#136 Johnny Logan - Milwaukee Braves

John Logan
Milwaukee Braves
Shortstop

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  175
Born:  March 23, 1926, Endicott, NY
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent before 1947 season
Major League Teams:  Boston Braves 1951-1952; Milwaukee Braves 1953-1961; Pittsburgh Pirates 1961-1963
Died:  August 9, 2013, Milwaukee, WI (age 87)

As the regular shortstop for the strong Braves teams of the 1950s, Johnny Logan made four All-Star teams and was a key member of the 1957 World Champions.  He was a steady hitter and a fantastic fielder, leading all National League shortstops in fielding percentage three years in a row between 1952 and 1954.  Logan led the league in doubles in 1955 with 37 and was an effective bunter, leading the league in sacrifices with 31 in 1956.  Logan's play declined as the decade ended and he was traded to the Pirates in June 1961.  After 2 1/2 years with the Pirates, Logan returned to Japan, where he had served during World War II, this time to play for the Nankai Hawks for their 1964 season.  He retired after 1,503 major league games with a .268 average, 93 home runs and 547 RBIs.

June 1983 - Ocean City Baseball Card Show

Similar to Dizzy Dean and Yogi Berra (#110), the popular Logan was known for his unique sayings.  Introducing Stan Musial at a banquet, Logan said of Musial, "One of the all-time greats in baseball . . . he's immoral."  In 2005, Logan was inducted into the Milwaukee Braves Honor Roll, and in 2013 he was inducted into the Walk of Fame at Miller Park.

Building the Set

Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ - Card #14
This was one of the Original 44, and I recently re-told the story of how my Dad and I started collecting this set with the Ed Mathews (#107) post.  Along with that Mathews card, this would have been among the first cards added to my collection for a player from the Milwaukee Braves - a team at that point in my life that seemed absolutely ancient.

The Card / Braves Team Set
Logan returned to Topps after a one-year absence, as he presumably had an exclusive contract with Bowman in 1955.  In the action shot, it seems as if the Giants runner is out and Logan is about to make the turn to first to attempt the double play.  On the back, Logan's fielding skills are highlighted.  He finished first among shortstops for assists in four different seasons - 1954, 1955, 1957 and 1958 - and his 4,397 career assists at the position are currently 69th all time.  He appeared in 154 games in both 1954 and 1955 and in 1956 he'd only miss three games in August and four games in September.

1956 Season

In 148 games, Logan batted .281 with 15 home runs and 46 RBIs, starting all but 8 games at shortstop for the Braves.  Felix Mantilla started at short when Logan didn't, and the regular second baseman that season was Danny O'Connell (#272).  The Braves finished second in the National League, falling one game short over the final days of the season as the Dodgers won the pennant.  Logan did his part though, providing solid defense and serving as a strong two-hole hitter ahead of both Mathews and Hank Aaron (#31) in the line-up.

1953 Topps #158

1954 Topps #122

1957 Topps #4

1961 Topps #524

1963 Topps #259

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1953 Topps #158
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1953-1954, 1956-1963
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2012 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-JL

71 - Logan non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/9/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

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Set Order: #135 Mickey Mantle - New York Yankees / #137 Al Silvera - Cincinnati Redlegs

Order Collected: #134 St. Louis Cardinals Team Card / #138 Johnny Antonelli - New York Giants

#134 St. Louis Cardinals Team Card

Topps included full team photos in its baseball card set for the first time in 1956, having previously experimented with team cards in a limited edition 1951 stand-alone set.

Building the Set
Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ - Card #13
This was one of the Original 44, and I recently re-told the story of how my Dad and I started collecting this set with the Ed Mathews (#107) post.  One of the first three team cards from the set we added to our collection, and I remember being impressed with how Topps included the names of everyone in the picture on the front of the card.  The back of the card was just as cool, with a diagram of the team's stadium complete with dimensions, a brief history of the club and a listing of the team's all-time season records and pennant wins.  

