- Cecil Cooper was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for George Scott and Bernie Carbo on 6 December 1976. Cooper would be with the Brewers until the end of his career in 1987.
- Cecil Cooper's SABR biography
- 1977 Stats: .300, 20 HR, 78 RBI
- 1977 Highlights:
- May 20 - Went 4 for 5 with a home run and three runs scored as the Brewers beat the Boston Red Sox 15-7.
- Sept 7 - Hit a 2-run homer to help the Brewers beat the Oakland A's 4-1.
- Nov 16 - Was very happy when the Brewers signed Larry Hisle as a free agent. Cooper and teammate Sal Bando helped persuade Hisle to sign with Milwaukee.
- Other card blogs: 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988
This blog covers all things baseball in 1977. Baseball cards from that year is a main focus of the site.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #235 - Cecil Cooper
Friday, June 29, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #234 - 1976 Record Breaker Nolan Ryan
- Nolan Ryan extended this record to six seasons of 300 or more strikeouts. He struck out 341 batters in 1977 and 301 batters in 1989 at the age of 42.
- Randy Johnson tied this record in 2002. Johnson struck out 300 or more batters four times with the NL Arizona Diamondbacks, once for the Seattle Mariners, and another time for Seattle and the Houston Astros. Ryan accomplished the feat five times for the California Angels and once for the Texas Rangers (all in the AL).
Thursday, June 28, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #233 - 1976 Record Breaker Jose Morales
- As the card mentions, Morales set two pinch hitting records on 16 September 1976 -- most pinch hits in a season and most pinch hitting appearances in a season.
- Jose Morales is 8th in all-time pinch hits
- Morales no longer holds this record. The current record holder is John Vanderwal. He had 28 pinch hits in 1995.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #232 - 1976 Record Breaker Minnie Minoso
- It's too bad that a lot of people remember Minnie Minoso for being an old guy who would be activated occasionally for novelty purposes. Minoso was a good player in the 1950s and early 1960s and may have had a shot at the Hall of Fame if his circumstances were different.
- Minoso still holds the record. This record is unlikely to be broken.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #231 - 1976 Record Breaker George Brett
- I liked the "Highlights" and "Record Breaker" subsets. They were good for educating collectors about the game's history.
- It's been a while since a Hall of Famer has been featured (although at the time it seemed like Fred Lynn and Vida Blue were on their way to the HOF).
- Mr. Brett still holds this record. The players who have come the closest to breaking this record are Magglio Ordonez and Cody Ross in 2008.
- Brett was 18 for 26 during this six game streak.
- The card doesn't mention it, but Ted Sizemore also had five consecutive 3-hit games in 1970.
- Rod Carew was 15 for 18 with 4 HR during his five game streak in 1975.
Monday, June 25, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #230 - Vida Blue
- Vida Bllue was one of the few Oakland A's remaining from the dynasty years. The A's crashed and burned in 1977 and Blue ended up leading the AL in losses.
- 1977 Stats: 14-19, 3.83 ERA in 38 starts
- 1977 Highlights:
- April 4 - Left spring training camp -- Blue was fed up with A's owner Charlie Finley
- May 5 - Allowed two runs in a complete game 5-2 win over the New York Yankees.
- July 17 - Requested to be removed from the AL All Star roster due to a stiff arm.
- Sept 28 - Allowed four runs in the first inning in his last start of the season, but he hung in there and allowed only one more run in the last eight innings. The A's beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5 in ten innings and Blue was able to avoid being a 20-game loser.
- Dec 9 - Sold to the Cincinnati Reds for $1.5 million. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn invalidated the transaction in January 1978 and Blue ended up being traded to the San Francisco Giants before the 1978 season. Kuhn wanted the Reds to add players to the deal because he was concerned that Finley would just pocket the cash and not use it to improve the team.
- Other card blogs: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1972, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1976, 1976 Hostess, 1976 Kellogg's, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1986
Sunday, June 24, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #229 - Don Kessinger
- Don Kessinger started the 1977 season with the St. Louis Cardinals. The emergence of Garry Templeton made Kessinger expendable, so he was traded to the Chicago White Sox for a minor leaguer on August 20.
- 1977 Stats:
- St. Louis Cardinals: .239 in 59 games
- Chicago White Sox: .235 in 39 games
- Total: .237 in 98 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- May 8 - Participated in a triple play that preserved a 2-1 St. Louis victory over the Houston Astros.
