here's another sheet of cards from the 1990 target dodgers set. let's get down to business.
george boehler
boehler didn't pitch for brooklyn until he joined the robins for the 1926 season - the last of his big league career that began in 1912. he didn't spend all 15 years in between in the majors, however, as he spent a few full seasons in the minor leagues where he won over 20 games 7 times (including 38 in 1922). at any rate, he was 1-0 for the robins in 10 appearances in 1926.
jack burdock
burdock actually joined the brooklyn ballclub in 1888, a couple of years before they joined the national league. he spent the next two years managing in the atlantic league, but returned to the grooms in 1891, their second year in the senior league. he went 1 for 12 with a walk in three games, but earned a card in this set.
wes ferrell
ferrell was a two-time all-star who also finished second in the mvp voting in 1935 behind hank greenberg. he was a good hitting pitcher (perhaps that's why a photo of him with a bat was used on his card) who retired with a .280 batting average. ferrell signed with the dodgers as a free agent in 1940, but pitched in just one game for the team after which he was released. that followed his first appearance fot the dodgers in which he struck out as a pinch-hitter.
len gabrielson
gabrielson finished his major league career with 3-plus seasons as a dodger. acquired in a trade with the angels during the 1967 season, gabrielson actually led the 1968 dodger team with 10 home runs. year of the pitchers, indeed.
jack jenkins
jenkins grew up in virginia, so it must have been a thrill for him to break into the major leagues with the washington senators in 1962. he was just 19 at the time, and the first team he faced was the other local squad - the baltimore orioles. pitching in baltimore, jenkins struck out the first batter he faced, but later gave up a couple of home runs. he relieved in another game at new york, and then got a start against the red sox in boston. he pitched a complete game, but it was of the 8.1 inning variety as the bosox walked off on a home run. jenkins appeared in four games for the senators in 1963, and then didn't appear in the majors until 1969 when the dodgers purchased his contract and called him up. he made just one appearance for the blue, pitching a perfect inning in relief against the astros on september 30. the last batter he faced was hall of famer joe morgan, who was retired on a comebacker. the following year, jenkins pitched in the dodgers' minor league system and he also found himself on a 1970 topps card, sharing space with bill buckner, but he never made it back to the big leagues.
lou johnson
sweet lou was acquired by the dodgers in 1964 from the tigers for larry sherry. he didn't appear in the majors as a dodger until 1965, however, but helped the team win the world series by hitting .296 with a couple of home runs against the twins. johnson also led all dodger regulars with four hits in the 1966 world series against the orioles. he continues to be involved in the dodger community by making appearances for the team at various functions and signing autographs before select home games.
candy lachance
lachance was considered to be a good fielder, and was moved from catcher to first base after being called up by the grooms in 1893. he played mostly first for brooklyn through 1898, amassing a .290 average in 559 games. after one season with the cleveland blues in 1901, lachance played for the boston americans (later known as the red sox) and was a member of their 1903 team that won the first world series.
jeffrey leonard
leonard never got to trot around the bases with one flap down as a dodger. the undrafted free agent was signed by the club in 1973 and made his debut as a dodger in september of 1977. he was 3 for 10 with a triple and a walk in that time, but didn't hit a home run. leonard was dealt to houston the following year for joe ferguson.
gus mancuso
mancuso began his career with the cardinals in 1928, and was the backup catcher on their pennant winning teams of 1930 and 1931 - they were world champs in the latter. from there he went to the new york giants where he was the primary catcher on their 1933 world championship team, as well as their 1936 and 1937 pennant winning clubs, although he missed a fair amount of the '37 season due to injury. the cubs traded for mancuso in december of 1938 and dealt him to the dodgers a year later. in his one year in brooklyn, mancuso hit .229 in 60 games and the club decided they needed a different catcher. so, in december of 1940, they sent mancuso to the cardinals in exchange for mickey owen. sure, the dodgers would win the pennant in 1941, but owen would famously be unable to catch the third strike with two outs in the 9th inning of game 4 of the world series, allowing the yankees to rally and win a game that they should have lost.
jack perconte
perconte may be best known in these circles as the other guy on fernando valenzuela and mike scioscia's 1981 topps rookie card. he had a couple callups with the dodgers, first in 1980 and again in 1981, but the team decided that steve sax was their second baseman of the future and so included perconte in the rick sutcliffe trade with the indians that followed the 1981 world series.
earl robinson
robinson played for the dodgers in his rookie year of 1958. he appeared in 8 games and was 3 for 15 with a walk and then spent the next two seasons with the dodgers' triple-a affiliates. after that, robinson had his contract purchased by the orioles, and he found some success at the big league level in baltimore during the early 1960's.
cotton tierney
tierney finished his 6-year major league career with a season in brooklyn in 1925. previously a second baseman for the pirates, phillies, and braves, the robins used him mostly at third base. he hit .257 in 93 games and was sent to minneapolis of the american association the following year. he must have kept in touch with former teammate zack wheat, because they opened a bowling alley together a few years later. baseball reference also notes that tierney played in over 90 road games in 1923 as a result of being traded from the pirates to the phillies.
chris van cuyk
van cuyk pitched for the dodgers from 1950-52, the three seasons immediately following his brother johnny's three year run with the club. chris was 7-11 with a 5.16 era in that time, although his career had begun with a complete game victory over stan musial and the cardinals in july of 1950. thanks to the timing of his career, chris got a card in the 1952 topps set, and
he seemed pretty happy about it.
ed vande berg
left-handed reliever vande berg was acquired by the dodgers after the 1985 season for the catcher of the team of my youth, steve yeager. straight up. vande berg had been used by the mariners as a reliever (save for 17 starts in 1984), and he continued that role from the dodger bullpen in 1986. pitching in 60 games, vande berg was 1-5 with a 3.41 era and was only given the opportunity to save a game once (he failed to hold the lead in an extra inning game against the reds). after the season, vande berg was released by the dodgers and he signed with the indians as a free agent. there wasn't much of a trade legacy for steve yeager, was there?
hack wilson
wilson was only one season removed from his record 191 rbi when the cardinals traded burleigh grimes to the cubs to acquire him. however, before the 1932 season could begin, saint louis flipped wilson to the dodgers. he did pretty well in '32, hitting .297 with 23 homers and 123 rbi, but his numbers slipped in 1933, and he was released by the team during another disappointing season in 1934.
see you next week (most likely) with another sheet...
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