The Final Four

Arriving in one package over the holiday weekend were the flast four '68 Game cards I needed to complete the set. 

Blue-eyed Baltimore native Al Kaline leads off. One of the quietest superstars ever. Mr. Tiger. If I had to choose my father's favorite non-Yankee player, Kaline would probably be the guy. 

Notable Achievements from Baseball Reference for Al Kaline:

• 15-time AL All-Star (1955-1967, 1971 & 1974)
• 10-time Gold Glove Winner (1957/ML-RF, 1958/AL-RF, 1959/AL-CF & 1961-1967/AL-OF)
• AL Batting Average Leader (1955)
• AL Slugging Percentage Leader (1959)
• AL OPS Leader (1959)
• AL Hits Leader (1955)
• AL Total Bases Leader (1955)
• AL Doubles Leader (1961)
• 20-Home Run Seasons: 9 (1955-1957, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1967 & 1969)
• 100 RBI Seasons: 3 (1955, 1956 & 1963)
• 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 2 (1955 & 1961)
• 200 Hits Seasons: 1 (1955)
• Won a World Series with the Detroit Tigers in 1968
• Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1980

The Hammer, Hank Aaron. Some folks still consider him the home run champ. I'll stay far away from that argument. 

Notable Achievements from Baseball Reference for Hank Aaron:

• 1953 MVP South Atlantic League Jacksonville Tars
• 24-time All-Star (1955-1975)
• NL MVP (1957)
• 3-time NL Gold Glove Winner (1958-1960/RF)
• 2-time NL Batting Average Leader (1956 & 1959)
• 4-time NL Slugging Percentage Leader (1959, 1963, 1967 & 1971)
• 3-time NL OPS Leader (1959, 1963 & 1971)
• 3-time NL Runs Scored Leader (1957, 1963 & 1967)
• 2-time NL Hits Leader (1956 & 1959)
• 8-time NL Total Bases Leader (1956, 1957, 1959-1961, 1963, 1967 & 1969)
• 4-time NL Doubles Leader (1955, 1956, 1961 & 1965)
• 4-time NL Home Runs Leader (1957, 1963, 1966 & 1967)
• 4-time NL RBI Leader (1957, 1960, 1963 & 1966)
• 20-Home Run Seasons: 20 (1955-1974)
• 30-Home Run Seasons: 15 (1957-1963, 1965-1967 & 1969-1973)
• 40-Home Run Seasons: 8 (1957, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1969, 1971 & 1973)
• 100 RBI Seasons: 11 (1955, 1957, 1959-1963, 1966, 1967, 1970 & 1971)
• 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 15 (1955-1967, 1969 & 1970)
• 200 Hits Seasons: 3 (1956, 1959 & 1963)
• Won a World Series with the Milwaukee Braves in 1957
• Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1982

Next is Hall of Fame-worthy and possible future Hall of Famer, Pete Rose. I'm not a fan, and not just because of what he did to earn his baseball ban. He always struck me as a bad guy. But who knows. The H-O-F is full of less-than-perfect people so if he gets in, so be it. He has that stats, for sure.

Notable Achievements from Baseball Reference for Pete Rose:

• 1963 NL Rookie of the Year Award
• 1963 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
• 17-time NL All-Star (1965, 1967-1971, 1973-1982 & 1985)
• NL MVP: 1973
• 1975 World Series MVP
• 2-time NL Gold Glove Winner (1969/OF & 1970/OF)
• NL Silver Slugger Award Winner (1981/1B)
• 3-time NL Batting Average Leader (1968, 1969 & 1973)
• 2-time NL On-Base Percentage Leader (1968 & 1979)
• 4-time NL At-Bats Leader (1965, 1972, 1973 & 1977)
• 4-time NL Runs Scored Leader (1969, 1974, 1975 & 1976)
• 7-time NL Hits Leader (1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1976 & 1981)
• 3-time NL Singles Leader (1973, 1979 & 1981)
• 5-time NL Doubles Leader (1974, 1975, 1976, 1978 & 1980)
• 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 10 (1963, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1972-1976 & 1978)
• 200 Hits Seasons: 10 (1965, 1966, 1968-1970, 1973, 1975-1977 & 1979)
• Won three World Series with the Cincinnati Reds (1975 & 1976) and the Philadelphia Phillies (1980)

And finally, Harmon Killebrew. Of the players in this post I probably saw more of Killebrew than any other. I seemed to be at a lot of Twins games at Yankee Stadium back then. I was a Bob Allison fan as a result and enjoyed watching the big hitting lineups the Twins had. Don Mincher, Jimmie Hall, Tony Oliva and company were fun t watch. I also saw the Twins in Baltimore more than a few times including the 1969 Playoffs.

Notable Achievements from Baseball Reference for Harmon Killebrew:

• 11-time AL All-Star (1959, 1961 & 1963-1971)
• AL MVP (1969)
• AL On-Base Percentage Leader (1969)
• AL Slugging Percentage Leader (1963)
• 6-time AL Home Runs Leader (1959, 1962-1964, 1967 & 1969)
• 3-time AL RBI Leader (1962, 1969 & 1971)
• 4-time AL Bases on Balls Leader (1966, 1967, 1969 & 1971)
• 20-Home Run Seasons: 13 (1959-1967 & 1969-1972)
• 30-Home Run Seasons: 10 (1959-1964, 1966, 1967, 1969 & 1970)
• 40-Home Run Seasons: 8 (1959, 1961-1964, 1967, 1969 & 1970)
• 100 RBI Seasons: 9 (1959, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967 & 1969-1971)
• 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 2 (1967 & 1969)
• Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1984

This was a fun set to put together. Didn't cost much and it's chock full of hitting stars. Thanks again to Jim from Downington whose gift of the Robinson Boys kicked this off. He has several posts on the set himself. And he has some nice dupes to trade.