#335 Don Hoak - Chicago Cubs

Donald Albert Hoak
Chicago Cubs
Third Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  170
Born:  February 5, 1928, Roulette, PA
Signed:  Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1947 season
Major League Teams:  Brooklyn Dodgers 1954-55; Chicago Cubs 1956; Cincinnati Redlegs 1957-58; Pittsburgh Pirates 1959-62; Philadelphia Phillies 1963-64

Died:  October 9, 1969, Pittsburgh, PA (age 41)

A veteran of 11 big league seasons, Don Hoak had his greatest success in the majors in the early 1960s as the starting third baseman for the Pirates.  Hoak came up with the Dodgers in 1954 and started more games at third base for the club than Jackie Robinson (#30) or Billy Cox.  In 1955, Hoak served as Robinson's back-up, although he started at third in the decisive Game 7 of the 1955 World Series against the Yankees, won by the Dodgers on the strength of Johnny Podres' (#173) shutout.  Dealt to the Cubs in December 1955, and then again to the Redlegs in November 1956, Hoak would make his only All-Star team in 1957.  He'd lead the league that season with 39 doubles.  His career year came in 1960 with the Pirates, as part of the club that would eventually win the World Series.  Hoak batted .282 with 16 home runs and 79 RBIs, finishing as the runner-up in MVP voting behind teammate Dick Groat (#24).  He'd bat a career high .298 in 1961.

Hoak would finish up his playing days with the Phillies, pinch-hitting in six games before getting released by the club in May 1964.  He served briefly on the Phillies' big league coaching staff for one season in 1967.  In 1,263 career games, Hoak batted .265 with 1,144 hits, 89 home runs and 498 RBIs.  He was managing the Pirates' Triple-A team in 1969, passing away tragically from a heart attack following the season.

From the 1963 Phillies Yearbook

Building the Set

July 19, 1997 in Ocean City, NJ - Card #159
My Dad and I added this card to our set at the Ocean City baseball card show held inside the Music Pier.  We purchased 11 cards that July day - Hoak and eight other commons, along with the Warren Giles (#2) card for $10 and the Ray Boone (#6) card for $5.

I graduated college in the spring of 1997, and that summer was a good one as I worked on the Sea Isle Promenade at a few t-shirt stores.  My days were spent jogging, barely working, reading and sitting on the beach.  Dinner would usually come from Phil's on 37th and Landis Avenue, and ice cream was consumed nightly.

Dad was still working in Millville at the time, and we probably met up in front of the Music Pier prior to his show.  The baseball card collecting landscape changed drastically in the ten year period between 1987 and 1997, with autographed cards making their way into packs and multiple parallel versions of the same card confusing us as "old school" collectors.  Still, I'd give anything to be back inside the Music Pier with my Dad searching for the next 1956 Topps card to add to our set.  I'm sure he was thrilled to find a dealer selling a bunch of '56s in good shape and at around $2 a card.  

The Card / Cubs Team Set
Topps used the same photo for Hoak as the photos used on his 1954 and 1955 Topps cards, swapping out a Brooklyn logo for a Chicago logo.  The player diving into the base could be Hoak too.  He wore #43 with the Dodgers, switching to #7 with the Cubs, and Topps may have whited out the uniform number from his former team.  Hoak's SABR biography disputes the claim he was a prizefighter, from the first cartoon panel on the back of the card, finding no support to back up those claims.  The middle cartoon panel highlights his marriage in 1950, which ended in divorce in 1961, followed by a quick second marriage to singer and actress Jill Corey.

1956 Season

On December 9, 1955, less than two months after the Dodgers won their only World Series title while in Brooklyn, Hoak was traded with Russ Meyer (#227) and Walt Moryn to the Cubs for Don Elston and Randy Jackson (#223).  Hoak struggled with his new club, and on May 2nd he set a National League record by striking out six times against six different pitchers.  For the season, Hoak batted .215 with five home runs and 37 RBIs as the Cubs' regular third baseman.  On November 13th, he was on the move again, traded to the Redlegs with Warren Hacker (#282) and Pete Whisenant for Ray Jablonski (#86) and Elmer Singleton.

