Playing With My Dodgers: Dick Allen

Dick Allen spent perhaps the quietest season of a very, very loud career with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1971. I'm not going to go into the details of Allen's colorful career, as the stories are well known, and little to none of them have anything to do with his time in Los Angeles. Suffice it to say, Dick (or Rich, or Richie) had Hall-of-Fame talent, and nearly put up Hall-of-Fame numbers in his career, but managed to get sidetracked more than once along the way.

His brief time in Los Angeles could easily have become more than a historical footnote, however, with the swing of a single game in the standings. It was a time of transition for the franchise. The team of the '60s was giving way to the youth movement that would become the core of the team's successful '70s run that culminated in a 1981 World Championship. Maury Wills, Willie Davis and Wes Parker were nearing the end of the line with the club. Steve Garvey, Bill Russell, Bill Buckner, Joe Ferguson and others were just starting to break into the lineup. Into that mix was added Allen, acquired from St. Louis for Ted Sizemore and Bob Stinson. Trailing the Giants in the NL West by eight-and-a-half games heading into the season's final month, the Dodgers almost managed to overtake their rivals, coming up just a single game short by season's end.

Allen saw significant action at three different positions in his brief stint with the Dodgers, starting 52 games in left field, 44 at third base, and 13 at first base, where he would often be moved late in games. His offensive numbers took an understandable hit playing in the pitchers' haven of Dodger Stadium. But, adjusted for context, his 151 OPS+ was just a few points shy of his career average. Who knows what the postseason may have held for Allen and the Dodgers if they'd managed to overtake San Francisco?

But they didn't, and Allen was dealt to the Chicago White Sox in the offseason for Tommy John and Steve Huntz. The controversial slugger would win an MVP Award for the Pale Hose in 1972 and go on to enjoy perhaps the best stretch of his career in the Windy City, his brief Dodger career left behind with only dreams of what might have been.

1971 Topps Rich Allen LAD #650

This iconic high-number card from the sixth and final series of 1971 Topps is one that every Dodgers collector seeks. From the unfamiliar uniform on one of the game's best-known characters, to the fantastic view of the left field foul pole, pavillion and scoreboard at an empty Dodger Stadium, and the heroic angle of the photo with the quirky appearance of the photographer's knee in the foreground, it's an unforgettable piece of cardboard. I automatically put it on the short list that I sent to Harry/Mark when he contacted me about trade possibilities. I had never really expected that it would actually be in the package that he sent my way. For a week now, I have been showing what Mark's generosity has meant to me, and this stands as a fitting grand finale. A parade of great pitcher cards and some sweet vintage Dodgers, including five fantastic additions to the PWMD set, is worthy of some serious gratitude. Thank you so much, Mark! You sure brought some great toys to this playground.

Playing With My Dodgers: Jack Billingham

Signed as an amateaur free agent by Los Angeles in 1961, Jack Billingham was groomed by the Dodgers to be a reliever. He would spend just one season at the big-league level with the franchise, finishing second only to Jim Brewer on the club with 50 appearances in 1968, posting a fine 2.14 ERA.

He would go on to become one of the most dependable starting pitchers of the 1970s, but he made only one start in Dodger Blue. On August 5, at Dodger Stadium, Billingham would duel Pittsburgh's Steve Blass to a scoreless draw through eight innings, allowing just five hits and two walks while striking out seven. The Dodgers would finally get to Blass in the tenth inning, with Zoilo Versalles knocking in the only run of the game.

• Billingham is a distant cousin of Hall-of-Fame pitcher Christy Mathewson.
• He was nicknamed "Cactus Jack" for his loping gait and laconic personality.
• Not protected by the pitching-rich Dodgers in the 1968 expansion draft, he was chosen tenth by the Montreal Expos.
• He was sent to Houston by Montreal on the eve of the 1968 season as a replacement for Donn Clendenon, who refused to report to the Astros following a trade for Rusty Staub.
• After the 1971 season, Billingham was involved in the trade that also saw key Big Red Machine cogs Cesar Geronimo and Joe Morgan move from Houston to Cincinnati.
• On Opening Day, 1974, he surrendered the 714th home run of Henry Aaron's career, allowing him to tie Babe Ruth's lifetime record.
• Billingham recorded double-digit victory totals in each year of the 1970s, including back-to-back 19-win seasons in '73-'74.
• He remains the stingiest pitcher in World Series history, allowing just one earned run in 25⅓ innings, for a microscopic ERA of 0.36.

