Today
we have a “not so missing” 1978 card for former pitcher Mike Davey, who
made his Major League debut during the 1977 season with the Atlanta
Braves:
Davey appeared in 16 games, throwing 16 innings and going without a
decision while sporting and ERA of 5.06 with two saves, all out of the
bullpen.
The following season he’d appear in three games, again all in relief,
tossing 2.2 innings without an earned run, not factoring in a decision.
Sadly for him he’d never make it back to a Big League mound, playing out
the next two years in the Minor Leagues with Seattle and Pittsburgh
before retiring as an active player after the 1980 season.
All told, Davey finished up with a 4.34 ERA over 19 appearances and 18.2
innings pitched, collecting two saves and striking out seven without a
decision.
The
next player in my ongoing 1975 “In-Action” sub-set is “Scoop” Al
Oliver, one of my favorites from the era. A consistent all-star player
who put together a wonderful 18-year Major League career:
When this card would have come out, Oliver just put together his finest
season yet in 1974, collecting 198 hits wit a .321 batting average while
knocking in 85 runs along with 96 runs scored and 61 extra base hits.
He would go on to have excellent seasons for the Pirates, Texas Rangers
and the Montreal Expos, for whom he had perhaps his best season in as a
Major League ballplayer in 1982 when he led the National League in
batting (.331), hits (204), doubles (43), total bases (317) and runs
batted in (109), finishing third in the MVP race while getting named to
his sixth All-Star team.
By the time he retired after the 1985 season (some say because of
collusion), he collected 2743 hits, 529 doubles, 219 homers and 1326
RBIs with a .303 lifetime average.
A quiet yet excellent career that should have gotten more than a 4.3%
showing in his first year of Hall eligibility in 1991, allowing him to
fall-off the ballot.
THAT is a crime in my book. Such a shame.
I
love creating cards like this, a 1979 Jim Gaudet, who played for the
Kansas City Royals for a total of six Big League games, three in 1978
and three in 1979:
Gaudet came up as a September call-up in 1978 for his first taste of the
Majors, going hitless in eight at-bats while getting in some catching
duties.
The following season he’d be back up for a brief spell, collecting his
one and only hit, which was over six official at-bats, again playing
three games behind the plate towards the end of the season.
But that would it for him in the Big Leagues, as he’d spend the rest of
his professional ball-playing days in the Minor Leagues, playing for the
Royals and Detroit Tigers organizations before retiring for good as an
active player in 1982.
It’s always fun creating cards for guys that really only had a
cup-of-coffee in the Majors, yet never got a card along the way. Best
part of running this blog!
Up
on the blog today we have a career-capping “Missing” 1975 card for
former Montreal Expos outfielder Boots day, who finished up a six-year
Major League career in 1974:
Day played five of his six years in the Big Leagues with Montreal,
coming over from the Chicago Cubs in 1970 for Jack Hiatt on May 12th.
He appeared in 52 games during the 1974 season, batting .185 wit 12 hits
over 65 at-bats, scoring eight runs with a couple of runs batted in.
Originally up with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1969 for eleven games, he
was traded to St. Louis before the 1970 season, for whom he played in
eleven games before the trade to the Expos.
His best season in the Majors would be 1971 when he batted .283 with a
career-high 105 hits over 371 at-bats, scoring 53 runs while driving in
33, all career-bests.
He would find himself playing for the Detroit Tigers organization in
1975, and sadly for him he’d do just that through the 1980 season, never
again getting back to the Big Leagues, retiring from Pro Ball for good
after only 31 games in both A and AAA Ball.
I
always figured I’d come back to my 1977 Billy Williams “Career-capper”
since I never really liked the image I used, and that day is today as I
replace it with a much better shot:
“Sweet Swingin’ Billy from Whistler” 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.
Time
to honor All-Star outfielder and a major factor in the way the game is
structured to this very day, Curt Flood, with a “Then and Now” card in
the 1971 set:
Flood pretty much sacrificed his career by the early-70’s , fighting MLB
for their handling of players “as cattle” in regards to trades,
releases, eventually opening the doors for Free Agency and allowing
players some control over their own careers.
You have to understand how HUGE this was, as it was something players have been trying to do since the late-1800’s (think of the failed Players League of 1890).
Sadly for Flood, while it did end up helping ballplayers soon after
he left the game, his own playing career was over by the age of 33,
really 31.
Beginning in 1962 Flood strung together eight fantastic seasons starring
for the St. Louis Cardinals, consistently batting over .300, two
200-hit seasons, and seven straight Gold Glove Awards, right up to the
1969 campaign.
Then it all began with a trade to the Philadelphia Phillies along with
others including Tim McCarver for superstar slugger Dick (Richie) Allen
and a couple of other players.
Flood refused to report to his new team, eventually forcing the
Cardinals to send prospect Willie Montanez to complete the deal,
essentially ending his career as a player while he fought to have
control over his own career, fighting the “reserve clause”.
After sitting out the season in 1970, the Phillies eventually sent him
to the Washington Senators, where Flood played the last 13 games of his
career before leaving the team within the first month, abruptly closing
out a great career that could have been Hall of Fame worthy had he
played longer.
If you’re not familiar with Flood’s case, and his teaming up with
Players’ Union head Marvin Miller, you MUST read up on this to understand the state of the game today.
I just touched upon some brief points here, but the case and Flood’s decision to pursue this cause is incredible.
Every single player today has much to thank Flood and his sacrifice,
allowing the Free Agent boom of the mid-70’s to change the game forever,
leading to the salaries and benefits even the average players have
today.
Up
on the blog today I have a card that I’ve contemplated for a while now,
a “fantasy” 1972 “Traded” Willie Mays card for the all-time legend:
I’m not the biggest fan of Topps 1972 Traded sub-set. To be honest I never liked them.
However I always wondered if Topps could have squeezed out a Mays
version since he was traded to the New York Mets in May of the 1972
season.
I don’t know the print-schedule for the series regarding the 1972 set, but it must be pretty close, no?
Nevertheless, as we all know Mays was traded back to where it all began
for him, New York, for pitcher Charlie Williams and $50,000 cash.
He’d end up playing through the 1973 season, even appearing in the World
Series as his final action as a Major League player in a losing cause
against the juggernaut Oakland A’s three-peat champions.
By the time he hung them up, he finished with over 2000 runs scored,
3000 hits, 660 home runs and 1900 runs batted in, while being named to
20 All-Star teams and winning 12 Gold Gloves.
Easily the greatest player of the last 50-years, if not ever.
“Say Hey” Willie Mays.
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