1976 Topps #594 - Rookie Catchers and Outfielders (Merchant, Ott, Stillman, White)

• Andy Merchant
• Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 1972
• Debuted in the majors at the end of the 1975 season
• Played in one game (September 28) after the Red Sox clinched the AL East and went 2 for 4.
• Appeared as a pinch hitter for the Red Sox twice in June 1976 and struck out both times. That was it for his major league career
• Played in AAA in the Red Sox organization from 1974-1979
• After his retirement from baseball he worked at Alabama Power as a line-clearing specialist from 1980-2000
• Andy's SABR biography
• Ed Ott
• Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1970
• Played in the minors from 1970-1975
• Had short stints with the Pirates in 1974 (0 for 5 in seven games) and in 1975 (1 for 5 in five games)
• Played in 27 games in 1976 and batted .308 in 39 at bats
• Split the catching duties with Duffy Dyer in 1977 --- batted .264 with 7 HR in 104 games
• Slammed Mets 2B Felix Milan to the ground during an altercation on August 18, 1977. Milan was hurt and the injury basically ended his career.
• Batted .269 with 9 HR in 112 games in 1978
• Was the regular catcher for the Pirates in 1979 and  batted .273 with 7 HR and 51 RBI in 117 games
• Played in three games in the 1979 NLCS and went 3 for 13 (.231)
• Batted .333 (4 for 12) in three games in the 1979 World Series
• Batted .260 with 8 HR and 41 RBI in 1980
• Traded with Mickey Mahler to the California Angels for Jason Thompson after the 1980 season
• Played in 75 games for the Angels in 1981 and batted .217
• Did not play in 1982
• Played in AAA in 1983 and retired after the season.
• Coached with the Houston Astros from 1989-1993
• Currently  manages the Sussex Skyhawks in the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball
• Ed Ott reminisces
• Royle Stillman
• Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1969
• Played in the Dodgers' organization from 1969-1971 and then was traded to the Baltimore Orioles as part of the Frank Robinson deal
• Played in AA in 1972 and then played all or parts of four seasons (1973-1976) for AAA Rochester
• Played in 13 games for the Orioles in 1975 and went 6 for 14 (.429)
• Played in 20 games in 1976 and went 2 for 22 (.091)
• Became a free agent after the 1976 season and signed with the Chicago White Sox
• Stayed with the White Sox for the entire 1977 season and batted .210 in 119 at bats
• Cut by the White Sox at the end of spring training in 1978
• Played for AAA Ogden and AAA Salt Lake City in the A's and Mariners organizations from 1978-1980
• Held out in 1974. Stillman was one of Rochester's better players but was thought of as enigmatic by some teammates and people around the club
• Jerry White
• Drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1970 at the age of 17
• Played in the minors from 1970-1974
• Was called up in September 1974 and went 4 for 10 in nine games
• Started the 1975 season in Montreal but was sent down to AAA in  late May
• Came back to the Expos in September and ended up batting .299 in 39 games
• Stayed in Montreal for the entire 1976 season and batted .245 in 114 games
• Batted .190 in 16 games for Montreal in 1977 (was in AAA for most of the season)
• Started the 1978 season in Montreal and was mostly used as a pinch runner (2 for 10 in 18 games)
• Traded to the Chicago Cubs on June 23 for Woodie Fryman
• Batted .272 in 59 games for the Cubs in 1978
• Traded back to Montreal after the 1978 season with Rodney Scott for Sam Mejias
• Batted .297 in 88 games for the Expos in 1979
• Played in 110 games and batted .262 with 7 HR in 1980
• Slumped to .218 in 59 games in 1981
• Went 3 for 18 (.167) in the 1981 NLDS
• Batted .313 (5 for 16) in the 1981 NLCS
• Batted .243 in 69 games in 1982
• Played in 40 games in 1983 and went 5 for 34 (.147). Also spent some time in AAA in 1983
• Became a free agent after the 1983 season but was unsigned.
• Played in Japan in 1984 and 1985
• Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals before the 1986 season
• Batted .125 (3 for 24) in 25 games in 1986 and was released on June 12
• Has worked for the Minnesota Twins in various capacities since 1987 (except for two years in the mid-1990s when he worked for the Detroit Tigers)
• Jerry has been the first base coach for the Twins since 1999.