#647 - Claudell Washington

Card fact: Well, well, rookie cup, where have you been? It's been 135 cards since the last rookie cup. And this is the final Topps All-Star Rookie cup card in the set.

What I thought about this card then: My friend, the A's bandwagon fan, had this card. He instantly declared it cool. Who was I to argue?

What I think about this card now: For the first time -- and keep in mind I have seen this card for 35 years -- I am realizing that there is a bat in the photo. I don't know how I've missed that for so long. But it certainly makes Claudell Washington look that much more ominous.

Also, that signature is very tiny.

Other stuff: Washington was an instant success with Oakland. Picked up off the sandlots in Berkeley, Calif., as a 17-year-old, he was 20 years old when he reached the majors. A decent World Series showing in '74 (he was 4-for-7), signaled a star in the making. In 1975, he reached the All-Star Game during a year in which he hit .308 and racked up 182 hits.

But Washington couldn't sustain that pace throughout his career. He was traded five times during a 17-year career and signed as a free agent three other times. All told, he played for the A's, Rangers, White Sox, Mets, Braves, Yankees and Angels. He had some success with just about every team, although his time in Chicago was marred by an oversleeping incident, causing fans to roll out the "Washington Slept Here" joke.

Washington hit three home runs in a game twice, once in each league. He revived his up-and-down career during a five-year stint with the Braves, although that was also marred by confessions of drug use and a trip to a drug diversion program.

Washington finished up with some decent seasons with the Yankees. Of interest to no one but me, he was one of the final cards I needed to complete the 1989 Topps set.

(EDIT: Claudell Washington died on June 10, 2020).

Back facts: The cartoon implies that Dick Stuart was a poor fielder, but doesn't come right out and say it. So I will. Dick Stuart was a poor fielder.

Other blog stuff: The 1974 Topps All-Star Rookie Team is complete. So let's have a look at it!

1B - Mike Hargrove
2B - Larry Milbourne
3B - Bill Madlock
SS - Bucky Dent
OF - Bake McBride
OF - Greg Gross
OF - Claudell Washington
C - Barry Foote
P - Frank Tanana


That's not an epic team, but everyone on that squad enjoyed decent and long careers. Some, like Tanana and Gross, remade themselves later in their career and extended it as a result. The average career span for the nine players is exactly 14 years.

#512 - Larry Milbourne

Card fact: It's been 178 cards since the last rookie cup card. That's the biggest gap between rookie-cuppers, with only one more rookie cup card to go.

What I thought about this card then: A little intrigued, a little freaked out by this Milbourne fellow. As a 9-year-old, I thought he was very distinctive. With the exotic sideburns and the helmet, he seemed muppet-like to me.

What I think about this card now: Milbourne looks a lot different here than he did for most of his career. After this card, he lost the crazy burns, grew a mustache and seemed ready to be accepted by society. With this card, I'm not so sure.

Other stuff: Milbourne may have won the Topps rookie cup, but he was not much more than a utility player for his entire 11-year career. He bounced from the Astros to the Mariners to the Yankees to the Twins to the Indians to the Phillies. He also had repeat stays with the Yankees and Mariners. He reached more than 400 at-bats in a season only once, in 1982, when he played for three teams.

Milbourne did play well enough for the Yankees to win plenty of playing time in the 1981 postseason. He hit .462 in New York's ALCS victory over the Oakland A's, and played in all six games for New York in its loss to Los Angeles in the World Series.

After his career, Milbourne managed in the low minors in the early 1990s.

Back facts: Milbourne's "fine rookie campaign" consisted of 36 hits and nine RBIs. It was so impressive that Topps didn't make another card of Milbourne until the 1978 set.

Also, as a kid, I thought you could actually hit in a major league game by holding your bat upside down. Thanks to this cartoon.

