#86 Ray Jablonski - Cincinnati Redlegs

Raymond Leo Jablonski
Cincinnati Redlegs
Third Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  175
Born:  December 17, 1926, Chicago, IL
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent before 1947 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1953-1954; Cincinnati Reds 1955-1956; New York Giants 1957; San Francisco Giants 1958; St. Louis Cardinals 1959; Kansas City Athletics 1959-1960
Died:  November 25, 1985, Chicago, IL (age 58)

With the Cardinals in 1953 and 1954, Ray Jablonski's first two seasons in the big leagues were by far his best.  He drove in over 100 runs in each season.  He finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting in 1953 and was the starting third baseman for the N.L. in the 1954 All-Star Game.  Jablonski was traded to the Reds before the 1955 season as the Cardinals wanted to make room for rookie Ken Boyer (#14), a better defender at third.  After two seasons in Cincinnati, Jablonski moved onto the Giants where he was the team's regular third baseman during their final season in New York.  He served as a bench player the final three years of his Major League career with the Cardinals and Athletics.

Jablonski played until 1964 in the minor league systems of the Angels and Twins.  Over his eight seasons in the Majors, he hit .268 with 83 home runs and 438 RBIs.

Building the Set
August 29, 1988 in Millville, NJ - Card #63
I shared this story back in March 2019 when I posted the Tom Brewer (#34) card and again this past August with the Ed Roebuck (#58) card, but I'll repeat it again here.  This Jablonski 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, including this Jablonski card, 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
Any action shot on a baseball card that features dust being kicked up as a result of a slide is a good action shot.  I might be imagining it, but I think that's a Cardinal on the front of Jablonski's jersey.  Topps used a different photo for Jablonski's 1954 Topps card, but the same photo for his 1955 Topps card.  Jablonski would have been coming off a tough first season with the Reds when this card was issued, but his two first 100+ RBI seasons would still be in collectors' memories.

A successful minor leaguer, Jablonski was the league MVP in 1951 for the Carolina League, winning the league's triple crown while playing for the Winston-Salem Cardinals.

Redlegs Team Set

1956 Season

Jablonski was the Reds' regular third baseman in an infield that consisted of Ted Kluszewski (#25) at first, Johnny Temple (#212) at second and Roy McMillan (#123) at shortstop.  He got off to a hot start, and finished the month of April tied with teammate Wally Post (#158) for the league lead in RBIs with 13.  But he slumped badly throughout the rest of the season, ultimately losing his starting job to Alex Grammas (#37).  In 130 games, Jablonski hit .256 with 15 home runs and 66 RBIs.  The Reds finished in third place behind the pennant winning Dodgers and the second place Braves.

On November 13th, the Reds traded him with Elmer Singleton to his hometown Cubs for Warren Hacker (#282), Don Hoak (#335) and Pete Whisenant.  Although his 1957 Topps card features him with the Cubs, he never played a game for the team as they traded him to the Giants on April 16, 1957.

Phillies Connection
At the age of 35, Jablonski played the 1962 season with the Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers, a shared AAA team of the Angels and Phillies.  His teammates that year included future Phillies Pat Corrales and Cookie Rojas.

1953 Topps #189

1954 Topps #26

1955 Topps #56

1957 Topps #218

1959 Topps #342

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1953 Topps #189
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1953-1959
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Topps Archives 1954 #26

29 - Jablonski non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/4/20.

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: #85 Cleveland Indians Team Card / #87 Dean Stone - Washington Nationals

Order Collected: #58 Ed Roebuck - Brooklyn Dodgers / #97 Jerry Lynch - Pittsburgh Pirates

#85 Cleveland Indians Team Card

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

Building the Set
Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ - Card #6
This was one of the Original 44, and I've told 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.  This was the first team card from the set we added to our collection, and I remember being impressed with how Topps included the names of everyone in the picture on the front of the card.  The back of the card was just as cool, with a diagram of the team's stadium complete with dimensions, a brief history of the club and a listing of the team's all-time season records and pennant wins.  This would have been around the time I was starting to dig more into the history of the game, and I would have had an inkling as to who Napolean Lajoie or Tris Speaker were.

