Ron Swoboda (#35)

Wrapping up the 10-man squad of Topps 1965 All-Star Rookies is outfielder Ron Swoboda.

Ron was signed by the Mets in September 1963, and after one season (1964) in the minors, he debuted with the Mets in April 1965, at age 20. During his first 2 seasons, he was the primary left fielder, playing 135 games as a rookie while sharing the starting job with Joe Christopher. In 1966 he appeared in 112 games, starting 80 games in left.

With the Mets' acquisition of Tommy Davis from the Dodgers, Ron moved over to right field in 1967, and was the regular for the next 4 seasons, including his famous defensive exploits in the 1969 World Series.

During spring training 1971, Swoboda was traded to the Expos for outfielder Don Hahn. By mid-season, he went to the Yankees in exchange for outfielder Ron Woods. Ron played 2 more seasons ('72-'73) as an outfield sub with the Yankees, and spent part of 1973 with triple-A Syracuse.

The Yankees released him in December 1973, but he was picked up by the Braves a few weeks later, only to be released in spring training.

Jose Cardenal (#505)

Jose Cardenal was the centerfielder for the Topps 1965 All-Rookie team. He is one of 3 Angels' rookies (along with Marcelino Lopez and Paul Schaal) to make the squad.

Never an all-star or a league leader, Jose was a steady regular outfielder for several teams from 1965-1976, and played through the end of the 1980 season.

Jose started 125 games as a rookie in center for the Halos, including 116 of the first 131 games. He only started 2 games after September 12th, while the Angels gave a look-see to September call-ups Rick Reichardt and Dick Simpson.


Born in Cuba in 1943, Cardenal was signed by the Giants late in 1960, and played in their farm system from 1961-64, while also playing a few games with San Francisco in April and September 1963, and in September 1964.

After the 1964 season, he was traded to the Angels for C/1B Jack Hiatt. He assumed the starting center fielder's job from opening day 1965, and held it for 2 full seasons. In 1967, he shared the post with Jay Johnstone for the first half, and with Roger Repoz for the second half. Jose also made some starts at both corner fields.

Jose was traded to the Indians in November 1967 for outfielder Chuck Hinton. Cardenal was Cleveland's regular center fielder for 2 seasons, pushing incumbent Vic Davalillo over to a right field mix with several others. Jose started a career-high 142 games in center in 1968.

Cardenal was traded to the Cardinals after the '69 season for outfielder Vada Pinson, then moved on to Milwaukee in July 1971.

His longest stint with any one team was 1972-77 with the Chicago Cubs. After 3 seasons as the right fielder and 2 in left field, Jose became a role player in his last season in Chicago.

He moved on to the Phillies in 1978, backing up 1st baseman Richie Hebner, while occasionally playing in the outfield. In August 1979, he was dealt to the Mets (his EIGHTH team). By this time, Cardenal was mainly a pinch-hitter.

Released by the Mets the following August, he caught on with the Royals a week later, and played in 4 games in the 1980 World Series before retiring after the season.

Curt Blefary (#460)

Curt Blefary was one of the three outfielders on the Topps 1965 All-Rookie team.

He made more starts (131) in the O's outfield than any other player, as he split his time between left and right. Curt also hit 22 home runs, and was named AL Rookie of the Year in 1965.

The following season the Orioles acquired Frank Robinson to play right field, and Boog Powell became the regular first baseman, so Blefary moved to left field full-time. (He also started 11 games at 1st base.)

Blefary was signed by the Yankees prior to the 1962 season. In late April 1963 he was drafted by the Orioles, and spent 2 seasons in their farm system. His 31 homers in 1964 earned him a spot with the Orioles in 1965.

Curt spent 4 seasons in Baltimore, hitting 22, 23, 22, and 15 homers per season. He was the O's regular left fielder in the 1966 World Series, although he only got 1 hit in 15 at-bats.

In 1967, Blefary split his playing time between left field (84 starts) and 1st base (48 starts), as the Orioles tried several ways to keep his bat in the lineup, despite his defensive shortcomings. (Frank Robinson dubbed him "Clank".)

During Curt's last season in Baltimore, he started 38 games behind the plate and 40 in right field during the first half of the season. He returned to left field for the 2nd half of the season.

After the '68 season, Blefary was traded to the Astros for pitcher Mike Cuellar and shortstop Enzo Hernandez. Exactly one year later, he went to the Yankees for Joe Pepitone.

Curt split 1971 between the Yankees and Athletics, and 1972 between Oakland and San Diego. After his release by the Padres, he was signed by the Braves in 1973, but played for their triple-A team before retiring.

Blefary passed away in 2001 at age 57, with his ashes scattered over the Memorial Stadium demolition site in Baltimore.

Paul Schaal (#376)

Here is the 2nd of 3 Angels in the All-Rookie subset - 3rd baseman Paul Schaal.

Schaal was signed by the Los Angeles Angels in 1962, and played 3 seasons in their minor-league system, mostly as a 3rd baseman, but played over half his games at 2nd base in 1964. He made his big-league debut in September 1964, playing 17 games for the Angels (starting 7 games at 3rd base).

Paul opened the 1965 season as the Angels' starting 3rd baseman, and started 150 games at the hot corner. He hit 9 homers and collected 45 RBI in his rookie season, but only had a .224 batting average.

Schaal's playing time and production dropped in 1966, as the Halos acquired 11-year veteran third-sacker Frank Malzone from Boston to help out. Schaal started 110 games to Malzone's 32, with C-3B Tom Satriano starting the rest.

With Malzone's retirement, Schaal was back in the driver's seat to start the 1967 season, but by mid-July he was relegated to the bench for the remainder of the season. The team patched together a mix of Woodie Held, John Werhas, and Satriano at 3rd base for the next 6 weeks, then called up rookie Aurelio Rodriguez on September 1st. Rodriguez started 29 of the final 30 games at 3rd.

Paul was back as the starter in April 1968, but was beaned by Boston's Jose Santiago in mid-June [payback for Tony Conigliaro's 1967 beaning?], costing him the rest of the season. Rodriguez was called up to replace him, which marked the end of Schaal's tenure as the Angels' 3rd baseman.

Schaal was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the expansion draft, and spent the next 5 seasons with the Royals. After backing up Joe Foy in 1969, he was the team's primary 3rd baseman for the next 4 years, and started every game there in 1971.

Schaal's last season in KC was 1974. He started 12 of the 19 games in April at 3rd base, then rookie George Brett was called up, and made his first start on May 4th. The rest is either "history", or "bad-news-for-Paul-Schaal", depending on your point of view.

Paul was traded back to the Angels on April 30th for outfielder Richie Scheinblum. He shared the 3rd base duties for the next 2 1/2 months with Bob Oliver and Dave Chalk. Schaal's final major-league game was on July 19th. He finished the season in the minors, and was released in October.

Rico Petrocelli (#298)

Rico Petrocelli was selected as the Topps all-rookie shortstop for 1965.

Petrocelli was signed by the Red Sox in 1961, and played 3 seasons in the minors (1962-64) as a shortstop. His major-league debut was a 1-game cup of coffee in September 1963, but he wouldn't return until the start of the 1965 season. From there, he would play his entire 12-year career with the Red Sox.

Rico began the 1965 season as the starting shortstop, replacing the veteran Ed Bressoud, who had started 158 games at short in 1964. Petrocelli started 93 games as a rookie, to Bressoud's 69 starts.

In 1966, Petrocelli was the fulltime shortstop, although he was sidelined for the 2nd half of August. The next season, Boston was in the World Series for the first time in 20 years, and Rico hit 2 home runs against the Cardinals. He made the AL All-Star team in 1967 and 1969, and uncharacteristically hit 40 homers in 1969. (His previous high was 18 dingers.) His power surge lasted two more seasons, hitting 29 and 28 homers in '70 and '71, before he settled back in the mid-teens.

The Sox acquired Luis Aparicio in 1972, moving Rico over to 3rd base, where he would stay until the end of his career in 1976. Petrocelli wrapped up his last season as a full-time regular by hitting .308 in the 1975 World Series.

Rico began the 1976 as the starting 3rd baseman, but by the end of June, rookie Butch Hobson took over the position, starting 76 of the last 96 games at 3rd.

Petrocelli managed in the White Sox' farm system from 1986-88, and managed the Red Sox' AAA team in 1992. He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997.

Joe Morgan (#195)

General blog note: Yesterday, I found a 1952 Topps baseball card blog. Check it out by scrolling down to my vintage year blogroll!

Joe Morgan was the Topps all-rookie 2nd baseman in 1965. A year later, the Astros would beef up the other side of their double-play combo.

