1967 Topps Fritz Peterson New York Yankees

Today's entry for my collection of 1967 Topps Autographed Baseball cards is about a pitcher who made national news for a personal decision with another Yankees pitcher. It is Fritz Peterson, pitcher for the New York Yankees, card number 495 in the 1967 Topps Baseball card set of 609 subjects.

This autograph from Fritz Peterson was obtained via Gate X Autographs in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 10th, 2010. Mr. Peterson was making a personal appearance and had a private autograph session with Gate X. I sent the card to Gate X on April 30th and received it back June 10, 2010 with a beautiful blue sharpie signature from Fritz Peterson. Thank you Gate X and Mr. Peterson. As of August 30, 2010, I have built my collection of 1967 Topps Autographed card to 510 cards and counting.

Fritz Peterson career lasted 11 seasons from 1966 to 1976 with three teams. He pitched for the Yankees from 1966 to 1974, then was traded to the Cleveland Indians, where he pitched until 1976. During the 1976 season, Fritz Peterson was traded to the Texas Rangers where he ended his career that same season. His career statistics include 133 wins versus 131 losses, 1015 strikeouts and a career 3.30 earned run average. His best season was 1970 when he won 20 games for the Yankees and made the All-Star team. Fritz Peterson has the distinction of having the lowest earned run average (2.52) in the old Yankee Stadium bettering Hall of Famer Whitey Ford who was second with a 2.55 e.r.a.

In the off-season of 1972, Fritz Peterson made national news along with fellow Yankees pitcher, Mike Kekich. They had been best friends for several years and their families were very close as well. Peterson and Kekich decided to swap spouses with Mrs. Kekich marrying Fritz Peterson and Mrs. Peterson moving in with Mike Kekich. Fritz is still married to the former Mrs. Kekich. It did not work as well for Kekich, who never married the former Mrs. Peterson. During the 1973 and 1974 seasons, Fritz was roundly booed on the road by the American League fans and he never really pitched up to standard he set in the 1970 season.

After baseball, Fritz Peterson became an evangelist, sold real estate and dealt blackjack at a casino in Illinois. Quite a journey! He wrote his first book in 2009, titled "Mickey Mantle is Going to Heaven. 

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1967 Topps Ralph Houk Yankees Manager

Today's entry from my 1967 Topps Autographed Baseball card set is about a former manager of the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox and sadly he passed away yesterday, July 21, 2010 at age 90. It is Ralph Houk, manager of the New York Yankees. Card number 468 in the 1967 Topps Baseball card set of 609 cards.

This card was obtained with a through the mail request to Ralph Houk's home in Florida on July 13, 2009. He graciously autographed the card with a blue sharpie and returned it to me 15 days later. Thank you Mr. Houk.

Also, I have the 1967 Topps Yankees Team card signed by Ralph Houk. Card #131 in the set and was obtained through a dealer on ebay.

Ralph "The Major" Houk played in the major league for 8 seasons from 1947 to 1954 and appeared in 91 games as a backup catcher for the Yankees' Yogi Berra. His career statistics include a .272 batting average, 54 hits and 20 runs batted in. He enjoyed the heyday of New York Yankees World Championships. He earned 6 championship rings in 7 seasons from 1947 to 1953.

Ralph Houk's managerial career began in grand fashion with the New York Yankees in 1961. During that season, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle pursued Babe Ruth's single season home run record of 60 set in 1927. Mantle ended the season with 54 dingers while Maris caught and passed Ruth with his 61st long ball on the final day of the season. He also managed the Yankees to the championship in 1962. Houk managed the Yankees to the World Series also in 1963, but lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers. After the 1963 season, he moved into the front office of the Yankees, only to returned to managing in 1966. Ralph Houk continued to manage the Yankees until the end of 1973 season. Houk also managed the Detroit Tigers from 1974 to 1978 and the Boston Red Sox from 1981 to 1984. During his 20 year managerial career, he won 1619 games versus 1531 games. After his managerial career was over, Ralph Houk worked in the front office of the Minnesota Twins before finally retiring in 1989.



Before making it to the Major Leagues, Ralph Houk was a catcher working his way through the Yankees' farm system when the U.S. entered World War II. He enlisted in the armed forces, became an Army Ranger, and was commissioned as a lieutenant after attending officer's candidate school; he later was promoted to to major. He was a combat veteran of Bastogne and the Battle of the Bulge, and was awarded the Silver Star, Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

To learn more about Ralph Houk's career, go to his biography at wikipedia.org.

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1967 Topps Phil Linz Philadelphia Phillies

Today's entry about my collection of 1967 Topps Autographed Baseball cards is a player probably more known for an off the field incident than his playing days. It is Phil Linz, infielder for the Philadelphia Phillies. Card number 14 in the 1967 Topps Baseball card set of 609 subjects.