2003 Topps #638

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

The Card
The logo on the card features Chief Wahoo wearing a World Series crown.  This was the team's alternate logo used between 1949 and 1955 to celebrate their World Series title in 1948.  The Indians haven't won a title since.  In case there was any confusion, Topps provides a handy "TEAM CARD" designation above and below the card number on the back.

Here are the subjects featured on the card, including a listing of their 1956 Topps card if they had one.  The photo was taken during the 1955 season at some point after July 31st, as that's the day the Indians claimed Sal Maglie off waivers from the Giants.  Maglie is present in the back row of the photo.

Front Row Jose Santiago (#59) Hal Naragon (#311) Ray Narleski (#133) Gene Woodling (#163) Vic Wertz (#300) Kenny Kuhn Bobby Avila (#132) Batboy Jack Hoban Sam Dente Ferris Fain Hank Foiles

2nd Row Don Mossi (#39) Bob Feller (#200) Al Rosen (#35) George Strickland Coach Red Kress Manager Al Lopez Coach Tony Cuccinello Coach Mel Harder Coach Bill Lobe Bob Lemon (#255) Early Wynn (#187) Mike Garcia (#210)

Back Row Traveling Sec'y Spud Goldstein Al Smith (#105) Dale Mitchell (#268) Stu Locklin Sal Maglie Ralph Kiner Herb Score (#140) Jim Hegan (#48) Hoot Evers Lary Doby (#250 with White Sox) Art Houtteman (#281) Trainer Wally Bock

The Indians called Municipal Stadium home until 1993 when they moved into Jacobs Field, which was renamed Progressive Field in 2008.  I didn't realize there had been a name change, as I still refer to the Indians home ballpark as The Jake.  There are only a few categories on the back of the card that need to be updated:

Most Home Runs - 223 in 2019
Most Consecutive Games Won - 22 in 2017
Additional Pennant Winning Teams - 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2016, 2017, 2018

1955 Variation

No Year, Team Name Left

The Indians team card, along with a few other team cards, is available in three variations.  There's a version with the 1955 date, and then two versions without the year with the team name either centered or to the left.  I have the version with the centered team name in our set, and based on a quick eBay search the centered name variation seems to be the most common of the three.

Indians Team Set

1956 Season

Manager Al Lopez was in his sixth and final season at the helm for the Indians, and for the fifth time in six years the team finished in second place behind the powerhouse Yankees.  The lone exception came in 1954 when the Indians faced off against the Giants in the World Series and were swept in four games.

The team boasted three 20-game winners with Wynn, Lemon and Score and those three pitchers combined to throw 55 complete games.  The success of those starters meant that closer Mossi (11 saves) or top reliever Narleski (1.52 ERA) weren't needed much.  Wynn, Score and Narleski represented the Indians at the All-Star Game.

Wertz led the offense with 32 home runs and 106 RBIs with Rocky Colavito having a successful rookie season by hitting .276 with 21 home runs and 65 RBIs.

Indians Cards That Never Were
There are a few options here for 1956 Topps cards that never were:

• Al Lopez (manager) - A future Hall of Famer, a manager's card for Lopez in his final year leading the Indians is needed.  (Manager cards that never were will be a common theme for all teams other than the Dodgers and Phillies.)
• Rocky Colavito (right field) - Colavito's rookie card can be found in the 1957 Topps set, but as the team's regular right fielder and one of their top sluggers he could have found his way into the 1956 Topps high series.
• George Strickland (shortstop) - Strickland was the team's starting shortstop in 1955 and he appeared in 85 games in a back-up role in 1956.  He was absent from Topps sets between 1953 and 1956.
• Cal McLish (relief pitcher) - Only Mossi (48 games) relieved more games in 1956 than McLish (37 games).  He'd have his rookie card in the 1957 Topps set as well.
• Ralph Kiner (left field) - Kiner wrapped up his Hall of Fame career with 113 games for the Indians in 1955.  The team released him on October 24, 1955, but he could have had a career capper card in the set.
• Ferris Fain (first base) - The same goes for Fain.  He appeared in 56 games for the 1955 Indians, the final year in a career in which he was the two-time A.L. batting champion with the Athletics and a five-time All-Star.