1969 Topps Jack Billingham MON #92

Here we have the fourth of five cards sent by the vintage virtuoso Harry/Mark that are being inducted into the PWMD set. Billingham was featured as a Dodger on a 1968 Topps Rookie Stars card, along with Jim Fairey. But I prefer to avoid multi-player cards in this collection whenever possible. And Billingham is pictured as a Dodger on this card. He's just had the "LA" rather artlessly scribbled over on his cap.

Of course, I could fix it...

But I won't.

Playing With My Dodgers: Wes Covington

Wes Covington made a name for himself with the Milwaukee Braves. Used sparingly as a second-year player in the first half of the 1957 season, he would come on strong in the second half, finishing the year with 21 homers and 65 RBI in just 96 games. Covington followed that up by starring with both the glove and the bat in Milwaukee's seven-game World Series victory over the Yankees.

The powerful left-handed batter did not reach Los Angeles until the final stop of his big-league career, joining the club two months into the 1966 season after being released by the Cubs. Unfortunately, he did not perform particularly well (.121, 1 HR, 6 RBI, almost entirely as a pinch hitter). He was one of the eleven strikeout victims of Moe Drabowsky in the first game of that year's World Series. It was to be the final at bat of Covington's major-league career.

He did have one signature moment in Dodger Blue, however. On August 14, at Dodger Stadium, against the team that had released him just a few months earlier, he came to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the fourteenth inning, with the bases loaded and the Dodgers training the Cubs, 3-2. Covington knocked a single into center against Calvin Koonce for a walk-off 4-3 Dodgers win.

1966 Topps Wes Covington CHC #484

This is the third of five cards for the PWMD set sent by Harry/Mark. This card, along with the two still to come, was on the short list of needs that I sent to Mark when he contacted me about trade possibilities. I hadn't really expected that he'd have any of them available, let alone three! Covington isn't pictured with the Dodgers, but I'm not sure a card exists with him in that uniform (his 1990 Target All-Time Dodgers card shows him with another team). This card works perfectly, however, given that he's not wearing a cap, and that the card is from the year he played with the Dodgers. If you get the impression from the picture that the card is in good shape, you're right. It's friggin' beautiful! I am positive that this is the best-looking card of this vintage in my collection. Thanks again, Harry. You really hit the Mark again!

Playing With My Dodgers: Nick Willhite

Nick Willhite is a baseball success story, though not so much for what he accomplished on the diamond. Pitching entirely during baseball's second deadball era in the '60s, the southpaw managed no better than a 4.55 ERA in 58 big-league games, exactly half of them starts. The recipient of a hefty $50,000 signing bonus out of high school, Willhite fell far short of expectations. By his own admission, much of that has to do with his struggles with alcohol.

Things got worse for Willhite before they got better. Just as he struggled to find success as a player, he would also have difficulty holding down coaching jobs, finally finding himself homeless and contemplating suicide. Fortunately, he got in touch with fellow Dodger alum Stan Williams, who brought his plight to the attention of the BAT (Baseball Assistance Team) Program. BAT is funded primarily through donations by active players, and helps former players and other baseball people who have fallen on hard times. They helped Willhite get into a rehab program that would save his life, and give him back to his family. The Dodger family stepped in to help as well. Peter O'Malley would pay to get back the 1963 World Series ring that Willhite had hocked to feed his addiction.

1966 Topps Nick Willhite LAD #171

This is the second of five PWMD inductees sent my way by the generous New Englander, Harry/Mark. As it's Willhite's only major issue solo card in a Dodger uniform, this was the obvious choice. It was just a matter of landing a copy... and here it is. Thanks again, Mark!

Playing With My Dodgers: Jim Brewer

The best story about Jim Brewer stems from an incident that took place when he was a young Chicago Cub in 1960. The lefty had the nerve to brush back Billy Martin, then of the Reds, who responded by throwing his bat at Brewer and then coming out to the mound to land a haymaker that broke Brewer's cheekbone. The story's epilogue would come nearly a decade later, in the middle of Brewer's long stint with the Dodgers, as he was awarded $10,000 in damages from Martin as a result of a successful civil suit.

Brewer was a constant in the Dodgers' highly-successful bullpens of the '60s and '70s. The Cubs are often lampooned (for good reason) for dealing away future Hall-of-Famer Lou Brock for pitcher Ernie Broglio. But the deal that sent Brewer to the Dodgers for the 1964 season in return for pitcher Dick Scott (remaining big-league career: four-and-a-third innings, 12.46 ERA) was no prize-winner either. Brewer spent twelve seasons with the Dodgers, helping them to three National League pennants, including a World Championship in 1965. He would compile a stellar 2.62 ERA and 125 saves in Dodger Blue. His 6.89 hits per nine innings ranks third in franchise history, bettered only by Sandy Koufax and Clayton Kershaw.

