Card fact: This is Bake McBride's rookie card.
What I thought about this card then: You are looking at one of my favorite cards in the set when I was a kid. I remember pulling this card after a trip to the drug store with my friends when our family was on vacation. It instantly became one of the few cards that I had that was "untradeable."
What I think about this card now: It's a nice photo and a good look at old Busch Stadium. As for McBride's autograph, I'm wondering where the first quote mark is. Perhaps it's lost in the cardinal on McBride's uniform.
Other stuff: McBride was the National League Rookie of the Year for his performance in 1974. He was known for his speed, base-stealing and hitting ability. He enjoyed some solid seasons for the Cardinals and Phillies. He was traded before the 1982 season to the Indians and suffered through an eye issue that cut down on his playing time. By 1984, dealing with knee issues that plagued him during his career, he tried to return to the majors with the Rangers, but ended up retiring at age 34.
To this day, McBride is the player I point out when I mention that players back in the '70s and early '80s were much skinner than they are today. If you ever get a chance to see old footage of the Phillies or Cardinals from back then, you'll know what I mean. McBride has about a five-inch wide frame but stands 6-foot-2.
One other thing: What kind of mind game was Topps playing on McBride? That is some kind of pressure, saying that a rookie is a threat to Lou Brock's freshly made single-season stolen base record!
Other blog stuff: Time to plug in an outfielder on the Topps All-Rookie team for 1974:
1B - Mike Hargrove
2B - ?
3B - Bill Madlock
SS - ?
OF - Bake McBride
OF - ?
OF - ?
C - ?
P - Frank Tanana
