Thursday, December 31, 2009

#31 Ryne Duren


1963 Topps

Rinold George Duren Jr.
Pitcher
Bats: Right , Throws: Right
Height: 6' 1" , Weight: 195 lb.
Born: February 22, 1929 in Cazenovia, WI

Aquired via trade by the New York Yankees with Johnny James and Lee Thomas to the Los Angeles Angels for Bob Cerv and Tex Clevenger on May 8, 1961.
Later purchased by the Philadelphia Phillies from the Los Angeles Angels on March 14, 1963.

ANGELS DEBUT:
Entered the game in the 8th as a replacement for Fritz Brickell (PH). In two innings of relief gave up no runs and 1 hit and fanned 5 in a 3-2 loss vs Boston at Wrigley Field, LA on May 10, 1961.

ANGELS RECORD:
1961 - 1962
In 82 games (17 as a starter) went 8-21 with 10 saves and a 4.86 ERA. Threw 182 strikeouts in 170.1 innings.
1961 AL All-Star

Custom Signature card
wikipedia:
He was known for his fastball pitching, but also noted for his very poor vision and thick glasses. He was rumored to have hit a player waiting in the on-deck circle, supposedly because he could not see which way to throw to home plate.
He was originally signed by the St. Louis Browns (now the Baltimore Orioles) as a free agent before the 1949 season. His first major league game was on September 25, 1954 (by which time the Browns had moved to Baltimore). That was the only game he ever played for the Orioles.
On September 21, 1956 he was traded to the Kansas City Athletics as part of a trade involving three other players (Jim Pisoni and Duren went to the A's in exchange for Al Pilarcik and Art Ceccarelli). The Athletics and Yankees did a lot of trading in that era, and on June 15, 1957 Duren, Pisoni, and Harry Simpson were traded to the Yankees for Billy Martin, Ralph Terry, Woodie Held, and Bob Martyn. Duren's best year in terms of winning percentage was 1958, when he won 6 and lost 4 for the Yankees; and he received the first of his 3 All-Star selections as well. He has also been retroactively credited with saving 20 games in 1958, the high mark in the American League that year. In 1959, his won-lost record was much poorer, but his earned run average of 1.88 was the best of his career. Duren was a showman. In those days the Yankee bullpen was a part of the short-porch right field and only a low chain link fence served as the boundary. When called upon by Casey Stengel to relieve, he wouldn’t use the gate, but would rather hop that fence with one hand and begin a slow walk to the mound with his blue Yankee warm-up jacket covering his pitching arm; even in the hottest days. When he finally took the ball from Casey and began his warm-ups, the first pitch was always a blazing fastball 20 feet over the catcher’s head. The 2nd warm-up pitch was a bit lower (but not slower) until on his 5th warm-up Ryne would finally find the plate. With his thick coke bottle glasses, no batter ever dug in against Duren.
Duren stayed with the Yankees until May 8, 1961, when he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels; Duren, Johnny James, and Lee Thomas went to the Angels in exchange for Tex Clevenger and Bob Cerv. Shortly after being traded to the Angels, he struck out seven successive Red Sox batters, an American League record.
Custom Index card



Sunday, December 27, 2009

#30 Johnny James

1961 Topps
John Phillip James
Pitcher
Bats: Left , Throws: Right
Height: 5' 10" , Weight: 160 lb.
Born: July 23, 1933 in Bonners Ferry, ID

Aquired via trade by the New York Yankees with Ryne Duren and Lee Thomas to the Los Angeles Angels for Bob Cerv and Tex Clevenger on May 8, 1961.

ANGELS DEBUT:
Entered the game in the 6th as a pitching replacement for starter Jerry Casale. Gave up 1 run on 2 hits in 2.1 innings of an 8-7 win at Wrigley Field, LA on May 9, 1961.

ANGELS RECORD:
1961
Took two losses and no wins or saves in 71.2 innings with a 5.30 ERA.
Ended his professional career as an Angel on October 1, 1961.