Phillies Career
After a successful four seasons in Pittsburgh, the Pirates traded Hoak to the Phillies on November 28, 1962 for Pancho Herrera and Ted Savage.  Phillies' incumbent third baseman Don Demeter was moved to the outfield to make room for Hoak for the 1963 season, and Hoak struggled from the outset.  Batting .187 by the end of May, he was benched in favor of Demeter and then briefly, Ruben Amaro.  Hoak would work his way back into the starting line-up through the summer and early fall, eventually starting 101 games at the position by the end of the season.  He batted .231 in 1963, collecting 87 hits, six home runs and 24 RBIs.  At the start of the 1964 season, the 36-year-old Hoak had lost his starting third baseman job to rookie Dick Allen.  After going 0 for 4 with a pair of sacrifices in six pinch-hitting appearances, the Phillies released Hoak on May 18th, ending his playing career.

He was kept on the Phillies' payroll as a special assignment scout throughout the disastrous 1964 season.  He'd come back to the team briefly in 1967 as the third base coach for manager Gene Mauch, but he was dismissed after the season.

1953 Topps #176

1955 Topps #40

1957 Topps #274

1961 Topps #230

1964 Topps #254

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1953 Topps #176
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12):  1953-64
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2016 Panini Diamond Kings #25

101 - Hoak non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/25/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

The Phillies Room

SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

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Set Order: #334 Bob Miller - Philadelphia Phillies / #336 Ellis Kinder - St. Louis Cardinals

Order Collected: #317 Al Aber - Detroit Tigers / #15 Ernie Banks - Chicago Cubs

#314 Hobie Landrith - Chicago Cubs

Hobert Neal Landrith
Chicago Cubs
Catcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  170
Born:  March 16, 1930, Decatur, IL
Signed:  Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent before 1949 season
Major League Teams:  Cincinnati Reds 1950-52; Cincinnati Redlegs 1953-55; Chicago Cubs 1956; St. Louis Cardinals 1957-58; San Francisco Giants 1959-61; New York Mets 1962; Baltimore Orioles 1962-63; Washington Senators 1963

Died:  April 6, 2023, Sunnyvale, CA (age 93)

Hobie Landrith played parts of 14 seasons in the majors, almost entirely as a second or third string catcher for seven different teams.  In terms of longevity, he spent the most time with his original team, the Reds/Redlegs, playing in six seasons as the back-up to Andy Seminick (#296) or Smoky Burgess (#192).  Landrith would have two seasons in the majors as a team's regular catcher, which also happened to be his best seasons - 1956 with the Cubs and 1959 with the Giants.  In the latter season, he played in 109 games for the Giants and batted .251 with three home runs and 29 RBIs.  His success in San Francisco led the Mets to select him as their first pick (and second overall) in the 1961 expansion draft.  Landrith was the first catcher in Mets' franchise history, getting the start on opening day 1962 and catching starting pitcher Roger Craig (#63).  But manager Casey Stengel gave up on Landrith after a poor showing on opening day, leading to a parade of different catchers for the Mets and Landrith's eventual trade to the Orioles that June. 

After a final season with the Senators in 1963, Landrith joined Washington's coaching staff for the 1964 season.  He'd quit after one season, leaving baseball behind, but coming back at least once as a guest instructor at Giants' spring training in 1998.  A lifetime .233 batter, Landrith appeared in 772 games, collecting 450 hits, 34 home runs and 203 RBIs.

Building the Set
August 13, 1989 in Bridgeton, NJ - Card #87
We went nuts at the Bridgeton Baseball Card Show in August 1989, buying 12 different cards for our 1956 Topps set, all at $1.50 a piece.  That's an impressive haul for $18!


I have no other information on the location of this show, other than it was held in the nearby city of Bridgeton, New Jersey.  What I do have however is the checklist I brought with us to the show.  I believe this is the second full checklist we carried around, having retired the prior version I created in 1988 and posted with the William Harridge (#1) card.

