Willie Crawford (#327)

Willie Crawford had a 14-year career from 1964-77 (mostly with the Dodgers), although his most productive seasons were from 1969 to 1976.

A football star at a Los Angeles high school, Crawford was signed by the Dodgers in 1964, and played in the minors from 1964 to 1968.

His major-league debut came in September 1964, and although he spent most of the 1965 season with the Dodgers (primarily as a pinch-hitter) and appeared in the 1965 World Series, he was back in the minors for all of 1966 and 1967 (except for September call-ups).

Willie was recalled by the Dodgers in mid-July 1968, and would be a regular in their outfield through the 1975 season. Crawford started 38 games in left field over the last 2 months of the ’68 season, replacing Len Gabrielson.

In 1969, Willie started the first 18 games in center field, filling in for Willie Davis, then filled in at the corner spots before assuming the regular right field job for the final 2 months. By the end of the season, he was the #2 outfielder in playing time, behind Davis and ahead of Andy Kosco, Manny Mota, and rookie Bill Russell.

The same 5 outfielders were back for 1970, although Crawford ended up sharing right field with Kosco and Russell. The following season, Dick Allen (LF) and Bill Buckner (RF) joined the team, so Willie became the primary backup at the corner outfield spots.

In 1972, Allen was out, Frank Robinson was in, and Crawford spent the season sharing left field with Manny Mota (although Mota played twice as much). Crawford was the Dodgers’ everyday right fielder in 1973 and 1974, making over 500 plate appearances each season (the most in his career). He batted .295 in both seasons, and hit 14 and 11 homers.

His production slipped in 1975, as Willie only started half the team’s games in right field. The following March, he was traded to the Cardinals for 2nd baseman Ted Sizemore. In his only season with St. Louis, Crawford hit .304 in 120 games, while starting 99 games in right field.

After the ’76 season he was traded to the Giants, who flipped him to the Astros during spring training. By mid-1977 he moved on to the Athletics, who released him after the season. Willie was re-signed by the Dodgers in February 1978, but was released during spring training. He played in Mexico during the ’78 and ’79 seasons, before retiring.

Crawford passed away in August 2004 at age 57, from kidney disease.

Final Card: Fred Newman

Fred Newman (#543) had a 6-year major-league career (1962-67), all with the Angels.

Newman was signed by the Red Sox in 1960, and after one season in the minors, was selected by the Los Angeles Angels in the expansion draft prior to the 1961 season. He was a starting pitcher for 3 seasons on the Angels’ farm, while also playing with the Angels in September 1962 and the final 2 months of the 1963 season.

The bulk of Fred’s playing time came as a starting pitcher from 1964 to 1966. In 1964, Newman was 2nd on the team in games started and innings pitched, behind staff ace Dean Chance. The following season, he led the team in those 2 categories. He also won in double figures both seasons.

In 1966 he dealt with arm troubles, compiling a 4-7 record, and was 4th in the rotation behind Chance, and lefties George Brunet and Marcelino Lopez.

Except for 3 games in late-July/early-August, Newman spent the 1967 season in the minors, pitching for the Angels’ triple-A, double-A, and even their class A team.

The following season he was also in the minors in AA and AAA. At triple-A Seattle in 1968, he must have felt like he was in the majors, with teammates such as Jim Bouton, Jim Coates, Jack Hamilton, Jay Johnstone, Jesse Gonder, Pete Cimino, Jim O’Toole, Larry Sherry, Orlando Pena, Hawk Taylor, and Rollie Sheldon.

This card shows him as a member of his original Red Sox team, and the late-series card back says he’s with the 1969 Louisville AAA team, but there’s no record of him playing for Louisville in 1969, nor anywhere after 1968. Sine he hadn't logged a significant amount of major-league time since 1966, I'm wondering why Topps even made a card for him.

Newman died on June 24, 1987 in Framingham, MA from an auto accident. He was 45 years old.

Final Card: Gary Geiger

After being omitted from the 1968 set, Gary Geiger returns for one final card (#278). Geiger played outfield with the Red Sox from 1959-65, then finished his career with 2 seasons each with the Braves and Astros.

Geiger was signed by the Cardinals in 1954, and played 4 seasons in their minor-league system. After the 1957 season, he was selected by the Indians in the Rule 5 draft, and started 35 games as the backup center fielder to veteran Larry Doby.

After 1 year with the Tribe, Geiger was traded to Boston (with little- used 1st baseman Vic Wertz) for center fielder Jim Piersall, who had been a regular outfielder for the Sox since day 1 in 1953.

(Geiger is incorrectly listed as a right-handed batter on this card.)

