#64 Luis Arroyo - St. Louis Cardinals

Luis Enrique Arroyo
St. Louis Cardinals
Pitcher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1957 Topps #394

1961 Topps #142

1962 Topps #455

1963 Topps #569

1978 TCMA The 1960s #258

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

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

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

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

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

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

#63 Roger Craig - Brooklyn Dodgers

Roger Lee Craig
Brooklyn Dodgers
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  190
Born:  February 17, 1930, Durham, NC
Signed:  Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1950 season
Major League Teams:  Brooklyn Dodgers 1955-1957; Los Angeles Dodgers 1958-1961; New York Mets 1962-1963; St. Louis Cardinals 1964; Cincinnati Reds 1965; Philadelphia Phillies 1966
As a Manager:  San Diego Padres 1978-1979; San Francisco Giants 1985-1992

A few decades before he was a successful manager for the Giants, Roger Craig pitched in parts of 12 seasons, experiencing the move of the Dodgers to the West Coast and suffering through the futility of the first fews years of the Mets' existence.  Craig went to six World Series (four as a player), winning rings with the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, the 1959 Los Angeles Dodgers, the 1964 Cardinals and as a coach with the 1984 Tigers.  Spending equal time as a starter and a reliever, Craig went 74-98 in 368 career appearances and owned a 3.83 career ERA.  He lost 46 games over two seasons with the expansion Mets.

Following his playing days, Craig taught his signature pitch, the split-finger fastball, to several pitchers including Jack Morris, Mike Scott and Milt Wilcox.  He served as a pitching coach for the Padres (1969-1972), Astros (1974-1975), Padres again (1976-1977) and Tigers (1980-1984).  In 1985, he was named manager of the Giants and he led the 1989 Giants to their first World Series appearance in 27 years.  Craig's leadership and unique rallying cry, "Humm Baby" weren't enough to defeat the Athletics in the 1989 series interrupted by 10 days as a result of the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake.

My family visited San Francisco for the Phillies series in early August, and the Giants celebrated the 30th anniversary of the 1989 team with a pre-game ceremony.  Craig, now 89, was on hand to celebrate with his former team and he took the field to a standing ovation with current Giants manager Bruce Bochy.

Building the Set
October 7, 2007 from Dad's eBay purchases - Card #307
This is one of five cards I received from my Dad for my 34th birthday, with each card being a fairly major card needed for our set.  Along with this Craig card, I received Bill Bruton (#185), Bob Feller (#200), Don Newcombe (#235) and Don Larsen (#332).  My Dad never told me how much he had paid for the cards.

The Card
This is Craig's rookie card and what looked to me initially to be a #10 on the back of his jersey is actually #40.  Craig wore that number for the first four seasons of his Dodgers career before switching to #38 for the 1959 season.  His birth year is off a year on the back of his card, as he was actually born in 1930.

The final panel on the back of the card celebrates Craig's performance in Game 5 of the 1955 World Series.  With the series tied at two, manager Walter Alston (#8) handed the ball to Craig.  I'm fairly certain he wasn't carried off the field, but Craig pitched six strong innings, allowing four hits including a solo home run from Bob Cerv (#288) in the seventh that chased him from the game.  Reliever Clem Labine (#295) held down the Yankees for the final three innings, giving the Dodgers a 3-2 advantage in the Series they'd ultimately win in seven games.

1956 Season
In his first full season with the Dodgers, Craig appeared in 35 games (32 starts) pitching to a 12-11 record and a 3.71 ERA.  He led all pitchers with a 1.000 fielding percentage, not committing an error in 32 chances.  Craig was the second top starting pitcher in the Dodgers rotation in 1956, following Newcombe and coming in ahead of both Sal Maglie and Carl Erskine (#233).

Phillies Career
On April 11, 1966, Craig was released by the Cincinnati Reds at the end of spring training, signing with the Phillies that very same day.  Craig made his first appearance for the Phillies on opening day against the Cardinals, coming on to relieve Chris Short in the 10th after Short had pitched 9 2/3 innings.  Craig pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings and was the recipient of the win when John Herrnstein singled home Dick Allen with the eventual winning run in the 12th.

