"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: GREG LUZINSKI

Time to add "The Bull", Greg Luzinski to my custom WTHBALLS "Classic Baseball" set, celebrating the great game and the Philadelphia Phillie slugger who terrorized pitchers through the decade of the 1970s:

Any time I can have a guy who slugs the heck out of the ball while also hovering near .300, I'll take him!

Between 1975 and 1978 Luzinski was a top-10 MVP candidate, with two second-place finishes in 1975 and 1977 when he drove in 120 and 130 runs respectively along with 34 and 39 home runs.
And like I stated earlier, he was a .300 hitter! He topped .300 three straight seasons, from 1975 to 1977 while making the All-Star team each year.
Thing about this: Luzinski retired after the 1984 season with 307 homers, 1128 runs batted in, and 1795 hits, and he was only 33 years of age.

He topped 100 RBIs four times, 20 homers seven times, and got MVP attention seven times.

It’s easy to forget that he really put up great numbers while retiring at a relatively young age, even if he played for parts of 15 seasons between 1970 and 1984.

1970'S ALL-DECADE TEAM: N.L. OUTFIELDER GREG LUZINSKI

Up on the blog today, we move on to my first pick for one of the "outfielders of the decade" for the National League, and I went with Greg Luzinski, the "Bull":

Any time I can have a guy who slugs the heck out of the ball while also hovering near .300, I'll take him!

Between 1975 and 1978 Luzinski was a top-10 MVP candidate, with two second-place finishes in 1975 and 1977 when he drove in 120 and 130 runs respectively along with 34 and 39 home runs.
And like I stated earlier, he was a .300 hitter! He topped .300 three straight seasons, from 1975 to 1977 while making the All-Star team each year.
Thing about this: Luzinski retired after the 1984 season with 307 homers, 1128 runs batted in, and 1795 hits, and he was only 33 years of age.

He topped 100 RBIs four times, 20 homers seven times, and got MVP attention seven times.

It’s easy to forget that he really put up great numbers while retiring at a relatively young age, even if he played for parts of 15 seasons between 1970 and 1984.

When you see my picks for the other two outfielders in the N.L. for the decade, you'll see how Luzinski compliments my hypothetical line-up!

 

1977 N.L. CENTENNIAL: GREG LUZINSKI

Good day everyone!

Time to add the great Philadelphia Phillies slugger Greg Luzinski to my 1977 "Centennial" special sub-set, celebrating the 1976 season, the 100th anniversary of the National League:

Between 1975 and 1978 Luzinski was a top-10 MVP candidate, with two second-place finishes in 1975 and 1977 when he drove in 120 and 130 runs respectively along with 34 and 39 home runs.
And do not forget, he was a .300 hitter! He topped .300 three straight seasons, from 1975 to 1977 while making the All-Star team each year.
Thing about this: Luzinski retired after the 1984 season with 307 homers, 1128 runs batted in, and 1795 hits, and he was only 33 years of age.
It’s easy to forget that he really put up great numbers while retiring at a relatively young age, even if he played for parts of 15 seasons between 1970 and 1984.

EXPANDED LEAGUE LEADERS: 1979 N.L. HOME RUNS

Up on the blog today, we move on to the National League’s top three home run hitters of 1978, proudly displayed on a 1979 “expanded league leader” card in my long-running thread:

 

 

Of course, if we’re talking home runs in the late-70’s we begin with Cincinnati reds basher George Foster, who took home his second straight home run tile in 1978 with 40 dingers, after his MVP blockbuster season of 1977 that saw him hit 52.

 

The man was an absolute monster at the plate between 1976 and 1981, and it wasn’t just power numbers, as he’d hit .300 or better three times while driving in 90+ runs each and every year.

Right behind Foster with 35 homers of his own, perhaps the greatest “forgotten” slugger in Major League baseball during the late-70’s, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Greg Luzinski, who put in yet another MVP-worthy year, his fourth such season in a row.

“The Bull” drove in 101 runs for the Phillies to go with those 35 homers, while also drawing 100 walks, though for the first time in four years he failed to hit .300 or better.

Nevertheless, if it wasn’t for the Cincinnati Reds and their “Machine”, we may be looking at a MULTIPLE MVP winner in Luzinski, easily worth the award in 1975 and 1977, while also arguably the winner in 1976.

Teamed up with hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, the Phillies had an absolute mashing due smack in the middle of their line-up during their success between 1975 through to their Championship in 1980.

In third place, with 30 home runs in 1978, the MVP of the National League, Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star Dave Parker, “Cobra”, who took home his second straight batting title with a .334 average while driving in 117 runs and scoring 102 of his own while collecting 194 hits.

