"HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 1970's": SEATTLE MARINERS PLAY THEIR FIRST GAME

Up on the blog today, a card I should have created a long time ago, a "Highlight" card celebrating the Seattle Mariners playing their first game on April 6th, 1977:

The card features the team's very first starter, Diego Segui, who incredibly also started the first game in Seattle Pilots history back in 1969.

Playing in the Kingdome against the California Angels, Segui would get hit hard, leading to a 7-0 loss at the hands of the Halos.

Opposing them that day on the mound, young stud Frank Tanana, who tossed a shutout, striking out nine while giving up a surprising nine hits.

For Seattle, the hitting starts would be Jose Baez, Bill Stein and Craig Reynolds, all who collected two hits apiece, with Stein's hits both being doubles.

The team would go on to post a record of 64-98 in their inaugural season, last in the A.L. West, though drawing 1.33 Million fans out to see them, right in the middle of the pack for the A.L. as far as attendance.

SOMETHING SPECIAL: "LONG LOST" 1933 BABE RUTH DeLONG CARD

Good day everyone!

Today on the blog something special from my "Whole Nine" set released a couple of years ago, the special insert, a "long lost" 1933 DeLong card for the great, if not THE greatest, Babe Ruth:

One of my favorite sets of all-time, the DeLong set of 1933 did not feature the game's biggest star for some reason, and I thought it's make a fun insert/extra for the custom set that I put a ton of work into.

The man was mythical, playing so far above and beyond his contemporaries that it made his arguably the most famous person on earth, let alone in America.

I'm not a fan of all this talk today diminishing all that Ruth did over his career, as I believe the entire concept of "context" has been lost on those that like to say things like "...if he played today...".

2800+ hits, 714 homers, 2174 runs scored and 2214 runs batted in, all accomplished in only 8399 at-bats.

To put that into context, if you gave him another HALF a career of at-bats, 4000 or so, that would match the great Hank Aaron's at-bat total, so what would Ruth's numbers be then?

Just something fun to think about.

And let us not forget a 94-46 record as a pitcher, with a 2.28 ERA over 163 games, including two 20-win seasons and an ERA title in 1916 with 1.75 including nine shutouts.

Just ridiculous. Greatest ever in my book.

STARS RETIRE: 1977 BILLY WILLIAMS AND TONY OLIVA

Up on the blog today, another 1977 "Stars Retire" card, this time one for two wonderful hitters of the 1960's and 1970's, Billy Williams and Tony Oliva:

Beginning with "Sweet Swingin' Billy from Whistler", Williams wrapped up a Hall of Fame career in 1976 with the Oakland A’s, his second season with the team after 16 years with the Chicago Cubs.
Is it possible to be considered overshadowed and underrated yet still make the Hall of Fame? Williams is the perfect example!
By the time he retired, he finished with 2711 hits, 1410 runs scored, 426 home runs, 1475 runs batted in and a .290 batting average over 2488 games.
He was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1961, two-time runner-up to the MVP Award (thanks to Johnny Bench each time) in 1970 and 1972 and a six-time All-Star.
What a career he put together, yet always in the shadows of giants like teammate Ernie Banks, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente.
Nevertheless, though it took him six years of eligibility to make it, he was elected for a rightful place in Cooperstown in 1987 when he received 85.7% of the vote.
Just a great player all around.

As for the great Oliva, he established himself as possibly the second best Twins hitter ever at that point (behind Rod Carew), and would retire with a .304 career average, 220 homers and just under 2000 hits (1917) in his 15 year career.

Oliva was well on his way to the Hall of Fame until injuries derailed his Cooperstown march once he reached his 30's.

He burst onto the Major League scene in 1964 when he easily won the American League Rookie of the Year award.

In that year, all he did was lead the league in batting, hitting .323, while slamming 32 homers with 94 runs batted in. 

He also lead the league in runs scored with 109, hits with 217, doubles with 43 and total bases with 374!

Those numbers also got him a fourth place finish in M.V.P. voting as well.

The following year there was no sign of a sophomore jinx, as he once again lead the lead in batting, this time hitting .321, with 16 homers, 98 R.B.I.'s, 40 doubles and 107 runs scored.

He also lead the league in total hits again, this time with 185.

All told in his career, Oliva would win three batting titles (the third coming in 1971 when he hit .337), and would lead the league in hits five times, slugging once (1971), get named to eight straight all-star teams, and have two second-place finishes for M.V.P., in 1965 and 1970.

When you really take a look, he only had 11 full seasons in the Majors, with the half-season in 1976 and three pretty much non-existant years in 1962, 1963 and 1972. 

So his numbers carry a bit more weight in that light.

And wow, what a great hitting combo he and Rod Carew made for the Twins, huh?!

Nice 1-2 punch right there.

 

JAPAN SPECIAL: 1979 KATSUYA NOMURA

On the blog today, something special, a fantasy 1979 card for all-time Japanese great catcher Katsuya Nomura:

Perhaps the greatest catcher in Japan League history, Nomura put in an astounding 26 seasons of ball between 1954 and 1980, collecting 2901 hits while slugging 657 homers while driving in 1988 runs.

