NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1971 JULIO NAVARRO

Today's blog post has a "not so missing" 1971 card for former pitcher Julio Navarro, who made it back to a Major League mound in 1970 after three years toiling in the Minors between 1967 and 1969:

Navarro appeared in 17 games with the Atlanta Braves, not factoring in a decision along with a 4.10 earned run average over 26.1 innings of work.

It was his first taste of Major League ball since 1966 when he appeared in a single game for the Detroit Tigers, giving up three earned runs without retiring a batter for an "infinite" ERA.

Originally up in 1962 with the Los Angeles Angels, he would leave the Big Leagues behind and go on to play in the Mexican League from 1972 through 1974 before retiring for good at the age of 40.

For his Major League stint, he finished with a record of 7-9, with an ERA of 3.65 over 130 appearances and 212.1 innings pitched, with all but one appearance out of the bullpen, picking up 17 saves along the way.

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1974 RAY NEWMAN

Up on the blog today we have a career-capping "not so missing" 1974 card for three-year Major League pitcher Ray Newman:

Newman appeared in eleven games for the Milwaukee Brewers during the 1973 season, posting a very nice 2.95 earned run average over 18.1 innings of work, all out of the bullpen.

Originally up in 1971 as a member of the Chicago Cubs, he went 1-2 as a rookie over 30 appearances, posting an ERA of 3.52 in 38.1 innings.

In 1972 he was with Milwaukee, but only appeared in four games, not factoring in a decision while not giving up an earned run over seven innings.

Sadly for him, after his 1973 season, he'd spend two years in the Detroit Tigers Minor League system but never get a shot at the Majors again, retiring in 1975.

All told, he finished his Big League stint with a record of 3-3, along with an ERA of 2.97 over 45 appearances and 63.2 innings.

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1975 ROGER MILLER

On the blog today, a great card to add to the "WTHBALLS" checklist, a "not so missing" 1975 card for two-game Major League pitcher Roger Miller of the Milwaukee Brewers:

Miller's entire Big League career was over a week in September of 1974, appearing in two games while not factoring in a decision, sporting an earned run average of 11.57 over 2.1 innings.

He would toil for another two seasons in the Milwaukee Brewers' Minor League system but never get another chance at a Big League appearance again.

In 1977, still only 22 years of age, he'd call it a career after a round season in the Minors where he ended up with a 5.75 ERA over 38 appearances and 108 innings pitched.

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1974 CURT MOTTON

Up on the blog today we have a "not so missing" 1974 card for former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Curt Motton, who was at the tail-end of his Big League career when this card would have seen the light of day:

Motton appeared in only five games for Baltimore in 1973, hitting .333 with two hits over six official at-bats, with two runs scored and four runs batted in.

He would be back in 1974 to appear in what would end up being his last Major league games, seven to be exact, going 0-8 at the plate before calling it a career shortly after.

Over his eight-year MLB tenure, he hit .213 with 121 hits in 567 at-bats, but most importantly was a member of the juggernaut Oriole teams between 1969 and 1971, with a World Championship in 1970.

 

MINOR LEAGUE DAYS- REGGIE JACKSON

This week's addition to my 1971 "Minor League Days" sub-set is future Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, who wasn't too far removed from HIS Minor League days by the time this card would have seen the light of day:

The young budding All-Star was 21-years-of-age when this photo was taken, showing him with the Birmingham A's, a team for whom he hit .293 with 17 home runs and 58 runs batted in over 114 games in 1967.

Of course, a year later we all know he'd be a starter in the Major Leagues, hitting 29 home runs and even getting some MVP attention before really exploding onto the Big League scene with a 1969 campaign that saw him hit a career-best 47 home runs, along with 123 runs scored and 118 RBIs, finishing fifth in MVP voting.

The man was just destined for baseball greatness since his days at Cheltenham High School in Pennsylvania.
Recruited by pro teams and colleges alike, he went on to Arizona State where he was actually on a football scholarship.
Of course we all know the story of the 1966 amateur draft, where the New York Mets held the #1 pick, and opted for high school catcher Steve Chilcott instead of who many considered the true #1 overall amateur, Jackson.
With the second pick, the Kansas City Athletics (later Oakland) picked the slugger and the rest is history, as he would eventually lead the organization to three straight championships between 1972-1974 before being traded in a blockbuster to the Baltimore Orioles where he’d play for one season in 1976.
As a highly coveted free agent before the 1977 season, Jackson signed with the New York Yankees, and with Reggie in NYC, the legend exploded as he helped the Yankees to two championships in 1977-78.
With his larger than life persona, New York ate it up and before you knew it, he was known around the world, even getting his own candy-bar by the end of the decade.
For a kid like me growing up in Brooklyn in the ‘70’s, Reggie was like a God, larger than life, and before he finished up his career in 1987, putting in 21 seasons, he would put together a Hall of Fame career with 563 homers, 1702 runs batted in, an MVP Award in 1973, and five championships.
Add to that 14 all-star nods, four home run titles, a legendary homer in the 1971 All-Star Game against Dock Ellis, his 1977 World Series performance, and you can see why he goes down as one of the most well-known baseball personalities in the history of the game.

