Astros Baseball Cards

Kevin Bass

2010-12-03T10:00:00.001-06:00

Kevin Bass was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2nd round of the 1977 amateur draft on June 7, 1977. By September 3, 1982 the Milwaukee Brewers sent players to be named later, Kevin Bass, Frank DiPino and Mike Madden to the Houston Astros to complete an earlier deal made on August 30, 1982. On August 30, 1982 the Brewers sent players to be named later and cash to the Houston Astros for Don Sutton. Up until this time most of his years were spent in the Brewers minor league organization.

During his first stint in Houston Bass was selected for the 1986 National League All-Star team.

In 1990 Bass signed as a Free Agent with the San Francisco Giants. On August 8, 1992the San Francisco Giants traded hi to the New York Mets for a player to be named later. The New York Mets sent Rob Katzaroff (minors) to the San Francisco Giants to complete the trade.

On January 5, 1993 Bass returned as a Free Agent to the Astros. He remained in Houston until 1995 when he signed with the Baltimore Orioles

Two of Kevin's sons (Garrett and Justin) were selected during the 2007 draft. Garrett played for a college about 40 miles from here; had I known that I probably would have attend a few games to see him play.

Bruce Bochy

2010-11-09T18:08:00.004-06:00

If you don't know who Bruce Bochy is chances are you didn't follow the World Series this year. Bruce is the manager of the Giants...you know, the team that beat those other guys from Texas a little over a week ago.

But, most importantly, Bruce once played for a Texas team himself. And, since this is an Astros blog, you've probably guessed by now it wasn't the Rangers.

Bochy was drafted in the 1st round (24th pick) by Houston in 1975. He had been drafted by the White Sox prior to that but did not sign. His first season in the majors wasn't until 1978; he would play for he Astros until 1980, and by 1981 he was traded to the Mets. He spent that year with the Mets' farm team, then played the '82 season back in the majors.

The Mets released him in 1983 and he was picked up by the Padres where he would continue to play through 1987. While he was with the Padres he was in his first World Series (played one game during the '84 Series).

He has also managed for San Diego (1995-2006). During his second season with the Padres he was named the National League Manager of the Year. Two years after that (1998) he led them to the World Series against the New York Yankees (but lost).

The 2007 season saw Bruce as the manager of the Giants. And of course, a few years later he's back at a World Series. Congratulations, Mr. Bochy, and thanks for signing my card! It took a long time to get it back but it's well worth the wait.

Sent off: June 22, 2009
Received: November 9, 2010

Trivia: Bruce Bochy was born in France (dad was in the US military serving overseas)

Lee Thomas

2010-10-17T09:28:00.005-05:00

Lee Thomas started his career in the minors with the Yankees in 1955. In 1961 he finally broke into the majors; however, after only playing two games for New York, he was traded to the Angels, which was a new expansion team that year. After a couple years in LA he played briefly for the Red Sox, the Braves, and the Cubs before ending up in Houston in 1968.

Lee finished out his playing career in Japan in 1969 but by the early '70s went back to the minors as a coach for St. Louis. He eventually ended up in the front office. He also spent time in the front office of the Phillies and was once named Executive of the Year for all of Major League Baseball. He has also worked for the Red Sox and Brewers as part of their staff.

Thomas is currently a scout for the Astros.

(Card was mailed 10/28/09 and received back on 11/10/09)

Domingo Jean

2010-08-05T09:39:00.001-05:00

Domingo Jean, initially signed by the White Sox, only played one season in the majors (ten games as a matter of fact), and that was with the New York Yankees. The Yankees traded Domingo Jean to Houston for Xavier Hernandez in November of 1993. He never played on the pro level as an Astro but did play two seasons in Tucson before being traded to the Rangers for Roger Luce (never heard of this guy but I'm willing to bet we're related).

Jean continued to play for nearly ten years in the minors after his brief stint with the Houston organization. He retired in 2003 after a shoulder injury. Currently he is teaching others at his training academy in Florida, the Domingo Jean Baseball Academy. You can learn more by visiting his website.

Brian Hunter

2010-06-16T10:50:00.002-05:00

Brian Hunter was signed in 1989 by Houston in the 2nd round of the amateur draft. He played several seasons in the minors, including stints with the Gulf Coast League Astros, Asheville Tourists, Osceola Astros, Jackson Generals, and finally Tucson Toros in 1994. During the '94 season he was bumped up to the majors and would remail in Houston through 1996. On December 10, 1996 he was traded with Doug Brocail, Todd Jones, and Orlando Miller to the Detroit Tigers for Brad Ausmus, Jose Lima, Trever Miller, C.J. Nitkowski and Daryle Ward.

While he was with Detroit he led the American League with 74 stolen bases (1997).

He also had somewhat brief stints with the Mariners (where he again let the AL in stolen bases, this time in '99), Rockies, Reds, and Phillies from 1999-2001. But, by 2002 he would return to Houston for two more seasons.

Ron Brand

2010-05-28T08:25:00.001-05:00

Brand was selected by the Houston Colt .45s in the 1964 rule 5 draft. He had originally been signed by the Pirates, where he played several years in the minors and one in the majors (1963). So, after spending all of 1964 on one of Pittsburgh's farm teams, he would then become an Astro. Ron and John Bateman would be the two main catchers for the Astros. Both eventually ended up being drafted by the Expos in 1968.

Ron hit a triple for the Astros first hit in the 'Dome on April 9, 1965 in an exhibition game against the Yankees.

Jose Lima, 1972-2010

2010-05-23T21:51:00.003-05:00

Today Jose Lima, former Astro, passed away due to a massive heart attack. Jose became a part of the Astros in 1997. He played for Houston through part of the 2001 season. In fact, though he played for several different teams he spent the majority of his career in Houston, compiling a 46-42 record from 1997-2001.

"It saddened me greatly to hear of Jose's passing," Astros owner Drayton McLane said. "He was truly a gifted person both on the field and off of it. He could dance, he could sing, but his best gift of all was that he was an extremely happy person. He just lit up our clubhouse with his personality, which was his greatest asset. Jose was not shortchanged in life in any way. He lived life to the fullest every day."

James Mouton

2010-05-17T22:35:00.003-05:00

James Mouton was selected by Houston in the 7th round of the 1991 amateur draft. He played for the Astros on the major league level from 1994 to 1997. By the next season he had traded to the Padres for Sean Bergman. After a year in San Diego he would play two more seasons, this time for the Brewers.

While checking out the internet to see what Mr. Mouton has been up to these days, I ran across a website for the Fort Bend Texans Sports Association, which feature several former Houston players. It seems Mouton was a guest coach recently. I believe I might have read once where he was coaching on the minor league level; then again, I might be confusing him with someone else.

Round Rock Express

2010-05-13T20:24:00.006-05:00

I attended my first minor league game this week. I'm currently in Austin, TX, which is just down the road from Round Rock, home of the Express. The Memphis Redbirds were in town and I attended the only home game that was held this week. Too bad this conference wasn't held in Houston so I could see the 'Stros in action. Back when I was doing parole I attended annual conferences every November and would take in a Rockets game while I was in town. Living out in the sticks has a tendency to make you want to catch all the games when you're in the big city.

I had a chance to see the Redbirds several years while visiting friends in Memphis. We stood outside the stadium but never bothered to go in and watch the game.

Anyway, I thought I'd make use of the free wifi in the hotel lobby and post a few photos. I think I did more walking around and taking pictures than actually sitting.

Norm Miller

2010-04-14T08:22:00.001-05:00

Signed by the Los Angeles Angels as an amateur free agent, Norm Miller would began his career in Houston as a result of the 1964 first-year draft. He was drafted by the Colt .45s in November and put on the Astros jersey the following season.