Personal Note

baseball-reference:
He played only one game in his debut season, 1958. Appearing in relief for Art Ditmar (who had given up seven earned runs in six innings of work) on September 6, James pitched three innings of scoreless baseball. He did walk four batters and strikeout only one. He also had one at-bat in that game-he struck out.
He didn't play any big league ball in 1959, but he did appear in 28 games in relief for the Yankees in 1960. He earned a spot on the team by being a part of a Spring Training no-hitter. In 43 innings of work, he posted a solid 5 and 1 record, allowing 21 earned runs and striking out 29 batters. He walked 26. He also saved two games.
1961 would end up being his final season in the Majors. He pitched in only one game for the Yankees that year before being shipped off to the Angels with Ryne Duren for Tex Clevenger and Bob Cerv on May 8. In 36 games with the Angels, he posted a 5.30 ERA. Overall that season, he walked 54 batters and struck out only 43. His record was 0 and 2. James gave up the 20th home run of Roger Maris' then record-setting 61 home run season.
His career ended on October 1 of that year. He had a 5 and 3 record in 66 career games, starting only 3 of them. In 119 innings of work, he walked 84 and struck out 73, finishing with a 4.76 ERA. Although he did not collect a single hit in 17 at-bats (he struck out 8 times), he did score three runs so one can assume he was used as a pinch runner a few times in his career. He was a perfect fielder, committing zero errors.

Custom Signature card

Thursday, December 24, 2009

#29 Rocky Bridges

1961 Topps

Everett Lamar Bridges
Infielder
Bats: Right , Throws: Right
Height: 5' 8" , Weight: 175 lb.
Born: August 7, 1927 in Refugio, TX

Signed as a Free Agent with the Los Angeles Angels on January 10, 1961.

ANGELS DEBUT:
Late inning defensive replacement for Steve Bilko, but played third base at Wrigley Field, LA on April 29, 1961. In one at bat in the seventh he struck out.

ANGELS RECORD:
1961
In 84 games hit .240.
Played his final professional Major League game on October 1, 1961 and was later released on October 19, 1961.
Was an Angels coach from 1962-1963 and again from 1968-1971.

wikipedia:
Bridges had an 11-year career in American Major League Baseball from 1951 to 1961. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals of the National League, and the Washington Senators, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels of the American League. He appeared at second base, shortstop, third base and, occasionally, in the outfield.
Bridges had a career batting average of .247 and never hit more than 5 home runs or stole more than 6 bases in a season. Nevertheless, he was elected to the American League All-Star team in 1958.
Custom Signature card



Sunday, December 20, 2009

#28 Ray Semproch

Custom Signature card

Roman Anthony Semproch (Baby)
Pitcher
Bats: Right , Throws: Right
Height: 5' 11" , Weight: 180 lb.
Born: January 7, 1931 in Cleveland, OH

Purchased by the Los Angeles Angels from the Washington Senators on April 7, 1961

ANGELS DEBUT:
Entered game in the 7th as a pitching replacement for starter Jerry Casale, walking two and giving up a run before getting out of the inning, at Detroit on April 21, 1961.
As an Angel he appeared in his final Major League game on May 2, 1961.

ANGELS RECORD:
1961
Appeared in 1 full inning over the course of 2 games and posted a 9.00 ERA.

baseball-reference:
Ray Semproch was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent in 1951, but he did not make his big league debut until many years later - on April 15, 1958, against the Cincinnati Reds. The year prior, he'd gone 12-4 with a 2.64 ERA for the Triple-A Miami Marlins. In his first major league game, he gave up a hit and a walk, struck out two, and earned the win in a three inning relief appearance.
He burst onto the major league scene in 1958, going 13-11 as a rookie for the 1958 Phillies. The biography at www.baseballlibrary.com says he was leading the league at mid-season with 11 victories.
On November 28, 1960, he was drafted by the Washington Senators in the Rule V Draft (he and John Gabler were the first two players acquired by the "new" Washington Senators of 1961).
He closed out his major league career in the inaugural season of the Los Angeles Angels.