1965 Topps Jim Brewer LAD #416

This is the first of five spectacular cards for the PWMD set sent in the trade package that I've been raving about from Harry/Mark, New Englander and longtime citizen of Red Sox Nation (he's no front runner!). I had long admired this particular card. You don't find much better examples of the portrait variety. I've used the photo from the internet numerous times for various projects. I already had Brewer's 1967 Topps card, which is also very good, and I almost used it for the PWMD set. But I decided to wait, in the hope that this one would land on my doorstep one day. I had no idea it would happen so soon. And this isn't even one of the cards I'd mentioned needing! Thanks again, Mark!

Harry/Mark Part II: Vintage Dodgers

Yesterday we looked at the parade of pitchers that marched through my Card Night last Friday, courtesy of (blogless, therefore sane) Red Sox fan and vintage card trader Mark "Harry" Hoyle. That explains the subject line of these posts. So does the fact that I failed to replace my placeholder subject yesterday with something more appropriate/interesting than "Harry/Mark." Then again, considering the goodies he sent, Harry/Mark certainly deserves top billing.

1975 Topps Mini Ron Cey LAD #390
1975 Topps Mini Charlie Hough LAD #71
1975 Topps Mini 1974 MVPs Jeff Burroughs/Steve Garvey #212

I mean, look at these '75 Topps Minis! You often see the description "pack fresh" on eBay listings. While usually dubious in that context, it's entirely appropriate here. Imagine that. I did. Opening a pack of 1975 Topps Minis. Wouldn't that be a blast? Of course, it's unlikely that I would get three such great cards out of a random pack. I mean, come on! The Penguin, Rough Tough Charlie Hough, and the reigning MVPs, including a vertigo-inducing downward-facing Garvey. And, oh, the '70s ice cream shop colors!

1969 Topps Wes Parker LAD #493
1965 Topps Bob Miller LAD #98

However, when it came to the vintage Dodgers in Mark's trade package, the vintage was decidedly sixties. This is a fabulous thing, since (other than '75 Minis) I am in pretty good shape when it comes to '70s Dodgers. The '60s? Not so much. To put it simply, getting these from Mark rocked!

1968 Topps Walt Alston MG LAD #472

Ho hum, just a Hall of Famer...

1968 Topps John Purdin LAD #336

...and, not a Hall-of-Famer. But I love 'em both. Of all of the '60s sets, including the early part of the decade, I think '68 is probably the one least represented in my collection. I used to hate 'em because of the funky burlap borders. Now I love 'em. I also really enjoyed the story on the back of Purdin's card. Every part of it is interesting, but it's fun to picture the Reds' scout rushing into the room and being told that he's two hours late, the Dodgers' scout just left with a signed contract. Also, the trivia question was hardly a no-brainer, since it was the first time since the '50s that the answer was someone other than Maury Wills.

1963 Topps Ed Roebuck LAD #295

The card here that really made me salivate, though, was this flippin' awesome Rubbing Up the Ball card for the Getting a Grip collection. Ed Roebuck is one of the exclusive group of World Champion Brooklyn Dodgers, having tossed two scoreless innings in the '55 Fall Classic. I had thought maybe this photo was taken at Yankee Stadium during a World Series (note the bunting). But the Dodgers didn't face the Yanks after moving to LA until a few months after this card was released. In fact, it's probably not Yankee Stadium at all. I'm a bit stumped. And a bit giddy about the wonderful addition to my collection, courtesy of the generous gentleman from New England known (at least in my lazy subject line) as Harry/Mark.

That's all of the vintage Dodgers I'm going to show here. But don't be fooled into thinking Harry/Mark's generosity ended here. Stay tuned for five new vintage members of the Playing With My Dodgers collection, inducted over the next five days (fingers crossed), all courtesy of Mark. Thanks again, kind sir. I sure hope the modern Sox I send your way do something useful for your collection.

Harry/Mark Part I: Pitchers on Parade

Check this out...

1988 Score Mark Eichhorn TOR #198

Do you ever look at a card that you've seen before... many times... over the course of several years, or even several decades, and feel like you're seeing it for the first time? I'd dismissively judged this seemingly unremarkable specimen from the inaugural Score set many times before it finally caught my eye last weekend. Frankly, it's beautiful. Eichhorn's windup is caught at the apex of his pitching arm's motion, just before he's to dip into his buggy-whip sidewinding delivery to the plate. But it's the photo's lighting and the card's colors that make it stand out. The predominance of blue, with the highlights of the team's secondary color, red, combine in the blurry distance to produce a subtly implied violet background to the righty's baletic motion. I stared at this card Friday night for about as long as I have any other. And it's just Mark friggin' Eichhorn, a relief pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays a quarter of a century ago.

