Thursday, September 12, 2013

57 INNINGS, NOTHING. BUT 1.2 INNINGS THE NEXT YEAR? YOU GET A CARD: JIM SHELLENBACK

So I was looking through some cards from the mid 1970's to see if anything "odd" popped up to write about, and I came across a 1974 Jim Shellenback card (#657).
Now, at first I just thought about profiling this card because it was odd Topps gave this guy a card in 1974 after only pitching 1.2 innings the previous year. Kind of a "what were they thinking?" type of deal.
Then, out of curiosity, I checked to see what other cards he had, and saw that he wasn't issued a card in 1973 even though he pitched 57 innings the year before.
Now how does THAT make sense?
22 games get's you nothing, yet TWO games get's you a card?
So, what I decided to do was "right a wrong" and turn his 1974 card into a 1973 card, giving him a card when he "should" have gotten one, from the card he didn't "deserve" to have in the first place.

What he got for 1.2 innings in 1973...

What he DIDN'T get for 57 innings the year before.

Shellenback pitched between 1966 and 1977 (missing 1968, 1975 & 1976), appearing in 165 games as a starter and out of the 'pen for the Pirates, Senators/Rangers, and Twins.
I can't even pick what would be his "best" year, as he really didn't have one. If I had a gun to my head, I guess I'd say 1970 (?).
He posted a 6-7 record, with a 3.68 E.R.A. and a shutout in 39 games and 117.1 innings with the Washington Senators.
After toiling in the Minors for the 1975 and 1976 seasons, he made it back up to the Majors for 5 games in 1977, pitching for Minnesota for 5.2 innings.
And that, as they say, was that.




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