- Carlton Fisk caught an incredible 152 games in 1977. Fisk started the 1977 All Star Game and went 0 for 2. Carlton had one of his best offensive seasons of his long career in 1977.
- This is one of my favorite cards in the set. It's a great action shot.
- Carlton Fisk's SABR biography
- 1977 Stats: .315, 26 HR, 102 RBI, 106 runs scored in 152 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1976 Hostess, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1993
- The 1977 season was the last one for Bobby Darwin. Bobby started with the Boston Red Sox and was traded to the Chicago Cubs on May 28 for Ramon Hernandez. Darwin spent a little more than a month in Chicago and then was sent to AAA Wichita. Bobby came back up to Chicago in August and spent a couple of weeks there before being released on August 23.
- 1977 Stats:
- Boston Red Sox: .222 (2 for 9) in 4 games
- Wichita Aeros (AAA): .266, 7 HR, 19 RBI in 25 games
- Chicago Cubs: .167 (2 for 12) in 11 games
- Other card blogs: 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976
- Reggie Cleveland had a pretty solid year for the Boston Red Sox. He was mostly a starter, but he spent some time in the bullpen when the club needed help there.
- Reggie Cleveland's SABR biography
- 1977 Stats: 11-8, 2 saves, 4.26 ERA in 36 games (27 starts)
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980
- This was the first of four all-star seasons for Rick Burleson. Rick led the AL with 721 plate appearances and 663 at bats. He wasn't the kind of card that you would want in a Strat-O-Matic draft league, but he was an important part of the Boston Red Sox.
- It's funny how his 1975, 1976, and 1977 poses are so similar.
- Rick Burleson's SABR biography
- 1977 Stats: .293, 3 HR, 52 RBI in 154 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1986
- Rick Miller started a lot of games in center field in April 1977. He was injured in early May and missed four weeks. By the time he was ready to play again, Rick was mostly relegated to backup status. Miller did start several games in right field in July.
- Rick Miller's SABR biography
- 1977 Stats: .254, 0 HR, 24 RBI in 89 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986
- The 1977 season was a tough one for Jim Willoughby. The Red Sox acquired reliever Bill Campbell in the off season, and Jim's role was reduced. An ankle injury in May cost Jim about nine weeks. Willoughby was sold to the Chicago White Sox during spring training the next season.
- Jim Willoughby's SABR biography.
- 1977 Stats: 6-2, 2 saves, 4.94 ERA in 31 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- April 25 - Earned his first win of the year by shutting out the Toronto Blue Jays for the last 4 2/3 innings in Boston's 6-5 victory.
- May 13 - Pitched seven innings of shutout relief and earned the win as the Red Sox came back from a 5-1 deficit to beat the Seattle Mariners 7-5.
- May 22 - Broke his ankle when he was shagging fly balls during batting practice before the game. Jim didn't pitch again until August 3.
- Other card blogs: 1973, 1974, 1976, 1979
- After an injury-marred 1976 season, Bill Lee wasn't used very much in 1977. He was in the Boston starting rotation in May and June and again in September. Bill was a reliever for most of the rest of the 1977 season.
- Bill Lee's SABR biography
- 1977 Stats: 9-5, 4.43 ERA in 27 games (16 starts)
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1976 Kellogg's, 1978, 1979, 1980
- Carl Yastrzemski enjoyed another good season in 1977. He was 37 years old but was still able to knock in 102 runs. He was an AL All Star for the 13th straight season (he was 0 for 2 with a strikeout) and even won a Gold Glove in the outfield.
- This is the second straight "action" card for Yaz.
- 1977 Stats: .296, 28 HR, 102 RBI, 99 runs scored.
