#18 Dick Donovan - Chicago White Sox

Richard Edward Donovan
Chicago White Sox
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  190
Born:  December 7, 1927, Boston, MA
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent in 1947
Major League Teams:  Boston Braves 1950-1952; Detroit Tigers 1954; Chicago White Sox 1955-1960; Washington Senators 1961; Cleveland Indians 1962-1965
Died:  January 6, 1997, Weymouth, MA (age 69)

Dick Donovan appeared in parts of four seasons with the Braves and Tigers in the early 1950s before establishing himself as one of the American League's best pitchers in 1955.  That season saw him win 15 games and make his first All-Star team.  One of his best seasons was 1957 when he went 16-6 with a league leading 16 complete games. He made two more All-Star teams in his career - in 1961 when he led the league with a 2.40 ERA and in 1962 when he won 20 games.  His stellar 1962 season gave him a placing of fifth in that year's league MVP voting.

Building the Set
December 3, 2005 in Ft. Washington, PA - Card #270
This was one of eight cards I purchased at the 93rd Philadelphia Sports Card Show, held in the Ft. Washington Expo Center.  I imagine most of my budget for this show went towards completing the 2005 Topps Heritage set, which used the 1956 Topps design.  My wife Jenna and I attended this show together and we would have been married less than six months at this point.

The Card
The back of this card contains an uncorrected error, indicating that Donovan threw left-handed. Donovan was in fact a righty, as evidenced by his photo on the front of the card.  Also, Donovan changed his number with the White Sox from 31 to 22 in 1955, meaning that that the action photo on the front of the card was taken during the 1955 season.

The final panel on the back mentions Donovan's hitting prowess.  In 1955, he finished the season with a .224 average (17 for 76) with a home run and five RBIs.  He'd finish his career with a .163 average and 15 career home runs.

1956 Season
Donovan was the White Sox number two starter in 1956 behind staff ace Billy Pierce (#160).  In 34 games, he compiled a record of 12-10 with a 3.64 ERA.  His WHIP of 1.155 led the entire American League.

1955 Topps #146

1963 Topps #370

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Topps #146
First Topps Card:  1955 Topps #146
Last Topps Card:  1963 Topps #370
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #370
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1955-1963

This most recent mainstream card is definitely subjective here.  Donovan has appeared on a number of extremely short-printed cut autograph cards over the past 15-plus years.  He appeared in a few TCMA collector sets following his playing days - 1979 TCMA 50's and 1981 White Sox 1959 TCMA.  Finally, as his career winded down with the Indians, Donovan was featured in the 1964 and 1965 Jay Publishing Indians sets and the 1964 Kahn's sets.  I'd consider all those sets to be more oddball than mainstream.

66 - Donovan non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/21/16

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.

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #17 Gene Conley - Milwaukee Braves / #19 Chuck Diering - Baltimore Orioles

Order Collected: #300 Vic Wertz - Cleveland Indians / #24 Dick Groat - Pittsburgh Pirates

#17 Gene Conley - Milwaukee Braves

Donald Eugene Conley
Milwaukee Braves
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'8"  Weight:  225
Born:  November 10, 1930, Muskogee, OK
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent in 1950
Major League Teams:  Boston Braves 1952; Milwaukee Braves 1954-1958; Philadelphia Phillies 1959-1960; Boston Red Sox 1961-1963

Gene Conley, all 6 feet and 8 inches of him, won a World Series ring with the Braves in 1957 and helped the Boston Celtics win three NBA titles in 1959, 1960 and 1961.  His SABR biography notes that he played 12 seasons in the NBA and MLB over six years without a day off in between seasons. A two time Minor League Player of the Year (in 1951 and 1953), Conley was also named to three All-Star teams.

In 11 seasons with the Braves, Phillies and Red Sox, Conley went 91-96 with a 3.82 ERA.  He also played six seasons in the NBA with the Celtics and New York Knicks.

Building the Set
June 20, 1992 in Ocean City, NJ - Card #101
This is one of 11 cards my Dad 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 101st card we added to the set.

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
As is the case with most of these first series cards, this is the third time collectors would have seen Conley's head shot photo.  The same photo is used on his 1954 and 1955 Topps cards. All three panels on the back of Conley's card paint him as a larger than life athlete.

1956 Season
Shoulder problems hampered Conley throughout the 1956 season, although he still appeared in 31 games with the Braves.  Appearing primarily as a relief pitcher as the season wore on, Conley went 8-9 with a 3.13 ERA for the second place Braves.