Other blog stuff: We just need an outfielder to complete our All-Rookie team:

1B - Mike Hargrove
2B - Larry Milbourne
3B - Bill Madlock
SS - Bucky Dent
OF - Bake McBride
OF - Greg Gross
OF - ?
C - Barry Foote
P - Frank Tanana

#334 - Greg Gross

Card fact: This is the second straight card of a player with alliterative first and last names. Greg Gross follows Dick Drago. That's the first time that's happened in this set (and perhaps the last).

What I thought about this card then: Not in my field of vision in 1975.

What I think about this card now: I think the backgrounds on the Astros cards might be the most fascinating of them all. They're so bleak and weird. I still say that's a horse stable in the background. I like the '70s car parked in the distance, too.

Other stuff: Greg Gross enjoyed one of the finest rookies seasons in 1974. He finished third in the National League in batting average (.314) and second in the league in Rookie of the Year voting. The Astros kept Gross as their right fielder for the next two years. But Gross didn't do a lot besides hit singles, so he was traded to the Cubs for part-time infielder Julio Gonzalez.

A year later, Gross went to the Phillies in the deal that brought Manny Trillo to the Cubs. Gross couldn't break into the Phillies' talented outfield, so he settled for a backup role, and soon became one of the best pinch-hitters in baseball. Gross spent 10 seasons with Philadelphia as a part-time bat. He ended his career back with the Astros in 1989 and is among the top 5 in career pinch-hits in baseball history.

Gross then became a coach in the majors and minors, first with the Rockies, then with the Phillies. He is now the Phillies' batting coach.

Back facts: I apologize for the scan with this card and the next card to follow. I was monkeying with the settings for a couple of cards, and I guess I thought it was OK. But obviously it's too dark.

Anyway, that's a nice characterization of William Howard Taft in the cartoon, although I don't think they made him appear as large as they did with the Babe Ruth drawings.

Other blog stuff: Another outfielder has been filled in on the Topps All-Rookie team:

1B - Mike Hargrove
2B - ?
3B - Bill Madlock
SS - Bucky Dent
OF - Bake McBride
OF - Greg Gross
OF - ?
C - Barry Foote
P - Frank Tanana

#299 - Bucky Dent

Card fact: The orange-yellow color combination had been dead last until Bucky Dent came along. Now it's tied for second-to-last.

What I thought about this card then: Somebody had this card, probably my brother. I thought it was kind of a cool shot.

What I think about this card now: Dent's card features the rookie cup logo, but he had a card all to himself in the 1974 Topps set, too. That was a bit unusual back then. The rookie cup card was often a player's first card, or his first solo card -- something other than one of those 2-player or 4-player rookie cards.

Other stuff: I do not associate Dent with his time with the White Sox (or the Rangers) at all. I think of Dent as a Yankee and I think of him upsetting Red Sox fans everywhere with that cheap-ass home run in the 1978 special playoff game at Fenway Park. I watched the game, after coming home from school, in the basement rec room of my friend, a Yankee fan. It was depressing.

Dent symbolized, for me, the undeserved attention heaped on Yankee ballplayers. Dent was a mediocre hitter at best. Most of Dent's best offensive seasons were in his early years with the White Sox. With the exception of the 1980 season -- in which he was inexplicably voted to start the All-Star Game -- Dent's numbers declined while with the Yankees. Eventually, he was traded to the Rangers for Lee Mazzilli, and his career ended in 1984.

Dent later became a manager in the minor leagues and was a bench coach with the Reds as recently as 2007. He also runs a baseball school.

Back facts: Bill Robinson played at this time, but I am going to go ahead and assume that by "B. Robinson," the cartoon means Brooks Robinson.

Also, did you know that not only was Bucky Dent's first name Russell, but that the last name he was born with was "O'Dey"?

Hmmm ... "Russell F--- ing O'Dey" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Other blog stuff: We have our shortstop for the Topps All-Rookie team. Here is what we have so far:

1B - Mike Hargrove
2B - ?
3B - Bill Madlock
SS - Bucky Dent
OF - Bake McBride
OF - ?
OF - ?
C - Barry Foote
P - Frank Tanana

#229 - Barry Foote

Card fact: This is Barry Foote's most excellent first solo card.