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1976 Kellogg's, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983
- Don Aase
- Debut: 26 July 1977
- 1977 record:
- Pawtucket (AAA): 6-6, 5.04 ERA in 18 starts
- Boston Red Sox: 6-2, 3.12 ERA in 13 starts
- 1977 Highlights:
- Don Aase was signed by the Boston Red Sox in 1972. He had a rough time in his first two seasons in the minors. Don was 0-10 with a 5.81 ERA in 1972 and he led the Florida State League in losses (15) in 1973. Aase turned things around in 1974 and moved up the Boston Red Sox system for the next few years.
- Aase was brought up to the majors on July 24, 1977 to shore up Boston's starting pitching. The 22-year-old Aase paid immediate dividends by winning his first three starts. Don ended up pitching much better for the Red Sox than he did in AAA.
- After the 1977 season Don was traded (with Rick Miller) to the California Angels for second baseman Jerry Remy. The Red Sox really needed the middle infield help, but they hated to part with Aase.
- Don was a starting pitcher in 1978 (11-8, 4.03 ERA in 29 starts). Aase was a starter for most of the 1979 season (9-10, 4.81 ERA in 37 games/28 starts), but he went to the bullpen in mid August after having some trouble with the wear and tear of starting every fourth day. Don appeared in two games for the Angels in the 1979 AL Championship Series and was 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in 5 innings.
- In 1980 (8-13, 4.06 ERA in 40 games/21 starts) Don was a starter through the end of July and then was moved to the bullpen. Aase ended up being a reliever for the rest of his career.
- Aase had a good year as a reliever in 1981 (4-4, 2.34 ERA, 11 saves in 39 games).
- Don had injury problems in 1982 (3-3, 3.46 ERA, 4 saves in 24 games). He was on the disabled list for much of June and then went out for the remainder of the season in mid-July. Aase had elbow surgery in October 1982 and missed all of the 1983 season.
- After a rehab assignment in the minors, Don came back to the Angels in June 1984. Aase had a good year, going 4-1 with a 1.62 ERA in 23 games. After the 1984 season Don signed with the Baltimore Orioles as a free agent. The Orioles made a much better offer (4 years, $2.4 million guaranteed) than the Angels did (2 years, $475,000 per year, only one of the years guaranteed).
- For two seasons Aase was able to be a dependable pitcher from the bullpen. He was 10-6 with 14 saves and had a 3.78 ERA in 54 games in 1985.
- Don was an AL All Star for the only time in his career in 1986. Don got Chris Brown to hit into a game-ending double play and earned the save in the AL's 3-2 win. Aase was 6-7 with 34 saves and had a 2.98 ERA in 66 games in 1986.
- Aase had an injury-riddled 1987 season (1-0, 2.25 ERA, 2 saves in 7 games). He was placed on the disabled list in April with tendinitis in his right shoulder. Don came back in May but was shut down at the end of May when the tendinitis came back. Don had shoulder surgery in July and missed the rest of the season.
- Aase came back in May 1988. He was bombed in his first game back -- he allowed four runs without retiring a batter. But as the year went on Don's ERA steadily decreased. He ended up with a 0-0 record and had a 4.05 ERA in 35 games.
- Don was released after the 1988 season. Aase tried out with the New York Mets in 1989 and made the team. He was used mostly as a setup man in 1989 and was 1-5 with 2 saves and had an ERA of 3.94 in 49 games.
- After the 1989 season Aase became a free agent and signed with the LA Dodgers. In 1990 Don was 3-1 with 3 saves and had a 4.97 ERA in 32 games. He spent six weeks on the disabled list in July and August. After the 1990 season Don became a free agent rather than report to the Dodgers' AAA club in Albuquerque. After due consideration Don decided to retire.
- Bob McClure
- Debut: August 13, 1975
- 1977 Stats: 2-1, 6 saves, 2.52 ERA in 68 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1976, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988
- This was Bob McClure's first full season in the majors. Bob was sent from the Kansas City Royals to the Milwaukee Brewers as the player to be named later in a trade made in December 1976.
- I remember Bob McClure as one of those left-handed relievers who would come in to face 1-2 batters. Bob was actually a starting pitcher for a few years in the 1980s.