The late, great Bob Lemke created card #352 for Colavito and he posted it to his blog back in December 2015.  I'm reproducing here, but please head over to Bob Lemke's Blog to view his wonderful collection of cards that never were.


Preston Ward (#328 with the Pirates) and Dave Pope (#154 with the Orioles) both spent time with the Indians in 1956 and they appear in the set with other teams.

Sources
Baseball Reference

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Set Order: #84 "Babe" Birrer - Detroit Tigers / #86 Ray Jablonski - Cincinnati Redlegs

Order Collected: #73 Wayne Terwilliger - New York Giants / #98 Camilo Pascual - Washington Nationals

#84 "Babe" Birrer - Detroit Tigers

Werner Joseph Birrer
Detroit Tigers
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  195
Born:  July 4, 1929, Buffalo, NY
Signed:  Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent before 1947 season
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1955; Baltimore Orioles 1956; Los Angeles Dodgers 1958
Died:  November 19, 2013, Clarence, NY (age 84)

Babe Birrer pitched in 56 games over parts of three seasons for the Tigers, Orioles and Dodgers, but it was his performance on July 19, 1955 that he'll most be remembered for.  Birrer relieved Frank Lary (#191) in the sixth inning and pitched four shutout innings to earn the save.  But at the plate, Birrer hit two, three-run home runs to stun the Orioles along with pitchers George Zuverink (#276) and Art Schallock.

Birrer's career record was 4-3 with a 4.36 ERA and four saves.  Most of his success came in the minor leagues, where he pitched for 18 seasons and compiled a lifetime record of 131-127 in 518 games.  He threw a no-hitter in 1957 while pitching for the Los Angeles Angels, the Dodgers' top farm team.

Building the Set
October 10, 1998 in Winston-Salem, NC - Card #163
In what had to have been a post-birthday purchase, I spent $52 in the Season Ticket baseball card store in Winston-Salem for 10 1956 Topps cards.  This Birrer card cost me $4.  I say it had to have been a post-birthday purchase as I didn't have a lot of disposable income back then, but I made sure that any birthday money from my parents went towards something fun and not towards something practical.

I spent 5 years living in Winston-Salem, but I still managed to get lost driving around in those pre-GPS days quite frequently.  Season Ticket was one of the few locations in the city that I memorized and I could drive to without having to ask someone to remind me of the directions.  I mean no disrespect to the former owners, but the place was a glorious dump.  Baseball cards were stacked precariously and haphazardly throughout the store, there was hardly any flat surface without something piled on it, nothing was ever in order and if you asked for something specific the owners may or may not remember the generally direction of where they had last seen it.

And I loved it in there.  I took my Dad a few times when my parents visited me, and he couldn't wait to get out of the store and back into some fresh air.

The Card
This is the third card so far in the set to represent a player's first and last Topps card, along with Nelson Burbrink (#27) and Jose Santiago (#59).  Birrer's facsimile autograph on the front features his real name, Werner.  Topps made Birrer a year older than he actually was, giving him a birth date in 1928.

Tigers Team Set

1956 Season

On April 5th, Birrer was selected off waivers by the Orioles, and he'd appear in only four games for the club from mid-April to mid-May.  He had a 6.75 ERA for the Orioles over 5 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on nine hits.  Most of his season was spent with the San Antonio Missions, and he led that team with 13 wins.  Birrer went 13-8 for the Missions with a 3.75 ERA and 15 complete games.

1961 Buffalo Bisons team photo

Phillies Connection
His Baseball Reference page doesn't provide any details of how he came to the organization, but Birrer pitched for the Phillies' top farm team in Buffalo for parts of three seasons between 1960 and 1962.  With the Bisons, Birrer appeared in 74 games, going 19-18.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #84
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  1956
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #84

8 - Birrer non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/1/20.

Sources:  
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/birreba01.shtmlBaseball 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.

