A LITTLE GLIMPSE OF THINGS TO COME...

Here's a nice shot of the first four "wthballs" custom postcards trimmed to size, given FREE with each of the next four issues of "wthballs" magazine.

The 1974 Willie Mays postcard is available now buy purchasing a copy of the "1974 Missing in Action" magazine (#6), with the other postcards available with each subsequent issue. These art-cards are issued as 4" x 6" postcards that can be cut to size if you like. Or keep them at full-size if you prefer!

MISSING IN ACTION- 1972 CLYDE MASHORE

Here’s a guy I already gave a 1974 “missing” card to, and today will give a 1972 edition: former Montreal Expos outfielder Clyde Mashore:

Mashore appeared in 66 games for the Expos in 1971, hitting .193 with 22 hits over 114 at-bats while manning the outfield at all three slots.
He would put in 5 partial seasons in the Majors, all but his debut with Montreal, and a scant 2 games with the Cincinnati Reds in 1969 at the age of 24.
After the 1973 season he’d play 1974 in the Minors for Memphis, the Triple-A affiliate for the Expos before leaving the game for good, finishing up with a .208 batting average based on his 87 hits over 419 at-bats in 241 games.

1972 FANTASY CARD- DON DRYSDALE

Here’s the last of my Don Drysdale “Fantasy Cards” where I wondered what his cards would have looked like had he been able to play more than his relatively short 14-year career that spanned between 1956 and 1969:

Drysdale, though he did eventually make the Hall of Fame, retired with a 209-166 career record, with a 2.95 earned run average and 2486 strikeouts. Excellent numbers of course, but arguably borderline stats for the Hall (think Jack Morris, Luis Tiant, etc).
So imagine if he was able to tack on some more wins and maybe even reach 3000 strikeouts, which at the time of his retirement only the great Walter Johnson had done in Major League history.
The man WAS a beast though, intimidating batters along contemporary hurler Bob Gibson like few before or since, five times leading the National League in plunked batsmen, just to let them know who was boss.
Love guys like that!
Only wish we would have been able to see him pitch more, and more importantly regale us with stories a lot longer than his short 56 years, shockingly passing away in 1993.
“Big D”, Don Drysdale.

MISSING IN ACTION- 1974 BUZZ CAPRA

Though he would go on to have his finest season in a Major League uniform in 1974 as a member of the Atlanta Braves, I am posting a “missing” card for Buzz Capra for that year as a New York Met, for whom he suited up the previous season:

Capra was purchased by the Braves from the Mets in March of 1974, so I don’t think Topps would have had him on his upcoming team in time for printing.
Capra appeared in 24 games for the “Ya Gotta Believe” Mets of 1973, all out of the bullpen, as he posted a 2-7 record with a 3.86 earned run average.
But once in Atlanta in 1974 he was in a groove, as he went on to lead the National League in ERA with a sparkling 2.28 along with a 16-8 record over 39 games, 27 of which were starts.

THEN AND NOW: EDDIE FISHER 1960-1973

Here’s a card celebrating the solid Major League career of relief pitcher Eddie Fisher, who put in 15 years between 1959 and 1973:

Fisher had some excellent seasons in the mid-1960’s with the Chicago White Sox, with his best in 1965 when he made the all-star team and went 15-7 with 24 saves, all in relief, with a 2.40 earned run average.
He continued to be an arm out of the ‘pen until his last season when he returned to the White Sox and they tried him out as a starter for half of his appearances, going 8-8 as a 36-year old.
Overall he finished with an 85-70 record with a 3.41 ERA along with 82 saves for no less than six organizations, leading the American League in appearances in both 1965 and 1966.

A NICE AIRBRUSH JOB- 1974 KEN BRETT

Today we’ll look at a nice airbrush job by the Topps folks, the 1974 Ken Brett card, which has him painted into his new teams garb, the Pittsburgh Pirates:

Not a bad paint-job! Nicely done.
Brett was traded over to the West side of Pennsylvania from the Philadelphia Phillies for Dave Cash. Somewhat of a lopsided trade as Cash gave the Phils a guy who’d get on base on front of sluggers Mike Schmidt and Greg Luzinski.
Brett on the other hand would win 22 games for the Pirates over two seasons before heading to the Bronx as part of the Doc Medich/Dock Ellis/Willie Randolph big swap in December of 1975.
Nevertheless he did put in a solid 14 years in the Major Leagues, retiring after the 1981 season and 349 appearances.
He wound up with an 83-85 record playing for 10 teams between 1967 and ’81, starting just under half of his games.

MISSING IN ACTION- 1973 GARRY JESTADT

Here’s a career-capping “missing” 1973 card for Garry Jestadt, who had a brief three-year career in the Majors from 1969 to 1972, fitting in three organizations played for:

Jestadt finished his short MLB tenure with the San Diego Padres in 1972, appearing in 92 games playing the infield and batting .246 with 63 hits over 256 at-bats.
He originally came up with the Montreal Expos during their inaugural 1969 season, before a very brief stay on Chicago’ North-side for the Cubs, coming to San Diego during the 1971 season where he’d stay through the following year.
All together he played in 176 Major League games, batting .260 with 118 hits over 454 at-bats, all while playing second, short and third.