#181 Billy Martin - New York Yankees

Alfred Manuel Martin
New York Yankees
Second Base-Shortstop

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  165
Born:  May 16, 1928, Berkeley, CA
Acquired:  Traded by Oakland (PCL) with Jackie Jensen to the New York Yankees for a player to be named later and cash, October 13, 1949
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1950-1953, 1955-1957; Kansas City Athletics 1957; Detroit Tigers 1958; Cleveland Indians 1959; Cincinnati Reds 1960; Milwaukee Braves 1961; Minnesota Twins 1961
As a Manager:  Minnesota Twins 1969; Detroit Tigers 1971-1973; Texas Rangers 1973-1975; New York Yankees 1975-1978, 1979; Oakland Athletics 1980-1982; New York Yankees 1983, 1985, 1988
Died:  December 25, 1989, Johnson City, NY (age 61)

As a player, Billy Martin was the Yankees' every day second baseman in 1952, 1953 and 1956, providing steady defense with double play partners Phil Rizzuto (#113) or Gil McDougald (#225).  Martin's best offensive seasons came in the early 1950s, as he batted a career-high .267 in 1952 and hit career highs with his power numbers in 1953 with 15 home runs and 75 RBIs.  He was named to his only All-Star team in 1956 and departed the Bronx (for the first of many times) in mid-1957 having won World Series rings with the Yankees in 1951, 1952, 1953 and 1956.  For the rest of his playing days, Martin never stayed with one club for more than a full season, making stops with six different clubs.  He retired having played in 1,021 career games and batting .257 with 877 hits.

1983 Donruss #575

As a manager, Martin developed a reputation for his ability to turn around bad teams as well as his legendary temper.  First hired to manage the Twins in 1969, Martin led Minnesota to a division title but was fired following the season.  After stints with the Tigers and Rangers, he was first hired to manage his former team, the Yankees, in mid-1975.  Martin guided New York to three consecutive pennants between 1976 and 1978, including a World Series title in 1977.  He departed as the Yankees manager for the first time in July 1978 after highly publicized battles with the team's star outfielder, Reggie Jackson, and the team's owner, George Steinbrenner.  Martin and Steinbrenner would continue the pattern of reconciliation and self-destruction throughout the late 1980s, with Martin managing the Yankees in five different stints.  His lifetime managerial record was 1,253-1,013, including 48 career ejections. 

Building the Set

Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ - Card #19
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 Ed Mathews (#107) post.  This Martin card would have definitely been one of the names I recognized when going through the Original 44, given his notoriety at the time and his inclusion in Topps and Donruss sets of the day on manager cards.  Seven of the Original 44 came from series one, with 11 coming from series two, and this is the first of 16 from series three.

The Card / Yankees Team Set
Martin was omitted from the 1955 Bowman and Topps sets, given his year away in the military.  It looks as if the runner has been forced out in the action photo.  The cartoon panels on the back feature his military discharge in 1955 and his .500 batting average in the 1953 World Series when he collected 12 hits.

1956 Season

Martin missed all of the 1954 season and most of the 1955 season while serving in the military.  He was the Yankees' opening day second baseman in 1956, his final full season as a player in New York.  Rumblings circulated during the season that Martin was a bad influence on his teammates, especially star slugger Mickey Mantle (#135).  Martin was named to his only All-Star Game and he grounded out against Warren Spahn (#10) as a pinch-hitter.  During the regular season, he played in 121 games, batting .264 with nine home runs and 49 RBIs.  He was again a key player in the World Series, delivering a go-ahead RBI single in Game 4 and hitting .296 overall with two home runs as the Yankees defeated the Dodgers in seven games.

