• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Write for Sports Collectors Daily
    • Write About Your Sports Collection
    • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Hot on eBay
    • Most Watched Graded Rookies
    • Most Watched PSA 10 Cards
    • Most Watched BGS, BVG Cards
    • Most Watched SGC Cards
    • Most Watched CSG,CGC Cards
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2023 Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards
      • Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Ronald Acuna Jr. Cards
      • Shohei Ohtani Cards
      • Mike Trout Cards
      • Fernando Tatis Jr. Cards
      • Babe Ruth Cards
      • Hank Aaron Cards
      • Jackie Robinson Cards:
      • Mickey Mantle Cards
      • Willie Mays Cards
      • Vintage Baseball Card Sets
      • T206 Cards
    • Most Watched Basketball
      • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2022-23 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2021-22 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2020-21 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2019-20 NBA Rookie Cards
        • Zion Williamson Rookie Cards
        • Ja Morant Rookie Cards
      • Michael Jordan Cards
      • Kobe Bryant Cards
      • LeBron James Rookie Cards
      • Nikola Jokic Rookie Cards
      • Giannis Antetokounmpo Cards
      • Luka Doncic Rookie Cards
      • Prizm Basketball Cards
      • Panini National Treasures
    • Most Watched Football Cards
      • Most Watched NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2022 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Brock Purdy Rookie Cards
      • 2021 NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2020 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Joe Burrow Rookie Cards
        • Justin Herbert Rookie Cards
        • Jalen Hurts Rookie Cards
      • Josh Allen Rookie Cards
      • Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards
      • Tom Brady Cards
    • Most Watched Hockey Cards
      • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2021-22 NHL Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2020-21 Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2019-20 Rookie Cards
      • Connor McDavid Cards
      • Wayne Gretzky Cards
      • Bobby Orr Cards
    • Most Watched Soccer Cards
    • Most Watched UFC Cards
    • Most Watched Golf Cards
    • Most Watched 1 of 1 Cards
    • Most Watched Racing Cards
    • Top Sports Card Dealers on eBay
    • Most Watched Memorabilia
      • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
    • Vintage Sports Tickets, Stubs
    • Most Watched Autographs
  • Ending Soon on Ebay
    • Baseball Cards
    • Basketball Cards
    • Football Cards
    • Hockey Cards
    • Soccer Cards
    • Golf Cards
    • UFC Cards
  • Top - Ad

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
      • Shop Talk
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Affordable Vintage Cards, Collectibles
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • Around The Hobby
    • Editor’s Blog
    • David Cycleback’s Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Popular Stories
  • Sell Your Cards
You are here: Home / Rich Klein's Ramblings / Ramblings: Bo and Bouton Part of 1960s Multi-Player Rookie Card Tales

Ramblings: Bo and Bouton Part of 1960s Multi-Player Rookie Card Tales

July 8, 2015 By Rich Klein

We’ve recently discussed some of our favorite stories surrounding 1960s Rookie Stars cards but sometimes it’s not just one guy on the card who makes it interesting.  If you love the tales behind the faces more than what they’re worth, I can honestly say it makes many of them as desirable, if not more desirable, than your average Hall of Famer in the same set.

Rich Ramblings 2014We’ll begin with the 1962 high numbers, where a bounty of Rookie Parade cards challenge set collectors but also house some memorable names.  Consider the good fortune we have with Bo Belinsky and Jim Bouton sharing a card.  Two guys who sure blazed an interesting trail during a Jim Bouton-Bo Belinksy-1962 Topps Rookie Paradewild decade.

Among other highlights, Bo pitched the first no-hitter in Angels history (with Nolan Ryan and others, there would be more) and also had a series of famed conquests of Hollywood starlets and other very pretty women of the time. Bo was known for his dalliances with such famed people as movie star Mamie Van Doren and also married Playboy Playmate of the year Jo Collins. Now even if his pitching performance did not match up to his potential, you can imagine how many men during that era longed to live his life?   For more information about Bo, reading his autobiography is a must read into the lifestyle of the time.

On the other hand, Jim Bouton with his seminal diary Ball Four, helped bring baseball journalism to the modern era.  The earthy language and revelation of the foibles of everyone from Mickey Mantle to Freddy Velasquez helped humanize baseball and its players and managers.  Not always in a good way and many resented Bouton for it, but time allows us to see his impact.  This card is a little pricey and one which may actually gain in importance as the years go by and people understand the true historical relevance of Ball Four.

