#630 - Greg Luzinski

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.

#615 - 1975 Rookie Pitchers

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.

#596 - Ollie Brown

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.

(EDIT: Brown died in April 2015).

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.

#574 - Tony Taylor

Card fact: Tony Taylor returns to the Topps set in 1975 after being omitted from the 1974 set. Taylor was released by the Tigers in early December of 1973, then signed by the Phillies two weeks later, probably too late for Topps to do anything about it for the '74 set.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it. But I do remember Taylor's last card, from the '76 Topps set. He seemed like a big man to me. But he was only 5-foot-9.

What I think about this card now: Looking at the '76 card, it appears that the '75 and '76 cards came from the same photoshoot.

Other stuff: Taylor was appearing on baseball cards way back in 1958. He came up with the Cubs, but was traded to the Phillies in May of 1960. He became an all-star later that year, and was a regular at second base or third base the next 11 years.

Taylor played for the Tigers in the early '70s, participating in his only postseason series in 1972. He returned to the Phillies to close out his career, working mostly as a pinch-hitter. I vaguely remember the 1976 NLCS and Taylor being added to the Phillies coaching staff because Dick Allen threw a stink about Taylor being left off the NLCS roster.

Taylor later did become a coach and worked as a manager for the Phillies in the minors during the 1980s.

(EDIT: Taylor died at age 84 in July 2020).

Back facts: Another card with lots of stats. There's been a rash of them lately. The cartoon makes almost no sense. Sure, the 1973 World Series lasted seven games, but it certainly wasn't the only one.

Other blog stuff: This is the first purple-pink bordered card in 47 cards. I would've thought this combination would be a contender for the overall title, but it's got to bust a move.

#551 - Larry Christenson

Card fact: I'm fairly certain that the photo for this card came from the same photo shoot as the photo on Larry Christenson's 1974 Topps card.

What I thought about this card then: I valued Phillies cards almost as much as Rangers cards back then. But Christenson kind of unnerved me with his squinty-eyed stare.

What I think about this card now: There is almost a hypnotic effect going on with the glare of the stadium seats over Christenson's left shoulder.

Other stuff: Christenson was a young pitcher with promise in the Phillies organization. Philadelphia needed pitching and brought Christenson and Dick Ruthven up quickly in hopes that it would translate to success. Christenson did eventually prove to be a consistent starter in the Phillies organization in the late '70s as Philadelphia repeatedly made it to the postseason. In 1977, he went 19-6.

Christenson suffered from injury issues during the second half of his career. He had an injury-plagued 1980, when the Phillies went to the World Series. He did manage to start Game 4 of the World Series, but was battered by the Royals in the first inning (I remember it vividly because I was rooting for the Royals -- one of the few times I rooted against the Phillies in a non-Dodger game).

Christenson's career lasted through 1983, and he played entirely for the Phillies. He worked in investing after his career and is now president of Christenson Investment Partners. He does many appearances with the Phillies and spends time with charitable causes.

Back facts: Hey! A night game cartoon! Not very realistic though. There would be a few incidents if you had to field with lanterns.

Other blog stuff: I'm a bit late with this one, but a heartfelt RIP to Paul Splittorff who died earlier this week:

Wherever my childhood friend Jeff is these days, I'm sure he has a heavy heart. He was a favorite.

#527 - Mac Scarce

Card fact: This is the final Topps card of Mac Scarce issued during his career. He appeared on cards only in the 1973, 74 and 75 sets.

What I thought about this card then: A friend of mine had the mini card. I regarded the card as strange, because my friend was a bit strange. Also, I read his name as being Mac SCAR.

What I think about this card now: No. 44 seems an odd uniform number to give to a relief pitcher. I guess Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson and Willie McCovey skewed everyone's perception of that number.

Other stuff: Scarce was a career-long reliever from 1972-78. He pitched for the Phillies from 1972-74, then was traded to the Mets. He pitched to just one batter during his Mets career, allowing a game-winning base hit to the Pirates' Richie Hebner. Four days later, Scarce was sent to the Reds.

Scarce didn't pitch in another major league game until 1978 when he threw in 17 games for the Twins.

After his career, he became a broker and runs McCurdy Mortgage Company in Georgia.

