EXPANDED LEAGUE LEADERS: 1978 A.L. STOLEN BASES

On the blog today, we reach the top three stolen base guys of the American League for 1977, celebrated on an “expanded” 1978 league-leader card:

 

We begin with the Kansas City Royals Freddie Patek, who paced the league with his 53 steals, the second straight year where he swiped over 50, and seventh season in a row with over 30.

Patek gave the Royals a solid run through the 70’s at shortstop, even making a few All-Star teams after coming over from the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1971.

In his first full season that year, he swiped 49 bases, hit .267 and scored 86 runs, finishing sixth in the MVP race by year’s end.

In second place with 42 steals, the runner-up to the A.L. Rookie of the Year Award for 1977, Mitchell Page, who had an excellent debut in the Majors.

That season saw him hit 21 home runs, with 85 runs scored and 75 runs batted in, while hitting a very nice .307 with 154 hits in 501 at-bats.

Sadly for him however, there was a first baseman by the name of Eddie Murray making HIS MLB debut that season, and he’d be the one to take home the Rookie honors.

For Page, he could never match those numbers again, having only two other full-time seasons over his eight-year career before retiring after the 1984 campaign, appearing in 16 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In third place with 41 steals, a tie between two teammates, the great Bobby Bonds and infielder Jerry Remy of the California Angels.

For Bonds, it was business as usual, as he was also second in the league with his 37 homers, while reaching the 30-30 club for a record fourth time in 1977, while also setting a career best with his 115 RBIs.

For his teammate, second baseman Jerry Remy, it was his third straight solid Big League season since making his debut in 1975, hitting .252 with those 41 steals, with 74 runs scored and 10 triples.

He’d find himself with the Boston Red Sox in 1978, where he’d play the final seven years of his career before becoming a much-loved announcer for the team for many years before succumbing to cancer in 2021, putting in a long baseball life either on the field or behind the mic, highly respected on both ends.

EXPANDED LEAGUE LEADERS: 1978 A.L. RUNS BATTED IN

On the blog today, we move on to the American League and the top three runs batted in men of the 1977 season, displayed on a 1978 “expanded league leader” card:

 

We start off with Minnesota Twins slugger Larry Hisle, who had a breakout season in 1977, leading the league with his 119 ribbies, while also hitting 28 homers and hitting .302, with 95 runs scored.

It was Hisle’s ninth season in the Big Leagues, and he finally hit his stride at the age of 30, setting career bests across the board, making his first All-Star team and finishing twelfth in the MVP race.

He’d have an even better year in 1978 after signing with the Milwaukee Brewers as a free agent, hitting 34 homers with 115 RBIs and a .290 batting average, good for a third-place finish in the MVP race at season’s end, again making the All-Star team.

Sadly, in 1979 Hisle absolutely wrecked his shoulder, suffering a torn rotator cuff, which pretty much ended his career, playing in only 29 games that season, followed by 17, 27 and nine games over the next three years before retiring.

In second place with 115 RBIs, the always electric Bobby Bonds, who had a wonderful 1977 season that saw him set a career-best in RBIs, with 103 runs scored, 37 home runs, 41 stolen bases and a .264 average for the California Angels.

It was the fourth time Bonds would reach 30 homers with 30 stolen bases, adding one more season the following year, splitting time between the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers with 31 homers and 43 steals.

In third place with 114 RBIs in 1977, budding uber-star Jim Rice of the Boston Red Sox, who was about to launch himself into superstardom with an MVP season in 1978.

However in 1977 he handled himself well with a league-leading 39 homers, with the aforementioned 114 RBIs, with 206 hits and a .320 batting average, finishing fourth in the MVP race while making his first All-Star team.

Of course, in 1978 he elevated all of those numbers with an MVP year, leading the league in hits (213), triples (15), homers (46), RBIs (139), slugging (.600) and total bases (406), having perhaps the best offensive season in the American League during the 1970’s.

The man was an absolute beast at the plate, something he’d continue to do over the rest of his career, leading straight to the Hall of Fame, and rightly so in my book.

There you have it! The top three RBI men of 1977.

EXPANDED LEAGUE LEADERS: 1978 A.L. HOME RUNS

On the blog today, we move on to the American League and their top three home run hitters celebrated on a 1978 “expanded league leader” card, featuring three top-notch batsmen of the era:

 

 

We begin with Boston Red Sox legend Jim Rice, who took home his first home run title that year, pacing the league with 39 homers, which he would follow up the following year with a league-leading 46 on his way to an MVP Award.

Rice would have an insane three-year run between 1977 and 1979, where he would hit 39 or more homers, drive in 100+ RBIs, hit .315 or better, while topping 200 hits each and every year, while also collecting 36 triples while slugging over a combined .600.

The man was a monster at the plate and I was one of many who was happy he finally got his Hall of Fame due when he was elected in 2009.