- May 12 - Went 2 for 4 with 2 runs and 2 RBI in the Cardinals' 10-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
- Sept 7 - Tripled in two runs to help the White Sox beat the Oakand A's 5-1.
- Other card blogs: 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 Hostess, 1976, 1979
Saturday, June 23, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #228 - Minnesota Twins / Gene Mauch
- The 1977 Minnesota Twins were a team struggling with the new realities of free agency. The club got off to a good start in 1977 and led the AL West as late as August 16. A 7-18 record in September doomed the Twins to a 4th place finish. Rod Carew had a huge year as he flirted with hitting .400 for much of the season. Larry Hisle also had a good season. Unfortunately for the Twins Hisle would be gone after the 1977 season and Carew would depart after the 1978 season.
- Gene Mauch started his baseball career as an infielder. He had a lifetime .291 batting average in twelve years in the minors and played parts of nine seasons from 1944-1957 in the majors (lifetime .239 average).
- Gene was a player-manager in 1953 for AA Atlanta. After Mauch was released by the Boston Red Sox in 1957 he was a player-manager for Boston's AAA Minneapolis club in 1958 and in 1959.
- Mauch was hired to manage the woeful Philadelphia Phillies just before the 1960 season and managed them through the 1968 season. The Phillies had two rough years in 1960 and 1961, but were over .500 from 1962-1967 and were barely under .500 in 1968. An entire blog entry could be made about the famous 1964 collapse of the Phillies. They were 6 1/2 games ahead with two weeks left in the season and ended up in second place as the St. Louis Cardinals passed them at the end of the season. Mauch was named NL Manager of the Year in 1962 and in 1964. Gene was fired from the Phillies in mid-June of 1968.
- Mauch was hired as the first manager of the expansion Montreal Expos later in 1968. Mauch managed the Expos from 1968-1975. The Expos never finished above .500 in Mauch's seven years at the helm of the club, but they were a better ballclub by the time Gene was fired after the 1975 season.
- Mauch didn't stay unemployed long. He was hired by the Minnesota Twins in late November of 1975 and managed the Twins from 1976-1980. Gene resigned from the Twins on August 24, 1980. He wasn't satisifed with the Twins' progress. The Twins played at or near .500 from 1976-1979, but they never finished higher than third in the AL West and they were struggling in 1980 before Mauch left.
- In 1981 Mauch became director of player personnel for the California Angels. On May 28 Gene came back to the dugout to manage the Angels after they fired manager Jim Fregosi. The Angels weren't very good in 1981, but they rebounded to win the AL West in 1982 and almost made it to the World Series. Gene was stung by criticism of his managing in the 1982 playoffs and resigned after the season. The Angels tried to get him to stay, but Mauch didn't change his mind.
- Gene served as the Angels director of player personnel from August 1983 through the 1984 season. Mauch was hired to manage the Angels after they fired Rene Lachemann after the 1984 season. In 1985 the Angels won 90 games but finished second in the AL West. California won the AL West in 1986 but lost to the Boston Red Sox in a very exciting AL Championship Series. In 1987 the Angels went from first to worst as they finished in the AL West cellar. During spring training in 1988 Mauch took a leave of absence due to health problems. Gene's leave turned out to be a permanent one and the Angels hired Cookie Rojas to replace him on March 27.
- Gene managed all or parts of 26 seasons and had a lifetime record of 1902-2037 (.483). Gene usually preferred "small ball" strategies and had a reputation of taunting opposing ballclubs and baiting umpires.
- Mauch served as Bob Boone's bench coach with the Kansas City Royals in 1995.
- Mauch died of cancer on August 8, 2005.
- Team Highlights:
- April 25 - Pitchers Mike Pazik and Don Carrithers were seriously injured in a car accident. Carrithers was driving the Volkswagen van at 1:00 am when a woman tried to enter the freeway on an exit ramp. The cars collided and Pazik suffered compound fractures of both legs. Carrithers had a broken leg and a broken wrist. Carrithers pitched in five games at the end of the 1977 season but that was it for his major league career. Pazik tried to come back with several minor league teams in 1978 and in 1979, but he never pitched in the majors again.
- Oct 28 - Twins President Calvin Griffith refuses to let manager Gene Mauch out of the final year of his contract. Mauch wanted to take a job managing the California Angels. The Angels even offered to trade a pitcher and some cash to the Twins for Mauch, but the Twins refused the offer. Mauch would eventually move over to the Angels after the 1980 season.
- Nov 16 - Rod Carew is named the AL MVP.
