#574 Hal Kolstad

Wisconsin native Hal Kolstad was a baseball letter-man at San Jose State University and was signed by the Red Sox in 1957. He moved up the Sox' minor league ladder as a starter putting up double digit wins (and about the same number of losses for the most part) but generally good numbers otherwise.

Baseball Reference (as well as the card's cartoon) point out that Kolstad had a notable 1958 season in the Midwest League, leading the league in strikeouts with 250 and beating Juan Marichal who had 246.

He earned a spot on the staff for 1962 and appeared in 27 games including a pair of starts. Both ended up being no decisions. In his 25 relief appearances he earned a couple of saves and two losses and posted a 5.43 ERA for the season. He was again with Boston in '63 as the season opened but he made a couple of round trips to the AA level. He lost both decisions that season as well and his ERA in 7 games was a brutal 13.09 in 11 innings. He was farmed out in July and never pitched in the majors again.

Kolstad finished up his baseball playing days with a season in the Red Sox system and, after a trade, a final year with the Angels' AAA club. His big league career totals show an 0-4 record with a earned run average of 6.59.

I found a Ron Kolstad also listed among San Jose States list of baseball athletes. That may be a relative. Hal Kolstad's grandson Ryan played for both San Jose State and Concordia University in Oregon.

#196 Doug Camilli

Catcher Doug Camilli is the son of 1941 NL MVP Dolph Camilli. Doug spent nine season in the majors, six of them complete seasons. He was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers out of Stanford University in 1957. He got brief looks at the majors in 1960 and '61 before he stuck in 1962.

With the Dodgers Camilli backed up Johnny Roseboro for three years including the Dodgers' World Series winning 1963 campaign. Camilli did not appear in the Series. His best season in a Dodger uniform was 1962 when he hit .284 with 22 RBI in about 100 plate appearances.

He was sold to the Senators for the '64 season and that was his busiest year as he got into 75 games while serving as Paul Casanova's back-up and pinch hitting. His playing time dwindled over the course of the next two seasons and he moved into the coaching ranks in Washington in 1967. The next season he was activated at the end of the season and got into one final big league contest. He whiffed twice but got a single in his last major league at bat.

Camilli remained in the game as a coach and minor league instructor and manager through 1992, mostly in the Red Sox system.

Gil Hodges played with both Doug and Dolph. Doug Camilli caught Sandy Koufax' third career no-hitter on June 4, 1964.

#24 Bob Bruce

Bob Bruce signed with the Detroit Tigers in 1953. The righty pitcher took a long slow trip up the Tigers' minor league ladder and spent a year in the military before he finally debuted in September of 1959. His first appearance that year was a one inning mop up stint in which he walked two. He returned to the mound on September 27 making his first career start. It was against the White Sox at Briggs Stadium and Bruce was treated pretty shabbily, and not just by the Sox. Here is the Baseball Reference play-by-play for the top of the first:

Top of the 1st, White Sox Batting, Tied 0-0, Tigers' Bob Bruce facing 1-2-3
t1	0-0	0	---			CHW	L. Aparicio	B. Bruce			Single to LF
t1	0-0	0	1--			CHW	N. Fox	B. Bruce			Aparicio Steals 2B
t1	0-0	0	-2-			CHW	N. Fox	B. Bruce			Aparicio Steals 3B
t1	0-0	0	--3			CHW	N. Fox	B. Bruce			Walk
t1	0-0	0	1-3		R	CHW	J. Landis	B. Bruce			Reached on E6 (Ground Ball); Aparicio Scores; Fox to 2B; Landis to 1B
t1	1-0	0	12-			CHW	T. Kluszewski	B. Bruce			Wild Pitch; Landis to 2B; Fox to 3B
t1	1-0	0	-23		RO	CHW	T. Kluszewski	B. Bruce			Groundout: 2B-1B; Fox Scores; Landis to 3B
t1	2-0	1	--3		R	CHW	J. Romano	B. Bruce			Reached on E5 (Ground Ball); Landis Scores/No RBI/unER
t1	3-0	1	1--		O	CHW	A. Smith	B. Bruce			Strikeout
t1	3-0	2	1--		RR	CHW	J. Rivera	B. Bruce			Home Run (Deep RF); Romano Scores/unER; Rivera Scores/unER
t1	5-0	2	---		O	CHW	B. Phillips	B. Bruce			Popfly: SS

So Bruce gives up a hit to Luis Aparicio, allows him to steal second and third, walks Nellie Fox, gets Jim Landis to ground to short where it's booted (or thrown away), uncorks a wild pitch, coaxes a run scoring grounder out of Big Klu, gets Johnny Romano to ground to third where it's booted (or thrown away), whiffs Al Smith, gives up a home run to Jungle Jim Rivera and finally gets out of the inning on a pop up. Jimmy Dykes pulled the plug on Bruce to start the second and with the season ending a few days later Bruce had the whole winter to re-live that nightmare inning.

