1977 Topps Baseball #493 - Rookie Pitchers - Mike Krukow / Jim Otten / Gary Wheelock / Mike Willis

• Mike Krukow
• Debut: September 6, 1976
• 1977 Stats: 8-14, 4.40 ERA in 34 games (33 starts)
• 1977  Highlights:
• May 6 - Earned his first major league victory by allowing 2 runs in 7 1/3 innings. The Cubs beat the Atlanta Braves 7-2.
• Aug 19 - Allowed two runs in seven innings and got the win as the Cubs beat the LA Dodgers 6-2.
• Other card blogs: 1979. 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988
• Mike Krukow was an 8th round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs in 1973. He pitched in the minors from 1973-1976. Mike pitched in two games (0-0, 8.31 ERA) for the Cubs late in the 1976 season.
• Krukow entered the Cubs rotation as a rookie in 1977. He went 8-14 with a 4.40 ERA in 33 starts.
• Mike split the 1978 season between the Cubs and AAA Wichita. Krukow went 9-3 with a 3.90 ERA in 27 games (20 starts) for the Cubs in '78.
• Krukow was a member of Chicago's starting rotation for the next three seasons. Mike went 9-9 with a 4.21 ERA in 1979 and was 10-15 with a 4.39 ERA in 1980. Krukow led the NL in games started (25) in 1981 and was 9-9 with a 3.68 ERA.
• After the 1981 season Krukow was traded (with cash) to the Philadelphia Phillies for Dan Larson, Keith Moreland, and Dickie Noles. Mike spent one season with the Phillies - he was 13-11 with a 3.12 ERA in 33 starts.
• Krukow was on the move again after the 1982 season. Mike was traded (with Mark Davis and a minor leaguer) to the San Francisco Giants for Joe Morgan and Al Holland. Mike would spend the rest of his career (both as a player and as a broadcaster) in San Francisco.
• Mike had three pretty typical seasons for the Giants (11-11 in 1983, 11-12 in 1984, 8-11 in 1985). He had one really good year in 1986, going 20-9 with a 3.05 ERA in 34 starts. Krukow finished third in NL Cy Young Award voting in 1986 and made his only All Star team (he pitched a scoreless 9th inning).
• Krukow started to have injury problems in 1987. He slumped to a 5-6 record with a 4.80 ERA in 1987. Mike won his only start in the NL Championship Series -- he allowed two runs in a 4-2 complete game victory in game 4.
• Mike had a stint on the disabled list in 1988 and briefly pitched in the minors while rehabbing an injury. Krukow started 20 games for the Giants in 1988 and was 7-4 with a 3.54 ERA.
• Krukow's last year was 1989. He was 4-3 with a 3.98 ERA in 8 starts. He didn't pitch after June 4 due to a torn rotator cuff (he had surgery on June 30). Mike tried to come back in spring training in 1990 but he struggled and decided to retire.
• Mike did some occasional radio broadcasting for the Giants from 1990-1993. He became a full-time broadcaster in 1994. Krukow has won seven Emmy awards as a broadcaster and is teamed with former infielder Duane Kuiper. 
• Jim Otten
• Debut: July 31, 1974
• 1977 Stats: 
• Iowa Oaks (AAA): 5-9, 2 saves, 4.68 ERA in 34 games (13 starts)
• Other card blogs: none
• Jim Otten was originally drafted in the 5th round in 1970. Jim didn't sign in 1970 and was drafted twice in the first round in 1971 but he didn't sign then either. Otten finally signed with the Chicago White Sox after he was drafted in the second round in 1973. Jim usually had good stats with his minor league teams but he didn't get much of a chance to pitch in the majors. Otten spent most of the 1973-1977 seasons pitching in the minors.
• Otten had brief stints with the White Sox in 1974 (0-1, 5.51 ERA in 5 games), 1975 (6.75 ERA in 2 games) and 1976 (4.50 ERA in 2 games).
• After the 1977 season Otten was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for a minor leauger.
• Jim spent all of the 1978 and 1979 seasons in the minors.
