Rick Reichardt (#205)

Rick Reichardt was an outfielder for the Angels, White Sox, and others from 1964 to 1974.

Reichardt was a baseball and football star at the University of Wisconsin, and played in the 1963 Rose Bowl. After a bidding war, the Angels signed him in June 1964 for a then-record $200,000. That was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back, leading to the institution of the player draft in 1965.

Rick made his major-league debut in September 1964. He played most of the 1965 season in triple-A, but saw action in 20 games for the Halos.

In 1966 he made the big club for good, and was the starting left fielder for most of the season, but missed all of August and September.

Rick was the Angels’ regular left fielder during the 1967 to 1969 seasons, starting most of the games there while up to 7 other outfielders swirled around the other 2 spots.

Before the 1970 season, the Angels acquired Alex Johnson to play left field, and by late April Reichardt was traded to the Senators for 3rd baseman Ken McMullen. He was the 4th outfielder for the Senators, playing left field for the few dozen games when Frank Howard moved in to first base, and occasionally playing center field.

After the season he was traded to the White Sox for suspect pitcher Gerry Janeski. Rick regained a starting job with Chicago, once again manning left field, and playing alongside his former Angels’ teammate Jay Johnstone.

In 1972 he shared the center field job with Johnstone, while Carlos May took over the left field duties.

Reichardt began the 1973 season on the bench, and only saw steady playing time during the second half of May. He was released at the end of June, having only played in 46 games to that point.

He was signed by the Royals 2 weeks later, and played mostly as a designated hitter for the remainder of that season. After only 1 at-bat in 1974, he was released on April 9th, ending his 11-year career.


Hey, wait a minute...

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 Kessinger (#225)

Don Kessinger was one of the best shortstops in baseball during the late-1960s and early-1970s, making 6 All-Star teams in a 7-year span.

Kessinger made his pro debut with the Cubs' double-A team in 1964, and made his major-league debut that same year with 4 games in September.

He began the 1965 season in triple-A, but was recalled in mid-June, starting 104 of the final 115 games at shortstop. (Journeyman Roberto Pena had started the first 49 games there.)

Kessinger was the Cubs' regular shortstop from mid-June 1965 through the end of the 1975 season. Along the way, he was named to the All-Star team every season from 1968-72 and again in 1974. Although his highest batting average was .274 and had virtually no power, he was very good defensively, winning the Gold Glove award in '69 and '70.

After just over a decade with the Cubs, Don was traded to the Cardinals after the '75 season for reliever Mike Garman. Kessinger started 105 games at shortstop in his first season with the Cards, but in early August that job was turned over to rookie Garry Templeton.

Don slid over to 2nd base, starting 29 games there during August, until other rookies were given late-season tryouts at THAT position. In 1977, Kessinger hung on as a utility player until he was traded to the White Sox in August for a minor-leaguer.

Don got his feet wet in the AL by backing up Alan Bannister at SS and Jorge Orta at 2B for the remaining 2 months, then in 1978 he put in a full season (almost) as the ChiSox' regular shortstop. After starting 117 games through the first week of September, he once again fell victim to the "September prospect tryout", this time it was someone named Harry Chappas.

In 1979 Kessinger was named player-manager for the Sox. He managed the team to a 46-60 record, then was fired at the start of August, replaced by Tony LaRussa. Not surprisingly, that was also the end of Don’s playing career.

Kessinger managed the University of Mississippi baseball team for 6 seasons in the 1990s.

His son Keith played briefly for the Reds in 1993.

Final Card: Joe Nossek

I’ve got 21 more “Final Cards” to post in the 1969 set, but haven’t done any since last October, so I’m going to squeeze one in here before I start down the path of featuring the Topps All-Rookie Team. Joe Nossek is the only one of the remaining 21 cards to have played more than 5 seasons in the majors. He finished up with 6 years of service time. 


Joe Nossek (#143) was a member of the 1961 College All-American team, along with catcher Bill Freehan, pitcher Bill Faul, and future Twins’ teammate, shortstop Frank Quilici.

Joe was signed by the Minnesota Twins in 1961 and played 4 seasons in their minor-league organization. He made his major-league debut in April 1964, playing in 7 games at the start of the season (mostly as a pinch-runner) before returning to the minors in early May.

Joe returned to the majors on a full-time basis at the start of the 1965 season. He played in 87 games during his rookie season, mostly as a pinch-hitter and backup center fielder (to Jimmie Hall). Joe also made a few starts at 3rd base. Nossek appeared in 6 games in the 1965 World Series, and was the starting center fielder for games 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 against the Dodgers’ southpaw starters. He went 4-for-20 (.200).

In mid-May 1966, Joe was sold to the Kansas City Athletics. He played in 87 games for the Athletics in both 1966 and 1967, sharing the starting center field job in 1966 with Roger Repoz and Jim Gosger, then caddying for rookie Rick Monday in 1967.

