A SET THAT NEVER WAS: 1971 ALL-STAR TICKET SET: SPARKY ANDERSON

We move onto the Managers for the two teams in that classic of all Midsummer Classics, the 1971 All-Star game played in the "Motor City", Detroit, Michigan, and today it's the National League skipper Sparky Anderson:

Arguably leading the team of the decade, the Cincinnati Reds, Anderson was at the helm of a team that featured many of the top players of the era.

In 1975 the Reds were arguably one of the best teams in baseball history, steamrolling to 108 victories before eventually beating the Boston Red Sox in the World Series.

In 1976, more of the same as the team would win 102 games before sweeping the New York Yankees in the World Series.

Throw in the fact that they were also in the World Series in both 1970 and 1972, and it really looked like the team, stacked with guys like Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan and George Foster, would be keeping our attention for quite some time.

But alas, according to Sparky, it was the trading of one of their OTHER stars, Tony Perez, that took the heart and soul out of the team, and shockingly the "Big Red Machine" would not bring home another championship, and the franchise would have to wait until 1990 before experiencing it again.

For Anderson however, the man would go down as one of the greatest managers in Major League history, moving on to the Detroit Tigers in 1979, where he would go on to manage 17 years, giving him a combined 26 years of Big League managing, even taking home another title with that great 1984 Tiger team that was in first "wire-to-wire", winning 104 games before beating the San Diego Padres in the World Series.

All told the man won 2194 games as a manager, finishing with a .545 winning percentage, three titles, 5 pennants, and of course a Hall of Fame induction in 2000.

Legend, and perpetually looking like an "old man" even when he was in his 30's!

REVISITING MY "NOT REALLY MISSING" 1971 RAY OYLER FROM 10 YEARS AGO

Good day all!

On the blog today, revisiting a post from 10 years ago, my "not really missing" 1971 card for Ray Oyler of the California Angels:

I recently came across this nice usable image for former shortstop Ray Oyler as a California Angel, and since he didn't have a card in the 1971 set I figured I'd whip one up, even though it's a bit of a stretch considering the minimal time he played in 1970.

The 1970 would end up being the last in Oyler's six-year career.

It wasn't much of a showing, as he collected two scant hits over 24 at-bats, good for a .083 batting average in the 24 games he got into that season.

But when you look at his career, Oyler was all glove and no bat, almost literally.

By the time he hung up his cleats after 1970, he retired with a .175 batting average, based on his 221 hits over 1265 at-bats.

Between 1965 and 1970, he topped .200 once, when he hit .207 in 1967 for the Detroit Tigers.

However, on a positive note, during the Tiger's World Series run in 1968 Oyler played in 111 games for the champs, arguably the high point of his career before being selected by the expansion Seattle Pilots for the 1969 season.

Quite a few teammates reflected on Oyler's defensive prowess, some even stating that no matter what the batting average was, having Oyler as their shortstop helped their team.

Talk about the epitome of "good field, no hit"!

 

A SET THAT NEVER WAS: 1971 ALL-STAR TICKET SET: VIDA BLUE

Today on the blog we move on to the starting pitcher for the American League in that historic 1971 All-Star game in my custom 1971 "Ticket" set, all-world lefty Vida Blue:

Of course, we all know that Vida Blue absolutely exploded onto the Major League scene in 1971, on his way to capturing both the Cy Young and MVP Awards by season's end.

All he did in this epic season was post a record of 24-8, with a league-leading 1.82 earned run average, striking out 301 batters and tossing eight shutouts.

Oh yeah, he was only 21 years of age!

His WHIP of 0.952 and strikeouts-per-nine-innings of 8.7 also led the league, and he completed 24 of his 39 starts, putting in 312 innings of work for the upstart Oakland A's, who were about to go on the three-peat championship run between 1972 and 1974.

Blue would go on to post 209 career victories in the Majors, having some successful seasons with the San Francisco Giants, even starting the 1978 All-Star game for the National League, while finishing up his 17-year career in 1986.
It’s amazing for me to remember that when Blue started that NL All-Star game in 1978, he wasn’t even 30 years old, yet to me he already seemed to be an aging veteran by then.

 

A SET THAT NEVER WAS: 1971 ALL-STAR TICKET SET: CARL YASTRZEMSKI

Today on the blog we come to the third starting outfielder in my 1971 "All-Star Ticket" set, celebrating perhaps the greatest Midsummer Classic of the all, Boston Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski:

The man was at his height of his game at the time this photo was taken, already a three-time batting champion, Triple Crown winner in 1967, and five-time Gold Glove winner.

