WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: ORLANDO CEPEDA

On the blog today, the next card from my 2019 "1960 Stars of the Game" custom WTHBALLS gelatin set, this time HOFer Orlando Cepeda:

Cepeda was a much heralded prospect coming up in the Minors before making his Big League debut in 1958, and of course, he would not disappoint, as he would take home the Rookie of the Year that season, hitting .312 with 188 hits, 25 homers, 96 RBIs and a league-leading 38 doubles, in what was to become a "typical" season for the future Hall of Famer.

While Cepeda's career was productive enough to get into Cooperstown, it's well known that if not for his bad knees, his final statistics could have been mind blowing.
Nevertheless, by the time he retired, he posted final numbers of: 379 homers, 1365 runs batted in, 2351 hits and a .297 average, with a Rookie of the Year (1958) and M.V.P. award (1967) thrown in.
It took a little while, but he was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999 after being selected by the Veteran's Committee.
What a power trio San Francisco had in Cepeda, Willie Mays and Willie McCovey! Power to the ultimate degree!”

 

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: ROCKY COLAVITO

Today on the blog we focus on my 1960 "Stars of the Game" custom for slugger Rocky Colavito, from my 2019 set released in authentic WTHBALL gelatin box with gelatin packet:

Colavito ended his playing days back in 1968 before immediately going into coaching, putting in a great MLB “lifer” career that began way back in 1955 when the 21-year-old debuted with the Indians.
Between 1956 and 1966 there were few Major League batters who hit homers as frequently as he, hitting 358 home runs playing for the Indians, Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Athletics.
He topped 40+ homers three times, with a career-best 45 in 1961 while also leading the American League in 1959 with 42 blasts.
By the time he retired, he hit 374 homers with 1159 RBIs over 1841 games in 14-years, finishing Top-5 in MVP voting three times and making the All-Star team six times.

 

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Good day all!

On the blog today, we spotlight my 1960 "Stars of the Game" card for the great Roberto Clemente, from my 2019 custom set in WTHBALLS gelatin packaging:

I instantly knew the direction of how this set would be released, and I hope you all found it just as interesting, with deluxe packaging and special inserts! Too much fun putting this one together!

Anyway, as for the man himself, Clemente's career is the stuff of legend: His fiery play on the field, his good deeds, and his absolute adoration by teammates and fans alike.

On the field Clemente's numbers were incredible: four batting titles, five seasons batting over .340, four 200 hit seasons, 12 all-star nods, 12 Gold Gloves and a Most Valuable Player Award in 1966.

And a prime example of Clemente's importance to the game was his immediate induction into Cooperstown by special committee in 1973, waiving the standard five-year wait before a player joins the Hall ballot, as well as the establishment of the "Roberto Clemente Award", given every year to the player that exemplified "outstanding baseball playing skills who is personally involved in community work."

The man was truly something else, and I'm not even thinking of his baseball prowess.

Just special and truly one of a kind!

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: CHUCK ESTRADA

The next custom 1960 "Stars of the Game" card to get the spotlight here on the blog is my card for Baltimore Orioles pitcher Chuck Estrada, who had himself a very nice rookie year in 1960:

Estrada finished in second place for the Rookie of the Year Award that year because of his league-leading 18 wins, as he started 25 games while appearing in 36 total, completing twelve, saving two and tossing a shutout.

In 1961 he would follow it up with another solid season, going 15-9 over 33 appearances, all but two of those starts, pitching to a 3.69 ERA over 212 innings.

Sadly for him it would be his last "good" year in the Majors, as 1962 would see him lead the league in losses with 17 against only nine wins, posting an ERA of 3.83 over a career best 223.1 innings of work.

In 1963 arm issues led to an abbreviated season that saw him appear in only eight games, going 3-2 with a 4.60 ERA, and it would go downhill from there, as his ERA would bump up to 5.27 over 17 appearances in 1964, with only six of those games as a starter.

He would spend all of 1965 in the Minors, and would be back on a Big League mound in 1966 as a member of the Chicago Cubs for nine games, getting hit hard to the tune of a 7.30 ERA over 12.1 innings.

In 1967, he would put in what turned out to be the final games of his Major League career, suiting up for nine games with the New York Mets, going 1-2 with a 9.41 ERA over 22 innings, while also spending the bulk of the season in the Minors.

He'd pitch in the Mets Minor Leagues in both 1968 and 1969, but never get another shot at the Majors, closing out a once promising career with a record of 50-44 over 146 games, with an ERA of 4.07 and 535 strikeouts.

