Curt Simmons (#22)

I posted Curt Simmons’ final card on my 1967 blog several years ago, but it was part of a multi-card post about the players’ crew cuts, and didn’t get into their playing careers, so Curt is back for a 2nd look.

Curt Simmons had a 20-year career (1947-67) playing for 4 teams, mostly for the Phillies, and later the Cardinals.

Simmons was signed by the Phillies in 1947, and pitched that season for the Wilmington (DE) Blue Rocks, the Phillies’ class-B team. He compiled a 13-5 record, then made his major-league debut with the Phillies at age 18 during a September call-up.

In 1948, southpaw Curt joined 21-year-old righthander Robin Roberts in a rotation that also included 39-year-old Dutch Leonard and 38-year-old Schoolboy Rowe, both of who began their careers in 1933.

By 1950, Roberts and Simmons were the Phillies’ #1 and #2 starters, leading them to their first post-season since 1915. Curt missed the final month of the 1950 season and the World Series, due to his call-up to active military service during the Korean War.

Curt was a solid member of the team’s starting rotation from 1950 to 1957 (except for missing all of 1951 due to military service). He also made the All-Star team in ’52, ’53, and ’57.

Simmons had an off-year in 1958, and came down with a sore arm in 1959, spending part of that season in the minors. The Phillies released him in mid-May 1960, after only 4 starts.

Simmons was picked up by the Cardinals three days later, and spent the next 6 years in their starting rotation. He won a career-high 18 games in 1964, and together with Bob Gibson’s 19 wins and Ray Sadecki’s 20 wins, they twirled the team to a World Championship.

He experienced another off-year in 1965, and with a slow start in 1966, he was sold to the Cubs in late June. Simmons pitched for the Cubs just over 1 calendar year before moving on the the Angels in early-August 1967.

He was released after the season, ending his 20-year career. He finished with a career record of 193-183, with 1697 strikeouts.

Simmons and White Sox’ catcher Smoky Burgess were the last 2 players to retire that had played in the 1940s.

Hoyt Wilhelm (#108)

I'll admit that my love of the Orioles will color my view on this card but.....ain't it a beauty? The colors, the pose, the terrific 'turn of the decade' Orioles uni, the spring training background. Good stuff for sure.

Anyway, Hoyt Wilhelm is a Hall of Fame pitcher who garnered his fame by mastering the infernal knuckleball. He pitched for nine different clubs over a 21 year career and was 49 years old when he made his last big league appearance. He pitched for the Orioles from late 1958 through 1962 spending the 1959 and some of 1960 as a starter. He no hit the Yankees in September of '58.

Wilhelm's dancing knuckleball was responsible for one of the games more notable equipment controversy, the giant 'Elephant glove' pioneered by Oriole manager Paul Richards in 1960 and worn by Hoyt's personal catcher, Joe Ginsberg.

Notable Achievements (from Wilhelm's Baseball Reference Bullpen page):

• 5-time All-Star (1953, 1959, 1961, 1962 & 1970)
• 2-time League ERA Leader (1952/NL & 1959/AL)
• NL Winning Percentage Leader (1954)
• 2-time NL Games Pitched Leader (1952 & 1953)
• 15 Wins Seasons: 2 (1952 & 1959)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 1 (1959)
• Won a World Series with the New York Giants in 1954
• Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1985

His Hall of Fame bio:

Hoyt Wilhelm didn't make his Major League debut until the age of 28, but he got off to a fast start by hitting a home run in his first at-bat. Twenty years and a then-record 1,069 games later, he had never homered again; but it was on the mound that he distinguished himself as the game's premier reliever. The knuckleballer won 143 games, including a record 124 out of the bullpen. In a rare start for the Orioles in 1958, he no-hit the Yankees.

Here is a extremely cool video of Wilhelm's technique with commentary by catcher J. W. Porter, a pretty interesting character in his own right. You have to love Ol' Hoyt's Carolina drawl.

1963 Rookie Stars (Reds / Phillies)

In 1963, Topps began issuing multi-player Rookie Stars cards. These were weird “floating head” cards that featured players from multiple teams. (Beginning in 1964, Topps switched to team-specific Rookie Stars cards, featuring 2 to 3 “normal” photos of players from the same team.)

What’s unusual about this card is that it features 2 sets of teammates.

I have already featured all 4 of these players on other blogs, so I’m just going to link them here:

Sammy Ellis played from 1962-69, primarily for the Reds as a starting pitcher.

Ray Culp debuted with the Phillies in 1963. After 4 seasons there and 1 with the Cubs, he played 6 seasons for the Red Sox.

Jesse Gonder played for 5 teams from 1960-67, but got most of his playing time with the Mets and Pirates from 1963-67.

