1976 Hostess #78 - Jerry Grote

• 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 Kellogg's #32 - Tom Seaver

• 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 #52 - Bud Harrelson

• 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 Kellogg's #49 - Jon Matlack

• 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 Topps Traded #385T - Mickey Lolich

• Mickey Lolich went to the Mets in a deal that sent Rusty Staub to the Detroit Tigers
• Lolich pitched for the Mets for one season (1976) and went 8-13 with a 3.22 ERA in 30 starts.
• Mickey retired after the 1976 season because he didn't want to be away from his family in Detroit.
• Lolich came back and pitched for two seasons (1978-1979) for the San Diego Padres.

1976 Topps #655 - Mike Vail

•  Mike Vail was supposed to be a big star for the New York  Mets, but his career never really took off. Vail was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1971 and played in their system from 1971-1974. After the 1974 season Mike was traded with Jack Heidemann to the Mets for Ted Martinez.
• Vail had a good year for AAA Tidewater in 1975, batting .342 and being named International League Player of the Year. At the end of the 1975 season Mike was brought up to the Mets and batted .302 in 38 games. Vail had a 23-game hitting streak which was then a record for rookies.
• The Mets were so high on Vail that they traded Rusty Staub to make room for him. Unfortunately Mike dislocated his foot playing basketball in the off season and didn't play in 1976 until June 17. Vail  batted .217 in 53 games in '76. 
• In 1977 Mike improved to a .262 average in 108 games. The Mets cut Vail during spring training in 1978. Vail was signed by the Cleveland Indians and was assigned to AAA Portland. The Indians recalled Vail after he batted .393 in 14 games in Portland. Mike batted .235 in 14 games with the Indians and on June 15 was traded to the Chicago Cubs for Joe Wallis. Vail batted .333 in 74 games for the Cubs to finish the 1978 season.
• Mike spent the next two seasons as a platoon outfielder and pinch hitter and hit well. Vail batted .335 in 87 games in 1979 and .298 in 114 games in 1980. Cubs manager Herman Franks didn't have many kind words for Vail (or for several other Cubs players) after he was fired in 1979.
• After the 1980 season Vail was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for Hector Cruz. Mike didn't play much in 1981 -- he appeared in 31 games (all as a pinch hitter) and batted .161. Vail batted .254 in 78 games in 1982. After the 1982 season Mike was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Rich  Gale.
• Mike started the 1983 season with the Giants and batted .154 in 18 games. On May 25 Vail was traded to the Montreal Expos for Wallace Johnson. Mike batted .283 in 54 games for the Expos in 1983.
• Vail was cut by the Expos during spring training in 1984. Mike signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in June but batted only .063 in 16 at bats. Vail spent some time in AAA Albuquerque and retired after the 1984 season.

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1976 Topps #621 - Tom Hall

• Tom Hall was an unheralded pitcher who had a penchant for striking out batters. Hall's lifetime strikeouts per nine innings average was 8.4 and he struck out an average of over nine batters per nine innings four times in his career.
• Tom Hall was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1966. Hall had dominating stats in the minors from 1966-1968 and first came up to Minnesota in June 1968. Tom pitched in eight games for the Twins and was 2-1 with a 2.43 ERA.
• In 1969 Tom pitched in 31 games (18 starts) and was 8-7 with a 3.33 ERA. Hall pitched two thirds of an inning and got both batters out in one game in the 1969 ALCS.
• Hall had one of his  best years in 1970. Tom struck out 184 batters in 155 innings and was 11-6 with a 2.55 ERA in 52 games (11 starts). Hall started and lost game 2 of the 1970 ALCS.
• Tom's stats dropped off a bit in 1971. Hall was 4-7 with 9 saves and had a 3.33 ERA in 48 games (11 starts). After the 1971 season Hall was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for Wayne Granger.
• Hall had his other really good year in 1972. Tom was 10-1 with 8 saves and had a 2.61 ERA in 47 games (7 starts). It was also Hall's third year in a row of striking out more batters than innings pitched. Tom relieved Jack Billingham in game 2 of the 1972 NLCS and earned the win. Hall had a 1.23 ERA in 7.1 innings in the NLCS. Hall pitched in four games in the 1972 World Series, allowed no runs in 8.1 innings, and earned the save in game 6.
• Tom was 8-5 with 8 saves and had and ERA of 3.47 in 1973. Hall got rocked in three games in the 1973 NLCS -- he pitched 0.2 innings and allowed four runs (54.00 ERA).
• Hall was mostly a reliever in 1974 -- he appeared in 40 games and had one start. Tom went 3-1 with a 4.08 ERA in 1974. 
• Hall started the 1975 season with the Reds but was traded to the New York Mets for Mac Scarce after pitching in two games for the Reds. Tom pitched in 34 games (4 starts) for the Mets in 1975 and was 4-3 with a 4.75 ERA.
• Tom was on the move again in 1976. He started the season with the Mets (1-1, 5.79 ERA in 5 games) and was traded to the Kansas City Royals for a minor leaguer and cash on May 7. Hall was 1-1 with a 4.45 ERA in 31 games for the Royals. Tom wasn't used in the postseason.
• Hall pitched in six games for the Royals in 1977 (0-0, 3.52 ERA) and was released on June 5. Tom was  picked up by the  Twins and pitched in AAA Omaha. Hall retired after the 1977 season at the age of 29 due to injuries.
• Liked to face: Mike Epstein (.000 in 14 AB); Willie Davis (.042 in 24 AB); Jay Johnstone (.041 in 21 AB)
• Hated to face: Mike Andrews (.700 in 10 AB); Rennie Stennett (.571 in 14 AB); Reggie Smith/Roy White (.409 in 22 AB)