Nossek spent all of 1968 with Oakland’s AAA team in Vancouver, and was left out of the Topps set in 1968. It's surprising that he was back on Topps' radar in 1969. This is a low-numbered card, and he didn't see any playing time in the previous season.

He began the 1969 season with the A’s, but after 13 games (2 starts), he was sent down to the minors in mid-May, then traded to the Cardinals two months later for utility infielder Bob Johnson. The Cardinals called Joe up at the end of July, where he made 9 pinch-hitting or pinch-running appearances over the rest of the season.

It was back to the minors for almost all of 1970, with only one pinch-hitting appearance for the Cardinals in mid-September. It would be his last major-league game.

In February 1971 Joe was sold to the Brewers, but spent the year in triple-A before retiring.

After his playing career, Nossek was a coach for 28 seasons between 1973 and 2003, for the Brewers, Twins, Indians, Royals, and White Sox.

Willie Crawford (#327)

Willie Crawford had a 14-year career from 1964-77 (mostly with the Dodgers), although his most productive seasons were from 1969 to 1976.

A football star at a Los Angeles high school, Crawford was signed by the Dodgers in 1964, and played in the minors from 1964 to 1968.

His major-league debut came in September 1964, and although he spent most of the 1965 season with the Dodgers (primarily as a pinch-hitter) and appeared in the 1965 World Series, he was back in the minors for all of 1966 and 1967 (except for September call-ups).

Willie was recalled by the Dodgers in mid-July 1968, and would be a regular in their outfield through the 1975 season. Crawford started 38 games in left field over the last 2 months of the ’68 season, replacing Len Gabrielson.

In 1969, Willie started the first 18 games in center field, filling in for Willie Davis, then filled in at the corner spots before assuming the regular right field job for the final 2 months. By the end of the season, he was the #2 outfielder in playing time, behind Davis and ahead of Andy Kosco, Manny Mota, and rookie Bill Russell.

The same 5 outfielders were back for 1970, although Crawford ended up sharing right field with Kosco and Russell. The following season, Dick Allen (LF) and Bill Buckner (RF) joined the team, so Willie became the primary backup at the corner outfield spots.

In 1972, Allen was out, Frank Robinson was in, and Crawford spent the season sharing left field with Manny Mota (although Mota played twice as much). Crawford was the Dodgers’ everyday right fielder in 1973 and 1974, making over 500 plate appearances each season (the most in his career). He batted .295 in both seasons, and hit 14 and 11 homers.

His production slipped in 1975, as Willie only started half the team’s games in right field. The following March, he was traded to the Cardinals for 2nd baseman Ted Sizemore. In his only season with St. Louis, Crawford hit .304 in 120 games, while starting 99 games in right field.

After the ’76 season he was traded to the Giants, who flipped him to the Astros during spring training. By mid-1977 he moved on to the Athletics, who released him after the season. Willie was re-signed by the Dodgers in February 1978, but was released during spring training. He played in Mexico during the ’78 and ’79 seasons, before retiring.

Crawford passed away in August 2004 at age 57, from kidney disease.

Final Card: Dennis Ribant

Here is the final card for pitcher Dennis Ribant (#463). This is the second Royals card posted to this blog, but the first one showing the new Royals' uniform (although Ribant never played for the team).

For most of the 1969 season, collectors were presented with a large number of capless or airbrushed cards, not only for the usual load of traded players, but because of the four expansion teams, as well as the recently relocated Oakland Athletics. By mid-season, we were rewarded with beautiful photos of players on the 4 new expansion teams, plus the Oakland A's.


Dennis Ribant was signed by the Braves in 1961, and was a combined 21-4 in his first season (17-4 in class D, 4-2 in double-A). He pitched 3 more seasons in the Braves' system, then was traded to the Mets on August 8, 1964.

Dennis made his major-league debut with the Mets on the next day, and made 14 appearances (7 starts) for the remainder of the season. Ribant split the 1965 season between the Mets' bullpen and triple-A, then had a good season in 1966, winning 11 games for the hapless Mets.

After the '66 season, Ribant was traded to the Pirates for pitcher Don Cardwell. In November 1967, it was on Detroit for pitcher Dave Wickersham. The Tigers traded him to the White Sox in July 1968, then re-acquired him after the season (causing him to miss out on the 1968 World Series).

The expansion Royals purchased his contract in December 1968, but by the end of spring training in 1969, he moved on to the Cardinals. Ribant spent most of 1969 in the minors, first in the Cards' organization, then with the Reds after a mid-season trade. His final major-league games was on September 27th.

Ribant pitched in the minors from 1970-73, with the Pirates, Padres, and Phillies.

Also check out Ribant's 1967 card.