 

ON-CARD ALL-STAR: 1970 RON SANTO

This week we reach the starting 1969 All-Star third baseman for the National League in my new "on-card" All-Star idea, showing the previous years' starting all-stars with on-card designation like my favorite cards of 1975-1981:

Santo made his sixth All-Star team in 1969, having one of his best seasons in the Big Leagues when he drove in a career-best 123 runs along with 29 homers, 97 runs scored and a .289 batting average.

For his efforts he also finished fifth at the end of the year for N.L. MVP, his second best finish after a fourth place finish just two seasons prior.

Between 1963 and 1973 Santo was selected for nine All-Star games, received five Gold Gloves for his defensive work, and four-time finished Top-10 in the National League MVP race, with a high of fourth in 1967.
Post-playing career, Santo moved on to broadcasting, where he was a beloved color commentator over the years, working with guys like Harry Caray, Thom Brennaman and Steve Stone.
But it was mainly his working relationship with Pat Hughes on the radio that were enthusiastically known as the “Pat and Ron Show”.
Sadly, Santo would die from bladder cancer and complications from diabetes in December, 2010, and would not live to see himself selected for the Hall of Fame, as that would come almost a year later when he was the only player selected by the Golden Era Committee.
Just a crying shame if you ask me.

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1977 RICH HINTON

Happy Holidays everyone!!! I hope you're all safe and well! We survived a heck of a storm last night here in Central Jersey. The wind was something else!

On the blog this morning we have a "not so missing" 1977 card for former pitcher Rich Hinton, who suited up for 12 games as a Cincinnati Red during the Championship 1976 season, his only time with the team:

Hinton was already with his fourth Big League team when he appeared in those 12 games for the Reds, going 1-2 with a 7.64 earned run average in 17.2 innings of work.

He would go on to play in Mexico for 1977 before coming back to the Majors and finishing out his career with time spent as a Chicago White Sox (his third stint with the team), and finally the Seattle Mariners in 1979.

Over the course of his six years in the Majors he’d post a 9-17 record, with a 4.87 ERA over 116 games and 249.2 innings pitched.

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1972 PAUL POWELL

On the blog today we have a "not so missing" 1972 card for former outfielder-turned-catcher Paul Powell, who made his Big League debut during the 1971 season with the Minnesota Twins:

Powell played exclusively in the outfield for the Twins over 20 games, hitting only .161.
After a full season in the Minors in 1972 he’d find himself out West as a Los Angeles Dodger, playing in two games during the 1973 season, going hitless in one at-bat while playing out in Left Field.
After another full season in the Minors for 1974, he’d be back on Big League grass for eight games in 1975, now also putting in time behind the plate, going 2-for-10 at the plate while catching seven games, with one other game out in the outfield.
Definitely a rarity to see an outfielder come back as a catcher like that. And fun to bring up on the blog!
For his career, Powell played in 30 games, hit .167 with seven hits in 42 at-bats, with a homer, two RBIs and nine runs scored.

 

GIMMIE A DO-OVER: 1978 ELLIOTT MADDOX

On the blog today is a fun card, a do-over 1978 card for Elliott Maddox, who actually had a great 1978 "minor" airbrush card to show him as a member of the New York Mets, who he'd play for in 1978, but I have him here for the team he played for in 1977, the Baltimore Orioles:

Maddox appeared in 49 games for the Orioles in 1977, hitting a respectable .262 with 28 hits in 107 at-bats, with 14 runs scored and nine runs batted in.

The previous three seasons saw him play for the New York Yankees, with the first two of those years seeing him topping a .300 batting average, easily his two best seasons as a Big League player.

He'd play well for the Mets, hitting about .260 overall over what turned out to be his last three seasons in the Majors.

He would play in the Minors during the 1981 season but he would leave the Big Leagues shortly after, with a career .261 average, with 742 hits in 2843 at-bats in 1029 games.

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1975 GONZALO MARQUEZ

On the blog today we have a career-capping "not so missing" 1975 card for former first baseman Gonzalo Marquez, who played in what turned out to be his last Major League games during the 1974 season with the Chicago Cubs:

  

Originally up to the Big Leagues in 1972 with the eventual World Champion Oakland A's, Marquez appeared in 11 games fore the Cubs in 1975, going 0-11 at the plate with a run scored.

Never a full-time player, his best season was his rookie year when he hit .381 over 23 games as a 32-year-old, with eight hits in 21 at-bats with two runs scored and four runs batted in.

Post-MLB, he did stick around pro-ball and play in the Mexican League through the 1979 season, though I can't dig up any stats.

