Showing posts with label Sandy Koufax. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sandy Koufax. Show all posts

Friday, August 15, 2014

1967 Topps Card Set Vying for the Final Four

Robert over at the $30 a Week Habit blog has been running a 16-set tournament, where bloggers vote for which set he should complete next. Last week, the 1969 set fell short by a few votes, so I'm hitting the campaign trail again, this time for the 1967 set.


This set includes the final baseball card for Hall of Fame catcher broadcaster Bob Uecker!

Wait, what? That's not enough for you? I suppose you could continue reading then...


There's also the final card for 76 other players, including Whitey Ford, Curt Simmons, Lou/Lew Burdette, Joe Nuxhall, Smoky Burgess, and Jim Piersall.



The final Topps appearance for Sandy Koufax:



41 future Hall of Famers are in the set, including Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Roberto Clemente, Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Don Drysdale, Ernie Banks, Harmon Killebrew, and Eddie Mathews, none of who are in the 1976 set.



THIRTEEN multi-player cards, the most for any year in that era:



In addition to the well-known high-number rookie cards for Tom Seaver and Rod Carew, the set also includes the rookie cards for Chris Short and Maury Wills (both 8-year veterans by then) and Ken Holtzman. Also, there are more than 40 Rookie Stars cards, the most in any set.



Here are some other guys in the set:

.                            (That's one heck of a sunrise behind Tony C.!)


Vote now! Don't let Robert have to deal with hanging chads at the last minute.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

NL Pitching Leaders (#234, 236, 238)

Here are the National League pitching leaders for the 1966 season. These cards made a cameo appearance on my first 1966 blog post.

Sandy Koufax won the pitching triple crown in his final season. Because of his dominance in the early-to-mid 1960s, MLB created a Cy Young Award for each league beginning in 1967, instead of one overall award.


Koufax was the only qualifying starting pitcher with an ERA below 2.00. Joining him is the Astros' Mike Cuellar, who would be traded to the Orioles after 1968, and Juan Marichal. In the relievers' category, Joe Hoerner and Phil Regan both came in under 2.00.



It's Sandy Koufax again! Marichal was joined by his teammate Gaylord Perry in the 20-win club in 1966. Bob Gibson's 21 wins tied with Perry for 3rd place.



Jim Bunning checks in at 2nd place with 252 strikeouts, a whopping 65 behind Koufax. Bunning also finished 4th in ERA and 6th in wins that season. The Pirates' Bob Veale was a regular among the top strikeout artists in the late 1960s. Gibson and Marichal were not far behind in 1966.