#452 - Angel Mangual

Card fact: This is Angel Mangual's final Topps card. He appeared on just four Topps cards between 1971-75.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card. I don't recall thinking much about it, except that Mangual's brother, Pepe, made his solo card debut in the 1976 Topps set, confusing the heck out of me. I just assumed that Pepe was really Angel and proceeded to confuse the two brothers for the next few decades. I would also get them confused with former White Sox and Mets manager Jerry Manuel, who will also be featured in this set.

What I think about this card now: It seems strange for an A's player not to have a card with a green or yellow border. There are so few of them.

Other stuff: Mangual was a platoon-type player for the A's during their dynasty era. He was acquired from the Pirates in a trade for Jim "Mudcat" Grant and finished third in A.L. Rookie of the Year voting in 1971.

Mangual also delivered the game-winning pinch hit in the 9th inning of Game 4 of the World Series against the Reds in 1972. Mangual won three World Series rings with the A's, but didn't hit very well after his rookie showing. His career ended with the 1976 season.

(EDIT: Angel Mangual died at age 73 on Feb. 16, 2021).

Back facts: Topps is keeping the family theme going by mentioning the Cruz brothers, Jose, Hector and Tommy, in the cartoon. Tommy Cruz played just three games for St. Louis in '73.

Other blog stuff: If you recall on the Willie McCovey post from two days ago, I wondered about the confusing cartoon.

Well, a reader has deduced that Topps may have mixed up the cartoon question and the answer. He said the question, which asked who was nicknamed "The Hat," seems to refer to Harry "The Hat" Walker. But the answer, which was "Jerry Lynch with 18," refers to former pinch-hitting great Lynch who had 18 pinch-hit homers in his career.

So I guess that means we need to be on the watch for a cartoon that asks "Who holds the record for most pinch-hit home runs in a career?" and answers with "Harry Walker." Wouldn't it be great if that happened?

Thanks, Jonathan!

#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.

#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!

#394 - Larvell Blanks

Card fact: This is Larvell Blanks' rookie card. It is also the first time in the set that players from the same team are featured in back-to-back cards. That didn't happen too often in the 1970s. It was usually an indication of a last-minute change. Neither Gary Gentry of the previous post nor Larvell Blanks played very much for Atlanta in 1974. So either card could have been a last-minute swap out for another player who may have retired suddenly and forced the inclusion of either Gentry or Blanks.

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

What I think about this card now: Lots of things:

1. It's a bit crooked. But you should have seen the previous version of this card. That was criminally crooked.

2. I always thought "Larvell Blanks" sounded like a Saturday morning cartoon character.

3. I believe the background of this photo features the same stadium that is in the background of the Gentry card photo. Don't ask me what stadium that is.

4. Blanks' position is "infield." He played all of two games in the field in 1974. Both of those were at shortstop. So I don't know why Topps couldn't have narrowed it down more than "infield."

Other stuff: Larvell "Sugar Bear" Blanks came from an athletic family out of Del Rio, Texas. He managed only one year as a starter in the majors -- playing in 141 games for the Braves in 1975. The rest of his major league career, from 1972 to 1980, was spent as an infield backup for some of the worst teams of the 1970s -- the Braves, Indians and Rangers.

After his career -- he also played in Mexico -- Blanks taught and picked up golfing. He now plays on the Golf Channel Amateur Tour. Blanks' cousin, Lance Blanks, a former NBA player, is the current general manager of the Phoenix Suns.

Back facts: The cartoon is a reference to man whose single-season stolen base record was broken by Lou Brock in 1974. But I have no idea why there is a bear holding a bat. Hamilton did not play for the Cubs. He played for the Phillies, Boston Beaneaters and Kansas City Cowboys.

Other blog stuff: Here is an interesting "on this date" fact:

On this date in 1975, Larvell Blanks and Ralph Garr were traded to the White Sox for Ken Henderson, Dick Ruthven and Ozzie Osborn. So I am featuring Blanks' card on the date he was traded 35 years ago.

Also on this date, Ralph Garr was born. So he was traded on his 30th birthday.

#388 - Steve Stone

Card fact: This is the first card featuring Steve Stone wearing a mustache. He'd appear in a mustache on each Topps card until his transformation on the 1981 card in which he was clean-shaven, had shorter hair and was fresh off a 25-win season.