Back facts: A few things:

1. That cartoon character looks more like Bowie Kuhn -- the commissioner at the time -- than Kenesaw Mountain Landis.

2. Guerrant McCurdy Scarce may be the best name in the entire set.

3. You can see the dreaded "traded to the New York Mets 12/3/74," added in a panic by Topps. Little did Topps know he'd last one batter with New York.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1876, Ross Barnes of the Chicago White Stockings hit the first home run in major league history.

#501 - Bill Robinson

Card fact: One of four players with the last name "Robinson" in this set.

What I thought about this card then: This was pulled out of one of those summertime packs in 1975. I always valued the Phillies cards and this was a good one, even though I had no idea who Bill Robinson was.

What I think about this card now: Robinson seems to be transfixed by something.

Other stuff: Robinson was mostly a part-time player for the Braves, Yankees and Phillies. But then he was traded to the Pirates for pitcher Wayne Simpson in 1975. Pittsburgh installed him as a starting outfielder and Robinson became a powerful contributor to those late 1970s Pirates teams.

In 1977, Robinson knocked in 104 runs and hit .304, finishing 11th in the National League MVP voting. He hit over 20 home runs three times with the Pirates and was part of the 1979 World Series team.

Robinson returned to the Phillies late in his career and retired after the 1983 season. He later worked as coach, most famously for the 1986 World Series champion Mets. He was also a coach when the Marlins won the World Series in 2003.

Robinson died at age 64 while working as the minor league hitting instructor for the Dodgers in 2007. He was on the road and died in his hotel room.

Back facts: Is the cartoon question a question or an order?

Other blog stuff: Here is that 1975 card I pulled in the summer of '75:

#477 - Tom Hutton

Card fact: I've got no facts for this card. His eyes match with his uniform. How's that? There's your fact.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it. The first card of Tom Hutton's I saw was his 1976 Topps card. He had the white man's afro going. But his hair was so light, it looked gray, so I thought he looked like a little grandpa swinging the bat. I'm sure Hutton would be thrilled by that, seeing as he was 28 at the time.

What I think about this card now: That is one impressive signature. It puts just about every modern day ballplayer's autograph "skills" to shame.

Also, Hutton has already been featured on the backs of two different cards in this set. Same cartoon, but different cards.

Other stuff: Hutton started in the Dodgers organization and had some terrific seasons in the minor leagues, but just couldn't break through L.A.'s lineup. He was traded to the Phillies in a deal for Larry Hisle (Hisle never played for the Dodgers). The Phillies were a lot worse than the Dodgers at the time so Hutton had no trouble breaking through, working as a backup infielder and outfielder with Philadelphia.

Hutton later played for the early Blue Jays teams and finished up his career with the Expos. Since his playing career ended, he's been an announcer for a variety of teams and worked several years for ESPN. I remember him working with the Expos back in the 1980s. Last I knew, he was a color guy with the Marlins. I always see him when MLB Extra Innings has its free preview every April.

Back facts: The Brooklyn Dodgers' games in Jersey City were perceived by some fans as a sign that Walter O' Malley was willing to move the team elsewhere. O'Malley said that wasn't necessarily true at the time -- he was hoping to get a new stadium in New York -- but of course it did end up being true.

Other blog stuff: Jimmy "The Toy Cannon" Wynn was born on this date in 1942. We have yet to arrive at his card in the set. It's a great one.

#444 - Gene Garber

Card fact: This is the eighth and last card in a streak of eight straight cards that I have in mini form, many of which I pulled in 1975.

What I thought about this card then: I liked it. Gene Garber was a Phillie, he had a mustache. What's not to like?

What I think about this card now: Only because I'm aware that Garber was acquired by the Phillies in mid-season of 1974 did I figure out that Garber is airbrushed into a Phillies cap. It's a fairly good job. Garber was with the Royals until July of 1974.

Other stuff: Garber was the first sidearm pitcher I ever knew. He is mostly known for his role as a relief pitcher for the Braves from 1978 to 1987. He was a true bullpen guy, appearing in 931 games and starting just nine of them, including eight starts with the Royals in 1973.

Garber had most of his success with Atlanta. He saved 30 games for the Braves when they won the N.L. West in 1982. I have always admired him for stopping Pete Rose's 44-game hitting streak in 1978. I didn't like Rose, and when Garber struck out Rose on a change-up in his final at-bat, Rose whined that Garber "was pitching like it was the 7th game of the World Series" to which Garber replied "I had an idea that Pete was hitting like it was the last game of the World Series."

