Jim Kaat's 1977 season wasn't exactly what the Phillies expected. Jim was used as a reliever during the month of April. He got roughed up a couple of times and at the end of the month his ERA was 15.43 (yikes!). Jim was put in the starting rotation in May and was a back of the rotation guy for the rest of the year. Kaat's ERA dipped below 5.00 only once as he struggled to a 6-11 record. The Phillies didn't use Jim in the NL Championship Series.
Aug 30 - Earned his 253rd career win by allowing two runs in a complete game 11-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves. At the time Jim had the most career victories of any active pitcher.
Jerry Martin was a first round draft pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1970. Jerry played in the minors from 1971-1973. Martin spent the 1974 season in AAA and was called up in September (3 for 14 in 13 games).
Martin started the 1975 season in AAA and was called up in late May. He struggled at the plate and was sent back down in July. Jerry was recalled in September. Martin batted .212 in 57 games for the Phillies in 1975.
In 1976 Martin spent most of the season as a defensive replacement in left field. Although he played in 130 games, Jerry only got to the plate 129 times (.248, 2 HR, 15 RBI). Martin appeared in one game in the 1976 NL Championship Series and was 0 for 1.
Jerry was a backup outfielder and first baseman in 1977. Martin often appeared as a defensive replacement for Greg Luzinski in LF and also started several games in RF. He batted .260 in 116 games. Martin went 0 for 4 in three games in the NL Championship Series.
Martin got several starts in right field in 1978 and batted .271 with 9 HR and 36 RBI in 128 games. Jerry started two games in right field in the 1978 NL Championship Series (.222 with 1 HR in 9 at bats).
In February of 1979 Jerry was traded to the Chicago Cubs as part of an eight-player deal. Martin became the starting center fielder for the Cubs and batted .272 with 19 HR and 73 RBI in 150 games. In 1980 Martin hit a few more home runs (23), but his batting average dipped to .227 in 141 games.
After the 1980 season Jerry was traded (with Jesus Figueroa and a minor leaguer) to the San Francisco Giants for Phil Nastu and Joe Strain. Martin signed a five-year contract before the 1981 season, but he spent only one season with the Giants, batting .241 in 72 games as a backup outfielder.
Martin was traded to the Kansas City Royals before the 1982 season for Bill Laskey and Rich Gale. Jerry became the starting RF for the Royals and batted .266 with 15 HR and 65 RBI in 147 games.
In 1983 Jerry got off to a fast start (.313 in 13 games), but he didn't play after April 22 due to a wrist injury (he had surgery in July) and a drug scandal that swirled around the Royals.
After the 1983 season Martin was sentenced to three months in prison for misdemeanor cocaine possession and was suspended for one year by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn for his admitted drug use. The suspension was lifted by an arbitrator and Jerry was able to resume his playing career with the New York Mets in May of 1984. Martin didn't do much with the Mets in 1984 (.154 in 51 games) and he was released on September 30.
After his playing career Martin coached in the minor leagues for several teams. His most recent coaching job was hitting coach for the AA Erie SeaWolves (Detroit Tigers organization).
Jim Lonborg was getting close to the end of his career in 1977, but in spots he was still effective. Jim didn't pitch until May 28 due to a sore shoulder but he went 10-2 in the second half of the season.
Lonborg had a tough time at the end of the season - he worked quickly to finish a game on September 2 (a 3-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds) in order to be able to see his daughter Nora be born. He didn't have the time to ice his arm properly after the game. Jim was shelled in his next two starts and won only one more game in September. He then allowed five runs in four innings while taking the loss in game 2 of the NL Championship Series.
June 3 - In his second start of the season Jim pitched seven shutout innings against the New York Mets and got his first win as the Phillies beat the Mets 1-0.
Bob Boone had a nice year for the Phillies as the starting catcher. He and Tim McCarver formed an effective duo, as Boone batted .284 and McCarver batted .320. Bob was a good defensive catcher, but he didn't get much notoriety until Johnny Bench started to slow down in 1978.
