Thursday, November 12, 2020

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- OTTO VELEZ

Up on the blog today, how about a “not so missing” 1976 card for Otto Velez, who played in a half-dozen games during the 1975 season for the New York Yankees:


Velez, who got his first taste of the Big Leagues in 1973 at the age of 22, played in 23, 27 and then six games respectively between his debut year and 1975.
In 1975 he hit .250 over his brief action, collecting two hits in eight at-bats along with a run batted in while playing some first base along with being a designated hitter.
He’d be back with the Yankees in 1976, appearing in 49 games for the eventual American League champions, hitting .266 with a couple of homers, 11 runs scored and 10 RBIs.
His career would take different path when he was the 53rd pick in the 1976 expansion draft, for the new Toronto Blue Jays organization, and would have a decent year for the Jays in 1977 when he batted .256 with 16 homers and 62 runs batted in.
He would stay with the team for the next five years, hitting as many as 20 homers (1980) as well as matching the ‘77 RBI total that very same year.
Velez would put 11 years in the Major Leagues, batting .251 with 78 homers and 272 runs batted in, while collecting 452 hits in 1802 at-bats over 637 games.