#306 Curt Roberts - Pittsburgh Pirates

Curtis Benjamin Roberts
Pittsburgh Pirates
Second Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'8"  Weight:  165
Born:  August 16, 1929, Pineland, TX
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent before 1951 season
Major League Teams:  Kansas City Monarchs 1947-48; Pittsburgh Pirates 1954-56

Died:  November 14, 1969, Oakland, CA (age 40)

Curt Roberts played for two seasons with the Kansas City Monarchs in the late 1940s before becoming the first black player in Pirates' franchise history in 1954.  With the Monarchs as a teenager, Roberts batted .275 in 65 games over the 1948 and 1948 seasons.  He earned a reputation as one of the best fielding second basemen in the league.  Originally signed by the Braves in 1951, Roberts played steadily in the minors before earning a spot on the Pirates' opening day roster in 1954.  He tripled off future Hall of Famer Robin Roberts (#180) in his first at-bat and would later double in the same game.  With general manager Branch Rickey supporting him, Roberts was the regular second baseman for the Pirates that season, batting .232 in 134 games with 18 doubles, a home run and 36 RBIs.  That would be his sole full season in the majors, as he was demoted to the minors early in the 1955 season and eventually lost his job in 1956 to Bill Mazeroski.

Roberts would continue to play professionally through the 1963 sesason in the Yankees, Dodgers and White Sox systems, finding success with the Denver Bears, then the Yankees' top farm team, in the late 1950s.  In parts of three seasons with the Pirates, Roberts batted .223 in 171 games.  His legacy has been revisited in recent years, with the Pirates recognizing his contributions to their franchise with various initiatives named for Roberts.  He's credited with paving the way for other players in the years to come, including future Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente (#33).

December 25, 2007

Building the Set
December 28, 2007 from Dad's eBay purchase - Card #336

I last shared this full story with the Foster Castleman (#271) post in late December, but I'll repeat myself, in an edited version, here.  The way my Dad and I finished the 1956 Topps set was somewhat anti-climatic but nevertheless a joyful memory.  Leading up to the Christmas of 2007, my Dad (with the help of my Mom) scoured eBay and other online baseball card stores for the remaining 29 cards we needed to complete the set.  Throughout the weeks and months leading up to the holidays, he knew we had completed the set but he kept it quiet, wanting to surprise me on Christmas morning.  I have no idea, and I'll never know, what the true last card was that he acquired to finish off the set.  And I have no record, nor was he able to tell me, how much they had paid for any of these final 29 cards.  

This Roberts card was one of the final 29.  It was one of the commons included in a memorable haul that included the cards of Pee Wee Reese (#260), Roberto Clemente (#33), Whitey Ford (#240) and a spotless checklist card for the 1st and 3rd Series.

The Card / Pirates Team Set
Roberts has cards in the 1954, 1955 and 1956 Topps sets with all three cards using the exact same photo.  The action shot would appear to show him out at home plate on a tag applied by what looks to be a Braves catcher.  The cartoons on the back of the card highlight his recent success in the minor leagues and his strong defensive skills.

1956 Season

Roberts began the season as the back-up to Johnny O'Brien (#65), but with O'Brien slumping Roberts earned more playing time.  Roberts didn't fare much better, making 17 starts at second base and batting just .177 in 31 games overall.  His last game in the majors came on June 8th when he entered a game against the Cardinals as a late inning defensive replacement.  On June 23rd, Roberts was dealt to the Athletics with Jack McMahan for Spook Jacobs (#151), but he'd never suit up in Kansas City.  With their top minor league team in Columbus, Roberts batted .320 in 87 games.

1954 Topps #242

1955 Topps #107

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1954 Topps #242
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3):  1954-56
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Topps Archives 1954 #242

15 - Roberts non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/31/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

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Set Order: #305 Brooks Lawrence - Cincinnati Redlegs / #307 Hoyt Wilhelm - New York Giants

Order Collected: #288 Bob Cerv - New York Yankees / #308 "Chuck" Harmon - Cincinnati Redlegs

#305 Brooks Lawrence - Cincinnati Redlegs

Brooks Ulysses Lawrence
Cincinnati Redlegs
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  205
Born:  January 30, 1925, Springfield, OH
Signed:  Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before 1949 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1954-55; Cincinnati Redlegs 1956-58; Cincinnati Reds 1959-60

Died:  April 27, 2000, Springfield, OH (age 75)

Brooks Laurence pitched in parts of seven seasons with the Cardinals and Reds, enjoying his best seasons in Cincinnati in 1956 and 1957.  Lawrence was a 15-game winner for the Cardinals in his rookie season of 1954 and he'd mainly work out of the bullpen for the club in 1955.  Dealt to Cincinnati on January 31, 1956 with Sonny Senerchia for Jackie Callum, Lawrence entered the best two years of his career.  He was an All-Star in 1956, finishing the season with a 19-10 record and a 3.99 ERA in 49 games, including 30 starts.  Lawrence had slightly better numbers in 1957, going 16-13 with a 3.52 ERA over a career-high 250 1/3 innings pitched.  He'd pitch nearly 200 innings again in 1958, but he'd see his output decline over his final two seasons with the Reds, retiring following the 1960 season.

