MISSING IN ACTION- 1978 KEN BOSWELL

Here’s a “missing” capper of a card for former New York Met and Houston Astro  Ken Boswell, who finished off an 11-year career in 1977:

Boswell played the first eight years of his career with the Mets, and was a part of the championship team of 1969 as well as the National League champ squad of '73.
Primarily a third baseman, he appeared in 72 games for the Astros in his final season, his third in Houston, hitting .216 with 21 hits over 97 at-bats.
Overall for his career he batted .248 with 625 hits in 2517 at-bats over 930 lifetime games, usually as a player off the bench filling in.

MISSING IN ACTION- 1972 DANNY WALTON

Here’s a “missing” 1972 card for New York Yankees outfielder Danny Walton, who actually split the 1971 season with the Bombers and the Milwaukee Brewers:

Walton appeared in a combined 35 games in ‘71, the last five with the Yankees on his way to a .193 batting average with 16 hits in 83 at-bats.
It was a bit of a disappointment for a guy who played very well in 1970, batting .257 with 17 home runs and 66 runs batted in over 117 games for the Brewers.
It would turn out to be his only somewhat full-time season in his nine-year career that was spread out between 1968 and 1980, playing for six teams.
Always a “future star” while in the minor leagues, he put up some monster numbers, hitting as many as 42 home runs (with Albuquerque in 1977) and batting as high as .332 (with Oklahoma City in 1969).
He would hit 238 homers in the minors, topping 20 six different years.

TRADED- 1977 BOBBY MURCER

Here’s a 1977 “traded” card for one of the nicest men to put on a Major League uniform, Bobby Murcer, who found himself in Chicago playing for the Cubs after a blockbuster trade before the season got under way:

Murcer, who was part of another blockbuster trade when he was sent to San Francisco for Bobby Bonds before the 1975 season from the New York Yankees, was now traded to the “Windy City” for two-time batting champ Bill Madlock in February.
And just like with his time in San Fran, he’d only spend a couple of years, two-and-a-half to be exact, before finding his way back to where it all started, the Bronx and the Yankee pinstripes.
He wouldn’t disappoint the Cubs, having one of his best MLB seasons in 1977 with 27 home runs and 90 runs scored and 89 runs batted in.
But in June of 1979 he’d be dealt back East to the Yanks for a minor league player, where he would play the final four years of his career.
Of his 17 seasons as a Major League player, Murcer was a Yankee for 13 of them, and was always one of the most well-liked men in the organization.
I had the chance to meet him on more than one occasion and he was just the best. Genuinely a “nice person” in every sense of the phrase.
He is terribly missed since he passed away in July of 2008.

MISSING IN ACTION- 1979 HENRY CRUZ

Here’s a “missing” 1979 card for former outfielder Henry Cruz, who squeezed in four Major League seasons in the mid-70’s:

Cruz played in 53 games for the White Sox in what would be his final year in the big leagues, hitting .221 with 17 hits over 77 at-bats with a couple of homers and ten runs batted in.
It would cap off a career that had him with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1975 and 1976, then onto the Pale Hose for the final two seasons in 1977 and 1978.
All together he hit .229, collecting 64 hits over 280 at-bats in 171 games, with 32 runs scored and 34 RBI’s.
He’d go on to play in the Mexican League all the way into the 1985 season, making it 14 years in pro ball before hanging them up.

DEDICATED ROOKIE- 1970 LARRY BOWA

Here’s a “Dedicated Rookie” for Philadelphia Phillies great Larry Bowa, who was about to make a name for himself over the next 16 years as a player before moving on to coaching and managing:

The future five-time all-star and two-time Gold Glove winner would make a great addition to guys like Greg Luzinski, Garry Maddox and Mike Schmidt, helping the organization become a powerhouse in their division later in the decade.
Bowa would make an immediate impact, finishing third in National League Rookie of the Year voting, and if it wasn’t for a guy named Dave Concepcion of the “Big Red Machine” Cincinnati Reds, would have been the perennial N.L. Short Stop in the all-star game between 1974 and 1980.
Nevertheless, Bowa wrapped up his solid career with a half season playing for the New York Mets in 1985 after three and a half years with the Chicago Cubs, playing his entire career in the National league East, and finishing with 2191 hits, a .260 average, 318 stolen bases and just under 1000 runs scored with 987.

ABSOLUTELY TRAGIC: JOSE FERNANDEZ R.I.P. 1992-2016

Jose Fernandez: 1992-2016

Wow. I am stunned beyond words.

Rest in Peace Jose Fernandez.

Sad that such a young life ended so suddenly.

Just terrible news.

ANOTHER AIRBRUSHING GEM- 1972 RICHIE SCHEINBLUM

Here’s another paint-job courtesy of the people from Topps, from the 1972 set: the Richie Scheinblum edition:

After playing in a handful of games with the Washington Senators in 1971, Scheinblum found himself with the young Kansas City Royals team after being purchased on October 21st of 1971.
Topps was able to tweak him into a Royals cap, coming up with the work you see here for his 1972 card.
Great stuff as usual from the Topps art team!
Just a nice shot of him at Yankee Stadium, neon blue “KC” cap painted over what was surely a Senators cap.
Funny enough Scheinblum was the American Association’s Player of the Year in 1971 after hitting 25 homers while driving in 108 runs along with an eye-popping .388 batting average for Denver.
Yet he was sold by Washington just like that. Odd.
He would do very well for the Royals his first year there, getting selected to represent the team at the All Star game, and going on to bat .300 over the course of the season.
But he would be on the move again, and would play sporadically until 1974 with a few different organizations before finishing up his pro career with Hiroshima of the Japanese Central League in 1976