1977 Topps Baseball #205 - Pete Falcone

• Pete Falcone had a rough year in 1977. Falcone was a starter until late July, then he was sent to the minors for five weeks.. When Pete came back in September, he was used as a reliever for the rest of the season.
• 1977 Stats: 
• Cardinals: 4-8, 5.44 ERA, 1 save in 27 games (22 starts)
• New Orleans Pelicans (AAA): 2-5, 4.91 ERA in 7 starts
• 1977 Highlights:
• May 6 - Pitched seven innings and allowed no runs on two hits. The Cardinals won the game 4-1 and Pete earned the victory with relief help from Al Hrabosky.
• May 30 - Pitched a six hit shutout as the Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 14-0.
• June 27 - Won his first game in a month during a time when his place in the St. Louis rotation was in question.  Falcone allowed one run in seven innings as the Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1.
• July 25 - Allowed a single to Pete Rose. The hit was Pete's 2887th as a switch-hitter, breaking the record previously held by Frankie Frisch.
• Other card blogs: 1976, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985

1977 Topps Baseball #204 - Jeff Newman

• Jeff Newman was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 1970. He played in the minors from 1970-1974 in the Cleveland organization. Jeff then played in the California Angels organization in 1974 and 1975. Newman also spent some time in the Phillies organization in 1975.
• Jeff was playing for the AAA Tucson Toros in 1976 when his contract was purchased by the Oakland A's in late June.
• Newman played sparingly in 1976 and batted .195 in 43 games.
• In 1977 Jeff backed up Manny Sanguillen behind the plate. He batted .222 in 94 games.
• For most of the 1978 season Newman and Jim Essian split time at catcher. Jeff batted .239 with 9 HR and 34 RBI in 105 games.
• Newman was the starting catcher for the A's in 1979. He made the AL All Star team, but didn't play. Newman led the A's in home runs in 1979. Jeff batted .231 with 22 HR and 71 RBI in 143 games.
• In 1980 Essian regained his starting catching job. Newman was used in several positions during the season. Jeff batted .233 with 15 HR and 56 RBI in 127 games.
• For the next two seasons Newman was a backup catcher. In 1981 Jeff batted .231 in 68 games and in 1982 he batted .199 in 72 games. After the 1982 season Newman was traded (with Tony Armas) to the Boston Red Sox for Carney Lansford, Garry Hancock, and a minor leaguer.
• Jeff spent two seasons as the backup catcher for the Red Sox. In 1983 Newman batted .189 in 59 games and in 1984 he batted .222 in 24 games.
• The Red Sox released Newman during spring training in 1985.
• Newman was the interim manager for the A's in 1986 after Jackie Moore was fired. Newman had been the bullpen coach. The A's had a record of 2-8 under Newman's tenure. Tony LaRussa, who had recently been fired by the Chicago White Sox, took over as Oakland manager on July 2.
• Jeff managed in the A's system from 1989-1991.
• Newman was the third base coach for the Cleveland Indians from 1992-1999. He then was the bench coach of the Baltimore Orioles in 2000. 
• Jeff was a field assistant for the Office of the Commissioner from 2002-2004 and then was the third base coach for the Seattle Mariners in 2005 and 2006. Newman's 2006 season ended prematurely when he injured his Achilles' tendon in August.
• 1977 stats:
• Batting: .222, 4 HR, 15 HR in 94 games
• Pitching: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 IP
• 1977 highlights:
• June 26 - Went 4 for 4 in Oakland's 7-3 win over the Kansas City Royals.
• Sept 14 - Pitched one inning in the second game of a doubleheader. Jeff hit a batter, but didn't allow any runs. The A's lost the game 6-0 to the Royals.
• Other card blogs: 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985

1977 Topps Baseball #203 - Ed Armbrister

• This was Ed Armbrister's final major league season. He played in AAA in 1978 and then played in the Mexican League in 1979 and in 1980.
• Ed Armbrister's SABR biography
• 1977 Stats: .256 (20 for 78) in 65 games
• 1977 Highlights:
• June 12 - Appeared as a pinch runner and scored the winning run as the Reds beat the Montreal Expos 7-6
• July 5 - Hit a 2-run homer in Cincinnati's 9-3 win over the Atlanta Braves.
• Other card blogs: 1975, 1976, 

