Thursday, January 15, 2015

Team Set Completion: 1960 Topps #486 Bobby Del Greco

At a card show this past December I picked up the last card I needed to complete my 1960 Topps Phillies Team Set.

1960 Topps #486 Bobby Del Greco

Bobby Del Greco was a journeyman outfielder who played for six different teams during a nine year career. He had two stints with the Phillies including his final major league game in 1965.

For a rather extensive chronology of Bobby Del Greco's playing career check this post at Diamonds in the Dusk

Following his playing career Del Greco returned to his native Pittsburgh where he helped raise EIGHT Children - I say help because he largely creidits his wife Catherine. Son Jim played collegiate baseball for U South Florida. His daughter Deinise was a star baseketball player at Baldwin HS (Pittsburgh). His Son Robert Jr is a prominent Pittsburgh attorney whose clients have included several professional athletes.



For the Collector
The card went for $1.50. At #486 the Bobby Del Greco falls in the semi-high series of the 1960 set. I imagine that Semi-Hi# status is the primary reason the card eluded team Phungo as Del Greco is not really a prominent Phillies player nor a fan favorite.

Finishing a 1960 Team Set is no small task. The Phillies checked 35 cards in the 1960 Team set according to TeamSets4U.  The list is below with Semi-Hi cards in bold and the High Series is Bold Italic. It is the last Topps Set to feature Richie Ashburn with the Phillies. Robin Roberts and the Sparky Anderson 2nd year card are the two remaining HoFs in the team set. Other notables include the Art Mahaffey RC, Johnny Callison, Clay Dalrymple, Dallas Green and Curt Simmons.
 
1960 TOPPS - PHILLIES

13 Wally Post
17 Johnny Callison
34 Sparky Anderson
52 Dave Philley
64 Jack Meyer
82 Ruben Gomez
97 Ted Lepcio
103 Dick Farrell
130 Frank Herrera
138 Art Mahaffey
167 Valmy Thomas
185 Jim Owens
194 Bobby Gene Smith
211 Taylor Phillips
226 Eddie Sawyer
251 Bobby Malkmus
264 Robin Roberts
285 Harry Anderson
293 Gene Conley
302 Phillies Team Checklist
319 Joe Koppe
331 Henry Mason
347 Ed Bouchee
366 Dallas Green
384 Don Cardwell
416 Humberto Robinson
438 Jim Coker
451 Curt Simmons

466 Phillies Coaches (Carter, Cohen, Silvestri)

472 Al Dark

486 Bobby Del Greco
511 Ken Walters

523 Clay Dalrymple

541 Tony Curry

549 John Buzhardt

2009 Heritage
Topps payed homage to the 1960T set in 2009 Heritage. The #486 card in the retro set bears no apparent connection to the original set as Del Greco's number is represented by Braves Future Hall of Fame Third Baseman Chipper Jones. 


Sources and Links
Baseball-ref
Baseball Card Database
Pittsburgh Post Gazette 1983 11 23 
Diamonds in the Dusk  
Teams Sets 4 U
Cardboard Connection
Dickie McCamey 
 

1 comment:

Paul Hadsall said...

Congratulations on finishing your team set.

a thousand words

a thousand words
2008 World Champions