Phillies Career
Right before the start of the 1959 season, on March 31st, the Phillies traded Ted Kazanski, Stan Lopata (#183) and Johnny O'Brien (#65) to the Braves for Conley, Harry Hanebrink and Joe Koppe. The new Phillies general manager was John Quinn.  Quinn had spent the previous 13 years as GM for the Braves so he was familiar with the players he was acquiring.  Conley reported late to spring training following the trade as his Celtics were busy wrapping up their second NBA title.

Conley enjoyed one of his finest baseball seasons in 1959, making the N.L. All-Star team and finishing the season with a 12-7 record and a 3.00 ERA.  He pitched two perfect innings in the All-Star Game, striking out both Ted Williams (#5) and Yogi Berra (#110).  At the end of the season, he was named the N.L. Comeback Player of the Year.

Conley's second and final season with the Phillies saw him post a record of 8-14.  When he refused to end his basketball career to focus solely on baseball, the Phillies sent Conley to the Red Sox on December 15, 1960 for Frank Sullivan (#71).  Conley appeared on two Topps cards and within three oddball issues to mark his time in Philadelphia.  He's in the 1959 and 1960 Topps sets, as well as the 1960 Armour Coins and 1961 Post sets as a member of the Phillies.  He also has a postcard within the multi-year set released by the club throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

1953 Topps #215

1959 Topps #492

1964 Topps #571

2013 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-GC

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1953 Topps #215
First Topps Card:  1953 Topps #215
Representative Phillies Card:  1959 Topps #492
Last Topps Card:  1964 Topps #571
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2013 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-GC
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12):  1953-1964

50 - Conley non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/1/16

Conley's final Topps card features him as a member of the Cleveland Indians.  He had signed with the Indians on April 22, 1964, following his release by the Red Sox.  He pitched two minor league games with the Indians before deciding his long lingering shoulder injury couldn't take any more strain.  He retired from baseball at the age of 33.

Granted, I know absolutely nothing about basketball cards, but I find it strange that Conley didn't appear on any basketball cards during his six-year NBA career.

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: #16 Hector Lopez - Kansas City Athletics / #18 Dick Donovan - Chicago White Sox

Order Collected: #9 Ruben Gomez - New York Giants / #23 Freddie Marsh - Baltimore Orioles

#16 Hector Lopez - Kansas City Athletics

Hector Headley Lopez
Kansas City Athletics
Third Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  182
Born:  July 8, 1929, Colon, Panama
Signed:  Purchased by the Philadelphia Athletics with Joe Taylor from Drummondville (Provincial) for $1,500 prior to the 1952 season
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Athletics 1955-1959; New York Yankees 1959-1966

Hector Lopez, also known as "The Panama Clipper," played 12 seasons with the Athletics and Yankees, serving as the primary left fielder for a Yankees team that would go to the World Series every year between 1960 and 1964.  He patrolled the Yankees outfield alongside Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle (#135) in the early 1960s.

In the 1961 World Series, Lopez hit .333 with five of his seven RBIs coming in Game 5 in which he hit a home run and a triple.  He won World Series rings with the Yankees in 1961 and 1962.  A career .269 batter, Lopez was a true utility player, playing all three outfield positions along with shortstop, second base and third base.  By all accounts he had a tough time with his defensive skills.

Lopez became the first black manager at the AAA level when he managed the Buffalo Bisons in 1969.  He was also the manager for Panama in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Building the Set
July 19, 1997 in Ocean City, NJ - Card #151
This is the third of 11 cards my Dad and I purchased at the Ocean City baseball card show in 1997, with the first two cards being Warren Giles (#2) and Ray Boone (#6).  We spent $39 on those 11 cards that day and my records indicate that this was one of the cheaper cards purchased at $2.

The Card
I enjoy researching and writing posts on guys like Hector Lopez more than I enjoy researching and writing the posts for the well-known players.  Before this post, I knew absolutely nothing about Lopez and his baseball career.

The back of his card gives him two more inches in height than his official Baseball Reference page. Also of note is that Lopez was thought to be three years younger than his actual age during his playing days.  Baseball Reference and other official sources list his year of birth as 1929 but Topps (and everyone else in the 1950s and 1960s) was under the impression that Lopez was born in 1932.

