#156 Art Ceccarelli

Art Ceccarelli Chicago Cubs

Career: Ceccarelli had much more success in a long minor league career than he had in the bigs. He was originally signed in the late 40s by the Brooklyn Dodgers. He spent four seasons in their lower minors and a couple of years in the military during the Korean War.  The Yankees obtained him from the Dodgers hat began a journey that took him through the systems of the Yanks, Athletics, Orioles, Cubs, Yanks (again), and Indians. Along the way, he pitched in 79 big league games, won 5, and had a career ERA above 5.

In 1960: He began the year on the Cubs' staff but in seven appearances wasn't very successful and was traded to the Yankees in May. He was with the Yanks' AA club the rest of the way and never did return to the majors.

Off The Charts: Here is Ceccarelli's view of pitching in Wrigley Field: "It wears pitchers down. The winds are unbelievable. Willie Kirkland once hit a home run off me that Ernie Banks called for at shortstop."

The Card: Red/Yellow/Black/Red is a great combo on these cards. And cards with pics taken at Wrigley get bonus points.

#93 Art Schult

Art Schult  Chicago Cubs

Career: Brooklyn-born Schult was a Yankees' signee who debuted with a small taste of the bigs in 1953 following a detour into the military during the Korean War. He bounced around through four other organizations and wound up with a season's worth of stats spread out over eight years.

In 1960: After a handful of games with the Cubs in April and May he was sent to the minors and that proved to be the end of his career.

Off The Charts: This Yankee site details the fact that Schult, as a returning serviceman, was entitled to a spot on their '53 roster. He refused a demotion to the minors and wound up making seven appearances for NY, all as a pinch runner! He later agreed to report to their AAA Syracuse club in return for a guaranteed World Series share. 

The Card: Open your eyes, Art...you're in beautiful Wrigley Field! 😟 The card back blurb maintains he 'originally came to the majors with Cincinnati' but that's incorrect. And there is more Jack Davis work there on the back.

#77 Hank Foiles

Hank Foiles  Kansas City Athletics

Career: Foiles is one of the most interesting guys I've come across while researching these team sets from the late 50s/early 60s. He was a career back-up catcher for seven teams and, while he only had 300+ at bats twice, made the 1957 All-Star squad. He was also a bit of a renaissance man having authored a book, done a lot of public speaking and sued the Orioles (booo!) for using his photo without permission in a stadium giveaway card set. The link a bit lower that goes to my '59 set blog will lead you to much more on this interesting (and very much alive) character. 

In 1960: Foiles played in 56 games for three clubs in 1960 but only six were in the A's uniform. As a back up in Cleveland and Detroit as well as KC he hit .282 with a homer.

Off The Charts: From my 1959 Topps blog posting of his card that season: "He was on the roster of four clubs during the 1960 season. Traded after the '59 campaign by the Pirates to the A's he was traded back to the Pirates in June of '60. But Foiles was to be assigned to the minors and he refused. The Pirates allowed him to engineer his own trade so the next day he was dealt to the Indians. In late July Foiles was traded again, this time to the Tigers. To add to the fun he was drafted after the season by the Orioles. So, to sum it up... between December of 1959 and November of 1960 Foiles followed this path: Pirates->Athletics->Pirates-Indians-Tigers-Orioles!!!"

The Card: Foiles is pictured in his Pirates gear in Wrigley Field but, as noted above, he was on tour within the American League when this card was new. But, in any case, it's a beauty. I love the color combo and the posed shot with Wrigley and pregame activities as a backdrop. His trade to the A's is noted in the write-up.

#62 Roger Craig

Roger Craig  Los Angeles Dodgers

Career: Craig had a nice four-year spell in the minors and a two-year military break before he debuted with the '55 Brooklyn Dodgers. He pitched seven years for them, on both coasts. Later he pitched through 1966 for the Phils, Cardinals, Mets, and Reds. He lost 20+ games for the Mets in each of their first two seasons which doesn't help his sub-.500 career win percentage. He almost split his appearances evenly between starts and the bullpen over the course of his career. He got MVP votes in 1959 when he won 11 games with four shutouts after being brought up in June.

He pitched in four World Series and won three of them. He later was a longtime pitching coach and had a 10-year managerial career with the Padres and Giants. His SF team won a pennant in 1989.

In 1960: He was coming off his best year and had 8 wins but his other numbers had begun to edge upwards which is why he was allowed to go to the Mets in the expansion draft a few years later. 

Off The Charts: He became associated with the split-finger fastball as a pitching coach and is sometimes credited with inventing it. Craig set the record straight: “People think I invented that,” Craig said. “I did not. Bruce Sutter did. I just found a way to teach it and it worked out.”

The Card: It's an oddly cropped photo. I get the feeling that this was a multi-player picture and this was how it had to be cropped to include only Craig. My guess on the locale is Wrigley Field. But I say that with not much confidence.

