Project Baseball 1976

On to 1977

2011-11-07T14:38:00.000-07:00

As you have probably noticed, I've run out of cards to post for 1976. As I obtain the last few cards needed for the 1976 Kellogg's, Hostess, and SSPC sets, I'll post them here.
To the best of my knowledge, there aren't any 1977 baseball blogs out there. So I'm starting one. I hope you go and start enjoying the blog

1976 Hostess #124 - Willie McCovey

2011-09-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

Willie McCovey was still a dangerous power hitter when this card was printed
McCovey wanted to play out his option in 1976 so the Padres cut his salary by 20% to $100,000.
The San Francisco Giants wanted Willie back before the 1976 season. The Giants had traded McCovey to the Padres in 1973 mainly for economic reasons.
McCovey had his poorest season in 1976. He played in 71 games for the Padres, starting 51 of those games at first base. Willie batted .203 with 7 HR and 36 RBI for the Padres.
Willie was sold to the Oakland A's on August 30.
McCovey wasn't sure if he would report to the A's at first, but he reported on September 1.
The A's used Willie as a DH and a pinch hitter in September, but Willie struggled and batted .208 (5 for 24) with no home runs or RBI.
After his poor 1976 season there wasn't very much interest in McCovey in the free agent market. Willie ended up signing with the Giants for $50,000 and had a great year in 1977, winning Comeback Player of the Year honors and cementing his place as an eventual Hall of Famer.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak

1976 Hostess #105 - Dave Lopes

2011-09-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

Here's another beat up Hostess card that I got from a lot on eBay.
Lopes was the first Dodger to sign a contract for the 1976 season.
Before the 1976 season there was some talk of moving Lopes to shortstop and playing Ted Sizemore at second base. Dodger shortstop Bill Russell was mentioned in trade talks between the Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals for Reggie Smith, but he eventually stayed with the club.
Dave was still playing a little bit in center field in 1976. After the 1976 season Lopes would play all of his games but two at 2B until he moved to the Oakland A's in 1982.
In 1976 Lopes led the NL with 63 stolen bases and batted .241 in 117 games
Dave missed the first month of the 1976 due to a pulled muscle in his side that he suffered during spring training.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? early peak

1976 Hostess #92 - John Candelaria

2011-09-23T11:14:00.002-07:00

This card is a victim of some kid's poor cutting skills. Hey kid----the lines are your friends! ;)
This card was printed right at the beginning of a nice career.
The Pirates didn't win the NL East in 1976, but John did his part to keep the club competitive. Candelaria was 16-7 with a 3.15 ERA during the season.
John pitched a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers on national television on August 9. A third inning walk to Steve Yeager and two Pirate errors were the only things that prevented Candelaria from pitching a perfect game.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? just before peak --- John's best year was 1977.

1976 Hostess #53 - Jim Hughes

2011-09-18T05:44:00.000-07:00

Jim Hughes got this Hostess card on the strength of his good 1975 rookie season.
Hughes was bitten by the sophomore jinx in 1976. He had a 9-14 record with a 4.98 ERA
Jim was in the minors for most of the 1977 season -- he appeared in two April games for the Twins before being sent to AAA.
Hughes signed with the Chicago White Sox after the 1977 season but was cut during spring training in 1978.
Jim signed with the Texas Rangers and spent a couple of years in the minors but never made it back to the major leagues.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak

1976 Hostess #25 - Larry Dierker

2011-09-17T05:44:00.000-07:00

Larry Dierker was only 29 years old, but he was just about at the end of his career when this card was printed
Larry had a 13-14 record with a 3.69 ERA in his last full season in 1976
On July 9, 1976 Dierker pitched a no-hitter against the Montreal Expos
After 14 seasons with the Houston Astros, Dierker was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals after the 1976 season
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak

1976 Hostess #12 - Rick Manning

2011-09-16T06:07:00.002-07:00

After posting decent numbers in the minors from 1972-1974, Rick Manning earned a promotion to the majors at the age of 20 in 1975 after a good start in AAA Oklahoma City.
Rick's best two seasons were in 1975 and in 1976
In 1976 Manning won a Gold Glove award and batted .292 in 138 games
Rick broke up a no-hit bid by the Rangers' Steve Hargan on August 15 by doubling in the 7th inning.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? peak

1976 Hostess #142 - Gary Matthews

2011-09-02T11:04:00.001-07:00

Gary Matthews was one of the unsung young stars of the game in 1976. Playing for several bad Giants teams didn't help him gain much notoriety.
In 1976 Matthews batted .279 with 20 HR and 84 RBI.
After the 1976 season Gary signed a multi-year contract with the Atlanta Braves.
The Braves lost a first round draft choice and were fined for contacting Matthews without permission before the opening of the free agent season.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? peak

1976 Hostess #150 - Cesar Geronimo

2011-09-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

Cesar Geronimo was a good fielder and had a great arm. He won four straight Gold Gloves from 1974-1977
Offensively, this five-year run is decent, but not awe-inspiring. Cesar had a nice year in 1974 -- it was the first year that he started more than 100 games.
In 1976 Geronimo had his best offensive year. He batted .307, hit 11 triples, and stole 22 bases. Cesar also had a .382 on base percentage.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? peak

1976 Hostess #134 - Don Kessinger

2011-08-31T11:58:00.017-07:00

Don Kessinger had spent 11 seasons as the shortstop for the Chicago Cubs. He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals after the 1975 season.
Kessinger was expected to help provide leadership for a young infield. Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst placed Don in the #2 spot behind leadoff hitter Lou Brock.
Don played one full season for the Cardinals in 1976, batting .243 in 145 games.
The emergence of Garry Templeton in 1977 relegated Kessinger to a utility role. Don was traded to the Chicago White Sox in August 1977.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak

1976 Hostess #128 - Dave Concepcion

2011-08-30T11:59:00.022-07:00

Dave Concepcion established himself as the Reds' starting shortstop in 1973. He didn't play a full season in '73 due to an injury.
In 1975 Dave started a string of All Star appearances that would last through the 1982 season
According to a poll of National League players, Dave would not have been the NL starting shortstop in the All Star Game if players had voted. Larry Bowa would have been the starter instead.
Concepcion had a typically good season in 1976. He batted .281 with 9 home runs and 21 stolen bases. He won the second of five Gold Glove awards.
Dave was voted to the Associated Press All Star Team after the 1976 season.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? peak
After the 1976 season Dave and teammate Tony Perez voiced frustration about how Latin ballplayers were forgotten and underrated.

1976 Hostess #122 - Gene Tenace

2011-08-28T17:59:00.028-07:00

As the card back shows, Gene Tenace was a part-time player until 1973.
Tenace spent most of 1973 playing first base, then he was behind the plate for about 2/3 of the time in 1974. Gene played catcher for about 3/4 of his games in 1975.
Gene had some good power years from 1973-1975, averaging 26.3 home runs per season.
Tenace was an AL All Star in 1975 and also got a little bit of MVP support (18th in MVP voting)
Gene played in only 128 games in 1976. Tenace strained his left knee sliding into second base on April 20. It was thought that he would miss 10-14 days, but he ended up missing five weeks.
Tenace batted .249 with 22 HR and 66 RBI. It was the only year from 1973-1979 that he didn't walk over 100 times (he had 81 bases on balls)
After the 1976 season Tenace signed a six-year, $1.8 million contract with the San Diego Padres. He made $40,800 in 1976, so the pact represented a huge raise for Gene.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak (barely)

1976 Hostess #106 - George Foster

2011-08-27T20:11:00.018-07:00

In the mid to late 1970s, getting any Cincinnati Reds player would have been great. They had a lot of great players!
After several years as an extra outfielder, George Foster had his "breakout" season in 1975.
George added to his success in 1976.

