1970 "20-WIN CLUB": BILL HANDS

Starting a fun new thread today on the blog, a 1970 "20-win club" sub-set that I hope to print up as a special set later in 2023, celebrating all the 20-game winners in the Majors in 1969, beginning with Chicago Cubs hurler Bill Hands:

I always wanted to create a "20-win club" sub-set for the 1969 season since an astounding FIFTEEN starters reached the plateau that year. Kind of reminiscent of the 1977 Topps football "1000 Yard Rushers" call-out that always stuck with me.

Hands had himself a very nice 1969 campaign, winning 20 games for the first time with a final record of 20-14 over 41 starts, posting an earned run average of 2.49 over exactly 300 innings, with three shutouts and 18 complete games, giving the Cubs a fantastic 1,2,3 trip in Hands, Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins and All-Star Ken Hotlzman, who combined for 58 wins.

The previous season was the first successful year of his thus-far brief career, when he posted a record of 16-10 with a 2.89 ERA over 38 appearances, 34 of those starts, with four shutouts and 11 complete games.

All told, he retired with a 111-110 record and 3.35 E.R.A in 374 career games between 1965 and 1975, pitching for the Giants, Cubs, Twins and Rangers.

NICKNAMES OF THE 1970'S: 1970 "FROGGY" BILL HANDS

Adding to my long-running "nicknames of the 1970's" thread today, and this time it's former Chicago Cubs pitcher Bill Hands, aka "Froggy", on a 1970 template to celebrate his excellent 1969 season:

 

The high point of his career was easily 1969 while pitching for the Chicago Cubs.

That season he teamed up with Fergie Jenkins, forming a 20-game winning one-two punch, going 20-14 with a nice 2.49 E.R.A. while starting 41 games, good for 300 innings on the nose.

All told, he retired with a 111-110 record and 3.35 E.R.A in 374 career games between 1965 and 1975, pitching for the Giants, Cubs, Twins and Rangers.

AIRBRUSHING THROUGH THE 1970'S: 1973 BILL HANDS

Today’s blog post looks at the great airbrushing job the fine folks at Topps did for former pitcher Bill hands and his 1973 card. Take a look:

Granted, the ivy covered wall in the background is the dead giveaway that he was at Wrigley Field, but what a great job of getting him into a Minnesota Twins uni for the card!
If my eyes aren’t deceiving me, the airbrush artist even went as far as touching up the outfielder to match him up as well in the correct uniform. THAT is some dedication!
Hands was traded to the Twins from the Cubs on November 30th of 1972 along with two others for Dave LaRoche, which kind of mystifies me since Hands was a steady starter for the Cubs for five seasons at that point, while LaRoche was a solid reliever, though nothing spectacular. So why did the Cubs give up three players for him?
Nevertheless, Hands retired with a 111-110 record and 3.35 E.R.A in 374 career games between 1965 and 1975, pitching for the Giants, Cubs, Twins and Rangers.
The high point of his career was easily 1969 while pitching for the Chicago Cubs.
That season he teamed up with Fergie Jenkins, forming a 20-game winning one-two punch, going 20-14 with a nice 2.49 E.R.A. while starting 41 games, good for 300 innings on the nose.

THINGS YOU NOTICE AS A KID: "ALL HEAD ON BILL HANDS"- 1975 BILL HANDS (#412)

Now, I wasn't sure about what I'm about to post, until I actually went and MEASURED my suspicions to be absolutely sure, but the cap on Bill Hands' 1975 Topps card (#412) is HUGE!

I mean, look at this noggin"!

"To serve man..."

 

It's laughably odd with it's "Kanamit"-like size, no?

I recently went back to post on it, and for some reason started thinking I was imagining it. So I did what ANY card-nerd would do: I put it up against other cards with similar poses and "measured", and by golly, this guy's cap IS INDEED larger!

Granted, it's terribly un-scientific, but my "test" was clear enough.

It's something I first noticed as a kid over 30 years ago, and always had it on my mind when I thought of "funny cards".

Seems when the airbrush "artist" went to paint on a Texas Rangers cap, he got a little carried away and added a bit to complete the job.

If it doesn't hit you at first, keep looking, it will! It sneaks up on you sometimes...

Hands' career was pretty much over by the time this card came out, as he appeared in 18 games for the Rangers in 1975, all starts, going 6-7 with a 4.02 earned run average.

The high point of his career was easily 1969 while pitching for the Chicago Cubs.

That season he teamed up with Fergie Jenkins, forming a 20-game winning one-two punch, going 20-14 with a nice 2.49 E.R.A. while starting 41 games, good for 300 innings on the nose.

All told, he retired with a 111-110 record and 3.35 E.R.A in 374 career games between 1965 and 1975, pitching for the Giants, Cubs, Twins and Rangers.