#55 Wally Moon - St. Louis Cardinals

Wallace Wade Moon
St. Louis Cardinals
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  169
Born:  April 3, 1930, Bay, AR
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent before 1950 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1954-1958; Los Angeles Dodgers 1959-1965
Died:  February 9, 2018, Bryan, TX (age 87)

One of the most recognizable players from the '50s and early '60s, Wally Moon was a steady hitting outfielder who made two All-Star teams and won a pair of World Series rings with the 1959 and 1965 Dodgers.  He was the N.L. Rookie of the Year in 1954 and won a Gold Glove in 1960.  Moon spent his entire 12-year big league career in the National League playing for the Cardinals and the Dodgers, compiling a lifetime batting average of .289.

As a rookie in 1954, Moon had the unenviable task of replacing fan favorite and long-time Cardinal Enos Slaughter (#109), who had been traded to the Yankees on April 11th.  Moon delivered with an award winning rookie season, hitting .304 with 12 home runs and 76 RBIs.  In 1959, Moon's 19 home runs and league leading 11 triples helped guide the Dodgers to an eventual World Series Championship.  He led the league with a .434 on base percentage in 1961 while hitting a career high .328.  He retired as an active player following the 1965 season, but he'd come back to the Majors in 1969 as the first hitting coach of the expansion San Diego Padres.

Building the Set

Nana's Sea Isle house - partially painted in Summer '93

July 31, 1993 in Ocean City, NJ - Card #117
This is one of five 1956 Topps cards I purchased at the Ocean City baseball card show during the summer of '93.  My notes indicate we paid $6 for the card, and it's in absolutely pristine shape.

I already wrote about the summer of '93 with the Frank House (#32) post back in February, but it's worth repeating here.  After missing much of my freshman spring semester with a bad case of mono, I spent the summer mostly resting at home and taking make-up classes at nearby Rowan College of New Jersey (now Rowan University).  Looking back now, it's strange to me that I have so few memories or pictures from that summer.  I found pictures I took from an Orioles-Twins game at Camden Yards with shots of Fernando Valenzuela pitching to Dave Winfield and Kirby Puckett, and another picture of Cal Ripken at bat.  There were also pictures of my Nana's house in Sea Isle, which I think I spent part of that summer painting (again).  But that's it.

I know it was just another summer day at the time, but I'd love to have one picture of my Dad and me as we were about to attend this baseball card show that Saturday afternoon in Ocean City.

The Card
That could be Dodgers' catcher Roy Campanella (#101) applying the tag to Moon in a play at the plate.

Kudos to the Topps artist for showcasing Moon's most unique facial feature, his majestic unibrow, in the center panel on the back of the card.  The first panel mentions Moon's time at Texas A&M, where he attended on a split baseball/basketball scholarship.  Following his junior year, the Cardinals signed him for a $6,000 bonus, but his father insisted he only play ball part time while he focused on completing his college courses.

Moon's base running trailed off after his first few seasons.  He stole 18 bases in 1954, had 15 stolen bases in 1959 and never had another season after that with more than seven steals.

1956 Season
In his third full season, Moon hit .298 with 16 home runs and 68 RBIs as the starting right fielder for the Cardinals.  Rip Repulski (#201) in left field and Bobby Del Greco in center kept him company that season.  Led by Ken Boyer (#14) and Stan Musial, the Cardinals finished third in the National League.

1954 Topps #137

1957 Topps #65

1959 Topps #530

1965 Topps #247

2017 Topps Archives Snapshots #AS-WM

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1954 Topps #137
First Topps Card:  1954 Topps #137
Last Topps Card:  1965 Topps #247
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2017 Topps Archives Snapshots #AS-WM
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12):  1954-1965

102 - Moon non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/13/19.

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.

