REVISITING A 10-YEAR-OLD POST: 1974 FANTASY ROOKIE CARD

On the blog today, we revisit a 10-year-old blog post featuring a fantasy multi-player 1974 rookie card that would have been quite the doozy had it really been out there:

Not a bad group of young ballplayers right here!

Here's the original write-up for it:

"Now here's a card that would have been nice to pull out of a pack! (Even though I am admittedly NOT a fan of the "multi-player" rookie cards).

Like I previously did with the 1978 dream rookie card with Ozzie Smith, Paul Molitor, Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell, I couldn't resist designing a 1974 "Rookie Infielders" card with Robin Yount and George Brett.

Now it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility to have the two future Hall of Famers appear on one of those multi-player rookie cards in the '74 set.

But I DO understand why Topps didn't give them a look at the time.

I took an already existing card (#604) and replaced Terry Hughes and John Knox (sorry guys!) with Brett and Yount.

Teamed up with two other future solid major leaguers in Andre Thornton and Frank White, and this card would have been a killer at the card shows of the late 1980's when the rookie-card explosion happened.

Thankfully, because of the wonderful world of Photoshop, we can all go ahead and "fix" these so many years later."

 

DEDICATED ROOKIE: 1974 ANDRE THORNTON

Today's blog post has a 1974 "dedicated rookie" for former slugger Andre Thornton, who made his Major League debut with the Chicago Cubs during the 1973 season:

 

Thornton appeared in 17 games for the Cubs that season, hitting an even .200 with seven hits over 35 at-bats, with three runs scored and a couple of runs batted in.

He'd appear in 107 games in 1974, hitting .261 with 10 homers and 46 ribbies while playing both first and third base, and fare even better the following season with a .293 average and 18 homers, with 60 RBIs.

After a stalled season in 1976 when he split the campaign between the Cubs and Montreal Expos, and tragically, an automobile accident that took the life of his daughter and wife, he'd incredibly find his groove with the Cleveland Indians, where he ended up playing the rest of his career until he retired in 1987.
In 1978, 1982 and 1984 he posted 30+ home run seasons, with R.B.I. totals of 105, 116 and 99, earning him some M.V.P. votes each year.
He also won the Roberto Clemente award in 1979 as a player who "exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement, and team contribution", and a Silver Slugger in 1984 as a designated hitter.

Overall, he finished with 253 home runs, a .254 average and 1342 hits over 5291 at-bats and 1565 games between 1973 and 1987.

A DREAM ROOKIE CARD IF THERE EVER WAS ONE...

Now here's a card that would have been nice to pull out of a pack! (Even though I am admittedly NOT a fan of the "multi-player" rookie cards).

Like I previously did with the 1978 dream rookie card with Ozzie Smith, Paul Molitor, Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell, I couldn't resist designing a 1974 "Rookie Infielders" card with Robin Yount and George Brett.

Take a look:

Now it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility to have the two future Hall of Famers appear on one of those multi-player rookie cards in the '74 set.

But I DO understand why Topps didn't give them a look at the time.

I took an already existing card (#604) and replaced Terry Hughes and John Knox (sorry guys!) with Brett and Yount.

Teamed up with two other future solid major leaguers in Andre Thornton and Frank White, and this card would have been a killer at the card shows of the late 1980's when the rookie-card explosion happened.

Thankfully, because of the wonderful world of Photoshop, we can all go ahead and "fix" these so many years later.

MISSING IN ACTION- 1977 ANDRE THORNTON

The last time I posted for this thread, it was for a 1977 Jim Fregosi card.
For one reason or another, Topps decided not to create one even though he saw enough action in 1976 to warrant it.
Today I'll stick with the same set and post up an Andre Thornton card that I designed, since Topps never created one for him either even though he ALSO saw enough playing time in 1976 to have a card the following year.
I don't know why Topps left him out, since in 1976 Thornton saw action with TWO teams, the Cubs and the Expos, appearing in 96 games for 268 at-bats.
Granted he only hit .194, but he did pop 11 homers to go along with 38 runs batted in. Not too shabby for those lighter-hitting years of the early to mid decade.
I decided to depict him on an Expos card, since realistically Topps would not have had the time to picture him an an Indian, to whom he was traded in December of 1976.
Just trying to keep it real folks...
Thornton went on to have some solid years for Cleveland, where he ended up playing the rest of his career until he retired in 1987.
In 1978, 1982 and 1984 he posted 30+ home run seasons, with R.B.I. totals of 105, 116 and 99, earning him some M.V.P. votes each year.
He also won the Roberto Clemente award in 1979 and a Silver Slugger in 1984 as a designated hitter.
It was definitely one of the better trades Cleveland made, as all they gave up for Thornton was pitcher Jackie Brown, who was out of baseball the following year.

Thornton was traded to the Expos in May of 1976.