1962 Topps: The First Mets Team Set

A little over a decade after the Topps Chewing Gum Company began printing baseball cards, its 1962 card design is arguably near the front of the line of iconic designs and one of the most celebrated amongst collectors. Featuring a brown wood grain border with the player name position and team name in the right corner, the 1962 Topps set is the OG of wood bordered baseball card sets. Its popularity with early hobby enthusiasts from a certain generation led to Topps paying tribute to this set twenty-five years later with its 1987 release.

The 1962 Topps set was released in seven different series, or waves. This was a strategy that Topps employed with all of its releases up until its 1973 set. Topps also introduced multi-player rookie cards in its seventh series, which features rookie cards of Craig Anderson, Bob Moorhead, Rod Kanehl, and Jim Hickman. If only Topps could bring back the distribution of the set. According to baseballcardpedia.com, purchasing options were:

Nickel Wax: 24 packs per box, 5 cards, 1 Stamp insert, and a stick of gum per pack with an MSRP of $0.05.

Penny Wax: 1 card plus a stick of gum per pack with an MSRP of $0.01.

Cello: 36 packs per box, 12 cards plus a stick of gum per pack with an MSRP of $0.10.

Trays: 36 trays per box, three 5-card wax packs per tray with an MSRP of $0.12.

The 1962 Topps set is a star-studded release with 107 of the 598 cards featuring a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, including rookie cards of Gaylord Perry, Lou Brock, and Joe Torre. The set also features rookie cards of legendary Milwaukee Brewers announcer Bob Uecker and that guy that never stopped talking while sitting next to Ralph Kiner.

Considering the age of the set, finding cards in good enough condition at a fair price is not always the easiest task. As if that wasn’t hard enough, Topps’ major issues with centering of its cards throughout the vintage era and further issues cutting the full sheets of cards evenly after they were printed.

The inaugural Mets team set features 24 cards plus a card of Don Zimmer in a Mets uniform, but listed as playing for the Reds (he was traded a month into the season). I’ve managed to obtain 16 of the 24 cards in the team set. I’m hoping to be to attend a card show this summer, which is a great place to find deals on vintage cards at low prices.

With that in mind, the cards in the higher number series, such as the other Bob Miller that was acquired in the trade for Don Zimmer and the multi-player rookie cards featuring Craig Anderson, Bob Moorhead, Rod Kanehl, and Jim Hickman have significantly higher value than the lower numbered cards in the set.

Let’s take a look at the 1962 Topps Mets team set.

Series 1 – card numbers 1-88

John DeMerit – card number 4

An outfielder from Wisconsin, DeMerit was drafted by the Mets after playing in 79 games over four seasons with the Milwaukee Braves and is clearly wearing a Braves uniform in his player picture. DeMerit played in 14 games for the Mets. In his last game for the Mets, DeMerit batted seventh and played rightfield. He never played another major league game.

Frank Thomas – card number 7

A 3-time All-Star that began his career with his hometown Pirates, Frank Thomas played leftfield and batted in the clean-up spot in the Metsies first game on April 11, 1962. The power hitting outfielder hit 34 home runs and drove in 94 runs in their debut season. Thomas’ time with the Mets came to an end after two and half seasons when he was traded to the Phillies on August 7, 1964. His career ended during his 16th season when he was released by the Cubs in June 1966.

Chris Cannizzaro – card number 26

Drafted from the St. Louis Cardinals, Cannizzaro played 14 seasons in the majors. His four seasons in New York was his longest tenure with any team. A light hitting catcher, he was sold to the evil Empire after the 1965 season and didn’t play in another major league game until 1968 with Pittsburgh, then was an original member of the expansion 1969 San Diego Padres. Cannizzaro passed away December 29, 2016 at the age of 78 from emphysema.