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #54 Bob Keegan - Chicago White Sox / #56 Dale Long - Pittsburgh Pirates

Order Collected: #48 Jim Hegan - Cleveland Indians / #75 Roy Sievers - Washington Nationals

#54 Bob Keegan - Chicago White Sox

Robert Charles Keegan
Chicago White Sox
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  207
Born:  August 4, 1920, Rochester, NY
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1946 season
Major League Teams:  Chicago White Sox 1953-1958
Died:  June 20, 2001, Rochester, NY (age 80)

A popular and long-time minor leaguer, Bob Keegan made his debut with the White Sox in May 1953 at the age of 32.  He'd be a steady starter and reliever for the White Sox for six seasons, posting a career record of 40-36 and a 3.66 ERA over 135 games.  Keegan was an All-Star in 1954 and pitched a no-hitter against the Senators in 1957.  His best season was also his All-Star season, in which he went 16-9 with a 3.09 ERA with 14 complete games and two shutouts.

His final season in the Majors was 1958, but he returned to the minor leagues with the Rochester Red Wings (the Cardinals' top affiliate) in 1959, winning 18 games as a 38-year-old.  His stellar season with the Red Wings and an appearance with the Cardinals in their 1960 spring camp earned him a Cardinals baseball card in the 1960 Topps set, even though he never suited up with the team during the regular season.

Building the Set

College graduation, May 1997

July 19, 1997 in Ocean City, NJ - Card #152
Exactly 22 years ago today and for $2, my Dad and I added this card to our set at the Ocean City baseball card show held inside the Music Pier.  We purchased 11 cards that July day - Keegan and eight other commons, along with the Warren Giles (#2) card for $10 and the Ray Boone (#6) card for $5.

I graduated college in the spring of 1997, and that summer was a good one as I worked on the Sea Isle Promenade at a few t-shirt stores.  My days were spent jogging, barely working, reading and sitting on the beach.  Dinner would usually come from Phil's on 37th and Landis Avenue, and ice cream was consumed nightly.

Dad was still working in Millville at the time, and we probably met up in front of the Music Pier prior to his show.  The baseball card collecting landscape changed drastically in the ten year period between 1987 and 1997, with autographed cards making their way into packs and multiple parallel versions of the same card confusing us as "old school" collectors.  Still, I'd give anything to be back inside the Music Pier with my Dad searching for the next 1956 Topps card to add to our set.  I'm sure he was thrilled to find a dealer selling a bunch of '56s in good shape and at just $2 a card.

The Card
It doesn't appear as if Keegan is standing in Chicago's Comiskey Park, as that ballpark had two decks in the outfield.  Keegan's card is notable (for me at least) as it introduces the first card with a blue-red color combination for the player name and team bars on the front of the card.  Blue-red joins eight other color combinations to appear so far in the set.

The back of the card references his time as a college star for Bucknell University and the seven seasons he spent toiling in the Yankees farm system before the White Sox purchased his contract on October 13, 1952.  His bad leg referenced in the final panel was only a pulled leg muscle, and not a broken foot as the cartoon depicts.  And a 20-win season in 1954 would have been tough as Keegan was only 15-7 as of August 21st.

1956 Season
Keegan made the White Sox out of spring training, but wouldn't appear in a game until May 6th as he was used sparingly by manager Marty Marion.  Keegan manned the back-end of the White Sox rotation with fellow veterans Gerry Staley and Jim Wilson (#171), appearing in eight more games through mid-June and pitching to a 4-4 record and a 3.04 ERA.  On July 4th, Keegan was hospitalized with what his official SABR biography describes as a "severe case of hemorrhoids," and the pitcher lost 20 pounds in the process.  He'd appear in just 11 more games that season following his hospitalization.

1953 Topps #196

1954 Topps #100

1957 Topps #99

1960 Topps #291

1977 Topps #436

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1953 Topps #196
First Topps Card:  1953 Topps #196
Last Topps Card:  1960 Topps #291
Most Recent Topps Card (post-career):  1977 Topps #436
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Topps Archives 1954 #100
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1953-1960, 1977

18 - Keegan non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/1/19.

I've always been a huge fan of the Turn Back the Clock cards Topps inserted into its sets in the 1970s and 1980s, and I've looked at Keegan's 1977 Topps cards hundreds of times without knowing who he was.  It's cool that I can now connect his 1956 Topps card, and his career, with his card from 19 years later celebrating his best moment in the game.

