Friday, March 31, 2023

#245 Billy Goodman - Boston Red Sox


William Dale Goodman
Boston Red Sox
Second Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  165
Born:  March 22, 1926, Concord, NC
Acquired:  Purchased by the Boston Red Sox from the Atlanta Crackers (Southern Association) for $75,000
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 1947-1957; Baltimore Orioles 1957; Chicago White Sox 1958-1961; Houston Colt .45s 1962
Died:  October 1, 1984, Sarasota, FL (age 58)

The versatile Billy Goodman played in 16 seasons in the majors, spending 11 years with the Red Sox and helping the White Sox reach the World Series in 1959.  Goodman was named to his first of two All-Star teams in 1949 and he'd enjoy one of his best seasons in 1950, winning a batting title with a .354 average and finishing as runner-up for American League MVP honors behind the Yankees' Phil Rizzuto (#113).  Goodman appeared at every position except catcher and pitcher during his career, playing mostly first and second base while with the Red Sox.  He batted at least .297 every season between 1948 and 1954, topping the .300 mark five times.  Goodman is one of several Red Sox players depicted in the Norman Rockwell painting The Rookie, with Goodman at the far right of the painting, covering his mouth.  (I featured the painting in the post for Frank Sullivan's (#71) card found here.)

Goodman joined the White Sox before the 1958 season, and he'd assume regular third base duties for the club as they pushed for a pennant at the end of the 1959 season.  He'd start Games 1, 3 and 4 in the six game series won by the Dodgers, batting .231 (3 for 13).  After a final season with the expansion Colt .45s, used mainly as a pinch-hitter, Goodman retired.  He batted an even .300 for his career, with 1,691 hits.  Goodman would later work as a scout, minor league instructor and minor league coach in the Red Sox, Athletics and Braves organizations before retiring from the game in 1976.  In 2004, Goodman was posthumously inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame.

Building the Set
September 2, 2000 from Shore Mall Baseball Card Show - Card #206
This is one of two cards purchased at the Shore Mall Baseball Card Show, held in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey on the first Saturday in September 2000.  I can't say for certain, but I'm assuming my Dad and I attended this show together.  The Shore Mall was once one of the best malls in South Jersey, and it had one of the largest and coolest hobby stores around - Beachcomber Coins & Collectibles.  The store was huge and contained a large assortment of baseball cards, coins, comic books, action figures, trains, memorabilia and a whole host of other treasures.  The store has apparently since left the Shore Mall and it now occupies an old Wawa on the Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township.  Again, I'm making assumptions here, but Beachcomber was most likely the sponsoring dealer at this show.

We spent $20 on this Goodman card and the Frank Torre (#172) card, as dutifully noted in red ink on the back of one of our checklists dated August 31, 1999.

The Card / Red Sox Team Set
Goodman was absent from Topps sets in 1953, 1954 and 1955, and this marks his return.  Looking at the action photo, I found a few opposing players who wore #3 during the 1955 season - Dale Mitchell (#268) from the Indians, Jim Brideweser from the White Sox, Ferris Fain from the Tigers, Don Bollweg and Tom Saffel from the Athletics, Billy Cox and Dave Pope (#154) from the Orioles and finally Mickey Vernon (#228) from the Senators.  I didn't do a forensic deep dive on the game logs, but my best guess is the sliding player is Mitchell, Fain or Vernon.

I did do a forensic deep dive on the note contained in the first cartoon panel on the back of the card.  Using Baseball Reference tools, the active American League players with at least a .300 batting average entering the 1956 season, with a qualifying number of at-bats, are listed below.  Topps appears to have left Skowron off their tally, as he only had 551 plate appearances through 1955.
  1. Ted Williams (#5) - .348
  2. Bill Skowron (#61) - .328
  3. Dale Mitchell (#268) - .314
  4. George Kell (#195) - .310
  5. Al Kaline (#20) - .309
  6. Billy Goodman - .308
  7. Harvey Kuenn (#155) - .308
  8. Minnie Minoso (#125) - .305
  9. Bobby Avila (#132) - .300
1956 Season
In his last full season with the Red Sox, Goodman appeared in 105 games, batting .293 for the fourth place club.  He was the team's opening day second baseman, making 95 starts overall at the position, with Ted Lepcio getting most of the rest of the playing time there.  This was one of only two seasons during which Goodman would only appear at one position, the other being 1949 when he played 117 games exclusively at first base for the Red Sox.

