Comparing the Rookie Stars of 1959 and 1960 Topps All-Star Rookie Teams

This article profiles the first Topps All-Star Rookie Team, selected and announced in late 1959. I've researched Topps subsets and on-card advertising recently, but hadn't found an easy reference for the 1959 "rookies," especially the subset of rookie trophies that first appeared on 1960 cards. Topps appears to have promoted it using both Topps Chewing Gum and Bazooka brands, first referring to it as "Young America's All-Star Rookie Team" on ballots.

Young America's All-Star Rookie Team ballot (from Bob Lemke's post)

The ballot's fine print offers key details: "See the winning team on 'World Series Special'--NBC-TV Network--Tuesday, Sept. 29." September 29 was the expected eve of 1959's first World Series game, so All-Rookie Team balloting drove attention toward NBC's broadcast, not to cards per se. I assume All-Star Rookie balloting took place late in the season to focus collectors on that date. It's possible Topps targeted balloting to big media markets or teams still in the pennant race (LA, Milwaukee, SF, Chicago, Cleveland, NY) to capture maximum interest.

Some of the Topps All-Star Rookie Team also appeared on 1959 cards. Here's the full list, as shown in both the year of election and with their 1960 Topps All-Star Rookie trophy, their first year for on-card trophies.

CATCHER: John Romano (Chicago 1959, Cleveland 1960)

1959 Topps #138, John Romano (Chicago)

1960 Topps #323, Johnny Romano (Cleveland)

Johnny won't be the first to swap teams for 1960 and won't be the last guy from Cleveland.

FIRST BASE: Willie McCovey (no 1959 card, SF 1960)

1960 Topps #316, Willie McCovey

Willie won the 1959 NL Rookie of the Year award after a torrid second half. He appeared in just 52 games, the fewest ever by a non-pitcher ROY winner, but served a key role in keeping SF close to LA and Milwaukee through the season's final week. McCovey debuted too late for a 1959 Topps card, but thanks to the late-season nature of their All-Rookie Team, became a shoo-in at first base.

SECOND BASE: Pumpsie Green (no 1959 card, Boston 1960)

1960 Topps #317, Pumpsie Green

Pumpsie Green's best-known as the guy who integrated MLB's last team to integrate, the Boston Red Sox, when he took the field on July 21, 1959. Like McCovey, his debut came too late for the 1959 set, which would've been printed by that time.

THIRD BASE: Jim Baxes (LA 1959, Cleveland 1960)

1959 Topps #547, Jim Baxes

1960 Topps #318, Jim Baxes

Jim played enough in LA to garner a high-numbered 1959 card, but switched teams before the year was out, becoming our second Cleveland player with a 1960 trophy. Jim never returned to the bigs after 1959, so these are his only two Topps cards.

SHORTSTOP: Joe Koppe (Philadelphia 1959-60)

1959 Topps #517, Joe Koppe

1960 Topps #319, Joe Koppe

Koppe's striking a pitching pose on his 1959 card, but played infield throughout his career.

OUTFIELD: Bob Allison (Washington 1959-60)

1959 Topps #116, Bob Allison

1960 Topps #320, Bob Allison

Bob won 1959's AL Rookie of the Year, finishing just ahead of fellow All-Star Rookie Jim Perry.

OUTFIELD: Ron Fairly (LA 1959-60)

1959 Topps #125, Ron Fairly

1960 Topps #321, Ron Fairly

Ron's two career All-Star appearances were for Canadian teams (Montreal 1973, Toronto 1978). Trivia bonus!

OUTFIELD: Willie Tasby (Baltimore 1959-60)

1959 Topps #143, Willie Tasby

1960 Topps #322, Willie Tasby

Willie moved to Boston early in 1960 and enjoyed the best hitting of his career. Washington selected him in their 1961 expansion draft, but moved him to Cleveland in 1962, ultimately splitting his six year career across four AL franchises.

RIGHT-HANDED PITCHER: Jim Perry (Cleveland 1959-60)

1959 Topps #542, Jim Perry

1960 Topps #324, Jim Perry

Not just any right-handed pitcher, this is the elder brother of HOF Gaylord Perry and was almost as good, winning 215 career games. Thanks to team changes by Johnny Romano and Jim Baxes, Perry was Cleveland's third representative on the ten-man Topps All-Star Rookie team.

