#659 - Bob Apodaca

Card fact: This is Bob Apodaca's first solo card. He appears on a four-player rookie card in the 1974 Topps set (there is both an error version and corrected version of his '74 card. His name is spelled "Apodaco" in the error version).

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

What I think about this card now: It's always interesting seeing the penultimate card in a set. Beyond that, no thoughts.

Other stuff: Apodaca pitched five seasons in the major leagues, all for the Mets. I relate him to those mediocre Mets teams of the mid-to-late '70s.

Apodaca was used as a reliever by New York and he saved 13 games with a 1.49 ERA in 1975. Arm problems struck after the 1977 season and he missed a couple of seasons. He pitched in the minors in 1979 and 1981.

Apodaca was a coach for the Mets organization throughout '80s and '90s, including the Mets' big league pitching coach in the late '90s. He's been the Rockies' pitching coach since 2003.

Back facts: Another Dodger cartoon. One day I'll count them all, but there has to be at least 20 or 25.

Also, the Apodaca's non-existent ERA in 1973 would have mystified me as a boy. Apodaca pitched to two batters, allowed a run and didn't get anyone out for an ERA of infinity in his only game in the majors in '73.

Other blog stuff: Tomorrow is the final card in the set. Gee, I wonder who it is?

#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.

#641 - Jim Northrup

Card fact: This is the final Topps card issued of Jim Northrup during his career. He retired after the 1975 season.

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

What I think about this card now: It is blatantly obvious that Northrup is wearing a Tigers uniform. But that weirdly airbrushed Orioles cap -- it must've been fun to airbrush the Oriole cartoon bird back in the day -- probably fooled a few kiddies.

Northrup was traded to the Expos in August of 1974. He was then purchased by the Orioles on Sept. 16, 1974 and played eight games for them to close out the year. He played in 84 games for Baltimore in 1975.

Other stuff: Northrup is known for his timely and dramatic hitting with the Detroit Tigers, specifically during the 1968 season, a year in which the Tigers won the World Series.

Northrup, the Tigers' regular right fielder (but he played a lot of center field, too), hit five grand slams in 1968, including one in Game 6 of the World Series that helped Detroit tie up the Series with the Cardinals after trailing 3 games to 1.

Northrup also delivered the decisive blow in Game 7 of the Series, connecting for a two-out, two-run triple off of Bob Gibson in the seventh inning. Northrup also hit a home run off of Gibson in Game 4 of the Series.

Northrup was a streaky hitter who enjoyed his best seasons between 1968-70. He became a regular with Detroit in 1966. In the early '70s when Billy Martin took over as the Tigers' manager, Northrup clashed with the manager, once saying, "He took all the fun out of the game."

After his playing career, Northrup played pro softball, worked as a broadcaster for the Tigers, and in several business ventures. Northrup died three months ago at age 71, suffering from various ailments, including Alzheimer's Disease.

Back facts: Well, that's an interesting cartoon. I'm assuming that by 1886, they're referring to Old Judge cards, which were among the first to be included with tobacco products and sold to consumers. But there were baseball "cards" issued by various businesses going back to the 1860s.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1918, the Red Sox won Game 1 of the World Series against the Cubs, 1-0, on a six-hit shutout by Babe Ruth. The World Series was moved up a month because of World War I.

#631 - Lee Lacy

Card fact: This is the final Dodger card in the 1975 Topps set.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it. It was one of the last Dodger cards I needed to finish the team set.

What I think about this card now: It's a happy card as Lee Lacy poses there in Dodger Stadium.

Other stuff: Lacy was a backup infielder for the Dodgers throughout the 1970s before becoming a role player with the Pirates in the '80s and then a starter later in his career with Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

Lacy had trouble breaking through the Dodgers' vaunted infield in the '70s. He was one of those players that I wished would get a chance to be a starter -- preferably pushing Bill Russell out of the starting shortstop role. I was disappointed that Lacy was traded to the Braves in the Dusty Baker deal, figuring that would be Lacy's big break.

But it wasn't. Lacy returned to the Dodgers a year later as L.A. sent pitcher Mike Marshall to Atlanta. He enjoyed a pretty good World Series against the Yankees in 1977, going 3-for-7 with two RBIs in four games. But after 1978, he signed as a free agent with the Pirates.

Lacy moved to the outfield with the Pirates and was on the 1979 World Series-winning team. He hit above .300 four of the five years he was with Pittsburgh. He appeared in his most games between 1984-86 when he was in his late 30s.

