#654 - Jerry Terrell

Card fact: This is the last card in the set of a player wearing a powder blue uniform. Yup, we're really nearing the end.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it. However, Jerry Terrell has the honor of being the first card pulled by my brother in the 1976 Topps set. I don't know how I remember that. Probably because my brother deemed it the greatest card ever.

What I think about this card now: The smile with the batting stance pose looks odd. How many players are smiling while they're batting?

Other stuff: Terrell was a utility infielder for the Twins and the Royals between 1973-80. He began as a starting shortstop for Minnesota, but after over 400 at-bats in '73 and '75, he sat on the bench a lot more the rest of his career. He could play short, second, third and first, making him pretty handy. He even pitched a couple innings.

Terrell is remembered as the only player to vote against a strike back in 1980. The vote was taken prior to the players eventually walking in 1981. Terrell was the Royals' player representative, but cited religious reasons for being one out of 968 players to vote "no."

After his playing career, he managed in the Royals and White Sox organizations. He also worked as a scout.

Back facts: Terrell doubled three times off of Mickey Lolich in that game against the Tigers on June 3, 1973. But Lolich won the game and the Tigers beat the Twins, 8-2.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1907, Nick Maddox of the Pirates no-hit the Brooklyn Superbas 2-1. Maddox was 20 years old and remains the youngest player to throw a no-hitter in the major leagues.

#640 - Harmon Killebrew

Card fact: This is the final Topps card issued of Harmon Killebrew during his playing career. He had appeared in just about every Topps flagship set from 1955-75 (he's not in the 1957 set).

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card. I thought he looked pretty old.

What I think about this card now: It's funny how little I noticed when I was a kid. It never dawned on me then that Killebrew is signing an autograph. And, of course, now I recognize that there is a partial tobacco advertisement in the photo. It's really one of the better photos in the set.

Other stuff: I always have trouble writing about the most well-known stars on this blog. What do I say?

I just wrote about Killebrew after his recent death. Killebrew was one of the greats, both as a player and a person. I was just getting to know baseball when Killebrew retired. I never saw him play. I would have been interested in seeing him in a Kansas City Royals uniform, which is where he spent his final season in 1975. But I really didn't actively watch baseball until 1976 or 1977.

It's easy for some to forget that Killebrew was among the top five home run hitters of all-time for quite awhile. Right up there with Aaron, Ruth, Mays and Frank Robinson.

I remember Killebrew mostly as a broadcaster.

Back facts: Rick Burleson (149 in 1980) and Roy Smalley (144 in 1979) have each surpassed Bobby Wine's double play record for shortstops.

Other blog stuff: This is probably the last opportunity on the blog to show the mini card next to the regular card, so here goes:

I may have a few more of these for you over on my other blog over the weekend. Stay tuned.

#621 - 1975 Rookie Pitchers

Card fact: This is the first of the rookie cards to feature a player who never made the majors. Juan Veintidos was featured here on the strength of his 14-5 record in the minors in 1974, but he never got the call in 10 minor league seasons.

What I thought about this card then: If it's an orange-yellow bordered rookie card then I never saw it.

What I think about this card now: Veintidos appears to be the happiest of the four, yet he didn't enjoy the success of the others. I guess you had to be cold and ruthless to succeed as a major league pitcher in 1975.

Other stuff: Each player's first solo Topps card:

John Denny, Cardinals: 1976 Topps
Rawly Eastwick, Reds: 1976 Topps
Jim Kern, Indians: 1977 Topps
Juan Veintidos, Twins: no solo card

Most successful career: Both Eastwick and Kern got off to quick success as relief pitchers, Eastwick becoming a force for the Big Red Machine in the '75 World Series, and Kern wowing Cleveland fans with his arm and quirky behavior. But each faded almost as quickly. I'm going with starter John Denny, who pitched 13 fairly consistent seasons and won the Cy Young for the National League champion Phillies in 1983.

Most awesome middle name: Jackson is not as awesome as Rawlins, but there's not much to go on here.