1950 Bowman #99
1952 Topps #23
1953 Bowman Color #148
1957 Topps #303
1961 Topps #247

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1949 Bowman #39
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (8):  1951-1952, 1956-1961
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2001 Fleer Boston Red Sox 100th Anniversary #46

62 - Goodman non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/25/23.

 Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
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Saturday, March 25, 2023

#244 Bob Buhl - Milwaukee Braves


Robert Ray Buhl
Milwaukee Braves
Pitcher


Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  180
Born:  August 12, 1928, Saginaw, MI
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent, August 30, 1946
Major League Teams:  Milwaukee Braves 1953-1962; Chicago Cubs 1962-1966; Philadelphia Phillies 1966-1967
Died:  February 16, 2001, Titusville, FL (age 72)

In parts of 15 seasons in the National League, Bob Buhl was an 18-game winner twice (1956 and 1957) and won a World Series ring with the Braves in 1957.  His best seasons came with the Braves, as part of a strong pitching rotation that also included Warren Spahn (#10) and Lew Burdette (#219) and he was an All-Star in 1960.  Between 1953 and 1960, Buhl finished in the top ten in the league for ERA six times, and he finished within the top ten for complete games four times.

Following his successful 10-year run with the Braves, Buhl spent five seasons with the Cubs and then was traded to the Phillies in one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history.  He retired part-way through the 1967 season, having compiled a career record of 166-132 with 111 complete games and 1,268 strikeouts.

Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.

Building the Set
May 1997 - College graduation

July 19, 1997 in Ocean City, NJ - Card #156
My Dad and I added this card to our set at the Ocean City baseball card show held inside the Music Pier.  We purchased 11 cards that July day - Buhl and eight other commons, along with the Warren Giles (#2) card for $10 and the Ray Boone (#6) card for $5.

I graduated college in the spring of 1997, and that summer was a good one as I worked on the Sea Isle Promenade at a few t-shirt stores.  My days were spent jogging, barely working, reading and sitting on the beach.  Dinner would usually come from Phil's on 37th and Landis Avenue, and ice cream was consumed nightly.

Dad was still working in Millville at the time, and we probably met up in front of the Music Pier prior to his show.  The baseball card collecting landscape changed drastically in the ten year period between 1987 and 1997, with autographed cards making their way into packs and multiple parallel versions of the same card confusing us as "old school" collectors.  Still, I'd give anything to be back inside the Music Pier with my Dad searching for the next 1956 Topps card to add to our set.  I'm sure he was thrilled to find a dealer selling a bunch of '56s in good shape and at around $2 a card.  

The Card / Braves Team Set
My lack of knowledge when it comes to historic ballparks hurts me again here, as I don't know where Buhl is posing for his action photo.  Looks as if it's a spring training complex?  Buhl was only in the Bowman set in 1955, and this marks his return to Topps after a one year absence.  His strong 1955 season is highlighted with the first two cartoon panels on the back of the card.  Buhl led the league with a low 0.580 home runs per nine innings, and the Cubs' Bob Rush (#214) finished second in that category with a 0.731 mark.

1956 Season
The Braves were in first place for most of the summer before being overcome by the Dodgers over the final weekend of the season.  Buhl, Burdette and Spahn sat atop the Braves' starting pitching rotation, with Buhl going 18-8 with a 3.32 ERA in 38 games overall and 33 starts.  He threw 13 complete games, including two shutouts.  He had a rough September, going 2-3 with a 6.39 ERA in eight games as his heavy season-long workload finally caught up to him.

Phillies Career
The Phillies acquired Buhl and Larry Jackson (#119) from the Cubs on April 21, 1966 for prospects John Herrnstein, Fergie Jenkins and Adolfo Phillips.  Jenkins of course would go on to enjoy a Hall of Fame career.  Buhl was used as a spot starter and long reliever all season, appearing in 32 games and making 18 starts.  He finished the year with a 6-8 record and a 4.77 ERA.  His best performance came on June 22nd when he pitched a complete game victory against his former team, the Braves.

