NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1977 BOB HEISE

Here’s a card I absolutely thought I already created for the blog some time ago, but actually didn’t, a 1977 “not so missing” card for former infielder Bob Heise, then of the Boston Red Sox:

Heise, who I have created a couple other cards for his career (1976 & 1978) here on the blog, appeared in 32 games with the Boston Red Sox in 1976, hitting .268 with 15 hits over 56 at-bats, driving in five runs while scoring five himself.
He would play one more season in the Big Leagues, in 1977 with the Kansas City Royals, finishing up with a career .247 average, with 283 hits in 1144 at-bats over 499 games, with one home run (hit in 1970 while with San Francisco), 86 RBIs and 104 runs scored between 1967 and 1977.

A RE-DO FOR MISSING IN ACTION- 1976 BOB HEISE: "1976 PROJECT"

Thanks to a MUCH better photo released for Bob Heise as a member of the Boston Red Sox, here’s a do-over for the “1976 Project” missing card I created for him a while back:

For those forgetting what the original was like, here’s a refresher:

Definitely a step up!
In 1975 Heise appeared in 63 games for the Boston Red Sox, collecting 138 plate appearances with 126 at-bats.
He batted .214 with 27 hits, three doubles and 21 runs batted in, while scoring 12 runs.
So while he got a card in 1970 based on his four games and 13 plate appearances, he was left out of the set six years later with almost sixteen times more playing time!
Go figure…

MISSING IN ACTION- 1978 BOB HEISE

Here’s a card for a player who had a FEW “missing” cards in the decade, former infielder Bob Heise, this time a 1978 edition:

I’ve already made a 1976 “missing” card for him as part of the “1976 Project”, and I have another one lined up for 1977, but this 1978 card is also a career-capper, as he closed out a nice 11-year career with a season in Kansas City, being a part of the 1977 American League West champ Royals.
Heise appeared in 54 games with KC, batting .258 with 16 hits over 62 at-bats with defensive work at all infield positions.
This was pretty much his role his entire career in the Major Leagues, playing for no less than seven organizations between 1967 and 1977.
He would end up with a .247 batting average for his career, with 283 hits over 1144 at-bats and 499 games

MISSING IN ACTION- 1976 BOB HEISE: "1976 PROJECT"

A few days ago I posted about why did Topps give Bob Heise a card in their 1970 set.

Well today we go ahead and give Heise a card in a set he SHOULD have been in, the 1976 set, as part of my ongoing "1976 Project":

In 1975 Heise appeared in 63 games for the Boston Red Sox, collecting 138 plate appearances with 126 at-bats.

He batted .214 with 27 hits, three doubles and 21 runs batted in, while scoring 12 runs.

So while he got a card in 1970 based on his four games and 13 plate appearances, he was left out of the set six years later with almost sixteen times more playing time!

Go figure…

Heise was left out of a couple more sets during his career, so keep an eye out for those "missing" cards here in the near future.

WHY? 1970 TOPPS BOB HEISE

Here's another one of those "head-scratchers" for those of us who pay attention to stuff like this: why did Topps issue a card for Bob Heise in their 1970 set?

First, the card:

If you go and look at Heise's action in 1969, you'll quickly see that the guy only appeared in four games for the New York Mets. Four games.

On top of that, in 1968 he appeared in only six games for the Mets.

So for a total of ten games in two years, he got a card in the 1970 set. Odd.

On top of all THAT, at the tail-end of his career, when he played in 63, 32 and 54 games respectively between 1975-1977, he was omitted from all Topps sets.

(Needless to say I'll be "fixing" THAT soon enough!).

Did Topps need to "fill out" the Ginats roster in the set, so they found a spot for Heise. I find that questionable. So your guess is as good as mine!

Heise did manage to put together an eleven-year career that saw him suit up for the Mets, Giants, Brewers, Cardinals, Red Sox and Royals before retiring after the 1977 season.

He batted .247 with a single homer (in 1970), 86 runs batted in and 104 runs scored over 499 games and 1144 at-bats.