Used solely as a reliever, Craig appeared in 14 games for the Phillies, going 2-1 with a 5.56 ERA.  The 36-year-old Craig was released by the club on July 23rd, ending his big league career.  Craig received a Phillies card in the 1966 Topps set, but the photo used is the exact same photo used for Craig's 1962 Topps card, when he was with the Mets.  Craig signed reprinted versions of his 1966 Topps card for inclusion in the 2015 Topps Heritage set.

1958 Topps #194

1963 Fleer #47

1966 Topps #543

1974 Topps #31

1989 Topps #744

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #63
First Topps Card:  1956 Topps #63
Representative Phillies Card:  1966 Topps #543
Last Topps Card (as a player):  1966 Topps #543
First Topps Card (as a manager):  1979 Topps #479
Last Topps Card (as a manager):  1992 Topps #109
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2015 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-RC
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (19):  1956-1958, 1960-1966, 1974, 1979, 1986-1992

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

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: #62 Hal Smith - Baltimore Orioles / #64 Luis Arroyo - St. Louis Cardinals

Order Collected: #249 Johnny Klippstein - Cincinnati Redlegs / #185 Bill Bruton - Milwaukee Braves

#62 Hal Smith - Baltimore Orioles

Harold Wayne Smith
Baltimore Orioles
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  195
Born:  December 7, 1930, West Frankfort, IL
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1949 season
Major League Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 1955-1956; Kansas City Athletics 1956-1959; Pittsburgh Pirates 1960-1961; Houston Colt .45s 1962-1963; Cincinnati Reds 1964

Hal Smith spent 10 seasons in the Majors catching for the Orioles, Athletics, Pirates, Colt .45s and Reds, and he holds the distinction of being the first catcher in Houston Colt .45s/Astros history.

Smith deserves credit for making Bill Mazeroski's game-winning home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series against the Yankees possible.  Smith had entered the game in the eighth, after starting catcher Smoky Burgess (#192) had been pinch-run for the previous inning.  With the Pirates trailing 7-6, Smith hit a three-run home off pitcher Jim Coates to give the Pirates a 9-7 lead.  The Yankees would tie the game in the top of the ninth, but then Mazeroski hit his famous shot off Ralph Terry to give the Pirates the title.

Smith came to the Orioles in November 1954 in the 17-player trade I discussed with the Bob Turley (#40) post.  In 879 career games, he hit .267 with 58 home runs and 323 RBIs.

Building the Set
August 19, 2000 in Raleigh, NC - Card #203
This Hal Smith shouldn't be confused with the other Hal Smith (#283) also in the 1956 Topps set.  Both were catchers, complicating things somewhat, but this Hal Smith is commonly shown as Hal W. Smith in checklists while the other Hal Smith shows up as Hal R. Smith.  I don't think I realized there were two Hal Smiths in the set until I alphabetized our checklist, which made it easier to check if we needed a card when a dealer's boxes were out of order.

1956 Topps #283

Something that's perhaps only amusing to me is that I purchased both Hal Smith cards needed for our set at the same time from the same dealer at the Sports Card Show in Raleigh.  I decided I wanted to purchase both cards together, and if I found one in decent shape I waited until I had found the second in decent shape as well.  Having found both Hal Smith cards in an out-of-order box of 1956 Topps commons, I approached the dealer and asked him for a price for the pair.  He did somewhat of a double take when he realized both cards bore the name Hal Smith and he looked at me quizzically.

Without missing a beat, and without cracking a smile, I told him, "I collect only Hal Smith cards."  He continued his stare for a few more seconds and then said, "$15 for both of them."  And with that, both Hal Smith cards entered our 1956 Topps set.

The Card
As I'm tracking the color combinations used for the name and team boxes, this is the first red-orange color combination to be found in the set.  It works well for the Orioles.

