1970 "IN-GAME ACTION": RICO PETROCELLI

On the blog today, we spotlight my 1970 "In-Game Action" card for all-world shortstop Rico Petrocelli of the Boston Red Sox, from my "Series One" set released a few months back:

The fellow South Brooklyn native had quite a year for Boston in 1969, hitting a career-best 40 home runs along with 97 runs batted in and 92 runs scored, with a .297 batting average over 154 games.

All but the RBIs were career-bests for Rico, who would drive in 107 runs the following season for his best RBI year as a Big Leaguer.

He would spend his entire 13-year career with the Red Sox, coming up to the Big Show for a single game in 1963 as a 20-year-old before coming back for good in 1965.

In all, Petrocelli played 13-years of Major League ball, a fan-favorite in Boston, hitting 210 home runs with 773 RBI’s, 653 runs scored and 1352 hits, good for a .251 average over 5390 at-bats in 1553 games.

ON-CARD ALL-STAR: 1970 RICO PETROCELLI

Next card up in my "On-Card All-Star" fix is a 1970 Rico Petrocelli, celebrating the slugging shortstop's starting spot in the 1969 All-Star game:

The fellow South Brooklyn native had quite a year for Boston in 1969, hitting a career-best 40 home runs along with 97 runs batted in and 92 runs scored, with a .297 batting average over 154 games.

All but the RBIs were career-bests for Rico, who would drive in 107 runs the following season for his best RBI year as a Big Leaguer.

He would spend his entire 13-year career with the Red Sox, coming up to the Big Show for a single game in 1963 as a 20-year-old before coming back for good in 1965.

In all, Petrocelli played 13-years of Major League ball, a fan-favorite in Boston, hitting 210 home runs with 773 RBI’s, 653 runs scored and 1352 hits, good for a .251 average over 5390 at-bats in 1553 games.

 

MISSING IN ACTION- "IN ACTION" #57: RICO PETROCELLI

Found this great action shot of fellow-Brooklynite Rico Petrocelli and I figured it would make a great “missing” 1972 In-Action card:

At this time in his career Petrocelli was THE power-hitting shortstop in the Majors, slamming 40 homers in 1970 and 29 in 1971 while averaging 100 runs batted in for the Red Sox.
In 1972 he’d go on to hit another 28 round-trippers while driving in 89 along with 91 base on balls with 82 runs scored with a .251 average.
But those three seasons would be the high marks as far as slugging, though he would remain a productive hitter the rest of his career which lasted through the 1976 season.
In all, Petrocelli played 13-years of Major League ball, all with the Red Sox, hitting 210 home runs with 773 RBI’s, 653 runs scored and 1352 hits, good for a .251 average over 5390 at-bats in 1553 games.