What I thought about this card then: My brother and I thought he was an odd-looking fellow. Looking at it now, Stone looks like a friend of mine when I was a kid -- minus the mustache, of course.

What I think about this card now: Well, first, nice coordination of the glove color with the team color. Secondly, there aren't a lot of photos in this set in which the photographer shot up at the subject. I'm not sure why they chose Stone for that treatment. He wasn't exactly a dominant pitcher at this time.

Other stuff: Stone was your typical 1970s pitcher. He was his own kind of guy and he wasn't going to follow the ballplayer traditions of the previous 80 years without thinking about it first. Other 1970s pitchers -- the Carltons, the Marshalls, the Lyles, the Lees, etc. -- were the same way, a new breed. Stone was well-read and did things like visiting a psychic in a bid to improve his pitching.

Stone came over to the Cubs from the White Sox in the famous trade that sent Ron Santo to the White Sox. Stone returned to the White Sox in 1977, then signed with the Orioles as a free agent before the 1979 season. In 1980, Stone started 37 games, pitched 250 innings and won 25 games against 7 losses. He captured the Cy Young Award in a vote that many feel robbed Mike Norris of the award.

But Stone's reliance on the curve ball that season led to arm issues. He had only one more major league season and was retired by 1982.

Stone is now known more for his broadcasting than his career. He began broadcasting in 1983 and paired up with Harry Caray in Chicago for nearly 15 years. He was quite popular. He later teamed with Chip Caray, but became involved in controversy with Cubs players, who complained he was too critical of them on the air (why am I not surprised that Moises Alou was one of the complainers? I do not like anything I hear about that guy).

Stone left the Cubs after that 2004 flap and after a few years landed with the White Sox. He is now partnered with Ken Harrelson.

Back facts: Arbitrary capitalization of "shutout" in the write-up.

Other blog stuff: I have no more words. Make something up on your own.

#384 - Brewers/Del Crandall

Card fact: This is the only team card in the set in which all of the players are standing instead of some standing and some sitting. It certainly stood out to me, as I always wondered why the Brewers took the all-standing approach.

What I thought about this card then: I just told you.

What I think about this card now: White jackets are not a good look. Why did they wear them?

Other stuff: Del Crandall, the former standout Milwaukee Braves catcher of the 1950s, was in his third year of trying to turn around a franchise that was only in its seventh season in 1975. Crandall was never able to get the Brewers higher than fifth in the six-team American League East. He was dismissed at the end of the 1975 season.

Back facts: It's good to see that Topps was able to get Hank Aaron on the checklist as a Brewer. A couple other players traded in the 1974 offseason didn't make their new team's checklist.

Even with the addition of Aaron and the new arrival of Robin Yount there wasn't much else to this team. A lot of names forgotten by time.

Other blog stuff: Let's see how well Topps did representing the 1974 Milwaukee Brewers team.

The Brewers used 36 players in 1974. Topps featured 24 of them, including Dave May, who was traded for Aaron and is featured as a Brave on his 1975 card.

Among the players Topps did not feature was Deron Johnson, who had 152 at-bats, mostly as a designated hitter. I suppose Topps was scared away by his .152 batting average. A year later, Johnson was in the 1976 Topps set with Boston.

Topps also didn't have a card of a young Sixto Lezcano, who batted 54 times, which was more than Gorman Thomas, who had a card in the '75 set.

So, here is where the Brewers rate with the other teams shown so far in terms of percentage of players featured by Topps:

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

#381 - John Curtis

Card fact: This is John Curtis' card debut in a Cardinals uniform. But it's not his first card featured as a Cardinal. He is in the 1974 Topps Traded set. It's a particularly gruesome hatless photograph of him.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card. Most of the minis I pulled came early in 1975, and Curtis was one of the first Cardinals I ever saw on a card. He represented the Cardinals for me at that stage. That must have explained why I didn't think much of the team then. If only Lou Brock or Bob Gibson had been my first Cardinal card.

What I think about this card now: Interesting signature.

