1961 New York Yankees Backs-O'-The-Cards Roster

MGR Ralph Houk 35

CH Frankie Crosetti 2

CH Jim Hegan 44

CH Wally Moses 36

CH Johnny Sain 31

CH Earl Torgeson 27*

C Elston Howard 32 (R-R) 

C Johnny Blanchard 38 (L-R) (OF)

1B Bill Skowron 14 (R-R)

2B Bobby Richardson 1 (S-R)

3B Clete Boyer 6 (R-R)

3B Billy Gardner 12 (R-R) (2B)

SS Tony Kubek 10 (L-R)

SS Joe DeMaestri 20 (R-R)

LF Yogi Berra 8 (L-R) (C)

CF Mickey Mantle 7 (S-R)

RF Roger Maris 9 (L-R)

OF Bob Cerv 17 (R-R) (retroactive designated hitter)

OF Jack Reed 15 (R-R) (1961 rookie card)

PH Hector Lopez 11 (R-R) (LF-RF)

PH Bob Hale 34 (L-L) (1B)

P Whitey Ford 16 (L-L)

P Ralph Terry 23 (R-R)

P Bud Daley 28 (L-L)

P Bill Stafford 22 (R-R) 

P Rollie Sheldon 45 (R-R) (1961 rookie card)

RP Luis Arroyo 47 (L-L)

RP Jim Coates 39 (R-R)

RP Tex Clevenger 26 (R-R)

RP Hal Reniff 18 (R-R) (1961 rookie card)

1960 American League Home Run Leader: Mickey Mantle (40)

1960 World Series Game 2: Mantle Slams 2 Homers

1960 World Series Game 3: Richardson Is Hero

1960 World Series Game 6: Ford Pitches Shutout

MGR Wayne Terwilliger 40* (Greensboro Yankees)

1B Earl Torgeson 27* (L-L)

3B Deron Johnson 43* (R-R) (OF) (1961 rookie card)

SS Fritz Brickell 42 (R-R) (1961 rookie card)

OF Leroy Thomas (L-R) (1B) (1961 rookie card)

P Bob Turley 19 (R-R)

P Duke Maas 29 (R-R)

P Art Ditmar 30* (R-R)

P Bill Short 46 (L-L)

RP Ryne Duren 41* (R-R)

RP Johnny James 53 (L-R)

RP Danny McDevitt 24 (L-L)

RP Ted Wieand 21 (R-R) 

* unofficial uniform number

1961 Topps Yankees Cards

MGR Ralph Houk 35

C Elston Howard 32 (R-R) 

C Johnny Blanchard 38 (L-R) (OF)

1B Bill Skowron 14 (R-R)

2B Bobby Richardson 1 (S-R)

3B Clete Boyer 6 (R-R)

3B Deron Johnson 43* (R-R) (OF) (1961 rookie card)

SS Tony Kubek 10 (L-R)

SS Joe DeMaestri 20 (R-R)

SS Fritz Brickell 42 (R-R) (1961 rookie card)

LF Yogi Berra 8 (L-R) (C)

CF Mickey Mantle 7 (S-R)

RF Roger Maris 9 (L-R)

OF Bob Cerv 17 (retroactive designated hitter)

PH Hector Lopez 11 (R-R) (LF-RF)

P Whitey Ford 16 (L-L)

P Art Ditmar 28 (R-R)

P Ralph Terry 23 (R-R)

P Bob Turley 19 (R-R)

P Bill Stafford 22 (R-R) 

P Rollie Sheldon 45 (R-R) (1961 rookie card)

P Duke Maas 29 (R-R)

RP Luis Arroyo 47 (L-L)

RP Ryne Duren 26 (R-R)

RP Jim Coates 39 (R-R)

RP Bill Short 46 (L-L)

1960 American League Home Run Leader: Mickey Mantle (40)

1960 World Series Game 2: Mantle Slams 2 Homers

1960 World Series Game 3: Richardson Is Hero

1960 World Series Game 6: Ford Pitches Shutout

1961 New York Yankees picture packs (Jay Publishing Yankees Cards, Manny's Baseball Land, Sports Service)

MGR Ralph Houk 35 

CH Wally Moses 36 (1960 Cincinnati Reds Postcards)

CH Johnny Sain 31  (1955 Rodeo Meats Kansas City Athletics)

C Elston Howard 32 

C Johnny Blanchard (OF) 38 

1B Bill Skowron 14 

1B Earl Torgeson 27* (1959 Jay Publishing World Series, Chicago White Sox)

2B Bobby Richardson 1 

3B Clete Boyer 6 

3B Billy Gardner 12 (2B)  (1961 Minnesota Twins Manny's Baseball Land) 

SS Tony Kubek 10

SS Fritzie Brickell 42 (1961 Jay Publishing Los Angeles Angels) 