Tied for second with 37 homers apiece were California Angels Bobby Bonds and New York Yankees Graig Nettles, who were actually just teammates two seasons earlier in 1975.

For Bonds, he fell two homers short of a career-best, which he accomplished while still with the San Francisco Giants in 1973, though he did establish a new career-high with 115 runs batted in while reaching 100+ runs scored for the sixth time.

It was also the fourth of what would be five times he would reach the 30/30 club, as he stole 41 bases to go along with his 37 “jacks”, something he’d do one more time the following season in 1978.

Also in second place with 37 homers, Yankees third baseman Graig Nettles, who established a new career-high after leading the American League with 32 the year before.

For Nettles, he also reached 100+ RBIs for what would be the only time in his long career, with 107, just missing 100 runs scored with 99 for the eventual World Champs, also a career best.

Not a bad threesome slugging their way to the top of the homer chain!

1970 "IN-GAME ACTION": BOBBY BONDS

The next player from my recently released two-series 1970 "In-Game Action" set to get the spotlight here on the blog is the great Bobby Bonds, who was just coming into his own when this card would have seen the light of day:

 

What an awesome combination of power and speed.

Five times he attained a 30/30 season, just missing out on becoming the first player in history to hit 40/40 in 1973 when he clubbed 39 homers with 43 swipes.

As it was, he finished with 332 homers, 1024 runs batted in, 1258 runs scored and 461 stolen bases and even took home three Gold Gloves.

I remember him stating years later that if he knew it was going to be such a big deal he'd have done it multiple times. And I'm sure he could have too.

Even though he did put in a solid career, you have to wonder "what could have been" if he found a real home and was able to put in a career that was a bit longer.

An incredible talent, it just seems that after his first seven seasons with the San Francisco Giants, no one really wanted to keep him around, playing for seven teams in seven years between 1975 and 1981.

TRADED: 1978 BOBBY BONDS (PART 2)

Years ago on the blog I created a 1978 "traded" card for Bobby Bonds, showing him as a member of the Chicago White Sox after coming over from the California Angels.

Today, I thought it'd be fun to create yet another 1978 traded card, this one for his move to the Texas Rangers later in the year:

 

On May 16th of 1978 Bonds was traded from the White Sox to the Rangers for Rusty Torres and Claudell Washington, going on to play in 130 games in Texas after opening up the season with 26 in the South Side of Chicago.

Over those 130 games Bonds did very well, hitting 29 homers while stealing 37 bases with a .265 batting average, combining for yet another 30/30 season when he hit 31 homers and stole 43 bases.

Along with the homers and steals he scored 93 runs and drove in 90 collecting 151 hits over 565 at-bats in 156 total games.

Really is something how Bonds career went, especially the second half, when he played for seven teams in seven years.

Here's a guy that could slam homers, steal bases, and hit for a respectable average, yet couldn't find a home anywhere even though he was putting in all-star type seasons.

I have to admit I've never read any substantial stories as to the type of person he was, and if THAT was the main reason for his traveling act during his Major League career, but nevertheless the man seemed to be a guy you'd want in your line-up, no?

A five time 30/30 guy with two other "near-misses", he also fell one home run short in 1973 from becoming the first ever 40/40 guy, when he slammed 39 homers along with 43 stolen bases for the San Francisco Giants.

By the time his 14-year career was done, he totaled 332 home runs and 461 steals, along with three Gold Gloves and three all-star selections.

Even though he did put in a solid career, you have to wonder "what could have been" if he found a real home and was able to put in a career that was a bit longer.

1978 SPECIAL SUB-SET- "1977 30 HOME RUN CLUB" BOBBY BONDS

Today we add the great Bobby Bonds to my on-going 1978 "30 Home Run Club" thread celebrating the big boppers of the 1977 season:

 

Bonds finished up yet another great year in 1977, playing for the California Angels, reaching his fourth 30-30 campaign with 37 home runs and 41 stolen bases.

The man was just electric!

The 37 home runs were just two short of American League leader Jim Rice, and were Bonds' second highest total after his 39 in 1973, when he fell one short of becoming the first 40-40 man in Major League history.

By the time he left the Majors after the 1981 season, he retired with 332 homers and 461 stolen bases, along with 1258 runs scored and 1024 runs batted in over 1849 games and 7043 at bats.
It’s a shame that by the time he turned 34 his best days were behind him. I never really understood why he dropped off the radar so quickly after a really good season with the Cleveland Indians in 1979.
The following year he found himself with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he would only play in 86 games, before just 45 games in ‘81 with the Chicago Cubs, the last of his career.
An incredible talent, just seems that after his first seven seasons with the San Francisco Giants, no one really wanted to keep him around, playing for seven teams in seven years between 1975 and 1981.

