NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION: 1977 ART HOWE

On the blog today, we post up my "not really missing in action" 1977 card for Art Howe, who appeared in 21 games for the Houston Astros in 1976 after parts of two seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates:

Howe hit .138 over those 21 games, with four hits in 29 at-bats along with six walks while putting in time at third and second base.

His 11-year career as a player would really hit its stride after joining the Astros, as he'd play pretty much full-time between 1977 and 1982 before a couple of part-time years in St. Louis in 1984 and 1985 (he didn't play Major League ball in 1983).

As you all know, he'd really find his niche on the Major League level as a manager, guiding the Astros, Oakland A's and New York Mets between 1989 and 2004.

His real success was leading the young studs in Oakland in the late-90's/early-00's, winning 100-games in two seasons (2001 and 2002), but never being able to get past the N.Y. Yankees (remember the now-famous "Jeter-Flip"?).

All told, Howe would win 1129 games as a manager in the Big Leagues, finishing 2nd in "Manager of the Year" voting four years in a row from 1999-2002.

OPC IMAGE VARIATION: 1977 JOHN LOWENSTEIN

On the blog today, another image variation between OPC and Topps, this one of John Lowenstein, who found himself North of the border with the new Toronto Blue Jays franchise...or DID he?!:

OPC version

Topps creepy version

While the fine folks at OPC managed to get him into his Blue Jays attire for his 1977 card, it turns out they were a little too quick with their actions, as the infielder/outfielder ended up getting traded BACK to the Cleveland Indians after being traded traded away from them just three months earlier!

On December 6th of 1976 Lowenstein was traded to the Blue Jays along with Rick Cerone for Rico Carty.

Well wouldn't you know it, he found himself turning right back around on March 29th of 1977 straight up for Hector Torres.

It's cards like this OPC that ruin "Immaculate Grid" games for players when they remember and think he did in fact play for them.

I'll always remember Lowenstein as one of the most successful platoon players of the 1980's, when he was paired up with Gary Roenicke on the Baltimore Orioles.

For example check out their awesome combined 1982 season where Lowenstein and Roenicke outright mashed the ball in part-time rolls.

The two combined for 45 homers, 140 runs batted in, 209 hits and 127 runs scored in 715 at-bats! Granted it's a bit more playing time than a "regular" full season, but not by THAT much.

Lowenstein ended up with a very decent 16-year career playing for the Indians (1970-77), Rangers (1978) and Orioles (1979-85), generally as a part-time player.

As a matter of fact his 1974 season with Cleveland would be the only time he posted enough plate appearances to qualify for a batting title throughout his career.

 

"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: LOU BROCK

Let's go and add the great Lou Brock to my long-running custom WTHBALLS "Classic Baseball" set, due for a Autumn, 2024 release:

About as quiet and reserved a Hall of Famer as they come, Brock put together quite the Major League career.

Brock really was an under-appreciated player in my book, having to get what little spotlight he could playing the outfield in the National League when you had guys like Mays, Aaron and Clemente there as well.
Nevertheless, the man made six All-Star squads, finished second in the MVP race for the National League in 1974, and would go on to a Hall of Fame induction thanks to 3000+ hits, an MLB record 938 stolen bases, and 1610 runs scored.
Did you realize that between 1964 and 1974 the LEAST amount of hits he collected in any one season was 182!?
As a matter of fact in those eleven seasons he collected over 190 hits eight times, while scoring less than 90 only once.
Just an amazing 19-year career!

REVISITING A POST FROM 2015: MISSING IN ACTION "IN-ACTION" 1972 BERT BLYLEVEN

Today we'll revisit a post from 2015, my "missing" 1972 In-Action card for Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven, part of a fun thread I hope to have printed up as a stand-alone set in the future:

Here's the original post from way back when:

Blyleven just put in his first true full season in 1971 after a solid rookie year the season before, posting a 16-15 record with a 2.81 earned run average and 224 strikeouts.

Turns out it would be the first of six consecutive 200+ strikeout seasons, as well as eight consecutive years of a sub-3.03 E.R.A.

By the time he retired after the 1992 season, he stood at 287-250, with a 3.31 E.R.A., 60 shutouts and 3701 strikeouts over 692 games, 685 of which were starts.