1956 Season
Lopez served as the primary third baseman for the Athletics in 1956, his second full season in the Majors.  He hit .273 with 18 home runs and 69 RBIs, trailing only Harry Simpson (#239) for the team lead in both categories.  He was second in the American League with errors committed with 30.

1959 Topps #402

1966 Topps #177

2008 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-HL

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #16
First Topps Card:  1956 Topps #16
Last Topps Card:  1966 Topps #177
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2008 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-HL
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1956-1966

61 - Lopez non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/28/16

Lopez's first non-mainstream baseball card can be found in the oddball 1955 A's Rodeo Meats set. It's also interesting to note that Lopez's actual 1959 Topps cards features him with the Athletics, but his card found within the 2008 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs insert set features him with the Yankees.  He was traded on May 26, 1959 from the Athletics to the Yankees and Topps took the time to create a Yankees card for him for inclusion in its 2008 autograph set.

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.

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #15 Ernie Bank - Chicago Cubs / #17 Gene Conley - Milwaukee Braves

Order Collected: #6 Ray Boone - Detroit Tigers / #54 Bob Keegan - Chicago White Sox

#15 Ernie Banks - Chicago Cubs

Ernest Banks
Chicago Cubs
Shortstop

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  180
Born:  January 31, 1931, Dallas, TX
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago Cubs a free agent in 1953
Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1953-1971
Died:  January 23, 2015, Chicago, IL (age 83)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1977

Known by most simply as "Mr. Cub," Ernie Banks enjoyed a 19-year playing career and encapsulated everything that a baseball player should aspire to be.  His genuine appreciation and affection for the game was unrivaled.  Banks was the runner-up to Wally Moon (#55) in 1954 for the National League Rookie of the Year Award and he won the league's MVP honors in 1958 and 1959.  An 11-time All-Star, Banks hit 512 career home runs and tallied 1,636 career RBIs.  He excelled defensively at both shortstop (1953-1961) and first base (1962-1971).  When he hit his 500th career home run on May 12, 1970, he became just the ninth member to join that exclusive club.

During his Hall of Fame induction speech in 1977, he repeated his famous quote, "There's sunshine, fresh air, and the team's behind us.  Let's play two."

Building the Set

Dad - Christmas 1997

December 25, 1997 from San Diego, CA - Card #160
This was my big Christmas present from my parents in 1997.  Like the Ted Williams (#5) card I received for Christmas 1993, my parents had a (fortunate for me) habit of splurging on a "big" baseball card to leave under the Christmas tree for me.  My Dad was always proud of his haggling abilities and soon after opening this card, he was quick to tell me that he had paid $64 for the card after negotiating down the price with an employee of Kit Young Cards.  (I probably joked with him afterwards that the starting price had been $67.)

Our copy of this card is gorgeous with four sharp corners, a well-centered front and not a scratch or blemish to be found.

The Card
I was going to research to try to figure out when the action shot took place, but someone has already done the research for me.  In a post over at the Vintage Baseball Card Blog, William Szczepanek determined that the two players congratulating Banks are #37 Gene Baker (#142 in the set) and #4 Ted Tappe.

Banks hit two grand slams in 1955 scoring both Baker and Tappe.  The first was on May 11th off Russ Meyer (#227) of the Dodgers (also scoring Randy Jackson - #223) and the second was on May 29th off Lew Burdette (#219) of the Braves (also scoring Bob Speake - #66).  Unless someone has access to the Topps archives, we'll probably never know if this photo is Banks' grand slam from May 11th or May 29th.

For the record, these grand slams were the 27th and the 31st of Banks' career and his five grand slams in 1955 set a record at the time.  The record has since been tied and then broken by Jim Gentile (5 in 1961), Don Mattingly (6 in 1987), Richie Sexson (5 in 2006), Travis Hafner (6 in 2006) and Albert Pujols (5 in 2009).  With 277 career home runs as a shortstop, Banks still holds the National League record at that position, but Cal Ripken, Jr. is now the overall leader at shortstop with his 345 home runs.

The second panel mentions that Banks had no professional experience upon joining the Cubs in 1953. However, Banks had been a member of the Kanas City Monarchs in 1950 and 1953 (before and after a two-year stint in the Army) and barnstormed with the Jackie Robinson All-Stars in 1951.  Along with Robinson (#30), the young Banks had the opportunity to play alongside of Roy Campanella (#101), Don Newcombe (#235) and Larry Doby (#250).

