MISSING IN ACTION- 1976 BILL SUDAKIS

Here’s a “missing” 1976 card for former player Bill Sudakis, who played his final Major League games during the 1975 season split between the California Angels and Cleveland Indians:

Sudakis appeared in 50 games during the ‘75 season, hitting .154 with 16 hits over 104 at-bats.
He would stretch out an eight-year career in the Majors, never really getting a full-time shot except for his second season in 1969 with the Los Angeles Dodgers when he played in 132 games and posted 507 plate appearances.
The most plate appearances he would post after that would be the 311 the following year, securing himself a spot off the bench the rest of his career playing for the New York Mets, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees and the two teams listed above.
He wound up with a .234 average based on his 362 hits over 1548 at-bats with 59 homers and 214 runs batted in in 530 games and 1548 at-bats.

AN EXPLOSION OF COLOR- 1975 TOPPS BILL SUDAKIS #291

What a great card this Bill Sudakis 1975 Topps edition (#291) is!

Take a look:

The sun was blasting this afternoon!

The colors of both the image and card design explode off the cardboard, and it left an impression on me to this day.

I remember as a kid it was almost a sin that the card wasn't of some superstar since it was so freaking cool.

The photo is also pretty sweet, showing Sudakis either on-deck or between pitches while at-bat on a nice super-sunny day, shadow running across his face.

I've always loved this card.

As for Sudakis the player, things were not so sunny as far as his career went.

1974 was actually his only year in pinstripes after playing for the Dodgers, Mets and Rangers between 1968 and 1973.

After a lackluster year in the Bronx, he found himself splitting time between the Indians and Angels in 1975, appearing in only 50 games and hitting .154 with two homers and nine runs batted in.

It would be his last year in the Big Leagues, finishing his eight year career with a .234 average with 59 homers and 214 runs batted in over 530 games.

But man, what a card he leaves us with to gawk over all these years later…