Card Corner Plus: 1966 Topps: Tribe Thumpers

If only snapshots in time could foretell the future.

As it did throughout much of the 1960s, the Topps Gum Company sprinkled its 1967 card set, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this summer, with a number of eye-catching combination cards. These cards showcased multiple players at once, sometimes from opposing teams and sometimes from the same club. In most cases, Topps tried to include an alliterative headline at the bottom or top of the card, like “Power Plus” or “Bird Belters” or “Mets Maulers.” The 1967 “Tribe Thumpers” card, presenting the tandem of Rocky Colavito and Leon Wagner, has actually drawn some criticism for failing to meet the usual rule of proper alliteration, since the “TH” in Thumpers does not match the “TR” in Tribe.

I’m not sure why anyone would care about such grammatical technicality on a baseball card. More significantly, I know that a number of fans find the “Chief Wahoo” logo caricature, evident on Colavito and Wagner’s 1960s era uniforms, to be highly offensive. That is certainly a pertinent argument in 2017, and one that could lead to the eradication of Chief Wahoo, but I would guess that few people even discussed the racial significance of the Wahoo logo back in 1967. It simply wasn’t an issue for most folks back then, and really should have no bearing on how we view this card from an artistic standpoint.

We can also extract some positive social circumstances from this card. The late Wagner was an African American, while Colavito is white. This card represented one of the early occasions when a white player and a black player appeared on the same card. In 1966, Topps showcased a “Power Plus” card with two stars of different racial backgrounds, Richie Allen and Johnny Callison. A few years before that, Topps included a “Buc Blasters” card that featured Roberto Clemente (a Black man from Puerto Rico), with three white teammates (Smoky Burgess, Dick Stuart and Bob Skinner). While Topps has been accused of subtle racism in other ways (such as listing Clemente as “Bob,” or using unflattering nicknames like “Chico” for some Latino players), the company certainly showed a willingness to give us 1960s group shots with a diverse set of characters.

Putting aside social issues, and based strictly on aesthetics, I find the Colavito/Wagner combination to be a wonderful card. I loved those vested Indians jerseys of the 1960s, and in this case, the Topps photographer has captured them beautifully. The red of the Indians sleeves is vivid, while the blue sky background is so brilliant that it jumps off the cardboard. The overhang of the upper deck of ballpark—which may or not be a spring training park—also adds to the feel and flavor of the card. To make the card even more alluring, the photographer has captured the two stars sporting what appear to be sincere and genuine smiles. Colavito and Wagner look to be having a grand old time, which is how it should be on these old baseball cards.

By 1967, both Colavito and Wagner had forged strong reputations in Cleveland. In 1966, they served as the cornerstones to the Indians’ offense. Hitting 30 home runs and drawing walks, Colavito carved out an OPS of .767, more than respectable during the pitchers’ era of the mid-1960s. Wagner was slightly better, with an OPS of .775, 23 home runs and a .279 batting average. His numbers became more impressive given that he suffered a concussion and a broken nose during a midseason collision with teammate Larry Brown.

Beyond their offensive production, Colavito and Wagner had become extraordinarily popular players in Cleveland by 1967. Colavito’s popularity stretched back to his first stint with the Indians, when he was still in his physical prime. With his dark features, general good looks, and reputation for All-American boy wholesomeness, Colavito achieved a special status with Indians fans.  Still, general manager Frank “Trader” Lane saw fit to trade Colavito in 1960, enraging the fan base. Indians fans reacted to the trade by adopted the rallying cry of “Don’t Knock The Rock,” which is exactly what Lane had done after making the trade. A future Indians regime tried to undo that trade by reacquiring Colavito in another major trade prior to the 1965 season.

Nicknamed “Daddy Wags,” Wagner also achieved popularity in Cleveland, even if it trailed the level reached by Colavito. Initially, Indians fans gave him a hard time because of his fielding faux pas, but they eventually came to appreciate Wagner. Loved by teammates, Wagner had a vibrant personality that made him a cult figure.