This autograph was obtained with a through the mail request to Phil Linz's home in Connecticut on January 6, 2009. Mr. Linz returned the card 9 days later with a nice black sharpie autograph and a musical note at the end of his name. This was in reference to famous "harmonica incident" that occurred in 1964 while a member of the New York Yankees.

Here is Jim Bouton's, author of "Ball Four", version of the harmonica incident. "On the team bus, after a Yankee loss to the Chicago White Sox, Linz was in the back playing a plaintive version of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on his harmonica. Yankee manager Yogi Berra thought the sad cowboy style mixed with a children's nursery rhyme was mocking the team. He told Linz to pipe down. Linz didn't hear and kept playing. Berra became infuriated and called back from the front of the bus, "If you don't knock that off, I'm going to come back there and kick your ass." Linz couldn't hear the words over the music, so he asked Mickey Mantle, "What he say?" Mantle responded, "He said to play it louder." This led the famous confrontation when Berra stormed to the back of the bus, slapped the harmonica out of Linz' hands, and the instrument hit Joe Pepitone's knee."

Phil Linz played 7 seasons in the major leagues from 1962 to 1968. His career started in 1962 with the New York Yankees, then went to the Phillies in 1966 and finally with the New York Mets in 1967 and 1968. As a backup infielder for his career, Phil Linz hit .235 in 519 games with 322 hits including 11 home runs and 96 runs batted in. He played in two World Series with the Yankees, both losses, in 1963 and 1964. During the 1964 World Series, Phil hit 2 home runs and started all seven games at shortstop, due to an injury to Tony Kubek. 

To learn more Phil Linz, go to his biography at wikipedia.org.

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1967 Topps Larry Jansen San Francisco Giants

Today's entry is the first team card that I added to my collection of autographed 1967 Topps baseball cards. It is the San Francisco Giants Team card, #516 and it is signed by their pitching coach, Larry Jansen.

This autograph was obtained with a through the mail request that was sent to Larry Jansen's home in Oregon on September 21, 2009 and he quickly returned the card autographed 7 days later. This was one of Mr. Jansen's last autographs, he passed away on October 10, 2009 at age 89. I feel very fortunate to have this card in my collection. Thank you Mr. Jansen.

Larry Jansen's career lasted 10 seasons from 1947 to 1956. He pitched for the New York Giants and Cincinnati Reds. Larry's career statistics included 122 wins, a career 3.58 earned run average and 842 strikeouts. Larry Jansen participated in two All-Star games in 1950 and 1951. As a rookie in 1947, Larry won 21 games versus 5 losses and finished 2nd in the Rookie of the Year to future Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson. In 1951, Larry Jansen won 23 games for the New York Giants and was a vital part in the comeback against the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was the winning pitcher in a playoff game against the Dodgers, the game known as the "Shot heard 'round the world." In that game, Bobby Thompson hit the game winning home run to send the Giants into the World Series.

After Larry Jansen's playing days were over, he remained close to the game by coaching and managing teams in the minors before becoming the  San Francisco Giants' pitching coach in 1961. Larry Jansen was vital in the development of two future Hall of Famers, Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry. He was elected to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1980.

As interesting facts, Larry Jansen allowed Mickey Mantle's first World Series hit -- a bunt single in Game 2 of the 1951 Series -- and gave up a double to Joe DiMaggio in the eighth inning of Game 6, the final at-bat of the Hall of Famer's career.
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1967 Topps Andy Kosco Minnesota Twins

Today's entry for the blog of 1967 Topps Autographed cards was once traded for yesterday's entry, Al Downing. It is Andy Kosco, outfielder for the Minnesota Twins. Card number 366 in the set of 609 for the 1967 Topps Baseball cards.

The autograph was acquired by sending Andy Kosco a through the mail, TTM, request to his home in Ohio on January 6, 2009. Andy quickly returned the card signed with a blue sharpie 9 days later. Thank you, Mr. Kosco. If you are interested in sending your own requests to players, there is a great website, sportscollectors.net that can help with addresses.

Andy Kosco's career lasted from 1965 to 1974 and he played for seven different teams. Originally drafted by the Detroit Tigers, Andy was able to make it to the major leagues as a member of the Minnesota Twins. He also played for the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels, Boston Red Sox and finally ending his career with the Cincinnati Reds. He was used as a back up outfielder during most of his career. Andy Kosco was the back up for Hall of Famers Harmon Killebrew while with the Twins and Mickey Mantle during his playing days with the Yankees. Andy's career statistics include a batting average of .236, 73 home runs, and drove in 267 runs in 658 games.

In 1973, Andy Kosco got his only shot at post-season play and went 3-for-10 for the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Championship Series. This was "The Big Red Machine" of Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, Dave Concepcion and Pete Rose that lost the NLCS to the New York Mets in five games.
In Game Two, the Mets' Jon Matlack held this feared lineup to two hits -- both singles by Kosco.

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