Often overshadowed during the pitching-rich 1970's by guys like Seaver, Carlton and Palmer, Blyleven would have to wait until his 14th year of Cooperstown eligibility before being voted in by the BBWA in 2011.

I just always loved the guy for his pranks, his outspoken personality and the fact that when I was a kid I was mesmerized by the fact that he was born in Holland, something which was unique on the back of a baseball card.

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION: 1973 MARCELINO LOPEZ

On the blog today, a "not so missing" 1973 card for former pitcher Marcelino Lopez, who closed out a decent 8-year Major League career in 1972, appearing in four games with the Cleveland Indians:

Originally up as a 19-year-old with the Philadelphia Phillies for four games in 1963, he was runner-up for the American League rookie of the year award two years later as a member of the California Angels when he posted a record of 14-13 over 35 games, posting a 2.93 earned run average with 122 strikeouts and eight complete games.

He'd never reach those numbers again during the rest of his career, moving on to the Baltimore Orioles in 1967, Milwaukee Brewers in 1971 and that last stop in Cleveland in 1972.

Overall, he appeared in 171 games, with 93 of those starts, posting a final record of 31-40 with a 3.62 ERA in 653 innings of work.

Along the way he also tossed three shutouts and saved two games, striking out 426 batters while walking 317.

THE WHOLE NINE: SERIES 2- CAREER-CAPPER: 1959 BOB LEMON

Today on the blog we post up my 1959 "career-capper" for Hall of Fame righty Bob Lemon, who closed out an excellent Big League career in 1958 with the Cleveland Indians:

Over the course of his 13-year career, he only actually put in 10 full seasons, yet he posted an incredible seven 20-win campaigns!

Along the way as part of the legendary Indians rotation that also included Early Wynn, Mike Garcia and a dude named Bob Feller, Lemon led the league in wins three times, complete games five times, shutouts (with 10) once, and was named to seven straight all-star teams between 1948-1954.

When he retired after the 1958 season, he finished with a 207-128 record with a 3.32 earned run average, 31 shutouts and 1277 K's over 460 games (350 of which were starts), and 2850 innings pitched.

After his playing days were over he went on to a respectable managerial career, leading the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees between 1970 and 1982.

Of course he's remembered as the skipper who took over the famous "Bronx Zoo" Yankees in 1978 and led them to an incredible drive that saw them go 48-20.

That drive eventually tying the Boston Red Sox and forcing the "Bucky &^%$% Dent Game", and a World Championship over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

If not for the War, we could easily be looking at a near-300 game winner being that he didn't even start playing until he was 25.

Nevertheless, Cooperstown came calling and he found his place alongside former teammates Feller and Wynn. 

Three Hall of Fame starters on one rotation. Awesome…

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET SPOTLIGHT: 1890 "BASEBALL CHAMPIONS" JESSE BURKETT

The next card from my early custom set, "19th Century Base Ball Champions" to get the spotlight here on the blog is that of "The Crab", Jesse Burkett, one of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen:

Really fun set to design and produce.

Over his 16 year baseball career, which began in 1890 as a player in the short-lived Players League and last through the 1905 season with Boston in the American League, Burkett was nothing short of astounding, hitting at a .338 clip, with three batting titles, including two straight .400 campaigns in 1895 and 1896 that saw him hit .405 and .410 respectively for the Cleveland Spiders.

He missed a third .400 season in 1899 when he hit .396 in his first season with St. Louis of the National League, picking up 221 hits in 558 at-bats, one of six 200-hit seasons he'd have over his amazing career.

By the time he retired, he finished with 2850 hits, 1720 runs scored, including 160 in 1896 in only 133 games, 389 stolen bases and a .415 lifetime on-base-percentage, along with nine 100-run campaigns and seven .350+ seasons.

If not for an injury shortened 1891 season that saw him play in only 40 games, he would have easily reached the 3000 hit plateau, which would have made him only the second player behind Cap Anson at that time to attain the lofty mark.

In 1946, he was elected to the Hall of Fame by the "Old Timer's Committee", the precursor to the Veteran's Committee, and rightly so.