1976 Hostess #142 - Gary Matthews

* Gary Matthews was one of the really good outfielders that the Giants came up with in the early 1970s. Things could have been different if the Giants would have been able to keep Gary Matthews, Garry Maddox, and George Foster.

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1976 Hostess #41 - John Montefusco

 

Hello! I finally got to a place where I can spend a bit each month on cards. One thing I decided to do was to work on completing sets from my prime card collecting years (1974-1981). I'm a big Giants fan, so a lot of the first cards I get for these sets will be Giants.

John Montefusco didn't spend much time in the minors. He was dominant in A ball in 1973 and really rose through the system in 1974, going from AA to AAA to the majors all in the same year. I may have seen him pitch in Phoenix in 1974, but I was only seven and don't have any specific memories of the games my dad took me to that year.

John had great  years in 1975 and in 1976 before he started to tail off a bit. Injuries hampered him and by 1979 he was struggling to stay in the rotation.

By the way, the card is in better shape than the scan indicates. I'm still learning how to operate this thing.

1976 Hostess #142 - Gary Matthews

• 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 #21 - Dave Rader

• 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 #82 - Chris Speier

• 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 Kellogg's #39 - Von Joshua

• 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

1976 Topps Traded #158T - Ken Reitz

• Ken Reitz won a Gold Glove at third base in 1975. The Giants were looking to shore up their defense, so they traded pitcher Pete Falcone to the Cardinals for Reitz.
• Ken played only one season (1976) in San Francisco. He batted .269 in 155 games but  hit only five homers and had a .293 on base percentage.
• After the 1976 season the Giants traded Reitz back to St. Louis for pitcher Lynn McGlothen.

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1976 Topps #644 - Tom Bradley

• Tom Bradley pitched in the majors from 1969-1975. Bradley was drafted by the California Angels in 1968. Bradley pitched in the minors in 1969 and in 1970. Tom was given a short September look in 1969 and was 0-1 with a 27.00 ERA in three games.
• Tom had an 11-1 record with a 2.53 ERA in AAA Hawaii in 1970. Bradley came up to the Angels in early July and was 2-5 with a 4.13 ERA in 17 games (11 starts).
• After the 1970 season Bradley was traded to the Chicago White Sox with Tom Egan and Jay Johnstone for three players.
• Bradley had his two best seasons for the White Sox. In 1971 he was 15-14 with a 2.98 ERA in 45 games (39 starts). Tom had a record of 13-12 with a 3.20 ERA in 40 starts in 1972. 
• Before the 1973 season Bradley was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Ken Henderson and Steve Stone. Tom was 13-12 with a 3.90 ERA in 34 starts in 1973.
• In 1974 Bradley pitched only twice after August 12. He had an 8-11 record with a 5.16 ERA in 30 games (21 starts) for the Giants in 1974.
• Bradley's last season was in 1975. Tom was 2-3 with a 6.21 ERA in 13 games (6 starts) with the Giants. He also spent some time in AAA Phoenix in '75. 
• Tom was waived  by the Giants at the end of spring training in 1976. Bradley was claimed by the Oakland A's and assigned to AAA Tucson. Tom was 5-9 with a 6.51 in Tucson and retired after the 1976 season.
• Bradley coached college baseball for several years after his playing career. He coached Jacksonville University from 1978-1990 and the University of Maryland from 1991-2000. Tom was a minor league pitching coach from 2001-2010. He is now the pitching coach at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., where his son is the head coach.
• Edit (4/1/11): Here is a cool blog entry (Baseball by the Letters) about Mr. Bradley. His answers to a few questions shed some light on his career and on what he's been up to since leaving pro baseball.

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1976 Topps #630 - Chris Speier

• Chris Speier had a 19-year career as a shortstop in the major leagues. Speier was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 1970. He spent only one season in the minors before being brought up to become the starting shortstop for the Giants.
• Speier batted .235 with 8 HR in 157 games for the Giants as a rookie in 1971. Chris batted .357 (4 for 15) in the 1971 NLCS.
• In 1972 Chris was an NL All Star for the first of three straight seasons. Speier was 0 for 2 with a sacrifice hit in the 1972 game. Speier batted .269 with a career-high 15 home runs in 1972.
• Chris batted .249 with 11 HR and 71 RBI in 1973 and was 0 for 2 as the starting shortstop in the All Star Game.
• In 1974 Speier batted .250 with 9 HR and 53 RBI. He was on the team but didn't play in the 1974 All Star Game.
• Speier batted .271 with 10 HR and 69 RBI in 1975.
• Chris had an off year in 1976 and batted only .226 in 145 games. Speier started the 1977 season with the Giants (.176 in six games) but was traded to the Montreal Expos for shortstop Tim Foli on April 27. Chris batted .235 in 139 games for the Expos in 1977.
• Speier was the starting shortstop for the Expos from 1977-1982. He batted .251 in 150 games in 1978. In 1979 Chris missed some time with injuries in July and in September. He batted .227 in 113 games in 1979.
• Chris batted .265 in 128 games in 1980. In 1981 Speier batted .225 in 96 games. Chris was 5 for 16 (.400) in the 1981 NLDS and was 3 for 16 (.188) in the 1981 NLDS.
• In 1982 Speier batted .257 in 156 games. Speier played in only 88 games in 1983 and batted .257.
• Chris played for three teams in 1984. He started with the Expos (.150 in 25 games) and was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals on July 1. Speier spent about seven weeks with the Cardinals (.178 in 38 games) before being traded to the  Minnesota Twins on August 19. Chris batted .212 in 12 games for the Twins to finish the 1984 season.
• Speier became a free agent after the 1984 season. Chris was signed by the Chicago Cubs at the end of spring training in 1985. Speier spent two seasons as a utility infielder with the Cubs, batting .243 in 106 games in 1985 and .284 in 95 games in 1986.
• Chris became a free agent after the 1986 season and signed with the Giants. In 1987 Speier played in 111 games and batted .249 with 11 home runs. Speier went 0 for 5 in three games in the 1987 NLCS.
• Speier batted .216 in 82 games in 1988 and .243 in 28 games in 1989. Chris retired after the 1989 season. 
• Speier coached and managed in the minors after his playing career. He also coached in the majors and  was a coach with the 2001 World Champion Arizona Diamondbacks. Chris is now the bench coach for the Cincinnati Reds.
• Chris has a son Justin who was a reliever in the majors from 1998-2009.
• Liked to face: Rawly Eastwick (.500 in 18 AB); Nino Espinosa (.448 in 28 AB); Tommy John (.400 in 50 AB)
• Hated to face: Silvio Martinez (.000 in 17 AB); Greg Minton (.063 in 16 AB); Charlie Hough (.094 in 32 AB)

