A Trip Down Memory Lane Featuring 1960 Topps

A few days ago, I found myself at my local card shop when I stumbled upon a binder of 1960 Topps cards. They were fairly cheap, so I decided to look through them. What followed was a trip down memory lane in more ways than one: I had forgotten how much I like this set, having previously traded for a few from a fellow blogger, and I couldn't resist grabbing cards of players I had previously written about on my other blog, The Cooperstown Advocate. 

Nicknamed "The Walking Man," Eddie Yost collected 1,614 of them in his career, which are the 11th most of all time. In addition to his plate discipline, Yost scored over 100 runs in five different seasons and led AL third basemen in putouts eight times. While he isn't the best third baseman outside of Cooperstown, he wouldn't be a bad pick. 

While I didn't advocate for his election to the Hall of Fame, I did write a post about Johnny Logan because I think he should be remembered. Despite not really having a case for Cooperstown, Logan was certainly a solid player, receiving MVP votes in six consecutive seasons and topping the NL in doubles in 1955. 

Mel Harder was a fine pitcher in his time, winning 223 games despite never pitching for a pennant winner. He was also the man who revolutionized the role of pitching coach, in the process helping future Hall of Famers Bob Feller, Early Wynn, and the above-pictured Bob Lemon, among others, find remarkable success. Also featured are Jo-Jo White and Red Kress. 

I almost wrote an article about Jimmy Dykes. He was a good player, collecting 2,256 hits and winning two World Series, and a long-tenured manager who skippered nearly 3,000 games. While I don't think he's a Hall of Famer, he is certainly an important part of baseball history. 

Also a former player, Bob Elliott was remarkably consistent on both offense and defense. A six-time all-star and 1947 NL MVP, Elliott had six seasons with over 100 RBI's and collected the most hits in the decade of the 1940's. He was also a steady third baseman who had a strong arm. 

I really love Elliott's picture on this card. His toothless smile and jovial expression make him look like a fun, trouble-making uncle. 

I thought it was cool to get a card of Gordon pretty cheap without going online. A nine-time all-star, Gordon was an incredible fielder and one of the greatest power-hitting second basemen of all time. Although he didn't live to see it, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009. 

I also got a card of Al Lopez, a truly impressive manager who piloted both the 1954 Indians and the "Go Go" 1959 White Sox. He was also a top-tier defensive catcher in his playing days, ranking fourth in MLB history with a .541 caught stealing percentage over 19 seasons. 

I really like the backs of these manager cards: 

They're just so fun. 

While I picked up several cards of managers who had good playing careers, I also flipped the script and grabbed a player card of a future successful manager: 

Dick Williams was a journeyman utility player from 1951 through 1964, hitting .260 with 70 home runs. He was better known as a manager, winning four pennants and two World Championships. However, his career winning percentage was only .520, and he only had 1,571 wins. As such, he found his way into my Lucky Hall of Famers section. 

That'll wrap up my little trip down memory lane. It was very fun to find these cards and look back on the posts that I had written over time (and reflect on how much my writing has improved since 2021). Thank you all for reading and be sure to check them out!