On the blog today, an awesome card to create featuring three future Hall of Fame members, an “expanded league leader” 1978 card featuring the National League’s top three firemen of 1977:
We start off with the great Rollie Fingers, who had a wonderful first season in the Senior League, racking up 43 “points” in 1977 as a Free Agent signing for the San Diego Padres.
Fingers led the N.L. with his 35 saves, in addition to his 8 wins, giving him the 43 point total, while also posting a 2.99 earned run average with 113 strikeouts over 132.1 innings of work.
The man was a machine coming out of the bullpen for all three franchises he suited up for: Oakland A’s, Padres and Milwaukee Brewers, with whom he took home a Cy Young Award and MVP in 1981.
In second place with 38 points, a man who was just announcing himself and his future greatness to the Big League world, Chicago Cub reliever Bruce Sutter.
In his second season as a Major Leaguer, Sutter absolutely dominated batter, posting a ridiculous ERA of 1.34 over 107.1 innings, while saving 31 games and winning seven more in 62 appearances.
An absolute beast as a reliever, Sutter would go on to take home a Cy Young Award in 1979 when he saved 37 games while posting a 2.22 ERA over 62 games, striking out 110 batters in 101.1 innings.
In third place, with 37 points, yet another future Hall of Famer, the “Goose” Rich Gossage, who put in one great season for the Pittsburgh Pirates after coming over from the Chicago White Sox, saving 26 games while winning 11 more over 72 appearances, striking out 151 batters over 133 innings while finishing up with a brilliant 1.62 ERA.
He would parlay that performance by signing with the New York Yankees as a Free Agent before the 1978 season, helping them win their second World Series in a row and become a fan favorite through the early-80’s before heading off to the San Diego Padres.
Three studs out of the bullpen who were easily three of the best in the game during that and any other era!