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1976 Topps #628 - John D'Acquisto

• John D'Aquisto pitched in the majors from 1973-1982. John was a first round draft choice of the San Francisco Giants in 1970. D'Acquisto had a 100 mph fastball when he started his career.  D'Acquisto pitched in the minors from 1970-1973 and earned a chance at the majors when he was 16-12 with a 3.57 ERA in AAA Phoenix in 1973. John was 1-1 with a 3.58 ERA in 7 games (3 starts) for the Giants at the end of the 1973 season.
• D'Acquisto was a starting pitcher for the Giants in 1974 and was 12-14 with a 3.57 ERA. John hurt his arm throwing one of his fastballs, damaged his nerves,and missed most of the 1975 season. He ended up 2-4 with a 10.29 ERA in 10 games (6 starts) in 1975.
• John struggled for the Giants in 1976. He was 3-8 with a 5.35 ERA in 28 games (19 starts) during the season. After the 1976 season D'Acquisto was traded with Mike Caldwell to the St. Louis Cardinals for John Curtis, Willie Crawford, and Vic Harris.
• D'Acquisto was with the Cardinals for a short time in 1977 -- he started two games and had a 4.32 ERA. On May 17 he and Pat Scanlon were traded to the San Diego Padres for Butch Metzger. John was up and down between AAA and the Padres for the rest of the 1977 season. He had a 1-2 record with a 6.95 ERA in 17 games (12 starts) for the Padres in 1977.
• The Padres used John mostly as a reliever in 1978 and he had a good year. D'Acquisto was 4-3 with 10 saves and a 2.13 ERA in 45 games (3 starts).
• John didn't have a real good year in 1979. He was 9-13 with a 4.92 ERA in 51 games (11 starts). D'Acquisto started the 1980 season with San Diego and was 2-3 with a 3.76 ERA in 39 games. On August 11 John was traded with cash to the Montreal Expos for Randy Bass. D'Acquisto was 0-2 with 2 saves in 11 games and had a 2.18 ERA for the Expos in 1980. 
• After the 1980 season D'Acquisto became a free agent and signed a 4-year $1.2 contract with the California Angels. John pitched in six games (0-0, 10.71 ERA) for the Angels in 1981. He also pitched for AAA Salt Lake City in 1981 and had an 8.32 ERA in 18 starts. 
• John was released at the end of spring training in 1982. He signed with the Atlanta Braves and pitched for a couple of months for AAA Richmond but was released by the Braves in July. D'Acquisto was picked up by the Oakland A's, pitched for a short time for AAA Tacoma, then pitched in 11 games (0-1, 5.29 ERA) for the A's at the end of the 1982 season. John pitched in AA (edit: it was actually for the AAA Denver club in the White Sox organization -- see comments) for the Chicago White Sox in 1983 but retired after pitching in six games.
• He also pitched in the Senior Professional League in 1989 and in 1990.
• After his playing career John became an investment banker but he had his license revoked after being sentenced to 63 months in prison after being convicted of investment fraud. It was later found that D'Acquisto was used by others and set up. Here is a site where John tells his side of the story. The other people are now serving time in prison. John has since earned a doctorate in Exercise Science and Physiology.

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1976 Topps #599 - Rookie Pitchers (Dressler, Guidry, McClure, Zachry)