Another interesting thing happened later in the same game and it had nothing to do with Bob Bruce directly. Sox manager Al Lopez replaced his entire team on the field to start to bottom of the sixth. Again, here is the BR game summary:

Bottom of the 6th, Tigers Batting, Behind 2-5, White Sox' Barry Latman facing 2-3-4

Barry Latman replaces Bob Shaw pitching and batting 9th
Cam Carreon replaces John Romano playing C batting 5th
Earl Torgeson replaces Ted Kluszewski playing 1B batting 4th
Billy Goodman replaces Nellie Fox playing 2B batting 2nd
J.C. Martin replaces Bubba Phillips playing 3B batting 8th
Sammy Esposito replaces Luis Aparicio playing SS batting 1st
Johnny Callison replaces Al Smith playing LF batting 6th
Joe Hicks replaces Jim Landis playing CF batting 3rd
Jim McAnany replaces Jim Rivera playing RF batting 7th

You don't see that happening very often. Looks like El Señor was saving his troops for the post season. His club had clinched the pennant five days earlier.

But Bob Bruce persevered and remained with the Tigers through 1961 as a reliever and spot starter. He was traded to Houston in December of 1961 and became a solid member of the Colt 45s' starting rotation in their first season. He won 42 games for the Colts/Astros in five seasons. He was the first pitcher in that franchise's history to win 15 games (1964) and he pitched in the last game played in Colt Stadium and the first game in the Astrodome. In and April 1964 game versus the Dodgers he struck out the side on 9 pitches. He became only the twelvth pitcher to do that. Amazingly he did it the next day after Sandy Koufax had become the eleventh to do it.

Bruce finished his career in 1967 with the Atlanta Braves and retired to San Antonio, Texas where he works in the real estate business.

Little Topps quirks that amuse me department: I've been in Houston since 1967 and have never seen the city's name abbreviated as 'HSTN.' except on a Topps card.

Don Hoak (#305)

Here is Phillies’ 3rd baseman Don Hoak, who looks somewhat like Mickey Mantle in this photo, IMO.

Hoak played in the minors from 1947-53, and was a third baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1954-55), Cubs (1956), Reds (1957-58), Pirates (1959-62), and Phillies (1963-64).

His lone all-star appearance came in 1957, when he also led the NL with 39 doubles. Hoak was one of SEVEN Cincinnati players voted into the NL starting lineup for the all-star game. As a result of the ballot box stuffing, the commissioner replaced several Reds players, and took the voting away from the fans, which they did not regain until 1970.

We’ve all heard of the saying that “no team can win with 3 ex-Cubs on the roster”. The exception was the 1960 Pirates, but I once heard a funny explanation that, since Hoak was only with the Cubs for 1 season, and he hated his time there, he didn’t count toward The Curse.

Hoak spent the final 2 seasons of his career with the Phillies. He was acquired from the Pirates in November 1962 for Pancho Herrera (who had been the team’s regular 1st baseman from 1960-61, but spent 1962-74 in the minors) and journeyman outfielder Ted Savage.

Don was the Phil’s regular 3rd baseman in 1963, but at age 35, he only hit .231 in 115 games. The following season, rookie Richie Allen took over the position, and Hoak was released on May 18th, having only made 6 pinch-hitting appearances up to that point.

When I first started following the Phillies in 1967, Don was their 1st-base coach. He also managed in the Pirates’ farm system during the ’68 and ’69 seasons.

Hoak passed away in October 1969 at age 41.

#53 Joe Moeller

The Polo Grounds on Coogan's Bluff at the north end of Manhattan makes for a wonderful baseball card background. Here on Joe Moeller's card we can see the apartment buildings on what I believe to be 159th Street through the openings in the back walls of the grandstands and the Howard Clothing sign that was down the left field line. If a player hit that sign he won 'points' towards some big prize at year's end. A car or a boat as I recall.