Other stuff: Curtis was a much-traveled left-handed pitcher who bounced between starting and relieving for the Red Sox, Cardinals, Giants, Padres and Angels. He lasted 15 seasons, compiling an 89-97 record. Much of his starting came during his earlier years with the Red Sox and the Cardinals, and during the 1980 season with San Diego when he enjoyed one of his best years.

After his career, Curtis pursued his interest in writing, providing freelance stories for various publications, including Sports Illustrated and the Boston Globe. He also coached in an independent baseball league.

Back facts: OK, I guess the Dodger fan is going to have to correct the cartoon here.

The cartoon addresses the famous gaffe by Dodgers catcher Mickey Owen against the Yankees in the 1941 World Series. Tommy Henrich advanced to first base on a third strike after the ball got past Owen.

But note that the cartoon says "Owen" (no first name) "threw wild," implying that Owen was the pitcher and he threw a wild pitch. Well, that's all kinds of screwed up. Hugh Casey was the one who threw the pitch, and I don't believe it was wild. It's just that Owen missed it, Henrich reached first base, the Yankees rallied to win Game 4, and won the Series.

Other blog stuff: Dodgers announcer Vin Scully was born on this date 83 years ago. No, he wasn't on the job yet for Owen's dropped third strike.

#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.

#331 - Indians/Frank Robinson

Card fact: Frank Robinson's inclusion on the team card was likely a late addition by Topps as Robinson was not named player-manager of the Indians until after the 1974 season. In fact, I just missed posting this card on the anniversary of Robinson being named the first African-American manager in baseball. It happened on Oct. 3, 1974.

What I thought about this card then: Nothing. It's a boring team card.

What I think about this card now: It amuses me to no end. Not only are the Indians dressed in their wild red jersey tops with the old Municipal Stadium as a backdrop, but you have guys in suits seated in the front row while Oscar Gamble's giant 'fro hovers behind them (he's fourth from the left in the middle row -- as if you could miss him).

To me this card represents the '70s perfectly. The changing of the guard. The old suits seated with the long-haired freaky people. It's great.

Other stuff: The long-suffering Indians had just endured their sixth straight losing season in 1974. They fired Ken Aspromonte after his third losing season and installed Robinson as player-manager. Robinson had just been acquired by the Indians in a trade with the Angels a month before being selected manager.

Robinson would help Cleveland to its first winning season since 1968 when the Indians went 81-78 in 1976. But Robinson was replaced by Jeff Torborg in the middle of the 1977 season.

Back facts: I enjoy Frank Robinson being listed twice on the checklist. He has a card as a manager and one as a designated hitter. That's cool.

Also, Bruce Ellingsen's name is listed out of alphabetical order, which makes me think he was a late inclusion in the set (his capless photo is a giveaway, too).

Other blog stuff: OK, let's see how well Topps did representing the Indians team from 1974.

The Indians used 45 players in 1974, which is tied with the Angels as the most players used among the teams featured so far. Topps has cards of 27 of them as Indians in the 1975 set. Plus, there are a whopping five other players from the 1974 team -- Chris Chambliss, Jack Heidemann, Dick Tidrow, Cecil Upshaw and Ken Sanders -- who are featured in the set with other teams.

So that means Topps has 32 of the 45 players in the 1975 set. Topps didn't bypass anyone important. Rusty Torres, who had 150 at-bats in 1974, didn't get a card. Neither did Bob Johnson, who pitched in 14 games.

So this is where the Indians rate in terms of percentage of '74 players represented in the 1975 set:

1. Tigers 78.37% of players featured
2. Orioles 78.13%
3. Giants 71.43%
4. Indians 71.11%
5. Royals 70.59%
6. Red Sox 70.27%
7. Angels 68.89%
8. Expos 68.29%
9. Cardinals 65.12%
10. White Sox 65.0%
11. Phillies 62.5%
12. Pirates 61.5%
13. Padres 55.8%

#291 - Bill Sudakis

Card fact: This is the final Topps card issued during Bill Sudakis' career.

What I thought about this card then: Never saw it. If I did, it would be a favorite.

What I think about this card now: It's a rather stately pose by Mr. Sudakis. I don't know if he is looking for a sign or if someone is getting on his nerves. Perhaps it's Rick Dempsey (see below).