1977 Stats:
Regular season: .284, 11 HR, 66 RBI
NL Championship Series: .400 (4 for 10) in 4 games
1977 Highlights:
May 3 - Singled in a run in the top of the 10th inning to put the Phillies ahead of the San Diego Padres 8-7. The Phillies held on to win the game.
July 23 - Hit a 2-run homer in the 6th inning to help the Phillies beat the San Francisco Giants 6-3.
Garry Maddox had a solid year for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1977. He didn't hit as well as he did in 1976, but he was still a good offensive player and won a Gold Glove award.
May 7 - Hit a 2-run single in the 8th inning to tie the game for the Phillies. Threw Steve Yeager out at the plate in the 11th inning to keep the game alive for the Phillies. The Phillies beat the LA Dodgers 7-4 in 13 innings.
May 25 - Made a shoestring catch in the 9th inning on a Lou Brock drive. The bases were loaded with one out. The Phillies won the game 2-1.
Len Barker was drafted by the Texas Rangers in 1973 at the age of 17. He pitched in the minors exclusively from 1973-1975 and then got a September call-up in 1976 (1-0, 2.40 ERA in 2 starts).
Barker started the 1977 season in the minors, was called up in July, sent back down in August, and then finished the season with the Rangers in September. Len was 4-1 with 1 save and had a 2.66 ERA in 15 games (2 starts).
In 1978 Barker was used as a reliever by the Rangers. He started the season with Texas and then was sent down for about five weeks in May/June. Len then came back to the Rangers and finished hte season with them. Barker was 1-5 with 4 saves and had an ERA of 4.82 in 29 games.
After the 1978 season Len was traded with Bobby Bonds to the Cleveland Indians for Jim Kern and Larvell Blanks. In 1979 Barker was a reliever until June and then went into the Cleveland starting rotation. Len was a starter (except for a few spot relief appearances) for the rest of his career. Barker went 6-6 and had a 4.92 ERA in 29 games (19 starts).
Barker had his best year in 1980. He led the AL with 187 strikeouts and was 19-7 with a 4.17 ERA in 36 starts.
Len made the AL All Star team in 1981 (he pitched two scoreless innings). His stats didn't exactly reflect this All Star status - Len was 8-7 with a 3.91 ERA in 22 starts and led the AL with 127 strikeouts. On May 15, 1981 Barker pitched a perfect game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
A video of the last part of Len's 1981 perfect game is above. For some reason blogger kept putting the video up there instead of down here where I wanted it.
Despite a high (3.90) ERA, Len had a solid year in 1982, going 15-11 in 33 starts.
In 1983 Barker was with Cleveland for the first part of the season (8-13, 5.11 ERA). He was traded to the Atlanta Braves on August 28 for $150,000 and players to be named later. The players were Rick Behenna, Brett Butler, and Brook Jacoby. The Braves wanted Len for the stretch run. Barker started six games for the Braves and was 1-3 with a 3.82 ERA.
After the 1983 season Barker signed a big 5-year, $4.5 million contract with the Braves.
Len started to have arm problems in 1984. He only pitched until late July in 1984 (7-8, 3.85 ERA in 21 games/20 starts) and then had elbow surgery. The 1985 season was Barker's last full season in the majors. He was 2-9 with a 6.35 ERA in 20 games (18 starts) and had a stint on the disabled list.
Barker struggled in spring training in 1986. Len was released at the end of spring training and the Braves ate the rest of his contract. Barker signed with the Montreal Expos. He pitched in the minors in 1986 but he didn't make the club in 198s and was cut at the end of spring training.
Len signed with the Milwaukee Brewers and started 11 games for them in 1987 (2-1, 5.36 ERA).
After his playing career Barker had a construction business. He is now the coach of the Division II Notre Dame College baseball team.
July 12 - Finally won his sixth game after 10 no-decisions in a row. Manager Danny Ozark stayed with Lerch during a tie game in the 8th inning and the Phillies rallied in the 9th to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4. Randy went the distance for the win.