LEFT-HANDED PITCHER: Jim O'Toole (Cincinnati, 1959-60)

1959 Topps #136, Jim O'Toole

1960 Topps #325, Jim O'Toole

Jim is just one of several guys with Topps rookie cards before their Topps All-Star Rookie card.

Wrapping It Up

Thanks to the breadth of The Sporting News Rookie Stars subset (1959 Topps #116-146) and high series additions (Jim Baxes, Jim Perry, Joe Koppe), the 1960 Topps All-Star Rookies mark the first card for only two guys, Pumpsie Green and Willie McCovey.

Topps All-Star Rookies weren't the only rookies in 1960. SPORT Magazine also sponsored a rookie subset, with this Yaz RC its best known, but the tradition of Topps All-Star Rookie trophies won out thereafter.

If 1960 Topps #316 wasn't enough McCovey, he picked up a second card in 1960's high series as a SPORT Magazine All-Star Selection.

1960 Topps #554, Willie McCovey SPORT Magazine '60 All-Star

Note the 1960 Topps All-Star subset was chosen by SPORT Magazine, not MLB itself. Willie didn't appear on either roster for the 1960 MLB All-Star games (July 11 and July 13). Trivia double bonus!

Top 5 Indianapolis Indians Number Fives

I started this blog post with a mission: finish out the Indianapolis Indians type posts. They're a minor league organization with major league commitment to card quality, especially during the 1970s, a decade of typically poor card stock and middling black-and-white photos. So I checked my type list, warmed up my keyboard, and Googled 'topps harry spilman.' This is a "tobacco card" I expected to write about in support of 1979's type card.

But surprise surprise, it turned out I'd already profiled Spilman's spot on the 1979 Indianapolis AAA roster. Huh. OK, maybe I forgot one of the other four guys with big league dreams. But no, they were all there.

1976 team set #5, Joe Henderson:

1977 team set #5, Tom Hume:

1978 team set #5, Mike LaCoss:

1979 team set #5, Harry Spilman:

Badass cards photos aren't just for MLB players. Spilman says, 'toss that 85 fastball up here and I'll prove it doesn't belong in the park.'

1980 team set #5, Joe Price:

Huh, I've already covered them all. Oh well.

TRIVIA: All of these guys made the jump from Indianapolis to the bigs as Cincinnati Reds. Mike LaCoss had the longest career (14 years) and also made an All-Star team in 1979. Many years later, he also did the Ice Bucket Challenge.

For reasons unknown, Indianapolis put extra effort into their 1970s team sets, printing in full color where most teams settled for black-and-white. I surmise someone in Indy's promo department had latitude to fund the sets and they might've done well at the souvenir stands.

Value: While all future MLB vets, none of their minor league cards command above-average prices, so would run $2-3 bought individually.

Fakes / reprints: Haven't seen any in the marketplace, but sometimes you forget that you already blogged about Harry Spilman once, so then you try to do it again. It worked out OK.

1967-68 Coca-Cola Minnesota Twins Baseball Crowns #5, Jim Perry

1960s-70s hurler Jim Perry won 215 career games, placing him in the top 100 all-time, but it's vogue in some baseball circles to re-examine the single-mindedness of wins and update how we value the men credited with them. For example, where does a starter like Jim, pitching in the era of 4-man rotations and multiple expansions, rate compare to today's 6-7 inning pitcher? And did he prove most deserving of the "win?" Whatever you think of Ws and Ls, SABR's Origin of the Modern Pitching Win does a great job laying out the "long, tortured history" of these stats.

But! No amount of words can wipe the name Perry from our statistical record, especially when younger and winning-er brother Gaylord joins the conversation. Between Jim (215) and Gaylord (314), 529 opponents hit the showers in defeat. That's a lot of smiling in the Perry households.

Today's type "card" is what it looks like, a soda bottle cap that sealed 1960s glass bottles of Coke or its related brands. You can also discern right away that the undersides of these Coke crowns are so small, you barely have room for a face and a name. "M5" tells you this is cap #5 from the M(innesota) team set and "P" tells you Perry is a pitcher.