• Rob Dressler
• First round of the San Francisco Giants in 1972
• Spent a lot of time with the AAA Phoenix Giants, which is where I remember him
• Pitched in three games (two starts) in September 1975 and was 1-0 with a 1.10 ERA
• Was up and down between San Francisco and Phoenix in 1976
• Went 3-10 with a 4.43 ERA in 25 games (19 starts) for the Giants in 1977
• Spent the entire 1977 season in Phoenix
• Started 20 games for Phoenix in 1977 before being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals on July 24 for John Tamargo
• Spent some time in AAA Springfield before coming up to the Cardinals in September
• Pitched in three games (two starts) for the Cardinals in 1978 and was 0-1 with a 2.08 ERA
• Was loaned to Seattle and pitched for the Mariners' AAA Spokane club for two months.
• Sold to Seattle in early June
• Went 3-2 with a 4.93 ERA in 21 games (11 starts) for the Mariners in 1979
• Appeared in 30 games (14 starts) for the Mariners in 1980 and was 4-10 with a 3.98 ERA
• Released during spring training in 1981 and retired
• Ron Guidry
• "Louisiana Lightning" was one of the Yankees that I liked.
• Drafted by the New York Yankees in 1971 and pitched in the minors until 1976
• Had brief trials in 1975 (0-1, 3.45 ERA in 10 games) and in 1976 (0-0, 5.63 ERA in 7 games)
• 1977: 16-7 with a 2.82 ERA
• 1978: A dominant season in which he had a 25-3 record with a 1.74 ERA (led the AL in wins and in ERA)
• Won the 1978 AL Cy Young Award and finished second in MVP voting
• 1979: 18-8, 2.78 ERA (led the AL in ERA)
• 1980: 17-10, 3.56 ERA
• 1981: 11-5, 2.76 ERA
• 1982: 14-8, 3.81 ERA
• 1983: 21-9, 3.42 ERA, led the AL with 21 complete games
• 1984: 10-11, 4.59 ERA
• Struck out three batters on nine pitches (Carlton Fisk, Tom Paciorek, Greg Luzinski) on August 7, 1984
• 1985: Ron's last big year -- 22-6 with a 3.27 ERA (led the AL in wins)
• 1986: 9-12, 3.98 ERA
• 1987: 5-8, 3.67 ERA
• 1988: 2-3, 4.18 ERA in 10 starts
• Retired with a record of 170-91 (.651 winning percentage)
• All Star Game record:
• 1978 - 0.1 IP, 0 runs
• 1979 - 0.1 IP, 1 BB, 0 runs
• 1982 - did not pitch
• 1983 - did not pitch
• Gold Glove winner five times (1982-1986)
• Post season record:
• 1977 ALCS - 1-0, 3.97 ERA in 2 starts
• 1977 World Series - 1-0, 2.00 ERA in 1 start
• 1978 ALCS - 1-0, 1.13 ERA in 1 start
• 1978 World Series - 1-0, 1.00 ERA in 1 start
• 1980 ALCS - 0-1, 12.00 ERA in 1 start
• 1981 ALDS - 0-0, 5.40 ERA in 2 starts
• 1981 World Series - 1-1, 1.93 ERA in 2 starts
• Was the Yankees' pitching coach in 2006 and 2007
• Baseball Digest articles
• Ron Guidry: The Yankees' Super Southpaw - September 1978
• How Ron Guidry Perfected the Fine Art of Pitching - January 1980
• Ron Guidry: Louisiana Lightning Strikes Again - October 1985
• Remembering Ron Guidry: He Was Master of His Craft - November 1989
• Bob McClure
• Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1973 but did not sign
• Drafted by the Kansas City Royals later in 1973 and signed
• Had brief stints with the Royals in 1975 (1-0, 0.00 ERA in 12 games) and in 1976 (0-0, 9.00 ERA in nine games)
• Traded to the Milwaukee Brewers with Jamie Quirk and Jim Wohlford for Darrell Porter and Jim Colborn
• Was a reliever for the Brewers from 1977-1981
• 1977: 2-1, 6 saves, 2.52 ERA in 68 games
• 1978: 2-6, 9 saves, 3.74 ERA in 44 games
• 1979: 5-2, 5 saves, 3.88 ERA in 36 games
• 1980: 5-8, 10 saves, 3.08 ERA in 52 games (5 starts)
• 1981: 0-0, 3.52 ERA in four games (missed most of the season with arm problems)
• Pitched in three games in the 1981 ALDS and allowed no runs in 3.1 innings
• Became a starting pitcher in 1982 and started most of the time through the 1984 season
• Went 12-7 with a 4.22 ERA in 34 games (26 starts) in 1982
• Won game 5 in a 1.2 inning relief stint in the 1982 NLCS
• Earned saves in games 4 and 5 and took the loss in games 2 and 7 in the 1982 World Series
• Went 9-9 with an ERA of 4.50 in 24 games (23 starts) in 1983
• Appeared in 39 games (18 starts) in 1984 and was 4-8 with a 4.38 ERA
• Became a full-time reliever again in 1985 and started only one game for the remainder of his career
• In 1985 he appeared in 38 games (1 start) and was 4-1 with a 4.32 ERA
• Started the 1986 season with the Brewers (2-1, 3.86 ERA in 13 games) and was traded to the  Montreal Expos on June 8 for a minor leaguer
• Was 2-5 with six saves and had a 3.02 ERA in 52 games for the Expos in 1986
• Appeared in 52 games and was 6-1 with five saves and had a 3.44 ERA in 1987
• Started the 1988 season with the Expos (1-3, 6.16 ERA in 19 games) and was released on July 2
• Signed with the New York Mets on July 13, 1988 and was 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA in 14 games.
• Released after the 1988 season and later signed with the California Angels
• 1989: 6-1, 3 saves, 1.55 ERA in 48 games
• 1990: 2-0, 6.43 ERA in 11 games
• Did not pitch  until August 18 of 1990 due to injury
• Started 1991 with the Angels (0-0, 9.31 ERA in 13 games) and was released on June 16
• Signed with the St. Louis Cardinals a week later and was 1-1 with a 3.13 ERA in 32 games
• Went 2-2 with a 3.17 ERA in 71 games in 1992
• Became a free agent after the 1992 season and signed with the Florida Marlins
• Went 1-1 with a 7.11 ERA in 14 games in 1993 and was released in mid-May
• Coached in the Colorado Rockies organization from 1999-2005
• Has been the pitching coach for the Royals since 2006
• Pat Zachry
• Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 1970.
• Came up to the Reds in 1976 and was the NL Rookie of the Year
• Went 14-7 with a 2.74 ERA in 38 games (28 starts) in 1976
• Started and won game 2 of the 1976 NLCS
• Started and won game 3 of the 1976 World Series
• Began the 1977 season with the Reds and went 3-7 with a 5.04 ERA in 12 starts
• Went to the New York Mets as part of the big Tom Seaver trade on June 15, 1977
• Started 19 games for the Mets in 1977 and had a 7-6 record with a 3.76 ERA
• Made the NL All Star team in 1978 but didn't pitch in the game
• Was injured in 1978 and didn't pitch after July 24.
• Went 10-6 with a 3.33 ERA in 21 starts in 1978
• Broke  his foot when he tried to kick a helmet in the dugout after giving up a hit (game #38) during Pete Rose's 44-game hitting streak and was out for the rest of the year
• Started seven games in 1979 (5-1, 3.59 ERA) but didn't pitch after June 8
• Was 6-10 with a 3.01 ERA in 28 games (26 starts) in 1980
• Led the NL with 14 losses in 1981 (7-14, 4.14 ERA in 24 starts)
• Was a swingman in 1982 and went 6-9 with a 4.05 ERA in 36 games (16 starts)
• Traded to the LA Dodgers after the 1982 season for Jorge Orta
• Became a reliever with the Dodgers in 1983 and was 6-1 with a 2.49 ERA in 40 games (1 start)
• Pitched in two games in the 1983 NLCS and allowed one run in four innings
• Appeared in 58 games in 1984 and was 5-6 with a 3.81 ERA
• Traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Al Oliver before the 1985 season
• Had a 4.26 ERA in ten games before his release on June 8, 1985
• Pitched in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989
• Taught high school in California after his playing career
• Now lives in Texas. Here is his TTM information