Just looking at this checklist brings back fond memories of finding the cards, deciding to make a purchase, negotiating a price and then finding a flat surface so that we could cross off the newest additions.

The Card / Cubs Team Set
This is Landrith's first Topps card, as he appeared only in the Bowman sets in 1954 and 1955.  Topps would have had to swap the Redlegs' logo on his cap with a Cubs' logo, and the action shot didn't need to be retouched given Landrith's catching gear.  The cartoons on the back of the card summarize his brief stints with Cincinnati prior to the 1952 season, his strong throwing arm and his acquisition by the Cubs.

1956 Season

On November 28, 1955, the Redlegs dealt Landrith to the Cubs straight up for converted pitcher Hal Jeffcoat (#289).  He was the opening day catcher for the Cubs, ultimately starting 90 games behind the plate in a semi-platoon with Harry Chiti (#179).  Landrith batted .221 in 111 games with four home runs and 32 RBIs, a career best.  He led all catchers with 14 errors, but was fourth in caught stealing percentage with 51.1%.  On December 11th, with the Cubs hoping to start a rebuild, Landrith, Jim Davis (#102), Sam Jones (#259) and Eddie Miksis (#285) were traded to the Cardinals for Wally Lammers, Jackie Callum, Ray Katt and Tom Poholsky (#196).

1954 Bowman #220

1957 Topps #182

1959 Topps #422

1962 Topps #279

1963 Topps #209

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1954 Bowman #220
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (8):  1956-63
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2012 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-HL

38 - Landrith non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/3/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #313 Gene Stephens - Boston Red Sox / #315 Milt Bolling - Boston Red Sox

Order Collected: #305 Brooks Lawrence - Cincinnati Redlegs / #316 Jerry Coleman - New York Yankees

#291 Frank Kellert - Chicago Cubs

Frank William Kellert
Chicago Cubs
First Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  185
Born:  July 6, 1924, Oklahoma City, OK
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent before 1949 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Browns 1953; Baltimore Orioles 1954; Brooklyn Dodgers 1955; Chicago Cubs 1956

Died:  November 19, 1976, Oklahoma City, OK (age 52)

Frank Kellert had a front row seat with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955 as the team won its only World Championship before relocating to Los Angeles two years later.  Kellert had his best professional season in 1954 with the San Antonio Missions, the Orioles' top farm team.  He won Texas League MVP honors, hitting .316 with 41 home runs and 146 RBIs.  On the strength of his 1954 season, the Dodgers acquired him from the Orioles on March 17, 1955 for Erv Palica (#206).  Kellert spent the entire 1955 season with Brooklyn, appearing in 39 games and making 17 starts at first base to occasionally give Gil Hodges (#145) some days off.  He batted .325 (26 for 80) for the Dodgers during the regular season and made three pinch-hitting appearances in the World Series, going 1 for 3.  Kellert was at-bat in the eighth inning of Game 1 when Jackie Robinson (#30) stole home, evading Yogi Berra's (#110) tag.

Kellert moved to Chicago for the 1956 season, his last in the majors.  He played for three more years in the minors before retiring in 1959.  In 122 big league games, Kellert batted .231 with 57 hits, eight home runs and 37 RBIs.

July 12, 2007

Building the Set
July 12, 2007 from Dad's eBay purchases - Card #299
Our first son Doug was born in December 2006, and this happy event led directly to my Dad visiting us on a more regular basis.  Dad was living by himself at this point in Mays Landing, New Jersey and he didn't enjoy the 40 minute drive north to our house.  Among all the very positive memories I have of my Dad, one of my few negative memories is the fact he absolutely seemed to loathe driving and that loathing increased exponentially if there was traffic or if it were dark.  But he made the trips anyway, sometimes staying no more than an hour, because he was so incredibly anxious and excited to spend time with his grandson.

By the time his second grandson (Ben) was born in April 2010, my Dad's health had started to fail and whatever visits we had were pre-arranged or consisted of us visiting him.  Which is why these visits during Doug's infancy and first few years are so special to me.  My Dad would show up usually unannounced, ecstatic to see Doug, there would be some small talk and we'd complain about the Phillies, and then he'd leave.  But on his way out, he'd always say he'd see us again in a few days and I'd look forward to these visits.

