John O’Donoghue came to the Pilots in an ever-rare late
April trade with the Orioles. In 1965, he had been an All-Star with the A’s (in
a season in which he would eventually lose 18 games). He was a decent bullpen
option for the Pilots and stayed with the team after their move to Milwaukee.
His son, with the same name, pitched for the Orioles briefly in 1993. This card
is part of the Renata Galasso “Only Year” Pilots set.
Most Impressive Pilots/Brewers Stat: 2.96 ERA in 1969.
John Donaldson was a career Athletic, save for a 95-game
hitch with the Pilots in 1969. A no-bat infielder, he came to the Pilots
mid-season for Larry Haney after a dreadful start that saddled him with a .077
batting average. He was sent by the Brewers back to the A’s as a minor leaguer
the next May for Roberto Pena.
Most Impressive Pilots Stat: Seven hits during a hot week in
mid-June that raised his average from .074 to .184.
Garry Roggenburk’s name is a little hard to read on this
card, but it’s there. Just as he was a little bit invisible as a Pilot, getting
shut out by both Topps and in the Galasso set. He was a mid-level reliever for
three teams over five years, ending his career with the Pilots and recording a
4.44 ERA over 24 innings. Like Jack Heidemann, who will show up later in this
series, he became a real estate appraiser after his Big League career.
Most Impressive Pilots Stat: Threw a complete game against
the Angels on July 8, allowing one run and five hits.
Jim Bouton is easily the most famous of any player to wear
the Pilots colors. His diary of the 1969 season became the classic baseball
book ‘Ball Four’ and generated most controversy than nearly any sporting book
before or since. Despite being a former All-Star and a regular bullpen man with
the Pilots, he never got a Topps card with Seattle. I got this one signed via
TTM, with a reasonable $5 fee paid to Bouton.
Most Impressive Pilots Stat: 5+ million books sold.
Love the work Donaldson put into his.
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