Jim's floating head style reappears on cards and collectibles from time-to-time. The easiest place to find them on cards are Topps league leaders and some teams. The Cubs, for example, often omitted an "annual photo" -- and no group photo meant floating heads. Chicago looked like this for much of the 1970s.

1977 Topps #518, Chicago Cubs

My ode to the floating head, that side effect of too little space for too much baseball player.

Fly free, fly clear. Look to horizons unconsidered, celebrate your lightness of being. Be yourself, be alive, be unexpected. Be Joe Pepitone's sideburns.

Coca-Cola put a lot of floating heads under bottle crowns in 1967 and 1968, matching collections of teams and all-stars to promotional posters like this one. Buy enough soda and you could swap crowns for (cheap) baseballs or ball caps.

I cross-posted this poster from The Fleer Sticker Project's terrific profile of Coke's promotion and its hand-in-glove arrangement with 1967's "Dexter Press photos." You should read it and feel completely informed.

Value: Perry cost me $3 on eBay. High grade stars cost somewhat more, but dinged-up crowns can be a cheap (25 cents) way to start 1960s oddball collecting.

Fakes / reprints: It'd be tough to fake Coke's crowns and none are pricey enough to merit the effort.

1961 Topps Check List : The Last Inning

Back in August 2013, I broke down each 1961 Topps checklist, linking their action photo to specific 1960 contests. To catch you up--and remind myself--here's the full list, with an example shot of Ernie Banks sliding into second.

1961 Topps #361, Series 5 Check List

To refresh our minds and set the context, here are the games I matched to each photo.

• #17 Checklist 1 : June 9 (Cubs / Pirates)
• #98 Checklist 2 : July 24 (Cubs / Braves)
• #189 Checklist 3 : August 30 (Cubs / Reds)
• #272 Checklist 4 : June 9 (Cubs / Pirates)
• #361 Checklist 5 : August 27 (Cubs / Phillies) -- the Banks card above
• #437 Checklist 6 : August 9 (White Sox / Yankees)
• #516 Checklist 7 : August 31 (Cubs / Braves)

I spent a lot of time breaking down game action and checking box scores, but somehow forgot a photo on the card backs. Thanks to OldBaseball.com buddy Aaron for reminding me to flip over any 1961 checklist for another action shot.

The number circles vary from black to white, but the picture stays the same, checklist to checklist.

Where to begin.

That's a lefty fielder in his light (e.g., home) jersey cocked to throw next to a prostrate player with grayish jersey and black sleeves alongside an umpire in long sleeves. That's likely first base, given the outfield tarp behind all three.

UPDATE: I revised my concept of this play since original posting, as the outfield tarp makes this play at first base and not home plate, something I should've realized first time around.

So how much can we glean from a single, grainy snapshot? Let's start with the other checklists.

1961 Topps #17, Series 1 Check List

In my earlier post, I concluded Topps used two photos from the same game. Both of these Cubs vs. Pirates checklists appear to hail from an 11-3 Pittsburgh win at Wrigley Field on June 9, 1960.

1961 Topps #272, Series 4 Check List

If Topps used another photo from June 9 for the back, you need three matching elements.

1. Lefty Chicago first-baseman or pitcher covering first
2. Something that explains guy on his backside (runner slid, pickoff, sacrifice, etc.)
3. Pittsburgh runner attracting a throw at second

Let's save time by diving into the June 9, 1960 box score. Lefty Ed Bouchee played first for Chicago that day--so far, so good.

Not much happened early on, but that day's last inning is what we want. Pittsburgh started with two walks, followed by a Cubs error, as 3B Frank Thomas threw wide on a sacrifice attempt, gifting the Pirates a run and putting guys on second and third. Rocky Nelson walked, loading the bases. Then a strong candidate for our play happened.

Bill Virdon at-bat:  Reached on E3 (Ground Ball); Hoak Scores; Mazeroski to 3B; Nelson to 2B

It's not hard to imagine the Cubs 1B fumbling a grounder and then losing a race to first for the putout. If Virdon slid to avoid colliding with Bouchee (who was a big guy), Ed could've fired to second trying to catch Rocky Nelson, frozen mid-throw for the moment you see. Everybody safe and one fielding error to Chicago, immortalized hazily on a Topps card.