Casey Stengel – card number 29

With a career in the game that started with his major league debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1912, Stengel was the Mets first manager and their first star. A Hall of Fame manager that won just over 1900 games in 25 seasons, he led the Mets to a paltry 175 victories in three and half seasons. During the 1965 season, Stengel fell off a barstool and broke his hip. Facing a lengthy rehab, he retired. The Mets retired his number 37 that September. He remained on the Mets payroll as a vice president until his death in 1975.

Gil Hodges – card number 85

It is an absolute joke that it took until 2022 for Gil Hodges to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Now that that is out of the way, Hodges spent the last two seasons of an 18-year career that included 8 All-Star appearances, 3 Gold Gloves and 370 home runs, including the first home run in Mets history on Opening Day 1962. Hodges was traded to the Washington Senators in 1963 where he quickly retired after being named manager. After returning to the Mets, the lovable loser reputation quickly disappeared after the Amazin’s won their first World Series in 1969. The Mets retired his number 14 in 1973, a year after his death.


Series 2 – card numbers 89-176

Jay Hook – card number 94

Drafted from the Cincinnati Reds, Hook was the winning pitcher for the first victory in Mets history. He pitched in 81 games for the Mets over 3 seasons, compiling a 12-34 record with an ERA north of 5. The Mets traded Hook to Milwaukee in May of the 1964 season, however, he never played another major league game. Hook had recently completed his master’s degree in thermodynamics and took a job with Chrysler.

Sammy Drake – card number 162 (rookie card)

Drafted from the Chicago Cubs, the infielder’s career was shortened due to recurring knee injuries. He made his season debut for the Mets on August 1, 1962 and appeared in 25 games. His final appearance with the Mets was also his final major league game on September 30, 1962. After baseball, Drake worked for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He passed away from cancer on January 27, 2010. He was 75.

Series 3 – card numbers 177-264

Roger Craig – card number 183

Drafted from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Roger Craig was the starting pitcher for Opening Day 1962 and was chased by the St. Louis Cardinals after giving up eight hits and five runs over three innings. After retiring in 1966, Craig moved to the dugout. A proponent of the splitfinger fastball, he was responsible for teaching Mike Scott the pitch the turned his career around. For people of my generation, Craig is more known as the manager of the San Francisco Giants.

Richie Ashburn – card number 213

Selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee in 1995, Ashburn batted leadoff and played centerfield on Opening Day for the Mets and represented the club in the All-Star Game. Despite hitting .306 with a .424 on-base percentage in 1962, Ashburn retired after the season. After retiring, Ashburn became a radio and TV broadcaster. He died of heart attack shortly after calling a Phillies-Mets game on September 9, 1997.

Elio Chacon – card number 256

A middle infielder from Venezuela, 1962 was the final season in a three-year career for Chacon. Drafted from the Cincinnati Reds, Chacon is most commonly known for frequently colliding with Richie Ashburn because he spoke no English. Ashburn learned to say “I got it” in Spanish to avoid collisions. Chacon died in Caracas, Venezuela April 24, 1992 at the age of 55.

Series 4 card numbers 265-352

 

Hobie Landrith – card number 279

Drafted with the first pick in the expansion draft from the San Francisco Giants, Landrith’s 1962 Topps card is an uncorrected error that incorrectly states he was born in 1950. The 1962 Opening Day catcher, Landrith only appeared in 23 games the Mets. He was traded to the Baltimore Orioles on May 9th for Mets legend Marv Throneberry. Landrith’s last played for the Washington Senators in 1963, then joined their coaching staff for the 1964 season. He quit baseball altogether before spring training in 1965 and worked in public relations for Volkswagen.

Bob Miller – card number 293

One of two Bob Millers to pitch for the Mets in 1962, he was the losing pitcher in his first 12 decisions of the 1962 season, a team record that stood until it was broken by Anthony Young in 1993. Traded to the Dodgers after the season, he returned to Queens to pitch for Mets in 1973. He didn’t record his second victory for the Mets until the 1974 season. His final major league appearance was for the Mets on September 28, 1974. He died August 6, 1993 after being seriously injured in a car accident while working as a scout for the San Francisco Giants.

