#310 Johnny Callison

What do you think Johnny Callison is looking at? Wacky biplane? Runaway streaker? Flock of seagulls? My money is on Dick Allen on a unicycle.

Fun facts about Johnny Callison:

-A product of Qualls, OK, Johnny signed with the White Sox out of high school in 1957.

-Shot through the minors, hitting .340 with 17 homers and 31 steals at Class A Bakersfield in his first pro season before leading the AAA American Association with 29 home runs as a second-year player. At the end of the 1958 season, he made his major league debut at age 19 and hit .297 in 18 games.

-Struggled in limited major league exposure in 1959 and was traded to the Phillies in the ensuing offseason.

-After solid efforts in his first two years in Philadelphia, Callison became an All-Star in 1962, hitting a career-high .300 with 107 runs scored, 23 home runs, 83 RBI and a league-leading 10 triples.

-73 extra-base hits contributed to a career-best 140 OPS+ in 1963, but it was the only season in a four-year span (1962-1965) that he was not selected for the Midsummer Classic. He also hit for the cycle against the Pirates on June 27.

-As the Phillies made an unsuccessful push for the pennant in 1964, Johnny was a driving force. He drove in a personal-high 104 runs with his usual power (30 2B, 10 3B, 31 HR) and was second to St. Louis' Ken Boyer in MVP balloting. He also earned the All-Star Game MVP with a game-winning three-run homer off of Red Sox closer Dick Radatz.

-His average dropped for the third straight year in 1965 (down to .262), but his extra-base tendencies kept him productive (league-leading 16 3B and a career-high 32 HR to go with 101 RBI). Oddly enough, his home run swing tailed off the next year (11 HR), but he topped the National League with 40 doubles.

-After a decade as a fan favorite in Philly, Johnny was traded to the Cubs for three players in November of 1969. The 1970 season would be his last as a full-time starter, and he belted 19 round-trippers and drove in 68 runs. His .348 on-base percentage was his highest since 1962.

-Finished his career with the Yankees (1972-1973), retiring with a .264 average in parts of 16 seasons. Hit 226 homers and drove in 840 runs. Currently ranks tenth in Phillies history in total bases (2426) and home runs (185), eighth in extra-base hits (534), and sixth in triples (84).

-Passed away in 2006 at age 67.

#234 Chicago White Sox Team Card

Did you miss me? I can't make promises, but I'll try not to fall ill or to get distracted by my sister's wedding and/or weeklong training courses in D.C. Luckily, the latter two events were one-time occasions, so I'm going to get back on the horse with this very colorful team card. Peep those black, white, and red stirrups! It looks like the White Sox were trying to lay claim to the Red Sox as well.

The Al Lopez-managed White Sox finished close, but no cigar in 1964. 98 wins and 64 losses was good for second place, a game shy of the American League Champion Yankees. The Pale Hose spent 39 days in first place while jousting with New York and Baltimore, but couldn't keep pace down the stretch. The faithful fans on the South Side of Chicago packed Comiskey Park 1,250,053 strong, good for the second-highest attendance in the A.L.

The Sox were a middling offensive team, placing sixth in the league with a .247 average and seventh with 642 runs (3.96 per game). However, their patience was a virtue, as they topped the loop with 562 walks. The big producer was third baseman Pete Ward (.282, 23 HR, 94 RBI), though shortstop Ron Hansen (.261, 20 HR, 68 RBI) and right fielder Floyd Robinson (.301, 11 HR, 59 RBI) also contributed to the attack.

Pitching was the driving force in Chicago's success, with the Pale Hose hurlers relying on control (league-best 401 walks allowed) in allowing an A.L.-low 501 runs (3.09 per game). The team ERA was 2.72, with All-Stars Gary Peters (20-8, 2.50 ERA) and Juan Pizarro (19-9, 2.56) comprising a fierce 1-2 punch in the starting rotation. Joe Horlen (13-9, 1.88) and John Buzhardt (10-8, 2.98) rounded out the top four. 41-year-old closer Hoyt Wilhelm baffled batters with his knuckleball (12-9, 1.99, 27 saves).

The 1964 season was the midpoint of a heartbreaking three-year run in which the White Sox average 95.6 wins a year, but earned three second-place finishes. After a World Series appearance in 1959, the former "Go-Go Sox" were unable to maintain momentum. They slid into irrelevance in the second half of the 1960s and would not reach the postseason again until 1983.