Lawrence was 69-62 for his career, with a 4.25 ERA in 275 games pitched.  He struck out 481 batters over 1,040 2/3 innings.  He remained with the Reds for several years after his playing days as a scout, minor league coach and broadcaster, and was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1976.

1955 Red Man #NL4

Building the Set
August 13, 1989 in Bridgeton, NJ - Card #86
We went nuts at the Bridgeton Baseball Card Show in August 1989, buying 12 different cards for our 1956 Topps set, all at $1.50 a piece.  That's an impressive haul for $18!

I have no other information on the location of this show, other than it was held in the nearby city of Bridgeton, New Jersey.  What I do have however is the checklist I brought with us to the show.  I believe this is the second full checklist we carried around, having retired the prior version I created in 1988 and posted with the William Harridge (#1) card.

Just looking at this checklist brings back fond memories of finding the cards, deciding to make a purchase, negotiating a price and then finding a flat surface so that we could cross off the newest additions.

The Card / Redlegs Team Set
Like a lot of recent cards, this is Lawrence's first appearance in a Topps set after his rookie card had appeared in the 1955 Bowman set.  The picture used is the same as appears on his 1955 Red Man card, with Topps replacing a Cardinals hat with a Redlegs hat.  The back of the card highlights his success from 1954 and 1955, and explains how he ended up with Cincinnati before the 1956 season.

1956 Season

As mentioned above, Lawrence was a 19-game winner in 1956 and made the National League All-Stars, although he didn't appear in the game.  He led Cincinnati's pitching staff in wins and innings pitched (218 2/3), and tied Johnny Klippstein (#249) for the team lead in complete games with 11.  At the outset of the season, Lawrence set a franchise record by winning 13 games before his first loss.

Phillies Connection
Lawrence's last action in professional baseball came with the Indianapolis Indians in 1960, then the top farm team for the Phillies.  He was 2-7 with a 6.05 ERA in 26 games with the Indians.

1955 Bowman #75

1957 Topps #66

1958 Topps #374

1959 Topps #67

1960 Topps #434

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Bowman #75
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1956-60
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1979 TCMA The 1950s #217

36 - Lawrence non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/18/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #304 Frank Malzone - Boston Red Sox / #306 Curt Roberts - Pittsburgh Pirates

Order Collected: #298 Johnny Schmidtz - Boston Red Sox / #314 Hobie Landrith - Chicago Cubs

#304 Frank Malzone - Boston Red Sox

Frank James Malzone
Boston Red Sox
Third Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  180
Born:  February 28, 1930, Bronx, NY

Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent before 1947 season
Major League Teams:   Boston Red Sox 1955-65; California Angels 1966

Died:  December 29, 2015, Needham, MA (age 85)

Frank Malzone manned the hot corner for the Red Sox for over a decade, and in total spent nearly six decades in various roles with the club.  Malzone first got the chance to play regularly in 1957, and he'd reward manager Pinky Higgins with the first of eight All-Star Game selections and by finishing second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting to the Yankees' Tony Kubek.  Malzone also won the first of his three Gold Gloves that season and drove in a career-high 103 runs.  On the way to that first Gold Glove, he became the first player to lead the American League in every defensive category (games, putouts, assists, double plays turned, fielding percentage) as well as errors.  Dependable at the plate, Malzone hit .276 with the Red Sox over 11 seasons.  He left the club briefly following the 1965 season, finishing up his playing career with the Angels.

For his career, Malzone batted .274 with 1,486 hits, 133 home runs and 728 RBIs.  He re-joined the Red Sox as a scout in 1966 and he'd serve as a scout and instructor until the early 1990s when he joined the team's front office.  He was among the inaugural class of inductees into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1995.