At the height of his game, between 1962 and 1965, he'd top 40 homers each season, with a high of 52 in 1963, while drivi9ng in 135 runs in 150 games.

He would top 30 homers ten times over his career, while reaching 100-RBIs seven times and hit .300 six times, with a high mark of .320 in 1965.

He would lead the league in homers eight times, and in 1965 he was the first Triple Crown winner in league history.

On top of his on-field play, the man was also a manager for 24 years, with three stints: 1970-1977 with Nankai, 1990-2001 with Yakult and Hanshin, and 2006-2009 with Rakuten.

In 3204 games as skipper, he'd finish an even .500 with a record of 1565 and 1963.

Really fun creating this Japanese Special cards, and I hope to create more of them throughout 2023!

EXPANDED LEAGUE LEADERS: 1978 A.L. FIREMEN

On the blog today, we move on to the American league and the top three relievers of the 1977 season proudly showcased on a 1978 “expanded league leader: card:

 

We begin with Bill Campbell, “Soup”, who had a great first season with the Boston Red Sox after coming over from the Minnesota Twins.

The man went 13-9 with a 2.96 earned run average while saving a league-leading 31 games, giving him his 44 “points” to come out on top for the A.L.’s premier fireman.

The 1977 season followed an even better 1976 season that saw him win 17 games while saving 20 for the Twins, appearing in 78 games while closing out 68, throwing an incredible 308 innings in relief over those two campaigns!

In second place with 39 points, funny enough, the pitcher who would take home the A.L. Cy Young Award in 1977, New York Yankees closer Sparky Lyle, who also had a fantastic season out of the bullpen, going 13-5 with 26 saves while pitching to a brilliant 2.17 ERA in 137 innings.

Lyle was a stallion of the Yankees bullpen since 1972, and helped them all the way back to glory with a World Series win in 1977, their first championship since 1962.

In third place with 32 points, Chicago White Sox reliever Lerrin LaGrow, who was converted to a reliever and found success, going 7-3 out of the ‘pen with 25 saves, posting a very nice 2.46 ERA over 66 appearances and 98.2 innings of work.

Easily the best season of the man’s 10-year Big League career, LaGrow previously made his mark in the Majors as a starter for the Detroit Tigers in the early-70’s, though finding some tough luck with a 19-loss and 14-loss season in 1974 and 1975.

Well there you go!

The top relievers in the Junior Circuit for 1977 on a 1978 “expanded league leader” card.

1978 STARS RETIRE: BROOKS ROBINSON & DICK ALLEN

Today on the blog, we have a 1978 "Stars Retire" card celebrating the great careers of brooks Robinson and Dick Allen, who called it a Major League career after the 1977 season:

First up, Brooks Robinson, Orioles legend, who retired after a STAGGERING 23 year Big League career playing for only one team.

A perennial all-star, all Robinson did throughout his career was win 16 Gold Gloves, an MVP Award in 1964, two World Championships (1966 & 1970), and get named to 15-straight all-star games.

By the time he was eligible for Hall of Fame induction in 1983, he was voted in without a problem, getting named on 344 of 374 ballots.

For Dick Allen, though still "only" 35 years of age in 1977, he decided to retire after a season with the Oakland A's, bringing to a close a career that saw him take home an MVP Award in 1972, a Rookie of the Year Award in 1964, and make seven All-Star teams over his 15 year career.

By the time he left the game, Allen hit over 350 homers, batted .292 and scored 1099 runs with 1119 RBI's.

Two studs of the game that could be proud of what they accomplished on the baseball diamond!

1960'S CAREER-CAPPERS: 1966 WARREN SPAHN

A fun one today on the blog, from my "1960's Career-Cappers" set released a few years ago, my 1966 capper for the great, and I mean GREAT, Warren Spahn, who called it an amazing career in 1965 after a brief tenure with the San Francisco Giants:

Spahn began the season with the New Yrok Mets before finding himself out West, appearing in 16 games for the Giants and going 3-4 over that time with a very nice 3.39 ERA in 71.2 innings.

Overall, the 44-year-old went 7-16 in his 21st year of Big League action, appearing in 36 games and ending up with a 4.01 ERA with eight complete games and 197.2 innings pitched with 90 strikeouts.

The man was amazing, flat out, and by the time he retired in 1965 he posted a 363-245 record, with a 3.09 ERA, 63 shutouts, 28 saves and 2583 strikeouts over 750 appearances, 665 of which were starts.

Oh yeah, he also hit 35 career home runs along with 189 runs batted in with (coincidentally) 363 hits!

And remember he didn’t win his first game until he was 25 years of age, as he served in the military from 1943 to 1945.

His first 20-game season was 1947 (at the age of 26), and he kept right on rolling until his final 20-game season in 1963!

In between, he ended up posting 13 such campaigns, leading the league eight times (with five of those coming consecutively from 1957 to 1961).

Just an incredible talent! Was there anything he couldn’t do?
Once in a lifetime right there...