1975 Topps (it's far out, man)

Dy-no-mite!

2011-10-01T00:07:00.001-04:00

Welcome!

This is a tribute to the 1975 Topps set, the first set I ever collected, the best set I ever collected, and my most favorite set of all-time. I love the '75 set for its over-the-top color, its uniqueness, its ability to standout against all other sets. But mostly I love it because it's the first set I ever collected. Those were great times to be a 9-year-old boy.

Whether you are stumbling across this blog for the first time, or are just returning to relive some aspect of your early collecting days, I hope you find what you're looking for here. This blog was done in a spirit of love and care. But mostly in a spirit of fun.

So have fun!

Dig it!

Check you later

2011-09-30T01:06:00.003-04:00

I started this blog for one reason. The 1975 Topps set deserved a blog.

When I first started reading card blogs back in the early summer of 2008, I came across several set-related blogs. They captured my imagination. The devotion to the individual card. The love of a set-builder. The fun facts I never knew and the ones I always knew.

But I realized right away that no one had started a '75 Topps blog. That staggered me. At the time, I thought there really was only one set that was interesting enough to catalog card-by-card, and that was the '75 set. I was a bit biased because it was the first set I ever collected. But come on. Look at it. Why in the heck had everyone been able to avoid creating a '75 Topps blog?

As I became a blogger and the months went by, I continued to wait for someone to begin the '75 Topps blog. But no one did. Finally, after a little over a year of waiting, I started one myself on October 14, 2009. All I wanted to do was share my enthusiasm for my all-time favorite set.

But as I chronicled the set almost each and every day, something happened. First, the blog became my oasis. Night Owl Cards is my oasis away from life. But 1975 Topps (it's far out, man) was my oasis away from Night Owl Cards. I'm going to miss old '75y for that reason.

But secondly, I became aware of how the blog affected others. People told me that they were inspired to collect the set because of this blog. People sent me '75 cards because they figured I might want some upgrades (I did). Some wacky fellow blogger attempted to make sure there was a comment on every post (you missed one, bud). I was contacted by relatives of players in the set.

I never knew that posting my simple memories of collecting a set would connect with others on such a level.

So, now that it's over, I owe a thanks to anyone who read this, or will continue to read it. Thanks to all the regular commenters like EggRocket, Play at the Plate, steelehere, Johngy, MCT, Jim from Downington, Reivax, Douglas, wobs, MJ, Matt R, Devon, eric c. loy, Roy, Jim, and many others who climbed aboard and joined in with the spirit with which this blog was intended.

A special thanks to Andy for being the inspiration for this blog as his 1988 Topps set blog was the first of its kind that I ever saw. And thanks to wobs again for devoting several cards to the cause.

Thank you to all who corresponded by email, a number of whom never commented on this blog. I appreciated your kind words. Some of your personal stories relating to this blog actually brought tears to my eyes.

The '70s were a wonderful time to be a kid and collect and I will always remember that when I look at my '75s. And now when I look at this blog in retrospect.

I'll be taking a break from starting a second blog for awhile. I don't know how long that break will be. You could see another set blog pop up in a week or you could see one pop up in 2012. I don't know. I'm guessing in about a month you'll see something new.

Until then,

Catch you on the flip side.

A little something extra

2011-09-29T02:00:00.000-04:00

No, this is not a repeat of yesterday's post. It's not even the same image.

But a comment on yesterday's post guessed at what this post -- and the surprise -- would be. Sort of.

I received a thank you package in the mail from Andy of the Baseball-Reference.com blog. It really was the most appropriate thank you that he could have made. And I am most appreciative.

As many followers of this blog know, the wrapper featured here is the wrapper for the 1975 Topps set. But that isn't merely a scan of the wrapper. It is a scan of an unopened pack of 1975 Topps cards.

An unopened pack of 1975 Topps MINI cards.

That was my gift.

I know.

That is out of sight.

I have not opened a 1975 Topps pack since probably August 1975. So it was quite a thrill opening this pack. And I'm going to show the cards here. I also opened the pack on my other blog, and I go into a little more detail over there, if you are interested.

I had to pair up the cards that I pulled out of the pack with the regular-sized version of the card, just so you would be able to tell that it's a mini card.

OK, on the occasion of completing the "1975 Topps (it's far out, man) blog," here is the unveiling of a 1975 Topps minis card pack, 36 years later:

#491 - Doyle Alexander.

A card I never pulled in 1975.

#114 - Dick Lange

A card I traded for in that big deal for mini cards that I made in 1975.

#448 - Frank Duffy

One of the first cards -- if not the first -- that I obtained in mini and regular-sized versions during 1975.

#138 - Del Unser

I never saw this card in 1975 either.

#222 - Dan Spillner (it's not that miscut -- the scanner cut off the image).

I pulled the regular-sized version of this card when I was on vacation in July of 1975 after a walk to the drug store in the town we were visiting.

#41 - Cesar Geronimo

Possibly the best offensive player in the pack. I never pulled this card in 1975.

#438 - Don Carrithers

Another mini card I acquired in the Great Mini Trade of '75.

#92 - Cecil Upshaw

Yes, another card acquired in that mini trade.

#256 - Billy Champion (several of the minis were off-center, top-to-bottom, causing the scanner to trim the bottom part of the card).

The regular-sized version of this card was acquired through another trade, although I don't quite remember the circumstances.

#166 - Woodie Fryman

I never pulled this card in '75.

So, if you're a veteran of pack purchasing in 1975, you know that's the end of the pack, as there were 10 cards in every wax pack in '75.

Out of the 10 cards, I had four in mini form already, although all four of them are excellent upgrades.

All will go toward my leisurely pursuit of the entire 1975 Topps mini pursuit (still need Yount, Brett, Ryan and Aaron ... heh), so I thank Andy for that.

Most of all, thanks for the '70s flashback. It was terrific fun. I even waited three whole days before opening the pack.

Hope everyone enjoyed!

I'll be back tomorrow with some final words.

Set in review

2011-09-28T01:42:00.001-04:00

Every 100 cards of this set, I conducted an update of the 1975 Topps set. From the time I was a kid, there were always elements about the set that I wanted to quantify, and this blog was the perfect opportunity to do that:

Which border color combinations appeared the most? Which appeared the least? How many dudes looked like ladies?

That sort of stuff.

So this is my chance to put all those questions to rest. Here is the final tally for a lot of the categories that I mentioned throughout the blog and a couple others:

1. COLOR COMBINATIONS

In the end, there was a five-way tie for the lead among the color combinations. The green-light green, green-purple, orange-brown, pink-yellow and purple-pink combinations each finished with 55 cards apiece. If we're going by the define-the-design names selected for those combinations, the "lime design," "Incredible Hulk design," "candy corn design," "marshmallow peeps design," and "My Little Pony design" finished at the top of the heap. But here is the full list:

1. Green-light green: 55
2. Green-purple: 55
3. Orange-brown: 55
4. Pink-yellow: 55
5. Purple-pink: 55
6. Yellow-red: 39
7. Brown-orange: 33
8. Green-yellow: 33
9. Light blue-green: 33
10. Orange-yellow: 33
11. Red-orange: 33
12. Yellow-light blue: 33
13. Blue-orange: 22
14. Brown-tan: 22
15. Red-blue: 22
16. Red-yellow: 22
17. Tan-light blue: 22
18: Yellow-green: 22

Of course, I omitted the yellow-red borders of the all-star cards every time I ranked the border combinations. But if I combined the yellow-red All-Star card borders with the other yellow-red cards, then the yellow-red border would be the overall winner with 56 cards total.

2. POWDER BLUE UNIFORMS

There were a whopping 83 players wearing powder blue in this set. I'd be willing to guess that the total was even higher in the 1976 or 1977 Topps set. Maybe even 1978 with the first real appearance of the Blue Jays.

3. LOOKING UP

There are 29 players looking up in this set. I imagine that if you total this category up in 1960s sets, it's a lot bigger.

4. DUDE LOOKS LIKE A LADY

A grand total of 12 players that I thought looked like ladies when I was a kid. Here they all are together:

Buddy Bell, Ted Simmons, Jim Mason, Steve Arlin, Rich Coggins, Fred Beene, Dave LaRoche, Ellie Rodriguez, Ken Sanders, Dick Pole, Dave Roberts and Tom Veryzer.

5. DECEASED

Unfortunately, this is a category that will continue to grow. Right now, there are 64 players in this set that are deceased.

6. CHAW

A disappointing four players in this set are displaying a chaw. I really thought there would have been more. Players had disgusting habits back then.

7. MLB SON

Thirty-two players in this set had at least one child who also played in the majors. This total surprised me. I am aware of the many MLB families in baseball. I just never knew how MUCH of a family sport major league baseball was.

8. ROOKIE CUP

Here is the rookie cup team one more time:

1B - Mike Hargrove
2B - Larry Milbourne
3B - Bill Madlock
SS - Bucky Dent
OF - Bake McBride
OF - Greg Gross
OF - Claudell Washington
C - Barry Foote
P - Frank Tanana

9. ALL-STARS

Here are the All-Star cards one more time:

AL

1B - Dick Allen
2B - Rod Carew
3B - Brooks Robinson
SS - Bert Campaneris
OF - Bobby Murcer
OF - Jeff Burroughs
OF -
C - Carlton Fisk
P - Gaylord Perry

NL

1B - Steve Garvey
2B - Joe Morgan
3B - Ron Cey
SS - Larry Bowa
OF - Hank Aaron
OF - Pete Rose
OF - Jim Wynn
C - Johnny Bench
P - Andy Messersmith

Poor Reggie is still missing.

10. MOST POPULAR FIRST NAME

Jim is the most popular name in the set, appearing 30 times. Dave/David and Tom/Tommy appear 26 times.

11. MINIS

I have 124 cards in the set in mini form. That's 18.8% of the set. I plan to get to work on improving that percentage in the months ahead.

12. AIRBRUSHED

There are 65 cards of players who have been airbrushed into different uniforms. As a kid, I missed probably 60 of those.

13. PLAYER THAT APPEARS THE MOST IN THE SET

Nolan Ryan has four cards in the set. Two highlights, one leader card, and his base card.

14. MOST POPULAR POSTS

The first card in the set -- the Hank Aaron Highlight card -- is far-and-away the most clicked-on post. Here, I'll show you:

That's how close it is.

Now that the other Hank Aaron card has been posted on this blog, I expect the No. 1 Aaron card to have a little competition.

All right, that's the rundown on the set. Hope you enjoyed.

Oh, one other thing:

Other blog stuff: I have a surprise for tomorrow that I think you'll enjoy. Well, mostly I will enjoy it. But I'll let you ride along. You won't want to miss it. It's so good that I'll be posting it on both blogs. So stay tuned.

#660 - Hank Aaron

2011-09-27T02:03:00.001-04:00

Card fact: Hank Aaron is airbrushed into Brewers gear after the Braves dealt him to Milwaukee on Nov. 2, 1974.

What I thought about this card then: Not much. I traded the Aaron card in order to get the '75 card of my favorite player, Ron Cey. It's just as well. The Aaron card was stolen goods as it came out of a pack that I shoplifted from a drug store.

What I think about this card now: Topps was getting collectors ready for what was in store for Aaron in 1975. Aaron had not played a game at designated hitter prior to his trade to the Brewers, but yet Topps is declaring him a designated hitter.

Other stuff: Topps book-ended the set with Hank Aaron cards as cards No. 1 and No. 660. It took me years to realize this. I just never figured Topps put that much thought into the set. But it's a nice tribute after Aaron's record-setting 1974 season.

The card is one of Aaron's least pleasing ones. Topps chose a photo that was easy to airbrush and it's kind of unfortunate that this is what came out the year after he broke the all-time home run record.

Aaron's also the only player in the set (discounting the MVP subset) featured with two different teams.

Back facts: Ernie Banks is misspelled. And an O.J. Simpson reference on the back of an Aaron card is a bit of a downer, although it was pretty impressive in 1974.

Other blog stuff: This is the final card in the set. But I'm not quite done. I need to wrap up all the categories, like I did every 100 cards. I'll devote tomorrow's post to that.

#659 - Bob Apodaca

2011-09-26T00:03:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is Bob Apodaca's first solo card. He appears on a four-player rookie card in the 1974 Topps set (there is both an error version and corrected version of his '74 card. His name is spelled "Apodaco" in the error version).

What I thought about this card: I didn't see it.

What I think about this card now: It's always interesting seeing the penultimate card in a set. Beyond that, no thoughts.

Other stuff: Apodaca pitched five seasons in the major leagues, all for the Mets. I relate him to those mediocre Mets teams of the mid-to-late '70s.

Apodaca was used as a reliever by New York and he saved 13 games with a 1.49 ERA in 1975. Arm problems struck after the 1977 season and he missed a couple of seasons. He pitched in the minors in 1979 and 1981.

Apodaca was a coach for the Mets organization throughout '80s and '90s, including the Mets' big league pitching coach in the late '90s. He's been the Rockies' pitching coach since 2003.

Back facts: Another Dodger cartoon. One day I'll count them all, but there has to be at least 20 or 25.

Also, the Apodaca's non-existent ERA in 1973 would have mystified me as a boy. Apodaca pitched to two batters, allowed a run and didn't get anyone out for an ERA of infinity in his only game in the majors in '73.

Other blog stuff: Tomorrow is the final card in the set. Gee, I wonder who it is?

#658 - Vic Harris

2011-09-24T02:33:00.001-04:00

Card fact: This is Vic Harris' last Topps card until the 1978 Topps set.

What I thought about this card then: Never saw it.

What I think about this card now: I know the Harris 1978 card well. He's with the Giants. It took me a long time to realize that this Harris and that Harris are the same person.

Other stuff: Harris was dealt to the Cubs along with Bill Madlock in the deal that sent Ferguson Jenkins to the Rangers. Harris was just coming off his best major league season when he played in 152 games as the Rangers' starting center fielder.

Harris was inserted at second base with Chicago, but he didn't hit well and was sent to the minors. When he returned in 1975, he was strictly a utility guy, first with the Cubs and then with the Cardinals, Giants and Brewers.

After 1980, he went to Japan and played for three years before retiring.

Back facts: "Has super-star potential." Ouch.

Other blog stuff: Jim Henson, the creator of that '70s classic, "The Muppet Show," was born on this date 75 years ago.

"Why do we always come here

I guess we'll never know

It's like a kind of torture

To have to watch this show"

-- Statler and Waldorf

#657 - Bob Oliver

2011-09-23T00:32:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is the last Topps card issued of Bob Oliver during his career.

What I thought about this card then: This is one of the first cards I ever saw in 1975. It came out of my brother's first packs of cards. It's still strange to see this card with sharp corners and no scuff marks, because in my mind, the Oliver card I see is my 8-year-old brother's card.

Oliver has the honor of being one of the first cards I saw in my first two years of collecting. In 1974, the year in which we received some cards from my mother and threw them away at the end of the season, Oliver's card is one of my early memories.

What I think about this card now: Oliver is airbrushed into an Orioles cap. He was traded from the Angels to the Orioles in September 1974. The bird logo on Oliver's cap is freakishly huge.

Other stuff: Oliver made a brief appearance with the Pirates in 1965, then didn't resurface in the majors until 1969 after he was picked up by the expansion Royals.

He was a key offensive component of the Royals, enjoying a breakout year in 1970 when he drove in 99 runs. He was dealt to the Angels in early May of 1972, and he produced a powerful 1973 season for California.

After that, he settled into a utility role for the Angels, Orioles and Yankees, finishing up in 1975. He later managed in an independent league and operated his own baseball school. Oliver is the father of longtime lefty hurler Darren Oliver. In fact, both Olivers were teammates of Nolan Ryan during their careers.

Back facts: Topps goes through all of that trouble painting that giant smiling birdie, and the Orioles go and trade him to the Yankees before the card even hits the stores.

Other blog stuff: I'd like to direct your attention to the "Reeling in the Years" segment on the sidebar. It lists all of the set-related blogs of which I'm aware. Some haven't been publishing for awhile. But several have been added since the start of this blog, including most recently, the 1986 Topps blog, which is a blog I actually considered starting myself at one time.

#656 - Bill Plummer

2011-09-22T00:28:00.000-04:00

Card fact: We're getting down to the wire here. This is the last card featuring a photo of a player posing with a bat.

What I thought about this card then: I never saw it.

What I think about this card now: I upgraded this card a year or so ago after being blissfully unaware that there was a significant crease running through the right side of the card. This card has a little ding at the top, but I'm much happier with it.

Also, on many of Plummer's cards, he's featured with a major chaw in his cheek. I'm disappointed that isn't displaying one on this card.

Other stuff: Plummer spent most of his major league career as a back-up to Johnny Bench. He filled in for Bench between 1972-78. Plummer was your typical good-field, no-hit backup backstop. He finished with a career .188 batting average after 367 games between 1968-78.

Plummer played his final season with the Mariners in 1979. He then went into coaching in the Seattle organization. He later worked as a third base coach for Seattle, then managed them for a year in 1992 before the Mariners hired Lou Piniella.

Plummer went on to manage in independent leagues (he managed a player from my area, and I had planned to talk to him about the player. But the player was notorious for not wanting to talk about himself, so the story never happened and I never talked to Plummer). He is now an instructor in the Diamondbacks organization.

Back facts: The write-up reads like an explanation as to why Topps is giving Plummer a card.

Other blog stuff: Dodger blue legend Tommy Lasorda was born on this date. He is 84 years old.

#655 - Rico Carty

2011-09-21T00:50:00.000-04:00

Card fact: Rico Carty is airbrushed into an Indians cap and uniform. I can only guess at what uniform he was really wearing. He played for Texas, the Cubs and Oakland in 1973 and in 33 games for Cleveland in 1974.

