1986 Sportflics Decade Greats: 1960s catchers

 

Some really great photos on this card. Bill Freehan colliding with Frank Robinson, Elston Howard taking a big swing at Fenway Park, and Joe Torre showing off some enormous sideburns.

Joe Torre has had a long and eventful career in major league baseball. In eighteen seasons as a catcher and third baseman for the Braves, Cardinals and Mets, he hit .297 with 252 HR and 1,185 RBI. By far his best season was 1971, when he was the NL MVP, hitting .363 with 24 HR and 137 RBI for the Cardinals. He then spent 28 years managing the Mets, Braves, Cardinals, Yankees and Dodgers, earning enshrinement in the Hall of Fame for his four world championships with the Yankees. Torre is now Special Assistant to the Commissioner of Major League Baseball.

Elston Howard was the first Black Yankee and the first Black AL MVP. He was a left fielder and occasional catcher during the 1950s, splitting time with Yogi Berra behind the plate. He became the regular catcher in 1961 and in 1963 had his MVP season, hitting .287 with 28 HR and 85 RBI. Unfortunately an elbow injury the next season prevented him from building on this success. He was traded to Boston during the 1967 season, and his deft handling of the Red Sox young pitching staff was considered a key reason why they squeaked out a surprise pennant that season. In 1,625 games he hit .274 with 168 HR and 775 RBI. He hit six home runs in World Series play, and his diving catch in left field in Game 5 of the 1958 World Series is considered a key turning point in that series. After his career he was involved in a variety of businesses, including marketing the batting doughnut, which he helped to invent. He also owned a concession business at Yankee Stadium, a travel agency, an art gallery and served as Vice Chair of Home State Bank. During his playing career he was the first Black man to model for GQ; later, with the Yankees, he was the first Black coach in the American League. He died in 1980.

Like Howard, Bill Freehan's offensive numbers were not overwhelming, but he was an excellent defensive catcher and had a career year for the 1968 World Champion Tigers. That year he finished second in the MVP voting, hitting .263 with 25 HR and 84 RBI. He spent his whole career in Detroit, hitting .262 with 200 HR and 758 RBI over 15 seasons. After his career he was a coach and an announcer. He died in 2021.

None of these players are particularly hard to get most playing days cards for. Howard, in particular, seems undervalued to me. In terms of base Topps cards, for Torre I have 1964, 1966 and 1969-1977, for Howard I have 1957, 1959, 1963, 1964, 1966-1968, and for Freehan I have 1966-1970 and 1972-1977.