1960 Back-O'-The-Card: Roger Maris

"Roger broke in with Fargo in 1953. In 1954, at Keokuk, he belted 32 homers and drove in 111 runs. His consistently high batting marks won him rapid promotions. Before joining Cleveland, Roger had a .303 minor league average. After hitting .293 at Indianapolis, he joined the Tribe."

-1958 Topps No. 47

"After playing in 51 contests for the Indians in 1958, Roger was traded to the Athletics. Roger saw action in 99 ball games and upped his average 22 points over his Cleveland performance. For the A's he drove in 53 runs, belted 19 homers and scored 61 times. Roger was the No. 2  RBI man for the A's last year."

-1959 Topps No. 202

1959 Season Highlights

May 10: Has two home runs and five RBIs against Detroit.

June 22: After being out for 30 days Roger hits two doubles against Yankees.

July 11: Drives in three runs against Chisox.

July 23: Hits home run, double and single against Orioles.

July 27: Blasts grand slam homer to beat Washington 7-6.

December 13: Roger is traded to Yankees.

"Roger his 28 homers for K.C. in 1958."

-1960 Topps No. 377

SPORT MAGAZINE '60 ALL-STAR SELECTION

"Judging from Roger's early season performance, the Yankees made a great trade when they obtained Maris. He was blasting the ball at a .400 clip for the first three weeks of the 1960 campaign and combined with Bill Skowron to drive in a raft of runs.

Roger has averaged over 19 home runs in three seasons in the majors."

1960 Topps No. 565

1960 Back-O'-The-Card: Mickey Mantle

1959 Season Highlights

May 30: Mickey goes 4-for-4 against Nationals.

June 3: His 9th inning homer beats Detroit.

June 13: Tops Tigers with two-run homer.

June 17: Hits 450-foot home run against Chicago.

June 18: Homer in 10th beats Chicago.

June 27: Has six RBIs against Kansas City.

July 16: His 10th inning home run tops Cleveland.

September 1: Hits home run, double and three singles in 12-1 win against Kansas City.

"Mickey was the A.L. Most Valuable Player in 1956 and 1957."

-1960 Topps No. 350

SPORT MAGAZINE '60 ALL-STAR SELECTION

"Mickey has been twice the American League's Most Valuable Player. The first time was in 1956 when he won the Homer, Runs Scored, RBI and Batting Crowns. The following year he took the honors when he hit .365.

In seven World Series Mickey has hit 11 homers. In the '53 Series, Mickey hit a grand slam homer."

-1960 Topps No. 563

MICKEY MANTLE HITS LONGEST HOMER

Washington, April 17, 1953 - "The New York Yankees' centerfielder, Mickey Mantle, hit the most amazing home run of his career and anyone else's, too.

Batting against Chuck Stobbs of the Washington Senators in today's opening day of the season, he belted the ball clear out of Griffith Stadium at the most distant point from home plate. It went over a 55-foot wall by five feet at a point 457 feet from home plate. After observing where it hit the ground, it was calculated to have traveled 565 feet on the fly.

The longest previously measured homer was that of Babe Ruth's in Tampa, Florida, which traveled 520 feet."

-1960 Nu-Cards Baseball Hi-Lites No. 22

MANTLE HITS LONGEST HOMER AT STADIUM

New York, May 30, 1956 - "With a Memorial Day crowd at Yankee Stadium gasping, Mickey Mantle, centerfielder of the New York Yankees, came to bat and almost accomplished what no other player had ever done ... hit a fair ball out of the Stadium.

His home run blast hit the right field facade at the very top of the roof, a feat never accomplished by such sluggers as DiMaggio, Foxx, Gehrig and big Babe Ruth himself. It was estimated that it was still rising when it struck the roof, and, if it had not been interrupted, may have reached 600 feet on the fly."

-1960 Nu-Cards Baseball Hi-Lites No. 50

1960 Back-O'-The-Card: Duke Maas

"Duke's second year with the Yankees proved to be a big one. He was the No. 2 hurler in terms of wins and was the right-handed counterpart of Whitey Ford.

