1981 DRAKE'S BIG PITCHERS: JIM KAAT

On the blog today, we spotlight my "missing" 1981 "Drake's Big Pitchers" card for HOFer Jim Kaat, from my custom set released last year:

Kaat came up to the Majors as a 20-year-old in 1959 with the Washington Senators, developing into an All-Star starter when the organization moved to Minnesota and became the Twins.
If there were a Cy Young winner for both leagues in place for the 1965 season, he most likely would have taken home the trophy when he posted a league-leading 25 wins to go along with a 2.75 ERA and 205 strikeouts for the American League champs.
After being selected off waivers by the Chicago White Sox in 1973, he’d go on to post two straight 20-win seasons in 1974 and 1975, before moving on to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1976.
In 1979, at the age of 40, he’d transition to the bullpen, where he would carve out a niche for himself as a reliable reliever, pitching another five seasons, finishing up with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1983, fresh off a World Championship in 1982.
One of the greatest fielding pitchers the game has ever seen, Kaat took home 16 straight Gold Glove Awards between 1962 and 1977. Incredible.
By the time he retired as a player, he appeared in 898 games, posted a record of 283-237 along with a 3.45 ERA and 2461 strikeouts, as well as 31 shutouts and 17 saves.
The man is a walking baseball resource who still shares his knowledge of the game. His time as a New York Yankees announcer was one of my favorites alongside other former players like Ken Singleton and Bill White.

 

1981 DRAKE'S BIG PITCHERS: JIM PALMER

Today on the blog we spotlight my 1981 "Drake's Big Pitchers" card for Hall of Famer Jim Palmer, part of my custom set released in 2025:

Palmer’s road to Cooperstown was a bit rocky at first, with a couple of jumps and starts because of injuries between 1964 and 1968.
As a matter of fact we’d probably be looking at a 300-game winner if not for over a season of missed time between 1967 and 1968.
Though he had a great first professional season in 1964 as an 18-year-old, going a combined 15-5 in the O’s system, he found himself on a Major League mound in 1966, still a teen, going 5-4.
In 1966 he’d improve to a record of 15-10 for the surprising eventual World Champs, shocking everyone with a sweep of the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with Palmer contributing a complete game shutout.
But injuries derailed him until 1969 when he hit his stride, going 16-4 with a 2.34 ERA and six shutouts, completing 11 of 23 starts.
From there, all the man did was top 20-wins in eight of the next nine seasons, winning three Cy Young Awards, the first American League pitcher to do so, helping the Orioles to another championship in 1970, eventually finishing with a career 268-152 record along with a brilliant 2.86 ERA and 53 shutouts before he was done in 1984.

1981 DRAKE'S BIG PITCHERS: J.R. RICHARD

On the blog today, we spotlight another card from my 1981 "Drake's Big Pitchers" custom set from last year, this one the card for Houston Astros pitching great J.R. Richard:

It would take a few years, but he'd become the power-arm all-star by the 1975 season, and would go on to post two 300+ strikeout campaigns, four straight 200+ K years, four straight seasons of 18+ wins (1976-1979), and an E.R.A. crown in 1979 before tragically having his career cut short in 1980 by a stroke.

His final numbers are indicative of what we could have expected well into the 1980's had he not been cut down at the age of 30: a 107-71 record with 1493 strikeouts and a 3.15 ERA in 238 games and 1606 innings.

It really would have been something to see Richard and Nolan Ryan team up to rack-up incredible numbers together.

One of the ultimate "what could have been" stories in baseball during my childhood for sure…

 

1981 DRAKE'S BIG PITCHERS: NOLAN RYAN

Good day all!

On the blog today, we spotlight my 1981 "Drake's Big Pitchers" card for the great Nolan Ryan, from my fun custom set released last year:

 

What really needs to be said about a guy who has become more myth than baseball legend?

300+ wins, 5700+ strikeouts, 60+ shutouts, and oh yeah SEVEN no-hitters, two of which came when he was well into his 40’s while with the Texas Rangers!

