Hondo owned Henley in 1963-64

Uncommon commons: In more than 30 years in sportscards publishing I have thrown hundreds of notes into files about the players – usually non-star players – who made up the majority of the baseball and football cards I collected as a kid. Today, I keep adding to those files as I peruse microfilms of The Sporting News from the 1880s through the 1960s. I found these tidbits brought some life to the player pictures on those cards. I figure that if I enjoyed them, you might too. 

From time to time in this space I've presented baseball statistical anomalies that piqued my interest.

Here's another.

For a period in 1963-64 Frank Howard had what baseball writers used to insensitively call the "Indian sign" on pitcher Bob Hendley.

In five consecutive plate appearances between May 29, 1963, and May 2, 1964, Hondo homered off Hendley.

Then after Hendley retired Howard in the middle innings of the May 2 game, Big Frank went yard once more . . . six home runs in eight at-bats.

Here's the chronology.

May 29, 1963
In a Wednesday night game at Milwaukee Count Stadium, Hendley induced Howard too ground out, ending the top of the 1st inning.

Up again in the 3rd, Howard homered in the gloaming with two out and one on as a dense fog began to creep in. He put the Dodgers ahead 3-0.

When Howard was on deck in the 5th, Ron Piche relieved Hendley; Howard struck out swinging.

The Braves scored three in the bottom of the 6th (and Henry Aaron hit his 300th career double). With two out in the top of the 7th, the game was called on account of the fog, ending in a 3-3 tie. It was replayed as part of a July 21 doubleheader.

July 19, 1963
Leading off the 2nd inning in Milwaukee, Howard homered off Hendley. With two out in the 4th, he repeated. 

Frank Funk came on in relief in the 7th. Howard reached on an error that inning and struck out in the 8th.

The Dodgers won 4-2.

Aug. 15, 1963
Again at County Stadium with Hendley on the hill, Howard hit a 1st-inning HR with two out and one on. 

When Howard came to the plate in the third, Hendley was relieved by Hank Fischer. Howard grounded out to end the inning. In the 6th, Fischer struck him out swinging. 

Against Bobby Tiefenauer in the 8th, Howard singled.

Los Angeles won 7-5.

After the 1963 season, Hendley was traded to the San Francisco Giants.

Hendley's 1964 season didn't start out any better when facing Howard.

May 2, 1964
Howard homered to lead off the 2nd inning in Dodger Stadium.

Finally, Hendley was able to retire Howard when he grounded into an inning-ending double play in the 3rd. Howard grounded out again in the 6th.

Hendley was still on the mound when Howard came to bat in the 8th. With two out and nobody on, Howard again hit the long ball, increasing the Dodgers' lead to 4-2.

With  the score 4-4, Bob Shaw came in the relieve Hendley. He issued an intentional walk to Howard in the 10th.

The Giants had gone ahead 5-4 in the 12th. With Wes Parker on base, Howard represented the winning run when he came to the plate. Shaw got him to ground into a double play to end the game. 

There was probably not a happier pitcher in the National League when the Dodgers traded Howard to the Washington Senators after the 1964 season.

Overall in his career against Bob Hendley, Frank Howard had faced him 47 times. His batted .366 against him, with eight home runs, 16 RBIs, three doubles and four singles. Hendley struck out Howard six times over four seasons, walking him six times; three of those bases on balls were intentional.

Standard Catalog Update: 1961-65 Wilson Meats

In a blog entry on Feb. 22, I reported the discovery of a Wilson Meats premium picture of Frank Howard with the Washington Senators.

This is what was printed at the time . . . 

Until the report of a Wilson Meats premium picture of Frank Howard as a Senator was received from veteran vintage collector Larry Serota of Florida, it was assumed from the known checklist that these were strictly a 1961 issue.

The presence of Hondo in a Senators uniform has to be attributed to his time with Washington 1965-71.

Previously all known Wilson Meats premiums depicted players who were with the L.A. Dodgers or L.A. Angels in 1961.

