Everyone is into the 1960 Topps cards because it's the design Heritage is "borrowing" for its cards this year. Although I'm not collecting Heritage this year (just a few packs here and there), I do like the design. Now that collectors have moved on to the latest and greatest sets, like O-Pee-Chee, Finest and Bowman, I thought I'd return focus to the design and feature some of the Dodgers from the original 1960 set.
In case you didn't know, this year is the 50th anniversary of the Los Angeles' Dodgers first World Series championship, the 1959 champions. A team that Bill James once called "the weakest World Championship team of all time."
So, when kids pulled a Dodger card out of their packs in 1960, they were something special. Those were world championship ballplayers they were holding there. I have a few of those 1960 Dodgers. I featured them here. But Adam of Thoughts and Sox recently sent some more. He was offering up some well-loved 1960 cards for some vintage Red Sox. And I was able to score some, not all, of the Dodgers.
Here are some of the guys who contributed to that "weak" World Series championship team:
LARRY SHERRY: This may be my favorite card of the bunch that Adam sent. Sherry was a rookie in 1959. But he dominated the World Series, winning two games and saving two others, and capturing the MVP award. Sherry was one of several tough, rough pitchers on the Dodgers that year. Along with Drysdale, Stan Williams, Ed Roebuck and Roger Craig, Sherry wouldn't hesitate to knock batters down. He enjoyed several solid seasons for the Dodgers, before being traded to the Tigers, a deal that brought Lou Johnson to the Dodgers. Johnson helped L.A. win another World Series in 1965. Sherry died in December 2006.
BOB LILLIS: Bob Lillis was a part-time player for L.A. in 1959. He played in only 30 games and hit .229. Nicknamed "Flea," Lillis played shortstop, so his path to the major leagues was blocked by Pee Wee Reese. Then, after Reese moved on, Maury Wills won the job, and Lillis was traded away. I know Lillis more for his coaching and managerial career with the Astros. During the late '70s, the Astros played bit parts in a made-for-TV movie called "Murder at the World Series." A Sports Illustrated article said Lillis was the guy who directed the Astros on the field during game sequences. (This card is a "gray back," by the way).
BILL HARRIS: Ah, the "Rookie Star." Harris pitched in two major league games his entire career, including one in 1959. The bio on the back begins, "After a 9-year apprenticeship in the minors ..." Wow. I'm not sure who had more patience, Harris or the Dodgers.
There's the cartoon on the back. I thought it was appropriate since today is "Canada Day." Although a mountie is a bit stereotypical. This card is another gray back.
DON DEMETER: Demeter is one of those guys who played in the '60s that I had never heard of but should have. He hit more than 20 home runs five times in his career, knocked in a 100 runs once and finished in the top 12 in MVP voting one year. Of course, most of this was not with the Dodgers. After a respectable 1959 season for L.A., in which he was their regular center fielder, he was nudged out of his job by Tommy Davis, then traded to the Phillies in 1961.
According to Carl Erskine's book "Tales from the Dodger Dugout," Demeter would not curse. Instead, he would use the phrase "hen house," which, personally, I think is even better than cursing. I'm going to have to try that: That Alex Rodriguez is a "hen house."
JOHNNY KLIPPSTEIN: Isn't this card in fine shape? Another gray back. Klippstein is lauded on the card back as a valuable reliever for the Dodgers in 1959. I noticed he went 4-0, but his ERA was 5.91. He spent only a year-and-half with the Dodgers and came over to L.A. in a trade with Cincinnati for Don Newcombe. He once one-hit the Dodgers, and his major league career actually lasted 18 seasons. Wikipedia says he was the son-in-law of former pitcher Dutch Leonard. Klippstein died in 2003.
STAN WILLIAMS: This card has a crease down the center of Williams' face, probably created by a fan shortly after Williams walked in the winning run to clinch the special 1962 playoff series for the Giants in 1962. Stan "Big Daddy" Williams, according to the book, "True Blue," by Steve Delsohn, was a headhunter. Sherry says in the book that Williams kept a book in his locker that not only listed which batters he was going to hit, but where he was going to hit them. The Los Angeles Times once called him "the meanest pitcher of all-time."
Williams only started 15 games for the Dodgers in 1959, but he was a regular starter for L.A. the next three years and threw just as hard as Koufax and Drysdale. (In 1961, Koufax, Williams and Drysdale finished 1-2-3 in the NL in strikeouts). But Williams also had control issues. After a long playing career, he became a pitching coach for a number of teams.
CARL FURILLO: I have this card, already. It's in a little better shape than this one. Furillo was one of the "Boys of Summer," and played a huge part in the book by Roger Kahn. He was a league-leading hitter and featured an amazing arm in right field. But by 1959, he was a bit player, competing in only 50 games (Duke Snider played right field most of the time that year).