I love thinking about the fact that he did most of his damage in the American League with the designated hitter. Now imagine how many strikeouts he could have had in his prime pitching in the National League where the pitcher batted?!

Would it be safe to say you could add 20-30 strikeouts a season to his total? More?

Hey, you never know…

Nevertheless, the man became a baseball God, eventually finding his place in the Hall of Fame upon his first year of eligibility as an absolute no-brainer.

I just thank the skies above that I got to see him pitch in-person!

 

1981 DRAKES BIG PITCHERS: PHIL NIEKRO

The next card from my wildly successful 1981 "Drake's Big Pitchers" custom set released last year to get the spotlight here on the blog is the one for Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro:

Incredibly, though getting a bit of a "late-start" in his career, the man would end up putting in 24 years in the Majors, pitching his knuckler until the age of 48 in 1987.

It is astonishing to think Niekro didn’t have a full season on Big League duty until 1967 at the age of 28, yet still went on to pitch those 24 seasons, winning 318 games with a very nice 3.35 ERA along with 45 shutouts and 3342 strikeouts before he was done at the age of 48!
I always thought it amazing that at the age of 44 in 1983, he took home the last of his five Gold Gloves, ALL of which were garnered beginning his age 39 season in 1978.

Just an amazing talent!

 

1981 DRAKES BIG PITCHERS: ROLLIE FINGERS

Today on the blog we spotlight another card from my recent 1981 "Drake's Big Pitchers" custom set, this time Hall of Fame reliever Rollie Fingers:

Fingers was in his superstar prime at the time this card would have seen the light of day, unknowingly about to find himself with the Milwaukee Brewers that year on his way to both a Cy Young Award and a Most Valuable Player Award.

He would put together a wonderful 17-year career which would see him lead the league in saves three times, post sub-2.00 ERA's 12 times and finish up with a sparkling 2.90 career ERA over 944 games and 1701.1 innings pitched.

He was named to seven all-star teams, both in the A.L. and N.L., before closing out his career in 1985, finishing with a 114-118 record with 341 saves.

One of the great characters of the decade! But a force out of the 'pen as well.

He was voted into the Hall in 1992, his second year on the ballot, garnering 81.2% of the vote.

 

1981 DRAKES BIG PITCHERS: RICH GOSSAGE

Good day everyone!

On the blog today, a spotlight on another card from my 1981 "Drake's Big Pitchers" custom set released late last year, this one of Hall of Fame reliever Rich "Goose" Gossage:

After spending his first five Major League seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Gossge found himself with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 1977 season, performing very well as he would go 11-9 over 72 appearances, with 26 saves and a sparkling 1.62 earned run average over 133 innings, striking out 151 batters.

He parlayed that season in the new Free Agent world, signing with the New York Yankees, where he would star for the next six years, gaining tons of fans, me included.

Gossage was a true character of the game. He was all legs and arms whipping near-100 mile-per-hour fastballs while sporting that trademark 'stache, closing out games for those "Bronx Zoo" teams I loved so much.

He spent six years in the Bronx, and never had an E.R.A. over 2.62, even sporting a microscopic 0.77 in 1981!

He also led the league in saves twice while wearing pinstripes, as well as getting named to three all-star teams.

In 1978, 1980 and 1981 he'd also finish in the top-5 in Cy Young voting, in addition to getting some M.V.P. attention.

Around the school-yard I literally spent most of my childhood in, the nickname "Goose" was taken by so many kids it was ridiculous. We all loved that "crazy dude" who looked as mean as any biker.

By the time he was done, Gossage put in a 22 year career that landed him in the Hall of Fame, being inducted in 2008.

He was also given a plaque out in Yankee Stadium this year (to which I am a bit puzzled by), cementing his Yankee legend for all to look back on.

The "Goose", a real wild-man of a closer…

 

1981 DRAKES BIG PITCHERS: RON GUIDRY

Up on the blog today, a spotlight on my 1981 "Drake's Big Pitchers" custom for my favorite childhood pitcher, Ron Guidry of the New York Yankees, from my set released late last year:

"Louisiana Lightning" was a God in Brooklyn in the late 1970's into the 1980's, and rightly so, given his electric pitching and helping the Yankees to back-to-back championships in 1977 and 1978.