1956 Season
Banks was just hitting his stride in 1956.  At 25 years old, Banks made his second All-Star game. He'd finish the season with 28 home runs and 85 RBIs, although he'd miss 18 games with a hand infection breaking his consecutive game streak of 424 games.  His beloved Cubs were awful in 1956, finishing in last place in the league with a record of 60-94.

1954 Topps #94

1971 Topps #525

1973 Topps #81

2015 Topps Stadium Club #13

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1954 Topps #94
First Topps Card:  1954 Topps #94
Last Topps Card (as a player):  1971 Topps #525
First & Last Topps Card (as a coach):  1973 Topps #81
Most Recent Topps Card (post-career):  2011 Topps #247B SP
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2015 Topps Stadium Club #13
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (20):  1954-1971, 1973, 1975

Banks also appeared in the 1975 Topps set with two cards in the MVP subset to celebrate his 1958 and 1959 awards.

1,563 - Banks non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/25/16

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
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: #14 Ken Boyer - St. Louis Cardinals / #16 Hector Lopez - Kansas City Athletics

Order Collected: #335 Don Hoak - Chicago Cubs / #36 Rudy Minarcin - Cincinnati Redlegs

#14 Ken Boyer - St. Louis Cardinals

Kenton Lloyd Boyer
St. Louis Cardinals
Third Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  190
Born:  May 20, 1931, Liberty, MO
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1949
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1955-1965; New York Mets 1966-1967; Chicago White Sox 1967-1968; Los Angeles Dodgers 1968-1969
As a Manager:  St. Louis Cardinals 1978-1980
Died:  September 7, 1982, St. Louis, MO (age 51)

Ken Boyer was the greatest third baseman in the National League in the late 1950s into the early 1960s, winning five Gold Gloves, playing in seven All-Star games and winning the league's MVP award in 1964.  He enjoyed a 15-year career, with the first 11 of those years coming with the Cardinals.  He's been acknowledged by teammates Tim McCarver and Stan Musial as the true leader of the Cardinals teams of that era and many view him as the greatest third baseman in Cardinals history.  Boyer finished his career with 282 home runs, 1,141 RBIs and a career average of .287.

After his playing career, Boyer managed the Cardinals for three seasons beginning in 1978.  He compiled a record of 166-190 before being replaced in June 1980 by Whitey Herzog.  Boyer's #14 was retired by the Cardinals in 1984, and he's the only player whose number has been retired by the team who is not in the Hall of Fame.

Building the Set
March 1, 2003 in Ft. Washington, PA - Card #242
I paid $8 for this card at the 82nd Philadelphia Sports Card Show held at the Ft. Washington Expo Center.  As is the case with most of the card shows from this time, my Dad didn't attend with me but I would have definitely told him about the purchase after the show.

If I'm not mistaken, this is the first baseball card show I attended with my future wife, Jenna.  This is right around the time we started collecting the Topps Heritage sets together and most of my budget for this show probably went towards polishing off the latest Heritage set.  My records show that this Boyer card was one of only 9 cards from the 1956 Topps set that I purchased in 2003.

The Card
It looks as if the ball is about to get by Boyer in his action photo on this card, which is an unfortunate photo choice given his excellent defensive skills.  The third panel on the back of his card makes mention of his glove work.  The head shot used is the same as on Boyer's 1955 Topps rookie card.

The card back also mentions that Ken has four brothers playing professional baseball.  In addition to Cloyd and Clete (more on them below), brother Wayne played in the Cardinals system from 1946-1948, brother Lynn played in the Cardinals system from 1954-1955, brother Len played in the Cardinals system from 1964-1970 and brother Ron played in the White Sox and Yankees systems between 1962 and 1969.  The write-up on the back of this card is referring to Wayne, Lynn, Cloyd and Clete.

1956 Season
This was Boyer's second full season in the Majors, and he was selected to his first All-Star game.  He hit .306 with 26 home runs and 98 RBIs appearing in 150 of the Cardinals 154 games.

Boyer had two brothers who also played in the Majors, and I wanted to point out that neither of them appear in the 1956 Topps set although a case could be made for both.  Older brother Cloyd Boyer, a pitcher with the Cardinals and Athletics, wrapped up his five-year career with 30 appearances for the 1955 Athletics.  Younger brother Clete Boyer, the Yankees primary third baseman throughout the 1960s, also played for the Athletics in 1955 and 1956.  Despite Cloyd's and Clete's time in the Majors around this time, only Ken appeared in the 1956 Topps set.