1952 Topps #175

1962 Topps #208

1972 Topps #33

1978 Topps #721

1986 Topps #651

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1952 Topps #175
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (25):  1952-1954, 1956-1962, 1969, 1971-1978, 1980-1981, 1983-1986
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2021 Topps x Sports Illustrated #51

444 - Martin non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/22/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

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Set Order: #180 Robin Roberts - Philadelphia Phillies / #182 Paul Minner - Chicago Cubs

Order Collected: #168 Sammy White - Boston Red Sox / #182 Paul Minner - Chicago Cubs

#148 Alvin Dark - New York Giants

Alvin Ralph Dark
New York Giants
Shortstop

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  185
Born:  January 7, 1922, Comanche, OK
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent, July 4, 1946
Major League Teams:  Boston Braves 1946, 1948-1949; New York Giants 1950-1956; St. Louis Cardinals 1956-1958; Chicago Cubs 1958-1959; Philadelphia Phillies 1960; Milwaukee Braves 1960

As a Manager:  San Francisco Giants 1961-1964; Kansas City Athletics 1966-1967; Cleveland Indians 1968-1971; Oakland Athletics 1974-1975; San Diego Padres 1977
Died:  November 13, 2014, Easley, SC (age 92)

Al Dark spent 27 years in the majors first as an All-Star shortstop between 1946 and 1960 and then as a successful manager between 1961 and 1977.  Dark was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1948, batting .322 with 48 RBIs.  He was a three-time All-Star (1951, 1952 and 1954) and earned MVP votes in six different seasons.  Dark led the league in doubles with 41 in 1951, the year he helped the Giants reach the World Series.  He'd have to wait until 1954 to win his first World Series ring when he batted .412 during the series while helping the Giants sweep the Indians.  Dark finished eight seasons in the top five for fielding percentage among all National League shortstops and he led the league in double plays turned three times.  In 1,828 career games, Dark batted .289 with 126 home runs and 2,089 hits.

After retiring as a player, Dark began his managerial career with the Giants in 1961, guiding the team to the National League pennant in 1962.  After stints with the Kansas City Athletics and Indians, Dark took over the Oakland Athletics in 1974 and led the team to its third straight World Series.  (The team had won in 1972 and 1973 with Dick Williams as the manager.)  He was 994-954 as a manager, just missing the 1,000-win plateau.

Building the Set
December 4, 1999 in Raleigh, NC - Card #190
This is one of four cards I acquired at the "Holiday Sports Classic" baseball card show held in Raleigh in late 1999.  I paid $10 for the Cubs team card (#11) and another $5 for three commons - this Dark card, Norm Zauchin (#89) and Chico Carrasquel (#230).  Given the timing of this show right before the holidays, I would have attended by myself but I most likely called my Dad back in Millville, New Jersey to update him on my purchases later that day.

From the notes I took on the flyer shown here, I didn't have much of a budget for this show as I spent $15 for the four cards for our 1956 Topps set and a whopping $6.30 for five cards for my 1972 Topps set.  It's also interesting to look back at this flyer and remember how bonkers the Beanie Baby craze was in the late 1990s.

The Card / Giants Team Set
Dark returned to Topps sets after being exclusively in the Bowman sets in 1954 and 1955.  On the back of the card, Topps shaved a year off Dark's age as he was actually born in 1922.  The first cartoon panel on the back highlights his time at Louisiana State University, where he lettered in baseball, basketball and football.

1956 Season

Dark was the Giants' opening day shortstop and in 48 games with his long-time club he batted .252.  But the team got off to a rough start, mired in seventh place in the National League by early June and Giants' management decided a shake-up was in order.  On June 14th, Dark, Ray Katt, Don Liddle (#325) and Whitey Lockman (#205), along with cash, were traded to the Cardinals for Jackie Brandt, Dick Littlefield, Bill Sarni (#247), Red Schoendienst (#165) and two players to be named later.  Given the popularity of Dark with the Giants and Schoendienst with the Cardinals, I'm assuming it was a shocking deal when first announced.

Dark settled in as the everyday shortstop for the Cardinals, batting .286 over 100 games with 37 RBIs.

