On the blog today we have a "not so missing" 1979
card for former National League Rookie of the Year Butch Metzger, who
sadly developed arm problems and was out of the Majors three years after
his award winning season:
Metzger appeared in 25 games for the New York Mets in 1978, going 1-3 with an earned run average of 6.51 in 37.1 innings.
Just
two seasons earlier with the San Diego Padres he was co-R.O.Y. when he
appeared in 77 games as a Freshman, saving 16 games while posting a
record of 11-4 with a 2.92 ERA in 123.1 innings pitched.
Sadly
he soon developed arm problems and saw his 1977 season split between
the Padres and St. Louis Cardinals, going 4-2 with a 3.59 ERA over 115.1
innings, with seven saves.
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 in parts of five seasons between 1974 and 1978.