September Pick Ups

[Exhibitman]

The autos are Dodgers Ron Perranoski and Bob Lillis, San Diego Padres Jimmie Reese and Hector Rodriguez, and Don Buford, and this one:



With a little help from some friends I think this is Bobby Case. Case, Reese, Rodriguez and Buford all were with White Sox minor league affiliates and the White Sox held Spring Training in Florida, as did the Dodgers, and the clubs did have two games together in March 1961, at Sarasota on March 28th and at Vero Beach on March 29th. Seems like these were collected in Spring Training in 1961.

I gather Case died at age 24 never having had a trip to The Show.

Rodriguez has an interesting story, per Wikipedia:

"Héctor Antonio Rodríguez Ordeñana (June 13, 1920 – September 1, 2003) was a Major League Baseball third baseman for one season (1952) with the Chicago White Sox. His natural position was shortstop, but he had the misfortune to be with the White Sox while Chico Carrasquel played the position, followed by all-time great Luis Aparicio.

A native of Alquízar, Cuba, Rodríguez played in the Negro leagues with the New York Cubans, 1939 and 1944, and in the Mexican League, 1945–46 prior to the integration of organized baseball,

Before the 1951 season, Rodríguez was acquired by the Brooklyn Dodgers from the Tuneros de San Luis Potosí of the Mexican League. He was assigned to Brooklyn's farm club, the Montreal Royals, where he batted .302. On December 6 of that same year he was traded by the Dodgers to the Chicago White Sox for first baseman Rocky Nelson.

Rodríguez was Chicago's regular third baseman during the 1952 season. He appeared in 124 games for the 81–73 White Sox and hit .265 with 1 home run and 40 runs batted in. He drew 47 walks and was hit by pitches 3 times, raising his on-base percentage to .346. He stole 7 bases, scored 55 runs, and struck out just 22 times in 407 at bats, making him the seventh-toughest to strike out in the American League. (once per every 18.5 at bats)

Defensively, his .959 fielding percentage was just above the league average for third basemen. Rodríguez went back to the minor leagues in 1953, and on October 8 of that year was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League for pitcher Don Johnson.

While Rodríguez never again made it back to the big league level, he had an outstanding career with the Toronto Maple Leafs when they were the top-drawing team in the International League during the 1950s. He teamed with second baseman Mike Goliat to turn spectacular double plays. Rodríguez was so good at the position, the White Sox sent a film crew to Toronto to record his skill at turning double plays to be used in training their minor league shortstops."

So, a Negro Leaguer, a tragic death, and Babe Ruth's roomie. Not bad for a day at the flea market.