- Record: 84-77, 4th in AL West, 17.5 games behind Kansas City
- Attendance: 1,162,727 (11th in AL)
- Team Batting: .282 (1st in AL)
- Team HR: 123 (11th in AL)
- Team Stolen Bases: 105 (6th in AL)
- Team ERA: 4.36 (12th in AL)
- Team Fielding: .978 (4th in AL)
- All Stars: Rod Carew (starting 1B), Larry Hisle (OF), Butch Wynegar (C)
- Awards: Rod Carew (MVP)
- AL Leaders: Rod Carew (batting .388, OBP .449, runs (128), hits (239), triples (16); Larry Hisle (RBI 119); Dave Goltz (wins 20, games started 39)
- Batting Leader: Rod Carew (.388)
- Home Run Leader: Larry Hisle (28)
- RBI Leader: Larry Hisle (119)
- Stolen Base Leader: Rod Carew (23)
- Victories Leader: Dave Goltz (20)
- Losses Leader: Paul Thormosgard (15)
- Strikeout Leader: Dave Goltz (186)
- Saves Leader: Tom Johnson (15)
- ERA Leader (starters): Dave Goltz (3.36)
- ERA Leader (relievers): Tom Johnson (3.13)
- Players who could have had Twins cards in 1977 (batters with over 100 AB, pitchers with over 40 innings) :
- Rob Wilfong (2B) .246, 1 HR, 13 RBI in 73 games
- Willie Norwood (UT) .229, 3 HR, 9 RBI in 39 games
- Bob Gorinski (OF) .195, 3 HR, 22 RBI in 54 games
- Dave Johnson 2-5, 4.58 ERA in 30 games (6 starts)
- Ron Schueler 8-7, 3 saves, 4.41 ERA in 52 games (7 starts)
- Paul Thormosgard 11-15, 4.62 ERA in 37 starts
Friday, June 22, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #227 - Joe Sambito
- You may have noticed the little mark above Joe Sambito's name on the back. There is a story behind that. The 1977 set was the first set that I completed as a kid. I was really proud of that and was dumb enough to bring the set to school for show and tell. Sure enough, the cards got stolen and I was unable to get them back. I was heartbroken. My father felt sorry for me and sent away for the complete set (probably from Larry Fritsch or Den's Collector's Den). When the cards came in, he marked each card with a diagonal pencil mark. So when you see cards with the little diagonal mark, they are the cards from the set my dad bought me 35 years ago.
- Joe Sambito was drafted by the Houston Astros in 1973. He pitched in the minors from 1973-1975.
- Sambito started the 1976 season in the minors. He had a high ERA with AAA Memphis (3-0, 6.33 ERA), and pitched well for AA Columbus (8-2, 1.80 ERA). Joe was called up to Houston in mid-July and had a 3-2 record with a 3.54 ERA in 20 games (4 starts).
- Joe started a good run as a reliever for the Astros in 1977. He had a record of 5-5 with seven saves and had an ERA of 2.33 in 54 games for the Astros in '77.
- In 1978 Sambito was 4-9 with 11 saves and had a 3.07 ERA in 62 appearances.
- Sambito made the NL All Star team in 1979 (he pitched 2/3 of an inning, walked one batter, and allowed no runs). He had a record of 8-7, saved 22 games, and had a 1.77 ERA.
- Joe finished 5th in NL Cy Young Award voting in 1980. During the regular season he was 8-4 with 17 saves and had a 2.19 ERA in 64 games. Joe was 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in three appearances during the 1980 NLCS.
- Sambito's last really good full season was in 1981. He was 5-5 with 10 saves and had a 1.84 ERA in 49 games. During the NLDS Sambito was 1-0 but had a 16.20 ERA in two appearances.
- Joe was off to a great start (0-0, 4 saves, 0.71 ERA in 9 games) in 1982 when he suffered an elbow injury . He saved the game on April 27, but that was his last appearance. Joe had surgery in July to remove a bone chip, but a ruptured ligament was discovered and that was repaired as well.
- Sambito had another elbow surgery in March 1983 and sat out the entire season while recovering.
- Joe underwent a rehabilitation program and did a rehab stint in the minors in 1984. Sambito was activated by the Astros on May 23 and had a 3.02 ERA in 32 games for the Astros.