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Set Order: #83 Karl Spooner - Brooklyn Dodgers / #85 Cleveland Indians Team Card

Order Collected: #50 "Dusty" Rhodes - New York Giants / #92 "Red" Wilson - Detroit Tigers

#83 Karl Spooner - Brooklyn Dodgers

Karl Benjamin Spooner
Brooklyn Dodgers
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  185
Born:  June 23, 1931, Oriskany Falls, NY
Signed:  Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1951 season
Major League Teams:  Brooklyn Dodgers 1954-1955
Died:  April 10, 1984, Vero Beach, FL (age 52)

Karl Spooner's biographies from SABR and Wikipedia both utilize the adjective "meteoric" within the first sentences to describe the start of the pitcher's career.  In two September starts for the Dodgers in 1954, Spooner recorded back-to-back complete game shutouts, striking out a total of 27 batters and allowing only seven singles.  He set the records for strikeouts in a debut with 15 and recording six consecutive strikeouts in a debut.  His 27 strikeouts over two games was one less than Bob Feller's (#200) record of 28 over two games.

However, he entered a spring training game in 1955 without properly warming up and suffered an arm injury that would derail the rest of his career.  Spooner struggled throughout the 1955 season, going 8-6 with a 3.65 ERA.  His final appearance came in Game 6 of the 1955 World Series in which he lasted just 1/3 of an inning and gave up five runs on three hits and two walks to the Yankees, including a three-run home run to Bill Skowron (#61).

Left unprotected by the Dodgers in the 1957 minor league draft, he was selected by the Cardinals.  Spooner continued his comeback attempt with the Cardinals over the next season but retired after spring training in 1959.

Dad and Doug - March 4, 2007

Building the Set
February 7, 2007 in Voorhees, NJ - Card #289
This is one of six cards I purchased at the Echelon Mall Baseball Card show in February 2007, spending $70 total, including $7.50 on this Spooner card.  At the time, Doug was a few days away from turning two months old and we had just celebrated my Dad's 63rd birthday a few weeks earlier.

I think Jenna had been out shopping on this day when she texted (or called) me to let me know there was a baseball card show being held at what used to be the Echelon Mall.  The former mall has since been converted as part of the Voorhees Town Center.

The Card
Spooner only appeared on two Topps cards, and both his 1955 and 1956 cards use the same close-up photo.  The back of the card rightfully focuses on Spooner's first two big league starts and his successful minor league campaign.  The "Year" row of statistics tells the story of his 1955 struggles, and by the time this card was issued, Spooner's big league career was over.  The card was reprinted, along with all 1956 Topps Brooklyn Dodgers cards, in the 1995 Topps Archives Brooklyn Dodgers set.

Dodgers Team Set

1956 Season

Still hampered by arm injuries, Spooner only appeared in four games in 1956, pitching for the Double-A St. Paul Saints.  His Baseball Reference statistics are incomplete for the year, only showing that he went 0-1.  He was a September call-up for the Dodgers, but he didn't appear in any games.

1955 Topps #90

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Topps #90
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1955-1956
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2005 Topps Dem Bums #KS

15 - Spooner non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/1/20.

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: #82 Bill Renna - Kansas City Athletics / #84 "Babe" Birrer - Detroit Tigers

Order Collected: #171 Jim Wilson - Baltimore Orioles / #90 Cincinnati Redlegs Team Card

#82 Bill Renna - Kansas City Athletics

William Beneditto Renna
Kansas City Athletics
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  218
Born:  October 14, 1924, Hanford, CT
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1949 season
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1953; Philadelphia Athletics 1954; Kansas City Athletics 1955-1956; Boston Red Sox 1958-1959
Died:  July 19, 2014, San Jose, CA (age 89)

After serving in World War II, Bill Renna played in parts of six seasons in the majors, enjoying his best season in 1954 with the Athletics, the final year the team played in Philadelphia before moving west to Kansas City.  That season he hit .232 with career highs in runs scored (52), home runs (13) and RBIs (53).  Originally signed by the Yankees, Renna hit .314 in 1953 and was on the club's World Series roster that year, but never made it into a game.  He was one of 11 players swapped by the A's and Yankees on December 16, 1953.  Renna headed to Philadelphia along with Don Bollweg, Jim Finigan (#22), Johnny Gray, Vic Power (#67) and Jim Robertson while Loren Babe, Harry Byrd, Tom Hamilton, Carmen Mauro and Eddie Robinson (#302) were packaged to New York.

In the final two years of his career with the Red Sox, Renna served as a back-up to Ted Williams (#5).  In total, he hit .239 with 28 home runs and 119 RBIs over 370 games.

