1960 Topps, Fred Kipp

#202 Fred Kipp

Here is the second oldest card that I was able to unlock from the Topps Diamond Giveaway. For the most part, I had pretty good luck with the cards that Topps sent me in terms of condition. This one, however, was the poorest one that I received. While there are no creases in it, the corners are well rounded. But, I was able to get it signed through the mail and that is all that matters. Once that signature is added to the card, it is as good as mint to me.

Fred pitched for the Dodgers and Yankees from 1957 to 1960. The only season that he pitched more than five innings was the 1958 campaign and that season Fred was 6-6 with a 5.01 ERA in 102.1 innings of work. He started 9 games that season and came out of the 'pen in 31 others while striking out 58 batters and walking 45. Fred was a knuckleball pitcher, so that kind of explains his poor strikeout to walk ratio.

Fred is a fellow Kansan and was the first ballplayer that I had written to that lived in Kansas outside of the Kansas City Metro area. I sent this card to him in early November last year and I had it back eight days later.

I didn't notice it when I first got this card, but you can tell that the photo was taken in the Los Angeles Coliseum in the days before Dodger Stadium.