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: #53 Arnold Portocarrero - Kansas City Athletics / #55 Wally Moon - St. Louis Cardinals

Order Collected: #16 Hector Lopez - Kansas City Athletics / #152 Billy Hoeft - Detroit Tigers

#53 Arnold Portocarrero - Kansas City Athletics

Arnold Mario Portocarrero
Kansas City Athletics
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  196
Born:  July 5, 1931, New York, NY
Signed:  Signed by the Philadelphia Athletics as an amateur free agent, August 1, 1949
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Athletics 1954; Kansas City Athletics 1955-1957; Baltimore Orioles 1958-1960
Died:  June 21, 1986, Mesa, AZ (age 54)

Arnold or "Arnie" Portocarrero was a reliable starting pitcher for seven seasons, appearing mostly for teams that would finish towards the bottom of the American League standings.  In 166 career appearances, he made 117 starts and compiled a 38-57 record with a career ERA of 4.32.  A highly touted pitching prospect, Portocarrero suffered an injury playing winter ball in Puerto Rico following the 1954 season and he never reached his full potential as a result.  He last pitched for the Orioles in 1960 and started the 1961 season with their top farm club before retiring at the start of the season at the age of 29.

Building the Set

March 31, 1994 in Vineland, NJ - Card #125
This is one of two cards my Dad and I purchased at the Cumberland Mall Baseball Card Show held in late March, 1994.  I would have been home on spring break during my sophomore year of college, and the proximity of this baseball card show would have been too tempting to pass up.  We paid $6 for this card.

The Card
Our version of this card looks as if it could have just come out of fresh pack of 1956 Topps cards.  This is Portocarrero's third Topps card and his final card featuring him with the Philadelphia or Kansas City Athletics.  The first panel on the back references his status as one of New York's top prospects, and his SABR biography mentions the New York Giants had given him a standing invitation to come and practice at their ballpark whenever he wanted.  To the chagrin of the Giants, and the other New York teams, Portocarrero ultimately signed with the Philadelphia A's.

I'm not sure if this has happened before, but Portocarrero's long name on the back means his middle name (Mario) is shortened to just a middle initial.

1956 Season
Portocarrero appeared in three games for the Athletics in 1956, getting hit around in two of those three appearances.  He spent the bulk of the season pitching for the Birmingham Barons in the Southern Association, a Yankees affiliate with which the Athletics had a player sharing arrangement.  With the Barons, Portocarrero went 10-10 with a 3.47 ERA in 29 games, pitching 192 innings.

1954 Topps #214

1955 Topps #77

1959 Topps #98

1960 Topps #254

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1954 Topps #214
First Topps Card:  1954 Topps #214
Last Topps Card:  1960 Topps #254
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Topps Archives 1954 #214
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1954-1956, 1958-1960

20 - Portocarrero non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/26/19.

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.

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #52 Bob Grim - New York Yankees / #54 Bob Keegan - Chicago White Sox

Order Collected: #139 Tommy Carroll - New York Yankees / #119 Larry Jackson - St. Louis Cardinals

#52 Bob Grim - New York Yankees

Robert Anton Grim
New York Yankees
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  175
Born:  March 8, 1930, New York, NY
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1948 season
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1954-1958; Kansas City Athletics 1958-1959; Cleveland Indians 1960; Cincinnati Reds 1960; St. Louis Cardinals 1960; Kansas City Athletics 1962
Died:  October 23, 1996, Shawnee, KS (age 66)

Brooklyn's own Bob Grim dazzled as a rookie in 1954, winning 20 games and A.L. Rookie of the Year honors.  He'd pitch for parts of seven more seasons in the Majors, but he'd never reach the career highs he set in 1954 in wins, innings pitched (199), strikeouts (108) and complete games (8).  Converted to a full-time reliever a few years later, Grim saved 19 games in 1957 and was named to the All-Star team.  Grim recorded the final out of the 1957 All-Star Game, getting Gil Hodges (#145) to fly out to secure a 6-5 American League win.