Garber ended his career back with the Royals in 1987 and 1988. He became a farmer after his career and is known for marketing "Emu Oil." He raises Emu as well as other poultry for eggs.

Back facts: Elton "Icebox" Chamberlin played from 1886-1896. Eat your heart out, William Perry, Chamberlin was the original "Refrigerator"!

Other blog stuff: Thanks to reader MJ, and later reading a report on the wire, I learned that Woodie Fryman (card #166) died on Friday. RIP, Woodie.

#420 - Larry Bowa

Card fact: Larry Bowa is one of only two starters on the 1974 N.L. All-Star team who didn't play for the Dodgers or the Reds. Hank Aaron is the other one.

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

What I think about this card now: I am clouded by my childhood adulation of Bowa, and all I can see as one of the greatest cards in the set that I would have killed for as a kid.

Other stuff: Out of all of the players who I wished was on the Dodgers when I was kid, Bowa was first and foremost. He was a five-time All-Star and a Gold Glover. Meanwhile, I suffered (somewhat ungratefully) with Bill Russell, who had some periodic fielding and hitting issues.

Bowa, who never made his high school baseball team, was the fiery cornerstone of the Phillies playoff teams of the 1970s, and he had a standout postseason in 1980 when Philadelphia won the World Series. Later, Bowa was dealt to the Cubs along with Ryne Sandberg in an epicly bad trade for Ivan DeJesus. Bowa played 3-plus seasons for Chicago before ending his career with the Mets, which I totally don't remember.

Bowa went on to manage the Padres and Phillies, and memorably so. I don't think I was aware of his volatile nature until he became a manager. Bowa later became third base coach for Joe Torre with the Yankees, and came over to the Dodgers when Torre was named Dodgers manager. Too little, too late for me.

Back facts: Ping Bodie was an outfielder for the White Sox, A's and Yankees between 1911-21.

Other blog stuff: The National League infield is now complete with the addition of Bowa:

AL

1B - Dick Allen
2B -
3B - Brooks Robinson
SS - Bert Campaneris
OF - Bobby Murcer
OF -
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 -

#399 - Terry Harmon

Card fact: The last two Phillies cards have featured the brown-tan color border. Six of the last 25 cards have had brown-tan borders.

What I thought about this card then: Never saw it. But I always got Terry Harmon and Tommy Hutton confused. Both infielders. Both Phillies. Both with T.H. for initials.

What I think about this card now: Just Terry Harmon and his shadow.

Other stuff: Harmon was a lifetime utility infielder for the Phillies. He signed with Philadelphia in 1965 and stayed with them until his release in 1978. He was there for his fielding, because his hitting wasn't much. He batted below .200 in three seasons of his career, including .130 in 1974. He had just 15 at-bats in 27 games in '74, which makes me wonder why he got a card in the '75 set.

After the end of his career, Harmon went into broadcasting. His wiki page says he works for one of the 24-hour cable shows that hawk jewelry.

Back facts: I assume when the cartoon says "both ways," it means that Mantle hit a homer to center field as a lefty and a righty.

Also, given that Harmon had just two home runs to this point (he had four for his career), I looked up the pitcher who surrendered Harmon's inside-the-parker. It was none other than Jerry Reuss. The Astros did win the game, 5-3.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 2004, a three-team deal was supposedly completed between the Yankees, Dodgers and Diamondbacks. The Yankees would get Randy Johnson and Kaz Ishii. The Diamondbacks would get Shawn Green and Brad Penny, and the Dodgers would get Javier Vazquez and prospects. The Dodgers backed out the last minute. Phew! Not that L.A. won much with Green and Penny, but that would have been awful!

#374 - Eddie Watt

Card fact: This is the final card Topps issued of Eddie Watt during his career.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card. I didn't have a lot of the 1975 set back then, but I sure did have a lot of Phillies pitchers -- Watt, Schueler, Twitchell, Ruthven. Yet, the Steve Carlton card eluded me.

Anyway, I do remember wondering why Watt was all hunched over and low to the ground. Even back then I knew a fake pitching pose when I saw one.

What I think about this card now: It looks like Watt is posing in a community park. The department of parks and recreation building appears to be looming behind him.

Other stuff: Watt was almost exclusively a relief pitcher during his 10-year career in the majors. He played with the Orioles from 1966 through 1973 and was one of the key relievers out of the bullpen during Baltimore's glory days between 1966 and 1971. He reached double figures in saves each year between 1968 and 1971.