#143 Pirates Rookie Stars: John Gelnar and Jerry May

I am fairly confident that the marks on John Gelnar's face are just decades-old schmutz on the card and not some really unfortunate skin condition, but there's no way to be certain. Such is life.

Fun facts about John Gelnar:

-Hailing from Granite, OK, John attended the University of Oklahoma before signing with the Pirates in 1963.

-After a strong year-plus at his first minor league stop in AA Asheville, he made his major league debut at age 21 in August of 1964, allowing five runs in nine innings over seven games.

-His first strikeout victim was Cubs outfielder and future Hall of Famer Billy Williams.

-Spent four more years in the Pittsburgh organization with only a brief and unsuccessful stint in the Bucs' bullpen in late 1967 to show for it.

-Was dealt twice in the 1968-1969 offseason, first to Kansas City and then to Seattle. The Pilots acquired Gelnar and outfielder Steve Whitaker in exchange for Lou Piniella, who would win Rookie of the Year honors with the Royals.

-Was effective but unlucky with the expansion Pilots, winning three and losing ten despite a spiffy 3.31 ERA. He also saved three games.

-Had the unusual distinction of losing consecutive games to the Twins, the first in relief and the second as a starter. On July 19, 1969, he entered in the 17th inning and allowed four runs in the 18th in a game that lasted 5:41. He bounced back on Sunday, July 20 with seven innings of one-run ball before crumbling in the eighth, surrendering two more runs without recording an out.

-Fared a little better in wins and losses as the club moved to Milwaukee the following year; went 4-3 with four saves and a 4.19 ERA in 53 games of relief.

-Was hit hard in two games early in 1971, and soon thereafter the Brewers traded him to Detroit. He spent the rest of the season in the minors, and after another subsequent season at AAA in the Minnesota organization, he hung up his spikes at age 29. Finished 7-14 with a 4.18 ERA and seven saves in parts of five major league seasons.

-John now works as a rancher in Hobart, OK.

Fun facts about Jerry May:

-Born in Staunton, VA, Jerry was signed by Pittsburgh scout Syd Thrift in 1961. Thrift would later serve as GM of the Pirates and Orioles.

-Never did hit at the higher minor league levels, but earned a major league roster spot based on his strong defense behind the plate.

-Drove in the only run in a 16-inning game on September 30, 1964. His bunt single capped the first 3-hit game of his career and mercifully hastened the end of a game in which an N.L.-record-tying 36 batters struck out.

-After cups of coffee in 1964 and 1965 and a limited role in 1966, he took over the starting catcher's job in 1967. Hit a career-high .271 that year.

-Hit a pinch hit grand slam on June 8, 1969 to give the Pirates a 10-9 lead over the Braves in the seventh inning. Atlanta would reclaim the lead for good with a Hank Aaron home run in the eighth.

-Lost his spot in the lineup on July 14, 1969, when he crashed into the dugout at Montreal's Jarry Park and hurt himself. He was further injured on the way to the hospital, when his ambulance collided with another vehicle, damaging his shoulder. Manny Sanguillen supplanted him, and the Pirates dealt may to the Royals prior to their 1971 championship season.

-Had one of his better seasons in '71, batting .252 in 71 games and fielding at a .997 clip.

-Failed to sniff the Mendoza line in the following two seasons with Kansas City and the Mets, bringing his career to an end at age 29.

-In parts of ten seasons, Jerry hit .234 with 63 doubles, 15 home runs, and 130 RBI. He also gunned down 43% of potential base stealers.

-His life was cut tragically short at age 52 in a farming accident at his home in Harrisonburg, VA.

#96 Sonny Siebert

I think that Sonny Siebert sounds like a name you'd hear on The Andy Griffith Show. But nobody cares what I think.

Fun facts about Sonny Siebert:

-A native of St. Mary, MO, Sonny attended the University of Missouri. He was pursued by the NBA's St. Louis Hawks, but ultimately signed with the Indians in 1958.

-The Tribe initially saw him as an outfielder, but converted him to a pitcher in 1960. Within two years, he was a 15-game winner at class A Charleston. In another two years, he was in the major leagues to stay.

-Sonny shined as a rookie swingman in 1964, crafting a 3.23 ERA in 41 games.

-Shifting to the starting rotation in 1965, Siebert excelled: 16-8 with 2.43 ERA, 191 strikeouts in 188.2 innings pitched, a 0.98 WHIP, and a league-leading 4.15 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

-An All-Star season followed in 1966, thanks to another 16-8 record, a 2.80 ERA, 11 complete games, and a June 10 no-hit effort against the Senators.

