Final Card - Mike White

This is the final card for Mike White (#31). It's also one of the few 1965 cards that shows the ".45s" logo on the cap.

1965 was the first season the team was named "Astros", and Topps wasn't up to speed at the start of the season. The Astros' cards in the first few series all have "Houston" on the pennant and either capless or airbrushed photos. This is one of the few (also Turk Farrell and Walt Bond) that escaped the airbrusher.

White was signed by the Indians in 1959, and played 2 seasons in their organization as a 3rd baseman before he was released in December 1960.

The expansion Angels signed him in April 1961, and after 1 season with their double-A team, he was drafted by the Colt .45s in the minor-league draft.

White only played 3 seasons for Houston. His debut came with 3 games in a September 1963 call-up, then 89 games during 1964. His final major-league action was 8 games in 1965, the last coming on May 5th.

After that it was back to the bush leagues, with the Astros ('65), Angels ('66), and Cubs ('67-'69) before retiring.

Mike's father Jo-Jo White played for the Tigers in the 1930s.

Final Card - Don Lee

This is the final card for pitcher Don Lee (#595). He had a card every year from 1957-65, except for 1958. Although he already had a card in the 1957 set as a Tiger, his 1959 card was a Sporting News Rookie Stars card.

Lee was signed by the Tigers in 1956, and played in the minors from 1956-59, while also appearing in 11 games for Detroit in '57 and one game in '58.

During the 1959-60 off-season, he was traded to the Braves, then selected by the Senators in the Rule 5 draft. He made the majors for good at the start of 1960, and pitched in 44 games (20 starts) while logging the 2nd-most innings of any Sens’ hurler that year. (Not bad for a Rule 5 pickup!)

The team careened to a 73-81 finish in their last season before moving to Minnesota. In September 1960, Red Sox' slugger Ted Williams hit a home run off of Lee. Teddy Ballgame had also hit a homer off Lee’s father in 1939, thus becoming the only player to go yard against a father and a son.

Don pitched mostly out of the Twins' bullpen in 1961, and in May 1962 was traded to the Angels. Lee remained with the Angels through June 1965. Initially a starter, by 1964 he was mostly a reliever.

The Angels traded Lee to the Astros in June 1965 for outfielder Al Spangler. One year later, he was flipped to the Cubs. He appeared in 25 games (but only 37 innings) in 1966, his final season.

He pitched in the minors in '66 and '67 before retiring.

Final Card - Dick Sisler

After a long playing career, Dick Sisler (#158) had a very short career as a manager for the Reds. He split the managing duties with the ailing Fred Hutchinson in 1964, then put in a full season in 1965 before he was dismissed following the season.

Sisler (whose father George was a Hall of Fame 1st baseman for the St. Louis Browns in the 1910s and 1920s, and was the AL MVP in 1922) was signed by the Cardinals in 1939, and played for St. Louis in ’46 and ’47.

He may be best known as an outfielder for the Phillies’ “Whiz Kids” teams from 1948-51, playing alongside Richie Ashburn and Del Ennis. (Actually, he played 1st base in ’48 and ’49).

After the 1951 season, he and others were traded to the Reds for catcher Smoky Burgess and others. After 11 games, he returned to the Cardinals, where he played through the 1953 season.

After his playing career, he managed in the minors, then became a coach for the Reds from 1961 until his appointment as manager. He later returned to coaching for the Cardinals, Padres, and Mets.

His brother Dave was a pitcher for several teams from 1956-62.

Disk Sisler passed away in 1998 at age 78.