1976 Topps #596 - Rookie Infielders (Reynolds, Johnson, LeMaster, Manuel)

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• Craig Reynolds
• Drafted in the first round by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1971
• Played briefly for the Pirates in 1975 (.224 in 76 at bats) and in 1976 (1 for 4 in seven games)
• Went 0 for 1 in the 1975 NLCS
• Traded with Jimmy Sexton to the Seattle Mariners after the 1976 season for Grant Jackson
• Started at shortstop for the Mariners in 1977 (.248 in 135 games) and in 1978 (.292 in 148 games)
• Made the AL All Star team in 1978 but he didn't play in the game
• Traded to the Houston Astros after the 1978 season for Floyd Bannister
• Was an All Star for the NL in 1979 and went 0 for 2 in the game
• Batted .265 in 146 games in 1979 and led the NL with 34 sacrifice hits
• In 1980 Reynolds batted only .226 in 137 games
• Went 2 for 13 (.154) in four games in the 1980 NLCS
• Batted .260 in 87 games and led the NL with 12 triples in 1981
• Went 1 for 3 in two games in the 1981 NLDS.
• Had a stint on the disabled list in 1982 and lost his starting SS job to Dickie Thon
• Batted .254 in 54 games in 1982
• Backed up Thon at shortstop in 1983 and batted .214 in 98 at bats
• Regained his starting job in 1984 after Thon was beaned early in the season. Batted .260 in 146 games
• Batted .272 in 107 games in 1985
• Played in a utility role in 1986 and batted .249 in 114 games
• Went 4 for 12 (.333) in four games in the 1986 NLCS
• Was a starter for the last time in 1987 and batted .254 in 135 games
• Was a utility player for the last two years of his career and batted .255 in 78 games in 1988 and .201 in 101 games in 1989
• Retired after the 1989 season
• Craig and his wife now serve on the staff of Pro Athletes Outreach. Reynolds is currently the Preaching & Teaching Pastor at Second Baptist Church North Campus in Houston, TX.
• Lamar Johnson
• Drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1968
• Played in the minors for eight seasons (1968-1975) and had a lifetime .302 batting average.
• Batted .336 with 20 HR in AAA Denver in 1975.
• First played in the majors in 1974 and batted .345 in ten games.
• Played in eight games in 1975 and batted .200 in 30 AB.
• Was a designated hitter and played some first base and left field during his career.
• 1976 -- batted .320 in 82 games
• 1977 -- Batted .302 with 18 HR in 118 games 
• Sang the national anthem before the game on June 19, 1977 and hit two home runs in the game, which were the only two White Sox hits of the day (Chicago won 2-1)
• 1978 -- Batted .273 with 8 HR and 72 RBI in 148 games.
• 1979 -- Batted .309 with 12 HR and 74 RBI in 133 games
• 1980 -- Batted .277 with 13 HR and 81 RBI
• 1981 -- slowed by injuries and the strike and batted .276 in 41 games
• Became a free agent after the 1981 season and signed with the Texas Rangers
• 1982 -- Batted .259 with 7 HR and 38 RBI in 105 games
• Didn't make the Texas ballclub in 1983 and was released at the end of spring training
• Played in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989 and 1990
• Coached for several teams in the 1990s and 2000s.
• Johnnie LeMaster
• Johnnie LeMaster was always a favorite of mine. It started one day in 1974 or 1975 when LeMaster was playing for the AAA Phoenix Giants. My dad took me to a game and Johnnie made an error. A drunk guy a few rows behind us yelled, "You *@^&#!! Do you have a hole in your glove?" I felt bad for Johnnie and he became my favorite player on the team
• Was the first pick (6th overall) of the San Francisco Giants in 1973
• Played in the minors from 1973-1977
• First came up at the end of the 1975 season after batting .292 in 143 games for Phoenix.
• Hit an inside-the-park home run in his first major league at bat.
• He split time at shortstop with Tim Foli (1977) and Roger Metzger (1978 and 1979) during the first few years of his career
• Became the Giants' starting shortstop in 1980 and held the job through the 1984 season
• Johnnie wasn't in there for his offense -- he batted above .250 only twice in his career and he had a lifetime .222 batting average
• He wasn't a huge glove man either -- Johnnie's fielding percentages were usually a few points below league average.
• LeMaster lost his starting job to Jose Uribe in 1985 and was traded to the Cleveland Indians for Scott Bailes on May 30, 1985
• Johnnie was cut loose by the Pirates at the end of spring training in 1986. He signed with the Montreal Expos in June and played for AAA Indianapolis for a couple of weeks before being released again.
• LeMaster signed with the Oakland A's in 1987 and was up and down between Oakland and AAA. He was released in the middle of the 1987 season, ending a 12-year career.
• LeMaster now lives in Paintsville, KY and is an elder in the Paintsville Church of Christ
• Here is a card tribute with all of Johnnie's Topps Giants cards.
• Jerry Manuel
• Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the first round in 1971
• Was a minor leaguer for most of his playing career (1971-1984)
• Went 1 for 18 (.056) in six games in 1975
• Batted .140 in 43 AB in 1976
• Traded to the Montreal Expos in 1980 for Duffy Dyer
• Went 0 for 6 in seven games for the Expos in 1980
• Batted .200 in 55 games in 1981
• Started at second base in the 1981 NLDS but was replaced for the NLCS by Rodney Scott after going 1 for 14 in the NLDS
• Traded to the San Diego Padres in May 1982 and batted .200 (1 for 5) in two games
• Traded back to Montreal in June 1982 and spent the rest of his playing career in the minors
• Coached and scouted in the minors from 1985-1989
• Started managing at AA in 1990 and managed in AAA in 1991
• Became the Montreal Expos' third base coach in 1991 and continued in that position through 1996
• Was the bench coach for the World Champion Florida Marlins in 1997
• Managed the Chicago White Sox from 1998-2003
• Was a first base coach and bench coach for the New York Mets from 2005-2008
• Managed the New York Mets from 2008-2010