-After a couple of years of low ERAs and equally low win totals, Sonny was traded to Boston in 1969. His first two full seasons with the Red Sox represented his peak, as he went 31-18 with a 3.16 ERA and nabbed another All-Star selection in 1971.

-Was the last American League pitcher to hit two home runs in a single game when he took Baltimore's Pat Dobson deep twice on September 2, 1971.

-Put his suitcase to good use in the waning years of his career, moving from Boston to Texas to St. Louis to San Diego to Oakland.

-He finished his career in 1975 with a 140-114 record and a 3.21 ERA in 12 seasons.

-Spent the 1991 and 1992 seasons coaching for the Padres' Class A Waterloo team.

#32 Herman Franks

This may be complete nonsense, but Herman Franks looks the way a man named Herman Franks should look. (Reads over it...) Yes. Total and utter nonsense.

Fun facts about Herman Franks:

-Born in Price, UT, Herman spent a year at the University of Utah before turning pro with the Hollywood Stars. He signed with the Cardinals soon after.

-Debuted in St. Louis in 1939 and served as a backup catcher for the Dodgers in the following two years. Didn't do much to impress (.185 in 287 at-bats).

-Served in the military for three and one-half years during World War II.

-Returned to baseball in 1947 as player-manager for Brooklyn's AAA St. Paul team. Resigned in August when the Athletics asked him to join their major league roster.

-Played for the A's in 1947-1948, and finished his career with a single game with the Giants in 1949. Hit .199 in parts of six seasons.

-Coached for his former manager Leo Durocher's Giants from 1949 through 1955, and was believed to have stolen signs from a center-field perch during New York's late-season comeback in their pennant-winning 1951 season.

-Also served as a scout, minor-league general manager, and coach for the Giants from 1956 through 1964.

-Got his first big league managing gig in San Francisco. Despite a 367-280 record in four seasons (1965-1968), his club settled for four second-place finishes and gradually slid from 95 wins in his first year to 88 in the final campaign. Franks was fired and replaced by Clyde King.

-Returned to the dugout with the Cubs in 1977, but compiled a mediocre 238-241 record in three seasons before resigning near the end of 1979.

-Had a brief run as the interim GM of the Cubs in 1981 to close out his time in the top ranks of baseball management. He lived comfortably for the most part, owing to wise business investments, and died in his home last March at age 95.

#31 Mike White

Continuing my trip backwards in time, here's another January trade. Bob Bard, a member of Vintage Card Traders, was good enough to trade me this card and fourteen others that I needed from this set, as well as a few 1986 Topps. In return, I sent some 1995 Topps and 2007 and 2008 Heritage off of his want list. If you would like to help Bob out with any of his collecting needs, you can find his wants and needs here. Thanks again, Bob!

Fun facts about Mike White:

-His father, Joyner "Jo-Jo" White, patrolled the outfield for the Tigers, A's, and Reds in the 1930s and 1940s, hitting .256 in nine seasons.

-Mike was born in Detroit, and signed with the Indians as an amateur free agent in 1959.

-After just two years in the Cleveland organization, White was released after suffering a leg injury. He spent a year with the Angels' AA team, then was drafted by the Houston Colt .45s.

-He batted .294 and .324 in his first two seasons in the Houston farm system. In 1963 he even hit for power for the first time in his pro career, clubbing 34 doubles, seven triples, and ten home runs. He earned a September callup late that year.

-His only full season as a major leaguer was 1964, when he collected 280 at bats in 89 games. He started fast, hitting .362 as late as June 9 before cooling down and finishing at .271. He went back to his singles-hitting ways as well, collecting 11 doubles and three triples but no home runs.

-Drove in a career-high four runs on three singles in Houston's 8-4 win over the Mets on May 23, 1964.

-Went 0-for-9 in limited action in the spring of 1965 before being sent back to AAA, never to return. He also toiled in the minors for the Angels (again) and Cubs before walking away at age 30 in 1969.

-Must have loved to face Vern Law (9-for-18) and Tony Cloninger (4-for-9, 1 2B, 2 BB). Hooray for small sample sizes!

-Oddly enough, he's the only player in major league history with the seemingly common name of Mike White.

-He shares a birthday (December 18) with former Yankee slugger Moose Skowron and Hall of Famer Ty Cobb.

#304 Dave Stenhouse

Remember the uproar in certain segments of society when Ken Griffey, Jr. burst onto the scene with his hat turned backwards? Tell me that his style was any worse than that of Dave Stenhouse, who seems to have grabbed his son's replica Senators hat on his way out the door. Yipes.

