Tuesday, November 17, 2009

196(9) At A Time - Page 58

This page features two Hall of Famers and two hatless players. The number of airbrushed cards has really fallen off in the later series....Good!



#509 - Manny Sanguillen
The Pittsburgh favorite had just finished his rookie season in 1968, hitting a respectable .271 in 30 games. He became the Pirates regular catcher in 1969 and hit .303. In 2008 I went to see the Cubs play in Pittsburgh. Before the game they had an autograph table set up with three ex-Pirates. Sanguillen was one of the three and was by far the most in demand. I skipped his line. Ex-Cub and Pirate Rick Reuschel was also one of the three and his line was very short. I was able to just walk right up to him. I got two of his autographs.



#510 - Rod Carew
Rod and Manny Sanguillen are in nearly identical poses. By 1969 the Hall of Famer had two big league seasons under his belt and two All Star appearances also. Yet, he had not hit over .300. That would change in '69 as he hit .322 and made the All Star team again. In fact, Carew would make the team 18 year in a row!



#511 - Diego Segui
The Cuban-born Segui was taken from the A's, as you can tell by the vest and green sleeves. He spent the 1969 season working out of the bullpen and had an amazing 12-6 record. Not shabby at all considering the Pilots team record was 64-98.



#512 - Cleon Jones
A Met...next card please



#513 - Camilo Pasqual
This starter was one of the AL's top pitchers in the late 50's and early '60's while hurling for the Senators/Twins. The Twins sent him back to Washington and the new Senators in 1967 and he was a respectable 13-12 in 1968. But 1969 saw his career turn for the worse and he was sold to the Reds in July. He would spend 1970 with the Dodgers and 1971 with Cleveland before calling it a career.



#514 - Mike Lum
I had always heard the Lum was the first Hawaiian born player in the majors. But according to this list, he was the fourth. He broke in with the Braves in 1967 and was the team's fourth outfielder. In 1969 he appeared in 121 games and had 168 at bats.

The final 41 games of his career were spent with the Cubs in 1981. The Cubs released him after the season and he was unable to make another MLB roster.



#515 - Dick Green
The A's second baseman had the best season of his 12 season career in 1969. He hit a career high .275 and added 12 home runs. He even picked up one MVP vote (I would guess a homer vote from an Oakland writer).



#516 - Earl Weaver
Hey, Night Owl, this one looks like a night card; there is a light bulb over Earl's right shoulder. 1969 was his first full season as skipper of the Orioles and Earl led the Birds to a record of 109-53 and the AL pennant. But I will also be disappointed in him for not beating the Mets in the World Series.



#517 - Mike McCormick
He was one of the last New York Giants still active with the team in San Francisco in 1969.. His career was revived in 1967 when the Giants reacquired him and he went on to win 22 games and the NL Cy Young Award. But that was his last hurrah. He was a .500 pitcher in '68-69 and the Giants traded him to the Yankees mid-season, 1970.

Overall Set Totals (player cards only)

Hall of Famers - 36
Hatless - 114
Airbrush - 91
Cubs (includes past, present, or future) - 70

2 comments:

  1. Maybe it's all teams but ala Mike Lum the Cubs sure have had their share of guys on the way out, especially power hitting outfielders.

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