Dodger Team Trio #18, #212 and #463

Los Angeles Dodgers Team Card #18

The 1960 Dodgers were, of course, the defending World Series champs. As so many teams do, they found it tough to repeat and they finished fourth, 13 games behind the Pirates. They again had plenty of pitching but were mid-pack in most important hitting categories.

Sandy Koufax was still a season away from blossoming into the most dominant lefty of his generation. Don Drysdale anchored the staff and his 15-14 mark is a result of the weak Dodgers attack more than anything he did. He had sterling numbers. Frank Howard won the Rookie of the Year award and led the team with 23 homers.  Maury Wills led the league with 50 steals. It was the first of six consecutive seasons he'd be the NL theft leader.

Obviously, the card is marked on the back. I have no issue with marked checklists.


Manager Walt Alston Card #212

I have already posted this Alston card over on my Five Tool Collector blog. Here what I said:

Alston has one at bat in the majors. One. On September 27th of 1936, as a member of the Cardinals, Alston entered the game at first base after Frankie Frisch pinch hit for the ejected Johnny Mize. He came up to bat later and fanned. Made and error at first as well. Never saw the field in a major league game again, as a player at least.

 That didn't deter him from having a standout Hall of Fame career in the Dodgers' dugouts in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. He took over the Dodgers from Charlie Dressen in 1954 and held the job for 23 seasons. His clubs won for World Series' titles and seven NL pennants. he managed 3658 games and won 2040 for a '558 winning percentage. Only four times out of those 23 seasons did the Dodgers finish in the second division of the NL.

The serious and studious looking Alston never signed more than a one year contract as manager of the Dodgers. As always he appears on his card looking like your favorite old uncle. 

It was pointed out in a comment that the card back has an error. The cartoon on the upper right has the dates incorrect. They should read '58 and '59. 

L.A. Dodgers Coaches  Card #463

Of the four coaches pictured Bobby Bragan is the biggest name although Pete Reiser was probably the best known at the time. He was a Dodger outfielder through the 40s known for crashing into outfield walls. 

Bragan managed the Pirates, Indians and most notably, the Braves from the mid-50s through mid-60s. He never won a pennant but spent a lifetime in the game and both Wills and Hank Aaron give him credit for improving their careers.

Greg Mulleavy had a brief big league career with the Red Sox and White Sox in the 30s and then was a coach and scout for the rest of his life. Joe Becker was a catcher who, according to Wikipedia is "a member of the relatively small fraternity of former catchers who became celebrated throughout baseball as a pitching coach (which included men such as Ray Berres, Dave Duncan, Rube Walker and Mike Roarke), Becker coached for four NL championship Dodger clubs, including the 1955, 1959 and 1963 world champions."

#343 Sandy Koufax

Sandy Koufax  Los Angeles Dodgers

Career: Notable Achievements (as listed on his BR Bullpen page):

• 6-time NL All-Star (1961-1966)
• NL MVP (1963)
• 3-time ML Cy Young Award Winner (1963, 1965 & 1966)
• 3-time NL Pitcher's Triple Crown (1963, 1965 & 1966)
• 1963 World Series MVP
• 1965 World Series MVP
• 5-time NL ERA Leader (1962-1966)
• 3-time NL Wins Leader (1963, 1965 & 1966)
• 2-time NL Winning Percentage Leader (1964 & 1965)
• 2-time NL Innings Pitched Leader (1965 & 1966)
• 4-time NL Strikeouts Leader (1961, 1963, 1965 & 1966)
• 2-time NL Complete Games Leader (1965 & 1966)
• 3-time NL Shutouts Leader (1963, 1964 & 1966)
• 15 Win Seasons: 5 (1961 & 1963-1966)
• 20 Win Seasons: 3 (1963, 1965 & 1966)
• 25 Win Seasons: 3 (1963, 1965 & 1966)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 5 (1961 & 1963-1966)
• 300 Innings Pitched Seasons: 3 (1963, 1965 & 1966)
• 200 Strikeouts Seasons: 6 (1961-1966)
• 300 Strikeouts Seasons: 3 (1963, 1965 & 1966)
• Won four World Series with the Brooklyn Dodgers (1955; he did not play in the World Series) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (1959, 1963 & 1965)
• Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1972

In 1960: This was Koufax' last season as a flamethrower whose record didn't reflect his ability. He was 8-13 with a 3.91 ERA and a 10.1 Ks per 9 innings average that led the league. Bigger things were coming....soon.

WikiFacts: Great quotes about Sandy Koufax, from his page on the Hall of Fame site and around the 'net:

"Either he throws the fastest ball I've ever seen, or I'm going blind,” said Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn.

“I can see how he won 25 games. What I don't understand is how he lost five,” said Hall of Famer Yogi Berra in 1963.

“He was the greatest pitcher of his time in baseball,” said [sportswriter] Jimmy Cannon.

“And that Koufax. You name a better left-hander in the history of baseball and I’ll eat my hat,” said Hall of Famer Harry Hooper.

"There are two times in my life the hair on my arms has stood up: The first time I saw the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the first time I saw Sandy Koufax throw a fastball" - Al Campanis

"Trying to hit him was like trying to drink coffee with a fork." - Willie Stargell

"It's no disgrace to get beat by class." -Bob Hendley, the losing Chicago Cubs pitcher in Koufax's perfect game.

"It wasn't a matter that he could win ballgames, He could completely shut you down." -Joe Torre

The Card: As a Koufax collector this is not my favorite card. Actually the b/w 'action' shot is better than a lot of the others on 1960 Topps cards but I'd rather see Koufax with a cap on. Where and when the shot was taken is a mystery to me. The cap-less look might mean it was taken late in the Dodgers' days in Brooklyn and Topps was listening to the rumors of a move out west. But they probably took these kind of pics of almost everyone so it's more likely they chose it as what they thought was the best available.

The background looks like it might be the Memorial Coliseum or the apartments behind the Polo Grounds, or Wrigley Field, or someplace different entirely, I'm just not sure. And that bugs me.

As with other star (read: expensive) cards in this set I went with a F/G condition example. Putting together a vintage set in acceptable condition within a budget forces one to compromise.