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.

Bobby Cox (#237)

Bobby Cox had a 2-year playing career as the Yankees’ 3rd baseman from 1968-69, then went on to much greater success as the manager for the Braves and Blue Jays from 1978 to 2010. This is his rookie card, and his only card as a player.

Cox was signed by the Dodgers in 1959. After 6 seasons as a 2B/3B in the minors, he was drafted by the Cubs in November 1964. After only 1 season in the Cubs’ system, he was traded to the Braves for outfielder Billy Cowan.

Cox was in the Braves' system for 2 seasons, then was traded to the Yankees in December 1967 for backup catcher Bob Tillman. (One year earlier, the Yankees had traded their 3rd baseman (Clete Boyer) to the Braves.)

After Mike Ferraro started the first 13 games in 1968, Cox was installed at the hot corner in Yankee Stadium, which had been a revolving door since Boyer departed. He started 129 of the remaining 151 games at 3rd base. Although showing little offensive punch for a 3rd baseman (7 homers) and batting only .229, Cox somehow retained the starting job for the entire season, and was named to the Topps All-Rookie team for 1968.

Cox was essentially a one-year wonder, as in 1969 another Bobby (Murcer) returned to the Yankees after a 2-year stint in the US Army and was handed the 3rd base job. After starting all but 1 of the first 32 games at 3rd base, Murcer was moved to the outfield on May 13th. This left Cox and rookie Jerry Kenney to platoon at the hot corner for the rest of the season, with Cox getting 55 starts to Kenney’s 74.

That was it for Cox’ playing career. After batting only .215 in 85 games, he was ticketed to the minors for all of 1970.

Bobby’s managing career began right away, as he piloted various teams in the Yankees’ farm system from 1971 to 1976. In 1978 he became the manager of the Atlanta Braves for 4 seasons, then moved on to manage the Blue Jays from 1982 to 1985.

Cox returned to the Braves’ job midway through the 1990 season, and stayed on through 2010. Along the way, he won the NL pennant in ’91, ’92, ’95, ’96, and ’99, and won the World Series in 1995.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014, along with fellow managers Tony LaRussa and Joe Torre.

Stan Bahnsen (#380)

Stan Bahnsen was not only the righthander on the Topps 1968 All-Rookie team, he was also named AL Rookie of the Year. Stan appeared on Yankees Rookies cards in the 1967 and 1968 sets. This is his first solo card, and he had a card in every set through 1982.

Bahnsen was signed by the Yankees in 1965, and pitched 3 seasons in their farm system. He had a brief cup of coffee in September 1966, but didn’t return to the majors until April 1968.

He won 17 games as a rookie, as the Yankees #2 starter behind veteran Mel Stottlemyre. He also notched career-bests in strikeouts (162) and ERA (2.05) in his rookie year.

After an off-year in 1969, Bahnsen bounced back to win 14 games each in 1970 and 1971. After the 1971 season, he was traded to the White Sox for 3rd baseman Rich McKinney, and won 21 games in his first season in Chicago. Stan won 18 games the following season, but also led the AL with 21 losses.

Bahnsen pitched another year and a half for the Sox, then in June 1975 was traded to the Athletics for outfield prospect Chet Lemon. He started for the remainder of that season, but Oakland used him in relief during the ’76 and ’77 seasons.

In May 1977, Bahnsen was traded again, this time to the Expos for 1st baseman Mike Jorgensen. Stan joined the rotation that season, but was mostly a relief pitcher for his 4 full seasons in Montreal (1978-81).

The Expos released him 4 days before the season opener in 1982, and he was quickly picked up by the Angels. Stan pitched a combined 9 innings in 7 relief appearances, then was released by the Angels in mid-May. The Phillies signed him on May 31st, and he split his time between the Phillies and their AAA team in 1982. He was released after the season, and played for the Phillies’ AAA team in 1983 before retiring.

In 1992, he played for a team in The Netherlands.

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.

Final Card: Mickey Mantle

Starting the new year off in style...

Replacing Billy Martin at the top of this blog is his partner in crime, Mickey Mantle (#500). Mickey and Billy were teammates from 1951 until Martin was traded during the 1957 season. Their off-field exploits are legendary. I like this story particularly.

After 14 straight years as an all-star, Mantle was left off the team in 1966. His numbers actually began to decline in 1965, and would continue to do so for his last 4 seasons.

Mickey switched to first base at the start of the 1967 season, and would play there exclusively for his last 2 seasons, appearing in 131 games each season. He also returned  to the all-star game in his final 2 years.

Mantle retired during spring training 1969, with a .298 career batting average, and having played more games than any other Yankee (later surpassed by Derek Jeter).

Having retired before the season, I don't think it was a given that he would get a card that season, and since he was given the "ultimate" card number (#500), we had to wait until well into the season before he appeared on the 5th series checklist (issued in the 4th series). I was thrilled to break open a pack in 1969 and find Mickey Mantle!

Several months after his retirement, the Yankees held Mickey Mantle Day.

Mantle passed away on August 13, 1995 at age 63. I cried that day.

Also check out Mickey on two cards in the 1968 set.

Back on Topps' Radar: Billy Cowan

This is Billy Cowan's first card (#643) since the 1965 set. Cowan's career spanned 1963-1972, but he only had 5 cards during that time. Billy appeared as a Cub in the 1964 and 1965 sets, as a Yankee in the 1969 set, and an Angel in the '71 and '72 sets.

