06 October 2011

shirley, you can't be serious


hey, guess what?  bart shirley was a dodger double dipper.  the cool kind, too, with cards documenting his journey.  i almost didn't know about that part, however, thanks to another mix up over at teamsets4u. they didn't list his 1966 rookie card at all.
they just had grant jackson all on his own under the phillies team checklist.  i found this card by going through my topps book as i promised to do the last time something like this happened.  i almost wish i hadn't found it, however, as it is a high number (#591) and commands a pretty penny.  i spent about $70 on it, but it had to be had.

that's all well and good for 1966, but the next year, shirley was a met.  this rookie card was easier to obtain, thankfully.
the mets selected him in the 1966 rule v draft and kept him on the roster until late may when they sent him back to la.  he didn't show up on a card again until 1969, though.
that would be his final tribute, too, as 1968 was his last season in the bigs.  he signed a copy for me a couple of years ago.
so, what happened during his playing days?  well, shirley debuted for the dodgers in 1964 and played in 18 games that year.  he hit .274 and didn't appear in a big league game again until 1966.  that year, the dodgers called him up for 12 games and gave him 5 at bats.  he went 1 for 5 and then was lost to the mets in the rule v draft after the season. 

he was 0 for 12 in his short stint as a metropolitan and spent the rest of the season in the minors after being returned to la in may.  in 1968, shirley played in 39 games and got 96 at bats, hitting .181 in his final big league season.

yes bart shirley was a dodger double dipper.  i'm serious.  and don't call me shirley.

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