- After the 1976 season Dave Cash became a free agent and signed with the Montreal Expos. The signing was early enough for Topps to make an airbrushed version of Dave's 1977 card. Cash was an all star during all three of his seasons in Philadelphia (1974-1976). Dave wasn't an all star in 1977, but he still had a pretty good year.
- The card is correct about Dave being a good contact hitter. Cash played from 1969-1980 and never struck out more than 36 times.
- 1977 Stats: .289, 0 HR, 43 RBI, 91 runs in 153 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1976 Kellogg's, 1979, 1980
- Dave Lemanczyk was chosen by the Toronto Blue Jays off of the Detroit Tigers roster in the 1976 expansion draft. Dave went into the starting rotation and had a pretty solid season, especially considering he was pitching for an expansion team.
- 1977 Stats: 13-16, 4.25 ERA in 34 starts
- 1977 Highlights:
- July 31: Retired the first 17 hitters he faced and was the winning pitcher in Toronto's 4-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. Dave pitched 6 1/3 innings in the win.
- Sept 7: Pitched a six-hitter and earned the win as the Blue Jays beat the Boston Red Sox 3-2.
- Other card blogs: 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980
- Steve Braun was drafted from the Minnesota Twins in the 1976 expansion draft. For the first three months of the season Steve was the regular left fielder for the Mariners. Braun split time between designated hitter and left field for the last three months of the year.
- 1977 Stats: .235, 5 HR, 31 RBI in 139 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1976 Hostess, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986
- Darrell Johnson was a catcher who played in parts of seven seasons from 1952-1962. He started out with the St. Louis Browns and also played for the Chicago White Sox in 1952. Darrell then played in the minors for the next four seasons. He posted some good hitting stats in the Yankees system in AAA in 1955 (.306) and in 1956 (.319). Johnson became Yogi Berra's backup catcher in 1957, but he didn't get a lot of playing time (.217 in 21 games in 1957 and .250 in 5 games in 1958). Johnson was back in AAA in 1959 since the Yankees had Elston Howard. The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Darrell in the Rule 5 draft after the 1959 season. Johnson played for the Cardinals for a short time in 1960 and then he was released as a player and added as a coach. Darrell continued as a coach until the middle of the 1961 season. When manager Solly Hemus was fired, Johnson went with him. Darrell signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as a player (.230 in 21 games). He was sold to the Cincinnati Reds in mid August and batted .315 in 20 games. Johnson appeared in the 1961 World Series and was 2 for 4 in 2 games. In 1962 Johnson stared the year with the Reds (0 for 2 in 8 games). He was released in April and signed with the Baltimore Orioles. Darrell batted .182 in 6 games before being released in June. He served as the bullpen coach for the Orioles for the rest of the year. Darrell served as a minor league manager (1963-1966) as a scout (1967) and as the pitching coach for the Boston Red Sox (1968-1969). After manager Dick Williams was fired in 1969, Johnson returned to managing in the minors. He had some success there and was brought in to manage the Boston Red Sox in 1974. Johnson led the Red Sox to the 1975 World Series, but he was fired in July 1976 after a slow start. Darrell became the first manager of the Seattle Mariners and managed them from 1977 until mid-1980. Johnson coached for the Texas Rangers in 1981 and in 1982. He became the manager of the Rangers in July 1982 and finished the season with them. Johnson then worked for the New York Mets for several years as a coach and in other positions. Darrell died of leukemia in 2004.
- Darrell Johnson's SABR biography
- Don Bryant - I think this is the first time I have seen a bullpen coach on a card. Bryant was a catcher who spent most of his career (1960-1973) in the minors. Don had a few brief stints in the majors in 1966, 1969, and 1970 (220 in 59 games). Bryant was Johnson's bullpen coach in Boston (1974-1976) and in Seattle (1977-1980).
- Jim Busby - Busby was an outfielder for six teams from 1950-1962 (,262 in 1352 games). Busby was a coach in the major leagues from 1962-1978. Jim passed away in 1996.