This background is needed to better explain how this Kellert card came into our set.  In 2007, My Dad's days mostly consisted of an occasional round of golf, calls and visits to his kids - my sister and me, watching cable news, an afternoon nap and scouring eBay.  Most (but not all) of his eBay purchases benefitted me in the form of 1956 Topps cards we needed for our set.  He'd show up at our house for a visit with Doug and nonchalantly hand me one of his recent purchases.  He brought this Kellert card, by itself, on July 12, 2007.  This would have a Thursday, and I may not have even been home at the the time of his visit.  Pictures from the time show Doug going through a major drooling phase.

Throughout 2007, I suspect my Dad had a backlog of purchased 1956 Topps cards piled up on his desk at his house, and he'd grab one or two to deliver to me as he was heading out the door to make the 40 minute drive to visit Doug.

1995 Topps Archives Brooklyn Dodgers #114

The Card / Cubs Team Set
My goodness, Mr. Kellert had a long neck.  I think it's more likely Kellert is the runner in the action photo, but he could also be the first baseman.  This is his first and last appearance in a Topps flagship set, although Topps did create a 1955 inspired card for him in their 1995 Topps Archives Brooklyn Dodgers set.  

The first cartoon panel on the back is perhaps the most depressing cartoon panel in the entire set.  While serving in the Army during World War II, Kellert was on a transport ship torpedoed by German submarines in the Mediterranean.  Kellert himself survived by floating on debris for over 24 hours, but over 2,100 soldiers were lost in the attack.

1956 Season

A week after the Dodgers won the Championship, Kellert was placed on waivers and selected by the Cubs.  He assumed much of the same role he had with the Dodgers, but he did receive quite a few pinch-hitting opportunities.  Kellert started 25 games at first base, with regular Dee Fondy (#112) getting the other 132 starts.  As a pinch-hitter, Kellert batted .263 with 10 hits and five RBIs.  He batted .186 overall, with four home runs and 17 RBIs.  In January 1957, Kellert was dealt to the Red Sox.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #291
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  1956
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1995 Topps Archives Brooklyn Dodgers #114

11 - Kellert non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/19/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #290 Curt Simmons - Philadelphia Phillies / #292 Luis Aparicio - Chicago White Sox

Order Collected: #121 Pittsburgh Pirates Team Card / #259 Sam Jones - Chicago Cubs

#285 Eddie Miksis - Chicago Cubs

Edward Thomas Miksis
Chicago Cubs
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  185
Born:  September 11, 1926, Burlington, NJ
Signed:  Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1944 season
Major League Teams:  Brooklyn Dodgers 1944, 1946-1951; Chicago Cubs 1951-1956; St. Louis Cardinals 1957; Baltimore Orioles 1957-1958; Cincinnati Redlegs 1958

Died:  April 8, 2005, Huntingdon Valley, PA (age 78)

Eddie Miksis was a big league infielder and outfielder for 14 seasons, serving primarily as a back-up utility player with the Dodgers in the late 1940s / early 1950s and as a semi-regular with the Cubs in the early to mid 1950s.  Miksis originally came up with the Dodgers in 1944, but missed all of 1945 while serving during World War II.  He'd rejoin the Dodgers in 1946, playing all four infield positions and some left field.  A member of two pennant winners with the Dodgers in 1947 and 1949, Miksis batted .273 (3 for 11) in eight World Series games, with the Dodgers falling to the Yankees both times.  Dealt to the Cubs in June 1951 as part of a eight-player trade, Miksis cemented himself in Chicago baseball folklore by lending his glove to Ernie Banks (#15) in early 1954 as the rookie entered his first spring training with the Cubs.