Anyway we are here to discuss Joe Moeller. The righty flamethrower signed as a seventeen year old with the Dodgers in 1960. In 1961 he put in a year of minor league service winning a total of 20 games with three clubs and put up impressive numbers overall. He made the Dodgers' staff in 1962 and found himself overmatched. In July his 5.25 ERA and his wildness earned him a trip back to the minors. He spent '63 winning 16 games at the AAA level and by 1964 he was back for another shot at the big leagues.

His walk totals had improved in '64 but his 7-13 record combined with a Dodger staff good enough to win the NL kept Moeller in the minors in '65. He came up again in 1966 and worked out of the bullpen. He was the guy who relieved Don Drysdale in Game One of the 1966 Series against the Orioles. He pitched two innings in that game and says it was the highlight of his career.

His roller coaster career continues as he bounced back and fourth between the Dodgers and their minor league clubs for two seasons. Interestingly he appears in the 1968 Topps set as a member of the Houston Astros. Moeller had been selected by them from the Dodgers in the Rule V draft in November of 1967 but was returned to the Dodgers prior to Opening Day of '68.

Finally, in 1969 he found a place in the Dodger bullpen and worked three respectable seasons there. He finished his career with a couple of seasons in the Padres' chain. His major league totals show a record of 26-36 with a career ERA a touch over four.

Moeller works as advance scout for the Miami Marlins. In the video below he talks to baseball campers about his career, pitching in the World Series, opponents and teammates and baseball in general.

#398 Boog Powell

Letting my prejudice show I'll say that this is one of my favorite cards in the '63 Topps set. It features one of my favorite players wearing my favorite Orioles' road uni. The really cool Topps Rookie Top Hat trophy is a bonus.

This card came out a year after Boog Powell's rookie season, That was a year he gave just glimpses of the hitting that would help the Orioles become a powerhouse franchise in the 60s and 70s. I was lucky enough to witness one of those 1962 moments. I was attending my first Orioles games in Memorial Stadium on June 22 when in the second game of the doubleheader against the Red Sox he became the first player to hit a home run over the center field hedges. It was measured at 469 feet and was the longest homer in the old ballpark up to that time.

Boog went on to hit 339 homers in a career that stretched to 1977 when he finished up with the Dodgers. His last year as a full time player had been 1975, playing for Frank Robinson as Robby became the first full time black manager in the major leagues. Boog hit .297 that year with 27 homers which represented a resurgence from his declining stats in his previous two seasons in Baltimore.

Powell made four AL All Star teams although he probably was squeezed out by the crowded field of great players that held down first base in his time. He finished third in the MVP balloting in 1966 but wasn't an All Star!

He did win the AL MVP in 1970 after finishing 2nd the previous year. Boog hit six postseason homers and won World Series rings with the Birds in 1966 and 1970. I was also in Memorial Stadium for the 1969 Playoff games against the Twins. Boog homered in the ninth inning of Game One to tie the game which the O's went on to win and scored the winning (and only!) run in the bottom of the 11th of Game Two. He scored from second on a single by Curt Motton and ended a spectacular pitching duel between Dave McNally and Dave Boswell.

As an Orioles fan of more that 50 years, all I can say is "Those were the days!!"

Nowadays Boog serves up BBQ at his stand in Camden Yards. Last time I was Ocean City, Maryland he had a place on the Boardwalk there as well.

Here is a great publicity still of Boog taken in 1964 with Oriole Teammates Harvey Haddix and Luis Aparicio. They were posed with Big Boog because they were the smallest Orioles on that club.

#83 Charley James

Hi Charley..err...Charlie...ummm...which is it? Topps didn't seem to know exactly but nevertheless here is Mr. Charley/Charlie James in all his colorful 1963 card glory. Since he autographed cards with 'Charlie' I'm going with that.

James was a Missouri boy all the way. Raised in a Webster Groves near St. Louis he was a prep baseball and football star who lettered in football at the University of Missouri. A thigh injury that landed him in the hospital got him to thinking about how football threatened his intended baseball career so he left to play pro ball. (He later received his degree from Washington University of St. Louis.)

