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Roy David McMillan
Cincinnati Redlegs
Shortstop
Born: July 17, 1929, Bonham, TX
Signed: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent before 1947 season
Major League Teams: Cincinnati Reds 1951-1960; Milwaukee Braves 1961-1964; New York Mets 1964-1966
As a Manager: Milwaukee Brewers 1972; New York Mets 1975
Died: November 2, 1997, Bonham, TX (age 68)
McMillan played for 16 years in the majors, winning three Gold Gloves for his defense at shortstop and earning two All-Star Game berths. He was never much of a hitter but his stellar defense, his durability and his patience at the plate earned him MVP votes in five different seasons. He found himself on the cover of Sports Illustrated for its September 9, 1957 issue.
McMillan was the regular shortstop for the Reds throughout the 1950s, appearing in 1,348 games for Cincinnati. Traded to the Braves in December 1960 for Joey Jay and Juan Pizarro, McMillan's defense never let up as he played for three seasons in Milwaukee. He wrapped up his playing career as the starting shortstop for the Mets in 1964 and 1965.
He served as a coach for the Brewers (1970-1972) and Mets (1973-1976), managing both teams briefly on an interim basis. McMillan managed in the Twins system from 1977 to 1980 and served as a Texas area scout for the Expos from his hometown of Bonham between 1982 and 1997. He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1971.
McMillan was the regular shortstop for the Reds throughout the 1950s, appearing in 1,348 games for Cincinnati. Traded to the Braves in December 1960 for Joey Jay and Juan Pizarro, McMillan's defense never let up as he played for three seasons in Milwaukee. He wrapped up his playing career as the starting shortstop for the Mets in 1964 and 1965.
He served as a coach for the Brewers (1970-1972) and Mets (1973-1976), managing both teams briefly on an interim basis. McMillan managed in the Twins system from 1977 to 1980 and served as a Texas area scout for the Expos from his hometown of Bonham between 1982 and 1997. He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1971.
Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.
Building the Set
July 30, 1994 in Ocean City, NJ - Card #129
My Dad and I bought this card at the annual Ocean City baseball card show held within the famous Music Pier during the summer between my sophomore and junior years in college. We spent $41 on six cards for our 1956 Topps set at this show, with the most expensive card being (for some reason) Rip Repulski's (#201) card for $9. This McMillan card cost us $7.
From the flyer (right), it looks as if The Eastern Pennsylvania Sports Collectors Club (EPSCC) had abandoned its sponsorship of this baseball card show by 1994. Honestly after they pulled out, the show was never quite the same and the quality definitely suffered. My Dad would have grumbled at the fact that comic books were now encroaching on the floor space of his beloved baseball card show. 1994 and 1995 were strange years for the baseball card hobby as the player's strike that prematurely ended the 1994 season chased a lot of fans away from the hobby, and some of them have never come back.
Johnny Callison was back signing autographs though, and the former Phillies player was ubiquitous at these events back in the 1980s and early 1990s.
The Card / Redlegs Team Set
That's McMillan and his #11 sliding safely (?) into second base on a play against the Dodgers. McMillan wore #11 throughout his entire 16-year career with each of the three teams he played for. And that's second baseman Jim Gilliam (#280) making a cameo here, as you can clearly make out Gilliam's #19. The back of the card highlights McMillan's defensive skills and rising batting average. Unfortunately, Topps missed the mark with that one as McMillan was a career .243 hitter. The head shot is the same as used for his 1955 Topps card, but different from the photo used for his 1954 Topps card.
Building the Set
My Dad and I bought this card at the annual Ocean City baseball card show held within the famous Music Pier during the summer between my sophomore and junior years in college. We spent $41 on six cards for our 1956 Topps set at this show, with the most expensive card being (for some reason) Rip Repulski's (#201) card for $9. This McMillan card cost us $7.
From the flyer (right), it looks as if The Eastern Pennsylvania Sports Collectors Club (EPSCC) had abandoned its sponsorship of this baseball card show by 1994. Honestly after they pulled out, the show was never quite the same and the quality definitely suffered. My Dad would have grumbled at the fact that comic books were now encroaching on the floor space of his beloved baseball card show. 1994 and 1995 were strange years for the baseball card hobby as the player's strike that prematurely ended the 1994 season chased a lot of fans away from the hobby, and some of them have never come back.
Johnny Callison was back signing autographs though, and the former Phillies player was ubiquitous at these events back in the 1980s and early 1990s.
The Card / Redlegs Team Set
That's McMillan and his #11 sliding safely (?) into second base on a play against the Dodgers. McMillan wore #11 throughout his entire 16-year career with each of the three teams he played for. And that's second baseman Jim Gilliam (#280) making a cameo here, as you can clearly make out Gilliam's #19. The back of the card highlights McMillan's defensive skills and rising batting average. Unfortunately, Topps missed the mark with that one as McMillan was a career .243 hitter. The head shot is the same as used for his 1955 Topps card, but different from the photo used for his 1954 Topps card.
His SABR biography goes into more detail about his Reds try-out, noting he had played baseball only once in his life - when he was 10. Still, scout Hack Miller liked what he saw and McMillan was signed to a contract.
1956 Season
This was to be the first of two seasons McMillan would make the All-Star team. In 150 games with the Reds, he hit .263 with a career-high 62 RBIs. But it was his superb defense that won him accolades, and at season's end the Cincinnati Baseball Writers Association named him the team's MVP over notable sluggers Frank Robinson and Ted Kluszewski (#25). He led all National League shortstops in assists, putouts, double plays turned and fielding percentage. It wasn't measured at the time, but he was also tops in the league in Defensive WAR and his 21.7 career mark is currently 39th all-time.
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1952 Bowman #238
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (17): 1952-1966, 1973-1974
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2005 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #RO-WW
107 - McMillan non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 10/23/20.
Sources:
1965 Topps Blog
1956 Season
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First Mainstream Card: 1952 Bowman #238
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (17): 1952-1966, 1973-1974
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2005 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #RO-WW
107 - McMillan non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 10/23/20.
Sources:
1965 Topps Blog
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