1976 Topps #577 - Marc Hill

• Marc Hill was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1970. Marc played in the minors from 1970-1973 and got his first bit of major league action at the end of the 1973 season (0 for 3 in one game).
• Hill started the 1974 season in AAA Tulsa. He came back up to St. Louis in mid-July but playing opportunities for Marc were rare since the Cardinals had Ted Simmons starting at catcher. Hill played in ten games and batted .238 in 1974. After the 1974 season Hill was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Ken Rudolph and Elias Sosa.
• Hill shared time with several other catchers (mostly Dave Rader and Mike Sadek) for the next two years. In 1975 Marc batted .214 in 72 games and in 1976 he batted .183 in 54 games.
• Hill got the bulk of the playing time behind the plate for the Giants in 1977 and 1978. Marc batted .250 with 9 HR in 112 games in 1977 and batted .243 in 117 games in 1979.
• Marc's offense dropped off in 1979. He batted .207 in 63 games and didn't play after July 24 due to an injury.
• Hill started the 1980 season with the Giants but he didn't play much due to the acquisition of Milt May. Hill was batting .171 in 17 games when he was sold to the Seattle Mariners on June 20. Marc batted .229 in 29 games for the Mariners to finish the 1980 season. Hill became a free agent after the 1980 season and signed with the Chicago White Sox.
• The White Sox had Carlton Fisk at catcher and he rarely missed games. Hill played in 16 games in 1981 (mostly as a late-inning replacement) and went 0 for 6 at the plate. In 1982 Marc batted .261 in 53 games (88 at bats).
• Hill batted .226 in 58 games (133 at bats) in 1983. He wasn't used in the 1983 ALCS. Marc batted .233 in 77 games in 1984.
• Hill batted .133 in  75 at bats in 1985 and .158 in 19 at bats in 1986. Marc was released on May 27, 1986. The White Sox signed Hill for the 1987 season on October 2, 1986 but they released him a week later.
• Marc managed Chicago's class A Daytona Beach ballclub in 1987. He also managed in Seattle's farm system from 1992-1994 and in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization from 1995-1997. Marc also has been on the coaching staffs of the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros.
• Liked to face: Pedro Borbon (.455 in 11 AB); Geoff Zahn (.417 in 12 AB); Randy Jones (.389 in 18 AB)
• Hated to face: Charlie Hough (.000 in 19 AB); Burt Hooton (.000 in 16 AB); Steve Carlton (.086 in 35 AB)

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1976 Topps #553 - Randy Moffitt

• Randy Moffitt was the first round draft pick of the San Francisco Giants in 1970. Moffitt pitched in the minors from 1970-1972.  Randy was a swingman in 1970 and in 1971 but was converted to a reliever in 1972 and only started one game in his major league career. 
• Randy was brought up to San Francisco in June of 1972 after posting a 2.25 ERA with seven saves in AAA Phoenix. Moffitt went 1-5 with four saves and a 3.69 ERA in 40 games for the Giants in 1972.
• Moffitt was a workhorse out of the Giants'  bullpen in the mid 1970s. In 1973 Moffitt had a good season -- he was 4-4 with 14 saves and a 2.42 ERA in 60 games. Randy was 5-7 with 15 saves and a 4.50 ERA in 61 games in 1974.
• Randy went 4-5 with 11 saves and a 3.89 ERA in 55 games in 1975. Moffitt's best year was 1976. He went 6-6 with 14 saves and had a 2.27 ERA in 58 games.
• Moffitt had two more full seasons with the Giants before injuries took their toll. In 1977 Randy was 4-9 with 11 saves and had a 3.59 ERA in 64 games. Moffitt was 8-4 with 12 saves and had an ERA of 3.31 in 70 games in 1978.
• Randy was injured in 1979 and pitched only three times after June 19. He ended up with a 2-5 record with two saves and a 7.71 ERA in 28 games in '79.
• Moffitt came back in 1980 but missed 3 1/2 months of the season from May-August. Randy went 1-1 with a 4.86 ERA in 13 games in 1980. Moffitt pitched in ten games before the strike in 1981 without much success (0-0, 7.94 ERA in 11 innings). Randy was released on August 4 and didn't pitch for the rest of the season. Later it was discovered that Moffitt had a rare fungal infection in his stomach. It was so rare that he was only the third case known in the world.
• Randy signed with the Houston Astros in 1982 and was 2-4 with three saves and had a 3.02 ERA in 30 games. After the 1982 season Moffitt became a free agent and signed a one-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. In 1983 Randy was 6-2 with ten saves and had a 3.77 ERA in 45 games. A New Life in a New League - Sports Illustrated June 20, 1983.
• Moffitt pitched in one game for the  Milwaukee Brewers' AAA Vancouver club in 1984 and then retired.
• Billie Jean King is Randy's older sister. 
• Liked to face: Enzo Hernandez (.000 in 11 AB); Davey Lopes (.042 in 24 AB); Ken Reitz (.091 in 22 AB)
• Hated to face: Doug Flynn (.700 in 10 AB); Lou Brock (.571 in 14 AB); Ron Fairly (.500 in 14 AB)