Other blog stuff: For those of you who spend all of your time in vintage cards and vintage only, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that there is a new set out this month that pays tribute to the 1975 Topps minis. Current and past players are featured on mini cards that are similar in size and look to the '75 minis. They are inserted randomly into packs of 2011 Topps Lineage.

Unfortunately, the backs do not feature the '75 backs we all know and love. And the cards are made from that same slick crap that has plagued the Topps base set for the last decade. But I appreciate the thought by Topps and am trying to collect as many as I can. I owe it to my 9-year-old self.

#618 - 1975 Rookie Pitchers

Card fact: Scott McGregor is featured as a Yankee on this card, but he never pitched in the majors for the Yankees. He was dealt to Baltimore before his big-league playing career began.

What I thought about this card then: No knowledge of it. It took me a long time to figure out that there were Dodgers on these 4-player rookie cards.

What I think about this card now: I think it'd be both cool and creepy if Topps arranged it so the players on these cards were staring directly at each other. You see that Easterly is attempting to do so, but Johnson will have none of it.

Also, both Easterly and Johnson were on future cards in which my brothers and I looked at the backs and said promptly, "holy crap, look at that ERA! He's not good!" Easterly, though pitched for 13 seasons.

Other stuff: Each player's first solo Topps card:

Jamie Easterly, Braves: 1976 Topps
Tom Johnson, Twins: 1976 Topps
Scott McGregor, Yankees: 1978 Topps
Rick Rhoden, Dodgers, 1976 Topps

Most successful player: A slight edge to Rhoden over McGregor as Rhoden has a slim advantage in most career stats and pitched a few more years. Throw in Rhoden's golfing career, and his success skyrockets.

Most awesome middle name: McGregor should have insisted on at least ending his career with the Astros.

Other blog stuff: I apologize for skipping out on you the last few days. Usually I try to give some warning, but vacation departure came a lot quicker than originally planned. I should be back for awhile now.

#600 - Rod Carew

Card fact: This is the very last card I needed to complete the 1975 Topps set.

What I thought about this card then: My brother had it and it was a very cool card. Carew's bat looks at least 70 feet long.

What I think about this card now: Carew wasn't exactly known as a slugger. I associate this pose with sluggers.

Other stuff: Carew was another one of the first baseball superstars that I knew. He seemed to have a lot of fans among my friends, which was a bit odd, because there isn't anybody in my state that knows a thing about the Twins. But I remember his 1976, 1977 and 1978 cards as being very coveted.

Of course, Carew is a Hall of Famer, hit .388 in 1978, was the rookie of the year in 1967, a member of 18 straight All-Star teams, and a member of the 3,000-hit club. He was also the subject of one the first baseball biographies I ever read. I have known the story about him being named after the doctor who delivered him on a train since I was a wee lad.

Carew signed with the Angels as a free agent after a famous falling out with the Twins' notoriously stingy owner Calvin Griffith. After 12 years with the Twins, Carew spent seven more with the Angels.

He later became a hitting coach for the Angels and the Brewers.

Back facts: When I was a kid I thought that George Torporcer was kneeling on the ground looking at bugs. He needed his glasses to get a good look at the bugs! That's how little boys think.

Other blog stuff: Normally, I do the set review every 100 cards. But I also need to do the All-Star update with this card. So I'll do the All-Star update here, and do the set review with the next card.

Carew fills the second base spot for the American League:

AL

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

NL

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


Some of you may be thinking, "only one more All-Star and the teams are complete!" Well, as one commentor already gave away way back 300 cards ago, there will be no more All-Star cards.


Topps did not give Reggie Jackson an All-Star card in the 1975 set even though he was the starting right fielder for the American League in the 1974 All-Star Game. So the one outfield position in the A.L. is forever left blank because of Topps' goof.

#576 - Phil Roof

Card fact: Both Phil Roof and his fellow member of the all-construction team, Tom House, feature green-purple borders in this set. Sadly, Hank "the Hammer" Aaron does not have a green-purple bordered card. And Lenny "Nails" Dykstra was only 12 in 1975.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it. I didn't know who Phil Roof was until about 10 years ago.

What I think about this card now: The same thing I think when I see any Phil Roof card: how did this guy hang on for so long?

