Final Card: Jose Vidal

I've got 7 more cards to post before I can wrap up the "Final Cards" for the 1969 set (something I did way back in 2012 for the 1966, 1967, and 1968 sets), so let's get to it.

 

 

Jose Vidal (#322) had a very short major-league career: a few dozen games for the Indians from 1966-68, and 18 games for the Seattle Pilots in 1969. 

 

Vidal was signed by the Giants in 1958 (I learned something new today) and after one minor-league season was dealt to the Pirates. He spent 5 seasons in Class B, C, and D ball before advancing to Class A in 1963. Primarily an outfielder, Jose also played some 3rd base in '59 and '63. 

 

The Indians purchased his contract in September 1963, and moved him up to double-A the following season. He saw his most extensive playing time in 1965 and 1966, playing over 100 games each season for the Tribe’s AAA team in Portland. 

 

Although he hit well in the minors (40/162/.340 in 1963), he led his league’s outfielders in errors 3 times. 

 

He made his major-league debut with 17 games in September 1966. Initially used as a pinch-hitter, he also started 10 of the final 12 games, mostly in right field. 

 

Jose split his time in '67 and '68 between the Indians and Portland. Although only playing 16 and 37 games for Cleveland in those seasons, he must have been with the team for much of the time because after 100+ games in AAA for the previous 2 seasons, he only played 69 and 44 games in the minors. 

 

In early-September 1968, the expansion Pilots purchased his contract from the Indians. (This was a month before the expansion draft.) Vidal played only 18 games for the Pilots in 1969 (all in the first 4 weeks of the season), mostly as a pinch-hitter. On May 19th he was traded to the Yankees for outfielder Dick Simpson, but spent the rest of the year with the Yankees' AAA team in Syracuse. 

 

Jose played all of 1970 with Syracuse, and part of 1971 with the Tigers' AAA team in Toledo. He finished out that season in Japan, then played over 100 games per season in Mexico from 1972-75. 

 

Vidal passed away in 2011 at age 70. 

 

Mike Kekich (#262)

Mike Kekich is mostly known for his years with the Yankees, but he began his career with the Dodgers.

Signed by the Dodgers in 1964, he pitched 24 games in A ball (and only 1 in AAA) before making the jump to the majors in 1965. He must have been injured that season, because he only pitched 5 games for LA, and 7 in the Arizona Instructional League.

After pitching all of 1966-67 in the minors, Kekich returned to the Dodgers at the start of the 1968 season. He started 20 of his 25 games as the 5th starter in a rotation that included Don Drysdale, Claude Osteen, Bill Singer, and Don Sutton.

After his rookie season, he was shipped off to the Yankees for outfielder Andy Kosco. (Whaaaaaaat?)

Mike played for the Yankees for the next 4+ seasons. After splitting the #5 starter assignments with Al Downing in 1969, and the #4 starter's job with Steve Kline in '70, he was in the regular rotation in '71 and '72. His best season was 1971, posting a 10-9 record with 93 strikeouts. He also won 10 games in 1972.

Kekich began the 1973 season in the Bronx, but was traded to the Indians in June for pitcher Lowell Palmer. He was released during spring training in 1974 but soon hooked on with the Rangers.

He didn’t play in the majors during 1974, splitting that season between the Rangers' AAA team in Spokane, WA and also playing in Japan. He returned to the Rangers in 1975, relieving in 23 games, but with no decisions. He also spent time back in Spokane.

Mike missed the entire 1976 season, then made a comeback in 1977 with the Mariners, playing in 41 games (all but 2 in relief).

He played in the minors during 1978 and in the Inter-American League in 1979 before retiring.

Mike Lum (#514)

Mike Lum first appeared on a "National League Rookies" card in the 1968 set.

He made his major-league debut in September 1967. He was signed by the Milwaukee Braves in 1963, and after 5 seasons in the minors (and his Sept '67 cup of coffee), he made the team in 1968.

Lum was the 3rd outfielder, behind Felipe Alou (CF) and Hank Aaron (RF). However, he played less than half as many innings as they did, and was so close to the next two (Tito Francona and Tommie Aaron) that they could all be considered third outfielders as they manned left field during Rico Carty's 1-year absence.

With Carty's return in 1969 plus the acquisitions of Tony Gonzalez and Bob Aspromonte, left field was quite crowded, leaving Lum with little to do but pinch-hit.  Of his 121 games, he only started 32, across all three positions.