He led the NL with 121 RBI,
He made his first NL All Star team and hit a two-run homer and an RBI single off of Catfish Hunter (he was named the All Star MVP)
He finished second to teammate Joe Morgan in MVP voting.

Before peak, peak, or after peak? just before his peak --- 1977 was a monster year

1976 Hostess #100 - Bill Madlock

2011-08-26T18:23:00.025-07:00

That is a nice looking lifetime batting average. The average would drop as the years went by, but Bill Madlock still retired with a .305 average in a 15-year career
Bill had a great start to his career. He finished a distant third in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 1974, but he avoided the sophomore jinx by winning the first of four NL batting titles in 1975.
Madlock had an eventful 1976 season. He made the headlines in early May when he took exception to being hit by a pitch by San Francisco's Jim Barr. Barr had been warned by umpires earlier in the game after some inside pitches to Jose Cardenal. Madlock and Barr brawled and Madlock managed to land a right hook to Barr. Oddly, even after Barr had been warned, he was allowed to stay in the game while Madlock was ejected.
Bill was in contention for a second straight batting title in 1976, but he was quoted in August as saying his chances weren't very good because there were too many good hitters in the league.
On the last day of the season Ken Griffey was leading the batting race with a .338 average while Madlock had a .333 average. Griffey was not in the lineup for the final game. After Madlock went 4 for 4, Griffey was inserted into his game but struck out twice. Madlock won the title with a .339 average, three points ahead of Griffey's .336 average.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? peak

1976 Hostess #93 - Bake McBride

2011-08-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

Bake McBride was off to a fine start. He was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1974.
McBride was selected as a member of the 1976 NL All Star team. He didn't play in the game.
Bake had an injury-riddled 1976 season. He missed three weeks in May with an injury and also missed most of the first two weeks of July due to knee problems.
McBride had knee surgery in early August and missed the rest of the 1976 season.
Bake played in 72 games and batted .335 in 1976.
Before peak, peak or after peak? peak

1976 Hostess #61 - Bert Campaneris

2011-08-24T18:59:00.019-07:00

Bert Campaneris was an AL All Star from 1972-1975.
Campaneris played out his option in 1976 in order to become a free agent after the season. Oakland owner Charlie Finley cut Bert's salary the maximum 20% (from $90,000 to $72,000).
In his final season with the A's, Campaneris batted .256 in 149 games and had a pukey .291 slugging percentage. He also stole 54 bases.
Bert signed a five-year, $950,000 contract with the Texas Rangers after the 1976 season.
After leaving Oakland, Campaneris had only one more full season (1977). He struggled offensively in 1978 and became a part-time player.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak or very end of peak

1976 Hostess #30 - Reggie Smith

2011-08-23T15:02:00.033-07:00

Reggie Smith was an All Star in three seasons (1972, 1974, 1975) during this five-year run
Smith led the AL in doubles and in total bases in 1972
Reggie got off to a slow start in 1976. In the first ten weeks of the season he was batting .281 with eight home runs in 47 games.
Smith was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Joe Ferguson and two minor leaguers on June 15, 1976
Reggie was happy to go back to where he was born and raised.
Smith performed better in Los Angeles, batting .280 with ten home runs. He was out for three weeks with an injury in August.
Smith felt that baseball had made progress in hiring blacks in management positions, but he said that the sport had a ways to go.
After the 1976 season Reggie underwent left shoulder surgery. He bounced back to have two good years in 1977 and in 1978.
In mid-October 1976 Smith made news when his beaded necklace that had been stolen from Dodger Stadium turned up in the home of two Los Angeles youths who were selling stolen merchandise.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? peak (but 1976 was an off-year)

1976 Hostess #21 - Dave Rader

2011-08-22T13:29:00.015-07:00

Dave Rader finished a distant second to Mets' pitcher Jon Matlack in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 1972
Dave was the regular Giants catcher from 1972-1974, then he platooned for the next two years
In 1976 Rader batted .263 in 88 games. He shared time behind the plate with Marc Hill and Mike Sadek.
After the 1976 season Dave was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals

1976 Hostess #20 - Vida Blue

2011-08-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

I just picked up a bunch of Hostess cards from eBay. They aren't in the best of condition, but they'll do for now. :)
Vida Blue was one of the best pitchers in baseball in the 1970s. His only bad years were 1972 and 1979. He also had a losing record in 1977, but a lot of that was due to the A's being decimated by trades and free agency.
Vida's first full season in the majors was a magical one. In 1971 he went 24-8 with a league-leading 1.82 ERA. Blue was the AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner that year.
Blue was an AL All Star in 1971 and in 1975.

Vida was the winning pitcher in the 1971 All Star Game in spite of giving up three runs in three innings pitched. He gave up home runs to Hank Aaron and Johnny Bench
He started the 1975 All Star Game and gave up solo homers to Jimmy Wynn and Steve Garvey

Vida had another good (and also tumultuous) year in 1976. He had a record of 18-13 and a 2.35 ERA
Oakland owner Charlie Finley attempted to sell Blue to the New York Yankees in June. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn voided the sale because it was inconsistent with the best interests of baseball.
On August 28 Blue came within two outs of pitching a no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers. Mickey Stanley broke it up with a solo shot in the 9th inning.
The A's remained in the 1976 AL West chase until the last weekend of the season. On October 1, Blue pitched well against the California Angels but took the loss when Rusty Torres hit a home run in the 12th inning. The Oakland players were very upset with Finley after the game because of his lack of support for the club.
Finley offered to sell Blue to the Boston Red Sox after the 1976 season, but the Red Sox rejected the offer.

1976 Hostess #78 - Jerry Grote

2011-08-12T21:57:00.020-07:00

Jerry Grote was toward the end of his run as the starting catcher for the New York Mets in 1976
This card represents Jerry's best offensive five-year run
Grote made the NL All Star team in 1974
Jerry batted .272 in 323 at bats in 1976
After the 1976 season Jerry considered retirement due to accumulated injuries and being "tired of baseball"
Grote started the 1977 season with the Mets but didn't play much and was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in late August.
Jerry played sparingly for the Dodgers in 1977 and in 1978 before retiring.
Grote made a comeback with the Kansas City Royals in 1981. He was released at the end of August and wasn't happy about it. Jerry also played for the Dodgers for a short time before retiring permanently after the 1981 season.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak

1976 Hostess #74 - Pete Broberg

2011-08-11T21:34:00.026-07:00

This is a pretty rough run. Pete Broberg's 1975 season was pretty good, especially for a poor ballclub.
In late May first baseman George Scott was not happy with comments that Pete made about his fielding and said that he would prefer not to play behind Broberg in his next start
After starting the season 1-5 with a 4.15 ERA Pete was moved to the bullpen for a couple of weeks in June.
Broberg made two more starts in July and then was a reliever for the rest of the season
Pete ended up with a 1-7 record and had a 4.97 ERA in 1976
After the 1976 season Broberg was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the expansion draft
Pete was traded to the Chicago Cubs early in the 1977 season and spent some time in the minors before coming back up in July.
Broberg finished his career with the Oakland A's in 1978
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak

1976 Hostess #68 - Jim Sundberg

2011-08-10T21:19:00.010-07:00

In 1976 this would not have been the best card to get. That .199 average in 1975 didn't look good. Little did we know that Jim Sundberg would turn out to be one of the better catchers in the AL for many years to come
Jim was thought of as a weak link in the Texas lineup before the 1976 season
Sundberg batted .228 in 140 games in 1976, but he won the first of six straight AL Gold Glove awards.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? before peak

1976 Hostess #45 - Don Gullett

2011-08-09T21:09:00.000-07:00

This is a nice five-year run for Don Gullett.
In 1975 Gullett only had three no-decisions in 22 starts. He went 15-4 and had a .789 winning percentage
Don had another nice year in 1976 -- he had a record of 11-3 and had a 3.00 ERA
Don missed most of August with shoulder problems.
Gullett dislocated a tendon in his right ankle in game 1 of the 1976 World Series.
Gullett went to the New York Yankees as a free agent after the 1976 season. He pitched in 1977 but was injured in 1978 and had to retire prematurely.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? peak

1976 Hostess #38 - Ron Blomberg

2011-08-09T13:02:00.014-07:00

Ron Blomberg had some good batting years in this five-year run
Injuries shortened Blomberg's career. He spent most of 1975 on the disabled list
Ron had shoulder surgery in April and batted only twice (he was 0 for 2 on September 8) in 1976
Even though he spent the entire 1977 season on the disabled list, Blomberg was voted a full World Series share by his Yankee teammates
After the 1977 season Blomberg signed a four-year contract with the Chicago White Sox
Ron played in 61 games in 1978 and batted .231 with five home runs.
Blomberg didn't make the White Sox club in 1979 and was released during spring training
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak

1976 Hostess #82 - Chris Speier

2011-08-08T20:20:00.021-07:00

Chris Speier had his best offensive run from 1971-1975
Speier was an NL All Star in 1972, 1973, and 1974
Chris was very optimistic when he said the the Giants could overtake the Reds in July 1975
Chris had a poor year in 1976 -- he batted .226 with a .297 slugging percentage. He lost his starting shortstop job to rookie Johnnie LeMaster and reluctantly moved to second base in August.
Speier became disgruntled and was traded to the Montreal Expos for Tim Foli on April 27, 1977
After spending several seasons with the Expos and the Chicago Cubs, Chris came back to the Giants in 1987 to finish his career. Speier retired after the 1989 season.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak

1976 Hostess #81 - Graig Nettles

2011-08-07T20:19:00.017-07:00

The Yankees really fleeced the Cleveland Indians in the Graig Nettles trade after the 1972 season
Nettles was glad to be traded to New York since he wasn't on speaking terms with Cleveland manager Ken Aspromonte
This card represents a nice five-year run for Nettles (he made the AL All Star team in 1975), but the best was yet to come
Graig led the AL with 32 home runs in 1976.
Oddly enough, 1976 was the only year Graig wasn't an AL All Star from 1975-1980
before peak, peak, or after peak? peak

1976 Hostess #14 - Terry Forster

2011-08-06T19:57:00.013-07:00

Terry had an uneven run in the 1971-1975 time period
Terry had a great year out of the bullpen in 1972 -- he was 6-5 with 29 saves and had a 2.25 ERA
Forster led the AL with 24 saves in 1974
Terry had elbow problems in 1975 and only appeared in two games after May 23.
Forster had a rough year in 1976. He was a swingman (29 appearances, 16 of them starts) and was 2-12 with a 4.37 ERA
Forster and Goose Gossage were traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Silvio Martinez and Richie Zisk.
Terry spent one year in Pittsburgh before going to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He enjoyed several good seasons as a reliever for the Dodgers
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after first peak, before second peak

1976 Hostess #8 - Al Fitzmorris

2011-08-05T19:55:00.000-07:00

Al Fitzmorris was an important member of the KC Royals' rotation for a few years in the mid 1970s
Fitzmorris had a good year in 1974 (13-6, 2.79 ERA)
He also had a good year in 1976 -- Al was 15-11 with a 3.06 ERA
After the 1976 season Al was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the expansion draft
Fitzmorris had the rare distinction of being drafted in two different expansion drafts. The Royals plucked Al from the Chicago White Sox in 1968.
A few hours after he was taken by the Blue Jays, Fitzmorris was traded to the Cleveland Indians for Andy Ashby and Doug Howard
Al got into Cleveland manager Frank Robinson's doghouse and the dispute helped lead to Robinson's dismissal. Fitzmorris took himself out of a game and said he had a sore arm. Frank wanted to fine him, but club management turned down the request for a fine.
Al had a poor season in 1977 and was released by the Indians after pitching in seven games in 1978. The California Angels picked him up, but Fitzmorris left as a free agent after the season.
Fitzmorris signed with the San Diego Padres in 1979 but didn't make the club.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? peak

1976 Hostess #80 - Rick Monday

2011-08-04T07:29:00.001-07:00

Rick Monday enjoyed a nice run as the Cubs' starting center fielder in the early to mid 1970s.
Monday was traded to the Cubs after the 1971 season for Ken Holtzman. Both players were productive for their new teams. It was a great deal for Oakland as Holtzman solidified their rotation during the dynasty years.
Rick had his best year as a Cub in 1976. He batted .272 with 32 HR and 77 RBI. He also led the club with 107 runs scored.
Monday gained fame on April 25, 1976 when he took an American flag away from some people who had tried to burn it at Dodger Stadium. A clip of the incident:

After the 1976 season Monday was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of the deal that brought Bill Buckner and Ivan DeJesus to Chicago.

1976 Kellogg's #32 - Tom Seaver

2011-07-15T15:48:00.023-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Tom Seaver was one of the best (if not the best) pitchers in baseball in the 1970s.
In 1975 Seaver won his third NL Cy Young Award and was an NL All Star
Tom led the NL in wins (22) and in strikeouts (243)

1976 Highlights:

Was a holdout during spring training but agreed to terms and became baseball's highest paid pitcher on April 5.
Had a rough stretch in May, losing four straight starts.
Pitched two innings in the All Star Game and allowed a solo home run to Fred Lynn
Had a record of 14-11 with a 2.59 ERA
Led the NL with 235 strikeouts (his ninth straight 200-plus strikeout season)

1976 Hostess #136 - Don Money

2011-07-14T10:37:00.015-07:00

Don Money's career didn't really get going until he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers after the 1972 season.
Money was an above-average fielder wherever he played and was usually in double figures in home runs.
Don was a four-time AL All Star (1974, 1976, 1977, and 1978)
Money was uncomfortable when the Brewers signed third baseman Sal Bando after the 1976 season, but Don got plenty of playing time at second base and first base in the next couple of years.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? peak