What I thought about this card then: Remember last post when I said that I recall ordering another card along with the George Brett card? Well, this is the card. By a total coincidence, the two cards are numbered back-to-back.

The reason I specifically ordered a card of a back-up catcher comes out of my first visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame in either 1975 or 1976. There was a display of the entire 1975 set in a downstairs floor of the Hall. I soaked up all the cards and I specifically noted the Foote card. I thought the game "action" in the photo was totally cool. I admired the memory of that card for a long time. And when I got old enough to earn money and order cards through the mail, this is one of the cards I ordered. Youth wasted on the young, I guess you could say.

What I think about this card now: I wish I could determine who that player was behind Foote. Also, this is another one of many Topps cards taken in San Francisco's Candlestick Park.

Other stuff: Barry Foote started out as a starting catcher for the still fledgling Expos, but after a few years he settled into a backup role. Except for 1979, when he caught for the Cubs, most of Foote's post-1976 years were spent as a backup catcher for various teams through 1982. He later became a coach and a manager.

Back facts: Apparently, Sal Durante wore his Sunday best to catch Roger Maris' 61st home run.

Other blog stuff: Time to add the catcher to the Topps All-Rookie team for 1974:

1B - Mike Hargrove

2B - ?
3B - Bill Madlock
SS - ?
OF - Bake McBride
OF - ?
OF - ?
C - Barry Foote
P - Frank Tanana

I do believe we've come to our first weak link on the team.

#174 - Bake McBride

Card fact: This is Bake McBride's rookie card.

What I thought about this card then: You are looking at one of my favorite cards in the set when I was a kid. I remember pulling this card after a trip to the drug store with my friends when our family was on vacation. It instantly became one of the few cards that I had that was "untradeable."

What I think about this card now: It's a nice photo and a good look at old Busch Stadium. As for McBride's autograph, I'm wondering where the first quote mark is. Perhaps it's lost in the cardinal on McBride's uniform.

Other stuff: McBride was the National League Rookie of the Year for his performance in 1974. He was known for his speed, base-stealing and hitting ability. He enjoyed some solid seasons for the Cardinals and Phillies. He was traded before the 1982 season to the Indians and suffered through an eye issue that cut down on his playing time. By 1984, dealing with knee issues that plagued him during his career, he tried to return to the majors with the Rangers, but ended up retiring at age 34.

To this day, McBride is the player I point out when I mention that players back in the '70s and early '80s were much skinner than they are today. If you ever get a chance to see old footage of the Phillies or Cardinals from back then, you'll know what I mean. McBride has about a five-inch wide frame but stands 6-foot-2.

Back facts: Two things from my childhood: 1. McBride's 1974 stat line impressed me very much as a kid and was one of the factors that made the player a favorite of mine. 2. I have known McBride's real name is "Arnold" for a long, long time.

One other thing: What kind of mind game was Topps playing on McBride? That is some kind of pressure, saying that a rookie is a threat to Lou Brock's freshly made single-season stolen base record!

Other blog stuff: Time to plug in an outfielder on the Topps All-Rookie team for 1974:

1B - Mike Hargrove
2B - ?
3B - Bill Madlock
SS - ?
OF - Bake McBride
OF - ?
OF - ?
C - ?
P - Frank Tanana

#106 - Mike Hargrove

Card fact: The first card of Mike Hargrove's career.

What I thought about this card then: Not part of my collection. Hargrove's 1976 Topps card was one of my favorites. It's a very simple card -- a picture of Hargrove pointing his bat at the camera, a familiar pose on many 1970s cards. But something about it grabbed me. In fact, I liked Hargrove's cards in the '77, '78 and '79 sets, too.

What I think about this card now: If they had just moved Hargrove's card number up one place, Topps could have had back-to-back rookie cup cards. I wonder if that has ever happened in any Topps set?

Other stuff: Hargrove is one of those guys who had both a long and successful playing and managing career. When you go through baseball history, there really aren't a ton of folks who succeeded for so long in both areas.

