- This
was Lee May’s last season as a starting first baseman. Rookie Eddie Murray
was the DH for most of 1977. May and Murray traded positions in 1978.
-
- 1977
Stats: .253, 27 HR, 99 RBI
- 1977
Highlights:
- Other
card blogs: 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1983
- Larry Cox was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1966. Larry originally was a pitcher but swithced to catching in 1969.
- He played in the minors from 1966-1973 and finally got to play for the Phillies for a short time in April 1973. Larry appeared in one game without an at bat in '73.
- Cox played with the Phillies for a short time in 1974 (.170 in 30 games) and in 1975 (.200 in 7 games).
- Larry was traded to the Minnesota Twins after the 1975 season for Sergio Ferrer.
- After spending all of the 1976 season with AAA Tacoma, Larry Cox was purchased by the expansion Seattle Mariners. Cox played in 35 games for the Mariners and batted .247 with 2 home runs.
- After the 1977 season Larry was traded to the Chicago Cubs for a minor leaguer. In 1978 Cox played in 59 games as a backup to starting catcher Dave Rader. Larry batted .281 with 2 HR and 18 RBI.
- Cox was traded back to the Mariners during spring training in 1979 for Punch Delgado. Larry played in 100 games in 1979 (.215, 4 HR, 36 RBI) and in 105 games in 1980 (.202, 4 HR, 20 RBI). He was a defensive replacement in many of those games.
- After the 1980 season Larry was traded to the Texas Rangers in an 11-player deal that enabled the Mariners to get Richie Zisk and the Rangers to get Rick Honeycutt.
- Larry played in only five games for the Rangers in 1981 (3 for 13, .231) and was released on August 18.
- Cox signed with the Chicago Cubs in 1982. He played in only four games for the Cubs and was hitless in four at bats. He played in 13 games for AA Midland (he was a coach for most of the season) and then retired.
- After his playing career, Larry managed in the Cubs minor league system from 1983-1988. He managed their AAA Iowa club from 1985 until the latter part of the 1988 season. Cox then became the Cubs bullpen coach, a position he held until his death in 1990.
- Larry Cox died of a heart attack while playing raquetball on 17 February 1990 at the age of 42.
- 1977 Stats: .247, 2 HR, 6 RBI in 35 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1979, 1980, Cardboard Gods
- Jim Umbarger actually pitched for the Oakland A's in 1977. He was traded (with Rodney Scott and cash) to the A's for Claudell Washington during spring training. Jim started the season with Oakland and appeared in nine games but was sent down to San Jose (Pacific Coast League) in late May. Jim was bothered by a sore elbow. Umbarger was brought back up in August and pitched in three more games for the A's
- The Rangers bought Umbarger back from the A's on August 25 for $200,000. Oakland owner Charlie Finley said he, "hated to do it, but he had to meet payroll."
- If Topps were doing a traded set that year, they probably would have made a card of Jim with Oakland, but it still would have been out of date by the end of the season.
- 1977 Stats:
- San Jose (AAA) - 3-5, 7.71 ERA in 13 games (10 starts)
- Oakland A's - 1-5, 6.55 ERA in 12 games (8 starts)
- Texas Rangers - 1-1, 5.54 ERA in 3 games (2 starts)
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1976, 1979
- The
Toronto Blue Jays chose Dave McKay from the Minnesota Twins in the 1976
expansion draft. Dave was a utility player for the Blue Jays in 1977
before stepping into the starting 2B role in 1978.
- McKay
missed about a month of the season from late June to early August. He
played in only one game (July 14) during that time.
- 1977
Stats: .197, 3 HR, 22 RBI in 95 games
- 1977
Highlights:
- Other
card blogs: 1976, 1979, 1983
- Nino Espinosa was signed at the age of 17 by the New York Mets from the Dominican Republic in 1970. Nino played in the minors from 1970-1974 before getting a September call-up in 1974. He was 0-0 with a 5.00 ERA in 2 games (1 start)
- Espinosa started the 1975 season in AAA Tidewater. He pitched for the Mets for a short time in July and was 0-1 with an ERA of 18.00 in two games.
- Nino spent the first three months of the 1976 season in Tidewater. He was called up in July and was used as a swingman for the rest of the year. Espinosa went 4-4 with a 3.67 ERA in 12 games (5 starts).
- In 1977 Espinosa was given a chance to be a regular member of the Mets rotation. He pitched pretty well for an awful Mets team, going 10-13 with a 3.42 ERA in 29 starts.
- Nino didn't do as well in 1978. His ERA went up to 4.73 and he was 11-15 in 32 starts. Espinosa led the NL in earned runs allowed with 107.
- During spring training in 1979 Espinosa was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Richie Hebner and Jose Moreno. The Phillies had signed Pete Rose as a free agent, which made Hebner expendable. Nino had his best year in 1979, going 14-12 with a 3.65 ERA in 33 starts.
- Espinosa started the 1980 season on the disabled list due to arm problems. He was ready to pitch in June and was assigned to the Class A Spartanburg Traders. In July Espinosa came back to the Phillies and went 3-5 with a 3.77 ERA in 12 starts. Nino was left off of the postseason roster in a controversial move in favor of rookie Marty Bystrom.
- Nino struggled with arm problems again in 1981. Espinosa was 2-5 with a 6.11 ERA in 14 starts when he was released on August 31. Nino was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays and allowed one run in one inning pitched in his only appearance with the Blue Jays. It would be his last major league appearance.
- The Blue Jays cut Espinosa during spring training in 1982, and he spent the season pitching in the Mexican League. Nino signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1983, but the Pirates released him during spring training.
- In 1987, at the age of 34, Nino Espinosa died of a heart attack on Christmas Eve.
- 1977 Stats: 10-13, 3.42 ERA in 32 games (29 starts)
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1979, 1980, Cardboard Gods
- Larry Hisle had a great year in 1977. He led the AL with 119 RBI and made the AL All Star team. After the 1977 season Hisle signed a big contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. Larry had a good year in 1978, but a shoulder injury killed his career and Hisle retired in 1982.
- 1977 Stats: .302, 28 HR, 119 RBI in 141 games.
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983
- Kent Tekulve was the setup man for closer Goose Gossage in 1977. It wasn't Kent's preferred role. After Gossage left via free agency Tekulve became the closer in 1978.
- Kent's SABR biography
- 1977 Stats: 10-1, 7 saves, 3.06 ERA in 72 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Aug 14 - Earned the save in Pittsburgh's 6-3 victory over the New York Mets. It was the Pirates' 20th home win in 21 games.
- Sept 18 - Allowed one run in four innings and earned his 10th win as the Pirates beat the Montreal Expos 7-5 in 11 innings.
- Other card blogs: 1976, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988