What I thought about this card then: Didn't see it. The first Carty card I saw was his 1976 Topps card in that magnificent red Indians uniform.

What I think about this card now: Kind of a dorky grin there. Pleasant enough, but dorky.

Other stuff: Nicknamed "Beeg Mon," Carty could hit from the word go. In his first full season with the Braves in 1964, he hit .330, finished second in the league in hitting and second in the N.L. Rookie of the Year voting.

Carty put up some big years in eight seasons with the Braves, winning a batting title in 1970 with a .366 average (he also knocked in 101 runs and blasted 25 homers), hitting in 31 straight games that year, and batting .342 in the Braves' pennant-winning season in 1969.

But Carty missed two full seasons in 1968 and 1971, the first battling tuberculosis, and the second with a broken knee, suffered in a collision while playing winter ball. Carty was eventually dealt to Texas because of disputes with teammates.

In fact, Carty didn't see eye-to-eye with several famed players, including Hank Aaron with the Braves, Ron Santo with the Cubs, and Frank Robinson with the Indians. Carty revived his career in Cleveland, batting .308 in 1975 and pounding out 171 hits in 1976. But the Indians left him available in the expansion draft.

The Blue Jays selected him, but then traded him back to Cleveland a month later (they faked out Topps, which airbrushed Carty into a Blue Jays uniform in the 1977 set, even though he didn't play for Toronto in '77). Cleveland traded Carty back to Toronto after the 1977 season. Carty then spent the rest of his career with the A's and Blue Jays, finishing in 1979. He set a career-high with 31 home runs in 1978.

Back facts: Those double "on disabled list" lines are jarring. I noticed Carty's double misfortune on the back of his 1976 card.

Also, that's an adequate attempt on a JFK likeness in the cartoon. I wonder what makes the cartoonist decide to attempt a likeness sometimes but not others.

Other blog stuff: Bill Murray and Larry Hagman were both born on this date. They each were kind of notable in the '70s.

#654 - Jerry Terrell

2011-09-20T00:58:00.004-04:00

Card fact: This is the last card in the set of a player wearing a powder blue uniform. Yup, we're really nearing the end.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it. However, Jerry Terrell has the honor of being the first card pulled by my brother in the 1976 Topps set. I don't know how I remember that. Probably because my brother deemed it the greatest card ever.

What I think about this card now: The smile with the batting stance pose looks odd. How many players are smiling while they're batting?

Other stuff: Terrell was a utility infielder for the Twins and the Royals between 1973-80. He began as a starting shortstop for Minnesota, but after over 400 at-bats in '73 and '75, he sat on the bench a lot more the rest of his career. He could play short, second, third and first, making him pretty handy. He even pitched a couple innings.

Terrell is remembered as the only player to vote against a strike back in 1980. The vote was taken prior to the players eventually walking in 1981. Terrell was the Royals' player representative, but cited religious reasons for being one out of 968 players to vote "no."

After his playing career, he managed in the Royals and White Sox organizations. He also worked as a scout.

Back facts: Terrell doubled three times off of Mickey Lolich in that game against the Tigers on June 3, 1973. But Lolich won the game and the Tigers beat the Twins, 8-2.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1907, Nick Maddox of the Pirates no-hit the Brooklyn Superbas 2-1. Maddox was 20 years old and remains the youngest player to throw a no-hitter in the major leagues.

#653 - Lee Richard

2011-09-19T00:02:00.013-04:00

Card fact: This is another name spelling error in the set. On par with the Cuellar/Cueller goof, Lee Richard has no "s" on the end of his name. Thanks to the addition by Topps, I thought his name was "Lee Richards" for a long time.

What I thought about this card then: I, as well as my brother, was amused by the back of the card, which you will see later.

What I think about this card now: I have been questing for a much more centered version of this card for a while. But somehow it always slips my mind.

Other stuff: Richard was known for his electric speed. He was used quite often as a pinch-runner and sometimes almost exclusively. The White Sox selected him sixth overall in the 1970 draft.

Richard played in 87 games, mostly at shortstop, for the 1971 White Sox, but hit just .231 with 17 RBIs. He went back to the minors for most of the next two seasons before re-emerging in '74 as a utility infielder -- which explains the "infield" designation on his card here.

Richard lasted one more season with the White Sox in 1975, then was sent to the Cardinals, who used him for 66 games in 1976. He hit .209 for his career in 239 games.

Back facts: Laziness is killing me. I didn't post Sunday, and I missed publishing on Richard's birthday by two minutes. Oh well, it's still Sept. 18 in part of the country.

As for the write-up at the bottom, "'Bee Bee' has great speed," was the single most hysterical thing that I read on the back of a baseball card in 1975. I vividly remember my brother and I with tears in our eyes as we laughed uncontrollably over what we considered such a bizarre statement. I can't fully explain why we thought it was so funny. We just latched onto players with below-average statistics and found whatever we could to ridicule. We were baseball card bullies, I guess.

The "Bee Bee" nickname, by the way, didn't have to do with his speed. Richard acquired it in high school when he was a pitcher, and the name refers to the speed of his fastball at the time.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1976, Indians player-manager Frank Robinson delivers a pinch-hit single in his final major league at-bat.

#652 - Lindy McDaniel

2011-09-17T01:40:00.003-04:00

Card fact: This is the final Topps card issued during Lindy McDaniel's career. His last major league season was in 1975.

What I thought about this card then: My brother had this card. To us, McDaniel looked like the definition of a veteran major leaguer. I don't think we ever voiced it, but on the inside, we were thinking "now there's a guy who's been around and knows his ... uh ... stuff."

What I think about this card now: Whenever I see guys who played in the '50s wearing powder blue uniforms, it does not look right.

Other stuff: McDaniel pitched for 21 seasons in the majors, and is known as one of the greatest relief pitchers. He began with the Cardinals and started for them in 1957 and 1958. But after that he was almost exclusively a relief hurler. He led the league in saves in 1959, 1960 and 1963. His 1960 season was his best. He saved 26 games, recorded a 2.09 ERA, went 12-4, finished third in the Cy Young Award voting, and fifth in the MVP balloting.

McDaniel moved on to the Cubs and then the Giants and was effective throughout the '60s. But he returned to the level of his Cardinals days after being dealt to the Yankees for Bill Monbouquette in 1968. He enjoyed a stellar 1970 season, saving 29 games and recording a 2.01 ERA for New York.

After six years with the Yankees, New York sent McDaniel to Kansas City in the Lou Piniella trade. McDaniel pitched two seasons for the Royals before retiring.

McDaniel has his own web site, in which you can check out all his Topps cards.

McDaniel's 1971 Topps card happens to be up for a coveted spot in the esteemed Cardboard Appreciation Hall of Fame at Night Owl Cards.

Back facts: This was my first experience with a player whose career was so long that the stats are crammed onto the back of the card. I had never seen so many years of stats until viewing the Lindy McDaniel card. Topps even squeezed the card number to get all the stats on the back.

Also, I know many, many people don't need an explanation as to who Darrell Royal is, but I sure did when I was a kid. Even today, as someone who pays very little attention to college football, I can tell you only the most basic facts about Royal.

Other blog stuff: The green-purple border combination is now in a first-place tie with the pink-yellow border combo with 55 cards apiece.

#651 - John Morlan

2011-09-16T01:39:00.001-04:00

Card fact: This is John Morlan's only Topps card.

What I thought about this card then: I never saw it. No clue who John Morlan was until completing the set in 2004.

What I think about this card now: I give my 9-year-old self a lot of flack for thinking players on cards were a lot older than they actually were. But when I saw this card for the first time, I was a full-grown adult in my 30s, and I thought the 27-year-old Morlan on this card appeared to be in his 50s.

Other stuff: Morlan was signed by the Pirates as an outfielder. But he converted to pitching in the minors. He reported late to the minor leagues each of his first four seasons because he was an elementary school teacher and had to wait until school let out for the summer before he played baseball.

His only two years in the major leagues were 1973 and 1974. He pitched in just 10 games in '73 but was utilized quite a bit by the N.L. East champions in '74 with 39 relief appearances.

Morlan underwent elbow surgery after the 1974 season and didn't play in the majors after that. He pitched for Pirates minor league teams until 1977.

Back facts: If Morlan's first year of pro ball was in '73, then what was he doing in 1971 and '72 for Monroe, Niagara Falls and Salem? Those weren't American Legion teams.

Other blog stuff: A happy 56th birthday to Robin Yount. Yup, the only teenager featured in this set (batboys excluded) is 56 today.

#650 - Dave May

2011-09-15T01:27:00.001-04:00

Card fact: This is the last of five players with the last name "May" in the set. The others were Lee, Carlos, Milt and Rudy.

What I thought about this card then: My brother had this card. We thought the card was weird and May a bit odd-looking. It's not the most flattering photo.

What I think about this card now: May is airbrushed into a Braves cap and jersey because he was JUST TRADED FOR HANK AARON.

Other stuff: May was an outfielder who came up with the Orioles. He didn't hit a lot with Baltimore and was traded to Milwaukee, where he became a productive offensive threat. In 1973, he enjoyed his best season, hitting 25 home runs, knocking in 93 and hitting .303.

In 1974, he fell off quite a bit, batting only .226. That led to the trade that made May an answer to a trivia question: "Who did the Braves acquire in a trade for Hank Aaron?" May was dealt to Atlanta, along with player-to-be-named Roger Alexander, for Aaron on Nov. 2, 1974.

May played only part-time for the Braves for two seasons, then was traded to Texas in another big deal as the Rangers shipped Jeff Burroughs to Atlanta. May spent one year with the Rangers, then returned to Milwaukee and finished his major league career in Pittsburgh in 1978.

May's son, Derrick, played for the Cubs and five other teams from 1990-99.

Back facts: Well, Topps was a bit bold with the write-up, but it's spot-on. That is what people know about Dave May.

Also, if the cartoon leaves you wondering and you have all the time in the world, here is far too much information, on baseball's longest throws. Glen Gorbous is mentioned somewhere in there, eventually.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1975, Mets rookie Mike Vail extended his hitting streak to 23 straight games. This is one of the earliest baseball-on-TV viewing memories that I have.

#649 - Jack Heidemann

2011-09-14T00:46:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is the only Topps card of Jack Heidemann in which he's featured wearing long hair and a mustache. From 1970-73, he's clean-shaven. When he reappears on a Topps card in 1977, he's also clean-shaven.

What I thought about this card then: Never saw it.

What I think about this card now: When I was trying to complete the set in 2004, this was the first card I came across in which I had never heard of the player. This was absolutely stunning to me. I had prided myself on knowing 1970s players, especially from the period when I collected as a kid. I didn't think it was possible that there were players in the '75 set that I didn't know.

It turns out there was more than Heidemann. There are probably 30-40 players in the set in which I had never heard of them until I completed the set in 2004. But that's the fun of collecting cards.

Other stuff: Heidemann was a first-round draft pick of the Indians and played the 1970 season as Cleveland's starting shortstop. In 133 games and 445 at-bats, Heidemann hit .211 and struck out 88 times. His playing time decreased after that, partly because of an inability to hit and partly because of injury.

He played with Cleveland through 1973. With the Cardinals in 1974, he enjoyed his best year, which probably explains Topps giving him a card in '75 after no card in the '74 set. He then went to the Mets and was used as a utility infielder both by New York and the Milwaukee Brewers between 1975-77.

Back facts: This is the last cartoon in the set featuring an animal.

Other blog stuff: In case you don't read Night Owl Cards, I announced over there that after this blog is finished, I will be doing another set blog. However, I won't be starting it right away. I need a break from doing two blogs.

I'm reasonably sure which set I will feature once I decide to start another blog. But I'm not ready to reveal that now. Stay tuned.

#648 - Dave Pagan

2011-09-13T00:28:00.001-04:00

Card fact: This is Dave Pagan's first solo card.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it.

What I think about this card now: He looks like a guy who we would have made fun of as kids.

Other stuff: Pagan was signed by the Yankees in 1970. After time in the minors, he reached the big leagues in 1973. From 1973 through 1975, he bounced between the majors and minors.

In 1976, he was involved in the big June trade between the Yankees and Orioles that included Ken Holtzman, Scott McGregor, Grant Jackson, Rick Dempsey, Doyle Alexander and Tippy Martinez, among others. He pitched ineffectively for Baltimore and was selected by the Mariners in the expansion draft. I know him from his Seattle days, thanks to this amusing card.

Pagan finished out his career with the Pirates in '77 and pitched in the minors through 1979.

Back facts: I missed posting on Pagan's birthday by two days.

Also, I think it's nice that the cartoon features a question about a Canadian ballplayer on the back of a card of someone from Saskatchewan. But that's an awfully open-ended question: "name one of the best all-time Canadian ballplayers?" Personally, I was going to say "Stubby Clapp." He was a Canadian ballplayer with an all-time great name, anyway.

Other blog stuff: Players in this set celebrating birthdays today are Rick Dempsey (age 62) and Rick Wise (age 65).

#647 - Claudell Washington

2011-09-12T00:14:00.001-04:00

Card fact: Well, well, rookie cup, where have you been? It's been 135 cards since the last rookie cup. And this is the final Topps All-Star Rookie cup card in the set.

What I thought about this card then: My friend, the A's bandwagon fan, had this card. He instantly declared it cool. Who was I to argue?

What I think about this card now: For the first time -- and keep in mind I have seen this card for 35 years -- I am realizing that there is a bat in the photo. I don't know how I've missed that for so long. But it certainly makes Claudell Washington look that much more ominous.

Also, that signature is very tiny.

Other stuff: Washington was an instant success with Oakland. Picked up off the sandlots in Berkeley, Calif., as a 17-year-old, he was 20 years old when he reached the majors. A decent World Series showing in '74 (he was 4-for-7), signaled a star in the making. In 1975, he reached the All-Star Game during a year in which he hit .308 and racked up 182 hits.

But Washington couldn't sustain that pace throughout his career. He was traded five times during a 17-year career and signed as a free agent three other times. All told, he played for the A's, Rangers, White Sox, Mets, Braves, Yankees and Angels. He had some success with just about every team, although his time in Chicago was marred by an oversleeping incident, causing fans to roll out the "Washington Slept Here" joke.

Washington hit three home runs in a game twice, once in each league. He revived his up-and-down career during a five-year stint with the Braves, although that was also marred by confessions of drug use and a trip to a drug diversion program.

Washington finished up with some decent seasons with the Yankees. Of interest to no one but me, he was one of the final cards I needed to complete the 1989 Topps set.

Back facts: The cartoon implies that Dick Stuart was a poor fielder, but doesn't come right out and say it. So I will. Dick Stuart was a poor fielder.

Other blog stuff: The 1974 Topps All-Star Rookie Team is complete. So let's have a look at it!

1B - Mike Hargrove
2B - Larry Milbourne
3B - Bill Madlock
SS - Bucky Dent
OF - Bake McBride
OF - Greg Gross
OF - Claudell Washington
C - Barry Foote
P - Frank Tanana

That's not an epic team, but everyone on that squad enjoyed decent and long careers. Some, like Tanana and Gross, remade themselves later in their career and extended it as a result. The average career span for the nine players is exactly 14 years.

#646 - Checklist, 529-660

2011-09-10T02:47:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is the final checklist card in the set.

What I thought about this card then: No idea.

What I think about this card now: Nothing that I haven't said already. Checklists don't exactly evoke deep thoughts.

Other stuff: The pink-yellow border combination moves into sole possession of first place with its 55th card in the set.

Back facts: I kind of don't like showing the back of this card. It gives you a look at the final cards in the set that I haven't covered. I wanted it to be a surprise.

Other blog stuff: You're going to have to stare at the checklist for a little while longer. I won't be posting on Sunday in memory of the 10th anniversary of 9/11. I'll be back Monday.

#645 - Danny Cater

2011-09-09T00:43:00.001-04:00

Card fact: This is the final Topps card of Danny Cater issued during his career.

What I thought about this card then: My brother had the mini card. I thought Cater looked old and British.

What I think about this card now: He still looks vaguely British. But not as old.

Other stuff: I know Cater as the guy the Yankees dealt to the Red Sox to land relief pitcher Sparky Lyle. But Cater was a pretty good hitter before that. He was a singles, doubles, batting average guy who started out with the Phillies and White Sox and then hit his prime with the A's. He finished second in the American League in average in 1968 with a .290. (Carl Yastrzemski famously won the title with a .301).

Cater was pretty slow and hit into double plays a lot. After a nice season with the Yankees in 1970, he declined a little and the Yankees picked the right time to pawn him off on the Red Sox. Cater didn't play in a 100 games for any of the three seasons he wore a Red Sox uniform. He finished up with the Cardinals in 1975.

He later worked in the Texas Comptroller's office in his native state.

Back facts: I was fascinated by this cartoon as a kid. Did pitchers really do this? Where did they get such a tiny rubber ball? Why was the player so horrified by squeezing a rubber ball?

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1993, major league baseball voted to divide each league into three divisions.

No comment.

#644 - Bill Fahey

2011-09-08T00:13:00.001-04:00

Card fact: This card seems to illustrate to me, more than any other in the set for some reason, how difficult it is to be a catcher -- simply from the stance that the position requires. Personally, I try to avoid squatting as often as I can. And if I have to do so on some rare occasion, I'm instantly happy that I don't have to do that again. But catchers squat hundreds of times in a single game. Either I'm a wimp or they've got a really crummy job (that pays a lot, I realize).

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it. The first card of Bill Fahey's I saw was his 1976 Topps card. We couldn't get over his awful .194 career batting average. Imagine how we would have reacted to his 1975 card when his career average was .168. (Or his 1974 card when it's .157).

What I think about this card now: I just documented it above.