- Vada Pinson - Pinson would have been a Hall of Fame outfielder if it weren't for injuries. He played in the majors from 1958-1975 (.286, 2757 hits, 256 HR). Pinson was a major league coach from 1977-1994. Vada died of a stroke in 1995. Vada Pinson's SABR biography
- Wes Stock - Wes was a major league pitcher from 1959-1967 (27-13, 3.60 ERA). Stock was a pitching coach for several major league teams (including the World Champion Oakland A's of 1973 and 1974) from 1967-1981 and again from 1984-1986.
Record: 64-98, 6th in AL West, 38 games behind Kansas City
- Attendance: 1,338,511 (8th in AL)
- Team Batting: .256 (11th in AL)
- Team HR: 133 (8th in AL)
- Team Stolen Bases: 110 (5th in AL)
- Team ERA: 4.83 (14th in AL)
- Team Fielding: .976 (10th in AL)
- All Stars: Ruppert Jones (OF)
- Awards: none
- AL Leaders: none
- Batting Leader: Leroy Stanton (.275)
- Home Run Leader: Leroy Stanton (27)
- RBI Leader: Leroy Stanton / Dan Meyer (90)
- Stolen Base Leader: Dave Collins (25)
- Victories Leader: Glenn Abbott (12)
- Losses Leader: Glenn Abbott (13)
- Strikeout Leader: Enrique Romo (105)
- Saves Leader: Enrique Romo (16)
- ERA Leader (starters): Glenn Abbott (4.45) ; (pitchers who started more than half of their appearances)
- ERA Leader (relievers): Enrique Romo (2.83)
- Players who could have had Mariners cards in 1977 (batters with over 100 AB, pitchers with over 40 innings) :
- Craig Reynolds (SS) - .248 in 135 games
- Jose Baez (2B) - .259 in 91 games
- Larry Milbourne (IF) - .219 in 86 games
- Julio Cruz (2B) - .256 in 60 games
- Skip Jutze (C) - .220 in 42 games
- Tom House (P) - 4-5, 1 save, 3.93 ERA in 26 games (11 starts)
- Mike Kekich (P) - 5-4, 3 saves, 5.60 ERA in 41 games (2 starts)
- Enrique Romo (P) - 8-10, 16 saves, 2.83 ERA in 58 games (3 starts)
- John Montague (P) - 8-12, 4 saves, 4.29 ERA in 47 games (15 starts)
- It's too bad that the card that comes up on July 4 is an airbrush job. A player with a 1976 Bicentennial logo on his sleeve would have been cool.
- Alan Ashby was acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Indians on November 5, 1976.
- Ashby became the starting catcher for the expansion Toronto Blue Jays in 1977. He didn't do much at the plate (.210 in 124 games), but he threw out 48% of the runners who tried to steal against him.
- Ashby is now an announcer for the Houston Astros. He got into some trouble early this season (2013) when he remarked, "That'll force him to learn the language." as Yu Darvish was shown cursing in the dugout after losing his perfect game.
- 1977 Stats: .210, 2 HR, 29 RBI in 124 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1976, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988
- This was the season that cemented Willie McCovey's place as a future Hall of Famer. Willie had a bad 1976 season and there was doubt about whether or not he would still be playing in 1977. The Giants invited McCovey to spring training and he made the team.
- McCovey had his best season since 1970. He led the Giants in home runs (28), RBI (86) and slugging percentage (.500). Willie won the NL Comeback Player of the Year award and positioned himself nicely to get to 500 home runs. Willie also won baseball's Hutch Award for overcoming adversity.
- Willie McCovey's SABR biography.
- 1977 Stats: .280, 28 HR, 86 RBI in 141 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1980, A Giant Blog
- This was Mike Wallace's last year in the majors. He made the Texas Rangers staff in spring training but was sent down to the minors in early May. Mike pitched in AAA through the 1979 season but never made it back to the majors.
- 1977 Stats: 0-0, 7.56 ERA in 5 games
- Other card blogs: 1974, 1975
- Dave Roberts didn't play for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1977. Roberts had spent the entire 1976 season with AAA Hawaii to learn how to be a catcher and was purchased from the San Diego Padres in October 1976. The Blue Jays traded Roberts back to the Padres in February 1977 for Jerry Johnson.
