Time
to go and give former New York Mets outfielder Pepe Mangual a
career-capping “not so missing” 1978 card to finish off his career:
Mangual, who came to Shea Stadium as part of the trade that also had Jim
Dwyer head South while Wayne Garrett and Del Under went up to the
Montreal Expos, appeared in only eight games for the Mets in 1977, the
final games of his six-year career.
He’d collect the last hit of his career, going 1-for-7 with two runs
batted in, though striking out four times, for a batting average of
.143, before beginning a run of six and a half seasons of Minor League
ball for the California Angels.
He’d put in some solid years in the Minors, but never get a call back up
to the Majors, playing out his pro career in 1984, retiring for good at
the age of 32.
The only full-time action he ever had a chance at was during the 1975
season while still with Montreal, when he appeared in 140 games for the
Expos, batting .245 with 126 hits and 84 runs scored and 45 RBIs, all
career-highs.