in the 1966, 1967 and 1968 Topps sets and he also received a few Phillies photo cards and oddball cards from that era.

1957 Topps #196

1959 Topps #399

1962 Topps #83

1964 Topps #444

1968 Topps #81

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #119
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1956-1968
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #286

71 - Jackson non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 10/6/20.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Phillies Room
SABR
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.

#118 "Nellie" Fox - Chicago White Sox

Jacob Nelson Fox
Chicago White Sox
Second Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  160
Born:  December 25, 1927, St. Thomas, PA
Signed:  Signed by the Philadelphia Athletics as an amateur free agent before the 1944 season
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Athletics 1947-1949; Chicago White Sox 1950-1963; Houston Colt .45s 1964; Houston Astros 1965
Hall of Fame Induction:  1997
Died:  December 1, 1975, Baltimore, MD (age 47)

Hall of Famer Nellie Fox was a perennial All-Star for the White Sox throughout the 1950s, leading the American League in hits in four different seasons.  He never struck out more than 18 times a season and his 42.7 at bats per strikeout is tops all-time in the modern era.  Fox was named to the All-Star team 11 years in a row between 1951 and 1961 and went back in 1963 too.  A fantastic fielder, Fox won three Gold Gloves for his work at second base in 1957, 1959 and 1960.  He was the A.L. MVP in 1959 when he hit .306 with 70 RBIs, helping the Go-Go White Sox reach the World Series for the first time since 1919.

Fox played 19 seasons in the majors, hitting .288 with 2,663 hits, which is currently 75th on the all-time list.  He's also high on the all-time list for singles (2,161 for 28th place), runs scored (1,279 for 138th place) and triples (112 for 121st place).  Fox served as a player-coach for the Astros in 1965 and then a full-time coach with the team in 1966 and 1967.  He also coached with the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers between 1968 and 1972.  Sadly, skin cancer claimed Fox in 1975 at the way too young age of 47.  One of the greatest second baseman of his era, Fox had his #2 retired by the White Sox in 1976 and he was elected by the Veterans Committee into the Hall of Fame in 1997.

Building the Set
December 7, 2001 from Lockport, NY - Card #229
This Fox card came from an eBay auction won in December 2001 for $12.  Like the Red Sox team card (#111) before it, this purchase is an anomaly, and I wish I had more information in my notes about how and why I decided to head to eBay in late 2001 to purchase this particular card.  The post-9/11 time period is one that was filled with fear and anxiety and as best I can guess, I felt the need back then to randomly buy an old baseball card or two from eBay.  eBay was still a relatively new thing back in 2001, and I had established my account in January 1999 for the sole purpose of buying baseball cards and Beatles bootlegs.  Not surprisingly, I don't have any pictures from this time period to share here as some context for the purchase.

The Card / White Sox Team Set
That's a phenomenal action shot on the front of this card, and I'm going to assume Fox either snared a line drive or threw the runner out at first on the play.  The cartoon panels on the back highlight Fox's strengths - getting hits and making outs at second.

Presumably because he had an exclusive contract with Bowman, this is Fox's first Topps card.  The card was reprinted in the 2001 Topps Archives and Topps Archives Reserve sets.

1956 Season

Fox was right in the middle of his run as one of the best second baseman in the game in 1956.  He appeared in 154 games for a White Sox team that finished third in the American League with a 85-69 record.  Fox hit .296, driving in 52 runs and struck out 14 times in 721 plate appearances.  His regular infield mates consisted of Walt Dropo (#238) at first, rookie Luis Aparicio (#292) at short and Fred Hatfield (#318) at third.

1951 Bowman #232

1954 Bowman #6

1957 Topps #38

1959 Topps #30

1965 Topps #485

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1951 Bowman #232
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1956-1965, 1975
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2018 Panini Diamond Kings #17

379 - Fox non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 9/16/20.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
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.

