1961 Topps #23, Don Demeter

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Don Demeter's 1961 Topps #23 baseball card is shown
here, both front and back:

http://home.triad.rr.com/ovis/images/023_Demeter-a.jpg

http://home.triad.rr.com/ovis/images/023_Demeter-b.jpg

Don Demeter was a tall slender, good fielding, power hitter.

The Dodgers brought Don up and sent him back to the
minors from 1956 through 1958, but in 1959 the young
outfielder got his chance with the club. In 139 games, he
would bat .256 with 18 home runs, including hitting 3 home
runs in a game against the Giants, one of which was inside
the park.

Don stuck out a lot, and in 1959 he was 7th in the league
in strikeouts. In fact, Don has one of the ten worst career
strikeout to walk ratios, with 658 strikeouts to 180 walks.

In 1960, Don was only in 64 games, but brought up his
average to .274 with 9 home runs.

In May of 1961, the year of this card, Don was traded to
the Phillies. He hit .251 for the year, with 21 home runs,
including the second 3 homer game of his career against
his old team the Dodgers.

The 1962 season would be Don's best. He hit for a
..307 average, with 29 home runs. His average was
9th best in the league, his home run total was 8th best.
He had the 7th best RBI total (107), and his slugging
percentage was 6th best (.520).

Also in 1962, Don started a consecutive game streak
without an error, which would stretch into the 1965
season, and stop at 266 games, a major league record
that would last until broken by Darren Lewis in 1993.

1963 would see Don bang out another 22 home runs,
while his average dropped to .258. At the end of the
season he would be traded to the Tigers.

1964, with Detroit, was almost a carbon copy of the
'63 season. Don hit for a .256 average and for the
second year in a row, hit 22 home runs. This would
make four consecutive years he would hit 20+ home
runs.

In 1965, Don hit .278 with 16 home runs.

Don was traded again early in the '66 season, to the
Red Sox, and his numbers stayed consistent.

Early in the 1967 season, Don was traded again, this
time to the Indians, where he wasn't used much. This
would be Don's last year.

Don's lifetime batting average was .265, and he had
163 career home runs.
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John Wade