Furillo later sued the Dodgers after he was injured and released by the team. Furillo claimed the Dodgers released him to avoid the higher pension and medical expenses owed to such a veteran player. He collected some money for his trouble, but said he was blackballed out of a job in the sport because of his stance. Furillo died in 1989.
JOE PIGNATANO: Pignatano grew up in the same Bensonhurst neighborhood of New York City as Sandy Koufax. They knew each other as kids. Pignatano caught Koufax as they came up through the minors together. If you read Jane Leavy's book on Sandy Koufax, "A Lefty's Legacy," Pignatano comes up a lot.
He was a back-up catcher for the Dodgers in 1959, known for his defensive skills. He is quoted in the book as saying that Koufax really wasn't all that wild during his early career. He said that Koufax got pinned with that label and it took him a long time to shake it.
GIL HODGES: This card shows Hodges' eighth-inning home run in Game 4 of the 1959 World Series against the White Sox. It broke a 4-4 tie and gave Larry Sherry his second World Series victory. Sherry, Chuck Essegian and Charley Neal get a lot of mention for their performances in this Series, but Hodges was probably the best hitter for the Dodgers against the White Sox. He hit .391 in 23 at-bats. 1959 was basically Hodges' last hurrah as a player. He was a part-timer from then on before retiring in 1963. He died in 1972. Oh, and he did something with the Mets, but this is a Dodger blog.
There are a whopping 35 Dodger cards in this set, and that's not even including the World Series cards. So I have a long way to go. But I'm going to keep trying, because I'm proud of "the weakest World Championship team of all time."
Oh, and Adam sent me some other Dodgers, too. Here are some of them:
A 2004 Topps Traded card of Chin-Lung Hu. I always forget about the traded series when I'm making out want lists. I'll have to add this one.
A shiny-yet-dark Upper Deck card of Jackie Robinson, either from 1996 or 1997. Even if you put this card under a light, it's dark, but still very shiny. If that makes any sense.
Lastly, here's a signed Roger Cedeno card from some company I've never heard of, called "Signature Rookies." That leaves a newbie like me asking, did all the cards come signed? After all, it's called "Signature Rookies." Or did Adam or someone else get it signed because it'd be clever to get a card called Signature Rookies" signed. Or maybe I'm just overthinking things as usual.
Hope you enjoyed the 50-year retrospective. I only did this because I'm hoping the Dodgers will win the Series this year. It'd be perfect. And then, in 2059, someone can pull out the 2010 cards and tell the tale of the 2009 World Championship Dodgers. It won't be me though. I doubt I'll be around then.
In case you didn't know, this year is the 50th anniversary of the Los Angeles' Dodgers first World Series championship, the 1959 champions. A team that Bill James once called "the weakest World Championship team of all time."
So, when kids pulled a Dodger card out of their packs in 1960, they were something special. Those were world championship ballplayers they were holding there. I have a few of those 1960 Dodgers. I featured them here. But Adam of Thoughts and Sox recently sent some more. He was offering up some well-loved 1960 cards for some vintage Red Sox. And I was able to score some, not all, of the Dodgers.
Here are some of the guys who contributed to that "weak" World Series championship team:
LARRY SHERRY: This may be my favorite card of the bunch that Adam sent. Sherry was a rookie in 1959. But he dominated the World Series, winning two games and saving two others, and capturing the MVP award. Sherry was one of several tough, rough pitchers on the Dodgers that year. Along with Drysdale, Stan Williams, Ed Roebuck and Roger Craig, Sherry wouldn't hesitate to knock batters down. He enjoyed several solid seasons for the Dodgers, before being traded to the Tigers, a deal that brought Lou Johnson to the Dodgers. Johnson helped L.A. win another World Series in 1965. Sherry died in December 2006.
BOB LILLIS: Bob Lillis was a part-time player for L.A. in 1959. He played in only 30 games and hit .229. Nicknamed "Flea," Lillis played shortstop, so his path to the major leagues was blocked by Pee Wee Reese. Then, after Reese moved on, Maury Wills won the job, and Lillis was traded away. I know Lillis more for his coaching and managerial career with the Astros. During the late '70s, the Astros played bit parts in a made-for-TV movie called "Murder at the World Series." A Sports Illustrated article said Lillis was the guy who directed the Astros on the field during game sequences. (This card is a "gray back," by the way).
BILL HARRIS: Ah, the "Rookie Star." Harris pitched in two major league games his entire career, including one in 1959. The bio on the back begins, "After a 9-year apprenticeship in the minors ..." Wow. I'm not sure who had more patience, Harris or the Dodgers.
There's the cartoon on the back. I thought it was appropriate since today is "Canada Day." Although a mountie is a bit stereotypical. This card is another gray back.
