- What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?
- Was an NL All Star in 1975
- Got some votes for 1975 NL MVP (21st place)
- Even though he wouldn't get his 3000th hit for a few more years, Lou was probably already pretty close to being a Hall of Famer.
- He didn't lead the NL in stolen bases in 1975, but he stole over 50 bases for the 11th year in a row. Lou led the NL in stolen bases in eight of those 11 years.
- 1976 Highlights:
- Stole 56 bases to extend his 50+ stolen base streak to 12 years.
- Batted .301, which was the sixth season over .300 in the last seven years
Showing posts with label St. Louis Cardinals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St. Louis Cardinals. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 9, 2021
1976 Kellogg's #40 - Lou Brock
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
1976 Hostess #134 - Don Kessinger
- Don Kessinger had spent 11 seasons as the shortstop for the Chicago Cubs. He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals after the 1975 season.
- Kessinger was expected to help provide leadership for a young infield. Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst placed Don in the #2 spot behind leadoff hitter Lou Brock.
- Don played one full season for the Cardinals in 1976, batting .243 in 145 games.
- The emergence of Garry Templeton in 1977 relegated Kessinger to a utility role. Don was traded to the Chicago White Sox in August 1977.
- Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak
Thursday, August 25, 2011
1976 Hostess #93 - Bake McBride
- Bake McBride was off to a fine start. He was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1974.
- McBride was selected as a member of the 1976 NL All Star team. He didn't play in the game.
- Bake had an injury-riddled 1976 season. He missed three weeks in May with an injury and also missed most of the first two weeks of July due to knee problems.
- McBride had knee surgery in early August and missed the rest of the 1976 season.
- Bake played in 72 games and batted .335 in 1976.
- Before peak, peak or after peak? peak
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
1976 Hostess #30 - Reggie Smith
- Reggie Smith was an All Star in three seasons (1972, 1974, 1975) during this five-year run
- Smith led the AL in doubles and in total bases in 1972
- Reggie got off to a slow start in 1976. In the first ten weeks of the season he was batting .281 with eight home runs in 47 games.
- Smith was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Joe Ferguson and two minor leaguers on June 15, 1976
- Reggie was happy to go back to where he was born and raised.
- Smith performed better in Los Angeles, batting .280 with ten home runs. He was out for three weeks with an injury in August.
- Smith felt that baseball had made progress in hiring blacks in management positions, but he said that the sport had a ways to go.
- After the 1976 season Reggie underwent left shoulder surgery. He bounced back to have two good years in 1977 and in 1978.
- In mid-October 1976 Smith made news when his beaded necklace that had been stolen from Dodger Stadium turned up in the home of two Los Angeles youths who were selling stolen merchandise.
- Before peak, peak, or after peak? peak (but 1976 was an off-year)
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
1976 Hostess #113 - Ted Simmons
- Ted Simmons was one heck of an offensive catcher. He'd be a Hall of Famer if he would have had a better decline phase of his career.
- During this five-year run, Simmons was an All Star in three seasons (1972, 1973, and 1974). He wasn't an All Star in 1975, although he finished 6th in MVP voting that year. Ted declined an invitation to the game for personal reasons.
- After the 1975 season Ted signed a contract calling for $200,000 a year for three years. At the time it was the biggest contract in St. Louis Cardinals' history.
- Simmons scolded "fair weather fans" in St. Louis during the 1976 season.
- Ted had his weakest full season of the decade in 1976, batting .291 with 5 HR and 75 RBI.
- Before peak, peak, or after peak? peak
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
1976 Hostess #70 - Ted Sizemore
- Ted Sizemore was the Cardinals' starting second baseman for several years in the 1970s
- Ted was the NL Rookie of the Year for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1969
- These stats are indicative of the typical "good field/no hit" middle infielder that was so prevalent in the 1970s
- Sizemore was traded to the Dodgers before the 1976 season. He backed up Davey Lopes and played in 84 games in '76 before moving on to the Philadelphia Phillies for a few years.
- Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak
Saturday, June 25, 2011
1976 Hostess #7 - Lou Brock
- This is a pretty consistent run of five seasons
- Brock made the NL All Star team in 1971, 1972, 1974, and 1975
- Lou led the NL in stolen bases each year from 1971-1974
- He set the major league record for stolen bases with 118 in 1974
- Lou would have another good season in 1976 before hitting the decline phase of his career
- Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak (or perhaps just at the end of it)
Friday, June 17, 2011
1976 Kellogg's #23 - Al Hrabosky
- What did he do to deserve a 1976 Kellogg's card?
- Finished 3rd in NL Cy Young Award balloting and 8th in MVP voting in 1975
- Led the NL with an .813 winning percentange and 22 saves
- Had a 13-3 record with an ERA of 1.66 in 1975
- 1976 Highlights:
- Went 8-6 with 13 saves and had an ERA of 3.30 in 68 games
- Signed a 3-year contract on July 10 -- he was only the third Cardinal after Stan Musial and Ted Simmons to be offered such a lengthy contract.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
1976 Topps Traded #527T - Mike Anderson
- Mike Anderson had his best year in 1976. He batted .291 in 86 games.
- Anderson struggled in 1977 (.221 in 94 games) and was released during spring training in 1978.
- Mike played for the Orioles and Phillies in 1978 and 1979.
- He played in the minors in 1980 and 1981 before retiring.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
1976 Topps Traded #524T - Pete Falcone
- Pete Falcone was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals after his rookie year in 1975.
- Pete went 12-16 with a 3.23 ERA for the Cards in 1976.
- Falcone had some arm problems in 1977 (he missed the entire month of August) and wasn't the same pitcher after that season.
- Falcone spent three seasons with the Cardinals before being traded to the New York Mets.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
1976 Topps #601 - Ken Rudolph
- Ken Rudolph was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1965. Ken played in the minors from 1965-1969 and then was up and down between Chicago and the minors in 1969
- Rudolph batted .206 in 27 games for the Cubs in 1969.
- Ken was up and down between the minors and the Cubs again in 1970. Although starting catcher Randy Hundley played in only 73 games due to injury, Rudolph didn't get much playing time. Jack Hiatt and J.C. Martin shared most of the catching duties while Hundley was out. Ken batted .100 in 20 games for the Cubs in 1970.
- Rudolph started the 1971 season with the Cubs but was sent down in May. Ken came back in September to finish the season in Chicago. Rudolph batted .197 in 25 games for the Cubs in 1971.
- Ken played in 42 games in 1972 and batted .236 in 106 at bats. In 1973 Rudolph got more playing time as Hundley started to slow down. Ken batted .206 in 42 games in '73.
- During spring training in 1974 Rudolph was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Willie Prall. Ken had his best year in 1974, batting .259 in 57 games. After the 1974 season Rudloph was traded with Elias Sosa to the St. Louis Cardinals for Marc Hill.
- Ken wasn't going to get much playing time with Ted Simmons starting behind the plate. Rudolph batted .200 in 80 at bats in 1975. In 1976 Ken batted .160 in 50 at bats.
- At the end of spring training in 1977 Rudolph was sold to the Giants. Ken went 3 for 15 (.200) in 11 games for the Giants before he was sold to the Baltimore Orioles on July 27. Rudolph went 4 for 14 (.286) for the Orioles in 11 games in 1977.
- Rudolph was released after the 1977 season. Ken signed with the Cardinals and played for AAA Springfield in 1978 but he retired after batting .200 in 42 games.
- Rudolph now teaches PE and coaches the varsity baseball team at Arcadia High School in Phoenix, AZ.
