Time to give former all-star pitcher Andy Messersmith a "missing" In-Action card in the 1972 set.
Here you go:
Messersmith had a very interesting abbreviated career which saw him
go 130-99 with a sparkling 2.86 earned run average, 27 shutouts and
1625 strikeouts, all in only 2230.1 innings pitched and 344 games in
twelves years.
Of those twelve years, four were actually partial seasons, so we're
really looking at an eight-year career that was very productive!
Going on those eight full seasons between 1969 and 1976,
Messersmith posted two 20-win seasons, one in the American League with
the Angels and one in the National League with the Dodgers, a 19-win
season, six seasons of sub-3.00 ERA, and three seasons
of 200+ strikeouts.
Along the way he won two Gold Gloves, was named to four all-star
games, and finished fifth or higher in the Cy Young race three times.
Sadly, injuries pretty much halted his career at the age of 31, now
with the Atlanta Braves, and by 1979 he was retired for good at 33.
Nevertheless he was one of the exceptional arms of the decade,
easily overshadowed by the likes os Seaver, Carlton, Palmer et al.