John Boozer bounced between the Phillies and their farm system from 1962-69, as a long reliever and spot starter.

Dodgers' Big Three (#412)

The Rangel, Ralph Houses of Manhattan's Coogan's Bluff are visible through the Polo Grounds' ironwork as a special trio of pitchers pose for this 1963 Topps card. Johnny Podres, Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax were indeed the Dodgers' Big Three that season as they led the club to a World Series sweep of the Yankees. The three pitched all but 2/3 of an inning of the Series as the staff held the Yanks to a .207 average.

The three players represent 522 wins, 6317 strike outs, 17 All Star selections, and 4 Cy Young Awards between them. Koufax and Drysdale of course are Hall of Famers. Many of the Dodger clubs they pitched for after the franchise's move to Los Angeles were light hitting teams that relied on pitching and defense. They were so much dependent on pitching that Don Drysdale, away from the club on family business, is said to have asked "Who won?" when he was told that Koufax had pitched a no-hitter in his absence.

Podres had his last double digit win total (14) in '63. In fact he never again won more than 7. Drysdale won 19 as he came off his Cy Young season of 1962. His 251 whiffs were actually 19 more than his league leading total of the previous season. They were both very good, but Koufax was so dominant in 1963 that he was chosen as the NL's MVP.

"I can see how he won twenty-five games. What I don't understand is how he lost five." - Yogi Berra talking about Sandy Koufax.

This card has been on my radar for ages. I picked up this less than sterling copy recently. It's creased within an inch of it's life but I'm glad to have it.

Robin Roberts (#125)

Here we have Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts looking resplendent yet somewhat odd in his orange and black Orioles' cap. Although he pitched three plus years for my Birds and some for the Astros I still have a hard time thinking of him as anything but a Philadelphia Phillie.

For a six year stretch across the first half of the 1950s Roberts was the dominant right hand pitcher in the National League. From 1950 through 1955 he led the league in wins four times, starts six times, innings pitched five times and strikeouts twice.

Roberts was a three sport star playing baseball, football, and basketball for Lanphier High School in Springfield, Illinois. Roberts attended Michigan State on a basketball scholarship, but he also pitched for the Spartans' baseball team. He was signed by the Phillies for a $25,000 bonus, pitched for half a season in the minors, then made his debut for Philadelphia in June 1948.

He was a Phillie for 14 seasons and went 286-245 for teams that more often than not finished well below the .500 mark. He was instrumental however in the Phils' Whiz Kids pennant winning season of 1950. It was his second full season in the majors and he won 20 games for the first time, a feat he'd accomplish six consecutive seasons.

He started Game Two of the 1950 Series against the Yankees and in typical Roberts fashion he pitched all ten innings dueling Allie Reynolds and lost 2-1 when Joe DiMaggio reached him for a home run in the top of the tenth. He pitched one inning of Game Four but never again reached the post-season. He might have had more chances he not been released by the Yankees in May of 1962 after having been purchased in the off-season.

While he was still a productive inning-eater for Philadelphia, Roberts numbers slowly declined over the course of the second half of the decade. A 1-10 record in 1961 brought about his sale to the Yankees who thought his experience would benefit the staff and had several starters who were subject to military call-ups in '62. Rain and open dates and lack of opportunities kept Roberts off the mound and he was released late in April. He had offers from Japan and the Reds but only the Orioles met his salary requests and he signed and pitched for the Birds for three and a half seasons while putting up surprisingly good numbers for a guy with so much wear and tear on his arm.

He was released by the Orioles in mid-season 1965 and moved on to the Astros for whom he pitched a year before finishing with the Cubs in 1966.

From Baseball Reference:

Notable Achievements

• 7-time NL All-Star (1950-1956)


• 4-time NL Wins Leader (1952-1955)


• 5-time NL Innings Pitched Leader (1951-1955)


• 2-time NL Strikeouts Leader (1953 & 1954)


• 5-time NL Complete Games Leader (1952-1956)


• NL Shutouts Leader (1950)


• 15 Wins Seasons: 10 (1949-1956, 1958 & 1959)


• 20 Wins Seasons: 6 (1950-1955)


• 25 Wins Seasons: 1 (1952)


• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 14 (1949-1960, 1963 & 1964)


• 300 Innings Pitched Seasons: 6 (1950-1955)


• Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1976

Roberts' Hall of Fame bio:


Robin Roberts was the ace of the Phillies staff for most of his 14 years in a brilliant 19-season Major League career. The durable workhorse with a superior fastball and pinpoint control won 286 games and compiled six consecutive 20-victory seasons. In 1950, he paced the Phils to their first flag in 35 years with a 20-11 record. A tough competitor, he was a frequent league leader in victories, innings pitched, complete games, shutouts and strikeouts, topping the National League in wins from 1952-55.