Art Shamsky had a 12-year career in Major League Baseball primarily as an outfielder and first baseman from 1965 to 1976. While he was never a true superstar, Shamsky had some notable moments that make his baseball cards of interest to collectors today.
Shamsky was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1942. He broke into the big leagues with the Cincinnati Reds in 1965 after being selected by them in the 20th round of the 1962 MLB Draft out of the University of Cincinnati. His rookie cards from 1965 are some of the more common finds in card collections from that era. The 1965 Topps and Fleer cards showcase a young, clean-shaven Shamsky in a Reds uniform on the front with basic stats on the back.
After two seasons with the Reds where he showed some promise by hitting .271 as a rookie, Shamsky was surprisingly traded to the New York Mets after the 1966 season. This move would turn out to be fortuitous for both Shamsky and Mets fans. In 1967, Shamsky enjoyed his best season with career-highs of 22 home runs and 82 RBI while hitting .272. This performance earned him a spot on the famous “Amazin’ Mets” that shocked the baseball world by winning the World Series that year, the first in Mets franchise history.
Naturally, Shamsky’s 1967 Topps and Fleer cards that show him with the “Amazin’ Mets” are highly sought after by collectors of era and especially those collecting Mets memorabilia. The World Series championship added instant cache and significance to cards from that year’s team. Shamsky is also prominently featured on 1967 Topps World Series cards from that matchup. While he hit just .176 in the series against the powerful Baltimore Orioles, just being part of the championship team makes these cards desirable.
Shamsky continued to be a solid contributor for the Mets for several more seasons. He hit two more home runs in the 1969 World Series loss to the Amazing Mets and also played in the 1973 World Series, though he was now more of a part-time player. His 1969 and 1970s Topps, Fleer, and Kellogg’s cards remain reasonably available and affordable options for collectors of the era. In the early 1970s, Shamsky also gained brief notoriety for being the first major leaguer to wear eyeglasses on the field. This led to some novelty or oddball cards being produced highlighting his eyewear at the time.
After the 1974 season, Shamsky was traded to the Atlanta Braves. He only spent one season in Atlanta before moving on to his final MLB stop with the California Angels in 1976. Cards from his brief stint with those two clubs are more difficult to acquire in high grade due to lower print runs and the late date in his career. By 1976, Shamsky was past his prime at age 34 and he retired after that season with a .259 career batting average, 116 home runs, and 513 RBI over 12 seasons.
In retirement, Shamsky stayed closely connected to baseball through both broadcasting and coaching roles. He worked as a color commentator for Mets radio broadcasts from 1979 to 1981 and also served as a coach for the Reds, Cubs, and Athletics at various points. More recently, Shamsky has been involved in the baseball memorabilia industry through autograph signings and personal appearances.
For collectors, low-numbered serially numbered autograph cards and memorabilia cards signed by Shamsky in recent vintage tend to have strong appeal due to his World Series heroics with the “Amazin’ Mets” of the late 1960s. While he was never a true superstar, Shamsky’s place in New York Mets lore and the history of that franchise continues to make his vintage baseball cards popular almost 60 years after his MLB debut. For Mets fans and collectors of the 1960s and 1970s era in particular, Art Shamsky cards remain an important part of capturing and remembering that magical “Impossible Dream” season of 1967.
