Final Card: Dick Simpson

This is the final card for Dick Simpson (#608), a fringe outfielder for 6 teams over 7 years, and who was once traded for Frank Robinson (well, not straight-up).

Simpson was signed by the expansion Los Angeles Angels prior to their inaugural 1961 season, and played for 5 seasons (1961-65) in their farm system, working his way through class D, C, and AAA ball. He also appeared in a few games for the Angels in '62, '64, and '65.

After the 1965 season, he was traded to the Orioles for veteran 1st baseman Norm Siebern. Exactly one week later, the O's flipped him to the Reds along with 2 others for Frank Robinson. After 2 seasons as the Reds' 5th outfielder, he was traded to the Cardinals for bad-apple Alex Johnson.

I hope Simpson didn't spend too much time unpacking, because he split 1968 between the Cardinals and the Astros, then after the season was traded to the Yankees for reliever Dooley Womack. By May, the Yankees has seen enough, and sent him to the Seattle Pilots for outfielder Jose Vidal. (The aforementioned Dooley Womack would soon join him in Seattle, after the Astros dealt him for pitcher/author Jim Bouton.)

Simpson's last major-league game was on 8/27/1969. After the 1969 season, the Pilots traded him and outfielder Steve Whitaker to the Giants for pitcher Bob Bolin, but Simpson spent the next 2 seasons in triple-A, before retiring.


I'm working my way through the "Final card in 1969" list. There are 86 cards altogether, but Dick Simpson was the last one with at least 7 years in the majors.  The remaining 29 "final cards"  are either players with less than 7 years in the majors, or manager cards.