- Sambito didn't make the Houston club in 1985 -- he allowed 25 hits and 12 earned runs in 14 2/3 innings. He was given the choice of accepting a minor league assignment or being released. Joe chose to be released. Sambito worked out with a few clubs and ended up signing with the New York Mets on April 26. Joe appeared in eight games for the Mets and had a 12.66 ERA before being assigned to AAA Tidewater in July. In late August the Mets "recalled" Sambito and then released him.
- In 1986 Joe signed with the Boston Red Sox and was able to stay with the club for the entire season. Sambito went 2-0, saved 12 games, and had a 4.84 ERA in 53 games. Joe made three appearances in the ALCS without allowing a run. In the World Series he got roughed up in two games -- he had a 27.00 ERA in 1/3 of an inning. The Red Sox used Sambito as a situational lefty during his time with the team.
- Sambito's last major league season was 1987. He wasn't as successful, going 2-6 with a 6.93 ERA in 47 games.
- Joe wasn't resigned after the 1987 season. Sambito attempted another comeback with the Astros in 1988 and was successful at AAA Tucson, but the Astros didn't call him up and he left the ballclub in late June. The Astros wouldn't release Sambito because they wanted to keep the Los Angeles Dodgers from picking him up. Joe retired after the 1988 season.
- After his playing career Joe became an agent.
- Here is a 2001 interview with Sambito
- 1977 Stats: 5-5, 7 saves, 2.33 ERA in 54 games (1 start)
- 1977 Highlights:
- April 24 - Pitched 1 2/3 shutout innings and picked up a win against the San Diego Padres.
- Other card blogs: 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988
Thursday, June 21, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #226 - Leroy Stanton
- Leroy Stanton was chosen in the 1976 expansion draft and moved on to the Seattle Mariners after five seasons with the California Angels. Stanton had a good year for the Mariners and led the club in home runs and RBI.
- 1977 Stats: .275, 27 HR, 90 RBI
- 1977 Highlights:
- April 17 - Broke out of a 1 for 21 slump by hitting a 2-run homer against his former team. The Mariners beat the California Angels 11-7.
- July 14 - Grounded into a 5-4-3 triple play against the Angels. Stanton went 2 for 4 with two doubles and a run scored in the game and the Mariners won 4-1.
- July 31 - Hit a 2-run homer and was 2 for 3 with 3 RBI ast he Mariners beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-1.
- Other card blogs: 1976, 1975, 1974, 1973
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #225 - Bob Apodaca
- This would be Bob Apodaca's final major league season. Bob was injured and never pitched in the majors again after the injury. Apodaca tore ligaments in his pitching elbow during spring training in 1978 and missed the whole season. He tried a couple of comebacks in the minors in 1979 and in 1981.
- 1977 Stats: 4-8, 5 saves, 3.43 ERA in 59 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- June 5 - Caused some confusion in the 9th inning of a game when he was calling for who to catch a fly ball. John Stearns and John Milner were both in the vicinity and Apodaca called out, "John! John!" The ball dropped to the ground and Philadelphia's Ted Sizemore was safe at first base. Pinch runner Terry Harmon was caught stealing second base so the play didn't have any bearing on the outcome of the game (the Mets won 6-5 in ten innings).
- June 30 - Pitched 2 2/3 innings and earned the win as the Mets beat the Montreal Expos 4-3.
- Sept 18 - Left the game with an injury with two out in the 9th inning while facing Chicago's Larry Biittner. It ended up being Bob's final major league game.
- Other card blogs: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #224 - Rusty Torres
- Most of Rusty Torres' appearances in 1977 were as an outfield defensive replacement. He started 13 games in the outfield in June. Rusty started the season on the disabled list and wasn't activated until May 18.
- 1977 Stats: .156 in 77 at bats
- 1977 Highlights:
- June 28 - Hit a solo home run in the 6th inning to thwart a bid for a second straight shutout by Dennis Leonard of the Kansas City Royals. Leonard only allowed two hits in the Royals' 3-1 win.
- July 27 - Hit a 2-run home run in California's 9-3 victory over the Oakland A's.
- Other card blogs: 1972, 1973, 1973, 1974, 1980
Monday, June 18, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #223 - Earl Williams
- Earl Williams didn't play for the Montreal Expos in 1977. He was released on March 28. Williams signed with the Oakland A's on April 3 and was used as a DH and as a backup first baseman and catcher.
- Williams clashed with A's manager Bobby Winkles and the 1977 season proved to be Earl's last.
- Earl's SABR biography
- 1977 Stats: .241, 13 HR, 38 RBI
- 1977 Highlights:
- April 9 - Homered in the A's first game of the season to help the A's beat the Minnesota Twins 7-4.
