Final Card - Barney Schultz

With this post, all teams but the Tigers are represented on this blog, The next post (Ed Rakow) will take care of that one.

Barney Schultz pitched for 7 seasons between 1955 and 1965, mostly for the Cardinals and Cubs. All of his 227 games were as a reliever.

Schultz was signed by the Phillies way back in 1944. His first 2 pro seasons were with the Wilmington Blue Rocks, the Phillies' class-B team. (In 1948, that team would also include Robin Roberts.)

Between 1947 and 1953 he bounced around the farm systems of the Tigers, Cubs, Braves, and Pirates.

Barney was traded to the Cardinals before the 1954 season, and after another full season in the minors he made his major-league debut in April 1955, eleven seasons into his career. He appeared in 19 games, but by mid-June (with an ERA of 7.89) he was sent back to the minors to finish the season.

Schultz spent the next 3 seasons in the minors for the Cardinals and (following a May 1958 trade) the Tigers. Detroit called him up for 13 games in mid-summer 1959, but then it was back to the bushes.

Barney was dealt to the Cubs in April 1960, and in mid-June 1961 he returned to the majors for the next 5 years (although spending parts of '64 and '65 in the minors). He pitched in 41, 51, 39, 30, and 34 games from 1961-65. In his June 1961 return, he pitched in both ends of a doubleheader on his first day back.

In June 1963 he was traded back to the Cardinals for Leo Burke. He also pitched in 4 games in the 1964 World Series against the Yankees.

Schultz pitched for the Cardinals’ AAA team in Tulsa in 1966, before retiring.

After his playing career he was a pitching coach for the Cardinals and Cubs.

He passed away on 9/6/2015, 50 years to the day after his final game.

Final Card - Bill Virdon

Here is the final card for long-time Pirates' center fielder Bill Virdon (#69).

Although mostly known as Pirate, Virdon was signed by the Yankees in 1950, and began his major-league career in 1955 with the Cardinals (having been traded for Enos Slaughter). Bill hit .281 in 144 games and won the Rookie of the Year award in 1955.

After 2 full seasons with the Cards, Virdon was traded to the Pirates in May 1956 for pitcher Dick Litlefield and outfielder Bobby Del Greco. (Whaaaaat? I never heard of Littlefield, but his record seems to indicate he was a journeyman starter/reliever whose career was winding down, and Del Greco was a young outfielder, but only progressed to so-so role player for bad teams like the Phillies and Athletics.)

Meanwhile, Virdon put in 10 solid seasons as the Pirates' every-day center fielder, playing alongside Roberto Clemente every year.

Virdon retired after the 1965 season, and became a coach for the Pirates. During the 1968 season he was activated for 6 games in July. One of our fellow bloggers has made a custom card documenting Virdon's 1968 season, which can be found in this collection of 1968 custom cards.

Bill also managed 4 teams, beginning in 1972. He manage the Pirates in '72 and '73. They won the NL East but lost the NLCS to the Reds. The following season he was replaced by 4-time Pirates' manager Danny Murtaugh in the final month. He moved on to the Yankees for 1974 and the first 100 games of 1975, until meeting the fate of many Yankee managers.

His longest managerial stint was wit the Astros. Hired in the final weeks of the '75 season, he stayed on until midway through 1982.  Along the way, his team won the NL West in 1980 (losing to the Phillies) and won the second half of the strike-split 1981 season, losing to the Dodgers in the playoffs.

Virdon's final manager job was with the Montreal Expos (1983-84). Since then, he coached off-and-on for the Pirates, and more recently is a spring training instructor for the Pirates.

Final Card - Frank Baumann

This is the final card for 11-year veteran Frank Baumann (#161). He played 5 years with the Red Sox and 5 years with the White Sox, then wrapped up his career playing for the Cubs in the first month of the ’65 season.

Baumann (BOW-man) was signed by the Red Sox in 1952, and after 2 seasons in the minors, he missed all of ’54 and part of ’55 while in military service. Upon his return he was assigned to the parent club in July and pitched in 7 games over the 2nd half of the season.

From 1956 to 1958, Frank played mostly in the minors, but also pitched for the Red Sox each season. His only full season with Boston was 1959, appearing in 26 games but with an ERA over 4.

In November 1959 he was traded to the ChiSox for backup 1st baseman Ron Jackson. Baumann’s best season was 1960, when he pitched in 47 games (starting 20) and compiled a 13-6 record along with an AL-leading 2.67 ERA.

Baumann never duplicated his 1960 success. He lost 13 games the following season and saw his ERA balloon to 5.61. His career continued to go downhill from there.

Frank was traded to the Cubs after the 1964 season for journeyman backup catcher Jimmie Schaffer. He pitched in 4 games (4 innings total) during the first 4 weeks of the season, then spent the rest of 1965 with the Cubs’ AAA team before retiring.

Final Card - Ed Roebuck

Ed Roebuck pitched in 460 games during his 11 year career, but only 1 as a starting pitcher. He pitched 7 ½ seasons with the Dodgers, and parts of 2 seasons with the Senators before wrapping up his career with 2-plus seasons with the Phillies. Philadelphia released him after the 1965 season, then resigned him early in 1966, but too late for Topps to include him in the 1966 set.

Roebuck was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949 and played 6 seasons in the minors, including the Dodgers’ AAA Montreal Royals from 1952-54, where some of his teammates were Tommy Lasorda, Jim Gilliam, Johnny Podres, Don Hoak, and Roberto Clemente. (Yes, Clemente once was a Dodgers’ farmhand, who the Pirates selected in the Rule 5 draft!) 

Roebuck made his major-league debut with Brooklyn in 1955, and led the staff with 12 saves as a 23-year-old rookie. He was a key member of their bullpen for the next 4 seasons, and pitched in the ’55 and ’56 World Series.

After spending the 1959 season in triple-A, he returned to the Dodgers the following year and pitched 116 innings over 58 games, compiling an 8-3 record. He was limited to 5 games in 1961, but bounced back in ’62 with another good season: a 10-2 record in 64 games (119 innings).

In July 1963 he was traded to the Senators for infielder Marv Breeding. Ed only lasted in Washington until the following April, when the Phillies purchased his contract to bolster their bullpen, which featured ace Jack Baldschun along with 18-year-old rookie Rick Wise, aging veterans Bobby Shantz and Johnny Klippstein, and organizational schmoes John Boozer and Dallas Green.

Roebuck compiled a 5-3 record with a 2.21 ERA and notched 12 saves in 1964, 2nd behind Baldschun's 21 saves. In 1965 Ed slipped to last-man-in-the-bullpen, behind Baldschun, newcomers Gary Wagner and Bo Belinsky, and ex-starter Art Mahaffey.

Ed was released after the 1965 season, but resigned with the Phils early in the 1966 season. After 6 games (totaling 6 innings) between mid-June and early-July the Phillies released him again, ending his major-league career. He played the remainder of '66 and 1967 with the Phillies' AAA team in San Diego.

After his playing career, Roebuck was a scout for the Dodgers, Phillies, Braves, Reds, Pirates, and Red Sox.

With this post, I have now featured every player (having a baseball card) who suited up for the Phillies between 1966 and 1970.