Trivia: if that's the play, our first base umpire is none other than HOFer Jocko Conlan.

Here's a better look at the real, chaw-filled Ed Bouchee. He's wearing a green warmup jacket under that jersey; it must've been a damp day.

1961 Topps #196, Ed Bouchee

Bonus trivia: Topps pulled Ed's card following an 1957 offseason arrest, so he's the "missing number" from 1958's checklist. As service to history, Bob Lemke created a custom 1958 #145 of Bouchee.

Bonus bonus trivia: Later in that same 9th inning, Bill Virdon scored with this Baseball-Reference play-by-play description: Virdon Steals Hm (uk-PR); Skinner Steals 2B.

I asked Baseball-Reference what "uk-PR" meant and they discovered it's a processing error for Retrosheet's event code "SBH(UR)" which means "steals home (unearned)." From what I can tell, it's triggered when runners steal home with two outs in the inning, as did Virdon. They plan to fix the processing error itself in the near future, which will fix other in-game "uk-PR" labels on the site. The more you know!

1976 Caruso Phoenix Giants Baseball #5, Skip James

In my last post (Carlos Lopez), I lamented how card maker Caruso picked green bunting for a 1976 bicentennial team set, when the situation obviously called for red. Ugh.

It's only now that I realize: I'd forgotten about this post from 2013.

Orange bunting and beige player.

I also forgot this other post from 2013.

Red bunting! But green player.

Is Caruso never going to put all the pieces together for today's PCL team, starring Skip James?

No, they will not. Red bunting and yellow player.

1976 Hostess, Garvey/Rader/Blue

Unlike the forthrightly patriotic 1976 Hostess, "red, white, and blue" never quite happened for Caruso. On behalf of America, I will accept it and move on.

Skip served five years in the Phoenix heat and had already been a Giants 1975 type card. After two brief stints with SF, he emigrated to Japanese pro clubs in the 1980s, like a growing number of guys who couldn't find steady MLB work. I haven't heard if Pacific Coast players were more likely to try Japan than their Atlantic equivalents, but can see how it'd be easier to transfer fan interest overseas, given the larger Japanese communities in PCL cities.

Value: This Caruso #5 cost $12 from eBay, a purchase I waited a long time to pull the trigger on. Phoenix's team set includes a young Jack Clark and more future MLB players, so can cost more than others, maybe $25+.

Fakes / reprints: Haven't seen any Caruso reprints in the marketplace, though it's possible Jack Clark's card got this treatment during his heyday.

1976 Caruso Salt Lake City Gulls Baseball #5, Carlos Lopez

With my lengthy history as a Mariners fan, I should've gotten to know Carlos Lopez by now, but for some reason I haven't. I might've even known off the top of my head that he played 99 games for their 1977 expansion squad and was traded thereafter in a swap for pitcher Mike Parrott, but I didn't. Hmph.

1978 Topps #166, Carlos Lopez

Given this limited knowledge, my thanks to the 1978 Baseball blog for the (above) happy-go-lucky scan of Carlos Lopez and check out that powder blue Seattle expansion uni. The only way to make Carlos any bluer would be to print him entirely in blue ink. Which is what (below) today's type card did.

1976 Caruso SLC Gulls #5, Carlos Lopez (blank back)

Caruso printed a lot of 70s team sets and some render better than others. All that stars & stripes bunting is a fine nod to the 1976 USA bicentennial, but you need red bunting with the white card and blue player to complete its "AMERICA!" effect. All that green bunting puts me off my hot dogs and apple pie.

As a player, Carlos Lopez did a lot more than pose in blue and green. He played at least 17 seasons of pro baseball, starting as a fresh-faced Mexican Leaguer in 1969, "peaking" in the US as an Angel, Mariner, and Oriole (1977-79), and returning to the Mexican League for his 30s (1980-1985). His known career stats tells a story lived by many Latino players, who traveled far from home to follow their horsehide dreams.

