#138 Johnny Antonelli - New York Giants

John August Antonelli
New York Giants
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  185
Born:  April 12, 1930, Rochester, NY
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent, June 29, 1948
Major League Teams:  Boston Braves 1948-1950; Milwaukee Braves 1953; New York Giants 1954-1957; San Francisco Giants 1958-1960; Cleveland Indians 1961; Milwaukee Braves 1961
Died:  February 28, 2020, Rochester, NY (age 89)

Lefty pitcher Johnny Antonelli started slow with the Braves, missed two seasons serving in the Army during the Korean War, and then established himself as the All-Star ace of the Giants' pitching staff in the mid to late-1950s.  He was a six-time All-Star, the National League's ERA leader in 1954 and he closed out the Giants sweep over the Indians in the 1954 World Series.  Antonelli was a 20-game winner in both 1954 and 1956.  During his career year of 1954, he went 21-7 with a 2.30 ERA and a league leading 6 shutouts, finishing in third place in that year's MVP voting behind teammate Willie Mays (#130) and the Reds' Ted Kluszewski (#25).

In 377 career games, Antonelli was 126-110 with a 3.34 ERA and 1,162 strikeouts.  He was slated to begin the 1962 season with the expansion New York Mets, but opted for retirement instead.  Following his playing days, Antonelli ran a successful Firestone tires business in his hometown of Rochester, New York for over 40 years.

Building the Set

Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ - Card #15
This was one of the Original 44, and I recently re-told the story of how my Dad and I started collecting this set with the Ed Mathews (#107) post.  There were a lot of these Original 44 cards bunched together, meaning the original owner must have opened a few Series Two packs.  Seven of the Original 44 came from Series One, with 11 coming from Series Two.  So far I've covered the cards of Mathews, Yogi Berra (#110), Jim Brady (#126), Eddie Yost (#128), Mays, the Cardinals team card (#134) and Johnny Logan (#136).  Still to come from Series Two are the cards of Harvey Kuenn (#155), Red Schoendienst (#165) and Sammy White (#168).

The Card / Giants Team Set
Like many of the cards in this set, this marks Antonelli's return to Topps after a one-year absence.  In the action shot, that's the number 43 peaking through on the back of his jersey, the number he wore with the Giants between 1954 and 1960.  The back of the card highlights Antonelli's effective use of his fastball along with his off speed pitches and shows him leading the way to the Giants' 1954 World Series title.  The final panel is in reference to his bonus baby status with the Boston Braves.  Antonelli received a $52,000 bonus in 1948 and was forced to stay on the team's roster for the entire season.  He was met with resentment from his more veteran Braves teammates and he appeared in only 4 games as a then 18-year-old prospect.  His primary role with the team, and as their highest paid player, was as their batting practice pitcher.

1956 Season

Antonelli continued to lead the Giants' pitching staff in 1956, appearing in 41 games (36 starts) and going 20-13 with a 2.86 ERA.  The team finished in sixth place, with Antonelli serving as one of the sole bright spots on an otherwise unremarkable pitching staff.  No other Giants pitcher won more than 7 games that season, with fellow starting pitchers Ruben Gomez (#9), Al Worthington and Jim Hearn (#202) all owning losing records.

1950 Bowman #74

1952 Topps #140

1954 Topps #119

1959 Topps #377

1961 Topps #115

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1950 Bowman #74
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1952-1954, 1956-1961
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2011 Topps Lineage Autographs #RA-JAN

85 - Antonelli non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/9/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

#137 Al Silvera - Cincinnati Redlegs

Aaron Albert Silvera
Cincinnati Redlegs
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  180
Born:  August 26, 1935, San Diego, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Cincinnati Redlegs as an amateur free agent, June 3, 1955
Major League Teams:  Cincinnati Redlegs 1955-1956
Died:  July 24, 2002, Los Angeles, CA (age 66)

Signed for $20,000 as a bonus baby in the middle of the 1955 seasons, Al Silvera was placed on the Reds' major league roster for the duration of that season making his big league debut on June 14th.  The 19-year-old played sparingly, appearing in 12 games either as a pinch-runner or pinch-hitter and finally getting to play an inning in left field on September 25th.  His sole big league hit came on June 26th when he pinch-hit for Roy McMillan (#123) and singled home two runs off the Phillies' Murry Dickson (#211).  Suffering an injury, Silvera was limited to just one game in 1956 with the Reds.  He played a few seasons in the Athletics' minor league system before retiring from baseball in 1958.