- Roberts played four different positions in 1977 -- catcher, 2B, 3B, and shortstop. He spent most of his time behind the plate so that the Padres could play new free agent aquisition Gene Tenace more at first base.
- 1977 Stats: .220, 1 HR, 23 RBI in 82 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1973, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1983
- Dan Meyer was selected from the Detroit Tigers by the Seattle Mariners in the 1976 expansion draft. This was Dan's best major league season. Meyer led the Mariners in RBI in 1977.
- 1977 Stats: .273, 22 HR, 90 RBI in 159 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, Cardboard Gods
- This is one of those rare instances where players of the same team had consecutive card numbers. Topps had Rollie Fingers planned as a member of the Oakland A's, but Rollie became a free agent after the 1976 season and signed with the San Diego Padres. Topps was able to change the team name and airbrush Fingers into a San Diego uniform, but Topps didn't change any card numbers.
- This was the first time in four years that Rollie Fingers wasn't selected to the All Star Game. Rollie still led the NL in appearances (78) and in saves (35).
- 1977 Stats: 8-9, 35 saves, 2.99 ERA in 78 games.
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1976 Hostess, 1978, 1979, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1983, 1985, 1986
- Bobby Grich was one of the many players who changed teams via free agency after the 1976 season.
- Although his card says second base, Grich played shortstop during the 1977 season.
- It took a while for Grich to pay dividends for the Angels. In 1977 Bobby didn't play after June 8. He had surgery for a herniated lumbar disc in his back in July and missed the rest of the season.
- 1977 Stats: .243, 7 HR, 23 RBI in 52 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1983, 1985, 1986, Cardboard Gods
- Pete Vuckovich was a big dude -- 6'4" tall and 215 lbs. This picture was taken before Pete grew his hair and his intimidating Fu-Manchu mustache. Vuckovich was known for his ultracompetitiveness on the monund and for his mannerisms between pitched.
- Pete was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1974. Vuckovich pitched in the minors in 1974 and in 1975. Pete was called up at the end of the 1975 season and was 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA in four games.
- Vuckovich was a middle reliever and a spot starter for the White Sox in 1976. He went 7-4 and had a 4.65 ERA in 33 games (7 starts).
- After the 1976 season Pete was chosen by the Toronto Blue Jays in the expansion draft. Vuckovich started the season in the bullpen. He started one game in May and then joined the Toronto rotation for five weeks in June and July. Vuckovich recorded the first save in Blue Jays history on April 7 and pitched the first Toronto shutout on June 26. Pete ended up with one of the better records for the expansion club (7-7, 8 saves, 3.47 ERA). After the 1977 season Vuckovich was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals.
- Vuckovich talks about some of his 1977 Blue Jays memories here.
- Pete had three pretty strong seasons for the Cardinals. In 1978 he went 12-12 and had a 2.54 ERA in 34 games (32 starts). Pete was 15-10 with a 3.59 ERA in 1979. Vuckovich had a 12-9 record with a 3.40 ERA in 1980. After the 1980 season Pete was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers as part of a seven-player deal.
- Vuckovich was an integral part of the Milwaukee staff in 1981 and 1982. In 1981 Pete led the NL with 14 wins and a .778 winning percentage. Vuckovich went 14-4 with a 3.55 ERA and finished 4th in AL Cy Young Award voting. In 1982 Pete won the AL Cy Young Award with a record of 18-6 and a league-leading .750 winning percentage.
- Vuckovich started and won game 3 of the 1981 AL Divisional Series. Pete was 0-1 in 2 starts in the 1982 AL Championship Series and 0-1 in 2 starts in the 1982 World Series.
- During spring training in 1983 it was discovered that Vuckovich had a torn rotator cuff. He tried an exercise program and made three starts during the 1983 season (0-2, 4.91 ERA).