Alou was traded away after 1969 but that just gave Gonzalez more playing time in 1970. In 1971 the Braves’ outfield was completely revised. Gone were Hank Aaron (moved to 1B), Gonzalez, and Carty. In were Lum (RF), Sonny Jackson (CF) , and Ralph Garr (LF).

Mike got 350 to 500 at-bats every season through 1975 while splitting his time between the outfield and first base.

After the 1975 season he was traded to the Reds for shortstop Darrel Chaney.  He spent the next 3 seasons as the Reds' 4th outfielder. (When the first three are named Foster, Geronimo, and Griffey, that means you are a pinch-hitter.)

Lum was granted free agency after 1978 and returned to the Braves as a backup 1st baseman and pinch-hitter. Released in May 1981, he pinch-hit for the Cubs for the rest of that season.

Mike played in Japan in 1982, then began a long coaching career. He was a hitting coach for the Braves, White Sox, Giants, and Royals from 1983-89. Since 1990 Lum has been a minor-league instructor for the White Sox, Brewers, and Pirates.

Frank Johnson (#227)

Frank Johnson had a very short career (1966-71, all with the Giants). The record shows 6 seasons, but in three of them he only played 15, 8, and 7 games. Most of his major-league playing time came in 1968 and 1970.

He's one of several Giants' prospects (along with Bobby Etheridge and Bob Schroeder) who couldn’t  wrest a job away from the likes of Ken Henderson, Hal Lanier, Tito Fuentes, or an aging Jim Davenport.

Johnson joined the Giants' organization in 1961, and played in their farm system from 1961-67, at 3rd base and the outfield. He had a few games with the Giants during September call-ups in '66 and '67.

 The cartoon says he played for the Cubs!

Frank was with the Giants for all of 1968. He played 67 games, often as a pinch-hitter or pinch-runner, but also started 30 games at 3rd base (mostly in May and June). He only hit .190 (with 7 RBI) that season, so guess where he was the next year?

Sunny Phoenix! After 7 games with the Giants during the 1st month of 1969, Johnson played 1B, 3B, and OF for the Giants' AAA team for the rest of the year. Not even a token September game with the big club.

Frank got a 2nd chance with the Giants in 1970, playing 67 games (again!). He made 24 starts in left field, backing up Henderson. This time he hit .273 with 31 RBI – much better than in 1968.

Johnson played 32 games during the first half of 1971, then was sent down to the minors for the rest of the season. Some guy named Dave Kingman took his place, and you know the rest.

Frank played in Japan in 1972, then back with the Giants' and Padres' AAA teams from 1973-75.

Final Card: Bart Shirley

Bart Shirley (#289) was a career minor-league infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, having played for one of their farm teams every season from 1961 to 1970.

Along the way, he played in 18 games for the Dodgers in September 1964 and 12 games in early-1966.

After the 1966 season, the Mets selected him in the Rule 5 draft, which was the sole reason for this appearance:

After playing only 6 games for the Mets in April 1967, he was returned to the Dodgers in mid-May, and was promptly assigned to the minors.

Shirley resurfaced one last time for the Dodgers during the final 2 months of the 1968 season, appearing in 39 games (24 starts) at SS or 2B. It was to be his last major-league action, but was enough to have Topps issue his 1969 card, the only solo card during his career.

Bart played 2 more seasons for the Dodgers’ AAA team, then wrapped up his career in Japan in ’71 and ’72.

Don Buford (#478)

At age 78 years 8 months, Don Buford is the oldest living player from the 1966-70 era that I have not yet featured on one of my blogs.

He played his first 5 seasons as the White Sox’ 2nd or 3rd baseman, but may be better known for his 5 years as the Orioles’ left fielder during their late-60s/early-70s glory years.

Buford was signed by the ChiSox in November 1959, and played 4 seasons in the minors before making his major-league debut with the Sox in September 1963. He started the final 8 games at 3rd base, replacing Pete Ward, who had started every game at 3rd up to that time.

Don began the 1964 season starting 15 of the first 17 games at 3rd base, then moved over to 2nd base, where he split the job evenly with Al Weis. Both Weis and Buford were switch-hitters, so I don’t know what determined who was starting on a given day.