Neil Chrisley – card number 308

Another uncorrected error with an incorrect birthdate, Chrisley was an outfielder that only played five seasons. He was purchased along with Bob Botz from the Milwaukee Braves in October 1961, but was returned to the Braves prior to the start of 1962 season. Chrisley never played another major league game. He passed away in 2013.

Jim Marshall – card number 337

Purchased from the San Francisco Giants, Marshall only appeared in 17 games for the Mets when he was traded to Pittsburgh in May 1962 for Vinegar Bend Mizell. After the 1962 season, Marshall spent three seasons playing in Japan. Once his playing days ended, Marshall managed the Chicago Cubs from 1974-76 and the Oakland A’s in 1979. He was a minor league manager in the early 1980’s before eventually becoming a scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Series 5 – card numbers 353-429

Charlie Neal – card number 365

A diminutive middle infielder with power, Charlie Neal was acquired by the Mets in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers and was their Opening Day second basemen that was credited with the franchise first RBI. Neal appeared in 3 All-Star games while with the Dodgers and his professional career started as a member of the Atlanta Black Crackers in the Negro Leagues while he was still in high school. Neal was traded to the Cincinnati Reds during the 1963 season with Sammy Taylor for Jessie Gonder. The Reds released Neal during spring training in 1964. He never played another major league game. Neal passed away from heart failure in 1996. He was 65 years old.

Gus Bell – card number 408

A power hitting outfielder in the 1950’s, Bell was drafted by the Mets from the Cincinnati Reds. The Opening Day right fielder for the Mets, Bell batted fifth behind Frank Thomas and went on to appear in only 30 games for the Mets before being shipped to the Milwaukee Braves as the player to be named later in the trade that brought Thomas to New York. Although his baseball career ended after the 1964 season, Bell’s legacy in the game continues today as he is the matriarch of a family that has seen three generations play in the majors. Bell’s son Buddy Bell was an infielder and later the manager for the Reds. His grandsons David played for six teams and is the currently the manager of the Reds and Mike appeared in 19 games for the Reds after spending a year in the Mets minor league system. Bell passed away in May 1995 after suffering a heart attack. He was 66 years old.

Ken MacKenzie – card number 421

The only pitcher to appear for the 1962 Mets that had a winning record at the end of the team’s debut campaign, Ken MacKenzie’s name will be known by Mets fans of all generations this summer as the 88-year old Ontario native makes his Citi Field debut as a participant in Old Timers’ Day. A Yale graduate, MacKenzie was purchased from the Milwaukee Braves and is clearly wearing a Braves uniform in his player picture on his 1962 card. The southpaw reliever appeared in 76 over 2 seasons for the Metsies before being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals towards the end of the 1963 season. His last major league appearance came during the 1965 season for the Houston Colt 45’s.

Series 6 – card number 430-506

Felix Mantilla – card number 436

The Opening Day shortstop for the Mets and the original number 18, the Puerto Rico native is yet another player acquired from the Milwaukee Braves (maybe this had something to do with them being so historically bad?). Despite being the answer to a piece of Mets trivia, Mantilla is more famously known for breaking up Harvey Haddix’s perfect game in the 13th inning after reaching on an error. Mantilla was traded after one season in New York to the Boston Red Sox along with Al Moran for Pumpsie Green and Tracy Stallard. Although he signed with the Chicago Cubs prior to the 1967 season, he never appeared in a game for the Cubs after injuring his Achilles tendon.