When I originally came across this card, Topps had stopped including team cards in their sets, having last produced a subset of 26 team cards in its 1981 set.  Team cards made a re-appearance in Topps sets beginning in 2001 and through the 2000s, but Topps had to remove or block those people who hadn't signed a contract with the company - most notably batboys and non-player personnel.  That led to weird walls appearing on some cards to hide any non-consenting subjects.  This problem didn't exist in 1956, which is why we're treated to the inclusion of the Cardinals' batboy and the team trainer.

The Card / Cardinals Team Set
Our version of this card has seen some love, as it's a little more scruffy than most of the cards in our set.  Stan Musial is noticeably absent from the 1956 Topps set, given the future Hall of Famer did not sign a contract with Topps until a few years later, but he's present on this team card and mentioned in the write-up on the back.  The Gas House Gang of the 1930s gets mentioned too with specific call-outs to Dizzy Dean, Rip Collins, Ducky Medwick, Johnny Mize and Frankie Frisch.

Listed below are the subjects featured in the team photo, including a listing of their 1956 Topps card if they had one.  This team photo was taken after June 3rd, the day Pete Whisenant was acquired from the Braves for Del Rice.  Whisenant is in the second row with his new teammates.

Front Row Tom Poholsky (#196) Red Schoendienst (#165) Bob Stephenson Coach Lou Kahn Batboy Jerry Schroer Manager Harry Walker Coach Bill Posedel Coach John Riddle Wally Moon (#55) Alex Grammas (#37) Stan Musial

2nd Row Mel Wright Rip Repulski (#201) Bobby Tiefenauer Floyd Wooldridge Brooks Lawrence (#305, Reds) Frank Smith Larry Jackson (#119) Pete Whisenant Gordon Jones Ken Boyer (#14) Trainer Bob Bauman

Back Row Bill Virdon (#170) Harvey Haddix (#77) Paul LaPalme Nelson Burbrink (#27) Harry Elliott Bill Sarni (#247) Joe Frazier (#141) Solly Hemus Luis Arroyo (#64)

That's Busch Stadium I on the back of the card, the home of the Cardinals between 1920 and 1966, and formerly known as Sportman's Park before changing the name for its new sponsor in 1953.  The Cardinals played in the cookie-cutter Busch Stadium II, or Busch Memorial Stadium, between 1966 and 2005 before moving into their current home, Busch Stadium III.  Flipping to the back, here are the updated categories:

Most Home Runs - 235 in 2000

Most Stolen Bases - 314 in 1985

Most Double Plays - 196 in 2005
Additional Pennant Winning Teams - 1964, 1967, 1968, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019
Additional Championship Teams - 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006

1956 Season
The Cardinals finished in the middle of the pack in the National League in 1956, going 76-78 for a fourth place finish.  Manager Fred Hutchinson was in his first season at the helm, replacing Harry Walker.  Third baseman Ken Boyer and first baseman Stan Musial paced the offense with Musial winning the team's triple crown.  He batted .310 with 27 home runs and 109 RBIs.

Wilmer "Vinegar Bend" Mizell (#193) led the pitching staff with 14 wins, followed by Murry Dickson's (#211) 13 and Herm Wehmeier's (#78) 12.  Dickson and Wehmeier had been acquired from the Phillies on May 11th in a five-player deal.  Larry Jackson was the top reliever, appearing in 51 games and converting 10 saves.

On June 14th, the Cardinals and Giants were involved in a 10-player trade that saw future Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst head to New York.