1965 started out the same as the previous season (splitting 2B with Weis, with a few starts at 3rd base), but Buford was the 2nd baseman for every game from July 17th onward.

Don played 2nd base for the first 2 months of 1966, but in June the White Sox acquired veteran 2nd basemen Jerry Adair and Wayne Causey, moving Buford over to 3rd base for 115 of the final 127 games (including 67 consecutive starts – surprising given how many mix-and-match infielders the Sox had!)

In his final season in Chicago (1967) Don started only 94 games at 3rd, and 39 at 2nd base. The Sox had acquired veteran 3rd-sacker Ken Boyer from the Mets in mid-season, and were also auditioning rookie Dick Kenworthy at the hot corner.

In November 1967, Buford and pitchers Bruce Howard and Roger Nelson were traded to the Orioles for shortstop Luis Aparicio and outfielder Russ Snyder. The O’s already had Brooks Robinson at 3rd base and Dave Johnson at 2nd base, so Buford rode the bench for 2 months in 1968 until finally working his way into the lineup with frequent starts at 2nd base, center field, or left field.

He was the team’s regular left fielder for his final 4 seasons (1969-72). Buford played in the post-season in ’69, ‘70, and ’71, hitting a combined 5 homers with 11 RBI. Although his ALCS batting average was .357, his World Series average was only .207.

After his February 1973 release he played in Japan for 4 years, retiring after the 1976 season.

His son Damon Buford was an outfielder for several teams from 1993-2001.

Jim Lefebvre (#140)

Today we have the 1965 NL Rookie of the Year, Jim Lefebvre. (Four years later, the Dodgers would have another 2nd baseman win the Rookie of the Year award.)

Lefebvre was signed by the Dodgers in 1962, and played 3 seasons in the minors as a 2nd baseman. He made his big-league debut in April 1965, taking over the 2nd base job from the 1964 tandem of Nate Oliver and Dick Tracewski. Jim started the first 75 games at 2nd base, and by season’s end, had started 154 of the 162 games there. He also chipped in with 12 homers, and was also named the top rookie, with 13 of the 20 votes. (The Astros’ Joe Morgan received 4 votes.)

Jim began the 1966 season as the team’s 3rd baseman, but moved back to second base in early May. Meanwhile, Nate Oliver (2b), Junior Gilliam (3b), and John Kennedy (3b) filled in around him. Lefebvre made his only all-star team in 1966. He tallied career highs in homers (24), RBI (74), and batting average (.274) in his sophomore season.

During this time, he was also one of several pro athletes to make guest appearances on a TV series. Lefebvre was one of the Riddler’s henchmen on “Batman”.

With the Dodgers’ acquisition of 2nd baseman Ron Hunt, Lefebvre spent most of the 1967 season at 3rd base, although he played 2nd base whenever Hunt was out of the lineup (which included most of August).

Hunt moved on to the Giants in 1968, but Lefebvre missed a lot of time with injuries, starting only 53 games at 2B and 17 at 3B. In 1969, he was relegated to the bench for much of the season in favor of rookies Ted Sizemore (117 starts at 2B) and Bill Sudakis (118 starts at 3B). Lefebvre only started 80 games that season, split between 2B, 3B, and 1B.

In 1970, Jim shared the 2nd base job with Sizemore, then with Sizemore having been traded to the Cardinals in the off-season, Lefebvre regained the lion’s share of playing time (97 starts) in 1971.

Lefebvre’s final season with the Dodgers (1972) was spent as a role player, since the 2nd base job was now manned by rookie Lee Lacy and 2nd-year man Bobby Valentine. Jim was released by the Dodgers and played in Japan for the 1973-76 seasons.

After his playing career, he coached for several teams, and managed the Mariners (1989-91), the Cubs (1992-93), and the Brewers (1999). He also coached teams in the Olympics and the World Baseball Classic.

Clete Boyer (#489)

Here is Clete Boyer, near the end of his long career. Clete had a Topps card in 1957, and every year from 1959-71. I have all his cards from 1966-70.

Boyer was signed by the Kansas City Athletics in 1955 as a bonus baby, and began his pro career on the Athletics’ major-league roster. He played sparingly in 1955, only making 6 starts at 3rd base (behind future Yankees’ teammate Hector Lopez), while also getting a few starts at 2nd base and left field. In 1956 Boyer started 34 games as the A’s backup 2nd baseman.

