On the blog today, we move on to a 1978 "expanded league leaders" card celebrating the National League's top three home run hitters of 1977, and it's a doozy:
Of course we begin with
Mr. All-World for 1977, George Foster of the Cincinnati reds, who had
himself an MVP year by breaking the 50-home run barrier with 52 bombs,
the first time a player reached that milestone since Willie Mays in
1965.
Foster's 1977 season was more than just home runs
however, evidenced by his .320 batting average and 197 hits, as well as
his league-leading 120 runs scored, 149 runs batted in and 388 total
bases.
The man was incredible, taking home his MVP Award a year after finishing in second place behind teammate Joe Morgan in 1976.
He
would also add a league-leading 40 homers the following year, while
also leading the league in RBIs for a third year in a row with 120,
finishing in sixth place for the MVP.
The next two players in
the N.L. home run race in 1977 both had the misfortune of having their
best Big League seasons the same year Foster took the MLB world by
storm, though both players did put together excellent careers.
In second place with a career-best 41 homers, Atlanta Braves slugger Jeff Burroughs, the A.L. MVP just three years earlier.
In
1977 Burroughs gave Braves fans something to cheer about in his first
season there, adding 114 RBIs, 91 runs scored and a .271 average to go
along with with his 41 homers.
The 91 runs scored were a
career-best as well, while the 114 RBIs were four short of his
league-leading 1974 total of 118 while with the Texas Rangers.
In
third place with 39 bombs, also a career-best, Philadelphia Phillies
slugger Greg Luzinski, "The Bull", who has quite a run in the mid-70's.
Luzinski
was an absolute BEAST in 1977, driving in 130 runs to go along with his
39 homers, while hitting .309 and scoring 99 himself for the N.L. East
champ Phillies, finishing in second place for league MVP for the second
time in three years.
It was the third year in a row that he
hit .300 or better, which many easily forget about, thinking of him
strictly as a power guy along with his teammate Mike Schmidt.
Three top-notch sluggers in the prime of their careers, on one "expanded" league leader card for you to enjoy!