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: MINNIE MINOSO

On the blog today, we spotlight another card from my 2018 custom "1960 Stars of the Game" gelatin set, this time that of HOFer Minnie Minoso:

I'm so happy that Minoso is finally a Hall of Famer, and I always felt the stunts in 1976 and 1980 may have even hurt his chances of getting into Cooperstown.
From 1951 to 1961 he had a wonderful Major League career, leading the league in stolen bases three times, triples three times, and hits and doubles once each, while also driving in over 100 runs four times and topping 20 homers four times.
Eight times in that span he would top a .300 batting average, and in 1951 many consider him the true American League Rookie of the Year when he hit .326 split between the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox, while topping the league in triples with 14 and stolen bases with 31.
Along the way he was named to seven All-Star games, winning three Gold Gloves as well, funny enough finishing fourth in the A.L. MVP race four times.
Of course, 12 years after his last playing days, in 1976, he ended up going 1-for-8 at the plate as a 50 year-old, then coming back in 1980 at the age of 54 and going hitless in two at-bats.
Nevertheless, Minoso finished his career with a .298 average, with 1963 hits over 6579 at-bats, along with 186 homers and 205 stolen bases while also topping 1000 runs scored and RBIs, 1136 & 1023 respectively.

If only he didn't have to wait until his age 27 season to show the ENTIRE country what he could do on a ball field.

 

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: ERNIE BROGLIO

Good day all!

On the blog today, we spotlight my 1960 "Stars of the Game" custom card for former pitcher Ernie Broglio, from my set released back in 2018 inside printed WTHBALLS gelatin set:

Broglio was coming off a rookie 1959 season that saw him go 7-12 for the St. Louis Cardinals, pitching to a 4.72 ERA over 181.1 innings with three shutouts.

In 1960 he had himself a fantastic year, leading the National League with 21 wins, posting a record of 21-9 with a nice 2.74 ERA over 226.1 innings, appearing in 52 games while starting 24. 

Those numbers got him a third-place finish in the Cy Young race, as well as a ninth-place finish for N.L. MVP.

He'd struggle a bit in 1961, going 9-12 over 29 appearances with a 4.12 ERA, but bounced back with two good years in 1962 and 1963, going 12-9 and 18-8 respectively, with nine shutouts and a 2.99 ERA overall.

Now, with those numbers, the Chicago Cubs made what was eventually seen as one of the worst trades ever, sending their young speedster outfielder Lou Brock to the Cardinals for the young pitcher, a move that would bite them in the ass.

While Brock would blossom into a record-breaking Hall of Fame outfielder over the next two decades, Broglio struggles mightily over the next two and a half seasons, managing only a combined record of 7-19 between 1964 and 1966, with an ERA North of 6.00 during his tenure with Chicago.

By the end of 1966, his career was over, leaving the Cubs with an all-time "what-if", imagining their 1960's teams anchored by guys like Santo, Williams, Jenkins AS WELL as Lou Brock.

Instead the Cardinals would go on to arguably be the second best team of the decade in the National League behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, taking home two World Series titles while appearing in another.

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: NELLIE FOX

Up on the blog today, we spotlight my 1960 "Stars of the Game" card of Hall of Famer Nellie Fox, from my custom set released back in 2018:

Fox put together a brilliant Major League career, first as a Hall of Fame second baseman mainly for the Chicago White Sox, then as a coach later on, a true baseball life before sadly passing away at the young age of 47 in 1975.
He led the AL in hits four times in the 1950’s, and of course would lead the Chicago White Sox to the 1959 World Series, taking home the league’s MVP Award for his efforts.
By the time he retired as a player after two years with the Houston Astros in 1964-65, he finished with 2663 hits and a .288 batting average, with twelve all-star nods and three Gold Gloves.
Defensively, it’s incredible to see he led the American League in putouts every single season between 1952 and 1961, while leading the league’s second basemen in fielding percentage six times, double-plays five times and assists six times.
In 1997, the Veteran’s Committee selected Fox for the Hall of Fame, joining former teammates Luis Aparicio and Early Wynn from that 1959 pennant winning team.

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: FRANK ROBINSON

Up on the blog today, we spotlight my 1960 "Stars of the Game" card for the great Frank Robinson, from my 2018 custom gelatin set:

Really fun set to put together, which included a gelatin pack inside the WTHBALLS printed gelatin box!

