Sunday, April 26, 2015

MISSING IN ACTION- 1976 TOM SHOPAY: "1976 PROJECT"

Here's the next "missing" 1976 Topps card in my "1976 Project" for "reader Jim", former Baltimore Oriole Tom Shopay:


Shopay had a few missing cards through the 1970's, and I have already created and posted a 1978 card for him earlier on this blog.
In 1975 Shopay appeared in 40 games, mainly in the outfield and as a pinch hitter, collecting five hits in 31 at-bats, good for a .161 batting average with a double and two runs batted in.
That year was typical for Shopay's entire seven–year career with the Yankees and Orioles, as he never appeared in more than 67 games or had more than 74 at-bats in any season.
Nevertheless, as we've seen with guys like the Red Sox Bob Montgomery, Topps did in fact give guys who stuck around cards year to year, yet after the 1972 set Shopay was shut out until he retired in 1977.
Shopay ended up playing in 253 games during his Major League career, and ended up with a .201 batting average based on his 62 hits over 309 at-bats.
Funny enough he hit a total of three home runs in those seven partial seasons, yet two of the three were hit during his rookie year with the Yankees in 1967 in only eight games. He'd go on to hit only one more in 245 games the rest of the way.