1955 Topps #125

1969 Topps #379

1975 Topps #202

1980 Topps #244

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Topps #125
First Topps Card:  1955 Topps #125
Last Topps Card (as a player):  1969 Topps #379
Most Recent Topps Card (post-career):  1975 Topps #202
First Topps Card (as a manager):  1979 Topps #192
Last Topps Card (as a manager):  1980 Topps #244
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2015 Panini Diamond Kings #84
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (18):  1955-1969, 1975, 1979-1980

217 - Boyer non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/18/15

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.

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #13 Roy Face - Pittsburgh Pirates / #15 Ernie Banks - Chicago Cubs

Order Collected: #287 Bobby Adams - Baltimore Orioles / #52 Bob Grim - New York Yankees

#13 Roy Face - Pittsburgh Pirates

Elroy Leon Face
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'8"  Weight:  155
Born:  February 20, 1928, Stephentown, NY
Signed:  Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent in 1949
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1953, 1955-1968; Detroit Tigers 1968; Montreal Expos 1969

Roy Face was one of the best relief pitchers of his era, compiling an unprecedented record of 18-1 for the 1959 Pirates.  Only Max Scherzer has matched that mark since, going 18-1 for the 2013 Tigers. He ended his 16-year career with 191 career saves and 802 games with the Pirates.  At the time, only Walter Johnson had pitched in that many games with one team, as Johnson had appeared in 802 games for the Washington Senators.

Face was a three-time All-Star with the Pirates, making the N.L. squad in 1959, 1960 and 1961.  With the help of his forkball, he helped seal the 1960 World Championship with three saves in the Pirates seven game win over the Yankees.  Face led the league in saves three times, including an impressive 28 save season in 1962.  He was baseball's all-time saves leader during the 1962 and 1963 seasons before being passed by Hoyt Wilhelm (#307) in 1964.

Building the Set
Febrruay 18, 2001 in Cherry Hill, NJ - Card #228
This was the lone 1956 Topps card purchased at what I have in my notes as the "Cherry Hill Mall Mega Sports Card Show".  My memories during 2001 are hazy at best, but I do distinctly remember that this baseball card show was nowhere near "Mega" that day.  I paid $10 for this card.

Similar to most baseball card shows around this time, I doubt my Dad attended with me but I definitely would have told him about the card purchase so that he could update his lists.

The Card
Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places, but I couldn't find an explanation as to why Face is wearing a helmet in this card, along with his 1958 Topps card and several other Pirates team issued cards.  It's odd to see a pitcher, and a premier reliever at that, photographed in a batting helmet.

The card's back alludes to Face's absence in the 1954 season.  After appearing in 41 games in 1953 as a Rule 5 draft pick, he spent the entire 1954 season pitching for the New Orleans Pelicans - the Pirates Double-A club at the time.

1956 Season
This was the season that new Pirates manager Bobby Bragan permanently moved Face to the bullpen.  Face appeared in 68 games, with all but three of those games coming in relief.  He led the league in appearances, entering into four more games than the Giants' Wilhelm.  Face saved just four games, but went 12-13 with a 3.52 ERA.

Phillies Connection
Face was originally drafted by the Phillies and he spent the first two seasons of his professional career (in 1949 and 1950) pitching for the Class D Bradford Blue Wings in the Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York (PONY) League.  Face pitched extremely well for the Blue Wings (32-7 with a 2.88 ERA), but the Phillies made the unfortunate decision to leave him unprotected in the annual winter draft.  Branch Rickey drafted the young right-hander and added him to the Dodgers stable of young pitchers.

In 1954, Rickey, who had moved on to the Pirates, drafted Face again beginning what would become a 15 year relationship between the reliever and Pittsburgh.

I'm not a huge fan of the modern day Bowman releases, but it's cool to think that if prospect sets had been around in the late 1940s/early 1950s, we'd have a card of Roy Face in the 1950 Bowman Draft set, photoshopped into a Phillies uniform.

1953 Topps #246

1969 Topps #207

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1953 Topps #246
First Topps Card:  1953 Topps #246
Last Topps Card:  1969 Topps #207
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2007 Sweet Spot Classic #179
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (16):  1953-1954, 1956-1969

121 - Face non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/14/16

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.