1977 Topps Baseball #202 - Tom Johnson

• Tom Johnson had a great "one year wonder" season in 1977. He won 16 games and saved another 15 as the replacement for the departed Bill Campbell. The 1977 season may have worn Johnson out -- he pitched a bit in 1978 and was in the minors in 1979 and 1980, but that was it for his career.
• 1977 Stats: 16-7, 15 saves, 3.13 ERA in 71 games
• 1977 Highlights:
• April 27 - Got his third win in a row as he allowed one run in three innings
• Other card  blogs: 1976, 1978, 1979

1977 Topps Baseball #201 - Ed Kranepool

• Ed Kranepool had a pretty good year as a backup first baseman and outfielder. This was the last year that Kranepool would appear in more than 100 games.
• Ed Kranepool's SABR biography
• 1977 Stats: .281, 10 HR, 40 RBI in 108 games
• 1977 Highlights:
• June 21 - Went 2 for 5 with a home run in New York's 5-2 win over the Atlanta Braves
• Aug 23 - Appeared as a pinch hitter and doubled in the tying run as the Mets beat the Houston Astros 2-1.
• Other card blogs: 1980, 1979, 1976, 1975, 1974, 1973, 1972, 1971, 1970, 1969, 1968, 1967, 1966, 1965, Cardboard Gods

Clip of several Mets in 1975

2012 BAT dinner interview

1977 Topps Baseball #200 - Frank Tanana

• Frank Tanana enjoyed another good season in 1977. He was selected to the AL All Star team (he didn't pitch because of an injury), got the nod for the Opening Day start, and led the AL in ERA and in shutouts. He did all of this despite missing the last month of the season with a tired and swollen arm.
• 1977 Stats: 15-9, 2.54 ERA, 7 shutouts
• 1977 Highlights:
• April 6 - Shut out the Seattle Mariners in front of an opening day crowd of 57,762 at the Kingdome in Seattle.
• April 29 - Earned his fourth straight victory by allowing two runs in 11 innings. A Don Baylor home run finally put the Angels ahead to stay in the 11th inning.
• June 10 - Won his tenth game of the year by pitching a 2-hit shutout against the Cleveland Indians.
• Other card blogs: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1976, 1976 Kellogg's, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988 

1977 Topps Baseball #199 - Pepe Frias

• Pepe Frias was with the Expos for the entire 1977 season, but he didn't play much. He was a backup at 2B, 3B, SS, and CF.
• 1977 Stats: .257 in 70 at bats
• 1977 Highlights:
• July 15 - Singled home Warren Cromartie with the winning run in the bottom of the 14th to get the Expos a 7-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
• Other card blogs: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980

1977 Topps Baseball #198 - Wilbur Wood

• Wilbur Wood wasn't as successful after his knee injury in 1976. After the injury Wood was basically a .500 pitcher with a high ERA. Wilbur retired after the 1978 season.
• 1977 Stats: 7-8. 4.99 ERA in 24 games (18 starts)
• 1977 Highlights:
• April 28 - Returned to the White Sox roster for the first time since his May 1976 injury (Detroit's Ron LeFlore hit a line drive that fractured Wood's kneecap).
• June 19 - Allowed one run in eight innings to earn his first victory since May 9, 1976 as the White Sox beat the Oakland A's 2-1.
• July 6 - Pitched a complete game seven-hitter to lead the White Sox to a 4-2 win over the Seattle Mariners.
• Other card blogs: 1976, 1975, 1974, 1974, 1973, 1973, 1972, 1971, 1970, 1969, 1968, 1967, 1965, Cardboard Gods

