Bob (aka Bobby) Tolan played outfield for five teams from 1965-1979. He also played a season in Japan in 1978. Tolan was probably best known for his stint with the Cincinnati Reds from 1969-1973. He played on four World Series teams (1967 and 1968 with the Cardinals, 1970 and 1972 with the Reds) and two other playoff teams (1973 Reds and 1976 Phillies).
I wonder what he would have been able to accomplish if he hadn't missed the 1971 season after he ruptured his achilles tendon playing basketball. It seems like he had a good career going for him but couldn't quite get it going again (except for '72) after that.
Although he's pictured as a Padre in this card, he didn't play for them in 1976. Bobby was released in October of 1975 and he caught on with the Phillies in April of 1976. There were a lot of these cards in the 1976 set. Topps probably had enough traded guys, free agents, and rookies to do a whole update set that year. They did a traded set, but they missed a lot of players who switched teams due to free agent signings, releases, and so forth.
All of his baseball cards picture him as "Bob Tolan," but I remember him as "Bobby Tolan." I wonder why that is.
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