- McClure had a 19-year pitching career, pitching from 1975-1993. Except for a few years in the early 1980s, Bob was a reliever for his entire career.
- Bob was a pitching coach in the minors and majors for several clubs from 1999-2012.
- McClure was the pitching coach for the Boston Red Sox in 2012, but he and manager Bobby Valentine clashed. Bob took a two-week leave of absence to tend to a child's medical emergency. McClure was let go as pitching coach in mid-August.
- Gil Patterson
- Debut: April 19, 1977
- 1977 Stats:
- New York Yankees: 1-2, 1 save, 5.40 ERA in 10 games (6 starts)
- Syracuse Chiefs (AAA): 2-1, 4.82 ERA in 7 starts
- 1977 Highlights:
- May 25: Allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings and earned his only major league victory as the Yankees beat the Texas Rangers (and starter Bert Blyleven) 3-2.
- Other card blogs: none
- Gil Patterson was drafted by the New York Yankees in the first round of the 1975 draft. Gil had two good seasons in the minor leagues and was brought up to the Yankees in 1977.
- Patterson pitched sparingly for the Yankees in 1977. He spent some time in AAA Syracuse in the middle of the season.
- Gil was injured and missed the entire 1978 and 1979 seasons. He tried to come back a few times from 1980-1982, but never again rose above Class A level.
- Patterson has spent time as a coach and as a minor league pitching coordinator for several years after his playing career. Here is an interview with Gil from 2012.
- Dave Wehrmeister
- Debut: April 16, 1976
- 1977 Stats:
- San Diego Padres: 1-3, 6.07 ERA in 30 games (6 starts)
- Hawaii Islanders (AAA): 2-2, 2.54 ERA in 5 starts
- 1977 Highlights:
- May 30: Allowed one run in 1 2/3 innings and earned the win in San Diego's 9-8 win over the San Francisco Giants.
- Other card blogs: none
- Dave Wehrmeister pitched for 14 seasons, mostly at the AAA level. Dave was drafted in the first round (3rd overall) by the San Diego Padres in 1973. Wehrmeister made the San Diego ballclub in 1976, but was sent back down in late May after going 0-4 with a 7.45 ERA in seven games.
- Dave started the 1977 season in AAA and was brought up in late May. Wehrmeister saw the most major league action of his career in 1977, appearing in 30 games (1-3, 6.07 ERA).
- In 1978 Wehrmeister started the season with the Padres but was sent down in late April after only four appearances (0-1, 6.14 ERA).
- Dave started the 1979 season in AAA Hawaii. On June 15 he was traded to the New York Yankees for Jay Johnstone. Wehrmeister stayed in the minors (AAA Columbus) for the rest of the 1979 season and for the entire 1980 season.
- After the 1980 season Wehrmeister was taken by the Kansas City Royals in the Rule 5 draft. Dave was returned to the Yankees in April 1981. He spent most of the 1981 season in Columbus, but he made five appearances for the Yankees (0-0, 5.14 ERA) in August after the strike.
- Wehrmeister pitched in Columbus for the entire 1982 season. He started the 1983 season in Columbus but was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies on June 17 for two minor leaguers. Dave finished the 1983 season in AAA Portland.
- In 1984 Wehrmeister mostly pitched in Portland. He was brought up to Philadelphia for about a month in June and July (0-0, 7.20 ERA in 7 games). A 1984 Topps Traded card was created for him by Jim at The Phillies Room.
- Dave became a free agent after the 1984 season and signed with the Chicago White Sox. He pitched for AAA Buffalo for the first four months of the season. Dave was brought up to the White Sox in August and was 2-2 with 2 saves and had a 3.43 ERA in 20 games.
- Wehrmeister was in Buffalo again in 1986 and then retired after the season.