In June 1957, after appearing in only 10 games (9 as a pinch-runner) and having no at-bats, Boyer was sent to the Yankees to complete an 11-player trade which included pitchers Art Ditmar and Bobby Shantz going to the Yankees.

Clete spent the remainder of 1957, all of 1958, and June and July of 1959 in the minors, getting the much-needed experience he missed as a bonus baby.

Boyer began the 1959 season with the Yankees, but was sent to the minors for 2 months. When he returned, he was the starting shortstop from mid-August to mid-September. (Regular shortstop Tony Kubek missed 30 games that season, and also played half his games in the outfield.)

Clete rode the bench for the first half of 1960, then won the 3rd base job from long-time Yankees’ infielder Gil McDougald (who was in his final season), and started 92 of the final 118 games at the hot corner.

With the retirement of McDougald, Boyer had 3rd base to himself in 1961, making 138 starts along with another 8 starts at shortstop. Clete continued as the regular 3rd baseman through the 1965 season, while making occasional starts at shortstop.

1966 was a strange season. During the first half, left fielder Tom Tresh (who had played the first 4 ½ months of the 1962 season at shortstop in Kubek’s absence) was moved to 3rd base, with Boyer becoming the regular shortstop. This arrangement continued until late-June, when Tresh returned to left field, Boyer to 3rd base, and Horace Clarke installed as the regular shortstop.

In November, Clete was traded to the Braves for outfield prospect Bill Robinson and reliever Chi-Chi Olivo. Boyer took over the Braves’ hot corner from long-time veteran slugger Eddie Mathews, who was traded to the Astros a month later.

Clete hit a career-high 26 home runs in 1967, and played 4 ½ seasons for the Braves (although missing the last 2 ½ months of the 1968 season). He was released by the Braves at the end of May 1971, after clashing with the Braves’ manager and general manager.

After playing the remainder of the ’71 season for the Padres’ AAA team in Hawaii (nice work, if you can get it!), Clete played in Japan from 1972-75.

Boyer played in the World Series with the Yankees every season from 1960-64, and in the 1969 NLCS with the Braves. He also won a Gold Glove in 1969.

Clete’s brother Ken was a 3rd baseman from 1955-1969 (mostly with the Cardinals). They both played 3rd base in the 1964 World Series. His other brother Cloyd was a pitcher with the Cardinals from 1949-52, and was Clete’s teammate with the 1955 Athletics.

Clete passed away in June 2007 at age 70.

Final Card: Bob Chance

As with my 1966 and 1968 blogs, I'm down to the last half-dozen (+/-) players whose final card is in this set.

Bob Chance (#523) was a 1st baseman for the Indians and Senators in the mid-1960s. After being out of the majors (and Topps' lineup) in 1968, he returned in 1969, playing 5 games with the Angels.

Chance was was signed by the Giants in 1961, and played outfield for their class-D team in El Paso. After the season, he was selected by the Indians in the minor-league draft. Bob played 1st base and outfield for the next 2 seasons with the Tribe's Charleston WV team, which was class A in '62 and double-A in '63. He made his big-league debut on 9/4/63, and started 14 games in right field that month.

He made the jump from AA to the majors at the start of the 1964 season. This was Bob's only full season in the majors, and he made the most of it. After starting most of the games in right field during the month of June, he moved to 1st base and started most of the games there for 2nd half of the season, replacing the incumbent Fred Whitfield.

After the season, Bob and utilityman Woodie Held were traded to the Senators for outfielder Chuck Hinton. Chance spent the next 3 seasons alternating between Washington and the minors (was there a difference?).

In '65, he split the 1st base duties with veteran Joe Cunningham for the 1st half of the season, until he was replaced by Dick Nen, and sent to the minors for July and August. In 1966, Bob was Nen's backup, but after the Senators acquired 1st baseman Ken Harrelson in late June, Chance was back to the minors for the rest of the season.

His 1967 resume with the Senators included only the first month, and then again in September. He spent all of 1968 in the minors, then was selected by the Angels in the Rule 5 draft. Bob's last major-league games was on April 29, 1969. The next day, he was traded to the Braves for catcher Dave Adlesh.

The remainder of the '69 season was split between the Braves' AAA team and the Japanese League. He also played in Japan during 1970.