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1976 Topps #600 - Tom Seaver

• Tom Seaver was one of my favorite players. Three posters of ballplayers were on my wall during this time -- Seaver, Rod Carew, and Pete Rose.
• A year-by-year entry of this legend's 21-year career would be quite long, so here are the highlights:
• National League Rookie of the Year in 1967
• Won three NL Cy Young Awards (1969, 1973, 1975)
• Won 311 games in his career
• Had 20 or more wins five times: 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977
• Led the NL in victories three times (1969, 1975, 1981)
• Had a 2.86 career ERA and led the NL in ERA three times (1970, 1971, 1973)
• Had 3640 career strikeouts
• Led the NL in strikeouts in 1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, and 1976
• Struck out over 200 batters in nine straight seasons (1968-1976), narrowly missed the 200 plateau in 1977 (196), and then struck out 226 in 1978.
• Postseason record:
• 1969 NLCS 1-0, 6.43 ERA in one start
• 1969 World Series 1-1, 3.00 ERA in two starts (pitched a complete-game 2-1 victory in the series-clinching game 5)
• 1973 NLCS 1-1, 1.62 ERA in two starts
• 1973 World Series 0-1, 2.40 ERA in two starts
• 1979 NLCS 0-0, 2.25 ERA in one start
• Was a 12-time All Star. All Star Game record:
• 1967 - pitched a scoreless 15th inning to earn the save
• 1968 - pitched two scoreless innings and struck out five batters
• 1969 - on the roster but did not pitch
• 1970 - started the game and pitched three scoreless innings
• 1971 - on the roster but did not pitch
• 1972 - on the roster but did not pitch
• 1973 - pitched a scoreless 8th inning
• 1975 - pitched on inning (the 6th) and got a blown save as he allowed a 3-run homer to Carl Yastrzemski
• 1976 - pitched two innings (4th and 5th) and allowed one run on a Fred Lynn solo homer
• 1977 - pitched the 6th and 7th innings and allowed three runs (two earned)
• 1978 - on the roster but did not pitch
• 1981 - pitched one inning (2nd) and allowed a run on a Ken Singleton solo home run
• Pitched for the New York Mets from 1967 until the middle of the 1977 season
• Was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for four players on June 15, 1977
• Traded back to the Mets after the 1982 season
• Pitched one season for the Mets (1983) but was left unprotected in the free agent compensation draft and was taken by the Chicago White Sox
• Pitched for the White Sox from 1984 until the middle of the 1986 season
• Won his 300th game on August 4, 1985 against the New York Yankees
• Traded to the Boston Red Sox for Steve Lyons on June 29, 1986
• Finished the 1986 season with the Red Sox but was left off of the post season roster due to a knee injury
• Attempted a comeback with the Mets in June 1987 but didn't pitch well in three minor league appearances and retired
• Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1992 with the highest percentage of all time (98.84% - 425 of 430 ballots)
• Seaver is the only player in the Hall of Fame who is wearing a Mets cap
• Seaver has done a lot of broadcasting for NBC and for the Mets and Yankees since the end of his playing career
• Tom and his wife own a vineyard in California
• Baseball Digest articles:
• The New Robin Roberts - August 1967
• The Many Faces of Tom Seaver - June 1973
• Tom Seaver Still Thrives as Major League Winner - April 1982
• 300th Victory Added to the Tom Seaver Legend - November 1985
• Tom Seaver Picks His Ten Most Memorable Games - November 1988
• Liked to face: Rance Mulliniks (.000 in 16 AB); Joe Pepitone (.043 in 23 AB); Ken Singleton (.061 in 33 AB)
• Hated to face: Steve Ontiveros (.500 in 18 AB); Terry Puhl (.444 in 45 AB); Chris Cannnizzaro (.429 in 21 AB)

