Mel Stottlemyre (#225)

Here's my first Mel Stottlemyre card. Mel was somewhat of a favorite player of mine as a kid, not because I liked the Yankees, or Mel in particular, but mainly because my earliest baseball glove that I can remember was a Mel Stottlemyre model, by Wilson. (In later years, I think I had (and still have) a Rod Carew glove.)

Mel was signed by the Yankees in 1961, and played in the minors for 3 1/2 seasons. After compiling a 13-3 record at triple-A Richmond for most of 1964, Mel made his major-league debut on August 12th, with a complete-game 7-3 victory over the White Sox. He also saw his only post-season action in 1964.

In his first full season (1965) Mel went 20-9 with a league-leading 18 complete games, while edging out long-time Yankees' kingpin Whitey Ford. His personal success didn't extend to the team, as the Yanks slipped from 1st place in 1964 to 6th place in '65.

Stottlemyre slumped to 12-20 in 1966, as the Yankees plummeted to the AL basement. They say a 20-game loser is a sign of a good pitcher, otherwise he wouldn't get the playing time.

Mel had some good seasons on a bad team. He won 20 games in '68 and '69, led the league with 24 complete games in '69, and made 5 all-star appearances between 1965 and 1970. Stottlemyre remained at the top of the Yankees' rotation from 1965-1973, winning in double figures each year.

In his final season (1974), he only appeared in 16 games, making his last appearance on August 16th, 10 years and 4 days after his debut.

After his playing career, Mel was a minor-league instructor for the Mariners for 5 seasons, and then a pitching coach from 1984 to 2008 for the Mets (10 seasons), Astros (2), Yankees (10), and Mariners (1).

Two of Mel's sons were also major-league pitchers: Todd (1988-2002 with the Blue Jays and others), and Mel Jr (1990 Royals).

Final Card: Recapping all 80

For the past few years, one of the recurring series on this blog has been a player's final card. The 1967 set includes the final card for 77 players and 3 managers. Here is a quick recap of them all, in order of years of service, from Curt Simmons' 20 years to Bruce Brubaker's 2 games:

Some, like these 11, had already played their last big-league game before these cards came out. Others like Dennis Bennett, would remain in the majors for 2 more seasons, but most saw their careers end in 1967.


Also check out the 1966 and 1968 final cards.

Darold Knowles (#362)

Here's relief pitcher Darold Knowles, sporting the windbreaker UNDER uniform look. Knowles was the ace of the Phillies' bullpen as a rookie in 1966.

Darold was signed by the Orioles in 1961, and pitched 5 seasons in their minor-league system. Early on, he was primarily a starting pitcher, but in '64 and '65, about half his appearances were out of the bullpen. He made his major-league debut in April 1965, but only pitched 5 games for the O's that year.

After the season, he was traded to the Phillies (along with veteran outfielder Jackie Brandt) for Jack Baldschun, who had been the Phillies' closer from 1962-65.  Knowles soon worked his way up to the top of the Phillies' bullpen, appearing in 69 games (the most of any Phils pitcher, and 33 more than any other reliever) and collecting 13 saves (9 more than the next guy). Darold came along at the right time, since the heir-apparent to Baldschun's fireman role (Gary Wagner) had a disastrous 1966 season.

He was one-and-done in Philly, getting shipped off to the Senators for center fielder Don Lock. Knowles spent 4-plus seasons in Washington's bullpen before a May 1971 trade hooked him up with the contending Oakland Athletics.

Although generally the team's top reliever during his stay in DC, with Oakland Knowles pitched in the shadow of Rollie Fingers. Darold pitched in the 1971 ALCS vs. Baltimore, and the 1973 World Series vs. the Mets.

Knowles was traded again after the 1974 season, and pitched 5 more full seasons for the Cubs, Rangers, Expos, and Cardinals. His last game was on April 18, 1980 - fifteen years to the day after his major-league debut.

Final Card: Sam Mele

Sam Mele (#418) had a 7-year managing career, all with the Minnesota Twins.

In the Twins' first season in Minnesota (1961), Mele (then a Twins' coach) filled in for 7 games during manager Cookie Lavagetto's mid-June leave of absence. Ten days after Cookie returned, he was out, and Mele was elevated to manager.

 
Although the Twins finished in 7th place that season, Sam was retained, and brought the team to 2nd and 3rd place finishes in the next 2 seasons. A 6th-place finish in 1964 almost cost him his job (in favor of one of his coaches - Billy Martin).

1965 was the Twins' best season to date. They won 102 games, and went to the World Series, losing to the Dodgers in 7 games. The team finished in 2nd place for the next 2 seasons, but that was not enough for Mele to keep his job. The Twins added pitcher Dean Chance and rookie 2nd baseman Rod Carew, so expectations were high. After 50 games, they were 25-25, so Mele got the boot, replaced by Cal Ermer. (Ermer lasted through the '68 season, when he was replaced by Billy Martin.)

Mele never managed again, but spent 25 years as a scout for the Red Sox. In his playing days, Sam was an outfielder for several teams from 1947-56, primarily the Red Sox, Senators, and White Sox.


Well team, that's it for the "Final card" series: 77 players and 3 managers. If you missed any, you can browse through the "final card" label below (or wait for an upcoming re-cap of all 80 cards).

Final Card: John Miller

This is the final card for pitcher John Miller (#141). Miller was 26 in 1967, but I always thought he looked like someone's grandfather here. John had a brief career in the mid-1960s for the Orioles, mostly as their 5th starter in 1965 and 1966.

Miller was signed by the Orioles in 1961, and pitched in the minors for 4 full seasons, while making a few appearances for Baltimore in 1962 and 1963. After a full season on the farm in 1964, he split the 1965 season between triple-A and Baltimore's starting rotation.

Although he was with the team for all of 1966, John didn't appear in the World Series, since 3 of the 4 games were complete-game shutouts.

 
John's career went downhill after 1966. After 2 games with the O's in 1967, he was sold to the Mets on May 10th, and spent the rest of that season as a reliever in triple-A. He started 19 games in the single-A Carolina League in 1968 before retiring.

Only one more 'Final Card" to go in the 1967 set.  Can anyone guess who?  Hint: He's on the Twins.

Gary Wagner (#529)

Here's a spring training shot of Phillies' reliever Gary Wagner.

Wagner was signed in 1961, and upon joining the Phillies in April 1965, he became such a key member of their bullpen that the Phillies traded away their long-time ace Jack Baldschun after the season.

 

Gary couldn't capitalize on that situation, as he spent most of the next 2 seasons in the minors as a starting pitcher, before returning to the Phillies' bullpen full-time in 1968. That season he went 4-4 with a 3.00 ERA in 44 games as the #2 man in the bullpen behind Turk Farrell.

After spending most of 1969 back in the Phillies' farm system, he was traded to the Red Sox in early September and spent the remainder of that season and most of 1970 pitching for Boston.

The Red Sox released him just before the start of the 1971 season.