MISSING IN ACTION: 1963 FLEER RUSTY STAUB

Time to put the spotlight on my "missing" 1963 Fleer card for the great Rusty Staub, which was part of my second "extension" set regarding the great set that was forced to halt due to Topps' monopoly on the industry:

He started out as a 19 year old kid in Houston in 1963 and went on to play for Montreal, Detroit, Texas  and the New York Mets for two stints, with whom he retired with after the 1985 season.
And for those last five seasons with the Mets, he became one of the top pinch-hitters in the game and endeared himself to the Met faithful, even opening up a couple of well-liked restaurants in NYC along the way.
A few little "extras" about his career: Staub is one of three players (along with Ty Cobb and Gary Sheffield) to hit home runs as a teenager and as a 40-year old, and he is also the only player to amass 500 hits with four different teams (Astros, Mets, Expos and Tigers).
He was also the first player to play all 162 games in a season strictly as a Designated Hitter, which was for Detroit in 1978.

Lost in the crowd that was Rose, Bench, Jackson, Carew, etc. was this player who built a 23 year career, finishing up with over 2700 hits, 292 homers, 1466 R.B.I.'s, and six all-star appearances.

 

THE WHOLE NINE: SERIES 2- MISSING IN ACTION: 1964 JOE MORGAN

Today's blog post has my "not really missing" 1964 card for all-time second baseman Joe Morgan, who made his Major League debut for the Houston Colt .45's in 1963:

Morgan appeared in eight games for the Colt .45's that season, hitting .240 with the first six hits of his illustrious career over 25 at-bats, also stealing a base and scoring five runs.

For Mr. Morgan, the man was just beginning a run that would send him straight to the Hall of Fame, still with his original team before eventually helping to build a juggernaut of a team forever known as the "Big Red Machine" when he was dealt to the Cincinnati Reds before the 1972 season in a blockbuster trade.

Those Reds teams would win two straight World Series in 1975 and 1976, and field teams with the likes of Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, George Foster and Ken Griffey Sr.

By the time he retired after the 1984 season at the age of 40, he finished with two MVP Awards, 10 All-Star nods, five Gold Gloves, 2517 hits, 1650 runs scored, 268 homers and a cool 689 stolen bases with 1865 walks.
One of the all-timers right there at second base!

 

TURN BACK THE CLOCK: KEN JOHNSON FIRST TO LOSE A CG NO-HITTER

Imagine reaching one of the heights of pitching magic in the Major Leagues and yet LOSING the game?
Today we look back at the first pitcher to LOSE an official no-hitter that he pitched, Ken Johnson of the Houston Colt .45’s:

On April 23, 1964, Johnson took the mound for the then-known Colt .45’s against the Cincinnati Reds.
With the score at 0-0 into the ninth-inning, Pete Rose reached second base on an error by Ken Johnson himself, went to third on a ground-out, then scored on another error, this one committed by future Hall of Fame second baseman Nellie Fox on a Vada Pinson grounder.
After opposing pitcher Joe Nuxhall retired the side in the bottom of the ninth, Johnson became the first pitcher to ever lose a complete-game no-hitter.
By the time Johnson retired after the 1970 season with the Montreal Expos, he left with a 91-106 record, primarily with losing teams, along with a 3.46 earned run average and 1042 strikeouts over 1737.1 innings and 334 appearances, 231 of them starts.

LONG TIME NO SEE: 1971 BROCK DAVIS "CUBS ROOKIE PROSPECTS" (#573)

Well thanks to an "assist" from someone who goes by the name "ecloy", I was directed to another player who had a long gap between baseball card appearances, Brock Davis. (Thanks for the heads-up!)

Davis first appeared on a rather famous card, the 1963 "Rookie Stars" card which also happened to be Willie Stargell's rookie card!

On that card Davis was a 19-year-old member of the Houston Colt-.45's, who would go on to appear in 34 games for the Colt's, posting 11 hits in 55 at-bats while fielding all three outfield spots. Take a look:

However the rest of the 1960's would generally be spent toiling in the Minors for both Houston and then the Chicago Cubs affiliates beginning in 1969.

Davis did put up some decent numbers in the Minors, but couldn't seem to break through on the Major League level.

He had one Major League at-bat in 1964, 27 in 1966, and only three in 1970.

However, even with those three at-bats in '70, Topps gave him a spot on high-number card #573, 1971 Chicago Cubs "Rookie Stars", based on his killer Minor League year with Tacoma of the Pacific Coast League.

For Tacoma that year, he hit a robust .332, scoring 77 runs on 166 hits over the course of 500 at-bats. Not bad at all.

But sadly for Davis (and Chicago I'd guess), it didn't translate to any Major League success, as he hit .256 for the Cubs in 1971 with no punch whatsoever.

In December of 1971 he was dealt to the Brewers with pitcher Jim Colborn  and Earl Stephenson for Jose Cardenal (remember the late series Topps "Traded" card of Cardenal in 1972?), but even though he managed to hit a nice .318 over 85 games for Milwaukee, that would be the last taste of Major League action he'd see.

Davis would spend another three years in the Minors for the Padres, Cubs, Brewers and Indians before calling it a career after the 1975 season.

Thanks again to "ecloy" for the tip!