Overall for this MLB career, Marquez finished with a .235 batting average, with 27 hits in 115 at-bats in 76 games for the A's and Cubs.

CAREER-CAPPER- 1976 ORLANDO PENA

A nice card to add to the blog today, a career-capping 1976 card for long-time Major League pitcher Orlando Pena, who finished up a nice 14-year career in 1975 with the California Angels:

 

Pena appeared in seven games for the Halos in 1975, going 0-2 with a very nice 2.13 earned run average over 12.2 innings of work at the age of 41.

He started his career back in 1958 with the Cincinnati Reds and along the way played for eight teams, with the Kansas City Athletics the team he made the most impact, collecting 30 wins against 44 losses in 100 games between 1962 and 1965.

All told, he finished his career with a record of 56-77 over 427 appearances, with an ERA of 3.71 in 1202 innings, with four shutouts and 40 saves.

 

MINOR LEAGUE DAYS- WILLIE STARGELL

The next star to be added to the "Minor League Days" 1971 sub-set is "Pops" Willie Stargell, who was wrapping up his four-year Minor League career in 1962 when this photo was taken, playing for the Columbus Jets as a 22-year-old:

 

Stargell hit .276 for Columbus that season, along with 27 homers and 82 runs batted in while scoring 97 runs himself over 497 at-bats in 138 games.

At the end of the season he'd get called up to the Big Leagues, where he'd remain for the next 21 years, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to two world championships, take home an MVP Award in 1979 (shared with the Cardinals Keith Hernandez), and get named to seven All-Star teams along the way.

"Pops" would also have a great three-year run between 1971 and 1973 that saw him finish second, third and second respectively in MVP voting, winning two home run tiles, an RBI title and even lead the league with 43 doubles (1973).

Luckily, I got to see him towards the end of his career in the late-70's/early-80s before he retired after the 1982 season.

His final number? Hall of Fame worthy as he'd finish with 475 home runs, 1540 RBIs, a surprisingly high .282 batting average and 2232 hits over 2360 games and 7927 at-bats.

Think about those numbers in UNDER 8000 at-bats!

Of course when eligible for the Hall of Fame, he was in, with 82.4% of the vote in 1988.

So sad that he would pass away at only 61 years of age in 2001.

Rest in Peace "Pops"...

 

ON-CARD ALL-STARS: 1970 DON KESSINGER

Next up on the "On-Card" All-Star train is the starting shortstop for the National League in 1969, Chicago Cub Don Kessinger, who made his second straight all-star team that season:

  

Kessinger was really a great player who gets lost over the years, making six all-star teams over his career, along with two Gold Gloves for such a great Cubs team at the time.

In 1969 Kessinger had perhaps his best season in the Big Leagues, collecting a career-best 181 hits, 38 doubles, 53 runs batted in and 109 runs scored.

Originally up to the Majors in 1964 as a 21-year-old, he would play the first 12 years of his career on Chicago's North Side with the Cubbies, before moving on to the St. Louis Cardinals for a season and a half, then the Chicago White Sox for the last two and a half years of his 16-year career.

In 1979, his last season of his career, he was also named manager of the White Sox before handing over the reigns to a young up and coming field general, a guy named Tony LaRussa.

For Kessinger, he would finish his career with 1931 hits, 899 runs, 100 stolen bases and a .252 batting average over 7651 at-bats and 2078 games played.

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1976 MIGUEL DILONE

On the blog today, we have a "not so missing" 1976 card for former speedster Miguel Dilone, who played a handful of games in 1975 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, his second taste of the Big League after his debut in 1974:

Dilone went 0-6 at the plate for the Pirates in 1975, but did score eight runs as a pinch-runner, while also stealing two bases in that limited role.

In 1974 as a nineteen-year-old he went 0-2 at the plate over 12 games, scoring three runs while stealing two bases while also drawing a walk.

It wasn't until 1978 when he found himself playing with the Oakland A's that he'd see any amount of playing time, appearing in 135 games though only collecting 292 plate appearances, stealing 50 bases and scoring 34 runs while only collecting 59 hits.

After a 1979 season that saw him suit up for the A's and Chicago Cubs, for a combined 73 games, he had his best Major League season in 1980 when he hit an impressive .341 with 61 stolen bases, collecting 180 hits over 528 at-bats for the Cleveland Indians, even getting some MVP attention at the end of the year.

In 1981 he did hit .290 for the Indians during the strike year, appearing in 72 games for the Tribe,

but between 1982 and 1985 he would play parts of each season for no less than five teams: Indians, White Sox, Pirates, Expos and Padres, never getting a full-time gig again.

All told, between 1974 and 1985 Dilone appeared in 800 games, hitting .265 with 530 hits over 2000 at-bats, stealing 267 bases while scoring 314 runs.