“Leon Wagner was one of the most pleasant, friendliest players I ever knew,” longtime Cleveland writer Hal Lebovitz said in one of his columns. “[He] always had that incandescent smile.” Outgoing and upbeat, Wagner enjoyed talking to people, even if he liked to brag a little too much about his batting prowess, once predicting that he would break Roger Maris’ single-season home run record. Wagner found joy in playing the game and always seemed willing to give something back to his fans. Those traits help explain the other nickname that he acquired, during an earlier tenure with the California Angels, when he became known as “The Good Humor Man.”

Given how popular and productive Wagner and Colavito were in Cleveland in 1967, it’s somewhat hard to believe how quickly they departed the scene. From 1956 to 1965, Colavito was one of the game’s top-rated sluggers, with a home run crown, an RBI title and a slugging percentage crown to his credit. But with the Indians headed toward an eighth-place finish in ’67 and with Colavito now 33, the franchise decided to move toward youth. In late July, the Indians did what was once considered unthinkable: trading Colavito a second time. On July 29, Cleveland dealt Colavito to the Chicago White Sox for two lesser players: outfielder Jim King and second baseman Marv Staehle.

Once again, the trade drew an unfavorable reaction from the Cleveland fan base, but this time Indians management would find some justification in making the trade. Now showing his age, Colavito struggled over the second half of the season with the White Sox, who then traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 1968, Colavito’s hitting cratered, and the Dodgers  dumped him midseason on the New York Yankees. About the only bright spot of his Yankee tenure was the opportunity to pitch on Aug. 25, when he came out of the bullpen and threw two and a third scoreless innings of relief. Colavito also showed some life at the plate, hitting five home runs in just over 100 at-bats, but the Yankees released him the day after the regular season ended. Colavito opted to retire.

Wagner would last a little longer than Colavito in Cleveland, but not by much. From 1961 to 1963, Wagner had averaged 31 home runs and 99 RBIs, making him one of the top left-handed sluggers in the American League. (He was also fun to watch, with a batting stance full of wiggles and gyrations.) Four times in his career, he received MVP votes, including 1966. But in 1967, his power and his ability to reach base declined, resulting in his OPS falling to .705. At 33, Wagner seemed to be at the same precarious position in his career as Colavito. After his poor start to the 1968 season, the Indians  traded Daddy Wags to the White Sox for journeyman outfielder Russ Snyder. Just like that, within roughly a year of their appearance on “Tribe Thumpers,” both Wagner and Colavito had departed Cleveland.

By 1968, Wagner had lost all his power. He hit only one home run over the balance of the season, making his .284 batting average look hollow. After the season, the White Sox sold Wagner to the Cincinnati Reds in a conditional transaction, but he never actually made it to Cincinnati. In early April, just before Opening Day, the Reds returned Wagner to the White Sox, negating the odd transaction and making his 1969 Topps card (showing him wearing a Reds uniform) out of date.

As it turned out, the White Sox did not want Wagner back, so they released him right away. Wagner would find work with the San Francisco Giants, his original team. Wagner showed some life with the Giants, banging out four hits in 12 at-bats, but San Francisco’s crowded outfield dictated his release at season’s end.

Wagner settled for minor league deals over the next three seasons, including some time with the Hawaii Islanders (a favorite outpost for former big leaguers). But his hitting failed to revive, forcing him to retire at the age of 37.

A Hardball Times Update
Goodbye for now.

With his outgoing nature and general intelligence, Wagner might have seemed like a good candidate to do well after his baseball. Initially, he found success in Hollywood, where executives found him intriguing because of his good looks, high cheekbones, and ability to carry on a conversation. Wagner dabbled in acting, appearing in an episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E, and in two feature films. One of them was a lesser known movie, A Woman Under The Influence, directed by John Cassavetes and starring Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk. The other film had a direct tie to baseball; it was the controversial movie about the Negro Leagues, The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings, which co-starred James Earl Jones and Billy Dee Williams.