Signed by the hometown Cardinals in 1958 he showed enough pop and promise to earn an extended trial with the club in August of 1960. From 1961 through 1964 he played the outfield for the Redbirds if not full time, then something close to it. He hit in the .260s or so in the three years he played as a 'mostly regular/fourth outfielder' but by 1964 his playing time diminished as his average fell off and the Cards decided a guy by the name of Lou Brock fit their plans in leftfield better. He stayed with the Cards long enough to earn a World Series ring in '64, pinch hitting three times in the Series, but was traded off to the Reds that winter.

After a year in which he served as a pinch hitter off the Reds' bench he was out of the game. Here is a fun blog entry detailing a 1962 game that was billed as a Bob Gibson vs. Sandy Koufax showdown that didn't turn out that way and was the game that saw James his his only career grand slam. It came off the great Koufax.

But back to the Charlie v. Charley thing. Topps seemed to have a difficult time deciding. Here are James' other cards (images from the net):

1960 'Charley' James. He was Charley front and back on his rookie card.

1961 saw him still as Charley on both sides of his card.

By 1962 he'd become 'Charlie'. Note that he signs his name that way.

Ok, it's '63 and we are back to 'Charley'.

In '64 he was both. 'Charley' on the front, 'Charlie' on the back. 

And finally, on his last card in 1965 Topps goes out with a bang by reverting to 'Charlie' front and back. 

Of course none of this matters to anyone except me and perhaps Charlie who, btw, is still talking and thinking baseball.

1963 Rookie Stars (#582)

It's been about six weeks since Jim from Downingtown offered me the chance to contribute over here on the '63 Topps blog. But life has a funny way of interfering with plans. Travel, computer issues and other projects combined to throw me further and further behind. But I'm here now and figured I'd make up for lost time with a 4 for 1 post featuring one of the '63 Topps' 'floating heads' rookie cards.

This one features pitchers, and one of these four is not like the others. One of them had an impact on the game both on and off the field. Let's look at the other three first.

Conrad 'Randy' Cardinal was Tiger signee out of Long Island, New York in 1962. An impressive minor league season at the 'D' League level caught the attention of the Houston Colt 45s who drafted him away from Detroit that winter. He made the 45s roster to start the 1963 season but in six appearances (including one start) he took a beating and was sent down in May. He pitched in the Houston system into 1965 before leaving the game.

Don Rowe and Ken Rowe are not related, at least by blood, but they have much in common. Both spent a decade toiling in the minors before getting to pitch in the majors. They debuted within six days of each other in April of '63. They both had exactly 26 major league appearances. And they both became major league pitching coaches.

Ken Rowe signed with the Tigers in 1953, spent three seasons in their chain, and was drafted away by the Dodgers. He pitched seven seasons toiling away in the Dodger's pitching-rich system before making his debut in 1963. That year he split time with the big club and Spokane going 1-1 with a save in 14 games for the Dodgers. He'd been a starter for most of his minor league days but in the majors he was exclusively a bullpen guy. Don't know if he got a ring as part of their championship team but I'll bet he got a partial share of the money.

In 1964 he was back in Spokane and he pitched in 88 games, all in relief. He was purchased by the Orioles late that year and got into a handful of games with them. With the exception of 6 games with the Birds in '65 he finished out his career in the Orioles' minor league system, pitching last in 1968. After his playing days he managed and coached in the minors and was a pitching coach for the Orioles following Ray Miller.

Don Rowe was signed by the Pirates in 1954 after a year of independent ball. He pitched for eight seasons in the minors, mostly in a starting role but he did spend a season or so as a reliever. The Mets drafted him away from the Bucs in 1962 and the following year he made their staff. He appeared in 26 games between Opening Day and mid-July and set a record for the most innings pitched without a decision or a save (54.2). He started one game in April and went five+ innings allowing three runs. The Mets' bullpen lost the game.

Back to the minors he went for the remainder of that season and the next several before he retired. He spent six seasons as pitching coach the White Sox and Brewers. He also did some college coaching.

Dave McNally stands out on this card as being the most accomplished (by far) major leaguer. The Billings, Montana native pitched two years in the Orioles' chain following his 1960 signing and he got a taste of the bigs with a single September start in 1962. He made a splash that day with a complete game shutout of the A's.

