The Visalia Oaks were a minor league baseball team based in Visalia, California that played from 1952 to 1963 as an affiliate of various Major League Baseball organizations. They were known as the Visalia Oaks from 1952 to 1959 and the Visalia Mets from 1960 to 1963. While the team no longer exists, collectors still seek out vintage baseball cards featuring players who suited up for the Visalia Oaks and Mets during their 12 seasons of operation. These cards chronicling the “66ers”, as they were nicknamed due to their affiliation with Route 66 which passed through Visalia, provide a unique window into the history of minor league baseball on the west coast.
One of the earliest and most sought after sets featuring 66ers players is the 1953 Topps set. This was only the second year Topps produced baseball cards and they included players from all levels of the minor leagues. Notable 66ers included on the ’53 Topps checklist are pitchers Bob Aspromonte, Jack McMahan, and Wayne Terwilliger, as well as outfielders Dick Adams and Jim Pendleton. Of these, Aspromonte and Terwilliger went on to enjoy long major league careers. The ’53 Topps set is highly collectible today with the typical card in near mint condition fetching $15-30. Keys cards of 66ers players can run much higher for true gems.
In 1954 and 1955, the Bowman Gum Company produced sets that also included 66ers players such as catcher Bob Lillis and pitchers Bob Aspromonte, Jack McMahan, and Wayne Terwilliger. These early Bowman cards are quite scarce today numbering only about 50 cards featuring the Visalia players. They remain quite affordable though with ex-66ers cards in good condition selling in the $5-15 range. The 1956 and 1957 Topps sets also featured several former Visalia players like pitchers Bob Aspromonte, Wayne Terwilliger, and Jim Owens as well as outfielders Jim Pendleton and Bobby Del Greco.
Topps continued chronicling the Visalia Oaks through their minor league sets of 1958 and 1959. Notable rostered players included on cards in these two sets are pitchers Frank Baumann, Jack Kralick, and Bob Miller as well as infielders Ken Boswell, Ron Hunt, and Larry Elliot. The 1958 and 1959 Topps cards remain reasonably priced with common cards selling for $3-10 depending on condition. Keys cards of future major leaguers like Kralick and Boswell can command $15-30.
When the Visalia franchise changed affiliations in 1960, becoming the Visalia Mets, their players began appearing in the 1960 and 1961 Topps sets under the new team name. Pitchers Galen Cisco, Al Jackson, and Jack Hamilton along with infielders Ron Hunt, Ken Boswell, and Larry Elliot represented Visalia on cards in those two sets. By this time, the franchise was producing some true major league talent. Both Jackson and Boswell went on to enjoy long MLB careers, making their early Visalia Mets cards quite desirable today. A 1960 or 1961 card of one of these future stars can sell for $50-150 graded mint.
The final two seasons of the Visalia Mets in 1962 and 1963 were also documented by Topps through their minor league sets of those two years. Notable players included pitchers Jack Hamilton and Galen Cisco as well as infielders Ron Hunt and Ken Boswell. These late-run Visalia Mets cards remain reasonably priced with common Ex-66ers selling in the $5-15 range. Keys cards of the likes of Boswell and Hunt that grade well can still attract $30-75 from avid collectors though.
Vintage baseball cards chronicling the players and teams of the Visalia Oaks and Mets Minor League Baseball franchises from 1952 through 1963 provide a fun and affordable avenue for collectors to explore the history of minor league ball on California’s Central Coast. Ranging from the early 1950s Topps and Bowman issues to the final 1961 and 1962 Topps Mets player cards, 66ers cards can be found across a variety of classic sets at varying price points. For those seeking a window into the past of America’s favorite pastime at its grassroots levels, few subjects are as rich as the legacy of the Visalia Oaks and Mets as preserved on their vintage baseball cards.