The cartoon references his second-half contributions to the Dodgers' 1959 championship season.

#53 Jackie Brandt

Jackie Brandt  Baltimore Orioles

Career: Brandt was an outfielder for 11 seasons for five different clubs, most notably for the Orioles from 1960 through 1965. He was nicknamed 'Flakey' for his quirky personality. He was a great fielder with a lot of speed and he had a touch of power at the plate. His best season was 1961 when he hit a career-high .297 and made the AL All-Star squad.

In 1960: He came to the Orioles off his 1959 Gold Glove-winning season with the Giants. He was the Orioles' regular centerfielder but also appeared in left, right, at first and at third. His average fell off to the .250s but he was about to bounce back in '61.

Off The Charts: In interviews, Brandt jokingly takes credit for the Orioles 1966 title. He cites the fact that he was traded to the Phillies in December of 1965 for Jack Baldschum, who was then dealt to the Reds as part of the Frank Robinson trade. On a personal note..Brandt was in the lineup for my first game in two stadiums, Memorial in 1962 (he homered!) and the Astrodome in 1967.


The Card: He had been traded to the Orioles at the end of November of 1959. Time enough for Topps to change the team on the card but not enough for an Orioles photo. They were able to airbrush the uni in the 'action pose' photo though. Wrigley Field provided the backdrop. This isn't my favorite Brandt card but any O's card is a good O's card. If I had Photoshop skills I'd come up with an updated version.

#42 Hobie Landrith

Hobie Landrith  San Francisco Giants

Career: I recently detailed this when I posted his card on my '58 set blog. Why repeat myself?

In 1960: He was coming off the second busiest season of his career but couldn't match it, either in games played or stats. He essentially flipped roles with Bob Schmidt who had backed him up with the Giants in '59 but took the bulk of the work in '60. 

Off The Charts: Hobie's Wikipedia page is longer than many that of some US Presidents. Someone is a big fan.

The Card: Given what Topps wrote in their blurb on this card I would have expected a season's highlights bullet list. The front is pretty sweet. I like the color combo and the posed 'action' shot. Looks like Wrigley Field.

#40 Joe Cunningham

Joe Cunningham  St. Louis Cardinals

Career: Spent several years climbing thru the stacked Cardinals' system with an Army sting thrown in. His .284 average as a part-time starter in 1954 wasn't enough to earn his spot going forward and he returned to the majors in 1957 with a solid year. Had four more seasons with the Cards before being dealt to the White Sox in 1962. After one good year, his playing time decreased and he moved on to the Senators, retiring after a handful of 1966 at-bats. In 7 years with the Cards, he had a .304 average and made the All-Star team in 1959. That season he finished 2nd to Hank Aaron for the batting crown and led the NL in OBP.

In 1960: His average slipped from .345 in 1959 to a still respectable .280 to go along with 6 homers and 39 RBI.

Off The Charts: Wikipedia reports that "Cunningham's big league career started with a bang. He homered once off Art Fowler of the Cincinnati Redlegs in his big league debut on June 30, 1954, and then hit two off Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves the next day, July 1st, to set the record for most home runs in a player's first two major league games"

The Card: That's Wrigley in the photo and the building over Cunningham's shoulder now has a set of bleachers on top of it. That may well be #6, Stan The Man, bending over in the background. Don Blasingame wore #8 in 1958 so that's another possibility.

#39 Earl Averill

Earl Averill  Chicago Cubs

Career: The son of Hall of Famer Earl Averill, this Averill played for five franchises over a seven year career. He was a 'platoon starter' in 1959 for the Cubs and in 1961/62 with the Angels where he had his best numbers. 

In 1960: This season was wedged in between his two most productive in the majors. He hit .233 with one dinger over 62 games. He opened the season with the Cubs, was dealt to the Braves in July and, without having played a game for Milwaukee, was traded to the White Sox a month later. Hopefully he hadn't given up he lease in Chicago. That December he was taken by the Angels in the expansion draft meaning he was with four clubs in five months.

Off the Charts: In 1962 he set an MLB record that he shares with Piggy Ward. He had the most consecutive plate appearances reaching a base by any means with 17, which he did from June 3 to June 10, Although sometimes refered to as 'Earl Averill Jr.', he and his better known dad had different middle names.

The Card: Great to see Wrigley in the background. Fun cartoon that references his Dad's career.

#187 Jay Hook

Jay Hook, New York Mets

Career: Jay Hook split eight seasons and 160 big league appearances pretty evenly between the Reds (who signed him in 1957) and the Mets (who acquired him in the '61 expansion draft). His 29-62 career mark is pretty much matched by his other numbers, a career 5.39 ERA and 1.43 WHIP.

In 1960: Hook had his best and busiest (in terms of IP) year. He was 11-18 as a regular member of the Reds' rotation. Of his five full or nearly full seasons in the majors this one featured his best ERA and WHIP.