His 1978 season was the stuff of legend, going 25-3 with a 1.74 ERA and nine shutouts, with 248 strikeouts, just ridiculous numbers while taking home the Cy Young Award, though getting robbed of the MVP (at least to me anyway).

Beyond his great career, he was, and still is, a great man. One of those guys that everyone seemed to respect no matter what.

On the mound, all he did was win a Cy Young in 1978, get ripped off an MVP that very same year (sorry Jim Rice), get named to four all-star teams, win five Gold Gloves, lead the league in wins twice, ERA twice, shutouts once, WHIP twice, and of course post that awesome 18-strikeout game against the Angels in 1978 during his magical 25-3 season which also saw him post 248 K's.

For his 14-year career he went 170-91, good for a .651 winning percentage, along with a 3.29 ERA, 26 shutouts and 1778 strikeouts.

He'd also go 5-2 in postseason play, with a 3.02 ERA and 51 K's in 62.2 innings, and was part of two World Champion teams (1977/78).

 

1981 DRAKES BIG PITCHERS: SPARKY LYLE

Good day all!

On the blog today, we post my 1981 "Drake's Big Pitchers" card for Sparky Lyle, from my custom set released a few months ago:

Fun card showing the relief specialist with the Philadelphia Phillies, for whom he finished the 1`980 season with after starting the year as a Texas Ranger.

Originally up with the Boston Red Sox in 1967, all he would do from then on is put in what I think is a Hall of Fame career, appearing in 899 games, all in relief, saving 238 games while posting a record of 99-76, with an ERA of 2.88.

He took home a Cy Young Award in 1977, helping the Yankees to their first title in 13 years, and finished in third for A.L. MVP in 1972 after getting traded from Boston in one of the most lopsided trades of all-time, as he saved a league-leading 35 games with a record of 9-5 and a 1.95 ERA.

One of the great characters of the game, his many quips, antics, etc are well documented, especially during his tenure with the "Bronx Zoo" Yankee dynasty through the 1978 season.

Just a great icon of 1970s baseball!

 

1981 DRAKES BIG PITCHERS: BRUCE SUTTER

Good day all!

On the blog today, we spotlight another card from my recent custom WTHBALLS set, "1981 Drake's Big Pitchers", this time Hall of Fame reliever Bruce Sutter:

The man absolutely revolutionized the idea of a "relief" pitcher, dominating as soon as he came into the league in 1976 with the Chicago Cubs.

He led the league in saves five times, including a then record 45 saves with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1984.

Between 1977 and 1984 he'd finish top-5 in the Cy Young voting four times, taking home the Award in 1979.

He also finished top-10 in N.L. MVP voting five times, while getting named to six All-Star teams.

These were the days when your "Fireman" would pitch more than 100 innings a year, with Sutter topping that mark five times, as well as a 99 inning year in 1978.

Simply amazing to watch back then, as he mastered the split-fingered fastball that came to prominence in the 1980s.

Arm issues curtailed his career in 1986, and by the age of 35 he was done, but not before he picked up 300 saves, and posted an ERA of 2.83 over 661 appearances and 1042 innings, striking out 861 batters.

 

1981 DRAKES BIG PITCHERS: BERT BLYLEVEN

Good day all!

On the blog today we move along with my recent 1981 "Drakes Big Pitchers" custom set release and spotlight my card for Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven:

Born in Zeist, Holland (now the Netherlands), Blyleven started his 22-year career in 1970 with the Twins and quickly established himself among the best pitchers in baseball.
During his great MLB run, he posted 17 seasons of 10+ victories, with a high of 20 in 1973, along with eight 200+ strikeout campaigns and nine with a 2.99 ERA or lower.
By the time the prankster retired after the 1992 season, he finished with 287 wins, a 3.31 ERA, 60 career shutouts and 3701 strikeouts over 692 games and 4970 innings pitched.
After having to wait 14 years, the BBWA finally voted him into the Hall of Fame in 2011, finally claiming a spot which he rightfully deserved.