Lacy's daughter, Jennifer Lacy, plays in the WNBA.

Back facts: "Singled" is not capitalized. Just want to make that clear one more time for all the grade school kids out there.

Other blog stuff: 1970s pop icons Gene Simmons and Rollie Fingers were each born on this date.

#628 - Ron LeFlore

Card fact: This is one of the cards that I pulled out of those first three packs of cards I ever bought.

What I thought about this card then: It helped me become a Tigers fan at an early age, since I also pulled the Mickey Stanley and John Hiller cards out of those first packs, too.

What I think about this card now: This is such an iconic card in my collecting history that I can't appreciate it for what it is -- Ron LeFlore's rookie card.

Other stuff: LeFlore was one of the big names in baseball when I was growing up, mostly because of his criminal past as a teenager. His life on the streets and prison time was made famous by a made-for-TV movie, called "One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story." I remember waiting with anticipation to watch this movie on TV. But I can't recall anything about it.

LeFlore didn't play organized ball growing up. His first experience with that was in prison with inmates while he was serving time for armed robbery. Tigers manager Billy Martin was tipped off to LeFlore's ability and he went to the prison to see LeFlore play. LeFlore was eventually signed by the Tigers.

LeFlore made an immediate impact with Detroit, which was going through tough times in the mid-1970s. Together with Mark Fidrych, the Tigers became a national presence in 1976. LeFlore ranked among the league's leading base stealers and he hit for a high average.

After six years with the Tigers, he was traded to the Expos for pitcher Dan Schatzeder, a trade I couldn't figure out. LeFlore stole a National League best 97 bases in his one year for Montreal in 1980. He signed as a free agent with the White Sox after the season, and had relatively limited playing time for Chicago in 1981 and 1982. He was released by Chicago at the start of the 1983 season.

After his career, he worked outside of baseball. He later managed some in independent leagues, and encountered child support issues that led to arrests.

Back facts: LeFlore's birth date on this card is incorrect. LeFlore was actually born in 1948, not 1952, so he was 26 at the time this card came out, not 22.

Other blog stuff: This might be the last time I get to show a card that was pulled in those first packs I bought in April of 1975. So here it is:

Love it.

#627 - Tom Walker

Card fact: Tom Walker is the father of current Pirates second baseman Neil Walker. That makes this the second straight card that featured a player whose son played in the majors also.

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

What I think about this card now: Walker seems to be strategically placed in front of the Coca-Cola sign that graces so many of the Expos' cards.

Other stuff: Walker pitched between 1972-77, mostly with Montreal. He was a reliever most of the time and was dealt to Detroit for Woodie Fryman after the 1974 season (Topps could only manage a blurb about the trade on the back of Walker's card).

Walker ended his career with stints with St. Louis, the Expos again, and the Angels.

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

Back facts: OK, the cartoonist clearly is doing a lot more work than the biographer on this card.

The cartoonist draws a moose at the plate, which can't be easy to do.

The biographer? Well, it's obvious he had nothing to write about, so he stared at the stats for awhile and realized Walker never had a losing record and, viola, a write-up was born. Also, Walker was not exclusively a reliever. In fact, in 1974, he started eight games.

Other blog stuff: Kenny Rogers -- the singer, not the pitcher -- was born on this date in 1938.

#601 - Juan Beniquez

Card fact: This is the first Red Sox card that my brother pulled from this set. He was and is a Red Sox fan.

What I thought about this card then: Beniquez looked a little too sophisticated to me to be a ballplayer.

What I think about this card now: It took me a long time to get a card of Beniquez that I liked. For quite awhile, the card that I had of him was cut so it was slightly larger than the other cards in the set. That really bothered me.

Other stuff: Beniquez's career was just getting started in 1975. He came up with the Red Sox in 1971 as a shortstop before converting to the outfield a couple of years later. From there, he would play for Boston, Texas, the Yankees, Seattle, the Angels, Baltimore, Kansas City and Toronto. His career lasted 17 seasons. I remember pulling a card of his in the late '80s, back when I wasn't paying a ton of attention to baseball, and I thought "holy crap, this guy is still in the majors?"

Beniquez is noted for having his best seasons with the Angels in the mid-80s after he had already reached his 30s and had been in the league for more than a dozen years. He hit over .300 four straight years between 1983-86.