- Pete missed the entire 1984 season and then attempted comebacks in 1985 (6-10, 5.51 ERA in 22 starts) and in 1986 (2-4, 3.06 ERA in 6 starts).
- Vuckovich was released after the 1986 season and retired.
- After his retirement Pete worked as an announcer (1989-1991) for the Brewers. He also had a role in the movie Major League (Yankee slugger Clu Haywood).
- Pete was a pitching instructor and a pitching coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates for several years. He then worked as a special assistant in the Pirate front office. After the 2011 season Vuckovich was hired by the Seattle Mariners as a special assistant to the General Manager.
- Pete liked to wear two different brands of cleats during his games.
- 1977 Stats: 7-7, 8 saves, 3.47 ERA in 53 games (8 starts)
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986
- Dave Pagan was chosen by the Seattle Mariners in the 1976 expansion draft (hence the bad airbrush job on this card). Pagan started the season with the Mariners but he struggled. Dave was sent to AAA in early July and then was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 27 for Rick Honeycutt. Pagan pitched for AAA Columbus until the minor league season was over and then went up to Pittsburgh. He pitched in one game for the Pirates and that was it for his major league career.
- 1977 Stats:
- Seattle Mariners: 1-1, 6.14 ERA in 24 games (4 starts)
- Spokane Indians (AAA): 0-3, 7.56 ERA in 5 games (4 starts)
- Columbus Clippers (AAA): 2-1, 3.79 ERA in 8 games (5 starts)
- Pittsburgh Pirates: 0-0, 0.00 ERA in 1 game
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1975
- Juan Bernhardt
- Debut: July 10, 1976
- 1977 Stats: .243, 7 HR, 30 RBI in 89 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1979
- Juan Bernhardt was signed by the New York Yankees from the Domincan Republic in 1970. Bernhardt was in the minors from 1971-1976. He batted over .300 in AAA in 1975 and in 1976. Juan was called up briefly in 1976 and batted .190 in 10 games.
- After the 1976 season Bernhardt was taken by the Seattle Mariners in the expansion draft. Juan was with the Mariners for the entire 1977 season and batted .243 in 89 games.
- Bernhardt split the 1978 season between Seattle and AAA San Jose. Juan batted .230 in 54 games for the Mariners in 1978.
- Juan started the 1979 season with the Mariners but only got into one game (1 for 1). He was in the minors for most of the 1979 season. Bernhardt was traded to the Chicago White Sox for Rich Hinton on July 6.
- In 1980 Bernhardt went to the Mexican League. Juan was a player-manager in 1981 and in 1982. Bernhardt played in the Mexican League from 1980-1983.
- Mike Champion
- Debut: September 14, 1976
- 1977 Stats: .229 in 150 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: none
- The San Diego Padres drafted Mike Champion in 1973. Mike was in the minors from 1973-1976 and had a brief stint with the Padres in September 1976 (.237 in 11 games).
- Mike was given the starting second base job in 1977. He struggled at the plate, batting only .229 in 150 games. Mike was slightly below league average in fielding percentage and also had a below average range factor.
- In 1978 Champion started the season with the Padres. Mike lost his starting 2B job to Fernando Gonzelez and he was sent to AAA Hawaii in June. Champion came back to the Padres as a September call-up. Mike ended up batting .226 in 32 games in 1978.
- At the end of spring training in 1979 Champion was sent to the Cleveland Indians as the player to be named later in an earlier deal for Dan Briggs. Mike was sent to AAA Tacoma where he had two good years (.311 in 1979 and .281 in 1980). Champion was never called back up to the majors and he retired after the 1980 season.
- Jim Gantner
- Debut: September 3, 1976
- 1977 Stats:
- Spokane Indians (AAA): .281, 15 HR, 80 RBI, 98 runs in 143 games
- Milwaukee Brewers: .298 in 14 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Sept 25 - Went 3 for 4, including a rare home run, in Milwaukee's 8-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins.
- Other card blogs: 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988
- Jim Gantner was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1974. Jim played in the minors from 1974-1977. He was given brief chances with Milwaukee in 1976 (.316 in 26 games) and in 1977 (.298 in 14 games).
