NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1971 BILL LAXTON

Here was a fun card to create, a 1971 “not so missing” card for former pitcher Bill Laxton, who would have to wait until the 1977 Topps set to see his mug on a card:

Laxton had his first taste of the Big Leagues during the 1970 season as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, for whom he’d appear in two games for, not factoring in a decision with a bloated 13.50 earned run average over two innings pitched.
He’d appear in 18 games for the San Diego padres in 1971, going 0-2, before playing in the Minors through the 1973 season, finally getting back to the Majors in 1974 with 30 appearances, posting a record of 0-1 with an ERA at 4.03 in 44.2 innings.
He’d spend all of 1975 in the Minors again before appearing in 26 games for the Detroit Tigers in 1976, going 0-5 with a 4.09 ERA in 94.2 innings pitched.
That Winter, he’d be selected by the new Seattle Mariners franchise as the 50th pick in the expansion draft, which would finally give him a Topps card, a 70’s style airbrush jammie that left a lot to be desired.
Nevertheless, Laxton had himself a card, and would go on to post a record of 3-2 over 43 games before getting traded to the Cleveland Indians in September for catcher Ray Fosse.
In what turned out to be the last Big League action he’d see, Laxton appeared in two games for Cleveland in that last month of the 1977 season, throwing 1.2 innings to a 0-0 record and 5.40 ERA, closing out his time in the Majors.
All told, he finished with a record of 3-10 along with an ERA at 4.73 over 121 appearances and 243.1 innings of work.

1977 BILL LAXTON FOR US "YEARBOOK" COLLECTORS

Here’s a card I whipped up just because I came across a nice shot of former pitcher Bill Laxton in a Tigers uniform, for whom he pitched in 1976:

Re-do with 1976 team.

1977 card as issued by Topps

The reason I thought it’d make for an interesting card is because he was depicted in the 1977 Topps set as an upcoming Seattle Mariner, with all the bad airbrushing we got with those Mariner and Blue Jay cards, and for us “Yearbook” collectors, that is, people that think a card set should represent the previous year’s events, results, etc, it’d be nice to have a card of him with the team he actually pitched for. (Run-on sentence there. You get the gist).
Laxton appeared in 26 games for Detroit in 1976, going an unflattering 0-5 with an earned run average of 4.09 over 94.2 innings of work.
When the 1977 season started, he did pitch for the Mariners in their inaugural campaign. He’d go 3-2 with a 4.95 ERA over 43 games and 72.2 innings pitched before getting traded to the Cleveland Indians for catcher Ray Fosse in September, getting into two games for the Tribe before season’s end.
Turns out those would be the last games of Laxton’s Major League career, and he’d finish with a career record of 3-10 over 121 games and 243.1 innings with an ERA of 4.73.

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1972 BILL LAXTON

Here’s a “not so missing” 1972 card for pitcher Bill Laxton of the San Diego Padres, who would actually get his 1st (and only) card years later in the 1977 set as a member of the inaugural Seattle Mariners team:

Laxton had his first taste of the Major Leagues in 1970, appearing in two games of relief work before coming back in 1971 and appearing in 18 games for the Padres, pitching 27.2 innings and collecting two-losses against no wins, with an earned run average at 6.83.
Sadly for him he’d spend the next two seasons in the Minors before making it back in 1974, playing 30 games, all but one out of the bullpen, going 0-1 with a 4.03 E.R.A.
Again, he’d spend the following year in the Minors before making it back, this time with the Detroit Tigers where he’d go 0-5 with a 4.09 E.R.A., getting three starts while picking up a couple of saves over 26 games and 94.2 innings pitched, his career high.
In 1977, which would be his last taste of the big leagues, Laxton would split the year with the new Seattle Mariner team and the Cleveland Indians, for whom he’d play the final two games of his career, going a combined 3-2 with a 4.96 E.R.A. over 45 games and 74.1 innings pitched, leaving him with a career record of 3-10 with a 4.73 E.R.A., with five saves over 121 games and 243.1 innings pitched.