In celebration of the 65th anniversary of Topps baseball cards, my collection is going to be the subject of this year-long series.
Shortly after starting my obsession in 1971, the goal was to have at least one Topps card from every year.
Although the 1952 set is considered to be the first released by Topps, the company issued two series that was a part of the game a year earlier.
Two players from my 1959 cards are connected by one of the most famous moments in baseball history.
Harvey Haddix and Lew Burdette met on the mound in Milwaukee on May 26, 1959.
Although Haddix is depicted with the Cincinnati Reds on his card, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates before the season with Smoky Burgess and Don Hoak for Whammy Douglas, Jim Pendleton, John Powers and Frank Thomas.
Burdette’s card features him as a left-handed pitcher as he apparently played a joke on the photographer.
The Pirates were facing the Braves that day in Milwaukee when Haddix was tossing a perfect game until the fateful 13th inning.
Ironically, the two players who came with Haddix to the Pirates played a prominent role in the historic performance. Burgess was the catcher that day, while Hoak’s error at third on a ball hit by Felix Mantilla started the Braves game-winning rally in the bottom of the 13th.
The game also featured a Fred Merkle moment as Hank Aaron failed to touch a base on the game’s final play. Joe Adcock, who hit what was thought to be a walk-off three-run homer, technically passed Aaron on the base paths, so the hit was eventually ruled a double.
Unlike Merkle’s mistake, which ended the game and prevented a run from scoring, Aaron left the field and it was ruled as the second out of the inning thus allowing Mantilla to score the game-winning run.
The contest ended up being 1-0 victory for the Braves with Burdette recording a shutout. Haddix still holds the mark for the most batters retired in a row for one game with 36 straight.
Burdette blanked the Pirates for 13 innings on 12 hits without walking a batter and striking out only two hitters. The Pirates had three hits in the third and failed to score. There was another Pittsburgh threat in the top of the ninth, but Burdette got out of that jam.
The 1959 Season
Burdette made the National League all-star team for the second time after earning his first honor in 1957. He led the NL in victories with a 21-15 record despite a 4.07 ERA. His shutout the same day of Haddix’s performance was one of a league-leading four that he had that season.
In his first season with the Pirates, Haddix finished 12-12 with a 3.13 ERA. He also won his second Gold Glove. He earned one with the Reds a year earlier and picked up his last in 1960.
Another Connection
Although it wasn’t in 1959, Haddix and Burdette were both the winning pitcher in a seventh game of a World Series against the New York Yankees.
Burdette did it first in 1957. He clinched the title for the Braves that year with his third win of the series as he tossed a complete game shutout. He also blanked the Yankees in the fifth contest and won the second as he was named the Most Valuable Player of the series. The following season, the Braves and Yankees returned to the Fall Classic, but Burdette went 1-2 in that series as the Yankees defeated the Braves in seven games.
Haddix benefited from Bill Mazeroski‘s series-ending homer in 1960 to earn his victory as the Pirates defeated the Yankees. He also started a won the fifth game of that series.
Long Careers
Burdette pitched in the majors for 18 years with 13 of those with the Braves in Milwaukee where he won 179 of his 203 victories. His first season was in 1950 with the Yankees as a 23-year old. The following year, he was traded to the Braves for Johnny Sain. Later in 1963, he was sent to the St. Louis Cardinals before ending his career in 1967 after spending time with the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and California Angels.
Haddix was in the big leagues for 14 years with a 136-113 record. Beginning his career with the Cardinals in 1952, he would become an three-time all-star from 1953 to 1955. His best season was in 1953 when he was 20-9 and had a NL best six shutouts as he finished second in the Rookie-of-the-Year behind Jim Gilliam of the Brooklyn Dodgers. He joined the Phillies in 1956 and then the Reds in 1958. After playing for the Pirates from 1959 to 1963, he spent his final two seasons with Baltimore.