Other stuff: Fahey was a backup catcher for the Senators/Rangers, who eventually found some offense later in his career. He played a little more often for the Padres in 1979 and 1980, then played three years for the Tigers.

Fahey coached for the Tigers in the minors after his career ended in 1983. He also was a coach for the Giants. He is the father of former Orioles utility player Brandon Fahey, who was with Baltimore between 2006-08.

Back facts: I think it's nice they put a cartoon about a catcher on the back of a card of a catcher.

Other blog stuff: Actress Michelle Johnson was born on this date in 1965. I don't bring this up because she once was married to former major league player Matt Williams. I bring it up because I saw "Blame It On Rio" in 1984. And she's never left my head.

#643 - Brent Strom

2011-09-07T00:53:00.001-04:00

Card fact: Brent Strom is wearing an airbrushed Padres cap (a not very accurate one, too). He was likely wearing an Indians cap, or less likely, one from a minor league team.

What I thought about this card then: Ladies and gentlemen, as kids we may have made fun of other players' cards more, but there was only one card of a player we made fun of first. And that card was the '75 Topps Brent Strom card. I specifically remember my brother and I mocking his name -- overemphasizing the sound it made when you pronounced the first name and last name together. It didn't help that he was wearing that weird painted cap and that his career ERA on the back was 5.06 or his career record was 2-13.

What I think about this card now: It's really not so bad. Except for that airbrushing job.

Other stuff: Strom was a star pitcher for national champion USC in college. He eventually signed with the Mets as the third pick overall in 1970. After three years in the minors, he came up with New York in 1972 and went 0-3. The Mets dealt him to the Indians after the season.

Strom didn't fair much better with the Indians, going 2-10 in 1973. He didn't play in the majors in 1974, but was sent to the Padres as a player-to-be-named that year. Strom pitched three seasons for San Diego, starting 33 games in 1976 and going 12-16.

Elbow injuries got in the way and Strom was released. He pitched in the minors through 1981, including a final year in the Dodgers organization (I remember seeing him the minors in Albuquerque and recalling our childish mocking with chagrin). He later became a pitching coach for several minor and major league teams, and is now a pitching instructor for the Cardinals.

Back facts: I'm a little curious as to why Strom got a card in this set. He didn't play in the majors at all in 1974. We noticed this as kids, spotting the Oklahoma City and Hawaii team names.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1975, the Reds clinched the division -- the earliest clinching in history. And people complain that there are no pennant races in today's game.

#642 - Mike Phillips

2011-09-06T00:39:00.003-04:00

Card fact: This is the only Topps card of Mike Phillips in which he is wearing a mustache. He has 11 Topps card and in 10 of them, he is clean-shaven.

In fact, he looks so different on this card that I've often wondered whether Topps took a photo of someone else by accident. But I've looked the card up in a number of price guides and hobby publications and there is no mention of an error or otherwise.

What I thought about this card then: My brother had the card. I thought Phillips looked cranky.

What I think about this card now: Anytime I see a head shot with the player wearing a batting helmet, it looks strange. If you're wearing a helmet, you should be doing something.

Other stuff: Phillips, a No. 1 draft pick of the Giants, spent 11 seasons as a backup infielder for five teams -- the Giants, Mets, Cardinals, Padres and Expos. His only season of regular play was in 1975 when he played in 126 games for the Giants and Mets.

Phillips played most of his games at shortstop, but he was also used often at second and third base. He didn't hit much, batting .240 for his career.

Back facts: Ouch. The mention of high school exploits on the back of a major leaguer's card always makes me cringe. Surely he did something in the minors worth noting. He had three home runs by that time. Write about that.

Other blog stuff: Former SNL comedienne and "ignorant slut" Jane Curtin was born on this date in 1947.

#641 - Jim Northrup

2011-09-05T00:43:00.001-04:00

Card fact: This is the final Topps card issued of Jim Northrup during his career. He retired after the 1975 season.

What I though about this card then: Never saw it.

What I think about this card now: It is blatantly obvious that Northrup is wearing a Tigers uniform. But that weirdly airbrushed Orioles cap -- it must've been fun to airbrush the Oriole cartoon bird back in the day -- probably fooled a few kiddies.

Northrup was traded to the Expos in August of 1974. He was then purchased by the Orioles on Sept. 16, 1974 and played eight games for them to close out the year. He played in 84 games for Baltimore in 1975.

Other stuff: Northrup is known for his timely and dramatic hitting with the Detroit Tigers, specifically during the 1968 season, a year in which the Tigers won the World Series.

Northrup, the Tigers' regular right fielder (but he played a lot of center field, too), hit five grand slams in 1968, including one in Game 6 of the World Series that helped Detroit tie up the Series with the Cardinals after trailing 3 games to 1.

Northrup also delivered the decisive blow in Game 7 of the Series, connecting for a two-out, two-run triple off of Bob Gibson in the seventh inning. Northrup also hit a home run off of Gibson in Game 4 of the Series.

Northrup was a streaky hitter who enjoyed his best seasons between 1968-70. He became a regular with Detroit in 1966. In the early '70s when Billy Martin took over as the Tigers' manager, Northrup clashed with the manager, once saying, "He took all the fun out of the game."

After his playing career, Northrup played pro softball, worked as a broadcaster for the Tigers, and in several business ventures. Northrup died three months ago at age 71, suffering from various ailments, including Alzheimer's Disease.

Back facts: Well, that's an interesting cartoon. I'm assuming that by 1886, they're referring to Old Judge cards, which were among the first to be included with tobacco products and sold to consumers. But there were baseball "cards" issued by various businesses going back to the 1860s.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1918, the Red Sox won Game 1 of the World Series against the Cubs, 1-0, on a six-hit shutout by Babe Ruth. The World Series was moved up a month because of World War I.

#640 - Harmon Killebrew

2011-09-03T00:50:00.002-04:00

Card fact: This is the final Topps card issued of Harmon Killebrew during his playing career. He had appeared in just about every Topps flagship set from 1955-75 (he's not in the 1957 set).

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card. I thought he looked pretty old.

What I think about this card now: It's funny how little I noticed when I was a kid. It never dawned on me then that Killebrew is signing an autograph. And, of course, now I recognize that there is a partial tobacco advertisement in the photo. It's really one of the better photos in the set.

Other stuff: I always have trouble writing about the most well-known stars on this blog. What do I say?

I just wrote about Killebrew after his recent death. Killebrew was one of the greats, both as a player and a person. I was just getting to know baseball when Killebrew retired. I never saw him play. I would have been interested in seeing him in a Kansas City Royals uniform, which is where he spent his final season in 1975. But I really didn't actively watch baseball until 1976 or 1977.

It's easy for some to forget that Killebrew was among the top five home run hitters of all-time for quite awhile. Right up there with Aaron, Ruth, Mays and Frank Robinson.

I remember Killebrew mostly as a broadcaster.

Back facts: Rick Burleson (149 in 1980) and Roy Smalley (144 in 1979) have each surpassed Bobby Wine's double play record for shortstops.

Other blog stuff: This is probably the last opportunity on the blog to show the mini card next to the regular card, so here goes:

I may have a few more of these for you over on my other blog over the weekend. Stay tuned.

#639 - Steve Kline

2011-09-02T00:31:00.003-04:00

Card fact: This is the final card of Steve Kline issued by Topps during his playing career.

What I thought about this card then: Didn't see it.

What I think about this card now: He's not really wearing an Indians cap. He's actually a Yankee in disguise.

Other stuff: I'm just speculating here, but it must be deflating to become a major league pitcher, establish yourself for a few years, and then later have another major leaguer come along at your same position with your same name, who enjoys a better, longer career and is a good quote, too.

That's what happened to Kline, whose career lasted from 1970-74 and then 16 more games in 1977. The second Steve Kline was a flaky, left-handed reliever known for his durability with the Expos and Cardinals, who pitched 11 seasons from 1997-2007. They're not related.

The elder Kline pitched for the Yankees from 1970-74. His best season was 1972 when he went 16-9 with a 2.40 ERA. He was dealt to the Indians in the big trade that sent Chris Chambliss and Dick Tidrow to the Yankees in April of '74 (which explains the airbrushed cap).

Kline developed arm problems that cost him the 1975 and 1976 seasons. He came back for 16 games with the Braves in '77.

Back facts: Barry Bonds eclipsed Babe Ruth's season walk record three times -- in 2001 (177), 2002 (198) and 2004 (232).

Other blog stuff: Four of the last five red-orange bordered cards (the Burger King color combo) have featured players with airbrushed caps.

#638 - Cubs/Jim Marshall

2011-09-01T01:01:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is the final team card in the set. I'll commemorate it by noting which color combinations were used with each team:

1. Orange-yellow (8): Yankees, Braves, Reds, Rangers, Twins, Angels, Royals, Phillies
2. Brown-orange (6): Cubs, A's, Astros, Dodgers, Giants, Orioles
3. Tan-light blue (6): Mets, Pirates, White Sox, Cardinals, Red Sox, Padres
4. Brown-tan (4): Brewers, Indians, Expos, Tigers

What I thought about this card then: Zzzzzzzzzzz. Team card.

What I think about this card now: Well, first, it's probably the most out-of-focus, far-away team photo in the whole set, which might explain why the Cubs stuck with floating head team cards for most of the '70s and early '80s.

Secondly, I still don't know why the Cubs went with the team pose and the White Sox the floating heads in '75 when it was flip-flopped all the other years.

Other stuff: The Cubs finished dead last in 1974, their first last-place finish since 1966. Jim Marshall replaced Whitey Lockman as manager in the middle of the season. Marshall would last two more sub-.500 seasons before Herman Franks took over for the 1977 season.

Back facts: Darold Knowles, Bob Locker and Manny Trillo are all listed on the Cubs checklist although none played for the team in '74. All are airbrushed into Cubs caps.

Other blog stuff: One last opportunity to see how well Topps represented a team from the 1974 season. Let's see how many Cubs from '74 were in the Topps set.

The Cubs used 38 players in 1974, including a bunch of guys I never knew (Herb Hutson? Ron Dunn?). Topps featured 26 of those players, including Billy Williams as an airbrushed Athletic, and Horacio Pina as an airbrushed Angel.

My quest to see if Topps left out anyone significant is rather pointless with the Cubs, because it's the Cubs! Come on! The guy with the most at-bats who didn't get a card is Dave Rosello. He hit .203 in 148 at-bats. Rob Sperring also didn't get a card. He hit .206 in 107 at-bats.

So Topps kindly represented 68.42% of the '74 Cubs in the '75 set.

This is where they rank with the other teams:

1. Twins 81.25% of players featured
2. Tigers 78.37%
3. Orioles 78.13%
4. Braves 77.78%
5. Reds 77.14%
6. A's 75.0%
7. Dodgers 74.29%
7. Astros 74.29%
9. Giants 71.43%
10. Indians 71.11%
11. Royals 70.59%
12. Yankees 70.45%
13. Red Sox 70.27%
14. Angels 68.89%

15. Cubs 68.42%

16. Expos 68.29%

17. Brewers 66.67%
18. Rangers 65.79%
19. Cardinals 65.12%
20. White Sox 65.0%
21. Phillies 62.5%
22. Mets 62.16%
23. Pirates 61.5%

24. Padres 55.8%

That's all of them! The Twins are better represented in the set than any other team. How about that?

And my real mission was to see if anyone major was left out of the set as has been the case in some other Topps sets. I wasn't able to find anyone significant, though, in the '75 set.

#637 - Ted Martinez

2011-08-31T00:38:00.000-04:00

Card fact: I've lost track of the number cards in which the signature doesn't match the name listed on the bottom. But here is another example. Ted Martinez refers to himself as "Teddy."

What I thought about this card: I first saw this card in the possession of my friend Jamie, the Mets/Yankees lover.

What I think about this card now: It's a great '70s card. The pinstriped Mets uniform, the Shea Stadium scoreboard, the American flag.

Other stuff: Martinez played nine seasons in the major leagues, mostly at shortstop. But he also played a lot of second base and the outfield. He was mostly a backup, but did appear in over a 100 games in 1972, 74 and 75. He played for the Mets, Cardinals, A's and Dodgers.

Martinez played on pennant-winning teams with the Mets (1973), A's (1975) and Dodgers (1977-78). But he never played in the postseason with L.A. Interestingly, it was with the Dodgers where he revived his career (after not playing in 1976), as a utility infielder.

Martinez managed and coached in the Dodgers organization after his playing career.

Back facts: That cartoon always freaked me out as a kid. "What happened to his legs?"

Other blog stuff: Former Tiger/Ranger/Rockie/Red Sox/Brewer/Ray Gabe Kapler was born on this date in 1975.

#636 - Charlie Moore

2011-08-30T01:42:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is Charlie Moore's first solo card. He appeared on a four-player rookie card in the 1974 Topps set.

What I thought about this card then: No knowledge of it.

What I think about this card now: Moore is one of those guys that uses circles instead of dots for his "I"s. In fact, it's a rather stylish signature all around.

Other stuff: Moore played all but one of his 15 major league seasons for the Brewers. His last year was with the Blue Jays.

Moore split time behind the plate until the late '70s when he became the Brewers' principle catcher. But then in 1982, Moore was shifted to right field, and he played more during that period than he ever had. Moore had quite a bit of speed for a catcher, making him versatile enough to play other positions. From '82-84, his primary position was outfield. Then in 1985, he returned to catcher.

Moore hit .462 against the Angels in the 1982 ALCS, and he continued his hot hitting in the World Series that year, batting .346 against the Cardinals.

After his career, Moore returned to his native Alabama and worked in sales.

Back facts: Topps slathered it on a little thick with the "one of the A.L.'s up and coming star receivers" line. Good player, sure, but he was no Fisk/Munson/Bench/Simmons.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1979, the first hurricane I ever heard of -- Hurricane David -- hit the Caribbean and the eastern U.S. By the time it was gone, more than a thousand people had died. Can you imagine what the Weather Channel would have done with that hurricane?

#635 - Chuck Dobson

2011-08-29T00:40:00.001-04:00

Card fact: Chuck Dobson is wearing an airbrushed Angels cap and uniform. Dobson was acquired by the Angels in June of 1974. This is also Dobson's first Topps card since the 1972 set and the final Topps card issued during his career.

What I thought about this card then: Never saw it.

What I think about this card now: I like the stacked signature in the corner. It's a bit unusual.

Other stuff: Dobson pitched fairly successfully for the Kansas City and Oakland A's from 1966-71. Known as a strikeout pitcher, he won in double figures from 1967-71 and led the American League in starts with 40 and shutouts with five in 1971.

Arm and shoulder problems plagued him and eventually cost him the 1972 season and most of the 1973 season. He was property of the Mexican League Mexico City Tigers when purchased by the Angels. He pitched for the Angels in '74 and '75 and in the minors in 1976.

Dobson is known for two other things. One is being Reggie Jackson's roommate as the two were the first regular interracial roommates in baseball history. Also, Dobson appears in dramatic fashion on one of the best-known baseball cards, but it's not his card.

Back facts: Dobson gets a card number ending in "5" strictly based on his performance of at least three years prior to this card.

Other blog stuff: Since I made a statement that this card was the only one I had in regular, mini and OPC form, I have since acquired the Dobson card in all three forms. Why Chuck Dobson? Hey, you take what you can get with the '75 set.

#634 - Cy Acosta

2011-08-28T00:36:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is the final Topps card of Cy Acosta.

What I thought about this card then: I had no idea Acosta existed.

What I think about this card now: I'm fairly certain that this photo is from the same photo shoot as Acosta's 1974 Topps card. In that photo, he is wearing the road White Sox uniform while standing near a dugout.

Other stuff: Acosta is the only player named "Cy" since the mid-20th century (his actual first name is Cecilio). As you might know, "Cy" was a pretty common name for ballplayers during the 19th and early 20th century.

Acosta came to the White Sox from the Mexican League. He was used as a reliever and enjoyed a decent season for Chicago in 1973, pitching in 48 games with a 2.23 ERA, 10 victories and 18 saves. But he didn't fair as well in '74 and was purchased by the Phillies before the 1975 season. He played in six games for Philadelphia.

After '75, Acosta returned to the Mexican League and pitched there until 1986.

Acosta is also known as the first American League pitcher to bat after the designated hitter was installed. In 1973, DH Tony Muser was used as a defensive replacement for Dick Allen in the eighth inning. Allen was not used as the DH, and Acosta struck out in his at-bat.

Back facts: Players with Mexican League stats fascinated me as a kid. All those strange team names.

Other blog stuff: The pink-yellow border combination moves into the overall lead with its 54th card.

#633 - Paul Casanova

2011-08-27T01:01:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is the final Topps card issued of Paul Casanova during his playing career.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card. I didn't have any thoughts except I would always confuse him with long-ago Cubs all-star Phil Cavarretta. This can be attributed solely to the fact that both of them have the initials of P.C., because they are not alike in any way.

What I think about this card now: Casanova looks pretty happy in most of his cards. But in this one he seems like he has an idea that he's at the end of his career.

Other stuff: Casanova was a strong defensive catcher who spent most of his career with the Washington Senators. He played for them for seven seasons from 1965-71, winning an All-Star selection in 1967, his best season.

Casanova actually was signed by two other major league teams before the Senators -- the Indians twice, and the Cubs, but he didn't stick until playing for Washington. His hitting declined in the '70s and he was dealt to Atlanta, where he worked as a backup catcher through 1974.

Casanova's son, Raul, was a major league catcher from 1996-2008, most recently with the Mets (the transactions file on Raul Casanova is amazingly long).

Back facts: Niekro's no-hitter came against the Padres before a whopping 8,000 fans in Atlanta.

Other blog stuff: I'll show the mini next to the regular sized card:

Dueling Casanovas!

