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 6th 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 1st, 2nd or 3rd
base and his cartoon says “have glove, will travel”.
Mota never played 1st 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.
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