Building the Set
December 2, 2000 from Raleigh, NC - Card #211
I went nuts and bought 16 common 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 / Redlegs Team Set
What's the direction the Topps photographer gave to Silvera here?  Perhaps, "Pretend like you're in the outfield and a fly ball has just surprised you."  Despite appearing in only 14 big league games, Silvera owns a card in the iconic 1956 Topps set, so that's a career highlight right there.  This is the fifth first and last card to appear in the set so far, with the first four being Nelson Burbrink (#27), Jose Santiago (#59), Babe Birrer (#84) and Jake Martin (#129).  The back of the card promotes his college baseball exploits and the fact Silvera was a highly sought-after prospect.

1956 Season

Silvera's only game with the Reds in 1956 was also to be his last in the majors.  On May 8th, he pinch-ran for George Crowe (#254) in the eighth inning and was stranded at first when Johnny Temple (#212) grounded out to end the inning.  The Reds released him on May 19th and he spent the rest of the season playing for the Port Arthur Sea Hawks and the Abilene Blue Sox in Texas' Big State League.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #137
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  1956
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #137

6 - Silvera non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/9/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

#136 Johnny Logan - Milwaukee Braves

John Logan
Milwaukee Braves
Shortstop

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  175
Born:  March 23, 1926, Endicott, NY
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent before 1947 season
Major League Teams:  Boston Braves 1951-1952; Milwaukee Braves 1953-1961; Pittsburgh Pirates 1961-1963
Died:  August 9, 2013, Milwaukee, WI (age 87)

As the regular shortstop for the strong Braves teams of the 1950s, Johnny Logan made four All-Star teams and was a key member of the 1957 World Champions.  He was a steady hitter and a fantastic fielder, leading all National League shortstops in fielding percentage three years in a row between 1952 and 1954.  Logan led the league in doubles in 1955 with 37 and was an effective bunter, leading the league in sacrifices with 31 in 1956.  Logan's play declined as the decade ended and he was traded to the Pirates in June 1961.  After 2 1/2 years with the Pirates, Logan returned to Japan, where he had served during World War II, this time to play for the Nankai Hawks for their 1964 season.  He retired after 1,503 major league games with a .268 average, 93 home runs and 547 RBIs.

June 1983 - Ocean City Baseball Card Show

Similar to Dizzy Dean and Yogi Berra (#110), the popular Logan was known for his unique sayings.  Introducing Stan Musial at a banquet, Logan said of Musial, "One of the all-time greats in baseball . . . he's immoral."  In 2005, Logan was inducted into the Milwaukee Braves Honor Roll, and in 2013 he was inducted into the Walk of Fame at Miller Park.

Building the Set

Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ - Card #14
This was one of the Original 44, and I recently re-told the story of how my Dad and I started collecting this set with the Ed Mathews (#107) post.  Along with that Mathews card, this would have been among the first cards added to my collection for a player from the Milwaukee Braves - a team at that point in my life that seemed absolutely ancient.

The Card / Braves Team Set
Logan returned to Topps after a one-year absence, as he presumably had an exclusive contract with Bowman in 1955.  In the action shot, it seems as if the Giants runner is out and Logan is about to make the turn to first to attempt the double play.  On the back, Logan's fielding skills are highlighted.  He finished first among shortstops for assists in four different seasons - 1954, 1955, 1957 and 1958 - and his 4,397 career assists at the position are currently 69th all time.  He appeared in 154 games in both 1954 and 1955 and in 1956 he'd only miss three games in August and four games in September.

1956 Season

In 148 games, Logan batted .281 with 15 home runs and 46 RBIs, starting all but 8 games at shortstop for the Braves.  Felix Mantilla started at short when Logan didn't, and the regular second baseman that season was Danny O'Connell (#272).  The Braves finished second in the National League, falling one game short over the final days of the season as the Dodgers won the pennant.  Logan did his part though, providing solid defense and serving as a strong two-hole hitter ahead of both Mathews and Hank Aaron (#31) in the line-up.

1953 Topps #158

1954 Topps #122

1957 Topps #4

1961 Topps #524

1963 Topps #259

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1953 Topps #158
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1953-1954, 1956-1963
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2012 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-JL

71 - Logan non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/9/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

#134 St. Louis Cardinals 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
Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ - Card #13
This was one of the Original 44, and I recently re-told the story of how my Dad and I started collecting this set with the Ed Mathews (#107) post.  One of the first three team cards from the set we added to our collection, and I remember being impressed with how Topps included the names of everyone in the picture on the front of the card.  The back of the card was just as cool, with a diagram of the team's stadium complete with dimensions, a brief history of the club and a listing of the team's all-time season records and pennant wins.  

When I originally came across this card, Topps had stopped including team cards in their sets, having last produced a subset of 26 team cards in its 1981 set.  Team cards made a re-appearance in Topps sets beginning in 2001 and through the 2000s, but Topps had to remove or block those people who hadn't signed a contract with the company - most notably batboys and non-player personnel.  That led to weird walls appearing on some cards to hide any non-consenting subjects.  This problem didn't exist in 1956, which is why we're treated to the inclusion of the Cardinals' batboy and the team trainer.

