Final Card: Smoky Burgess

When I first got this card (#506) way back in 1967, I thought "This guy looks too old and fat to play baseball!" Well, photos can be deceiving, because he's (only!) 40, and after checking his stats today, I see that he didn't really catch too often after 1964 (26 innings in 1965, 5 innings in 1966, none in 1967). He was a clutch pinch-hitter in 1965 and 1966, (but not so good in 1967, which probably explains why that was his last season).



Smoky started pro baseball in the Cubs farm system in 1944. He made several stops (including the PCL Los Angeles Angels) before making the Cubs team in 1949. In October 1951 he was traded to the Reds, and within 2 months was traded to the Phillies for (among others) catcher Andy Seminick. In early 1955 the Phillies traded him back to the Reds for (among others) Andy Seminick!

Before the 1959 season he was traded (along with 3B Don Hoak) to the Pirates for Andy Seminick OF Frank Thomas and others. Burgess played for the Pirates in the 1960 World Series.

The White Sox claimed him from the Pirates in September 1964. As I mentioned at the top, the White Sox used him almost exclusively as a pinch-hitter, not as a catcher. He was released after the 1966 season, re-signed before the 1967 season, and released again after the season.

Smoky is one of only 3 players with 1967 cards to have his MLB debut in the 1940s (along with Curt Simmons and Joe Nuxhall, although Nuxhall retired prior to the 1967 season).

He finished with a .295 batting average in 18 seasons. Not a bad career!

Final Card: Joe Nuxhall (#44)

Joe Nuxhall's biggest claim to fame is that he was the youngest player to appear in a major-league game (at age 15). As with many long-time veterans, Topps did not include his minor-league stats on the card. Checking his minor-league stats, we find that after Joe's one appearance for the Reds at age 15, he continued to play minor-league ball the next year at age 16. He then "retired" at the ripe old age of 17.

Joe is one of only 3 players with 1967 cards to have his MLB debut in the 1940s (along with Smoky Burgess and Curt Simmons). He retired in April 1967, having played his last game in 1966.

Classic Crew Cuts (part 1)

I'd like to wrap up today's posts with the first installment of what I call "Classic Crew Cuts". Topps gave recently-traded players either the hats-off treatment, or the dreaded airbrush! Looking through the 1967 card set, there's about 20 players sporting the old-school look. These 3 are probably the tops (extra points for flatness and square corners!)

Long-time Phillie Curt Simmons (#39) leads off the parade. (I think he wins the contest for most surface area!) This is Curt's last baseball card, as he closed out a fine career in 1967 with the Cubs and Angels, one year after his contemporary Robin Roberts ended his MLB career (although Roberts pitched for the AA Reading Phillies in 1967). Curt is one of only 3 players with 1967 cards to have his MLB debut in the 1940s (along with Smoky Burgess and Joe Nuxhall).




Next up is Danny Cater (#157) , also an ex-Phillie. After spending 6 years in the Phillies' minor league system, followed by 1 year in Philadelphia, Cater was traded to the White Sox. Here we see him in his Sox jersey, with just enough overhead clearance for his name.




Contestant number three is Eddie Fisher (#434) (no, not that Eddie Fisher!). Eddie looks like he also just escaped from the Chicago White Sox. He lucked out, and went to the world champion Orioles, whereas Cater went to "the Yankees farm team" in Kansas City.





Of course, no discussion on crew cuts is complete without the king: