Dick McAuliffe (#495)

Here's Dick McAuliffe in his last season as the Tigers' shortstop. He was a regular infielder for them from 1963 to 1973.

He was signed by the Tigers in 1957 and played in the minors for 4+ seasons. Dick made his major-league debut in September 1960, but returned to the minors to begin the 1961 season.

McAuliffe was called up to the Tigers in late-June 1961 and started 70 of the final 98 games, either at shortstop or 3rd base.

In 1962 Dick started 67 games at 2nd base and 47 games at 3rd base, sharing the positions with Jake Wood (2b) and Steve Boros (3b).

In 1963, after starting 14 of the first 15 games at 2nd base he took over the starting shortstop job in early-May, starting almost every game there for the remainder of the season. He remained there for all of 1964 (159 starts).

McAuliffe was the starting shortstop for 107 of the first 120 games in 1965 until missing the final 40 games of the season. Good-field/no-hit Ray Oyler filled in for the remainder of the season, and also for a few weeks in mid-1966 when McAuliffe was out of the lineup.

Dick became the every-day 2nd baseman at the start of the 1967 season, remaining there through the end of the 1973 season (although Tony Taylor started 1/3 of the games at 2b in 1973).

While with the Tigers, McAuliffe made 3 consecutive all-star teams (1965-67). In 1964 he hit 24 home runs and 66 RBI, both career-highs. He also led the AL with 95 runs scored in 1968.

In October 1973 he was traded to the Red Sox for outfielder Ben Oglivie. Dick started 70 games for the Sox in ’74, backing up 2nd baseman Doug Griffin and shortstop Rico Petrocelli, then was released in October 1974.

McAuliffe began the 1975 season as the Red Sox' double-A manager, but was re-signed as a utility infielder in August. He played in 7 games, then was released at season’s end.

Nelson Briles (#243)

This is the first solo card for Nelson Briles (he also appeared on a Cardinals Rookies card in 1965). He pitched for 14 seasons – the first 6 with the Cardinals. I knew Briles had moved on to the Pirates, but until today did not know that he also played for 3 other teams.

After only one season in the minors, Briles made his debut with the Cardinals in April 1965. He was primarily a reliever during his rookie season, then became a spot starter the next year.

He began the 1967 season as a reliever, then moved into the rotation when Bob Gibson broke his leg in July. Nelson remained in the rotation upon Gibby’s return, fashioning a 14-5 record and leading the NL in winning percentage (.737). He also pitched a complete game in game #3 in the World Series – the only Cardinals’ pitcher not named Bob Gibson to do so.

Briles followed that up by winning 19 games in 1968, and was the team’s #2 starter behind Gibson, who won 22. Nelson won 15 games the following season, with Steve Carlton moving ahead of him in the rotation.

After a 6-7 season in 1970, Briles and outfielder Vic Davalillo were traded to the Pirates for outfielder Matty Alou and pitcher George Brunet. (Wow, I can’t believe I haven’t blogged somewhere already about the well-traveled Brunet! I’ll have to get on that.) Nelson was mostly a reliever for his first year in Pittsburgh, but won 14 games each in ’72 and ’73 as a starter. He also pitched in the post-season in ’71 and ’72.

After the 1973 season he was traded to the Royals, and 2 years later to the Rangers, but he never repeated the success he had with the Cardinals and Pirates. In late-September 1977 the Orioles purchased his contract, and he finished out the season and 1 more year with Baltimore, then was released in January 1979.

Briles passed away in 2005 at age 61.