Other stuff: Roof was your definition of a backup catcher. He played from 1964-77 in the major leagues and except for a couple of years with the Kansas City A's in 1966-67, he was a supporting player. His lifetime batting average is .215. Except for the 1975 season when he hit .305 for the Twins, his best batting average in a season was .235.

So, it stands to reason that he was a pretty good defensive catcher. Roof played for not only the Twins, Kansas City and Oakland, but for the Milwaukee Braves, the Angels, the Indians, the Brewers, White Sox and expansion Blue Jays.

After his playing career, he was a manager in the Twins organization for two decades, retiring after the 2005 season. He appeared briefly as the bullpen coach for Minnesota this season.

Back facts: You just don't see a lot of guys having back-to-back sub .200 seasons in the major leagues these days. Or maybe you do. I'm not really keeping tabs on the backup catchers.

Other blog stuff: A happy 51st birthday to former Astros pitcher Jim Deshaies, one of my favorite interview subjects and a favorite announcer in the Houston area.

#549 - Bill Butler

Card fact: The original Billy Butler! ... Actually, there was another Bill Butler besides this guy and the current Royals designated hitter. He was an outfielder for the 1884 Indianapolis Hoosiers of the American Association.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card. For some reason, I could never get it in my head that Butler was a pitcher. I always thought he was a hitter. And that was long before the current Billy Butler came along.

What I think about this card now: It looks like Butler has just spotted his nemesis across the way.

Other stuff: Butler pitched for seven seasons for the Royals, Indians and Twins. He was an original Royal, going to Kansas City from the Tigers in the expansion draft. He started 29 games for Kansas City in that first year in 1969, going 9-10.

Butler moved between the majors and minors the next four years, getting dealt to Cleveland in 1972. When he arrived in Minnesota in 1974, he seemed to find a spot in the majors for good, getting the occasional start for the Twins in 1974 and 75.

Butler was back in the minors in '76 and traded to the Dodgers in 1977, but he never played for Los Angeles and retired the next year. He finished with a 23-35 record and a 4.21 ERA in 134 games.

Back facts: Gee whiz, is that what 16-year-olds looked like in 1975?

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1951, Willie Mays made his major league debut. He was 0-for-5.

#526 - Larry Hisle

Card fact: There is no way Tom House gets a card number ending in "5" and Larry Hisle does not. The fact here is Hisle got robbed.

What I thought about this card: then: No knowledge of it.

What I think about this card now: My, that's a tiny, neat signature.

Other stuff: Hisle came up with the Phillies and made an immediate impact, placing fourth in the Rookie of the Year honors in 1969. But he slumped badly the following year and found himself bouncing from team to team, from the Phillies to the Dodgers to the Cardinals to the Twins, all within a year.

Hisle found his spot in Minnesota, hitting for a high average and driving in at least 90 runs a year. By the 1977 season, he was a hot commodity, and he signed with Milwaukee as a free agent. In 1978, he hit 34 home runs and knocked in 115 and finished third in the A.L. MVP voting.

But the following spring, he tore his rotator cuff while throwing. He played in no more than 27 games the final four seasons of his career, finally retiring after the 1982 season.

Hisle worked as a coach after his playing career. He was batting coach for the Blue Jays championship teams in 1992 and 1993. For the last decade or so, he has worked with the Brewers in its youth outreach program. Both of Hisle's parents died by the time he was 11, so he works with a number of at-risk children.

Back facts: Hisle was a decent base-stealer, but I don't think the stats cited by Topps exactly show that. Twelve steals in 18 tries doesn't seem "excellent" to me.

Other blog stuff: On this date, singer Rita Coolidge was born. I am really testing your knowledge of the '70s with this reference, but if you know the '70s, then you know who she is.

#478 - Tom Burgmeier

Card fact: No fact today. Got to make this quick. I'm losing an hour of sleep ahead of working four straight 12-hour days. Who's the idiot that moved daylight savings time from April to March?