Here is a 2009 interview with Ken
Thursday, October 28, 2010
1976 Topps #598 - Rookie Outfielders (Cruz, Quirk, Turner, Wallis)
- Hector Cruz
- Brother of Jose Cruz and uncle of Jose Cruz Jr
- Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1970
- I remember him as Heity Cruz
- Went 0 for 11 in 11 games with the Cardinals in 1973
- Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year in 1975
- Batted .146 in 23 games for the Cardinals in 1975
- Finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting (behind co-winners Pat Zachry and Butch Metzger) in 1976
- Played in 151 games at 3B for the Cardinals in 1976 and batted .228 with 13 HR and 71 RBI
- Led NL third basemen with 26 errors and had a .934 fielding percentage in 1976
- Played mostly outfield in 1977 and batted .236 in 118 games
- Traded with Dave Rader to the Chicago Cubs after the 1977 season for Steve Swisher, Jerry Morales, and cash
- Started the 1978 season with the Cubs (.237 in 30 games) and traded to the San Francisco Giants for Lynn McGlothen on June 15
- Played OF and 3B for the Giants and batted .227 in 90 games in 1978
- Started the 1979 season with the Giants (.120 in 16 games) and was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in late June for Pedro Borbon
- Batted .242 in 74 games as a fourth OF for the Reds in 1979
- Batted .213 in 75 AB for the Reds in 1980
- Traded to the Cubs for Mike Vail after the 1980 season
- Batted .229 in 53 games in 1981
- Was up and down between Chicago and AAA Iowa in 1982
- Batted .211 in 19 AB for the Cubs in 1982
- Released on August 4, 1982
- Played in Japan in 1983
- Works for the United States Postal Service as a mail carrier in Chicago
- Jamie Quirk
- First round draft pick of the Kansas City Royals in 1972
- Played everywhere but second base and pitcher during his career
- Had a brief stint with Kansas City in 1975 and batted .256 in 14 games
- Batted .246 in 64 games in 1976
- Went 1 for 8 (.125) in four games in the 1976 ALCS
- Traded to the Milwaukee Brewers after the 1976 season as part of the deal the brought Darrell Porter to the Royals
- Spent one season in Milwaukee and batted .217 in 93 games
- Played for Milwaukee's AAA Spokane club for most of the 1978 season
- Traded back to Kansas City at the end of the 1978 season and batted .207 in 17 games
- Was a seldom-used utilityman for the Royals from 1979-1982.
- Didn't make the postseason roster for the Royals in 1980 or 1981
- Signed with the St. Louis Cardinals as a free agent before the 1983 season
- Batted .209 in 48 games for the Cardinals in 1983
- Cut from the Cardinals during spring training in 1984
- Signed with the Chicago White Sox on May 23
- Spent some time with AAA Denver
- Played in three games (0 for 2) with the White Sox before being sold to the Cleveland Indians on September 24
- Batted once (1 for 1) with the Indians before being released after the 1984 season
- Signed with the Royals for a third stint before the 1985 season
- Played in only 19 games as a catcher and first baseman but still made the postseason roster
- Went 0 for 1 in one game in the 1985 ALCS. Did not play in the 1985 World Series
- Spent the next three seasons (1986-1988) as a utiltyman for the Royals
- Signed with the New York Yankees as a free agent after the 1988 season
- Played for three different teams (Yankees, A's, and Baltimore Orioles) during the 1989 season
- Spent the 1990-1992 seasons as a utiltyman for the A's
- Signed with the Cincinnati Reds before the 1993 season but retired during spring training
- Coached in the minors and majors after his playing career
- Was the bullpen coach for the Houston Astros in 2010
- Jerry Turner
- Drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1972
- Batted .329 in 142 games with AAA Hawaii in 1975
- Brief appearances with the Padres in 1974 (.292 in 17 games) and in 1975 (.273 in 11 games)
- Shared time with Johnny Grubb in left field in 1976 and batted .267 in 281 AB
- Played all three OF positions in 1977 and batted .246 in 289 AB
- Was a fourth OF again in 1978 and batted .280 in 225 AB
- Started in LF in 1979 and batted .248 in 448 AB
- Batted .288 in 153 AB in 1980
- Didn't play much for the Padres in 1981 -- batted .226 in 31 AB
- Sold to the Chicago White Sox on September 9, 1981
- Went 2 for 12 (.167) in 10 games for the White Sox in 1981
- Signed with the Detroit Tigers as a free agent after the 1981 season
- Batted .248 in 85 games as a backup OF and designated hitter
- Released after the 1982 season and signed with the San Diego Padres
- Was up and down between AAA and San Diego in 1983
- Batted .130 in 23 AB for the Padres in 1983
- Released in July 1983
- Signed with the Philadelphia Phillies and played in the minors but wasn't brought up to the majors
- Retired after the 1983 season
- Joe Wallis
- Drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1973
- Came up at the end of the 1975 season and batted .286 in 16 games
- Broke up Tom Seaver's no-hit bid with two out in the 9th inning on September 24, 1975
- Played all three OF positions in 1976 and batted .254 in 121 games
- Batted .250 in 80 AB in 1977
- Started the 1978 season with the Cubs (.309 in 55 AB)
- Traded twice in the same day (June 15) in 1978
- First traded from the Cubs to the Cleveland Indians for Mike Vail
- Traded from the Indians to the Oakland A's for Gary Alexander
- Played in 85 games for the A's in 1978 and batted .237.