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1975 GENE HISER

On the blog today we have a "not so missing" 1975 card for former outfielder Gene Hiser of the Chicago Cubs, who played in a dozen games during the 1974 season:

Hiser hit .235 over those 12 games, with four hits in 17 at-bats, with two runs scored and a run batted in.

Originally up to the Majors in 1971 as a 22-year-old, he spent his whole Big League career with the Cubs between 1971 and 1975, hitting .202 with 53 hits in 263 at-bats over 206 games.

He would spend all of 1976 in the Cubs Minor League system, but would call it a career shortly after.

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1972 KEVIN COLLINS

On the blog today is a career-capping "not so missing" 1972 card for former infielder Kevin Collins, who played the last of his Big League games in 1971 with the Detroit Tigers:

Originally up to the Majors in 1965 as an 18-year-old with the New York Mets, Collins appeared in 35 games for the Tigers in 1971, hitting a respectable .268 with 11 hits over 41 at-bats, scoring six runs while driving in four.

Over what was a six year Major League career, Collins played for the Mets, Montreal Expos and Tigers, hitting .209 with 81 hits over 388 at-bats in 201 games, with 30 runs scored and 34 runs batted in.

He would go on to play in the Minors through the 1974 season in the Cleveland Indians system, but never get a shot back at the Major League level.

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1971 MIGEL PUENTE

We have another great addition to the WTHBALLS family today, a 1971 "not so missing" card for six-game Major League pitcher Migel Puente of the San Francisco Giants:

 

Puente appeared in all six of what would end up being his Big League career in May of 1970, going 1-3 with an earned run average of 8.20 in 18.2 innings of work.

Of those six appearances he started four of them, even completing one game while finishing one other as a reliever.

For some reason he left American ball after that year and went on to play in the Mexican League through the 1975 season, though I suspect he played longer.

Regardless, the entirety of his American professional experience was played for the Giants, beginning in 1968 before his eventual call-up in 1970 for those scant six games in May of 1970.

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1973 TERRY McDERMOTT

Always fun to add a player like this to the "WTHBALLS" checklist! Today we have a "not so missing" 1973 card for nine-game Major League first baseman Terry McDermott of the Los Angeles Dodgers:

McDermott played the entirety of his Big League career as a September call-up in 1972, collecting three hits over 23 at-bats, which translates to a .130 batting average.

Along the way he also added two runs scored and two walks to go with eight strikeouts over 26 total plate appearances.

He would go on to play through the 1976 season in the Dodgers Minor League system before calling it a pro career, which began in 1969 as an 18-year-old, all for Los Angeles.

Not much of a power hitter, he did put up some nice batting averages over his Minor League career, with a high of .343 the first half of 1972.

 

ON-CARD ALL-STARS: 1970 FELIX MILLAN

Today on the blog, we have the next starting All-Star from 1969 to get an "on-card" banner on their 1970 card, starting second baseman for the National League Felix Millan of the Atlanta Braves:

 

Millan would go on to bring home the first of his two Gold Gloves while making the first of his three straight All-Star teams in 1969, hitting .267 with 1974 hits, 98 runs scored and 14 stolen bases.

He would put in solid season after solid season for Atlanta over the next three years before getting traded to the New York Mets as part of a deal that got Atlanta pitchers Danny Frisella and Gary Gentry before the 1973 campaign started.

In 1973 he gave the New York Mets an important cog on their way to the National League title before falling to the Oakland A's juggernaut in the World Series.

While with the Mets he again was solid, collecting as many as 191 hits in a season (1975), which would stand for many years as the team record, hitting as high as .290 before a gruesome injury pretty much ended his career in 1977.

After Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Ed Ott tried to break up a double-play, Millan took exception to the slide and exchanged words, leading to Millan striking Ott with his fist.

Ott, who was a former wrestler, literally picked Millan up and slammed him down onto his knee, injuring Millan's shoulder so badly it ended his career. Just like that. Terrible.

All told, Millan played between 1966 and 1977, hitting .279 with 1617 hits in 5791 at-bats over 1480 games, scoring 699 runs and driving in 403 for the Braves and Mets.

 

MINOR LEAGUE DAYS- WILLIE McCOVEY

Next up in my 1971 "Minor League Days" thread is "Stretch" Willie McCovey, who was terrorizing Minor League pitching while playing for the Phoenix Giants before getting the call up to the Majors in 1959:

 

McCovey was tearing the cover off the ball while at Triple-A, hitting .372 with 29 homers and 92 runs batted in over just 95 games, posting a ridiculous .759 slugging percentage while scoring 84 runs as a 21-year-old.

When he got called up later that year, all he did was continue to tear the seams off the ball by hitting .354 with 13 homers and 38 runs batted in along with 32 runs scored in only 52 games, copping a Rookie of the Year Award and setting the tone for his 22-year career.

By the time he retired in 1980, he crushed 521 home runs, collected over 2000 hits, drove in over 1500, and left his mark as one of the most feared sluggers of his generation.