Cardinals Cards That Never Were
If I were put in charge of a fifth series for the 1956 Topps set, here are the Cardinals cards I'd include:

• Stan Musial (first base) - The biggest omission from the 1956 Topps set is perennial All-Star and three-time N.L. MVP Musial.  He'd first appear in the 1958 Topps set after holding out on signing a contract with the baseball card company.  Topps created a 1956 Topps-style card for The Man in 2011 as part of its 2011 Topps 60 Years of Topps: The Lost Cards insert set.  It's a nice card (shown below) but I prefer the creation of the late, great Bob Lemke, linked here.
• Bobby Del Greco (outfield) - Del Greco appeared in the 1952 and 1953 Topps sets, but spent three seasons in the minor leagues before returning to the majors with the Pirates and Cardinals in 1956.  He was the Cardinals' regular center fielder, starting 87 games there.
• Fred Hutchinson (manager) - This was the first of three seasons Hutchinson managed in St. Louis.
• Lindy McDaniel (relief pitcher) - McDaniel was a September call-up in 1955 and he'd pitch in 21 seasons up through his time with the Royals in 1974 and 1975.  In 1956 he appeared in 39 games with the Cardinals and received his rookie card in the 1957 Topps set.
• Jackie Collum (relief pitcher) - Collum appeared in 38 games for the Cardinals in 1956, securing 7 saves and finishing second on the team in the category behind Jackson.
• Ray Katt (catcher) - Finally, Katt was one of the 10 players who changed teams in the big June 14th trade with the Giants.  He appeared in 47 games for the Cardinals, becoming the team's primary catcher over the final months of the season.

Sources
Baseball Reference

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Set Order: #133 Ray Narleski - Cleveland Indians / #135 Mickey Mantle - New York Yankees

Order Collected: #130 Willie Mays - New York Giants / #136 Johnny Logan - Milwaukee Braves

#135 Mickey Mantle - New York Yankees

Mickey Charles Mantle
New York Yankees
Outfield

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  195
Born:  October 20, 1931, Spavinaw, OK
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1949 season
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1951-1968
Hall of Fame Induction:  1974
Died:  August 13, 1995, Dallas, TX (age 63)

Writing about the extremely well-known Hall of Famers in this set is way more difficult and daunting than writing about the fringe players who enjoyed a cup of coffee in the majors.  What can I write here about Mickey Mantle that isn't already well known and better written?

With that caveat out of the way . . . Mickey Mantle, the popular center fielder for the Yankees during their 1950s and early 1960s dynasty, was a three-time A.L. MVP winner, a 20-time All-Star, a triple crown winner in 1956 and a member of 7 World Champion Yankees teams.  He's regarded as one of the best switch hitters in baseball history and was a first ballot Hall of Famer in 1974.  Mantle led the league in home runs four times and in runs scored five times.  He finished his career with a .298 batting average, 2,415 hits, 536 home runs (currently 18th all-time) and 1,509 RBIs.  His #7 was retired by the Yankees upon his retirement in 1969, he ranked 17th on the 1998 Sporting News list of Baseball's 100 Greatest Players, and he was voted as one of the three outfielders on Major League Baseball's All-Century Team.

Not surprisingly, Mantle was my Dad's favorite non-Phillies baseball player.

1973 Topps purchases

Christmas morning, 1988

1956 Topps list, circa early 1989

Building the Set
December 25, 1988 from Deptford, NJ - Card #70
Relatively early into our journey collecting the 1956 Topps set, my Dad honed in with a laser focus on the biggest and most valuable card of all the 342 cards in the set - this Mantle card.  He realized this card could be a major roadblock in completing our set, and he accepted the challenge of trying to clear that roadblock as soon as possible.  In late 1988 and at this point in our set quest, we had 60-ish cards and the most we had spent on any one card was the $14 paid for Richie Ashburn's (#120) card.  At this time, the 1956 Topps Mantle card had a "book" price of $575.

On September 10, 1988, a few days into my starting high school, we attended a baseball card show at the Deptford Mall, with probably 75 to 100 tables spread out among both floors of the mall.  I was less than half-way through our 1973 Topps set, and I was focused on adding commons and maybe a few stars at the show.  My meticulous Commodore 64-curated records show I was extremely successful in my hunt, adding 134 commons for $46.50 and two star cards - Carl Yastrzemski's card for $8 and my big splurge, Hank Aaron's card for $10 (see above).  While I was adding those cards, and unknown to me at the time, my Dad was deep into negotiations for this Mantle card with a baseball card dealer whose name has been lost in the sands of time.