1976 Hostess #121 - Mike Cuellar

2011-07-13T10:36:00.013-07:00

This is a nice five-year run for Mike Cuellar. Two 20-win seasons and two others with 18 wins.
Mike was an important part of the Orioles' rotation from 1969-1975. He won the Cy Young Award in 1969.
Cuellar was out of gas by the time this card was printed. Mike was removed from the rotation in early June. He went 4-13 with a 4.96 ERA in 1976 and was waived after the season.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak

1976 Hostess #113 - Ted Simmons

2011-07-12T10:35:00.023-07:00

Ted Simmons was one heck of an offensive catcher. He'd be a Hall of Famer if he would have had a better decline phase of his career.
During this five-year run, Simmons was an All Star in three seasons (1972, 1973, and 1974). He wasn't an All Star in 1975, although he finished 6th in MVP voting that year. Ted declined an invitation to the game for personal reasons.
After the 1975 season Ted signed a contract calling for $200,000 a year for three years. At the time it was the biggest contract in St. Louis Cardinals' history.
Simmons scolded "fair weather fans" in St. Louis during the 1976 season.
Ted had his weakest full season of the decade in 1976, batting .291 with 5 HR and 75 RBI.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? peak

1976 Hostess #111 - Jeff Burroughs

2011-07-11T10:35:00.017-07:00

This five-year set of stats is full of ups and downs.
Burroughs was the AL MVP in 1974 and also had good power years in 1973 and 1975
Jeff's batting average fell of badly in 1975 and he also led the AL with 155 strikeouts
Burroughs had a similar year in 1976, but he hit only 18 home runs
Jeff was traded to the Atlanta Braves after the 1976 season. At first he didn't want to go (Burroughs contended that he had a no-trade clause), but he finally relented.
Burroughs had a couple of good years with the Braves but then he struggled through the 1979 and 1980 seasons.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak

1976 Hostess #104 - Rollie Fingers

2011-07-10T10:33:00.019-07:00

Rollie Fingers was one of the premier relievers in baseball in the 1970s and early 1980s
Fingers was an AL All Star from 1973-1976 and led the AL in appearances in 1974 and 1975
Rollie won arbitration cases in 1974 ($65,000 vs $55,000 offer) and in 1975 ($89,000 vs $76,000 offer)
He elected to play out his option in 1976 and took a 20% pay cut
Fingers (along with Joe Rudi) was sold to the Boston Red Sox but the sale was voided by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn
Rollie was in limbo for several days as A's owner Charlie Finley ordered the players whose sales were voided benched. The A's players threatened to strike on June 27 but Finley relented at the last minute
Fingers signed a 6-year, $1.6 million contract with the San Diego Padres after the 1976 season.

1976 Hostess #96 - Steve Braun

2011-07-09T10:32:00.026-07:00

At this point in his career Steve Braun was a left fielder who mostly started against right-handed pitchers
Steve's 1972-1976 seasons were a nice run -- each year he batted .280 or higher.
Braun won his arbitration case in 1974 -- the Twins offered $25,000 and he requested $31,000
Steve lost his 1975 case -- he asked for $39,500 and the Twins offered $36,500
Steve wanted the Twins to trade him at the beginning of the 1976 season. He (along with nine teammates) played out his option that year and took a 20% pay cut.
Braun signed a new contract after the 1976 season instead of testing the free agent market.
Steve was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the expansion draft. Perhaps that was the Twins' plan all along. Sign Braun and then have someone else pay the salary. Braun made $100,000 in '77.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? end of peak

1976 Hostess #95 - Buddy Bell

2011-07-08T10:30:00.009-07:00

Buddy Bell was at the beginning of a long and productive career.
Bell was traded to the Texas Rangers after the 1978 season.
Buddy would go on to win six straight Gold Glove awards from 1979-1984
Before peak, peak, or after peak? before peak

1976 Hostess #72 - Manny Sanguillen

2011-07-07T10:29:00.019-07:00

Manny Sanguillen was the Pirates' starting catcher during the early and mid 1970s.
Manny was a consistent hitter who usually batted at or near .300
Sanguillen's final season as a starting catcher for the Pirates was in 1976
Manny's best year was in 1975. He batted .328 and made the NL All Star team -- it was his third season as an All Star
Sanguillen was traded to the Oakland A's before the 1977 season for manager Chuck Tanner
Manny was traded back to the Pirates before the 1978 season. He was a used as a backup C/1B and as a pinch hitter from 1978-1980
Before peak, peak, or after peak? end of peak

1976 Hostess #71 - Steve Busby

2011-07-06T10:28:00.019-07:00

Steve Busby finished 3rd in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 1973
Steve was an AL All Star in 1974 and in 1975
Busby pitched a no-hitter on 27 April 1973 and pitched another one on 19 June 1974
Steve hurt his arm in 1976 and was unable to pitch as effectively as he did before the injury.
Busby retired in 1981 after attempting to catch on with the St. Louis Cardinals
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak

1976 Hostess #70 - Ted Sizemore

2011-07-05T10:27:00.017-07:00

Ted Sizemore was the Cardinals' starting second baseman for several years in the 1970s
Ted was the NL Rookie of the Year for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1969
These stats are indicative of the typical "good field/no hit" middle infielder that was so prevalent in the 1970s
Sizemore was traded to the Dodgers before the 1976 season. He backed up Davey Lopes and played in 84 games in '76 before moving on to the Philadelphia Phillies for a few years.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak

1976 Hostess #65 - Marty Perez

2011-07-04T20:07:00.006-07:00

Marty Perez improved his batting average in each of the five seasons from 1971-1975
Perez was traded to the San Francisco Giants early in the 1976 season
Before peak, peak, or after peak? peak (such as it was)

1976 Hostess #64 - Carlton Fisk

2011-07-03T18:27:00.016-07:00

Carlton Fisk was struggling with injuries during this time in his career
Fisk was hitting well, but had a hard time staying in the lineup
In 1974 Carlton took a foul ball in a sensitive place and missed the first three weeks of the season. Fisk went down in late June with a knee injury sustained while blocking the plate. The injury required surgery and Fisk was out for the season
Carlton broke his elbow during spring training in 1975 and didn't play until June 23
Fisk was an AL All Star in 1972, 1973, and 1974 -- he didn't play in '74 due to the knee injury
AL Rookie of the Year in 1972

Before peak, peak, or after peak? before peak

1976 Hostess #56 - Jim Palmer

2011-07-02T18:21:00.015-07:00

Those are some really nice looking stat lines
AL Cy Young Award winner in 1973 and in 1975

Jim also won the award in 1976

AL All Star in 1971, 1972, and 1975
AL ERA leader in 1973 and in 1975
Led the AL in victories in 1975 -- also led the league with 10 shutouts
Struggled with a sore arm in 1974 -- was placed on the disabled list on June 27 (retroactive to June 20) and didn't pitch until August 13.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? peak

1976 Hostess #52 - Bud Harrelson

2011-07-01T12:41:00.012-07:00

As this card demonstrates, Bud Harrelson wasn't in the lineup for his offense.
Harrelson was an NL All Star and Gold Glove winner in 1971.
Bud missed much of the 1975 season due to torn cartilage in his knee. He had surgery on the knee in late May and didn't return to the Mets' lineup until September 1.
Harrelson would go on to start 113 games in 1976 and 84 games in 1977 before moving on to the Philadelphia Phillies to back up Larry Bowa for a couple of years.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak

