Friday, May 24, 2024

#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
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