Watt was purchased by the Phillies during the offseason of 1973. After one year with the team, he was released right before opening day in 1975. So this card was inaccurate by the time collectors got ahold of it in '75. Watt finished up his career with the Cubs in 1975.

Back facts: I can't tell you if that's an accurate likeness of Gladys Gooding. But I do know she's the most famous baseball organist ever. She started out playing the organ for the New York Rangers before being brought over to Ebbets Field. She played there from 1942-58 and was hugely popular.

Other blog stuff: As you know, I like to feature the mini card next to the regular-sized card periodically. Here is big Watt and little Watt:

Both of them are nicely miscut.

#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.

#326 - Wayne Twitchell

Card fact: My copy of this card is miscut. You can see the blue border from another card showing at the top. I am assuming that the blue is from a card with a blue-and-orange border, because I believe that the cards in the row adjacent to the row featuring the Twitchell card would have been upside down. That is, if I understand the printing process of the time correctly.

If they weren't upside down, then the card could have a red-and-blue border or a tan-and-blue border, because the blue border on those cards was on the bottom half of the card, unlike the blue-and-orange borders, which were on the top half.

As you can see, I've put way too much thought into this.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card. I think my brother and maybe a friend had the regular-sized Wayne Twitchell card, too, and then the regular-sized card worked its way into my collection. It was one of the more common card pulls in the '75 set, according to my little circle of scruffy kids.

Also, I thought Twitchell looked goofy. He has a similar pose to that of Phillies pitcher Ron Schueler in this set.

Both are lanky pitchers (Twitchell was 6-foot-6 and Schueler 6-4). Both pitched for the Phillies. And both posed in Candlestick Park. I half-believed those were the only kind of pitchers the Phillies had.

What I think about this card now: Well, I'm saddened by it because Twitchell just passed away less than two weeks ago at age 62 after battling cancer.

Other stuff: Twitchell pitched for the Phillies most of his career, but came up to the major with the Brewers. After a trade, he became a regular part of the Phillies' starting rotation in 1973, reaching the All-Star Game. He suffered a setback in his 1974 season and pretty soon was relegated to a relief role.

The Phillies traded Twitchell to the Expos in 1977. After a couple of so-so seasons with Montreal, he spent his final season in 1979 with the Mets and Mariners. Knee ailments hampered his career and forced him to call it quits early.

He later worked in real estate, but returned to his high school alma mater to help out as a coach. He was inducted into the Oregon State Hall of Fame. This is a detailed account of Twitchell's career.

Back facts: The write-up is a pretty cool career highlight for Mr. Twitchell. That's well worth a major league career right there.

But I admit that as a kid I competely missed the write-up. Instead, I liked the cartoon strawberry and was alarmed by Twitchell's 5.22 ERA in 1974.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1975, four Oakland A's pitchers -- Vida Blue, Glenn Abbott, Paul Lindblad and Rollie Fingers -- combined to pitch a no-hitter against the Angels on the last day of the season. It was the first time in MLB history that as many as four pitchers combined on a no-hitter.

#292 - Ron Schueler

Card fact: This is Ron Schueler's first card in an actual Phillies uniform as he was traded from the Braves to the Phillies in December 1973. Topps featured Schueler in its TRADED set in 1974 -- capless and airbrushed into a Phillies jersey.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card. I thought he was a weird looking dude.

What I think of this card now: It's evident by his pitching pose that Schueler is a tall man. He's 6-foot-4, although he looks taller to me in the photo.

Other stuff: Schueler started out as a starting pitcher for the Braves and then the Phillies. But after some difficulty as a starter during the 1974 season, he was converted to a reliever (he'd still start ocassionally). He remained chiefly a reliever until the end of his career, which was in 1979.

Schueler then became a pitching coach for the White Sox, A's and Pirates before moving into the front office with the A's and then with the White Sox. He was the White Sox general manager for 10 years before being replaced by current White Sox GM Kenny Williams. Since then he's worked in scouting and assistant administrative roles with the Cubs, Cardinals and now the Nationals.

Schueler's daughter, Karey, was the first woman to be selected in the major league draft. A pitcher, she was drafted by the White Sox in the 43rd round in 1993 but never signed.