Robinson is perhaps the “greatest underrated player” in Major League history.
A two-time Most Valuable Player, and the first to do it in both leagues, Robinson also took home a Triple Crown in 1966, was a twelve time All-Star, finished in the Top-4 in MVP voting outside his two wins, and oh yeah, as mentioned earlier was also the first African-American Manager in league history.
When he retired as an active player in 1976, Robinson was in the top-5 in so many offensive categories he was in the company of Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.
Yet oddly enough, perhaps because of the era he played in, he would get buried in the “all-time greats” conversation in lieu of the aforementioned players along with guys like Ty Cobb, Roberto Clemente and Ted Williams.
I would say he and Stan Musial are the TWO greatest “underrated” players of all-time, and you could arguably throw in others like Bob Feller for good measure.
Just an all-out legend in so many ways.

 

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: DON SUTTON

Today on the blog, we spotlight my 1960 "Stars of the Game" card for "Double-D" Don Drysdale, Hall of Fame pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers:

Though retiring at such a young age, Drysdale still collected 209 wins along with a 2.95 earned run average and 2486 strikeouts.
Imagine if he were able to pitch another three or four years. Would we be looking at a 300-win guy? Most assuredly a 3000 strikeout pitcher for sure.
Nevertheless, his accomplishments in such a short time were good enough for the BBWAA to elect him into the Hall of Fame in 1984, joining old teammate Sandy Koufax and eventually joined by Don Sutton.
Drysdale took home the Cy Young in 1962 while pacing the Senior Circuit in wins, starts, innings and strikeouts, while also posting one of his NINE sub-3.00 ERA campaigns.
Tough as nails when on the mound, he was named to eight All-Star Games, and of course had that magical run in 1968 when he threw 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, including six straight shutouts.

 

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: BROOKS ROBINSON

Good day all!

On the blog today, we spotlight another card from my 1960 "Stars of the Game" custom gelatin set, this one Brooks Robinson:

In 1958 he’d play his first full season in the Big Leagues, and it was all cruise control from there, as the great third baseman would go on to grab 16 Gold Gloves, an MVP Award in 1964, appear in 15 All-Star games, and help guide the Baltimore Orioles to two Championships and four A.L. Pennants.
By the time he hung up that golden glove after the 1977 season, he finished with 2848 hits, 1357 runs batted in, 268 home runs and 1232 runs scored in 2896 games.
Needless to say, by the time Cooperstown came calling, he was voted in on his first try, receiving 92% support in 1983.

 

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: JIM PERRY

Today on the blog, we spotlight my "1960s Stars of the Game" card for Jim Perry, from my custom set released back in 2018 in WTHBALLS gelatin box:

Making his Major League debut in 1959, he was runner-up in Rookie of the Year voting, and went on to win a Cy Young Award in 1970 while a member of the Minnesota Twins.

As I've mentioned a few times over on this blog by now, Perry was winding down a very nice 17-year career by 1975, appearing in 23 games split between the Cleveland Indians and Oakland A's, posting a 4-10 record with a 5.38 earned run average.

All told he posted a career 215-174 record with a 3.45 E.R.A., 32 shutouts and 1576 strikeouts over 630 games, 447 of which were starts.

Now imagine all of that and NOT even being the best pro baseball player in the family!

What a brother-combo he and Gaylord made huh?!

 

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: FRANK HOWARD

On the blog today, we spotlight my 1960 "Stars of the Game" card for Frank Howard from my custom gelatin set released back in 2018:

The man was already on his way to a wonderful Major League career, taking home top Rookie honors in the National League for 1960, and having a great 1962 season when he slammed 31 homers with 119 runs batted in, earning a ninth-place finish in the MVP race by season's end.

Later in the decade, after finding himself playing for the Washington Senators, he won two home run titles, and ironically hitting a career high 48 in 1968 in between (falling one homer short, behind Harmon Killebrew), driving in over 100 runs each year.

Those efforts got him top-10 finishes in the league MVP voting each year, finishing 8th, 4th and 5th respectively between 1968 and 1970.

An absolute beast at the plate, he would be the last Big League player until Jay Buhner (1995-97) to hit 40+ homers three years in a row from 1968-1970, with a high of 48 in 1969, though leading the league in 1968 and 1970 with 44.
He was also one of the early players to join the 30-home runs in each league club, hitting 31 with the Dodgers in 1962 before reaching the plateau again in 1967 when he slammed 36 taters.
All told, he finished his career with 382 homers over 16 seasons, before moving on to a coaching and managerial career, making him somewhat of a baseball lifer.
I loved him when he was with the New York Yankees later in his coaching career! I mean, how often do you get to appreciate a guy who was so nasty as a player that he had THREE great nicknames: “The Capital Punisher”, "The Washington Monument" and “Hondo"!