LF Yogi Berra 8 (C) 

CF Mickey Mantle 7 

RF Roger Maris 9  

OF Bob Cerv 17 (1961 Jay Publishing Los Angeles Angels) 

PH Bob Hale 34 (1B) (1959 Baltimore Orioles Photocards)

P Whitey Ford 16 

P Ralph Terry 23

P Bill Stafford 22  

P Bud Daley 28 (1961 Jay Publishing Kansas City Athletics) 

P Bob Turley 19 

P Art Ditmar 30*

RP Luis Arroyo 47 (1961 Topps Stamps)

RP Tex Clevenger 26 (1960 Jay Publishing Washington Senators)

RP Danny McDevitt 24 (1959 Danny Goodman Los Angeles Dodgers)

RP Duke Maas 29 (1961 Manny's Baseball Land Los Angeles Angels)

RP Ted Wieand 21 (1958 Seattle Popcorn picture pack) 

*unofficial uniform number

1961 suggested cards:

1960 AL MVP: Roger Maris

1960 AL Slugging Percentage Leader: Roger Maris (.581)

1960 AL Runs Scored Leader: Mickey Mantle (119)

1960 AL Total Bases Leader: Mickey Mantle (294)

1960 AL RBI Leader: Roger Maris (112)

1960 AL Extra-Base Hits Leader: Roger Maris (64)

1960 AL Pinch Hit Leader: Bob Hale (19) (Cleveland Indians)

1960 AL Pinch-Hit RBI Leader: Elmer Valo (14) (New York Yankees-Washington Senators)

1960 AL Won-Lost Percentage Leader: Jim Coates (.813)

1960 AL Shutouts Leader: Whitey Ford (4)

1960 AL Putouts Leader, First Basemen: Bill Skowron (1,202)

1960 AL Games as a center fielder leader: Mickey Mantle (150)

1960 AL Fielding Percentage Leaders, Pitchers: Bob Turley (1.000), Ralph Terry (1.000)

1960 James P. Dawson Award winner: Johnny James

1960 AL Gold Glove Winner, Right Fielders: Roger Maris

1960 AL Gold Glove Winner, Pitchers: Bobby Shantz

1960 AL All-Star: Yogi Berra* (started both games)

1960 AL All-Star: Jim Coates

1960 AL All-Star: Bud Daley (Kansas City Athletics)

1960 AL All-Star: Elston Howard

1960 AL All-Star: Whitey Ford* (started second All-Star Game)

1960 AL All-Star: Bill Skowron* (started both games)

1960 AL All-Star: Mickey Mantle* (started both games)

1960 AL All-Star: Roger Maris* (started both games)

1960 World Series MVP: Bobby Richardson

1960 Sporting News All-Star: Roger Maris

1960 Sporting News All-Star: Bill Skowron

1960 Best MLB Regular Season Record: Yankees (97-57, .630)

1960 AL Highest Winning Percentage by a Team: Yankees (.630)

1960 MLB Most Wins by a team: Yankees (97)

1960 AL Most Runs by a team: Yankees (746)

1960 AL Most Home Runs by a Team: Yankees (193)

1960 AL Most RBIs by a Team: Yankees (699)

1960 AL Highest Slugging Percentage by a Team: Yankees (.426)

1960 AL Most Total Bases by a Team: Yankees (2,251)

1960 AL Lowest ERA by a team: Yankees (3.52)

1960 AL Most Assists by a Team: Yankees (1,794)

*All-Star Game starter

1961 Back-O'-The-Card: Ted Wieand

"Ted topped a fine year at Havana in 1959 with three wins in the playoffs. If he can keep up the good work in the majors, he's sure to stick.

Starting in baseball in '52, Ted's best seasons were '56 and '59, when he won 16 games for both Houston and Havana."

-1960 Topps No. 146

1961 Back-O'-The-Card: Bob Turley

"Bob came back in fine form in 1960. The right-hander showed that his fastball was one of the American League's best, as he won some big games.

Bob has won four games in World Series play. In 1958, he was voted the Cy Young Award winner."

-1961 Topps No. 40

1961 Back-O'-The-Card: Earl Torgeson

"Tall, bespectacled Earl spent two years in the minors, after which he spent three years in uniform on the roster of the Seattle club. He played 103 games in 1946, his first season after being discharged from military service, batting .285 that year.

The Braves bought him up for the 1947 season and he played 128 games, hit .281 and batted in 78 runs. Earl hit .253 for the 1948 pennant winners."

-1949 Bowman No. 17

"After playing 25 games and batting .260 in 1949, Earl injured his shoulder. He was out of action for the rest of the season.

The bespectacled first-sacker played two years in the minors, then spent three years in military service. Back in civilian life, Earl joined the Seattle club in 1946. He was with the Braves in 1947, hitting  .281, and hit .253 in 1948."