Other stuff: Sudakis was mostly a utility player during his career, but he began his career with the Dodgers and played 132 games at third base in 1969, hitting 14 home runs and batting (*gulp*) .234. He hit a home run in his first major league game, on Sept. 3, 1968 against the Phillies.

The Dodgers attempted to put him at catcher in the early 1970s, but Sudakis had chronic knee problems and L.A. ended up waiving him. After a brief stop with the Mets and a fairly successful year as a DH with the Rangers, Sudakis played for the Yankees, where he's known for getting into a brawl with fellow catcher Rick Dempsey at the end of the 1974 season in a hotel in Milwaukee. He later played briefly with the Angels and Indians, ending his career in 1976.

Sudakis made news in the '80s for being charged with attempting to sell cocaine to an undercover officer. But he apparently overcame that bit of nastiness and was a coach in California in the 1990s.

(EDIT: Sudakis died on Sept. 15, 2021 at age 75).

Back facts: I'm not sure if the timing of the trivia question is quite accurate. The late 1960s Dodgers squad was indeed known as "The Mod Squad," named after the popular TV show at the time. But "The Mod Squad" did not debut until the end of September 1968. Since the season was wrapping up at that time (and the Dodgers didn't play in the postseason in '68), it's unlikely they were called The Mod Squad in 1968. Nice pants, though.

Also, note the "traded to California Angels 12/3/74" in the write-up. Nice of Topps to squeeze that in there. Sudakis was traded to the Angels for Skip Lockwood, whose card we'll see later in the set (a card that also has issues). I wonder what was written in that spot before Sudakis got traded?

Other blog stuff: The No. 1 song in the country on this date was "Fallin' in Love," by Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds. I always thought that was four people, but apparently I had an extra comma between Joe and Frank and it was only three.

#285 - Ellie Rodriguez

Card fact: This is the seventh card in the set of a player posed in a catcher's crouch. I would have thought there would have been more by now.

What I thought about this card then: Believe it or not, this was a "dude looks like a lady" card. As a youngster, I thought Rodriguez looked girlish. Maybe it was because his first name was "Ellie" or maybe it was because the first time I saw this card it was owned by my friend Jennifer. I don't know. It's just what I thought at the time.

What I think about this card now: The cap reminds me very much of a cap I wore as a kid. But instead of the "A" on the cap, it had an "L.A." as in the old Los Angeles Angels. A well-meaning relative bought me a "Dodgers" cap that actually was a "Los Angeles Angels" cap, patterned after the Angels' caps of the 1960s. I didn't know any better at the time and wore it.

Other stuff: Ellie Rodriguez was coming off possibly his best year in the majors as he played in a career high 140 games and had a career high 395 at-bats in 1974. He came over to the Angels from the Brewers in an eight-player deal. Rodriguez was the semi-regular catcher for the Brewers. Before that he played for the expansion Royals and briefly with the Yankees.

Rodriguez ended his career as a back-up with the Dodgers in 1976 (his 1977 Topps card was the first Dodger I pulled that year). He is now a consultant and scout for the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

Back fact: It seems rather odd that Topps chose Rodriguez for a card number that ended in "5." Those numbers were usually reserved for semi-stars.

Also, the Red Rooster has been featured on the blog already.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1975, Ralph Kiner, Babe Herman, Earl Averill, Bucky Harris and Judy Johnson were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

#261 - Andy Hassler

Card fact: This is Andy Hassler's rookie card.

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

What I think about this card now: Yet another Angel in this set who is wearing a black arm patch. As Steve, from White Sox Cards, commented in the last Angels player post, the patch is in the memory of an Angels prospect, Bruce Heinbechner, who died in a car accident in the spring of 1974.

Other stuff: Hassler played 14 seasons for six different teams. Everyone can use a lefty on the mound. During the 1975 and 1976 seasons, he lost a franchise record 17 straight games. This was the time when the Angels had Nolan Ryan and Frank Tanana on the staff, so fans must have just thrown up their hands when it was Hassler's turn on the mound.

But Hassler had his moments. He pitched two one-hitters. He participated in the postseason with the Royals in 1976 and 1977 (losing twice to the Yankees) and the Angels in 1982. He also was on the Cardinals' NL championship team in 1985.

