"GIMME A DO-OVER"- PART XVII: 1970 #40 RICH ALLEN

Not too long ago I profiled the mystery surrounding the 1972 Topps Dick Allen card, which used a photo of him that was already used on his 1970 card. The image used for both cards showed Allen from the late '60's as a Phillies player, so technically this photo was outdated for BOTH the 1972 AND the 1970 card.

In 1970 he was playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, while by 1972 he was on his way to an M.V.P. award with the Chicago White Sox.

In addition to all of this, back in 1970 he was still being called "Rich" or "Richie", before baseball came around (according to Allen himself) and began calling him by his preferred "Dick" nickname that he grew up with.

Anyway, for that original post I redesigned his 1972 card with a proper image of him, but it still left his 1970 card to deal with.

Today I correct that 1970 card, and add a little historical twist while doing so.

One of my earliest posts was about how Richie Allen's 1971 card was the first one Topps ever produced that showed a player with a mustache. Believe it or not, it's true.

However, if Topps would have used a "current" photo of Allen for his 1970 issue, this would have actually been the first. 

I do realize that to many, this really doesn't carry too much historical weight. But to a card nerd like me, it actually matters, and I am at peace with it…

So without further delay, here's a redesigned 1970 Topps Richie Allen card showing him as a St. Louis Cardinal, and a historic mustache.

 

1970 "Rich" Allen as-issued by Topps using old photo.

 

My redesign using a smiling, mustached Allen in a Cardinal uniform.

MISSING IN ACTION- 1977 ANDRE THORNTON

The last time I posted for this thread, it was for a 1977 Jim Fregosi card.
For one reason or another, Topps decided not to create one even though he saw enough action in 1976 to warrant it.
Today I'll stick with the same set and post up an Andre Thornton card that I designed, since Topps never created one for him either even though he ALSO saw enough playing time in 1976 to have a card the following year.
I don't know why Topps left him out, since in 1976 Thornton saw action with TWO teams, the Cubs and the Expos, appearing in 96 games for 268 at-bats.
Granted he only hit .194, but he did pop 11 homers to go along with 38 runs batted in. Not too shabby for those lighter-hitting years of the early to mid decade.
I decided to depict him on an Expos card, since realistically Topps would not have had the time to picture him an an Indian, to whom he was traded in December of 1976.
Just trying to keep it real folks...
Thornton went on to have some solid years for Cleveland, where he ended up playing the rest of his career until he retired in 1987.
In 1978, 1982 and 1984 he posted 30+ home run seasons, with R.B.I. totals of 105, 116 and 99, earning him some M.V.P. votes each year.
He also won the Roberto Clemente award in 1979 and a Silver Slugger in 1984 as a designated hitter.
It was definitely one of the better trades Cleveland made, as all they gave up for Thornton was pitcher Jackie Brown, who was out of baseball the following year.

Thornton was traded to the Expos in May of 1976.

RANDOM QUICKIE: 1973 #461 MIKE CORKINS

Today's little "random quickie" deals with card #461 in Topps 1973 set: Mike Corkins.
What struck me as incredibly odd was the background of the image. Take a look:

Was this shot taken in a prison courtyard?!

Where on earth was this photo taken?!
Did the photographer catch Corkins on his way into a prison on "family day"?
That background has me so confused I can almost look past the CLASSIC mustard yellow and brown San Diego uniform of the early 1970's. Well...I said "almost" didn't I?
But seriously. That background reminds me of where I used to play "box ball" behind P.S. 186 across the street from my house in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.
I have to start looking to see if I can find other cards that aren't taken somewhere on the field.
I can't recall any at the moment.
Let the search begin!
As for Corkins himself, not much to say really. As with so many other pitchers stuck in San Diego in the early 70's,  he wasn't going to get much support, though the 1972 season was perhaps his best in the Majors.
He went 6-9 with a 3.53 E.R.A. with one shutout in 9 starts, while also picking up 6 saves among his other 38 appearances.
However, by 1974 he was out of the Majors, pitching another two years in the Minors for both the Padres and the Angels.
His career tally: 19-28 with a 4.39 E.R.A. in 157 total games, all for the Padres.
But at least he got to wear those crazy 1970's San Diego uni's huh?!

JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT- 1970'S BASEBALL TRIVIA PART XIII

The thirteenth edition of 1970's baseball trivia is upon us. As usual, the answers will be posted down below tomorrow.

1. Who were the only teammates to have 200+ hits in the same season more than once during the decade?

2. During the 1970's, who posted the highest single-season slugging percentage?

3. Three former or future Cy Young winners had a season that saw them LOSE 20+ games during the '70's. Who are the three hurlers?

4. While no one tallied 100+ extra base hits in a season between 1970-79, who was the only player to even reach 90 E.B.H. in a campaign?