DON DEMETER: Demeter is one of those guys who played in the '60s that I had never heard of but should have. He hit more than 20 home runs five times in his career, knocked in a 100 runs once and finished in the top 12 in MVP voting one year. Of course, most of this was not with the Dodgers. After a respectable 1959 season for L.A., in which he was their regular center fielder, he was nudged out of his job by Tommy Davis, then traded to the Phillies in 1961.According to Carl Erskine's book "Tales from the Dodger Dugout," Demeter would not curse. Instead, he would use the phrase "hen house," which, personally, I think is even better than cursing. I'm going to have to try that: That Alex Rodriguez is a "hen house."
JOHNNY KLIPPSTEIN: Isn't this card in fine shape? Another gray back. Klippstein is lauded on the card back as a valuable reliever for the Dodgers in 1959. I noticed he went 4-0, but his ERA was 5.91. He spent only a year-and-half with the Dodgers and came over to L.A. in a trade with Cincinnati for Don Newcombe. He once one-hit the Dodgers, and his major league career actually lasted 18 seasons. Wikipedia says he was the son-in-law of former pitcher Dutch Leonard. Klippstein died in 2003.
STAN WILLIAMS: This card has a crease down the center of Williams' face, probably created by a fan shortly after Williams walked in the winning run to clinch the special 1962 playoff series for the Giants in 1962. Stan "Big Daddy" Williams, according to the book, "True Blue," by Steve Delsohn, was a headhunter. Sherry says in the book that Williams kept a book in his locker that not only listed which batters he was going to hit, but where he was going to hit them. The Los Angeles Times once called him "the meanest pitcher of all-time."Williams only started 15 games for the Dodgers in 1959, but he was a regular starter for L.A. the next three years and threw just as hard as Koufax and Drysdale. (In 1961, Koufax, Williams and Drysdale finished 1-2-3 in the NL in strikeouts). But Williams also had control issues. After a long playing career, he became a pitching coach for a number of teams.
CARL FURILLO: I have this card, already. It's in a little better shape than this one. Furillo was one of the "Boys of Summer," and played a huge part in the book by Roger Kahn. He was a league-leading hitter and featured an amazing arm in right field. But by 1959, he was a bit player, competing in only 50 games (Duke Snider played right field most of the time that year).Furillo later sued the Dodgers after he was injured and released by the team. Furillo claimed the Dodgers released him to avoid the higher pension and medical expenses owed to such a veteran player. He collected some money for his trouble, but said he was blackballed out of a job in the sport because of his stance. Furillo died in 1989.
JOE PIGNATANO: Pignatano grew up in the same Bensonhurst neighborhood of New York City as Sandy Koufax. They knew each other as kids. Pignatano caught Koufax as they came up through the minors together. If you read Jane Leavy's book on Sandy Koufax, "A Lefty's Legacy," Pignatano comes up a lot.He was a back-up catcher for the Dodgers in 1959, known for his defensive skills. He is quoted in the book as saying that Koufax really wasn't all that wild during his early career. He said that Koufax got pinned with that label and it took him a long time to shake it.
GIL HODGES: This card shows Hodges' eighth-inning home run in Game 4 of the 1959 World Series against the White Sox. It broke a 4-4 tie and gave Larry Sherry his second World Series victory. Sherry, Chuck Essegian and Charley Neal get a lot of mention for their performances in this Series, but Hodges was probably the best hitter for the Dodgers against the White Sox. He hit .391 in 23 at-bats. 1959 was basically Hodges' last hurrah as a player. He was a part-timer from then on before retiring in 1963. He died in 1972. Oh, and he did something with the Mets, but this is a Dodger blog.There are a whopping 35 Dodger cards in this set, and that's not even including the World Series cards. So I have a long way to go. But I'm going to keep trying, because I'm proud of "the weakest World Championship team of all time."
Oh, and Adam sent me some other Dodgers, too. Here are some of them:
A 2004 Topps Traded card of Chin-Lung Hu. I always forget about the traded series when I'm making out want lists. I'll have to add this one.
A shiny-yet-dark Upper Deck card of Jackie Robinson, either from 1996 or 1997. Even if you put this card under a light, it's dark, but still very shiny. If that makes any sense.
Lastly, here's a signed Roger Cedeno card from some company I've never heard of, called "Signature Rookies." That leaves a newbie like me asking, did all the cards come signed? After all, it's called "Signature Rookies." Or did Adam or someone else get it signed because it'd be clever to get a card called Signature Rookies" signed. Or maybe I'm just overthinking things as usual.
Hope you enjoyed the 50-year retrospective. I only did this because I'm hoping the Dodgers will win the Series this year. It'd be perfect. And then, in 2059, someone can pull out the 2010 cards and tell the tale of the 2009 World Championship Dodgers. It won't be me though. I doubt I'll be around then.
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Word Verification: ooffilli