I have a guy named Mark, also known as "Harry," to thank for this magical cardboard moment. But that's just the tip o' the proverbial iceberg. I am always amazed at the kinds of trade packages that people manage to put together, and this one was certainly no exception. Mark doesn't have a blog (probably a wise time-management decision). But he enjoys following the many of us crazy enough to ramble publicly about our hobby/obsession. The fact that there are people out there who are interested in this stuff, alone, is rewarding. But Mark also really delivered the goods with the package he sent my way.

1989 Topps Juan Berenguer MIN #294
1987 Donruss Kent Tekulve PHI #453

Today's post is going focus on only one aspect of the great cardboard deluge from Mark: pitchers, pitchers, (a couple of catchers), and more pitchers. Has there ever been a more ferocious, almost sci-fi looking warmup grip than the one Juan Berenguer is directing toward his poor catcher? Is that going to be a split-finger or a palm ball? Nasty. Meanwhile, another master of the laredo delivery, Kent Tekulve, gets one of the small handful of great '87 Donruss cards.

1990 U.S. Playing Cards Dave Smith HOU #8D
1992 O-Pee-Chee Premier Denny Martinez MON #13

Fantastic oddball featuring Dave Smith. For the record, not a Getting a Grip card, since he's just holding the ball, not gripping it. But a card's failure to quite fit into a mini-collection is never an impediment to my enjoyment of a card received. And I'm always happy to see El Presidente come my way. (I've forgiven him for no-hitting the Dodgers.)

1992 Topps Bryan Harvey CAL #568

One of the best developments in cards at the dawn of the 1990s was the return of the horizontal option in Topps base sets.

1993 Upper Deck Mike Maddux NYM #650
1992 Score Frank Viola NYM #220

Here are a couple of Mets gems. Gotta love the way the logo on the outfield wall halos Frankie V.'s noggin.

1993 Score Pinnacle Joe Magrane STL #342
1993 Fleer Ultra Darryl Kile HOU #393

Speaking of outfield walls in the background, the Wrigley Ivy can't be beat.

2012 Topps Update Cole Hamels All-Star PHI #US206

Mark didn't get stuck in the junk wax era. He also sent along some current pitching goodies like these.

2013 Topps Gypsy Queen Dylan Bundy BAL #41
2012 Topps 1987 Minis Lance Lynn STL #TM-103

Even better, Mark's specialty is vintage. He's a Red Sox fan with an impressive collection. If he were to find the time and inclination to blog, it would no doubt be a fun read. Fortunately for those of us that he's contacted for trade opportunities, the thing that he's light on is Red Sox cards of recent vintage. It's the proverbial win-win situation.

1973 Topps Ron Bryant SFG #298
1973 Topps Dave Hamilton OAK #214

But it's hard not to think that those on the receiving end of a package from Mark aren't the big winners. Check out these fabulous examples of pitchers in motion from the quirky '73 Topps set, the first to feature action in substantial quantities on its base cards.

Mark tried to help out with my mini-collecting. These were accompanied by a note asking whether these qualify for Getting a Grip.

1973 Topps Duffy Dyer NYM #493
1973 Topps Phil Roof MIN #598

Well, no. They don't. I did recently add position players to the collection, but only in cases where the player is displaying an obvious pitching grip, such as a knuckler or an obvious split-finger grip. These two catchers are simply gripping the ball the way they would when playing their own position. That said, even though they don't fit a mini-collection, they fit the most important collection: the maxi-collection. They're vintage cards that I needed. That's enough for me to love 'em.

1973 Topps Gary Nolan CIN #260
1973 Topps Ross Grimsley CIN #357

And, as it turns out, Mark did hit the mark with these Getting a Grip gems. The Nolan card actually made me think a bit, though. Getting a Grip does not include pitchers in the act of throwing. But I decided that, despite his convincing body language, Nolan is posing, not throwing. I might be wrong. But, then again, I don't care. It's in.

1972 Topps Dock Ellis In Action PIT #180
1972 Topps Danny Frisella In Action NYM #294

Wrapping up this first look at what Mark sent, we have a quartet of '72 Topps pitchers in motion. As was typical of this set, that required that they be on special "In Action" cards. Or, in the case of Nellie Briles, getting the job done in the Fall Classic (a two-hit shutout; time of game: two hours and sixteen minutes).

1972 Topps Steve Renko In Action MON #308
1972 Topps 1971 World Series Game #5 (Nelson Briles) #227

As usual, I've saved the best for last. Next time we'll see what happens when a generous guy with vintage cards to trade meets a Dodger fan. Spoiler alert: He makes the Dodger fan very, very happy. Thanks, Mark!