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