#293 Stu Miller - St. Louis Cardinals

Stuart Leonard Miller
St. Louis Cardinals
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  165
Born:  December 26, 1927, Northampton, MA
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent before 1949 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1952-1954, 1956; Philadelphia Phillies 1956; New York Giants 1957; San Francisco Giants 1958-1962; Baltimore Orioles 1963-1967; Atlanta Braves 1968

Died:  January 4, 2015, Cameron Park, CA (age 87)

Primarily a reliever throughout his 16-year major league career, Stu Miller won the National League ERA title in 1958, was an All-Star in 1961 and led the league in saves twice.  He'd rely on a slow curveball and a deceptive delivery to become one of the most effective relievers of his era.  Miller began his career with the Cardinals, where he pitched in parts of four seasons, and he spent a brief time with the Phillies before his career took off with the Giants in 1958.  His 2.47 ERA over 182 innings pitched was tops in the league that season and he earned a place in the All-Star Game a few years later in 1961.  Miller is the pitcher who was memorably "blown" off the mound during the Mid-Summer Classic at Candlestick Park that year, resulting in a balk.  He'd ultimately win the game, recording four strikeouts.  As the Giants' closer in 1962, Miller helped the team win the National League pennant.  He recorded over 20 saves in three different seasons, leading the league in 1961 with the Giants and in 1963 with his new club, the Orioles.

Miller found late career success with the Orioles, earning MVP votes for his relief work in 1963, 1965 and 1966.  On April 30, 1967, Miller and starting pitcher Steve Barber combined to throw a no-hitter in a losing effort for the Orioles.  Miller surrendered Mickey Mantle's (#135) 500th career home run on May 14, 1967.  He retired from baseball in 1968 with a career record of 105-103 and a 3.24 ERA in 704 appearances.  At the time of his retirement, Miller's 153 career saves ranked third all-time behind Hoyt Wilhelm (#307) and Roy Face (#13).  Miller is a member of the San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame and the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame.

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

Building the Set

Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ - Card #40
This was one of the Original 44, and I re-told the story of how my Dad and I started collecting this set with the Walker Cooper (#273) post in January.  Seven of the Original 44 came from series one, with 11 coming from series two, and 16 from series three.   This is the sixth of ten cards to come from the final series four.

The Card / Cardinals Team Set
Miller appeared in both 1954 Bowman and Topps sets, and was omitted from both sets in 1955.  The back of the card summarizes his promotion to the Cardinals, his heavy workload and his "honey" of a fastball.  Given Miller's short time with the Phillies (see below) he never appeared on a Phillies baseball card.  May years ago, I updated his 1956 Topps card (see above) to mark his season with the Phils.

1956 Season / Phillies Career

Miller came to the Phillies from the Cardinals on May 11th with Ben Flowers and Harvey Haddix (#77) in exchange for Murry Dickson (#211) and Herm Wehmeier (#78).  He was used by manager Mayo Smith (#60) as a swing-man throughout the rest of the season, making 24 appearances overall, including 15 starts.  

Miller was 5-8 with a 4.47 ERA in 106 2/3 innings pitched, striking out 55.  His Phillies' tenure was short-lived as he was traded again soon after the season ended, going to the Giants on October 11th for pitcher Jim Hearn (#202).  In 27 games combined with the Cardinals and Phillies, Miller was 5-9 with a 4.50 ERA in 114 innings pitched.

1953 Topps #183

1958 Topps #111

1961 Topps #72

1964 Topps #565

1967 Topps #345

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1953 Topps #183
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1953-1954, 1956, 1958-1967
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Topps Archives 1954 #164

62 - Miller non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/20/24.