The third panel on the back reference Smith's "great pegs," but he finished fourth in the A.L. in 1955 in runners caught stealing with 23 and he led the league in passed balls with 14.  He'd lead the league again in passed balls in 1957.  I'm questioning his "great pegs" distinction even more once I saw the league leaders for stolen bases allowed in 1956 (see below).

1956 Season
Smith started the season with the Orioles but then was traded to the Athletics on August 17th for Joe Ginsberg, in a swap of catchers.  In total, he appeared in 114 games, hitting .267 with five home runs and 42 RBIs.  Despite his challenges with passed balls in 1955 and 1957 mentioned above, Smith actually was second in the A.L. among catchers with a .991 fielding percentage.  However, he led the league in stolen bases allowed with 43, with no other catcher even close.  Yogi Berra (#110) finished a distant second in that category with 26 stolen bases allowed.

1955 Topps #8

1959 Topps #227

1961 Topps #242

1963 Topps #153

1964 Topps #233

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Topps #8
First Topps Card:  1955 Topps #8
Last Topps Card:  1964 Topps #233
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1980 TCMA 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates #37
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1955-1964

Smith appeared in Topps flagship sets between 1955 and 1964, but Topps only added the "W" middle initial to his 1961 card.

52 - Smith non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/20/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

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

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Set Order: #61 Bill Skowron - New York Yankees / #63 Roger Craig - Brooklyn Dodgers

Order Collected: #205 "Whitey" Lockman - New York Giants / #283 Hal Smith - St. Louis Cardinals

#61 Bill Skowron - New York Yankees

William Joseph Skowron
New York Yankees
First Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  195
Born:  December 18, 1930, Chicago, IL
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1950 season
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1954-1962; Los Angeles Dodgers 1963; Washington Senators 1964; Chicago White Sox 1964-1967; California Angels 1967
Died:  April 27, 2012, Arlington Heights, IL (age 81)

The starting first baseman for the powerhouse Yankees teams of the late '50s and early '60s, Bill "Moose" Skowron enjoyed a 14-year career and tallied 211 home runs for the Yankees, Dodgers, Senators, White Sox and Angels.  He was a six-time All-Star, including five straight appearances with the Yankees between 1957 and 1961.

He appeared in eight World Series, winning four rings with the Yankees (1956, 1958, 1961 and 1962) and one ring with the Dodgers (1963) against the Yankee team that had traded him away.  In total, Skowron played in 39 World Series games, hitting .293 (39 for 133) with eight home runs and 29 RBIs.  Although he had struggled during the 1963 regular season, his first and only with the Dodgers, he came alive in the World Series against his former Yankees team, hitting .385 in the four-game sweep.  He found late career with the White Sox, earning his final All-Star nod in 1965.

Skowron retired following the 1967 season, remaining active in his communities and frequently appearing at baseball card shows to sign autographs.

Building the Set
December 28, 2007 from Dad's eBay purchases - Card #315
I first shared this story with the Roberto Clemente (#33) post, but I'll repeat myself here.  The way my Dad and I finished the 1956 Topps set was somewhat anti-climatic but nevertheless a joyful memory.  Leading up to the Christmas of 2007, my Dad (with the help of my Mom) scoured eBay and other online baseball card stores for the remaining 29 cards we needed to complete the set.  Throughout the weeks and months leading up to the holidays, he knew we had completed the set but he kept it quiet, wanting to surprise me on Christmas morning.  I have no idea, and I'll never know, what the true last card was that he acquired to finish off the set.  And I have no record, nor was he able to tell me, how much they had paid for any of these final 29 cards.

Doug and Dad on Christmas Eve, 2007

Our son Doug had just turned one, and on Christmas morning 2007, we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of our families to our house to celebrate the day.  I've had a few rough Christmases, but this was one of the worst as my Dad ended up in the hospital that day and it was the beginning of his health struggles that would continue until he passed away in late 2011.  He was discharged from the hospital three days later, and it was only then we celebrated Christmas together, on December 28th, and I opened the package containing the last of the cards needed for our 1956 Topps set.