What I thought about this card then: My brother had this card. Tom Burgmeier's pitching pose is very odd in combination with the grin on his face. He's crouched so low and his right arm is pressed so close to his body that he looks like some sort of four-legged creature forced to walk on three legs because his front right leg is crippled. Either that or he looks like he's stuck his head through the hole in one of those life-sized cardboard cutouts, this one set up so you can pretend you're a baseball player.

What I think about this card now: It's a very strange pose. Given how close it is to St. Patrick's Day, I'm almost getting a leprechaun vibe.

Other stuff: Burgmeier was a relief pitcher, mostly with the Royals, Twins and Red Sox, from 1968-84. Out of the 745 games in which he appeared, he started only three games and two of those were in the first year of his career.

Burgmeier was a situational lefty and pretty reliable. He didn't rack up a lot of saves as he often came in during the middle of games. (He did set a Red Sox team mark for lefties with 24 saves in 1980, his only All-Star year). Burgmeier's ERAs were almost always under 3, especially during his years with the Red Sox.

Burgmeier became a coach after his career, but not until the 1990s. He worked as a pitching and bullpen coach, as well as a video coordinator for several teams in the Royals organization. He also worked in the Orioles organization.

Back facts: Ah, the old Fireman ratings. The Rolaids Relief Man points system is a forgotten statistical measurement of the past. It was quite the big deal during the '70s, though.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1960, the White Sox unveiled a uniform innovation that I appreciate to this day. They put the players' last names on the back of their jerseys.

#443 - Twins/Frank Quilici

Card fact: This is the third orange-yellow bordered team card in the set. The first two -- the Phillies and Angels -- were way back in the early days of the blog.

What I thought about this card then: Nada. It was a team card.

What I think about this card now: I often wonder why team photos back then could feature bat boys, such as this one did, but now Topps has to put a fence up to obscure the bat boys. Is everyone that litigious today?

Other stuff: Frank Quilici was in the middle of a three-year term with the Twins. A former player with Minnesota who stopped playing in the majors after the 1970 season, Quilici briefly boosted a team that was slowly sliding out of its success of the 1960s and early '70s. But it didn't last. After the 1975 season, Quilici was replaced by Gene Mauch.

Back facts: There is a typo with the last card. Juan Veintidos is not card No. 521. That belongs to Expos pitcher Dennis Blair. Veintidos was on rookie card No. 621.

Other blog stuff: Where do the Twins rank in terms of how successful Topps was in reflecting the '74 team in its 1975 set?

They rank very well.

The Twins used 32 players in 1974. That is tied -- so far -- with the Orioles for the lowest amount used by a team in 1974.

Topps featured cards of 26 of those players. That includes pitcher Bill Hands and infielder Joe Lis, airbrushed into Rangers and Indians uniforms, respectively. It also includes Jim Holt, who is disguised as an Athletic in this set. And it includes Pat Bourque, who is shown as an Athletic -- not airbrushed -- even though he played most recently for the Twins in 1974 (more on that in card #502).

The most "overlooked" player was utility infielder Luis Gomez, who had 168 at-bats for the Twins in his first major league year and batted .208. Topps would give him later cards, though.

So here is where the Twins stand with the other teams in terms of percentage of players represented:

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


Yup. There is a new leader. The Tigers have led since the very first team card, but no more.

#419 - Dave Goltz

Card fact: This pose comes up a lot on Dave Goltz's cards. He is in similar poses on his 1973, 1977, 1979 and 1981 cards. (I just realized that he's in this pose every odd-numbered year. Freaky!)

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it. His 1976 Topps card was the first one I saw.

What I think about this card now: It appears he's posing on a high school or American Legion field.

Other stuff: Hoo-boy, Dave Goltz. Dodger fans don't have fond memories of Goltz. He began with the Twins and had some good seasons with Minnesota. He broke out with a 20-game year in 1977 and became the staff ace. It gave him ammunition for free agency after the 1979 season.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, had stayed away from the first few years of free agency. Signing Goltz, and reliever Don Stanhouse, was their first big move in the free agent market, and it failed miserably. Goltz struggled during that 1980 season, going 7-11 and pitching with a 4-plus ERA. He started the special playoff game after the Dodgers and Astros ended the regular season tied for first in the N.L. West. Goltz lasted three innings and took the loss.