His first game was on September 11, 1965 in Los Angeles. In he top of the 8th inning he pinch hit for Danny Coombs and hit a single that advanced Ron Brand to second. Unfortunately the Dodgers beat the Astros 8-3 that game.

In April of 1973 Miller was traded to the Braves for Cecil Upshaw. He would play in Atlanta again in '74; the next year he was picked up by the Dodgers but then released.

According to his website for his book, 'To all my fans from Norm Who?', he has worked 30-plus years in marketing and advertising and "for the past 13 years (has) been associated with a publicly–traded bank headquartered in Houston".

Pete Harnisch

2010-03-22T08:13:00.001-05:00

Pete Harnisch was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 1st round (27th pick) of the 1987 amateur draft on June 2, 1987.

On January 10, 1991 he was traded with Steve Finley and Curt Schilling to the Astros for Glenn Davis. While in Houston he was on the '91 All-Star team. Also that year he struck out three batters on nine pitches against the Phillies, making him the 17th person in the NL and the 26th in Major League history to do so.

By November 1993 he was traded to the New York Mets for players to be named later. The New York Mets sent Todd Beckerman (minors) (December 6, 1994) and Juan Castillo (April 12, 1995) to the Houston Astros to complete the trade.

Baltimore Orioles (1988-1990)
Houston Astros (1991-1994)
New York Mets (1995-1997)
Milwaukee Brewers (1997)
Cincinnati Reds (1998-2001)

Cliff Johnson...and my radio debut

2010-03-05T11:52:00.001-06:00

Cliff Johnson was drafted by the Astros in 1966 in the 5th round. After a few years in the minors he made his major league debut on September 13, 1972.

By 1977 he was traded to the Yankees for Mike Fischlin, Randy Niemann and a player to be named later; the Yankees sent Dave Bergman (November 23, 1977) to the Astros to complete the trade.

During his career he also played for the Indians, Cubs, A's, Blue Jays, and ended up back in Texas with the Rangers before retiring in 1985.

Career highlights and awards:
World Series championship- 1977, 1978
Hit a Major League record 20 career home runs as a pinch hitter

In other news...

I had the privilege of being the guest on the morning show at KBHT 93.5 today. A good buddy of mine is the morning DJ, Jake "the Snake" Austin, and he asked me last week to be on today's Snake Farm (as his show is called; you Ray Wiley Hubbard fans will make the connection).

I had no idea this little ol' blog would be discussed; if I had I would have given a link to their web broadcast so all my loyal followers out there in baseball card blogland could listen in.

Dave Giusti

2010-03-04T08:49:00.001-06:00

Dave Giusti was signed by the Colt .45s in 1961 as an amateur free agent. He would eventually be traded by the Astros on October 11, 1968 with Dave Adlesh to the St. Louis Cardinals for Tommy Smith (minors) and Johnny Edwards.

A starter with the Colts and Astros, he was known for his palm ball.

Teams:
Houston Colt .45's/Astros (1962-1968)
St. Louis Cardinals (1969)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1970-1976)
Oakland Athletics (1977)
Chicago Cubs (1977)

Career highlights and awards:
All-Star (NL) 1973
Led NL in saves in 1971 with 30

After retiring from baseball Dave was an executive with American Express.

Doug Jones

2010-03-03T09:48:00.001-06:00

Doug Jones was drafted by Milwaukee in 1978. He eventually played six seasons with the Indians before signing with the Astros in 1992. He played the next season with the 'Stros before being traded along with Jeff Juden to the Phillies for Mitch Williams.

Jones, a relief pitcher, was known for his slow pitches that could always get the better of hitters that faced him. At the time of his retirement he was 12th in the majors with 303 saves.

5x All-Star selection (1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994)

Taylor Buchholz

2010-03-02T09:20:00.001-06:00

Drafted in 2000 by the Phillies for their minor league system, Buchholz was traded to Houston on November 3, 2003 along with Ezequiel Astacio and Brandon Duckworth for Billy Wagner. His first season with the Astros organization was spent in New Orleans, followed by two seasons in Round Rock with the Express. While in Round Rock he was called up during the 2006 season but was later sent back down to the Express that same year.

On December 12, 2006 he was traded along with Jason Hirsh and Willy Taveras to the Colorado Rockies for Miguel Asencio and Jason Jennings.

Bryant Nelson

2010-02-12T15:00:00.001-06:00

Bryant Nelson was drafted by Houston in 1993. He never played any major league games while with Houston, but did play in their minor league organization.

He was released by Houston in 1997. He was eventually picked up by Boston and played one season in the majors with them (2002).

Nelson currently plays in the Atlantic League with the Camden Riversharks.

Donne Wall

2010-02-04T07:36:00.000-06:00

Donne Wall was drafted by Houston in 1989. In 1995 he was the MVP for the Tucson Torros.

After a few years in the minors he played his first big league game on September 2, 1995. He eventually played for the Padres, Mets, and Angels before retiring in 2002.

Dean Hartgraves

2010-01-04T22:35:00.002-06:00

Drafted by the Astros in the 20th round in 1987, Dean Hartgraves would spend several years in the minors, mostly in Tucson, before making his MLB debut in '95. He continued to play for the Astros until 1996, however he was selected off waivers by Atlanta in June of that year. In '98 he saw some playing time with the Giants; at the end of the season he signed with the Padres but did not play any games with them. Instead, he would play in Japan in 1999 for the Chiba Lotte Marines.

Sent off 9/4/09; returned 9/12/09.

Derek Bell

2009-12-29T20:54:00.003-06:00

Drafted on June 2, 1987 by the Blue Jays in the 2nd round of the 1987 amateur draft, Bell spent several years in the minors before making his MLB debut in '91. During his time with the Jays he was voted the 1991 Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year and the 1991 International League Most Valuable Player. He was also a World Series champion in 1992.

On March 30, 1993 he was traded by the Blue Jays with Stoney Briggs (minors) to the San Diego Padres for Darrin Jackson.

Nearly two years later he was traded by the Padres with Doug Brocail, Ricky Gutierrez, Pedro Martinez, Phil Plantier and Craig Shipley to Houston for a player to be named later, Ken Caminiti, Andujar Cedeno, Steve Finley, Roberto Petagine and Brian Williams. The Houston Astros sent Sean Fesh (minors) to the San Diego Padres to complete the trade.

Bell would be known as one of the Killer B's during his time with Houston. However, after an argument with Dierker (who had just returned to the team after nearly dying) and the opinion that he was becoming a liability, he was traded to the Mets on December 23, 1999 with Mike Hampton for Kyle Kessel (minors), Roger Cedeno and Octavio Dotel.

Just short of a year later he signed as a Free Agent with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Apparently the past few years have not been good to Derek. In 2006 he was found to be in felony possession of crack cocaine. In 2009 it appears he was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia on at least two different occasions.

Tony McKnight

2009-12-27T17:21:00.003-06:00

Tony McKnight was drafted by the Astros in the 1st round (22nd pick) of the 1995 amateur draft. He played five seasons in the minors before making his major league debut in 2000. He would play in just three games in 2001 with the Astros before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Mike Williams.

Bob Lillis

2009-12-11T13:45:00.001-06:00

Bob Lillis was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1951 and played in thier minor league system for several years. His first major league game was in 1958

On May 30, 1961 he was traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers with Carl Warwick to the St. Louis Cardinals for Daryl Spencer. The Houston Colt .45's drafted him October 10, 1961 from the St. Louis Cardinals during the expansion draft. The Astros released him in in 1967.

A scout and instructor in the Astros organization from 1968 to 1972, he joined their major league coaching staff in 1973 and replaced Bill Virdon as manager on August 10, 1982

He was replaced by Hal Lanier in '85.