- Batted .141 in 23 games in 1979
- Released during spring training in 1980
Sunday, October 10, 2010
1976 Topps #581 - St. Louis Cardinals
- The 1976 season was the last in Red Schoendienst's 12 season run as the manager of the Cardinals. After the Cardinals finished fifth in the NL East in 1976 Red was fired two days after the season. Schoendienst managed the Cardinals on an interim basis in 1980 (37 games) and in 1990 (24 games) and he still coaches for the Cards today.
- Schoendienst had a lifetime managerial record of 1041-955 (.522), won two NL pennants (1967 and 1968), and one World Championship (1967).
- Team record: 72-90 (5th in NL East, 29 games behind Philadelphia)
- Attendance: 1,207,079 (6th in NL)
- Team batting: .260 (4th in NL)
- Team home runs: 63 (12th in NL)
- Team stolen bases: 123 (6th in NL)
- Team ERA: 3.60 (8th in NL)
- Team fielding: .973 (11th in NL)
- Team batting leader: Willie Crawford - .304
- Team home run leader: Hector Cruz - 13
- Team RBI leader: Ted Simmons - 75
- Team stolen base leader: Lou Brock - 56
- Team victories leader: Lynn McGlothen - 13
- Team losses leader: Pete Falcone - 16
- Team ERA leader (starters): John Denny - 2.52
- Team ERA leader (relievers): Al Hrabosky - 3.30
- Team saves leader: Al Hrabosky - 13
- NL Leaders: John Denny (ERA 2.52)
- NL All Stars: Bake McBride (OF)
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Sunday, October 3, 2010
1976 Topps #574 - Don Kessinger
- Don Kessinger played with the Chicago Cubs for what seemed like forever. This is an obvious airbrush job to show Don's trade to the St. Louis Cardinals.
- Kessinger was signed by the Cubs in 1964. Don played 77 games in AA and was brought up for a look in September. Kessinger went 2 for 12 (.167) in four games for the Cubs in '64.
- Don was in AA again for the first two months of the 1965 season. Kessinger came back to the Cubs to stay in early June and batted .201 in 106 games.
- Kessinger ended up being a very durable player for the Cubs in the next ten seasons. He played in at least 145 games each year from 1966-1975. Don usually batted somewhere around .250 each season with little power. He did hit 38 doubles in 1969 and 14 triples in 1970, but he never had a slugging percentage above .351.
- Don won the NL Gold Glove in 1969 and 1970 and received minor MVP consideration in both of those seasons. Don Kessinger - Is He Best Shortstop in the Majors? - October 1969 Baseball Digest.
- Kessinger made the NL All Star team six times:
- 1968 - starting shortstop (0 for 2)
- 1969 - starting shortstop (0 for 3)
- 1970 - starting shortstop (2 for 2)
- 1971 - shortstop (0 for 2)
- 1972 - starting shortstop (0 for 2)
- 1974 - shortstop (1 for 1, 3B, run scored, RBI)
- After the 1975 season Don was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Mike Garman and a minor leaguer. Kessinger played in 145 games, making it 11 years in a row of more than 145 games played.
- In 1977 the Cardinals came up with a .322-hitting rookie shortstop named Garry Templeton. Kessinger started the season with the Cards as a utility player (.239 in 59 games). On August 20 Don was traded to the Chicago White Sox for a minor leaguer. Kessinger batted .235 in 39 games to finish the 1977 season.
