Darold Knowles was a journeyman left-handed relief pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1964 to 1977. While he was not a star player and had a career win-loss record below .500, Knowles had value as a specialist who could get left-handed hitters out. He pitched for several teams over his 14-year career, mostly effectively, and appeared in over 500 games. Knowles’ longevity and contributions to multiple contending teams have made his baseball cards collectible today.
Knowles was signed by the Kansas City Athletics as an amateur free agent in 1962. He made his MLB debut with the A’s in 1964 at age 21. One of his earliest baseball cards comes from that rookie season. The 1964 Topps #487 Darold Knowles card shows him in an Athletics uniform, with stats from his brief debut campaign where he appeared in 9 games and pitched 11 innings. This is one of the more common early Knowles cards available to collectors.
In 1965, Knowles began to establish himself as a specialist reliever for the A’s. He appeared in 48 games and had a solid 2.97 ERA, pitching 74 innings mostly out of the bullpen. His 1965 Topps card, #499, reflects his growing role. It depicts him in an Athletics cap with his stats updated from the previous season. This remains one of Knowles’ more affordable vintage cards in the mid-$20 range in average condition.
Knowles was traded to the Boston Red Sox after the 1967 season, where he would have some of his most productive years. With the Red Sox from 1968-1971, he established career-highs in games (80 in 1969), innings (116.1 in 1968) and wins (11 in 1970). His 1968 Topps card, #455, is one of the more iconic Darold Knowles issues. It shows him in the unique red stocking cap the Red Sox wore, which became one of his trademark looks. In high grade this is a key card for Red Sox collectors, valued around $100-150.
Knowles was a workhorse for the Red Sox bullpen in the late 1960s/early 70s. He appeared in over 60 games each season from 1968-1971. This durability made him very valuable as a lefty specialist. His 1971 Topps card, #475, reflects his continued importance to the Red Sox. By this point in his career, Knowles had developed the mustache and beard look he wore for several seasons. His 1971 issue remains one of his more prominent vintage cardboard appearances.
After the 1971 season, Knowles was surprisingly traded by the Red Sox to the Oakland A’s, returning to the team that originally signed him. He continued pitching effectively in Oakland from 1972-1974. His 1972 Topps card, #429, marks this return to the A’s. Knowles is shown clean shaven in the green and gold A’s uniform. In the early 1970s, Oakland was a powerhouse franchise that won 3 straight World Series titles from 1972-1974. Knowles contributed to those championship teams out of the bullpen.
In 1975, Knowles was dealt again, this time to the New York Yankees. He pitched two seasons for the Bronx Bombers, 1975-1976. His 1975 Topps card, #456, portrays him now in Yankee pinstripes. By the mid-1970s, Topps photography and production values had improved, resulting in sharper, high-quality images like this one of Knowles. He continued proving his worth as a situational lefty, appearing in over 50 games each year for the championship-caliber Yankees.
Knowles wrapped up his 14-year career with one final season back with the A’s in 1977, at age 36. His 1977 Topps card, #372, marks this swansong campaign. It was the last baseball card issued featuring Darold Knowles as an active player. He retired after the 1977 season with a career record of 46-53, 3.66 ERA and 28 saves, having played for 5 different franchises. Knowles made the most of his abilities as a specialist, carving out a long career thanks to his prowess against left-handed hitters.
In total, Knowles has over a dozen different baseball cards issued from 1964-1977 by Topps, the dominant card company of that era. As a journeyman reliever who played for contending teams, his cards remain collectible today. Knowles’ 1968, 1971 and 1975 issues stand out as particularly iconic due to the uniform designs and his prominent roles at those times. For dedicated Red Sox, A’s or Yankees collectors, high grade Knowles cards from his years with those clubs can be quite valuable. Even his more common vintage issues from the 1960s routinely sell in the $15-30 range depending on condition. Knowles may not have been a star, but his 14-year career and contributions to championship clubs is commemorated through his collectible baseball cards decades later.
In summary, Darold Knowles had a career well-suited for the baseball card collector – he was a reliable lefty specialist who pitched for multiple franchises over 14 seasons in the 1960s and 70s. While not a star player, Knowles made the most of his abilities and found ways to carve out a long MLB tenure. The longevity and roles he played for contending teams like the Red Sox, A’s and Yankees have made his dozen or so Topps baseball cards from that period collectible to this day. Knowles may not be a household name, but for dedicated collectors of the teams he played for, his vintage cardboard remains a valued part of their collections.