My Dad had been scouting the Mantle card since the Ocean City baseball card show in June, and he was very likely aware of what the card was selling for from his mail-order dealer of choice, Kit Young Cards.  I've heard him tell the tale of the Mantle Negotiations hundreds of times, and I'm not going to do it justice here.  But at some point during the talks that afternoon in Deptford, my Dad had settled on buying one of two Mantle cards this dealer had for sale.  The two cards were both in decent shape, with one slightly better than the other.  The better of the two cards, the card now shown at the top of this post, was eventually negotiated down to an agreed upon price of $300.  The way my Dad finishes the story, in his best Columbo-esque manner, as he was getting ready to pay the dealer he said, "Or how about $400 for the both of them?"  The dealer accepted and he went home with two 1956 Topps Mantle cards to be hidden away until I opened them on Christmas morning.  Shown below is that second card, currently residing in the family vault.  (It's a small vault.)

To provide some context here, my parents were not rich.  Both life-long educators, they saved their money meticulously and would spend whatever was left over on home improvements, presents for my sister and me or an annual vacation for the family somewhere on the East Coast.  I knew how much this Mantle card "booked" for and when I suddenly had two of them in my possession courtesy of a very generous Santa, the gesture and the generosity was not lost on me, nor has it ever been.

For years after adding this card to our set, we'd travel to baseball card shows together, hunting for dealers with more 1956 Topps cards for sale.  Once we found a dealer, we'd start browsing his or her wares and inevitably the dealer would ask, "Collecting the set?" followed by "That set's a beauty."  To which my Dad always and without fail casually replied, "We've already got the Mantle."  He'd wait a beat, anticipating an impressed look from the dealer and then he'd go back to browsing the stacks or the pages or the display of cards under glass.  I probably heard him say, "We've already got the Mantle," dozens of times.  I smile now remembering how proud he was to be able to give me such an incredible gift, and something I'll always cherish.

Once we added this card, it became a foregone conclusion we'd one day complete the set.  And why not?  We've already got the Mantle.

I'm scheduling this post on what would have been my Dad's 77th birthday and it's still hard for me to believe he's been gone almost 10 years.  Happy birthday Dad.

The Card / Yankees Team Set
And what can be said about the card that hasn't already been said elsewhere in more eloquent terms?  This is one of the most iconic baseball cards of the 20th Century, depicting one of the most popular baseball players ever during the prime of his career and from arguably his best season.

This card has been reprinted numerous times over the years, first appearing on a 1975 Topps MVP subset card.  More notable, the card was reproduced in 1996 when Topps reprinted its entire run of Mantle cards as an insert set for that year's flagship offering.

1956 Season

This was Mantle's triple crown season and he was the unanimous choice for A.L. MVP receiving all 24 first place votes.  At 24 years old, Mantle led the Yankees (and the league) in just about every offensive category, batting .353 with 52 home runs and 130 RBIs over 150 games.  Mantle started all but 10 games in center field for the Yankees, with Bob Cerv (#288) (9 starts) and Joe Collins (#21) (1 game) getting to start on those rare off days.  In the World Series, highlighted by Don Larsen's (#332) perfect game, Mantle hit three home runs as the Yankees downed the Dodgers in seven games.

1951 Bowman #253

1952 Topps #311

1959 Topps #10

1962 Topps #200

1969 Topps #500

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1951 Bowman #253
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (25):  1952-1953, 1956-1969, 1975, 1996, 2006-2012
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2020 Panini Diamond Kings #33

5,682 - Mantle non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/13/21.