#632 - Morris Nettles

2011-08-26T00:03:00.014-04:00

Card fact: This is Morris Nettles' rookie card.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it.

What I think about this card now: This is the first 1975 O-Pee-Chee card I ever obtained. When I was trying to complete the set in 2004, the dealer that I went to a lot owned rows and rows of '75s. There were some OPC's mixed in, too. Not knowing that it was an OPC card at the time, since the fronts of the '75s are the same as Topps, I bought it and didn't realize it wasn't Topps until I got home.

I went through the same process several other times in '04 and now I have about 15 OPC cards from '75.

Other stuff: Nettles came up to the Angels in 1974 and found a spot in the outfield later in the season. The following season, the Angels rewarded the speedy player with the starting center field job. But a young Mickey Rivers took over the position in no time, Nettles was moved aside, and he managed just a .231 average in 1975.

Nettles was dealt to the White Sox after the season in the Bill Melton trade. Nettles never made it to the majors again, playing the 1976 season in the Chicago and Cleveland organizations.

Back facts: If I'm being picky -- and I am -- the cartoon figure is not standing in the on-deck circle.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1991, No. 1 draft pick Brien Taylor signed a record $1.55 million contract with the Yankees. All your Brien Taylor cards just laughed at you.

#631 - Lee Lacy

2011-08-25T00:44:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is the final Dodger card in the 1975 Topps set.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it. It was one of the last Dodger cards I needed to finish the team set.

What I think about this card now: It's a happy card as Lee Lacy poses there in Dodger Stadium.

Other stuff: Lacy was a backup infielder for the Dodgers throughout the 1970s before becoming a role player with the Pirates in the '80s and then a starter later in his career with Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

Lacy had trouble breaking through the Dodgers' vaunted infield in the '70s. He was one of those players that I wished would get a chance to be a starter -- preferably pushing Bill Russell out of the starting shortstop role. I was disappointed that Lacy was traded to the Braves in the Dusty Baker deal, figuring that would be Lacy's big break.

But it wasn't. Lacy returned to the Dodgers a year later as L.A. sent pitcher Mike Marshall to Atlanta. He enjoyed a pretty good World Series against the Yankees in 1977, going 3-for-7 with two RBIs in four games. But after 1978, he signed as a free agent with the Pirates.

Lacy moved to the outfield with the Pirates and was on the 1979 World Series-winning team. He hit above .300 four of the five years he was with Pittsburgh. He appeared in his most games between 1984-86 when he was in his late 30s.

Lacy's daughter, Jennifer Lacy, plays in the WNBA.

Back facts: "Singled" is not capitalized. Just want to make that clear one more time for all the grade school kids out there.

Other blog stuff: 1970s pop icons Gene Simmons and Rollie Fingers were each born on this date.

#630 - Greg Luzinski

2011-08-24T00:40:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is the seventh time that there has been back-to-back cards of players wearing powder blue uniforms. Five of those occasions involved Phillies players.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it. The first Greg Luzinski card I saw was his glorious 1976 Topps card.

What I think about this card now: If you stare at Luzinski, without knowing him, he looks like a bad guy in one of those '80s movies about teenage kids in the '50s.

Other stuff: Luzinski was your prototypical 1970s slugger, a popular player in Philadelphia and then in Chicago with the White Sox. Luzinski hit more than 30 home runs in a season four times, when hitting 30 home runs a year was a big deal.

Luzinski broke out for the Phillies in 1973, but had injury issues in 1974 as he played in just 85 games. He bounced back big-time in 1975, driving in 120 runs and finishing second in the National League MVP voting. He finished second again in 1977.

He played in the postseason four different years for the Phillies. I remember him being a nemesis for the Dodgers in the NLCS in 1978. He also wore out the Astros in the 1980 NLCS.

After a down year in 1980, Luzinski was purchased by the White Sox. He settled in as a designated hitter for Chicago, grew a beard, and enjoyed four decent seasons before stepping away after 1984.

Luzinski later became a high school coach. His son, Ryan, played in the Dodgers organization, but never made the majors. Luzinski later opened a barbecue restaurant at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia.

Back facts: Luzinski may have been a natural 1st sacker, but he played only 32 games of his 15-year major league career at first base. Thirty of those games came in 1971 and 1972.

Also, "The Garden" is a term with which I'm unfamiliar.

Other blog stuff: The blog crossed the 60,000 unique views threshold in the past 24 hours. Thanks for reading.

#629 - Joe Hoerner

2011-08-23T00:25:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is Joe Hoerner's penultimate Topps card. His final card is in the 1977 set as a Ranger.

What I thought about this card then: This was a card that I obtained early in the '75 season and I traded it in that deal for some '75 minis.

What I think about this card now: That's some funky hair that Hoerner's got going there.

Other stuff: Hoerner was a full-time, sidearm relief pitcher for 14 seasons and 493 games, not a start among them. He was one of the early left-handed relief specialists, and he especially made his mark pitching for the World Series champion Cardinals in 1967. His best seasons were in the late '60s and early '70s for the Cardinals and the Phillies.

Hoerner came up with the Colt .45s in 1963. His first major league appearance came in a gimmick game for Houston as the team fielded an all-rookie starting lineup against the Mets.

He was traded from the Cardinals to the Phillies in the famed Curt Flood deal. After his time with the Phillies, his performance fell off as he pitched for the Braves, Royals, Rangers and Reds. His final big league pitch, in 1977, hit the Pirates' Frank Taveras, who charged the mound. Hoerner punched Taveras, and after the brawl, was tossed from the game.

After his career, Hoerner did some promotional work with the Cardinals and was involved in charitable causes. He died in a farming accident at age 59 in 1996, reportedly getting pinned between a tractor fender and a tree trunk.

Back facts: I have no idea what the average number is for players making their major league debut in a season. Obviously, the number is much higher now than it was in 1974. But I don't know if 144 was a lot more than in 1973 or 1975, for example.

Other stuff: On this date in 1980, Charlie O. Finley got out of the baseball business, selling his Oakland A's team to the Haas family for $12.7 million.

#628 - Ron LeFlore

2011-08-22T00:46:00.001-04:00

Card fact: This is one of the cards that I pulled out of those first three packs of cards I ever bought.

What I thought about this card then: It helped me become a Tigers fan at an early age, since I also pulled the Mickey Stanley and John Hiller cards out of those first packs, too.

What I think about this card now: This is such an iconic card in my collecting history that I can't appreciate it for what it is -- Ron LeFlore's rookie card.

Other stuff: LeFlore was one of the big names in baseball when I was growing up, mostly because of his criminal past as a teenager. His life on the streets and prison time was made famous by a made-for-TV movie, called "One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story." I remember waiting with anticipation to watch this movie on TV. But I can't recall anything about it.

LeFlore didn't play organized ball growing up. His first experience with that was in prison with inmates while he was serving time for armed robbery. Tigers manager Billy Martin was tipped off to LeFlore's ability and he went to the prison to see LeFlore play. LeFlore was eventually signed by the Tigers.

LeFlore made an immediate impact with Detroit, which was going through tough times in the mid-1970s. Together with Mark Fidrych, the Tigers became a national presence in 1976. LeFlore ranked among the league's leading base stealers and he hit for a high average.

After six years with the Tigers, he was traded to the Expos for pitcher Dan Schatzeder, a trade I couldn't figure out. LeFlore stole a National League best 97 bases in his one year for Montreal in 1980. He signed as a free agent with the White Sox after the season, and had relatively limited playing time for Chicago in 1981 and 1982. He was released by Chicago at the start of the 1983 season.

After his career, he worked outside of baseball. He later managed some in independent leagues, and encountered child support issues that led to arrests.

Back facts: LeFlore's birth date on this card is incorrect. LeFlore was actually born in 1948, not 1952, so he was 26 at the time this card came out, not 22.

Other blog stuff: This might be the last time I get to show a card that was pulled in those first packs I bought in April of 1975. So here it is:

Love it.

#627 - Tom Walker

2011-08-21T03:06:00.000-04:00

Card fact: Tom Walker is the father of current Pirates second baseman Neil Walker. That makes this the second straight card that featured a player whose son played in the majors also.

What I thought about this card then: Never saw it.

What I think about this card now: Walker seems to be strategically placed in front of the Coca-Cola sign that graces so many of the Expos' cards.

Other stuff: Walker pitched between 1972-77, mostly with Montreal. He was a reliever most of the time and was dealt to Detroit for Woodie Fryman after the 1974 season (Topps could only manage a blurb about the trade on the back of Walker's card).

Walker ended his career with stints with St. Louis, the Expos again, and the Angels.

Back facts: OK, the cartoonist clearly is doing a lot more work than the biographer on this card.

The cartoonist draws a moose at the plate, which can't be easy to do.

The biographer? Well, it's obvious he had nothing to write about, so he stared at the stats for awhile and realized Walker never had a losing record and, viola, a write-up was born. Also, Walker was not exclusively a reliever. In fact, in 1974, he started eight games.

Other blog stuff: Kenny Rogers -- the singer, not the pitcher -- was born on this date in 1938.

#626 - Larry Haney

2011-08-20T00:58:00.002-04:00

Card fact: Like the Steve Busby card, the player pictured in this card is not the player listed. That is a photograph of Dave Duncan on Larry Haney's card. So, Haney is actually not pictured in the 1975 set. (Interestingly, Duncan is shown as an Indian on his card, but also appears in the set as an Oakland A).

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it.

What I think about this card now: Wow, was baseball THAT unpopular in 1974? The attendance looks the same as a random high school game in my area.

Other stuff: Haney was a career-long backup catcher known for his defensive ability. He played for the Orioles, Pilots, A's, Cardinals and Brewers and never had more than 177 at-bats in a season.

After his playing career, which lasted from 1966-78, he became the bullpen coach for the Brewers. He was also a pitching coach for a couple of years in the 1990s.

Haney's son, Chris, was a pitcher in the 1990s for the Royals, Indians, Red Sox, Expos and Cubs. He was also a member of my fantasy teams in the mid-90s.

Haney also has another notable baseball card as his 1969 card features a reverse image of the photo that appeared on the 1968 Topps card and shows him as a left-handed catcher.

Back facts: There have been seven World Series since that unfortunate one in 1966 that went just four games. The most recent was the 2007 Series when the Red Sox beat the Rockies in four straight.

Other blog stuff: A happy 69th birthday to "Shaft" singer Isaac Hayes. Shut your mouth.

#625 - Boog Powell

2011-08-19T02:20:00.003-04:00

Card fact: This card really marks the homestretch for this set. With the exception of two cards, it is all players from here on out.

What I thought about this card then: Oh, my goodness, it was a laugh riot. It was the funniest card we ever saw at that young age.

What I think about this card now: The card was the very first Cardboard Appreciation subject on my other blog. It was the first one for all the reasons you can think of -- and for a few more that you can't think of because you're not 9 anymore.

Other stuff: Boog Powell made up the meat of the order for the Orioles' lineups through the 1960s and into the 1970s. He was at the tail end of his Orioles career at this point, as this is his final Topps card as an Oriole.

Powell won AL MVP honors in 1970 and finished second behind Harmon Killebrew in 1969. He hit six home runs in the postseason. He absolutely wore out the Twins in back-to-back ALCS.

Powell was traded to the Indians in February of 1975, so he was already with another team by the time this card came out. He finished his major league career in 1977 with the Dodgers. Powell is now known just as much for his barbecue as his playing career.

And just one more thing:

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back facts: I missed posting on Powell's 70th birthday by two days.

Other blog stuff: The orange-brown border combination bounces back to join the pink-yellow combo at the top with its 53rd card.

#624 - 1975 Rookie Pitchers

2011-08-18T00:31:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is the last Dodger player card I needed to complete the team set for '75 Topps. Those 4-player rookie cards always eluded me.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it. In fact I didn't see it for quite awhile after 1975.

What I think about this card now: What a bad-ass crew, even if they weren't the most successful pitchers. I think Jim Otten is airbrushed, and I don't know why the background is blurred out.

Other stuff: Each player's first solo Topps card:

Doug Konieczny, Astros: 1976 Topps (his only solo Topps card)
Gary Lavelle, Giants: 1976 Topps
Jim Otten, White Sox: none
Eddie Solomon, Dodgers: 1978 Topps (he was alternately known as Eddie and Buddy on his cards. He died in a car accident at age 34).

Most successful career: Lavelle was a relief workhorse and two-time All-Star for the Giants, for whom he pitched for most of his 13-year major league career.

Most awesome middle name: For the second straight card, I have to go with the player without a middle name, Eddie Solomon.

Other blog stuff: The pink-yellow border combination takes the overall lead with its 53rd card. Also, this marks the end of the last subset in the '75 set. Up next, a player who just celebrated a milestone birthday.

#623 - 1975 Rookie Infielders

2011-08-17T00:21:00.001-04:00

Card fact: I'm trying to determine whether Phil Garner is airbrushed into an A's cap and uniform. Something doesn't look quite right, but Garner came up with Oakland. Perhaps he is actually wearing a minor league uniform. He played in Tucson most of the 1974 season.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it.

What I think about this card now: Keith Hernandez looks like a whole other human being. Tom Veryzer is definitely a "dude looks like a lady" candidate.

Other stuff: Each player's first Topps solo card:

Phil Garner, A's: 1976 Topps (great card)
Keith Hernandez, Cardinals: 1976 Topps
Bob Sheldon, Brewers: 1976 Topps (his only one)
Tom Veryzer, Tigers: 1976 Topps (with the rookie cup)

Most successful career: If you combine "Scrap Iron" Phil Garner's playing career with his managing career, he has an argument. But Keith Hernandez easily is the best of the four players.

Most awesome middle name: For the first time, we have a player without a middle name on these rookie cards. That was always awesome to me, so I'm going with Keith Hernandez.

Other blog stuff: The pink-yellow border combination has tied the orange-brown and green-purple combinations for the overall lead with 52 cards each.

#622 - 1975 Rookie Outfielders

2011-08-16T02:09:00.000-04:00

Card fact: The Cincinnati Reds are abbreviated as the "Cinn. Reds" on this card. Apparently someone thought they were the "Cinnamon Reds."

What I thought about this card then: Didn't see it.

What I think about this card now: This was the toughest of the rookie cards for me to obtain and one of the toughest cards in the whole set to finally land. No one likes giving up their Fred Lynn rookies. That's why this one is off-center, miscut and there's a weird printing flaw next to Lynn's head.

The funny thing is I found another version of this card in a rummage sale a couple years ago. It's in similar shape -- maybe slightly better -- and I've replaced this card with the rummage sale one.

Other stuff: Each player's first solo Topps card:

Ed Armbrister, Reds: 1976 Topps
Fred Lynn, Red Sox: 1976 Topps (with the rookie cup!)
Tom Poquette, Royals: 1977 Topps (with the rookie cup!)
Terry Whitfield, Yankees: 1978 Topps

Most successful career: Lynn was a huge favorite in Boston, my brother's favorite player, an MVP his rookie year, and hit more than 300 career home runs.

Most awesome middle name: As intrigued as I am about what a land of Berts might look like, I have to go with "Rosanda." It sounds like something you'd get tattooed on your chest underneath a giant heart.

Other blog stuff: A happy 81st birthday to former Monday Night Football announcer Frank Gifford.

#621 - 1975 Rookie Pitchers

2011-08-15T01:16:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is the first of the rookie cards to feature a player who never made the majors. Juan Veintidos was featured here on the strength of his 14-5 record in the minors in 1974, but he never got the call in 10 minor league seasons.

What I thought about this card then: If it's an orange-yellow bordered rookie card then I never saw it.

What I think about this card now: Veintidos appears to be the happiest of the four, yet he didn't enjoy the success of the others. I guess you had to be cold and ruthless to succeed as a major league pitcher in 1975.

Other stuff: Each player's first solo Topps card:

John Denny, Cardinals: 1976 Topps
Rawly Eastwick, Reds: 1976 Topps
Jim Kern, Indians: 1977 Topps
Juan Veintidos, Twins: no solo card

Most successful career: Both Eastwick and Kern got off to quick success as relief pitchers, Eastwick becoming a force for the Big Red Machine in the '75 World Series, and Kern wowing Cleveland fans with his arm and quirky behavior. But each faded almost as quickly. I'm going with starter John Denny, who pitched 13 fairly consistent seasons and won the Cy Young for the National League champion Phillies in 1983.

Most awesome middle name: Jackson is not as awesome as Rawlins, but there's not much to go on here.

Other blog stuff: For those of you who spend all of your time in vintage cards and vintage only, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that there is a new set out this month that pays tribute to the 1975 Topps minis. Current and past players are featured on mini cards that are similar in size and look to the '75 minis. They are inserted randomly into packs of 2011 Topps Lineage.

Unfortunately, the backs do not feature the '75 backs we all know and love. And the cards are made from that same slick crap that has plagued the Topps base set for the last decade. But I appreciate the thought by Topps and am trying to collect as many as I can. I owe it to my 9-year-old self.

#620 - 1975 Rookie Catchers-Outfielders

2011-08-14T00:36:00.002-04:00

Card fact: This is the first rookie card -- as rookie cards were known back in the '70s -- that I ever saw.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card, which was quite fortunate of me because it is Gary Carter's rookie card. But what I thought about the most was the fact that there were two Tigers on the bottom. That seemed unusual to me. It still does.

What I think about this card now: It's in semi-rough shape compared with most of the other cards I have from the set. I was probably trying to save cash by getting it on the cheap.

Also, Hill's cap is airbrushed.

Other stuff: Each player's first solo Topps card:

Gary Carter, Expos: 1976 Topps (with the rookie cup!)
Marc Hill, Giants: 1976 Topps
Danny Meyer, Tigers: 1976 Topps
Leon Roberts, Tigers: 1976 Topps

Most successful career: Carter is a Hall of Famer.