Mitch Meluskey

2009-12-09T16:04:00.001-06:00

Just like Chris Holt, Houston and Detroit were the only major league teams that Mitch Meluskey played for. Not only that, they were both born on September 18 (although two years apart). He finished fifth in balloting for the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2000 after hitting .300 with 14 home runs and 69 RBIs.

Houston Astros (1998-2000, 2003)
Detroit Tigers (2002)

Tom Griffin

2009-12-07T14:48:00.001-06:00

After being drafted by the Astros in the 1st round (4th pick) of the 1966 amateur draft, Griffin spent a few years in the minors before making his major league debut on April 10, 1969. He continued to play for the Astros until 1976 and was at that time picked up by the Padres.

Griffin's final game was with the Pirates on May 11, 1982.

Chris Holt

2009-12-04T07:50:00.001-06:00

Chris Holt was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1992 amateur draft. On December 11, 2000 he was traded by the Astros with Roger Cedeno and Mitch Meluskey to the Detroit Tigers for Brad Ausmus, Doug Brocail and Nelson Cruz.

Holt spent the majority of his MLB career with Houston, except for the 30 games with Detroit and 12 games with AAA Colorado Springs in 2002 before going to Japan.

He was a member of the Astros' National League Central Division champions in 1997 and 1999.

Astros (1996-97, 1999-2000)
Detroit Tigers (2001)
Yokohama BayStars (NPB) (2002-03)

Dave Meads

2009-12-03T11:09:00.005-06:00

It's time to start posting some more cards! I've gotten lazy and have neglected my blog. Actually, the last three or four posts were scheduled to be published while I attended a sex offender registration conference in Galveston, Texas. The week after that I was actually on vacation, though I spent most of the time going out of town; one trip to my rheumatologist, one trip to take my kid to the doctor, a visit for an eye exam for myself (getting my first pair of bifocals; these things are expensive and will eat up some of my baseball card funds!). Following all of that I had to do the Thanksgiving thing. Then, when I got back to the office there was a ton of work to catch up on plus I've been in court nearly every day.

So, now it's time to catch up on some cards! I'll start off with what came in the mail today: Dave Meads

Meads was drafted by the Astros in the 6th round of the '84 amateur draft on January 17, 1984. He spent several years in the minors until 1987. That year he played in 45 games. The next year he only played in 22 games with the Astros. He also played over 20 games in the minors during those years (Tucson). He retired in '89, still with Tucson.

Bob Abreu

2009-11-19T03:44:00.001-06:00

Bobby Abreu (aka "El Comedulce" (the candy-eater) and also "La Luche"), started his Major League career with the Houston Astros. He played only 74 games over two seasons with Houston before becoming the 6th pick for the Devil Rays in the 1997 expansion draft.

Abreu is currently with the Angels.

Awards (or, the Many reasons Houston should have kept Bobby Abreu rather than Richard Hidalgo):
1996 Houston Astros Minor League Player of the Year
1999 Venezuelan Winter League All-Star OF
1999 Venezuelan Winter League Player of the Year
1999 Philadelphia Phillies Player of the Year
2000 Philadelphia Phillies Player of the Year
2001 Philadelphia Phillies Player of the Year
2004 NL Silver Slugger Award (OF)
2004 MLB All-Star
2005 NL Player of the Month (April)
2005 NL Gold Glove Award (OF)
2005 MLB All-Star
2005 Winner of the Home Run Derby at the MLB All-Star game. (41 home runs over 3 rounds)
2009 AL Player of the Month (July)

Chris Gardner

2009-11-18T15:46:00.001-06:00

Chris Gardner was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 6th round of the 1988 amateur draft. He played five games in the major leagues in 1991. From 1988 to 1995 he played in a total of 116 games in the minors for various Astros farm teams.

Andy Mota

2009-11-17T09:44:00.001-06:00

Andy Mota was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 6th round of the 1985 amateur draft, but did not sign. In 1987 he was drafted by the Astros in the 12th round of the 1987 amateur draft.

He played 27 games in the majors in 1991 (with Houston). Most of his career was spent in the minors (1987-1994), with the majority of that spent with the Houston organization.

Andy is the son of Manny Mota.

Alvin Morman

2009-11-16T10:43:00.001-06:00

Morman was drafted by the Astros in the 39th round of the 1991 amateur draft. He spent six seasons with Houston and one season with them in the majors. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians for Jose Cabrera; eventually traded in 1998 by the Indians with Shawon Dunston and Jose Mesa to the San Francisco Giants for Jacob Cruz and Steve Reed. Signed as a Free Agent with the Kansas City Royals in 1998 and released a year later.

Following his baseball career, Morman received a master’s degree in school counseling from North Carolina Central University, and is currently a guidance counselor at a public school.

Mark McLemore

2009-11-15T15:40:00.001-06:00

Mark McLemore was drafted in the 4th round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Oregon State University. McLemore made his big league debut for the Astros on May 24, 2007, pitching one inning of relief against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He missed the entire 2008 season due to elbow surgery but made it back to the Round Rock Express last season.

Glenn Wilson

2009-11-12T08:21:00.001-06:00

Glenn Wilson played his first pro game with the Tigers in 1982; he was drafted in the first round in 1980. After playing for the Phillies (1984-87), Mariners (1988) and the Pirates (1988-89, 1993) he ended up in Houston (1989-90) after being traded for Billy Hatcher.

Wilson was known as Glennbo, a reference to Rambo, once appeared in a Phillies promo ad dressed as Rambo. I'll have to tell my little brother about this (we started calling him Glenbo back around 1973, way before Rambo existed).

In 1979 he was on the NAIA All-American team. He played college ball for the Sam Houston State Bearkats (1978-80). It appears he applied as the head baseball coach there in 2006. That would have been great; at least I'd know where to find him so I could get a card with a better looking sig (still need to upgrade this one for my SHSU alumni collection).

George Bjorkman

2009-11-11T00:06:00.003-06:00

George Bjorkman was traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Houston Astros for Jeff Meadows (minors). On March 26, 1984 he was sent by the Astros to the Montreal Expos to complete an earlier deal made on February 24, 1984.

He had only one card issued (this one). You can see where he started to sign with a blue pen, which appeared to run out of ink, so he signed over what he had already written.

Sent off on5/28/09; returned on 7/21/09

Mike Simms

2009-11-06T08:46:00.001-06:00

Drafted by the Astros in the 6th round of the 1985 amateur draft
Debut: September 5, 1990
Final Game: October 3, 1999

Houston Astros (1990-92, 1994-96)
Texas Rangers (1997-99)

Mike Groppuso

2009-11-05T16:48:00.001-06:00

Drafted by the Houston Astros in the 1st round (44th) of the 1991 June Draft. Played minor league ball for Houston until 1999. Currently the baseball coach at Kingston High School in Kingston, New York.

Mike Cosgrove

2009-11-02T09:45:00.001-06:00

Drafted by the Houston Astros in the 2nd round of the 1970 amateur draft (Secondary Phase). Major league debut was on September 10, 1972. Final game was with Houston on September 25, 1976.

Originally drafted by the Reds in 1969 but did not sign. In 1989, Cosgrove played for the Orlando Juice of the Senior Professional Baseball Association. In 1990 he pitched 4 games in the Senior Professional Baseball Association for the Florida Tropics. It appears Cosgrove played three games this past summer with the Orange County Flyers of the Golden Baseball League.

Jim York

2009-10-29T08:07:00.003-05:00

Jim York played with the Royals from 1970-71. Following that he spent four seasons in Houston, beforing playing one more season in the majors with the Yankees (1976).

Jim Deshaies

2009-10-28T08:30:00.001-05:00

Initially drafted in 1978 by the Expos, Deshaies did not sign a contract until four years later with the Yankees. In 1985 New York traded him for Joe Niekro and some players to be named later. In '91 he was granted free agency; he continued to play ball with several other teams until 1995.