- Gantner didn't have a regular position for his first few seasons with the Brewers. Jim batted .216 in 43 games in 1978 and .284 in 70 games in 1979.
- Jim spent most of his time at third base in 1980, batting .282 in 132 games.
- In 1981 Gantner was given the regular second base job (Paul Molitor was moved first to CF and then to 2B). Jim batted .267 in 107 games during the regular season and batted .143 (2 for 14) in the AL Divisional Series.
- Gantner had his three best seasons from 1982-1984. Jim batted a career-high .295 in 1982. He batted .188 in the AL Championship Series and .333 in the World Series. In 1983 Gantner batted .282 and hit a career-high 11 home runs. Jim also batted .282 in 1984 with less power.
- Jim started at 2B for the next two seasons, batting .254 in 1985 and .274 in 1986.
- Gantner had injury problems in 1987. He had arthroscopic knee surgery in March. He then had a hamstring injury in July and missed most of the last two months of the season. Jim batted .272 in 81 games.
- Jim returned to start at 2B in 1988 (.276 in 155 games) and in 1989 (.274 in 116 games).
- Gantner was a backup infielder for the last three seasons of his career. He batted .263 in 88 games in 1990, .283 in 140 games in 1991, and .246 in 101 games in 1992.
- Jim had rotator cuff surgery after the 1992 season. He wasn't sure if he wanted to come back and play again. Jim retired at the end of spring training in 1993.
- After his playing career Gantner coached for several seasons. Jim now runs Hale Park Automotive Services in Hales Corners, Wisconsin.
- Bump Wills
- Debut: April 7, 1977
- 1977 Stats: .287, 9 HR, 62 RBI in 152 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983
- Bump Wills, son of former SS Maury Wills, had a tumultuous start to his major league career. Bump was drafted in the first round by the Texas Rangers in 1975. After Wills played in the minors for two years Texas manager Frank Lucchesi declared in spring training of 1977 that Wills would be the Rangers' starting second baseman. Incumbent second baseman Lenny Randle took exception to the decision. Randle ended up punching out Lucchesi before a spring training game, which earned Randle a suspension and a trade out of Texas. Bump's rookie season seemed to get lost in the controversy. Wills batted .287 with 9 HR and 62 RBI in 152 games. Bump also stole 28 bases and finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting.
- Wills was the Rangers' starting 2B for the next four years. He stole 52 bases and batted .250 in 1978 and batted .273 with 35 stolen bases in 1979. Bump batted .263 and scored a career high 102 runs in 1980.
- Bump's batting average dropped to .251 and his stolen base total dropped to 12 in 1981. After the 1981 season Wills lost his arbitration case and was also going to lose his starting 2B job to Doug Flynn.
- During spring training in 1982 Wills was traded to the Chicago Cubs for Paul Mirabella, a minor leaguer, and cash. Bump spent one season with the Cubs, batting .272 with 35 stolen bases in 128 games.
- Bump became a free agent after the 1982 season. He decided to play in Japan and spent the 1983 and 1984 seasons playing for the Hankyu Braves. After his stint in Japan Wills went into coaching. He managed in the low minors for several years in the late 1980s and 1990s.
T
- Mike Krukow
- Debut: September 6, 1976
- 1977 Stats: 8-14, 4.40 ERA in 34 games (33 starts)
- 1977 Highlights:
- 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:
- 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.
- Tony Armas
- Debut: September 6, 1976
- 1977 Stats:
- Oakland A's: .240, 13 HR, 53 RBI in 118 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988
- Tony Armas was traded to the Oakland A's during spring training in 1977. Tony was the regular center fielder for the A's for most of the season. Armas missed a month in August and September with an injury. Tony ended up batting .240 with 13 HR in 118 games.
- For the next two seasons Armas was a backup outfielder. He didn't put up very imposing stats (.213 with 2 HR in 91 games in 1978 and .248 with 11 HR in 1979).
- Tony had his breakout season in 1980, batting .279 with 35 HR and 109 RBI. Armas finished 12th in AL MVP voting in 1980.
