#624 - 1975 Rookie Pitchers

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.

#614 - 1975 Rookie Pitchers

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.

#590 - Cesar Cedeno

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 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.

#563 - Wilbur Howard

Card fact: Wilbur Howard has already appeared on this blog once before.

What I thought about this card then: I have the mini card, but I believe it's one of the few that I have acquired after 1975. I don't remember thinking anything about this card as a kid.

What I think about this card now: Howard is airbrushed into an Astros cap. This is his first solo card, but he appeared in the 1974 Topps set on one of the four-player rookie cards and he is wearing a Brewers cap. Howard was traded from the Brewers to the Astros at the end of March 1974.

Other stuff: Howard was mostly a fourth outfielder for the Astros between 1974-78. He played in 121 games in 1975, finishing with 111 hits and ranking in the top 10 in the National League in stolen bases with 32.

Back facts: I have no idea why the number 15 is printed in giant block letters. It's a departure from the format used for all the other cartoon answers.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1965, Rick Monday became the first player drafted in the inaugural major league player draft. The Arizona State sophomore was selected by the Kansas City A's.

#541 - Roger Metzger

Card fact: The card that features the most squiggles in the player's signature. Look at that thing. I dare you to try to replicate that with an Etch-a-Sketch.

What I thought about this card then: This is one of the many cards I received from my friend in my very first trade. Although I should rephrase that as "my very first non-relative trade." I'm sure I traded with my brother before this point.

What I think about this card now: Back on the prairie with the Astros. But Roger Metzger looks happy about it.

Other stuff: Metzger is considered by some as the best shortstop the Astros ever had, which I suppose could be true considering his best competition is Craig Reynolds and a player who never got to fulfill his full potential (Dickie Thon). Metzger was a good fielder and speedy runner. He was a triples machine. But he didn't hit very much at all, batting .231 for his career.

Metzger played eight seasons for Houston, from 1971-78. He started out with the Cubs in 1970, and finished up with the Giants between 1978-80. He famously suffered an offseason incident in which he cut off the tips of four fingers in a tablesaw accident prior to the 1980 season.

Metzger became a school teacher after his major league career.

Back facts: It was all about Hank in 1975.

Also, I'm glad to know that "Roger can always be counted upon to come with the big play." Never mind those stats there then.

Other blog stuff: How about a look at that card I obtained in my first trade?

An oldie but goodie.

#514 - Jose Cruz

Card fact: Ladies and gentlemen, the second-worst airbrushed cap in the entire set. Rudy May is still the worst, but this is very piss-poor.

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

What I think about this card now: The "H" is so freakishly large and the cap is so freakishly traffic-cone orange that I'm sure an actual cap like that could be viewed from space.

Also, Cruz's signature cites his nickname "Cheo."

Other stuff: Jose Cruz was one of the most popular and effective hitters ever to play for the Houston Astros. I remember him being a pain in the booty to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 1980s. He was the one player that I feared on that team.

Cruz started out in St. Louis, but was purchased by the Astros in late October of 1974, necessitating the airbrushed monstrosity. Cruz blossomed with Houston and became very popular as the Astros began to field contending teams in the '80s. I remember Howard Cosell being particularly enamored with Cruz during the 1980 postseason.

Cruz was an All-Star only twice despite three straight seasons of hitting above .300 during the mid-1980s. He lasted 19 years, retiring after part of a season with the Yankees in 1988. He later became a base coach for the Astros for a number of years, only recently departing in 2009.

Cruz's son, Jose Cruz Jr., played for 12 years in the major leagues.

Back facts: I'm pretty certain that sinker cartoon has appeared in other years of Topps sets.

Other blog stuff: OK, it's not Jose Cruz's birthday, but it IS his son Jose's birthday today. The former Mariner, Blue Jay, Giant, Diamondback, Red Sox, Dodger, Padre and Astro is 37 today.

#512 - Larry Milbourne

Card fact: It's been 178 cards since the last rookie cup card. That's the biggest gap between rookie-cuppers, with only one more rookie cup card to go.

What I thought about this card then: A little intrigued, a little freaked out by this Milbourne fellow. As a 9-year-old, I thought he was very distinctive. With the exotic sideburns and the helmet, he seemed muppet-like to me.