Custom Index Card

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Happy Birthday to my Father

This is one of my favorite photos of my Father. This photo was taken in 1982 when I was a senior and my parents came to watch me run the mile relay in the CIF State Finals (California). Leading off the relay, I false started, and being the State meet you are automatically disqualified after the first false start. I'll always remember the hug he gave me afterwards. Anyhow, he is also fully responsible for my baseball fanaticism, and my devotion to the Angels.

We grew up in Fountain Valley, not far from Anaheim Stadium. I grew up seeing Nolan Ryan pitch, and Frank Tanana, Mickey Rivers and Joe Rudi, and getting autographs down the 3rd base line. I was a Junior Angel for many years.

My dad gave me this ticket stub from Nolan Ryans 3th no-hitter, which he had been in attendance. He had two such stubs. My dad couldn't remember who he had taken to the game, but I like to imagine that it was me, although I would have been 10 and have no recolection of ever being there. It's nice to dream.

Thought I'd throw in a 74 Topps Nolan Ryan card so you can visualize him throwing that no-hitter.

In 1979 my dad scored this game between the Angels and the Tigers, a Nolan Ryan start where he struck out 16 batters, and got the complete game win.



I came across this scoresheet of my fathers when I was around 19. I never paid any attention to scoring games but I was now fascinated with the idea of showing what actually happened in a ballgame, that here was actual proof that my Dad was at this game where Nolan Ryan struck out 16 Detroit Tigers. This is what got me addicted to scoring games. Now I'm so obsessed that I might see something historical and not have any record of it that I can't go to a game to just watch it, I have to score it as well.

The top of the order didn't fare so well against Ryan's heater.

He also passed on this old 1979 media guide.


I loved the idea that he kept a running total of the Angels record that year, with a weekly win/loss total at end of each week. Red is a loss and blue is a win. Looks like they had a nine-game winning streak in April.
Anyhow, Happy Birthday Dad, and thanks for sharing with me your love of baseball.

Monday, December 14, 2009

#27 Ted Bowsfield

1961 Topps


Edward Oliver Bowsfield
Pitcher
Bats: Right , Throws: Left
Height: 6' 1" , Weight: 190 lb.
Born: January 10, 1935 in Vernon, BC, CAN

Drafted by the Los Angeles Angels from the Cleveland Indians in the 1960 expansion draft (after draft's completion, original draft selection Bob Wilson chose retirement) on November 26, 1962.

Custom Index card



ANGELS DEBUT:
Entered game in the 8th in relief of Ron Kline at New York on April 20, 1961. Gave up no runs on 1 hit in 1 inning pitched.
Later Sent by the Los Angeles Angels to the Kansas City Athletics to complete an earlier deal made on July 21, 1962. The Los Angeles Angels sent a player to be named later and $35,000 to the Kansas City Athletics for Dan Osinski on November 26, 1962.

ANGELS RECORD:
1961-1962
Went 20-16 in 46 starts with a 4.04 ERA.

baseball-reference:
Canadian born left-hander Ted Bowsfield was refered to as "that fella that throws them ground balls" by Casey Stengel after he beat the Yankees three straight times in 1958. Ted had first come up with the Boston Red Sox from the Minneapolis Millers that year, and three of his four wins came against the Yankees.
He was back in the American Association for most of the 1959 season before being traded to the Cleveland Indians in 1960. He went to the expansion Los Angeles Angels in 1961 and had his finest year in the majors with a 11-8 record. He finished out his years in the American League working out of the Kansas City Athletics bullpen in 1963 and 1964 with a 37-39 mark.
Ted then returned to the Los Angeles Angels organization in public relations before becoming the team's traveling secretary. He later became the stadium director of Anaheim Stadium.
Custom Signature card

Friday, December 11, 2009

#26 Ron Kline

Custom Signature card
Ronald Lee Kline
Pitcher
Bats: Right , Throws: Right
Height: 6' 3" , Weight: 205 lb.
Born: March 9, 1932 in Callery, PA

Purchased by the Los Angeles Angels from the St. Louis Cardinals on April 10, 1961.

ANGELS DEBUT:
Entered game in the 6th in relief of Ned Garver at New York on April 20, 1961. Allowed 1 run on 2 hits in 2 innings. Did not bat.
Later was selected off waivers by the Detroit Tigers from the Los Angeles Angels on August 10, 1961.