Sources:  
1965 Topps Blog

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

The Phillies Room

SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #292 Luis Aparicio - Chicago White Sox / #294 Ernie Johnson - Milwaukee Braves

Order Collected: #286 Bill Wight - Baltimore Orioles / #307 Hoyt Wilhelm - New York Giants

#292 Luis Aparicio - Chicago White Sox

Luis Ernesto Aparicio
Chicago White Sox
Shortstop

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'9"  Weight:  160
Born:  April 29, 1934, Maracaibo, Venezuela
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent before 1954 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago White Sox 1956-1962; Baltimore Orioles 1963-1967; Chicago White Sox 1968-1970; Boston Red Sox 1971-1973

Hall of Fame Induction:  1984

Known for his exceptional defense and base running skills, Luis Aparicio played for 18 seasons in the majors, primarily for the White Sox.  Ted Williams (#5) called him "the best shortstop he had ever seen."  Aparicio made his debut in 1956, winning the American League Rookie of the Year honors after batting .266 and leading the league with 21 stolen bases.  It was to be the first of nine straight years in which Aparicio led the league or tied for the league lead in stolen bases, and he eclipsed the 50 stolen base mark in four of those seasons.  Aparicio helped lead his "Go-Go" White Sox to the World Series in 1959, and he was American League MVP runner-up.  Dealt to the Orioles before the 1963 season, Aparicio's production declined slightly but his defensive skills didn't.  He reunited with the White Sox in 1968 and enjoyed a late career resurgence making three more All-Star teams in his late 30s with the White Sox and Red Sox.

Aparicio retired with 2,677 career hits, 506 stolen bases (currently 38th all-time) and a .262 lifetime average.  Upon his retirement, he was the all-time leader for hits, games played, assists and double plays by a shortstop, and his record nine Gold Gloves was matched by Omar Vizquel in 2001.  Derek Jeter broke his all-time hits record by a shortstop in 2009.  Aparicio was the first native Venezuelan inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984, and his #11 was retired by the White Sox that same year.

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

Building the Set
December 25, 2000 from San Diego, CA (Kit Young Cards) - Card #292
Continuing a decade-long tradition, this was the "big" card under the tree on Christmas morning from Santa Claus, via my Dad by way of Kit Young Cards.  The early 2000s were a strange time for me, and looking back on pictures from this era I don't really recognize myself.  It's as if a majority of what happened from the late 1990s to the early 2000s is something I vaguely remember from a story I had read, and not something I actually lived through.  I have a few blurry and rushed photos from Christmas morning 2000, but nothing worth sharing and nothing that jogged my memory of having opened a present from my parents to find this Aparicio card.

The Card / White Sox Team Set
Kudos to Topps for rushing a card for Aparicio into the set's fourth and final series.  He had made his major league debut on April 17, 1956 and Topps must have been determined to get a card of the American League's best new rookie in its set.  The jumping action photo was seemingly a favorite pose for Topps photographers back in the day, especially for infielders.  The cartoons on the back of the card highlight Aparaicio's quick ascent to the White Sox starting line-up due mainly to his stellar defense and his speed.

Given this is a rookie card for a Hall of Famer, it's no surprise Topps has reprinted the card numerous times.  By my unofficial tally, there are eight different reprints available, including three with on-card autographs.

1956 Season

On October 25, 1955, the White Sox traded Chico Carrasquel (#230), a four-time American League All-Star shortstop, with Jim Busby (#330) to the Indians for outfielder Larry Toby (#250).  The White Sox knew Aparicio was ready for the majors, and their confidence in him was so high they made the shocking move of dealing away Carrasquel.  Aparicio did not disappoint.  He started 151 of the White Sox 154 games at shortstop, leading the league in assists, putouts, double plays, but also errors.  Aparicio received 22 of 24 first place votes in the postseason Rookie of the Year voting, with Rocky Colavito and Tito Francona receiving the remaining two votes.

1959 Topps #310

1962 Topps #325

1965 Topps #410

1970 Topps #315

1974 Topps #61

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #292
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (19):  1956-1974
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2023 Topps Allen & Ginter #345

1,036 - Aparicio non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/20/24.