He appeared in two World Series with the Yankees, in 1955 and 1957, but the Bronx Bombers lost both times to the Dodgers and Braves, respectively.  Traded to Kansas City in 1958, Grim was a reliable reliever for a relatively bad Athletics team.  He spent time with three teams in 1960 - Indians, Reds and Cardinals - and came back briefly for 12 games with the 1962 Athletics before calling it a career.

Building the Set
September 20, 2003 in Ft. Washington, PA - Card #243
I purchased only one card for our 1956 Topps set at the 83rd Philadelphia Sports Card Show held in Ft. Washington, PA in September 2003.  This Grim card set me back $5, which is a really good price considering Grim is a Yankee and the card is in great shape.  I had the checklist at right with me at the show, and it looks like this was a one-and-done checklist given that Grim is the only card crossed off.  I don't know when exactly I came to this realization, but when collecting the 1956 Topps set, I soon determined it was easier to have an alphabetical checklist than a numerical one.  Dealers seemed to have stacks of random 1956 Topps cards at baseball card shows, and these stacks would rarely be in number order.  Knowing the team was also important since Yankees, Dodgers and Phillies cards were going to cost us more than say Senators, Braves or Indians cards.

This card represented a small milestone for us as it meant we were less than 100 cards away from completing the set.

I can't recall for certain, but I don't think Dad would have made the trip to Ft. Washington and it was probably just Jenna and me attending this show.  We had recently moved into our first house and I have vague memories of us trying to complete a few early Topps Heritage sets at this show.

A few weeks later, my Dad and I attended the last Phillies games at Veterans Stadium during what was dubbed the Final Weekend.  We sat through the rain on September 27th as the All Veterans Stadium Team was announced, waving to Mike Schmidt as he was driven around the warning track, and we watched the final game on September 28th with 60,000 other fans.  Jenna and my sister Carol came with us to that final game and the post-game ceremony delivered by the Phillies was one of the best things I've ever experienced live at a sporting event.  Dozens of Phillies alumni were introduced with Tug McGraw throwing the final "pitch" and all alumni congregating at home plate one last time.


The Card
The head shot of Grim is the same used on his 1955 Topps rookie card.  That might be Yankee Stadium in the background, although we can't see the famous arched facade hanging over the top deck.  You can barely make out the Gem Razor Blade advertisement behind the right field foul pole, and there was a similar sign in pictures of Yankee Stadium I found from the 1950s.

The last panel on the back references Grim's 20-win season, making him the first Yankee rookie in 44 years to accomplish that feat.  The pitcher referenced is Russ Ford who went 26-6 for the 1910 Yankees in his rookie season.  To date, Ford and Grim are the only two Yankees pitchers to have won 20 games in their rookie seasons.

1956 Season
Grim was 26 years old in 1956, and he appeared in 26 games for the Yankees team that would eventually win the World Series against the Dodgers.  Although he was left off the team's postseason roster, he had a fairly successful season, throwing 74 2/3 innings and compiling a 6-1 record with a 2.77 ERA.

1955 Bowman #167

1955 Topps #80

1962 Topps #564

1994 Topps Archives 1954 #252

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Bowman #167
First Topps Card:  1955 Topps #80
Last Topps Card:  1962 Topps #564
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Topps Archives 1954 #252
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1955-1960, 1962

Topps produced a 1954 Topps-style card for Grim in its 1994 Topps Archives 1954 release, and I always appreciate when they produce these cards that never were.

34 - Grim non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/18/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
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.

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #51 Ernie Oravetz - Washington Nationals / #53 Arnold Portocarrero - Kansas City Athletics

Order Collected: #14 Ken Boyer - St. Louis Cardinals / #166 Brooklyn Dodgers Team Card

#51 Ernie Oravetz - Washington Nationals

Ernest Eugene Oravetz
Washington Nationals
Outfield

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'4"  Weight:  145
Born:  January 24, 1932, Johnstown, PA
Signed:  Signed by the Washington Senators as an amateur free agent before 1951 season
Major League Teams:  Washington Senators 1955-1956
Died:  December 3, 2006, Tampa, FL (age 74)

Ernie Oravetz was a switch-hitting outfielder who spent two seasons with the Washington Senators and parts of nine seasons toiling in the minor leagues between 1951 and 1963.  A career .311 hitter in the minors, Oravetz spent most of his time within the Senators/Minnesota Twins organization but he also made stops with affiliates of the Phillies and Dodgers.  One of his best professional seasons was also his first, as he hit a league leading .364 with the Class D Orlando Senators in 1951.  He missed the entire 1953 and 1954 seasons while serving in the military.

