Up on the blog
today, we proceed in my on-going “expanded league-leaders” thread to the
top three RBI men of the National league for 1976, on a 1977 imagined
card:
Of course, we begin
with Cincinnati Reds slugger George Foster, who put it all together for
his first of three straight RBI crowns, leading the league with 121 in
1976.
Foster would put
together three straight MVP caliber seasons between 1976 and 1978,
actually taking home the award in 1977 after the greatest offensive
season of the decade with his 124 runs, 149 RBIs and
52 homers, all leading marks for the N.L., while also hitting .320 with
197 hits for the Reds.
In 1978 he led the
league in homers and RBIs again, with 40 and 120 respectively, giving
him a sixth place finish in the MVP race by season’s end after his win
in 1977 and a second place finish in 1976.
Behind him with 111
RBIs in 1976, none other than Foster’s MVP teammate Joe Morgan, who was
also in the midst of an incredible run, leading the league with a .444
on-base-percentage and .576 slugging percentage
for the World Champion Reds, while also stealing 60 bases and scoring
113 runs, second in the league only to another teammate, Pete Rose, who
scored 130 himself.
In third place with
107 RBIs is Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame third baseman Mike
Schmidt, who led the league with 38 homers, his third straight home run
title, while also scoring 112 runs and swiping
14 bases for the N.L. East champs.
Great expanded card
to create showing three of the major thumpers of the National League for
the 1970’s, all MVP worthy, comprising an eventual six MVPs between
them!
Hope you enjoy the “card”!