As someone who grew up in New York City during the second half of his career, it's really easy to forget that Yastrzemski was a Long Island, New York boy before he went on to become a New England legend.

And how could he NOT become a legend, what with 23 years of Major League ball, all with the Red Sox, turning in three batting titles, a Triple Crown in 1967 along with an MVP Award, seven Gold Gloves, 18 all-star nods, and 25 league-leads in primary offensive categories.

By the time he did the retirement tour in 1983, he scored 1816 runs, collected 3419 hits, 646 doubles, 452 homers, 1844 runs batted in along with a .285 batting average.

He was just plain awesome…

 

A SET THAT NEVER WAS: 1971 ALL-STAR TICKET SET: FRANK ROBINSON

The next starting player from the 1971 All-Star Game to spotlight in my "set that never was" Ticket Set is "The Judge" Frank Robinson, perhaps the greatest "overlooked" player the game has ever seen:

It was the eleventh All-Star nod for the legend, who would have himself another great year, finishing third in the A.L. MVP race at season's end, hitting .281 with 28 homers and 99 runs batted in.

Robinson is perhaps the “greatest underrated player” in Major League history.
A two-time Most Valuable Player, and the first to do it in both leagues, Robinson also took home a Triple Crown in 1966, was a twelve time All-Star, finished in the Top-4 in MVP voting outside his two wins, and oh yeah, as mentioned earlier was also the first African-American Manager in league history.
When he retired as an active player in 1976, Robinson was in the top-5 in so many offensive categories he was in the company of Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.
Yet oddly enough, perhaps because of the era he played in, he would get buried in the “all-time greats” conversation in lieu of the aforementioned players along with guys like Ty Cobb, Roberto Clemente and Ted Williams.
I would say he and Stan Musial are the TWO greatest “underrated” players of all-time, and you could arguably throw in others like Bob Feller for good measure.
Just an all-out legend in so many ways.

 

A SET THAT NEVER WAS: 1971 ALL-STAR TICKET SET: BOBBY MURCER

Up on the blog today, we move into the outfield of the American League in my "set that never was", a 1971 All-Star game special custom set, featuring the players that actually started that classic Midsummer game:

Bobby Murcer actually started the game in place of the injured Tony Oliva, who was selected by fans.

Murcer really did have a very nice career, especially those seasons between 1969 and 1977 when he drove in over 80 runs eight times, while topping 90 five of those seasons.
He hit as high as .331 (1971) while hitting as many as 33 homers (1972), while also leading the league in runs scored with 102 in 1972, OBP with a .427 mark in 1971 and total bases with 314 again in 1972.
He made five straight All-Star teams from 1971 through 1975, and was in the top-10 in MVP voting three straight years: 1971-1973.
Much more importantly, the man was one of the nicest human beings on the planet, as I can attest to, meeting him on more than a few occasions.
He was just as “real” as it got.
Rest in Peace Bobby. You are truly missed.

 

A SET THAT NEVER WAS: 1971 ALL-STAR TICKET SET: BROOKS ROBINSON

Time we moved on to third base and my 1971 All-Star Game ticket card for the great Brooks Robinson, about as loved a player for the Baltimore Orioles:

Of course Robinson pretty much had the third base position on lock-down for some 15 years in the A.L., and 1971 was no different.

It was the man's 12th straight All-Star nod at third base for the Junior Circuit, and it would also be his 12th straight Gold Glove, on his way to 16 before he was through.

In 1958 he’d play his first full season in the Big Leagues, and it was all cruise control from there, as the great third baseman would go on to grab those 16 Gold Gloves, an MVP Award in 1964, appear in 15 All-Star games, and help guide the Baltimore Orioles to two Championships and four A.L. Pennants.
By the time he hung up that golden glove after the 1977 season, he finished with 2848 hits, 1357 runs batted in, 268 home runs and 1232 runs scored in 2896 games.
Needless to say, by the time Cooperstown came calling, he was voted in on his first try, receiving 92% support in 1983.

 

A SET THAT NEVER WAS: 1971 ALL-STAR TICKET SET: LUIS APARICIO

Next up in my "set that never was" 1971 All-Star ticket custom set, the American League shortstop in that legendary game, Luis Aparicio of the Boston Red Sox:

From the moment he made it to the Majors in 1956 with the Chicago White Sox, Aparicio was a star.