Footage of a very young Tom Seaver in his first major league game


Tom Seaver on The Baseball Bunch

1976 Topps #592 - Rookie Infielders (Randolph, McKay, Royster, Staiger)

• Willie Randolph
• Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1972
• Played in 30 games for the Pirates in 1975 (.164 in 61 AB)
• Was traded with Dock Ellis and Ken Brett to the New York Yankees after the 1975 season for Doc Medich
• Started at 2B for the Yankees from 1976-1988
• 1976: Batted .267 in 125 games
• 1977: Batted .274 in 147 games
• 1978: Batted .279 in 134 games
• Willie Randolph: A Most Unlikely Sort of Hero - January 1978 Baseball Digest
• 1979: batted .270 in 153 games
• 1980: batted .294 in 138 games
• Led the AL with 119 walks and won the Silver Slugger Award at 2B.
• Willie Randolph: On the Way to Greatness - September 1980 Baseball Digest
• 1981: Batted .232 in 93 games 
• 1982: Batted .280 in 144 games
• 1983: Batted .279 in 104 games
• Played only once between June 26 and August 5
• 1984: Batted .287 in 142 games
• 1985: Batted .276 in 143 games
• Was the Yankee team captain from 1986-1988
• 1986: Batted .276 in 141 games
• 1987: Batted .305 in 120 games
• 1988: batted .230 in 110 games
• Became a free agent after the 1988 season and signed with the LA Dodgers
• Had an all-star season in 1989 (.282 in 145 games) 
• The Game I'll Never Forget - October 1989 Baseball Digest
• Started the 1990 season with the Dodgers (.271 in 26 games) but was traded to the Oakland A's in May 1990 for Stan Javier
• Played for the A's in 1990 (.257 in 93 games), the Milwaukee Brewers in 1991 (.327 in 124 games), and the New York Mets (.252 in 90 games) in 1992.
• All Star appearances:
• 1976: did not get into game
• 1977: starting 2B, 1 for 5 with one RBI
• 1980: starting 2B, 2 for 4
• 1981: starting 2B, 1 for 3
• 1987: starting 2B, 0 for 1
• 1989: Played for the NL, 2B, 0 for 1
• Coached with the New York Yankees from 1993-2004
• Managed the New York Mets from 2005 until the middle of the 2008 season.
• Won the NL East in 2006
• Mets had one of the worst collapses in history in 2007. They had a 7-game lead in the NL East with 17 games to play but were overtaken by the Philadelphia Phillies.
• Liked to face: Greg Harris/Bill Krueger (.524 in 21 AB); Steve Trout (.406 in 32 AB)
• Hated to face: Mike Scott (.053 in 19 AB); Bill Swift (.095 in 21 AB); Nolan Ryan (.115 in 26 AB)
• Dave McKay
• Signed by the  Minnesota Twins in 1971
• Played in the minors from 1971-1975 
• Came up to Minnesota in August 1975 and batted .256 in 125 at bats
• Started the 1976 season with the Twins and batted .203 in 45 games
• Sent down to AAA in June and stayed there for the rest of the year
• Selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the expansion draft
• Batted .197 in 95 games as a utility infielder in 1977
• Started at 2B in 1978 and batted .238 in 145 games
• Started the 1979 season in Toronto and sent to AAA in mid-May
• Came back to the Blue Jays in September and ended up batting .218 in 47 games
• Released after the 1979 season
• Tried out for the A's in spring training in 1980 and  made the club
• Batted .244 in 123 games as a utility infielder in 1980
• Batted .263 in 79 games in 1981
• Batted .198 in 78 games in 1982
• Played in the minors in 1983 and retired after the season
• Coached for the Oakland A's (1984-1995) and for the St. Louis Cardinals (1996-present). 
• Was the first base coach for most of those seasons
• Co-wrote a book (Strength Training for Baseball) with Jose Canseco about proper weight training techniques.
• Jerry Royster
• Jerry was a versatile player who saw action at every position except P, C, and 1B during his major league career.
• Signed by the LA Dodgers in 1970
• Despite having seasons of .303, .275, and .333 in AAA Albuquerque from 1973-1975, Royster was unable to break into the Dodgers' lineup.
• Jerry batted .211 in ten games in 1973.
• Royster appeared in six games in 1974 but didn't bat. He scored two runs in pinch running appearances.
• In 1975 Jerry went 9 for 36 (.250) in 13 games for the Dodgers.
• Traded to the Atlanta Braves (with Jimmy Wynn, Lee Lacy, and Tom Paciorek) for Dusty Baker and Ed Goodson after the 1975 season.
• Became the Braves' starting third baseman in 1976. For the next several seasons played several different positions but managed to stay in the lineup most of the time.
• 1976: Batted .248 with 24 stolen bases in 149 games
• 1977:  Batted .216 with 28 stolen bases in 140 games
• 1978: Batted .259 with 27 stolen bases in 140 games
• 1979: Probably his best season -- batted .273 with 35 stolen bases and 103 runs scored in 154 games
• 1980: Batted .242 with 22 stolen bases in 123 games
• 1981: Batted .204 in 64 games but had only 93 at bats
• 1982: Batted .295 in 108 games (261 AB).
• Went 2 for 11 (.182) in NLCS
• 1983: Batted .235 in 91 games.
• 1984: Batted .207 in 81 games
• Became a free agent after the 1984 season and signed with the San Diego Padres
• 1985: Played five different positions and batted .281 in 90 games
• 1986: Batted .257 in 118 games
• Became a free agent and signed with the Chicago White Sox after the 1986 season.
• Batted .240 in 55 games for the White Sox in 1987
• Traded with a minor leaguer to the New York Yankees for Ken Patterson and a minor leaguer on August 29, 1987
• Batted .357 in 18 games for the Yankees to finish the 1987 season
• Released at the end of spring training in 1988. Signed with the Braves on May 17
• Batted .176 in 68 games in 1988 and retired after the season
• Coached and managed for various clubs in the minors after his retirement
• Coached under Davey Lopes in Milwaukee in 2002 and was named interim manager when Lopes was fired after 15 games. Jerry finished the season but was not brought back
• Has managed the Lotte Giants in South Korea since 2008.
• Liked to face: Pedro Borbon (.421 in 19 AB); Doug Rau (.400 in 20 AB)
• Hated to face: Nolan Ryan (.000 in 14 AB); Bill Gullickson/Bill Lee (.059 in 17 AB); 
• Roy Staiger
• First round pick of the New York Mets in 1970
• Played in the minors from 1970-1975.
• Went 3 for 19 (.158) in a brief September trial in 1975.
• Batted .220 in 304 at bats for the Mets in 1976.
• Started the 1977 season with the Mets but was sent to AAA Tidewater in mid-June. Came back in September and ended up batting .252 in 123 at bats for the Mets.
• Traded to the New York Yankees after the 1977 season for Sergio Ferrer.
• Spent the entire 1978 season in AAA Tacoma
• Played in AAA Columbus in 1979.
• Played in four games and went 4 for 13 (.273) for the Yankees at the end of the 1979 season.
• Played in Columbus in 1980 and retired after the season.