Sources:  
1965 Topps Blog

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

National Baseball Hall of Fame

SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #291 Frank Kellert - Chicago Cubs / #293 Stu Miller - St. Louis Cardinals

Order Collected: #325 Don Liddle - New York Giants / #164 Harmon Killebrew - Washington Nationals

#291 Frank Kellert - Chicago Cubs

Frank William Kellert
Chicago Cubs
First Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  185
Born:  July 6, 1924, Oklahoma City, OK
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent before 1949 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Browns 1953; Baltimore Orioles 1954; Brooklyn Dodgers 1955; Chicago Cubs 1956

Died:  November 19, 1976, Oklahoma City, OK (age 52)

Frank Kellert had a front row seat with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955 as the team won its only World Championship before relocating to Los Angeles two years later.  Kellert had his best professional season in 1954 with the San Antonio Missions, the Orioles' top farm team.  He won Texas League MVP honors, hitting .316 with 41 home runs and 146 RBIs.  On the strength of his 1954 season, the Dodgers acquired him from the Orioles on March 17, 1955 for Erv Palica (#206).  Kellert spent the entire 1955 season with Brooklyn, appearing in 39 games and making 17 starts at first base to occasionally give Gil Hodges (#145) some days off.  He batted .325 (26 for 80) for the Dodgers during the regular season and made three pinch-hitting appearances in the World Series, going 1 for 3.  Kellert was at-bat in the eighth inning of Game 1 when Jackie Robinson (#30) stole home, evading Yogi Berra's (#110) tag.

Kellert moved to Chicago for the 1956 season, his last in the majors.  He played for three more years in the minors before retiring in 1959.  In 122 big league games, Kellert batted .231 with 57 hits, eight home runs and 37 RBIs.

July 12, 2007

Building the Set
July 12, 2007 from Dad's eBay purchases - Card #299
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 Kellert 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 brought this Kellert card, by itself, on July 12, 2007.  This would have a Thursday, and I may not have even been home at the the time of his visit.  Pictures from the time show Doug going through a major drooling phase.

Throughout 2007, I suspect my Dad 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.

1995 Topps Archives Brooklyn Dodgers #114

The Card / Cubs Team Set
My goodness, Mr. Kellert had a long neck.  I think it's more likely Kellert is the runner in the action photo, but he could also be the first baseman.  This is his first and last appearance in a Topps flagship set, although Topps did create a 1955 inspired card for him in their 1995 Topps Archives Brooklyn Dodgers set.  

The first cartoon panel on the back is perhaps the most depressing cartoon panel in the entire set.  While serving in the Army during World War II, Kellert was on a transport ship torpedoed by German submarines in the Mediterranean.  Kellert himself survived by floating on debris for over 24 hours, but over 2,100 soldiers were lost in the attack.

1956 Season

A week after the Dodgers won the Championship, Kellert was placed on waivers and selected by the Cubs.  He assumed much of the same role he had with the Dodgers, but he did receive quite a few pinch-hitting opportunities.  Kellert started 25 games at first base, with regular Dee Fondy (#112) getting the other 132 starts.  As a pinch-hitter, Kellert batted .263 with 10 hits and five RBIs.  He batted .186 overall, with four home runs and 17 RBIs.  In January 1957, Kellert was dealt to the Red Sox.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #291
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  1956
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1995 Topps Archives Brooklyn Dodgers #114

11 - Kellert non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/19/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #290 Curt Simmons - Philadelphia Phillies / #292 Luis Aparicio - Chicago White Sox

Order Collected: #121 Pittsburgh Pirates Team Card / #259 Sam Jones - Chicago Cubs

#290 Curt Simmons - Philadelphia Phillies

Curtis Thomas Simmons
Philadelphia Phillies
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  175
Born:  May 19, 1929, Egypt, PA
Signed:  Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent before 1947 season
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 1947-1950, 1952-1960; St. Louis Cardinals 1960-1966; Chicago Cubs 1966-1967; California Angels 1967

Died:  December 13, 2022, Ambler, PA (age 93)

Curt Simmons will forever be associated with the beloved Whiz Kids, the 1950 Phillies club that made it to the World Series for the first time since 1915.  Simmons was a 17-game winner for the Phillies in 1950 and formed a solid one-two punch atop their starting pitching rotation with Robin Roberts (#180).  He missed the 1950 World Series against the Yankees after being drafted to serve in the Korean War.  Simmons was a three-time All-Star with the Phillies in 1952, 1953 and 1957.  He won at least 12 games with the club in six different seasons.  Released by the Phillies in May 1960, Simmons signed with the Cardinals where he enjoyed a career resurgence.  His best seasons actually came during his time in St. Louis as he went 15-9 in 1963 with a 2.48 ERA and was 18-9 for the team in 1964 when they upset the Phillies in the final week of the season to advance to the World Series.  Simmons pitched well in his Game 3 and Game 6 starts, and while he was the losing pitcher in Game 6, he compiled a 2.51 ERA over 14 1/3 innings.  The Cardinals would win the series in seven games over the Yankees.