Hargrove was nicknamed the "Human Rain Delay" for all of his maneuverings before he got into the batter's box.

He quit as manager of the Mariners in midseason in 2007, even though the team was playing well at the time. He now manages a semiprofessional baseball team in Kansas.

Back facts: Hargrove won the American League Rookie of the Year award in 1974, clobbering runner-up Bucky Dent with 67 percent of the vote, compared to Dent's 12. George Brett finished third.

Also ... Dudley?

Other blog stuff: Just two days after adding the third baseman to the Topps rookie team, it's time to add a guy at the other infield corner:

1B - Mike Hargrove
2B - ?
3B - Bill Madlock
SS - ?
OF - ?
OF - ?
OF - ?
C - ?
P - Frank Tanana

#104 - Bill Madlock

Card fact: This is Madlock's first solo card. He appeared in the 1974 Topps set on a "Rookie Infielders" card with three other players who barely made a dent in the majors. Interestingly, that card was No. 600 in the set, a number traditionally reserved for the best players of the day.

What I thought about this card then: The first Madlock card I saw was his 1976 card. Like many of the third basemen of the time, he had a fan in me. I really liked third basemen for some reason, which is probably why my favorite player ever is Ron Cey.

What I think about this card now: It's not a great photo with half of Madlock's face in the shadows. But as a kid I would have loved it since the photo was taken during a game.

Other stuff: Bill Madlock enjoyed a reputation as one of the best-hitting third basemen to ever play the game. Wade Boggs ended up overshadowing "Mad Dog" in that department, but Madlock's career is nothing to ignore. I was a big fan of him when he was a Pirate. Prior to that, I was crushed when he was dealt from the Cubs to the Giants. I hated his 1978 card, seeing him in a Giants uniform. Fortunately, the Giants got rid of him awfully quick and I could like him again.

Madlock played for the Dodgers at the tail end of his career. He had a heck of an NLCS against the Cardinals in 1985, hitting three homers in the series.

Back facts: Another player without a middle name. ... Baseball lingo like "loop" threw me as a kid. I don't know how many times I came across "loop" before I knew it meant "league." Baseball was sometimes a mysterious world for a youngster.

Other blog stuff: It has been a long time since there has been a card featuring a rookie cup. We won't have nearly as long a wait until the next one. But it's time to update the team:

1B - ?

2B - ?
3B - Bill Madlock
SS - ?
OF - ?
OF - ?
OF - ?
C - ?
P - Frank Tanana

A nice-looking team already.

#16 - Frank Tanana

Card fact: This is Frank Tanana's first "solo card." In the 1974 set, he appears on a "Rookie Pitchers" card with three wannabes (Vic Albury, Ken Frailing and Kevin Kobel).

What I thought about this card then: Never saw it. But I liked Tanana as a youngster. I always gravitated toward the second banana, if you want to call someone who could throw 100 mph second-best. But, hey, Nolan Ryan is Nolan Ryan.

What I think about this card now: The red-yellow color combo is among my favorites. And I continue to think Tanana is cool, even after the arm problems, and his complete overhaul into an offspeed specialist playing for the Red Sox, Rangers and Tigers. If only he could throw like he did in 1975 his entire career. We would be talking about a legend.

Other stuff: Tanana was responsible for the Red Sox trading Fred Lynn to the Angels. I can't remember what my brother thought of this trade, which is odd, because my brother is a Red Sox fan and Lynn was his favorite player. But I'm guessing it wasn't pleasant.

Back facts: Tanana was a lefty. He was left-handed and could hit triple figures. THAT's why I liked him so much.

Other blog stuff: You didn't think I'd end the post without talking about the rookie cup did you? This is the first card with the rookie cup, and I will not run a 1975 Topps blog without seeing if Topps featured a full team of a Rookie Cuppers in its '75 set. So let the evaluating begin:

1B - ?
2B - ?
3B - ?
SS - ?
OF - ?
OF - ?
OF - ?
C - ?
P - Frank Tanana

We have our pitcher ...