Mel Queen---1969
The back of Mel Queen’s 1969 card
was always intriguing, as it was the
Centaurs of baseball cards--- half
batting stats and half pitching stats.
One rule in player development is
that if a guy with a good arm is failing
as a hitter or endures an injury; put
him on the mound (and visa versa).
Stan Musial toiled as a minor league
pitcher before his Hall of Fame
career as a hitter for the Cardinals.
Trevor Hoffman was a light-hitting
shortstop in A-ball before taking his
rocket arm to the mound and a
date
The son of former Yankee and Pirate
hurler, Mel Sr. (1942-52), the
younger Queen started his career as
a hitter, before shifting to the mound
in 1966. Originally a minor league
third baseman, he moved to the
outfield. As one can tell from the
card, in two seasons at Triple-A,
Queen hit .275 and .260 while a
connecting on a combined 39 home
runs for San Diego of the PCL.
Unfortunately it didn’t translate over
at the major league level, where he
hit in the low .200s during parts
of three seasons.
With not much more than a good
fastball to begin a mound career,
Queen did a bang up job in 1967
when he went 14-8, 2.76 in 31
games, 24 of them starts. As his card
notes, “He was an instant success.”
Yet, the right-hander didn’t exactly
command his stuff, as he walked 143
hitters in 389-2/3 career innings.
Queen did go on to a long coaching
career at the minor and major league
levels, with a 4-1 record as an interim
manager for the Toronto Blue Jays in
1997.
However, we will always remember
his baseball card of 1969 as one of
the most fascinating cards of the
1960s.
(8/7/08)
was always intriguing, as it was the
Centaurs of baseball cards--- half
batting stats and half pitching stats.
One rule in player development is
that if a guy with a good arm is failing
as a hitter or endures an injury; put
him on the mound (and visa versa).
Stan Musial toiled as a minor league
pitcher before his Hall of Fame
career as a hitter for the Cardinals.
Trevor Hoffman was a light-hitting
shortstop in A-ball before taking his
rocket arm to the mound and a
date
The son of former Yankee and Pirate
hurler, Mel Sr. (1942-52), the
younger Queen started his career as
a hitter, before shifting to the mound
in 1966. Originally a minor league
third baseman, he moved to the
outfield. As one can tell from the
card, in two seasons at Triple-A,
Queen hit .275 and .260 while a
connecting on a combined 39 home
runs for San Diego of the PCL.
Unfortunately it didn’t translate over
at the major league level, where he
hit in the low .200s during parts
of three seasons.
With not much more than a good
fastball to begin a mound career,
Queen did a bang up job in 1967
when he went 14-8, 2.76 in 31
games, 24 of them starts. As his card
notes, “He was an instant success.”
Yet, the right-hander didn’t exactly
command his stuff, as he walked 143
hitters in 389-2/3 career innings.
Queen did go on to a long coaching
career at the minor and major league
levels, with a 4-1 record as an interim
manager for the Toronto Blue Jays in
1997.
However, we will always remember
his baseball card of 1969 as one of
the most fascinating cards of the
1960s.
(8/7/08)
with the Hall as
Baseball’s premier
closer. Yet, Queen’
s shifting of
positions was
beyond the norm
since it occurred at
the Major League
level and it was the
exception in cards.
Baseball’s premier
closer. Yet, Queen’
s shifting of
positions was
beyond the norm
since it occurred at
the Major League
level and it was the
exception in cards.