I thought I only had one more "final card" after this one (Mickey Mantle), but I found another 40 while going through my 1969 binder recently, including 17-year veteran Ron Kline.
 

Final Card: Bobby Klaus

This is the final card for Bobby Klaus (#387). He has a card in this set, even though his last major-league appearance was in 1965.

Klaus was signed by the Reds in 1959, and played in their minor-league system for 5 seasons, the last two with the Reds' triple-A San Diego Padres.

Bobby made his major-league debut in April 1964 with the Reds, but was traded to the Mets in late July. He played for the Mets through the end of the 1965 season. Those 2 years (64-65) were to be his only time in the big leagues.

In February 1966, Klaus and catcher Jimmie Schaffer were traded to the Phillies for 1st baseman Dick Stuart. After 2 seasons in the bigs, Bobby was back with the triple-A San Diego Padres, now part of Philadelphia's farm system. He would remain there through the 1968 season.

After the fall 1968 expansion draft, the (major-league) San Diego Padres selected him in the Rule 5 draft (explaining why he has this card). Before the '69 season started, he was traded to the Pirates with outfielder Ron Davis for pitcher Tommie Sisk and catcher Chris Cannizarro. Klaus played that season with the Pirates' AAA team in Columbus before retiring.

Bobby's brother Billy was an infielder with the Red Sox, Orioles, Senators, and Phillies from 1956-63.

Final Card: Vic Roznovsky

This is the final card for backup catcher Vic Roznovsky (#368). Vic's major-league career consisted of 200 games over a 5-year period, playing for the Cubs, Orioles, and Phillies.

He was signed by the Pirates in 1958, and played 2 seasons of class-D ball in their organization. Before the 1960 season he was dealt to the Giants, and spent the next 4 seasons in their farm system, as a catcher-outfielder (along with 29 games at 3rd base in 1963).

In December 1963 the Cubs selected him in the minor-league draft, and after spending some time in triple-A, Vic made his major-league debut on June 28, 1964. He played in 35 games (15 starts) as the 3rd-string catcher behind Dick Bertell and Jimmie Schaffer.

It looks like the Cubs used the catcher-by-committee system in 1965. Bertell began the season as the starter, but was traded to the Giants in late May for catcher Ed Bailey and others. Meanwhile, Roznovsky and rookie Chris Krug were getting a lot of starts. The final tally behind the plate: Roznovsky - 44 starts, Krug - 46, Bailey - 45, Bertell - 29 (yes, they played 164 games that year).

Playing in 71 games in 1965 was the high point of Roznovsky's career, as the Cubs acquired Randy Hundley in the off-season and sent Vic packing to the Orioles for outfielder Carl Warwick. There, he backed up rookie Andy Etchebarren for most of the season, while also finding himself back in triple-A for 19 games. 1967 was a repeat of 1966, except that Roznovsky swapped slots in the pecking order with 1966's 3rd-string catcher Larry Haney.

Things got worse for Vic in 1968, as he spent the entire season at triple-A Rochester, rescued only by an April 1969 trade to the Phillies, who sent their '68 third-string backstop John Sullivan to the O's for Roznovsky. (There's some debate as to which was the better team - the 1969 Phillies or the AAA Rochester Red Wings.)  :D

Vic wrapped up his career gathering dust on the Phillie bench, as he was on the team for the entire season, but only played 13 games (14 plate appearances) and caught a grand total of 4 innings as the 3rd-stringer behind Mike Ryan and rookie Dave Watkins.

Mickey Stanley (#13)

Here's Mickey Stanley, fresh off his adventures at shortstop during the 1968 World Series. Topps has updated his position accordingly.

Mickey's career spanned 15 years (1964-1978), all with the Tigers. He was signed by Detroit in 1961, and played 5 years in the Tigers' farm system (although he played a few games with the big club in 1964 and 1965).

Stanley made the Tigers for good at the start of the 1966 season. As a rookie, he split the starting center field job with veteran Al Kaline. (In '65 and '66, Kaline played center field instead of his customary right field.) The following season, Mickey was the innings leader in center field (with 100 more than Jim Northrup) although Northrup (the swing man for all 3 outfield positions) started more games in center than Stanley.



Stanley became the Tigers' regular center fielder from June 1967 until the final week of the 1968 season, when he moved to shortstop (in preparation for the '68 World Series) and stayed there until late-June 1969. When the Tigers acquired Tom Tresh from the Yankees, Stanley returned to his customary post in center until August 1st, 1974, when Ron LeFlore took over the position.

Mickey won gold gloves in '68, '69, '70, and '73. In his final 4 seasons, he was a spare outfielder/1st baseman, and even saw some action at 2B and 3B. He was never the DH, as the Tigers had Willie Horton, then Rusty Staub around for that.