1976 Topps #585 - Joe Torre

• Joe Torre had a good career as a player and had a distinguished career as a manager. Torre was signed by the Milwaukee Braves in 1960. Torre played in the  minors in 1960 and batted .344 at Class C Eau Claire. Joe came up to the Braves at the end of the 1960 season and went 1 for 2 in two games.
• In 1961 Torre batted .342 in 27 games at AAA Louisville and then came up to the Braves to stay in mid-May. Joe batted .278 with 10 HR in 113 games in 1961 and finished second to Billy Williams in NL Rookie of the Year voting. Best Young Catcher! - December 1961 Baseball Digest.
• Joe split time with Del Crandall behind the plate in 1962 and batted .282 in 220 at bats. Torre became the starting catcher in 1963 and batted .293 with 14 HR and 71 RBI in 142 games. Joe made the first of nine all-star teams in 1963 (more about his all star performance later).
• Torre finished 5th in NL MVP voting in 1964. He batted .321 with 20 HR and 109 RBI. Joe also led the NL in times grounded into a double play with 26. Torre led the NL three times in this category.
• In 1965 Joe batted .291 with 27 HR and 80 RBI. Torre batted .315 with a career-high 35 HR and 101 RBI in 1966. Joe wasn't known as a great defensive catcher, but he won a Gold Glove in 1965 and led the NL by throwing out 49% of would-be base stealers in 1966.
• Torre batted .277 with 20 HR and 68 RBI in 1967. Joe's offense dropped off in 1968 (the same thing happened to a lot of other hitters) and batted .271 with 10 HR and 55 RBI in 115 games. Joe missed about a month of the 1968 season (mid-April to mid-May) with an injury.
• During spring training in 1969 Joe was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Orlando Cepeda. The Cardinals had Tim McCarver at catcher so Torre was  moved to first base. Joe batted .289 with 18 HR and 101 RBI in 159 games in 1969.
• Torre split time between catcher and third base in 1970. Joe batted .325 with 21 HR and 100 RBI in 1970.
• Joe's career year was in 1971. Torre was the NL MVP as he led the league with a .363 batting average, 230 hits, and 137 RBI. Joe Torre Swings a Fast Bat - October 1971 Baseball Digest. Player of the Year - Baseball Digest December 1971.
• Torre had three more good years with the Cardinals. Joe batted .289 with 11 HR and 81 RBI in 1972 and batted .287 with 13 HR and 69 RBI in 1973. Torre batted .282 with 11 HR and 70 RBI in 1974.
• After the 1974 season Joe was traded to the New York Mets for Ray Sadecki and Tommy Moore. Torre played for the Mets for the next 2 1/2 seasons. In 1975 Joe batted .247 in 114 games. Torre had his last good offensive season in 1976, batting .306 in 114 games.
• Torre was hired as a player-manager on May 31, 1977. He didn't do much at the plate (.176 in 26 games) and retired as a player a few weeks later.
• Joe took over as the Mets' manager during one of the toughest times in the club's history. Torre managed the club through the 1981 season but had only a .405 winning percentage and never finished above 4th in the NL East. Torre was fired by the Mets after the 1981 season.
• On October 23 Joe was hired to replace Bobby Cox as the manager of the Atlanta Braves. Torre managed the Braves to an NL West title in 1982 (the Braves lost to the Cardinals in the NLCS), finished second in 1983, and third in 1984. After the 1984 season Torre was let go as the Atlanta manager.
• Torre was a broadcaster for the California Angels from 1985-1990.
• Joe was hired as the manager of the Cardinals in August of 1990. The Cardinals had one 2nd place finish in the NL East in 1992 but never finished above third in the NL East or the NL Central any other time during Joe's tenure with the club. Torre was fired in June of 1995.
• At this point Joe had a managerial record of 894-1000 (.472). After the 1995 season Torre was hired to manage the New York Yankees. The Yankees hadn't won a World Championship since 1978. The club proceeded to win four titles in five years and win the AL East every year but two from 1996-2007.
• Torre left the Yankees after the 2007 season and managed the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2008-2010. The Dodgers won the NL West in 2008 and 2009 but finished fourth in 2010. Torre resigned as the Dodger manager after the 2010 season.
• Joe Torre's All Star Game performances:
• 1963: did not play in game
• 1964: starting catcher, 0 for 2
• 1965: starting catcher, 1 for 4 with a 2-run homer
• 1966: starting catcher, 0 for 3
• 1967: starting catcher, 0 for 2
• 1970: pinch hitter, 0 for 1
• 1971: starting 3B, 0 for 3
• 1972: starting 3B, 1 for 3
• 1973: 1B-3B, 0 for 3
• Liked to face: Don Drysdale (.348 in 92 AB); Ken Holtzman (.508 in 65 AB); gary Nolan (.439 in 41 AB)
• Hated to face: Barney Schultz (.000 in 12 AB); Al Downing (.034 in 29 AB); Jim Lonborg (.087 in 23 AB)

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1976 Topps #567 - George Stone

