AN ANOMALY IN TOPPS CARDS- 1979 DON KESSINGER

On the blog today, we spotlight a rare and fun situation for Topps cards, regardless of the era: the fact that Don Kessinger had a solo card as a player in Topps 1979 set, as well as being profiled on the team card as their manager:

 

The longtime All-Star shortstop for the Chicago CUBS found himself on the Southside of town, traded for a Minor Leaguer in August of 1977.

Before the 1979 season, he was tabbed as the new manager of the White Sox, enough time for Topps to have him in the small manager inset on the team card, while still having him on a solo card as well.

I remember as a kid thinking this was so cool, and that they should have done the same for New York Mets Joe Torre the previous 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.

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.

As a manager however, he didn't have the same result, lasting only 106 games into the 1979 season before getting let go, leading the team to a record of 46-60.

His replacement, Tony LaRussa, who incredibly is STILL managing to this day, which boggles my mind.