Building the Set
October 2, 1993 in Winston-Salem, NC - Card #119
This is one of two cards purchased right before my 20th birthday in 1993 from Tommy's Collectibles in Winston-Salem, not far from the Wake Forest campus.  We paid $9 for this Renna card (probably too high) and $6 for the Ray Narleski (#133) card.  As a college freshman in the spring and a sophomore in the fall, we only added 13 cards total to our 1956 Topps set in 1993.  This is the first of seven cards we purchased for our set from Tommy's Collectibles between October 1993 and December 1996.

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

The Card
Renna's main photo is recycled from his 1955 Topps card.  I don't talk enough about the design of the 1956 Topps set, but this card has always been aesthetically pleasing to me.  I think it's the combination of the bright colors (red, yellow, blue, green) and the symmetry of the white line around the on-deck circle and the third base foul line.

Topps shaves two years from Renna's birth year, as he was actually born in 1924.

Reference is made to Santa Clara University on the back of Renna's card, and he was one of the first of a few Santa Clara graduates to make it to the majors.  Among his contemporaries to have played at Santa Clara are Duane Pillette and Lou Berberet (#329).  Bruce Bochte, Mike Macfarlane and Randy Winn would all come through Santa Clara in later decades.

1956 Season

Renna opened the 1956 season as the back-up to the A's everyday right fielder, Enos Slaughter.  He hit .271 over 33 games for the A's before the club traded him back to the Yankees on June 14th with Moe Burtschy for Eddie Robinson (again) and Lou Skizas.  The Yankees sent him to their farm team in Richmond, where he'd stay for the rest of the 1956 season.  With the Richmond Virginians, Renna hit .312 over 87 games and he led the club with 20 RBIs and 76 RBIs.

He was dealt to the Red Sox during spring training 1957, and he'd spend the entire 1957 season with the San Francisco Seals (the Red Sox top farm team) before getting another chance in the majors in 1958.

1954 Topps #112

1955 Topps #121

1958 Topps #473

1959 Topps #72

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1954 Topps #112
First Topps Card:  1954 Topps #112
Last Topps Card:  1959 Topps #72
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2008 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-BR
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1954-1956, 1958-1959

20 - Renna non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/1/19.

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: #81 Wally Westlake - Philadelphia Phillies / #83 Karl Spooner - Brooklyn Dodgers

Order Collected: #75 Roy Sievers - Washington Nationals / #133 Ray Narleski - Cleveland Indians

#81 Wally Westlake - Philadelphia Phillies

Waldon Thomas Westlake
Philadelphia Phillies
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  186
Born:  November 8, 1920, Gridley, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1940 season
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1947-1951; St. Louis Cardinals 1951-1952; Cincinnati Reds 1952; Cleveland Indians 1952-1955; Baltimore Orioles 1955; Philadelphia Phillies 1956
Died:  September 6, 2019, Sacramento, CA (age 98)

The start of Wally Westlake's big league career was delayed while he was serving in World War II, but once he made his debut at 26 with the 1947 Pirates he proved to be a consistent hitter for several seasons.  Westlake was an All-Star with the Cardinals in 1951 (following his trade from the Pirates) and was a member of the 1954 Indians team that lost the World Series to the Giants.  Over his 10 year career, Westlake hit .272 with 127 home runs and 539 RBIs.  His best seasons came in 1948 and 1949 with the Pirates when he hit .285 and .282 with 65 and 104 RBIs respectively, while also hitting for the cycle twice.

Building the Set
June 20, 1992 in Ocean City, NJ - Card #106
This is one of 11 cards (and the 8th I've covered on this blog) my Dad and I bought in June 1992 at the Ocean City baseball card show held on the boardwalk at the Music Pier.  We paid $60 for the lot of 11 cards, which at the time was most likely a steal.  Chronologically, I have this listed as the 106th card we added to the set.  Like the other cards in this lot, this card is gorgeous with four sharp corners.  I'd love to get into my time machine and buy whatever other 1956 Topps cards this dealer had for sale as they're some of the finest cards in our set.

It would seem as if we paid the full admission price of $6 as we didn't relinquish the postcard below to receive $0.50 off.  I still have a collection of these postcards and flyers dating back to the early 1980s from the various Ocean City baseball card shows.