In his two seasons in the Majors, Oravetz appeared in 188 games, hitting .263 with 36 RBIs.

Building the Set
Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ - Card #3
The Oravetz card was one of the Original 44.  Since I just repeated the full story of how my Dad and I started collecting the set in the Pedro Ramos (#49) post, I won't repeat it here.  Looking at this card today, it's one of the more beat up cards from that original haul.

The Card
Oravetz is both the shortest (5'4") and the lightest (145 pounds) player in the 1956 Topps set, and it's not even really close.  Phil Rizzuto (#113) has two inches (5'6") and five pounds (150) on him, giving him second place in both categories.  Willie Miranda (#103) also weighs in at 150 pounds and a lean 5'9".

Oravetz is one of seven players and eight total cards in the set to feature someone wearing glasses.  The others are William Harridge (#1, and the A.L. President), Earl Torgeson (#147), Clint Courtney (#159), Bill Virdon (#170), Tom Gorman (#246), George Crowe (#254) and Jim Konstanty (#321).

1956 Season
Oravetz was the fourth outfielder for the Senators, behind regulars Roy Sievers (#75), Whitey Herzog and Jim Lemon.  In 88 games, his second and last season in the Majors, Oravetz hit .248 with 11 RBIs.

Phillies Connection
The Chattanooga Lookouts, associated with the Senators between 1932 and 1959, switched their affiliation to the Phillies in 1960.  Oravetz had been a regular with the Lookouts between 1957 and 1959, and when the franchise switched affiliates he somehow stuck with Chattanooga (and the Phillies) instead of moving with the Senators and their new top affiliate in Charleston.

I'm assuming this was some type of loan arrangement as there's no indication Oravetz had officially left the Senators/Twins organization until he was traded to the Dodgers on May 10, 1961.  He came back to the Twins organization for the 1962 and 1963 seasons, his final years playing professional baseball.

1957 Topps #179

2006 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-EO

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #51
First Topps Card:  1956 Topps #51
Last Topps Card:  1957 Topps #179
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2006 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-EO
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1956-1957

6 - Oravetz non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/17/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
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: #50 "Dusty" Rhodes - New York Giants / #52 Bob Grim - New York Yankees

Order Collected: #49 Pedro Ramos - Washington Nationals / #59 Jose Santiago - Cleveland Indians

#50 "Dusty" Rhodes - New York Giants

James Lamar Rhodes
New York Giants
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  178
Born:  May 13, 1927, Mathews, AL
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent before 1947 season
Major League Teams:  New York Giants 1952-1957; San Francisco Giants 1959
Died:  June 17, 2009, Las Vegas, NV (age 82)

Never quite a regular in the Giants line-up, "Dusty" Rhodes played in parts of seven seasons with the Giants, compiling a lifetime batting average of .253.  He was manager Leo Durocher's top choice as a pinch-hitter between 1952 and 1955.  He won a World Series ring with the Giants in 1954, hitting a torrid .667 (4 for 6) with two home runs and seven RBIs against the Indians.  His pinch-hit three-run home run off Bob Lemon (#255) in the 10th inning of Game 1 won the game for the Giants.  In Game 2, he collected a key pinch-hit in the fifth to tie the game off Early Wynn (#187) and the Giants took the lead shortly thereafter.  In Game 3, he pinch-hit again - and for the third time for future Hall of Famer Monte Irvin (#194) - getting another clutch hit and driving in a pair of runs.  The Giants completed the sweep of the Indians in Game 4.

Building the Set
October 10, 1998 in Winston-Salem, NC - Card #162
This was one of ten cards I purchased for our 1956 Topps set from the Season Ticket baseball card store in Winston-Salem.  This card cost me $4, and I wrote about Season Ticket back in March in my post for the Rudy Minarcin (#36) card.