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

Building the Set
January 27, 2001 from Moorestown Mall Baseball Card Show - Card #226
For Father's Day in 2021, we attended my youngest son's piano recital and then travelled to the Moorestown Mall (in nearby Moorestown, NJ) for a baseball card show.  I don't spend a lot of time in malls, but I thought this one looked vaguely familiar.  As it turns out, I was at the very same mall 20 years earlier with my Dad for his 57th birthday.  We paid $60 for four cards for our 1956 Topps set, with the biggest purchase being the Harmon Killebrew card (#164) that set us back $38.  Based on my checklist at the time, we got a good deal on this card as I had the Killebrew card listed as one of the more valuable cards we still needed at a range of $60 to $100.  The other three cards added were this Malzone card, Carl Erskine (#233) and Ellis Kinder (#336).

The Card / Red Sox Team Set
This is Malzone's first Topps card, and his rookie card can be found in the 1955 Bowman set.  The action shot shows Malzone about to apply a late tag to a baserunner that could be the Tigers' Bill Tuttle (#203), the Indians' Hank Majeski, or the Nationals' Pete Runnels (#234), as those three American Leaguers all wore #5 during the 1955 season.  The cartoons on the back highlight his successful minor league season in 1955, as well as his six hits in a double header against the Orioles on September 20th.  Malzone had just made his big league debut a few days before, pinch-running in a game on September 17th.

1956 Season

Malzone began the season with the Red Sox, but batted just .165 through 27 games, and was demoted to the Triple-A San Francisco Seals in the beginning of June for the remainder of the season.  With the Seals, Malzone batted .296 in 87 games with six home runs and 42 RBIs.  He'd be back in 1957 as the opening day third baseman for the Red Sox.

1955 Bowman #302

1958 Topps #260

1959 Topps #558

1962 Topps #225

1966 Topps #152

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Bowman #302
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1956-66
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2015 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-FM

96 - Malzone non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/18/24.

Sources:  
1965 Topps Blog

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #303 Jim Dyck - Baltimore Orioles / #305 Brooks Lawrence - Cincinnati Redlegs

Order Collected: #233 Carl Erskine - Brooklyn Dodgers / #336 Ellis Kinder - St. Louis Cardinals

#303 Jim Dyck - Baltimore Orioles

James Robert Dyck

Baltimore Orioles
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  200
Born:  February 3, 1922, Omaha, NE
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1941 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Browns 1951-53; Cleveland Indians 1954; Baltimore Orioles 1955-56; Cincinnati Redlegs 1956

Died:  January 11, 1999, Cheney, WA (age 76)

Jim Dyck played professionally for 20 years, missing three full years while serving in the military during World War II, and spending parts of six seasons in the majors.  Dyck was originally signed by the Yankees in 1941, and it took him joining the Browns' organization in late 1949 to finally get a shot at the big leagues a few years later.  Dyck, a 30-year-old rookie in 1952, spent his first full season in the majors, appearing in a career-high 122 games and setting career-best marks in nearly every offensive category.  He batted .269 with 15 home runs and 64 RBIs, as arguably the best offensive player for the seventh place Browns.  His numbers would slip in 1953, and he appeared in 112 games, batting .213.  Traded to the Indians in April 1954 for Bob Kennedy (#38), Dyck would appear in only two games for the eventual pennant winners, and he'd be sold back to the his former team, now the Orioles, in July 1955.

Dyck's final big league action came in 1956, playing in 49 games for the Orioles and Redlegs.  In 330 games, he batted .246 with 26 home runs and 114 RBIs.  He'd continue to play professionally through the 1961 season, last appearing in 29 games as a player-coach with the Vancouver Mounties in the Pacific Coast League.

January 28, 2006 - Celebrating Dad's 62nd birthday

Building the Set
December 3, 2005 in Ft. Washington, PA - Card #276
This was a relatively late edition to our set and one of eight cards we purchased at the 93rd Philadelphia Sports Card Show held at the convention center in Ft. Washington.  My notes say we purchased this Dyck card for a little less than $5.  With the Ocean City baseball card shows long gone by now, our only options for local baseball card shows were the "Philly Shows" held in Ft. Washington or the occasional mall baseball card show. 

My Dad didn't like the drive to Ft. Washington, and this would have been one of only a few shows we attended together in this location.  Looking at my records of when and where we purchased our cards, a full year would go by before we'd add any more cards to the set.

The year-long hiatus in collecting the set came at a time my wife and I were expecting our first son and as we moved into our first real house.

The Card / Orioles Team Set
This is Dyck's final mainstream baseball card appearance, and he had previously appeared in 1953 Topps set before being exclusive to Bowman in 1954 and without a baseball card appearance in 1955.  That could be Dyck sliding back into second base against the Yankees, as he wore #14 with the Orioles in 1955.  The cartoons on the back highlight his minor league accomplishments and his versatility in the field.  For his career, Dyck played 157 games at all three outfield positions, 147 games at third base and one game at first base.