- Rick Wise didn't pitch very much in the first two months of the 1977 season. Rick was demoted to the bullpen for a couple of weeks in May. At the end of May he was 1-2 with a 13.21 ERA. Wise pitched much better from June until the end of the season. Rick had a 3-1 record in June and in July as well.
- Rick Wise's SABR biography
- 1977 Stats: 11-5, 4.77 ERA in 26 games (20 starts)
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1976 Kellogg's, 1979, 1980
- At the time, Carl Yastrzemski's Triple Crown wasn't as big of a deal. Frank Robinson had accomplished the feat the previous year. But it took 45 years for another player (Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers) to win another Triple Crown.
- Yaz deserved his unanimous selection as the 1967 AL MVP. I can't imagine the Red Sox finishing in the first division without him.
- What happened to Fergie Jenkins during his two seasons in Boston? He didn't put up the stats in Boston like he did when he was with the Cubs and the Rangers. Perhaps a torn achilles tendon he suffered in September 1976 had something to do with it. Jenkins especially struggled after the All Star Break - he pitched fewer than six innings in four of his last nine starts and didn't pitch after September 7.
- Fergie Jenkins' SABR biography
- Fergie Jenkins weighs in on the Hall of Fame and PEDs.
- 1977 Stats: 10-10, 3.68 ERA in 28 starts
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1975, 1976, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1983
- Tom Murphy struggled with the Boston Red Sox in 1977. On July 27 he was sold to the Toronto Blue Jays (or released, depending on who you ask), where he pitched better.
- 1977 Stats:
- Boston Red Sox: 0-1, 6.75 ERA in 16 games
- Toronto Blue Jays: 2-1, 2 saves, 3.63 ERA in 19 games (1 start)
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979
- Tom House started the 1977 season with the Boston Red Sox. Tom had knee surgery before the season. House wasn't used much and on May 28 he was sold to the Seattle Mariners.
- 1977 Stats:
- Boston Red Sox - 1-0, 12.91 ERA in 8 games
- Seattle Mariners - 4-5, 3.93 ERA in 26 games (11 starts)
- 1977 Highlights:
- June 29 - Won his first American League start by allowing one run in seven innings as the Mariners beat the Chicago White Sox 3-1.
- Sept 9 - Allowed three runs in a complete game 8-3 win over the Texas Rangers
- Other card blogs: 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1976
- Don Zimmer has had a long and storied career in major league baseball. He once noted that he never drew a paycheck from a source other than baseball.
- Zimmer played in the minor leagues from 1949-1954. He almost died when he was hit in the head by a pitched ball in 1953. He wasn't fully conscious for 13 days and he had to have holes drilled in his skull to relieve the pressure. It has often been reported that he has a metal plate in his skull, but the metal is from the tantalum plugs used to cover the holes after Don recovered.
- Don played for various teams in the majors from 1954-1965. He earned World Series rings with the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers and the 1959 LA Dodgers and also played for part of the season on the "legendary" 1962 New York Mets team.
- Zimmer played in Japan in 1966 and then embarked on a coaching and managing career.
- From 1967-1970 Don was a manager in the minor leagues.
- In 1971 Zimmer coached for the Montreal Expos. He moved over to the San Diego Padres in 1972 but was promoted to manager after only 11 games. Don managed the Padres through the 1973 season. Here is his 1973 card.
- Don coached with the Boston Red Sox from 1974-1976. He became the manager of the Red Sox when Darrel Johnson was fired in July.
- Zimmer managed the Red Sox through the 1980 season. His tenure is probably best remembered for the collapse the team had in 1978. The Red Sox lost a 14 game lead and ended up losing the AL East to the New York Yankees in a 1 game playoff. Don was fired in October 1980.
- After the 1980 season Zimmer was hired to manage the Texas Rangers. He managed the team until mid-1982. Texas owner Eddie Chiles was asked why Zimmer was fired but he would only say it was "something personal."