Miksis enjoyed his best seasons with the Cubs in 1955 and 1956, playing 131 games in 1955 and batting .235 as their regular center fielder.  Miksis was a strong defender and he'd lead all National League outfielders with a .989 fielding percentage during his first year regularly playing the outfield.  He'd settle into a bench role again over his final two seasons with the Cardinals, Orioles and Redlegs, retiring following the 1958 season.  In 1,042 big league games, Miksis batted .236 with 44 home runs and 228 RBIs.

Building the Set
August 13, 1989 in Bridgeton, NJ - Card #82
We went nuts at the Bridgeton Baseball Card Show in August 1989, buying 12 different cards for our 1956 Topps set, all at $1.50 a piece.  That's an impressive haul for $18!


I have no other information on the location of this show, other than it was held in the nearby city of Bridgeton, New Jersey.  What I do have however is the checklist I brought with us to the show.  I believe this is the second full checklist we carried around, having retired the prior version I created in 1988 and posted with the William Harridge (#1) card.

Just looking at this checklist brings back fond memories of finding the cards, deciding to make a purchase, negotiating a price and then finding a flat surface so that we could cross off the newest additions.

The Card / Cubs Team Set
Our version of the card is a little beat up with some staining and paper loss on the front.  This card marks Miksis' return to Topps sets after a two-year absence, and that could be anyone up to bat in the action shot.  The cartoons on the back of the card highlight his ability to play all over the infield, and his move to the outfield in 1955.  His veteran status, mentioned in the final cartoon panel, can be explained by the lack of players available during the war years.  Miksis made his debut with the Dodgers on June 17, 1944, less than three months before his 18th birthday.

1956 Season

Cubs' manager Stan Hack was in search of more offense in 1956, and Miksis assumed a utility role.  He'd appear in 114 games overall,  making 87 starts at third base (47), center field (21), second base (18) and right field (1).  Miksis batted .239 with nine home runs, matching his career best from the prior season, and 27 RBIs.  On December 11th, he was traded with Jim Davis (#102), Sam Jones (#259) and Hobie Landrith (#314) to the Cardinals for Wally Lammers, Jackie Callum, Ray Katt and Tom Poholsky (#196).

1951 Bowman #117

1952 Topps #172

1955 Bowman #181

1957 Topps #350

1959 Topps #58

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1951 Bowman #117
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1952-1953, 1956-1959
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1991 Topps Archives 1953 #39

33 - Miksis non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/30/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #284 Ike Delock - Boston Red Sox / #286 Bill Wight - Baltimore Orioles

Order Collected: #275 Jim Greengrass - Philadelphia Phillies / #295 Clem Labine - Brooklyn Dodgers

#282 Warren Hacker - Chicago Cubs

Warren Louis Hacker
Chicago Cubs
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  185
Born:  November 21, 1924, Marissa, IL
Acquired:  Sent from the Shreveport Sports (Texas League) to the Chicago Cubs in an unknown transaction, September 1948
Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1948-1956; Cincinnati Reds 1957; Philadelphia Phillies 1957-1958; Chicago White Sox 1961

Died:  May 22, 2002, Lenzburg, IL (age 77)

Warren Hacker pitched for a dozen seasons in the majors, with his best seasons coming in the early 1950s with the Cubs.  Hacker made his debut with the Cubs in 1948, appeared in 30 games for the club in 1949, and then pitched sporadically over the next two seasons spending most of his time in the minor leagues.  He came up for good in 1952, winning a career-high 15 games in what was by far his career year.  Hacker was 15-9 with a 2.58 ERA in 33 games pitched, leading the league with a 0.946 WHIP and earning MVP votes following the season.  He'd struggle the following season, losing 19 games for the Cubs in 1953.  An excellent fielder, Hacker led all National League pitchers with a 1.000% fielding percentage in 1952, 1954 and 1956.

Hacker appeared in at least 30 games each season between 1952 and 1957, and he'd disappear from the majors for two seasons in 1959 and 1960 before returning with the White Sox in 1961.  In his final season in the majors, Hacker relieved in a career-high 42 games, pitching to a 3.77 ERA.  He'd spend five seasons between 1962 and 1966 pitching for the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, which were some of the best professional seasons of his career.  In 306 career major league games, Hacker was 62-89 with a 4.21 ERA in 1,283 1/3 innings pitched.  Following his playing career, Hacker remained in the game as a minor league pitching coach in the Athletics and Padres organizations until the mid-1970s.