Tony Oliva rookie card1963 is highlighted by the Tony Oliva/Ed Kranepool card. Oliva was well on his way to a Hall of Famer career before his knees gave out and he is still immensely popular in Minnesota and surrounding areas. Meanwhile, Ed Kranepool spent nearly two decades in the game and was the last original Met to stay with the team before being forced into retirement at the end of the 1979 season.  And in realty, he probably could have remained on the roster for a few more seasons as a pinch-hitter deluxe.   Heck even the other two players on the card, Max Alvis and Bob Bailey, had nice major league careers.

Bailey actually stayed in the majors long enough to be a pinch-hitter in the famed Bucky “Bleeping” Dent home run game. While as a Yankee fan there was nothing more satisfying then hearing Bill White say “Deep to Left”, for Red Sox fans having Bob Bailey bat against Goose Gossage late in that game and strike out was not a highlight. That, by the way, was Bailey’s final major league at-bat. So this card even has a link to a very historical major league game.  More the a common–especially in Minneapolis and New York–you’ll pay $50 and up for a good one.

Willie Horton 1964 ToppsFor 1964, we have the Willie Horton/Joe Sparma two player rookie card. Although Sparma’s career—and life–were short, he does have one great highlight that Tigers fans will never forget. Sparma pitched a complete game as the Tigers clinched thier first pennant in 23 years. Sparma was known for not always being the most consistent pitcher but on that one September 1968 night he was brilliant.   Horton led the 1968 Tigers in homers that year and was a key figure for many years. A hometown hero who grew up in Detroit, Horton is still a beloved figure to this day in Detroit.  Many nights he is at the ballpark so fans can remember those glory days.  You can find decent examples for $30 and up.

1965 Joe MorganThen in 1965 we have Joe Morgan and Sonny Jackson.   Morgan was second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 1965 while Jackson finished runner-up in 1966.  There cannot be that many cards where consecutive ROY runners up were on the same card. Jackson was shipped off to Atlanta a few years later (and no he is not related to Sonny Jackson who was the last publisher of the famed hobby magazine “The Trader Speaks”).

Meanwhile, Morgan got traded to Cincinnati before the start of the 1972 season, where he’d become a Hall of Famer still considered among the best at his position all-time.  The card typically can be found on eBay for $40 and up for nicer examples with high-grade copies into the hundreds.  And to think, back in 1965 we were still not sure which of these two players would have a longer career.

Don Sutton-Bill Singer 1966 Topps1966 has the Don Sutton/Bill Singer dual rookie card.  Singer won 20 games in each league and was also the first pitcher to be officially credited with a save. That was the first year of the save becoming an official stat and Singer, on his way to winning 20, got to add that to his career resume.

Meanwhile, Sutton hung around the majors for so long that he pitched for the 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers. Yes, the same Dodgers which used a miracle World Series homer from Kirk Gibson to propel themselves to an improbable win over the seemingly dominant Oakland A’s that year.  Who knew in 1966 that Sutton would provide a link from the end of the Sandy Koufax era through the Kirk Gibson/Orel Hersisher days of 1988 (remember early in 1989 when those two were as hot as any players in the hobby? I do).  $25 and up will get you a solid one.

Reggie Smith-Mike Andrews 1967 ToppsNot only was 1967 the year for the Red Sox “Impossible Dream” but two key rookies shared a card that year. Mike Andrews and Reggie Smith were both featured on the same card and who knew within a few months they would be starting in the World Series versus the St, Louis Cardinals.  The last time these two teams faced each other was 1946 when Enos Slaughter made his mad dash and Pesky held the ball.

Twenty-one years later they had their rematch and with the same result.  However, in the 21st century, the Red Sox would finally get their revenge over the Cards and end their nearly 90 years of frustration and put the end to the curse of the “Babe” once and for all. But in 1967, that future was a long way away and we only knew the Red Sox future seemed limitless.  Within a decade, Smith was in the National League and Andrews was out of baseball after being publicly embarrassed by A’s owner Charles O Finley during the 1973 World Series.  This one is relatively inexpensive.

Stan Bahnsen-Frank FernandezToday, we still refer to 1968 as the “Year of the Pitcher” and one of the great reminders of that, even on a personal basis is the Yankees rookie card with both Stan Bahnsen (although he had a card in 1967) and Frank Fernandez.  One of my earliest memories in following baseball was watching opening day from Yankee Stadium in 1968 and seeing Fernandez hitting a second inning homer which would hold up for the only run in the game.  That same year Fergie Jenkins lost five starts 1-0 in further proof about how hard it was to score runs in 1968.

While I did not know any better and baseball was fun to watch because the games were quick, I was not aware of how bad offense was that season. To me, having Carl Yastrzemski lead the league with a .301 average was not impossible to believe. Today of course, we know just how historical 1968 truly was. And by the way, Bahnsen would the American League Rookie of the Year that season and pitch in the majors until the 1980s.  This one can be found at a common price level.

