#657 - Bob Oliver

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.

(EDIT: Bob Oliver died on April 19, 2020, at age 77).

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.

#650 - Dave May

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.

(EDIT: May died on Oct. 20, 2012)

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.

#644 - Bill Fahey

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.

#633 - Paul Casanova

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).

(EDIT: Casanova died on Aug. 12, 2017).

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!

#627 - Tom Walker

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.

(EDIT: Walker died Oct. 23, 2023 at age 74).

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

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.

#595 - Joe Niekro

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.

#560 - Tony Perez

Card fact: Tony Perez's cards between 1972-75 are very similar and rather boring. However, I loved his 1976 Topps card, and the 1977 Topps Perez is phenomenal.

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

What I think about this card now: Already mentioned it. But I like Tony's signature.

Other stuff: Perez and the RBI went hand-in-hand during the 1970s. He finished second behind teammate Johnny Bench in total RBIs for the 1970s. He is 27th all-time in career RBIs with 1,652.

Perez was considered the heart of the Big Red Machine teams of the 1970s by manager Sparky Anderson. While Perez was with the team, Cincinnati went to the World Series four times and won in 1975 and 1976. Although I always knew him as a first baseman, Perez broke through the Reds lineup as a third baseman. He started at third between 1967-71 as Lee May played first. Perez then moved over to first when May was traded to Houston in the Joe Morgan deal.

Perez was traded to Montreal after the Reds' Series title in 1976. The Reds received two pitchers, Woody Fryman and Dale Murray, from the Expos. Perez continued to be productive with Montreal, and then with Boston after signing with the Red Sox as a free agent. But Cincinnati wouldn't return to the World Series after Perez's departure (until 1990). Many believed Perez's departure was too much for the Reds to overcome.

Perez returned to the World Series (along with Morgan and Pete Rose) in Philadelphia in 1983. He then spent his final three seasons back with the Reds. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2000.

Perez managed for a year with the Reds and a year with the Marlins. His son Eduardo Perez played 13 seasons in the majors.

Back facts: Joe Morgan now holds the N.L. career putout record for a second baseman with 5,541. Eddie Collins holds the major league record with 6,256.

Other blog stuff: The best part of having the '75 set in a binder is that it is so colorful with all of the various borders shining back at you. Because of that, I never liked it when back-to-back cards featured the same border color as Tony Perez and Bob Montgomery do.

But I'm enjoying it on the blog. I don't have to change the color settings on the header.

One less thing to do! (Hey, it's the weekend).

#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.

#505 - Chris Speier

Card fact: One of the best cards in the entire set. Definitely in the top 10. And that is 100 percent fact. No opinion there. I'm a Dodger fan for crying out loud!

What I thought about this card then: Absolutely loved this card. Would not trade it for anything.

What I think about this card now: Well, he's a Giant, so I hope he's just hit a pop fly out.

Other stuff: Chris Speier had a remarkably long career, lasting from 1971-89. He started his career with the Giants and ended it with the Giants. In between, there was an eight-year period with the Expos, and bit parts with the Cubs, Twins and Cardinals.

Speier started out as a hot-shot youngster with San Francisco and made his only All-Star teams in the second, third and fourth years of his career. But he settled into a pattern as kind of a mediocre hitter. His main attributes were a strong glove and decent walk totals. He hit .246 for his career.

After he was done playing, he coached and managed for several minor league teams in the Cubs, Giants, Diamondbacks, A's and Brewers systems. Most recently, he has been the bench coach for the Reds.

Speier is the father of major league relief pitcher Justin Speier, who last pitched for the Angels in 2009.

Back facts: I suppose if it's a Giant card, you've got to put a Dodger pitcher in a grass skirt. Whatever amuses you.

Also, I don't understand the write-up. What is the 4-6-3 single putout? And why is base hits one word?

Other blog stuff: Presenting the original Chris Speier card I pulled in 1975, which I've also mentioned on the other blog:

Thing of beauty.

#470 - Jeff Burroughs

Card fact: This card recognizes the first time a Texas Ranger started in the All-Star Game. Burroughs was selected to start in 1974 and played left field for the American League.

