MISSING IN ACTION: 1967 ROY WHITE

Today on the blog we have a "missing" 1967 card for the quiet one, former New York Yankee lifer Roy White, about as solid and under the radar as they came:

Though White was part of a multi-player rookie card in the 1966 set, Topps left him out of the '67 set, even though he appeared in 115 game in 1966, hitting .225 over 356 plate appearances.

By now White was where he would play all the way through the 1979 campaign before making his way to Japan to finish up his pro career.

He became a dependable starting outfielder within three years, on his way to a career that spanned the “dark years” in the Bronx from 1965 through the end of the decade through to the successes of the “Bronx Zoo” teams that won two World Series and three pennants.
Even though the man was a New York Yankee "lifer", playing 15 years between 1965 and 1979 wearing only the Yankee pinstripes, White was often overshadowed by the likes of Mantle, Munson, Murcer, Nettles and Jackson.
Nevertheless he put in a very solid career, amassing over 1800 hits, with just under 1000 runs scored, 160 home runs and 233 stolen bases.
After his Major League playing days he even put in three good years in Japan, playing for the Yomiuri Giants between 1980-1982.
Just a quiet, solid player who more than did his job while between the foul lines, year in and year out.
I've mentioned this earlier here on this blog: years later I would end up befriending and DJ-ing in the same club scene here in NYC with his son Reade, even though he never DID tell me who his father was!
I'd only find out years later from a mutual friend after I was long gone from the club-circuit…
Would have been nice to try and schmooze a conversation or two with the senior White in the early-90's!

MINOR LEAGUE DAYS: ROY WHITE

It's been a while since I added anyone to my fun 1971 "Minor League Days" thread, so today I go ahead and do just that, with former New York Yankees under-appreciated great Roy White:

 

The photo used here was during White's time with the (I can't believe this name) Columbus Confederate Yankees in 1964/1965, when he was 20 to 21 years of age.

By the end of the 1965 season White was in the Big Leagues, where he would play all the way through the 1979 campaign before making his way to Japan to finish up his pro career.

He became a dependable starting outfielder within three years, on his way to a career that spanned the “dark years” in the Bronx from 1965 through the end of the decade through to the successes of the “Bronx Zoo” teams that won two World Series and three pennants.
Even though the man was a New York Yankee "lifer", playing 15 years between 1965 and 1979 wearing only the Yankee pinstripes, White was often overshadowed by the likes of Mantle, Munson, Murcer, Nettles and Jackson.
Nevertheless he put in a very solid career, amassing over 1800 hits, with just under 1000 runs scored, 160 home runs and 233 stolen bases.
After his Major League playing days he even put in three good years in Japan, playing for the Yomiuri Giants between 1980-1982.
Just a quiet, solid player who more than did his job while between the foul lines, year in and year out.
I've mentioned this earlier here on this blog: years later I would end up befriending and DJ-ing in the same club scene here in NYC with his son Reade, even though he never DID tell me who his father was!
I'd only find out years later from a mutual friend after I was long gone from the club-circuit…
Would have been nice to try and schmooze a conversation or two with the senior White in the early-90's!

1975 IN-ACTION: ROY WHITE

Up on the blog today we have a 1975 In-Action card for Roy White, the quiet and steady outfielder of the New York Yankees for 15 seasons.
Admittedly not necessarily an "action-packed" photo. But it caught my eye and is "in-game", so why not?
This card would have been right about I the middle of his very nice career:

White came up with the Yankees in 1965 and became a dependable starting outfielder within three years, on his way to a career that spanned the “dark years” in the Bronx from 1965 through the end of the decade through to the successes of the “Bronx Zoo” teams that won two World Series and three pennants before White took his talents to Japan.
Even though the man was a New York Yankee "lifer", playing 15 years between 1965 and 1979 wearing only the Yankee pinstripes, White was often overshadowed by the likes of Mantle, Munson, Murcer, Nettles and Jackson.
Nevertheless he put in a very solid career, amassing over 1800 hits, with just under 1000 runs scored, 160 home runs and 233 stolen bases.
After his Major League playing days he even put in three good years in Japan, playing for the Yomiuri Giants between 1980-1982.
Just a quiet, solid player who more than did his job while between the foul lines, year in and year out.
I've mentioned this earlier here on this blog: years later I would end up befriending and DJ-ing in the same club scene here in NYC with his son Reade, even though he never DID tell me who his father was!
I'd only find out years later from a mutual friend after I was long gone from the club-circuit…
Would have been nice to try and schmooze a conversation or two with the senior White in the early-90's!

MISSING IN ACTION-"IN ACTION" #30: 1972 ROY WHITE

Often overlooked, or forgotten, today I give a "missing" In-Action 1972 card to former long-time Yankee outfielder Roy White.

Check it out:

Even though the man was a New York Yankee "lifer", playing 15 years between 1965 and 1979 wearing only the Yankee pinstripes, White was often overshadowed by the likes of Mantle, Munson, Murcer, Nettles and Jackson.

Nevertheless he put in a very solid career, amassing over 1800 hits, with just under 1000 runs scored, 160 home runs and 233 stolen bases.

After his Major League playing days he even put in three good years in Japan, playing for the Yomiuri Giants between 1980-1982.

Just a quiet, solid player who more than did his job while between the foul lines, year in and year out.

I've mentioned earlier here on this blog: years later I would end up befriending and DJ-ing in the same club scene here in NYC with his son Reade, even though he never DID tell me who his father was!

I'd only find out years later from a mutual friend after I was long gone from the club-circuit…

Would have been nice to try and schmooze a conversation or two with the senior White in the early-90's!

LIKE LOOKING INTO A T.V. SET- 1971 TOPPS ROY WHITE

Here's a card I've always loved: the 1971 Topps Roy White #395.
The cropping of this photo to the card design is perfect! It really looks like you're watching the game on a television set!
If I'm not mistaken this card was photographed at the "old" Yankee Stadium against the Tigers (?). Seems like all-star Bill Freehan catching behind the plate, no?
Beautiful card that goes well with the other three Yankee cards I've already profiled from this set: Thurman Munson, Ron Woods and Lindy McDaniel.

Perfectly cropped in-game action photo!

Here's a funny true-story from my life:
About 20 or so years ago I was a DJ here in NYC at some clubs like Limelight and Danceteria.
During that time I became friends with another DJ, Reade.
He was a really nice dude and we'd always shoot the breeze about music. He'd even visit me at the record store I used to work at in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan just to chill since he was a student at nearby NYU.
Anyway, keep in mind my baseball worship is worn on my sleeve so to speak, and I was always reading baseball magazines or listening/watching games, even at clubs sometimes!
Well, a few years after I was pretty much out of the music scene, I run into yet another former DJ and we start talking, and I ask him what ever happened to Reade.
After he tells me whatever he heard about Reade's whereabouts, he makes an off-handed remark about how I should have hit Reade up for free Yankee games back then.
Of course I then ask him, "Why?"
And that's when I found out Reade was Roy White's son.
Wouldn't you know it, I go looking at old Yankee yearbooks from the mid-70's with those player family photos, and THERE is little Reade with his dad, the New York Yankee.
Go figure...
Ya' think the kid would mention something like that to a friend who's a rabid Yankee fan?!