FANTASY CARD: 1977 MIKE EASLER

Today on the blog I've created a fantasy card, that being a 1977 card for Mike Easler as a St Louis Cardinal player:

Some of you may remember that I have already created (and printed!) a "missing" 1977 card for "The Hit Man" as a California Angel, for whom he played the 1976 season with.

However when I came across this image of him as a Cardinal player I checked it out, and low and behold he spent most of the 1976 season in the St. Louis Minor League system with the Tulsa Oilers, where he mashed the ball at a .352 clip, with 26 homers and 77 RBIs in 118 games, so I figured, "why not?"

Though Easler would have his rookie card in the 1978 set on one of those multi-player jobs, he could have easily gotten a card in the '77 set based on his action in the 1976 season with the California Angels.

In the bicentennial year, Easler played in 21 games with 59 plate appearances, with 13 hits in 53 at-bats, good for a .241 batting average.

He also collected a double, triple and four runs batted in along with six runs scored, all as a designated hitter.

It wasn't until 1980 that he saw full-time work, and he came in with a bang, hitting a robust .338 with 21 homers and 74 RBI's in only 393 at-bats for the reigning champion Pirates.

Six years later I remember him joining the Yankees and he performed well, hitting .302 with 14 homers and 78 RBI's, before playing out his final year in the Majors in 1987, split between the Yanks and Phillies.

By the time he closed out his 14-year career, he finished with a very nice .293 average with 118 homers, 522 runs batted in and 465 runs scored.

 

REVISITING MY "MISSING" 1977 CARD FOR MIKE EASLER

Today on the blog we revisit my "missing" 1977 card for the "hit Man" Mike Easler, who was still to find his place as an everyday player in the Majors:

Though Easler would have his rookie card in the 1978 set on one of those multi-player jobs, he could have easily gotten a card in the '77 set based on his action in the 1976 season with the California Angels.

In the bicentennial year, Easler played in 21 games with 59 plate appearances, with 13 hits in 53 at-bats, good for a .241 batting average.

He also collected a double, triple and four runs batted in along with six runs scored, all as a designated hitter.

It wasn't until 1980 that he saw full-time work, and he came in with a bang, hitting a robust .338 with 21 homers and 74 RBI's in only 393 at-bats for the reigning champion Pirates.

Six years later I remember him joining the Yankees and he performed well, hitting .302 with 14 homers and 78 RBI's, before playing out his final year in the Majors in 1987, split between the Yanks and Phillies.

By the time he closed out his 14-year career, he finished with a very nice .293 average with 118 homers, 522 runs batted in and 465 runs scored.

 

DEDICATED ROOKIE: 1978 MIKE EASLER

Today's blog post has a 1978 "Dedicated Rookie" for the "Hit Man", Mike Easler, a guy who I have created a couple of "pre-rookie" cards for over the years:

It would be a slow process for Easler to really break though, not getting any substantial playing time until the 1980 season playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, now 29 years of age.
However, he’d do alright over the next seven seasons, having some really good years with the Pirates, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees before retiring after the 1987 season.
By the time he did retire, he finished with a lifetime .293 batting average, with 118 homers and 522 runs batted in over 1151 games and 3677 at-bats.
It’s amazing to realize that of his 14 seasons as a Big League player, he only had four in which he even had enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title.

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1975 MIKE EASLER

Years before he became the “Hit Man”, and years before he eventually even got his first Topps card in 1978, here’s Mike Easler and a “not so missing” 1975 card with the team that drafter him and brought him up for his first taste of the Big Leagues, the Houston Astros:

Easler appeared in only 15 games for the Astros in 1974, collecting one hit over 15 at-bats as a pinch hitter ironically enough, this after appearing in the first six games of his career the previous year.
It would be a slow process for Easler to really break though, not getting any substantial playing time until the 1980 season playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, now 29 years of age.
However, he’d do alright over the next seven seasons, having some really good years with the Pirates, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees before retiring after the 1987 season.
By the time he did retire, he finished with a lifetime .293 batting average, with 118 homers and 522 runs batted in over 1151 games and 3677 at-bats.
It’s amazing to realize that of his 14 seasons as a Big League player, he only had four in which he even had enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title.

MISSING IN ACTION- 1977 MIKE EASLER

Let's go and give the "Hit Man", Mike Easler, a card in the 1977 set shall we?

Take a look at my card design:

Though Easler would have his rookie card in the 1978 set on one of those multi-player jobs, he could have easily gotten a card in the '77 set based on his action in the 1976 season with the California Angels.

In the bicentennial year, Easler played in 21 games with 59 plate appearances, with 13 hits in 53 at-bats, good for a .241 batting average.

He also collected a double, triple and four runs batted in along with six runs scored, all as a designated hitter.

It wasn't until 1980 that he saw full-time work, and he came in with a bang, hitting a robust .338 with 21 homers and 74 RBI's in only 393 at-bats for the reigning champion Pirates.

Six years later I remember him joining the Yankees and he performed well, hitting .302 with 14 homers and 78 RBI's, before playing out his final year in the Majors in 1987, split between the Yanks and Phillies.

By the time he closed out his 14-year career, he finished with a very nice .293 average with 118 homers, 522 runs batted in and 465 runs scored.