(EDIT: Sadly, Andy Hassler died at age 68 on Christmas day, 2019).

Back facts: Since this set came out, two other National Leaguers have hit two grand slams in one game. The first was the Cardinals' Fernando Tatis, who hit two in ONE INNING off the Dodgers' Chan Ho Park in April of 1999. What a sickening day that was. The second happened just last year, when Josh Willingham hit grand slams in back-to-back innings for the Nationals.

Also, in case you were wondering about Hassler's major league debut, he started the game against the Yankees, pitched four innings, allowed six hits, five walks, two runs and took the loss in a 3-0 defeat.

Other blog stuff: Today is the Mad Hungarian's birthday. Al Hrabosky turns 61.

#258 - Dave LaRoche

Card fact: I've got nothing, so let's start a tally on which teams come immediately after a checklist card. This time, it's a Cub. The last time, it was a Twin. More useless information, courtesy of the 1975 Topps blog.

What I thought about this card then: Well, we have a "dude looks like a lady" entry. We thought that long hair looked awfully girly, completely discounting the chest hair and the hint of a mustache.

What I think about this card now: Tough one. Not much to think about. And since I'm just staring at the screen, I'll move on.

Other stuff: Dave LaRoche was almost exclusively a relief pitcher for five teams during 14 years in the major leagues. His best seasons probably came with the Angels in the late 1970s.

In a famous story, which is on his wikipedia page, LaRoche was known as a complainer. One time, teammate Rod Carew got so fed up at LaRoche's whining that he challenged him to a fight. The two had it out in a broom closet in the clubhouse.

LaRoche also threw an eephus-style pitch, called "La Lob" during his career. He finished up with the Yankees and appeared in the World Series in 1981. He is now a pitching coach for the Blue Jays in the minor leagues.

LaRoche is probably most known now as being the father of two current major leaguers, Adam and Andy LaRoche. Andy used to play with the Dodgers, but now, because they've been traded so often and because they both share four-letter first names that begin with "A," I have a hell of a time keeping track of where they are or even who they are. This is why parents need to select names for their children that are distinct from their siblings.

Back facts: I like the complete transaction details in the write-up at the bottom. Also, Lynwood is not a good name. I can see why he went by "Schoolboy."

Other blog stuff: On the other blog, I noted that I may have to change the color-combination attributed to the Dave Lopes card. It appears that the actual color combination on the card is "brown-orange" not "brown-tan." I apparently have a copy in which the orange color is faded. So I have changed the Lopes label to "brown-orange," so that the color combination standings are accurate.

I'm sure you're all relieved.

#247 - Enos Cabell

Card fact: This is Enos Cabell's first solo card. He appeared on one of those three-man rookie cards in the 1973 Topps set.

What I thought about this card then: Didn't see it. I remember when I acquired it as an adult that I thought he looked strange in an Orioles uniform. I had known Cabell mostly as an Astro.

What I think about this card now: I'm going to say that's old Memorial Stadium in the background. Having only seen the stadium from games on TV, I'm not sure. But I sure liked the look of the stadium from what I saw. Loved the row of homes beyond the outfield fence.

Other stuff: Cabell was a key part of the Houston Astros as the team grew into a contender in the National League West. He was the regular third baseman and delivered a lot of hits (the Astros gave him a lot of at-bats). He also played for the Tigers, Giants and finished his career with the Dodgers. Cabell was also among the players who confessed to drug use in the Pittsburgh drug trials.

But, for me, Cabell is the player at the center of the battle between "baseball people" and "sabermatricians." When I was a teenager, I started to read Bill James' annual publications that he put out in the early 1980s. I really looked forward to them each year. I found out that James didn't think much of Enos Cabell at all. This was around the time when the Tigers acquired Cabell and Sparky Anderson talked up Cabell's abilities. Well, James tore Sparky apart (he didn't like him either) and really bashed Cabell. He pointed out that Cabell didn't contribute a lot to the team when you looked at the stats. And when I look at Cabell's on-base percentage through the years, I can see that James was right. It's not good.

From that point on, I questioned what "baseball people" said about players and took a different look at stats and what was important to the success of a baseball team. I'm not a stat-head by any means, but it was the first time I realized that there was a different, and many times better, way of looking at a player's productivity.