Back facts: I knew about this Johnnie "Dusty" Baker guy from his cartoon before I acquired his mini card in 1975. It was nice to see that he actually wasn't a Pig-Pen sort of character.

Other blog stuff: Like I said in the previous post, it's time to take stock of the set as I do every 100 cards or so. There will be one more of these at the end of the set.

1. COLOR COMBINATIONS

The green-light green border combo, which was in fifth place during the last set review, is now the overall leader with 51 cards. But I know one color combo that will make a decent charge in the final 60 cards. Here are the totals right now:

1. Green-light green: 51
2. Orange-brown: 50
3. Green-purple: 50
4. Purple-pink: 49
5. Pink-yellow: 47
6. Yellow-red: 36
7. Orange-red: 31
8. Light blue-green: 30
9. Brown-orange: 29
10. Yellow-light blue: 28
11. Green-yellow: 26
12. Orange-yellow: 26
13. Blue-orange: 22
14. Brown-tan: 22
15. Red-blue: 22
16. Red-yellow: 22
17. Tan-light blue: 22
18. Yellow-green: 22

2. POWDER BLUE UNIFORMS

Twelve more for 76 total.

3. LOOKING UP

Seven more players showing us their nostrils for 24 total.

4. DUDE LOOKS LIKE A LADY

Two more dudettes (Dave Roberts and Dick Pole) for 11 total.

5. DECEASED

Six more players have passed on for 54 total.

6. CHAW

Not a single one for the last 100 cards. Total still at 4.

7. MLB SONS

Four more players had sons in the majors for a total of 26.

8. ROOKIE CUP/ALL-STAR

8/17.

We're done with All-Star cards. But we're not done with Rookie Cuppers.

9. MOST POPULAR FIRST NAME

Jim is holding onto a one-card lead over Dave/David. 24 cards to 23 cards.

10. MINIS

A total of 105 mini cards so far. That's 17.5 percent of the set, up two percent.

And there you are. Fifty-nine more cards to go. I'll try to make it fun.

#584 - Mike Garman

Card fact: This is Mike Garman's first solo card. He appeared on a couple of multiple-player rookie cards back in 1971 and 1972. In fact he's the "third guy" on the Carlton Fisk-Cecil Cooper rookie card in the '72 Topps set.

What I thought about this card then: I associate this card with my brother, since it's one of the first '75 cards that he had.

What I think about this card now: It's very sunny. Garman seems happy. There's lots of green. The sun seems to be shining. A perfect card to start July.

Other stuff: Garman enjoyed his best seasons with the Cardinals, appearing in 64 and 66 games in the two seasons he played for them. He came over to St. Louis in a big deal with the Red Sox. The Cardinals got Garman, Lynn McGlothen and John Curtis. The Red Sox obtained Reggie Cleveland, Diego Segui and Terry Hughes.

Garman also pitched for the Cubs, Dodgers and Expos. He went to the Cubs in the surprising (for Cubs fans) deal that sent Don Kessinger to the Cardinals. Then he was traded with Rick Monday to the Dodgers for Bill Buckner and Ivan DeJesus.

Garman pitched in four postseason games with the Dodgers in 1977 and didn't give up a run. The following season, he was dealt to Montreal and ended his major league career after the '78 season.

Back facts: Major gaffe in the trivia cartoon question. The question should read "which rookie had the most STRIKEOUTS." Ain't nobody pitching 245 shutouts in a season.

Herb Score still holds the American League record for strikeouts in a season by a rookie. Dwight Gooden has the major league record with 276 in 1984.

Other blog stuff: Blondie lead singer Deborah Harry was born on this date 66 years ago. 66? Wow. I sure had a thing for her when I was 14 (didn't everyone?)

#581 - Darrel Chaney

Card fact: Darrel Chaney is one of only two major leaguers to spell his first name like that. The other is Darrel Akerfelds, a pitcher for the Phillies and Indians, among other teams. I know this is a player fact, not a card fact. But it's all I've got.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it. But my brothers and I were absolutely horrified by his 1976 Traded card. Mercy.

What I think about this card now: This was one of my more beat-up cards in the set at one point. I've upgraded, but there's still an annoying streak going down the right side of the card.

Other stuff: Chaney was known as a good-glove, no-hit infielder for the championship Cincinnati Reds. He mostly backed up shortstop Dave Concepcion, who knew a thing or two about fielding himself.