ANGELS RECORD:
1961
In 26 games (12 as a starter) went 3-6 with a 4.90 ERA.

baseball-reference:
As a starting pitcher for the Pirates in 1952 and from 1955 to 1959, Ron struggled to a 53-83 record, leading the National League in losses in both 1956 and 1958. He was traded to the Cardinals after the '59 season, missing out on Pittsburghs 1960 World Series Championship. He moved over to the American League in 1961 with the expansion Los Angeles Angels and the Detroit Tigers before becoming one of the better relievers while with the Washington Senators from 1963 to 1966. The 6' 3" right-hander had four straight good years in Washington, picking up 73 saves including a league-leading 29 in 1965.
After going 7-1 with 5 saves for the Twins in 1967, he came full circle back to Pittsburgh in 1968 as a polished veteran bullpen ace, going 12-5 plus seven saves with an excellent 1.68 ERA. Ron was then with San Francisco, Boston and his tenth and final team, the Atlanta Braves, before concluding his 17 year career in 1970 with a record of 114-144 and 108 saves in 736 games.
Kline was the only pitcher to defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers / Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Giants / San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees and the New York Mets during regular season games. Warren Spahn and Vern Law also accomplished the feat but their victories against the Yankees came in World Series competition.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

#25 Ned Garver

1961 Topps


Ned Franklin Garver
Pitcher
Bats: Right , Throws: Right
Weight: 180 lb.
Born: December 25, 1925 in Ney, OH

Drafted 8th by the Los Angeles Angels from the Kansas City Athletics in the 1960 expansion draft.

Custom Draft card

ANGELS DEBUT:
Starting pitcher in game 2 of a double-header at New York on April 20, 1961. Gave up 3 runs on 4 hits in 5 innings of a 4-2 loss.
Played his final Major League game on June 4, then was released by the Angels on June 10, 1961 ending his baseball career at the age of 35.

Custom Index card

ANGELS RECORD:
1961
0-3 with a 5.59 ERA in 29 innings (2 starts).

baseballlibrary:
Garver became the only 20th century pitcher to win 20 games in a season for a team which lost 100 when he went 20-12 for the 1951 Browns. He led the AL in complete games (24) that season, as he had the previous year (22). His $25,000 contract in 1952 made him the highest-paid Brown in history. Garver had batted .407 in the Ohio State League in 1944, so it was no surprise when he batted .305 in 1951 to pace the Browns. He hit sixth on occasion, and had a .218 lifetime BA with seven HR. His zeal for hitting was arrested midway through his career when Early Wynn nearly beaned him. Garver lost a league-high 17 with St. Louis in 1949. He had very little trouble getting Mickey Mantle out, but found Vic Wertz a particular thorn in his side.
"I was a sinker-slider pitcher. I had a pretty good sinker, and I had a pretty good slider. Ted Williams will tell you that my slider was a pitch that he had trouble picking up the spin on."


Custom Signature card

Saturday, December 5, 2009

#24 Earl Averill

1961 Topps


Earl Douglas Averill
Catcher/Outfielder
Bats: Right , Throws: Right
Height: 5' 10" , Weight: 190 lb.
Born: September 9, 1931 in Cleveland, OH

Drafted 21st by the Los Angeles Angels from the Chicago White Sox in the 1960 expansion draft.

Custom Draft card

ANGELS DEBUT:
Entered game in the 9th as a pinch hitter for Tom Morgan and grounded out, at Boston on April 17, 1961.
Later traded by the Los Angeles Angels to the Philadelphia Phillies for Jacke Davis on December 11, 1962.

ANGELS RECORD:
1961-1962
In 510 at-bats hit .249 with 25 HR and 81 RBI, and drew 105 walks.

baseball-reference:
Earl Averill played seven years in the majors, and held down several different positions in the field.
Averill broke in as a catcher in 1956, but played solely third base during his time in the majors in 1958. For the rest of his career he was primarily a catcher except in 1962 when he was mostly a left fielder. In most years he split his time between catcher, the infield and the outfield.
His best year with the bat was 1961, in the inaugural year of the Angels, when he posted a line of .266/.384/.489.
Son of Hall of Famer Earl Averill. Bob Feller played with both Earl Averills. Earl the son was born in 1931, during Earl the father's third year with the Cleveland Indians.