Fun facts about Dave Stenhouse:

-A native Rhode Islander, he attended URI before signing with the Cubs in 1955. The only other major leaguer from his alma mater is ex-teammate Angie Dagres.

-Steadily climbed through the Chicago farm system for four years, highlighted by a 16-4, 1.92 mark at class C Lafayette in 1956.

-The Reds drafted Dave from the Cubs in 1958 but allowed him to languish in AAA for three years before trading him to Washington after the 1961 season.

-Stenhouse finally made his major league debut with the Senators in 1962 at age 28. He was an All-Star as a rookie, going 11-12 for a 60-101 club while putting up a 3.65 ERA and completing nine of 26 starts. His 7.7 hits per nine innings was fifth-best in the league.

-Three-hit the White Sox for a 1-0 win on July 17, 1962, retiring the last ten Chicago batters.

-Injuries curtailed his effectiveness in 1963 and 1964, as he slumped to 5-16 with a 4.68 ERA collectively.

-Wound up back in the minors from 1965-1967, but don't feel too badly for him. He spent much of that time in Hawaii, toiling for Washington's top farm team. He never did make it back to the bigs though, and hung it up at age 33 with a career 4.14 ERA in his 76 MLB games pitched.

-Coached at Brown University between 1981 and 1990.

-His son Mike Stenhouse was an outfielder for the Expos, Twins, and Red Sox (1982-1986), hitting .190 in 207 games. Another son, Dave Jr., was a catcher in the Blue Jays organization in the 1980s but was derailed by injuries before reaching the majors.

-As his Baseball Reference Bullpen entry helpfully points out, he is not to be confused with pitcher Don Stanhouse.

#230 Ray Sadecki

From the "Holy crow, am I a dummy" file, I got a sneaking suspicion during the week that I had screwed up the posting order of my cards. You see, when I was fortunate enough to start receiving more 1965 Topps cards than I could keep up with, I began jotting them down on a sheet of paper. In an attempt to become more organized, I later drafted a post on the blog to serve as a "to-do list". I've been working off of that list, but somehow I forgot to add the paper list to the online list. So if you sent me cards between January and April and you've been wondering why in the Sam Hell I haven't written about them, there you go.

Beginning with this post, I'm backtracking to fix that goof-up. First are a pair of cards that Cardboard Junkie Dave sent me as part of his Christmas giveaway (there were also some cool Orioles cards and 1982 Topps set needs in that package). I can't imagine what poor Ray Sadecki did to deserve that Sharpie black eye, but you can bet that he won't do it again!

Fun facts about Ray Sadecki:

-A Kansas Citian (sure, that sounds good) by birth, Ray signed as a bonus baby with the Cardinals in 1958.

-As a 19-year-old rookie in 1960, he went 9-9 with a 3.78 ERA and three-hit the Reds for his first major league win.

-Was even better in his second look at the N.L., going 14-10 with a 3.72 ERA and a career-best 13 complete games. The biggest hole in the youngster's game was a tendency to walk batters (4.5 BB/9 IP in 1960-1961).

-After back-to-back substandard years, Sadecki came on strong for the World Champion Redbirds in 1964: a team-best 20 wins (with 11 losses), a 3.68 ERA, and a Game 1 victory over Whitey Ford in Ford's final World Series game.

-On fifteen separate occasions in his career, he struck out double-digit batters, including a high mark of 13 in two different games.

-Suffered a few indignities in 1966. On July 3, he homered off of Braves pitcher Tony Cloninger, but also surrendered a grand slam to Cloninger, the second hit by the Atlanta hurler in the game. That season, Ray also became the only pitcher to be taken deep twice by walking punchline Bob Uecker!

-Ray pitched his way out of St. Louis with an 8-16 mark in 1965 and early 1966, eventually being swapped to the Giants for Orlando Cepeda. The change of scenery benefitted the southpaw, who posted his two best ERA seasons in 1967 and 1968 (2.78 and 2.91). He went 12-6 and 12-18, respectively, leading the league in losses in the latter season despite his strong effort.

-Spent five years as a valuable swingman for the Mets (1970-1974), posting a 30-24 record with a 3.34 ERA. Allowed one run in four relief appearances in the 1973 World Series, nailing down a save in New York's Game Four win over the A's.

-Racked up frequent flyer miles in his last three seasons in the majors, playing for five different clubs: St. Louis again, Atlanta, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and the Mets once more. In his eighteen-year career, he won 135 games, lost 131, completed 85, hurled 20 shutouts, and pitched to a 3.78 ERA.