He also threw in 20 stolen bases, which is shocking thinking about the hulking player that he was back then, while following it all up with another 20 steals the following season when the Pirates would win it all as the “We Are Family” team that won over fans across the country.

Three great players that truly represented the Senior League during that era, not just for hitting home runs but for hitting for average as well. A rarity these days!

EXPANDED LEAGUE LEADERS: 1978 N.L. RUNS BATTED IN

On the blog today, we move on to the National League’s top three RBI men of the 1977 season, with an “expanded 1978 league leaders” card in my on-going thread:

 

Of course, when we talk about 1977 in the N.L. we usually begin with all-world Cincinnati Reds slugger George Foster, who took home an MVP Award that year for his incredible season that saw him lead the Majors with 149 RBIs along with his 52 homers, 124 runs scored and .631 slugging percentage while batting .320 on 197 hits.

The man was a force that season, following up on a brilliant 1976 campaign that saw him finish runner-up in the MVP chase to teammate Joe Morgan as they both helped the Reds to their second straight championship.

In second place with 130 RBIs, Philadelphia Phillies thumper Greg “The Bull” Luzinski, who had the misfortune of having his best MLB season in 1977, as he once again finished second in the MVP race to a Red, as he did in 1975 to Joe Morgan.

Luzinski hit 39 homers to go with those RBIs, scoring 99 runs while hitting .309 with 35 doubles and 329 total bases for the N.L. East champion Phils, his third season in a row topping .300.

Easily overshadowed by his N.L. counterparts, as well as his own teammate in Mike Schmidt, it’s easy to forget he was one of the most feared sluggers of his era.

In third place with 115 RBIs, Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star first baseman Steve Garvey, who had the “usual” season fans grew accustomed to from their first sacker.

Garvey hit a career-best 33 homers that season, with 192 hits, 91 runs scored and a .297 batting average, smack in the middle of an incredible seven-year run that saw him reach 200 hits six times, top .300 six times, 100 RBIs five times and 20 homers five times.

The man was THE N.L. first baseman for my generation, and the fact that he is not in the Hall is amazing to me, new baseball metrics be damned.

There we have the top RBI men of 1977, celebrated on an “expanded” league leader card as part of a very fun thread for the blog!

EXPANDED LEAGUE LEADERS: 1978 N.L. HOME RUNS

On the blog today, we move on to a 1978 "expanded league leaders" card celebrating the National League's top three home run hitters of 1977, and it's a doozy:

 

Of course we begin with Mr. All-World for 1977, George Foster of the Cincinnati reds, who had himself an MVP year by breaking the 50-home run barrier with 52 bombs, the first time a player reached that milestone since Willie Mays in 1965.

Foster's 1977 season was more than just home runs however, evidenced by his .320 batting average and 197 hits, as well as his league-leading 120 runs scored, 149 runs batted in and 388 total bases.

The man was incredible, taking home his MVP Award a year after finishing in second place behind teammate Joe Morgan in 1976.

He would also add a league-leading 40 homers the following year, while also leading the league in RBIs for a third year in a row with 120, finishing in sixth place for the MVP.

The next two players in the N.L. home run race in 1977 both had the misfortune of having their best Big League seasons the same year Foster took the MLB world by storm, though both players did put together excellent careers.

In second place with a career-best 41 homers, Atlanta Braves slugger Jeff Burroughs, the A.L. MVP just three years earlier.

In 1977 Burroughs gave Braves fans something to cheer about in his first season there, adding 114 RBIs, 91 runs scored and a .271 average to go along with with his 41 homers.

The 91 runs scored were a career-best as well, while the 114 RBIs were four short of his league-leading 1974 total of 118 while with the Texas Rangers.

In third place with 39 bombs, also a career-best, Philadelphia Phillies slugger Greg Luzinski, "The Bull", who has quite a run in the mid-70's.

Luzinski was an absolute BEAST in 1977, driving in 130 runs to go along with his 39 homers, while hitting .309 and scoring 99 himself for the N.L. East champ Phillies, finishing in second place for league MVP for the second time in three years.

It was the third year in a row that he hit .300 or better, which many easily forget about, thinking of him strictly as a power guy along with his teammate Mike Schmidt.

Three top-notch sluggers in the prime of their careers, on one "expanded" league leader card for you to enjoy!

1978 SPECIAL SUB-SET- "1977 30-HOME RUN CLUB" GREG LUZINSKI

Up next in my new 1978 sub-set celebrating the "thumpers" of 1977, "The Bull" Greg Luzinski's membership card in the "30-Home Run Club", finishing third in the Major Leagues for 1977 with his 39 taters:

Luzinski was in his prime when this card would have seen the light of day, coming off another second-place finish for N.L. MVP while driving in a career best 130 runs with those 39 homers and a nifty .309 batting average.