Deshaies remained in baseball after his retirement. He has been in broadcasting, both on television and in radio.

Sent off on 11/1/99; returned 11/22/99

Fernando Nieve

2009-10-27T08:05:00.001-05:00

Fernando Nieve, aka "The Snowman", made his debut with the Astros on April 4, 2006. He had spent the previous five years in the minor league organizations. In March of '09 he was selected off waivers by the Mets.

I've never been a big fan of cards with signed stickers, and I'd honestly have to say this was one of the ugliest cards produced (no offense to the Snowman). What was Donruss thinking when they produced this series?

Al Osuna

2009-10-24T08:26:00.001-05:00

Al Osuna pitched for Houston for three years (1990-93); prior that that he spent a few years with their minor league teams.

He was drafted twice in 1985 (Orioles and then the Padres) but did not sign. In '87 he signed with Houston. He was traded in 1994 to the Dodgers for James Daspit.

Is it just me or is the '91 Donruss Rookie set the ugliest set ever released?

John Mizerock

2009-10-23T08:27:00.000-05:00

Drafted on June 5, 1979 by the Astros in the 1st round (8th pick) of the 1979 amateur draft, Mizerock would spend several seasons in the minors before making his major league debut in '83. He remained with Houston until released three years later.

Since retiring from playing he has managed in both levels. Last season he was with the Royals as a bullpen coach but it was announced two weeks ago that he would not be returning. Dayton Moore claims it was a "philosophical change".

Sent off on 5/5/00; returned 12/7/00

Alan Knicely

2009-10-22T12:24:00.001-05:00

Alan Knicely was drafted by the Astros in the 3rd round of the 1974 amateur draft. After spending some time in the minors he finally made it up to the big leagues on August 12, 1979. He spent most of his time in the majors as a back up catcher.

On March 31, 1983 he was traded by the Astros to the Cincinnati Reds for Bill Dawley and Tony Walker.

*Southern League MVP, 1979 (shared with Danny Heep)
*American Association MVP, 1984
*The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year, 1984

The first card shown reminded me of a song by some other folks from Houston...

"Now go out and get yourself some big black frames
With the glass so dark they won't even know your name
And the choice is up to you cause they come in two classes:
Rhinestone shades or cheap sunglasses!"

TTM 6/29/09---10/19/09

Gene Pentz

2009-10-22T08:23:00.001-05:00

Here's a card I received this week; it's been a while since one has been sent back inscribed so I was quite pleased. I just wish I had a better card, rather than one that is so dark.

In December of 1975 Pentz was traded by the Detroit Tigers with Terry Humphrey, Mark Lemongello and Leon Roberts to the Astros for Jim Crawford, Milt May and Dave Roberts. He was released in September of 1978 and picked up by the Pirates.

Sent off on 10/5/09 and received back on 10/20/09

Jim Gentile

2009-10-21T13:14:00.000-05:00

Diamond Jim Gentile first played in the majors with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1957. He ended up in Houston in June of '65 after being traded by Kansas City. By July of the following year he was traded to the Indians.

Gentile hit 46 home runs in 1961 while with the Orioles, including a new AL season record of five grand slams. That year he hit grand slams in consecutive innings during one game.

Sent off on 9/10/09; returned 10/16/09

Tommy Helms

2009-10-20T08:15:00.001-05:00

Helms made his major league debut September 23, 1964 with the Reds.

On November 29, 1971 he was traded by Cincinnati with Lee May and Jimmy Stewart to the Astros for Ed Armbrister, Jack Billingham, Cesar Geronimo, Denis Menke and Joe Morgan.

In December 1975 he was traded to the Pirates for Art Howe.

Following his playing career he managed the Reds (1988-89), twice filling in for Pete Rose, including when Rose was suspended for betting.

Career highlights and awards:
2× All-Star selection (1967, 1968)
2× Gold Glove Award winner (1970, 1971)
1966 NL Rookie of the Year

TTM 10/5/09--10/13/09

Bobby Shantz

2009-10-19T13:12:00.000-05:00

Bobby Shantz's first game was May 1, 1949 with the Philadelphia Athletics. During the 1961 expansion draft he was picked up by the Colt .45s from the Pirates. By the following May he was traded to St. Louis for Carl Warwick and John Anderson.

Career highlights and awards:
*3x All-Star selection (1951, 1952, 1957)
*8x Gold Glove Award winner (1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964)
*1952 AL MVP

TTM 9/11/09---9/18/09

Phil "Scrap Iron" Garner

2009-10-15T08:44:00.002-05:00

Traded to Houston by Pittsburgh on August 31, 1981 for Johnny Ray, Randy Niemann, and Kevin Houston, Phil Garner would remain an Astro until the summer of '87, at which time he was traded to the Dodgers. In 2004 Scrap Iron but back on an Astros uniform when he replaced Jimy Williams as manager.

The next season the Astros played in their first World Series but lost against the White Sox. By 2007 Garner was released and replaced by Cecil Cooper (himself recently released by Houston). As it turns out, Houston announced this week that Garner is one of ten that will be interviewed to replace Coop.

As player:
Oakland Athletics (1973–1976)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1977–1981)
Houston Astros (1981–1987)
Los Angeles Dodgers (1987)
San Francisco Giants (1973)

As manager:
Milwaukee Brewers (1992–1999)
Detroit Tigers (2000–2002)
Houston Astros (2004–2007)

3x All-Star selection: 1976, 1980, 1981
World Series champion (Pirates)- 1979

Sent off on 3/5/09; received back on 3/13/09

Dave Veres

2009-10-14T13:02:00.000-05:00

Dave Veres was with the Astros from 1994-95, having signed with them as a free agent; prior to that he spent some time with the minors affiliates of Oakland and L.A. He was traded along with Raul Chavez to the Expos for Sean Berry.

Jeff Juden

2009-10-08T04:41:00.001-05:00

Jeff Juden was signed by the Astros in the 1st round (12th pick overall) of the free-agent draft in 1989. Most of his time with Houston was spent in the minors. He would play in only 4 games in '91 and just 2 in '93 before being traded along with Doug Jones to Philadelphia in exchange for Mitch Williams.

Jeff Calhoun

2009-10-07T07:39:00.000-05:00

Jeff Calhoun was drafted by Houston in the 3rd round of the 1980 amateur draft. He spent several seasons in the minors before being called up during the '84 season. He would stay with the Astros until he was traded to the Phillies in 1987 for Ronn Reynolds.

While he was was Houston he was a reliever with the 1986 National League West Champion; unfortunately, in Game 6 he managed to throw a few wild balls and the 'Stros lost 7-6.

These days Calhoun has been involved in the ministry at Second Baptist in the Houston area; he also coaches there on the high shool baseball team.

Sent off on 6/17/09; returned on 6/24/09

Eddie Taubensee

2009-10-06T07:38:00.002-05:00

Eddie Taubensee spent a season with the Indians before being traded along with Willie Blair for Kenny Lofton and Dave Rohde. He would stay with the Astros from 1992 through part of '94 before being traded to the Reds.

It looks like Eddie was playing in the dirt, found a ball and was thinking something along of the lines of "Hmmm...this looks familiar. I think I'm supposed to do something with this...but what?"

Raul Chavez

2009-10-04T16:46:00.001-05:00

Currently playing for the Blue Jays, Raul Chavez was a member of the Astros in 2000 and again from 2002-2005. He was originally signed by Houston as an amateur free agent in 1990 and played in several of their minor league divisions through 1995 before making his major league debut with the Expos in '96.

Denis Menke

2009-10-01T08:54:00.002-05:00

Denis Menke's first game was April 14, 1962 with the Milwaukee Braves. After six seasons with the Braves he played for the Astros (1968-71), Reds (1972-73), and again for the Astros in 1974.