What I think about this card now: Milbourne looks a lot different here than he did for most of his career. After this card, he lost the crazy burns, grew a mustache and seemed ready to be accepted by society. With this card, I'm not so sure.

Other stuff: Milbourne may have won the Topps rookie cup, but he was not much more than a utility player for his entire 11-year career. He bounced from the Astros to the Mariners to the Yankees to the Twins to the Indians to the Phillies. He also had repeat stays with the Yankees and Mariners. He reached more than 400 at-bats in a season only once, in 1982, when he played for three teams.

Milbourne did play well enough for the Yankees to win plenty of playing time in the 1981 postseason. He hit .462 in New York's ALCS victory over the Oakland A's, and played in all six games for New York in its loss to Los Angeles in the World Series.

After his career, Milbourne managed in the low minors in the early 1990s.

Back facts: Milbourne's "fine rookie campaign" consisted of 36 hits and nine RBIs. It was so impressive that Topps didn't make another card of Milbourne until the 1978 set.

Also, as a kid, I thought you could actually hit in a major league game by holding your bat upside down. Thanks to this cartoon.

Other blog stuff: We just need an outfielder to complete our All-Rookie team:

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

#487 - Astros/Preston Gomez

Card fact: The 1974 season was Preston Gomez's first with the Astros, although he does have a card as an Astro in the '74 Topps set.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card. The people were so tiny!

What I think about this card now: Look at the man standing second from the left. Is he wearing a tuxedo?


Other stuff: Gomez lasted less than two years with Houston. After finishing fourth in the National League West in 1974, the Astros plunged to last in 1975 and Gomez was replaced by Bill Virdon.

Back facts: Both Ken Boswell and Jose Cruz are listed on the Astros checklist even though neither of them played for Houston in 1974. Both are airbrushed into their Astros uniforms (wait until you see the Cruz card).

Other blog stuff: Time to see where the Astros rank in terms of how well Topps represented the '74 Astros team in the '75 set.

The Astros used 35 players in 1974. Topps provided cards of 26 of them. That includes three players who were featured with their new teams, Bob Gallagher (Mets), Ollie Brown (Phillies) and Claude Osteen (Cardinals).

Topps didn't miss anyone significant from the '74 team. Johnny Edwards wasn't featured, but he caught in 50 games for Houston in the final season of his career.

So, 26 of the 35 players were featured for 74.29 percent, which is the same percentage as the Dodgers. Here is where the Astros rank:

1. Twins 81.25% of players featured
2. Tigers 78.37%
3. Orioles 78.13%
4. Dodgers 74.29%
4. Astros 74.29%
6. Giants 71.43%
7. Indians 71.11%
8. Royals 70.59%
9. Red Sox 70.27%
10. Angels 68.89%
11. Expos 68.29%
12. Brewers 66.67%
13. Cardinals 65.12%
14. White Sox 65.0%
15. Phillies 62.5%
16. Mets 62.16%
17. Pirates 61.5%
18. Padres 55.8%

#479 - Ken Boswell

Card fact: Ken Boswell is wearing an airbrushed Houston Astros cap. He was traded from the Mets on Oct. 29, 1974.

What I thought about this card then: I was oblivious to the airbrushing job. Also, I can't recall where I obtained this card in 1975, but I did own it. I must be getting old.

What I think about this card now: Not good. One of the least interesting cards in the set. If I can't even remember how I obtained it in '75 -- a year in which I was goofy over every card I got -- then you know it isn't that riveting.

Other stuff: Boswell played second base for the 1969 Miracle Mets, a fact that I didn't know until long after Boswell retired. I associated him completely with the Astros, even though that was at the tail end of his career. He came up with the Mets in 1967 and was playing regularly with them by '69. Boswell was a solid fielder, and in the 1969 NLCS, hit two home runs against the Braves.

Boswell continued to be the chief starter for the Mets through the 1972 season, but his offense tailed off in '73 and Felix Millan took over. Boswell was dealt to Houston for outfielder Bob Gallagher after hitting just .216 in 1974.

He was a backup with the Astros. His career ended after the 1977 season.

Back facts: Boswell's three pinch-hits in the 1973 World Series came in three at-bats. But I couldn't figure out whether he still holds the record.

