1977 Topps Baseball #573 - Joe Ferguson

• Joe Ferguson was the starting catcher for the Houston Astros in 1977. After the 1976 season the St. Louis Cardinals traded Ferguson to the Astros for Larry Dierker. Joe was probably glad for the trade since he wasn't getting much playing time with the Cardinals, who had Ted Simmons behind the plate. 
• Ferguson was a league-average fielder and had a slightly higher caught stealing percentage than average in 1977. He had a good on base percentage and his 16 home runs were third on the team behind Bob Watson and Jose Cruz.
• 1977 Stats: .275, 16 HR, 61 RBI, 85 walks in 132 games
• 1977 Highlights:
• May 7 - Hit a 2-run homer in the 11th inning as the Astros beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1.
• July 10 - Appeared as a pinch hitter and singled in the eventual winning run in Houston's 6-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
• July 14 - Singled in Jose Cruz in the 8th inning to put the Astros ahead to stay as they beat the LA Dodgers 4-3.
• Other card blogs: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1983