#645 - Danny Cater

Card fact: This is the final Topps card of Danny Cater issued during his career.

What I thought about this card then: My brother had the mini card. I thought Cater looked old and British.

What I think about this card now: He still looks vaguely British. But not as old.

Other stuff: I know Cater as the guy the Yankees dealt to the Red Sox to land relief pitcher Sparky Lyle. But Cater was a pretty good hitter before that. He was a singles, doubles, batting average guy who started out with the Phillies and White Sox and then hit his prime with the A's. He finished second in the American League in average in 1968 with a .290. (Carl Yastrzemski famously won the title with a .301).

Cater was pretty slow and hit into double plays a lot. After a nice season with the Yankees in 1970, he declined a little and the Yankees picked the right time to pawn him off on the Red Sox. Cater didn't play in a 100 games for any of the three seasons he wore a Red Sox uniform. He finished up with the Cardinals in 1975.

He later worked in the Texas Comptroller's office in his native state.

Back facts: I was fascinated by this cartoon as a kid. Did pitchers really do this? Where did they get such a tiny rubber ball? Why was the player so horrified by squeezing a rubber ball?

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1993, major league baseball voted to divide each league into three divisions.

No comment.

#577 - John Morris

Card fact: This is the last card issued during John Morris' career. He had only three Topps cards and the one previous to this one is in the 1971 set.

What I thought about this card then: I had/have the mini card. I thought Morris was 48 years old. He was actually around 33.

What I think about this card now: He still looks a lot older than 33.

Other stuff: Morris, not to be confused with the outfielder who played for the Cardinals in the late '80s/early '90s, pitched for five teams between 1966-74. His best success came with the Pilots/Brewers between 1969-71. Morris was selected in the expansion draft of '68 from the Orioles.

(EDIT: John Morris died at age 84 on Oct. 20, 2025).

Back facts: The "green monster" is one of my favorite cartoons from this set. Also, the back of this card looks unusual without an orange crayon scribble across the monster drawing. My original mini of Morris (I've since upgraded) has the orange scribble, and it's become as much a feature of the card as the green-on-red type.

Other blog stuff: This is the third straight green-purple bordered card. Except for subsets, this is the first time the same color combination has been featured on three straight cards. The streak has pushed the green-purple combination within one of the overall lead.

#390 - Ron Cey

Card fact: Well, the moment has arrived. This is my most favorite card in the set. It's also my most favorite card of all-time. Favorite card when I was a kid. Favorite card now. I traded HANK AARON for this card, for crying out loud. And, no, I don't regret it one bit.

What I thought about this card then: Must. Have. Card.

What I think about this card now: Between the two blogs, I'm sure I have posted this card more often than any other. It's about the 6th or 7th time. I think I've said all I have to say about it. It became my favorite during 1975, I traded the '75 Aaron card for it, and then somehow, tragically, I lost that first '75 Cey card.

Why did Cey become my favorite then? Well, I've studied my younger self enough to come to the conclusion that I liked players with long hair and mustaches and that wore helmets. Add the fact that he was a Dodger, and I think it was a natural fit.

Other stuff: Cey is the best slugger the Los Angeles Dodgers have ever had. He led the franchise in career home runs until Eric Karros broke it. He came through in the clutch in some big postseason moments, most notably during the 1977 NLCS against the Phillies and the 1981 World Series against the Yankees. I remember being especially proud of him when he broke the N.L record for RBIs in the month of April in 1978. And how about the diving catch on a bunt by Bobby Murcer in the '81 World Series?

"The Penguin" had a distinctive trot around the bases -- very much like a waddle. And his batting stance was memorable, too.

I still have no idea why the Dodgers traded him to the Cubs after the 1982 season. No one has been able to give me a good reason. Hey, I liked Pedro Guerrero, too, but put him in the damn outfield.

Cey is now one of the Dodgers' biggest ambassadors, a frequent TTM and in-person signer -- as I will attest. His daughter, Amanda, is a big-time event/party planner in San Francisco.

