Card fact: This is Tom Buskey's rookie card.
What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it.
What I think about this card now: Buskey always looks so sad on his baseball cards. I know, I know, he only had like six of them. But he looks sad on most of them.
Also, I believe Buskey is airbrushed into an Indians uniform. He was traded from the Yankees in late April of 1974.
Other stuff: Buskey was a career relief pitcher -- 258 games pitched in eight seasons and not a start among them. He began his career with the Yankees, but came over to the Indians in the famous trade that brought Chris Chambliss and Dick Tidrow to New York.
Buskey proved to be a reliable reliever for the Indians, setting what was then a team record for saves in a season with 17 in 1974. But after a couple of years, Buskey's ineffectiveness won him a trip to the minors. He eventually landed with the fledgling Blue Jays and pitched for them until ending his major league career in 1980.
Buskey died from a heart attack suffered at home at age 51 in 1998.
Back facts: One of Buskey's saves in 1974 was for the Yankees before he was traded. Also, Buskey gets a cartoon that is related to his team. Lucky guy.
Other blog stuff: Let's continue the Steve Garvey references for a second straight day. On this date 62 years ago, Garvey was born.
Happy Belated Birthday Steve!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing when you think of the people who are reading your blog. It was nice of Buskey's family to contact you and give you the correct info on his death so you have the correct info.
ReplyDeleteConsidering that the Yankees only started playing in Shea Stadium In April 1974, and that Buskey was traded from the Yankees in April 1974, we have to give Topps credit for getting out to Shea that early in the year to get Buskey in a Yankee uniform that they later painted into an Indians uniform, since this picture was obviously took at Shea. At the same time, they could have gotten out to Shea later in the season to get Buskey in an actual Indians uniform. I mean, Topps was in Brooklyn and Shea was in Queens. In 74 & 75 they didn’t even have to go all the way up to the Bronx.
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