 

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: PETE RUNNELS

Good day all.

On the blog today we spotlight my 1960 "Stars of the Game" card of two-time American League batting champ Pete Runnels, from my custom set released in 2018:

Runnel's career began with the Washington Senators in 1951, where he'd play through the 1957 season as a solid infielder who averaged about .2880 while playing mainly shortstop and second base, hitting as high as .310 in 1956.

In January of 1958 he was traded to the Boston Red Sox for Albie Pearson and Norm Zauchin, and he would really find his groove, hitting .322 in his first year in Beantown, with a career-best 103 runs scored and 183 hits, finishing tenth in the MVP race by season's end.

In 1960 and 1962 he would go on to take home batting titles, hitting .320 and .326 respectively, making the All-Star team(s) each season while transitioning to first base, though still putting in some time around the infield.

Surprisingly, after that second batting title in 1962 he was traded to the new Houston franchise, then called the Colt .45's, for Roman Mejias, where he would put in a sub-par year, hitting .253 over 124 games.

The 1964 year would turn out to be his last, getting released by Houston in May after a dreadful .196 start after 22 games, with only 10 hits and three RBIs in 51 at-bats.

Nevertheless he'd finish his Big League tenure with a very nice .291 career average, with 1854 hits in 6373 at-bats, scoring 876 runs while driving in 630, with those two batting titles to cement his name in baseball history.

 

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: DICK GROAT

Up on the blog today, we put the spotlight on another card from my 1960 "Stars of the Game" custom set released back in 2018, this time it's former N.L. MVP Dick Groat of the Pittsburgh Pirates:

The All-Star shortstop had quite the year in 1960, taking home the N.L. batting title when he hit .325, collecting 186 hits while scoring 85 runs for the surprising World Champion Pirates.

Three years later, now playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, Groat would finish second for the MVP when he hit .319 while collecting a career-best 201 hits, leading the league with 43 doubles while also setting a new personal best of 11 triples and 73 RBIs.

A two-sport star, Groat was an All-American in both Baseball and Basketball at Duke University, and even made the NBA with the Fort Wayne Pistons in 1952-53.

He was such an accomplished athlete that he was eventually inducted to BOTH the College Baseball and Basketball Halls of Fame.

Once he chose baseball as his focus, he did not disappoint fans, as he would go on to put 14 years in the Big Leagues, finishing up with a split 1967 season with the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants.

His final numbers very impressive for the era: 2138 hits and a .286 batting average, with 829 runs scored and 707 runs batted in, with eight All-Star nods and an MVP.

If not for two lost years serving in the military in 1953 and 1954, he certainly could have approached 2500 career hits.

 

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: LUIS APARICIO

Up on the blog today we feature my 1960 "Stars of the game" for Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio, from my custom set released back in 2018:

From the moment he made it to the Majors in 1956 with the Chicago White Sox, Aparicio was a star.

He took home the A.L. Rookie of the Year that season, and proceeded to be an all-star player for most of his 18-year career.

Between 1956 and 1964, nine consecutive years, he led the American League in stolen bases every single season!

As a member of the "Go-Go" 1959 Chicago White Sox he finished second to teammate Nellie Fox for Most Valuable Player, and he'd go on to win nine Gold Glove Awards before hanging up the spikes.

All told he suited up for the White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and Boston Red Sox for the final three years of his illustrious career.

By the time he retired the numbers were solid: 2677 hits, 1335 runs scored, 506 stolen bases and over 10000 at-bats!

It took a few years on the ballot, but he was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984.

 

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: VERN LAW

Up on the blog today, we feature another card from my 2018 custom "1960 Stars of the Game" set, packaged in WTHBALLS gelatin box with packet, postcards and stickers, this one Vern Law, Cy Young winner for the Pittsburgh Pirates:

Although Vern Law was already beginning his ninth season as a big-league pitcher when 1960 broke, it was only in the past two seasons that he established himself as a solid starter, winning 14 and 18 games respectively in 1958 & 1959.