Other blog stuff: Here is the original Boswell card that I pulled in 1975:

#455 - Don Wilson

Card fact: One of the more unfortunate cards in Topps' history. Don Wilson died in January of 1975, after Topps' cards went to print. If there was an attempt to pull the card from the set, it didn't succeed.

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

What I think about this card now: It's just sad. I look at it, and all I can think of is *sadness*

Other stuff: Wilson was probably the Astros' first great pitcher. He had tremendous stuff, but it took him awhile to harness it. He enjoyed some terrific games, striking out 18 in a game once and throwing two no-hitters. Wilson struck out 235 batters in 1969, the same season in which he led the league with 16 wild pitches.

Wilson pitched all nine of his major league seasons for Houston and won in double figures in all but one of them. He was an All-Star in 1971, possibly his best season.

Wilson died at age 29 on Jan. 5, 1975. He was found in the passenger seat of his vehicle in the closed garage of his home with the car's engine running. The garage was attached to the house and Wilson's son also died in the incident. His wife and daughter were hospitalized. The cause of death was listed as accidental.

During the 1975 season, the Astros wore Wilson's number, 40, on a patch on their jersey. Here is an example in the 1976 Topps set:

Wilson's number was also retired in April of 1975.

Back facts: It's a little rare to see a player's complete stats from the start of a career to the end of a career on a baseball card, but that's what we have here.

Other blog stuff: I missed posting on Wilson's birthdate by four days. But the dream isn't over yet.

#383 - Jim York

Card fact: As you can see, this card is definitely miscut. The framed photo appears tilted within the colored borders. It's surprising how many of these I discover for the first time on the blog. For some reason they don't register when I look at them in my collection.

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

What I think about this card now: Jim York is an Astro, and if you've been following along you know that most of the Astros photos for this set appear to have been taken on the sun-baked open prairie. But the grass is in better shape behind York than in some of his teammates' photos. And you can actually see signs of life in the background.

Other stuff: York pitched seven years for the Royals, Astros and Yankees. He appeared in 174 games and started in just four. Most of his major league time was spent with the Astros after Houston acquired him in a trade for John Mayberry. Yes, that John Mayberry.

York went 16-17 for his career and finished up with New York in 1976. He was picked up by the White Sox late in the 1976 season but didn't pitch for them.

Back facts: Nothing like having Topps document one of the worst trades in Houston Astros franchise history on the back of your card. Mayberry had enjoyed three fine seasons for the Royals by this point, so everyone knew this was a dud deal.

Also "Dude" Esterbrook, whose real name was Thomas, played all the way back in the 19th century. He died 73 years before this cartoon hit the streets. Now that's some history learnin' by Topps.

Other blog stuff: This is the sixth blue-orange border combination in the last 20 cards. It's making a run, but it's still way behind overall leader orange-brown.

#357 - Ken Forsch

Card fact: This is the second group of baseball-playing brothers featured on this blog. The first two were Ken and George Brett. There will be more by the time this blog is done.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card, but I didn't think much about it. You can only come up with so many thoughts about a head shot.

What I think about this card now: When Topps got the colors of the borders to match with a team's colors, it had itself a great card. Red and orange is perfect for the Astros.

Other stuff: Ken Forsch was the oldest of the Forsch brothers. Ken arrived in the majors in 1970, and his brother Bob came up in 1974. Both pitched for 16 seasons in the majors, and both pitched a no-hitter in the major leagues. They are the only brothers to do that. Ken pitched his no-hitter against the Braves in 1979.

Forsch later was traded to the Angels for Dickie Thon and delivered three straight double-figure win seasons for California. Forsch was basically a .500 pitcher for his career, but he didn't walk a lot of people. He played for several mediocre teams and didn't enjoy the postseason success that his brother did.

Forsch is now the assistant general manager for the Angels.

Back facts: Ken gets a cool middle name like "Roth," while his brother got the middle name "Herbert."

Also, Topps misspelled Bob Forsch's name as "Fursch" in the write-up.

Other blog stuff: On this date, Mickey Rivers was born. A Halloween baby, he is 62 today.

#334 - Greg Gross

Card fact: This is the second straight card of a player with alliterative first and last names. Greg Gross follows Dick Drago. That's the first time that's happened in this set (and perhaps the last).