This is the introduction I wrote for the Wilson Meats issue in the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards some years ago:

It is likely these 5-1/2"x 8-1/2" photos were prepared for promotional appearances by players on behalf of the meat company. The player name and sometimes team name appears at the bottom of the photo and the sponsor's message appears at the bottom, "Courtesy of WILSON & CO., Inc., Fine Meat Products." Backs are blank. The pictures are often found with player autographs, another indicator of their use at personal appearances.


Larry has now added a couple of more additions to the checklist, and I found one of my own while poking around the internet.

New to the checklist are pose variations of Frank Howard (portrait and batting) as a Dodger,
Ron Perranoski pose variations (dark background, light background), Maury Wills, Ed Roebuck, both Dodgers and Bill Moran, Angels.

The lack of a team name printed on the Roebuck premium makes me wonder if it was issued in 1963 or 1964, after Roebuck had been traded to the Senators on July 30, 1963.

With these additions, I'd rework the checklist as follows . . . 

1961-65 Wilson Meats 

Ron Fairly, Dodgers
Gil Hodges, Dodgers
Frank Howard, Dodgers (batting)
Frank Howard, Dodgers (chest-up portrait)
Frank Howard, Senators
Ted Kluszewski, Angels
Bill Moran, Angels
Ron Perranoski, Dodgers (dark background)
Ron Perranoski, Dodgers (light background)
Ed Roebuck, Dodgers
John Roseboro, Dodgers
Maury Wills, Dodgers

I'd say chances are good this checklist will continue to expand with new discoveries.

Check back tomorrow to see a couple of newly reported Jackie Robinson items.

Standard Catalog Update: Wilson's Meats, 1957 Borden's Dodgers

Response was good to my recent series of catalog updates of 1950s-1970s Baltimore Orioles issues.

I heard from a couple of other collectors who have additions to report to a couple of regional sets.

Since this blog is as good a place as any to make sure this type of information is preserved for hobby consumption, I'll try to help with that when I can.

Publishers of online or ink-on-paper baseball card references are welcome to pick up these periodic listings.

Wilson Meats issue dates extended

Until the report of a Wilson Meats premium picture of Frank Howard as a Senator was received from veteran vintage collector Larry Serota of Florida, it was assumed from the known checklist that these were strictly a 1961 issue.

The presence of Hondo in a Senators uniform has to be attributed to his time with Washington 1965-71.

Previously all known Wilson Meats premiums depicted players who were with the L.A. Dodgers or L.A. Angels in 1961.

This is the introduction I wrote for the Wilson Meats issue in the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards some years ago:

It is likely these 5-1/2"x 8-1/2" photos were prepared for promotional appearances by players on behalf of the meat company. The player name and sometimes team name appears at the bottom of the photo and the sponsor's message appears at the bottom, "Courtesy of WILSON & CO., Inc., Fine Meat Products." Backs are blank. The pictures are often found with player autographs, another indicator of their use at personal appearances.

Prior to Larry's report of the Howard Senators picture, the checklist for the "1961" Wilson Meats promotional pictures was:
Ron Fairly, Dodgers
Gil Hodges, Dodgers
Frank Howard, Dodgers
Ted Kluszewski, Angels
Ron Perranoski, Dodgers
John Roseboro, Dodgers

Zim added to 1957 Brooklyn ticket promotion set

One of the more recent additions to the Standard Catalog was a listing for an issue of player pictures sponsored by Borden's dairy. 

Through the courtesy of New Hampshire collector Jack Webster, we now have an addition to what was previously a three-player checklist. The new addition is Don Zimmer.

The catalog intro for the set was:

In their final season in Brooklyn, the Dodgers partnered with Borden's to offer grandstand seat tickets to those redeeming five wrappers from various Elsie-branded dairy treats. The offer was promoted on the back of what appear to be contemporary team-issued picture pack photos. On the backs of the 5" x 7" black-and-white pictures is an illustrated advertisement providing details of the offer. This checklist is very likely incomplete.


The checklist at that time was:
Gino Cimoli
Sandy Koufax
Don Newcombe

I don't know how much time I'll have going forward to publish similar reports from readers, but I'll try to work them in when I can because it is important to preserve these reports for future collectors.

You can send reports to me at scbcguy@yahoo.com .