Dad was understandably distraught that Christmas, but not solely because of his own health issues.  Because of his unselfish nature, he was worried that he had ruined Christmas for everyone since we had spent the holidays in a hospital.  He was also upset that his surprise package containing those last 29 baseball cards sat in the back seat of his car for three days until he recovered enough to come home.  I was just happy to have him out of the hospital, but I do remember feeling confused and somewhat hopeless as we weren't quite sure yet what was wrong with him.

I don't have any pictures from December 28th, which is unusual for me.  I'm assuming I was just happy that Dad was out of the hospital and taking pictures never crossed my mind.

The Card
Topps references Skowron's nickname on the back of the card, but they missed the opportunity to refer to him as "Moose" on the front.  Skowron appeared in every Topps set between 1954 and 1967, and only his 1958 card contains the Moose nickname prominently on the front.  I'm always impressed when the cartoon representation on the backs of these cards actually looks something like the player.  The drawing of the swinging batter in the final panel on the back really does look like Skowron.

I'm not a fan of getting cards graded, but if this card were "slabbed," I think it would receive one of the higher grades.  It's perfectly centered with barely any surface wear and four sharp corners.

1956 Season
Skowron appeared in 134 games for the Yankees, serving as their regular first baseman, but appearing in two games at third base.  He hit .308 with 23 home runs and 90 RBIs, both career highs at the time.  (He'd hit 28 home runs with 91 RBIs in 1961.)  He most typically hit fifth in the Yankees line-up behind Mickey Mantle (#135) and Yogi Berra (#110).

1954 Topps #239

1958 Topps #240

1961 Topps #371

1967 Topps #357

2006 Topps Allen & Ginter #274

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1954 Topps #239
First Topps Card:  1954 Topps #239
Last Topps Card:  1967 Topps #357
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2018 Diamond Kings #51
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (14):  1954-1967

I was a little surprised at the sheer volume of Skowron cards available, and he's got the most cards (so far) of any non-Hall of Famer in the 1956 Topps set.  This is most likely attributable to his long career, his popularity as a long-time Yankee, and the fact that he remained an active autograph signer for inserts and high-end sets until he passed away in 2012.

340 - Skowron non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/17/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

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

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Set Order: #60 Mayo Smith MG - Philadelphia Phillies / #62 Hal Smith - Baltimore Orioles

Order Collected: #33 Roberto Clemente - Pittsburgh Pirates / #122 Willard Nixon - Boston Red Sox

#60 Mayo Smith MG - Philadelphia Phillies

Edward Mayo Smith
Philadelphia Phillies
Manager

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  183
Born:  January 17, 1915, New London, MO
Drafted:  Drafted by the Philadelphia Athletics from the Detroit Tigers in the 1944 Rule 5 draft.
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Athletics 1945
As a Manager:  Philadelphia Phillies 1955-1958; Cincinnati Reds 1959; Detroit Tigers 1967-1970
Died:  November 24, 1977, Boynton Beach, FL (age 62)

Mayo Smith spent almost four decades in organized baseball, first as an outfielder in the Tigers, Reds, Athletics and Yankees system between 1933 and 1952, and then as a manager for the Phillies, Reds and Tigers between 1955 and 1970.

Smith's sole year as a player in the big leagues came in 1945 when he hit .212 over 73 games for the Athletics.  He was named the manager of the Phillies in October 1954 at the age of 39, replacing the outgoing Terry Moore.  The Phillies never finished above fourth place in his 3 1/2 years at the helm, and he was fired in mid-1958.  Smith briefly managed the 1959 Reds before getting fired again mid-season.

He found his most success as manager of the Tigers for four seasons, leading the Tigers to a World Series title in 1968.  The Cardinals had taken a commanding three games to one lead in that series, but the Tigers won three in a row to take the title.  Smith was named A.L. Manager of the Year in 1968 and would manage the Tigers for two more seasons.  He was fired following the 1970 season and replaced by Billy Martin (#181), having gone 363-285.  After a single season as a scout for the Oakland Athletics in 1971, Smith officially retired from baseball.

