Final Card - Ken Retzer

Ken Retzer was a catcher for the Senators from 1961 to 1964. By the time this card came out, his major-league career was over.

Ken was signed by the Indians in 1954, where he worked his way up the ladder from 1954-61. In September 1961 Retzer was traded to the Senators, and got his feet wet with 15 starts that month, in place of regular backstop Gene Green.

In 1962, Ken split the catching duties with Bob Schmidt, starting 91 games (to Schmidt’s 71).

In the off-season the Nats acquire catcher Don Leppert from the Pirates, and even though Retzer started 95 games to Leppert’s 55 starts, somehow Leppert was named to the All-Star team.

Retzer began the 1964 season as the starter, but by game #6 was replaced by rookie Mike Brumley. Ken only managed 6 more starts over the remainder of the season, spending most of the season with triple-A Toronto.

He played in the minors from 1965-67 seasons. After 1964, Washington traded him to the Twins, who flipped him to the Astros in April 1966 for Walt Bond. In January 1967 he returned to the Indians’ organization, traded with outfielder Lee Maye for outfielder Jim Landis, catcher Doc Edwards, and pitcher Jim Weaver.

Final Card - Doc Edwards

Doc Edwards (#239) was a backup catcher for the Indians, Athletics, and Yankees in the mid-1960s.

He was signed by Cleveland in 1958 and played 4 full seasons in their farm system, before making his major-league debut with the Indians in April 1962. As the backup to Johnny Romano, Doc started 34 games as a rookie, mostly in August and September.

In May of the following season, he was traded to the Athletics for catcher Joe Azcue and shortstop Dick Howser (quite a haul for an unproven 2nd-year backup catcher!) Edwards alternated with Haywood Sullivan for a month, then shared the job with Charley Lau (acquired from the Orioles on July 1st) for the rest of the season. Kay-Cee used 4 backstops that season, with Edwards getting the most starts (58).

Doc was the #1 catcher in 1964, making 71 starts while sharing the load with Billy Bryan (who had opened the ’63 season as the starter before returning to the minors) and Lau.

1965 began with Edwards and Bryan splitting the catching duties again, but a month later Doc was traded to the Yankees for catcher John Blanchard and pitcher Rollie Sheldon. Edwards started 34 games behind Elston Howard over the next 2 months, but was sent down to the minors for the 2nd half of the season when the Yankees decided to go with young Jake Gibbs as the backup.

In January 1966, he was returned to the Indians in exchange for outfielder Lou Clinton, but spent the entire season in triple-A. One year later, the same thing: traded to the Astros with outfielder Jim Landis for outfielder Lee Maye, but played all of 1967 in the minors.

Edwards major-league career appeared to be over, as he moved on to the Phillies’ organization and played in triple-A for the ‘68 and ’69 seasons.

Prior to the 1970 season, the Phillies installed a new manager (Frank Lucchesi) and a new coaching staff, with Edwards as the bullpen coach. It appeared he would settle into the coaching ranks, until both Phillies’ catchers (Tim McCarver and Mike Ryan) broke their hands in the same inning of a game on May 2nd. The Phils called up their 2 AAA catchers Mike Compton and Del Bates the next day. (Neither played in the majors before or after 1970.)

After 1 month, Bates and his .133 batting average was sent back down, and Edwards was activated to help out. Doc got into 34 games (28 starts) over the next 3 months alternating with Ryan (who had returned in early July) and Compton. McCarver returned to active duty on 9/1, spelling the end Doc’s playing career.

Edwards coached for the Phillies for a few more seasons, then managed in the minors from 1973-85.  After managing the Indians from 1987-89, he again managed in the minors from 1993-2012.

Dick Bertell (#27)

Dick Bertell’s final card was in the 1966 set, but since that is one of the 6 dozen cards I am missing from that set, this card will have to do.

Bertell began his career with 5 games in 1960, and ended it with 2 games in 1967. In-between, he played for 5 seasons (1961-65) as the Cubs’ #1 catcher, although he never started more than 105 games in a season, and some years started less than half the games.

Dick was signed by the Cubs in 1957, and played in the minors until making his debut in September 1960.

For the next 4 seasons, he would platoon with others behind the plate, but played more than any other Cubs' catcher.

In May 1965 Bertell and outfielder Len Gabrielson were traded to the Giants for pitcher Bob Hendley, catcher Ed Bailey, and outfielder Harvey Kuenn. Dick finished up the ’65 season as a backup catcher with the Giants, and although he spent the entire 1966 season with the Giants’ AAA team, he had a card in the ‘66 Topps set.

Just days before the start of the 1967 season, the Giants traded him back to the Cubs, where he played 2 games (starting the first 2 games of the season) then was relegated to the bench until he was released in late-May.

Bertell passed away in 1999 at age 64.