He took home the A.L. Rookie of the Year that season, and proceeded to be an all-star player for most of his 18-year career.

Between 1956 and 1964, nine consecutive years, he led the American League in stolen bases every single season!

As a member of the "Go-Go" 1959 Chicago White Sox he finished second to teammate Nellie Fox for Most Valuable Player, and he'd go on to win nine Gold Glove Awards before hanging up the spikes.

All told he suited up for the White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and Boston Red Sox for the final three years of his illustrious career.

By the time he retired the numbers were solid: 2677 hits, 1335 runs scored, 506 stolen bases and over 10000 at-bats!

It took a few years on the ballot, but he was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984.

A SET THAT NEVER WAS: 1971 ALL-STAR TICKET SET: ROD CAREW

Next up on the blog, my 1971 All-Star Game ticket card for the great Rod Carew, who was the starting second baseman for the American league in that historic 1971 Midsummer Classic:

The man was a player for the ages, as he would go on to play in 18 All-Star games, missing only his final season in the Majors in 1985. Just incredible.

The first nine seasons of his career were as an All-Star second baseman, while the last nine were as a first baseman.

The man topped .300 15 years in a row, with a high of .388 in 1977 on his way to a Most Valuable Player Award and capturing the public’s attention with his .400 chase late in the season.
A clear-cut Hall of Fame player, he was inducted on his first year of eligibility in 1991 when he garnered 90.5% of the vote, which leaves me with the question: who the hell are the 9.5% who DIDN’T vote for him!!!???

3053 hits, a .328 career average, 353 stolen bases and 15 straight seasons of .300+ batting.

The man was a hitting machine, and I'm so glad I got to see him play during his magnificent career!

 

MINOR LEAGUE DAYS: LEGENDS EDITION- PEE WEE REESE

Time to go and add Hall of Famer Pee Wee Reese to my long-running "Minor League Days-Legends Edition" set, which I hope to actually have printed up in the near future:

Found a nice image of him suited up with the Louisville Colonels, his first professional organization, for whom he played in 1938 and 1939.

Over those two seasons he hit .278 with 58 stolen bases and 36 triples, giving everyone a small glimpse into what they'd see over his almost 20 years as a Big Leaguer.

Between 1940 and 1958, playing for only the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, Reese was a mainstay of a team that would continuously fight for the National League crown, reaching the World Series seven times, winning it all in 1955.

Though he'd miss three years to military service between 1943 and 1945, he would still finish his career with 2170 hits, 1338 runs scored and a .269 batting average, with 232 stolen bases and ten All-Star game nods.

Importantly, he was also a calming figure in the integration of baseball when teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson made his debut in 1947, showing his unwavering support as a Southern man, helping quench the racist attitudes thrown and Robinson his first few seasons.

Sadly it took quite some time for Cooperstown to come knocking, as he would wait until 1984 to finally get voted in by the Veteran's Committee.

 

REVISITING MY "MISSING" 1971 JOE GIBBON CARD

Let's delve back about 10 years here on the blog and revisit my "missing" 1971 card for former pitcher Joe Gibbon of the Pittsburgh Pirates:

In 1970 Gibbon actually got into 41 games for the Pirates, good for 41 innings of work as an arm out of the 'pen.

He posted an 0-1 record with a 4.83 earned run average and five saves with 26 strikeouts.

Seems like enough action to warrant a card, no?

Funny enough by the time the 1971 season opened he was a member of the Cincinnati Reds, before closing out his 13-year career with the Astros by the end of the 1972 season.

His finest season would arguably be his second, back in 1961 when he posted a 13-10 record with a 3.32 E.R.A., three shutouts and 145 strikeouts over 195.1 innings of work in 29 starts.

Generally however, the bulk of his career was out of the bullpen, and by the time he retired he had a record of 61-65, with a 3.52 E.R.A., four shutouts, 32 saves and 743 strikeouts over 419 games, 127 of which were starts.

 

REVISITING MY "MISSING" 1971 CARD FOR JOHN DONALDSON

Let's go back in time and revisit my "missing" 1971 card for former infielder John Donaldson, who could have gotten a card in the classic set after seeing sufficient playing time in 1970:

Donaldson came back to play for the A's in 1970 after playing part of 1969 for the Seattle Pilots in their lone Major League season.

I had to resort to a little Photoshop trickery, airbrushing in an Oakland A's logo to his cap since the image was actually of him in a Kansas City A's uni.

The photo was too good to pass up, so I resorted to the digital re-creation instead of using another, less appealing Oakland image.

