1977 Topps Baseball #328 - Tommy Boggs

• It looks like the Texas Rangers didn't learn their lesson with David Clyde. Tommy Boggs was the second player selected in the 1974 draft. Boggs moved through the Texas system very quickly and came up to the Rangers as a 20-year-old in July 1976.
• Tommy was 1-7 with a 3.49 ERA in 13 starts for the Rangers in 1976 and his future looked bright.
• In 1977 Tommy had a rough start and was sent to AAA after six starts. Boggs spent the rest of the year in Tucson but fared poorly there.
• Boggs was part of a complicated four-way trade that netted the Rangers Bert Blyleven. Boggs ended up with the Atlanta Braves and started the 1978 season with the major league club. He struggled and was sent down to AAA Richmond in late May. Tommy came back to the Braves in July and ended up 2-8 with a 6.71 ERA.
• Tommy was in Richmond for most of the 1979 season. He started three games for the Braves in September and was 0-2 with a 6.39 ERA.
• Things looked pretty bleak for Boggs in 1980, but he was able to have his best season in the majors. Tommy went 12-9 and had a 3.42 ERA in 32 games (26 starts).
• Boggs had an about-face in 1981. He had a 3-13 record and had an ERA of 4.10 in 24 starts in the strike-shortened season.
• Tommy was off to a good start in 1982 when he had a rotator cuff injury and had to miss much of the season. Boggs started three games and had to leave his third start after pitching 1 2/3 innings. After a rehab assignment in Richmond Tommy was reactivated in late August and had some good starts for the Braves down the stretch. Boggs ended up with a 2-2 record and had an ERA of 3.30 in 10 starts. 
• On September 6, 1982 (my 16th birthday) Boggs was removed from a game after six innings although he had a no-hitter going. The Braves were leading the Giants 2-0 at the time. The Giants came back against the Atlanta bullpen and ended up winning the game 8-2. 
• Tommy was slated to start game 2 of the NL Championship series, but the game was rained out and Phil Niekro was used instead. Boggs was understandably disappointed.
• In 1983 Tommy appeared in only five games for the Braves (0-0, 5.68 ERA) and four games for Richmond (0-4, 14.25 ERA) as he tried to recover from shoulder surgery. Boggs was released after the season.
• After the 1983 season Boggs was indicted for his part in a gambling ring. In March 1984 he was fined $1000 and given one year of probation.
• The Texas Rangers signed Boggs in 1984. He spent the 1984 season in the minors. 
• In 1985 Tommy was with the Rangers for about three weeks from mid-April to early May and was 0-0 with an 11.57 ERA in four games. He also spent some time in AAA and then retired after the season.
• After his retirement as a player, Tommy started the Austin Slam Baseball Club in 1986. The club trains players to become college and professional players.
• Boggs is now the baseball coach at Concordia University in Texas. He was hired in 2009.
• 1977 Stats:
• Texas Rangers: 0-3, 5.93 ERA in 6 starts
• Tucson Toros: 5-10, 8.54 ERA in 20 starts
• 1977 Highlights: There wasn't a whole lot to write home about during this season for Boggs.
• Other card blogs: 1979, 1983, Cardboard Gods