In 1969 Menke and Jim Wynn hit grand slam home runs in the same inning.

While he was with the Astros he was an All-Star selection two times (1969 and 1970).

He was a hitting coach for the Astros for six seasons.

Sent off 12/22/07; returned 1/3/08

Dan Schneider

2009-09-30T09:50:00.000-05:00

In June 1962, Schneider was signed by the Milwaukee Braves. He played with them through the 1966 season (when the team moved to Atlanta) and then was traded to the Houston Astros. He played his last major league game on April 27, 1969.

Sent off 10/12/07; received back on 2/9/09 ( This is probably the longest I've waited for a card to be returned: 1 years, 3 months, and 27 days)

Mark Bailey

2009-09-29T10:49:00.000-05:00

Mark "Beetle" Bailey made his MLB debut on April 27, 1984 in Houston as a catcher, where he would continue to play until 1988. After that he would play a few seasons for the Giants.

Bailey would return in 2002 to the Astros as a bullpen coach, taking the place of Tony Pena. Prior to this he was the A Kissimmee Cobras and AA Round Rock hitting coach.

Sent off 5/5/00; received back on 5/18/00

Billy Wagner

2009-09-28T09:51:00.000-05:00

Billy 'The Kid' Wagner began playing in the minors after signing a contract with Houston in 1993. He played one game in the majors in '95, facing only one batter from the Mets. Two years later he played his first full season in the majors. He would play for the 'Stros until 2003 when he was traded to the Phillies for Ezequiel Astacio, Taylor Buchholz and Brandon Duckworth.

* All-Star selection six times, three of which were with the Astros
* 1999 NL Rolaids Relief Man of the Year
* Astros' all-time saves leader (225)

Tim Tolman

2009-09-27T18:48:00.000-05:00

Tim Tolman was with the Astros from 1978-85, going back and forth from the minor league affiliates to the majors. Following that, he played for the Tigers (1986-87).

He also had a brief career as a third base coach for the Nationals. Recently he has been with the Mariners as a coordinator of instruction.

Sent off on 5/5/00; returned on 5/19/00.

Buddy Bell

2009-09-26T09:55:00.000-05:00

Buddy Bell came to Houston through a trade with the Reds in June 1988; towards the end of December he would be released. He ended up signing with the Rangers to finish out his playing days the following year.

As player
• Cleveland Indians (1972–1978)
• Texas Rangers (1979–1985)
• Cincinnati Reds (1985–1988)
• Houston Astros (1988)
• Texas Rangers (1989)

As manager
• Detroit Tigers (1996–1998)
• Colorado Rockies (2000–2002)
• Kansas City Royals (2005–2007)

• 5x All-Star selection (1973, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984)
• 6x Gold Glove Award winner (1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984)
• Silver Slugger Award winner (1984)
• 1988 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award

Jimmy Stewart

2009-09-25T08:43:00.001-05:00

Originally signed by the Cubs in 1961, Jimmy Stewart (aka "Little Stew" or "Stewball") was traded along with Lee May and Tommy Helms by the Reds to the Astros for Joe Morgan, Cesar Geronimo, Ed Armbrister, and Jack Billingham on November 29, 1971.

Stewart would play to the end of the '73 season in Houston before retiring from baseball.

Sent off TTM on 11/1/99; received 11/8/99

Javier Ortiz

2009-09-24T20:50:00.000-05:00

Javier Ortiz was drafted by the Rangers in 1983 (4th pick in the 1st round). After playing for several years in the minors he was picked up by the Astros, where he played for two seasons (1990-91). He had traded to Houston by the Dodgers for Ed Vosberg.

He retired in 1995 after playing with the Nashville Sounds.

Don "Notty" Nottebart

2009-09-22T08:52:00.000-05:00

Don Nottebart's first MLB game was with the Milwaukee Braves on July 1, 1960. In 1963 he was traded to the Colt .45s (along with Jim Bolger and Connie Grob in exchange for Norm Larker) and would leave Houston two years later as an Astro.

Houston's first no-hitter was thrown by Nottebart on May 17, 1963 against the Phillies. He also gave up home run #500 for Willie Mays on September 13, 1965.

Don passed away October 4, 2007 in Cypress (near Houston), which is where he and his wife usually spent thier winters.

Larry Andersen

2009-09-21T08:54:00.001-05:00

Larry Andersen's first game was on September 5, 1975 with the Cleveland Indians. He would play with the Mariners and Phillies before coming to Houston in 1986. His last season here was in 1990. He would be traded for a minor league player that would become a legend for the Houston franchise: Jeff Bagwell.

Anderson was known for wearing a Conehead mask, along with Dave Smith and Charlie Kerfeld.

Andersen explains how wearing a conehead in the bullpen came to be in this interview with Ray Kerby: "The conehead idea actually came from Sparky Lyle when he was with the Rangers in '77 or '79, can't remember which year. He had one he got from Disneyland and I went to his house after a game one year with Ron Pruitt who was a teammate of mine with Cleveland. The next day Pruitt wore it during the anthem and got quite a reprimand from the ballclub. However it was hilarious and I decided I had to have one. So my next trip to the "small world" place I got one for myself. That's how it all started and I carried it with me from that day on, to all the clubs I played with".

Sent off TTM on 3/7/00; received 3/27/00

Rick Williams

2009-09-19T08:58:00.003-05:00

1978 and 1979 were the only years Rick Williams saw some major league action. He was originally signed by Houston in 1972 and played for their minor league teams until '78. He would return back to the minors and play until 1982.

Is it just me or do the poles in the background make Rick look like a puppet on a string?

Sent off TTM on 3/3/00; received 6/6/00

Denny "Good Wood" Walling

2009-09-18T20:39:00.003-05:00

Denny Walling began his big league playing days with the A's in 1975, where he would remain for only two years. In 1977 he came to Houston and stayed for over a decade.

Walling would spend some time with the Cards, then that other Texas team (who I will get to see not once but twice this weekend) before coming back to H-Town where he would play his final games. In fact, Walling would only bat three times that year, getting only one hit before retiring in April of '92.

Currently he is with the Orioles as their roving minor league instructor.

I sent the above three cards to Denny through the mail.

The next was included in a group of cards bought on eBay. Notice how his sig is slightly different on the 'D'.

Jerry Mumphrey

2009-09-17T09:52:00.001-05:00

I sent these to Jerry Mumphrey several years ago (mailed 11/19/99 and returned on 4/18/00); Jerry lives not too far from me in Tyler, Texas (home of the Tyler Rose, Earl Campbell).

Mumprey began playing with the Cardinals on September 10, 1974. He would play there until going to the Padres in '80 for one season. He came to Houston in '83 and would stay until '85. He played his last game on September 30, 1988 with the Cubs.

While he was with the Astros he was an All-Star selection (1984).

Hector Torres "La Malita"

2009-09-16T16:32:00.002-05:00

I'll do two posts today since it is Hector's 63rd birthday.

Hector was born 9/16/45 in Monterrey, Mexico. He began his major league career with the Astros on April 10, 1968 and would remain in Houston until 1970; in 1973 he came back. Prior to his second stint as an Astro he saw some playing time with the Cubs and the Expos. Following that he would play for the Padres before ending his playing career with the Blue Jays in '77.

Hector is currently the pitching coach for the Bowling Green Hot Rods (a farm team of the Rays).

I find this 1970 Topps card interesting for several reasons but one stands out: there's hardly any grass on the field. What's up with that?

Sent off TTM on 3/7/00; received 3/13/00

Bill "The Milkshake Man" Virdon

2009-09-16T07:07:00.003-05:00

Bill Virdon began his career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1955 (he was the Rookie of the Year, by the way) and would remain there until the next year. 1956 was also the year he began his first year with the Pirates, where he would play until 1965, and again in 1968.