Custom Signature card

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

#23 Leo Burke

1963 Topps
Leo Patrick Burke
Utility
Bats: Right , Throws: Right
Height: 5' 10" , Weight: 190 lb.
Born: May 6, 1934 in Hagerstown, MD

Purchased by the Los Angeles Angels from the Washington Senators on January 4, 1961.

ANGELS DEBUT:
Entered game in the 9th as a pinch pinch hitter for Ed Sadowski and grounded out at Boston on April 17, 1961.
Later purchased by the St. Louis Cardinals from the Los Angeles Angels on March 25, 1963.


Custom Index Card


ANGELS RECORD:
1961-1963
Batted .246 in 25 games as a utility player.

baseball-reference:
Before the 1957 season, Leo Burke was signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent. On December 14, 1960 aftere spended time in the minors the Washington Senators plucked him from the Orioles in the expansion draft and in turn sold Leo to the Los Angeles Angels.
Leo made six appearances with the Angels in 1961, did not make an impression and was sent to the Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers where he hit .252 in 42 games and wound up for the balance of the year with the Salt Lake City Bees. With the Bees he was in 90 contests, hit 16 homers and had a .280 batting average.
1962 saw Burke get into 19 games for the Angels, hit .266 and spend the rest of the season with the Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers where he hit .278 and led the American Association with 27 homers. This performance led to the St. Louis Cardinals purchasing his contract on March 25, 1963. He appeared in 30 games with the 1963 Cardinals and on June 24, 1963 they traded him to the Chicago Cubs for Barney Schultz.

Custom Signature card

Sunday, November 29, 2009

#22 Ed Sadowski

1961 Topps

Edward Roman Sadowski
Catcher
Bats: Right , Throws: Right
Height: 5' 11" , Weight: 175 lb.
Born: January 19, 1931 in Pittsburgh, PA

Drafted 11th by the Los Angeles Angels from the Boston Red Sox in the 1960 expansion draft.

ANGELS DEBUT:
Entered game in the 5th as a defensive replacement for Faye Throneberry who pinch hit for Del Rice at catcher at Boston on April 17, 1961. Made 2 putouts. Was pinch-hit for in the 7th by Albie Pearson, and never batted.
Sometime before the 1965 season he was sent from the California Angels to the Milwaukee Braves in an unknown transaction.

ANGELS RECORD:
1961-1963
Batted .201 in 176 games over three seasons with the Halos.

wikipedia:
Sadowski batted and threw right-handed. He debuted on April 20, 1960 and played his final game on October, 1966. He is the brother of Bob Sadowski and Ted Sadowski, and uncle of Jim Sadowski.
Coming from a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania baseball family, Sadowski was a valuable backup catcher for Russ Nixon in Boston; Earl Averill and Buck Rodgers with the original Angels, and Joe Torre in Atlanta. In 1963 he appeared in a career-high 80 games and collected four home runs with 24 runs and 15 RBI, also career-numbers.
In a five-season career, Sadowski was a .202 hitter with 12 home runs and 39 RBI in 217 games.
Following his playing career, Sadowski served as a pitching coach for the Montreal Expos. He retired from baseball in 1970, becoming a physical education teacher in California. He died in Garden Grove at age 62, after suffering amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), sometimes called Lou Gehrig's disease.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

#21 Tom Morgan

1961 Topps

Tom Stephen Morgan (Plowboy)
Pitcher
Bats: Right , Throws: Right
Height: 6' 2" , Weight: 195 lb.
Born: May 20, 1930 in ElMonte, CA

Purchased by the Los Angeles Angels from the Minnesota Twins on January 31, 1961.

ANGELS DEBUT:
Pitched in relief of Tex Clevenger (McBride start) giving up 1 run on 2 hits in 2 innings at Boston on April 17, 1961.
Later released by the Los Angeles Angels on October 14, 1963.