Most awesome middle name: Kauffman edges out Edmund.

Other blog stuff: It's been quite awhile since I've featured the mini card next to the regular card. This is as fine a time as any to resume that practice:

C'est bon!

#619 - 1975 Rookie Outfielders

2011-08-13T00:34:00.000-04:00

Card fact: I'm quite certain that is an airbrushed White Sox cap atop Nyls Nyman's head. Tommy Smith's cap may or may not be airbrushed, too.

What I thought about this card then: No knowledge of it.

What I think about this card now: No future stars there, eh? Also, Topps must have struggled to find a shot of Jerry Turner. You don't see the absolute profile shot too often.

Other stuff: Each player's first solo Topps card:

Benny Ayala, Mets: Not until 1980 Topps, with the Orioles.
Nyls Nyman, White Sox: 1976 Topps. His only one.
Tommy Smith, Indians: 1977 Topps. As an airbrushed Mariner. Also his only solo Topps card.
Jerry Turner, Padres: 1977 Topps

Most successful player: Turner and Ayala both played 10 seasons, with Turner playing in more than 300 more games than Ayala. Turner also has slightly better stats. Even though Ayala got into a few postseason games with the Orioles as one of Earl Weaver's platoon favorites, I'll give the edge to Turner.

Most awesome middle name: Nyls Nyman already has the best first name. Throw in Rex and Wallace as your middle names and it's no contest. Also, where did John Webber Turner get "Jerry"?

Other blog stuff: The pink-yellow border combination becomes the third border combo with 50 cards. It is just two off the overall lead with a few more rookie cards to go.

#618 - 1975 Rookie Pitchers

2011-08-12T00:52:00.001-04:00

Card fact: Scott McGregor is featured as a Yankee on this card, but he never pitched in the majors for the Yankees. He was dealt to Baltimore before his big-league playing career began.

What I thought about this card then: No knowledge of it. It took me a long time to figure out that there were Dodgers on these 4-player rookie cards.

What I think about this card now: I think it'd be both cool and creepy if Topps arranged it so the players on these cards were staring directly at each other. You see that Easterly is attempting to do so, but Johnson will have none of it.

Also, both Easterly and Johnson were on future cards in which my brothers and I looked at the backs and said promptly, "holy crap, look at that ERA! He's not good!" Easterly, though pitched for 13 seasons.

Other stuff: Each player's first solo Topps card:

Jamie Easterly, Braves: 1976 Topps
Tom Johnson, Twins: 1976 Topps
Scott McGregor, Yankees: 1978 Topps
Rick Rhoden, Dodgers, 1976 Topps

Most successful player: A slight edge to Rhoden over McGregor as Rhoden has a slim advantage in most career stats and pitched a few more years. Throw in Rhoden's golfing career, and his success skyrockets.

Most awesome middle name: McGregor should have insisted on at least ending his career with the Astros.

Other blog stuff: I apologize for skipping out on you the last few days. Usually I try to give some warning, but vacation departure came a lot quicker than originally planned. I should be back for awhile now.

#617 - 1975 Rookie Infielders

2011-08-07T01:07:00.001-04:00

Card fact: You never knew Reggie Sanders played for the Tigers, did you? But it's not that Reggie Sanders.

What I thought about this card then: Did not see it.

What I think about this card now: Manny Trillo is not wearing a live Cubs hat. It is most likely an airbrushed A's cap.

Other stuff: Each player's first solo Topps card:

Mike Cubbage, Rangers: 1976 Topps
Doug DeCinces, Orioles: 1976 Topps
Reggie Sanders, Tigers: no solo card. His career lasted 26 games in 1974. He died in 2002.
Manny Trillo, Cubs: 1976 Topps

Most successful player: Toss-up between Doug DeCinces and Manny Trillo. DeCinces played 19 seasons in the majors and hit 237 home runs. Trillo played 17 seasons, was an All-Star for the Cubs and Phillies and had a great 1980 NLCS.

DeCinces was just in the news last week for a bit of ugliness.

Most awesome middle name: U.S.-born players are so boring. Have to go with Manuel Marcano.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1975, actress Charlize Theron was born. The world would never be the same.

#616 - 1975 Rookie Outfielders

2011-08-06T00:36:00.001-04:00

Card fact: The first pink-yellow rookie card also is one of the more coveted rookie cards in the entire 1975 set, as it's Jim Rice's rookie card.

What I thought about this card then: I vaguely recall seeing it. But not because of Jim Rice. I only recall the two guys on the top, Dave Augustine and Pepe Mangual.

What I think about this card now: This card wasn't terribly difficult to obtain. There is another rookie card coming up that was more of a chore finding.

Other stuff: Each player's first solo Topps card:

Dave Augustine, Pirates: Never had one.
Pepe Mangual, Expos: 1976 Topps
Jim Rice, Red Sox: 1976 Topps (with a rookie cup)
John Scott, Padres: 1978 Topps (his only one, as a member of the Blue Jays)

Most successful player: Rice is in the Hall of Fame.

Most awesome middle name: Jose "Pepe" Manuel Mangual seems like a mouthful. I'll go with that one.

Other blog stuff: Former Mets pitcher Victor Zambrano was born on this date in 1975. Remember him?

#615 - 1975 Rookie Pitchers

2011-08-05T00:19:00.001-04:00

Card fact: We've got back-to-back "rookie pitchers" cards here. Unlike the previous one, I believe everyone is wearing a non-airbrushed cap.

What I thought about this card then: Never saw it.

What I think about this card now: Hank Webb looks like he's just spotted the team mascot that has always freaked him out.

Other stuff: Each player's first solo card:

Pat Darcy, Reds: 1976 Topps
Dennis Leonard, Royals: 1976 Topps
Tom Underwood, Phillies: 1976 Topps (with a rookie cup!)
Hank Webb, Mets: 1976 Topps (his only solo Topps card)

Most successful player: Dennis Leonard was a three-time 20-game winner who won three postseason games. Tom Underwood, who died in November 2010, pitched for 11 seasons.

Most awesome middle name: Gaylon Matthew proves that more is better. Also, how cool is it that two players on this card have "Patrick Leonard" in their name?

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1975, the first seven Phillies who come to bat in a game against the Cubs get a hit against starter Bill Bonham to set a major league record. Mike Schmidt hit a home run to make it 5-0 and send Bonham to the showers. The next batter, Johnny Oates, proceeds to single for the eight straight hit. Pitcher Dick Ruthven's sacrifice bunt is the first out.

#614 - 1975 Rookie Pitchers

2011-08-04T00:11:00.001-04:00

Card fact: Welcome to the rookie portion of the '75 Topps retrospective. Sometimes called "rookie stars," sometimes "rookie prospects," Topps took the understated route in 1975 and merely described the players by their respective position.

This was the period when Topps featured four rookies on one card, which is the format that I know and love best. Topps went with this format from 1974-1978. After (and before), Topps featured three or even two rookies per card.

What I thought about this card then: I never saw it. Topps used the orange-yellow border combination and the pink-yellow border combination for its rookie cards. But I only saw the pink-yellow combination when I was collecting in 1975.

What I think about this card now: That is a lineup of mediocrity right there.

Other stuff: For the rookie cards, I thought it'd be interesting to note what each player's first solo card was -- if they ever had a first solo card.

Jack Kucek, White Sox: 1977 Topps (his only solo card).
Dyar Miller, Orioles: 1976 Topps
Vern Ruhle, Tigers: 1976 Topps
Paul Siebert, Astros: no solo card, unless you want to include the late '80s Pacific Senior League set.

Most successful player: Vern Ruhle, who had cards every year from 1975 through 1987 and was later a longtime pitching coach. Unfortunately, he's also the only deceased player of the four.

Most awesome middle name: Dyar Miller has a "K," baseball scorekeeping shorthand for a strikeout, as his middle name, and he was a pitcher. That is fantastic.

Other blog stuff: As you can see, I'm mixing it up a little bit for the rookie cards. I'm not going into detail about the players, because that's really too much work. Hope you like it.

#613 - Bill Parsons

2011-08-03T02:21:00.002-04:00

Card fact: This is the final Topps card issued during Bill Parsons' career.

What I thought about this card then: Never saw it.

What I think about this card now: Parsons is airbushed into an A's cap. He was dealt from the Brewers to the A's in June of 1974. Topps didn't do a great job on the cap, but the uniform is pretty good. The gold jersey looks realistic.

Other stuff: Parsons was a 6-foot-6 right-hander who pitched for four seasons in the major leagues. He got off to a terrific start, winning 13 games for the Brewers in 1971 and finishing second to Chris Chambliss in the A.L. Rookie of the Year voting.

Parsons won 13 games again in 1972, even though the Brewers finished in last again. The following year wasn't so great as he stumbled to a 6.69 ERA in 20 games. Milwaukee traded him to Oakland for Deron Johnson. But he pitched in just four games for the A's, and that was the end of his major league career. In late '74, Parsons was acquired by the Cardinals, but didn't play in the majors for them.

Back facts: Another frustrating card for Topps, which went through the effort of airbrushing Parsons into an A's cap only to have him dealt to the Cardinals.

Also, the cartoon is quite random. Why not do a cartoon about every pitching coach in the majors in 1975?

Other blog stuff: We are about to embark on the final subset of the 1975 set. I'm going to handle this subset a little differently than I have the rest of the cards. But I hope it's still interesting.

#612 - Terry Hughes

2011-08-02T01:20:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is the only solo Topps card in Terry Hughes' career. He appears on a four-player rookie card as a Cardinal in the '74 Topps set.

What I thought about this card then: It was one of my Red Sox-loving brother's first Red Sox cards from the set, so it makes me think of my brother.

What I think about this card now: There are a lot more major leaguers who are looking like Hughes these days. It was a look that was out of style for a long time, but now it seems to be coming back.

Other stuff: Hughes was the No. 2 overall draft choice by the Cubs in the 1967 draft. He came up the majors with the Cubs for three at-bats, but spent the rest of his time in the minors before finally being purchased by the Cardinals in 1973.

Hughes appeared briefly with St. Louis, then was traded along with Reggie Cleveland and Diego Segui to the Red Sox. Hughes had his career highlight for Boston in 1974, appearing in 41 games and batting .203.

Hughes returned to St. Louis and the minors in 1976. He never appeared in another major league game after his '75 card hit stores. He is now a middle school phys ed teacher in his native South Carolina.

Back facts: Hey! A Dodger cartoon! It's been awhile.

Other blog stuff: "Archie Bunker," the late Carroll O'Connor, was born on this date 87 years ago.

#611 - Yankees/Bill Virdon

2011-08-01T01:10:00.000-04:00

Card fact: With this card, the orange-yellow border is officially the border color of choice for the team cards. Eight of the team cards have orange-yellow borders. The next closest is the tan-light blue combination with six cards, followed by brown-orange (five cards) and brown-tan (four cards). There is just one team card left.

What I thought about this card then: It's a team card. I had no thoughts.

What I think about this card now: This has to be the most disorganized team photo in the entire set. Look, I've circled the examples for you:

Most of the guys circled in red are not looking at the camera at all. They're all looking off to their right. Meanwhile, the guy circled in blue is in full guffaw after being told something funny by either Dick Tidrow or, um, some other guy in a mustache. And the guy circled in green -- who may or may not be Bobby Murcer -- has his head down and his hand on his cap like he doesn't want his photo taken.

Was the photographer that lousy or did he have a difficult time controlling the team and just said, "to hell with it."?

Other stuff: The Yankees finished in second place in 1974, which was their best finish in 10 years. But New York was barely above .500 two-thirds of the way through 1975 and that wasn't good enough for the new boss, George Steinbrenner. Virdon was dismissed and replaced by Billy Martin, and you know what happened after that.

Back facts: Scott McGregor is listed on the Yankees checklist and is featured on one of the upcoming 4-player rookie cards, but he never pitched a major league game for the Yankees. He was part of that huge trade with the Orioles in 1976.

Other blog stuff: Let's see how well Topps represented the 1974 Yankees in the set. New York sure made it difficult with a bunch of transactions.

The Yankees used 44 players in 1974, which is just one player short of the top number used by the Angels and Indians that season. Topps featured 31 of those N.Y. players in the '75 set, including several pictured with other teams -- Mike Hegan with the Brewers, Bobby Murcer with the Giants, and Steve Kline, Fred Beene, Fritz Peterson and Tom Buskey with the Indians. Topps also threw in McGregor and airbrushed Bobby Bonds into a Yankee cap.

The player with the most at-bats for the Yankees who wasn't featured on a card was infielder Fernando Gonzalez. He hit .215 in 121 at-bats in 1974, had a card in the '74 set and would play in the majors through 1979. But after '74, Gonzalez headed to the Mexican League and didn't return to the majors until 1978.

So, Topps featured just over 70 percent of the players who competed for the Yankees in '74, which puts New York in the middle of the pack:

1. Twins 81.25% of players featured
2. Tigers 78.37%
3. Orioles 78.13%
4. Braves 77.78%
5. Reds 77.14%
6. A's 75.0%
7. Dodgers 74.29%
7. Astros 74.29%
9. Giants 71.43%
10. Indians 71.11%
11. Royals 70.59%
12. Yankees 70.45%
13. Red Sox 70.27%
14. Angels 68.89%
15. Expos 68.29%
16. Brewers 66.67%
17. Rangers 65.79%
18. Cardinals 65.12%
19. White Sox 65.0%
20. Phillies 62.5%
21. Mets 62.16%
22. Pirates 61.5%
23. Padres 55.8%

#610 - Ron Hunt

2011-07-31T00:35:00.001-04:00

Card fact: This is the final Topps card of Ron Hunt during his playing career.

What I thought about this card then: No knowledge of it.

What I think about this card now: Topps isn't fooling me with that "Cardinals" cap. Hunt is airbrushed from his Expos get-up because he was obtained off waivers by the Cardinals in early September 1974 and Topps was out of luck getting a photo.

Other stuff: Hunt came up with Mets, who were in their sophomore season in 1963. He became the Mets' starting second baseman and finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting to Pete Rose that year.

Hunt played for the Mets for four years but was dealt to the Dodgers in the Tommy Davis deal. Then, after a season with L.A., he was shipped to the Giants in the first trade between the two teams since their moves out to the West Coast.

Hunt's reputation for getting hit by pitches really grew while he played for San Francisco. Beginning with his first season with the Giants in 1968, his HBP totals jumped and he led the league in HBP for seven straight seasons. His phenomenal 50 HBPs in 1971 while he was with the Expos is the most recorded in the modern era.

Hunt played with the Expos through 1974 and ended his career with the Cardinals. After his career, he eventually started a baseball camp, which he has operated for more than two decades.

Back facts: The cartoon means to say: "Who stole home the most times in a career?" Although the Baseball Almanac site says Cobb stole home 54 times, not 35.

Other blog stuff: I'm really starting to believe my speculation on whether Topps waited to fill in the players who would represent the higher numbers in the set. If you look at the cards since No. 600, only Rod Carew and John Ellis are what you would have called "definites" for the set. Every other player has been either at the very end of his career, the very beginning, or was traded recently. Ellie Rodriguez doesn't fall into those categories, but he also didn't have a card the previous two years, so he wasn't a definite either.

I'll be tracking the rest of the cards.

#609 - Ellie Hendricks

2011-07-30T00:41:00.002-04:00

Card fact: Ellie Hendricks returns to the Topps set with this card. He did not appear in the 1973 and 1974 sets.

What I thought about this card then: I remember seeing a mangled mini version of the Hendricks card, but I couldn't tell you whether it was owned by me, my brother or a friend.

What I think about this card now: Hendricks gets progressively happier in his cards through the years (really, take a look). This is one of his final cards, and you can see he is quite happy.

Other stuff: Hendricks was an enormously popular Orioles player, who is credited as one of the keys to Baltimore's impressive pitching rotation of the late '60s and early '70s. He was known as a great handler of pitchers and was at his most active between 1969-71 when the Orioles went to the World Series each year. He was involved in a famous controversial play in the 1970 World Series in which he collided with the home plate umpire and Reds runner Bernie Carbo on a play at the plate.

Hendricks was dealt to the Cubs in 1972, but returned to the Orioles the following year, as more of a third-string catcher. He didn't hit much at all -- batting .220 for his career -- and was traded again to the Yankees in the huge nine player deal on June 15, 1976.

He returned again to the Orioles in the late '70s as a player-coach. He then moved on to be a bullpen coach for Baltimore for 28 seasons, and was the longest tenured active coach for a period.

Hendricks died of a heart attack just shy of his 65th birthday in December 2005.

Back facts: Hendricks hit a home run in Game 1 of the 1970 World Series, the same game in which he was involved in the controversial play.

Other blog stuff: The green-purple border combination ties the orange-brown combination for first place with its 52nd card.

#608 - Gene Michael

2011-07-29T01:15:00.001-04:00

Card fact: This is the final Topps card of Gene Michael during his playing career.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card. Michael looked ancient to me.

What I think about this card now: It is way, way off-center and I need to fix it.

Other stuff: Michael is known for his career with the Yankees as a player, coach, manager and administrator. He had his most success as the general manager with the Yankees in the 1990s, helping build the team that won four World Series titles in five years.

As a player, Michael was signed by the Pirates, then traded to the Dodgers for Maury Wills in 1967. A year later, he was purchased by the Yankees and played for New York through the end of the 1974 season. He played for the Tigers in 1975.

Michael, nicknamed "Stick," was your typical good-field, no-hit middle infielder that thrived in the '70s. He batted .229 for his career, but knew the game, which really served him well in his front office jobs.

I remember Michael being a guest during a Yankees broadcast a few years ago. He was fascinating to listen to -- intelligent, revealing and full of stories. He should have been able to talk for the whole game.