Randy Lerch had his rookie season in 1977 after brief trials in 1975 and in 1976. The 22-year-old rookie was the third starter for the NL East Champion Phillies, but he wasn't used in the postseason.
Greg Minton
Debut: September 7, 1975
1977 Stats:
Phoenix Giants (AAA): 14-6, 4 saves, 4.86 ERA in 26 games (20 starts)
Greg Minton was originally drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1970. He pitched in the Royals' system from 1970-1973 before being traded to the San Francisco Giants for Fran Healy.
Minton pitched in the Giants' system for the next few seasons. Greg had short stints with the Giants in 1975 (1-1, 6.88 ERA in 4 games/2 starts), 1976 (0-1, 4.93 ERA in 10 games/2 starts), and in 1977 (1-1, 4.50 ERA in 2 starts).
Greg's career seemed to be topping out in 1978. He went back and forth between AAA Phoenix and the Giants. Greg had a few rough outings in August and September which caused his ERA to balloon. Minton ended up with an 0-1 record and an 8.04 ERA in 11 games.
In 1979 Greg had an injury and decided to alter his pitching motion. The change resulted in a much improved sinkerball and Minton started to find success. From 1979-1981 Minton didn't allow a single home run. Greg teamed with lefty Gary Lavelle to form a great lefty/righty closer combination for the Giants.
1979 - 4-3, 4 saves, 1.81 ERA in 46 games
1980 - 4-6, 19 saves, 2.46 ERA in 68 games
1981 - 4-5, 21 saves, 2.88 ERA in 55 games
1982 - 10-4, 30 saves, 1.83 ERA in 78 games.
Minton made his only All Star team in 1982 (he walked one batter in 2/3 of an inning). He also finished 6th in NL Cy Young Award balloting and 8th in NL MVP voting.
Starting in 1983 Greg wasn't as effective. He started to hear some boos at Candlestick Park from the few people who still attended games.
1983 - 7-11, 22 saves, 3.54 ERA in 73 games
1984 - 4-9, 19 saves, 3.76 ERA in 74 games (1 start)
1985 - 5-4, 4 saves, 3.54 ERA in 68 games
1986 - 4-4, 5 saves, 3.93 ERA in 48 games
Minton started the 1987 season with the Giants (1-0, 1 save, 3.47 ERA in 15 games). The Giants released Greg on May 28. Minton signed with the California Angels and had a few good seasons with them, especially in 1989.
1987 - 5-4, 10 saves, 3.08 ERA in 41 games
1988 - 4-5, 7 saves, 2.85 ERA in 44 games
1989 - 4-3, 8 saves, 2.20 ERA in 62 games
In 1990 Minton had some injuries. He was still an effective pitcher but the injuries limited him to 11 games (1-1, 2.35 ERA). Greg retired after the 1990 season.
Minton was nicknamed "Moon Man." He was known for his practical jokes and his enjoyment of hobbies such as deep sea fishing that weren't typical hobbies for atheletes.
After his playing career Greg did some coaching and then was the General Manager at Extra Innings East Valley, a batting cage and sports instruction center in Arizona.
Mike Overy
Debut: August 14, 1976
1977 Stats:
Salt Lake City Gulls (AAA): 7-5, 8 saves, 4.33 ERA in 39 games (12 starts)
Other card blogs: none
Mike Overy was drafted by the California Angels in 1973. Overy was used almost exclusively as a reliever as he moved up the Angels system from 1973-1976. Mike was called up in early August 1976 to replace the injured Bobby Bonds. Overy appeared in five games for the Angels and was 0-2 with a 6.14 ERA.
That was Mike's only experience in the major leagues. Overy was a fixture for the AAA Salt Lake City Gulls, pitching there from 1976-1980. Mike retired after the 1980 season.
Danny Ozark had a long playing career in the minor leagues. He started in 1942 and then was in military service for the next three years. Ozark fought in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II.
Danny came back after the war and resumed his playing career. Ozark spent his entire playing career (1942, 1946-1961, 1963) in the Brooklyn/LA Dodgers' organization, but he never made it to the majors.
