Topps All-Star Misses: 1968 NL Infield

 After a relatively small group of potential All Star Cards That Never Were in my last post, this group is loaded. Here are the candidates:

Willie McCovey:

• 1968 Sporting News All Star selection
• Starter in 1968 All Star Game
• 1968 NL leader in HRs, RBIs, and slugging.
• 3rd in 1968 MVP voting

Bill Mazeroski:

• Starter in 1967 All Star Game
• Gold Glove second baseman 1967
• 1967 Sporting News All Star Selection

Tommy Helms:

• 1968 Sporting News All Star Selection
• Reserve in 1967 & 68 All Star Games
• 25th in 1968 MVP voting

Dick Allen:

• Starter in 1967 All Star Game
• 19th in 1967 MVP voting
• 2nd in NL Home Runs 1968

Don Kessinger:

• 1968 Sporting News All Star selection
• Starter in 1968 All Star Game
• Led NL shortstops in Fielding %, Assists and Double Plays in 1968.

Topps' 1968 NL All Star infield included mostly legit players.  At first was Orlando Cepeda, the 1967 ASG starting first baseman. Similarly, Gene Alley was the starting shortstop in the 1967 ASG.  Ron Santo was The Sporting News All-Star selection for third base in 1968.  But, as usual, there are some that just don't add up.

Who probably didn't merit inclusion in the 1968 Topps All-Star set, but was in it anyway?

Joe Morgan:

Morgan was not on the MLB All Star Roster nor the Sporting News All Star Roster in 1967 or 1968.  Although he had (at then) a career high of 29 stolen bases in 1967, he was injured most of the 1968 season. playing only 10 games.

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 My latest project is making All Star Cards That Never Year for the years 1958-62 and 1968-70.  During those years Topps decision making on these cards was haphazard and a mystery to everybody but Topps. They were NOT based on the current season's "Sporting News All Stars" nor the previous season's ASG starters.  So I've made additional cards based on this criteria.   

What started as an idea for a small project, ballooned to over 150 cards so I'll be posting these in small doses.  I'll be breaking it down by year, league (NL or AL), and positions (battery, infield and outfield).

1975 Topps 1966 Rookies of the Year

Getting into a pattern here. Both Tommy Helms and Tommie Agee appeared in the 1966 Topps set on  multiplayer "Rookie Stars" cards. Not only that but they both also appeared in the 1965 set. Also on multiplayer "Rookie Stars" cards. Both players played in 2 All Star games and each were awarded 2 Gold Gloves. Their paths would cross in 1973 when both played for the Houston Astros.

1966 Tommy Helms

Tommy Helms was the 1966 NL Rookie of the Year. He played for the Reds until the 1972 season when he was traded for the 1965 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up, Joe Morgan. Seemed like an even trade. Before the trade both players had 2 All Star selections. For Morgan both times were as a reserve and only seeing action in one game. Helms had one game as a starter and one as a reserve. Helms also had 2 Gold Gloves. Morgan provided more speed on the basepath and hit more homers. In the 8 seasons following the trade, Morgan would appear in all 8 All Star games, starting in 7 of them. He would also win 5 Gold Gloves and 2 MVPs.

After the trade Helms would not appear in another All Star game or win another Gold Glove. He played 4 years in Houston then finished out his playing career with short stints in Pittsburgh and Boston. He would return to the Cincinnati Reds as a coach in 1983. Eventually he would be the replacement manager for Pete Rose in 1988 when Rose was suspended 30 games for pushing an umpire. Then again in 1989 when Rose was banned for gambling on baseball. In all Helms would manage 64 games in 1988 and 1989 with a 28-36 record. In 1990 he was replaced by Lou Piniella and the Reds would sweep the A's in the 1990 World Series.