He was a sub .500 pitcher for the Orioles for the next two seasons but emerged in 1965 as a contributor, winning 11 games and posting a 2.85 ERA. He was a key member of the young Baltimore rotation that took the Birds to the World Series in 1966. He started Game One of the World Series that year against the Dodgers. Wildness forced an early exit in favor of Moe Drabowsky who went on to win the game. McNally returned to pitch and win the clincher in Game Four and the picture of him about to catch a high-flying Brooks Robinson after the win may be my favorite baseball shot ever.

He was sidelined for part of the '67 season with arm problems but came back to again be an integral part of the Baltimore staff beginning in 1968 and continuing through the 'glory days' of 1971. He won 20 or more games in each of those seasons and 46 more in the three years following that. He had a 7-4 postseason record for the Orioles including one of the best games I've ever seen pitched in person. In Game Two of the 1969 playoffs against the Twins McNally went all the way with 11 shutout innings in the Orioles 1-0 victory.

Traded to the Expos for 1975 McNally made 12 starts and then decided to retire. He had been pitching without a signed contract because he was not satisfied with the Expos terms. He, along with Andy Messersmith, challenged the prevailing baseball reserve clause claiming that they had pitched under their 'option' year and were thus free agents. McNally had no intention of ever pitching again but he wanted there to be more than one player involved in the legal fight he knew would ensue.

The arbiter ruled in the players' favor and the fabric of the game was changed forever. The story is told in more detail in McNally's New York Times obit.

Here's the 1966 clincher defined. I can't help it, I'm an Oriole lifer.

Manny Mota (#141)

Obviously Topps has no idea what the future will bring when they issue a player’s rookie card. Sometimes you end up with the iconic magic of the ’52 Mantle, but most players end up with a tiny head on a multi-player card. In the case of today’s offering, Manny Mota’s rookie card features him full sized, but hatless and pedestrian in his first Topps player card.

The photo is close-up and shows an eager rookie, gazing in the distance with no idea what the future would hold.

The card lists Mota as an outfielder for the Houston Colt 45s on the front of the card and his inlay photo has a bold “45s” written on his hat. Mota, of course, never appeared for Houston. He broke into the big leagues in the middle of season in 1962 for theSan Francisco Giants after he began his 6^th season in their farm system making noise at the plate for El Paso in the AA Texas League. He was batting .349 after 30 games.

Although his average in the minors stayed north of 300 more often than not, he was anything but a lock for the big leagues, especially on a team with a surplus of outfielders who could seriously slug like Mays, McCovey, Kuenn and Felipe and Matty Alou. Those 5 were established 300 hitters in the Majors and even though Mota was a 300 batter in AA – he didn’t have the upside that typically fast tracked prospects to the big club.

Honestly after 5 full seasons in the minors, even though his average stayed about 300, there wasn’t anything eye-popping about Mota as a prospect on a powerhouse team like the Giants. He could hit the ball, but he had no power. He was versatile in the field, but didn’t have much of an arm or speed and even though he could get on base – he wasn’t a base stealer.

He did earn himself a 47 game cup of coffee in San Francisco on a team that won 100 games and the National League Pennant. Not a bad team for your first big league experience… Still, Mota didn’t do much to help the Giants getting there. He managed just 14 hits in 74 at bats (.176) – nearly all singles (1 double). He might have been a big leaguer, but he wasn’t ready to take a spot on the NL’s top squad. Subsequently they would trade him – to the 45s and his appearance on this slab of cardboard.

The back of the card mentions that the Colts “feel they’ve got a real prize package in Manny” – that was probably true, but he would never play a game for them. He would be dealt to Pittsburgh in April of ’63 and the rest is history.

Manny Mota would play for 20 seasons in the Majors plus another decade as hitting coach for the Dodgers where he added to his collection of Pennants. He would maintain a reputation as one of the great clutch hitters of his generation. He never became a power hitter or a base stealer, just a singles hitter, but his late inning singles won many games and kept him employed and treasured by his teams and their fans.

This ’63 offering is Mota’s rookie card and he would appear regularly in every Topps issue for 18 years, making his final appearance in 1980.

Mota retired with a .307 batting average and at the time of his retirement he held the record for the most pinch hits of all time and was regarded as the best ever in that role. It is ironic that it all began with this card that mentions Manny could play 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd base and his cartoon says “have glove, will travel”.

Mota never played 1^st in the big leagues and only had 1 start at second. Looking back it might have read “have bat, will hit game changing singles”.

I could go on (and on and on) about Mota’s lengthy career in baseball – his records and accomplishments, but in 1963 he was just a guy fighting for a spot on a roster.