After serving in Vietnam in the late '60s, Chaney played seven seasons with the Reds, appearing in three World Series and winning one. He was dealt to the Braves after the '75 Series and enjoyed his first season as a starter at shortstop. He did fairly well in '76, but couldn't hold on to the starter's role. After 3 more years, he was released by the Braves in '79.

Chaney later did some broadcasting work with Atlanta.

Back facts: Regarding the cartoon question: After about the sixth unsuccessful stolen base attempt wouldn't you call it a day?

Other blog stuff: The late, great Gilda Radner was born on this date in 1946. As a kid, when I had a chance to sneak a peak at Saturday Night Live, the comedian who made me think that this skit show was something strange, weird and amazing was not Belushi, Akroyd or Murray. It was Radner. I wish I knew what skit she was in that struck me, but I do remember thinking: "So. This is adult humor. I don't get it. But it's funny."

#580 - Frank Robinson

Card fact: This is the second appearance of Frank Robinson in the 1975 set. He's also featured as the manager on the Indians team card. I'm pretty certain that would have blown my mind as a kid, but I never saw this card of Robinson.

What I thought about this card then: See above.

What I think about this card now: Robinson is airbrushed into his Indians cap. He was dealt from the Angels to the Indians in September 1974.

Also, I enjoy the "Des. Hitter" mention. What could that be? Destitute hitter? Despicable hitter? Desperate hitter?

Other stuff: I forgot to mention above that this is the final card featuring Frank Robinson as a player (except for all the retro cards of the last decade or so). Robinson was named player-manager by the Indians on Oct. 3, 1974. From that point, he was featured on cards as a manager, a second career that would last all the way until a few years ago.

Robinson, of course, is one of the greatest players of all-time, a 500-plus home run hitter, an MVP in both leagues and one of the last Triple Crown winners (1966) in major league history. He played in five World Series. For awhile there, I'd be willing to say he was the most underrated superstar of the last 60 years. I think he's received a little more attention recently, but probably not enough.

Robinson's greatest feats came with the Reds and Orioles (he was famously declared "old" when he was traded from the Reds to the Orioles), but he also played for the Dodgers, Angels and Indians. He came to the plate 185 times as a player-manager for the Indians in 1975-76, getting 43 hits (.232 avg) and hitting 12 home runs.

(EDIT: Frank Robinson died at age 83 on Feb. 7, 2019).

Back facts: These players with a ton of stats really do a number of the clarity of the cartoon question. I believe the question intended to say "Name the only player manager in the major leagues today."

Other blog stuff: Dodger flop Daryle Ward was born on this date in 1975.

#574 - Tony Taylor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#527 - Mac Scarce

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

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

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

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

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

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

Back facts: A few things:

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

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

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

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

#521 - Dennis Blair

Card fact: This is Dennis Blair's rookie card.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it. The first card of Blair's I had was his 1976 Topps card. It also was one of the first doubles I ever had. Just him and Cliff Johnson in my tiny dupes box.

What I think about this card now: My, what a tall, thin person Blair was back then! For some reason, that didn't strike me on his 1976 card. But it's very obvious here.

Other stuff: Blair was a starting pitcher for the Montreal Expos for a mere two years, 1974 and 1975. He started well, but by 1976, he was back in the minors.

He was traded to the Orioles in 1977 and is airbrushed into an Orioles cap on his 1978 card, but he never played in the major leagues for Baltimore. He emerged back in the majors briefly with San Diego in 1980, but that was the end of his playing career.

Back facts: Hey! A sportswriter cartoon reference! I like that!

The write-up about Blair being "possessed with fine control" is very odd. I suppose it's better than being "possessed" with something else, but I think Topps could have worded it differently.

Other blog stuff: My natural reaction when seeing this card was to equate Blair's appearance in the photo with Herman Munster. But then I read Josh Wilker's post about this very same card. And I read the reaction of one particular commenter. I think I'll just let that thought go ... sheesh.

#520 - Amos Otis

Card fact: The last three purple-pink bordered cards have been of players with a card number ending in a zero. Reggie Smith, Nolan Ryan and Amos Otis.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it. The first card of Otis that I saw was his 1976 card. I associate that card instantly with my friend Jeff, who was from Kansas. His family moved to New York and it was my first knowledge of a Royals fan.

Otis was Jeff's favorite player and he raved about him the way I saw no one else do unless they were a Yankee fan. I wondered what a strange world it would be to live in an area where the majority of people were rabid Royals fans (keep in mind, the Royals were good every year then).

