On the blog today, adding to a series I haven't touched in a long while, a 1975 "In-Action" card for DH extraordinaire Hal McRae:
After
a Big League debut in 1968, appearing in 17 with the Cincinnati Reds,
he’d be back in the Majors in 1970, where he would stay for the next 18
seasons putting together an excellent career, becoming one of the first
true full-time designated hitters once he was traded to the Kansas City
Royals before the 1973 campaign.
All McRae would end up doing once in a Royals uniform is put in a 15-year run where he became one of the best hitters in the league, with three All-Star nods, six .300+ batting average seasons, and MVP consideration four times.
By the time he was done, he retired with a career .290 batting average, with 2091 hits, 484 doubles and 1097 runs batted in over 2084 games and 7218 at-bats, making three All-Star teams and finishing top-5 in MVP voting twice (1976 and 1982).
All McRae would end up doing once in a Royals uniform is put in a 15-year run where he became one of the best hitters in the league, with three All-Star nods, six .300+ batting average seasons, and MVP consideration four times.
By the time he was done, he retired with a career .290 batting average, with 2091 hits, 484 doubles and 1097 runs batted in over 2084 games and 7218 at-bats, making three All-Star teams and finishing top-5 in MVP voting twice (1976 and 1982).
As
a kid growing up during that era, I got to appreciate what a solid
player McRae was, fearing him up at the plate against "my" New York
Yankees, since he always seemed to do damage against them.