Al Jackson – card number 464

The original franchise record holder for career wins until it was broken by the legendary Tom Seaver, his 1962 Topps card is his rookie card and finding it in decent condition has been incredibly difficult. During his playing career with the Mets, the southpaw won 1-0 shutouts against Bob Gibson in 1962 and 1964. He then became Gibson’s teammate when the Mets traded him to St. Louis in 1965 with Charley Smith for Ken Boyer. Jackson was reacquired from St. Louis in 1967 and then had his contract sold to Cincinnati during the 1969 season, which was his final major league season. Jackson spent a majority of post-playing career as a minor league instructor for the Mets and was a member of Bobby Valentine’s staff in 1999-2000. He also served as pitching coach for Don Zimmer in Boston from 1977-1979 and for Frank Robinson in Baltimore from 1989-1991. Jackson passed away in 2019 at the age 83. He was posthumously inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 2021.

Ed Bouchee – card number 497

An outfielder drafted by from the Chicago Cubs, Bouchee finished second to pitcher Jack Sanford for the 1957 National League Rookie of the Year. He missed a portion of the 1958 season after being arrested on indecent exposure charges for exposing himself to several young girls and then being forced to spend time in a psychiatric hospital. Bouchee appeared in 50 games with the Mets in 1962. After the season, he moved back to Chicago and worked for ACDelco. He passed away in 2013 at the age of 79.

Series 7 – card numbers 507-598

Bob Miller – card number 572

Traded to the Mets in early May of 1962 along with Cliff Cook in exchange for Don Zimmer, the other Bob Miller appeared in 17 games in his only season as a Met and finished the season with an earned run average just north of seven. Miller was signed by the Detroit Tiger under the bonus rule in 1953 for $600,000 on the same day the Tigers signed a less heralded outfield prospect named Al Kaline. Miller made his debut two weeks later at the age of 17. His final major league appearance was also his final appearance as a Met. He retired the last three batters against Houston in the second game of doubleheader.

Craig Anderson & Bob Moorhead Rookie Parade – card number 593

Drafted from the St. Louis Cardinals, Craig Anderson led the 1962 Mets with 50 appearances and 4 saves. Although he appeared in only 7 games over the next two seasons, Anderson cemented his place in Mets history by being credited as the winning pitcher in both games of doubleheader on May 12, feat later matched by Williard Hunter and Jesse Orosco. Anderson’s last major league appearance was on May 12, 1964.

Drafted from the Cincinnati Reds, Bob Moorhead made his major league debut with the Mets on Opening Day in relief of starting pitcher Roger Craig. Both gave up five runs across three innings. Moorhead bounced around the Mets minor league systems for a few years only to return to the club in 1965. He appeared in nine games for the Mets that year and made his final major league appearance on September 20, 1965. He passed away at the age of 48 in December 1986.

Rod Kanehl Rookie Parade – card number 597

Drafted from the other team in New York, Kanehl played multiple positions for the Mets from 1962-1964, the only years he appeared in the majors. An early favorite of manager Casey Stengel and Mets fans, the team failed to invite him to spring training in 1965 and blocked him from taking a minor league coaching job he had been offered. The only former Mets player to attend Stengel’s funeral, he worked various jobs before passing away from a heart attack at the age of 70 in 2004.

Jim Hickman Rookie Parade – card number 598

Drafted from the St. Louis Cardinals, Hickman made his major league debut on April 14th for the Mets. Hickman roamed the outfield for the Mets for five seasons and was involved in several memorable moments. On August 7, 1963, Hickman became the first Met to hit for the cycle. To add to that, it was one of the few natural cycles in baseball history. On September 18th of the same season, Hickman slugged the last home run in the final game at the Polo Grounds. Three years later, Hickman became the first Met to hit three home runs in a single game, with all three hit off future Mets pitcher Ray Sadecki. After the 1966 season, Hickman was the last of the original Mets to be traded when he was sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers with Ron Hunt for Tommy Davis and Derrell Griffith. His career came to an abrupt end when he was released by the Cardinals in July 1974. Hickman passed away in June 2016 at the age of 79.

Despite the fact that this team set includes so many of the everyday players of the first team to wear the Orange and Blue, they still managed to go down in baseball history for having the worst record. That just made what happened in 1969 all the more incredible.

And amazing.