Goltz pitched in relief in the 1981 World Series for L.A. He ended his career with the Angels in 1983. Afterward, he sold real estate and insurance and coached a community college team in Minnesota, where he still lives.

Back facts: You don't hear much about total bases anymore. Nice cartoon, though.

Other blog stuff: I just had to retype this entire post. I hit some key and it wiped out the entire thing. Lovely.

#368 - Vic Albury

Card fact: This is Vic Albury's rookie card. He only had three Topps cards. He didn't even have a traded card.

What I thought about this card then: This is another one of these guys that I had no clue existed until I went about completing the set six years ago. We are really in the midst of a run of 1970s nobodies the last few cards.

What I think about this card now: Albury looks like he's up to something.

Other stuff: Vic Albury pitched for four seasons with the Twins between 1973 and 1976. His best season was 1974 when he went 8-9 for the Twins, starting 22 games and pitching 164 innings. After his playing time decreased in 1976, he bounced around in the minors in the Yankees and Indians organizations through 1979.

(EDIT: Albury died on April 18, 2017).

Back facts: I don't know where Topps received its information, but according to the baseball rule book, under Objectives of the Game, 1.12, "The catcher may wear a leather mitt not more than 38 inches in circumference, nor more than 15 1/2 inches from top to bottom." There are also limits for the space between the thumb and the rest of the fingers, and the webbing. That seems to contradict what the cartoon is saying.

Also, I started to go through the 1973 Twins season to see how many of those 10 shutout appearances were relief outings (I'm sure all of them were). But I got distracted by the attendance figures for Twins games. Mercy. They were awful. Nobody went to games in the early '70s, did they?

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1981, rookie Fernando Valenzuela beat out Tom Seaver to win the N.L. Cy Young Award.

#346 - Bobby Darwin

Card fact: This is the 43rd card of a player wearing a powder blue uniform and also the 43rd card that I have in mini form. But all the mini cards that I have are not of players wearing powder blue uniforms. I've looked.

What I thought about this card then: Like I said, I had the mini card. I wish I scanned it, because it looks like it has been folded in half ... twice.

Also, I remember looking at the back of Bobby Darwin's card and seeing that he played for the Dodgers before he played for the Twins and wishing the Dodgers had not traded him. Even back then I thought the Dodgers were getting screwed on their end of trades.

What I think about this card now: Anytime I see a player swinging a bat without batting gloves -- even in a posing situation like this -- it looks bad-ass.

Other stuff: Darwin began his professional career as a pitcher. He pitched in one game for the Angels in 1962, then went back to the minors for seven years. When he re-emerged, he was with the Dodgers and pitched in three games. But he had also learned to play the outfield. By 1971, he had left pitching behind and was a full-time hitter.

The Dodgers traded him to the Twins, which is where Darwin found his niche for a few years. His best season was 1974, when he hit 25 home runs, drove in 94 and was among the top 10 in the league in both categories. Darwin knocked in at least 80 runs for three straight years for the Twins, but he was also a free swinger, leading the American League in strikeouts three straight years, too.

After '74, Darwin's offensive performance declined. He became more of a part-time player, then ended his career with the Red Sox and Cubs in 1977.

Back facts: We'll get to George "Doc" Medich's card eventually. ... Another arbitrary capitalization of the word "hits."

Other blog stuff: Continuing with the World Series theme of the last couple of days, on this date in 1988, the Dodgers won their most recent World Series title. Orel Hershiser pitched a four-hitter and was named MVP to become the fifth player to win the Series MVP and LCS MVP awards in the same season. I was never happier, baseball-wise, than on that day.

#325 - Tony Oliva

Card fact: "Des. Hitter," in case you don't know, stands for "designated hitter," not "desperate hitter."

What I thought about this card then: I never saw it. The first Tony Oliva card I saw was his final Topps card in the 1976 set. I liked that card quite a bit, even though it's an in-the-shadows head shot.

What I think about this card now: Those hitters in the '70s sure played in some tilted stadiums.