1977 Topps Baseball #197 - Ed Ott

• Ed Ott was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1970. Ed was 18 when he started playing in A ball in 1970. He stayed at the single-A level through the 1972 season and then spent three years (1973-1975) at AAA Charleston. Ott had two short looks by the Pirates in 1974 (0 for 5 in 7 games) and in 1975 (1 for 5 in 5 games).
• Ott stayed with the Pirates for the entire 1976 season, but he wasn't used much. Ed batted .308 (12 for 39) in 27 games.
• Ed split time with Duffy Dyer behind the plate in 1977 and batted .264 in 104 games.
• Ott batted .269 with 9 HR and 38 RBI as the starting catcher in 1978.
• Ed had his best year and was part of the "We Are Family" Pirates in 1979. He batted .273 with 7 HR and 51 RBI during the regular season. He didn't do a lot in the NLCS (3 for 13 in 3 games), but Ed went 4 for 12 (.333) in three games in the World Series.
• Ott played in a career-high 120 games in 1980 and batted .260 with 6 HR and 33 RBI.
• Just before the 1981 season Ott was traded to the California Angels for Jason Thompson and Mickey Mahler. Ed caught the majority of the games for the Angels in the strike-shortened season, but batted only .217 in 75 games.
• Ott injured his rotator cuff during spring training in 1982 and missed the entire season. Ed tried to come back and played two seasons in the minors, but his major career was done.
• After his playing career Ott coached and managed in the minor leagues. He also coached with the Houston Astros from 1989-1993.
• Here is a 2010 interview with Ed.
• 1977 Stats: .264, 7 HR, 38 RBI in 104 games
• 1977 Highlights:
• Aug 10 - Appeared as a pinch hitter and hit a sacrifice fly to win the game for the Pirates. Pittsburgh beat the Chicago Cubs 2-1 in 18 innings.
• Aug 12 - Made a hard slide into New York 2B Felix Millan to break up a double play. Millan shouted at Ott and hit him with the baseball. Ott responded by body slamming Millan into the turf. Millan hurt his shoulder and his career was essentially over.
• Sept 23 - Hit a 2-run homer to account for the only scoring in a 2-0 Pirate victory over the Chicago Cubs. Only 3,757 fans attended the game at Wrigley Field.
• Other card blogs: 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983

1977 Topps Baseball #196 - Len Randle

• Len Randle had a tumultuous year in 1977. After learning that the Rangers were going to be starting youngster Bump Wills at second base, Randle punched out manager Frank Lucchesi. Randle was suspended for 30 days. Lenny was traded to the New York  Mets before the suspension was over.
• Lucchesi later filed a personal injury suit against Randle. The case was later settled.
• The controversy may have done Randle some good. He had his best season in 1977.
• 1977 Stats: .304, .383 on base percentage, 33 stolen bases in 136 games.
• 1977 Highlights:
• May 1 - Went 3 for 5 in his first full game as a New York Met.
• July 9 - Hit a home run in the bottom of the 17th inning to beat the Montreal Expos.
• July 28 - Had his aggravated battery charge reduced to simple battery and was fined $1000 for the punching incident.
• Aug 23 - Singled home the winning run through a drawn in infield as the Mets beat the Houston Astros 2-1. Randle had three hits in the game.
• Other card blogs: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1982, Cardboard Gods

1977 Topps Baseball #195 - Ed Figueroa

• This was the second of three good seasons Ed Figueroa had with the New York Yankees. He struggled in the postseason, but he was a valuable part of the rotation from 1976-1978.
• Ed Figueroa's SABR biography
• 1977 Stats:
• Regular season: 16-11, 3.57 ERA in 32 starts
• AL Championship Series: 0-0, 10.80 ERA in 1 start
• World Series: did not pitch (Ed had nerve damage in a finger, but he was still irked that he didn't get to pitch in the series. There were reports that he had jumped the team, but those reports were unfounded.)
• 1977 Highlights:
• July 30 - Pitched a complete game 9-2 victory over Vida Blue and the Oakland A's.
• Sept 14 - Shut out the Boston Red Sox 2-0 to improve his record to 15-9.
• Other card blogs: 1975, 1976, 1976, 1979, 1980

1977 Topps Baseball #194 - Gary Matthews

• Gary Matthews was signed by the Atlanta Braves as a free agent after the 1976 season (5 years, $1.2 million). Braves owner Ted Turner was suspended by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn for tampering because he talked with Gary before he was supposed to.
• As a Giants fan, I still lament the fact that they couldn't keep some of those good young outfielders that they had in the early-mid 1970s. They let Matthews, Garry Maddox, and George Foster get away. That would have been a great outfield in the late 70s. 
• Gary had a good season in his first year in Atlanta. He didn't lead the team in any major categories, but he was a good compliment to Jeff  Burroughs and Willie Montanez. Unfortunately for the Braves, those three were pretty much the entire offense during the 1977 season.
• 1977 Stats: .283, 17 HR, 64 RBI, .362 on base percentage
• 1977 Highlights:
• May 4 - Was placed on the disabled list due to a shoulder injury. Besides his stint on the DL, Matthews didn't miss many games -- he played in 148 games during the season.
• June 25 - Went 2 for 4 with a home run to help the Braves beat the San Diego Padres 9-5.
• Aug 27 - Went 3 for 3 and scored the winning run in the 10th inning as the Braves beat the New York  Mets 5-4
• Sept 26 - Homered twice and had 3 RBI in the Braves' 12-10 win over the Houston Astros
• Other card blogs: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1976 Hostess, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988