Building the Set
October 1, 1987 in Bridgeton, NJ - Card #49
My notes indicate we bought this card at Hummel's in Bridgeton, NJ a few days before my 14th birthday.  We acquired three Phillies card that day - Smith, Murry Dickson (#211) and Frank Baumholtz (#274) and I don't know how much we paid for the trio.  My memories of Hummel's are hazy at best, but I seem to recall it was a large building with a sprawling liquor store on the first floor and a baseball card shop on the second floor.  With baseball card stores booming in the mid to late 1980s, we'd often take a ride to one of the four or five local card shops we were lucky enough to have near us.  October 1st was a Thursday, so it's strange to me that we would have made the 20 minute or so drive to Hummel's on a week night after work and school.  My approaching birthday might have contributed to the motivation for the trip.

I tried to find Hummel's on Google Maps and sure enough a liquor store came up, but not the one I remember.  I remember a bigger builder, with the second floor, and this clearly isn't it.

The Card
We're through 60 cards in the set, and Smith is only the second Phillies card to appear.  All other teams have had at least three cards up to this point, with the Athletics and Pirates leading the way with five cards each.  Mayo is the first of four subjects in the set with the last name of Smith with two Hals (#62 and #283) and an Al (#105) coming up.

I can only assume the photographer asked Smith to give his best "get down and slide" sign for the pose found here.  And kudos to the artist responsible for the back three panels of this card, as there clearly wasn't a lot of material with which to work.  While the back also indicates Smith was a lefty, his Baseball Reference page indicates he threw right-handed.

Smith is one of only two manager cards featured in the 1956 set, along with Walter Alston (#8).  I've always been curious as to why Smith was chosen as a subject along with the well-known (and successful) Alston instead of any other Major League manager.  Here's a list of all the managers who could have had cards in the 1956 set, in order of each team's finish from the 1955 season.  No offense to Smith, but there's a few better candidates than him in this list:

Dodgers - Walter Alston Braves - Charlie Grimm (1955-56) or Fred Haney (1956) Giants - Leo Durocher (1955) or Bill Rigney (1956) Phillies - Mayo Smith  Reds - Birdie Tebbetts Cubs - Stan Hack Cardinals - Eddie Stanky (1955), Harry Walker (1955) or Fred Hutchinson (1956) Pirates - Fred Haney (1955) or Bobby Bragan (1956)

Yankees - Casey Stengel Indians - Al Lopez White Sox - Marty Marion Red Sox - Pinky Higgins Tigers - Bucky Harris Athletics - Lou Boudreau Orioles - Paul Richards Senators - Chuck Dressen

1956 Season
Returning for his second season as manager of the Phillies, Smith guided the team to a 71-83 record and a fifth place finish in the National League.  The team performed well for most of the season, climbing to just one game under .500 as late as August 8th.  Despite the rough year, Smith was given a one year extension following the season and he'd hang on to manage through all of 1957 and half of the 1958 season.

Phillies Career
Smith's record as Phillies manager was 264-282-2, and his best season came in 1957 when the Phillies battled at the top of the division until mid-July.  That team finished that season right at .500 with a 77-77 record.  The play was much of the same at the start of the 1958 season, and the Phillies reached a winning record on July 12th at 39-38.  However, the team lost eight of their next nine games and Smith was fired on July 22nd.  Whiz Kids manager Eddie Sawyer was brought back to replace Smith, his second managerial stint with the club.

Smith received two mainstream baseball cards to mark his time with the Phillies, in the 1955 and 1956 Topps sets.  He also appears in the 1956, 1957 and 1958 Jay Publishing Phillies sets, as well as in the oddball 1956 Topps Pins and 1956 Topps Hocus Focus sets.  He's also in the rare 1955 Felin's Franks Match the Phillies set, which according to my edition of the Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards, may not have actually been released.