A competent fielder as well, Simmons had errorless seasons in 1950, 1952, 1957 and 1963.  Simmons would finish up his 20-year big league career with a few seasons with the Cubs and Angels, retiring in 1967.  At the time, along with Smoky Burgess (#192), he was the last person to retire who had played in the majors in the 1940s.  Simmons had a lifetime record of 193-183 with a 3.54 ERA over 569 games pitched.  His career strikeout total of 1,697 is currently 149th on the all-time list.  Henry Aaron (#31) named Simmons as one of the toughest pitchers he faced during his career.

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

Building the Set
December 25, 1994 from San Diego, CA - Card #139
The Roy Campanella (#101) card was my "big" present from Santa for Christmas 1994.  With my Dad's help, Santa secured the Campanella card from Kit Young Cards in San Diego for what my notes say was $75.  That price seems steep, but there were six other cards from the 1956 Topps set under the Christmas tree that year from Kit Young Cards, including this Simmons card, with the other six cards costing a combined $20.  In December 1994, I would have been home from college for the winter break of my junior year.

This was the last Christmas my family and I spent in the house on 12th Street in my hometown where I grew up.  My parents were in the process of building a new house and we'd visit the construction site throughout that winter break.  I had a tough time leaving my childhood home behind and the 1994-1995 timeframe brought about quite a few major changes in my life.

The Card / Phillies Team Set
This card marks Simmons' first Topps card since 1952, as he appeared exclusively in Bowman sets in 1953, 1954 and 1955.  The action shot shows part of the #28 he wore between 1948 and 1960 with the Phillies.  The first and last cartoon panels explain his abbreviated season in 1955 (due to an arm injury) and his lively fastball.  The middle cartoon panel highlights a game from May 16, 1953, when Simmons came close to a perfect game.  He allowed a lead-off single to Bill Bruton (#185) in the bottom of the first inning, and then retired the next 26 Braves batters in order.

1956 Season

Once again Simmons and Roberts sat atop the Phillies rotation, with Harvey Haddix (#77) joining the duo for his first of two seasons in Philadelphia.  Simmons was 15-10 with a 3.36 ERA in 33 games overall and 27 starts.  He threw 14 complete games and just missed the 200 inning plateau with 198 innings pitched.

Phillies Career
The Phillies signed Simmons as a bonus baby in 1947 for $65,000, one of the highest amounts received to date by an amateur player.  He made his debut on September 28th that season and he'd be a fixture in the Phillies' starting pitching rotation for the next decade.  He was the National League's starting pitcher in the 1952 All-Star Game, hosted at Shibe Park, and he pitched three shutout innings while striking out three.  With the Phillies entering a rebuilding phase, Simmons was released by the club on May 17, 1960.  He'd return briefly to the franchise in 1970 as a member of the Phillies' minor league instructional staff.

With the Phillies, he was 115-110 with a 3.66 ERA in 325 games.  Simmons was inducted onto the Phillies Wall of Fame in 1993, and he was by far the best left-handed pitcher in franchise history until Steve Carlton, Chris Short and Cole Hamels all came along.  Simmons still ranks in the top ten among all Phillies pitchers in games started (263), shutouts (18), wins (115), innings pitched (1,939 2/3), and strikeouts (1,052).

1949 Bowman #14

1952 Topps #203

1957 Topps #158

1963 Topps #22

1967 Topps #39

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1949 Bowman #14
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1952, 1956-1967
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2016 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-CS

95 - Simmons non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/9/24.