In 1986, his first year of eligibility, he was voted into the Hall of Fame with 81.4% of the ballots cast.

Man, what a threesome McCovey, Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda made back in the 1960's for San Francisco, huh?

Just incredible.

 

DEDICATED ROOKIE- 1977 TONY ARMAS

Another fun card to create for the blog, here's a 1977 "dedicated rookie" for former home run champ Tony Armas, who originally came up with the Pittsburgh Pirates with a handful of games in 1976:

Armas went 2-for-6 at the plate in his first taste of the Big Leagues, good for a .333 average, with a run batted in and two strikeouts.

Of course we all know he would soon find himself part of a big nine-player trade that sent him to the Oakland A's, for whom he would suit up for the next six seasons.

In 1980 he would get his first shot at full-time play and would not disappoint, hitting 35 homers for Oakland while driving in 109 runs.

The following season he would end up tied for the American League lead with 22 homers, good enough to finish fourth in the MVP race at season's end and making his first All-Star team.

After a 1982 season that saw him dip a little with 28 homers and 89 RBIs to go with a .239 batting average, Armas was traded to the Boston Red Sox for former batting champ Carney Lansford, and he would immediately find Fenway park to his liking, hitting 36 homers while driving in 107, though hitting only .218.

1984 would arguably be his best season in the Big Leagues, as he would lead the A.L. with 43 homers and 123 RBIs while hitting .268, making his second All-Star team and finishing seventh in MVP voting, while also scoring a career-best 107 runs.

The next two years would see his playing time drop as well as production, hitting 23 and 11 homers respectively, leading to him moving on to the California Angels in 1987 where he'd appear in only 28 games, hitting .198 with three homers and nine RBIs.

He'd play a little more in both 1988 and 1989 but with only 13 and 11 homers the writing was on the wall for the 35-year-old, and would retire shortly after.

All told, Armas finished his 14-year career with 251 home runs and 815 RBIs, along with a .252 average over 1432 games and 5164 at-bats between 1976 and 1989, scoring 614 runs and collecting 1302 hits.

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1975 RICH PUIG

Great card to add to the blog today, a "not so missing" 1975 card for four-game Major Leaguer Rich Puig of the New York Mets, who played the entirety of his Big League career in September of 1974:

 

Puig ended up going 0-10 at the plate in what turned out to be the only taste of Major League ball, striking out twice and walking once.

Sadly for him the next season he'd find himself in the Chicago White Sox minor league system, where he would also play in 1976 before calling it a career, never getting back to the Big League level again.

Love creating cards for guys like this! Who knew there was another "Puig" in the Majors before Yasiel!?

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1974 CASEY COX

Up on the blog today we have a career-capping "not so missing" 1974 card for former pitcher Casey Cox, who appeared in one single game for the New York Yankees in 1973, tossing three innings:

Cox, who made his Major League debut in 1966 with the Washington Senators, didn't factor in a decision in his last Big League appearance, but gave up two earned runs in those three innings, ending up with an ERA of 6.00.

He pitched the first six and a half of his eight MLB seasons for the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers organization, having his best season in 1969 when he posted a record of 12-7 over 52 appearances, with a nice 2.78 ERA over 171.2 innings of work.

Generally a reliever most of his career, in 1970 the Senators made him a starter, appearing in 37 games that year, starting 30 of them.

He called it a career after 1973, finishing up with a record of 39-42 over 308 appearances, with a 3.70 earned run average and 20 saves over 762 innings pitched between 1966 and 1973.

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1971 CHARLIE HOUGH

Fun card to add to the blog today, a "not so missing" 1971 card for long-time Major League pitcher Charlie Hough, who knuckle-balled his way through 25 seasons before retiring in 1994 at the age of 46:

Hough made his Big League debut during the 1970 season, appearing in eight games as a 22-year-old for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He didn't pick up a decision over that time, pitching to a 5.29 earned run average over 17 innings of work.

It wouldn't be until 1973 until he got some significant playing time, appearing in 37 games for L.A. and pitching well, to the tune of a 2.76 ERA while going 4-2 with five saves.

Overall, all the man would do in his Major League career is win 216 games (against 216 losses), toss 13 shutouts, save 61 games, and appear in 858 games, with 440 of them starts.
He spent the first half of his career as a reliever with the Dodgers before finding his groove as a starter with the Texas Rangers, topping 15 wins seven times between 1982 and 1988.
In 1987, at the age of 39, he led the Majors with 285.1 innings pitched, starting 40 games that year when he also set career-highs in wins (18) and strikeouts (223) for the Rangers, making his one and only All-Star game.

Just amazing...

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1978 KEN OBERKFELL

 

Up on the blog today we have a "not so missing" 1978 card for former third baseman Ken Oberkfell of the St. Louis Cardinals, who made his Big League debut with nine games the previous year:

Oberkfell hit .111 in his first taste of Major League pitching, collecting a single along with a run batted in over nine plate appearances.

