Monday, September 30, 2019

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1975 PETE VARNEY

Today on the blog we have a “not so missing” 1975 card for former catcher Pete Varney, who played parts of four seasons in the Major Leagues and only got one “official” Topps card, in 1976:


Varney made his MLB debut during the 1973 season, appearing in only five games and going 0-4 at the plate then following it up with nine appearances in 1974 when he went 7-for-28, good for a .250 batting average.
In 1975 he’d see the most action in any one season, playing in 36 games for the White Sox, batting .271 with 29 hits in 107 official at-bats, including 12 runs scored and eight runs batted in.
That amount of face-time In the Big Leagues was good enough to get him a card in the classic 1976 Topps set, but it sadly wouldn’t last, as he would appear in only 19 games in the Majors during the Bicentennial season, split between Chicago and the Atlanta Braves, for whom he’d play the last games of his career with.
That season he’d bat a combined .216 with 11 hits in 51 at-bats, connecting for three homers with five RBIs and five runs scored.
Turns out that would be the last action he’d see in the Majors, as he’d play all of 1977 in the Minors for Atlanta before retiring as a player, finishing up with a career .247 average, with 47 hits over 190 at-bats, with 18 runs scored and 15 RBIs.