- July 3 - Hit his 13th homer of the season. The 3-run shot was the last home run of his major league career. It wasn't enough as the A's lost to the California Angels 6-4.
- Other card blogs: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976
Sunday, June 17, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #222 - Francisco Barrios
- Francisco Barrios originally signed with the San Francisco Giants from the Mexican League in 1973. After spending a month with the AAA Phoenix Giants, Barrios was released in September.
- Barrios was traded to the Chicago White Sox (with a minor leaguer for Rudy Hernandez) from the Mexican League after the 1973 season. Barrios pitched in the minors in 1974 and pitched in two September games (0-0, 27.00 ERA in 2 IP) for the White Sox at the end of the year.
- Francisco started three games for AAA Denver in 1975 and then spent the remainder of the year in the Mexican League.
- In 1976 Barrios was with the White Sox for the entire year. He was 5-9 with three saves and a 4.32 ERA in 35 games (14 starts). On July 28 Barrios combined with Blue Moon Odom on a no-hitter. Odom pitched the first five innings but walked nine batters and was replaced by Barrios in the 6th inning.
- Barrios had his best year in 1977. He was 14-7 with a 4.12 ERA and was second on the club in victories.
- Francisco actually had a lower ERA in 1978, but his record was reversed. Barrios ended up with a 9-15 record and a 4.05 ERA.
- Barrios didn't pitch after July 8 in 1979. He started 18 games and was 8-3 with a 3.61 ERA.
- Francisco didn't pitch much in the next two years. He made a few starts in the minors in 1980 and also started three games for the White Sox (1-1, 4.96 ERA). In 1981 Barrios went 1-3 with a 3.97 ERA in 8 games (7 starts). He made all of his appearances before the 1981 strike, but he had a couple of run-ins with the law (disorderly conduct and drug possession) and spent time in a drug rehabilitation center during the strike. The White Sox released Barrios on September 1, 1981.
- Barrios had a good season in winter ball in 1981 and was set to sign a contract with the Milwaukee Brewers for the 1982 season. He died of a heart attack in his parents' home in Hermosillo, Mexico on April 8, 1982.
- 1977 Stats: 14-7, 4.12 ERA in 31 starts
- 1977 Highlights:
- July 11 - Allowed two runs and struck out ten batters in a complete game 4-2 win over the Kansas City Royals.
- Aug 22 - Allowed three solo home runs, but was able to hang on and beat the New York Yankees 5-3.
- Other card blogs: 1979, 1980
Saturday, June 16, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #240 - Ron LeFlore
- I moved this post up a bit since today (June 16) is Ron LeFlore's birthday.
- Ron LeFlore was in double figures in doubles (30), triples (10), and home runs (16) in 1977. He didn't make the All Star team in 1977, but he still had a great year.
- 1977 Stats: .325, 16 HR, 57 RBI, 100 runs, 212 hits
- 1977 Highlights:
- April 29 - Singled, stole second base, and scored on an error in the 10th inning to give the Tigers a 6-5 win over the Minnesota Twins. Ron went 3 for 5 in the game.
- June 16 - Hit two solo home runs on his birthday as the Tigers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1.
- June 28 - Went 3 for 5 with a run and a RBI to help the Tigers beat the Boston Red Sox 3-2.
- Other card blogs: 1975, 1976, 1976 Kellogg's, 1979, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983
Friday, June 15, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #220 - Chris Chambliss
- I wonder how many KC Royals fans burned this card when they got it in packs. Chris really put a dagger in their hearts in the 1976 ALCS.
- Chris Chambliss' SABR biography
- 1977 Stats:
- Regular season: .287, 17 HR, 90 RBI
- AL Championship Series: .059 (1 for 17)
- World Series: .292 (7 for 24), 1 HR, 4 RBI
- 1977 Highlights:
- May 17 - Singled in two runs in the 15th inning as the Yankees beat the Oakland A's 5-2.
- Aug 16 - Hit a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 9th to lead the Yankees to an 11-10 comeback win over the Chicago White Sox
- Aug 29 - Appeared as a pinch hitter and hit a 3-run homer to help the Yankees to a 5-3 win over the Kansas City Royals.
- Other card blogs: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986
Thursday, June 14, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #219 - Joe Coleman
- Joe Coleman was traded to the Oakland A's for Jim Todd during spring training in 1977. Joe started the sesaon in the bullpen and went into the starting rotation in July. Coleman was a starter for most of the remainder of the 1977 season.