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1976 Topps #524 - Pete Falcone

• Pete Falcone pitched in the majors from 1975-1984. Falcone was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 1973 (he was the fourth overall player chosen that year). Pete pitched in the minors in 1973 and 1974 and then made the Giants club in 1975. He went 12-11 with a 4.17 ERA in 32 starts in 1975 as he formed a great rookie tandem with John Montefusco.
• After the 1975 season the Giants traded Falcone to the St. Louis Cardinals for Ken Reitz. Pete went 12-16 with a 3.36 ERA in 1976. He missed five weeks of the 1977 season with an injury and ended up going 4-8 with a 5.44 ERA in 27 games (22 starts). In 1978 Pete pitched very sporadically from mid-June through the end of the season and he ended up with a record of 2-7 with a 5.76 ERA in 17 games (14 starts). 
• Falcone was traded to the New York  Mets after the 1978 season for Tom Grieve and Kim Seaman. It was something of a homecoming for Pete since he was born and raised in Brooklyn. Pete went into the Mets' starting rotation and went 6-14 with a 4.16 ERA in 31 starts. In 1980 Falcone was 7-10 with a 4.52 ERA in 37 games (23 starts). On May 1, 1980 Pete tied a record by striking out the first six batters in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
• In 1981 Pete was  mostly a reliever before the strike and made eight starts after the strike. All together Falcone was 5-3 with a 2.55 ERA in 35 games (9 starts). Pete went 8-10 with a 3.84 ERA in 40 games (23 starts) for the Mets in 1982. After the 1982 season Falcone became a free agent and signed a 2-year $650,000 contract with the Atlanta Braves.
• Falcone was 9-4 with a 3.63 ERA in 33 games (15 starts) in 1983. In 1984 Pete was 5-7 with a 4.13 ERA in 35 games (16 starts). In September of 1984 Pete said that he would retire after the season because he was tired of baseball. He was 30 years old when he called it quits.
• In 1989 Falcone attempted a comeback with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched in the  minors in AA and AAA but didn't do well enough to be called up to the majors. He also pitched in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in Florida in 1989 and 1990. 
• In 1994 Pete manged the Alexandria Aces of the independent Texas-Louisiana League and the team won a division championship. 
• Liked to face: Rowland Office (.000 in 12 AB); Rafael Landestoy (.059 in 17 AB); Ollie Brown (.067 in 15 AB)
• Hated to face: Jim Wohlford (.533 in 15 AB); Tony Pena (.462 in 26 AB); Pete Rose (.415 in 65 AB)

1976 Topps #493 - Derrel Thomas

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• Derrel Thomas played just about every position and it seemed like he played for just about every team. Thomas was the first player drafted (by the Houston Astros) in the 1969 draft. Derrel played in the minors from 1969-1971 and was called up by the Astros at the end of the 1971 season (he was 0 for 5 in five games). 
• After the 1971 season the Astros traded Thomas (along with Bill Greif and Mark Schaeffer) to the San Diego Padres for Dave Roberts. Derrel played second base and also saw quite a  bit of time at shortstop in 1972 and batted .230 in 130 games. Thomas played in 113 games (.238 average) in 1973 at second base (his natural position) and shortstop. In 1974 Derrel batted .247 in 141 games and hit a career-high 24 doubles. After the 1974 season Thomas was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Butch Metzger and Tito Fuentes.
• Derrel was the starting second baseman for the Giants in 1975 and batted .276 with 28 stolen bases (both career highs) in 144 games. Thomas missed 2 1/2 months of the 1976 season (early July-mid September) and batted .232 in 81 games. In 1977 Thomas played 70 games in center field and about 20 games each at 2B and SS. He batted .267 in 148 games and hit 10 triples (a career high). After the 1977  Thomas was traded back to the Padres for Mike Ivie.
• In 1978 Thomas was used as a "super sub," playing just about everywhere. Derrel would be used in this manner for the rest of his career (except 1979). He batted .227 in 128 games in 1978. After the season Thomas became a free agent and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers (his hometown team).
• Derrel was the starting center fielder for most of the 1979 season. He batted .256 in 141 games in '79. In 1980 he returned to a utility role and batted .266 in 117 games.
• Thomas batted .248 in 80 games in 1981. He saw action off the bench in each of the playoff rounds in 1981 for the World Champion Dodgers.
• Derrel batted .265 in 66 games in 1982 and .250 in 118 games in 1983. After the 1983 season Derrel became a free agent and signed with the Montreal Expos.
• Thomas batted .255 in 108 games for the Expos in 1984. He was sold to the California Angels on September 6, 1984 and he batted .138 in 14 games for the Angels to finish the 1984 season. Thomas became a free agent after the 1984 season but wasn't signed by any major league team. 
• He started the 1985 season playing for the class A Florida Marlins. On May 15 he was sold to the Philadelphia Phillies and Thomas batted .207 in 63 games. Derrel was mentioned during the Curtis Strong cocaine trial in 1985 but wasn't called to testify. He was summoned to a January 1986 meeting with Commissioner Peter Ueberroth and was required to take random urinalysis tests in order to keep his playing status. Thomas tried to hook up with the minor league San Jose Bees in 1986 but was cut before the season for disciplinary reasons.
• Thomas managed the Boise Hawks (an independent minor league team) in 1987 but was fired after 37 games when the team was 9-28. After that Thomas coached high school baseball and managed a bar at night. Thomas resigned as the coach of Leuzinger High School in 1989 after a walkout by nine players. Thomas had drug and financial problems that got him in trouble. He served 47 days in prison after pleading no contest to cocaine charges.
• Derrel is now a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization serving as a representative of the Dodgers Legends Bureau.
• Liked to face: Vern Ruhle (.636 in 11 AB); Gary Gentry (.526 in 19 AB); Bill Bonham (.464 in 28 AB)
• Hated to face: Larry McWilliams (.000 in 15 AB); Wayne Twitchell (.040 in 25 AB); Mark Lemongello (.043 in 23 AB)