The Card
He's one of 25 players in the set with a nickname in quotes on the front of his card.  I had always been under the impression that Rhodes was a star or at least a semi-star, given his assignment of the "hero number" of #50 in this set.  Turns out, Topps wouldn't get into the habit of assigning hero numbers (cards ending in 10, 50 or 100) for a few more years.  Then again, Topps gave Rhodes the coveted #1 card in its 1955 set, so maybe the #50 assignment was due to the lingering joy Rhodes had brought to New York Giants fans following the 1954 World Series win.

His 1954 World Series heroics are insensitively celebrated in the final panel on the back of the card.

1956 Season
Rhodes appeared in a career high 111 games in 1956, hitting .217 (53 for 244) with eight home runs and 33 RBIs.  61 of those 111 games were starts in either left field (59 games) or right field (2).  Center field at the time was locked down by Willie Mays (#130).  His SABR biography notes he didn't get along with new manager Bill Rigney, who replaced Durocher following the 1955 season.

1954 Topps #170

1955 Topps #1

1957 Topps #61

2002 Topps Super Teams #9

2008 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-DR

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1954 Topps #170
First Topps Card:  1954 Topps #170
Last Topps Card:  1957 Topps #61
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2008 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-DR
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1954-1957

I find it fascinating that Topps created a 1959 Topps card for Rhodes in 2008 so that they could include his card in the Real One Autographs insert set.  Rhodes did not appear in the actual 1959 Topps set, with his final card as an active player appearing in the 1957 Topps set.

45 - Rhodes non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/15/19.

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.

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #49 Pedro Ramos - Washington Nationals / #51 Ernie Oravetz - Washington Nationals

Order Collected: #36 Rudy Minarcin - Cincinnati Redlegs / #84 "Babe" Birrer - Detroit Tigers

#49 Pedro Ramos - Washington Nationals

Pedro Ramos
Washington Nationals
Pitcher

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  175
Born:  April 28, 1935, Pinar del Rio, Cuba
Signed:  Signed by the Washington Senators as an amateur free agent before 1953 season
Major League Teams:  Washington Senators 1955-1960; Minnesota Twins 1961; Cleveland Indians 1962-1964; New York Yankees 1964-1966; Philadelphia Phillies 1967; Pittsburgh Pirates 1969; Cincinnati Reds 1969; Washington Senators 1970

Playing for some awful Senators teams in the mid to late 1950s, Pedro Ramos held the dubious distinction in often leading the American League in losses, hits allowed, and home runs allowed.  He reached the 200-innings pitched plateau six years in a row between 1957 and 1962 and was an All-Star for the Senators in 1959.  Playing in parts of 15 seasons, Ramos was primarily a starter the first part of his career, but then he switched to full time relieving and occasional closing.  He was a crucial member of the Yankees bullpen late in the 1964 season, acquired in a September deal with the Indians.  In his 13 appearances that September with the Yankees, he saved eight games, helping the team clinch the American League pennant.  As the Yankees closer in 1965, Ramos appeared in 65 games and recorded 18 saves.

He was the last pitcher to start a game for the old Washington Senators in 1960, and the first to start a game in 1961 after the team had relocated to Minnesota and re-branded themselves as the Twins.  As a batter, he accumulated 15 career home runs and owned two multi-home run games.

Building the Set
Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ - Card #2
It's been over three years since this story was told in post for Chuck Diering's (#19) card, so I'll repeat myself here.  This Ramos card was one of the Original 44.

Technically speaking, my Dad and I actually began collecting the set in the summer of 1987, but this card (along with the other Original 44) first entered my collection three or four years before that.

I think it was either the summer of 1983 or 1984 when a shoebox of vintage baseball cards, football cards and a few non-sports cards arrived into my world.  The box contained about a hundred cards dating between 1950 and 1956, and for the most part, they were all in excellent shape.  A friend of the family was in the process of cleaning up and moving into her new house when she found the old shoebox and she wondered if the only kid she knew who collected baseball cards (me) would be interested in looking through it – maybe even taking the box off her hands.