1976 Hostess #49 - Willie Stargell

2011-06-30T07:21:00.000-07:00

Willie's seasons from 1971-1973 constitute a great three-year run
Willie should have been MVP in either 1971 or 1973 (or both)
At this point in his career, Stargell was starting to struggle with injuries. He played in only 117 games in 1976 and 67 games in 1977
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak, but he still had a few good years left in him

1976 Hostess #36 - Brooks Robinson

2011-06-29T07:12:00.000-07:00

Brooks Robinson was at the end of a long and distinguished career
Robinson won his 16th (and final) Gold Glove in 1975
Brooks lost his starting third base job on May 17, 1976
Robinson returned to the Orioles for the 1977 season as a player-coach, but it was his last year.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak

1976 Hostess #33 - Rod Carew

2011-06-28T18:07:00.008-07:00

Those are some really nice batting averages -- especially the last three years
Rod won four straight batting titles (1972-1975)
Carew barely missed out on a fifth straight batting title in 1976 --- he batted .331 and finished two points behind batting champion George Brett (.333)
Rod won two more titles in 1977 (.388) and 1978 (.333)
Before peak, peak, or after peak? peak

1976 Hostess #22 - Johnny Bench

2011-06-27T06:41:00.002-07:00

Look at all those RBIs!!!
This set of stats doesn't show his monster 1970 season (.293, 45 HR, 148 RBI) in which he won the NL MVP award
Bench was also the MVP in 1972 and finished fourth in MVP voting in 1974 and in 1975
This shows the end of Johnny's peak. Injuries started to catch up with him in 1976 and he was used more often at other positions
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak

1976 Hostess #16 - Thurman Munson

2011-06-26T21:12:00.011-07:00

Thurman Munson had his best season to date in 1975.
Munson had a very similar season (.302, 17 HR, 105 RBI) in 1976 and was the AL MVP
His three best years were 1975-1977.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? peak

1976 Hostess #7 - Lou Brock

2011-06-25T06:07:00.015-07:00

This is a pretty consistent run of five seasons
Brock made the NL All Star team in 1971, 1972, 1974, and 1975
Lou led the NL in stolen bases each year from 1971-1974
He set the major league record for stolen bases with 118 in 1974
Lou would have another good season in 1976 before hitting the decline phase of his career
Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak (or perhaps just at the end of it)

1976 Hostess #11 - Robin Yount

2011-06-24T21:11:00.001-07:00

Robin Yount was only 20 years old but already was entering his third major league season in 1976
Robin's numbers weren't all that impressive in his first two years, but he was still very young and would improve greatly
Before peak, peak, or after peak? before peak

1976 Hostess #5 - Bob Watson

2011-06-24T05:59:00.003-07:00

Bob Watson was in a great time in his career. He batted over .300 three times in the previous five years, and he came pretty darned close a fourth time.
This five-year stretch included two All-Star appearances (1973 and 1975)
Bob was the starting LF from 1971-1973 before moving to 1B in 1974
Watson would go on to have a few more good years with the Astros from 1976-1978
Before peak, peak, or past peak? peak (right at the end of it)

1976 Hostess #4 - Gaylord Perry

2011-06-23T17:13:00.011-07:00

It looks like Perry didn't do much in 1975 since it was split between two teams, but he was 18-17 with a 3.24 ERA in 37 starts
Perry had two (maybe even three) peaks in his career. This five-year period looks like a good one -- he won between 16 and 24 games each year.
Before peak, peak, or after peak? end of second peak

1976 Hostess #3 - Phil Niekro

2011-06-22T16:37:00.014-07:00

Phil had some pretty consistent stats during this five-year time frame
Niekro led the NL in wins (20) and in complete games (18) in 1974. He was 3rd in NL Cy Young Award voting that year.
Before peak, peak, or past peak? peak

1976 Hostess #2 - Joe Morgan

2011-06-21T16:37:00.001-07:00

I'll post about the other twelve cards in the Kellogg's set once I get my hands on them.
Hostess put cards on the bottoms of boxes of Twinkies, Ding Dongs, and other assorted snack foods from 1975-1979. I remember beating the heck out of those boxes to find the cards I wanted. We didn't eat nearly enough of the things to complete a set.
I don't really like "partial stats" on cards, but it does have an upside. One can see whether a player is at his peak, past his peak, or if he is in the early part of his career.
Joe Morgan was at the peak of his career when this card was made. He had his highest batting average and his highest RBI total to date. Joe would have his career high in RBI (127) during the 1976 season.
Before peak, peak, or past it? peak

1976 Kellogg's #45 - Jorge Orta

2011-06-20T06:42:00.011-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Batted over .300 for the second straight year in 1975 (.304 in 140 games)
Had double figures in doubles (25), triples (10), and HR (11) in 1975
Was an AL All Star in 1975 but did not get in the game
Was the White Sox' best hitter in 1975

1976 Highlights:

Batted .274 in 158 games
Split time between the outfield and 3B after spending the last couple of years as the starting 2B for the White Sox

Thanks Dad

2011-06-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

My father introduced me to baseball cards in 1974. I was seven years old at the time.

I remember getting a "Hank Aaron Special" card in the first pack. I think it was card #4

We watched Aaron break the home run record on TV at a neighbor's house

My dad tried to get me to realize that keeping cards in good shape was important, but it didn't really sink in for a few years. We used to beat the heck out of our cards by flipping them and just handling them a lot.

He also tried to tell me about which cards were more important and valuable. At the time I just liked to get the cool-looking "in action" types of cards

During that summer my parents were trying to teach me how to swim. My father was in the pool at O'Neil Park and tried to get me to jump in. I was scared and wouldn't do it. He said that he would buy me 50 baseball cards if I would jump in. I still resisted. He increased the offer incrementally until I finally took the plunge at 200 cards. I couldn't find a picture of the pool, but above is a picture of the field where I played a lot of little league games.

My dad did a lot for me. He taught me to read at a very early age. He tried to get me interested in a lot of things. Some of them took (reading and baseball) while others didn't quite stick (hunting and fishing).
But the important thing is that he loved me and cared about me. He did a lot that helped make me who I am today. Thank you Dad and happy Father's Day!

1976 Kellogg's #44 - Ken Griffey

2011-06-19T06:34:00.018-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Batted .305 with 95 runs in 132 games in 1975
Batted .333 (4 for 12) with 3 stolen bases in the 1975 NL Championship Series
Batted .269 (7 for 26) in the 1975 World Series

1976 Highlights:

Batted .336 with 111 runs scored
Lost the NL Batting Title on the last day of the season to Bill Madlock
Was 1 for 1 with a run and a RBI in the All Star Game
Finished 8th in NL MVP voting
Batted .385 (5 for 13) in the NL Championship Series
Didn't do as well in the World Series (1 for 17, .059)

1976 Kellogg's #31 - Fred Lynn

2011-06-18T09:08:00.020-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

This was probably the most sought-after card in the set. Fred could do no wrong in 1975
Lynn was the AL MVP and Rookie of the Year in 1975
Fred batted .331 with 21 HR and 105 RBI in 1975
Led the AL with 103 runs, 47 doubles, and a .566 slugging percentage
Went 0 for 2 in the 1975 All Star Game
Won the first of his four Gold Gloves
Batted .364 (4 for 11) in the AL Championship Series and .280 (7 for 25) in the World Series

1976 Highlights

Batted .314 with 10 HR and 65 RBI
Was 1 for 3 with a solo HR as the AL starting CF in the All Star Game

1976 Kellogg's #23 - Al Hrabosky

2011-06-17T11:54:00.017-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Finished 3rd in NL Cy Young Award balloting and 8th in MVP voting in 1975
Led the NL with an .813 winning percentange and 22 saves
Had a 13-3 record with an ERA of 1.66 in 1975

1976 Highlights:

Went 8-6 with 13 saves and had an ERA of 3.30 in 68 games
Signed a 3-year contract on July 10 -- he was only the third Cardinal after Stan Musial and Ted Simmons to be offered such a lengthy contract.

