I Bought a Phillies Card

This doesn't happen very often. In fact, I think this is the first time I've done it. If I buy single cards of a non-Cub, it has been to complete a set. But recently I bought a card that wasn't to finish a set and it wasn't a Cubs player.

But rest assured, I haven't gone off the deep end; the card is most certainly Cubs related.



This beauty is from Topps 1966 set and it features a rookie pitcher named Ferguson Jenkins.
Most of the 1969 Cubs were either home-grown or came to the organization with no major league experience. That meant that all of their Topps cards began with them as a Cub. Jenkins was the exception, with this 1966 rookie card. I thought it was time to go ahead and get it to complete my Jenkins collection.

Fergie pitched for the Phillies in 8 games over parts of 1965 and 1966 before coming to the Cubs in a trade. The swap was made on April 22, 1966. The Cubs got Fergie and center fielder Adolfo Phillips in exchange for pitchers Bob Buhl and Larry Jackson. It was quite a steal for the Cubs.




Bob Buhl went 6-8 with a 4.93 ERA for the Phillies before being release in May, 1967



I've got this card from 1965 because Larry Jackson's 1966 card was in the high-number series and it shows him with the Phillies (though he is wearing a Cubs uniform). Jackson was an innings eater for the Phillies for the next three seasons, making 104 starts and posting a 42-45 record. He was taken by the Expos in the expansion draft, but never pitched for them.



Adolfo Phillips had a couple decent years as the Cubs center fielder, but he clashed with manager Leo Durocher and was traded during the 1969 season.



And Fergie, well, you know his story.

Fifteen years later, the Phillies would sent another unproven rookie to the Cubs (along with Larry Bowa in exchange for current Cubs coach Ivan DeJesus)....



...and you know how his career turned out too. Ryno was in the news yesterday as he will be returning to the Phillies organization, managing their AAA team.

I know the Cubs catch a lot of flack for trading Lou Brock to the Cardinals, but I think they made up for it with these two trades with the Phillies.