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #12 Andy Carey - New York Yankees / #14 Ken Boyer - St. Louis Cardinals

Order Collected: #336 Ellis Kinder - St. Louis Cardinals / #118 "Nellie" Fox - Chicago White Sox

#12 Andy Carey - New York Yankees

Andrew Arthur Carey
New York Yankees
Third Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  190
Born:  October 18, 1931, Oakland, CA
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1950
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1952-1960; Kansas City Athletics 1960-1961; Chicago White Sox 1961, Los Angeles Dodgers 1962
Died:  December 15, 2011, Newport Beach, CA (age 80)

Wearing #6, Andy Carey was the Yankees primary starting third baseman for five seasons between 1954 and 1958, a period that saw the Bronx Bombers win two more World Championships in 1956 and 1958.  Known more for his glove than his bat, Carey was instrumental in helping to preserve Don Larsen's (#332) perfect game in game five of the 1956 World Series.  Carey led the American League in triples in 1955 with 11.

The Yankees traded him in June 1961 (with Larsen) to the Athletics, and he'd play the final year and a half of his career with the A's, White Sox and Dodgers before retiring.

Dad - Christmas 2004

Building the Set
December 25, 2004 from San Diego, CA - Card #253
This is the first Yankee player to show up in the set, and I still remember the warning we'd receive from baseball card dealers in the late 1980s when my Dad and I informed them we were trying to build a complete 1956 Topps set.  Without fail, at every baseball card show, a dealer would warn us, "Good luck finding the Yankees."

A lot of collectors who grew up rooting for the Yankees were focused on building complete team sets from the 1950s Topps sets. For this reason, it was definitely difficult to track down single Yankees cards of their stars and commons as we were putting together our set.  Dealers who had commons for sale for $4 to $7 would regularly mark up their Yankees commons to $10 to $15, and we'd often pass on these cards.  (To a lesser extent, the same could be said for the Dodgers cards.)

This was one of six 1956 Topps cards my Dad gave to me for Christmas in 2004 and I never asked him how much he paid for the lot.  I do know that he ordered the cards from Kit Young Cards in San Diego, although unlike his purchase of the Ted Williams card, I doubt he actually spoke to Kit this time.  He would have given me these cards at the first house my wife Jenna and I owned, which we affectionately called The Crick.

The Card
That's most likely Carey in the action shot at third base, tagging out what I would guess to be a White Sox runner.  As is becoming the norm, the head shot was re-used from Carey's 1954 and 1955 Topps cards.  Our copy of this card is fantastic, with four sharp corners and not a crease to be seen.

1956 Season
At just 24 years old, Carey was firmly entrenched in the Yankees starting line-up in 1956, appearing in 132 games at third and hitting .237.  He struggled in the 1956 World Series, starting all seven games at third, but going 3 for 19 (.158) at the plate.  He's best remembered for contributing to two of the tougher outs during Larsen's perfect game.

In the second, he deflected a ground ball from Jackie Robinson (#30) to shortstop Gil McDougald (#225), who threw out Robinson at first.  If not for Carey getting a glove on the ball, it would have been a single to left.  In the eighth, he caught a low line drive off the bat of Gil Hodges (#145), again preserving the perfect game.

Phillies Connection
On December 15, 1961, Carey (along with Frank Barnes) was traded by the White Sox to the Phillies for Taylor Phillips and Bob Sadowski.  Carey refused to report to the Phillies in March 1962, as he preferred not to spend his final year in baseball on the last place Phillies and he intended to focus full-time on his growing California brokerage business.  The Phils received Cal McLish from the White Sox as consolation for Carey's refusal to report, and Carey was eventually swapped to the Dodgers where he finished his career closer to home.

For Phillies collectors, Carey is included within the 1962 Salada-Junket coin set, marking his only appearance with the team on any collectibles.  The set's creators originally released the Carey coin featuring him in a White Sox uniform, but the photo was updated to feature him in the Phillies hat and uniform he'd never actually wear.

1953 Topps #188

1962 Salada Coins #86B

1962 Topps #418

2002 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #RO-AC

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1953 Topps #188
First Topps Card:  1953 Topps #188
Representative Phillies Card:  1962 Salada Coins #86B
Last Topps Card:  1962 Topps #418
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2002 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #RO-AC
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1953-1962

50 - Carey non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/15/15

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
Gettysburg Times - February 27, 1962
The Phillies Room
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: #11 Chicago Cubs Team Card / #13 Roy Face - Pittsburgh Pirates

Order Collected: #334 Bob Miller - Philadelphia Phillies / #38 Bob Kennedy - Chicago White Sox

#11 Chicago Cubs 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
December 4, 1999 in Raleigh, NC - Card #188
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 card and at the time it was the seventh (out of 16) team cards we had in our set.  Given the timing of this show right before holidays, I would have attended this show by myself but I most likely called my Dad back in Millville, New Jersey to update him on my purchases later that day.