- From 1983-1987 Don had coaching stints with the Yankees (1983), the Chicago Cubs (1984-1986), and the San Francisco Giants (1987)
- In 1988 Zimmer was hired to manage the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs won an NL East title in 1989 and Don was named NL Manager of the Year.
- Zimmer was let go as manager of the Cubs in May 1991. He coached with the Red Sox in 1992 and then coached with the Colorado Rockies from 1993-1995.
- Don became Joe Torre's bench coach in 1996 and he stayed with the Yankees through the 2003 season.
- Since 2004 Zimmer has worked for the Tampa Bay Rays.
- Team Highlights:
- Record: 97-64, 2nd in AL East, 2.5 games behind New York Yankees
- Attendance: 2,074,549 (2nd in AL)
- Team Batting: .281 (2nd in AL)
- Team HR: 213 (1st in AL)
- Team Stolen Bases: 66 (12th in AL)
- Team ERA: 4.11 (8th in AL)
- Team Fielding: .978 (5th in AL)
- All Stars: Carlton Fisk (starting C), Carl Yastrzemski (starting CF), Bill Campbell (P), Fred Lynn (OF), Jim Rice (OF), George Scott (1B)
- Awards: Bill Campbell (AL Rolaids Relief Pitcher of the Year), Carl Yastrzemski (Gold Glove)
- AL Leaders: Jim Rice (slugging - .593, HR - 39); Bill Campbell (saves - 31)
- Batting Leader: Jim Rice - .320
- Home Run Leader: Jim Rice - 39
- RBI Leader: Jim Rice - 114
- Stolen Base Leader: Rick Burleson - 13
- Victories Leader: Bill Campbell - 13
- Losses Leader: Fergie Jenkins - 10
- Strikeout Leader: Luis Tiant - 124
- Saves Leader: Bill Campbell - 31
- ERA Leader (starters): Don Aase - 3.12
- ERA Leader (relievers): Bill Campbell - 2.96
- Players who could have had Red Sox cards in 1977 (batters with over 100 AB, pitchers with over 40 innings) :
- Bernie Carbo - pictured as a Milwaukee Brewer (.289, 15 HR, 34 RBI in 86 games)
- Mike Paxton (10-5, 3.83 ERA in 29 games - 12 starts)
- The presence of a healthy Carlton Fisk prevented Bob Montgomery from getting a lot of playing time in 1977. Fisk started 149 games behind the plate, leaving Montgomery with only 12 starts. Bob did well at the plate, batting .300 in 40 at bats.
- Bob Montgomery's SABR biography
- 1977 Stats: .300 (12 for 40), 2 HR, 7 RBI in 17 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976
- Luis Tiant was coming off a 20-win season and an All-Star appearance when this card was made. I'm really surprised he didn't get a "0" or a "5" number in this set.
- Tiant had an off year in 1977. His ERA jumped from 3.06 in 1976 to 4.53 in 1977. He made 32 starts, but he pitched 188 innings, which is about six innings a start. Luis pitched 260 or more innings in each of the previous four seasons, so that may have had something to do with it. Luis also held out for three weeks before signing on March 18.
- Here is Luis Tiant's SABR biography.
- 1977 Stats: 12-8, 4.53 ERA in 32 starts
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1983, Night Owl
- Cecil Cooper was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for George Scott and Bernie Carbo on 6 December 1976. Cooper would be with the Brewers until the end of his career in 1987.
- Cecil Cooper's SABR biography
- 1977 Stats: .300, 20 HR, 78 RBI
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988
- Fred Lynn struggled in 1977 and had his worst season until the 1981 strike season. Fred injured his left ankle during spring training and didn't play in his first game until May 13.
- Lynn was still an AL All Star - he was 0 for 1 with a walk and a run scored.
- Fred Lynn's SABR biography
- 1977 Stats: .260, 18 HR, 76 RBI
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1975, 1976, 1976, 1976, 1976 Kellogg's, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, Cardboard Gods