The following season he would go on to appear in two-dozen games for the St. Louis, hitting a disappointing .120 with six hits in 50 at-bats, scoring seven runs while collecting his first extra-base-hit, a double.
Of course as you know, he would go on to play 16 seasons in the Big Leagues, the first eight with the Cardinals before moving on to the Atlanta Braves for five years, before playing out his career with four others between 1988 and 1992.
Oberkfell gave St. Louis a solid few seasons between 1979 and 1983, never hitting below .289 while admirably manning third base, including their 1982 championship season.
By the time he retired after the 1992 season, he finished with a .278 career average, with 1354 hits over 4874 at-bats and 1602 games, with 558 runs scored and 446 runs batted in.

 

MINOR LEAGUE DAYS- TOM SEAVER

The next star player profiled in my long-running 1971 "Minor League Days" sub-set is "Tom Terrific", Tom Seaver, who played his one and only season in the Minors for the Jacksonville Suns in 1966:

Seaver posted a record of 12-12 over 34 appearances for the Suns, completing 10 games and pitching four shutouts along with 188 strikeouts against only 66 walks.

Of course, the following season he would begin his Major League dominance, taking home the N.L. Rookie of the Year Award, only to be followed with three Cy Young Awards, 12 All-Star nods, and ultimately a Hall of Fame career rarely matched in Big League history.

The man would end up with a 311-205 record along with 61 shutouts and 3640 strikeouts to go with a brilliant 2.86 ERA over 20-seasons and 656 appearances, 647 of which were starts.

God I loved Tom Seaver when I was a kid. More than any other pitcher of that era I was in awe of this man. He just seemed like a "super-hero" to me.

Rest in Peace Sir...

 

ON CARD ALL-STARS: 1970 WILLIE McCOVEY

Next up in my new thread of 1970 "on-card" All-Stars is the National League starting first baseman for 1969, "Stretch" Willie McCovey, who was in the midst of his monster MVP season:

McCovey made his fifth All-Star team that year, on his way to taking home the league MVP Award after a season that saw him lead the league with 45 homers, 126 RBIs, a .453 OBP and a .656 slugging percentage, as well as a whopping 45 intentional base on balls.

The man put it ALL together that year!

McCovey came into the Majors with a bang in 1959, tearing the seams off the ball by hitting .354 with 13 homers and 38 runs batted in along with 32 runs scored in only 52 games, copping a Rookie of the Year Award and setting the tone for his 22-year career.

By the time he retired in 1980, he crushed 521 home runs, collected over 2000 hits, drove in over 1500, and left his mark as one of the most feared sluggers of his generation.

In 1986, his first year of eligibility, he was voted into the Hall of Fame with 81.4% of the ballots cast.

Man, what a threesome McCovey, Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda made back in the 1960's for San Francisco, huh?

Just incredible.

JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT, ANOTHER 1977 RE-DO FOR RICK JONES

Up on the blog today, we have my SECOND re-do for former pitcher Rick Jones' 1977 card. The first was just an actual photo of him as a Seattle Mariner to "fix" the original as-issued Topps card which was an odd (to say the least) COMPLETE airbrush job, which was originally a black-and-white photo.This one reflects the team for whom he actually played in 1976, the Boston Red Sox:

Jones appeared in 24 games for the Red Sox in 1976, putting in a nice performance as he posted a 5-3 record along with a 3.36 earned run average, starting 14 of those appearances. Once onto Seattle however, he didn’t fair so well, going 1-4 with a 5.10 ERA over ten appearances, all starts and 42,1 innings of work.
The following year he’d make only three appearances for Seattle, starting two games and going 0-2 before spending 1979 and 1980 in the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league system, posting double-digit wins each year, yet leaving the game for good at the age of 25.Interesting to see his 1975 minor league season, as he posted a record of 20-7 with a 2.67 ERA and 177 strikeouts over 29 starts and 226 innings at the age of only 20. 

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1977 KERRY DINEEN

On the blog today, how about a "not so missing" 1977 card for former New York Yankee outfielder Kerry Dineen, who appeared in four games over the 1976 season for the American League champs:

Dineen, who made his MLB debut in 1975 with seven games as a Yankee and hit a scorching .364 in his limited play, came back for those few games in 1976 and hit a respectable .286 with two hits over seven at-bats, including a run batted in and a stolen base.

He would find himself traded to the Philadelphia Phillies just before the 1977 started for Sergio Ferrer and spend the whole year in the Minors, before making it back to the Big Leagues in 1978.

In what turned out to be his last taste of the Majors, he appeared in five games for the Phillies in 1978, hitting .250 with two hits over eight at-bats, spending the rest of the year tearing up Minor League pitching to the tune of a .345 batting average.

