Card fact: As many collectors know, Topps once reserved the cards with numbers ending in "00" for the superstars, numbers ending in "0" for the stars, and numbers ending in "5" for the really good players.That held true for the 1975 set. In most cases. So far, not counting the Highlights cards at the start of the set, we have Jose Cardenal (#15), Lee May (#25), Ron Santo (#35), Joe Rudi (#45), Bobby Bonds (#55) and Don Gullett (#65). All excellent players, although maybe not the biggest and brightest of the day.
There are some players with cards ending in "5" that really don't deserve the honor. One is coming up at #85. That's the same card that breaks up the team pattern. Who is that dastardly player? You'll have to wait.
What I thought about this card then: Didn't see it. But I was a closet Don Gullett fan when I was a kid. He was a lefty pitcher, who could throw hard, which was a good thing. But he pitched for the Big Red Machine and the late '70s Yankees, which was a bad thing.
What I think about this card now: Gullett almost always looked on the verge of tears on his cards. This is not as pronounced as some other photos, but a good example.
Also, the color combo matches well with Gullett's jacket. The red part anyway.
Other stuff: Gullett had an abbreviated career, thanks to arm trouble. But he enjoyed a second career as a pitching coach and ended up being inducted into the Reds' Hall of Fame. (EDIT: Gullett died at age 73 on Feb. 14, 2024)
Back facts: There are people who dispute the belief that a pitcher can get stronger as the game progresses. They used to say that about Fernando Valenzuela all the time. It does seem physically impossible. I think saying, "Gullett doesn't get as tired as other pitchers during the course of a game," might be more accurate.Gullett was right in the middle of the peak of his career at this point. He'd have another great season in 1975.
Other blog stuff: Happy birthday to Steve Garvey, card #140 in the 1975 set. He is 61 years old today!
3 comments:
This has to be THE WORST portrait I've ever seen on a baseball card. You should hold a contest for people to give it a caption. That could be pretty funny.
Hmmmm...
"Oh no, I'm not getting airbrushed am I?"
"Please don't trade me to Cleveland Sparky, I'll do anything!"
Knowing Steve Garvey is 61 makes me feel old. I wonder if Gullett had that same look in family photos. The color combo is better than most as far as matching the players uniform.
Gullett made my father look smart to me, his wise guy kid. At least when it came to baseball. Right at the beginning of Gullett's career, I think during the 1970 World Series, we were watching him pitch on TV, and I said, "This guy's real good, ain’t he, Pop?" And he said, "Yeah, but he won’t last long." I asked why he said that, and Pop said, "Look At how he pitches. With a stiff back leg. Guys like that always hurt their arm." Sure enough, all through his career, Gullett had arm trouble and his career ended at a very young age. So I had to admit old Dad really did know something about baseball.
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