Back facts: Robert "Bobby" Mitchell was never an ace pitcher. He was more of a fill-in type guy. The first "full-time" left-handed pitcher was J. Lee Richmond, who also pitched baseball's first perfect game.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1983, Steve Garvey's consecutive games played streak ended at 1,207 after he was unable to play in the second game of the Padres' doubleheader against the Braves. He dislocated his thumb in a collision at home plate in the first game.

#607 - Jim Holt

2011-07-28T00:41:00.001-04:00

Card fact: Jim Holt is looking way up in the sky because he doesn't want to show you that he is really wearing a Twins cap. Holt was traded from the Twins to the A's in August of 1974. He is painted into a green-and-gold jersey.

What I thought about this card then: Never saw it.

What I think about this card now: One of the more unsettling "looking up" cards in the set. Also, you might be interested to know that Holt's uniform number with the A's was 38. His uniform number with the Twins was 26. And you can see the number 26 on the bill of his cap. Can't fool me, Topps.

Other stuff: Holt played first base and the outfield for the Twins and A's between 1968-76. He was a part-timer for most of his career, although he hit .297 in 132 games for the Twins in 1973 when Harmon Killebrew was dealing with a knee ailment that sidelined him for a good chunk of the season.

The Twins traded Holt for Pat Bourque late in the season in '74 (Bourque was returned to the A's after the season). Holt's biggest moment with the A's was knocking in two runs as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning of Game 4 of the '74 World Series against the Dodgers. Holt's single broke open a close game and a close series and gave the A's a 5-2 victory. Oakland would go on to win the Series in 5 games.

Back facts: I don't know why "an accomplished big league hitter" is necessary. He's in the big leagues. He's a hitter. I think that makes him "accomplished."

Other blog stuff: The orange-brown border combination has moved back into first place with its 52nd card. It's apparently going to be a dogfight until the end.

#606 - Bruce Miller

2011-07-27T00:44:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is Bruce Miller's rookie card.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card. For some reason, I thought he was a pitcher, even though "2B-3B" was staring at me the whole time.

What I think about this card now: Miller looks quite friendly for someone with a bad-ass mustache.

Other stuff: Miller played four major league seasons for the Giants from 1973-76. He started with the White Sox, then was dealt to the Angels. The Giants acquired him for infielder Al Gallagher in 1973.

Miller was a part-time player. The only season he stayed out of the minors was 1975 when he .239 in 99 games for the Giants.

Miller became a teacher and school coach in his native Indiana after his playing career.

Back facts: I wonder if the cartoon, specifically the reference to Baltimore and the moving van drawing, gives any old Colts fans bad flashbacks?

Other blog stuff: '70 singer Maureen McGovern was born on this date 62 years ago. "The Morning After" is just a horrible '70s song. Of course, it won an Oscar.

#605 - John Ellis

2011-07-26T02:47:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is the only time in John Ellis' 13-year major league career that he received a card number ending in a "5" or a "0." In 1975, he was coming off his best major league season.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it.

What I think about this card now: It's a terrific catcher's shot. I like the background.

Other stuff: Ellis came up with the Yankees and was named to the Topps' rookie team after his 1970 season. He stayed with the Yankees for four years before he was dealt to Cleveland in the deal that brought Graig Nettles to the Yankees.

Ellis enjoyed his finest seasons with Cleveland in 1973 and 1974, appearing in 127 and 128 games, respectively and batting above .270 each season.

Afterward, his production faded. He would appear in more than 100 games only once more in his career. He was traded to the Rangers in December 1975 and spent the final six years with Texas, mostly in a supporting role to Jim Sundberg.

Back facts: That's a nice story in the write-up. Ellis played in the minors for Syracuse and Kinston, N.C., in 1969. The game to which Topps is referring was in Yankee Stadium, so my guess is Ellis was on the road when he got the call to the majors. It doesn't take an all-night trip to go from Syracuse to New York. I guess it's possible from Kinston, if he was driving.

Other blog stuff: The green-purple border combination has just created a three-way tie at the top with orange-brown and green-light green, all with 51 cards apiece.

#604 - Oscar Zamora

2011-07-25T02:52:00.001-04:00

Card fact: This is Oscar Zamora's rookie card. Despite that, he is airbrushed into a Cubs cap. He was purchased by the Cubs from the Astros in June of 1974.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card. I don't recall thinking much of it. I do remember my brother being horrified by his 1978 Topps card (it's just a big head shot of Zamora airbrushed into an Astros cap, nothing to get worked up over).

What I think about this card now: I'm just realizing that the familiar barn-like baseball facility that appears on a lot of Astros cards in this set is in the background of the photo on this card. So Zamora was definitely an Astro in this photo.

Other stuff: Zamora may have appeared on his first card in '75, but he had been pitching professionally in the minors since 1965, with the Indians and Astros organizations. He finally broke through with the Cubs and didn't do too badly for a poor club.

Zamora's success declined in '75 and '76 and he returned to the minors. He was reaquired by the Astros for the 1978 season. After that he pitched in sporadically in the minor leagues.

Zamora was one of just four Cuban natives to appear in major league baseball during the 1970s.

Back facts: Zamora is the subject of the cartoon on the back of his own card. But Topps botches the honor by screwing up the year. Zamora led the Cubs in ERA in 1974. He was in the minors in '73.

Other blog stuff: I'll stay with the Chicago theme. On this date 57 years ago, "Sweetness" Walter Payton was born.

#603 - Lew Krausse

2011-07-24T01:29:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is the final Topps card issued of Lew Krausse during his career.

What I thought about this card then: This is another one of those cards that I associate with my brother because it was part of his collection. I was relieved that he had the card because we both didn't know what to make of the guy.

What I think about this card now: Krausse had Topps cards from 1963-73, but wasn't issued one in '74 because he barely played in the majors in '73. If you look at those earlier cards, he looks his age. But that '73 season must have been trying, because when I was a kid I thought Krausse was about 51 years old based on this photo. It still looks that way to me (although I concede I was being a little harsh as a youngster). Krausse was actually 31 at the time of this photo.

Other stuff: Krausse came up to the majors with the Kansas City A's in 1961 and was the youngest player in the big leagues at the time. He remained with the A's through the '60s, working as both a starter and reliever.

Krausse was dealt to Milwaukee and then to Boston. He returned to the A's in '73 but didn't get called up and was purchased by the Cardinals, where he played one game. Krausse made a comeback with the Braves in '74, pitching in 29 games. He was released after the season, signed again by the A's, and pitched in the minors in '75.

Krausse's father, also named Lew, pitched for the Philadelphia A's in the early '30s.

Back facts: Of course, the Cubs do have lights now, installing them 13 years after this cartoon hit packs.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1975, the Royals fired Jack McKeon and replaced him with Whitey Herzog. It proved to be a solid move as the Royals would make the playoffs three straight years under Herzog. But McKeon is still managing to this day.

#602 - John Vukovich

2011-07-23T00:35:00.001-04:00

Card fact: John Vukovich is airbrushed into a Reds cap. He was traded from the Brewers to the Reds on Oct. 22, 1974.

What I thought about this card then: I never saw it. In fact, I didn't even know Vukovich existed until his final card, from 1981 Fleer. By then his career was a matter of at-bats from being over. Also, I thought he was Brewers pitcher Pete Vukovich's brother for a long time. They are not related.

What I think about this card now: The two Vukovichs don't look alike at all. I don't know what I was thinking.

Other stuff: Vukovich is associated mostly with the Phillies. He came up to the majors with Philadelphia and spent 1970, 1971 with the team. After two years with the Brewers and one with the Reds, he returned to the Phillies and stayed there the rest of his career.

Actually, he rarely played for Philadelphia the second time around. But the fans liked him.

After his career, he became a coach, mostly with the Phillies, even serving as interim manager for Philadelphia in the late '80s. His coaching career lasted almost two decades, despite being diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2001.

Vukovich remained a coach through 2004. Despite surgery back in '01, he became ill again in 2006 and died at age 59 in 2007.

Back facts: It is almost painful when I see high school exploits brought up in the card bios of major leaguers.

Other blog stuff: The orange-brown border color combination reties the green-light green border combo for the overall lead with its 51st card.

#601 - Juan Beniquez

2011-07-22T01:57:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is the first Red Sox card that my brother pulled from this set. He was and is a Red Sox fan.

What I thought about this card then: Beniquez looked a little too sophisticated to me to be a ballplayer.

What I think about this card now: It took me a long time to get a card of Beniquez that I liked. For quite awhile, the card that I had of him was cut so it was slightly larger than the other cards in the set. That really bothered me.

Other stuff: Beniquez's career was just getting started in 1975. He came up with the Red Sox in 1971 as a shortstop before converting to the outfield a couple of years later. From there, he would play for Boston, Texas, the Yankees, Seattle, the Angels, Baltimore, Kansas City and Toronto. His career lasted 17 seasons. I remember pulling a card of his in the late '80s, back when I wasn't paying a ton of attention to baseball, and I thought "holy crap, this guy is still in the majors?"

Beniquez is noted for having his best seasons with the Angels in the mid-80s after he had already reached his 30s and had been in the league for more than a dozen years. He hit over .300 four straight years between 1983-86.

Back facts: I knew about this Johnnie "Dusty" Baker guy from his cartoon before I acquired his mini card in 1975. It was nice to see that he actually wasn't a Pig-Pen sort of character.

Other blog stuff: Like I said in the previous post, it's time to take stock of the set as I do every 100 cards or so. There will be one more of these at the end of the set.

1. COLOR COMBINATIONS

The green-light green border combo, which was in fifth place during the last set review, is now the overall leader with 51 cards. But I know one color combo that will make a decent charge in the final 60 cards. Here are the totals right now:

1. Green-light green: 51
2. Orange-brown: 50
3. Green-purple: 50
4. Purple-pink: 49
5. Pink-yellow: 47
6. Yellow-red: 36
7. Orange-red: 31
8. Light blue-green: 30
9. Brown-orange: 29
10. Yellow-light blue: 28
11. Green-yellow: 26
12. Orange-yellow: 26
13. Blue-orange: 22
14. Brown-tan: 22
15. Red-blue: 22
16. Red-yellow: 22
17. Tan-light blue: 22
18. Yellow-green: 22

2. POWDER BLUE UNIFORMS

Twelve more for 76 total.

3. LOOKING UP

Seven more players showing us their nostrils for 24 total.

4. DUDE LOOKS LIKE A LADY

Two more dudettes (Dave Roberts and Dick Pole) for 11 total.

5. DECEASED

Six more players have passed on for 54 total.

6. CHAW

Not a single one for the last 100 cards. Total still at 4.

7. MLB SONS

Four more players had sons in the majors for a total of 26.

8. ROOKIE CUP/ALL-STAR

8/17.

We're done with All-Star cards. But we're not done with Rookie Cuppers.

9. MOST POPULAR FIRST NAME

Jim is holding onto a one-card lead over Dave/David. 24 cards to 23 cards.

10. MINIS

A total of 105 mini cards so far. That's 17.5 percent of the set, up two percent.

And there you are. Fifty-nine more cards to go. I'll try to make it fun.

#600 - Rod Carew

2011-07-21T03:37:00.001-04:00

Card fact: This is the very last card I needed to complete the 1975 Topps set.

What I thought about this card then: My brother had it and it was a very cool card. Carew's bat looks at least 70 feet long.

What I think about this card now: Carew wasn't exactly known as a slugger. I associate this pose with sluggers.

Other stuff: Carew was another one of the first baseball superstars that I knew. He seemed to have a lot of fans among my friends, which was a bit odd, because there isn't anybody in my state that knows a thing about the Twins. But I remember his 1976, 1977 and 1978 cards as being very coveted.

Of course, Carew is a Hall of Famer, hit .388 in 1978, was the rookie of the year in 1967, a member of 18 straight All-Star teams, and a member of the 3,000-hit club. He was also the subject of one the first baseball biographies I ever read. I have known the story about him being named after the doctor who delivered him on a train since I was a wee lad.

Carew signed with the Angels as a free agent after a famous falling out with the Twins' notoriously stingy owner Calvin Griffith. After 12 years with the Twins, Carew spent seven more with the Angels.

He later became a hitting coach for the Angels and the Brewers.

Back facts: When I was a kid I thought that George Torporcer was kneeling on the ground looking at bugs. He needed his glasses to get a good look at the bugs! That's how little boys think.

Other blog stuff: Normally, I do the set review every 100 cards. But I also need to do the All-Star update with this card. So I'll do the All-Star update here, and do the set review with the next card.

Carew fills the second base spot for the American League:

AL

1B - Dick Allen
2B - Rod Carew
3B - Brooks Robinson
SS - Bert Campaneris
OF - Bobby Murcer
OF - Jeff Burroughs
OF -
C - Carlton Fisk
P - Gaylord Perry

NL

1B - Steve Garvey
2B - Joe Morgan
3B - Ron Cey
SS - Larry Bowa
OF - Hank Aaron
OF - Pete Rose
OF - Jim Wynn
C - Johnny Bench
P - Andy Messersmith

Some of you may be thinking, "only one more All-Star and the teams are complete!" Well, as one commentor already gave away way back 300 cards ago, there will be no more All-Star cards.

Topps did not give Reggie Jackson an All-Star card in the 1975 set even though he was the starting right fielder for the American League in the 1974 All-Star Game. So the one outfield position in the A.L. is forever left blank because of Topps' goof.

#599 - Nate Colbert

2011-07-20T03:24:00.000-04:00

Card fact: Damn, Nate Colbert is happy to get out of San Diego! Colbert is airbrushed into a Tigers uniform after being traded from San Diego to Detroit in November 1974.

What I thought about this card then: Never saw it.

What I think about this card now: These "looking up" photos are very '70s, and really some of the ugliest cards ever. I excuse almost everything from the '70s, but not these cards.

Other stuff: I first knew Nate Colbert from his 1977 Topps record breaker card, the one that celebrates the five home runs he hit in a doubleheader against the Braves in 1972.

That was one of the highlights of his career with the Padres, which lasted from 1969-74. He was the first San Diego star slugger, making the All-Star team from 1970-72. In 1972, he hit 38 home runs and knocked in 111 runs, finishing eighth in the MVP voting.

Colbert also finished above 100 strikeouts six straight years. He endured a lousy year in '74 as back problems cut into his production, and he was dealt to the Tigers. He spent 1975 with both Detroit and Montreal, then ended his career in '76 at age 30 with both the Expos and A's.

Back facts: Juan Pancho Herrera played three seasons for the Phillies in the early '60s. He likely was confused with Jose Loco Herrera who played four seasons for the Astros and Expos in the late '60s.

Other blog stuff: The green-purple border color moves into a tie for second place with the orange-brown border color with this card. Both have 50 cards apiece and are one behind overall leader green-light green.

#598 - Bruce Kison

2011-07-19T02:12:00.000-04:00

Card fact: I don't know why Bruce Kison has the black band on his left uniform sleeve. The Pirates wore a No. 21 patch in honor of the deceased Roberto Clemente during the '73 season. But I'm not sure if the band is related to that, too. It appears on at least one other card in the set.

What I thought about this card then: I pulled this card from that pack I bought at the drug store. The packs that I purchased in 1975 were so few and far between that the cards that came from them were much more special than the ones that came in trades.

What I think about this card now: Kison looks like a guy I knew in high school.

Other stuff: Kison was a tall, skinny pitcher who was a starter on two Pirates World Series champions, in 1971 and 1979. He won the first night game in World Series history in 1971. He's also known for getting married on the same day that the Pirates won the World Series in '71.

Kison moved on to the Angels after the 1979 season. He struggled with injuries his first two years. He spent his final season, in 1985, with the Red Sox.

Kison later worked as a coach with the Royals and Orioles. He was part of Orioles manager Dave Trembley's coaching staff in 2007.

Back facts: I find it interesting that the cartoon refers to "Skinny" Hal Brown, on the back of 6-foot-4, 175-pound Bruce Kison's card.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1975, Yankees catcher Thurman Munson's run-scoring single in the first inning against the Twins is nullified because the tar on Munson's bat handle exceeded 18 inches. The Twins won the game 2-1. This game indirectly led to the famed "pine-tar game" involving George Brett eight years later, according to Graig Nettles. Nettles said in his book that he remembered the Munson incident, and brought up the pine tar rule to Yankees manager Billy Martin, who brought Brett's bat to the attention of the umpires.

#597 - Winston Llenas

2011-07-18T00:15:00.001-04:00

Card fact: This is Winston Llenas' final Topps card.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card, as I did with several of the Angels cards. I thought the bunting pose was cool.

What I think about this card now: Llenas is also shown bunting in his only other solo Topps card, in the 1974 set. He had seven sacrifice bunts for hits in his career. Is that enough to show him bunting in back-to-back sets?

Other stuff: Llenas started out in professional baseball when he signed as a teenager with the Kansas City A's back in 1961. He was released but a year later signed with the L.A. Angels. He played in the minors for the next six years before getting called up in 1968.

Llenas played with the Angels between 1968-69 and then 1972-75. He was used a lot as a pinch-hitter and led the American League in pinch-hits and pinch-hit at-bats in 1973. He finished his career batting .230.

His number is retired by Aguilas Cibaenas of the Dominican Winter League, where Llenas led the team to repeated success as a player, manager, GM, and team president.

Back facts: Well, we've finally got a player displaying a "chaw," but it's a cartoon Nellie Fox on the back of this card.

Other blog stuff: The green-light green border combo has moved back into sole possession of the overall lead with its 51st card.

#596 - Ollie Brown

2011-07-17T00:20:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is Ollie Brown's first card as a Philadelphia Phillie, the last of his six major league teams. He is airbushed into an Angels cap in the 1974 Topps set.