A member of the Phillies' organization from 1966 to 1968, he spent most of that time (except for the 2nd half of 1967) in the minors, effectively eliminating his chance for a card in the 1966-1968 Topps' sets.

Cowan was signed by the Cubs in 1961, and spent the next 3 seasons in the minors, finally making his major-league debut on 9/9/63. He made a half-dozen starts, spelling Billy Williams in LF, Lou Brock in RF, and a host of center fielders.

In 1964, Cowan was the Cubs' regular center fielder (I didn't know that until today), starting 127 games between Williams in left and Brock in right (with Len Gabrielson taking over after Brock's trade to St. Louis). Billy hit .241 with 19 home runs, but rarely started during September.

Before the '65 season, he was traded to the Mets for ex-Cub outfielder George Altman. In 1965, Cowan was a frequent center fielder for the Mets, until his early-August trade to the Milwaukee Braves (for infielders Ernie Bowman and Lou Klimchock).

Billy was traded back to the Cubs in late April 1966 for future Yankees' 3rd baseman and Braves' manager Bobby Cox. Two months later he was traded to the Phillies, and spent the rest of '66 with the Phillies' AAA San Diego club.

Cowan began the '67 season in San Diego, but a roster spot with the Phils opened up in late June, after the team sold Dick Groat to the Giants. With 4 of the Phillies' 5 outfielders (Johnny Callison, Tony Gonzalez, John Briggs, Doug Clemens) all batting from the left side, Cowan was called up to provide a right-handed bat off the bench.

In 1968, the Phillies' Richie Allen became the regular left fielder, creating a logjam in the outfield. As such, Cowan spent the entire season back in triple-A.

After the season, the Yankees selected him in the Rule 5 draft, marking the end of Cowan's days in the minor leagues. He split the 1969 season between the Yankees and Angels, and played for the Angels for the '70 and '71 seasons. Primarily used as a pinch-hitter, he was also a backup outfielder and occasional 1st baseman.

Cowan was released by the Angels on May 2nd, 1972, having only played 3 games that season.

Jake Gibbs (#401)

Here's Jake Gibbs, entering the downside of his career.

Gibbs was an All-American QB at the University of Mississippi, and was drafted by both the Cleveland Browns and the Houston Oilers in 1961. Instead, he signed with the Yankees, and played 4 1/2 seasons in the minors. He was an infielder during his first 2 seasons before switching to catcher in 1963.

Although he had a few "cups of coffee" in '62, '63, and '64, his first extended big-league playing time came in 1965, when he made 15 starts behind the plate as the 3rd-string catcher behind Elston Howard and Doc Edwards.



In 1966, Jake moved up to #2 catcher, and he began the 1967 season alternating with Howard. When the veteran Yankee catcher was traded to Boston in early August, Gibbs took over as the regular.

1968 was the high point of his career, as he started 111 games behind the plate (and completed all but 1 of them). Gibbs' playing time began to decrease in 1969 as 2nd-year man Frank Fernandez split the catching duties with him - that is, until September arrived. Rookie catcher Thurman Munson took over at the beginning of September, sending Gibbs to the bench and Fernandez to Oakland.

Jake was relegated to backing up Munson for his final 2 seasons. His last game was on September 29, 1971.

Bobby Murcer (#657)

This is the first full card for Bobby Murcer. He previously appeared on Yankees Rookies cards in the 1966 and 1967 sets. Bobby was signed by the Yankees in 1964, and played 3 full seasons in the minors (with some late-season cups of coffee in '65 and '66) before losing the '67 and '68 seasons while in the Army.

The back of this card says that Mickey Mantle was Bobby's idol, and that both came from Oklahoma. Another similarity is that they both began their minor-league careers as shortstops. Murcer played only shortstop in the minors, while Mantle switched to outfield for his last season on the farm.

[An aside about Mickey Mantle and Oklahoma: In the summer of 2009, my son and I were driving from Pennsylvania to Arizona. While in Missouri and Oklahoma, we would occasionally get off the interstate and check out some sights on old Route 66. As we entered the extreme northeast corner of Oklahoma, we decided to get off the interstate and drive the half-mile up into Kansas (just to say we were in Kansas). When we picked up Route 66 and drove back into Oklahoma, the first town we entered was Commerce. Driving down the main street, they have banners hanging from the street lights proclaiming it as the hometown of Mickey Mantle. What an unexpected treat, and completely by accident!]



After the army, Murcer rejoined the Yankees for the 1969 season. He began the season as the everyday 3rd baseman. (The Yankees had been trying to patch the 3B hole ever since Clete Boyer was traded after the '66 season. They experimented with converting Roy White to a 3rd baseman in early 1967, then moved on to Charlie Smith, Jerry Kenney and Bobby Cox, before settling on Murcer in 1969.) In mid-May he moved out to right field, and on August 29th, he made his first start at his dream job: Mickey Mantle's heir to the Yankees' centerfield job.

Bobby remained as the Yankees' centerfielder until late-May 1974, when he moved over to right field for the remainder of that season. After 6 full seasons in New York, he was traded to the Giants for Bobby Bonds. After 2 seasons as the Giants' rightfielder, it was on to the Cubs in February 1977.

In June 1979, Bobby was traded back to the Yankees, where he played as a part-time outfielder and DH until the Yankees released him in late-June 1983.

The final similarity between Mantle and Murcer is that they both passed away in their early 60s. Murcer's family was on-field for the closing ceremonies at old Yankee Stadium.