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Willie "Boom Boom" Kirkland's 1961 Topps card #15 can
be seen here, both front and back:

http://home.triad.rr.com/ovis/images/015_Kirkland-a.jpg

http://home.triad.rr.com/ovis/images/015_Kirkland-b.jpg

Willie Kirkland was a starting outfielder for the first six years
of his career, first with the Giants, from 1958 through 1960,
and then with the Indians from 1961 through 1963. During
these years he mostly played right field, but played a little
in left, and even less in center. In 1961, the year of this
card, he only played in right.

1961 was a banner year for Willie. That year he led the
Indians with 27 home runs, was 9th in the league in RBIs,
and tied for the league lead with 4 double plays by an
outfielder.

He also hit 3 home runs in a game in July of 1961, before
drawing a walk, laying down a sacrifice bunt, and then
coming back in the next game to hit another homer in his
first at-bat to tie the major league record of 4 home runs in
4 official at-bats.

As the cartoon on the back of the card says, Willie also
led the league in double plays by an outfielder in 1958.
He was also 5th in the National League in triples in 1960.

After the 1963 season, Willie was traded away to the
Baltimore Orioles, but before the '64 season was over,
the Orioles sent him to the Senators where he played
through the '66 season, his last in the majors.

His lifetime batting average was .240.

Willie did find new life in Japan, and played there from
1968-1973.
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John Wade