- Armas led the AL with 22 home runs in the strike shortened 1981 season. He finished 4th in AL MVP voting that year. Tony had a great AL Divisional Series (.545, 6 for 11), but he didn't do much in the AL Championship Series (.167, 2 for 12).
- Tony's stats dropped off in 1982 (.233, 28 HR, 89 RBI). After the 1982 season Armas was traded (with Jeff Newman) to the Boston Red Sox for Carney Lansford, Garry Hancock, and a minor leaguer.
- In 1983 Tony's batting average dropped again, but he still had good power numbers (.218, 36 HR, 107 RBI).
- Armas bounced back in 1984, leading the AL in home runs and RBI. Tony batted .268 with 43 HR and 123 RBI. Tony was an AL All Star (he didn't play in the game) and finished 7th in AL MVP voting.
- Tony spent two more seasons with the Red Sox (.265, 23 HR, 64 RBI in 1985 and .264, 11 HR, 58 RBI in 1986). Tony batted .125 (2 for 16) in the AL Championship Series and went 0 for 1 in the World Series.
- Tony became a free agent after the 1986 season. Armas went unsigned until July 1987 when the California Angels signed him. Tony spent some time in AAA and then was brought up to the Angels in August. Tony batted only .198 in 28 games in 1987.
- Armas spent two more seasons with the Angels. He batted .272 with 13 HR and 49 RBI in 1988. Tony was a part time player in 1989, batting .257 with 11 HR. Armas retired after the 1989 season.
- Steve Kemp
- Debut: April 7, 1977
- 1977 Stats: .257, 18 HR, 88 RBI in 151 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986
- Steve Kemp was the first player drafted in the 1976 draft. He spent only one year in the minors and then made the Detroit ballclub in 1977. Steve became the starting LF for the Tigers in 1977 and batted .257 with 18 HR and 88 RBI.
- Kemp batted .277 with 15 HR and 79 RBI in 1978.
- Steve had his best season in 1979. He made the AL All Star team (0 for 1 in a pinch hitting appearance) and batted .318 with 26 HR and 105 RBI.
- In 1980 Kemp split time between LF and DH. He batted .293 with 21 HR and 101 RBI.
- Steve's last season with the Tigers was in 1981 (.277, 9 HR, 49 RBI). After the 1981 season Kemp was traded to the Chicago White Sox for Chet Lemon.
- Kemp spent one year with the White Sox, batting .286 with 19 HR and 98 RBI. After the 1982 season Steve became a free agent and signed with the New York Yankees.
- Steve was injured by a line drive hit by teammate Omar Moreno during batting practice. The ball hit Kemp below the left eye, shattering his cheekbone. This injury, plus other injuries, helped hasten the end of Steve's career. Kemp batted .241 with 12 HR and 49 RBI in 1983 and batted .291 with 7 HR and 41 RBI in 1984. After the 1984 season Steve was traded (with Tim Foli) to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Dale Berra, Jay Buhner, and Alfonso Pulido.
- Kemp didn't do much with the Pirates in 1985 (.250, 2 HR , 21 RBI in 92 games). Steve was batting .188 in 13 games when he was released by the Pirates on May 8, 1986.
- Steve signed with the Texas Rangers in 1987 and played for AAA Oklahoma City in 1987 and in 1988. Kemp started the 1988 season with the Rangers, batting .222 in 16 games. He was sent down to AAA in May and didn't return. Steve retired after the 1988 season.
- Here is a "where are they now" article from 2011.
- Carlos Lopez
- Debut: September 17, 1976
- 1977 Stats: .283, 8 HR, 34 RBI in 99 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1978, 1979
- Carlos Lopez was signed by the California Angels from the Mexican League in 1973. Carlos played in the minors from 1974-1976 and earned a September call up (0 for 10 in 9 games) after batting .350 for AAA Salt Lake City.
- Lopez was chosen by the Seattle Mariners in the 1976 expansion draft. Carlos batted .283 with 8 HR and 34 RBI in 99 games for the Mariners in 1977.