-1950 Bowman No. 163

"Earl scored the most runs (120) in the National League. He batted .290- his best in the majors. He drove in 87 tallies and hit 30 doubles and 23 homers.

Earl's 1949 average was only .260 but he played in only 25 games- a shoulder injury kept him out of action for the balance of the season.

First a member of the Boston club in 1947, Earl served in the armed forces for three years."

-1951 Bowman No. 99 (Bowman Gum, Inc.)

"One of the four National League players who took part in all of their team's games in 1951, Earl batted .263. He hit long balls that included 23 home runs, four triples and 21 doubles. He drove in 92 runs and stole 20 bases.

Earl first joined the Braves in 1947. He entered the pro ranks in 1941."

-1952 Bowman No. 72

"Despite a shoulder injury that sidelined him most of the 1949 season, Torgie came back to hit .290, drive in 87 runs and smash 23 homers in 1950.

A real hustler, he broke into the majors with the Braves in 1947 after three years of military service and three years in the minors. In the 1948 World Series, Earl hit .389. In 1951, he got 102 bases on balls and stole 20 bases to rank fourth in the National League in both departments."

-1952 Topps No. 97

"One of four National Leaguers to take part in all his club's games, Earl hit .263 for the Braves for 155 contests in 1951, and also batted in 92 runs. He fielded .988 at first, handling 1,454 total chances.

Earl has been playing baseball since 1941. 1947 was his rookie year in the majors with the Braves and he hit .281. He batted .290 in 1950."

-1952 Red Man No. NL-25

"Earl came to the Phillies in a big four-team trade in February of 1953. He's a good long ball hitter and a graceful man around first base.

He's also something of both a fighter and a comedian. Earl likes a good practical joke.

Injuries kept him on the bench a good part of 1953, although he still managed to get into 111 games. Earl batted .274 with 25 doubles, eight triples and 11 home runs to his credit, along with 64 runs batted in."

-1954 Bowman No. 63

"Earl is a good fielder and a dangerous man with a bat. He got into 135 games for the Phillies during the 1954 season, and he hit .271. His 133 hits were good for a total of 182 bases, including 22 doubles, six triples and five home runs. Earl batted in 54 runs and scored 63.

Torgy began in baseball in 1941 and first came to the majors in 1947 with the Boston Braves. In February of 1953, he was part of a four-team deal which bought him to the Phillies."

-1955 Bowman No. 210

-Coming from Philadelphia to Detroit in 1955, Earl boosted his batting average by almost 20 points. Although he's been troubled with injuries, he's a good man in the clutch. Earl holds the strange record of playing an entire game at first without making a putout."

-1956 Topps No. 147

"Earl adds depth to the Tiger squad with his fine pinch hitting and his ability to take over at first base.

In the majors since 1947, he helped the Braves with the National League pennant in 1948 and hit .389 in the World Series. Two years later, Earl was the top man in the Senior Circuit in the runs scored department."

-1957 Topps No. 357

"Chicago is the fourth major league club that Earl has played on. He started with the Braves in 1947 and in 1953 was traded to the Phils. He entered the American League with Detroit in 1955 and hit .283 in 89 games.

Earl's average jumped 55 points after coming to Chicago last year. He holds the strange record of playing an entire game at first without making a putout."

-1958 Topps No. 138

"Earl gets plenty of wood on the ball and is rated one of the more dangerous hitters in the American League. He posted a .389 average in the 1948 World Series with the Boston Braves."

-1959 Topps No. 351

1959 Season Highlights

April 25: Earl's three-run homer beats Cleveland, 8-6.

May 31: Goes 3-for-3- two singles and a home run- against Kansas City.

June 4: His homer in the 17th innings beats Baltimore.

June 23: He helps beat Washington with two RBIs.

August 9: He picks on Washington again, driving in three runs in a 9-0 win.

"Earl has hit a home run in every major league park except Milwaukee."

-1960 Topps No. 299

"A star in the National League for many years, Torgeson has proven himself all over again with the Tigers and White Sox and is determined that no one is going to boot him out of a job with the Pale Hose. Earl has broken up many games with pinch blows and is an able first sacker who can be called on at any time to take over that position. He drives in a lot of runs for his batting average.

Earl wears glasses when playing. He pilots his own plane."

-1960 Leaf No. 122

"Known as a rugged competitor, 'the Torg' was the most reliable pinch hitter for the Chicago White Sox during the 1960 season. Earl batted .293 as a substitute swinger. His World Series batting average is a resounding .368."

-1961 Topps No. 152

1961 Back-O'-The-Card: Leroy Thomas (1961 rookie card)

"Leroy homered during an exhibition game this year. Leroy was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in May.

He was a Cardinal fan as a youngster."

-1961 Topps No. 464