1955 Topps #130

1967 Topps #321

1968 Topps #544

1969 Topps #40

1970 Topps #313

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Topps #130
First Topps Card (as a manager):  1955 Topps #130
Last Topps Card (as a manager):  1970 Topps #313
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1970 Topps #313
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1955-1956, 1967-1970

26 - Smith non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/3/19.

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

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

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #59 Jose Santiago - Cleveland Indians / #61 Bill Skowron - New York Yankees

Order Collected: #280 Jim Gilliam - Brooklyn Dodgers / #211 Murry Dickson - Philadelphia Phillies

#59 Jose Santiago - Cleveland Indians

Jose Guillermo Santiago
Cleveland Indians
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  175
Born:  September 4, 1928, Coamo, Puerto Rico
Signed:  Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before 1949 season
Major League Teams:  Cleveland Indians 1954-1955; Kansas City Athletics 1956
Died:  October 9, 2018, San Juan, Puerto Rico (age 90)

A 13-year professional player, Jose Santiago had pitched for two seasons with the New York Cubans in the Negro League before the Indians signed him before the 1948 season.  He was one of the best pitchers in Cleveland's minor league system for five seasons between 1949 and 1953, compiling a record of 77-47 to go along with a 2.93 ERA.  However, given the Indians' existing starting pitching of Bob Feller (#200), Mike Garcia (#210), Early Wynn (#187) and Bob Lemon (#255), it wasn't easy for Santiago, let alone any other pitcher, to earn a spot in the rotation.  After appearing in just one game in 1954, Santiago was added to the bullpen in 1955 where he appeared in 17 games, going 2-0 with a 2.48 ERA.  He was sold to the Athletics in May 1956, appearing in nine games.  Santiago would continue to play minor league baseball through the 1959 season within the Reds, Orioles and Cubs systems before retiring.

Following his playing career, Santiago remained active in baseball as he was a one-time owner of the Caguas Criollos of the Puerto Rico Winter League.  As a businessman, Santiago was known as a boxing promoter and owner of a horse stable whose horses were successful in winning a number of races.

Building the Set
Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ - Card #4
This Santiago card was one of the Original 44, and I've relayed the story of how my Dad and I began collecting the 1956 Topps set a few times - most recently with the Pedro Ramos (#49) post here.

The Card
This is the first and last mainstream baseball card issued for Santiago, and it's fitting that the back of his card pays tribute to his excellent minor league career in the first two panels.  It looks as if he added his middle initial "G" to his signature as an afterthought.  If the player standing behind Santiago is wearing #8, and it's hard to tell the uniform number, it's most likely infielder Kenny Kuhn who appeared in 4 games for the Indians in 1955 as an 18-year old.

His few other baseball card appearances are limited to oddball issuances, including a card in the 1956 Kansas City Livestock Night postcard set, a 1972 sticker in the Puerto Rico Winter League set and a few cards in the 1975 TCMA set celebrating the 1954 Indians team.  Santiago signed a few hundred copies of his reprinted 1956 Topps card for inclusion in the 2005 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs insert set.

1956 Season
Sold to the Athletics on May 16th, Santiago made nine appearances (including five starts) with the club between the end of May and mid-July.  He didn't fare very well, going 1-2 with an 8.31 ERA over 21 2/3 innings pitched.  Demoted to the minors, Santiago appeared in 11 games for the Triple-A Columbus Jets.

1975 TCMA 1954 Cleveland Indians

2005 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs Red #RO-JSA

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #59
First Topps Card:  1956 Topps #59
Last Topps Card:  1956 Topps #59
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2005 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #RO-JSA
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  1956

6 - Santiago non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/2/19.

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: #58 Ed Roebuck - Brooklyn Dodgers / #60 Mayo Smith MG - Philadelphia Phillies

Order Collected: #51 Ernie Oravetz - Washington Nationals / #73 Wayne Terwilliger - New York Giants

#58 Ed Roebuck - Brooklyn Dodgers

Edward Jack Roebuck
Brooklyn Dodgers
Pitcher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1955 Topps #195

1961 Topps #6

1964 Topps #187

1965 Topps #52

1978 TCMA The 1960s #165

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

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

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

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

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

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