My Dad wasn't much of a night owl, which explains why we wouldn't have waited around for an autograph from Del Ennis the Saturday of this show.  It's a shame too.  Ennis was one of my Dad's favorite players and it would have been an amazing keepsake if I had somehow gotten a picture of the two of them together.

The Card
I've looked at this card hundreds of time, and it was only within the past 10 years or so I realized Westlake is wearing a Cardinals uniform in the photo of him swinging a bat.  He had last played for the Cardinals in early 1952.  It's amazing to me that writing these posts has resulted in me learning (or re-learning) new things, even things that were probably obvious to everyone else.  A quick search of Getty Images also turns up the source of the close-up photo of Westlake.  That photo was taken during the 1953 season at Yankee Stadium and I've included it above.

The first panel on the back states Westlake is a veteran of 13 seasons, which is accurate if you count his minor league years.  Westlake played in the minors between 1940 and 1942 before heading off for military service, and then he played 10 seasons after that between 1946 and 1955.  His 1948 cycle came on July 30th against the Dodgers, and his second cycle came on June 14, 1949 against the Braves.

1956 Season/Phillies Career

1977 Fritsch One-Year
Wonders #17

Westlake was released by the Orioles on July 9, 1955 and he finished the remainder of the 1955 seasons playing for the Oakland Oaks and the Portland Beavers in the Pacific Coast League.  The Phillies signed him on November 7, 1955.  Now a 34-year-old veteran, Westlake wrapped up his 10-year big league career playing five games for the Phillies in 1956, all on the road and all as a pinch-hitter.  He went 0 for 4 with a walk and three strikeouts and the Phillies released him on May 18th.  By the time kids were getting this card of Westlake in their packs of 1956 Topps (Series 1), he had signed to play with the unaffiliated Sacramento Solons of the Pacific Coast League.  Westlake hit .273 for the Solons over 90 games to finish out the 1956 season and his professional career.

Other than this 1956 Topps card, Westlake's only other Phillies card can be found in the Elder Postcards set released in the 1960s.  He also signed a reprinted version of his 1956 Topps card for inclusion as in insert available in packs of 2005 Topps Heritage.

Westlake may have been motivated to sign with the Phillies in late 1955 as his younger brother, Jim Westlake, was playing in the Phillies system at the time.  Jim Westlake appeared in one game for the Phillies on April 16, 1955, pinch-hitting for reliever Jack Spring and striking out against the Giants' Jim Hearn (#202).

When Wally Westlake died this past September at the age of 98, he passed on the title of the oldest living Phillies alumnus to former coach Billy DeMars, now 94.  (Per a Tweet from Larry Shenk.)

1949 Bowman #45

1951 Topps Red Backs #27

1952 Topps #38

1953 Topps #192

1954 Topps #92

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1949 Bowman #45
First Topps Card:  1951 Topps Red Backs #27
Representative Phillies Card:  1956 Topps #81
Last Topps Card:  1956 Topps #81
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2005 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #RO-WW
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1951-1956

40 - Westlake non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 11/30/19.

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: #80 Gus Triandos - Baltimore Orioles / #82 Bill Renna - Kansas City Athletics

Order Collected: #66 Bob Speake - Chicago Cubs / #143 Jim Piersall - Boston Red Sox

#80 Gus Triandos - Baltimore Orioles

Gus Triandos
Baltimore Orioles
First Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  205
Born:  July 30, 1930, San Francisco, CA
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1948 season
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1953-1954; Baltimore Orioles 1955-1962; Detroit Tigers 1963; Philadelphia Phillies 1964-1965; Houston Astros 1965
Died:  March 28, 2013, San Jose, CA (age 82)

A slugging catcher who enjoyed his best seasons in the late 1950s, Gus Triandos was a three-time All-Star who hit 167 career home runs over his 13-year career.  Triandos enjoyed his best years with the Orioles between 1955 and 1962, hitting at least 17 home runs in five seasons.  His best season statistically came in 1958 when he hit a career high 30 home runs and drove in 79 runs.  That was also the season he was named the starting catcher for the A.L. All-Stars, ending the eight-year reign of the Yankees' Yogi Berra (#110).  It was the Yankees who had originally traded Triandos away to the Orioles in November 1954 as part of a blockbuster 17-player trade.  I first wrote about that trade with the Bob Turley (#40) card here.

