GIMMIE A DO-OVER: 1978 RICH GOSSAGE

Up on the blog today, a card I actually printed up for an early WTHBALLS set years ago, my 1978 do-over for Rich "Goose" Gossage:

While Topps originally had him airbrushed into a New York Yankee uniform for their original card, I went ahead and created a Pittsburgh Pirates version, showing him with the team he suited up for the previous year.

After spending his first five Major League seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Gossge found himself with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 1977 season, performing very well as he would go 11-9 over 72 appearances, with 26 saves and a sparkling 1.62 earned run average over 133 innings, striking out 151 batters.

He parlayed that season in the new Free Agent world, signing with the New York Yankees, where he would star for the next six years, gaining tons of fans, me included.

Gossage was a true character of the game. He was all legs and arms whipping near-100 mile-per-hour fastballs while sporting that trademark 'stache, closing out games for those "Bronx Zoo" teams I loved so much.

He spent six years in the Bronx, and never had an E.R.A. over 2.62, even sporting a microscopic 0.77 in 1981!

He also led the league in saves twice while wearing pinstripes, as well as getting named to three all-star teams.

In 1978, 1980 and 1981 he'd also finish in the top-5 in Cy Young voting, in addition to getting some M.V.P. attention.

Around the school-yard I literally spent most of my childhood in, the nickname "Goose" was taken by so many kids it was ridiculous. We all loved that "crazy dude" who looked as mean as any biker.

By the time he was done, Gossage put in a 22 year career that landed him in the Hall of Fame, being inducted in 2008.

He was also given a plaque out in Yankee Stadium this year (to which I am a bit puzzled by), cementing his Yankee legend for all to look back on.

The "Goose", a real wild-man of a closer…

1971 "BASEBALL'S GREATEST MOMENTS": JIM MALONEY

Today on the blog we celebrate Jim Maloney's 10-inning no-hitter of 1965 with a "missing" 1971 "Baseball's Greatest Moments" card:

The fire-balling Cincinnati Reds righty was truly a beast on the mound, and on August 19th of 1965 he was unstoppable when he tossed 10 innings against Chicago, keeping them hitless until his own team finally got him a run in the top of the 10th inning when shortstop Leo Cardenas homered of starter Larry Jackson. Yep, BOTH starters went the full distance that day, with Jackson on the short end of history.

For Maloney, he tossed 10 innings, allowed zero hits, while also (gulp!) walking TEN batters and striking out 12, facing 40 batters in his "masterpiece".

He also would put in a decent day at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two singles to try and help his own cause.

Incredibly, earlier in the very same season Maloney held the New York Mets hitless through nine innings, only to lose in extra innings after striking out 18 Met batters before allowing a Johnny Lewis homer in the 11th frame to take the heartbreaking loss.

Four years later in 1969, Maloney would toss his second "official" no-hitter when he beat the Houston Astros 10-0 at Crosley Field, striking out 13 while walking five.

He tends to get overlooked as far as pitching stars of the 1960’s go.
Granted when you’re up against guys like Koufax, Marichal, Drysdale and Gibson, it’s easy to see why.
Nevertheless, in Maloney’s seven full seasons of Major League ball, he posted five seasons of sub-3.00 ERA, four 200+ strikeout years, and six 15+ win seasons, with two of them topping 20.
The guy was a machine! 29 of his 30 lifetime shutouts were in those seven years, with four seasons of five or more.
And consider this: until Major League officials changed the rules of what a no-hitter was years later, Maloney was considered as one of the few to throw THREE or more such gems.

By the time Maloney wrapped up his career after the 1971 season because of injuries at the young age of 31, he finished with a very nice 134-84 record, with a 3.19 ERA and 1605 strikeouts over 302 games and 1849 innings pitched, and a reputation as one of the hardest throwing pitchers in the game during the 1960’s.

 

1970'S ALL-DECADE TEAM: A.L. MANAGER BILLY MARTIN

Today on the blog we take a look at my pick for the American League Manager of the 1970s, Billy Martin who won no matter which cap he put on his hot-tempered head:

Martin was a winner wherever he managed. Just look it up!

He began his managerial career in 1969 with the Minnesota Twins and took them straight to the Playoffs, guiding the team to a first place finish with a 97-65 record.
He would move on to Detroit, and would take them to a first place finish by his second year in 1972 with a record of 86-70.
He’d move on to the Texas Rangers and they’d have their first successful season in 1974, albeit a second place finish behind league MVP Jeff Burroughs and ace Fergie Jenkins, then of course he would move on to the New York Yankees, where the “Bronx Zoo” was in full swing, eventually bringing Martin a World Championship in 1977.
He’d move on to the Oakland A’s where “Billy-Ball” was in full effect, losing to the Yankees in the Championship Series while burning through every arm on his pitching staff with overuse.
Then finally, there was the back-and-forth period between he and the Yankees, specifically owner George Steinbrenner, where he managed in 1983, 1985 and finally 1988, almost a comedic show of hiring and firing that really was an embarrassment to us Yankee fans of the era.
Nevertheless, Martin was a winner, though one with a temper at that, leaving the game with a .553 winning percentage and over 1200 wins.
Should he be in the Hall of Fame?
I do think so more for his personality than anything else. As a symbol of the wild 1970’s with his managerial style a'la Earl Weaver, arguing and fighting his way through each season.
Rest in Peace Billy, you are missed.