In 1959, Gary split time in center field with Marty Keough, then moved to right field the next year, where he shared the position with Lou Clinton. Geiger took over as the every-day center fielder at the start of the '61 season, a post he held until 1963, when he shared center with Roman Mejias.

Gary only played 5 games in 1964, as he was recovering from ulcer-related surgery. He also missed most of the 1965 season, due to a broken hand. After the season, he was selected by the Braves in the Rule 5 draft.

Geiger spent the next 2 seasons in Atlanta, backing up center fielder Mack Jones. He spent all of 1968 with the Cardinals' AAA team, then (after his THIRD Rule 5 selection) made a comeback (of sorts) with the Astros in 1969, playing in 93 games as a backup corner outfielder and pinch-hitter.

Gary spent most of 1970 with the Astros' AAA team, but played his last 5 major-league games in late-June/early-July. He returned to the Cardinals' organization for his final pro season (1971), playing 100 games with double-A Tulsa.

Geiger passed away at age 59 on April 24, 1996.

Final Card: Ron Davis

This is the 3rd and final card for outfielder Ron Davis (#553). Never on a Rookie Stars card, Davis had solo cards as a Houston Astro in the '67 and '68 sets.

Davis was signed by the Houston Colt .45s in 1961, and played minor league ball from 1961-66. Although he had a 6-game cup of coffee in early August 1962, he didn't make the majors to stay until August 1966.  Then, he started 47 of the final 54 games in center field while filling in for the injured Jim Wynn.
 

Davis moved over to left field in 1967, starting 59 games there while sharing the position with rookie Norm Miller.

In 1968, he started 52 of the first 58 games in center field (with Wynn moving to left), until he was traded to (escaped to?) the defending World Champion Cardinals. With Lou Brock in left, Curt Flood in center, and Roger Maris and Bob Tolan sharing right field, Davis was relegated to bench duty for the remainder of the season.

Shortly after the expansion draft, Davis was traded to the Padres (with 3rd baseman Ed Spiezio) for pitcher Dave Giusti. In spring training, the Padres flipped him and infielder Bobby Klaus (who we will see here 2 posts after this one) to the Pirates for catcher Chris Cannizzaro and pitcher Tommie Sisk.

After backing up all 3 outfield positions in 1969, Davis played the next 2 seasons for the Pirates' triple-A team before retiring.

He passed away on 9/5/1992 at age 50.

Roberto Pena (#184)

Here's journeyman Roberto Pena, airbrushed out of his Pirates uniform. Pena was selected from the Phillies in the expansion draft following the 1968 season.  This is his first Topps card since 1966, and his first card I had. (A few years ago, I got his 1970 card.)

He had unexpectedly spent the '68 season as the Phillies' regular shortstop. The Phillies had high hopes for their shortstop prospect Don Money that season, but after a handful of games, it was clear that he wasn't ready for the big time, so weak-hitting veteran Bobby Wine took over, Money was sent down, and Pena was recalled from their triple-A team (in San Diego, no less). A few weeks later, Wine injured his back and was lost for the season, thrusting Pena (who had spent all of 1967 in the minors) into the starting role.

(No respect! After 138 games as the Phillies' starting shortstop, and now on a team starting from scratch, Topps still saddles him with a utility position)

Pena was signed by the Pirates in 1960. After 5 seasons as a minor-league shortstop, he was traded to the Cubs for infielder Andre Rodgers in December 1964. Roberto made his major-league debut in April 1965, and played 51 games with the Cubs as Don Kessinger's backup at shortstop. He also played 80+ games in the minors that season, as well as the bulk of the '66 season.

The Phillies drafted him in November 1966, and he spent the '67 season stashed at the Phillies' halfway house for ex-big leaguers (a/k/a the AAA San Diego Padres), where he was the PCL all-star shortstop.

As mentioned above, after a season as the Phillies' #1 shortstop,  he (along with the Phillies' other two shortstops Bobby Wine and Gary Sutherland) was lost in the expansion draft. Pena split the shortstop job with Tommy Dean in the Padres' inaugural season, then it was on to the Athletics in a March 1970 trade for 1st baseman Ramon Webster.

Two months later he was shipped out to the Brewers for 2nd baseman John Donaldson. Pena shared the shortstop job with Ted Kubiak (wow, lots of ex-Athletics orbiting around Roberto Pena!) in 1970, and moved over to 1st base in 1971 (with some playing time at SS and 3B). His last game was in September 1971.

Roberto played in Mexico from 1972-74 before hanging up his spikes. He died in July 1982 at age 45.