In 1970, Donaldson appeared in 41 games, with 98 plate appearances while hitting .247 with 22 hits with four runs scored and eleven runs batted in.

He'd be out of Major League ball until the 1974 season, when he'd make a brief reappearance with the A's, appearing in only 10 games for the World Champions.

All told, Donaldson's career lasted 6-years, playing in 405 games, with a .238 lifetime batting average, 96 runs scored, 292 hits and 86 RBI's over 1225 at-bats and 1380 plate appearances.

 

CAREER-CAPPER: 1971 BO BELINSKY

Up on the blog today, we feature a 1971 "Career-Capper" for one-time phenom Bo Belinsky, who wrapped up a Big League career as a member of the Cincinnati Reds in 1970:

Belinsky made a huge splash back in 1962 as a member of the Los Angeles Angels, tossing a no-hitter in his fourth start, allowing him to start his career 4-0.

He was an instant "player" of another sort in L.A., known for his night-life action and dating of a handful of Hollywood starlets like Ann Margaret, Mamie Van Doren, Connie Stevens and Tina Louise.

He didn't exactly finish his rookie year as a star himself however, going 10-11 with a 3.56 ERA over 33 games and 187.1 innings, while leading the league in walks.

The following year, his star fell even further as injuries limited his season to just 13 games, going 2-9 with a 5.75 ERA over 76.2 innings, completing two games.

1964 saw him bounce back a bit, arguably posting his best season as a Big Leaguer when he went 9-8 over 23 games, 22 of them starts, with a nice 2.86 ERA over 135.1 innings, striking out 91 while tossing a shutout.

It would give the Angels a promising two-man punch along with their Cy Young winner Dean Chance, who had a monster year that season.

Sadly, that was all short-lived as Belinsky would come back in 1965, now a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, and go 4-9 over 30 games, only 14 of them starts, finishing with an ERA of 4.84 in 110 innings.

Turns out the Angels would trade Belinky to Philly for Rudy May and Minor Leaguer Costen Shockley.

He would never again find that "spark" in the remaining parts of four seasons left in his career, as he would go on to pitch for the Houston Astros in 1967, Pittsburgh Pirates in 1969 and Reds in 1970, never winning more than three games in any season, reaching 100 innings once.

By the time he was done, he finished with a record 28-51 over 146 games, with an ERA at 4.10 in 665.1 innings pitched.

The white-hot start way back in 1962 now a long-ago memory.

 

REVISITING MY 1971 NICKNAME CARD FOR "SUDDEN SAM" McDOWELL

Time for another revisit of an old blog post, especially with many new eyes checking out the blog these days.

Today we check back on a post from 10 years ago, my 1971 "Nicknames of the 1970s" card for "Sudden Sam" McDowell, Cleveland Indians flamethrower:

McDowell was a beast on the mound during his prime, which was sadly shortened because of various issues including injuries.
Three times topping 200 strikeouts, two of those seasons saw him top 300, with a league-leading high of 325 in 1965 when he also led the American League with a 2.18 earned run average to go along with a 17-11 record.
He’d go on to lead the league in K’s four other times during this run between 1965 and 1970, along with a 20-win season in 1970 and a career low 1.81 ERA in the “Year of the Pitcher” 1968.
It’s a shame he only had ten full seasons during his career, seeing as he ended up with 2453 career strikeouts with a 141-134 record and a nice 3.17 ERA.
Once he was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Gaylord Perry after the 1971 season his career went downhill quickly, barely hanging on the final four years before retiring after 1975.
Nevertheless between 1964 and 1971 he was a monster on that mound, striking fear in opposing batters while racking up the K’s and getting named to six all-star teams.

 

REVISIT: "HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 1970'S" #29: CESAR GUTIERREZ GOES 7 FOR 7

Fun card to revisit, which originally appeared on the blog over ten years ago, my 1971 "Highlights of the 1970s" card celebrating Cesar Gutierrez of the Detroit Tigers and his monster 7-for-7 day at the plate on June 21st of 1970:

Gutierrez was a lighter-than-light hitting midfielder who did the remarkable that day in June, becoming the first player in Major League history to gather seven hits in a game without making an out since Wilbert Robinson collected seven hits in a game back on June 10th of 1892!

To put it in perspective, Gutierrez was such a light hitter, that even AFTER his seven hit game, Gutierrez was hitting .249!