• George Stone pitched in the majors from 1967-1975. Stone was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 1966. George pitched in the minors in 1966 and 1967. He was called up at the end of the 1967 season and pitched in two games (4.91 ERA in 7 1/3 innings).
• George spent the first three months of the 1968 season in the minors. Stone was brought up in early July and went 7-4 with a 2.76 ERA in 17 games (10 starts). 
• For the first two months of the 1969 season Stone was a reliever and a spot starter. George was inserted into the Atlanta rotation in June and stayed there most of the time for the rest of the season. Stone went 13-10 with a 3.65 ERA in 36 games (20 starts) in 1969. George allowed one run in one inning pitched in game 3 of the 1969 NLCS.
• George was a regular member of Atlanta's starting rotation in 1970. He went 11-11 with a 3.86 ERA in 35 games (30 starts) in 1970. In 1971 Stone was a fifth starter and went 6-8 with a 3.60 ERA in 27 games (24 starts). Stone split the 1972 between the starting rotation and the bullpen. He went 6-11 with a 5.51 ERA in 31 games (16 starts).
• Before the 1973 season Stone was traded to the New York Mets with Felix Millan for Gary Gentry and Danny Frisella. George was a reliever for the first two months of the season and then became a starter in early June. Stone lost his first two decisions but rebounded to win his last eight decisions as the Mets won the NL East. George went 12-3 with a 2.80 ERA in 27 games (20 starts).
• Stone started game 4 of the 1973 NLCS and allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings. The game went 12 innings and the Mets lost, but the Mets went on to win game 5 and advance to the World Series. Stone pitched in games two and seven of the World Series, earning the save in game 2 and allowing no runs in three innings. Mets manager Yogi Berra endured a lot of second-guessing after bypassing Stone for the game 6 start (the Mets had a 3-2 lead in the series) and starting Tom Seaver on three days rest instead. The Mets lost games 6 and 7 and lost the series.
• George didn't pitch as well in 1974 (2-7, 5.03 ERA in 15 games) and 1975 (3-3, 5.05 ERA in 13 games). Stone was sidelined for the last part of the 1974 season and the first part of the 1976 season with a shoulder injury. After the 1975 season Stone was traded to Sacramento (AAA club of the Texas Rangers) for Bill Hands. Hands retired and Stone didn't play after the 1975 season.
• After his playing career Stone became a physical education teacher.
• Liked to face: Jeff Torborg (.000 in 13 AB); Hal Lanier (.053 in 19 AB); Johnny Edwards (.059 in 17 AB)
• Hated to face: Gary Matthews (.615 in 13 AB); Tony Perez (.538 in 39 AB); Larry Bowa (.500 in 36 AB)

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1976 Topps #549 - Randy Tate

• We thought it was cool getting this card in a pack. One of the kids in our group had the same last  name. 
• Randy Tate was drafted by the New York Mets in 1972. He pitched in the Mets farm system from 1972-1974.
• Randy became part of the Mets' starting rotation in 1975. Tate went 5-13 with a 4.43 ERA in 28 games (23 starts). Randy almost pitched a no-hitter against the Montreal Expos on August 4. He took the no-hitter into the 8th inning but allowed three hits and lost the game 4-3. Tate pitched a great game on August 26 -- he allowed two runs (one earned) in a complete game victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Randy went to the bullpen after that game and started only one more game.
• Tate went 0 for 41 during the season with one walk and 22 strikeouts. Ouch.
• Randy was sent back to AAA Tidewater in 1976. Tate pitched for Tidewater in 1976 and in 1977 before moving on to the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 1978. A rotator cuff tear ended Randy's career.
• In 2007 Tate was arrested and charged with stealing over $20,000 worth of copper from Occidental Chemical Corp. in Muscle Shoals, AL. At the time Tate was working for a contractor at the plant.
• Randy's TTM information is on this page.

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1976 Topps #531 - New York Mets

• The 1976 New York Mets had awesome pitching, but they didn't have enough offense to overcome the Philadelphia Phillies or the Pittsburgh Pirates. Believe it or not, ace Tom Seaver was actually only third on the staff in wins. Seaver won 14 games while Jerry Koosman won 21 and Jon Matlack won 17.
• Joe Frazier managed the Mets for the entire 1976 season and the club was 86-76. After the Mets started poorly (15-30), Frazier was relieved of his duties on  May 31, 1977. Here is an interesting blog entry about Frazier's time as the Mets' manager. There is a comment at the end of the entry that appears to be written by one of Joe's sons.
• Team Record: 86-76 (3rd in NL East, 15 games behind Philadelphia)
• Attendance: 1,468,754 (5th in NL)
• Team Batting: .246 (9th in NL)
• Team Home Runs: 102 (5th in NL)
• Team Stolen Bases: 66 (12th in NL)
• Team ERA: 2.94 (1st in NL)
• Team Fielding: .979 (4th in NL)
• NL All Stars: Dave Kingman (starting RF); Tom Seaver (P); Jon Matlack (P)
• League Leaders: Tom Seaver (strikeouts - 235); Jon Matlack (shutouts - 6)
• Batting Leader: Joe Torre (.306 in 310 AB); Ed Kranepool (.292 in 415 AB)
• Home Run Leader: Dave Kingman (37)
• RBI Leader: Dave Kingman (86)
• Stolen Base Leader: Bud Harrelson, Bruce Boisclair (9)
• Victories Leader: Jerry Koosman (21)
• Losses Leader: Mickey Lolich (13)
• ERA Leader (starters): Tom Seaver (2.59)
• ERA Leader (relievers): Skip Lockwood (2.67)
• Saves Leader: Skip Lockwood (19)

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1976 Topps #517 - John Milner