- 1977 Stats: 4-4, 2 saves, 2.96 ERA in 43 games (12 starts)
- 1977 Highlights:
- June 1 - Induced Jose Baez to hit into a game-ending double play to earn the save. Oakland beat Seattle 6-3.
- July 11 - In his first start of the season, Coleman allowed one run in six innings and won his first game of the season. The A's beat the Seattle Mariners 8-1.
- Other card blogs: 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1976, 1979, 1980
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #218 - John Wathan
- John Wathan was the Kansas City Royals' first round pick (4th overall) in the 1971 draft. He performed well in the minor leagues, but injuries to his wrist and shoulder slowed his progress in the Royals' system.
- The Royals finally brought Wathan up to the majors in May 1976. John was the third catcher and didn't get a whole lot of playing time. Wathan batted .286 (12 for 42) in 27 games during the regular season. John got into one game in the 1976 AL Championship Series but he didn't come to the plate.
- The 1977 season was Wathan's first full season. He batted .328 in 55 games during the regular season and was 0 for 6 with three strikeouts in the 1977 ALCS
- Wathan split time between first base and catcher in 1978. He played in 67 games and batted .300 with 2 HR and 28 RBI. John went 0 for 3 in the only game (game 4) he played in the 1978 ALCS.
- John had a rough time in 1979. Not only did his team not play well, but his mother was murdered by his stepbrother on June 10. Wathen ended up batting .206 in 90 games.
- In 1980 John split time with Darrell Porter behind the plate and also played in the outfield and at first base. Wathan had a nice bounceback year, batting .305 with 6 HR and 58 RBI. John also stole 17 bases, the first of four straight years of double figures in that category. During the ALCS Wathan was 0 for 6 in three games and in the World Series he batted .286 (2 for 7).
- Porter was traded after the 1980 season and Wathan became the starting catcher. John batted .252 with 1 HR and 19 RBI in 89 games in 1981. He batted .300 (3 for 10) in three games in the AL Divisional Series.
- In 1982 Wathan broke a record set by Ray Schalk in 1916 for stolen bases by a catcher by stealing 36 bases. He batted .270 in 121 games.
- John's last season as a full-time player was in 1983. Wathan batted .245 in 128 games.
- Wathan became a backup in 1984 and batted .181 in 171 at bats. He was 0 for 1 in the 1984 ALCS.
- John got a ring in his last season. Wathan batted .234 in 60 games during the 1985 season. John wasn't used in the ALCS and he was 0 for 1 in two games in the 1985 World Series.
- Wathan retired during spring training in 1986 and was hired as an assistant coach by the Royals. He was in that position in 1986 and in 1987. John was hired as the Royals' manager on August 28, 1987. Wathan managed the club to two second place finished in the AL West (1988 and 1989). He continued to manage the Royals until May 22,1991 when he was fired after the club started 15-22.
- Wathan was hired by the California Angels as the third base coach in 1992. When manager Buck Rogers was seriously injured in a team bus crash on May 21, John managed the team on an interim basis for the remainder of the season. The club had a 39-50 record under Wathan.
- John worked in various coaching and announcing jobs from 1994-2006. He was named as a special assistant by the Royals in 2008.
- John's SABR biography
- 1977 Stats:
- Regular season: .328, 2 HR, 21 RBI in 55 games
- AL Championship Series: .000 (0 for 6) in four games
- 1977 Highlights:
- Other card blogs: 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #217 - Tom Underwood
- 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)
- 1977 Highlights:
- Aug 10 - Beat the New York Mets 3-1. Tom allowed one run in eight innings pitched.
- Oct 1 - Allowed two runs in 8 1/3 innings as the Cardinals beat the Mets 4-2.
- Dec 6 - Traded (with Victor Cruz) to the Toronto Blue Jays for John Scott and Pete Vuckovich
- Other card blogs: 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985
Monday, June 11, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #216 - Doug DeCinces
- It must have been really tough on Doug DeCinces to replace such a popular legend (Brooks Robinson) at third base. He had a decent year in 1977, but he would have several better seasons in the years to come.
- 1977 Stats: .259, 19 HR, 69 RBI
- 1977 Highlights:
- July 1 - Hit two 2-run home runs as the Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox 8-2.
- Aug 31 - Homered off of Frank Tanana to break a 3-3 tie in the 8th inning. Previously Doug was 1 for 18 lifetime against Tanana. The Orioles beat the California Angels 4-3.