I have to believe Mantle has appeared on more baseball cards than any one else, ever.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database

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Set Order: #134 St. Louis Cardinals Team Card / #136 Johnny Logan - Milwaukee Braves

Order Collected: #117 Virgil Trucks - Detroit Tigers / #28 Bobby Hoffman - New York Giants

#133 Ray Narleski - Cleveland Indians

Raymond Edmond Narleski
Cleveland Indians
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  175
Born:  November 25, 1928, Camden, NJ
Signed:  Signed by the Cleveland Indians as a free agent before 1948 season
Major League Teams:  Cleveland Indians 1954-1958; Detroit Tigers 1959
Died:  March 29, 2012, Clementon, NJ (age 83)

South Jersey's own Ray Narleski was one of the game's top relievers in 1955, appearing in a league-leading 60 games and securing a league-leading 19 saves.  His record that season was 9-1 with a 3.71 ERA over 111 2/3 inning pitched, earning him 6th place in the A.L. MVP voting.  Narleski would be named to two All-Star teams in 1956 and 1958.  He gradually worked his way into the Indians' starting pitching rotation, winning 11 games in 1957 and 13 games in 1958.  In November 1958, Narleski was traded with Ossie Alvarez and Don Mossi (#39) to the Tigers for Al Cicotte and Billy Martin (#181).  He and Tom Morgan were the two top relievers for the Tigers in 1959, with Narleski appearing in 42 games and converting 5 saves.

Narleski missed the entire 1960 season following back surgery that left him hospitalized for six weeks.  Attempting to make a comeback in 1961, Narleski refused an assignment to the minor leagues and was released by the Tigers.  In six short seasons in the majors, he compiled a record of 43-33 with a 3.60 ERA and 58 saves.

Interestingly enough, and since we're also from South Jersey, my family knows Narleski's family.  His daughter-in-law became a family friend when our sons attended her music classes as toddlers.  It was her classes that had a huge impact on both our sons, but especially our youngest son Ben as he's since become an excellent piano player.

Building the Set
October 2, 1993 in Winston-Salem, NC - Card #120
This is one of two cards purchased right before my 20th birthday in 1993 from Tommy's Collectibles in Winston-Salem, not far from the Wake Forest campus.  We paid $6 for this Narleski card and $9 for the Bill Renna (#82) card.  As a college freshman in the spring and a sophomore in the fall, we only added 13 cards total to our 1956 Topps set in 1993.  This is the first of seven cards we purchased for our set from Tommy's Collectibles between October 1993 and December 1996.

I have mostly wonderful memories of my early college years, as I was in that sweet spot between leaving behind high school and figuring out what I would do next.  Majors hadn't yet been declared and while there was plenty of studying, I also recall having my share of fun too.  My family visited for my birthday in early October 1993, and I suspect this card was purchased while they were visiting.  One of my favorite pictures from this time is one of my Grandmother, my Mom and me standing on the Wake Forest Quad during their visit.

The Card / Indians Team Set
The large photo is the same used for Narleski's 1955 Topps rookie card.  The back of the card pays tribute to Narleski's league leading appearances in 1955, and the middle panel contains a clever (for the time) allusion to the Wild West and the cowboys and indians trope popular throughout the 1950s.  The final cartoon panel refers to the one start Narleski made in 1955, during the second game of a double header against the Red Sox on June 17th.  He went all nine innings, allowing an unearned run on four hits.

Narleski would have cracked the Indians' starting pitching rotation earlier than he did, but at the time they possessed perhaps the best rotation in baseball with Early Wynn (#187), Herb Score (#140), Bob Lemon (#255) and Mike Garcia (#210).

1956 Season

Narleski was nearly unhittable at the start of the 1956 season, and he went 24 2/3 innings without allowing a run between May 25th and June 20th.  On July 2nd, he suffered an elbow injury that cost him two months of the season.  Selected to the All-Star Game, Narleski was unable to participate because of the injury.  He finished the season with a record of 3-2 and a 1.52 ERA over 32 relief appearances.  Due to the time he missed, closing duties fell to Don Mossi (#39), who recorded a team-leading 11 saves.