The Card
The Cubs are shown in a photo taken during the 1955 season at some point after June 12th.  Owen Friend was purchased from the Red Sox on that day and he's included in the photo.  You can just barely see the ivy on the outfield wall to the left and right of the team.

Front Row Howie Pollet (#262 with White Sox) Jim Bolger Paul Minner (#182) Batboy Billy Phillips Warren Hacker (#282) Jim King (#74) Walker Cooper (#273 with Cardinals)

2nd Row Hal Jeffcoat (#289 with Reds) Jim Davis (#102) Coach Ray Blades Lewis (perhaps a team executive?) Manager Stan Hack Coach Dutch Leonard Coach Ray Hayworth Frank Baumholtz (#274 with Phillies) Bob Rush (#214)

3rd Row Clubhouse Manager Yosh Kawano Owen Friend Clyde McCullough Ernie Banks (#15) Bob Speake (#66) Gene Baker (#142) Randy Jackson (#223 with Dodgers) Dave Hillman Eddie Miksis (#285) Trainer Al Scheuneman

Back Row Hank Sauer (#41) Sam Jones (#259) Lloyd Merriman Solly Drake John Andre Harry Chiti (#179) Harry Perkowski Don Kaiser (#124, Daiser on card) Dee Fondy (#112)

The Cubs still call Wrigley Field their home although capacity has increased to 41,160.  All the single season records on the back of the card still stand with the exception of home runs in a season.  The Cubs hit 235 home runs in 2004, eclipsing the 171 hit in 1930.

Most Home Runs - 235 in 2004
Most Runs Scored in One Game - 26 in 1922 and 1995
Additional Pennant Winning Teams - 1984, 1989, 2003, 2015
Additional World Championship Teams - N/A

The Cubs team card, along with the team cards for the Phillies and Indians, is available in three variations.  I have the "No Date - Centered Name" variation and the other two versions available are the "No Date - Left Name" and "1955" variations.

1955 Variation

No Year, Team Name at Left

1956 Season
The Cubs finished in last place in 1956 with a record of 60-94, 33 games behind the pennant winning Dodgers.  Shortstop Ernie Banks (#15) and right fielder Walt Moryn paced the offense.  Banks hit .297 with 28 home runs and 85 RBIs, beating out Moryn for the Cubs triple crown.  Bob Rush led the pitching staff with 13 wins.  Following the season, General Manager Wid Matthews resigned and the Cubs would not have a winning season again until 1963.

Cubs Cards That Never Were
I've always been very interested in the concept of "cards that never were" and my other blog, The Phillies Room, has been slowly tackling custom cards for the players who played for the Phillies but never appeared with the Phillies on a baseball card.  As I go through each team card from the 1956 Topps set, I'll highlight some of the team's players, managers or coaches omitted from the set.

For the Cubs, these are the 1956 Topps cards I'd like to see.

• Stan Hack (manager) - Hack played 16 seasons with the Cubs between 1932 and 1947 and he was a four time All-Star.  He managed the team for three seasons (1954-1956) never finishing with a winning record and going 196-265 overall.
• Pete Whisenant (center field) - Whisenant was the team's primary center fielder in 1956, splitting time with Solly Drake.  This was his only season with the Cubs as he was traded to the Reds in November 1956.  His rookie card (with the Reds) can be found in the 1957 Topps set.
• Walt Moryn (right field) - Moryn enjoyed a break-out season in 1956, hitting .285 with 23 home runs.  He'd also appear in the 1957 Topps set.
• Turk Lown (relief pitcher) - The team's closer in 1956, Lown saved 13 games but didn't receive a Topps card until 1957. 
• Yosh Kawano (clubhouse manager) - The popular Kawano, featured on the team card, was with the Cubs from 1943 until his retirement in 2008.
• Billy Williams (left field) - Certainly a stretch here, but the future Hall of Famer was signed as an amateur free agent in 1956.  He appeared in 13 games that season for the Ponca City Cubs of the Class D Sooner State League.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
The Trading Card Database