WikiFacts: From Wikipedia.... Hook won the first game in Mets franchise history. On April 23, 1962, he pitched a five-hit 9–1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field, giving his team its first regular-season victory after nine defeats. In that season he compiled an 8–19 mark for the Mets, and led the team in complete games (13) and games started (34)....After receiving a master's degree in thermodynamics, Hook retired in 1964 at age 28 to take a job with Chrysler Corporation.

The Card: Looks like Wrigley Field to me....ivy walls, the roll-up door, the houses across Waveland. Hook was a Chicago native so he probably had family there. The cartoon mentions his attending Northwestern which is just up the Lake Michigan shoreline in Evanston. He was probably 23 in this photo. He looks about 15.

The first Season's Highlight notes his first big league win, a complete game against the Cubs. That came at Wrigley. Topps sure liked to use black elements on the cards of Cincinnati players back then.

#45 Roy McMillan

Roy McMillan  Cincinnati Reds

Career: He spent 16 seasons in the National League including the entire decade of the 50s with the Reds, He finished with the Braves and Mets and his numbers, never spectacular, at least held up to nearly the end of his career. He had a lifetime average of .242 and ten times finished at or near the top of the league in fielding. He won three Gold Gloves and was twice an All Star. His best full season was 1957 when he had career highs in average, OBP and slugging.

After his playing days he was a coach and in 1975 served as manager of the Mets following the dismissal of Yogi Berra. He also managed and coached in the minors for several organizations.

In 1960: This was to be his final season in Cincy before being dealt to the Braves for Joey Jay and Juan Pizzaro. He was coming of a '59 season cut short by a broken collarbone hitting .236 and had the first of two double digit home run totals of his career (he hit 10).

WikiFacts: From his Cincinnati Reds' Hall of Fame entry- Roy McMillan, the 5 foot, 11 inch, 164 pound Cincinnati Reds shortstop who's highest season batting average was .272, graced the cover of the September 9, 1957 Sports Illustrated, an honor usually reserved for athletes with names like Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. It was not a fluke. McMillan, in his ten years with the Reds (1951-1960), had earned the reputation of being the best defensive shortstop in the Major Leagues and the title "Mr. Shortstop." McMillan considered the SI cover "one of the top moments in his career."

Hall of Fame member, Pie Traynor said, "McMillan makes his own bounces, He's the only present-day shortstop who can do that..he can take the ball on the half hop all the time, a very tough play." Leo Durocher hailed Roy as " the best defensive shortstop in the game today." Manager Birdie Tebbets declared, " Roy McMillan is the finest defensive shortstop I've seen in the last 20 years. He's a good run-batted-in man and his hitting is continually improving."

The Card: Nice to get back to cream and gold backs and a card with bulleted highlights. Nice color combo on the front as well. McMillan poses without his glasses (that's rare) in either Wrigley Field (likely) or Seals Stadium in San Francisco (less likely).

#10 Ernie Banks

Ernie Banks  Chicago Cubs

Career: It's Ernie Banks. He's Mr. Cub.

In 1960: He was coming off back-to-back MVP Awards and he led the league with 41 homers, was first in extra base hits, third in WAR, third in RBI and won his only Gold Glove. He also played in more games than any other NLer, for the sixth time in seven years. This was his last year to play shortstop exclusively. In 1961 he began transitioning to first base (with a brief  fling in left field).

WikiFacts: From Banks' Baseball reference pages...

A four-sport standout in high school, Banks was scouted and signed at 17 by the Negro League's Kansas City Monarchs' traveling team's manager, legendary Cool Papa Bell. He made his semi-pro debut on June 4, 1950, and played the remainder of the season before being drafted into the Army in 1951. Stationed in Europe, he played shortstop for the 242nd Group Barons, part of a baseball conference run for American servicemen there.
While abroad he was informally scouted by a player in the Cleveland Indians minor league system. According to a story told by a former comrade, Banks then received a letter from Cleveland GM Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg inviting him to try out with the Indians when his hitch was up.[1] However, upon his discharge Banks returned to the Monarchs for the 1953 season. Actively scouted during it by the Cubs, he signed a big league contract with them on September 8, 1953. Banks played his last game for the Monarchs on September 13th and joined the Cubs four days later, never having played a single game in the minor leagues.
On August 8, 2013, he was named a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama; the medal was given to him at the White House on November 20th that year. Former President Bill Clinton was among those who received the medal from the president that day.
He became the first Cubs player to have his uniform number retired by the team when his number 14 was set aside in 1982.

The Card: This is the second consecutive card of an 'Ernie' who is associated with the Cubs. Happened quite accidentally. Using a photo of Ernie Banks in any other stadium than Wrigley would be a sin. Here he looks pensive with that unmistakable Wrigley scoreboard looming in the background. Green/yellow/white motif is nice on this one. Have I mentioned how much I like the Season's Highlights. I especially like when a milestone is mentioned.