Good day all.
Up
on the blog today we have a "missing" 1973 Danny Murtaugh All-Star
manager card, in the case of the 1973 set a complete fabrication by
yours truly since Topps didn't have all-star cards in this set:
Murtaugh
was given the honors as the National League skipper for the 1972 game
based on his leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a World Series win over
the favored Baltimore Orioles in the 1971 Fall Classic.
He
began his managerial career in 1957, and would go on to lead the Pirates
through 1976 with gaps in 1965-1966, 1968-1969, and 1972.
Overall
he led the team to five first place finishes, with two championships,
the first in 1960 when the Pirates stunned the favored New York Yankees,
capped off by Bill Mazeroski's Game Seven ninth-inning walk-off, and
the second when they beat the defending champion Baltimore Orioles.
His final numbers as a manager, he finished with a record of 1115 and 950, good for a .540 winning percentage.
Battling
ailments including heart issues throughout his managerial career, he
sadly suffered a stroke and passed away at the age of only 59, just two
months after retiring.