Other stuff: Oliva is one of the best Cuban-born athletes to play in the major leagues. He was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1964, a year in which he also won the league batting title, the first time that happened in the A.L. Oliva would go on to win the batting title two more times.

Oliva was a consistent .300 hitter, which wasn't easy to do in the late 1960s. Later, knee problems limited his playing time and he became a designated hitter because of his injuries. His abbreviated career, because of those injuries, has probably kept him out of the Hall of Fame so far.

Oliva played in the postseason three times. After struggling in the 1965 World Series against the Dodgers, he did much better in the ALCS against the Orioles in 1970 and 1971. He went 6-for-12 in the Twins' loss to the Orioles in '71. After his career, Oliva became a batting coach for the Twins. He was a very popular player, and Minnesota has retired his uniform number.

Back facts: Cal McLish, who recently died, started his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers in the mid-1940s. His major league career lasted until 1964.

Other blog stuff: Mike Schmidt was born on this date in 1949. He's 61 years old.

#297 - Craig Kusick

Card fact: This is the first Topps card of Craig Kusick.

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

What I think about this card now: If there was any yellow in the photo, this would be the card with the best-matched color border and photo.

Other stuff: Kusick was a first baseman and designated hitter who played nearly all of his seven-year major league career with the Twins. He was pegged as the replacement at first base for Harmon Killebrew, but became a DH after Rod Carew moved to first. He played part of the final year of his career, in 1979, for the Blue Jays.

The 35th anniversary of Kusick's major league record-tying feat of being hit three times in one game just passed on Friday. He was hit by a pitch three times in an 11-inning game against the Brewers on Aug. 27, 1975.

Kusick died from leukemia three days before his 58th birthday in 2006. His wife died of cancer nine months prior.

Back facts: You've got love seeing animals in cartoons.

Sherry Robertson was the longtime farm system director for the Senators and Twins organizations.

Other blog stuff: My father's favorite player, Ted Williams, was born on this date in 1918.

#273 - Steve Braun

Card fact: This is the second straight "purple-pink" card. I don't like it when the same color combo is featured on back-to-back cards. It doesn't look good in the binder. It's like having a binder full of 1991 Fleer cards. The borders are bright, but they're all the same. No good.

Anyway, this card puts "purple-pink" back in a two-way tie with "pink-yellow" for the overall color combo lead with 24 cards each.

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

What I think about this card now: Miscut.

Other stuff: Steve Braun started out as an infielder for the Twins, but by 1974 was a regular starter in the outfield. Braun always hit well and could get on base, recording a lifetime .371 OBP.

He was selected by the Mariners in the 1976 expansion draft (who doesn't remember his horribly airbrushed batting helmet in the 1977 Topps set?). After a year-plus with the Mariners, Braun became known as a pinch-hitting expert, first with the Royals and Blue Jays and then with the Cardinals. He played in the World Series for the Cardinals in 1982 and returned to the postseason with St. Louis in his final major league season in 1985.

Braun now operates summer baseball camps and has his own web site, in which some of his baseball cards (including this one) are featured across the top of the page.

Back facts: OK, I'm going to pick this one apart. First the cartoon:

Why is it necessary to mention the date of Braun's marriage? Also, was it customary in the 1970s for grooms to wear top hats and bow ties with T-shirts?

OK, now the write-up:

I enjoy how they list "On Base Average" as if its some foreign, scientific word that no one knows. I also enjoy the capitalization of "Wallops." And there should be a comma after "Orioles."

Other stuff: The No. 1 song in the country on this date in 1975 was "One of These Nights" by the Eagles.

#249 - Danny Thompson

Card fact: This is the second-to-last Topps card of Danny Thompson during his career. His final one would be issued less than a year before his death.

What I thought about this card then: I never saw it. In fact, I never pulled a card of Thompson during the two years he was alive when I was collecting. That explains why it took years before I knew who Thompson was and about his sad story.

What I think about this card now: I wish I could read all of the advertisements in the background.