• John  Milner played in the majors from 1971-1982. Milner was drafted by the New York Mets in 1968. John played in the  minors from 1968-1971. He got a brief look by the Mets in 1971 and batted .167 in 18 AB.
• Milner was third in NL Rookie of the Year voting behind Jon Matlack and Dave Rader in 1972. Milner batted .238 with 17 HR and 38 RBI. In 1973 John spent most of his time at 1B and played some in LF as well. He batted .239 with 23 HR and 72 RBI during the regular season. John batted .176 in the NLCS and .296 in the World Series.
• Milner was the starting first baseman in 1974 and batted .252 with 20 HR and 63 RBI in 137 games. John struggled in 1975 and didn't get as much playing time. Milner batted .191 with 7 HR in 91 games in '75.
• John had a much better year in 1976, batting .271 with 15 HR and 78 RBI. Milner batted .255 with 12 HR and 57 RBI in 1977. After the 1977 season Milner was involved in a complicated 4-way trade. He ended up with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• For the next two years Milner and Bill Robinson formed an effective combination in left field for the Pirates. In 1978 Milner batted .271 with 6 HR and 38 RBI in 295 AB. Milner batted .276 with 16 HR and 60 RBI in 326 AB. John was hitless in nine at bats in the NLCS and was 3 for 9 in the World Series.
• John spent some time at 1B in 1980 as well as LF. He batted .244 with 8 HR and 34 RBI in 1980. Milner was mostly relegated to pinch hitting duties for the Pirates in 1981. John was batting .237 with 2 HR in 59 AB when he was traded to the  Montreal Expos for Willie Montanez on August 20. Milner batted .237 with 3 HR in 76 AB for the Expos to finish the 1981 season. Milner made two pinch hitting appearances in the NLDS (1 for 2) and was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter in the NLCS.
• Milner didn't do much for the Expos in 1982 (.107 in 28 AB) and was released on July 6. John signed with the Pirates on July 29 and batted .240 in 25 AB. Milner was released during spring training in 1983 and retired.
• Milner testified during the Pittsburgh drug trials in 1985. John testified that he once bought cocaine in a bathroom stall in Three Rivers Stadium during a game in 1980 and that he had received amphetamines from Willie Mays and Willie Stargell.
• John died of lung cancer at the age of 50 in East Point, Georgia in 2000.
• Liked to face: Dave Giusti (.538 in 13 AB); Paul Moskau (.474 in 19 AB); Don Gullett (.450 in 20 AB)
• Hated to face: Larry Demery (.000 in 11 AB); Claude Osteen (.056 in 18 AB); Alan Foster (.091 in 22 AB)

1976 Topps #494 - Craig Swan

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• Craig Swan pitched in the majors from 1973-1985, mostly for the New York Mets. Craig was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 17th round in 1968 but he elected to attend Arizona State University. Swan set the all-time collegiate win record with 48 victories. Craig allowed only one run in 18 innings in the 1972 College World Series (the Sun Devils lost in the championship game to USC). Swan was drafted by the Mets in 1972 and spent parts of the 1972-1975 seasons in the minors. Craig first came up to the Mets at the end of the 1973 season and was 0-1 with a 8.64 ERA in three games.
• Swan suffered a broken elbow in 1974 and was unable to pitch very much. He spent some time with AAA Tidewater and was 1-3 with a 4.45 ERA in seven games (5 starts) for the Mets. In 1975 Craig split the season between Tidewater and New York. He was 1-3 with a 6.39 ERA in six late season starts for the Mets in '75.
• Craig was with the Mets to stay in 1976 and was 6-9 with a 3.54 ERA in 22 starts. Swan went 9-10 with a 4.23 ERA in 24 starts in 1977. 
• Swan had his best season in 1978. The Mets were a last place club but he was 9-6 and led the NL with a 2.43 ERA. Craig went 14-13 with a 3.29 ERA in 35 starts in 1979.
• Craig was having another good year in 1980 when he tore his rotator cuff in July. He made two appearances in August but that was it for his season. He ended up 5-9 with a 3.58 ERA. Swan wasn't able to pitch much in 1981 due to the rotator cuff injury and a broken rib suffered when he got in the way of a throw by Mets catcher Ron Hodges as he was trying to throw out a runner stealing second base. Swan went 0-2 with a 3.29 ERA in 1981.
• Craig went through a treatment that included rolfing, which is a method of manipulating tissue in order for muscles to function together. He finished second behind Joe  Morgan for NL Comeback Player of the Year in 1982. Swan was 11-7 with a 3.35 ERA in 37 games (21 starts) in 1982.
• Swan was injured again during spring training in 1983 when he felt something pop in his arm during a game. He tried to pitch through the injury but it affected his endurance. Craig was 2-8 with a 5.51 ERA in 1983. Swan started the 1984 season with the Mets but was released on May 9 after going 1-0 with an 8.20 ERA in ten games. Craig signed with the California Angels on May 23 but was released after going 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA in two games.
• After his playing career Swan became a certified rolfer and opened up a successful practice in Connecticut. Here is a "where are they now" article from 2009.
• Liked to face: Tony Pena (.000 in 10 AB); Richie Hebner (.048 in 21 AB); Jim Dwyer (.071 in 14 AB)
• Hated to face: Dave Winfield (.457 in 35 AB); Keith Hernandez (.436 in 39 AB); George Hendrick (.429 in 42 AB)