1977 Topps Baseball #193 - Larry Gura

• Larry Gura played at Arizona State University. It was always cool for us to get former Sun Devils in our packs. This was Larry's last year in the bullpen before  being converted to a starter in 1978.
• 1977 Stats:
• Regular season: 8-5, 10 saves, 3.13 ERA in 52 games (6 starts)
• AL Championship Series: 0-1, 18.00 ERA in 2 games (1 start), 2 innings pitched
• 1977 Highlights:
• April 10 - Pitched three innings of shutout ball and earned his first save of the season as the Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 5-0.
• Sept 14 - Picked up his 10th (and last) save of the season as he allowed no runs in two innings of work. The 5-2 Kansas City win was the Royals' 13th in a row.
• Oct 8 - Not exactly a highlight -- Larry started game 4 of the ALCS and allowed four runs on six hits in two innings of work.
• Other card blogs: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, Baseball by the Letters

1977 Topps Baseball #192 - Clarence Gaston

• Clarence (Cito) Gaston spent his entire time with the Braves as a backup outfielder and pinch hitter. Gaston played in 52 games in 1977 -- 38 of those appearances were as a pinch hitter.
• Gaston's SABR biography
• 1977 Stats: .271, 3 HR, 21 RBI in 85 at bats
• 1977 Highlights:
• July 6 - Appeared as a pinch hitter in the 4th inning and hit a 2-run home run. At the time, Gaston's HR tied the score 6-6. The Braves eventually lost the game to the Cincinnati Reds 15-13.
• Other card blogs:  1969, 1970, 1971, 1973,  1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, Cardboard Gods

1977 Topps Baseball #191 - Doug Griffin

• This was Doug Griffin's last season. He was a promising infielder, but beanings and injuries hampered his career. Doug went 0 for 6 in five games and was released on June 21.
• Doug Griffin's SABR biography
• 1977 Stats: .000 (0 for 6)
• 1977 Highlights: none
• Other card blogs: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976

1977 Topps Baseball #190 - Ray Burris

• Ray Burris pitched for seven teams during his major league career. I always think of him as a Chicago Cub. In 1977 Ray was in double figures in victories, but his ERA jumped from 3.11 to 4.72 and he led the NL with 29 home runs allowed.
• 1977 Stats: 14-16, 4.72 ERA in 39 starts
• 1977 Highlights:
• May 3 - Pitched a five-hit shutout against the Atlanta Braves.
• May 20 - Earned the win in the Cubs' 13-4 win over the Houston Astros. Ray also hit a home run in the game.
• Aug 9 - Allowed one run in 7 1/3 innings to earn the win as the Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1.
• Other card blogs: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986

1977 Topps Baseball #189 - Rick Dempsey

• Rick Dempsey's 1977 season was marred by a broken bone in his hand that he suffered on July 8 (he was hit by a pitch from Don Gullett). When Rick was ready to come back in mid-August, the Orioles placed Brooks Robinson on the voluntary retired list to make room.
• 1977 Stats: .226, 3 HR, 34 RBI in 91 games
• 1977 Highlights:
• May 25 - Hit a 3-run homer as a pinch hitter, helping Baltimore beat the Kansas City Royals 7-2.
• May 30 - Went 3 for 4 with 3 RBI to help the Orioles beat the Minnesota Twins 9-7.
• Sept 28 - Entered the game in the 10th inning and singled in the winning run in the 11th as Baltimore beat the Detroit Tigers 3-2.
• Other card blogs: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986

1977 Topps Baseball #188 - Bob Tolan

• 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.
• Other card blogs: 1980, 1976, 1975, 1974, 1973, 1972, 1971, 1970, 1969, 1968, 1967