Other stuff: Danny Thompson was the Twins' starting shortstop in the early 1970s, enjoying a strong season in 1972. But Thompson was diagnosed with leukemia in 1973. Through various treatments, he continued to play for the Twins, albeit in a somewhat more limited role. Thompson was traded to the Rangers in 1976. After the '76 season, he succumbed to his disease, making him one of the few modern-age ballplayers to die from a disease while still an active player.

A golf tournament in Thompson's name continues to be played in Sun Valley, Idaho, each year.

Back facts: I wonder if Thompson was really plagued by injuries or if Topps didn't want to mention his cancer battle on the back of his baseball card.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1975, three Cardinals were thrown out at home plate on throws from the outfield in a single game against the Giants. Considering how the Cardinals imploded in tonight's game against the Rockies, this seems appropriate.

#226 - Bill Campbell

Card fact: This is the fourth card in the set to show the American flag in the background. The first three are: Dusty Baker, Ray Corbin and Jim Merritt.

What I thought about this card then: Never saw it. The first Campbell card I saw was his 1976 Topps card.

What I think about this card now: I think I need to upgrade. The notch on the right side bothers me. This is the only set where I am this picky.

Other stuff: One of the first big free agent signings is shown for the second straight card. Campbell enjoyed a terrific season as a reliever for the Twins in 1976 and signed with the Red Sox for the 1977 season. He again had one of the best seasons for a reliever that year. But then he developed arm trouble, and although he hung around until 1987, he was never the same. He did pitch in 82 games for the Cubs in 1983.

 

(EDIT: Bill Campbell died at age 74 on Jan. 6, 2023)

Back facts:  This is about the fourth cartoon that shows a guy with an enormously long beard. ... I didn't know that Campbell was exclusively a starter until being called up to the major leagues.

Other blog stuff: I've been slacking in charting all the powder-blue uniforms. I had to go back and find the ones I missed. All up to date now.

#151 - Steve Brye

Card fact: Steve Brye is in an almost identical pose on his 1977 Topps card. You could put those photos side by side and do one of those exercises in Highlights magazine in which you have to find 5 things different about the two pictures.

What I thought about this card then: Not a lot. But my brother, who had the card, apparently had some thoughts. More on that in a second.

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

Other stuff: Steve Brye was a fourth-outfielder type for the Twins, as well as the Brewers and Pirates. His only true season as a starter was 1974 when he played in 135 games. He played through the 1978 season.

But he is a big part of my childhood because my brother chose to make Brye the favorite player of his stuffed lion. I mentioned this before on the other blog. It drew a reaction from one of Brye's relatives. Someone who is married to Brye's cousin dropped me an email telling me she was entertained by the story and wondered why Brye was the "lucky" player chosen by my brother. I told her I had no idea. What's more, I don't think my brother would have an idea either. We were ages 9 and 7 at the time. Kids make no sense then.

Back facts: If I wasn't so tired and ready for sleep, I would look up whether the record for most years leading the league in losses is still four. Someone please do it for me.

Other blog stuff: Tom Glavine was born on this date in 1966.

#127 - Glenn Borgmann

Card fact: The 1975 card is already Borgmann's third card of his career. His college reputation apparently preceded him because 1974 was his first full season.

What I thought about this card then: I would have been highly entertained by his name if I had the card. But I didn't.

What I think about this card now: I guess that's what you call a "baby face." Borgmann was known as the "Baby Bull" in college.

Other stuff: Borgmann was called "the Johnny Bench of college baseball" when he played at Miami-Dade. Scouts expected big things of him. Borgmann started a couple of years behind the plate for the Twins, but he's mostly known now as the guy who lost his starting job to a 20-year-old, Butch Wynegar.

Back facts: Baseball-reference says Borgmann's middle name is "Dennis," not "Davis." I'm really hoping it's Dennis, because that would mean Borgmann would have double Ns in his first, middle and last names. Besides, there already was a Glenn Davis in baseball.

Also, you'll note the promise that Borgmann held. Not a lot of card write-ups say someone is "headed for stardom" before they show absolute signs of doing so. And we know that Borgmann never reached stardom.

Other blog stuff: The No. 1 song on this date in 1975 was "Pick Up the Pieces," by the Average White Band, said the Average White Guy.