After his playing days Virdon spent many years as a manager:

Pittsburgh Pirates (1972-1973)
New York Yankees (1974-1975)
Houston Astros (1975-1982) *brought the Astros from last place in 1975 to a divisional championship in 1980.
Montreal Expos (1983-1984)

Career highlights and awards:
World Series champion (1960)
Gold Glove Award winner (1962)
1955 NL Rookie of the Year
Led NL in triples in 1962 with 10

Sent off TTM on 3/7/00; received 3/20/00

Casey "Mighty Mite" Candaele

2009-09-12T10:50:00.001-05:00

Casey Candaele grew up in a baseball family; however, what sets him apart from the occasional father, brother, uncle, grandfather combination is that Casey is the only major league player whose mother played pro ball. Then again "naked batting practice" probably sets him apart from a lot of other players, too.

He began with the Expos in 1986 (after spending a few seasons in their minor league division) and played there until coming to Houston in '88 when he was traded on July 23, in exchange for catcher Mark Bailey.

Candaele left Houston in 1993 and spent some more time in the minors, played some for the Indians, then back to the minors.

Sent off TTM on 12/11/99; received 1/19/00

J.R. Richard

2009-09-11T13:51:00.001-05:00

J.R. Richard began and ended his career with Houston. His first game was 9/5/71; his final game was 7/14/80.

The last half of his major league career was by far his best; in fact, Richard was considered one of the best pitchers in baseball. He led the NL twice in strike outs, once in ERAs, among others.

Unfortunately he had a mild stroke on July 30, 1980. He almost made a comeback but because of his health that never happened. Then things only got worse. He was swindled out of a large amount of money, then lost even more after his first divorce. Richard remarried, only to divorce again. This time he would lose his home. Broke and with no home, one of the greatest players to have ever pitched for the Astros ended up living under a bridge.

Times are better for J.R. now. He's been involved in community work in Houston with children and with the ministry.

There's a lot more that can be written about J.R. and his rise to fame and his troubled past but I won't go into all those details. However, I found a video that ESPN did several years ago that is very interesting to watch. The quality may not be the best but if you've got a few minutes be sure to watch it.

Sent off TTM on 11/19/99; received 7/1/00

Xavier 'The X-Man' Hernandez

2009-09-10T08:00:00.001-05:00

TTM 8/24/09-9/3/09
I sent these off to Xavier in care of the Durham Bulls recently, where he is currently the pitching coach. I sent an extra of each card for him to keep, but instead he signed all and sent them back. If you want to trade for me just let me know.

Teams:

Toronto Blue Jays 1989
Houston Astros 1990-1993, 1996
New York Yankees 1994
Cincinnati Reds 1995-1996
Texas Rangers 1997-1998

Career Pitching Stats:
463 Games
40 Wins
35 Losses
35 Saves
562 Strikeouts
3.90 ERA

Andujar Cedeno

2009-09-09T12:19:00.000-05:00

Andujar Cedeno made his debut on September 2, 1990 with the Astros. He would play there until 1994 when he was traded to the Padres along with Ken Caminiti, Steve Finley and Derek Bell. After a brief stint with the Tigers in '96 he returned to Houston. His last major league game was September 15, 1996. After that he continued to play in his native Dominican Republic.

He was killed in an auto accident while driving home after a game on October 28, 2000.

Mike Madden

2009-09-05T11:18:00.000-05:00

Mike Madden spent several years in the minors with various teams before coming to the Astros in 1983. He would remain here until 1986.

•Selected by Pittsburgh Pirates in the 3rd round of the free-agent draft - did not sign (June 8, 1976).
•Signed as a non-drafted free agent by Milwaukee Brewers (July 18, 1979).
•Traded by Milwaukee Brewers with Kevin Bass and Frank DiPino to Houston Astros (September 3, 1982) completing trade in which Milwaukee Brewers traded cash and 3 players to be named later to Houston Astros in exchange for Don Sutton (August 30, 1982).
•Granted free agency (October 15, 1986).

Franklin "Cadillac" Stubbs

2009-09-04T08:42:00.001-05:00

TTM 8/17/09---9/1/09

I sent these cards to Franklin Stubbs care of the Inland Empire 66ers, where he is a hitting coach.

Stubbs' first game was in 1984 with the Dodgers. While he was with the Dodgers he played in the '88 World Series (who won, of course). He was traded to Houston in 1990 for Terry Wells just a few days before the start of the season. He played 140+ games for the Astros at first base until leaving for the Brewers. Bagwell took his spot at first.

I have doubles for each of these three cards and will trade. Both of the '91 Donruss cards have smudged signatures, though.

Rob Sperring

2009-09-03T11:18:00.001-05:00

Rob Sperring played for the Cubs 1974-76; prior to that he played some minor league ball for them after being drafted in 1971 in the 5th round. The following year he played in Houston (1977). Originally, he was traded to the Giants, but the next month the Giants traded him to the Astros, along with Willie Crawford, for Rob Andrews. He would remain with the Houston minor league division for the next two years (1978-79).

Sent off TTM on 12/11/99; received 12/24/99

Ed Hermann

2009-09-02T13:00:00.001-05:00

Baseball has always been and continues to be a major part of Ed Hermann's life. His grandfather, Marty Hermann, played for the Brooklyn Robins in 1918. Nearly fifty years later Ed himself was playing major league baseball, beginning with the White Sox in 1967. In 1976 he was playing for the Astros, where he would stay until most of the 1978 season.

These days Hermann is very active with charity events, such as the The United One Celebrity Golf Tournament which was held a couple weeks ago. He is also very much involved with coaching in youth baseball, including the DelMar Powerhouse Club, Anaheim Angels Youth Clinics and others. He is also the Director of West Coast Recruitment at Seminara Sports. It's always great to see former major league players giving back to the community.

Sent off TTM on 12/11/99; received 12/20/99

Turning up the heat
Mark Liptak interviewed Hermann awhile back and I found one comment of interest when asked about catching Larry Dierker's no-hitter. I always thought it seemed a bit warm in the 'Dome on some days. Maybe now I know why.

"It was a phenomenal day. I know it was hotter then heck at the Dome that day. The Astros deliberately raised the inside temperature because it helped their pitchers balls move more. Larry’s ball moved so much that day that he looked like J.R. Richard. He and I were in sync that day, I don’t think he ever shook me off. When I was with the Angels I remember Nolan Ryan telling me that he saw more pitchers lose no hitters late in the game because they would throw the pitch the catcher called for instead of throwing what they wanted.. I remembered that. Catchers can only suggest what to throw, the final decision is the pitchers."

Orlando Miller

2009-08-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

Orlando Miller played for the Astros from 1994-1996; he last year in the majors was in '97 with the Tigers.

His entire career spanned twenty years (1988-2008), playing anywhere from Rookie A to the Independent leagues, where he finished up with the Edmonton Cracker-Cats.

I bought this card (along with several others) on eBay a few years ago.

Jim Clancy

2009-08-27T11:44:00.000-05:00

I sent these cards off on 6/17/09 and received them back on 8/19/09. I have an extra of each that I will trade for another signed Astro card (or maybe any other player that interests me).

Jim began his major league career with the Blue Jays. He ended up in Houston as a free agent in 1989 and played here until '91. Clancy also spent a little time with Houston's AAA team, the Toros. He was traded during that last season to Atlanta for Matt Turner and appeared in the World Series that year.

He became a free agent again and signed with the Cubs; however, during spring training of '92 he decided to retire.

Dave Bergman

2009-08-26T08:00:00.004-05:00

I sent this card to Dave Bergman TTM perhaps ten years ago. It was his first card issued as an Astro.

Bergman was originally signed by the Yankees, but after playing only 12 games for them over the course of two seasons (1975 and '77) he was traded to the Astros, where he would play from 1978 to 1981.