1976 Kellogg's #18 - Greg Luzinski

2011-06-16T08:21:00.012-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Batted .300 with 34 HR and a league-leading 120 RBI in 1975
Finished second in NL MVP voting in 1975
Was on the 1975 NL All Star team (struck out in his only at bat)

1976 Highlights:

Batted .304 with 21 HR and 95 RBI
Was the starting LF in the All Star Game (went 0 for 3)
Batted .273 (3 for 11) in the NL Championship Series

1976 Kellogg's #10 - Jim Rice

2011-06-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Had a great rookie season in 1975, batting .309 with 22 HR and 102 RBI
Finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting and third in MVP voting in 1975

1976 Highlights

Batted .282 with 25 HR and 85 RBI
Led the AL with 123 strikeouts (not sure if that is much of a highlight)
Struggled to keep his average above .260 for much of the season before having a late-season surge.

1976 Kellogg's #15 - Dave Parker

2011-06-14T13:34:00.006-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Parker batted .308 with 25 HR and 101 RBI in 1975
Finished third (behind Joe Morgan and Greg Luzinski) in NL MVP voting in 1975
Led the NL with a .541 slugging percentage

1976 Highlights:

Batted .313 with 13 HR and 90 RBI

1976 Kellogg's #14 - Joe Morgan

2011-06-13T13:15:00.020-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Was the NL MVP in 1975
Batted .327 with 17 HR and 94 RBI
Led the NL with 132 walks and a .466 on base percentage. Also stole 67 bases
Was the starting second baseman in the All Star Game and was 1 for 4
Won the third of five straight Gold Glove awards

1976 Highlights:

Repeated as NL MVP
Batted .320 with 27 HR and 111 RBI
Led the NL with a .444 on base percentage and a .576 slugging percentage
Was 1 for 3 with a run scored as the NL starting 2B in the All Star Game
Was hitless in 7 AB in the NL Championship series, but batted .333 in the World Series

1976 Kellogg's #12 - Ken Singleton

2011-06-12T13:09:00.014-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

In his first season in Baltimore Ken finished 10th in AL MVP voting
Singleton batted .300 with 15 HR and 118 walks in 1975

1976 Highlights:

Batted .278 with 13 HR in 154 games
It was an "off year" compared to 1975 and 1977-1981.

1976 Kellogg's #16 - Dave Cash

2011-06-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Dave hit over .300 for the second straight year in 1975
He batted .305 with 40 doubles and 111 runs scored in '75
Led the NL with 213 hits in 1975
Was on the NL All Star team and went 0 for 1 in the game

1976 Highlights:

Batted .289 and led the NL with 666 at bats and 12 triples
Was 1 for 1 with a run scored in the All Star Game
Batted .308 (4 for 13) in the NL Championship Series
Left the Phillies after the season and signed with the Montreal Expos

Today is Dave's birthday---Happy Birthday Dave!

1976 Kellogg's #5 - Jim Hunter

2011-06-10T19:16:00.022-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Catfish had his fifth straight 20+ win season in 1975 -- he led the league with 23 wins
Jim had a 23-14 record with a 2.58 ERA and led the AL with 30 complete games
Finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting
Took the loss in the 1975 All Star Game (allowed two runs in two innings)

1976 Highlights

Jim had his last full season in 1976
Hunter was 17-15 with a 3.53 ERA in 36 starts
Allowed two runs in two innings in the All Star Game
Started two games in the AL Championship Series -- won game 1 and lost game 4
Started game 2 of the World Series and took the loss on an unearned run with two out in the 9th inning -- Tony Perez singled in Ken Griffey

1976 Kellogg's #56 - Greg Gross

2011-06-09T12:44:00.012-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 1974
Batted .294 in 132 games in 1975

1976 Highlights:

Batted .286 in 128 games
Traded to the Chicago Cubs after the season for minor league infielder Julio Gonzalez

1976 Kellogg's #52 - Paul Lindblad

2011-06-08T12:33:00.017-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Lindblad had been an effective reliever for several years
In 1975 Paul had a 9-1 record with a 2.73 ERA and was 18th in AL MVP voting
Teamed up with Vida Blue, Glenn Abbott, and Rollie Fingers to pitch a no-hitter on September 28

1976 Highlights

Went 6-5 with five saves and had a 3.06 ERA in 65 games

1976 Kellogg's #51 - Mike Hargrove

2011-06-07T12:28:00.009-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1974 -- batted .323 in 131 games
Made the AL All Star team in 1975 (0 for 1 as a pinch hitter)
Batted .303 in 145 games in 1975

1976 Highlights:

Batted .287 in 151 games
Led the AL with 97 walks (.397 on base percentage)

I am 12 cards closer to completing 1976 Kellogg's

2011-06-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

Just picked up 12 cards from sportlots. The seller's name is mccormick. He sent the item out quickly and packaged it well (no PWE).
This will get me another couple of weeks of entries on this set. :)

1976 Kellogg's #49 - Jon Matlack

2011-06-06T06:48:00.019-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Jon was 16-12 with a 3.38 ERA in 1975
Was the winning pitcher in the 1975 All Star Game
Pitched two innings and struck out four batters in the 1975 All Star Game

1976 Highlights:

Had a 17-10 record with a 2.95 ERA
Led the NL with six shutouts
Was on the NL All Star roster but did not get in the game

1976 Kellogg's #48 - Rod Carew

2011-06-05T17:08:00.013-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Another "need we ask" question
Rod won his fourth straight (and fifth overall) AL Batting Title in 1975
His batting averages in the previous three seasons were .350, .364, and .359!

1976 Highlights:

Batted .331 with 9 HR and 90 RBI
Was in the running for the batting title until the last day of the season.
The batting title race ended in controversy, but Carew said that the accusations of racism were "a bunch of hooey."
Finished 5th in AL MVP voting
Started at first base in the 1976 All Star Game and was 0 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base

1976 Kellogg's #47 - Vida Blue

2011-06-04T16:44:00.001-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Vida had a good year in 1975 -- he was 22-11 with a 3.01 ERA
Started the 1975 All Star Game -- allowed back-to-back solo HRs to Jimmy Wynn and Steve Garvey. Allowed two runs in two innings.
Had his third (and final) 20-win season in 1975

1976 Highlights:

Had an even better year in 1976 -- he didn't win as many games, but most of his other stats were better
In 37 starts he was 18-13 with a 2.35 ERA
Was sold to the New York Yankees on June 15 for $1.5 million, but the sale was voided by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn.