December 12, 2003 - My family at the Buena Tavern

Building the Set
December 25, 2003 from San Diego, CA (Kit Young Cards) - Card #249
My Dad/Santa brought me nine cards for our set for Christmas in 2003, with all but one of the cards coming from his dealer of choice, Kit Young Cards in San Diego.  The Brooklyn Dodgers team card (#166) was the lone non-Kit Young Cards addition, as that card came from TemDee in Turnersville, New Jersey.  It was a strange mix of commons from Kit Young Cards, with no semi-star or star card to balance out the lot.  We were admittedly in a lull collecting the set, with only 18 cards added during all of 2003 and only six cards added, as Christmas presents, in 2004.

Pictures from the Christmas of 2003 show us opening gifts at my Mom's house on December 26th, which has since become a tradition for us.  So while the official set records indicate these nine cards were added on December 25th, it was most likely a day later I opened the cards while in Millville.

The Card / Cubs Team Set
Hacker returns to Topps with this card, after having been exclusively in Bowman sets in 1953, 1954 and 1955.  The first cartoon panel on the back references his near no-hitter.  On May 21, 1955, Hacker was two outs away from a no-hitter against the Braves when George Crowe (#254) hit a solo home run to deep right field.  Hacker retired the next two batters and the Cubs would still win the game, 2-1.

1956 Season

In his final season with the Cubs, Hacker was 3-13 with a 4.66 ERA in 34 games, including 24 starts.  Cubs manager Stan Hack used a starting pitching rotation of Hacker, Bob Rush (#214), Sam Jones (#259) and Don Kaiser (#124) for most of the season.  Hacker threw four complete games and pitched 168 innings overall.

Phillies Career
The Phillies selected Hacker off waivers from the Redlegs on June 26, 1957.  In 20 games with the Phillies in 1957, including 10 starts, he was 4-4 with a 4.50 ERA.  He'd see much less time with the club in 1958, appearing in only nine games in May, June and early July.  With the Miami Marlins, then the Phillies' top farm team, he was 5-6 in 1958 with a 3.11 ERA.  Hacker last pitched for the Phillies on July 6, 1958 and he'd spend all of 1959 and 1960 pitching for their Triple-A team in Buffalo.  With the Bisons, and as one of their top starters, Hacker was 10-8 in 1959 and 9-11 in 1960.  His time with the Phillies came to an end on June 1, 1961 when he was sold to the White Sox.

A part of the organization for nearly four years, Hacker appeared in only 29 games for the Phillies, going 4-5 overall with a 5.04 ERA in 91 innings pitched.

1951 Bowman #318

1952 Topps #324

1954 Bowman #125

1957 Topps #370

1958 Topps #251

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1951 Bowman #318
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1952, 1956-1958
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1983 Topps 1952 Reprint Series #324

18 - Hacker non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/23/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #281 Art Houtteman - Cleveland Indians / #283 Hal Smith - St. Louis Cardinals

Order Collected: #281 Art Houtteman - Cleveland Indians / #297 Bob Skinner - Pittsburgh Pirates

#259 Sam Jones - Chicago Cubs

Samuel Jones
Chicago Cubs
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  192
Born:  December 4, 1925, Stewartsville, OH
Signed:  Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before 1950 season
Major League Teams:  Cleveland Buckeyes 1947-1948; Cleveland Indians 1951-1952; Chicago Cubs 1955-1956; St. Louis Cardinals 1957-1958; San Francisco Giants 1959-1961; Detroit Tigers 1962; St. Louis Cardinals 1963; Baltimore Orioles 1964

Died:  November 5, 1971, Morgantown, WV (age 45)

On the strength of one of the better curve balls of his era, Sam Jones pitched in 14 big league seasons, earning spots on two All-Star teams and winning 21 games in 1959.  Jones first pitched professionally in the Negro Leagues before briefly joining the Indians in 1951 and 1952.  On May 3, 1952, with catcher Quincy Trouppe behind the plate, Jones and Trouppe became the first African American battery in major league history.  Prior to the 1955 season, Jones was dealt to the Cubs in exchange for Ralph Kiner.  Jones would pitch a no-hitter on May 12, 1955 against the Pirates, again making history as the first African American to throw a no-hitter.  He'd lead the league with 198 strikeouts that season, a feat he'd repeat in 1956 (176) and 1958 (225).