What I thought about this card then: My brother had the mini card, and I'm quite sure it was the whole reason why he liked the Rangers so much in his early days of collecting. We both treated this card as something precious, and I'm sure I was jealous that my younger brother had such a cool card.

What I think about this card now: Burroughs is not wearing glasses on this card or in his 1976 Topps card. But he is wearing them on the 1974 Topps card that is also featured in the 1975 Topps MVPs subset.

Later, Burroughs is pictured wearing glasses almost exclusively while a member of the Atlanta Braves. As a kid, I considered the glasses-wearing Burroughs as a different person than the non-glasses-wearing Burroughs. I thought of the glasses-wearing Burroughs as inferior, which was inaccurate on my part since in his two best years -- 1974 and 1977 -- he is wearing glasses on his cards.

Other stuff: Burroughs was a No. 1 overall pick of the Washington Senators in 1969. He was always considered a strong hitter, and he showed it when he became the first Ranger to win the MVP award in 1974. After that seasons, Burroughs' average plummeted and he was dealt to the Braves in 1976 for five players that didn't amount to much for Texas.

With the Braves, Burroughs slammed his way through two good seasons (he hit 41 home runs the same year George Foster hit 52) before running out of steam. His at-bats decreased, he was dealt to Seattle, and he operated as a part-time player with the Mariners, A's and Blue Jays.

Burroughs later became known as the Little League coach for his son, Sean Burroughs, who as a former top prospect had a mediocre major league career, mostly with the Padres. Sean reappeared with the Diamondbacks in the 2011 season.

Back facts: I missed posting on Burroughs' birthday by three lousy days.

Other blog stuff: Let's add Burroughs into the American League lineup for the 1974 All-Star Game:

AL

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

NL

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

#414 - Manny Mota

Card fact: We're reviving some old, forgotten border color combos lately. It's been 46 cards since the last light blue-green bordered card.

What I thought about this card then: It was one of the last Dodger cards I picked up from the set. Then, when I went about collecting the team set for the '75s, it was the last card I needed. I don't know why Manny Mota was so elusive.

What I think about this card now: "Pinch-hitting for Pedro Borbon, Manny Mota ... Mota ... Mota."

Other stuff: Manny Mota is one of the great reasons to be a Dodger fan. Ever since coming over to the Dodgers from the Expos in the deal that returned Maury Wills to the Dodgers and sent Ron Fairly to the Expos, he has become synonymous with the Dodgers. For a long time, he was the greatest pinch-hitter in major league history, holding the record for the most career pinch-hits. I was quite proud of that.

That record has since been broken, but Mota remains a point of pride for Dodger fans as he's been a coach for L.A. for more than 30 years, which is one of the longest coaching tenures with one team in major league history.

Mota also has the second best batting average in Los Angeles Dodger career history (Mike Piazza is first).

Mota had two sons who played in the major leagues, Andy and Jose.

Back facts: If you look at the stats, you can tell that Mota's at-bats dropped off significantly in 1974. That's because this was the first year that Mota was used almost exclusively as a pinch-hitter. He would be used in that role for the next eight years with L.A.

Other blog stuff: This was almost a daytime post. Blogger has been quite bitchy the last hour or so.

#408 - Clyde Wright

Card fact: It has been 143 cards since the last yellow-green bordered card. That is a record, so far, and the reason why "yellow-green" has dropped to the bottom in the color-combo standings. This is only the 13th yellow-green (lemon-lime combo) card.

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

What I think about this card now: Nobody's pitching follow-through looks like that.

Other stuff: Wright was a top pitching prospect with the Angels. After hurling a 4-hit shutout in his major league debut in 1966, he spent most of the next couple of seasons in a relief role. The Angels released him after he went 1-8 in 1969. But he returned to the Angels the following spring and went on to a 22-win season, winning Comeback Player of the Year Honors. He also threw a no-hitter that year, and was the losing pitcher in the All-Star Game. He was the one who gave up the winning hit to Jim Hickman, who brought home Pete Rose, who bowled over Ray Fosse.

