1963 Topps

Set Type: Primary
Card dimensions: 2½” x 3½”
Inserts: Peel-Offs.
Rookie Cards: Ray Culp, John Boozer, Dennis Bennett, Bobby Wine, Cookie Rojas, Billy Smith, Marcelino Lopez, & John Herrnstein.
Additional Information: Topps recycled the design with its 2012 Topps Heritage set, and as part of that offering, Topps repurchased cards on the open market and utilized them as 1963 Buybacks inserts. Additionally, Topps reprinted the Frank Torre and Earl Averill cards for use in its 2012 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs insert set.

The set was recycled in two other instances. Upper Deck’s 2001 Vintage utilizes a very similar design, and the 2006 Topps Wal Mart Chase Utley insert card (#WM17) utilizes the design, albeit poorly. Posts at The Phillies Room and 14,000 Phillies provide additional information on the set.

Although it is well-documented, the Beckett Online Price Guide does not list the Jack Baldschun variations.

7 13 29[a] 29[b] 32 56 71 91 132 139 161 192 221 241 268 283 305 318 341[a] 341[b] 366 385 404 434 455 478 512 529 549 551 553 571

Art Mahaffey (1962 NL Pitching Leaders, w/ Drysdale of Dodgers, Sanford of Giants, Purkey of Reds, O’Dell of Giants, & Jay of Reds) Phillies Team Card Ray Culp & John Boozer (“1962 Rookie Stars” error; SP; w/ Ellis & Gonder – both Reds) Ray Culp & John Boozer (1963 Rookie Stars subset; w/ Ellis & Gonder – both Reds) Tony González Dennis Bennett Bobby Wine Dallas Green Jack Hamilton Earl Averill Frank Torre Clay Dalrymple Cookie Rojas Billy Smith Don Demeter Roy Sievers Don Hoak Gene Mauch (Manager) Jack Baldschun (White slash across body in inset photo; SP) Jack Baldschun (Slash repaired with red mottling) Tony Taylor Art Mahaffey Bob Oldis Johnny Callison Ruben Amaro, Sr. Paul Brown Cal McLish Wes Covington Marcelino Lopez (1963 Rookie Stars subset; w/ Lovrich of Athletics, Plaskett of Pirates, & Ratliff of Twins) Billy Klaus John Herrnstein (1963 Rookie Stars subset; w/ Davis of Colt .45s, Gosger of Red Sox, & Stargell of Pirates) Johnny Klippstein

A Depressing List

Featured card: 1989 Tastykake Phillies Team Issue, Tony Taylor (unnumbered)

Yesterday, Sean Forman announced the addition of a new tool to the incredibly awesome Baseball-Reference.com site — a tool that allows you to find all the transactions between two franchises. I decided to personally break in the tool by getting the full list of transactions between The Fightins and their current opponent, the Cubs. I did so knowing full well the nightmarish highlights — the fact that over the decades the Cubs had acquired for less than Jack got for selling the family cow literally stolen three future HOFers from the Phillies. Seriously, three non-magical beans would have been better than what the Phillies got from the Cubs when shuffling off those three players. Yet, although I steeled myself for the horror show, I was still unprepared for the depressing list I would encounter. The fact of the matter is that the Phillies rarely do business with the Cubs and come away a better team.

The most notable of the few times this did occur happened back on May 13, 1960 when the Phillies traded Ed Bouchee and Don Cardwell to the Chicago Cubs for Cal Neeman and Tony Taylor. Taylor would go on to play 15 seasons in Philly (over two stints), become a fan favorite and eventually a well-regarded member of the coaching staff. I haven’t bother to do the research on Bouchee’s and Cardwell’s contributions to the Cubs, but I’m fairly certain that it’s safe to say their combined achievements while wearing a Chicago uniform paled in comparison to what Taylor brought to the Phillies. Yet, as much as he contributed, it is by no means a Hall of Fame resume — even if you combine the contributions of Doug Glanville and Manny Trillo (the other two notable trades where the Phillies came out ahead) what Taylor brought, you still don’t even come close to making up for any one of the unholy trio of disastrous trades the Phillies committed with the Cubbies.

I hope you’ll forgive me for not mentioning any of those three trades by name.