Triandos was also known for his defense behind the plate, leading the A.L. in the caught stealing category in both 1957 and 1959, and finishing in the top ten for fielding percentage as a catcher in three different seasons.  After a year with the Tigers in 1963, he was traded to the Phillies where he shared catching duties with Clay Dalrymple.  After a 24-game stint with the Astros in 1965, Triandos retired and served as a part-time scout for the Dodgers in the mid-1970s.  He was elected into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1981, the fifth member enshrined following Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Dave McNally and Boog Powell.

Christmas Eve 2004

Building the Set
December 25, 2004 from San Diego, CA - Card #257
This is the fifth of six cards my Dad gave me for Christmas in 2004, and I've already covered the cards for Andy Carey (#12), Bob Kennedy (#38), "Windy" McCall (#44) and Johnny O'Brien (#65).  My Dad never told me how much he paid for the six cards he ordered from Kit Young Cards in San Diego.  Kit Young was a favorite of my Dad's, and I can picture him making the long distance call to California with a dollar amount in mind for this purchase.

And only after researching and composing this post did I realize I've been saying Triandos' name wrong my whole life.  I've always pronounced his last name "Trinidos" like the country Trindad, completely omitting the "A."

The Card
Triandos had his rookie card in the 1955 Topps set, and this card borrows the same main picture.  The action shot shows Triandos in a Yankees uniform, wearing the #26 he wore in 1953 and 1954 with his original team.  Triandos wore #11 during his time with the Orioles.

With Hal Smith (#62) the regular catcher for the Orioles, Triandos moved to first base in 1955 after being acquired from the Yankees.  He played 103 games at first, and still managed to catch 36 games as the back-up to Smith.  He ran away with the team lead in home runs with 12, with Dave Philley (#222), Cal Abrams and Hoot Evers finishing a distant second place, all tied with six.  His 65 RBIs topped the 52 from Smith.

1956 Season
Triandos resumed his duties behind the plate in 1956 and the Orioles traded away Smith on August 17th.  In 131 games, Triandos hit .279 with 21 home runs and a career high 88 RBIs.  Working with manager Paul Richards, Triandos became one of the best catchers in the league, both from a defensive and offensive standpoint.

Phillies Career
On December 5, 1963, Triandos was traded to the Phillies from the Tigers along with Jim Bunning for Don Demeter and Jack Hamilton.  It turned out to be a fairly lopsided trade in favor of the Phillies as Bunning would go on to add to his Hall of Fame career numbers.  Triandos was behind the plate on Father's Day 1964 when Bunning threw his perfect game, collecting a pair of hits, driving in two runs and scoring a run.  Wearing #9, Triandos quickly got out of the way following the final strikeout of Bunning's masterpiece as his teammates mobbed the mound.

He shared catching duties in 1964 with Dalrymple, with Dalrymple starting 110 games to Triandos' 52.  Following the historic Phillies collapse of 1964, Triandos was back as Dalrymple's back-up to start the 1965 season.  When the Phillies decided they wanted to get a better look at young catching prospect Pat Corrales, Triandos was sold to the Astros on August 20th.  In 103 games with the Phillies, Triandos hit .226 with eight home runs and 37 RBIs.

Bunning's perfect game - Triandos is behind the plate wearing #9

He's listed as a Phillie on his 1964 Topps card, but he's pictured wearing a Tigers uniform.  His 1965 Topps card is his sole mainstream baseball card to actually picture him in a Phillies uniform.

1955 Topps #64

1959 Topps #330

1962 Topps #420

1964 Topps #83

1965 Topps #248

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Topps #64
First Topps Card:  1955 Topps #64
Representative Phillies Card:  1965 Topps #248
Last Topps Card:  1965 Topps #248
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1986 TCMA All-Time Baltimore Orioles #6
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  1955-1965

75 - Triandos non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 11/30/19.

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: #79 Sandy Koufax - Brooklyn Dodgers / #81 Wally Westlake - Philadelphia Phillies

Order Collected: #65 Johnny O'Brien - Pittsburgh Pirates / #160 Billy Pierce - Chicago White Sox