He'd carry that success right into the 1960 season, ending up as the anchor of the Pirate staff, going 20-9 with a 3.08 E.R.A., along with a league-leading 18 complete games and 120 strikeouts with three shutouts in 35 starts.Overall he pitched between 1950 and 1967, missing the 1952 and 1953 years to military service, and would end up with a very nice record of 162 and 147 with a 3.77 ERA over 483 appearances and 2672.2 innings pitched.

He also tossed 28 shutouts while picking up 13 saves during that time, striking out 1092 batters while walking 597.

In 1965 at the age of 35 he had himself a better season that his Cy Young year of 1960, when he'd go 17-9 with a great 2.15 ERA and five shutouts, getting some MVP attention in the process.

Not too shabby for the career Pirate!

 

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: WARREN SPAHN

On the blog today, we spotlight my 1960 "Stars of the Game" card of legend Warren Spahn, from my custom Gelatin set released back in 2018:

Anyone who has followed this blog long enough knows by now that any time I can create a card for the mighty lefty, I will take it!

The man was amazing, flat out, and by the time he retired in 1965 he posted a 363-245 record, with a 3.09 ERA, 63 shutouts, 28 saves and 2583 strikeouts over 750 appearances, 665 of which were starts.

Oh yeah, he also hit 35 career home runs along with 189 runs batted in with (coincidentally) 363 hits!

And remember he didn’t win his first game until he was 25 years of age, as he served in the military from 1943 to 1945.

His first 20-game season was 1947 (at the age of 26), and he kept right on rolling until his final 20-game season in 1963!

In between, he ended up posting 13 such campaigns, leading the league eight times (with five of those coming consecutively from 1957 to 1961).

 

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: RON HANSEN

The next custom card from my 2018 "1960 Stars of the Game" set to get the spotlight is my card for A.L. Rookie of the Year in 1960, Ron Hansen of the Baltimore Orioles:

 

In 1960 he was Rookie of the Year after hitting 22 homers while driving in 86 runs for the Baltimore Orioles, also finishing fifth in the MVP race at season's end.

He was a solid shortstop, getting some MVP attention in 1964, 1965 and 1967 while playing with the Chicago White Sox, but never having a season again like he did in 1960.

All told, by the time he retired, Hansen finished with a career .234 average, with 1007 hits and 106 homers over 1384 games and 4311 at-bats, getting named to one All-Star  team.

 

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: STAN MUSIAL

Today on the blog we have my 1960 "Stars of the Game" card for "The Man", Stan Musial, from my 2018 custom set packaged in gelatin WTHBALLS box with gelatin packet:

His MLB numbers are just absurd: seven batting titles, two R.B.I. titles, five triples titles and eight doubles titles, with career numbers of 475 home runs, 1951 runs batted in and a .331 career average.

Throw in his 725 doubles, 177 triples and 3630 hits along with 1949 runs scored and the numbers are staggering. 

And don't forget that Musial also lost a year to military duty, easily putting him over 500 homers, close to 3900 hits and around 2100 runs batted in if he played in 1945.

Along with the great Frank Robinson I always felt Stan Musial was often overlooked in the decades since his playing days ended.

When talk of "Greatest Living Player" came up it was always Williams, DiMaggio, Mays or even Aaron that would come up. But Stan Musial would always kind of be that after-thought.

Criminal.

Three Most Valuable Player Awards, FOUR second-place finishes, including three in a row between 1949-1951, and twenty consecutive all-star appearances, Musial definitely is a member of that rarified stratosphere of baseball royalty along with the likes of Ruth, Cobb, Mays and Wagner, among others.

 

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1960S STARS OF THE GAME: ROGER MARIS

On the blog today, we spotlight my "1960 Stars of the Game" custom card of Roger Maris, from my custom set released in 2018:

Of course his Yankee tenure resulted in that historic 1961 season that saw him hit "61 in '61", setting a new Major League record with 61 home runs, leading to what was his second straight MVP Award after a wonderful 1960 season that saw him 39 homers and a league-leading 112 RBIs.

He spent the last two years of his career with the Cardinals after his historic tenure with the New York Yankees.

Talk about "right place at the right time", Maris came to the Cardinals just as they put together a World Championship in 1967, and a return to the World Series in 1968, though that resulted in a loss to the Detroit Tigers.

By the time he hung them up in 1968, he hit 275 homers with 850 RBIs and 826 runs scored, hitting .260 over 1463 games between 1957 and 1968.

It's easy to forget that he retired very young, at only 33 years of age.

Would have been cool if he got to play into the mid-70's, just as I was getting into baseball...