Unfortunately, Wagner would not become another Jones or another Williams. Hollywood parts dried up for Wagner after Bingo Long. He had little savings to fall back on, in part because his celebrated clothing store in Los Angeles had failed, and found his options limited because of a lack of a college degree. He sold cars for a while and later did some public relations work for a Los Angeles racetrack, but found no long-term success in either venture.

Wagner also became addicted to drugs, which not only affected his health but left him in severe debt. The situation only worsened during the 1990s and early 2000s. Having fallen into abject poverty and without a home to call his own, a desperate Wagner sought refuge in an old car. He then started living in an electrical shed, located next to a dumpster. That’s where his body was found one day in January of 2004. Alone at the end, and with no one around to help him, Wagner was gone at the age of 69.

Some of Wagner’s friends say that he never recovered from being traded by the Angels, a place where he had been happy and productive. They believe that started his downward spiral, which only gained velocity after his playing days. Whatever the reasons, Wagner’s ill-fated post-baseball life ranks as one of the saddest stories in the game’s history.

Colavito’s fortunes have been better, but by no means has his life been easy. After working briefly as a broadcaster for the Indians in the 1970s, he did some coaching for Cleveland and the Kansas City Royals, where he worked under manager Dick Howser, his former teammate in Cleveland. Colavito then left baseball for good, settling into a quiet life as a mushroom farmer.

But health problems began. In the early 1990s, Colavito battled prostate cancer, a disease that he was able to conquer. Then,  in 2003, he underwent heart bypass surgery. More recently, the onset of diabetes has resulted in the loss of a leg. Colavito now moves around with the aid of either crutches or a wheelchair.

So much has happened over the last 50 years, when Colavito and Wagner took center stage on that remarkable 1967 Topps card. At that time, they seemed to be on top of the baseball world, loving life in Cleveland. Now one of them is gone, while the other is dealing with the harsh realities of being 83 years old with health problems.

Unfortunately, our baseball cards can only capture a moment, as this one did in the mid-1960s. They cannot maintain good health and fortune for their subjects, as much as we might like them to.

References & Resources:

  • Rocky Colavito’s biographical file at the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library
  • Leon Wagner’s biographical file at the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library
  • The Topps Company


Bruce Markusen has authored seven baseball books, including biographies of Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda and Ted Williams, and A Baseball Dynasty: Charlie Finley’s Swingin’ A’s, which was awarded SABR's Seymour Medal.
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Dennis Bedard
6 years ago

Great article Bruce. You bring these players alive for those of us who remember them well. The movie, A Woman Under The Influence, is a cult classic for those interested in the devastating effects of depression and mental illness. Appropriate that Wagner had a role in this movie. I recall reading somewhere (I think it was one of your posts) that the catch phrase for Wagner’s clothing store was “get your rags at Daddy’s Wags.” As for Colavito, he is right up there with Mickey Mantle and Dave Kingman as having names custom made for future home run hitters. It is as if their parents on the day they were born foresaw their accomplishments and names them accordingly.

GFrankovich
6 years ago
Reply to  Dennis Bedard

Speaking of Daddy Wags – I remember reading of him being into real estate – the motto “Rent Your Pad from Super Dads”.

Steve Magas
6 years ago

Great article-1967 was probably the height of my Tribe card gathering and I have this card (as well as “Bob” Clemente) in the small stack which survived Mom’s purges. The story of Daddy Wags is particularly heartbreaking as he was such a popular player amongst us Cleveland kids. I don’t remember ANY sandlot kid thinking “black” or “white” when watching any of those players – just “Wow, he can HIT!” (UnlikeJoe Azcue, who used to generate polite applause if he managed to hit a foul ball). Thank you for bringing these stories, and cards, to light. Now let’s hear about Sam McDowell… who my buddy’s dad used to lock up in the drunk tank of a small Cleveland suburb with some regularity…

Rainy Day Women 12x35
6 years ago
Reply to  Steve Magas

And yet it didn’t stop my Giants from dealing Gaylord Perry for him after the ’72 season. Ugh.