1978 would be more of the same, with 35 homers to go with 101 RBIs, 85 runs scored and 32 doubles, this time garnering him a seventh-place finish in the MVP race, along with his fourth straight All-Star nod.

Think about this: Luzinski retired after the 1984 season with 307 homers, 1128 runs batted in, and 1795 hits, and he was STILL only 33 years of age.
It’s easy to forget that he really put up great numbers while retiring at a relatively young age, even if he played for parts of 15 seasons between 1970 and 1984.

1975 IN-ACTION: GREG LUZINSKI

Time to go and add “The Bull” Greg Luzinski to my long-running 1975 “In-Action” sub-set, as he was in the middle of a sick run of MVP-caliber seasons while helping the Philadelphia Phillies fight for a Playoff berth:

Between 1975 and 1978 Luzinski was a top-10 MVP candidate, with two second-place finishes in 1975 and 1977 when he drove in 120 and 130 runs respectively along with 34 and 39 home runs.
And do not forget, he was a .300 hitter! He topped .300 three straight seasons, from 1975 to 1977 while making the All-Star team each year.
Thing about this: Luzinski retired after the 1984 season with 307 homers, 1128 runs batted in, and 1795 hits, and he was only 33 years of age.
It’s easy to forget that he really put up great numbers while retiring at a relatively young age, even if he played for parts of 15 seasons between 1970 and 1984.

1976 SPECIAL- THE SLUGGING PHILLIES MIKE SCHMIDT AND GREG LUZINSKI

Adding to the fun “Specials” sub-set through the wild 1970’s, today I post up my 1976 card featuring the powerful Phillies slugging duo of Mike Schmidt and Greg Luzinski:

When this card would have come out, perhaps only the Cincinnati Reds arguably had a more feared duo of sluggers than the Phillies.
Schmidt was coming off of what would end up being the second of his eight home run titles, while Luzinski was the National League MVP runner-up to the Reds’ Joe Morgan.
Luzinski would also finish as the NL MVP runner-up in 1977, again behind a Reds player, this time George Foster, while of course Schmidt would end up taking home three MVP’s in the 1980’s.
It’s amazing to think that Luzinski ended up retiring with 307 homers  and 1128 runs batted in over his career, and that he was only 33 when he left the game!
Nevertheless, what a pair of thumpers the Phillies had leading the way for a team that also had Larry Bowa, Dave Cash and Garry Maddox among others in their line-up!

DEDICATED "ROOKIE CARDS" #13: 1971 GREG LUZINSKI

I recently gave former Phillies and White Sox slugger Greg "The Bull" Luzinski a "Nickname" card as part of my "Nicknames of the '70s" thread, and today I want to present a "Dedicated Rookie Card" for him as part of the 1971 set.

Check it out:

You all know I'm not a fan of the multi-player rookie cards were using in their sets, so I'm slowly creating "dedicated" rookies of all the players who went on to prominent careers later on.

Luzinski's 1971 rookie was nothing to write home about, as he split his card "appearance" with outfielder Scott Reid, who actually never made it back to the Majors again after a handful of games in 1969 and 1970.

For "The Bull" Luzinski, he only played in eight games in 1970, manning first base and collecting two hits in 12 at-bats.

He'd have to wait until 1971 for his first Big League homer, hitting three of them over his 100 at-bats that year.

From then on he became the perfect partner to slugging third baseman Mike Schmidt, as they bashed their way through National league pitching staffs for the rest of the decade before Luzinski moved on to the Chicago White Sox in 1981.

NICKNAMES OF THE '70'S #26: "THE BULL" GREG LUZINSKI

Today's "Nickname of the '70s" ballplayer is former Phillies slugger Greg "The Bull" Luzinski.

Check out the card:

I put him on a 1977 template since he was smack in the middle of a torrid run between 1975 and 1978 that saw him post four straight top-10 MVP finishes, with two runner-up finishes in 1975 and 1977.

An all-star each of those seasons, Luzinski topped a .300 batting average three of the four seasons, as well as three 30+ homer and 100+ R.B.I. totals as well.

While the rest of his career was solid as well, it was those four years that made him a monster at the plate, complimenting Mike Schmidt in the line-up with a one-two punch that few other teams could match.

He'd finish his 15-year career as a member of the Chicago White Sox, the only other team he'd play for, in 1984, and would total 307 homers, 1128 runs batted in and a .276 average over 1821 games and 6505 at-bats.

I wish he was able to play longer, as he was only 33 when he retired. I don't remember why he left the game when he did, if it was because of injuries or what.

Watch for my 1971 "Dedicate Rookie Card" for him in the near future…