Back facts: I didn't know what monuments were as a 9-year-old. I thought those rectangular drawings in the cartoon were gas station pumps. I thought Jimmy Piersall was fielding a fly down at the local Sunoco station.

Also, I double-checked the game facts in the write-up. They're all correct. Cey was 3-for-4 with 7 RBIs, two homers and a bases-loaded single. He also struck out looking.

Other blog stuff: This is the second Dodger all-star on the N.L. team so far, so let's add Cey to the list:

AL

1B -
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 -
OF - Hank Aaron
OF - Pete Rose
OF -
C - Johnny Bench
P -

#277 - Frank Taveras

Card fact: This is Frank Taveras' first solo card. He appears on one of those four-player rookie cards in the 1974 set. ... Also, it's been 99 cards since the last "red-yellow" border.

What I thought about this card then: I remember pulling this card on a particularly hot day in July and the sight of Taveras all bundled up in his jacket looked very unappealing.

What I think about this card now: It is all kinds of fantastic. I'll start with the jacket, which looks like a high school varsity letter jacket. Then you have the cap, which looks partly like what "the man in the yellow hat"' wore in "Curious George." Then there is Taveras' Afro, and the look on his face, as if he was caught in mid-sentence. And let's not forget his signature, which looks like it was constructed with black string.

Other stuff: Frank Taveras was one of those top-of-the-order guys who played a lot of games but really wasn't as good as a lot of people thought. Sure, he led the league in stolen bases in 1977 with 70, and he had a bunch of base hits in 1978 and 1979. But his on-base percentage was not good for a lead-off guy.

Taveras spent a long while in the minor leagues before landing the starting shortstop role with the Pirates. Then, in 1979, he was traded to the Mets for Tim Foli. Foli would go on to win a World Series title with Pittsburgh that year, while Taveras was stuck on a team going nowhere. Taveras actually played in 164 games that season.

Taveras ended his career with the Expos in 1982.

Back facts: 1. I didn't even realize that the vital stats were wiped out until I uploaded this card. I might have to upgrade.

2. That is one of my favorite cartoons in the set. When I was a kid, I thought the sun in the cartoon was a soap bubble and the player was waiting to catch it.

3. Franklin Crisostomo Taveras (Fabian) is a great name.

4. I was mesmerized by all those minor league stats as a kid. Usually that meant the player wasn't going to last long in the majors. But Taveras made it work for him.

Oldie but goodie: There's the original that I pulled on that hot day. He still looks warm.

Other blog stuff: The No. 1 song in the country on this date was "Jive Talkin'" by the Bee Gees. Yes, it was the '70s.

#269 - Doug Rau

Card fact: I'm not 100 percent sure on this, but I believe this is the only '75 Topps card that I have that I also have in mini form and O-Pee-Chee form. The rare '75 trifecta!

What I thought about this card then: Doug Rau was a childhood favorite. I rooted for the underdog quite a bit as a kid, and Rau was the No. 4 starter in the Dodgers starting rotation of my youth. You can't get much more underdog than a No. 4 starter.

What I think about this card now: Was this photo taken at Vero Beach? Did the Dodgers color code the bleachers at their spring training site to match the Dodger Stadium seat coloring? If they did, that is awesome.

Other stuff: As mentioned, Rau was a key part of the Dodgers' pitching staff during their success of the late 1970s. The rotation that I knew growing up was: Don Sutton, Tommy John, Burt Hooton, Doug Rau and Rick Rhoden. I badly wanted Rau and Rhoden to become stars. They didn't reach the star level, but they did do pretty good for themselves.

Rau reached double figures in wins for five consecutive seasons with the Dodgers. His 1977 World Series showing was plagued by a famous mound argument with Tommy Lasorda (Lasorda sets an all-time record for cursing during the 3-minute conversation). But Rau was a bit more effective in the '78 World Series.

Arm trouble caught up to Rau in 1979, and he missed the entire 1980 season. His last season was 1981 with the Angels.

Rau's first major league at-bat was a memorable one -- he tripled. It took another 35 years before another pitcher tripled in his first MLB at-bat.

