1976 Topps Card of the Year (Round 2, Group 2)

• The cards that will move on from group 1 are Johnny Bench, Ray Fosse, Fred Lynn, and Lou Brock
• Here are the cards for round 2, group 2. Please vote for your favorite(s). The top four from this group will make it to the next round

Steve Ontiveros #284

Oscar Gamble Traded (#74T)

Sal Bando #90

Brian Downing #23

Carl Yastrzemski #230

Steve Garvey #150

Bill Plummer #627

Jerry Reuss #60

1976 Topps Card of the Year - Round 1, Group 1

• It's time to choose a card of the year. I chose 64 cards to be included in the voting. About 45 of them were chosen by readers and I chose the other ones to fill out the field.

• We'll do this eight cards at a time. Choose your four favorite cards from each group. The top half of each group will advance to the next round.

• Here are the cards:

#620 Al Oliver

#278 Bernie Carbo

#627 Bill Plummer

#525 Billy Williams

#23 Brian Downing

#230 Carl Yastrzemski

#262 Checklist

#277 Chicago Cubs

• The poll will be open for three days and then the next set of cards will appear for your vote.

1976 Topps #627 - Bill Plummer

• Bill Plummer played in ten seasons from 1968-1978. He is best known as the backup for Johnny Bench for most of the early to mid 1970s.
• Plummer was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1965. He played in the minors from 1965-1967 and then was taken by the Chicago Cubs in the Rule 5 draft. Bill had to stay on the Cubs' roster for the entire 1968 season but played in only two games and went 0 for 2.
• Plummer was in the minors for the entire 1969 season. After the 1969 season Bill was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. Plummer was in the minors for most of the 1970 season. He played in four September games for the Reds and went 1 for 8 (.125). 
• Bill was with AAA Indianapolis for most of the 1971 season and batted .266 with 17 home runs. Plummer played in ten games for the Reds at the end of the 1971 season but was 0 for 19.
• Plummer backed up Bench for the next six seasons (1972-1977). Bill batted above .200 in only two of those seasons (.225 in 1974 and .248 in 1976).
• Plummer didn't appear in any NLCS or World Series games during that time, although the Reds were in the playoffs in four of those six years.
• After the 1978 season Bill became a free agent and signed with the Seattle Mariners. Plummer spent some time in AAA during the 1978 season and  batted .215 in 41 games for the Mariners.
• Bill spent the 1979 season in the minors and was released after the season.
• Plummer coached and managed in the minors during the 1980s. He was the third base coach for the Mariners in 1991 and was named the Seattle manager in 1992. The Mariners finished in last place in 1992 and Bill was replaced as manager after the season.
• Plummer has been working for the Arizona Diamondbacks since 2000. He managed in the Arizona system from 2000-2008 and is now the team's catching instructor.

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