1975 IN-ACTION: BOBBY BONDS

The next 1975 “In-Action” card is of slugging speedster Bobby Bonds, about as electric a player when this card would have come out as there was at the time:

Bonds was actually traded to the New York Yankees in October of 1974, taking his 30/30 talents to the Bronx, where he would not disappoint with 32 home runs and 30 stolen bases, at the time his third such seasons on his way to five overall in his 14-year career.
By the time he left the Majors after the 1981 season, he retired with 332 homers and 461 stolen bases, along with 1258 runs scored and 1024 runs batted in over 1849 games and 7043 at bats.
It’s a shame that by the time he turned 34 his best days were behind him. I never really understood why he dropped off the radar so quickly after a really good season with the Cleveland Indians in 1979.
The following year he found himself with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he would only play in 86 games, before just 45 games in ‘81 with the Chicago Cubs, the last of his career.
An incredible talent, just seems that after his first seven seasons with the San Francisco Giants, no one really wanted to keep him around, playing for seven teams in seven years between 1975 and 1981.

TRADED: 1978 BOBBY BONDS

Earlier on this blog I created a 1979 "Traded" card for former double-threat Bobby Bonds showing him as a Cleveland Indian.

Today I post up a 1978 "Traded" card showing Bonds as a Chicago White Sox player, take a look:

Really is something how Bonds career went, especially the second half, when he played for seven teams in seven years.

Here's a guy that could slam homers, steal bases, and hit for a respectable average, yet couldn't find a home anywhere even though he was putting in all-star type seasons.

I have to admit I've never read any substantial stories as to the type of person he was, and if THAT was the main reason for his traveling act during his Major League career, but nevertheless the man seemed to be a guy you'd want in your line-up, no?

A five time 30/30 guy with two other "near-misses", he also fell one home run short in 1973 from becoming the first ever 40/40 guy, when he slammed 39 homers along with 43 stolen bases for the San Francisco Giants.

By the time his 14-year career was done, he totaled 332 home runs and 461 steals, along with three Gold Gloves and three all-star selections.

Even though he did put in a solid career, you have to wonder "what could have been" if he found a real home and was able to put in a career that was a bit longer.

TRADED: 1979 BOBBY BONDS

Today I want to post up a "Traded" 1979 card for power-and-speed threat Bobby Bonds. Take a look at my card:

Bonds was shown as a Texas Ranger in the '79 set, but was traded over to Cleveland in October during the off-season.

He'd spend one season in Cleveland and put up "typical" numbers: 25 home runs, 34 stolen bases, a .275 batting average with 93 runs scored.

Yet those solid numbers wouldn't be enough to prevent yet another trade which would send him to the St. Louis Cardinals for the 1980 season.

Ever since being traded from the San Francisco Giants for Bobby Murcer before the 1975 season Bonds found himself bouncing around for the remaining seven years of his career.

Between 1975 and 1981, a total of seven years, Bonds played for seven teams: the Yankees, Angels, White Sox, Rangers, Indians, Cardinals and Cubs.

It's a shame he could never keep it all together with all the talent he had, the man could have put up some serious career numbers!

As it was, he finished with 332 homers, 1024 runs batted in, 1258 runs scored and 461 stolen bases and even took home three Gold Gloves.

What an awesome combination of power and speed.

Five times he attained a 30/30 season, just missing out on becoming the first player in history to hit 40/40 in 1973 when he clubbed 39 homers with 43 swipes.

I remember him stating years later that if he knew it was going to be such a big deal he'd have done it multiple times. And I'm sure he could have too.

ACCIDENTAL PHOTO BOMBING: PART V

Today's accidental photo-bombing cards are two of the first cards where I spotted a star player on someone elses baseball card way back when: 1973 #145 Bobby Bonds and 1977 #640 Carlton Fisk.
First up we have the Bonds card. It's a nice horizontal photo with Bonds getting back to the bag, perhaps on a pick-off attempt. After all, Bonds was the proto-type "double threat" when it came to slugging and stealing, so this was a crucial part of his game. (Many of you will say Willie Mays was really the first double-threat, and I can't really argue, but I always saw Bonds as the guy who put "30/30" on the map).
Anyway, manning first base, awaiting the throw from the pitcher is none other than the Pirates Willie Stargell.  This photo was taken right about when Stargell began playing more games at first base than in the outfield. Just a nice clean card with two stars for the price of one.
The second card I'm posting today was always one of my favorites. As a young Yankee fan I was quick to notice that my favorite second basemen, #30 Willie Randolph, was sliding into home plate while Carlton Fisk waited for the throw home.
Action shots of plays at the plate are always the best shots! Look at the crowd in the background: they're frozen in time waiting for the play's outcome. Fisk looks like he's about to get the ball and sweep tag Randolph as he's crossing the plate.
Just awesome. I wonder if he was safe or not.

Willie Stargell making an appearance at first base.

Willie Randolph going in for the slide.