Thanks for reading my first post here! Feedback is welcomed. Go Vintage! Go Rays! Troll out.

Bill Virdon (#55)

Wow! I'm back here already, less than 2 months since my last post. Actually, I checked in to say that this 1963 Topps blog is now a team blog, and Collective Troll has joined the staff. I look forward to his contributions to this blog, while I focus on my 1966-69 Topps blogs.


Bill Virdon was the long-time center fielder for the Pirates from 1957-1965. After retiring, he became a Pirates' coach, but was pressed into active duty for 6 games in late-July 1968.

Virdon was signed by the Yankees in 1950, and played 4 seasons in their organization. In April 1954, he was traded to the Cardinals for veteran outfielder Enos Slaughter. After another year in the minors, Virdon won the 1955 Rookie of the Year award as the Cardinals' everyday center fielder.

After starting 22 of the first 24 games in center for the Cardinals in 1956, Bill was traded to the Pirates for outfielder Bobby Del Greco and pitcher Dick Littlefield.

Virdon started 126 of the final 132 games in center for the Bucs in '56, and except for missing the month of May 1960, he manned that post for the rest of his career. In his final season (1965), he and Manny Mota split the center field starting assignments 70/30. Bill hit .241 with 5 RBI in the 1960 World Series, and in 1962 he led the NL with 10 triples, and won his only Gold Glove award.

After his release by the Pirates following the 1965 season, Virdon managed the Mets' AA ('66) and AAA ('67) teams, then hooked on as a coach for the Pirates in 1968, under new manager Larry Shepard.

Bill managed the Pirates ( in 1972-73) and Yankees  in 1974-75). When the Yankees fired him after 104 games in 1975, he was soon hired by the Astros, finishing out the '75 season and staying on until midway through the 1982 season. He also managed the Expos for all of 1983 and most of 1984.

Diego Segui (#157)

I don't usually post cards of players whose card I've posted elsewhere, but these pre-green-and-gold Athletics' uniforms look so unusual. This looks like a 1950s' photo.

Segui was signed by the Reds prior to the 1958 season (hey, maybe this photo is an airbrushed Cinn... nah!).  After the Reds released him in late April that season, he pitched most of the year for Tucson in the Arizona-Mexico League.

In September '58 the Athletics signed him, and he debuted with Kansas City in April 1962.  Diego pitched for the A's from 1962-68, although he spent a good bit of 1966 in the minors.

After the 1968 season, Segui was drafted by the expansion Seattle Pilots, and spent the entire '69 season with Seattle. He was also purchased by the expansion Seattle Mariners prior to the 1977 season, and spent that season in the Emerald City as well, his last before retiring.

In-between his 2 terms in Seattle, he returned to Oakland for 2 1/2 seasons, St. Louis for 1 1/2 years, and in 1975 played with the Red Sox. He also played the 1976 season with the Padres' AAA team in Hawaii.

Although from Cuba, he was inducted into the Venezuelen Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003. His son David played for several teams in the 1990s.

Final Card: Frank Torre

Here's the final card for Joe Torre's big brother Frank (#161). Both Frank and Joe (wait, is this a Hardy Boys book or a baseball card blog?) started out with the Milwaukee Braves, but never played together.

Although they were both on the 1960 Braves' team, Frank had been sent down to the minors in late June, months before Joe's September call-up. (They played on different teams in the Braves' farm system in 1960 and 1961.)

Frank Torre was signed by the Boston Braves in 1951. After one season in class-A ball, he spent the '52-'53 seasons in military service. After 2 more seasons in the high minors, Torre made his major-league debut with Milwaukee in April 1956.

After a year as the backup to veteran Joe Adcock, Frank was the primary 1st-sacker during the Braves' two World Series years (1957-58), with Adcock riding shotgun. Their roles were reversed in 1959, with Torre only starting 63 games, to Adcock's 85.

In 1960, Adcock completely took over the 1st base post. After only 21 games (10 starts), Torre was sent down to the minors in late-June, where he would remain until the Phillies acquired him prior to the 1962 season.

The Phillies used Frank primarily as a pinch-hitter and late-inning defensive replacement at 1st base in 1962 and 1963. He started 35 games in '62, but only 21 games in '63, as 3B-CF Don Demeter became 3B-1B-CF Demeter in 1963.

Torre retired after the 1963 season.