Here's another one of my favorite cards growing up, the 1973 Bill Freehan card (#460) with a fantastic action shot.
Just take a look at the crowd in the background, anticipating the
call at the plate. Awesome! Notice the police officer with the kid in
his grips, watching the play. Hilarious!
That's Yankee Celerino Sanchez sliding into the plate at Yankee Stadium in 1972.
As for Freehan, he was arguably the American League's best catcher
between Yogi Berra and Carlton Fisk, coming up with the Tigers for good
in 1963 after a brief cup of coffee as a 19-year-old in 1961.
For the rest of the decade and beyond he would do nothing but
produce, garnering five gold-gloves, three top-ten M.V.P. finishes, and
eleven all-star nods, while handling star pitchers such as Mickey
Lolich, Earl Wilson and Denny McLain.
All told, he stuck around for 15 years, hanging them up after the 1976 season.
