The three-time all-star was just coming off a stolen base title when this card would have come out, leading the American League with 53 steals in 1977, his second straight season topping 50-steals.
At only 5-foot 5-inches, the man certainly was diminutive in size, but he ended up putting in 14 solid years in the Major Leagues, even finishing 6th in MVP voting in 1971, his 1st season with the Royals after coming over from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
By the time he retired after the 1981 season, he finished with a .242 average with 385 stolen bases and 736 runs scored, even starting the 1978 All-Star Game though getting ripped off an all-star card in the 1979 set, oddly having the “All-Star” banner omitted from his card.
That was a mystery for us 10-year-olds for quite some time back then!