-A few highlights since Ray called it a day: he was a coach for the Cubs' A-ball team in Peoria in 1992; a Little League field in his hometown of Kansas City was renovated and named in his honor in 2002; and he was inducted into the Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.

#218 Dick Schofield

You probably know about Dick "Ducky" Schofield's baseball bloodlines (more on that later), but at a glimpse, he bears a strong resemblance to current pitcher Tom Gorzelanny, who got his start with the Pirates. Here's Gorzo. I'm just throwing that out there.

Fun facts about Dick Schofield:

-Hailing from Springfield, IL, Ducky signed with the Cardinals in 1953 as a bonus baby.

-As if proving both the stupidity of the "bonus baby" rule and his own unpreparedness for the majors at age eighteen, he did not reach the Mendoza line (.200 AVG) until his sixth try at the majors (1958). To be fair, he totaled only 82 plate appearances in 104 games in his first five years.

-Was traded to the Pirates in midseason 1958, and became a valuable utility player for them, logging time at second and third base, shortstop, and the corner outfield spots.

-Had the exact same batting average (.333) in the regular season and the World Series in 1960, though both were small sample sizes.

-Actually started for the Pirates and Giants regularly between 1963 and 1965, and hit above his career norms for the first two seasons (.246 each year) before bottoming out at .207 in 1965.

-Hit only 21 home runs in his career, but that includes three leadoff dingers and one walkoff (the latter coming on May 22, 1959 against Cincinnati). I was surprised to see that he batted first in the order so much.

-Played for seven teams in his final seven seasons in the league (Pirates, Giants, Yankees, Dodgers, Cardinals, Red Sox, Brewers).

-Played in 1,321 games in parts of 19 seasons, hitting .227 with a .317 on-base percentage.

-His son (also Dick Schofield) and grandson (Jayson Werth) combine with Ducky to form a three-generation lineage in major league baseball. All three have played for the Dodgers, and Werth currently has 34 homers this season. That's more than his grandpa had in his whole career, and almost three times as many as his uncle had in any single season!

-Daughter Kim Schofield Werth was once an Olympic hopeful in the 100 meter dash and long jump.

-Schofield now lives in his hometown of Springfield, IL with wife Donna. He serves on the Springfield Metropolitan Exposition and Auditorium Authority.

#215 Pete Ward

Check out the big, toothy smile on Pete Ward! Of course, back-to-back 20-homer seasons would put a pretty wide grin on my face, too.

Fun facts about Pete Ward:

-His father, Jim Ward, played in the National Hockey League for 12 years with two Montreal franchises.

-Pete was born in Montreal, and attended college at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR. (He would eventually become the first player from that school to play in the majors.) He signed with the Orioles in 1958.

-Hit .321 over five minor league seasons and led the International League with 34 doubles in 1962 to earn a late-season callup with Baltimore.

-After an offseason trade with the White Sox that involved two future Hall of Famers (Hoyt Wilhelm to Chicago and Luis Aparicio to Baltimore), Pete earned the starting third base job for his new team. He earned a runner-up finish in BBWAA Rookie of the Year voting behind teammate Gary Peters, putting up an impressive stat line of .295 with 34 doubles, 22 home runs, and 84 RBI. The Sporting News split with the baseball writers, tabbing Ward as their top rookie. The young infielder also garnered a ninth-place slot in the MVP voting, as the Pale Hose won 94 games.

-Was just as good in 1964, batting .282 with 23 home runs and 94 RBI. Chicago had another near-miss that year, improving to 98 wins but missing the pennant by a single game. Pete improved to sixth in the MVP balloting.

-Tragedy struck in 1965, as Ward injured his neck in a car accident and his productivity suffered. A back injury the following year further curtailed his playing time and production.

-Returned to play in 146 games in 1967, bouncing between first and third base and the corner outfield positions. He hit just .233 but was otherwise valuable, walking enough to draw a .334 on-base percentage and homering 18 times.

-Had a similar season in 1968, batting .216 but walking a career-high 76 times for a .354 OBP. Went deep 15 times, and drove in 50.

-Was reduced to a part-time role over his final two seasons (though he did hit .370 as a pinch hitter in 1969) and finished his career as a .254 hitter in parts of nine seasons. Hit 98 home runs with 427 RBI.

-Spent eight years as a minor league manager for the Yankees, White Sox, and Pirates, compiling a 562-529 record. Pete also was a coach for the Braves in 1978. He is a member of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.