By the way, wikipedia says her name is "Carey," but there are numerous other references to "Karey." Meanwhile, Ron Schueler's wikipedia page mentions he has two kids, Jennifer and Christina. But no mention of Karey. Or Carey. Got to love wikipedia.

Back facts: Now that's a baseball expression I've heard of before.

Other blog stuff: Let's see the regular card next to the mini card. That's always fun:

#267 - Dick Ruthven

Card fact: One of the best action cards in the set. Yes, I know that's opinion.

What I thought about this card then: When I was 9, this was one of my favorite cards in the set, if not my favorite card in the set. It is one of the cards that caused me to root for the Phillies when they weren't playing the Dodgers.

What I think about this card now: I cannot figure out where Ruthven is in the park, or what he is doing. I'm guessing that is old Veterans Stadium in the photo. When I was young, I thought he was throwing a pitch on the mound. But it looks more like he is on the sidelines, as if he's warming up in the bullpen. As far as I can remember, Veterans Stadium's bullpens were behind the outfield fences. So I'm not sure where he is.

Other than that, I love the logos in the background, and it's nice to know that Ruthven could pitch with a club for a right hand.

Other stuff: Dick Ruthven came to the Phillies without ever pitching in the minors. He, along with Larry Christenson, were considered the up-and-coming pitchers of the early '70s that would join with Steve Carlton and help Philadelphia to the postseason. That turned out to be true, although Ruthven took a roundabout way to that point. He was traded to the White Sox and then to the Braves within a two-day period in December 1975.

But Ruthven returned to the Phillies in 1978 to held the team repeat as N.L. East Division champions. He lost Game 2 of the NLCS to the Dodgers. In 1980, he won 17 games and made the All-Star team for the eventual World Series champions. Later, he pitched for the Cubs, ending his career in 1986.

Back facts: You never hear much about the "palmball" anymore. ... Also, I continue to be amused by the capitalization of baseball terms like "spring training" and "win."

Oldie but goodie: Here is the state of the original Ruthven card that I pulled in 1975:

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1975, Alex Rodriguez was born. Wow, and I thought '75 was such a great year.

#242 - Jay Johnstone

Card fact: Jay Johnstone returns to Topps' set after being featured from 1967-72 but not in 1973 and 1974.

What I thought about this card then: Never saw it. The first Johnstone card I saw was the following year, 1976.

What I think about this card now: It's appropriate that Candlestick Park is tilted on the card of a known "flake."

Other stuff: Johnstone is another one of those flakey baseball characters from the 1970s and 1980s. Johnstone played nearly 20 years and bounced around between eight teams, but he received much of his publicity during the three-plus years he spent with the Dodgers. As part of a goofball foursome that included Rick Monday, Jerry Reuss and Steve Yeager, Johnstone was the head prankster on L.A.'s teams of the early 1980s.

Johnstone was known for harrassing manager Tommy Lasorda -- he once replaced all of the photos of celebrities in Lasorda's office with pictures of himself, Reuss and reliever Don Stanhouse. He seemed to enjoy dressing up in goofy costumes, and the first time I remember hearing about a teammate nailing another teammate's cleats to the floor, Johnstone was the perpetrator.

Johnstone also made an impact on the field. He was a solid-hitting role player who enjoyed several above .300 seasons. He delivered a pinch-hit homer in Game 4 of the 1981 World Series against the Yankees that helped the Dodgers rally to win that game. Johnstone later worked as a baseball announcer.

Johnstone also appeared in a couple of movies, including a short appearance in "The Naked Gun." Personally, I think he would have been a dead-ringer for Murdock in "The A-Team" movie.

(EDIT: Johnstone died Sept. 26, 2020 at age 74).

Back facts: I'm not sure what happened with Johnstone in the 1973 and 1974 seasons. He played very sparingly in 1973 with Oakland after being released by the White Sox. The Cardinals purchased him in the winter of 1974, then released him, and Johnstone was signed by the Phillies in April. But the write-up on the card says he joined the Phillies in July. Perhaps he was in the minors? I'm too sleepy to research it.

Other blog stuff: A good day for the Orioles on this date in 1975. Catcher Dave Duncan hit four consecutive doubles to tie a major league record in an 8-2 victory over the first-place Red Sox. In the same game, a liner off the bat of Tony Muser broke the cheek bone of Red Sox pitcher Dick Pole. Meanwhile, the Brewers rallied with two runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Yankees 5-4.

