This is a 1963 Topps baseball card, number 95 in the set, signed by pitcher Larry Jackson.
Larry Jackson was a workhorse starting pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies in the 1950's and 1960's.
A four-time All-Star, he was in double figures for both wins in losses for 11 consecutive seasons from 1958 to 1968. Pitching for generally mediocre teams, he was a significantly better-than-average pitcher.
Jackson had a career year for the 1964 Chicago Cubs, winning a National League-leading 24 games with a 3.14 ERA in just under 300 innings. There was only one Cy Young Award for both leagues that season, and it was won by Los Angeles Angels star Dean Chance, but Jackson finished second in the voting and would have won the National League if it existed.
The pride of Boise High School, Boise Junior College and Idaho State, Jackson became a Boise sportswriter, and also worked as an insurance agent and as a lobbyist for paper manufacturers.
He went on to serve four terms in the Idaho House of Representatives, became executive director of the Republican State Committee, and ran for Governor in 1978 but did not get the party nomination.
Always interested in affairs of state, he visited Vietnam with Joe DiMaggio and Ron Swoboda (and someone else..?) after the 1968 season.
He died of cancer in Boise at the age of 59
The card was signed for me while he was still pitching in the major leagues. The signature is in black felt-tip pen.