Back facts: This is one of my favorite cartoons in the set. Apparently sports fans always smoke pipes while watching television.

Other blog stuff: I'm taking another short break on this blog. I'll resume with a card of a four-decade player in a few days.

#240 - Garry Maddox

Card fact: This is the first Maddox card with a "hero" card number (one ending in a zero). It's also the last card to feature him as a Giant. Yay!

What I thought about this card then: This, honestly, was one of my favorite cards in the set. I remember pulling it in July of 1975. Maddox seemed so regal, and the card, with its blue-and-green border, added to the effect. I'm not sure what happened to the original Maddox card I pulled. It seems like I would've held on to a card that I liked that much.

What I think about this card now: Thank goodness he's not known for being a Giant.

Other stuff: Maddox was a slick-fielding ballplayer mostly known for his success with the Phillies teams of the late 1970s. He won eight Gold Glove awards, including seven straight. Ironically, Dodgers fans know him most for his botching of Bill Russell's base hit in the 10th inning of the final game of the 1978 NLCS, sending home the winning run and clinching the series for the Dodgers.

Maddox was my favorite player who wasn't on my favorite team and it wasn't just because he helped L.A. reach the World Series in 1978. He continued to be a favorite until the end of his career and I was always happy when I pulled his card.

Maddox is now a chef in barbeque land at the Philadelphia ballpark.

Back facts: I thought it was cool that there were cartoon bottles of poison on the back of the card. It reminded me of Saturday morning cartoons. Someone was always drinking poison on the Looney Toons.

Also, I didn't know what "In Military Service" meant when I was a kid. But it didn't sound pleasant. Maddox served in Vietnam in 1969 and 1970 and exposure to chemicals made his skin sensitive. He grew a full beard to protect his face.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1975, former Astros player Richard Hidalgo was born. Whatever happened to that guy?

#186 - Willie Crawford

Card fact: This is the second straight Dodger card of a player who is no longer with us. Willie Crawford died at age 57 in 2004.

What I thought about this card: I thought it was quite cool. Crawford's tilted helmet made the whole card. I'm not sure what happened to my original card. It's possible I upgraded this card at a young age and scrapped the original.

What I think about this card now: One of the most severe tilts on a background that I've seen so far. Of course, I scanned the card in tilted so I'll just shut up about that.

Other stuff: Crawford was one of the best high school athletes to come out of Los Angeles. He was a big football standout and many football colleges came after him. But baseball did, too. Nobody pursued him more than Charlie O. Finley and Tommy Lasorda.

Can you imagine being 18 years old and having those two guys talking your ear off? Finley was the owner of the Kansas City Athletics and Lasorda was a scout for the Dodgers. Lasorda won, signing Crawford two days after he graduated from high school. Crawford never played in the minor leagues, and was in the World Series the very next year.

He never reached the lofty expectations people held for him. He was expected to become a star of Willie Mays stature, but he struggled to find playing time year after year. His frustration with that led to an alcohol problem that he eventually kicked after his playing career ended. Crawford spent 11 years with the Dodgers, then was traded to the Cardinals, where he spent one season. He was then traded to the Giants and is pictured in an airbrushed Giants helmet on his 1977 card, but he never played for them. He finished out his career with the Astros and the A's.

After returning to the Dodgers for the 1978 season, he didn't make the team and retired at the age of 31.

Back facts: This was one of my favorite cartoons from the set. A base that's on fire! Loved it.

Other blog stuff: On this date in baseball history, in 1974, Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis intentionally hit Pete Rose, Joe Morgan and Dan Driessen, then threw two balls behind Tony Perez's head before walking him. Manager Danny Murtaugh then took Ellis out of the game before he did anymore damage.

#37 - Dave Freisleben

Card fact: The green-light green cards are starting to pull away from the other color combos. This is the fifth one featured on a player card. Only the orange-brown design of the Highlights cards has been featured more often.