1977 Topps Baseball #187 - Dick Pole

• Dick Pole was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the expansion draft after the 1976 season. The Mariners signed Dick to a multi-year contract in March 1977.
• Pole had career highs in just about every category for the Mariners in 1977.
• Dick Pole's SABR biography
• 1977 Stats: 7-12, 5.15 ERA in 25 games (24 starts)
• 1977 Highlights:
• May 28 - Allowed one run in seven innings and got the win. The Mariners were 3-1 winners over the Detroit Tigers.
• June 12 - Pitched a complete game and earned the win as the Mariners beat the Blue Jays 5-2.
• Other card blogs: 1975, 1976, Cardboard Gods

1977 Topps Baseball #186 - Doug Flynn

• Doug Flynn was part of the big Tom Seaver trade on June 15. Doug couldn't have been too happy going from a contender to a rebuilding team, but at least he got some playing time for a few years.
• 1977 Stats: 
• Cincinnati Reds: .250 (8 for 32) in 33 games
• New York Mets: .191 in 90 games
• 1977 Highlights:
• May 20 - Doubled in two runs as the Reds beat the Mets 6-2
• Aug 16 - Got three hits to help the Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1.
• Other card blogs: 1976, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986

1977 Topps Baseball #185 - Sixto Lezcano

• Sixto Lezcano was the starting right fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1977. He arrived late for spring training, but manager Alex Grammas was quick to announce that Sixto had the job wrapped up.
• 1977 Stats: .273, 21 HR, 49 RBI in 109 games.
• 1977 Highlights:
• June 7 - Went 3 for 5 with three runs scored. Tripled in the 9th inning and scored the winning run on a wild pitch.
• July 22 - Broke a bone in his hand and was out for a month.
• Other card blogs: 1976, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986

1977 Topps Baseball #184 - Bo McLaughlin

• This was Bo McLaughlin's first card. McLaughlin was the Houston Astros' first round draft pick in 1975. Bo spent 1975 and part of 1976 in the minors before getting brought up in July 1976. Bo pitched well as a rookie -- he was 4-5 with one save and had a 2.85 ERA in 17 games (11 starts)
• In 1977 Bo stepped into the rotation for a few weeks in May and June, but he was a reliever for the remainder of the season.
• McLaughlin spent most of the 1978 season in AAA. He was brought up for a month in June/July and had an 0-1 record with one save and a 5.01 ERA in 13 games (1 start)
• Bo started the 1979 season with Houston (1-2, 5.51 ERA in 12 games) and was traded to the Atlanta Braves for Frank LaCorte on May 25. McLaughlin was 0-1 with a 4.89 ERA in 37 games (1 start) for the Braves to finish the 1979 season.
• McLaughlin was in the minors for the 1980 season. He only pitched in seven games before a neck injury put him on the shelf.
• Bo was released in February 1981. He tried out with the Oakland A's and made the ballclub. McLaughlin pitched in seven games before he was hit in the face by a line drive on May 26. Bo missed several months, but was able to come back in September to pitch four games. McLaughlin ended up with an 0-0 record with one save and had a 11.57 ERA. 
• McLaughlin's last season in the majors was 1982. Bo pitched in 21 games (2 starts) and was 0-4 with a 4.84 ERA. 
• Bo pitched in AAA for three more seasons and retired after the 1985 season. He was out of baseball for several years working as a real estate broker but came back to the game as a coach in the early 1990s. Bo has had several coaching positions since that time. McLaughlin is now the pitching coach for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Here is a Q&A article with Bo.
• 1977 Stats: 4-7, 5 saves, 4.25 ERA, 46 games (6 starts)
• 1977 Highlights:
• May 4 - Pitched a scoreless 11th inning and earned the save in Houston's 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.
• July 14 - Struck out John Hale (the only batter he faced) to save the victory for starter Joaquin Andujar as the Astros beat the LA Dodgers 4-3.
• Other card  blogs: 1980

