Though just beginning what was (and still is) an arguably Hall of
Fame career in 1972, I nevertheless wanted to give former all-star
shortstop of the "Big Red Machine" Dave Concepcion a "missing" In-Action
card in the 1972 set, and I think I came up with
a doozy!
Take a look:
Gotta say, it's a beaut!
Granted, he has his back to the camera and it's really all about
the other two guys, Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench and Hall of Fame
manager Sparky Anderson, but come on, THAT is some in game action right
there!
Concepcion was a major cog in that machine we called "Big Red".
A nine-time all-star, he went on to take home five Gold Glove
Awards and even two Silver Slugger Awards later on in the early-80's.
Teamed up with guys like Bench, Pete Rose, George Foster and Joe Morgan, they were incredible for a while there.
By the time he retired after the 1988 season he collected over 2300 hits, scored just under 1000 runs, and stole over 320 bases.
For a kid growing up then, he was up there among the recognizable
players that seemed other-wordly, even if he wasn't bashing the ball out
of the park or stealing a bushel of bases.