5. Three different Cincinnati Reds pitchers lead the N.L. in winning percentage in consecutive seasons at some point in the 1970's. Who were they and what seasons did this happen?


***SPOILER ALERT! ANSWERS BELOW:

1. Joe Torre and Lou Brock, St. Louis Cardinals, 1970 & 1971.

 2. Hank Aaron, 1971. .669

3. Denny McLain, 1971; Steve Carlton, 1973; Randy Jones, 1974.

4. Willie Stargell, 1973 with 90.

5. Wayne Simpson, 1970; Don Gullet, 1971; Gary Nolan, 1972.

"CAREER CAPPER" # 10: 1978 BROOKS ROBINSON

Just like the very first "Career Capper" I did a while back (1975 Al Kaline), today's latest post on the topic actually did have a card the following year AFTER he retired.
Brooks Robinson was featured on card #4 in the 1978 Topps set as a "Record Breaker" for "consecutive seasons with one club", but did not have a "regular" issue player card.
So to remedy this, I went ahead and designed a final card to cap off his Hall of Fame career showing a portrait shot of him in the bright Oriole orange uniforms of the day. The '70's are alive and well on this card!
Brooks broke into the Majors as an 18-year-old for Baltimore way back in September of 1955, and became their first real superstar as he blossomed into the premier third baseman in the American League through the 1960's and into the '70's.
From 1960 through 1974, a total of 15 seasons, Robinson got M.V.P. votes in a remarkable 12 of those years, winning the award in 1964, while winning two world championships, in 1966 and 1970.
By the time he hung them up in 1977, he pretty much held all of Baltimore's offensive records, and was easily elected to the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Dig the crazy orange Orioles get-up!

"ON SECOND THOUGHT-THE WILD LIFE AIN'T FOR ME": JACK HEIDEMANN

I remember seeing an item on another blog about the quick 360º turnaround that former player Jack Heidemann made between his 1973 baseball card (#664) and his 1977 card (#553).
Between those two years he only had an additional 1975 card (#649), as Topps didn't include him in the 1974 and 1976 sets.
But looking at those three cards (73, 75, 77), you wonder what kind of wild times Heidemann had before he "cleaned up" by his 1977 issue.
Let's take a closer look:

Clean as a whistle...

...to a sure-fire Harley owner...

...back to the clean life.

Pretty funny don't you think?
Seems that St. Louis brought out the rebel in him before he went over to that other beer town, Milwaukee.
Heidemann was pretty much out of the big leagues when his 1977 card came out, appearing in only five games for the Brewers, going 0-1 at DH/2B.
But I noticed that there should have been a card issued for him as a New York Met in 1976, as he got into 61 games, good for 145 at-bats in 1975, so I'll be creating a "missing" card for sure. I already found a decent image of him in a N.Y. uniform that's perfect for a card. So keep an eye out for that one, all you Jack Heidemann fans out there!
In the meantime, enjoy a man's journey through the hairy side of life...

WHEN EXPANSION GETS TOPPS SCRAMBLING: 1977 DAVE HILTON

While I do realize that baseball expansion in 1977 must have given Topps fits trying to produce Blue Jay and Mariner cards for the new set, it is entertaining to see what the final result was.
For example, earlier on this blog I profiled the 1977 Chuck Hartensein card (#416), who hadn't been included in a set since 1970, before Topps issued one for him as a Blue Jay seven years later. A case of a Major League cast-off getting second life because of expansion.
There's also that Rick Jones (#118) card as a Mariner, where Topps had to take a black and white image of him and airbrush the ENTIRE photo, giving us one of the stranger looking issues in the set. There just weren't any color photographs available for a player that was getting a job because of a new team roster to fill.
Then there's the case of Dave Hilton, profiled here (card #163).
Hilton was actually a #1 pick by the San Diego Padres in the January 1971 amateur draft after starring at Rice University in Texas.
He made the quick jump up to the big leagues in 1972 at the age of 21, and saw some sporadic playing time over the next couple of years, hitting a robust .214 in a 157 games.
In 1975 he only appeared in four games for the Padres, going 0-8. And that, ladies and gentlemen (I suspect ALL gentlemen here actually), was it for Mr. Hilton, as he never made it up to the big show again.
Of course no one would know it at the time, and the Blue Jays purchased Hilton, along with former #1 pick in the 1972 draft Dave Roberts and John Scott, from San Diego in October of 1976.
In 1977 Hilton would actually suit up for Toledo in Triple-A (Cleveland) before moving on to a few seasons in the Japanese League. He'd return to the States and play some more Minor League ball up until 1982, but never made it back up to the Majors.
So here we are left with a card of a player who hadn't appeared in the Majors for two years, and never would suit up for the team he was depicted on.
The nightmare of expansion rears it's ugly head again in the baseball card world.

"Swing and a miss" for Topps. Hilton never suited up for Toronto.