1977 Topps Baseball #183 - St. Louis Cardinals / Vern Rapp

• The St. Louis Cardinals were an average club with some good players (Garry Templeton, Ted Simmons, Lou Brock), but they didn't have enough to challenge for the NL East crown. They didn't hit for much power and their starting pitching had some weaknesses.
• Vern Rapp played and managed in the minor leauges for a long time before becoming the manager of the Cardinals in 1977. Rapp played in the minors from 1946-1960 (except for two years of military service) and became a manager in 1961. Vern was quite successful as a minor league manager, amassing 1300 career wins.
• After the 1976 season the Cardinals dismissed long-time manager Red Schoendienst and hired Rapp to manage the club. It was felt that the club needed a disciplinarian type of manager. Rapp instituted a dress code that was unpopular with several players. 
• The Cardinals went from 72 wins in 1976 to 83 wins in 1977. But the club started slowly in 1978 (6-11) and Vern was fired on April 25.
• Rapp coached for the Montreal Expos for five seasons. He was named manager of the Cincinnati Reds after the 1983 season.
• The Reds didn't improve much over their previous two last-place seasons (51-70, 5th in NL West) in 1984 and Vern was replaced by player-manager Pete Rose on August 16.
• Baseball by the Letters, September 2010
• • Team Highlights:
  • May 23 - Al Hrabosky returned to the club after serving a two day suspension for insubordination. Hrabosky had some disagreements with Rapp about the team dress code.
  • Aug 29 - Lou Brock broke Ty Cobb's all-time stolen base record by stealing his 893rd career base.
  • • Record: 83-79, 3rd in NL East, 18 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies
    • Attendance:  1,659,287 (4th in NL)
    • Team Batting: .270 (4th in NL)
    • Team HR: 96 (11th in NL)
    • Team Stolen Bases: 134 (5th in NL)
    • Team ERA: 3.81 (7th in NL)
    • Team Fielding: .978 (5th in NL)
    • All Stars: Ted Simmons (C), Garry Templeton (SS)
    • Awards: none
    • NL Leaders: 
    • Garry Templeton - triples (18), singles (155), caught stealing (24)
    • Lou Brock - caught stealing (24)
    • Ted Simmons - intentional walks (25)
    • Batting Leader: Garry Templeton (.322)
    • Home Run Leader:  Ted Simmons (21)
    • RBI Leader: Ted Simmons (95)
    • Stolen Base Leader: Lou Brock (35)
    • Victories Leader: Bob Forsch (20)
    • Losses Leader: Eric Rasmussen (17)
    • Strikeout Leader: Eric Rasmussen (120)
    • Saves Leader: Al Hrabosky (10)
    • ERA Leader (starters): Bob Forsch (3.48)
    • ERA Leader (relievers): Barney Schultz (2.32)
    • Players who could have had Cardinals cards in 1977 (batters with over 100 AB, pitchers with over 40 innings) : 
    • Buddy Schultz 6-1, 2.32 ERA in 40 games
    • John Urrea - 7-6, 4 saves, 3.16 ERA in 41 games (12 starts)
    • Tom Underwood - P - got a card with the Philadelphia Phillies
    • Clay Carroll - P - got a card with the Chicago White Sox
    • Butch Metzger - P - got a card with the San Diego Padres
    • Tony Scott - OF - .291 in 95 games

1977 Topps Baseball #182 - Dan Spillner

• In 1977 Dan Spillner was converted to a full-time reliever. He spent the first month of the season in AAA Hawaii and was recalled in early May after making three starts for the Islanders. Dan appeared in 76 games and had a decent year. Spillner continued to be a full-time reliever until 1979.
• 1977 Stats: 7-6, six saves, 3.73 ERA in 76 games
• 1977 Highlights:
• May 20 - Earned his first save of the season as he pitched 3 2/3 innings without allowing a run. The Padres beat the Montreal Expos 12-4.
• July 3 - Pitched 3 1/3 innings of shutout ball and struck out four batters. Dan earned the win as the Padres beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-7.
• Other card blogs: 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1986, Cardboard Gods

1977 Topps Baseball #181 - Ken McMullen

• This was the last season of Ken McMullen's long career. Ken was sold to the Milwaukee Brewers in February 1977. Ken started the 1977 season on the disabled list with back problems. He spent 1977 with the Brewers and was released after the season.
• 1977 Stats: .228, 5 HR, 19 RBI in 63 games.
• 1977 Highlights:
• Aug 21 - Hit a 2-run homer to help fuel a six-run inning as the Brewers beat the Chicago White Sox 7-1.
• Sept 14 - Entered the game as a pinch hitter and hit a 2-run home run in the 8th inning. It was Ken's final major league at bat. At the time the Brewers had a 6-5 lead over the Seattle Mariners. The Brewers won the game 8-5.
• Other card blogs: 1976, 1975, 1974, 1973, 1972, 1971, 1970, 1969, 1968, 1967, 1966, 1965, 1964, Cardboard Gods