1976 Topps #468 - Jesus Alou

• Jesus Alou was the youngest of the three Alou brothers who played major league baseball. Alou played from 1963-1979. He was signed by the San Francisco Giants in 1958 and played in the minors from 1959-1963. Jesus had a lifetime minor league average of .338. Alou got a short look at the end of the 1963 season and batted .250 in 24 at bats.
• Alou was a fourth outfielder for the Giants in 1964 but got a lot of playing time, batting .274 in 376 at bats. Alou was the starting right fielder in 1965 and batted .298 with a career-high nine home runs in 143 games. Jesus was a singles hitter who didn't walk much or steal many bases.
• In 1966 Alou had a ten-game stint with AAA Phoenix. He batted .259 in 110 games for the Giants. Jesus was the starting left fielder for the Giants in 1967 and batted .292 in 129 games. Alou split time between left field and right field in 1968 and batted .263 in 120 games.
• After the 1968 season Jesus was taken by the Montreal Expos in the expansion draft. He and Donn Clendenon were traded to the Houston Astros for Rusty Staub before the 1969 season (Clendenon refused to report to the Astros and the trade was reworked).
• Alou was the starting left fielder for the Astros in 1969. He didn't hit very well, batting .248 in 115 games. Jesus was batting .205 on June 5 when he was injured and missed the next five weeks. He had nine straight multi-hit games in early September that helped him get his average up to .248.
• Jesus played in 117 games in 1970 and batted .306. In 1971 Alou batted .279 in 122 games.
• In 1972 Alou was the odd man out when Cesar Cedeno emerged as a star. The Astros had Bob Watson, Cedeno, and Jim Wynn in the outfield so there wasn't much room for Alou. Jesus batted .312 in 93 at bats in '72.
• Jesus started the 1973 season with the Astros but he still wasn't getting much playing time. After batting .236 in 55 at bats Alou was sold to the Oakland A's on July 31. He played well for the A's in the stretch drive, batting .306 in 108 at bats. Alou was 2 for 6 in four games in the ALCS but batted only .158 in 19 at bats in the World Series.
• Alou was a DH and extra outfielder in 1974. He batted .268 in 220 at bats during the regular season, singled in his only at bat in the ALCS, and struck out in his only at bat in the World Series.
• Jesus was released by the A's during spring training in 1975. He signed with the New York Mets in mid April and batted .265 in 102 at bats during the 1975 season. Alou was released by the Mets during spring training in 1976. He was out of major league baseball for two years.
• Before the 1978 season Alou signed with the Astros. He batted .324 in 139 at bats in 1978 and .256 in 43 at bats in 1979 as a player-coach. Alou retired after the 1979 season.
• After his playing career Alou was a scout for the Expos and served as director of Dominican operations for the Florida Marlins. He has had the same position for the Boston Red Sox since 2002.
• Liked to face: Lindy McDaniel (.800 in 10 AB); Bob Buhl (.450 in 20 AB); Steve Carlton (.436 in 55 AB)
• Hated to face: Bob Purkey (.000 in 12 AB); Pat Jarvis (.091 in 33 AB); Jim Maloney (.114 in 35 AB)

1976 Topps #442 - Hank Webb

• Hank Webb pitched in parts of six seasons from 1972-1977. Webb was drafted by the New York Mets in 1968. Hank had nice numbers in the minor leagues, but he had a hard time cracking the good Mets' pitching staffs of the early-mid 1970s.
• After going 12-8 with a 2.87 ERA for two minor league teams in 1972, Hank pitched in six games (0-0, 4.42 ERA) for the Mets. Webb pitched in two games (0-0, 9.00 ERA) for the Mets in 1973 and he pitched in three games (0-2, 7.20 ERA) in 1974. Hank pitched a 7-inning no-hitter for AAA Tidewater on June 7, 1974.
• Webb got his best shot in the majors in 1975. He pitched in 29 games (15 starts) and was 7-6 with a 4.07 ERA. Hank was up and down between the Mets and Tidewater in 1976. He appeared in eight games with the Mets and was 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA. After the 1976 season Webb and a minor leaguer were traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Rick Auerbach.
• Webb had an even tougher time getting into games with the Dodgers staff of 1977. He spent a lot of time in AAA Albuquerque and pitched in five games (0-0, 2.25 ERA) for the Dodgers. Hank pitched for Albuquerque in 1978 but was ineffective (2-5, 6.43 ERA in 29 games) and retired after the season.
• Hank has a son (Ryan Webb) who pitches for the San Diego Padres.

1976 Topps #417 - Gene Clines

• Gene Clines played for four teams from 1970-1979. Clines was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1966. In his five seasons (1966-1970) in the minors Gene stole 130 bases, including 63 in 1969 for AA York. Clines played in 31 games for the Pirates in 1970 and batted .405 in 37 at  bats.

• Clines was a fourth outfielder for most of his career and played all three OF positions. In 1971 Gene played in 97 games and batted .308 in 273 at bats. He  batted .333 (1 for 3) in the NLCS and .091 in 11 at bats in the World Series.

• Gene's best season was in 1972 when he batted .334 in 311 at bats. Clines was 0 for 2 with a run scored in the 1972 NLCS. In 1973 Clines batted .263 in 304 at bats. Gene's offense really dropped off in 1974 as he batted .225 in 276 at bats. He was 0 for 1 with a run scored in the 1974 NLCS. After the 1974 season Clines was traded to the New York Mets for Duffy Dyer.

• Clines batted .227 in 203 at bats for the Mets in 1975. After the 1975 season he was traded to the Texas Rangers for Joe Lovitto. Clines got the most at  bats (446) of his career in 1976 and batted .276. After the 1976 season Gene moved on again. He was traded (along with some cash) to the Chicago Cubs for Darold Knowles.

• Gene batted .293 in 239 at bats for the Cubs in 1977. He batted .258 in 229 at bats in 1978. Clines batted .200 (2 for 10) as  a pinch hitter in 1979 before being released by the Cubs on May 11.

• After his release as a player Clines became the Cubs' first base coach. He continuted to coach first for the Cubs until 1981 and then moved on to the Houston Astros where he was a roving minor league instructor through 1987. Gene was Houston's hitting coach in 1988 and then was the hitting coach for the Seattle Mariners (1989-1992) and the Milwaukee Brewers (1993-1994). He spent eight years (1995-2002) with the San Francisco Giants as a hitting coach and outfield coach. FOX had Gene miked during the World Series and he screamed, "OH MY GOD!!!" when Barry Bonds hit his first World Series homer. Clines went back to the Cubs to coach from 2003-2006 and is now the outfield and base running coordinator in the Los Angeles Dodgers system.
• Gene Clines reflects on the 1971 Pirates.