- Sept 8 - Hit a 2-run homer to help Jim Palmer and the Orioles beat the Detroit Tigers 4-0. The announced attendance in Detroit was 1,969.
- Other card blogs: 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988
Sunday, June 10, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #215 - Butch Metzger
- Butch Metzger was coming off of a co-Rookie of the Year Award (with Pat Zachry of the Cincinnati Reds) in 1976, which explains the "5" number. Unfortuantely, Metzger had a tough time with the Padres in 1977.
- Butch was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for John D'Acquisto and Pat Scanlon on May 17. He performed better for the Cardinals, but that was about it for Metzger as an effective major league pitcher.
- 1977 Stats:
- San Diego Padres - 0-0, 5.56 ERA in 17 games (1 start)
- St. Louis Cardinals - 4-2, 3.11 ERA, 7 saves in 58 games
- TOTAL: 4-2, 3.59 ERA, 7 saves in 75 games (1 start)
- 1977 Highlights:
- Aug 10 - Pitched a scoreless 9th inning to earn the save in the Cardinals' 3-1 win over the New York Mets
- Aug 13 - Earned the victory by pitching three innings and allowing no runs on one hit.The Cardinals beat the Montreal Expos 1-0 in ten innings.
- Other card blogs: 1976
Saturday, June 9, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #214 - Darrell Porter
- Darrell Porter actually played for the Kansas City Royals in 1977. Porter was traded (with Jim Colburn) to the Royals for Jamie Quirk, Jim Wohlford, and Bob McClure.
- Porter blossomed when he went to Kansas City and had three good years for the club. He was an AL All Star in 1978, 1979, and 1980.
- 1977 Stats:
- Regular season: .275, 16 HR, 60 RBI
- AL Championship Series: .333 (5 for 15), 3 runs scored
- 1977 Highlights:
- May 8 - Was heavily involved in a 20-minute brawl between the Royals and the Texas Rangers. Texas DH Willie Horton later said that someday he would find out what Porter was made of.
- June 13 - Knocked in three runs as the Royals beat the New York Yankees 8-3
- July 17 - Hit a 2-run homer to help the Royals beat the Yankees 8-4. The Royals swept the three-game series.
- Other card blogs: 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986
Friday, June 8, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #213 - Maximino Leon
- Max Leon was in the starting rotation for the Atlanta Braves from early May until mid June. Leon spent the rest of the 1977 season coming out of the bullpen.
- 1977 Stats:
- Atlanta Braves - 4-4, 1 save, 3.97 ERA in 31 games (9 starts)
- Richmond (AAA) - didn't pitch for the club, but was on the roster
- 1977 Highlights:
- April 24 - Recalled by Atlanta from AAA Richmond. Leon replaced disgruntled pitcher Mike Marshall.
- May 12 - Drove in three runs and allowed one run on three hits in seven innings as the Braves beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1. This was the game in which Braves owner Ted Turner was told that he was ineligible to manage the club. The Braves went without a manager in the game - coach Vern Benson handled the strategy. The game also snapped a 17-game losing streak by the Braves.
- June 14 - Allowed three runs in five innings, but the Braves beat the New York Mets 8-5. Leon earned the win in his last start of the season.
- Aug 6 - Arrested on drunk driving charges. Leon also hurt his knee while trying to get away from the police. Max was placed on the disqualified list and didn't pitch again until September 6.
- Other card blogs: 1975, 1976
Thursday, June 7, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #212 - Jim Mason
- Jim Mason was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1976 expansion draft. Mason didn't hit well and was a backup shortstop for the Blue Jays. On May 9 Jim was traded (with Steve Hargan and $200,000) to the Texas Rangers for Roy Howell. Mason hit a little better for the Rangers, but he still finished the 1977 season below the Mendoza line.
- 1977 Stats:
- Toronto Blue Jays: .165 in 22 games
- Texas Rangers: .218 in 36 games
- TOTAL: .187 in 58 games
- 1977 Highlights:
- June 17 - Knocked in three runs in Texas' 8-6 win over the Seattle Mariners.
- Aug 24 - Went 2 for 4 with a home run to help the Rangers beat the Boston Red Sox 6-3. Mason's homer put the Rangers ahead 4-3 and proved to be the game winner.