• In 1980 Otten started in the minors and was called up in late May. Jim stayed with the Cardinals for the remainder of the 1980 season, going 0-5 with a 5.53 ERA in 31 games (4 starts)
• Otten was 1-0 with a 5.30 ERA in 24 games in 1981. Jim was released after the 1981 season.
• Gary Wheelock
• Debut: September 17, 1976
• 1977 Stats: 6-9, 4.89 ERA in 17 starts
• 1977 Highlights:
• April 14 - Earned his second win by allowing 3 runs in 8 innings as the Mariners beat the Minnesota Twins 4-3.
• July 23 - Pitched a complete game and earned the win as the Mariners beat the Oakland A's 10-3.
• Other card blogs: none
• Gary Wheelock was drafted by the California Angels in 1974. Gary pitched in the minors from 1974-1976. He allowed six runs in two innings (27.00 ERA) in two games for the Angels late in the 1976 season. After the 1976 season Wheelock was chosen by the Seattle Mariners in the expansion draft
• Gary made the Seattle ballclub in 1977 and was placed in the starting rotation. Wheelock had injury problems off and on in the 1977 season. On August 22 Gary was placed on the disabled list. He didn't pitch for the rest of the season. Wheelock ended up with a 6-9 record and had a 4.89 ERA in 17 starts.
• Wheelock was in AAA in 1978 as he tried to come back from his injury. He had a rough year in 1978 (1-12, 6.98 ERA). Gary improved his stats in AAA in 1979. 
• Gary had one last shot with the Mariners in 1980. He started one game and allowed two runs in three innings pitched. Wheelock went back to AAA Spokane for the rest of the 1980 season.
• Wheelock pitched in nine games for the LA Dodgers' AA San Antonio club in 1981. Gary retired after the 1981 season.
• Mike Willis
• Debut: April 13, 1977
• 1977 Stats: 2-6, 5 saves, 3.94 ERA in 43 games (3 starts)
• 1977 Highlights:
• April 13: Earned the save in his first major league appearance. Mike pitched the final 2 2/3 innings in Toronto's 7-6 win over the Detroit Tigers.
• May 4: Earned the save by allowing one run in three innings as the Blue Jays beat the Milwaukee Brewers 10-3.
• Other card blogs: 1979, Cardboard Gods
• Mike Willis was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 1972.  Mike pitched in the Baltimore system from 1972-1976. Willis put up good stats (especially 1974 and 1975 in AAA Rochester), but he never got the chance to pitch in Baltimore. 
• Willis was chosen by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1976 expansion draft. Mike was mostly a reliever for the Blue Jays during his five-year stay with the club. 
• In 1977 Mike was 2-6 with 5 saves and had a 3.94 ERA in 43 games (3 starts)
• Willis had a 3-7 record with 7 saves and had an ERA of 4.56 in 42 games (2 starts) in 1978. Willis was one of only three pitchers to defeat Ron Guidry during his 25-3 season. Mike was pressed into service as an emergency starter on September 20 and pitched a complete game 8-1 victory. Mike later called it the game of his life.
• Mike started the 1979 season with Toronto. He got hit pretty hard and was sent to AAA Syracuse in late June. Willis ended up with an 0-3 record and had an 8.44 ERA in 17 games (1 start).
• Willis was in Syracuse until early August in 1980. Mike came up to Toronto for the last two months of the season and was 2-1 with 3 saves and had an ERA of 1.71 in 20 appearances.
• Mike's last year in the majors was 1981. He went 0-4 and had a 5.91 ERA in 20 games. Mike's final game in the majors was on June 11. After the strike Willis was sent to Syracuse. He only made five appearances for Syracuse. 
• Willis moved to the Philadelphia Phillies organization in 1982. Mike pitched for AAA Oklahoma City but he wasn't very effective (7-6, 6 saves, 7.00 ERA in 56 games/2 starts). Willis retired after the 1982 season.
• Mike now lives and works in Houston. Here is an article about him looking back at his baseball career.