What I think about this card now: I like the wide view of the ballpark in the background. ... oh, and the sideburns.

Other stuff: Otis was a central part of the great Royals teams of the late 1970s. He manned center field and received three gold gloves with his easygoing fielding manner that often included the now-standard one-handed catch.

Otis was acquired from the Mets in a deal for Joe Foy that proved to be a horrible trade for New York. Otis proceeded to make the All-Star team four straight years. He finished fourth in the MVP voting in 1978, and hit over .400 against the Yankees in the American League Championship Series.

In 1980, Otis hit over .400 again when the Royals faced the Phillies in the World Series. Otis played 14 of his 17 seasons with the Royals. He ended his career in 1984 with the Pirates.

Back facts: Why in the world would you capitalize "thefts"?

Other blog stuff: Former Twins and Cubs player Jacque Jones (whatever happened to him?) was born on this date in 1975.

#500 - Nolan Ryan

Card fact: This is the first time in Nolan Ryan's career that Topps gave him a card with a century number. He would receive it again in the 1978 set (#400) and the 1986 set (#100). Then, late in his career, Topps handed over card No. 1 to him. He appeared at that spot from 1990-92.

It's also the fourth and final time Ryan appears in the set. He appears in the set more often than any other player.

What I thought about this card then: My brother had this card. I associated Nolan Ryan with him for a period.

What I think about this card now: Out of all the cards in this set that I would like to upgrade (there actually aren't that many), this is at the top of the list. But it's such a pricey card, that I've never pulled the trigger on another one.

Other stuff: So what do I say about someone who many consider the greatest pitcher of all-time? Well, I had a feeling of indifference toward him for much of his career, combined with periodic disgust and admiration.

Ryan pitched for teams that were a long way from me -- the Angels, Astros and Rangers (I don't remember his Mets days). I remember him mostly with the Astros. I can recall working as a paper boy and reading about him signing his big contract with Houston as I bagged newspapers.

I wasn't very happy when he no-hit the Dodgers for his record fifth no-hitter. I remember one of the networks switching to the Astros-Dodgers game to show Ryan's 9th inning and pleading with Dusty Baker to get a hit.

But the rest of his career -- on and off the field -- has been enjoyable. I like that he was able to assemble a Rangers team that finally could win some games and reach the World Series. I've been waiting for that ever since I was a collector in 1975.

Back facts: I have known that Ryan's real first name is Lynn for a long, long, long time. I had a crush on a girl in 9th grade whose name was Lyn. It was the first time I knew anyone with that name since I read the back of the '75 Ryan card. I wondered whether the female version of the name had just one "N." You know, like Francis and Frances. I still don't know for sure.

By the way, the last name of my 9th grade crush is the same as a super-famous rookie one-year wonder. Feel free to guess.

Other blog stuff: It is time to take a moment to review the set.

Ready? Let's go!

1. COLOR COMBINATIONS

The orange-brown combination continues to lead the way, but its lead is getting smaller and smaller. Other combinations have crept closer, led by the pink-yellow combination, which is just three cards away:

1. Orange-brown: 45
2. Pink-yellow: 42
3. Purple-pink: 41
4. Green-purple: 40
5. Green-light green: 38
6. Yellow-red: 31
7. Blue-orange: 22
8. Brown-orange: 22
9. Brown-tan: 22
10. Light blue-green: 22
11. Yellow-light blue: 22
12. Red-blue: 21
13. Red-orange: 21
14. Green-yellow: 21
15. Tan-light blue: 21
16. Red-yellow: 20
17. Orange-yellow: 20
18. Yellow-green: 16

2. POWDER BLUE UNIFORMS

Cleaning up here. 15 more powder blue appearances, adding up to 64, so far.

3. LOOKING UP

Six more players looking into the distance for a total of 17. I would've thought there would be more.

4. DUDE LOOKS LIKE A LADY

Not a single player looked girlie in the last 100 cards. The 400s must be the domain of the manly. Grand total stays at 9.

5. DECEASED

Nine more players are no longer with us. That's a total of 48 so far.

6. CHAW

Don Carrithers is added to the list. Four players so far were not afraid to display that disgusting habit.

7. MLB SONS

Three more players had sons that played in the majors, too. That's a total of 22 at this point.

8. ROOKIE CUP/ALL-STAR

7/14

Not a single rookie cup in the last 100 cards.

