Here
was a fun card to create, a “not so missing” 1972 edition for long-time
MLB pitcher Orlando Pena, who was in the middle of a somewhat
transitional period in his career:
Pena appeared in only five games for the Baltimore Orioles during their
run to another American League Championship, going 0-1 with an earned
run average at 3.07 over 14.2 innings.
He spent all of 1972 in the Minors before returning for three more
seasons under the Big League sun, finally retiring after the 1975 season
at the age of 41.
Originally up in 1958 with the Cincinnati Reds, he arguably had his
finest seasons in the Majors with the Kansas City Athletics in 1963 and
1964, even though he led the American League in losses with 20 in 1963.
However the record was not true to his performance, as we’ve seen
numerous times over the years, with Pena posting and ERA of 3.69 along
with three shutouts for a team that went 73-89, good for an eighth-place
finish.
All told, Pena pitched for 14 seasons in the Majors, finishing up in
1975 at the age of 41 with the California Angels, and ending up with a
lifetime record of 56-77 with a 3.71 ERA over 427 appearances and 1202
innings of work.