What I thought about this card then: Not in my field of vision in 1975.

What I think about this card now: I think the backgrounds on the Astros cards might be the most fascinating of them all. They're so bleak and weird. I still say that's a horse stable in the background. I like the '70s car parked in the distance, too.

Other stuff: Greg Gross enjoyed one of the finest rookies seasons in 1974. He finished third in the National League in batting average (.314) and second in the league in Rookie of the Year voting. The Astros kept Gross as their right fielder for the next two years. But Gross didn't do a lot besides hit singles, so he was traded to the Cubs for part-time infielder Julio Gonzalez.

A year later, Gross went to the Phillies in the deal that brought Manny Trillo to the Cubs. Gross couldn't break into the Phillies' talented outfield, so he settled for a backup role, and soon became one of the best pinch-hitters in baseball. Gross spent 10 seasons with Philadelphia as a part-time bat. He ended his career back with the Astros in 1989 and is among the top 5 in career pinch-hits in baseball history.

Gross then became a coach in the majors and minors, first with the Rockies, then with the Phillies. He is now the Phillies' batting coach.

Back facts: I apologize for the scan with this card and the next card to follow. I was monkeying with the settings for a couple of cards, and I guess I thought it was OK. But obviously it's too dark.

Anyway, that's a nice characterization of William Howard Taft in the cartoon, although I don't think they made him appear as large as they did with the Babe Ruth drawings.

Other blog stuff: Another outfielder has been filled in on the Topps All-Rookie team:

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

#301 - Dave Roberts

Card fact: This is the first of two cards in the set of players named Dave Roberts.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it. I did have a card of the other Dave Roberts in the set. It was one of the first cards that I pulled. Therefore, this Dave Roberts became the mysterious Dave Roberts, because I did not see a card of his until the 1978 set (when he is airbrushed into a Cubs uniform).

What I think about this card now: Mr. Roberts better keep an eye on that fence that is leaning precariously toward him.

Other stuff: Dave Roberts is one of four people with that name to play in major league baseball. He lasted in the majors longer than all of them, even if he had to play for eight different teams to do it.

Roberts started out with the Padres, but probably had his most success in the mid-1970s with the Astros. He won in double figures five times with the Padres, Astros and Tigers, which wasn't easy to do for those three teams in the '70s. Later, Roberts became a relief pitcher with the Cubs, Giants, Pirates and Mariners. He pitched for the 1979 World Series champion Pirates, throwing in one game in the postseason against the Reds in the NLCS.

Roberts died in 2009 from lung cancer at age 64.

Back facts: I came very close, once again, to featuring a player's card on his birthdate. I won't give up the dream.

Other blog stuff: The No. 1 song in the country on this date in 1975 was "Get Down Tonight" by K.C. and the Sunshine Band. The guitar solo at the beginning is still awesome.

#279 - Milt May

Card fact: The second of five players with the last name of "May" in this set.

What I thought about this card then: For decades I only knew this card in mini size. While looking to complete the regular set, the May card in regular form seemed monstrous. I almost didn't want to buy it because it was so big compared to my cute little mini card. But I got over it.

What I think about this card now: It's not often that you see a player wearing a helmet without an emblem. There are a couple of examples of that in the 1979 set with Reds -- including George Foster. I'm sure there are a number of others, but it's not that common.

Also, as with most of the Astros cards, May looks like he's taking swings on the back 40. What's that building in the background? Are those horse stables?

Other stuff: Milt May was a fairly good hitting catching who played for the Pirates, Astros, Tigers, White Sox and Giants. His best-hitting season was 1974 in his first year with the Astros (he was traded for Jerry Reuss) when he had 117 hits and hit .289. May was traded to the Tigers two years later for a handful of players who didn't do much for Houston. He bounced around for a couple of years before settling in with the Giants. He likely would have had his best year ever in 1981 before the season was interrupted by a strike.

May's moment in history came in 1975 when he drove in Bob Watson for the reported millionth run ever scored in major league history, landing a whole bunch of Tootsie Rolls for Watson. But as mentioned before, it was later discovered that Watson didn't score the millionth run, and somebody got gyped out of Tootsie Rolls.

May later coached for several teams, including the 1997 World Series champion Marlins.