9. MOST POPULAR FIRST NAME

Jim remains ahead of Dave/David. Twenty players in the set are named Jim.

10. MINIS

Another mini surge. There have been 78 cards so far that I have in mini form. That's up to 15.6 percent of the set.

OK, I'm done looking back. ... Well, not really. The whole blog is about looking back, isn't it?

Anyway, the next card is a dude named Robinson. But it's not the guy you're thinking of -- unless you know this set very well.

#490 - Reggie Smith

Card fact: This is the first card of Reggie Smith in an actual Cardinals uniform. He's airbrushed into a St. Louis uniform and cap in the 1974 Topps set.

What I thought about this card then: It took me a long time to see this card. I didn't come across it until I was trying to complete the set six or seven years ago.

What I think about this card now: It's unbelievably terrific. I feel like I should make a list about all of the things that I love about this card. But I'll restrain myself.

Other stuff: Reggie Smith was one of my favorite players of the 1970s. That makes two straight cards of two of my absolute favorites. As I documented on this post, the first Smith card I saw was his 1976 Topps card, and from that point, I thought he was badass, and I wanted him to play for the Dodgers.

He did end up playing for the Dodgers -- he was acquired in a trade with St. Louis for Joe Ferguson -- and competed in three World Series with L.A. He finished fourth in the MVP voting in both 1977 and 1978, the Dodgers' back-to-back World Series seasons.

Smith began his career with the Red Sox, and finished runner-up in the Rookie of the Year voting during Boston's "Impossible Dream" season in 1967. He ended his career with one season with the Giants in 1982. He later played in Japan. He now runs a bunch of baseball camps under the name "Reggie Smith Baseball Centers."

Back facts: The record for slugging percentage in a single World Series is 1.727 by Lou Gehrig in the 1928 World Series. According to baseball-almanac.com, Donn Clendenon does not hold the slugging record for a five-game World Series, even though the '69 World Series was five games and even though the person listed as the record-holder -- Sean Casey in the 2006 Series -- has a slugging percentage of 1.000, which isn't as good as 1.071. So, I'm confused.

Other blog stuff: With this card, the purple-pink border combo crosses the 40 mark. Orange-brown is the only other color combo to do that so far. Soon, I'll be doing an inventory on how all the border combinations rank.

#474 - Luke Walker

Card fact: This is the final card issued of Luke Walker during his career. It's also his only card -- he had eight Topps cards -- in which he's wearing a mustache.

What I thought about this card then: I never saw it. In fact, until very recently, I had no idea who Walker was.

What I think about this card now: Ah, the slanted field in Oakland has returned.

Other stuff: Walker was a starter and a reliever, mostly for the Pirates, from 1965-1974. His major league career was over by the time this set hit stores.

Walker is most known for his early 1970s performances for Pittsburgh. The Pirates were a playoff contender and Walker received starts in the 1970 playoff series against the Reds and the 1971 World Series against the Orioles. He lost both games. He threw the first pitch in the first World Series night game in Game 4 in 1971.

Walker went 15-6 with a 3.04 ERA for the Pirates in 1970, finishing 10th in the N.L. Cy Young Award voting. His performance declined after the 1971 season. After two more years with the Pirates, he was purchased by the Tigers in December 1973. He pitched mostly in relief during his final season with Detroit in 1974.

Back facts: Walker might have been more popular in the early '70s if he went by his first name. Another Jimmie Walker was making a name for himself starring in "Good Times," which debuted successfully in 1974.

Other blog stuff: The purple-pink border combo moves into sole possession of second place with this card. It is just four cards behind the orange-brown border combination.

#465 - '74 World Series, Game 5

Card fact: This was an Awesomest Night Card Tournament quarterfinalist on the other blog. The card is sitting in the center pocket of the first page of my night card binder.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card, but I don't recall thinking much about it. Ignorance is bliss.

What I think about this card now: I've mentioned before that it's the saddest night card ever. My favorite player, Ron Cey, is watching Joe Rudi trot around third base on his way home with the eventual winning run. Rudi hit a seventh inning home run that broke a 2-2 tie in Game 5.

Other stuff: In the fourth 3-2 game of the Series, the pivotal moment came as the seventh inning began. Some nasty behaving Oakland fans were throwing debris at the Dodger left fielder, Bill Buckner, causing a five-minute delay. While this was going on, the new Dodgers pitcher, Mike Marshall, neglected to warm-up for some unknown reason.