What I thought about this card then: It was a mild favorite. When we would go to my grandma and grandpa's house on Sundays, they were able to pick up the Philadelphia Phillies games on television (we couldn't do that where we lived even though we were only 13 miles away). I distinctly remember seeing Ollie Brown in one of the games.

What I think about this card now: It looks very similar his 1976 Topps card, except better. This one has Brown with a mustache, wearing a helmet and in front of a batting cage.

Other stuff: "Downtown" Ollie Brown began with the Giants, playing four years for them in the 1960s and demonstrating a terrific throwing arm.

The Padres made Brown their No. 1 pick in the expansion draft in 1968. He was their starting right fielder for three-plus seasons before being traded to the A's in May of 1972 (for Curt Blefary and Mike Kilkenny).

Brown spent the next three years with the A's, Brewers and Astros, mostly in a supporting role. He was picked up on waivers by the Phillies before the 1974 season and used quite a bit as a pinch-hitter for Philadelphia from 1974-77, including in the playoffs against the Dodgers.

Brown's brother Oscar played for the Braves in the early '70s. Another brother, Willie, was a star running back for USC in the '60s and played in the NFL with the Eagles and Rams.

Back facts: Not much to mention except it sure would be great to see the blooper pitch back in baseball.

Other blog stuff: The green-yellow border combination is heavy on the head-and-shoulders shots for some reason. The last nine cards with that color border have been head shots, some of the super-tight variety. And there are some other notable head shots preceding the previous nine. Just thought you should know.

#595 - Joe Niekro

2011-07-16T02:37:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is a card of a player on the precipice of fame. In 1975, Niekro was purchased by the Astros from the Braves. Niekro would then begin a 10-year career with the Astros in which he won in double figures eight times and won 20 games twice.

What I thought about this card then: Never saw it.

What I think about this card now: Seeing Niekro in any uniform other than an Astros uniform seems strange.

Other stuff: Niekro pitched 22 years in the majors, mostly with Houston. But he began with the Cubs. After a couple of decent years, he was dealt to the Padres and things didn't go so well in San Diego. He then played for Detroit and then Atlanta, where he teamed with brother, Phil.

In Atlanta, Joe focused on the knuckleball that his brother threw so well. Combined with his other pitches, he became a powerful member of the Astros' pitching staff and he won 20 games in back-to-back seasons in 1979 and 1980. Niekro led the Astros into the postseason in 1980 by starting and winning the special playoff game against the Dodgers.

In 1985, Niekro was traded to the Yankees in a deal that sent Jim Deshaies to the Astros (of special interest to me since I have interviewed both Joe Niekro and Jim Deshaies). Niekro reunited with Phil again with the Yankees.

Niekro's final team was the Twins. He pitched in Minnesota through 1988. His most famous moment with the Twins was when he was caught with a nail file on the mound. The clip of Niekro waving his hands as the nail file sails from his uniform has been played over and over again.

Niekro later worked as the pitching coach for the Silver Bullets, the all-female baseball team in the mid-1990s.

Niekro, the father of former Giants first baseman Lance Niekro, died from a brain aneurysm at age 61 in 2006.

Back facts: Note that the cartoon specifies that it's asking about the first Ladies NIGHT. The first ladies DAY, according to my limited research, was June 16, 1883, by the New York Giants.

Other blog stuff: Today's my birthday. Unfortunately, there is not a single player in this set that celebrates his birthday on July 16. But that doesn't matter. Because it's my birthday.

#594 - Jim Fuller

2011-07-15T00:28:00.001-04:00

Card fact: This is Jim Fuller's only solo Topps card. This is the second straight card of a player who had only one solo Topps card, and there seems to be a large concentration of players of this nature at the end of the set -- as if Topps was trying to fill up the set.

Now, I know that this was common when Topps issued its yearly set in series. The late series included players who were late call-ups or recently traded. But the 1975 set was issued all at once, as it had been in 1973 and 74, too. It makes me wonder if Topps had some sort of order established for the set early on, in which it would fill in names for each card number and then, when it came to the higher numbers in the set, it would fill in the spots with whatever incidental players were left -- kind of like choosing sides in gym class.

I don't know if there's anything to this or not, but it's always been a question in my mind. I guess I should study the '73 and '74 sets and see if they include a significant number of "incidental" players in the higher numbers.

What I thought about this card then: I associate it with my youngest brother because he had this card. I think it was the mini card. He's an Oriole fan. He was only five at the time, so he wasn't too into cards.

What I think about this card now: The border is way off-kilter.

Other stuff: Fuller was a minor league legend for the Orioles, hitting home runs and setting records along the way. But Fuller also struck out a ton.

His most productive season in three major league seasons was 1974 when he played in 60 games, batted 189 times, hit eight home runs and struck out 68 times. In his major league career, 130 of his 315 at-bats were strikeouts and he was a career .194 batter.

Fuller played a year for the Astros in 1977, then was dealt to the Pirates in 1978. He played in the minors that year and that was the end of his pro career.

Back facts: The cartoon ballplayer looks a little too enthusiastic with that knife. Is that a bat that he is cutting? I can't tell for sure.

Other blog stuff: Linda Ronstadt, whose hit "You're No Good," hit No. 1 in 1975, was born on this date 65 years ago.

#593 - Gene Lamont

2011-07-14T00:56:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is Gene Lamont's only solo card as a player. He appears on a 1971 Topps rookie card, sharing it with Lerrin LaGrow.

What I thought about this card then: Didn't see it.

What I think about this card now: I associate Lamont totally with being a coach and a manager. He has been one or the other in the majors since the mid-1980s. So when I see this photo, he doesn't look like a player to me. It looks like Topps snuck a photo of a coach into the set.

Other stuff: Lamont played five seasons in the majors, all as a backup catcher for the Tigers. Except for the 1974 season, he didn't play in more than 15 games a season. But in '74, he worked as the backup for Jerry Moses (Bill Freehan was moved to first base) and appeared in 60 games, batting .217.

Lamont started his coaching career in the Royals organization. Then he became the third base coach for Jim Leyland with the Pirates. Lamont got his first major league manager job with the White Sox (1992-95) and then worked as the Pirates manager from 1997-2000. Lamont has rejoined Leyland with the Tigers. He is Detroit's third base coach.

Back facts: Please click on the scan to get a better look at the most awesome cartoon in the set.

Also, Lamont was the 44th major leaguer to hit a home run in his first big-league at-bat. A total of 109 players have accomplished that feat.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1975, Braves pitcher Tim Hudson was born.

#592 - Balor Moore

2011-07-13T00:48:00.001-04:00

Card fact: This is Balor Moore's last Topps card until the 1978 set. He underwent arm surgery in 1975 and didn't play in the majors in '75 and '76.

What I thought about this card then: I never knew about it.

What I think about this card now: Always enjoy seeing the Coca-Cola sign on Montreal Expos cards.

Other stuff: Moore was a reliable starter for the early Expos, especially during the 1972 and 73 seasons. He went 7-16 in 32 starts in 1973. His strikeout average was second in the National League in '72. But he barely pitched during an injury-plagued '74 season and had elbow surgery the next year.

Moore was acquired by the Angels in 1975 and he pitched a handful of games for them in '77. But the Blue Jays purchased him after that season, and Moore pitched in 37, 34 and 31 games respectively in '78, '79 and '80. Toronto used him as both a starter and reliever.

Moore hung up the spikes after the 1980 season. He went into business after his career. An extensive interview of Moore about his beginnings in baseball can be found here.

Back facts: That's quite a feat mentioned in the write-up for Balor Lilbon Moore.

Other blog stuff: Cheech Marin of "Cheech and Chong" fame was born on this date in 1946. You don't hear much about "Cheech and Chong" these days, which would have been hard to believe back in the late '70s/early '80s because they were everywhere. They were enormously popular with us teenagers. In fact, I remember someone in my junior high class bringing in a Cheech and Chong record and playing it for the class. My teacher must've been pretty hip or clueless to the drug references.

#591 - Glenn Abbott

2011-07-12T00:33:00.001-04:00

Card fact: This is Glenn Abbott's first solo card. He appeared on a four-player rookie card in the '74 Topps set.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see this one. But Abbott's smile on his 1976 Topps card was a little alarming to me.

What I think about this card now: There aren't a lot of A's cards in the set that do not have a green or yellow border. This is only the sixth A's player card without either color in the border.

Other stuff: Abbott was a starter and reliever for the A's, Mariners and Tigers. He was selected by Seattle in the expansion draft of 1976 and was one of the team's top pitchers in its first year with the club. I always wondered what it was like to go from a team at the top of baseball, like the A's, to a brand new, lousy team like the Mariners. Must've been eye-opening.

While with the A's, Abbott was part of the first four-pitcher no-hitter as Oakland blanked the Angels on the last day of the 1975 season. Vida Blue started that game and lasted five innings. Abbott came in to pitch a perfect sixth inning.

Abbott pitched longer than any of the original Mariners, lasting through 1983. After his career ended in 1984, Abbott eventually went into coaching and is a minor league pitching coach for the Mets.

Back facts: The cartoon seems kind of random. The A.L. Fireman of the Year in 1964? McBean had a great year with the Pirates in '64, but not sure why it was worth mentioning here.

Other stuff: I have finished re-scanning the remaining cards in the set whose scans I had lost. I'm noticing the re-scans of the backs might be a little light. I'll have to tinker with that.

Also, while re-scanning, I updated the count on my total mini cards. It was all out of whack. The total is now correct in the labels.

#590 - Cesar Cedeno

2011-07-11T00:44:00.000-04:00

Card fact: Cesar Cedeno was only 23 at the time this photo was taken (if it was taken in 1974), and he had already appeared on five Topps cards, including receiving the coveted #200 in the 1974 set.

What I thought about this card then: I pulled it from a pack that I bought in a walk to a drug store, and it immediately captured the role as my favorite card throughout much of 1975. Cedeno was another one of those players who I wished was a Dodger. I finally got my wish -- in 1987 -- as Cedeno ended his career by playing for L.A. Unfortunately, he didn't get on a Topps card as a Dodger.

What I think about this card now: Although it's an interesting photo -- is Cedeno walking to the plate preparing mentally for his next at-bat or is he just noticing a bug on the ground? -- it is not a good photo. Shadows all over the place.

However, these were the kinds of cards we really liked as kids. And you might remember that many of the Astros photos were taken at their barren-wasteland training camp. This at least changed things up a little.

Other stuff: Cedeno is one of the first "up-and-coming" stars that I ever knew. He was part of one of those four-part "At Bat" series books by Bill Gutman. I featured the one I owned that covered the stories of Lou Brock, Rod Carew, Steve Garvey and Thurman Munson. The one I took out of the library told the stories of Carlton Fisk, Pete Rose, Bobby Bonds and Cedeno.

Cedeno was called "the next Willie Mays" by many, including his Astros manager Leo Durocher, who had managed Mays. Cedeno had power and speed and piled up the doubles early in his career. He was the second person after Brock to have 20 homers and 50 steals in the same season. He was also a multiple Gold Glove Award winner.

Injuries caught up to Cedeno a little and after more than a decade with the Astros, he was traded to the Reds for Ray Knight. His playing time slowly decreased with the Reds, and he finished out his career with the Cardinals and Dodgers. He later worked as a coach in Latin American leagues as well as in the minor leagues.

Cedeno's career was marred by an off-season incident in 1973 in which he accidentally shot and killed his girlfriend. He was jailed briefly, charged with involuntary manslaughter. It's debatable whether the shooting affected his career, but his torrid career start ended right around this time.

Back facts: "Perhaps baseball's next super-star ..." No pressure.

Other blog stuff: I lost all of my scans for the rest of the cards in the set. So guess what I've been doing lately? Re-scanning 70-plus cards! Weeee! I suppose it could have been worse and I lost the scans around card 143.

#589 - Braves/Clyde King

2011-07-09T14:18:00.003-04:00

Card fact: This is Clyde King's first-and-only appearance on a card with the Braves. He was hired to replace Eddie Mathews in the middle of the 1974 season.

What I thought about this card then: I associate it with that sheet of flimsy '75 team cards that we ordered from Topps. Perhaps the Braves card was positioned first (I don't remember if they were in alphabetical order).

What I think about this card now: Well aside from this being probably one of the last examples of someone wearing black-framed glasses until Joe Maddon came along, somebody, please, PLEASE tell me what the story is with the little dude in the three-piece suit just above King's head. That is some team card craziness.

Other stuff: The Braves finished 88-74 and in third place in the National League West. But King lasted only into the middle of the 1975 season before he was let go. It was the '70s and the Braves were about to get really awful. King was replaced by someone named Connie Ryan to finish out the '75 season. Dave Bristol took over for 1976.

Back facts: The checklist doesn't look right without Hank Aaron's name at the beginning. But Topps was on the ball after the offseason trade of Aaron to the Brewers. New acquisition Dave May's name is listed in the middle of the second column without any signs of distress.

Other blog stuff: Let's see if the '74 Braves were represented properly by Topps.

The Braves used 36 players in 1974. Topps featured 28 of those players, including Danny Frisella, who is listed as a Padre in the set, and, of course, Hank Aaron, who is listed as a Brewer.

Of the players not featured, there isn't much of note. Pitcher Jack Aker appeared in 17 games for the Braves, but didn't even finish the season with them, getting purchased by the Mets in June. Utility player Ivan Murrell had 133 at-bats for the Braves, but it was the last season of his career.

The Braves fair quite well in terms of the percentage of '74 roster players featured in the '75 set:

1. Twins 81.25% of players featured
2. Tigers 78.37%
3. Orioles 78.13%
4. Braves 77.78%
5. Reds 77.14%
6. A's 75.0%
7. Dodgers 74.29%
7. Astros 74.29%
9. Giants 71.43%
10. Indians 71.11%
11. Royals 70.59%
12. Red Sox 70.27%
13. Angels 68.89%
14. Expos 68.29%
15. Brewers 66.67%
16. Rangers 65.79%
17. Cardinals 65.12%
18. White Sox 65.0%
19. Phillies 62.5%
20. Mets 62.16%
21. Pirates 61.5%
22. Padres 55.8%

#588 - Rick Auerbach

2011-07-08T01:40:00.001-04:00

Card fact: This is the first card of Rick Auerbach wearing an actual Dodger uniform. He's airbrushed into a Dodger cap and uniform in the 1974 Topps set.

What I thought about this card then: OK, it's story time. When I was around 8 or 9 or whatever First Communion age is, I received a watch from my grandfather as a gift for the occasion. The watch had a brownish background, but when you tilted the glass toward the light, the brown would glow a deep orange. It reminded me of root beer and the orange glow the drink gives off if you have it in the right kind of glass. I claimed that the watch was "root-beer-colored." I went on a root beer kick. I coveted root beer candies, especially those root beer Bottle Caps candies. I wanted to go to the A&W drive-thru all the time.

When I pulled this card, it became an instant favorite for the same reasons. The deep orange and the brown. The orange stands in the background. It was a Root Beer card!

What I think about this card now: The adult in me sees a photo taken in Candlestick Park. Bleah. I need some root beer.

Other stuff: Auerbach came up to the majors with the Milwaukee Brewers, starting at shortstop for the young franchise at the age of 22 in 1972. He hit just .218 that season and was eventually acquired by the Dodgers as insurance for starting shortstop Bill Russell, who had some injury issues.

Auerbach hit .342 in a supporting role for the Dodgers in 1974. After a down year in '75, Auerbach was relegated to a pinch-hitting/back-up role. He wound up with the Reds (after bouncing through the Mets and Rangers organizations without ever playing in the majors for them), and hit above .300 twice for Cincinnati as a pinch-hitter.

Auerbach ended his career with the Mariners in 1981.

Back facts: I remember being taken aback by the cartoon because it lacked a cartoon figure in it. It was just a bunch of words! Also, I enjoy how Topps refers to "Dirty Al" Gallagher in the past tense. Gallagher may have ended his major league career in 1973, but he's still kicking!

Also, Russell apparently was so well-known to card collectors that he didn't require a first name in the write-up. By the way, the whole Bill Russell-Celtics' Bill Russell/Rick Auerbach-Red Auerbach thing was lost on me as a kid. I didn't follow basketball.

Other blog stuff: With this card, the orange-brown border combo reties the green-light green border combo for the overall lead with 50 cards apiece.

#587 - Chris Ward

2011-07-07T02:17:00.001-04:00

Card fact: This is the first and only solo Topps card of Chris Ward.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't know it existed. In fact, it is yet another Cubs card from this set that features a player I knew nothing about until I tracked down the card while completing the set in 2004. The Cubs sure had a lot of players in '74 that made little impact.

What I think about this card now: The cap he's wearing looks like some sort of denim trucker's cap.

Other stuff: Except for a single at-bat in 1972, Ward's entire major league career occurred in 1974 when he played 92 games for the Cubs. He finished with 28 hits in 137 at-bats, hitting a mere .204.

Ward would return to the minors for the 1976 and 1977 seasons, playing in the Chicago, Cleveland and San Diego organizations.

Back facts: Wilmer "Vinegar Bend" Mizell was a U.S. congressman in North Carolina. In fact, his tour as a congressman ended just before this card came out as he did not win a fourth term in 1974. But Mizell went on to serve in the Ford, Reagan and Bush administrations.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 2005, the sports of baseball and softball are dropped from the Olympic Summer Games. Summer without baseball. This makes no sense.

#586 - Tim McCarver

2011-07-06T00:21:00.003-04:00

Card fact: Tim McCarver is airbrushed into a Red Sox cap in this photo. He played for St. Louis most of the 1974 season, but was purchased by Boston in September of 1974 and spent the rest of '74 and the early part of '75 with Boston.