Sadly that didn't turn into another Major League shot, as he would play all of 1979 in the Minors, then retiring by year's end. All told, he finished his career with a very nice .324 career average, with 12 hits in 37 at-bats over 16 games between 1975 and 1978.

 

A 1976 CAREER-CAPPER FOR "MIRACLE MET" GARY GENTRY

Up on the blog today we have a 1976 "Career-Capper" for Gary Gentry, former 1969 "Miracle Mets" starter, who finished up his injury-plagued seven year Major League career with seven games for the Atlanta Braves in 1975:

Gentry went 1-1 over his brief final season, with an earned run average of 4.95 in 20 innings of work, with two of the appearances starts.

Still only 28 years of age, he would call it a professional career after the season, ended what was a seven-year career that began with great promise in 1969.

That season, making his Big League debut, he'd post a record of 13-12 over 35 starts, pitching to an ERA of 3.43 with three shutouts as the New York Mets shocked the baseball world by steamrolling to a World Championship, beating the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles.

He would have a decent four-year run with the Mets, winning 13, 9, 12 and seven games respectively between 1969 and 1972 before finding himself with Atlanta in 1973.

But once in Atlanta he couldn't get much playing time, appearing in a total of 26 games over the three seasons, winning a total of five games.

By the time he retired, he finished with a record of 46-49, with an ERA of 3.56 over 157 games and 902.2 innings pitched, with eight shutouts and two saves.

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1975 BUTCH METZGER

Today on the blog we have a "not so missing" 1975 card for FUTURE National League Rookie of the Year Butch Metzger, who made his Big League debut during the 1974 season with the San Francisco Giants, appearing in 10 games:

Over those ten relief appearances, Metzger went 1-0 with an earned run average at 3.55, striking out five while walking 12 over 12.2 innings.

His 1975 season was more of the same, as he'd only appear in four games, now for the San Diego Padres, again posting a record of 1-0 with an ERA at 7.71 in 4.2 innings.

In 1976 he had quite a rookie season, appearing in 77 games and posting a very nice record of 11-4, with an ERA of 2.92 over 123.1 innings, all in relief.

He closed out a league-leading 62 games that year, picking up 16 saves while striking out 89 with 52 walks.

Those numbers got him a shared Rookie of the Year Award, which he split with the Cincinnati Reds Pat Zachry.

Sadly, that would end up being the high point of what turned out to be a short Big League career, as Metzger would falter a bit in 1977, even getting traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for John D'Acquisto and Pat Scanlon and going a combined 4-2 over 75 appearances with a 3.59 ERA in 115.1 innings, with only seven saves.

He would find himself a New York Met in 1978, appearing in 25 games while pitching to a 1-3 record with a 6.51 ERA over 37.1 innings, the last innings he'd pitch in the Majors, still only 26 years of age.

After a full season in the Atlanta Braves system in 1980, he would call it a career, ending up with a record of 18-9 with an ERA of 3.74 over 191 appearances and 293.1 innings pitched.

MISSING IN ACTION- 1973 ANDY KOSCO

 Up on the blog this morning we have a "missing" 1973 card for Andy Kosco, who split his 1972 campaign with the California Angels and Boston Red Sox:

Kosco appeared in 66 games that Summer, hitting .233 with 44 hits over 189 at-bats, certainly enough to warrant a card in the 1973 set, especially since he'd play for another two seasons before calling it a career after 1974.

Originally up with the Minnesota Twins during the Pennant Winning 1965 season, he'd end up playing 10 years in the Majors, finishing up with a .236 batting average, with 464 hits over 1963 at-bats in 658 games.

THE "WTHBALLS" CARDS SO FAR! SERIES 1 THROUGH 4 ALONG WITH 1960'S "DEDICATED ROOKIE" SPECIAL

Hello everyone!

Just thought it'd be fun to post a collection of photos of all the Series of cards produced so far in my pack-series started a few months ago.

SO FOR ANYONE THAT WANTS TO BE SURPRISED WITH SERIES 4 DON'T LOOK AT THE PHOTOS!

It's been a blast producing these so far and I want to thank all of you who have been supporting this endeavor! THANKS!!!

 

JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT: ON CARD ALL-STARS- 1970 JOHNNY BENCH

OK. Now today I start what I hope grows on me, a full set of 1970 cards with on-card All-Star designations, like my favorite cards between 1975 and 1981.We will begin this new thread with all-time great Johnny Bench, who of course was the National League starting catcher for the 1969 game:

 

Now, to begin with, if you recall Topps ended up producing All-Star cards in the 1970 that were actually the "Sporting News" All-Stars, not necessarily the starters from the game, so there will be some cool players getting their rightful All-Star call-out after all these years.

Now for the design: I weighed everything Topps did for this set and figured they wouldn't have done much to call-our an All-Star with this design, so I played it safe with a banner running across the bottom somewhat like the 1977 set.