Marc Schneider
6 years ago

Today’s players generally won’t have to deal with the post-playing issues that guys like Wagner and Colavito did in those pre-free agency days-and that’s good. The players were underpaid by owners who had unlimited power because of the Reserve Clause. And, in Wagner’s case, it’s hard not to conclude that being African-American at that time led to fewer opportunities. It’s sad to see what happened to a lot of players from that era.

Dennis Bedard
6 years ago

Why not Wigwam Wallopers or Tepee Terrors.

John G.
6 years ago
Reply to  Dennis Bedard

“Cleveland Clouters?”

John G.
6 years ago

Instead of “Tribe Thumpers,” how about “Tribe Triplers?” Colavito and Wagner combined for exactly zero triples in 1966, but, alliteration.

Tom Tomsick
6 years ago

In 1967, Topps also used a 1964 Indians’ team picture for the third consecutive season for their team card. Rocky wasn’t even a pixel in the pic in ’67. The official team pic had blue hats and blue stirrups. Somehow Topps made the latter red for the card. I had the honor of standing beside Wags in the back row right! What a card!

87 Cards
6 years ago

Dr.Tom……I enjoyed your book about the 1960s Tribe….. Strike Three! My Years in the Pen.

Jeff Blackburn
6 years ago

Thanks for bringing back the best part of my childhood. I loved them both. I’d also love to hear more about “Sudden” Sam McDowell. Oh for one more twilight doubleheader in municipal stadium!

John Autin
6 years ago

I always enjoy these articles, Bruce. Thanks.

When you mentioned the crowded Giants outfield that led to Wagner’s final release, I couldn’t help thinking about the one that got him dealt away from SF in the first place.

After a great rookie half-year in 1958, Wagner was on the roster all of ’59, but was stuck on the bench most of the year. Without ever going on the DL, he got just 24 starts and 158 PAs. His first start was in game 24, and for a month he played regularly, posting a .942 OPS. Then he abruptly fell out of the rotation through no fault of his own, starting just 3 of their last 101 games. That fall they sent him in an ill-advised 2-for-1 deal for Wade Blasingame, and Wagner spent another year rotting on the Cardinals’ bench, before expansion freed him.

Wagner was a flawed player, but he could really hit, and he lost two prime years to the Giants’ chronic inability to sort out their talent surplus. They produced two HOF first basemen in two years, Cepeda and McCovey, and then spent the next six years trying to shoehorn them both into the lineup. That’s just part of a saga of indecision and half-commitment that was a big reason the Mays-era SF Giants won no championships and just one pennant.

Rainy Day Women 12x35
6 years ago

If memory serves, Rocco earned a win during his 2 1/3 inning relief appearance? I think it may have been the last win by a position player for many years, until someone won a game somewhat recently.

Art McKay
6 years ago
Mike Easler
6 years ago

The other cool aspect about this 1966 card is the fact both players are smiling. Despite all the advantages today’s athletes have, you still see photos and video images of sullen players. It’s as if posing for a photograph, or getting interviewed is some kind of major inconvenience. Never thought I’d live long enough to hear a ballplayer whine and complain about participating in a doubleheader, but that’s exactly what some Rays players did recently.

In this 1966 card, these players seemed excited to play, the idea of complaining to the media about playing a doubleheader in an air conditioned stadium would have laughable.

Marc Schneider
6 years ago
Reply to  Mike Easler

In 1966, if you complained too much, the team might get rid of you. I think if you look at enough pictures from back in the day, you would fine plenty of unsmiling players.