What I thought about this card then: I never saw it.

What I think about this card now: This was one of the final cards I needed to finish off the set. Players who become famous broadcasters are often difficult to track down.

Other stuff: McCarver is so well-known as a broadcaster that it overshadows the fact that he played in the major leagues for 21 seasons and was a four-decade player. He spent most of his career catching for St. Louis and Philadelphia, but also played for Montreal and Boston.

Some of McCarver's notable moments as a player was hitting the game-winning home run in the 10th inning of Game 5 of the 1964 World Series for St. Louis and scoring the winning run for the National League in the 10th inning of the 1966 All-Star Game. He finished second in the National League in MVP voting in 1967.

McCarver was noted for fostering successful relationships with pitchers Bob Gibson and Steve Carlton. McCarver became Carlton's personal catcher during the latter years of McCarver's career.

After his playing career, McCarver worked as a broadcaster for local Philadelphia and New York television, then branched out to national television. As a young fan, I remember him broadcasting on WOR in New York (or was it Secaucus, N.J?), and I enjoyed his broadcasts.

Now, of course, he is reviled by many fans for his work on Fox's weekly broadcast. McCarver isn't the same broadcaster as he was back when I was young. He does make a lot of mistakes and does overexplain things, but he never bothered me as much as Joe Morgan.

Back facts: I think that every aspect of Hank Aaron's year in '74 was addressed in cartoons in the 1975 set. Aaron was traded from the Braves to the Brewers on Nov. 2, 1974. Milwaukee also sent a minor leaguer, Roger Alexander, to Atlanta a month later to complete the deal.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1932, Cubs shortstop Billy Jurges is shot twice in his hotel room by a former girlfriend, showgirl Violet Valli. Jurges, shot in the shoulder and hand, doesn't prosecute and Valli is signed to sing in nightclubs based on her fame. Jurges recovered from his injuries and helped the Cubs win the 1932 National League title.

#585 - Chris Chambliss

2011-07-02T01:18:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is the first card of Chris Chambliss as a Yankee.

What I thought about this card then: No knowledge of it.

What I think about this card now: It's a very nice view of what was going on in the batting cage on that day. Good stuff.

Other stuff: I will always consider Chambliss a Yankee, as many also do. But Chambliss actually came up with the Indians and was named American League Rookie of the Year in 1971.

He played with the Indians through the early part of 1974, then was dealt to the Yankees in April of that year in the famed trade that also brought New York Dick Tidrow and Cecil Upshaw in exchange for Steve Kline, Tom Buskey, Fritz Peterson and Fred Beene.

It proved to be a terrific deal for New York, enhanced by the fact that Chambliss hit one of the most memorable home runs of the '70s, delivering the series-clinching blow off of the Royals' Mark Littell in the 1976 A.L. Championship Series. Who hasn't seen Chambliss knocking down jubilant Yankees fans on his way to home plate?

It was the first postseason series the Yankees had won since the 1962 World Series, and ushered in another semi-dynasty era for New York. Chambliss' best season for the Yankees was 1976, but he remained a reliable offensive and defensive first baseman for the team through the 1979 season. He was one of the few Yankees of that time that I did not despise.

Chambliss was traded by the Yankees to the Blue Jays after the '79 season. Toronto turned around and traded him to Atlanta a month later. Chambliss spent seven seasons with the Braves, so while I equate him with the Yankees, he was a Brave longer. He ended his career back with the Yankees, for one game in 1988.

He became a hitting coach and manager in both the majors and minors after his career. I saw him get thrown out of a game two years ago when he was managing the Charlotte Knights. He's now the hitting coach in Seattle.

Back facts: Carroll, huh? Guess it was good enough for Archie Bunker.

Other blog stuff: A historic moment. This is the 50th green-light green bordered card. And with this card, green-light green takes sole possession of first place in the overall border standings. Orange-brown has been in the lead for hundreds of cards, so this is BIG.

Also, the blog will be recognizing Independence Day by taking a few days off. See you after America's birthday.

#584 - Mike Garman

2011-07-01T01:17:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is Mike Garman's first solo card. He appeared on a couple of multiple-player rookie cards back in 1971 and 1972. In fact he's the "third guy" on the Carlton Fisk-Cecil Cooper rookie card in the '72 Topps set.

What I thought about this card then: I associate this card with my brother, since it's one of the first '75 cards that he had.

What I think about this card now: It's very sunny. Garman seems happy. There's lots of green. The sun seems to be shining. A perfect card to start July.

Other stuff: Garman enjoyed his best seasons with the Cardinals, appearing in 64 and 66 games in the two seasons he played for them. He came over to St. Louis in a big deal with the Red Sox. The Cardinals got Garman, Lynn McGlothen and John Curtis. The Red Sox obtained Reggie Cleveland, Diego Segui and Terry Hughes.

Garman also pitched for the Cubs, Dodgers and Expos. He went to the Cubs in the surprising (for Cubs fans) deal that sent Don Kessinger to the Cardinals. Then he was traded with Rick Monday to the Dodgers for Bill Buckner and Ivan DeJesus.

Garman pitched in four postseason games with the Dodgers in 1977 and didn't give up a run. The following season, he was dealt to Montreal and ended his major league career after the '78 season.

Back facts: Major gaffe in the trivia cartoon question. The question should read "which rookie had the most STRIKEOUTS." Ain't nobody pitching 245 shutouts in a season.

Herb Score still holds the American League record for strikeouts in a season by a rookie. Dwight Gooden has the major league record with 276 in 1984.

Other blog stuff: Blondie lead singer Deborah Harry was born on this date 66 years ago. 66? Wow. I sure had a thing for her when I was 14 (didn't everyone?)

#583 - Andy Etchebarren

2011-06-30T00:34:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is Andy Etchebarren's final card as an Oriole. He spent 12 season with Baltimore before being signed by the California Angels in 1975.

What I thought about this card then: I never saw it.

What I think about this card now: One of the cards of Etchebarren that presents him in a kinder light. Some of them (I'm thinking '73-74 and '76-78 Topps) made him appear as if he was Herman Munster's more athletic cousin.

Other stuff: Etchebarren was a fixture behind the plate during the Orioles' peak years of the late '60s and early '70s. He exchanged starts with Elrod Hendricks through much of that time and later teamed up with Johnny Oates and Earl Williams for the O's.

Etchebarren didn't hit much, but he had a decent on-base percentage for a .230 hitter and knew how to draw a walk. And, obviously, he knew something about handling a pitching staff, given who Baltimore had on the mound at the time.

After his career ended in 1978, Etchebarren worked as a coach with the Milwaukee Brewers. He then returned to the Orioles and managed and coached in their minor league system until three or four years ago.

Back facts: The cartoon reads like Chuck Hartenstein was no longer with us in 1975, or at least retired. But the joke would be on Topps. After seemingly finishing up in the majors in 1970, "Twiggy" returned to pitch 13 games for the expansion Blue Jays in 1977.

Other blog stuff: The movie "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" debuted on this date in 1971. "If she's a lady, I'm a Vermicious Knid."

#582 - Eduardo Rodriguez

2011-06-29T01:14:00.002-04:00

Card fact: One of two players named Rodriguez in the set. The other is Aurelio Rodriguez.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it.

What I think about this card now: Rodriguez looks cold. He's all bundled up.

Other stuff: Rodriguez was primarily a middle relief pitcher for the Brewers between 1973-78. He spent his last season in the majors with the Royals in 1979. He played in his native Puerto Rico after that.

Rodriguez died of a heart attack on his 57th birthday two years ago.

Back facts: Rodriguez was born on the same day as my wife. I'm pretty sure she doesn't know who Eduardo Rodriguez is.

Other blog stuff: I like to mention this every June 29th. On this date in 1990, Dave Stewart of the A's and Fernando Valenzuela of the Dodgers each pitched no-hitters. Only the second time that had happened and the first time since 1917. As a Dodger fan, I was particularly proud because both players came up with the Dodgers.

#581 - Darrel Chaney

2011-06-28T01:05:00.001-04:00

Card fact: Darrel Chaney is one of only two major leaguers to spell his first name like that. The other is Darrel Akerfelds, a pitcher for the Phillies and Indians, among other teams. I know this is a player fact, not a card fact. But it's all I've got.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it. But my brothers and I were absolutely horrified by his 1976 Traded card. Mercy.

What I think about this card now: This was one of my more beat-up cards in the set at one point. I've upgraded, but there's still an annoying streak going down the right side of the card.

Other stuff: Chaney was known as a good-glove, no-hit infielder for the championship Cincinnati Reds. He mostly backed up shortstop Dave Concepcion, who knew a thing or two about fielding himself.

After serving in Vietnam in the late '60s, Chaney played seven seasons with the Reds, appearing in three World Series and winning one. He was dealt to the Braves after the '75 Series and enjoyed his first season as a starter at shortstop. He did fairly well in '76, but couldn't hold on to the starter's role. After 3 more years, he was released by the Braves in '79.

Chaney later did some broadcasting work with Atlanta.

Back facts: Regarding the cartoon question: After about the sixth unsuccessful stolen base attempt wouldn't you call it a day?

Other blog stuff: The late, great Gilda Radner was born on this date in 1946. As a kid, when I had a chance to sneak a peak at Saturday Night Live, the comedian who made me think that this skit show was something strange, weird and amazing was not Belushi, Akroyd or Murray. It was Radner. I wish I knew what skit she was in that struck me, but I do remember thinking: "So. This is adult humor. I don't get it. But it's funny."

#580 - Frank Robinson

2011-06-27T00:50:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is the second appearance of Frank Robinson in the 1975 set. He's also featured as the manager on the Indians team card. I'm pretty certain that would have blown my mind as a kid, but I never saw this card of Robinson.

What I thought about this card then: See above.

What I think about this card now: Robinson is airbrushed into his Indians cap. He was dealt from the Angels to the Indians in September 1974.

Also, I enjoy the "Des. Hitter" mention. What could that be? Destitute hitter? Despicable hitter? Desperate hitter?

Other stuff: I forgot to mention above that this is the final card featuring Frank Robinson as a player (except for all the retro cards of the last decade or so). Robinson was named player-manager by the Indians on Oct. 3, 1974. From that point, he was featured on cards as a manager, a second career that would last all the way until a few years ago.

Robinson, of course, is one of the greatest players of all-time, a 500-plus home run hitter, an MVP in both leagues and one of the last Triple Crown winners (1966) in major league history. He played in five World Series. For awhile there, I'd be willing to say he was the most underrated superstar of the last 60 years. I think he's received a little more attention recently, but probably not enough.

Robinson's greatest feats came with the Reds and Orioles (he was famously declared "old" when he was traded from the Reds to the Orioles), but he also played for the Dodgers, Angels and Indians. He came to the plate 185 times as a player-manager for the Indians in 1975-76, getting 43 hits (.232 avg) and hitting 12 home runs.

Back facts: These players with a ton of stats really do a number of the clarity of the cartoon question. I believe the question intended to say "Name the only player manager in the major leagues today."

Other blog stuff: Dodger flop Daryle Ward was born on this date in 1975.

#579 - Skip Pitlock

2011-06-26T00:43:00.000-04:00

Card fact: This is Skip Pitlock's second and final Topps card. His other card is in the 1971 set.

What I thought about this card then: No knowledge of it. I didn't have any knowledge of Pitlock either until I acquired this card while completing the set in 2004.

What I think about this card now: The slanted background returns. And those shadows in the bottom left corner look slightly ominous.

Other stuff: Pitlock would pitch to just one more major league batter after this card was issued. He faced Billy Williams of the A's in 1975, giving up a run-scoring single.

Pitlock came up with the Giants and was a starter in 1970, going 5-5. He spent the next three full seasons in the minors, two in the Giants organization and one in the White Sox organization. When he returned to the majors in 1974, he was a reliever, appearing in 41 games for Chicago.

Pitlock was traded to the A's in June of '75 in the deal that landed the White Sox Chet Lemon. Pitlock retired after the 1976 season.

Back facts: It seems to me that the trivia question in that cartoon would be tough to illustrate, which probably explains why you see what you see there.

Other stuff: The green-light green border combination reties the orange-brown combo for the overall lead with 49 cards each.

#578 - Dave Tomlin

2011-06-25T01:12:00.002-04:00

Card fact: This is Dave Tomlin's first solo card.

What I thought about this card: I didn't see it.

What I think about this card now: Tomlin is definitely airbrushed into a Padres cap and jersey (and doesn't look pleased). But with him not having a previous card (I want to say he was on one of those multi-player rookie cards, but I can't find an example right now), I'm wondering if he's actually wearing a minor league uniform or a Reds uniform, which is the team he was with before the Padres. I'm assuming it's a Reds uniform.

Other stuff: Tomlin was a career-long relief pitcher for mostly the Reds and the Padres from 1972-86. Even though he played 13 seasons in the majors, he had relatively few cards. They spanned from 1975-80.

This is mostly because after 1980, he appeared in only 14 more games with the Expos and Pirates. Before that, Tomlin appeared in 67 games in '75 and 76 games in '77 for San Diego. He was then traded to Texas straight up for Gaylord Perry. Perry went on to win the Cy Young Award for San Diego, while Tomlin was released in spring training and picked up by the Reds.

With Cincinnati in 1978, he went 9-1 but had a 5.78 ERA. Such was life with the Big Red Machine. Tomlin performed better in '79 and appeared in three postseason games for the Reds.

After his playing career, he became a pitching coach in the Expos and Braves organizations. Since 1996, he's been a coach and manager in the minors for the Red Sox.

Back facts: "Dave had 2 saves for Padres in 1974." The Padres were a bad team in '74.

Other blog stuff: Two more key celebrities of the '70s were born on this date. Singer Carly Simon is 66. Comedian Jimmie "Dy-no-mite" Walker is 62.

#577 - John Morris

2011-06-24T01:01:00.001-04:00

Card fact: This is the last card issued during John Morris' career. He had only three Topps cards and the one previous to this one is in the 1971 set.

What I thought about this card then: I had/have the mini card. I thought Morris was 48 years old. He was actually around 33.

What I think about this card now: He still looks a lot older than 33.

Other stuff: Morris, not to be confused with the outfielder who played for the Cardinals in the late '80s/early '90s, pitched for five teams between 1966-74. His best success came with the Pilots/Brewers between 1969-71. Morris was selected in the expansion draft of '68 from the Orioles.

Back facts: The "green monster" is one of my favorite cartoons from this set. Also, the back of this card looks unusual without an orange crayon scribble across the monster drawing. My original mini of Morris (I've since upgraded) has the orange scribble, and it's become as much a feature of the card as the green-on-red type.

Other blog stuff: This is the third straight green-purple bordered card. Except for subsets, this is the first time the same color combination has been featured on three straight cards. The streak has pushed the green-purple combination within one of the overall lead.

#576 - Phil Roof

2011-06-23T00:53:00.000-04:00

Card fact: Both Phil Roof and his fellow member of the all-construction team, Tom House, feature green-purple borders in this set. Sadly, Hank "the Hammer" Aaron does not have a green-purple bordered card. And Lenny "Nails" Dykstra was only 12 in 1975.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it. I didn't know who Phil Roof was until about 10 years ago.

What I think about this card now: The same thing I think when I see any Phil Roof card: how did this guy hang on for so long?

Other stuff: Roof was your definition of a backup catcher. He played from 1964-77 in the major leagues and except for a couple of years with the Kansas City A's in 1966-67, he was a supporting player. His lifetime batting average is .215. Except for the 1975 season when he hit .305 for the Twins, his best batting average in a season was .235.

So, it stands to reason that he was a pretty good defensive catcher. Roof played for not only the Twins, Kansas City and Oakland, but for the Milwaukee Braves, the Angels, the Indians, the Brewers, White Sox and expansion Blue Jays.

After his playing career, he was a manager in the Twins organization for two decades, retiring after the 2005 season. He appeared briefly as the bullpen coach for Minnesota this season.

Back facts: You just don't see a lot of guys having back-to-back sub .200 seasons in the major leagues these days. Or maybe you do. I'm not really keeping tabs on the backup catchers.

Other blog stuff: A happy 51st birthday to former Astros pitcher Jim Deshaies, one of my favorite interview subjects and a favorite announcer in the Houston area.

#575 - Gene Clines

2011-06-22T01:23:00.000-04:00

Card fact: Gene Clines is airbrushed into a Mets cap and uniform after being traded from the Pirates to the Mets on Oct. 22, 1975. The Pirates acquired catcher Duffy Dyer in the deal.

What I thought about this card then: No knowledge of it.

What I think about this card now: Clines had some mean sideburns. They grow even more impressive on his later cards.

Other stuff: Clines came up with Pittsburgh, and his best assets were his speed and defense. He played a part-time role on those perennial pennant-winners. His best season came in 1972 when he hit the crap out of the ball (.334/.369/.421). But he fell quickly after that and was dealt to the Mets.

From there, Clines skipped around from the Mets to the Rangers to the Cubs. His final season was with Chicago in 1979.

Afterward, Clines became a hitting and outfield coach for a number of teams, including the Cubs, Astros, Mariners and Giants. His stay with the Giants coincided with their trip to the World Series in 2002 and Clines was featured prominently, considering that Barry Bonds was one of his "pupils."

Clines is now a senior adviser for Player Development with the Dodgers. His main role is to assist the best Dodgers hitting prospects.

Back facts: I think Topps is being a little kind giving Clines a card number that ends in "5."

Other blog stuff: Two very key celebrities of the '70s were born on this date. Kris Kristofferson, who I knew at the time as an actor in sappy movies starring Barbra Streisand, is 75. "The Bionic Woman," Lindsay Wagner was born 62 years ago.

Also, I would be remiss if I did not mention that "The Muppet Movie" debuted on this date in 1979.