Following his career with the Astros he played with the Giants and later with the Tigers. It was with the Tigers that he broke up a no-hitter by Nolan Ryan (which he discusses in part three of the video below).

Dave could have started playing ball right out of high school with the Cubs but decided to go to college instead. He obtained his business degree from Illinois State University, which paved the way for a career after pro sports. You can see what he's up to these days here: https://www.sigmainvestments.com

Sent off TTM on 12/11/99; received 12/27/99

Three part video series conducted for "From Glory Days":

Charlie Kerfeld, "Pterodactyl"

2009-08-25T08:00:00.005-05:00

Kerfeld began his career in Houston in 1985 where he would play until 1990. He also played for the Cardinals in '90 and later retired that year. He was known for wearing a Coneheads mask along with Larry Andersen and Dave Smith during games while hanging out in the dugout.

I sent these cards off on 8/11/09 and received them back on 8/22/09. I included an extra of each card, which were also signed and returned. Evidently Charlie didn't give the cards time to dry before putting them into the return envelope (the signatures are a little smudged, plus some traces of red ink was transferred to the backs of the other cards). Still, if anyone is interested in trading for my doubles let me know. If you're looking for perfection don't bother asking!

Harry Spilman, aka "Country"

2009-08-24T12:49:00.001-05:00

Harry Spilman began his career with the Reds in 1978. He played for the Astros twice (1981-85 and 1988-89). All together he had twelve seasons in the majors. During that time he racked up 117 RBI's.

He recently worked in the front office for the Texas Rangers. Prior to that he coached in the minors for the Nashville Sounds.

Milt May, aka "Fudd"

2009-08-21T07:48:00.002-05:00

Milt May spent 15 years in the major leagues, beginning in 1970 with the Pirates. He played for Houston for two seasons (1974-75), having been obtained in a trade with Jerry Reuss. During his days as an Astro he had the distinction of driving in the 1,000,000th run (Bob Watson).

Following his career as a catcher May coached for the Pirates, Marlins, Devil Rays, and Rockies.

Sent off TTM on 11/19/99; received 12/8/99

Alan Ashby

2009-08-20T08:46:00.001-05:00

Ashby's first game was in 1973 with the Cleveland Indians. In 1977 he played the first of two seasons with the Blue Jays; in fact, he was the first player acquired from a trade for the Blue Jays. His longest stint was with Houston, where he played from 1979-89.

Following his career as a player, Ashby worked in broadcasting in Houston; later on he managed in the minor league system. He started with the WhiteWings, followed by the Cobras (a class A Astros farm team). In 1997 he joined the Astros coaching staff. Currently he is on the broadcasting crew for the Blue Jays.

In 2000 he was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.

Sent TTM on 11/1/99; received 11/18/99

Harry Walker

2009-08-19T14:45:00.003-05:00

Harry Walker (1916-1999)

Here's a card I bought on eBay recently.

Harry Walker began his career playing in the majors on 9/25/40 with St. Louis. He missed playing pro ball 1944-45 while serving in 65th Infantry Division during WWII.

Here's an interesting article about Walker I found on Baseball in Wartime

"Walker was wounded in combat and earned a Bronze Star for "meritorious service in connection with military operations" and a Purple Heart for wounds received on March 22, 1945. At one time Walker's unit was ordered to hold a bridge and stop German troops trying to get across. Manning a machine gun on a Jeep, Walker was faced with an enemy that refused to stop. "So that's when I had to start shooting," he told author Frederick Turner, "and I just cut through the whole mess, and they were scattered everywhere, firing back and forth at you, and you're just out there on point like a sitting duck."

On another occasion he was on patrol when he ran into three German guards. "They came within ten feet of us," he recalled. "The only thing that saved us was they thought we were Germans retreating from fighting.

"Those three guards walked up to us, and one of them asked me, in German, where the Americans were. I asked them, in English, to surrender. Instead, he threw his rifle up in my face.

"I had a .45 caliber revolver, one that I'd bought myself ... I shot all three Germans. Five shots, and all five hit them.

"But it was close. That rifle was only about four feet from me when I started shooting. What saved me was that he was trying to get his safety bolt off. He couldn't get it off before I was able to get him."

Days later the war in Europe was over and Walker's next assignment was to organize baseball games for the troops. He located earthmoving equipment in Czechoslovakia and built a ballfield in Linz, Austria."

Before and just after the war he played in the World Series with the Cardinals (1942 and 1946).

As Player:
St. Louis Cardinals (1940-1943, 1946-1947, 1950-1951, 1955)
Philadelphia Phillies (1947-1948)
Chicago Cubs (1949)
Cincinnati Reds (1949)

As Manager:
St. Louis Cardinals (1955)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1965-1967)
Houston Astros (1968-1972)

Career Highlights:
World Series champion: 1942, 1946
National League pennant: 1943
2-time National League All-Star
National League batting champion: 1947

Scott Servais

2009-08-18T21:02:00.004-05:00

I met Scott Servais back in the spring of '91, not long after he was called up to the majors. The only card I had at the time was this card from when he played in Tucson.

Servais played from 1991 until 2001:

-Houston Astros (1991-1995, 2001)
-Chicago Cubs (1995-1998)
-San Francisco Giants (1999)
-Colorado Rockies (2000)

Prior to his days as a major league catcher he was a member of the Amateur World Series team, played in the Pan American games, and was also on the '88 Olympic team.

He is currently the director of player development for the Texas Rangers.

Bill Spiers

2009-08-13T20:56:00.004-05:00

After playing ball for the Brewers and the Mets, Bill Spiers came to Houston in 1996 where he would finish out his career early in the 2001 season.

During a game against the Brewers, he was attacked by a Milwaukee fan. I guess the guy didn't approve of Bill leaving his favorite team. Mike Hampton came to the rescue, though.

Spiers currently holds the Astros team record for reaching base in the most consecutive plate appearances with 13 in 1997.

I sent these two cards off on 6/26/09 and they came back today. I really like the 2000 Stadium Club and was worried that the slick surface might not hold the ink well, but it came back looking great.

The Upper Deck card looks pretty nice, too. The back mentions the fact that while at Clemson University he was named twice to the All-America team and also lettered in football.

Brian Williams

2009-08-12T22:20:00.005-05:00

Today I received this 1992 Donruss Rated Rookie card of Brian Williams from Zach of Autographed Cards.

Williams played in Houston from 1991-94 and again in '99. He was traded to the Padres in '94 along with Ken Caminiti, Andujar Cedeno, Steve Finley and Roberto Petagine.

He was the 31st pick during the first round of the draft in 1990. However, he had been drafted previously in 1987 by the Pirates but did not sign.

Zach also threw in a Scipio Spinks autographed post card.

Thanks Zach! I hope you enjoy the Jose Cruz card.

Pete Incaviglia

2009-08-10T21:57:00.002-05:00

Inky played his first season in Houston in 1992, just a couple years after playing for that other Texas ball club to the north. In '98 he came back to the Astros to finish out his major league career. He also played with the Tigers, Orioles, Phillies and Yankees. Pete also played a year in Japan, between a stint with the Phillies.

After retiring from the majors as a player Pete was on the coaching staff for Detroit's AA team. After doing that for a few years he became the head coach for the Grand Prairie AirHogs. I sent these two cards to Inky care of this independant team from the American Association on 5/1/09 and received them back on 5/30/09.

Ron Cook

2009-08-08T23:38:00.004-05:00

Ron Cook played two years in the majors; both years were with the Astros. During his rookie year he had an ERA of 3.72 and pitched in 82.1 innings. He played in 41 games that year. The '71 season was his last season in the majors. He played in only 5 games that year, finishing up on 9/16/71.

Cook saw some action in the minors prior to and after his stint in Houston. His last game was in '73 with the AA Denver Bears.