Six of his seven hits were singles, with a double thrown in, and for the season he ended up hitting .243, which was just above his lifetime batting average of .235.

To add insult to injury, Gutierrez even lost his job to another light-hitting infielder, Ed Brinkman, the following season and was eventually out of baseball by the time the 1972 season was ready to open up.

(On a side note: Gutierrez does show up in the 1972 set as a member of the Montreal Expos, even though he never played a game for them.)

But on that June day in 1970, Gutierrez was the star of Major League baseball, soon to be joined (and never since) by Pittsburgh Pirate Rennie Stennett in 1976, who also went 7 for 7 on September 16th.

REVISITING MY 1971 HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CARD FOR SATCHEL PAIGE

Thought it would be fun to revisit another 10-year-old post here on the blog today, this one of my 1971 "Hall of Fame Induction" card of the great Satchel Paige, beginning what was FINALLY some recognition by the powers that be in Cooperstown for the Negro League greats that deserved their place in the Hall:

Paige was inducted into the Hall by special committee, the Negro League Committee, and was an obvious choice.

The stories of Paige in his prime are endless, and while most are embellished beyond any scope of reality, the man was an incredible pitcher that many Major League stars who opposed him during his prime went out of their way to say so.

On the Major League level, Paige made his debut in 1948 with Cleveland at the ripe old age of 41, going 6-1 with a 2.48 earned run average over 21 games, seven of which were starts.

The following season he went 4-7 with a 3.04 E.R.A., but ended up missing all of 1950 before coming back to pitch three more years with the St. Louis Browns, going a combined 18-23 with a couple of shutouts and 26 saves over 126 games, 13 of which were starts.

We're talking about a man who was 46 years old at the end of that run!

Move ahead twelve years, in 1965, and Paige took the mound at the age of 58 as a promotional stunt with the Kansas City A's, yet still managed to pitch three innings, giving up a sole hit with no walks, with a strikeout thrown in for good measure! Hilarious!

In those six truncated seasons in the Majors, Paige went a combined 28-31 with a 3.29 earned run average, 288 strikeouts and two shutouts over 179 games and 476 innings.

But it was his legendary status in the Negro Leagues that made him a baseball immortal within the halls of Cooperstown.

 

"MISSING IN ACTION"- 1971 MILK DUDS MICKEY MANTLE: SPECIAL RELEASE

Up on the blog today, a special release from about a year or so ago, my"missing in action" Milk Duds Mickey Mantle box, super-fun item to create and release for you all:

I was so happy to find a commercial printer that was able to produce these in the quantity I needed, at the right price!

Identical in size and card stock quality as the originals released way back when, I wanted to get a Mantle version out there just for the fun of it, imagining if the fine folks at Milk Duds celebrated his "recent" retirement with inclusion in their set which is STILL wildly popular with collectors to this day.

As I have stated before here on the blog many times, Mantle is one of those guys I really don't think we need to get into as far as his tenure on the baseball diamond. It'd be kind of a joke to start writing about his career since it would take up a book's worth.

But alas, 500+ homers, a bushel of World Championships, three Most Valuable Player Awards, and the hearts of more fans than we can even imagine to this day.

"The Mick" in all his glory, enshrined in his rightful place in Cooperstown, along with his longtime buddy Whitey Ford in the same HOF class.

One of the great icons of the sport over its 150+ year history.

Not too bad a Hollywood script...

I just wished I would have gotten to see him play!

 

GIMMIE A DO-OVER: 1971 REGGIE JACKSON

Today on the blog, we look at one of my favorite customs I've created over the years, my 1971 "do-over" for "Mr. October", Reggie Jackson, every kid's idol growing up a Yankee fan in the late-70's/early-80's:

Love the way this came out! So much so that I included it in my Series 17 set released a couple months back!

Truly one of the eternal icons of the game, the man was just destined for baseball greatness since his days at Cheltenham High School in Pennsylvania.
Recruited by pro teams and colleges alike, he went on to Arizona State where he was actually on a football scholarship.
Of course we all know the story of the 1966 amateur draft, where the New York Mets held the #1 pick, and opted for high school catcher Steve Chilcott instead of who many considered the true #1 overall amateur, Jackson.
With the second pick, the Kansas City Athletics (later Oakland) picked the slugger and the rest is history, as he would eventually lead the organization to three straight championships between 1972-1974 before being traded in a blockbuster to the Baltimore Orioles where he’d play for one season in 1976.
As a highly coveted free agent before the 1977 season, Jackson signed with the New York Yankees, and with Reggie in NYC, the legend exploded as he helped the Yankees to two championships in 1977-78.
With his larger than life persona, New York ate it up and before you knew it, he was known around the world, even getting his own candy-bar by the end of the decade.
For a kid like me growing up in Brooklyn in the ‘70’s, Reggie was like a God, larger than life, and before he finished up his career in 1987, putting in 21 seasons, he would put together a Hall of Fame career with 563 homers, 1702 runs batted in, an MVP Award in 1973, and five championships.
Add to that 14 all-star nods, four home run titles, a legendary homer in the 1971 All-Star Game against Dock Ellis, his 1977 World Series performance, and you can see why he goes down as one of the most well-known baseball personalities the game has ever seen!