1976 Kellogg's #46 - John Mayberry

2011-06-03T16:54:00.000-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

As the card says, John was the runner-up for the AL Home Run and RBI titles in 1975
Had his best season in 1975, batting .291 with 34 HR and 106 RBI
Was the runner-up to Fred Lynn in AL MVP voting in 1975

1976 Highlights

Had an off year in 1976, batting .232 with 13 HR and 95 RBI
Batted .222 (4 for 18) with a home run and 3 RBI in the American League Championship Series

1976 Kellogg's #43 - Jerry Reuss

2011-06-02T18:55:00.000-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Jerry had his third straight good season in 1975
Reuss had a record of 18-11 and a 2.54 ERA in 1975
Jerry started the 1975 All Star Game for the National League and pitched three scoreless innings

1976 Highlights:

Went 14-9 with a 3.53 ERA

1976 Kellogg's #42 - Manny Sanguillen

2011-06-01T22:00:00.011-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Led the Pirates with a .328 batting average
After the 1975 season, Sanguillen had a lifetime batting average of .304 in eight seasons
Was a member of the NL All Star team for the third time in 1975 but didn't get into the game

1976 Highlights:

Batted .290 in 114 games in his last season as a starting catcher
After the season Manny was traded to the Oakland A's for manager Chuck Tanner and $100,000.

1976 Kellogg's #50 - Boog Powell

2011-06-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Batted .297 with 27 HR and 86 RBI in 1975
Was Cleveland's best hitter in '75

1976 Highlights:

Powell struggled through a tough season, batting .215 with 9 HR and 33 RBI
Had two stints on the disabled list
His first stint on the DL was due to an injury suffered during a brawl on

1976 Kellogg's #41 - Mickey Rivers

2011-05-31T21:55:00.013-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Led the AL in steals (70) and in triples (13) in 1975
Batted .284 in 155 games

1976 Highlights:

Traded to the New York Yankees before the 1976 season and was instrumental in the Yankees' first AL East title
Batted .312 with 31 doubles and 95 runs scored
Made the AL All Star team and was 1 for 2 in the game
Finished third behind Thurman Munson and George Brett in AL MVP voting
Batted .348 (8 for 23) with five runs scored in the American League Championship Series

1976 Kellogg's #39 - Von Joshua

2011-05-30T21:47:00.015-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

After several ho-hum years as a backup outfielder for the Dodgers, Von moved over to the Giants and batted .318 with 25 doubles and 10 triples in 1975
It's a bit surprising that Von was chosen for a card -- they could have picked 1975 NL Rookie of the Year John Montefusco instead

1976 Highlights:

Joshua spent a couple of months with the Giants and batted .263 in 42 games.
Sold to the Milwaukee Brewers on June 2
Batted .267 in 107 games for the Brewers

The new version of Zistle is online now

2011-05-30T14:13:00.000-07:00

The Zistle website has undergone several refinements and improvements. It is up and running now. Zistle is a great site for keeping track of your collection!

1976 Kellogg's #38 - Bobby Murcer

2011-05-29T20:21:00.012-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Batted .298 with 11 HR and 91 RBI in his first season in the National League
Made the NL All Star team and was 0 for 2 in the game

1976 Highlights:

Batted .259 with 23 HR and 90 RBI
Walked 84 times and had a .362 on-base percentage
Was traded to the Chicago Cubs after the season in a multi-player deal that sent Bill Madlock to the Giants

1976 Kellogg's #36 - Johnny Bench

2011-05-28T20:00:00.021-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Need we ask?
Bench batted .283 with 28 HR and 110 RBI in 1975
Made his 8th straight NL All Star team in 1975 (1 for 4 with one RBI)
Finished fourth in NL MVP voting in 1975
Won his 8th straight Gold Glove award in 1975

1976 Highlights:

Had his first off year, batting .234 with 16 HR and 74 RBI
Was still the NL All Star catcher (went 1 for 2 in the game)
Won his 9th straight Gold Glove
Batted .333 (4 for 12) in the National League Championship Series
Batted .533 (8 for 15) with 2 HR in the World Series and was named the World Series MVP

1976 Kellogg's #35 - Rick Wise

2011-05-27T16:55:00.013-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Wise bounced back from a shoulder injury to win 19 games for the AL Champion Boston Red Sox
Rick was 19-12 with a 3.95 ERA during the 1975 season
Started and won game 3 of the 1975 American League Championship Series
Was the winning pitcher in that famous game 6 of the 1975 World Series

1976 Highlights:

Went 14-11 with a 3.53 ERA in 34 starts
Pitched a one-hit shutout against the Minnesota Twins on June 14.

1976 Kellogg's #28 - Eric Soderholm

2011-05-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Had a good season for the Twins in 1975, batting .286 with 11 HR and 58 RBI
Was the first player drafted in the 1968 draft

1976 Highlights:

Had knee surgery after the 1975 season and missed the entire 1976 season
Eric had originally had surgery when he injured his ribs and knee after accidentally stepping into a storm drain in August 1975
It was determined that Soderholm needed to have more cartilage removed from the knee, so he had another surgery and missed the '76 season
Eric "played out his option" in 1976 while on the disabled list and ended up signing with the Chicago White Sox after the season

1976 Kellogg's #33 - Steve Busby

2011-05-25T08:31:00.020-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Steve was the ace of the Kansas City staff for a few years
He went 18-12 with a 3.06 ERA in 1975
Allowed one run in two innings of work in the 1975 All Star Game
Pitched two no-hitters in his career --- one on April 27, 1973 and another on June 19, 1974

1976 Highlights:

Started the season on the disabled list
Had a 3-3 record with a 4.40 ERA in 13 starts
Did not pitch after July 6 due to a rotator cuff tear that required surgery (gotta love those newspaper ads!)

1976 Kellogg's #30 - Frank Tanana

2011-05-24T17:31:00.008-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Frank Tanana and Nolan Ryan were a great 1-2 punch for a few years in California
Tanana went 16-9 with a 2.63 ERA in 1975
Frank led the AL with 269 strikeouts in 1975
Finished 4th in AL Cy Young Award voting in 1975

1976 Highlights:

Made the AL All Star team
Pitched the last two innings of the All Star Game and allowed three runs -- Cesar Cedeno hit a 2-run homer off of Frank in the 8th inning.
Went 19-10 with a 2.43 ERA and completed 23 of his 34 starts
Finished third in AL Cy Young Award voting

This is my favorite card of the 1976 Kellogg's set. Frank seems to come right out of the card.

1976 Kellogg's #29 - Bill Lee

2011-05-23T19:34:00.000-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Lee won 17 games in three straight seasons
Started two games in the 1975 World Series -- had a 3.14 ERA in 14.1 innings but did not figure in either decision

1976 Highlights:

Had a 5-7 record with a 5.63 ERA
Missed almost two months (late May to mid-July) after injuring his shoulder in a brawl with the New York Yankees
Graig Nettles was initially blamed by Lee for hurting him, but Nettles was actually trying to keep Lee out of the fight. Mickey Rivers was the one who actually hurt Lee's shoulder. Lee took a swing at Nettles after the fight was broken up -- Nettles punched Lee and gave him a black eye.