Morgan was signed by the expansion Houston Colt .45s in November 1962 (wow, that's really late in the season!). He played 2 seasons in the minors (getting brief call-ups each season).

In 1965, Joe was installed as the regular 2nd baseman at the start of the season. He started 155 games there as a rookie, led the NL with 97 walks, and finished 2nd in NL Rookie of the Year voting to Dodgers' 2nd baseman Jim Lefebvre. (I wonder why Topps didn't choose Lefebvre?)

Except for missing most of the 1968 season with injuries, Morgan was a fixture at 2nd base for the Astros from 1965 to 1971, making the all-star team in '66 and '70.

After the 1971 season, Joe was traded to the Cincinnati Reds (with pitcher Jack Billingham, infielder Denis Menke, and outfielders Cesar Geronimo and Ed Armbrister) for 1st baseman Lee May, 2nd baseman Tommy Helms, and utility infielder Jimmy Stewart. The rest is Big Red Machine history.

Morgan and the Reds went to the post-season 4 times in his first 5 years with the Reds, winning the World Series in '75 and '76. Joe was an all-star every season from 1972-79, and won the NL MVP award in '75 and '76.

Joe left the Reds via free agency after the 1979 season, and played 5 more seasons, with the Astros, Giants, Phillies, and Athletics. In 1982, he won his only silver slugger award (at age 38).

In 1983, he was reunited in Philadelphia with former Reds' teammates PETE ROSE and Tony Perez, as the Phillies went to the World Series, only to lose to the Orioles.

Morgan played 22 seasons, and was his team's regular 2nd baseman right up to the end of his career.

Tony Perez (#72)

Tony Perez was the Topps All-Rookie 3rd baseman in 1965, just another in a long line of Cincinnati Reds:

1963 - Pete Rose 2B, Tommy Harper OF
1964 - Bill McCool P
1965 - Tony Perez 1B
1966 - Tommy Helms 3B
1967 - Lee May 1B
1968 - Johnny Bench C
(When Lee May came along 2 years later, Perez simply moved over to 3rd base.)

Perez was signed by the Reds in 1960, and played 5 seasons (1960-64) in the minors. He was a 3rd baseman until his final minor-league season, when he divided his time between 1st and 3rd.

Tony made his major-league debut in 1964, playing in 11 games from late-July to late-August, and one final game on Sept. 30th. He made the Reds for good on opening day 1965, and platooned at 1st base with veteran Gordy Coleman. Perez started 66 games, mostly against left-handers.

Tony's playing time decreased slightly in 1966. He played in 99 games, but only 62 starts at 1st base. (Coleman started 63 games, while rookie call-up Lee May started most of the games for the last 3 weeks of the season.)

1967 was the beginning of Perez' prime-time. He played 150+ games in 7 of the next 8 seasons, and became an RBI machine. In the '67 All-Star game, he hit the game-winning home run in the 15th inning.

From 1967-71, he was the regular 3rd baseman, before moving back to 1st base in 1972 after Lee May's trade to Houston. Tony was an all-star for the Reds 7 times between 1967 and 1976, and played in the post-season in '70, '72, '73, '75, and '76, including a 10-for-28 showing against Oakland in the 1972 World Series.

After the 1976 season, he was traded to the Expos. His all-star days were over, but he was the team's regular 1st baseman for 3 seasons.

Free agency landed him in Boston after the 1979 season, where he was the regular 1st-sacker for a year, then slipped into a part-time role in 1981-82.

In 1983, he joined ex-Reds' teammates Pete Rose and Joe Morgan in Philadelphia, as the "Wheeze Kids" made a run to the World Series.

After the season, he was sold to the Reds, and spent his final 3 seasons as the backup 1st baseman behind Dan Driessen, then Pete Rose.

After his playing career, Tony coached for the Reds, then managed the team during the first 2 months of 1993. He was also the interim manager for the Florida Marlins for the last 144 games in 2001.

Perez was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.

Also check out his 1967 card.

Pat Corrales (#137)

Pat Corrales was the Topps All-Rookie catcher 1n 1965, although he accomplished that as a member of the Phillies.

Pat was signed by the Phillies in 1959, and played 6 and a half seasons in the minors before getting his big break. Although Corrales played 2 games with the Phillies near the end of the 1964 season, and one in early May 1965, it was mid-June when things began to take off.