She dropped the box off to my parents and asked them to have me look through the box and take what I was interested in. Turns out, I was interested in everything.  Up to that point, the oldest cards in my collection were cards from the early '70s I had obtained through trades or cards that my Dad had picked up for me at yard sales or small baseball card shows.  (My Dad had given me a few dog-earred ’59 Topps cards – Juan Pizzaro and Jim Busby – a few years prior, and I completely forget how or why he had purchased these cards for me.)

My parents asked me to pick out a few cards from the box, and then we’d return the rest to the family friend.  Problem was, I wanted them all.  I really wanted them all.  I diligently and meticulously went through one of my price guides and determined the “value” of the treasure chest. I probably used my Sport Americana Baseball Card Price Guide No. 4, edited by Dr. James Beckett, and I had no way to value the football or non-sports cards.  My memory is fuzzy, and I can't find the original tally, but I think I came up with the box being worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $300 to $400, which I knew my parents definitely did not have in their discretionary spending budget.  But they could tell how much I wanted those cards, as I lovingly studied each and every one and handled each as if it were some long-lost artifact.

I don’t know the exact details, but I believe my Dad went back to the friend and told her we’d take the whole box, but only if she let him give her some money for it.  I believe she was genuinely shocked that the box of old cardboard pictures had some value, and that someone was willing to give her cash for it.  My Dad shared the list I had created showing the “book value” of the cards and he mentioned how it was going to be close to impossible to get me to pick and choose which ones I wanted.  When all was said and done, the family friend, who had absolutely no intention of making money on this endeavor, walked away with (I think) something in the neighborhood of $100 for the whole lot.

Ramos' page from the 1967 Phillies Yearbook

Within the spoils were 44 cards from the 1956 Topps set – by far the most cards from any one set.  I studied them, I sorted them, and I pretty much memorized every detail of those 44 cards.  

And so a few years later, in the summer of 1987 while on a family vacation, I was giddy with excitement when we came across a few ’56 Topps cards in the Walker Gallery on the main drag in Cooperstown, New York.  My Dad and I studied the cards for sale and he casually asked me the question, “Why don’t we try to put together the whole set?” We bought four cards that day for $9.25.  Those cards, along with the 44 from the magic shoebox, became the basis for our 1956 Topps set.

The Card
This is Ramos' rookie card and he'd go on to appear in Topps' flagship set every year through 1967.  Ramos is listed as a right-handed batter on his card but he was in fact a switch hitter.

1956 Season
In his second full season, the 21-year-old Ramos went 12-10 with a 5.27 for the 7th place Senators.  He appeared in 37 games, starting 18, and pitched 152 innings.  On May 30th, Ramos and the Senators faced off against the powerhouse Yankees in the first game of a double header.  Ramos drilled his future teammate Mickey Mantle (#135) in his first plate appearance, but in his second at-bat Mantle launched a home run that was hit so hard and so far it almost completely exited Yankee Stadium.

Phillies Career
On December 10, 1966, the Phillies acquired Ramos from the Yankees for Joe Verbanic and cash.  Ramos was used sparingly in late April and throughout the month of May, appearing in six games and tallying eight innings pitched.  The Phillies lost all six games in which he appeared.  On June 5, 1967, Ramos and his 9.00 ERA were released and he spent the remainder of the 1967 season pitching in Vancouver for the Kansas City Athletics' Triple-A team.  Still, his short stint with the club earned him a Phillies card in the 1967 Topps set and I've included his page from the team's 1967 Yearbook above.

1957 Topps #326

1959 Topps #78

1963 Topps #14

1966 Topps #439

1967 Topps #187

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #49
First Topps Card:  1956 Topps #49
Representative Phillies Card:  1967 Topps #187
Last Topps Card:  1967 Topps #187
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1978 TCMA The 1960s I #38
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12):  1956-1967

59 - Ramos non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/14/19.

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.

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Set Order: #48 Jim Hegan - Cleveland Indians / #50 "Dusty" Rhodes - New York Giants

Order Collected: #19 Chuck Diering - Baltimore Orioles / #51 Ernie Oravetz - Washington Nationals