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.