Phillies Career
Dark came to the Phillies in the trade that saw popular Phillie and future Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn (#120) depart the franchise.  On January 11, 1960, the Phillies acquired Dark, John Buzhardt and Jim Woods from the Cubs for Ashburn.  With Dark at 38, only Dave Philly (#222) was older on the club at 40.  Dark was the Phillies' opening day third baseman in 1960 and he was a regular in the line-up until the team traded him on June 23rd to the Braves for Joe Morgan.

His first hit of the season in the team's home opener on April 14th was the 2,000 of his career, a sixth inning infield single off pitcher Don McMahon.  With the Phillies, Dark hit .242 over 55 games, with 3 home runs and 14 RBIs.  His short time with the club earned him a 1960 Topps card, released late in the season.

1949 Bowman #67

1951 Bowman #14

1958 Topps #125

1960 Topps #472

1978 Topps #467

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1949 Bowman #67
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (19):  1952-1953, 1956-1964, 1966-1970, 1975, 1978
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2011 Topps Lineage Autographs #RA-AD

137 - Dark non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/5/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Phillies Room
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

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Set Order: #147 Earl Torgeson - Detroit Tigers / #149 "Dixie" Howell - Chicago White Sox

Order Collected: #89 Norm Zauchin - Boston Red Sox / #230 "Chico" Carrasquel - Cleveland Indians

#99 Don Zimmer - Brooklyn Dodgers

Donald William Zimmer
Brooklyn Dodgers
Second Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'9"  Weight:  165
Born:  January 17, 1931, Cincinnati, OH
Signed:  Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1949 season
Major League Teams:  Brooklyn Dodgers 1954-1957; Los Angeles Dodgers 1958-1959; Chicago Cubs 1960-1961; New York Mets 1962; Cincinnati Reds 1962; Los Angeles Dodgers 1963; Washington Senators 1963-1965
As a Manager:  San Diego Padres 1972-1973; Boston Red Sox 1976-1980; Texas Rangers 1981-1982; Chicago Cubs 1988-1991
Died:  June 4, 2014, Dunedin, FL (age 83)

1978 Topps #63

Before he was a successful big league manager and coach, Don Zimmer played 12 seasons and was an All-Star with the Cubs in 1961.  He enjoyed his best season with the Dodgers in 1958, attaining career highs in batting average (.262), home runs (17) and RBIs (60) as the team's everyday shortstop.  He won two World Series rings with the Dodgers in 1955 and 1959.  In 1953, he was hit in the head with a pitch thrown by Jim Kirk and was knocked unconscious for two weeks.  The incident led to the introduction of protective batting helmets.  He was briefly an original member of the expansion Mets in 1962 and he played part of a season in Japan in 1966 with the Toei Flyers.

His coaching career saw him spend time with the Expos (1971), Padres (1972), Red Sox (1974-1976, 1992), Yankees (1983, 1986, 1996-2003), Cubs (1984-1986), Giants (1987), Rockies (1993-1995) and Devil Rays/Rays (2004-2014).  As a manager, Zimmer had a lifetime record of 885-858.  His Red Sox teams won over 90 games in 1977, 1978 and 1979 and he led the Cubs to an N.L. East pennant in 1989.  He won the N.L. Manager of Year Award that year.  Zimmer spent 66 years in professional baseball, and the Rays, for whom he was coaching at the time of his death, retired his #66 in 2015 to celebrate that milestone and to pay tribute to their coach.

Building the Set
June 24, 1989 in Ocean City, NJ - Card #77
My Dad and I purchased this card at the Ocean City IX baseball card show held within the Ocean City Music Pier on the boardwalk.  I have in my notes that we paid $2.50 for this card, along with the cards of Jim Finigan (#22) and Nelson Burbrink (#27).  I would have just finished my freshman year of high school when we bought this card and I was in the middle of collecting the 1973 Topps set.