Back facts: Thanks to this cartoon, I knew about Bob Turley long before I knew he was a Yankee and that I wasn't suppose to like him.

May's stats for the 1972 World Series were: 1-for-2 with an RBI.

Other blog stuff: Here is the mini May next to the maxi May. I still like the mini May better:

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#252 - Fred Scherman

Card fact: This is Fred Scherman's final Topps baseball card in which he is not airbrushed into another uniform. He appears again in the 1976 set, airbrushed into a Montreal Expos cap and uniform.

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

What I think about this card now: They should have used red and orange for all of the Astros cards. It matches nicely.

Other stuff: Scherman was a relief pitcher during the first half of the 1970s. Most of his success came with the Tigers. He appeared in 69 games for Detroit in 1971, registered a 2.71 ERA and won 11 games. The following year, he helped Detroit to the ALCS and pitched two-thirds of an inning in Game 2 against the A's.

Scherman was traded to the Astros, then purchased by the Expos. His last season was 1976.

Scherman gave up Frank Robinson's 500th career home run in 1971.

Back facts: A question like the one in the cartoon makes me want to spend the next hour researching whether "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" really IS the most popular baseball song. I mean you can't just make wild, unsubstantiated statements like that without demonstrating some kind of proof. You're opening yourself up for all kinds ...

Sorry, it's the journalist in me.

Other blog stuff: Today is former Royals player and manager Hal McRae's 65th birthday. I am less than two weeks away from featuring McRae's card on the blog. One of these days I'm going to post a card of a player on his birthday.

#227 - Bob Watson

Card fact: This is the first card of Bob Watson to feature his familiar glasses. Apparently he got a prescription filled sometime before the 1975 set came out. They aren't the tinted ones that he wore most of the time, which makes them difficult to see on this card.

What I thought about this card then: This card is burned into my brain, because it is one of the first cards that I ever saw. Unfortunately, I don't have that original card anymore, but I remain very familiar with it.

What I think about this card now: More barren land behind an Astros player. Also, I like that Watson is rocking the black bat.

Other stuff: Watson was a solid offensive player for the Astros for several years before getting traded to the Red Sox and then signing with the Yankees as a free agent. He had a pretty good World Series against my Dodgers in 1981. But we all know who won that one.

The fact cited most often about Watson as a player is that he was credited with scoring the one millionth run in major league baseball history. I've known that since I was young, but I didn't know until recently that Watson also received $10,000 and one million Tootsie Rolls for scoring the run. Later, through updated record-keeping techniques, it was determined he didn't score the one millionth run. Unfortunately, nobody knows who did and who REALLY deserved all those Tootsie Rolls.

Watson was also general manager for the Yankees for awhile, overseeing the team when they won the World Series in 1996. More recently, he's been baseball's vice-president of discipline and VP of rules and on-field operations. So his name pops up every once in awhile during various controversies.

(EDIT: Bob Watson died at age 74 on May 14, 2020).

Back facts: Billy Sunday played WAY back -- from 1883 to 1890. So long ago that priesthood probably paid more than being a ballplayer.

Other blog stuff: The first interleague game was played on this date 13 years ago. I'm still not used to it.

#218 - Jerry Johnson

Card fact: Johnson returns to the Topps set with this card, after not being featured in the 1974 set, despite appearing in 39 games for Cleveland in 1973.

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

What I think of this card now: This is another one of those Astros cards that shows the seemingly desolate spring training site they had back then. Apparently, it never rained there.

Other stuff: Johnson is another one of those players who had a fairly long career, but ended it just as I was beginning to pay attention to baseball. So it took me awhile to figure out who he was. My first card memory of him is the 1978 Topps card in which he is with the Blue Jays. It's an action card that I thought was relatively cool. I remember turning the card over to look at the stats and being amazed that he had played for so long and that I had never heard of him.

Johnson had his best seasons for the Giants and received Cy Young Award votes for his performance as a reliever in 1971, when the Giants won the National League West.

 

(EDIT: Jerry Johnson died in November, 2021 at age 77).

Back facts: Every player with the last name "Gordon" gets nicknamed "Flash," don't they?