1955 Bowman #96

1957 Topps #144

1958 Topps #439

1959 Topps #442

1960 Topps #161

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Bowman #96
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1955-1960
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #161

24 - Narleski non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/8/21.

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

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Set Order: #132 Bobby Avila - Cleveland Indians / #134 St. Louis Cardinals Team Card

Order Collected: #82 Bill Renna - Kansas City Athletics / #261 Bobby Shantz - Kansas City Athletics

#132 Bobby Avila - Cleveland Indians

Roberto Francisco Avila
Cleveland Indians
Second Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  175
Born:  April 2, 1924, Veracruz, Mexico
Signed:  "Jumped" from Puebla (Mexican) to the Cleveland Indians before 1948 season
Major League Teams:  Cleveland Indians 1949-1958; Baltimore Orioles 1959; Boston Red Sox 1959; Milwaukee Braves 1959
Died:  October 26, 2004, Veracruz, Mexico (age 80)

Bobby Avila was a three-time All-Star who enjoyed his best season in 1954 when helped lead the Indians to an American League pennant while winning the league's batting title.  His .341 average that season earned him honors as The Sporting News American League Player of the Year.  He finished third in A.L. MVP voting behind Yogi Berra (#110) and teammate Larry Doby (#250).  A fine defensive second baseman, Avila was the regular at that position for the Indians between 1951 and 1957.  He finished first in fielding percentage at second base in 1953, first in assists in 1953 and 1954 and was in the top ten for putouts at second seven times.  After brief stints with three teams in 1959, Avila returned to Mexico for one final season as a professional player.  He hit .333 for the Mexico City Tigers and set a record with 124 walks.  In 1,300 Major League games, Avila batted .281 with 1,296 hits.

Following his playing career, Avila owned the Veracruz Eagles in the Mexican League and eventually became the league's president.  Avila was inducted into the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.  He also entered politics, serving two terms in the Mexican national legislature after earlier being elected mayor of his hometown, Veracruz.  He was the first Mexican-born player to find success in American baseball, becoming a national hero and serving as an inspiration for future Mexican-born players, including Fernando Valenzuela.  

Building the Set
August 29, 1996 in Winston-Salem, NC - Card #145
I attended college at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  On humid days, or after a heavy rain, the air was heavy with the faint smell of tobacco.  I absolutely loved my time as a Demon Deacon and I realize how lucky I was to be able to attend such a phenomenal college.

There was a baseball card store called Season Ticket on Silas Creek Parkway I discovered half-way through my senior year, and I'd frequent the store whenever I had a little extra spending money - which honestly wasn't very often.  Given the timing of this purchase, I don't remember if my Dad was with me or not.  Save for a visit north for the 1996 All-Star Game, I spent the summer of 1996 living in Winston-Salem and this might have been a pre-start of the semester purchase that I made on my own.  I paid $10 for a lot of four cards needed for our 1956 Topps set, which included this Avila card.  $10 would have bought a lot of Taco Ball back then (and it still would now) but adding four more cards to our set was worth the sacrifice.  Joining the Avila card were the cards of Carlos Paula (#4), Jim Owens (#114) and Joe DeMaestri (#161).  The checklist shown here would have been the one I had with me for this purchase.

I haven't been back to North Carolina in almost 20 years and whenever I get around to taking my wife and my sons on a road trip to visit my old campus, I'd love to see if Season Ticket is still there.

The Card / Indians Team Set
I have to imagine somebody somewhere has already gone through this exercise, but I decided to try to figure out when the action photo of Avila crossing home plate was taken.  No one with the Indians wore #6 in 1955, so my starting point was 1954 when Bill Glynn wore #6, Doby wore #14 and Al Smith (#105) wore #32.  Within a minute or so, and with the help of Baseball Reference, I found this photo was most likely taken on August 14, 1954 at Cleveland Stadium against the Orioles.  With the Orioles up 3-0, Avila hit a three-run home in the bottom of the 8th off Orioles pitcher Don Larsen (#332), scoring Glynn and Smith.  Doby was the on-deck batter.