Jones' career year came in 1959 with the Giants when he was 21-15 with a league leading 2.83 ERA with 16 complete games and four shutouts.  He'd finish in second place in the Cy Young voting that season behind Early Wynn (#187).  Jones last pitched in the majors in 1964, but he'd pitch three more seasons for the Pirates' top farm team in Columbus before retiring following the 1967 season.  In 322 games after his Negro League career, Jones was 102-101 with a 3.59 ERA with 76 complete games, 17 shutouts and 1,376 strikeouts over 1,643 1/3 innings pitched.

July 21, 2007

Building the Set
July 21, 2007 from Dad's eBay purchases - Card #300
Our first son Doug was born in December 2006, and this happy event led directly to my Dad visiting us on a more regular basis.  Dad was living by himself at this point in Mays Landing, New Jersey and he didn't enjoy the 40 minute drive north to our house.  Among all the very positive memories I have of my Dad, one of my few negative memories is the fact he absolutely seemed to loathe driving and that loathing increased exponentially if there was traffic or if it were dark.  But he made the trips anyway, sometimes staying no more than an hour, because he was so incredibly anxious and excited to spend time with his grandson.

By the time his second grandson (Ben) was born in April 2010, my Dad's health had started to fail and whatever visits we had were pre-arranged or consisted of us visiting him.  Which is why these visits during Doug's infancy and first few years are so special to me.  My Dad would show up usually unannounced, ecstatic to see Doug, there would be some small talk and we'd complain about the Phillies, and then he'd leave.  But on his way out, he'd always say he'd see us again in a few days and I'd look forward to these visits.

This background is needed to better explain how this Jones card came into our set.  In 2007, My Dad's days mostly consisted of an occasional round of golf, calls and visits to his kids - my sister and me, watching cable news, an afternoon nap and scouring eBay.  Most (but not all) of his eBay purchases benefitted me in the form of 1956 Topps cards we needed for our set.  He'd show up at our house for a visit with Doug and nonchalantly hand me one of his recent purchases.  He brought this Jones card, by itself, on July 21, 2007.  From pictures at the time, this was a sunny day we spent in the shade of our back yard.

Throughout 2007, I suspect he had a backlog of purchased 1956 Topps cards piled up on his desk at his house, and he'd grab one or two to deliver to me as he was heading out the door to make the 40 minute drive to visit Doug.

The Card / Cubs Team Set
Jones was absent from all baseball card sets in 1954 and 1955, and this marks his return to Topps for the first time since 1953.  The back of the card covers all the highlights of his career to date, including his league-leading strikeout effort and his 1955 no-hitter.

1956 Season

Jones had an off year and while he lead the league in strikeouts, he also led the league in walks with 115.  He was 9-14 with a 3.91 ERA for the eighth place Cubs, with only Bob Rush (#214) making more starts than Jones.  On December 11th, Jones, Jim Davis (#102), Hobie Landrith (#314) and Eddie Miksis (#285) were traded to the Cardinals for Wally Lammers, Jackie Callum, Ray Katt and Tom Poholsky (#196).

1952 Topps #382

1957 Topps #287

1959 Topps #75

1961 Topps #555

1962 Topps #92

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1952 Topps #382
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  1952-1953, 1956-1962
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2008 Topps Heritage Then & Now High Numbers #TN10

46 - Jones non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/20/23.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

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Set Order: #258 Art Ditmar - Kansas City Athletics / #260 "Pee Wee" Reese - Brooklyn Dodgers

Order Collected: #291 Frank Keller - Chicago Cubs / #29 Jack Harshman - Chicago White Sox