By
special request today, a fun 1969 "dedicated rookie" for one of my
favorite underrated players of the era, Amos Otis, who began his
wonderful Major League career as a member of the New York Mets:
He
came up with the New York Mets and played in 48 games for the
World Champs that year, while making his Big League debut in 1967 with
19 games as a 20-year-old (watch for my "missing 1968 card soon!).
Topps had him as an inaugural member of the Kansas City Royals for his actual multi-player rookie card in the 1969 set.
Otis could very well be THE most overlooked player of the 1970's as he
was nothing but steady through the entire decade, going on to be the American
League's top run scorer with 861. driving in 90+ three times while
stealing 30+ bases five times.
By the time he retired after the 1984 season after one year with the
Pittsburgh Pirates, he ended up with 193 homers, 341 stolen bases, 1092
runs scored and 2020 hits along with a batting average of .277 and 1007
runs batted in.
Considering the “dead ball” era of the early-70’s in the American League, his numbers are up there with the best of them, and it’s sad he gets lost among his contemporaries when looking back at that time in Major League baseball.
Considering the “dead ball” era of the early-70’s in the American League, his numbers are up there with the best of them, and it’s sad he gets lost among his contemporaries when looking back at that time in Major League baseball.