What I thought about this card then: We didn't follow baseball regularly in 1975. We collected cards. But as far as sitting down and watching games on television, or tracking boxscores in the newspaper, that was still a couple years down the line. But even in that hazy state, we still knew the Padres were not a good team. Must've been something about those stats on the back.

What I think about this card now: How the heck do you pronounce this guy's last name? I tried to look it up a month or so ago with no success. Now, I'm too lazy to try it again.

Is it:

a) Freez-el-ben
b) Fries-el-ben
c) Friz-el-ben
d) Freez-lee-ben
e) Fries-lee-ben
f) Friz-lee-ben
g) Freez-lee-bin
h) OK, that's enough now
i) None of the above

I am semi-obsessed with the fact that I don't know how to pronounce so many early 1970s players' names.

Other stuff: Friesleben (man, I really have to focus in order to spell his name correctly) is now a pro golfer. Also, I'm not the only one wondering how his name is pronounced.

Back facts: Another Halloween baby. That makes two so far. Am I going to have to start a count on that? ... This is another one of my favorite cartoons from my childhood. I actually thought Ebbets Field had a roof like a gingerbread house.

Oldie but goodie: Here is the original 1975 Friesleben that I touched with my own 9-year-old hands:

No sharp corners on that thing. It's baby-proof!

Other blog stuff: I scanned card No. 333 a couple days ago. That means I've scanned more than half the set.

#26 - Dave McNally

Card fact: This is Dave McNally's last card. He played for the Expos in 1975, but retired after the season and no card was made for him for 1976.

What I thought about this card then: I loved the pink-and-yellow cards. They were so overpowering that the player pictured on the cards was almost inconsequential.

What I think about this card now: Taking a photo of a person with his mouth hanging open is just mean.

Other stuff: McNally is known for several things: clinching the World Series for the Orioles in 1966 with a Game 4 shutout, hitting a grand slam in a game that he also won in the 1970 World Series. But I remember reading about him as a kid as he was one of the figures who helped bring down baseball's reserve clause and spawn free agency. He was kind of a side figure with Andy Messersmith (who was the real reason why I was interested in all this grown-up stuff, because Messersmith was a DODGER), but the name "McNally" stuck in my head.

Back facts: The cartoon is one of the most memorable of my childhood. How can a kid not love a picture of a ball moving so fast that it has both smoke trailing from it and drills a hole through the glove (and the hand) of the fielder?

Mark Koenig was an infielder for the New York Yankees. So, those of you who thought the fastest measured pitch was thrown by Nolan Ryan or Joel Zumaya -- think again.

Also, look at the freakish stats compiled by McNally. Four straight 20-win seasons. Crazy.

One final thing: McNally was born on Halloween.

Other blog stuff: I've given you enough to chew on. That's all I've got today.

#22 - Dave Cash

Card fact: This is the first card of Dave Cash in an actual Phillies uniform. He is airbrushed into a Phillies cap on his 1974 card, which also features a teammate from the Pirates (Cash's old team) standing right next to him.

What I thought about this card then: Cash is one of those players that I had an inexplicable fascination with when I was a kid. He was one of my favorite players, based solely on this card.

What I think about this card now: Well, I'm trying to figure what it was about the card that made me so interested in Cash. All I can come up with is he had a stylish Afro and facial hair. I was one weird 9-year-old boy.

Other stuff: This is the first card in the set in which the player's entire body is in the photo. That won't happen again until card #58.

Back facts: Lots of stuff here:

1. This was one of my favorite cartoons in the set as a kid. I'm going to keep track of all those favorites and see if I can come up with my most favorite of the whole set.

2. Cash had a freakish number of at-bats in 1974 with 687. The following years he'd have 699, 666, 650 and 658. I thought it was so cool that he came to the plate that many times. But I'm wondering if it played a part in his career lasting only until 1980.

3. Players without middle names rocked. They still rock.

Oldie but goodie: Here is the Cash card I had in 1975. I may have traded for this card. I don't think I pulled it from a pack.

Other blog stuff: Exactly 277 cards scanned, 383 to go.