• Liked to face: Ken Reynolds (.500 in 16 AB); Carl Morton (.471 in 17 AB); Doug Rau/Mike Marshall (.438 in 16 AB)
• Hated to face: Don Sutton (.071 in 14 AB); Tug McGraw (.111 in 18 AB); Larry Dierker/Tommy John (.118 in 17 AB)

1976 Topps #372 - Rick Baldwin

• Rick Baldwin pitched for the New York Mets from 1975-1977. Baldwin was drafted by the Mets in 1971 and pitched in their minor league system from 1971-1974. He stuck with the Mets in 1975 and was 3-5 with six saves and a 3.34 ERA in a team-leading 54 appearances.

• Baldwin spent most of the 1976 season pitching for AAA Tidewater. He had two stints with the Mets and ended up with a 2.38 ERA in 11 games. Rick started the 1977 season in Tidewater and was called up in early June. He was 1-2 with one save and a 4.45 ERA in 40 games.

• Rick was chosen by the Seattle Mariners in the Rule 5 draft after the 1977 season. The Mariners assigned Baldwin to their AAA San Jose club. Sometime in the middle of the 1978 season Rick ended up with Columbus (Pittsburgh's AAA team). He didn't put up real impressive numbers for either team and called it quits after the 1978 season.

• According to baseballlibrary.com, Rick was a bible-toting sinkerballer. Rick became a pastor after leaving baseball. He is now an associate pastor at River Ranch Church in Modesto, CA.

1976 Topps #337 - Bud Harrelson

• Bud Harrelson was a major league shortstop from 1965-1980. He had the vast majority of his success with the New York Mets. Harrelson was signed by the Mets in 1963. He played in the minors from 1963-1966 and never hit above .251. Bud had a September call-up in 1965 (.108 in 37 AB) and was called up for good in mid August 1966. He batted .222 in 99 AB in 1966.

• Harrelson became the regular shortstop for the Mets in 1967. He played in 151 games and batted .254. In 1968 Bud missed almost a month (mid-May to mid-June) and played in 111 games, batting .219. He was a classic "good field / no hit" shortstop, but he was a valuable part of the Mets ballclub.

• Harrelson had another 3-week gap in his season in 1969 from late June to mid July. He played in 123 games and batted .248. He didn't do much with the stick in the postseason (.182 in the NLCS and .176 in the World Series). Bud Harrelson: The Game I'll Never Forget - January 1983 Baseball Digest.

• Bud's two best seasons were probably 1970 and 1971. In 1970 he made the NL All Star team and was 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored in the game. Harrelson batted .243 in 157 games. Mets Fans Are Happy Bud Harrelson Has Finally Arrived - May 1970 Baseball Digest. Bud was the starting shortstop for the NL All Stars in 1971 and was 0 for 2 in the game. He won the Gold Glove and batted .252 in 143 games in 1971.

• Harrelson missed almost the entire month of August in 1972. Bud batted .215 in 111 games. Harrelson missed five weeks of the 1973 season (early June to early July) and batted .258 in 106 games. He batted .167 in the NLCS but is best known for a fight with Pete Rose in game 3. It started when the Reds were 2-hit by Jon Matlack in game 2. Harrelson said after the game that Matlack made the Reds look like Harrelson was hitting for them. Before game 3 Joe Morgan came up to Harrleson and said that Pete wasn't happy with the quote. In the top of the 5th inning with the Mets leading 9-2 Rose singled. Morgan hit a grounder to Jon Milner. Milner threw to Harrelson at second base. Rose slid into Harrelson with his hands up high. Harrelson went after Rose and the benches cleared. It took a while for order to be restored. In the next inning the fans threw objects at Rose in left field and Reds manager Sparky Anderson pulled his team off of the field. Several Mets (including Willie Mays and manager Yogi Berra) went out to left field to calm the fans and prevent a forfeit to the Reds. Here is a story about the fight. The Mets went on to win the series and Harrelson batted .25o in the 1973 World Series.

• In 1974 Bud played in 106 games and batted .227. Bud Harrelson: Quiet Leader of the Mets - January 1974 Baseball Digest. He missed a huge chunk of the 1975 season -- he didn't play from May 26 to September 1. Harrelson batted .219 in 34 games in 1975. Bud batted .234 in 118 games in 1976. He slumped to .178 in 107 games in 1977. During spring training in 1978 Bud was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Fred Andrews and cash.

• Harrelson spent two seasons with the Phillies as a backup infielder. In 1978 he played in 71 games and batted .214 in 103 at bats. Bud played in 53 games in 1979 and batted .282 in 71 at bats. He was released by the Phillies at the end of spring training in 1980. In early May Harrelson signed with the Texas Rangers and batted .272 in 87 games. Harrelson retired after the 1980 season.

• Bud managed the Mets after Davey Johnson was fired in May 1990. Harrelson finished the 1990 season and managed the Mets for most of the 1991 season before he was fired with a week to go in the '91 season. Harrelson is now a co-owner, vice president, and first base coach for the unaffiliated Long Island Ducks baseball team.

• Liked to face: Tom Griffin (.448 in 29 AB); Dock Ellis (.395 in 38 AB); Dave Giusti (.341 in 41 AB)
• Hated to face: Alan Foster (.095 in 21 AB); Mike McCormick (.127 in 28 AB); Ron Bryant (.115 in 26 AB)