The Phillies began the 1965 season with a strict platoon of veterans Clay Dalrymple and Gus Triandos behind the plate. On June 14th, Triandos was sold to the Astros, and Pat was called up to the Phillies. He started most of the games for the next month, then settled back into a platoon with the lefthanded Dalrymple. Clay continued to start only against righthanders, while Corrales started against all southpaws, and some righties.

After the season, he was traded to the Cardinals (with outfielder Alex Johnson and pitcher Art Mahaffey) for 1st baseman Bill White, shortstop Dick Groat, and catcher Bob Uecker.

Corrales was with the Cardinals for all of 1966, but only started 24 games, with Tim McCarver starting 138 games. Pat was in the minors for all of 1967, then was traded to the Reds the following spring for catcher Johnny Edwards.

Corrales began the 1968 season in the minors, but was called up in mid-July, and spent the next 3 1/2 years backing up Johnny Bench (which is to say, he didn't play much).

Pat was back in the minors to start the 1972 season, and in mid-July, he was traded to the Padres for catcher Bob Barton. Corrales split the catching duties with Fred Kendall for the rest of the season, then was Kendall's backup for all of 1973, until getting his release in late September.

After his playing career, Corrales became a manager, beginning in the minors in 1975. He managed the Rangers (1978-80), Phillies (1982-83), Indians (1983-87). He is the only manager ever to be fired while his team was in first place (1983 Phillies).

After his stints as manager, Pat was a bench coach for many years with the Braves and Nationals.

Frank Linzy (#78)

Frank Linzy is the starboard pitcher on the Topps 1965 All-Rookie team.

Linzy was signed by the Giants in 1960, and pitched 5 seasons (mostly as a starter) in the Giants' system. He was called up near the end of the 1963 season, appearing in 8 games.

Frank made the big-leagues for good at the start of the 1965 season. After starting 89 of his 128 minor-league games, Linzy went on to pitch 508 games in the majors from 1965 to 1974, while only making 1 start.

As a rookie in '65, Frank led the Giants with 21 saves, and compiled a 1.43 ERA. He also finished 3rd in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

Frank was the ace of the Giants' bullpen from 1965-69. (Funny, I recall that as a kid in 1967, I somehow got the notion that Linzy and Ron Herbel were the scrubs of the Giants' staff.)

Linzy was traded to the Cardinals during the 1970 season, and remained there through the 1971 season, working behind veteran Moe Drabowsky. He spent 2 seasons in Milwaukee's bullpen, bouncing back to his 1960s' form as the Brewers' closer in 1973.

After the 1973 season, Frank was traded to the Phillies for pitcher Billy Wilson. He appeared in 22 games for Philadelphia, and another 20 for their double-A team, before getting his release after the season.

His final season of 1975 found him pitching for the Padres' AAA team in Hawaii (not a bad way to end a career!)

Marcelino Lopez (#155)

Marcelino Lopez was the left-handed pitcher on the Topps 1965 All-Rookie team. He was one of 3 Angels named to the squad, and also one of 2 ex-Phillies' farmhands on the All-Rookie team.

At age 16, Lopez was signed by the Phillies in 1959, and was mostly a starting pitcher for 5 seasons in their farm system, including 2 in triple-A, before regressing to double-A in 1964. Marcelino also played in 4 games for the Phillies in April 1963, before returning to the minors.

In October 1964, Lopez was sent to the Angels as the player to be named later in the deal that brought rent-a-player Vic Power to the Phils for their pennant push that season.
 

Lopez was one of the Angels' top 3 starters during 1965 and 1966, He started 32 games each season, and was one of 3 Angels' pitchers to win at least 14 wins in 1965 (along with Dean Chance and Fred Newman). Marcelino finished 2nd to Curt Blefary in the 1965 Rookie of the Year award.

His record slipped to 7-14 in 1966, and shoulder problems in 1967 limited him to 4 games with the Angels before June 15th, when he was dealt to the Orioles for veteran utility man Woodie Held. He played 4 games with the O's, but spent most of 1967 and all of 1968 in the minors.

Lopez pitched 2 seasons in the Orioles bullpen, and appeared in the post-season in '69 and '70. Traded to the Brewers the following spring, he switched back to the starting rotation during the 1971 season, his last full season in the majors.

In March 1972, Lopez was sold to the Indians, but he spent most of that season in the minors. Marcelino played in the minors from 1974-76, including a stint in the Mexican League during 1974.

He passed away in November 2001 at age 58.