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION: 1974 ANGEL MANGUAL

Up on the blog today, we have a "not so missing" 1974 card for outfielder Angel Mangual of the Oakland A's:

It was "perfect timing" for Mangual, as he was a part of three straight World Champion teams as a guy off the bench for the juggernaut A's team that brought it all home between 1972 and 1974.

Never appearing in more than 115 games in a season (1974), Mangual gave the A's a versatile player who could play the infield and outfield.

Originally up with the Pittsburgh Pirates with six games in 1969, he was back on a Major League field in 1971 as an Oakland Athletic for the next six years, hitting .245 over 450 games, with 304 hits in 1241 at-bats, with 22 homers and 125 runs batted in, scoring 122 runs and stealing five bases.

After his Big League career was up in 1977 he'd put in a few seasons between the Mexican and Puerto Rican leagues, finishing his pro career in 1979.

WTHBALLS CUSTOM SET: SERIES 15 AVAILABLE NOW!

 

It's that time again!

The newest WTHBALLS custom set is here, and it's the "SERIES 15" set!

As usual, this features 15 cards, but as with Series 14, there will be a fun bonus card instead of the glossy insert, a 1975 Pete Rose "WTHBALLS MEMBERSHIP" card, the fourth such card created over the years ('77 Fidrych, '72 Allen & '78 Jackson).
Of course, the sets come wrapped inside a "WTHBALLS" wrapper like the other "Series" set packs from the past.

The "packs" are $14 each plus $4.50 postage, and as usual, if you buy more than one set, postage always stays the same at $4.50.

SPOILER ALERT! See photos attached for the cards in this set. Again, I'm keeping the insert a secret until you all receive them, so no images of it here.
My paypal is the usual: slogun23@gmail.com
Thank you all for the continued support and interest!
Be well and safe!
Gio/wthballs

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION: 1970 TOBY HARRAH

On the blog today we have a 1970 "not really missing in action" card for All-Star shortstop Toby Harrah of the Washington Senators:

Harrah appeared in the first eight games of his career as a 20-year-old in 1969, going 0-1 at the plate while scoring four runs.

He would spend all of 1970 in the Minors before making it back in 1970, where he would stay for the next 16 years putting in a very solid career that arguably has him as THE best shortstop in the American League during the 1970s.

The four-time shortstop would top 20 home runs five times while also topping 20 stolen bases four times, putting in high on-base-percentages while also topping 100 walks in a season twice, with over 80 base on balls another six times.

Very underrated player who finished his career with just under 2000 hits at 1954, hitting .264 with 195 home runs and 238 stolen bases over 2155 games and 7402 at-bats.

While he was the A.L. starting shortstop in the 1976 All-Star game, his 1977 campaign was even better when he hit 27 homers along with 27 steals, leading the league with 109 walks and posting a .393 OBP.

Later in 1982 while with the Cleveland Indians, Harrah would have another excellent season when he scored 100 runs while collecting a career-best 183 hits, hitting .304 with 25 homers and 17 stolen bases.

Solid dude through and through!

1975 IN-ACTION: WILBUR WOOD

Up on the blog this fine day we have a 1975 "In-Action" card for Chicago White Sox ace Wilbur Wood, innings-machine who had himself quite a run in the mid-70s:

The reliever-turned-starter strung four straight 20-win seasons for the Chicago White Sox after some pretty amazing years coming out of the bullpen in the late-60’s, with three top-5 Cy Young finishes between 1971-1973.
His 1972 season is the stuff of legends, as he started 49 games, knuckling his way through an astounding 376.2 innings!!!
The following season he worked another 359.1 innings on 48 starts, equaling his 24 wins from the year prior and leading the American League once again.
I’ve also always been fascinated with his 1968 season when, appearing in 88 games, all but two as a reliever, he went 13-12 with a microscopic 1.87 earned run average, with 16 saves over 159 innings pitched.
The man was incredible no matter where his team used him!
Sadly for him however, when you’re pitching during the same era as Jim Palmer, Jim Hunter, etc, you’ll tend to get lost in the shuffle, thus the Cy Young snubs each year.
By the time he retired after the 1978 season, Wood finished with a 164-156 record, appearing in 651 games, with 297 of them starts.
He’d have a final ERA of 3.24, with 24 career shutouts, 1411 strikeouts and 57 saves over 2684 innings pitched.
He led his league in pitching appearances three times, all consecutive, then went on to lead the league in starts four years in a row soon after.