The windows would have been open inside the showroom floor, and the sounds and smells of the shore served as the background as I poured through binders or boxes of baseball cards.  Above the din of the collectors looking for bargains and dealers hawking their wares, you could hear the occasional sea gull or even the crashing of waves.  I miss those shows and I become more and more nostalgic about them every year.  A perfect day with my Dad would consist of walking among the dozens of tables of baseball cards, finding cards for our sets and taking a break with a birch beer and a slice from Mack & Manco's.

I keep the postcard featured here in my 1988-1989 Phillies baseball card binder.  There's a thumbtack hole in the top left corner, which means at one point it hung on the bulletin board in my bedroom.  The 9th Seashore Baseball Card & Sports Memorabilia Show featured two autograph signers for the weekend - Dick Sisler and Jim Bunning.  My Dad didn't like driving at night, which is why we wouldn't have stuck around for Bunning on Saturday.  I probably never realized we had missed our chance at meeting Sisler the night before, and the names Sisler and Bunning meant nowhere as much to me then as they do now.

The Card
That's a fantastic posed action shot showing Zimmer in mid-air about to make the throw to first.  The main photo is the same used for his 1955 Topps rookie card.  The back calls attention to his timely hitting, prowess as a defender at second base and his speed on the basepaths.  All things I wouldn't have imagined Zimmer had been capable of, knowing what I knew about the Cubs manager when we bought this card in 1989.

Zimmer and Jim Gilliam (#280) had a platoon in 1955 with the Dodgers at second base, with the right-handed batting Zimmer starting 62 games there and the switch-hitting Gilliam starting 91 games.  Zimmer also was the only back-up at shortstop needed for Pee Wee Reese (#260) as Reese started 142 games with Zimmer spelling him 12 times.

Dodgers Team Set

1956 Season

Zimmer only played in 17 games for the Dodgers, hitting .300 (6 for 20) with a pair of RBIs.  He had started the season serving as Reese's back-up at short, but he was hit by Hal Jeffcoat (#289) fastball on June 23rd, breaking his cheekbone and ending his season.

1955 Bowman #65

1959 Topps #287

1965 Topps #233

1982 Donruss #195

1991 Topps #729

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Bowman #65
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (22):  1955-1965, 1973-1974, 1977-1981, 1988-1991
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-DZ

Topps gave Zimmer a 1954 Topps inspired card in its 1994 Topps Archives release.  His 1956 Topps card was reprinted in the 1995 Topps Archives Brooklyn Dodgers set.

158 - Zimmer non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/29/20.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.

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Set Order: #98 Camilo Pascual - Washington Nationals / #100 Baltimore Orioles Team Card

Order Collected: #27 Nelson Burbrink - St. Louis Cardinals / #72 Philadelphia Phillies Team Card

#64 Luis Arroyo - St. Louis Cardinals

Luis Enrique Arroyo
St. Louis Cardinals
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'8"  Weight:  178
Born:  February 18, 1927, Penuelas, Puerto Rico
Drafted:  Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals from Greensboro in the 1949 minor league draft
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1955; Pittsburgh Pirates 1956-1957; Cincinnati Reds 1959; New York Yankees 1960-1963
Died:  January 13, 2016, Ponce, Puerto Rico (age 88)

Luis Arroyo was a two-time All-Star and the closer for the 1961 World Champion Yankees.  He was the first player born in Puerto Rico to don the Yankee pinstripes, and he spent 19 seasons playing in the Puerto Rican Winter League.  A starting pitcher at the beginning of his career, Arroyo found his greatest success in the bullpen.  His career year came in 1961 when he went 15-5 with a league leading 29 saves while relying on his signature screwball pitch.  Injuries curtailed his career, and he'd appear sparingly with the Yankees over the next two seasons before retiring.

A Yankee fan favorite, he later served as a scout and coach for the team and was one of the more popular attendees at the annual Yankees Oldtimers' Day.