1976 Topps #470 - Bobby Murcer

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  Bobby Murcer played in the majors from 1965-1983. He was signed by the New York Yankees in 1964 and played in the minors from 1964-1968. Like the player he would eventually replace (Mikey Mantle), Murcer started out as a shortstop. Bobby was with the Yankees for a short time in 1965 (.243 in 37 AB) and in 1966 (.174 in 69 AB).
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  Murcer came to the majors to stay in 1969. He batted .259 with 26 HR and 82 RBI while spending most of the time in right field. Bobby moved to center field in 1970 and batted .251 with 23 HR and 78 RBI.
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  Murcer's first big season was in 1971. He was an All Star for the first of five consecutive seasons. Bobby started for the AL in center field and went 1 for 3. Murcer batted .331 with 25 HR and 94 RBI and led the AL with a .427 on base percentage.  Bobby Murcer the Yankees' Quiet Hero - November 1971 Baseball Digest.
• In 1972 Murcer led the AL with 102 runs scored and batted .292 with 33 HR and 96 RBI. He went 0 for 3 as the AL starting center fielder in the All Star Game, won a Gold Glove Award, and finished 5th in MVP voting.
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  Bobby had another good year in 1973, batting .304 with 22 HR and 95 RBI. Murcer was 0 for 3 with a walk in the All Star game and finished 9th in MVP voting. Bobby  Murcer: My Goal is The World Series - September 1973 Baseball Digest.
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  Murcer moved to right field in 1974. His hitting stats were lower, possibly due to the Yankees playing in Shea Stadium during the remodel of Yankee Stadium. Bobby batted .274 with 10 HR and 88 RBI. Bobby was 0 for 2 in the All Star game. After the 1974 season Murcer was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Bobby Bonds.
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  Bobby had a similar season in 1975 for the Giants, batting .298 with 11 HR and 91 RBI. Murcer played in his last All Star game in 1975 and was 0 for 2. In 1976 Murcer batted .259 with 23 HR and 90 RBI. After the 1976 season Bobby was dealt to the Chicago Cubs as part of the deal that sent Bill Madlock to the Giants.
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  The Cubs got some good production out of Murcer in 1977 as he batted .265 with 27 HR and 89 RBI. His power numbers dropped in 1978 and Bobby batted .281 with 9 HR and 64 RBI. Murcer started the 1979 season with the Cubs (.258, 7 HR, 22 RBI in 58 games) and was traded to the Yankees for a minor leaguer and cash on June 26. Bobby wasn't the same player as he was when he first came up to the Yankees, but he batted .273 with 8 HR and 33 RBI. Murcer gave one of the eulogies at Thurman Munson's funeral on August 6 and then played in that night's game. Bobby hit a 3-run homer in the 7th to make the score 4-3 and then hit a 2-run single in the bottom of the 9th to win the game for the Yankees.
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  Murcer was a backup outfielder and DH in 1980. He batted .269 with 13 HR and 57 RBI in 297 at bats during the regular season. Bobby went 0 for 4 in one game in the ALCS. In 1981 Bobby batted .265 with six HR in 117 at bats. He was 0 for 1 in the ALDS, 1 for 3 in the ALCS, and 0 for 3 in the World Series.
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  Before the 1982 season Bobby signed a 3-year, $1.12 million contract with the Yankees. Murcer batted .227 with 7 HR in 141 at bats in 1982. Bobby batted .182 in 22 at bats in 1983 and retired when the Yankees wanted to bring up Don Mattingly.
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  After his playing career Mucrer did some coaching with the Yankees and was an assistant General Manager in 1985. He was also a broadcaster for the Yankees for many years and won three Emmy awards for his work. Bobby was also involved in many charitable activities.
• Questions and Answers with Former Yankee Bobby Murcer - July 2008 Baseball Digest.
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  Murcer was diagnosed with a brain tumor in December 2006 and died on July 12, 2008. Until The Very End Bobby  Murcer Showed 'Heart of A Champion' - NY Daily News July 13, 2008
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  Liked to face: Joe Coleman (.433 in 67 AB); Tommy John (.412 in 51 AB); Dick Drago (.408 in 49 AB); Gene Garber (7 for 12 with 5 HR)
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  Hated to face: Marcelino Lopez (.000 in 15 AB); Pat Zachary (.040 in 25 AB); Fred Norman (.065 in 41 AB)

Bobby Murcer on What's My Line in 1971:

1976 Topps #443 - San Francisco Giants

• The Giants didn't have a  manager when this card was printed. Bill Rigney ended up coming back to manage the club. Rigney had previously managed the Giants from 1956-1960, the Angels from 1961-1969, and the Twins from 1970-1972. The Giants were really at a low during the mid-1970s -- they couldn't afford to keep their better players and there was always talk of moving the club to Toronto or Florida. The club would have a couple of good years (1978, 1982), but they didn't become a consistently good team again until the late 1980s.
• Team Record: 74-88 (4th in NL West - 28 games behind Cincinnati)
• Attendance: 626,868 (12th in NL)
• Batting Leader: Larry Herndon - .288
• Home Run Leader: Bobby Murcer - 23
• RBI Leader: Bobby Murcer - 90
• Stolen Base Leader: Gary Matthews/Larry Herndon/Bobby Murcer - 12 each
• Wins Leader: John Montefusco - 16
• Losses Leader: John  Montefusco/Ed Halicki - 14
• Saves Leader: Randy Moffitt - 14
• ERA Leader: John Montefusco (starter) - 2.84; Randy Moffitt (reliever) - 2.27
• Team Batting: .246 (9th in NL)
• Team Home Runs: 85 (8th in NL)
• Team Stolen Bases: 88 (8th in NL)
• Team ERA: 3.53 (6th in NL)
• Team Fielding: .972 (10th in NL)
• NL All Stars: John Montefusco (pitcher)

1976 Topps #423 - Ed Halicki

• Ed Halicki pitched in the majors from 1974-1980. Halicki was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 1972. He spent the entire 1972 and 1973 in the minors and then split time between the Giants and AAA Phoenix in 1974 and 1975. Ed Halicki, John Montefusco, and Bob Knepper were three young pitchers who came up at about the same time and were expected to do great things for the Giants.
• Ed made his major league debut on July 8, 1974. He went 1-8 with a 4.24 ERA in 18 games (11 starts) in '74.
• On August 24, 1975 Halicki threw a 6-0 no-hitter against the New York Mets. There were 24,132 fans in attendance which was a lot for the Giants of that era. It was the last home no-hitter for the Giants until Jonathan Sanchez did it in 2009. Ed went 9-13 with a 3.45 ERA in 23 starts in 1975.
• Halicki went 12-14 with a 3.62 ERA in 1976. His best season was probably 1977 when he went 16-12 with a 3.32 ERA in 32 starts.
• In 1978 Ed went 9-10 with a 2.85 ERA in 28 starts. Halicki pitched a 1-hit shutout against the Expos and a 3-hit shutout against the Reds in June. He also led the NL in WHIP (he probably didn't know it at the time -- I don't know when that stat was developed).
• The wheels started to come off in 1979. The Giants had problems with injuries and clubhouse dissension. Ed was fined for drinking on a team flight. Ed was on the disabled list for part of the season and finished 5-8 with a 4.58 ERA in 33 games (19 starts).
• Halicki's last season in the majors was 1980. He started with the Giants and was 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA in 11 games (4 starts) before being waived in mid-June. Ed was picked up by the California Angels  and went 3-1 with a 4.84 ERA in 10 games (6 starts). Halicki was released after the 1980 season. He tried out with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1981 but didn't make the club. That was it for Ed's career.
• Halicki now lives in Reno, Nevada and manages a furniture store in Carson City.
• Liked to face: Roger Metzger (.056 in 36 AB); Chris Speier (.105 in 19 AB); Garry Maddox/Greg Luzinski (.125 in 25 AB)
• Hated to face: Biff Pocoroba (.667 in 15 AB); Ed Kranepool (.455 in 22 AB); Cesar Geronimo (.424 in 33 AB)

1976 Topps #389 - Glenn Adams

• Glenn Adams played major league baseball from 1975-1982. Adams was the first round draft pick of the Houston Astros in 1968. Glenn progressed through Houston's minor league system and steadily improved as a hitter. Adams played in the minors from 1968-1971 but was released by the Astros before the 1972 season. Glenn signed with the San Francisco Giants before the 1973 season. He played in AA ball in 1973 and then tore up the Pacific Coast League in 1974. Adams led the PCL in batting average and knocked in 105 runs for the AAA Phoenix Giants.

• Adams started the 1975 season with Phoenix. After batting .299 in 19 games he was brought up to San Francisco as a 27-year-old rookie and batted .300 in 90 at bats. Glenn was a good hitter but wasn't a good glove man. The Giants didn't have a place for him since he couldn't play the field well. In 1976 Adams batted .243 in 74 at bats, mostly as a pinch hitter. After the 1976 season Glenn was sold to the Minnesota Twins.

• Glenn played most of the remainder of his career as a DH. Adams batted .338 in 95 games in 1977. On June 26, 1977 Adams had eight RBI in one game. In 1978 Glenn tailed off and batted .258 in 116 games. He bounced back in 1979 by batting .301 in 119 games. He didn't have a whole lot of power -- he usually hit 6-9 homers a year and was in the teens in doubles every year.

• In 1980 Glenn had his last productive season. He batted .286 in 99 games for the Twins. Adams had a big drop-off in 1981 and batted .209 in 72 games. After the 1981 season Glenn became a free agent and signed with the Toronto Blue Jays during spring training in 1982. The Blue Jays sent Adams to AAA Syracuse where he batted .330. Adams was brought up at the end of July and batted .258 in 30 games at DH. Glenn retired after the 1982 season.

• After his playing career Adams managed in the Cleveland Indians organization from 1986-1988. He then was the minor league hitting coordinator for the Twins from 1989-1994. Adams then moved to the Chicago Cubs organization as the hitting coach for their AAA Iowa Cubs from 1995-2000. Glenn was the minor league hitting coordinator for the Seattle Mariners from 2001-2006. He has been the hitting coach for the Detroit Tigers' Erie Sea Wolves since 2007.

• Liked to face: Dave Stieb (.563 in 16 AB); Dan Spillner (.500 in 22 AB); Brian Kingman (.417 in 24 AB)
• Hated to face: Bruce Kison (.000 in 10 AB); Len Barker (.050 in 20 AB); Milt Wilcox (.100 in 30 AB)