Sources:  

1965 Topps Blog
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

The Phillies Room

SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #289 Hal Jeffcoat - Cincinnati Redlegs / #291 Frank Kellert - Chicago Cubs

Order Collected: #289 Hal Jeffcoat - Cincinnati Redlegs / #318 Fred Hatfield - Detroit Tigers

#289 Hal Jeffcoat - Cincinnati Redlegs

Harold Bentley Jeffcoat
Cincinnati Redlegs
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  185
Born:  September 6, 1924, West Columbia, SC
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent before 1946 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1948-1955; Cincinnati Redlegs 1956-1958; Cincinnati Reds 1959; St. Louis Cardinals 1959

Died:  August 30, 2007, Tampa, FL (age 82)

Hal Jeffcoat served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and was awarded with a Purple Heart after being wounded during the Italian Campaign.  His professional baseball career began after the war, and as a rookie center fielder for the Cubs in 1948 he compiled his best season.  In 134 games that year, a career high, Jeffcoat batted .279 with 16 doubles, four home runs and 42 RBIs, also a career high.  Playing all three outfield positions, Jeffcoat had several solid seasons with the Cubs and his pivot to full-time pitching came somewhat unexpectedly.  He had a surprisingly strong five inning outing toward the end of spring training in 1954, leading manager Stan Hack to make him a member of the team's bullpen.

Jeffocat recorded a team-leading seven saves in 1954 for the Cubs.  Dealt to the Redlegs in November 1955 for Hobie Landrith (#314), Jeffcoat joined Cincinnati's starting pitching rotation in 1957.  He was 12-13 that season with a 4.52 ERA in 31 starts, throwing 10 complete games and 207 innings.  Jeffcoat threw his only career shutout on June 9, 1957 against the Dodgers.  His final action in the majors came in 1959 with the Cardinals, and Jeffcoat retired from baseball following a comeback attempt with the Reds' top farm team in 1960.  As a batter, Jeffcoat earned a career .248 average with 26 home runs and 188 RBIs.  As a pitcher, he was 39-37 lifetime, with a 4.22 ERA in 245 games pitched.

Building the Set
December 25, 1994 from San Diego, CA - Card #138
The Roy Campanella (#101) card was my "big" present from Santa for Christmas 1994.  With my Dad's help, Santa secured the Campanella card from Kit Young Cards in San Diego for what my notes say was $75.  That price seems steep, but there were six other cards from the 1956 Topps set under the Christmas tree that year from Kit Young Cards, including this Jeffcoat card, with the other six cards costing a combined $20.  In December 1994, I would have been home from college for the winter break of my junior year.

This was the last Christmas my family and I spent in the house on 12th Street in my hometown where I grew up.  My parents were in the process of building a new house and we'd visit the construction site throughout that winter break.  I had a tough time leaving my childhood home behind and the 1994-1995 timeframe brought about quite a few major changes in my life.

The Card / Redlegs Team Set
Jeffcoat returned to Topps with this card following a two year absence and exclusive appearances in the 1954 and 1955 Bowman sets.  He's wearing Cubs gear in both photos, with Topps taking the time to update the logo on his hat for the portrait, but apparently leaving the rounded Cubs C on his hat in the action photo.  The cartoons on the back highlight his ability to both pitch and play the outfield and also show him leaving a cub behind following his trade from Chicago.

1956 Season

In his third season as a full-time pitcher, and his first season in Cincinnati, Jeffcoat was 8-2 with a 3.84 ERA in 38 games, which included 16 starts.  He threw 171 innings overall and a pair of complete games.  On June 23, 1956 against the Dodgers, Jeffcoat hit Don Zimmer (#99) in the face with a fastball, breaking Zimmer's cheekbone and causing permanent damage.  Zimmer was never the same player after the beaning.

1951 Bowman #211

1952 Topps #341

1953 Topps #29

1957 Topps #93

1959 Topps #81

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1951 Bowman #211
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1952-1953, 1956-1959
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1991 Topps Archives 1953 #29

30 - Jeffcoat non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/3/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order:  #288 Bob Cerv - New York Yankees / #290 Curt Simmons - Philadelphia Phillies

Order Collected:  #284 Ike Delock - Boston Red Sox / #290 Curt Simmons - Philadelphia Phillies