On the blog today we have a 1975 "not so missing" card for former third baseman Ray Knight, who made his MLB debut in 1974 with the Cincinnati Reds:
Knight came up as a September
call-up at the age of 21, appearing in 14 games and hitting .182 over
that time, collecting two hits in 11 at-bats.
He'd spend the
next two years in the Minors, but in 1977 he made it all the way back,
appearing in 80 games and hitting .261 with 24 hits and 92 at-bats.
The
1978 season was more of the same for him, playing in 83 games and
hitting an even .200, before putting in an excellent 1979 campaign when
he'd end up fifth in the National League MVP race, hitting .318 with 175
hits, 37 doubles and 79 RBIs.
He would make his first
All-Star team in 1980, eventually ending up with a .264 average over 162
games, collecting 163 hits with a career-best 39 doubles in 618
at-bats.
After one more season in Cincinnati, he moved on to
the Houston Astros, where he'd suit up for two and a half years before
finding himself in Queens, NY as a New York Met, becoming a part of
those rough and tumble 1986 World Champions, helping the team by hitting
.298 while driving in 76 runs.
In 1987 he moved on to the
Baltimore Orioles, where he had a solid season, playing in 150 games
and hitting .256 with 14 homers and 65 RBIs, followed by what turned out
to be his final year in the Majors, now with the Detroit Tigers in
1988, hitting .217 with 65 hits over 299 at-bats in 105 games.
All
told he finished his playing career with a .271 batting average,
collecting 1311 hits in 4829 at-bats, with 490 runs scored and 595 RBIs,
making two All-Star teams.