- Don was the regular shortstop for the White Sox in 1978 and batted .255 in 131 games. He also earned the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award in '78.
- Kessinger became a player-manager in 1979. Don Kessinger: Baseball's Newest Player-Manager - January 1979 Baseball Digest. He batted .200 in 110 at bats and his final game as a player was on July 31 (he retired on August 2 and resigned as manager on the same day). Tony LaRussa was Don's replacement as Chicago manager.
- After his retirement Don operated insurance and real estate businesses in Oxford, Mississippi. Kessinger coached the University of Mississippi baseball team from 1991-1996 and helped out with the team from 1997-2000.
- Don's son Keith Kessinger had a brief major league career in 1993.
- Liked to face: Bob Gibson (.326 in 135 AB); Buzz Capra (.533 in 12 AB); Joe Moeller (.529 in 17 AB)
- Hated to face: Al Hrabosky (.000 in 14 AB); John Montefusco (.059 in 17 AB); Jim Ray (.100 in 20 AB)
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Wednesday, September 1, 2010
1976 Topps #542 - Keith Hernandez
- Keith Hernandez was an excellent-fielding and good-hitting first baseman who played in the majors from 1974-1990. Keith won 11 Gold Glove awards -- every year from 1978-1988. Hernandez was also selected to the NL All Star team five times and won two Silver Slugger awards.
- Hernandez was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1971. Keith played in the minors from 1972-1974. Hernandez was called up to the Cardinals in 1974 after batting .351 for AAA Tulsa and batted .294 in 14 games for the Cards in September.
- The Cardinals traded Joe Torre to make room for Hernandez. Keith struggled with major league pitching in the beginning of the 1975 season and was sent back to Tulsa in early June. Keith batted .330 in 85 games for Tulsa and came back to St. Louis in September. Hernandez was a better hitter when he came back to the Cardinals and was able to raise his batting average from .203 to .250 after his return.
- Hernandez batted .289 in 129 games in 1976 and .291 with 15 HR and 91 RBI in 1977.
- Keith won the first of eleven consecutive Gold Gloves at first base in 1978. He batted .255 with 11 HR and 64 RBI in '78.
- Keith's best season was the 1979 season. He was co-MVP with Willie Stargell and was an NL All Star (he struck out as a pinch hitter). Hernandez led the NL with a .344 batting average and also led the league with 116 runs scored and 48 doubles. Keith hit 11 triples, 11 home runs, and had 105 runs batted in. Keith Hernandez: He Wins Games with his Bat and his Glove - January 1980 Baseball Digest.
- Hernandez had another good year in 1980. He batted .321 with 16 HR and 99 RBI and led the NL in runs scored with 111. Keith made the NL All Star team again and went 2 for 2 in the game. Keith won the NL Silver Slugger award at first base.
- Keith batted .306 with 8 HR and 48 RBI in the strike-shortened 1981 season.
- The Cardinals won the World Championship in 1982 and Hernandez was a valuable part of that ballclub. Keith batted .299 with 7 HR and 94 RBI. Keith was intentionally walked 19 times to lead the NL and had a total of 100 walks during the season. Hernandez went 4 for 12 (.333) during the NLCS and 7 for 27 (.259) during the World Series.
- Keith and St. Louis manager Whitey Herzog weren't getting along well in 1983. On June 15 Hernandez was traded to the New York Mets for pitchers Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey. At the time Keith was batting .284 for the Cardinals. He batted .306 in 95 games for the Mets to raise his batting average to .297 for the year.
- Hernandez made his third NL All Star team in 1984 (he struck out in his only at bat) and finished second in NL MVP voting. Keith batted .311 with 15 HR and 94 RBI for the Mets and won the NL Silver Slugger Award. Keith Hernandez: Best Met Position Player Ever - September 1984 Baseball Digest
- The Mets were narrowly beat out in the NL East race by Herzog's Cardinals in 1985. Keith batted .309 with 10 HR and 91 RBI in 1985. Keith Hernandez: He Plays First with Artistic Intensity - September 1985 Baseball Digest. Hernandez had to testify in the Pittsburgh drug trials. He testified that he had used cocaine in the early 1980s, especially in 1980. He later apologized to fans.