Seattle Police postcard, Mike Parrott

Compared to Carlos, I know a lot more about aforementioned trade-mate Mike Parrott, who's still coaching in the PCL and "putting sanity to the test," as pitching coaches do in a league known for its hitter-friendly environments. Check out that linked article for a nice look at Mike's state of mind after 40+ years in pro ball.

Value: After years of watching eBay for Caruso singles, I nabbed Carlos in early 2019 for $2 + shipping. None of the 1976 SLC Gulls became a MLB star, so others should cost about the same.

Fakes / reprints: Caruso cards use thin white stock and were sold at ballparks in bagged, complete team sets. Haven't seen any Caruso fakery in the marketplace, but minor league cards of future star players are vulnerable to it, so be aware of that chance, if you prefer to purchase type cards of well-known players.

Fall 2015 Baseball Collectors Album

I end up downloading a lot of baseball pictures, and cards, and pictures of cards while planning posts here or on the Twitter @Number5TypeCard. Today's post spills those photos onto the blog table like a family album of summer and fall recollections.

World Wide Gum, a Canadian affiliate of Boston-based Goudey Gum, marketed their 1936 baseball set as "Play Ball Bubble Gum" and this is one of their ad placards. Still boggles my mind that a photo card + gum + wrapper + distribution could generate a profit on 1 cent.

Another 1930s throwback, this pair of fuzzy eBay scans come from the Goudey's obscure 1935 Knot Hole League Game set; see my relevant post for more. Fronts had the Cards/Tigers matchup from the 1934 World Series and backs had in-game plays. You were supposed to obtain enough of them to flip through a full game and keep score on the front. This flip game carried over to Goudey's 1936 set of black-and-white player photos.

"CAUGHT NAPPING BY A SIZZLING STRAIGHT PITCH." Vin Scully might still say this during broadcasts.

Play result cards for two 1933-34 Goudey Varsity Football, an older cousin to the Knot Hole League game set. Not easy to find, whether singles or lots.

This is a modern, made-for-collectors homage to the late-40s PCL team sets sponsored by San Francisco men's clothier Sommer & Kaufmann. It's not really a reprint, as those sets covered 1948-49 and I believe this is based on 1950 team photos of the SF Seals.

More pitchers from the Sommer & Kaufmann set. Give me a high leg kick over a static pose any day.

Rick(e)y Henderson's minor league RC is one of the hardest on my type list and this one auctioned for over $3K. I'd expect to spend $1K+ for one at any grade.

Found this terrific Wheaties panel of a leaping Joe DiMaggio right after the Supermoon Eclipse happened in late Sept. I love the moon-like color and composition here.

I tracked down a scan of this special 1962 Venezuelan #200 of "Little Louie" for context in my post on the last Venezuelan type I needed, 1968 NL HR Leaders #5. His regular Topps card is #325, but the Venezuelan set stopped at #200 that year, so the printer moved their local hero to an accommodating spot.

HOF Tris Speaker in a Boston uniform, but printed after his move to Cleveland. Note backwards photo and "IFC ©" in the lower-right corner, one of many peccadilloes for the 1916 W516 strip set. Still not satisfied that I (or the whole hobby) has an authoritative understanding of this set and its variations.

Bowman box panel for their early-1950s baseball packs. In this context, "inferior substitutes" meant that upstart Topps Gum company. Don't be deceived by kids wanting their big cards and star players! Buy more Bowman!

Grabbed this scan of Manny Mota as support for my 1951 Bowman #5 profile of Dale Mitchell. Many was great and this is a great card. Respect to the photographer for using a fill flash and killing the midday shadows under his helmet. Also check out that NL Centennial (1876-1976) patch on his sleeve.

Dale Mitchell Jr. holding his dad's 1953 Topps card, also for that 1951 post.

This is technically a #5, but it caught my attention for the HEY LADIES look. Not many cards with branded tank tops out there.

1930s Goudey Premium of Bill Swift. Cool work on the inverse text over his jacket and jersey.

TRIVIA: Two men named Bill Swift have played Major League baseball. They were both right-handed pitchers and finished with nearly identical records.

• Bill Swift, 1932-43: 95-82
• Bill Swift, 1985-98: 94-78

Baseball history: always new things to learn.