Building the Set
October 3, 1999 in Raleigh, NC - Card #182
We bought this card on October 3rd at the Raleigh Sports Card Show, and it ended up being part of a birthday present to me from my Dad.  I was still living in Raleigh in late 1999, and my parents made the trip south to visit me for my birthday.  We bought 8 cards that day (that I knew about) paying $5 for seven of the cards and $2 for the Grady Hatton (#26) card.  Unbeknownst to me, my Dad also purchased the Sandy Koufax card (#79) but squirreled that one away until Christmas morning 1999.

Back then, vintage Yankees cards, and even cards of ex-Yankees, were tough to find for sale at reasonable prices in the Northeast, and I'm assuming they still are.

The Card
Arroyo's signature is impressive, and it looks as if he's using just his first two initials, "L.E."

Arroyo was a N.L. All-Star in 1955, so it's odd that's not even mentioned on the back of his card.  The three panels focus on his minor league exploits and his arm injuries that cost him the 1952 and 1953 seasons.  This is his rookie card and he also appeared in Topps flagship sets from 1957, 1961, 1962 and 1963.

1956 Season
By the time kids found this Cardinals card in packs of 1956 Topps, Arroyo was pitching for the Pirates.  On May 7th, having not yet pitched a game for the Cardinals, Arroyo was shipped to Pittsburgh for pitcher Max Surkont (#209).  The Pirates needed a lefty arm for their bullpen, and the hope was that Arroyo could fill the role.  Instead, he spent the season bouncing back and forth between Pittsburgh and their Triple-A team in Hollywood.  In total, he appeared in 18 games for the Pirates, going 3-3 with a 4.71 ERA and one save.

1957 Topps #394

1961 Topps #142

1962 Topps #455

1963 Topps #569

1978 TCMA The 1960s #258

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #64
First Topps Card:  1956 Topps #64
Last Topps Card:  1963 Topps #569
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1983 TCMA 50 Years of Yankee All-Stars #2
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1956-1957, 1961-1963

45 - Arroyo non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/30/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.

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Set Order: #63 Roger Craig - Brooklyn Dodgers / #65 Johnny O'Brien - Pittsburgh Pirates

Order Collected: #40 Bob Turley - New York Yankees / #67 Vic Power - Kansas City Athletics

#58 Ed Roebuck - Brooklyn Dodgers

Edward Jack Roebuck
Brooklyn Dodgers
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  185
Born:  July 3, 1931, Millsboro, PA
Signed:  Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1949 season
Major League Teams:  Brooklyn Dodgers 1955-1957; Los Angeles Dodgers 1958, 1960-1963; Washington Senators 1963-1964; Philadelphia Phillies 1964-1966
Died:  June 14, 2018, Lakewood, CA (age 86)

All but one of Ed Roebuck's 460 appearances in the Major Leagues came in relief, and he served as one of the game's most reliable relievers from the mid-1950s through the mid-1960s.  Roebuck was a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers team that won a World Series in 1955 and lost the Series in 1956 to the Yankees.  In 6 1/3 innings in the 1955 and 1956 World Series, he allowed only one run, and had an impressive ERA of 1.42.  Perhaps Roebuck's best season was 1962 when he went 10-2 with a 3.09 ERA and nine saves while appearing in 64 games for the Dodgers.  In his 11-year career, he finished in the top ten in the league in saves and appearances four different times.

After a few mediocre seasons with the Senators, Roebuck found new life with the Phillies, serving as one of their most durable relievers during the 1964 season but unfortunately he was part of that team's epic, late season collapse.  One of the game's most proficient fungo hitters, Roebuck was invited to Houston in 1964 to hit fungos as high as he could inside the Astrodome, still under construction, to make sure the roof would be high enough once official games commenced.

Following his playing days, Roebuck served as a scout for the Dodgers, Phillies, Braves, Reds, Pirates and Red Sox.  He retired in 2006 after earning his second World Series ring in 2004 as a scout for the Red Sox.