ANGELS RECORD:
1961-1963
Went 13-4 with a 2.86 ERA and 20 saves in 166.2 innings of relief.

baseballlibray:
Morgan made the jump from Class A to the Yankees as a 21-year-old in 1951. Used as a spot starter and middle reliever, he went 9-3 to help win a pennant. He pitched mostly in relief for three more Yankee pennant-winners before being traded to Kansas City in 1957. Known as Plowboy because of his stooped walk, exhibited in his frequent trips from the bullpen to the mound, Morgan went 8-2 as a reliever for the expansion 1961 Angels and retired in 1963 with 64 lifetime saves. He scouted, managed in the minors, and was an Angels pitching coach.
1963 Topps

Monday, November 23, 2009

#20 Ken Hamlin

1961 Topps
Kenneth Lee Hamlin
Infielder
Bats: Right , Throws: Right
Height: 5' 10" , Weight: 170 lb.
Born: May 18, 1935 in Detroit, MI

Drafted 15th by the Los Angeles Angels from the Kansas City Athletics in the 1960 expansion draft.

Custom Draft card

ANGELS DEBUT:
Entered the game as a pinch runner for Steve Bilko (did not score) at Boston on April 17, 1961.
Later traded by the Los Angeles Angels with Russ Heman to Toronto (International) for Billy Moran on June 22, 1961.

ANGELS RECORD:
1961
In 42 games hit .209 while committing 6 errors in the field.
First pinch runner in Angels history.

1962 Topps

baseball-reference:
Hamlin was to be a slick-fielding middle infielder with a strong throwing arm and good range who would hit .241 in seven seasons between 1957 and 1966. A Detroit native, Ken was a graduate of Western Michigan University, where he earned second team honors when his team was beaten in the final round of the 1957 NCAA tournament.
Hamlin debuted in the majors with the Pirates in 1957 and was back in the Show in '59. He was traded to the Kansas City Athletics and was the everyday shortstop for the 1960 Athletics. However on December 14, 1960 he was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels from the Athletics in the 1960 expansion draft. Shortly thereafter (June 21, 1961) the Angels traded Ken along with Russ Heman to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the IL for Billy Moran. After 97 games with Toronto, where he hit .267, he was drafted by the Washington Senators on November 27, 1961 in the Rule V Draft.
Hamlin would spend 7 years in major league baseball (1957-66), ending his career in 1966 after appearing in 468 major league contests, hitting at a .241 clip and fielding the shortstop position with a .963 percentage.
Custom Signature card

Friday, November 20, 2009

#19 Steve Bilko

1961 Topps
Stephen Thomas Bilko
First Baseman
Bats: Right , Throws: Right
Height: 6' 1" , Weight: 230 lb
Born: November 13, 1928 in Nanticoke, PA

Drafted 29th as a minor league selection by the Los Angeles Angels from the Detroit Tigers in the 1960 expansion draft.

ANGELS DEBUT:
Entered game in the 7th as a pinch hitter for Fritz Brickell and doubled scoring Ted Kluszewski at Boston on April 17, 1961.
Spent 1963 in the minors, then retired.

ANGELS RECORD:
1961-1962
Batted .282 with 28 HR and 97 RBI in 178 games.
Hit the last HR ever hit a LA's Wrigley Field.

1962 Post

baseball-reference:
Steve Bilko was a slugging first baseman who played parts of ten seasons in the majors but is best remembered for being a huge star in the minors.
Bilko began his pro career with the St. Louis Cardinals organization. From 1949 to 1952, he was primarily with the Rochester Red Wings, seeing limited playing time in the majors each year as well. With Rochester in 1949, he .310 with 34 homers and a league-best 125 RBI. He became the Cardinals regular first baseman in 1953 and hit .251 with 21 home runs and 84 RBI but struck out 125 times. He was sent to the Chicago Cubs the next season before returning to the minors for several years.
With the Los Angeles Angels, he led the Pacific Coast League in home runs each year from 1955 to 1957. In 1955, he hit .328 with 37 homers and 124 RBI. The next year, he did even better, winning the PCL Triple Crown with a .360-55-164 line. In 1957, he batted .300 with 56 home runs and 140 RBI. In 2003 he was elected to the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame.
Following stints in the majors with the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Detroit Tigers, Bilko was selected by the expansion Los Angeles Angels in the expansion draft in 1960. He hit 20 home runs and had a slugging average of .544 in 294 at-bats for the team in 1961 and succeeded in drawing fans to the stands. After playing for the Angels again in 1962, he returned to the Rochester Red Wings for 1963, his last year in pro ball.