Buhl appeared in only three games for the Phillies in 1967, pitching 2 2/3 innings with an ERA of 13.50.  The club released him on May 16, 1967, most likely the same time collectors were adding Buhl's only Phillies baseball card to their collections from packs of 1967 Topps.

1954 Topps #210
1959 Topps #347
1961 Topps #145
1965 Topps #264
1967 Topps #68

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1954 Topps #210
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1954, 1956-1967
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Topps Archives 1954 #210

71 - Buhl non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/25/23.

 Sources:  
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Saturday, March 18, 2023

#243 Sherm Lollar - Chicago White Sox


John Sherman Lollar
Chicago White Sox
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  185
Born:  August 23, 1924, Durham, AR
Signed:  Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before 1943 season
Major League Teams:  Cleveland Indians 1946; New York Yankees 1947-1948; St. Louis Browns 1949-1951; Chicago White Sox 1952-1963
Died:  September 24, 1977, Springfield, MO (age 53)

Sherm Lollar was seemingly a man without a home the first six years of his career, appearing with the Indians, Yankees and Browns, but then he settled in with the White Sox in 1952, playing the next 12 seasons as an All-Star and Gold Glove catcher for the club.  Often overshadowed by Yogi Berra (#110), Lollar was nevertheless one of the best catchers of his era.  Both Lollar and Berra competed for the Yankees' catching job in 1947, with Lollar getting frequent playing time as a September call-up and going 3 for 4 in the World Series as the team's starting catcher in Games 3 and 6.  An All-Star for the first time with the Browns in 1950, he was part of an eight-player trade with the White Sox in November 1951.  With his new club, Lollar assumed regular catching duties and would go on to be an eight-time All-Star.  Known primarily for his defense, he was also a steady hitter, with his offensive output hurt by the unfavorably deep dimensions of Comiskey Park.  Lollar had at least 40 RBIs in seven different seasons with the White Sox, with his career high of 84 coming in both 1958 and 1959.  He won Gold Gloves in 1957, 1958 and 1959.

1959 was to be a banner year for the Go Go Sox, as they advanced to the World Series for the first time since the Black Sox scandal of 1919.  Lollar was a key member of that club along with future Hall of Famers Nellie Fox (#118), Luis Aparicio (#292) and Early Wynn (#187), with Lollar leading the club with a career-best 22 home runs.   For his career, Lollar batted .264 with 1,415 hits, 155 home runs and 808 RBIs.  His 1,571 games behind the plate are currently 29th all-time, and his caught stealing percentage of 46.8% and fielding percentage of .992 are 61st and 65th all-time, respectively.  Lollar would later coach for the Orioles and Athletics in the 1960s.  He was chosen for the Chicago White Sox All-Century Team in September 2000.

January 19, 2003 - NFC Championship Game at The Vet
Building the Set
January 18, 2003 in Plymouth Meeting, PA - Card #238
In January 2003, I added seven cards to our set, purchased at a baseball card show held inside the Plymouth Meeting Mall.  I paid $45 for the seven cards, which included this pristine Lollar card.  My Topps set building had stalled out somewhat in 2003 as I had switched over to become primarily a Phillies collector, and I was also spending my disposable income trying to put together the early Topps Heritage sets.  This was the first of only 18 cards we added to our set in 2003, but we did cross the threshold of needing less than 100 cards to complete the set late in the year.

The Card / White Sox Team Set
Lollar is one of the few players to have appeared in both Bowman and Topps sets in 1954 and 1955.  The action shot is interesting.  It looks as if Lollar is sliding into third base in a game against the Orioles, with the photographer positioned behind the bag.  But then why is the background dark?  Was this taken during a night game or did Topps want to crop out something happening behind the play?  On the back, the cartoon panels highlight his clutch hitting, his defense and his strong throwing arm.

1956 Season
In perhaps his best season statistically, Lollar batted .293 with 11 home runs and 75 RBIs as the regular catcher for the third place White Sox.  He was Berra's back-up in the All-Star Game, entering in the sixth inning and collecting a pinch-hit single off Johnny Antonelli (#138).  Lollar had a talent for getting hit by a pitch, and his 16 times plunked in 1956 were second in the league behind teammate Minnie Minoso (#125) who was hit 23 times.  Lollar finished 16th in the postseason MVP voting.