In 1956 Ozark started managing in the Dodger organization. He was a player-manager in Class B and A ball for four years and then managed the Dodgers' AAA affiliate from 1960-1964.
In 1965 Ozark moved up to the LA Dodgers as a coach. He coached with the Dodgers from 1965-1972.
The Phillies finished 6th in 1973, 3rd in 1974, and 2nd in 1975. They then won the NL East in three straight seasons (1976-1978). The team won 101 games in both 1976 and in 1977. Philadelphia lost in the NL Championship Series by the Cincinnati Reds in 1976 and by the LA Dodgers in 1977 and 1978.
The Phillies signed Pete Rose as a free agent after the 1978 season. It was thought that Rose was the missing piece. Rose had a good year, but injuries and some off years by other players doomed the Phillies. Ozark was fired on August 31, 1979 after the Phillies were 65-67 and in fourth place. Danny was thought to be too soft on the players. Dallas Green took over the team and led it to the World Championship the following season.
Danny retired to his home in Vero Beach. He passed away in 2009 at the age of 85.
Record: 101-61, 1st in NL East, 5 games ahead of Pittsburgh Pirates
Attendance: 2,700,070 (2nd in NL)
Team Batting: .279 (1st in NL)
Team HR: 186 (2nd in NL)
Team Stolen Bases: 135 (4th in NL)
Team ERA: 3.71 (4th in NL)
Team Fielding: .981 (2nd in NL)
All Stars: Greg Luzinski (starting LF); Mike Schmidt (3B); Steve Carlton (P)
Awards: Steve Carlton (NL Cy Young Award, The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year); Jim Kaat (Gold Glove, P); Mike Schmidt (Gold Glove, 3B); Garry Maddox (Gold Glove, OF)
NL Leaders: Steve Carlton (victories, 23)
Batting Leader: Greg Luzinski (.309)
Home Run Leader: Greg Luzinski (39)
RBI Leader: Greg Luzinski (130)
Stolen Base Leader: Larry Bowa (32)
Victories Leader: Steve Carlton (23)
Losses Leader: Jim Kaat (11)
Strikeout Leader: Steve Carlton (198)
Saves Leader: Gene Garber (19)
ERA Leader (starters): Steve Carlton (2.64)
ERA Leader (relievers): Gene Garber (2.35)
Players who could have had Phillies cards in 1977 (batters with over 100 AB, pitchers with over 40 innings) :
Bake McBride (OF) (pictured with Cardinals): .339, 11 HR, 41 RBI in 85 games
Richie Hebner (1B) (pictured with Pirates): .285, 18 HR, 62 RBI in 118 games
Ted Sizemore (2B) (pictured with Dodgers) : .281, 4 HR, 47 RBI in 152 games
Davey Johnson (2B) (no 1977 card): .321, 8 HR, 36 RBI in 78 games
Warren Brusstar (P) (no 1977 card - rookie card in 1978): 7-2, 3 saves, 2.65 ERA in 46 games
Wayne Twitchell started the season with the Phillies, but he was demoted to the bullpen in late May after going 0-4 in eight starts. On June 15 Wayne was traded with Tim Blackwell to the Montreal Expos for Barry Foote and Dan Warthen. Twitchell pitched better for the Expos and had a few no decisions in games he should have won.
1977 Stats:
Philadelphia Phillies - 0-5, 4.53 ERA in 12 games (8 starts)
Montreal Expos - 6-5, 4.21 ERA in 22 starts
TOTAL: 6-10, 4.29 ERA in 34 games (30 starts)
1977 Highlights:
June 24 - Pitched seven perfect innings before allowing an infield single to Bill Robinson in the 8th inning. Unfortunately the Expos lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5.
Aug 13 - Pitched nine shutout innings, but the Expos weren't able to score either. The Expos lost the game 1-0 in ten innings.
Jay Johnstone split time with Jerry Martin in right field for the Philadelphia Phillies for the first part of the 1977 season. After Bake McBride was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals Jay's playing time decreased. Johnstone started 72 games in RF and another 17 at first base.