Before coming to New York, Duke played with the Tigers in 1957. At Detroit he won 10 games and the following season went to K.C. Last year one of his best games was when he blanked Cleveland on six hits. Early in '59, Duke hurled a 4-hitter against the Red Sox."

-1960 Topps No. 421

1960 Back-O'-The-Card: Hector Lopez

1959 Season Highlights

-April 4: As an Athletic, Hec drives in four runs to help beat Washington, 7-6.

-May 15: His three-run homer sinks Senators.

-May 23: His double, triple and home run drive in four runs to beat White Sox.

-May 24: Gets four RBI's second day in a row against Chicago in 8-6 win.

-June 9: As a Yankee, Hec scores tying run in 9th, drives in winning run in 13th against Kansas City.

"Hector was the Yankee with the most RBI's last season."

-1960 Topps No. 163

1960 Back-O'-The-Card: Ed Lopat

"American League veterans still talk about Ed Lopat's 'nothing' ball. As a pitcher for the Yankees, he could serve up tantalizing pitches that drove batters wacky. He also performed with the Chicago White Sox."

-1960 Topps No. 465

1960 Back-O'-The-Card: Dale Long

"Dale comes up to the majors again this year determined to make the grade. Once before, in 1951, he played briefly for the Pirates and the Cardinals but was sent to the minors for more seasoning.

Starting in baseball back in 1944, Dale hit .330 at Ogden in '46 and .311 at Oneonta in '47. A long ball hitter, he belted 33 home runs at New Orleans in '52 and 35 for Hollywood in '53."

-1955 Topps No. 127

"They were thinking of making a catcher out of left-handed Dale- thus this rare picture of him. He's a top prospect for the Buc first base job this year."

-1955 Topps Doubleheader No. 115

"Dale tried out as a left-handed catcher. It didn't work. He went to the minors and had three good seasons. With Pittsburgh in 1955, he tied for most triples in the National League."

-1956 Topps No. 56

"Dale is the homer king of the Pirate squad. Last season he belted eight circuit smashes in eight games- a feat never done before.

Starting in baseball in 1944, Dale split his time between the outfield and pitching. However, in 1950 when he led the Eastern League in home runs and runs batted in he knew he belonged in the lineup daily and dropped hurling. 

The Pirates once wanted to make Dale into a lefty catcher!"

-1957 Topps No. 3

"Dale joined the Cubs last season after playing seven games for Pittsburgh. He posted the highest Chicago batting mark and hit over 20 homers for the second straight season. As a pinch hitter, Dale batted .333.

Dale set a record of eight homers in eight straight games ... yet first broke in as a pitcher!"

-1958 Topps No. 7

"A consistent long-ball hitter, Dale was homer king of two minor leagues before coming to the majors. His amazing record of eight homers in eight consecutive games was set in 1956 when he was a Pirate.

One of the most spirited players in the game, Dale played two games as a catcher in '58- even though he's a lefty! He used a first baseman's mitt as a catcher against the Dodgers."

-1959 Topps No. 414

1959 Season Highlights

June 5: Hits home run, double and single to drive in three runs against Pirates.

June 7: Scores winning run against Pittsburgh.

July 1: Drives in three runs against San Francisco.

August 13: Pinch-hits home run against Giants.

August 14: For the second time in the season Dale pinch-hits a homer- against the Giants.

"Dale set a record for hitting in 1956- eight homers in eight straight games."

-1960 Topps No. 375

1960 Back-O'-The-Card: Frank Leja

"Leja began his professional baseball career as a bonus player with the Yankees in 1954 and managed to get into only 12 games. The following year, although he had ability, the bonus rule kept him on the parent club and he was used only seven times.

With his two years of time up, he was permitted to be optioned to Richmond, Binghamton and Winston-Salem and later to New Orleans where regular play has helped him to develop into a tremendous future Yankee. Last year back with Richmond he had 23 homers.

He is now sharing first base duties with Bill Skowron and Kent Hadley, whom the Yankees acquired in a mid-winter trade from Kansas City."

-1960 Leaf No. 121