1950 Bowman #142
1952 Topps #117
1957 Topps #23
1959 Topps #385
1963 Topps #118

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1950 Bowman #142
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1951-1963
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Topps Archives 1954 #39

78 - Lollar non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/18/23.

 Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
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Friday, March 10, 2023

#242 Hershell Freeman - Cincinnati Redlegs


Hershell Baskin Freeman
Cincinnati Redlegs
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  220
Born:  July 1, 1928, Gadsden, AL
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent before 1948 season
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 1952-1953, 1955; Cincinnati Reds 1955-1958; Chicago Cubs 1958
Died:  January 17, 2004, Orlando, FL (age 75)

Hersh Freeman spent parts of six seasons in the majors, finding his most success as a Reds' reliever in the mid-1950s.  He was a September call-up by the Red Sox in 1952, and despite being used primarily as a relief pitcher in the minor leagues, manager Lou Boudreau assigned him the start on September 26th against the Senators.  Freeman threw a complete game victory, his only complete game in the majors, and in one of only three starts he'd make in his big league career.  Used sparingly by the Red Sox over the next few seasons, Freeman was claimed off waivers by the Redlegs in May 1955.  He immediately became one of the most frequently used relievers out of Cincinnati's bullpen, making 52, 64 and 52 appearances respectively in 1955, 1956 and 1957.  Freeman pitched a career high 108 2/3 innings in 1956, leading the league with 47 games finished and earning MVP votes following the season.

Freeman's decline was swift, and after only 12 games in 1958 with the Reds and Cubs, his big league pitching career was over.  He'd stay with the Reds' organization until 1963 as a scout and minor league manager.  For his career, Freeman was 30-16 in 204 games pitched, with a 3.74 ERA and 36 saves.

October 27, 2007 - First Halloween
Building the Set
October 31, 2007 from Dad's eBay purchases - Card #312
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 detested the 40 minute ride north to our house.  Among all the very positive memories I have of my Dad, one of my few negative memories is the fact that 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 begun failing 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, 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 Freeman card came into our set.  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 Freeman card on Halloween 2007, as he was visiting to watch Doug go Trick or Treating for a little bit.

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 as a Christmas present to me that year.

The Card / Redlegs Team Set
Freeman's rookie card can be found in the 1955 Bowman set, and this is his first Topps card.  In the first cartoon panel on the back of the card, Topps refers to Freeman as a "reliefer," which of course isn't actually a word.  His two seasons pitching for the Triple-A Louisville Colonels, then the Red Sox top farm team, are highlighted in the last cartoon panel.  Freeman was 19-16 in 105 games for the Colonels between 1952 and 1954, pitching to a 2.79 ERA.

With 342 cards in the 1956 Topps set, this blog is just 100 posts away from wrapping up.  If I stick to one post a week (usually Fridays), that puts the date for the final post at February 7, 2025.  Having started this blog in October 2015, I like the symmetry of having collected the set for 20 years and then writing about it for 10.

1956 Season
Freeman's statistics were a little better in 1955, but 1956 was a very good year for the reliever too.  He was 14-5 overall with a 3.40 ERA and 17 saves, second in the league behind the 19 saves by Brooklyn's Clem Labine (#295).  Freeman's 64 relief appearances doubled the next closest Reds' reliever as Joe Black (#178) made it into 32 games.

1955 Bowman #290
1957 Topps #32
1958 Topps #27

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Bowman #290
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3):  1956-1958
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1979 TCMA 50's #120

12 - Freeman non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/8/23.

 Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Previous Card / Next Card
Set Order: #241 Don Mueller - New York Giants / #243 Sherm Lollar - Chicago White Sox
Order Collected: #332 Don Larsen - New York Yankees / #329 Lou Berberet - Washington Nationals
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Friday, March 3, 2023

#241 Don Mueller - New York Giants


Donald Frederick Mueller
New York Giants
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  185
Born:  April 14, 1927, St. Louis, MO
Signed:  Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before 1944 season
Major League Teams:  New York Giants 1948-1957; Chicago White Sox 1958-1959
Died:  December 28, 2011, Chesterfield, MO (age 84)

Nicknamed "Mandrake the Magician" for his ability to collect seeing-eye singles through seemingly any defensive infield alignment, Don Mueller spent a decade with the Giants, helping his club to two National League pennants.  Mueller took over regular right field duties for the Giants in 1950, with Willie Mays (#130) most often playing to his right in center field.  He drove in a career-high 84 runs in 1950 and hit a career-high 16 home runs in 1951 as the Giants bested the Dodgers in a three-game playoff to advance to the World Series.  In the decisive Game 3 of that playoff series, and with the Giants trailing 4-1 in the ninth inning, Al Dark (#148) and Mueller singled to start the inning.  Whitey Lockman (#205) would double Dark home, and Mueller would need to leave the game after spraining his ankle sliding into third base.  Bobby Thomson (#257) would hit his Shot Heard 'Round the World, scoring Lockman and pinch-runner Clint Hartung to send the Giants to the World Series.

While Mueller missed the entire 1951 World Series with his ankle injury, he helped the Giants return to the series in 1954 - his best season.  He was named to his first of two All-Star teams in 1954, led the league with 212 hits and finished as runner-up to Mays in the batting race.  Mueller hit for the cycle on July 11, 1954 against the Pirates.  For the season, Mueller hit .342 and Mays squeaked by him with a .345 average to win the batting title.  In the World Series, Mueller batted .389 (7 for 18) as the Giants swept the Indians in four games.  Mueller batted .296 for his career with 1,292 hits, 499 runs scored, 65 home runs and 520 RBIs.  A fine fielder as well, he led all National League right fielders in fielding percentage in 1950, 1956 and 1957.

December 25, 2006
Building the Set
December 25, 2006 from Mays Landing, NJ - Card #285
I was officially given this card on Christmas Day in 2006, but my Dad had purchased it several weeks (months?) earlier at a baseball card show held at the Hamilton Mall in Mays Landing, New Jersey.

This was one of nine cards I received that Christmas from my Dad, and he spent a total of $210 on all nine cards with the Hank Aaron (#31) card being the big ticket item at $150.  Like all his purchases, he was extremely proud of this card's condition and I'm sure there was a negotiation story that went along with the acquisition.

Our first son Doug was born a few weeks before Christmas that year and we brought him home just in time for the big day.  He obviously doesn't remember much from his first Christmas, but he spent the holidays being held and loved by his parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.  The picture shown here is from Christmas Day 2006, shortly after I had added those nine cards to our (and one day Doug's) 1956 Topps set.  One of the great joys of my life was seeing how proud my Dad was to have a grandson.

The Card / Giants Team Set
Despite his key role for the Giants in 1954, Mueller was left out of both 1955 Bowman and Topps sets.  The main photo here is the same as used for his 1954 Topps card.  The cartoons on the back play up Mueller's ability to hit for average and his success against the Indians in the 1954 World Series.

At first I thought the other player in the action photo was a teammate, perhaps the on-deck batter imploring Mueller to slide into home for the play at the plate.  But the Giants didn't have anyone on their roster wearing #2 in the early 1950s.  Looking at the National League uniform numbers from 1954 and 1955, there are no catchers who wore #2 during those years.  Assuming the uniform number starts with a "2" and the second number is obscured, it could be Walker Cooper (#273) from the Cubs who wore #25 in 1955, but that seems like a stretch.  At second look, the second player appears to be leaning on a bat?  In that case, maybe it is a Giants teammate and it could be Mays, who wore #24, making a cameo here.

1956 Season
Again the regular right fielder for the Giants, Mueller played in 138 games, batting .269 with five home runs and 41 RBIs.  The Giants slumped to sixth place in the league with Mueller, Mays and Jackie Brandt as their most used outfielders.

1950 Bowman #221
1952 Topps #52
1954 Topps #42
1957 Topps #148
1959 Topps #368

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1950 Bowman #221
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1952, 1954, 1956-1959
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2003 Topps Heritage Then and Now #TN4

57 - Mueller non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/1/23.

 Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
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