- Hernandez helped the Mets win the World Championship in 1986. Keith batted .310 with 13 HR and 83 RBI. He also led the NL with 94 walks. Keith started at first base for the National League in the All Star Game and went 0 for 4. Hernandez finished fourth in NL MVP voting in 1986. He went 7 for 26 (.269) in the NLCS and 6 for 26 (.231) in the World Series.
- Keith's last season as a regular was in 1987. He batted .290 with 18 HR and 89 RBI in 1987. Hernandez started to be bothered by injuries in 1988. He played in 95 games and batted .276 with 11 HR and 55 RBI. Keith batted .269 (7 for 26) in the 1988 NLCS as the heavily-favored Mets lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- Hernandez batted .233 in 75 games in 1989. The Mets let Keith leave as a free agent after the season. Hernandez signed with the Cleveland Indians for the 1990 season, but he batted .200 in 45 games and retired after the season.
- Hernandez has written three books:
- If at First: A Season with the Mets (a diary of the 1985 season)
- Pure Baseball: Pitch by Pitch for the Advanced Fan
- Shea Good-Bye: The Untold Inside Story of the 2008 Season
- Keith is now a commentator for New York Mets broadcasts. He has made some TV and commercial appearances -- they are shown in the YouTube links below. Unfortunately I was unable to embed the classic Seinfeld scene with Keith and the "single loogie theory." Here is the link to the scene.
- Hernandez recently suggested that a way to speed up the game would be to drop four teams from the major leagues. He said that would get about 50 pitchers out of the game who belong in AAA instead of the major leagues.
- Liked to face: Steve Trout (.607 in 28 AB); Pat Zachry (.447 in 38 AB); Orel Hershiser (.441 in 34 AB)
- Hated to face: Ken Holtzman (.000 in 10 AB); Pat Perry (.077 in 13 AB); Vern Ruhle (.100 in 20 AB)
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Wednesday, August 11, 2010
1976 Topps #522 - Ted Sizemore
- Ted Sizemore was an infielder (mostly second base) in the majors from 1969-1980. Sizemore was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1966. He played in the Dodgers' system from 1966-1968 and was brought up to LA in 1969.
- Ted was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1969 -- he batted .271 in 159 games. Sizemore missed a month of the 1970 season (mid-June through mid-July) and also didn't play after September 17. He batted .306 in 96 games. After the 1970 season Sizemore and Bob Stinson were traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Dick Allen.
- In 1971 Ted spent most of his time at second base but played SS, 3B, and OF as well. He batted .264 in 135 games in '71. Sizemore became the regular second baseman in 1972 and batted .264 in 120 games.
- Ted's best year with the Cardinals was 1973 when he batted .282 in 142 games and led the NL with 25 sacrifices. Sizemore missed three weeks with an injury in July 1974. He batted .250 in 129 games in 1974. In 1975 Ted batted .240 in 153 games.
- At the end of spring training in 1976 Sizemore was traded back to the Dodgers for Willie Crawford. Ted played a lot at 2B in April while Davey Lopes recovered from an injury and backed up at 2B after Lopes returned. Sizemore batted .241 in 81 games in 1976. After the 1976 season Sizemore was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Johnny Oates and a minor leaguer.
- Ted batted .281 in 152 games for the Phillies in 1977. He grounded into 25 double plays to lead the NL. Sizemore went 3 for 13 (.231) in the NLCS. In 1978 Sizemore batted .219 in 108 games. He missed about two months of the 1978 season with an injury. He jammed his throwing hand into the chest of San Diego's Gene Richards during a play at second base and fractured two bones. Ted Sizemore: 'Born Again' at Second Base - July 1978 Baseball Digest. Ted went 5 for 13 (.381) in the 1978 NLCS. After the 1978 season Ted was traded (with Jerry Martin, Barry Foote, Derek Bothelho, and a minor leaguer) to the Chicago Cubs for Manny Trillo, Greg Gross, and Dave Rader.
- Ted batted .248 in 98 games for the Cubs in 1979. On August 17 he was traded to the Boston Red Sox for Mike O'Berry and cash. Sizemore batted .261 in 26 games for the Red Sox in 1979. Ted played in nine games (.217 average) for the Red Sox in 1980 before being released on May 30.