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Set Order: #10 Warren Spahn - Milwaukee Braves / #12 Andy Carey - New York Yankees

Order Collected: #272 Danny O'Connell - Milwaukee Braves / #89 Norm Zauchin - Boston Red Sox

#10 Warren Spahn - Milwaukee Braves

Warren Edward Spahn
Milwaukee Braves
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  172
Born:  April 23, 1921, Buffalo, NY
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Bees as an amateur free agent in 1940
Major League Teams:  Boston Braves 1942, 1946-1952; Milwaukee Braves 1953-1964; New York Mets 1965; San Francisco Giants 1965
Died:  November 24, 2003, Broken Arrow, OK (age 82)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1973

One of the greatest left-handed pitchers of all time, Warren Spahn enjoyed a 21-year career in the Major Leagues and his 363 wins are the most ever by a lefty.  He was a 14-time National League All-Star and he compiled 20-win seasons 13 times, including in 1963 at the age of 42.  Spahn was the National League Cy Young Award winner in 1957, the year he led the Milwaukee Braves to their only World Championship title.  He pitched no-hitters in 1960 and 1961 and he led the league in complete games seven years in a row between 1957 and 1963.

He missed three seasons (1943-1945) early in his career serving in World War II and he pitched professionally until he was 46 with the Triple-A Tulsa Oilers.  Following his playing days, Spahn managed the Tulsa Oilers (a Cardinals farm club) for five seasons and was the Indians pitching coach in 1972 and 1973.

Building the Set
September 8, 1990 in Vineland, NJ - Card #95
Dad and I attended a baseball card show at Vineland's Cumberland Mall in early September 1990, and this was our big purchase.  We paid $25 for the card at the beginning of my junior year in high school.

1990 and 1991, years in which I was a junior and then a senior in high school, saw us add the fewest amount of cards to our 1956 Topps set.  My records show we added just three cards in 1990 and another three cards in 1991.  Part of this has to do with the fact that I was a junior and senior in high school, otherwise occupied by typical teenage stuff.  The other part has to do with the fact that we were actively collecting other Topps sets from the 1970s at this point.

All while collecting the 1956 Topps set, Dad I compiled a complete 1975 set, followed by the 1974 and 1976 sets.  We then began the 1973 set followed by the 1970 set.  We hand collated these four sets during our "golden era" of collecting together between 1987 and 1997.  I finished off the 1972 set a few years back and I'm still plodding my way through a 1971 set in order to have a full run of sets from the 1970s.

I recently discussed with my eight-year-old son Doug the idea of the two of us collecting a vintage set together.  He's shown some interest in this 1956 Topps blog, and it makes me smile to think that one day he might be writing a similar blog discussing how he and I put together the 1965, 1966 or 1967 Topps set.

The Card
Spahn appears to be levitating in the clouds as he rises above the rafters of County Stadium.  The head shot on the front is the same used on his 1955 Topps card.  It's safe to assume the cartoon in the first panel featuring the scalps of Spahn's National League opponents would not appear on a modern-day baseball card.

1956 Season
Spahn's Braves were a year away from their World Series appearance, finishing second in the National League behind the Dodgers by just one game.  Spahn won 20 games to a 2.78 ERA, anchoring the Braves rotation that also consisted of 19-game winner Lew Burdette (#219) and 18-game winner Bob Buhl (#244).

The Braves had a chance to win the pennant on the final day of the regular season, but Spahn's 11+ inning performance went to waste as the Cardinals walked off with a 2-1 victory.  Rip Repulski's (#201) double off Spahn scored Stan Musial with the winning run, giving the Dodgers the pennant and causing Spahn to reportedly weep as he walked off the field.

1948 Bowman #18

1951 Topps Red Backs #30

1965 Topps #205

1973 Topps #449

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1948 Bowman #18
First Topps Card:  1951 Topps Red Backs #30
Last Topps Card (as a player):  1965 Topps #205
First Topps Card (as a coach):  1973 Topps #449
Most Recent Topps Card (post-career):  2010 Topps #20B SP
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2015 Topps Archives #170
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (16):  1951-1965, 1973

861 - Spahn non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 11/29/15

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
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: #9 Ruben Gomez - New York Giants / #11 Chicago Cubs Team Card

Order Collected: #125 "Minnie" Minoso - Chicago White Sox / #170 Bill Virdon - St. Louis Cardinals