Sent off TTM on 10/5/99; received 10/10/99

Jose Cruz, Sr., "Cheo"

2009-08-07T20:35:00.005-05:00

Every time I think of Cruz I hear J. Fred Duckett yelling "Jose Cruuuuuuuuuuuz!"

Jose, aka 'Cheo' began his major league career with the Cardinals on 9/19/70 (the day after Jimi Hendrix left this world and five days before I entered it). In 1975 he began playing for Houston, and would do so until '87. He spent his last year playing with the Yankees.

I saw Cruz play one time back in '83; the next time I saw him on the field in Houston he was coaching first base.

*2x All-Star selection (1980, 1985)
*2x Silver Slugger Award winner (1983, 1984)
*ranked 2nd in most games played by an Astro (Biggio now holds this honor)

In 1992 Cruz's #25 was retired. In 2003 he was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame.

I sent these cards off 4/27/09 and received them back today. (I have an extra of the '81 Donruss that I would be willing to trade for an Astro that I do not have).

Doug Konieczny

2009-08-06T08:34:00.000-05:00

Doug Konieczny made his major league debut towards the end of the 1973 season with the Astros. He played in Houston until the first part of the '77 season. He was originally drafted by the Tigers in 1969 but did not sign. In '71 he signed a contract with Houston (the 4th pick in the first round of the Secondary Phase). He went back and forth from the minors to the majors, but did play one full season at the 'Dome (1975).

I sent this card off on 6/29/09 and received it back in the mail on 7/16/09.

Joe Niekro

2009-08-03T19:38:00.002-05:00

I'm back from a 25 mile canoe trip in the Ozarks and I'm ready to post some more cards (and forget about my sun burned feet and legs).

Here's a card of Joe Niekro I bought on eBay. I never had a chance to obtain a signed Niekro card either through the mail or in person, so I bought this one.

Joe made his debut in '67 with the Cubs. He played the majority of his career with the Astros (1975-85). Over all, he played 22 seasons and with a total of 7 clubs. During his time with Houston he was an All-Star selection in 1977 and the 1979 NL The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year. Additionally, he pitched in the World Series with the Twins in 1987.

Joe was known for his knuckleball, hence the nickname "Knucksie".

His only major league home run was pitched to him by his brother Phil on 5/29/76. I wonder how many times that has happened in pro baseball.

Joe died 10/26/06 of a brain aneurysm.

Barry Latman

2009-07-27T20:12:00.002-05:00

Barry Latman played in the major leagues for eleven years; the last two (1966-67) were in Houston. He made two appearances in the All-Star games with Cleveland during the early '60s.

Willie Mays hit his first grand slam off of Latman on 6/13/67.

I sent Barry this card (1967 Topps #28) in early June, only to have it returned (turns out he had moved). I found a new address and dropped it back in the mail on June 29th and got it back today.

Skip Guinn...again

2009-07-25T22:42:00.004-05:00

I finally got around to scanning my first Skip Guinn card. The card from the previous post was obtained from a large lot of cards won on eBay; this one was sent off to Skip several years ago for him to sign. Sent off on 11/1/99; received 1126/99

I like these old 1970 cards. This is probably my favorite set, followed closely by the 1963, '65, and '76 sets. This one shows Skip in a classic posed shot, thinking seriously about what pitch to throw. Gotta love it! This also is the second card from the early '70s that I've seen with a cop or security card standing close by in the background. I can't think of too many recent cards like this.

Vern Ruhle

2009-07-21T09:15:00.000-05:00

Vern Ruhle was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 1972. He made his major league debut in 1974 and continued to play for the Tigers through 1977.

He spent the majority of his career with the Astros (1978-1984). Houston signed him on March 28, 1978 as a free agent. Vern spent the last two years of his playing career with Indians (1985) and the Angels (1986).

Following his career as a pitcher he was a pitching coach for the Astros, Phillies, Mets, and Reds. Unfortunately, Vern was diagnosed with cancer in 2006 and passed away the following year.

Rocky Childress

2009-07-16T22:57:00.003-05:00

I sent Rocky Childress two cards on June 17th and received them back yesterday, July 15th. I had sent them to his address in Santa Rosa, CA and the postmark on the envelope that came back indicated that it had been mailed from Bend, OR.

Rocky began his career with the Phillies and played with them in 1985-86. He was signed back in '80 and spent several years in the minors before being called up. He was bought by the Astros in '86 and spent the last two years of his major league career with them (1987-88). Afterwards he again played for a few years in the minors before retiring in 1995.

Bruce Von Hoff

2009-07-13T19:59:00.002-05:00

I sent Bruce Von Hoff card #529 from the 1968 Topps set on 6/10/09 and received it back today. Mr. Von Hoff also sent a nice letter, which he also signed. In fact, he even signed the piece of cardboard I used to prevent the envelope from being bent--so three signatures total! In his letter he stated that it would "be a pleasure. Thank you for asking, you've made me feel special".

I always appreciate it when someone includes a letter with the card I've sent, and more so when they let me know how much it means to them.

Bruce was drafted by the Houston Colt .45's from the San Francisco Giants in the 1964 first-year draft. He played in three games in 1965. In 1967 he played in a ten more games in the majors. He spent the rest of that season plus five more games in '68 with the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs.

Johnny Edwards

2009-07-12T20:52:00.008-05:00

Johnny Edwards began his major league career with the Reds in 1961; he played with them to '67, then played with the Cardinals in '68.

Edwards was traded on October 11, 1968 (with minor league player Tommy Smith) to the Houston Astros for Dave Giusti and Dave Adlesh. After playing his first season for the Houston Astros in 1969 he finished 36th in voting for the National League MVP. He would finish out his career in Houston in '74.

All-Star selection (1963, 1964, 1965)
Gold Glove Award winner (1963, 1964)

Sent off TTM on 11/19/99; received 11/29/99

Carroll Sembera...'The Pencil'

2009-07-08T19:42:00.007-05:00

When I think of Shiner, Texas I think of excellent beer:

and Carrol Sembera:

Carroll was born there on July 26, 1941. Sadly, he died there on June 15, 2005. He made his debut with the Astros in 1965 and played for them until 1967. He then went to play for the Expos, which lasted until April of '70 (five whole months before I entered this world). After that he spent over a decade as a scout for the Mariners.

Sent off TTM on 11/19/99; received 12/3/99

Mike LaCoss, aka "Buffy"

2009-07-06T22:35:00.004-05:00

Mike LaCoss played for the Astros from 1982 to 1984. He was initially drafted by the Reds in 1974 and played with them from '78-81. He also played for the Royals (1985), and the Giants (1986-91).

He was known for his split-finger fast ball. You can see LaCoss here on his '84 Topps card where his arm appears to be melting; I guess he was really throwing some heat that day...

Joe Sambito

2009-07-01T23:21:00.003-05:00

This was probably one of the first cards I sent off through the mail to have signed.

Joe Sambito began his career with the Astros in 1976. He played ball for them until 1984. My first time to see the Astros was in 1983, but unfortunately I did not get to see Joe play; he missed all of that season due to an injury, which eventually led to his retirement from baseball in 1987. At that time he was playing for the Red Sox.

Joe still has a career in baseball...more or less. These days he is an agent representing other baseball players.

Willie Ansley

2009-06-30T21:18:00.005-05:00

I met Willie Ansley in the spring of '93. He was with a group of Astros (which included Scott Servais, Kevin Bass and Art Howe) that toured college campuses and other places to promote the upcoming season.

At the time I don't believe I had his '89 Topps; all I could find in my card stash was this minor league card from when he played for the Jackson Generals.

Willie was Houston's #1 draft pick in June of 1988. He played on several of the Houston minor league teams during a four year period but I don't believe he ever made it to the majors.