Cabell is now an assistant to the general manager with the Astros.

Back facts:  I wonder if more baseballs are required for games today. Some players seem to spend a half hour at the plate fouling off pitches.

Other blog stuff: Happy birthday to the Goose, Rich Gossage, who is 59 years old today.

#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.

#188 - Tom Griffin

Card fact: This is the last player card featured on this blog for the next three weeks. We are about to begin the second subset of the 1975 set!

What I thought about this card then: I do recall having this card and trading it away in that deal for some '75 minis. I didn't think much about the card front, but I did have thoughts on the back. More on that in a bit.

What I think about this card now: This card basically symbolizes my card-collecting philosophy. I referred to it in my first blog bat-around post.

Also, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that guy in the background is on his cell phone.

Other stuff: Tom Griffin delivered an eye-popping rookie season in 1969, striking out exactly 200 batters in 31 games started and leading the league in strikeouts per game (9.6). He didn't come close to matching those figures the rest of his career, but did manage to pitch 14 years for the Astros, Padres, Angels, Giants and Pirates.

My guess (in my very brief bit of research I didn't turn up much) is he suffered some sort of injury in 1971 as he pitched in only 10 games and was 0-6. The next two years he worked as a reliever before returning to a starter role in 1974. The end of his career was dominated by relief roles.

Griffin had a strong year at the plate in 1974, hitting .294 in 68 at-bats with two homers and eight RBIs.

Back facts: There you can see the 200 strikeouts in Griffin's first season. That number leapt off the cardboard at me when I was a 9-year-old. As I said before, I wondered what happened to him after that. I still wonder. It's card backs like this that keep me interested in set collecting. Each player, not just the stars, has a story to tell on a piece of cardboard. That's one of the big reasons I still define myself as a set collector.

Other blog stuff: Tomorrow, I will begin featuring the MVPs subset from the '75 set. I don't plan to do anything different with these cards in terms of the subjects I cover. But if anyone has anything they'd like to see with these MVP cards, I'd be more than happy to take suggestions.

#184 - Jorge Orta

Card fact: I'll go with a player fact. Orta's name was pronounced "Jorj," not "Hor-hay."

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

What I think about this card now: Orta looks forlorn, like the guys in the background refused to let him play with them.

Other stuff: Orta is known mostly for his part in the controversial play in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series. Orta led off the ninth inning with the Royals trailing the Cardinals 1-0 in the game and 3-2 in the Series. He  grounded a ball to Jack Clark, who tossed to pitcher Todd Worrell at first. Worrell tagged the bag before Orta, but umpire Don Denkinger called Orta safe. The Cardinals did not take it well.

The Royals went on to win that game and then won Game 7 easily when the Cardinals, seemingly still wrapped up in the call from the previous game, imploded. It was ugly.

Cover your ears, Cardinals fans, but I was rooting for the Royals in this series, so I was quite pleased.

Aside from that, Orta was a fine hitter for the White Sox throughout the 1970s. He finished second in the American League in batting average in 1974 and was utilized at several positions. He was one of my more favorite players from the '70s.

After he signed with the Indians as a free agent, Orta gradually became a platoon hitter. He had one miserable year with the Dodgers in 1982, then finished up with the Blue Jays and Royals as a role player.

Back facts: Maury Wills stole a then-record 104 bases in 1962.

I was always intrigued every time there was a line that said "Not In Organized Ball." What was he doing? My mind reeled with possibilities.

Also, the blurb at the bottom of the card kills me. Especially in light of the controversial play in '85. "So fast that the umpire calls him safe when he isn't!"

Other blog stuff: This is just the seventh brown-tan combo card, but it pulls "brown-tan," or "chocolate-vanilla," out of a last-place tie with the red-orange combo.

#144 - Jim Wohlford

Card fact: This is the sixth card of someone named "Jim." That falls behind "David," "Bob" and "Joe." But shockingly there's been just one "Mark" in the set so far.

What I thought about this card then: No thoughts. Didn't see it.

What I think about this card now: I like the distant Coca-Cola advertisement in the background. Now THAT is subliminal advertising.

Other stuff: I didn't see Wohlford's 1975 card, but I did see his 1976 card.

