Up on the
blog today, from my recent custom "1960s Special" set, a "not so
missing" 1968 card for Joe Rudi, who was just starting his brilliant
Major League career:
Though
he didn't get a Topps card until 1969, he did make his MLB debut in
1967, appearing in 19 games for the Kansas City Athletics, hitting .186
over 43 at-bats.
It
wasn't until 1970 that he'd get some significant playing time, hitting
.309 over 350 at-bats with eleven homers and 42 runs batted in.
The
outfielder/first baseman was twice the runner-up for an A.L. MVP, in
1972 and in 1974, helping the juggernaut Oakland A's to three straight
World Series crowns.
He led the league with 181 hits and nine triples in 1972 along with
doubles (39) and total bases (287) in 1974 while also giving the A’s a
flexible fielder that could play all three outfield positions as well as
first base.
Such a solid player, he teamed up with the likes of Sal Bando and Gene Tenace that made the A’s much more than just superstars like Reggie Jackson and Jim “Catfish” Hunter.
Such a solid player, he teamed up with the likes of Sal Bando and Gene Tenace that made the A’s much more than just superstars like Reggie Jackson and Jim “Catfish” Hunter.
Sadly
however, as with the other Oakland players who signed elsewhere before
the 1977 season, he didn't continue his star status with his new team,
suffering injuries and playing only one full season out of his three
with California, moving on to the Boston Red Sox in 1981 and back to
Oakland for one last hurrah in 1982.
By the time Rudi retired, he finished up with a career .264 average,
with 179 homers and 810 RBIs over 1547 games and 5556 at-bats playing
for the A’s, California Angels and Boston Red Sox between 1967 and 1982.