1976 Kellogg's #34 - Gary Carter

2011-05-22T14:04:00.014-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Finished a close second to John Montefusco in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 1975
Batted .270 with 17 HR and 68 RBI in 144 games in 1975
Was Montreal's representative in the 1975 All Star Game -- played left field in the 9th inning

1976 Highlights:

Batted .219 in 91 games
Gary turned 22 in the beginning of the 1976 season -- the nickname "Kid" was still a good fit at the time

Gary just found out that he has four small tumors on his brain. He is going in for further tests this week. My prayers and best wishes are with Mr. Carter and his family during this tough time.

1976 Kellogg's #27 - Bob Watson

2011-05-21T21:08:00.000-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Batted .324 with 18 HR and 85 RBI in 1975
Credited with scoring major league baseball's 1 millionth run on May 4, 1975
Played in the 1975 All Star Game and was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter

1976 Highlights:

Batted .313 with 16 HR and 102 RBI
Finished 11th in NL MVP voting

1976 Kellogg's #26 - Marty Perez

2011-05-20T19:44:00.002-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Perez had a career high in batting average (.275) in 1975
He was the only Atlanta player featured in the 1976 set.

1976 Highlights:

Traded with Darrell Evans to the San Francisco Giants for Willie Montanez and three others on June 13
Batted .257 in 124 games for the Braves and the Giants
Went 3 for 4 with a home run, a double, two runs scored, and three RBI on June 19 against the New York Mets

1976 Kellogg's #25 - Jim Kaat

2011-05-19T12:34:00.011-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

As this card indicates, at the time Jim had the most wins of any active pitcher
Kaat had won at least 20 games in each of the last two seasons
Finished fourth in AL Cy Young Award balloting in 1975
Went 20-14 with a 3.11 ERA in 1975
Pitched two scoreless innings in the 1975 All Star Game

1976 Highlights:

Traded to the Philadelphia Phillies before the 1976 season
Went 12-14 with a 3.48 ERA
Won the 15th of his 16 consecutive Gold Glove awards
Started game 3 of the League Championship Series and allowed two runs in six-plus innings pitched. Did not figure in the decision.

1976 Kellogg's #24 - Carl Yastrzemski

2011-05-18T18:21:00.019-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Carl didn't have his best year in 1975, but he had a Hall of Fame career going.
In 1975 Yaz batted .269 with 14 HR and 60 RBI
Carl was in his 11th straight All Star Game in 1975. Yastrzemski would eventually be an 18-time All Star. He appeared as a pinch hitter in the 1975 All Star Game and hit a 3-run homer.
Batted .455 (5 for 11) in the 1975 ALCS and batted .310 (9 for 29) in the 1975 World Series

1976 Highlights:

Batted .267 with 21 HR and 102 RBI
Went 0 for 2 in the All Star Game

1976 Kellogg's #22 - Willie Stargell

2011-05-17T20:11:00.020-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

As the card back says, Willie was still one of the most feared hitters in the NL.
Stargell had at least three legitimate shots at NL MVP --- 1971 (2nd to Joe Torre), 1972 (third behind Johnny Bench and Billy Williams) and 1973 (second behind Pete Rose). Willie finally won the award in 1979.
Batted .295 with 22 HR and 90 RBI in 1975
Finished 7th in NL MVP voting in 1975

1976 Highlights

Batted .257 with 20 HR and 65 RBI
It was the first year since 1968 that Stargell didn't get any NL MVP consideration

1976 Kellogg's #21 - George Scott

2011-05-16T17:43:00.011-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Led the AL in RBI (109) in 1975
Led the AL (along with Reggie Jackson) with 36 HR in 1975
Finished 8th in AL MVP voting in 1975
Played in the 1975 All Star Game and struck out twice.

1976 Highlights:

Won his eighth (and final) Gold Glove at first base
Batted .274 with 18 HR and 77 RBI

1976 Kellogg's #17 - Ron LeFlore

2011-05-15T21:14:00.001-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

The Tigers needed a representative for this set.
The story of Ron's rise from prison to the major leagues was a good one.

1976 Highlights:

Had a 30-game hitting streak.
Batted .316 with 58 stolen bases and 93 runs scored
Made the 1976 AL All Star team - he started in left field and batted leadoff. Ron singled and struck out in the game.
Had surgery for a ruptured tendon in his knee on September 12 and missed the rest of the season

1976 Kellogg's #20 - Bill Madlock

2011-05-14T21:43:00.000-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Madlock was the NL batting leader (.354) in 1975

1976 Highlights:

Got in a fight with Jim Barr and catcher Marc Hill of the Giants on May 2. For some reason Barr was allowed to stay in the game and Madlock was ejected, even though Barr had already been warned for brushback pitches and had hit Madlock with a pitch right after the warning.
Got into a skirmish with two men as he was going into his hotel room on September 25. The men escaped with $50-$60 and Madlock ended up with a contusion on the back of his head.
Won his second straight batting title with a .339 batting average, barely beating out Ken Griffey on the last day of the season. Griffey was batting .338 and Madlock was batting .333 on the season's final day. Griffey didn't start in his game, but was quickly inserted when the Reds found out that Madlock was having a big game.
Finished 6th in NL MVP voting.

1976 Kellogg's #9 - Felix Millan

2011-05-13T19:56:00.000-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

This may be more of a "lifetime achievement" card
Millan batted .283 with 191 base hits in 1975
Felix was a three-time NL All Star and a two-time Gold Glove winner
Millan led the NL in games played (162) and hit by pitch (12) in 1975
Millan also got a Kellogg's card in 1974.

1976 Highlights:

Batted .282 in 139 games in his last full season

1976 Kellogg's #11 - Bert Blyleven

2011-05-12T20:05:00.023-07:00

What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?

Blyleven struck out over 200 batters for the fifth straight year in 1975
At the age of 24, Bert already had 95 career wins
As the card says, in 1975 Blyleven had his highest ERA (3.00) since his 1970 rookie season. That's still pretty good!

1976 Highlights:

Bert finished below .500 (13-16) for the first time in his career
Split the season between Minnesota (4-5, 3.12 ERA) and Texas (9-11, 2.76 ERA)
Traded with Danny Thompson to the Texas Rangers on June 2 for Roy Smalley, Mike Cubbage, Bill Singer, Jim Gideon, and $250,000

1976 Kellogg's #7 - Joe Rudi

2011-05-10T19:55:00.000-07:00

What did he do to deserve a Kellogg's card?

Joe Rudi was an important part of the Oakland A's dynasty in the early-mid 1970s.
Joe was second in AL MVP voting in both 1972 and 1974
Rudi was an AL All Star for the second of three consecutive years in 1975
Although he played in 126 games due to torn ligaments in his thumb, Joe hit 21 HR and had his highest career slugging percentage (.494) in 1975
Joe also won the second of three consecutive Gold Glove awards in 1975

1976 Highlights:

Was an AL All Star for the third (and last) time
Won his last Gold Glove award and finished 12th in AL MVP voting
Finally got away from the A's (and Charlie Finley) after the 1976 season and got a big raise (from $67,000 per year to $400,000 per year) after signing a 5-year, $2 million contract with the California Angels.