The Card / Cardinals Team Set
Our version of this card has seen some love, as it's a little more scruffy than most of the cards in our set.  Stan Musial is noticeably absent from the 1956 Topps set, given the future Hall of Famer did not sign a contract with Topps until a few years later, but he's present on this team card and mentioned in the write-up on the back.  The Gas House Gang of the 1930s gets mentioned too with specific call-outs to Dizzy Dean, Rip Collins, Ducky Medwick, Johnny Mize and Frankie Frisch.

Listed below are the subjects featured in the team photo, including a listing of their 1956 Topps card if they had one.  This team photo was taken after June 3rd, the day Pete Whisenant was acquired from the Braves for Del Rice.  Whisenant is in the second row with his new teammates.

Front Row Tom Poholsky (#196) Red Schoendienst (#165) Bob Stephenson Coach Lou Kahn Batboy Jerry Schroer Manager Harry Walker Coach Bill Posedel Coach John Riddle Wally Moon (#55) Alex Grammas (#37) Stan Musial

2nd Row Mel Wright Rip Repulski (#201) Bobby Tiefenauer Floyd Wooldridge Brooks Lawrence (#305, Reds) Frank Smith Larry Jackson (#119) Pete Whisenant Gordon Jones Ken Boyer (#14) Trainer Bob Bauman

Back Row Bill Virdon (#170) Harvey Haddix (#77) Paul LaPalme Nelson Burbrink (#27) Harry Elliott Bill Sarni (#247) Joe Frazier (#141) Solly Hemus Luis Arroyo (#64)

That's Busch Stadium I on the back of the card, the home of the Cardinals between 1920 and 1966, and formerly known as Sportman's Park before changing the name for its new sponsor in 1953.  The Cardinals played in the cookie-cutter Busch Stadium II, or Busch Memorial Stadium, between 1966 and 2005 before moving into their current home, Busch Stadium III.  Flipping to the back, here are the updated categories:

Most Home Runs - 235 in 2000

Most Stolen Bases - 314 in 1985

Most Double Plays - 196 in 2005
Additional Pennant Winning Teams - 1964, 1967, 1968, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019
Additional Championship Teams - 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006

1956 Season
The Cardinals finished in the middle of the pack in the National League in 1956, going 76-78 for a fourth place finish.  Manager Fred Hutchinson was in his first season at the helm, replacing Harry Walker.  Third baseman Ken Boyer and first baseman Stan Musial paced the offense with Musial winning the team's triple crown.  He batted .310 with 27 home runs and 109 RBIs.

Wilmer "Vinegar Bend" Mizell (#193) led the pitching staff with 14 wins, followed by Murry Dickson's (#211) 13 and Herm Wehmeier's (#78) 12.  Dickson and Wehmeier had been acquired from the Phillies on May 11th in a five-player deal.  Larry Jackson was the top reliever, appearing in 51 games and converting 10 saves.

On June 14th, the Cardinals and Giants were involved in a 10-player trade that saw future Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst head to New York.

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

• Stan Musial (first base) - The biggest omission from the 1956 Topps set is perennial All-Star and three-time N.L. MVP Musial.  He'd first appear in the 1958 Topps set after holding out on signing a contract with the baseball card company.  Topps created a 1956 Topps-style card for The Man in 2011 as part of its 2011 Topps 60 Years of Topps: The Lost Cards insert set.  It's a nice card (shown below) but I prefer the creation of the late, great Bob Lemke, linked here.
• Bobby Del Greco (outfield) - Del Greco appeared in the 1952 and 1953 Topps sets, but spent three seasons in the minor leagues before returning to the majors with the Pirates and Cardinals in 1956.  He was the Cardinals' regular center fielder, starting 87 games there.
• Fred Hutchinson (manager) - This was the first of three seasons Hutchinson managed in St. Louis.
• Lindy McDaniel (relief pitcher) - McDaniel was a September call-up in 1955 and he'd pitch in 21 seasons up through his time with the Royals in 1974 and 1975.  In 1956 he appeared in 39 games with the Cardinals and received his rookie card in the 1957 Topps set.
• Jackie Collum (relief pitcher) - Collum appeared in 38 games for the Cardinals in 1956, securing 7 saves and finishing second on the team in the category behind Jackson.
• Ray Katt (catcher) - Finally, Katt was one of the 10 players who changed teams in the big June 14th trade with the Giants.  He appeared in 47 games for the Cardinals, becoming the team's primary catcher over the final months of the season.

Sources
Baseball Reference