- After the 1977 season Lopez was traded with Tommy Moore to the Baltimore Orioles for Mike Parrott. Carlos was used mainly as a defensive replacement and a pinch hitter in 1978, batting .238 in 129 games (193 at bats).
- Lopez spent the 1979 season in AAA Rochester. He then went back to the Mexican League and played there from 1980 through the 1985 season.
- Gary Woods
- Debut: September 14, 1976
- 1977 Stats:
- Toledo Mud Hens (AAA): .272, 4 HR, 33 RBI in 89 games
- Toronto Blue Jays: .216, 0 HR, 17 RBI in 60 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1983, 1985
- Gary Woods was signed by the Oakland A's in 1973. He played in the A's system from 1973-1976. Woods batted .308 for AAA Tucson in 1976 and was called up in September (1 for 8 in 6 games).
- Woods was picked by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1976 expansion draft. Gary started the 1977 season with Toronto but was sent down to AAA in late May. Woods came back up in September and ended up batting .216 in 60 games.
- Gary spent most of the 1978 season in AAA. He had a brief stint with Toronto in September and batted .158 in 8 games. After the 1978 season Woods was traded to the Houston Astros for a minor leaguer.
- Woods spent the entire 1979 season in AAA. Gary had a good year for AAA Tucson in 1980, batting .313 with 42 doubles and 36 stolen bases. Woods was called up in September and was a valuable part of Houston's drive to the NL West title. He batted .377 in 19 games and then batted .250 (2 for 8) in four games in the NL Championship Series.
- Gary was with the Astros for the entire 1981 season, but he didn't do much with the bat (.209 in 54 games). Woods was 0 for 2 in 2 games in the NL Divisional Series. After the 1981 season Woods was traded to the Chicago Cubs for Jim Tracy.
- Woods was used mostly as a backup outfielder and pinch hitter for the next four seasons. He had his best year for the Cubs in 1982, batting .269 in 117 games. Gary's playing time gradually went down (.242 in 190 AB in 1983, .235 in 98 AB in 1984, and .244 in 82 AB in 1985).
- During spring training in 1986 Woods was released. Larry Bowa got Woods to play for AAA Las Vegas in 1986. Gary batted .316 but he never got the call back to the majors. Woods is now the Southern California area scout for the Chicago White Sox.
- Wikipedia hack alert: Here is a line in Gary's Wikipedia entry -- "On May 12, 2013, the Oakland A's signed Woods as a nondrafted free agent. He spent 2013 killing zombies for the A's Lewiston minor league ballclub"
- Mike Dupree
- Debut: April 13, 1976
- 1977 Stats:
- Hawaii Islanders: 3-5, 5 saves, 4.27 ERA in 36 games (3 starts); .352 average in 70 games (108 at bats)
- 1977 Highlights:
- Aug 29- As a DH he went 2 for 3 with a run scored and a run batted in to help Hawaii beat Spokane 5-3.
- Other card blogs: none
- Mike Dupree was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1973. He was an outfielder and a first baseman in the minors from 1973-1975. Mike tried out pitching in AA in 1975 and was 5-0 with a 2.18 ERA in 14 games.
- Dupree made the San Diego club in 1976, but he didn't have much success in the majors. Mike spent one month with the Padres and had a 9.19 ERA in 12 games. Dupree was sent back to AAA in mid-May.
- Dupree pitched for the AAA Hawaii Islanders from 1976 through the 1979 season. He spent more time in the outfield and at DH than he did on the mound.
- In 1980 Dupree played in Japan. That was it for his professional baseball career.
- Denny Martinez
- Debut: September 14, 1976
- 1977 Stats: 14-7, 4 saves, 4.10 ERA in 42 games (13 starts)
- 1977 Highlights:
- May 25 - Allowed two runs (one unearned) in a complete game 4-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
- June 14 - Pitched the 10th and 11th innings and allowed one unearned run to earn the win as Baltimore beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-5.