Wright remained a top pitcher for the Angels until going 11-19 in 1973. He was traded to the Brewers in a nine-player deal, but didn't fair much better with Milwaukee, losing 20 games and posting a 4.42 ERA. The Brewers traded him to the Rangers. After a year with Texas, Wright played in Japan for three years.

Wright is the father of former major leaguer Jaret Wright, who was a sensation with the Indians in the late 1990s and pitched in the majors for 11 years.

Back facts: There is a mistake in the stats. Topps lists Wright as playing for the Angels in 1974, but he played for the Brewers. That bit of misinformation threw me off. Before doing research on Wright, I studied the photo for signs of airbrushing since I thought Wright was dealt from the Angels to the Brewers in the '74 offseason.

Other blog stuff: This is the second straight player shown who does not have a middle name. Just thought you should know.

#351 - Bob Boone

Card fact: This is the 19th player featured in the set so far that had at least one son play major league baseball (Bob Boone had two). I never realized how common this was until I started keeping track of it on this blog.

What I thought about this card then: The Boone card is one of the first cards that I saw that was not part of mine or my brother's card collections. It was part of a group of cards that I acquired in a trade with a friend. It instantly became one of my favorites. I'm not sure why. It probably had something to do with the helmet Boone is wearing.

What I think about this card now: The olive-green warm-up jacket that Boone is wearing stands out. In fact, it blends in quite well with the photo background.

Other stuff: Boone is part of a three-generation major league baseball family. There have been just two others in MLB history (the Bells and the Colemans are the other two). His father Ray played the infield for the Indians and Tigers in the '50s, and his sons, Bret and Aaron, played the infield for a whole mess of teams over the last two decades.

Boone enjoyed a lengthy playing career himself, catching mostly for the Phillies and Angels (and the Royals at the tail end of his career). He was undoubtedly my favorite non-Dodger catcher. He hit fairly well for Philadelphia and was a three-time All-Star. After his hitting tailed off in the early '80s, he was acquired by the Angels and was part of the team's rise as a legitimate playoff contender. Boone won seven Gold Gloves, five with the Angels.

Boone hit .311 in the postseason, playing in a whopping 36 playoff games, and was part of the 1980 Phillies championship.

After his playing career, he became a manager for both the Royals and Reds, but didn't have much success with either team.

Back facts: The best part of seeing complete stats on the back of baseball cards is getting to know the minor league affiliates of major league teams. I was totally aware that Reading, Pa., and Eugene, Ore., were affiliates of the Phillies in the '70s based on my reading of card backs.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1908, the song "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is introduced to the public for the first time.

#332 - Fred Kendall

Card fact: I am regretting now that I did not add a label for players wearing glasses. That would have been a nifty fact today.

What I thought about this card then: Never saw it. The first Fred Kendall card I knew was his 1977 Topps card. We thought Kendall looked like a weird little gnome.

What I think about this card now: Kendall appears to be swinging a bat in a major league stadium, yet the grass doesn't look terribly well kept. Groundskeeping then just wasn't what it is today.

Other stuff: Fred Kendall was a member of the original 1969 San Diego Padres team. He was the last original member of the club, playing for the Padres for seven years until he was traded to the Indians in 1976 in the deal that brought George Hendrick to the Padres. A year later, he went to the Red Sox in the Dennis Eckersley deal.

Kendall was known as a good defensive catcher and a strong handler of pitchers. His hitting was only fair, as was customary of many catchers then, despite the arrival of Bench, Simmons, Sanguillen, etc.

After his career, he worked in sales and also was a coach in the minors and majors. I remember him as the manager of the Utica Blue Sox in the early 1990s. Kendall is the father of current Royals catcher Jason Kendall. I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't know Jason Kendall's father was Fred Kendall until halfway through Jason's career.

Back facts: I am assuming that home plate, prior to having five sides, was a square? I'm too lazy to look it up.

Speaking of laziness, it seems Topps couldn't find a lot to say about Kendall. "A good competitor"? Citing his first major league home run four years prior? I'll help out and add a bit more info: Kendall was voted the Padres' most valuable player in 1973. There you go.