- Other card blogs: 1980, 1979, 1975, 1974, 1973, 1972
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
1977 Topps Baseball #211 - San Francisco Giants / Joe Altobelli
- Joe Altobelli didn't have much success as a major league player (.210 in 166 games in 1955, 1957, and 1961), but he had more success as a coach and manager.
- In 1966 Altobelli became a manager in the Baltimore Orioles system. He managed the AAA Rochester Red Wings to four first place finishes from 1971-1976.
- Even with his minor league managing success, Joe wouldn't be replacing Orioles manager Earl Weaver anytime soon. Altobelli took the opportunity to manage the San Francisco Giants in 1977.
- The Giants weren't so hot in 1977 (4th in NL West), but in 1978 they challenged for the NL West title (89-73, 6 games behind) and were in contention until late September.
- Altobelli was let go in 1979 during a disastrous season. The Giants were often called the "San Fiasco Giants" due to all of the things going wrong (injuries, discontented players, poor years, etc.). The Giants were 61-79 at the time of Altobelli's firing on September 6.
- Altobelli managed the AAA Columbus Clippers in 1980 and then was a coach with the New York Yankees for two season.
- Joe was hired to replace the retiring Weaver in Baltimore for the 1983 season and led the club to a World Championship.
- The Orioles finished 5th in the AL East in 1984 and in 1985 they were playing slightly above .500 when Joe was let go in mid June and replaced by Weaver.
- Joe coached for the Yankees in 1986 and in 1987 and then coached for the Chicago Cubs from 1988-1991.
- Altobelli was the General Manager of the Rochester Red Wings from 1991-1994 and then was a special assistant to the club president from 1995-1997. From 1998-2009 Joe was a color commentator for Red Wings home game broadcasts. Joe is now retired and living in Rochester.
- The San Francisco Giants were a team in transition in 1977. Real estate magnate Bob Lurie had bought the financially struggling club in 1976 in order to keep the team in San Francisco. Both the Giants and the nearby Oakland A's were having attendance struggles. The Giants signed veteran slugger Willie McCovey and he paid dividends by leading the club in home runs and RBI. San Francisco was a fourth place club in 1977, but the pieces were coming together for a run at the NL West title the following season.
- Team Highlights:
- Feb 11 - Traded Bobby Murcer to the Chicago Cubs for Bill Madlock
- April 26 - Traded shortstop Chris Speier to the Montreal Expos for shortstop Tim Foli
- June 9 - The Oakland A's fire manager Jack McKeon and replace him with Giants coach Bobby Winkles.
- Sept 6 - Foli is suspended for five days and fined by NL President Chub Feeney for exchanging words with Atlanta pitcher Dick Ruthven and charging the mound a few days before. Umpire Bruce Froemming had reommended that Foli be suspended for the remainder of the season.
- Nov 14 - Firstbaseman Willie McCovey wins the Hutch Award for his great comeback 1977 season.
- Record: 75-87, 4th in NL West, 23 games behind Los Angeles Dodgers
- Attendance: 700,056 (12th in NL)
- Team Batting: .253 (10th in NL)
- Team HR: 134 (6th in NL)
- Team Stolen Bases: 90 (9th in NL)
- Team ERA: 3.75 (5th in NL)
- Team Fielding: .972 (10th in NL)
- All Stars: Gary Lavelle (reliever)
- Awards: none
- NL Leaders: none
- Batting Leader: Bill Madlock (.302)
- Home Run Leader: Willie McCovey (28)
- RBI Leader: Willie McCovey (86)
- Stolen Base Leader: Gary Thomasson (16)
- Victories Leader: Ed Halicki (16)
- Losses Leader: Jim Barr (16)
- Strikeout Leader: Ed Halicki (168)
- Saves Leader: Gary Lavelle (20)
- ERA Leader (starters): Ed Halicki (3.32)
- ERA Leader (relievers): Gary Lavelle (2.05)
- Players who could have had Giants cards in 1977 (batters with over 100 AB, pitchers with over 40 innings) :
- Tim Foli (had card with Expos) - .228 in 104 games
- Bill Madlock (had card with Cubs) - .302 in 140 games
- Rob Andrews - .264 in 127 games
- Randy Elliott - .240 in 73 games
- Vic Harris - .261 in 69 games
- Terry Whitfield - .285 in 114 games
- Lynn McGlothen (had card with Cardinals) - 2-9, 5.63 ERA in 21 games (15 starts)
- Bob Knepper - 11-9, 3.36 ERA in 27 starts
- Terry Cornutt - 1-2, 3.86 ERA in 28 games (44.1 innings)
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