- Other card blogs: 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988
- Dennis Martinez enjoyed a 23-year career as a major league pitcher. Martinez was signed by the Baltimore Orioles from his native Nicaraugua in 1973. Dennis rose quickly through the crowded Baltimore farm system. He had a brief trial in 1976 (1-2, 2.60 ERA in 4 games/2 starts) and then joined the Oriole staff full time in 1977.
- Martinez had several good seasons with the Orioles, especially in 1979 (AL leader in complete games) and in 1981 (AL leader in wins)
- Dennis had some injury problems in 1980 (missed about 2 months with tendonitits). He wasn't as effective in his final few seasons in Baltimore. After the 1983 season Martinez underwent an 8-week treatment program for alcoholsim. During the 1986 season Dennis was traded with John Stenfro to the Montreal Expos for Rene Gonzalez.
- In 1987 Martinez had a huge revival as a pitcher. Dennis had six good years with the Expos from 1987-1992, including three All Star selections and an ERA title in 1991. On July 28, 1991 Martinez pitched a perfect game against the LA Dodgers.
- Dennis' stats fell off a bit in 1993. After the 1993 season Martinez became a free agent and signed with the Cleveland Indians. Dennis pitched for the Indians from 1993-1996. He had some injury problems in 1996 and after the season he became a free agent and signed with the Seattle Mariners. After struggling with the Mariners in 1997, Dennis retired after being released in June. The next season Martinez signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves. Dennis won a job with the Braves, broke the record for the all-time winningest Latin-American pitcher, then retired at the age of 44 with 245 career victories.
- Dennis is now the bullpen coach for the Houston Astros.
- Craig Mitchell
- Debut: September 25, 1975
- 1977 Stats:
- San Jose Missions (AAA): 10-11, 1 save, 4.48 ERA in 32 games (30 starts)
- Oakland A's: 0-1, 7.94 ERA in 3 games (1 start)
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1976.
- Craig Mitchell was drafted by the Oakland A's in 1973. He spent most of his career in the minors. Mitchell had brief stints with the A's in 1975 (0-1, 12.27 ERA in 1 start), 1976 (2.70 ERA in 1 game) and in 1977 (0-1, 7.94 ERA in 3 games).
- Mitchell pitched in AAA through the 1979 season.
- Bob Sykes
- Debut: April 9, 1977
- 1977 Stats: 5-7, 4.41 ERA in 32 games (20 starts)
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1979, 1980
- Bob Sykes was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 1974. Bob was 11-0 in Rookie League ball in 1974. He pitched in the minors in 1975 and in 1976.
- Sykes made the Detroit roster in 1977 because Mark Fidrych was to start the season on the disabled list. Bob managed to stay with the Tigers for the entire season. Bob split time between the bullpen and the starting rotation, going 5-7 with a 4.41 ERA in 32 games (20 starts).
- Bob spent the first month of the 1978 season in AAA Evansville. He was brought up to the Tigers after winning all four of his starts in Evansville (4-0, 1.41 ERA). Sykes was a spot starter and a long man for Detroit in 1978 (6-6, 2 saves, 3.94 ERA in 22 games /10 starts).
- After the 1978 season Sykes was traded with a minor leaguer to the St. Louis Cardinals for Jerry Morales and Aurelio Lopez.
- Sykes had a tough time for the Cardinals in 1979. Bob was in the starting rotation until mid-June, but he went down with a blood clot in his shoulder. Bob rehabbed in the minors and then came back to the Cardinals to pitch in two games in September. Overall Bob was 4-3 with a 6.18 ERA in 13 games (11 starts).
- Bob stayed with the Cardinals for all of 1980 (6-10, 4.64 ERA in 27 games/19 starts) and 1981 (2-0, 4.58 ERA in 22 games/1 start). Sykes was the Cardinals' player rep in 1981 during the strike.
- After the 1981 season Sykes was traded to the New York Yankees for Willie McGee. It was thought to be a minor deal at the time, but McGee paid big dividends for the Cardinals in their World Championship season in 1982. Bob spent the 1982 season on the disabled list and in the minors. Sykes retired after the 1982 season.