Ron Schueler pitched for the Minnesota Twins in 1977. Schueler hadn't signed a new contract with the Phillies and was purchased by the Twins during spring training.
1977 Stats: 8-7, 4.41 ERA, 3 saves in 52 games (7 starts)
1977 Highlights:
July 7 - Was the winning pitcher in his first start of the season. Ron allowed three runs in five innings in the Twins' 8-6 win over the California Angels.
Aug 15 - Allowed one run in three innings and earned the victory as the Twins beat the Baltimore Orioles 13-9.
1977 was the only year from 1974-1979 in which Larry Bowa wasn't in the All Star Game. He still had a good year, but was overshadowed by Garry Templeton's great rookie season.
June 3 - Scored the only run in a 1-0 win over the New York Mets. Bowa singled, went from first to third on Jim Lonborg's sacrifice, and scored on a Ted Sizemore single.
Topps put an interesting description of Gene Garber's pitching motion on the back of this card.
Garber was a solid reliever for several years. He was part of the deep Philadelphia bullpen of the mid 1970s and he held the Atlanta Braves' team record for career saves in the late 1980s and 1990s. John Smoltz broke the record in 2004.
Oct 7 - Took the loss in game 3 of the NLCS. Gene tried to pick Davey Lopes off of first base in the top of the 9th inning and made a throwing error. Lopes got to second base and scored the eventual winning run on a single by Bill Russell.
Tom Hutton was mostly a defensive replacement in 1977. He played in 73 games at 1B but started only one game at the position. With his good defense and high on base percentage, he would have been a good role player guy in an APBA or a Strat-O-Matic league.
1977 Stats:
Regular Season: .309, 2 HR, 11 RBI, .394 on base percentage (107 games but only 95 plate appearances)
July 22 - Entered the game as a pinch hitter in the 6th inning. Hutton walked twice and scored both times as the Phillies scored eight times and got a 9-6 comeback win over the San Francisco Giants.
Rpn Reed was part of the deep bullpen the Phillies had in the late 70s. Reed had a good year and was a good right-handed compliment to lefty Tug McGraw.
1977 Stats:
Regular season: 7-5, 15 saves, 2.75 ERA in 60 games (3 starts)
NL Championship Series: 0-0, 1.80 ERA in 3 games (5 innings)
After having a good season in 1976, Tom Underwood had a tougher time in 1977. The Phillies used Tom as a reliever.
On June 15 Underwood was traded (with Rick Bosetti and Dane Iorg) to the St. Louis Cardinals for Bake McBride and Steve Waterbury.
The Cardinals used Underwood as a starter, but he didn't have a whole lot more success. Tom would go on to have a few more good years later in his 11-year career.
1977 Stats:
Philadelphia Phillies: 3-2, 1 save, 5.13 ERA in 14 games
St. Louis Cardinals: 6-9, 4.95 ERA in 19 games (17 starts)
Total: 9-11, 1 save, 5.00 ERA in 33 games (17 starts)
Bobby Tolan had a tough year in 1977. Tolan started the season with the Philadelphia Phillies, but he was released on May 25. On June 10 Bobby signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he didn't do a whole lot better. He had a sprained wrist that limited his usefulness for most of July. Tolan was released after the season and then spent the 1978 season in Japan.
1977 Stats:
Philadelphia Phillies: .125 (2 for 16) in 15 games
Pittsburgh Pirates: .203 in 49 games
1977 Highlights:
June 10: Appeared as a pinch hitter in the 6th inning and singled in a run as the Pirates beat the San Diego Padres 10-7. Tolan's hit broke a 5-5 tie and put the Pirates ahead 6-5.
Tug McGraw turned in a good season as part of the Philadelphia "closer by committee" bullpen in 1977. The Phillies had some strong bullpens during this era. Tug missed two months due to an injury.
July 15 - Earned the save by pitching 1.2 scoreless innings as the Phillies beat the NL East leading Chicago Cubs. The Phils pulled to within two games of the Cubs with the victory.