The birthday on the back is completely different than what Baseball Reference lists.  The cartoons on the back highlight Avila's 1954 battle title victory along with his strong fielding skills.  His one minor league season referenced came in 1948 with the Baltimore Orioles, then the top farm team for the Indians.

This is Avila's first appearance in a Topps set since 1952, and he must have been under an exclusive contract with Bowman during those missing years.

1956 Season

This was a tough season for Avila, and it marked the beginning of the second baseman's steady decline over the next three seasons.  Appearing in 138 games, Avila hit just .224 for an Indians team that finished in second place largely due to strong starting pitching from Early Wynn (#187), Herb Score (#140) and Bob Lemon (#255).

1951 Bowman #188

1952 Topps #257

1954 Bowman #68

1957 Topps #195

1960 Topps #90

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1951 Bowman #188
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1952, 1956-1960
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1983 Topps 1952 Reprint Series #257

57 - Avila non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/14/20.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

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Set Order: #131 Bob Roselli - Milwaukee Braves / #133 Ray Narleski - Cleveland Indians

Order Collected: #114 Jim Owens - Philadelphia Phillies / #161 Joe DeMaestri - Kansas City Athletics

#131 Bob Roselli - Milwaukee Braves

Robert Edward Roselli
Milwaukee Braves
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  185
Born:  December 10, 1931, San Francisco, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent before 1950 season
Major League Teams:  Milwaukee Braves 1955-1956, 1958; Chicago White Sox 1961-1962
Died:  November 6, 2009, Roseville, CA (age 77)

Bob Roselli enjoyed a few cups of coffee in the Majors with the Braves in 1955 (6 games), 1956 (4 games) and 1958 (1 game) as the back-up to regular catcher Del Crandall (#175), before seeing more action with the White Sox in the early 1960s.  Roselli started his professional career in the Braves' minor league system before missing all of 1954 and most of 1955 while serving in Korea.  In his 11 games with the Braves, he hit .250 with one home run.

Selected by the White Sox in the 1960 annual rule 5 draft, Roselli settled in for two seasons as the back-up to Sherm Lollar (#243).  He appeared in 22 games in 1961 and a career-high 35 games in 1962, batting .216 with 9 RBIs.  He retired after the 1963 season in which he played for the Angels' Triple-A team, the Hawaii Islanders.  Roselli served as a scout for the Orioles and Reds following his playing days.

Building the Set
December 2, 2000 from Raleigh, NC - Card #210
I went nuts and bought 16 common 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 / Braves Team Set
It's a great-looking card, but I'm surprised Roselli earned a card in the set, as he had only appeared in 6 games with the Braves going 2 for 9 (.222) at the time this card was issued.  No offense to Roselli here, but if Topps was looking to produce a card for a Braves' back-up catcher, Del Rice would have been the more deserving candidate.  Rice appeared in 27 games in 1955 to Roselli's 6.  The back of the card pays tribute to Roselli's military service and includes the incorrect prediction that his "long ball hitting should help the Braves this year."  He hit one home run in 1956, on July 21st against the Phillies' Harvey Haddix (#77), and it was to be his last hit in the Majors until 1961.

1956 Season

Roselli's four appearances (1 in April, 1 in June, 2 in July) all came as late-inning replacements as he didn't play earlier than the 7th inning.  With the Braves, he hit .500 (1 for 2) with his one hit being the home run off Haddix.  With the Wichita Braves, Roselli appeared in 24 games and batted .203 with a pair of RBIs.

1961 Topps #529

1962 Topps #363

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #131
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3):  1956, 1961-1962
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1962 Topps #363

9 - Roselli non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/1/20.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

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Set Order: #130 Willie Mays - New York Giants / #132 Bobby Avila - Cleveland Indians

Order Collected: #108 Laurin Pepper - Pittsburgh Pirates / #137 Al Silvera - Cincinnati Redlegs