Building the Set
August 29, 1988 in Millville, NJ - Card #62
I shared this story back in March when I posted the Tom Brewer (#34) card, but I'll repeat it again here.  The Roebuck card was one of four cards I acquired for our 1956 Topps set via a trade, and all I had to surrender were a bunch of 1988 Topps doubles.

We were about a year in to officially collecting the 1956 Topps set when I added four cards to the set through a trade with a friend of mine.  Now my friend probably has no recollection of this, but I'm going to omit his name to protect the innocent.  In the summer of 1988, I was aware of a few different baseball card collectors from my school.  Most of them were busy accumulating as many "Future Stars" cards from the 1988 Topps set as possible, convinced these cards would be worth hundreds of dollars in a matter of a few short years.  The Kevin Elster card was a particularly hot commodity, as was anything with a Topps Rookie Cup on it such as the cards for Mark McGwire, Mike Greenwell, Ellis Burks and Casey Candaele.

My friend had four 1956 Topps cards set aside in an "oldies" pile, and I'm guessing he had added these to his collection by accident or maybe through an older relative.  In any event, I went over to his house this late summer day in August, equipped with my 1988 Topps doubles, and ready to deal.  I don't remember the specifics of the trade, but I ended up with four 1956 Topps commons and he ended up with a small stack of 1988 Topps rookies.  We were both happy with our respective hauls, so in our minds it was a fair deal.

I've lost track of this friend over the years, but his name lives on in my official records of how each card in our 1956 Topps set was obtained.

The Card
Here's something I found extremely interesting, and I've been tracking this since starting this project.  Roebuck's card is the 47th card in the set to feature a player also included within the 1955 Topps set.  However, his is the first instance of a card using a different photo for his 1956 Topps card than what was used for his 1955 Topps card.  Why did Topps suddenly decide to go with a new photo for Roebuck's 1956 Topps card, when it had used the same photo for the prior 46 players?

1956 Season
Roebuck appeared in 43 games for the Dodgers, all in relief, going 5-4 with a 3.93 ERA.  Only closer Clem Labine had more appearances in relief that season for the Dodgers with 62.  He led the National League in wild pitches with 10.  Against the Yankees in the 1956 World Series, Roebuck appeared in three games, pitching 4 1/3 innings and allowing only one hit and one run - a solo home run to Mickey Mantle in Game 4.

Phillies Career
On April 21, 1964, the Senators sold Roebuck to the Phillies and he appeared in 60 games in relief.  In parts of three seasons with the Phillies, Roebuck appeared in 110 games, pitching to a 10-8 record and a 2.83 ERA.  He recorded 15 saves, second only to Jack Baldschun (27 saves) during that same stretch.  During the late season collapse of 1964 resulting in ten straight losses, Roebuck pitched in four games and was scored upon only once.

The Phillies released him following the 1965 season, but he re-signed with them as a free agent and appeared in six games before getting released again on July 23, 1966.  He served as a scout for the Phillies after retiring as an active player, but I can't find any reference to what years he was with the club either online or from the team's yearbooks or media guides.

Roebuck's most readily available Phillies baseball card can be found in the 1965 Topps set.  He's also in the 1964 Philadelphia Bulletin set, the 1978 TCMA The 1960s set and he signed reprints of his 1965 Topps card for the 2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs insert set.

1955 Topps #195

1961 Topps #6

1964 Topps #187

1965 Topps #52

1978 TCMA The 1960s #165

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Topps #195
First Topps Card:  1955 Topps #195
Representative Phillies Card:  1965 Topps #52
Last Topps Card:  1965 Topps #52
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-ER
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1955-1956, 1958, 1960-1965

52 - Roebuck non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 7/22/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Phillies Room
SABR
The Trading Card Database

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #57 "Duke" Maas - Detroit Tigers / #59 Jose Santiago - Cleveland Indians

Order Collected: #34 Tom Brewer - Boston Red Sox / #86 Ray Jablonski - Cincinnati Redlegs

