NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1974 MATT ALEXANDER

On the blog today we have a “not so missing” 1974 card for former pinch-runner Matt Alexander, who managed to swipe 103 bases during his nine-year MLB career while only collecting 36 hits:

Alexander played in the first 12 games of his Major League career during the 1973 season as a member of the Chicago Cubs, hitting an even .200 with one hit over five at-bats while scoring four runs and stealing two bases.
After getting traded to the Oakland A’s for Minor Leaguer Buddy Copeland in April of 1975, he’d go on to average about 20 steals a season over the next three years, occasionally playing the field while collecting only 12 hits combined.
Much like the more famous “designated runners” Herb Washington and Larry Lintz, was a speedster who found his niche (though I’m sure he would have rather have just PLAYED than pinch-run), playing out his nine-year MLB career with four seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, including the World Champion 1979 edition, when he appeared in 44 games, hitting .538 with seven hits over 13 at-bats, with 16 runs scored and 13 steals.
Overall, after retiring in 1981, Alexander finished with a .214 career average, with 111 runs scored on 36 hits, with 103 steals over 374 games and 168 at-bats.
As a quirk in MLB history, he is one of only seven players (excluding pitchers) to have played at least 100 games and have more games played than at-bats.

MISSING IN ACTION- 1975 MATT ALEXANDER

Here’s a “missing” 1975 card for former utility player and pinch-runner Matt Alexander, who came up with the Chicago Cubs before moving on to the Oakland A’s:

Alexander appeared in 45 games for the Cubs during the 1974 season, hitting .204 with 11 hits over 54 runs batted in, along with 12 walks and 15 runs scored, oddly high numbers for only 74 plate appearances.
From there he moved on to the Oakland team and was one of their “legs off the bench” along with Herb Washington and Larry Lintz, with 63 stolen bases between 1975 and 1977 with only 88 plate appearances over 214 games!
By the time he retired after the 1981 season after four years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he scored 111 runs with only 195 plate appearances, along with 103 stolen bases and a .214 career average, with 36 hits in 168 official at-bats.