This card is the final Orioles card in the set, making the Orioles team set the first to be completed.  A full gallery is linked above and all team sets are linked at this page.

1956 Season

Dyck began the year with the Orioles, and batted .217 (5 for 23) in 11 games, including a pair of pinch-hitting appearances.  Sold to Cincinnati on May 11th, Dyck played in 18 games for the Redlegs, batting .091 (1 for 11) with most of his appearances coming as a pinch-hitter or pinch-runner.  In late July, Dyck was demoted to the Triple-A Seattle Rainiers, where he'd bat .185 over 54 games.

1953 Bowman Color #111

1953 Topps #177

1954 Bowman #85

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1953 Bowman Color #111
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1953, 1956
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1991 Topps Archives 1953 #177

20 - Dyck non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/9/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #302 Eddie Robinson - New York Yankees / #304 Frank Malzone - Boston Red Sox

Order Collected: #299 Charley Neal - Brooklyn Dodgers / #309 Don Blasingame - St. Louis Cardinals

#302 Eddie Robinson - New York Yankees

William Edward Robinson
New York Yankees
First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  210
Born:  December 15, 1920, Paris, TX
Acquired:  Purchased by the Cleveland Indians from the Baltimore Orioles (International League), before 1942 season
Major League Teams:  Cleveland Indians 1942, 1946-48; Washington Senators 1950; Chicago White Sox 1950-52; Philadelphia Athletics 1953; New York Yankees 1954-56; Kansas City Athletics 1956; Detroit Tigers 1957; Cleveland Indians 1957; Baltimore Orioles 1957

Died:  October 4, 2021, Bastrop, TX (age 100)

Eddie Robinson's longevity in the game, and in life, led to a lengthy baseball career as a player, scout, coach and front office executive into the 1980s.  Robinson was a true journeyman during his playing days, spending time with seven of the eight American League teams in existence, only missing time with the Red Sox to complete the sweep.  He was a four-time All-Star, and a key member of the 1948 Indians team that won the World Series in six games over the Boston Braves.  Robinson was the starting first baseman for the American League All-Stars in 1949 and 1952.  His 1952 season with the White Sox was perhaps his best, as he batted .296 with 22 home runs and 104 RBIs.  He had attained career highs in home runs (29) and RBIs (117) the year before, in 1951.  Robinson spent the final four seasons of his career as a back-up first baseman and pinch-hitter for the Yankees, Athletics, Tigers, Indians and Orioles.

Robinson coached with he Orioles between 1957 and 1959, then worked in the farm system or the front office for the Astros, Athletics and Braves.  He served as the general manager for the Braves (1972-76) and Rangers (1977-82), and finished his time in baseball as a scout for the Red Sox.  Robinson batted .268 in 1,315 games, with 1,146 hits, 172 home runs and 723 RBIs.  He lived almost 101 years, and was the last living player to begin his career during the 1940s, and to have his career interrupted by military service during World War II.

Building the Set

December 2, 2000 from Raleigh, NC - Card #221
I went nuts and bought 16 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 / Yankees Team Set
The same main photo is used for Robinson's 1954 Topps card, and Robinson was exclusive to Bowman for 1955.  That's him applying the tag on a pick-off attempt at first base in the action shot.  The first cartoon panel on the back highlights his home run output in 1955.  Robinson had 36 hits in 173 at-bats, batting only .208, but 16 of those hits were home runs.  The final cartoon panel highlights his fine fielding at first base, and Robinson led the league in fielding percentage in 1948, and in putouts at first in 1950, 1951 and 1952.

1956 Season

Robinson saw limited playing time with the Yankees at the start of the 1956 season, batting .222 in 26 games with 12 of those games coming as a pinch-hitter.  On June 14th, he was dealt with Lou Skizas to the Kansas City Athletics for Moe Burtschy, Bill Renna (#82) and cash.  Robinson played in 75 games for the Athletics, batting .198 for the 102-loss team.  He made 41 starts at first base, and was unable to capture his prior power numbers.  On December 5th, the Athletics traded Robinson to the Tigers as part of eight-player deal.

1950 Bowman #18

1952 Topps #32

1954 Topps #62

1957 Topps #238

1960 Topps #455

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1950 Bowman #18
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1951-54, 1956-57, 1960
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2011 Topps Lineage Autographs #RA-ER

57 - Robinson non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/2/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #301 Marv Grissom - New York Giants / #303 Jim Dyck - Baltimore Orioles

Order Collected: #264 Ray Monzant - New York Giants / #325 Don Liddle - New York Giants