That is significant, because I thought he looked exactly like my friend, Jeff, the Royals fan from Kansas. And I found it interesting that there should be someone on his favorite team that looked liked him. Now, you can say what you want about how dopey Wohlford looks, but you leave my friend Jeff alone.

Also, because Wohford and George Brett both had long blond hair and played for the Royals, I would get them confused. Really.

Anyway, Wohlford was coming off the best season of his career in 1975. In 1974, he reached 500 at-bats for the only time in his career. He would never even reach 400 at-bats the rest of his time in the big leagues, even though he played until 1986. He was known as a defensively skilled outfielder.

Wohlford also claimed in a Chicago Tribune article that he was the one who said, "Ninety percent of this game is half-mental," not Yogi Berra.

Back facts: Did Brooks Robinson really cry about the fact that he played all those games at third base? I think he LIKED doing it.

Other blog stuff: The No. 1 song on this date in 1975 was "Black Water," by the Doobie Brothers. Good song, especially for 1975 when there was an awful lot of junk on the pop charts.

#102 - Joe Decker

Card fact: The last two cards have featured the same-colored border. That's the second time that has happened (first was Willie Davis-Bill Melton), except for the highlights series at the start of the set.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card. I associate this card with my brother, because it was one of the first cards he had from the set.

What I think about this card now: The shadow Decker is casting looks like the head of a Scottish terrier.

Other stuff: Decker pitched for the Cubs, Twins and briefly with the Mariners. His 1974 season was his best season as he won 16 games. He would never win more than two games in a season the rest of his career, which ended in 1979.

Decker died in 2003 at age 55.

Back facts: I'm not sure, but this could be the only card in the set for which I have the regular base card, the mini card and the OPC card. The front of the OPC card looks just like the Topps card. (Actually, after a bit of thinking, I do have all three for Doug Rau, as well).

The back looks like this:

The card apparently encountered some turbulence crossing the border. It's a bit messed up. But you can see all the French words crammed into the back of the card.

Also, how do you get "Joe" out of "George Henry"?

Other blog stuff: After much consideration I have indeed settled on a name for this color combo. I am staying with the food concept, but it's not any of the fine suggestions offered. It's very simple: "The chocolate & vanilla combo." I like that.

#101 - Expos/Gene Mauch

Card fact: In 1975, Gene Mauch was entering his seventh and final season as the Expos franchise's first manager. This would be his last card appearance as the Expos manager.

What I thought about this card then: Team card. No thoughts.

What I think about this card now: I did not know Evel Knievel was a member of the Expos' organization (middle row, last guy on the right).

Other stuff: Not much to say, so I'll show you the back of the mini card that I pulled in 1975:

Notice that I filled in the boxes rather neatly for a 9-year-old. But that's because I wasn't 9 when I did that. A couple years after the set came out, I went back to my old cards and checked off any player for which I had a card, whether it was from the '75 set or not. So I didn't really have the '75 card for a number of those players back then.

Back facts: You can see the beginnings of progress in the Expos with the listing of Gary Carter, who was in his first year in 1974, and pitcher Steve Rogers. But they didn't achieve a winning record until 1979.

Other blog stuff: Let's see if Topps left out anyone key from the Expos.

Montreal used 41 players in 1974. Topps featured 28 of its players, including two guys airbrushed into their new teams -- Ron Hunt (Cardinals) and Jim Northrup (Orioles).

The most prominent player that wasn't pictured in the 1975 set was probably Larry Parrish. But he was just up from the minors with only 69 at-bats, so collectors wouldn't expect Topps to have a card of him (it was a different world in 1975 as far as rookies).

So the closest thing to a key player being left out is second baseman Jim Cox, who started more games at the position than anyone else for the Expos in 1974. He played in 77 games and had 236 at-bats but didn't get a card. Cox wasn't really considered a starter and played in just 24 more games the rest of his major league career, so Topps might have taken that into account. But that would have been Cox's best opportunity to be on a Topps baseball card. He never appeared on one. (Johngy points out Cox was on one of those 4-in-1 rookie cards in 1974).

Here is where the Expos stack-up with the other teams featured so far:

1. Tigers 78.37% of players featured

2. Royals 70.59%
3. Expos 68.29%
4. Phillies 62.5%