I'm going to make an attempt to collect as many baseball cards as possible from 1976. I was 9 when the 1976 Topps baseball cards came out. I have most of those cards, but I'd like to expand and get the other cards from this great year.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
1976 Topps #190 - Jon Matlack
Jon Trumpbour Matlack pitched for the New York Mets and the Texas Rangers from 1971-1983. His career started off well, but he tailed off and ended up with a 125-126 lifetime record.
Matlack was chosen in the 1st round (4th overall) by the Mets in the 1967 draft when he was 17 years old. He pitched in the minors from 1967-1971. Jon was brought up to the Mets in July 1971 and pitched in seven games (six starts). He had a record of 0-3 with a 4.14 ERA.
Jon was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1972. He was 15-10 with a 2.32 ERA in 32 starts. Matlack also gave up Roberto Clemente's 3000th (and final) hit on the last day of the season.
He followed that season with a 14-16, 3.20 ERA effort in 1973. His skull was fractured by a Marty Perez line drive during the season. Jon pitched a shutout in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series and lost Game 7 of the 1973 World Series.
Matlack had three more good seasons (13-15, 16-12, 17-10) with the Mets as part of the Seaver-Koosman-Matlack trio of starting pitchers. Matlack made the NL All Star team in 1974, 1975, and 1976. He was the co-MVP of the 1975 game (with Bill Madlock).
Jon had an off year in 1977 (7-15, 4.21 ERA) and was involved in that complicated four-team trade after the 1977 season. Matlack ended up wearing a Texas Rangers' uniform.
In 1978 Jon rebounded and had a good year. He was 15-13 with a 2.27 ERA. Matlack had injury problems in 1979 and made only 13 starts. He didn't start until May 1 and didn't pitch again after July 1. He ended up 4-5 with a 4.13 ERA.
In 1980 Jon was 10-10 with a 3.68 ERA in 34 starts. Jon slipped to 4-7 with a 4.14 ERA in 16 starts in the strike-shortened 1981 season. In his last two seasons Jon was used as a fifth starter and a reliever. He was released by the Rangers after the 1983 season. It has been said that part of the reason for his release was his activities as a union leader during the 1981 strike.
After his playing career Jon was a coach in several minor league systems. Here is a "where are they now" article from 2008. Jon is now the minor league pitching coordinator for the Detroit Tigers.
Jon loved to face Bob Boone (.214, 0 HR in 56 AB) and Steve Garvey (.226, 0 HR in 62 AB) and hated to face Tony Perez (.355, 3 HR in 62 AB) and Ted Simmons (.377, 2 HR in 53 AB).
Nice post. I always enjoy reading about Jon as I have a pretty decent player collection of him.
ReplyDelete