#47 Art Fowler - Cincinnati Redlegs

John Arthur Fowler
Cincinnati Redlegs
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  180
Born:  July 3, 1922, Converse, SC
Signed:  Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before 1944 season
Major League Teams:  Cincinnati Reds 1954-1957; Los Angeles Dodgers 1959; Los Angeles Angels 1961-1964
Died:  January 29, 2007, Spartanburg, SC (age 84)

Primarily a relief pitcher and an occasional closer, Art Fowler played in parts of nine big league seasons, compiling a 54-51 record and a 4.03 ERA over 362 appearances.  Fowler toiled in the minors for 10 seasons with the Giants' and Braves' organizations before making the Reds out of spring training in 1954 at the age of 31.  He'd serve as a spot starter/long reliever for the Reds for four seasons before getting shipped to the Dodgers with three other players for Don Newcombe (#235) in June 1958.  In 1961, Fowler was the first closer for the expansion Los Angeles Angels club, saving 11 games.  In his final season in 1964, Fowler was the oldest player in the American League at 41, and he also served as the Angels' pitching coach.

1978 Topps #282

Following his playing days, his friendship with Billy Martin (#181) led to Fowler's appointment as Martin's pitching coach on 7 separate occasions:  Minnesota Twins 1969; Detroit Tigers 1971-1973; Texas Rangers 1973-1975; New York Yankees 1977-1979; Oakland Athletics 1980-1982; New York Yankees 1983; New York Yankees 1988.  He won World Series rings with the Yankees in 1977 and 1978.  His SABR biography refers to Fowler as Martin's long-time friend, his fishing buddy, "his drinking partner and sometime peacemaker."

Building the Set
June 20, 1992 in Ocean City, NJ - Card #103
This is one of 11 cards (and the 5th I've covered on this blog) that my Dad and I bought in June 1992 at the Ocean City baseball card show held on the boardwalk at the Music Pier.  We paid $60 for the lot of 11 cards, which at the time was most likely a steal.  Chronologically, I have this listed as the 103rd card we added to the set.  The card is pristine, with the exception of a small stain on the back in the top left corner.

I would have just graduated high school when we attended this show, and I'd be heading off to college in the fall.  If I had to guess, I'd say we purchased this lot of 11 cards from a baseball card dealer who had a store called Diamond Dust.  His cards were always nicely displayed in binders and I remember his table would be positioned in the back right of the lower level of the Music Pier.

After purchasing these cards, Dad and I undoubtedly sat at the counter of Mack & Manco's, enjoying a few slices with birch beer.

The Card
I'm still awful with identifying historic ballparks, but I'm assuming Fowler is mimicking his wind-up with Crosley Field's bleachers in the background.  Fowler's birth year is off a year on the back of his card, as he was actually born in 1922.

1956 Season
In his third season with the Reds, Fowler appeared in 45 games, making 23 starts.  He finished the season with a record of 11-11 and a 4.05 ERA in a rotation consisting of Brooks Lawrence (#305), Johnny Klippstein (#249) and Joe Nuxhall (#218).  In spite of having a line-up boasting three players with over 30 home runs - Frank Robinson with 38, Wally Post (#158) with 36 and Ted Kluszewski (#25) with 35, the Reds finished in 3rd place in 1956, 2 games behind the Dodgers.

1955 Topps #3

1959 Topps #508

1964 Topps #349

1974 Topps #379

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Topps #3
First Topps Card:  1955 Topps #3
Last Topps Card (as a player):  1964 Topps #349
First Topps Card (as a coach):  1973 Topps #323
Last Topps Card (as a coach):  1974 Topps #379
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1974 Topps #379
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1955-1957, 1959, 1962-1964, 1973-1974

32 - Fowler non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/7/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.

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Set Order: #46 Gene Freese - Pittsburgh Pirates / #48 Jim Hegan - Cleveland Indians

Order Collected: #23 Freddie Marsh - Baltimore Orioles / #57 "Duke" Maas - Detroit Tigers