#117 Virgil Trucks - Detroit Tigers

Virgil Oliver Trucks
Detroit Tigers
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  198
Born:  April 26, 1917, Birmingham, AL
Signed:  Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent before 1938 season
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1941-1943, 1945-1952; St. Louis Browns 1953; Chicago White Sox 1953-1955; Detroit Tigers 1956; Kansas City Athletics 1957-1958; New York Yankees 1958
Died:  March 23, 2013, Calera, AL (age 95)

With the exception of the year he missed while serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Virgil Trucks spent every season between 1938 and 1974 in professional baseball either as a top starting pitcher in the American League, as a coach or as a scout.  Trucks helped the Tigers win the World Series in 1945 and while he only appeared in one regular season game, he started two games of the Series pitching a complete game in Game 2.  He was an All-Star in 1949 when he went 19-11 with a 2.81 ERA for the Tigers, while leading the league in strikeouts with 153.  In 1952, he threw two no-hitters - against the Senators on May 15th and against the Yankees on August 25th.  He won 20 games in 1953 and went back to the All-Star Game in 1954 as a member of the White Sox.  Trucks went 19-12 with a 2.79 ERA that season, leading the league with five shutouts.  Over his 17-year big league career, Trucks went 177-135 with a 3.39 ERA and 1,534 strikeouts, a mark that's currently 204th on the all-time list.

Following his playing days, Trucks won his second World Series ring as a coach with the Pirates in 1960.  He'd later serve as a roving scout for the Pilots, Braves and Tigers, retiring from baseball in 1974.

Building the Set
October 7, 1988 in Millville, NJ - Card #117
A few days after my 15th birthday and adding the cards of Ray Moore (#43), Dean Stone (#87) and Jake Martin (#129) to our set from (most likely) the baseball card show held inside the Millville YMCA, my Dad and I went to Brokell's baseball card store and bought this Trucks card for $4.  This would have been on a Friday, and my best bet here is that my Dad and I needed some cardboard therapy after the school week, so we headed to the lone baseball card store in Millville at that time, located on High Street.  My Dad and I frequented this store, and this was one of four cards for our 1956 set we purchased from Brokell's that year.

As an eighth grader in 1988, I realized the need to start tracking these cards as my Dad and I added them to our set.  I wanted a record of where and when and how much we had paid for each card, and so I created a tracking schedule using our very sophisticated Commodore 64.  This was a complicated process, involving typing out the checklist, printing the checklist, taking those pages to the library and using the photocopier to shrink the size of the pages, and then rubber cementing the pages to another piece of paper.  I have two pages similar to the one shown here for this tracking exercise, which I seemingly quickly abandoned soon after finishing this arts and crafts project.  Eventually, my tracking got even more sophisticated as I graduated to a word processing document on our new Commodore 128.

The Card / Tigers Team Set
The action shot is impressive, as it appears to show the veteran Trucks covering first base on a play.  This is also only the fourth green-orange color bar combination in the set so far, following Gene Freese (#46), Jose Santiago (#59) and Chuck Stobbs (#68).  I'm assuming Trucks had an exclusive contract with Bowman, as this is his first Topps card since his appearance in the 1953 Topps set.

The back of the card has his birth year off by two years.  The cartoon highlights pay respect to his two Major League no-hitters, his four minor league no-hitters and his proficiency as a strikeout pitcher.

1956 Season

Trucks returned to his original team when the White Sox traded him on November 30, 1955 for Bubba Phillips.  The most veteran player on the Tigers' roster, Trucks used his new knuckleball to try to stay effective but injuries limited his playing time.  He appeared in only 22 games, making 16 starts and going 6-5 with a 3.83 ERA.  He was wild too, with 63 walks to 43 strikeouts over his 120 innings pitched.  Following the 1956 season, Trucks' reunion with the Tigers ended when he was part of an eight-player trade with the Athletics on December 5th.

1949 Bowman #219

1952 Topps #262

1953 Topps #96

1957 Topps #187

1959 Topps #417

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1949 Bowman #219
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1952-1953, 1956-1959
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2011 Topps Lineage Autographs #RA-VT

58 - Trucks non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 9/16/20.

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.