Not a design that reaches out and grabs you by the throat, but just a little something extra to draw your eyes to an All-Star player.

Now as for Mr. Bench, the young rising star was already entrenched as the catcher of the era, making his second straight All-Star team in just his second season.

All he would go on to do in his career is win the National League Rookie of the Year as a 20-year old in 1968, win TWO Most Valuable Player Awards by the age of 24, and win a couple of championships by the age of 28.

Oh yeah, he'd also end up being what most consider the greatest catcher the game has ever seen!
Just an incredible career that took him straight to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1989, as if there was any chance of that NOT happening!
All-time legend of the game.

 

 

MINOR LEAGUE DAYS- RICHIE ALLEN

Up next on the blog is another entry to my ongoing "Minor League Days" 1971 sub-set, this time the prolific Richie (not yet Dick) Allen, who was suiting up for the Arkansas Travelers here in 1963 as a 21-year-old:

Allen did not disappoint as he pounded the ball to the tune of a .289 batting average, along with 33 homers and 97 runs batted in, along with 93 runs scored and a .550 slugging average. It would be the last Richie Allen would see of the Minors, as he'd get a late-call-up with the Philadelphia Phillies, hitting .292 in his Big League debut, where he was to stay.

Over the course of the next 15 seasons, six times he'd top 30 homers, with a high of 40 in 1966 while still with the Phillies, while also topping 100 runs scored twice, 100+ runs batted in three times, and even top 200 hits, which was during his amazing rookie year, where he also hit 29 homers, scored 125 runs and drove in 91.

Needless to say, he took home the Rookie of the Year that year, and in 1972 would take home the MVP trophy while with the White Sox when he paced the American League with 37 homers and 113 RBI's, while just missing out on the Triple Crown, batting .308, just ten points off the league-leading mark by perennial winner Rod Carew.

By the time he left the game at the age of 35, Allen hit over 350 homers, batted .292 and scored 1099 runs with 1119 RBI's.

The seven-time all-star also led his league in triples once, walks once, on-base-percentage twice and slugging three times.

I'm not saying the man is a lock-tight Hall of Fame candidate, but I do think in light of some of the guys already in, HE should also be in there.

The fact that the most support he got was an 18.9% showing in 1996 seems like a joke to me.

What do you all think?

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1974 LARVELL BLANKS

On the blog today we have a “not so missing” 1974 card for former Atlanta Braves infielder Larvell Blanks, aka “Sugar Bear”, who appeared in 17 games during his second season of Big League ball in 1973:

Blanks hit .222 in that time, collecting four hits in 18 at-bats while playing all infield positions but first base, along with some pinch-hitting duties as well.
He would only appear in three games during the 1974 season before playing full-time in 1975 when he appeared in 141 games, which turned out to be a career-high, hitting .234 with 110 hits over 471 at-bats.
Blanks would find himself with the Cleveland Indians in 1976, having a very nice season hitting .280 over 104 games, with 92 hits in 328 at-bats along with 45 runs scored and 41 runs batted in.
The next season was more of the same as he hit .286 with 92 hits in 322 at-bats almost duplicating the runs scored with 43 and RBIs with 38.
After a 1978 season that saw him falter just a bit, he found himself playing for the Texas Rangers in 1979, where he hit .200 in limited play, collecting 24 hits in 120 at-bats.
In 1980, in what turned out to be the last year of his MLB career, he was back where it all began, in Atlanta, where he hit .204 for the Braves in just over a half season’s action, collecting 45 hits in 221 at-bats while filling in at third, short and second as usual.
He would go on to play in the Mexican League between 1981 and 1985 for a few different teams, finally calling it a pro career at the age of 35.
Overall, by the time he finished up his career in the Majors, Blanks had a career .253 batting average, with 446 hits over 1766 at-bats in 629 games, with 203 runs scored and 172 RBIs.

 

COACH CARD- 1978 RED SCHOENDIENST

For the fun of it, today’s blog post has a 1978 coach card for the great Red Schoendienst, TRUE baseball lifer and Hall of Famer:

Now, it may be tough to see him in a uniform other than the St. Louis Cardinals, but Red did indeed offer his expertise to the Oakland A’s  in 1977 and 1978.
What really needs to be said about the man!?
Schoendienst first put together a 19-year Hall of Fame career between 1945 and 1963, winning a championship with the Cards as well as the Milwaukee Braves in 1957, before coaching and then managing St. Louis from 1965 to 1976, winning yet another championship in 1967, with a spot managing gig in 1980 and then 1990 all while coaching the team in between, including the 1982 season, giving him a FIFTH championship in his illustrious career.
He put in 2216 games as a player, then went on to manage 1999 games, winning 1041 of them for a .522 winning percentage, while coaching at LEAST another couple thousand games on top of that!
A baseball treasure!
Rest in Peace Red: 1923-2018