Rudi, the first hitter in the inning, noted this and figured the first pitch from an un-warmed-up pitcher would be a fastball. He guessed right, and deposited that first pitch into the left field bleachers for the game-winning home run.

Buckner made things worse in the eighth inning when he led off with a single that got past outfielder Bill North. Buckner, who could run back then, tore around second and on his way to third. But Reggie Jackson gathered in the ball, fired to Dick Green, whose accurate toss to Sal Bando gunned down Buckner. The Dodgers didn't have anything left after that.

Back facts: Steve Garvey had another hit in this game. He had eight total in the Series and hit .381, by far the best in the Dodgers' lineup.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1975, the U.S. Attorney General confirms that the FBI kept secret files on the personal lives of presidents, congressmen and others, on the orders of J. Edgar Hoover, who had died four years earlier.

#464 - '74 World Series, Game 4

Card fact: I believe this is a photo of A's starting pitcher Ken Holtzman hitting a home run in the third inning of Game 4. It gave the A's a 1-0 lead at the time.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it. This bothered me a lot, because I had a great deal of interest in the World Series cards. If I couldn't own the card, at the very least, I wanted to see it. But for a long time, this was the elusive card of the World Series subset.

What I think about this card now: It looks like Andy Messersmith got the pitch too high.

Other stuff: Even though Holtzman hit that home run, the Dodgers came back to hold a 2-1 lead on Bill Russell's two-run triple in the fourth inning. It stayed that way until things fell apart in the sixth for the Dodgers.

Messersmith walked Bill North to start the inning. He then threw wildly to first on a pick-off attempt, sending North to second base. Sal Bando, in a Series-long slump, then blooped an opposite-field single to right, scoring North. Messersmith made matters worse by walking Reggie Jackson. Joe Rudi, the No. 5 hitter, laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third. After an intentional walk to Claudell Washington, pinch-hitter Jim Holt knocked a solid single to score the second and third runs of the inning. A groundout scored the fourth run of the inning.

The Dodgers tried to rally in the ninth, placing two runners on base. But Dick Green made a standout lunging dive on a ball hit by Von Joshua, and turned it into a game-ending double play.

Back facts: This was the only game of the series that did not end with a 3-2 score. In fact, the sixth inning of this game almost matched the total runs in each of the other four games.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1935, the Yankees released Babe Ruth. Say what you want about the Dodgers trying to trade Jackie Robinson to the Giants (Walter O'Malley didn't care WHO you were), but the Yankees released Babe Ruth!

#461 - '74 World Series, Game 1

Card fact: That is Reginald Martinez Jackson there in the photo. He's pictured here most likely because he knocked in the first run of the World Series, a home run to left-center field off of Andy Messersmith in the top of the second inning.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card. I really should have disliked Jackson because of what he did to the Dodgers, but I was too young to know anything about the '74 World Series. It wasn't until 1977, and when Jackson was with the Yankees, that he became a problem.

What I think about this card now: It's pretty cool. Wish I knew if he is hitting that homer in this photo.

Other stuff: Game 1 set the tone for the rest of the Series. Four out of the five games in the Series were decided by 3-2 scores, and the losing team scored two runs in every game of the series.

Jackson knocked in the first run, but Ken Holtzman played a key part, too. As the starter, he went only four-plus innings (Rollie Fingers came in during the 5th inning and lasted until the 9th. Catfish Hunter got the save!). But Holtzman scored the A's second run when he doubled with one out, went to third on a wild pitch, and came home on Bert Campaneris' sacrifice bunt.

The third A's run proved costly for the Dodgers. In the eighth inning, with Campaneris on second and one out, Ron Cey (ouch) threw errantly to first on a ground ball by Sal Bando and Campaneris scored. The run was costly because Jim Wynn would homer in the ninth inning for the Dodgers and pull them within one.

Back facts: Boy, do I love boxscores on the back of baseball cards. You can see that the Series started on a Saturday, which surprised me a little because as a kid I remember the Series always starting on a Tuesday.

A couple notables for me is that the Dodgers' starter, Messersmith, got two hits. Also, L.A. outhit Oakland 11-6. The Dodgers stranded 12 runners.

Other blog stuff: All the World Series cards in this set that I saw as a kid were minis. I had Game 1, Game 2 and Game 5 all in mini form.

Here is Game 1 in regular and mini form:

Also, there is a cool video on the 1974 World Series. I was alerted to this by wobs of the 1974 Topps-Pennant Fever blog.