Well, here's a special request that came out of nowhere!
For
my buddy Rich, I post up my "not so missing" 1986 card for former
pitcher NJoe Sambito, who funny enough would actually have a card in the
year-end 1986 Topps Traded set, but NOT the base set:
After
appearing in only eight games for the Mets in 1985, Topps didn't feel
the need to include him in the base set that year, especially when you
consider his 12.66 earned run average over 10.2 innings over those eight
games.
But after finding himself with the Boston Red Sox for
the 1986 campaign, and rediscovering his form somewhat, to where he
became an important part of the American League champions' bullpen to
the tune of a 2-0 record with a 4.84 ERA over 44.2 innings, with 12
saves, Topps did go ahead and include him in the traded set.
Between
1976 and 1984 Sambito was an excellent relief pitcher with the Houston
Astros, especially his 1979 season that saw him make his only All-Star
team when he went 8-7 with a brilliant 1.77 ERA over 63 games, with 22
saves and 83 strikeouts in 91.1 innings of work.
Two years
later he'd post a 1.84 ERA over 49 games, followed by a 1982 season that
saw him post a 0.71 ERA, albeit over only nine games due to injury.
All
told, Sambito would play 11 years, going 37-38 over 461 games, with a
very nice 3.03 ERA and 84 saves in 629 innings pitched.