1969-Topps-Al-OliverAnd finally for 1969, a card featuring both Richie Hebner and Al Oliver was issued early in the year. Both players had very nice careers and were still going strong 15 years later but today, their rookie card can be had for just a few dollars. Hebner, despite his fine career and 200+ homers is still best known for his off-season occupation of grave-digging while Oliver is still on Hall of Fame ballots for players of that era.  The Pirates were well on their way to being the NL East dominant 1970s team and these two were starters for a long time. Oliver, despite seemingly always in contention for a batting title, often played third fiddle to Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell.

We’ll head for the 1970s in one of our next columns.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Facebook Messenger

Related Stories:

Bazooka 1965 baseball complete box1965 Bazooka Baseball Cards Kept Kids Blowing Bubbles Tom Seaver 1974 ToppsRemembering 10 Terrific Tom Seaver Cards Baseball basketball Dave DeBusschereRamblings: Remembering Cards of 1960s Two-Sport Stars Brief and Buh-Bye: Baseball Cards of Aquisitions Who Didn’t Pay Dividends Ramblings: Answering Your E-Mails 1969 Topps wrapperRamblings: Baseball Card Stories, 1969 Topps Edition Jerry Morales 1974 ToppsRamblings: Cards That Try to Pair Old Faces with New Places 1965 Topps wrapperVintage Set of the Week: 1965 Topps Embossed

Filed Under: Rich Klein's Ramblings Tagged With: 1960s baseball cards, Ramblings

Primary Sidebar

Our articles may contain affiliate links. When you click on links to merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

Shop Sports Cards on Ebay
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

High End Cards and Memorabilia

  • BBCE Authenticated Boxes, Packs opens in a new window
  • Graded pre-War Card eBay Auctions
  • PWCC Premier Auction
  • PWCC Fixed Price Marketplace
  • Graded Rookie Cards on eBay opens in a new window
  • Authenticated Photos on eBay opens in a new window
  • Graded Tickets & Stubs opens in a new window

Bargain Corner

  • Michael Jordan cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Kobe Bryant cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Mickey Mantle Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Graded T206 Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Pre-War Cards Under $100 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Football Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Basketball Cards $25 and less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Hockey Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Complete Sets $20 and Less opens in a new window
  • Baseball Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Football Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Hobby Boxes Under $30 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1986 Rookie Cards Under $1 opens in a new window
  • Buy Boxes Directly from Topps opens in a new window

RSS Auction Report

  • Steve Novella Offers PSA Autographed Cards From All Sports Auction Ending Sept. 26, 2023
  • PWCC Marketplace T206 American Beauty Auction Ends October 3, 2023
  • 2023 Auction Schedule

Footer

Categories

  • Around the Hobby
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Editor's Blog
  • Featured Articles
  • Hobby Shop Talk
  • National Sports Collectors Convention
  • Popular Stories
  • Rich Klein's Ramblings
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Uncategorized

Sponsor Links

  • Sports Card Forumopens in a new window
  • Buying Vintage Sports Cardsopens in a new window
  • Game Used Jerseysopens in a new window
  • Championship Rings For Saleopens in a new window
  • Vintage Basketball Cardsopens in a new window
  • NBA Signed Itemsopens in a new window
  • Autographed Baseballsopens in a new window
  • NASCAR Autographsopens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Baseball Cardsopens in a new window
  • Player Picturesopens in a new window
  • Vintage Football Cardsopens in a new window
  • Sports Collectors Storeopens in a new window

Pages

Ending on eBay Soon
  • Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Hockey Card Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon
Top 100 on Ebay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Card Auctions
  • Top Authenticated Vintage Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
Most Watched on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Tom Brady Card Auctions on eBay
  • 50 Hottest Hobby Boxes at Auction on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Golf Trading Cards on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Wrestling Trading Cards on eBay
  • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
  • Most Popular Bobbleheads on eBay
  • Most Watched 1/1 Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Basketball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Complete Baseball Card Sets at Auction on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
  • Most Watched Goudey Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Hockey Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Racing Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Autographs on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Jerseys on eBay
  • Most Watched Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay
  • Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay
  • Hottest PSA 10 Cards for Sale on eBay
  • What’s Hot on eBay
Sports Memorabilia
  • Sports Card Bargain Bin
  • Sports Memorabilia Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
About Sports Collectors Daily
  • Advertise with SC Daily
  • Contact Us
  • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Sell Your Cards
  • What’s It Worth
  • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?

Copyright © 2023 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Web Design by Wickam Groupopens in a new window