Great baseball lifer on the field and in the broadcast booth!

 

1981 DRAKES BIG PITCHERS: STEVE CARLTON

Up on the blog today we have my 1981 Drake's "Big Pitchers" card of Steve Carlton, from my recent custom set released a few months ago:

"Lefty" was in his absolute prime when this card would have seen the light of day in 1981, coming off his third Cy Young Award while helping the Philadelphia Phillies win their first World Championship.

He made his major League debut during the 1965 season, appearing in 15 games, with two of those starts, not factoring in a decision while pitching to a 2.52 earned run average as a 20-year-old.

In 1966 it would be more of the same, as he'd appear in only nine games, going 3-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 52 innings of work, striking out 25 while walking 18, also tossing the first shutout of his young Big League tenure.

1967 would see him begin his next level of play, as he'd go 14-9 with a 2.98 ERA over 30 appearances and 193 innings, with two shutouts and 168 strikeouts, helping the St. Louis Cardinals win it all, their second championship in three years.

For Carlton, all he did the rest of the way was take his game to an elite, astronomical level, as we see him top 300 wins, 4000 strikeouts, 50 shutouts and 700 starts in his 24 year career!

The first guy to take home four Cy Young Awards, he led his league in wins four times, strikeouts five times, E.R.A. once and was named to ten all-star teams.

Needless to say, by the time he was eligible for the Hall of Fame, he was in on his first try, getting named to 436 of 456 ballots.

Sure we already had "Lefty" Grove, and "Lefty" Gomez, but Carlton was more than worthy of the same nickname for all of his accomplishments.

One of the all-time greats, I'm so happy I got to see him pitch live during the 1980s!

 

1981 DRAKES BIG PITCHERS: TOMMY JOHN

Today on the blog, we spotlight my 1981 Drake's "Big Pitchers" custom card for Tommy John, from my recent custom set released a couple of months ago:

Fun set to create in special zip-lock package, adding to the fun oddball "Big Hitters" set Drakes put out there in 1981.

Tommy John had an incredible Major League career that was essentially "done" in 1975 after developing arm trouble.

However thanks to a new surgery technique that eventually took his name, he managed to not only come back but pitch for another 14 seasons, 26 TOTAL, leading to 288 wins over 760 games, with 700 of those as a starter.

He went on to post three 20-win seasons after his surgery, along with two top-5 Cy Young finishes, as well as three All-Star teams.

By the time he did finally retire at the age of 46 after the 1989 season, he wound up with a record of 288-231, with an ERA of 3.34 in 4710 innings, with 46 shutouts and 2245 strikeouts.

Just amazing, and I'm glad I got to see him pitch at the end of his career with the New York Yankees.

 

1981 DRAKES BIG PITCHERS: TOM SEAVER

Good day all!

On the blog today we start spotlighting my 1981 "Drakes Big Pitchers" custom set released a few months ago, adding pitchers to one of my favorite oddball sets, the '81 "Big Hitters" set.

We start off with the great Tom Seaver, "Tom Terrific", my favorite pitcher as a kid growing up in New York City, even though I was a Yankees fan:

What needs to be said about this man?

By the time he was done he would end up with a 311-205 record along with 61 shutouts and 3640 strikeouts to go with a brilliant 2.86 ERA over 20-seasons and 656 appearances, 647 of which were starts.

He was in prime form in the mid-70’s, putting together nine straight 200 strikeouts seasons while getting tabbed to ten all-star teams in his first eleven seasons.

God I loved Tom Seaver when I was a kid. More than any other pitcher of that era I was in awe of this man. He just seemed like a "super-hero" to me.

Just look at all my other posts dedicated to the man here on this blog. He was other-worldly to me growing up in New York City as a kid in the 1970's.

Even if he WAS a Met, to this young Yankee fan he was unquestionably the best pitcher in the game at that time.

Rest in Peace "Tom Terrific"!