Other blog stuff: With one day left in the voting, it looks like the brown-orange combo, which is featured here, will be called the "Reese's Peanut Butter Cup" combo. A good choice. I can see the Reese's wrapper when I look at the Kendall card.

#327 - Jerry Hairston

Card fact: This is a card of the father of not one, but two current major leaguers.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card, and I didn't think much of it because the whole time I had it, it was in terrible shape. Creases everywhere. I think I salvaged it from another kid who had mutilated it. I couldn't stand to see it suffer anymore and took it for my own.

What I think about this card now: Jerry's got that "I just spotted a flying saucer" look on his face.

Other stuff: Jerry Hairston is one of three three-generation families in major league baseball. The others are the Bells and the Boones. Hairston's father, Sam, was a Negro League player who played in the majors for the White Sox in 1951. Hairston's brother, Johnny, played very briefly for the Cubs in 1969.

Meanwhile, his sons Jerry Jr. and Scott play for the Padres.

All of this has been very confusing for me. Hairston threw me for quite a loop when I was a young collector. He played for the White Sox in the mid-1970s, then he disappeared. He wasn't much of a player, so I totally forgot about him. Then, around 1983, I started seeing him on baseball cards again. "Who is this guy?" I wondered. I figured it couldn't be the same player from the mid-70s. It must be a different Jerry Hairston.

Well, not only was he the same Jerry Hairston, but he would go on to play all the way until 1989. He spent his entire career -- except for half a season with the Pirates in 1977 -- with the White Sox. He never reached 300 at-bats in any season as he was used mostly as a pinch-hitter.

And the reason why he disappeared from the majors is he played in the Mexican League from 1978-80.

Believe me, when I found out that there was a Jerry Hairston playing in the majors in the late 1990s, I thought that the Jerry Hairston on this 1975 Topps card was STILL playing. Much to my relief, it was his son.

That's the kind of confusion you can create when you give your kid the same name as you AND disappear to play in the Mexican League.

Back facts: The cartoon asks: "Who the 'Iron Horse'?" I just love it when cartoons speak gangsta.

Other blog stuff: Here is the regular-sized card next to that wrinkly mini card that I saved:

#315 - Don Kessinger

Card fact: This is the last Topps card of Don Kessinger in a Cubs uniform. He's airbrushed into a Cardinals uniform in the 1976 set.

Also, if I was right in this post, then this is the second card in the set of player using a batting donut.

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

What I think of this card now: It's quite cool. You don't see enough cards of players in the on-deck circle. Even though Kessinger's drastically off-center on this card, I like it.

Other stuff: Don Kessinger was the everyday shortstop for the Cubs during one of their better eras -- the late 1960s/early 1970s. He started for them from 1965 to 1975. He was a Gold Glove fielder and a productive hitter, although not necessarily by today's standards. Kessinger had over 600 at-bats in a season five times and was an All-Star five straight seasons.

Interestingly, Kessinger ended up completing his career with two teams considered the Cubs' mortal enemies -- the Cardinals and the White Sox. He was traded to St. Louis in 1975 for pitcher Mike Garman. The Cardinals traded Kessinger to the White Sox in 1977. Kessinger then ended up managing the White Sox as a player-manager in 1979.

Kessinger later coached in college and now works in real estate. He had a son, Keith, who played in 11 games for the Reds in 1993. I never knew he had a son in the majors until researching this post.

Back facts: I guess Topps didn't dare put a bench-warmer cartoon on the back of a card of a bench-warmer. They played it safe and picked a guy averaging 600 at-bats a year.

Also, in the June 17th game, Kessinger also scored the winning run in the 10th inning on a single by Ron Santo. The Cubs beat the Cardinals 7-6.

Other blog stuff: Actor John Ritter was born on this date. If you don't know why that's significant, then you weren't 13 years old in the late 1970s. The guy was my hero.

#284 - Ken Griffey

Card fact: This is Ken Griffey's first solo card. He appeared on a four-photo rookie card in the 1974 Topps set.

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

What I think about this card now: Not as iconic as his son's first solo card, but, damn, are those 20-plus bats lined up in the background? That's kind of cool.