Monday, November 16, 2009

#18 Ken McBride

1961 Topps

Kenneth Faye McBride
Pitcher
Bats: Right , Throws: Right
Height: 6' 0" , Weight: 195 lb.
Born: August 12, 1935 in Huntsville, AL

Drafted 7th by the Los Angeles Angels from the Chicago White Sox in the 1960 expansion draft.

Custom Draft card

ANGELS DEBUT:
Grounded out, third to first, advancing the runner to third. Was the starting pitcher taking the 3-2 loss at Boston on April 17, 1961. Later released by the Angels in 1965.

1947-66 Exhibit

ANGELS RECORD:
1961-1965
Went 40 and 48 in 120 games started, with a 3.81 ERA and 28 complete games.
3-time AL All-Star 1961-1963

1962 Topps

baseball-reference:
Ken would be 11-5 with the Indianapolis Indians in 1959 when he came up with the White Sox and lost his only decision in 11 appearances. He would spend most of 1960 with the San Diego Padres of the PCL before being chosen by the Los Angeles Angels in the expansion draft on December 14, 1960. Ken would prove real quick that Dean Chance and Bo Belinsky were not the only pitchers of note in the early years of the expansion Angels, winning 36 games in his first three years of the new franchise and being picked for the All-Star team in all 3 years, (1961-63).
In 1962 he finished 11-5 including 10 straight victories at one point, but missed the final weeks of the season after suffering cracked ribs in a collision at home plate. The right-hander then tied Chance for a team high 13 wins in 1963, the year he was named the American League starter in the All-Star Game in Cleveland, where he had been a three sport star in high school.
McBride would have arm problems the next two seasons, winning only four games, and this would end his mound career at age 30, after eight years in pro baseball with a 40-50 major league record with a 3.79 ERA.

Custom Signature card

Friday, November 13, 2009

#17 Leon Wagner

1962 Post
Leon Lamar Wagner (Daddy Wags)
Outfielder
Bats: Left , Throws: Right
Height: 6' 1" , Weight: 195 lb.
Born: May 13, 1934 in Chattanooga, TN

Traded by Toronto (International) to the Los Angeles Angels for Lou Johnson on April 13, 1961.

1947-66 Exhibit

ANGELS DEBUT:
Grounded out to first base at Boston on April 17, 1961.
Later traded by the Los Angeles Angels to the Cleveland Indians for Barry Latman on December 2, 1963. The Cleveland Indians sent Joe Adcock (December 6, 1963) to the Los Angeles Angels to complete the trade.

ANGELS RECORD:
1961-1963
Hit .279 with 91 HR and 276 RBI as a regular starting outfielder.
First Angel aquired by an in-season trade.
37 HR and 107 RBI in 1962.
AL All-Star in 1962 and 1963, and won the All-Star MVP in 1963.

baseball-reference:
Leon Wagner (Daddy Wags) was the first big hitting star of the expansion Los Angeles Angels, whom he joined in 1961. He had broken in with the 1958 San Francisco Giants, hitting .317 and slugging .534, but he had to compete for playing time in the late 1950's with other youngsters such as Orlando Cepeda, Willie McCovey, and Felipe Alou.
Prior to playing in the majors, he played on the All-Army Champion Team with J.C. Hartman, Willie Kirkland, and music star Charley Pride.
He had three good years with the Angels, reaching a peak of 37 home runs in 1962. He was an All-Star in 1962 and 1963. From 1964 to part of 1968 he was with the Cleveland Indians, hitting 31 home runs in 1964. After baseball he owned a clothing store, but he eventually ended up homeless. He built a shed to live in, and died there in 2004.

1963 Topps