1977 Topps Baseball #20 - Graig Nettles

• 1977 Stats:
• Regular season: .255, 37 HR, 107 RBI
• American League Championship Series: 3 for 20 (.150)
• World Series: 4 for 21 (.190), 2 RBI
• 1977 Highlights:
• March 29 - Left spring training camp because of a contract dispute. Nettles came back two days later.
• July 14 - Was named by manager Billy Martin to the AL All Star team. It was the second time Nettles was an All Star. Graig went 0 for 2 with a strikeout in the game.
• Aug 23 - Had three hits (including a 3-run HR), three runs scored, and three RBI as the Yankees took over first place in the AL East with an 8-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
• Sept 23 - Hit a 2-run homer in the top of the 9th inning to lead the Yankees to a 5-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
• Nov 15 - Finished 5th in AL MVP voting.
• Nov 22 - Was awarded his first Gold Glove.
• Other card blogs: 1988, 1982, 1978, 1976, 1976, 1975, 1974, 1973, 1972, 1971

1977 Topps #2 - 1976 Home Run Leaders

• The races for the 1976 home run titles didn't have the drama that the batting races had.
• In the National League, Mike Schmidt edged out Dave Kingman 38-37. 
• The two players played against each other in the final series of the year.
• Kingman hit his last home run of the year on September 19
• At the time Kingman held a 37-35 edge over Schmidt. Schmidt homered three times in the final 14 games to pass Kingman and win the title.
• Graig Nettles won his only AL home run title in 1976. 
• The race for the home run crowd wasn't close, as Nettles had five more homers than his nearest competition.
• At first it didn't look like Nettles would be in the race. At the end of May he had only four home runs. He hit eight home runs in August and nine in September to take the title.
• On September 1, Sal Bando led the AL with 24 home runs. He was followed by Nettles and Reggie Jackson, each with 23.
• Nettles admired Bando as a player. If he was unable to win the title, Nettles wanted to see Bando win it.
• Schmidt won the NL home run for the third straight time in 1976. Mike would go on to win a total of eight NL home run championships.