Other stuff: Long before Griffey was known as "Ken Griffey Sr." or "Ken Griffey Jr.'s dad," he was a key part of the Big Red Machine teams of the 1970s. He was the Reds' regular right fielder and nearly won the National League batting title in 1976.

Griffey was also my hero for hitting a home run off of Dodger traitor Tommy John in Dodger Stadium in the 1980 All-Star Game. Griffey went 2-for-3 and won MVP honors as the National League won that game.

Later Griffey went to the Yankees and I liked him a lot less. He then went to Atlanta, returned to Cincinnati, then joined Seattle, becoming the first major leaguer to play in the same game as his son, and also the first to hit back-to-back home runs with his son in a major league game. His career seemed to last way longer than anyone expected it to, but it's a good thing for him that it did.

Griffey is now a coach in the Reds' minor league organization.

Back fact: The Ron Blomberg-knishes cartoon has appeared more than once on Topps cards. It's also on the back of Blomberg's 1973 Topps card.

"George Griffey Jr." just doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?

Other blog stuff: A happy 69th birthday to big Boog Powell today. We'll get to your card eventually, Boog. It's a great one.

#268 - Hal McRae

Card fact: This might be the first card I ever pulled from the first pack of cards I ever bought. It is between this card and another card that I haven't featured yet. I don't think I'll ever figure out which one it was, unless I undergo hypnosis.

What I thought about this card then: It's a rather bland card, but because it came out of that first pack, I studied it forever and thought it was a very cool card and McRae was a very cool dude.

What I think about this card now: It's rather bland. But I don't know whatever became of that original card.

Other stuff: Hal McRae was a key member of the Royals' pennant-winning teams of the late 1970s. Traded from the Reds partly because of his less-than-stellar fielding abilities, McRae blossomed as a designated hitter for the Royals and was known as a doubles machine. He finished fourth in the A.L. MVP voting in 1976 and was a three-time all-star.

McRae had a hard-nosed playing style and his slide into second base that knocked Willie Randolph almost into left field during the 1977 ALCS led to a rule saying that players had to slide into second base, rather than try the cross-block tactic that McRae did.

After 19 years in the majors, McRae later became a coach and manager, managing both the Royals and the Devil Rays. He is now the video coordinator for the Marlins, and that's a bit interesting as his video tirade is one of the most well-known in sports history.

McRae is the father of former major leaguer Brian McRae, who played for the Royals, Cubs, Mets, among other teams.

Back facts: McRae had 539 at-bats and 88 RBIs in 1974. It seems a bit odd to be mentioning his pinch-hitting abilities.

Other blog stuff: With this card, "green-purple" has officially tied "pink-yellow" for the overall color combo lead with 23 cards. But "pink-yellow" will bounce back soon.

#266 - Sandy Alomar

Card fact: This is the second card in the last nine to feature a player who fathered not one, but two major league players. First it was Dave LaRoche. Now, it's Sandy Alomar, father to Sandy Alomar Jr. and Roberto Alomar.

What I thought about this card then: Didn't see it. But Alomar's 1968 Topps card was the first '68 card I ever saw.

What I think about this card now: They really had to squash down that signature to fit it into that tight head shot, didn't they?

Also, Alomar's cap is obviously airbrushed. He was purchased from the Angels by the Yankees in July of 1974, not enough time for Topps to get a photo of Alomar in a Yankee uniform during those days.

Other stuff: Alomar played for 15 seasons with the Braves, Mets, White Sox, Angels, Yankees and Rangers. His most successful seasons were with the Angels in the early 1970s. He wasn't much of a hitter, but he could steal a base and the Angels put him at the top of the lineup A LOT in 1970 and 1971. He led the league in plate appearances each year with 735 and 739, respectively.

Alomar was a solid defensive player, although he struggled with throwing. Both of his sons were known as very strong defensive players with hardly a weakness. And, of course, Roberto hit a lot better than dad.

Alomar was the Mets' bench coach under Jerry Manuel before being dismissed after last season.

Back facts: Herb Washington's card will show up on this blog in a few months.

Other blog stuff: Mick Jagger was born on this date in 1943. He is really getting up there.