Also, the text notes that Johnson began his pro career as a third baseman. He was drafted by the Mets. Apparently he could hit, but his fielding wasn't good and he was converted to pitcher.

Other blog stuff: The yellow light-blue combination has been absent for 80 cards until now. That could be a record gap. Maybe when I get bored I'll figure that out.

#188 - Tom Griffin

Card fact: This is the last player card featured on this blog for the next three weeks. We are about to begin the second subset of the 1975 set!

What I thought about this card then: I do recall having this card and trading it away in that deal for some '75 minis. I didn't think much about the card front, but I did have thoughts on the back. More on that in a bit.

What I think about this card now: This card basically symbolizes my card-collecting philosophy. I referred to it in my first blog bat-around post.

Also, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that guy in the background is on his cell phone.

Other stuff: Tom Griffin delivered an eye-popping rookie season in 1969, striking out exactly 200 batters in 31 games started and leading the league in strikeouts per game (9.6). He didn't come close to matching those figures the rest of his career, but did manage to pitch 14 years for the Astros, Padres, Angels, Giants and Pirates.

My guess (in my very brief bit of research I didn't turn up much) is he suffered some sort of injury in 1971 as he pitched in only 10 games and was 0-6. The next two years he worked as a reliever before returning to a starter role in 1974. The end of his career was dominated by relief roles.

Griffin had a strong year at the plate in 1974, hitting .294 in 68 at-bats with two homers and eight RBIs.

Back facts: There you can see the 200 strikeouts in Griffin's first season. That number leapt off the cardboard at me when I was a 9-year-old. As I said before, I wondered what happened to him after that. I still wonder. It's card backs like this that keep me interested in set collecting. Each player, not just the stars, has a story to tell on a piece of cardboard. That's one of the big reasons I still define myself as a set collector.

Other blog stuff: Tomorrow, I will begin featuring the MVPs subset from the '75 set. I don't plan to do anything different with these cards in terms of the subjects I cover. But if anyone has anything they'd like to see with these MVP cards, I'd be more than happy to take suggestions.

#165 - Doug Rader

Card fact: The "green-light green" color combo jumps back into a tie for the lead with "orange-brown" with 17 cards each.

What I thought about this card then: This card was a personal favorite of my brother's because Doug Rader shared the same first name as my brother. I'm not sure what my card equivalent was. Perhaps Greg Luzinski, although I didn't see my first Luzinski card until the 1976 Topps set.

What I think about this card now: It looks very desolate behind Rader.

Other stuff: Where do I begin? Rader is one of the great baseball "flakes" of all-time. People don't talk about him enough anymore. The things that he did when he was a player and a manager could fill a very entertaining book. Among the highlights:

• Rader would buy ice cream, eat the paper wrapper and throw the ice cream away.
• He drove his motorcycle into a brick wall. On purpose.
• While with the Padres on a team flight, young rookie Mike Ivie was known to fear flying. Rader sat next to him and gave him a book. It was called "Death and Dying."
• He once greeted a teammate and his wife completely naked because he didn't feel like talking to them. They left, and Rader said, "works every time."
• He threw a beach party for his players when he was a manager with the Rangers. He ordered a bunch of beach towels and sun tan lotion, had the players take a spot in the outfield and the coaching staff served them hot dogs and soda.
• After losing a game in Kansas City, a reporter's question infuriated him. He slammed his clothing rack so hard that his pants flew off the rack and landed on a reporter's head. The other reporters were so freaked out that the pants remained there until the interview session ended. Afterward, Rader walked the six miles from the stadium to his hotel room. But he took his boots off first and walked in his bare feet.

I guess that's enough for now.

Rader was a perennial Gold Glove-winner at third base during the early 1970s for the Astros. He also played for San Diego and Toronto. He was manager for the Rangers, getting into famous disputes with players on his own team. He also managed the White Sox and Angels.

He was sort of an unpredictable genius. An extremely intelligent person, but I don't think anyone knew what he was going to do next. He was over-the-top, competitive, emotional and funny as hell.

Back facts: We loved our Native American stereotypes in the 1970s, didn't we?

Oldie but goodie: Here is the original Rader card from that first year of collecting:

Other blog stuff: The No. 1 song in the country on this date in 1975 was "Lovin' You," by Minnie Ripperton. The less said about this the better.