#185 - Steve Carlton

Card fact: One day after dropping into last place by itself, red-orange (the Burger King combo), re-ties brown-tan for the least number of cards with 7.

What I thought about this card then: I did not have it, although I think this is another one of those cards that I saw in that display in Cooperstown. I'm sure I thought it was one of the greatest cards I ever saw.

What I think about this card now: It is quite odd to see Steve Carlton with a mustache. He appears with a mustache on his 1975 and 1976 cards and that's it.

Other stuff: Hall of Famer Carlton is one of the greatest left-handers in any sport, and one of the best pitchers of all-time. "Lefty" was the all-time strikeout leader for a brief period in the 1980s before Nolan Ryan took the record for good.

Even though Carlton faced the Dodgers in too many important games AND didn't talk to the media, I couldn't help but hold some fascination for him. He was a great pitcher who marched to his own drummer, he was left-handed, and he played for my Plan B team. I was always happy to pull his card from a pack.

Card facts: Sammy Sosa now holds the record for most home runs in one month with 20 in June, 1998.

Take a good look at Carlton's 1972 season. I know just about everyone knows about that season, but the numbers are still incredible. One of the best seasons by a pitcher ever.

Apparently, the following season in which he lost 20 games touched off his practice of not speaking to the media. The line of questioning was apparently harsh and his unorthodox training methods were taken to task.

Other blog stuff: I went back and looked. This is the 10th in-game action shot in the set. Some are questionable, but the bar was low in '75.

#162 - Willie Montanez

Card fact: This is one of several cards in which the photo was taken in San Francisco's Candlestick Park. To this day, a lot of Topps photos are taken in San Francisco. I'm guessing Topps has connections to photographers in that area. But I don't know the whole story. If anyone does, I'd be happy to hear it.

What I thought about this card then: I never saw it. But if I did, it'd be a favorite, because of the wonderful, off-centered action.

What I think about this card now: The photo is off-center. It's actually a crappy action shot.

Other stuff: Willie Montanez was a decent hitter who is known more for his flamboyant behavior on the field. Nicknamed "Hot Dog," Montanez's most famous maneuver was snatching balls out of the air while playing first base, then bringing his glove to his hip and acting like he was putting a gun back in its holster.

He also would repeatedly tag base-runners with the ball when the pitcher threw back to first base. He would trot slowly around the bases on home runs, employing the stutter step when he approached a base. He would flip his bat. He had quite a few habits, I don't know if he ever explained them.

It's odd for me to see Montanez as a Phillie, because I remember him mostly as a Giant and a Brave. He also played for the Mets during a period when I watched them a lot, but I really don't remember him. Repeatedly traded, Montanez also played for the Rangers, Padres, Expos, Pirates and Angels.

Back facts: Awesome. A cartoon mentioning Gorman Thomas! Fifty-one homers was impressive no matter where you were back in the '70s.

Also, Montanez hit 30 homers as a rookie, but finished second in the NL rookie voting to Earl Williams.

Other blog stuff: In birthday news, Marilu Henner was born on this date and is a mind-blowing 58 years old. When she was on "Taxi," I was about 13. So, yeah, I liked her a lot.

#138 - Del Unser

Card fact: What is with the Phillies and players whose last name starts with "U"? There has been Del Unser, Chase Utley, Tom Underwood, Bob Uecker. I mean, in the history of the major leagues, there aren't a lot of players who had a "U" kicking off their last name, but the Phillies seem to have ended up with more than their share.

What I thought about this card then: I remember having an inexplicable interest in Del Unser, but it wasn't because of this card because I didn't have it. It might be the 1976 card, when he was with the Mets.

What I think about this card now: More ballfield tiltage in the background.

Other stuff: Unser began his career with the Senators and was a regular center fielder for several years, both with Washington and then with Philadelphia. Then, about the time he moved on to Montreal, he became known as a pinch-hitting specialist. The rest of his career he was a pinch-hitter and role player. He set a record in 1979 when he hit a pinch-hit home run in three straight at-bats.

Back facts: I wasn't able to find out if there were any more former major leaguers who lived to be at least 100, but if you want to read an involved analysis of the life expetancy of major league ballplayers, I stumbled across one. The condensed version: MLB players live five years longer than the average American male.

Other blog stuff: The No. 1 song in the country on this date was "Have You Never Been Mellow," by Olivia Newton-John. I'm fairly certain that song title is grammatically incorrect.