SPECIAL REQUEST: DO-OVER FOR MY 1971 "MINOR LEAGUE DAYS" DON DRYSDALE: LEGENDS EDITION

We card collectors can be quite the fickle bunch!

And today is a good example, as I go and "fix" a card that has bugged me ever since I originally created it, my 1971 "Minor League Days" card for Don Drysdale, which I originally designed as part of the "current player" set, that is, with some color elements, with today's version the more appropriate "Legends Edition" black and white design, which is how it should have been created in the first place:

"Big D" retired at a young 32 years of age, and it's fun imagining his career extending into the mid-70's or so, something we didn't get to see.

The fresh-faced 18-year-old you see here on this card went 11-11 for the Montreal Royals, posting an ERA of 3.33 over 173 innings, with three shutouts and only 80 strikeouts.

He'd make his MLB debut in 1956 and show the Brooklyn faithfull what he was capable of, going 5-5 with a very nice 2.64 ERA over 99 innings of work, completing two of his 12 starts while relieving in another 13 games for the eventual N.L. champs.

He'd go one to become a true ace, posting double-digit wins every full year of his career, making eight All-Star teams, taking home the Cy Young Award in 1962, and posting seven seasons of sub-3.00 ERAs.

Though he did eventually make the Hall of Fame, he retired with a 209-166 career record, a 2.95 earned run average and 2486 strikeouts. Excellent numbers of course, but arguably borderline stats for the Hall (think Jack Morris, Luis Tiant, etc).
So imagine if he was able to tack on some more wins and maybe even reach 3000 strikeouts, which at the time of his retirement only the great Walter Johnson had done in Major League history.
The man WAS a beast though, intimidating batters along contemporary hurler Bob Gibson like few before or since, five times leading the National League in plunked batsmen, just to let them know who was boss.
Love guys like that!
Only wish we would have been able to see him pitch more, and more importantly regale us with stories a lot longer than his short 56 years, shockingly passing away in 1993.

MINOR LEAGUE DAYS: LEGENDS EDITION- JOE McGINNITY

Up on the blog today, a fun guy to add to my long-running "Minor League Days: Legends Edition" set, Hall of Fame pitcher Joe McGinnity, who won nearly 500 games over his professional career, which spanned a quarter century from 1893 to 1925:

By the time McGinnity decided to rest his arm for good after pitching for the Dubuque Climbers in the Mississippi Valley League in 1925, he finished his pro career with 478 wins, collected over a staggering 1048 games, which saw him throw 7091 innings.

Pictured here on this card with Dubuque, he was in his 50's when he suited up for them in 1922-1925.

Nicknamed "Iron Man", you can understand why when you look at his time with the New York Giants at the turn of the 20th Century when he teamed up with Christy Mathewson to form one of the All-Time great 1-2 pitching tandems in MLB history.

Over his 10-year MLB career spanning 1899 through 1908, he posted 20+ wins eight times, with a high of 35 wins in 1904 when he appeared in 51 games, with 44 starts and 38 complete games, amounting to 408 innings of work, with nine shutouts.

Incredibly, a year before that in 1903 he posted a record of 31-20, appearing in 55 games, with 48 starts and a ridiculous 44 complete games, pitching a mind boggling 434 innings.

He also posted a 28 win season for the Baltimore Orioles in 1899 as a rookie, followed by another 28 win year in 1900 now with the Brooklyn Superbas.

His pro breakdown for wins was 246 in the Majors and 224 in the Minors, with 32 shutouts as a Big Leaguer, with his Minor League stats lost to history. So who knows just how many shutouts, complete games, etc he racked up overall.

In 1946 he was eventually voted into the Hall of Fame by the "Old Timers Committee", joining many of his former teammates in Cooperstown, and rightly so!