- After his retirement Sizemore worked for Rawlings as their chief liason with major league players. He later became a senior executive with the company.
- Liked to face: Lynnn McGlothen (.563 in 16 AB); Milt Pappas (.455 in 22 AB); Bob Moose (.438 in 48 AB)
- Hated to face: Tom Hall/Harry Parker (.000 in 10 AB); Frank Reberger/Mike Torrez (.067 in 15 AB)
Monday, July 19, 2010
1976 Topps #499 - Mario Guerrero
- Mario Guerrero played in the majors from 1973-1980. Mario was signed by the New York Yankees in 1968. He played in their farm system from 1968-1972 before being traded (with Danny Cater) to the Boston Red Sox for Sparky Lyle. Guerrero finished the 1972 season in AAA Louisville.
- Guerrero made the Boston ballcllub in 1973 and batted .233 in 63 games as Luis Aparicio's backup. In 1974 Mario began the season as the regular shortstop but was eventually replaced by Rick Burleson. Guerrero batted .246 in 93 games in 1974. At the end of spring training in 1975 Mario was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for a player to be named later (Jim Willoughby was sent to the Red Sox on July 4 to complete the deal).
- Guerrero started the 1975 season in AAA Tulsa and was brought up to the Cardinals in mid-May. He batted .239 in 64 games for the Cardinals in 1975. Mario started the 1976 season back in Tulsa and was traded to the California Angels on May 29 for two minor leaguers. Guerrero batted .284 in 83 games for the Angels in 1976. In 1977 Mario split time with Rance Mulliniks at shortstop and batted .283 in 86 games.
- After the 1977 season Guerrero became a free agent and signed with the San Francisco Giants. Before the 1978 season Mario was included in the big trade with the Oakland A's that sent Vida Blue to the Giants. Mario became the A's starting shortstop and batted .275 in 143 games. Mario backed up Rob Picciolo in 1979 and batted .229 in 46 games. Guerrero regained his starting job in 1980 and batted .239 in 116 games.
- After the 1980 season Guerrero was sold to the Seattle Mariners. He didn't make the Mariners ballclub in 1981 and was released at the end of spring training.
- Guerrero worked as a buscon (guys who hunt for baseball prospects in the Dominican Republic) after his playing career. Guerrero sued Raul Mondesi for one percent of his baseball earnings in 1998 and eventually won $640,000 (plus $422,000 interest) in 2004. The judgement was thrown out on appeal in 2005. He previously won a similar case against Geronimo Berroa.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
1976 Topps #478 - Lynn McGlothen
- Lynn McGlothen was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 1968. He progressed through the Boston farm system and was brought up in June of 1972 after going 9-2 with a 1.92 ERA in 13 starts for AAA Louisville. He lost his first start on June 25 (2 runs in 7.1 innings) but had a good year. Lynn went 8-7 with a 3.41 ERA in 22 starts.
- McGlothen started the 1973 season with the Red Sox but was sent down in May after going 1-2 with an 8.33 ERA in six games (three starts). Lynn spent the rest of the season with AAA Pawtucket and after the season he was traded with John Curtis and Mike Garman to the St. Louis Cardinals for Reggie Cleveland, Terry Hughes and Diego Segui.
- Lynn's best season was in 1974. He made the NL All Star team and pitched a scoreless 7th inning in the NL victory. McGlothen led the Cardinals in wins as he went 16-12 with a 2.69 ERA.
- McGlothen went 15-13 with a 3.95 ERA in 1975 and then was 13-15 with a 3.91 ERA in 1976. On August 19, 1975 Lynn struck out three Cincinnati Reds hitters on nine pitches. Tony Perez led off the inning with a single then McGlothen struck out Cesar Geronimo, Darrell Chaney, and Gary Nolan. After the 1976 season Lynn was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Ken Reitz.
- Lynn never got untracked in San Francisco. He had shoulder problems in 1977 and had a couple of 3-4 week gaps in the season. McGlothen went 2-9 with an ERA of 5.63 in 21 games (15 starts) in 1977. In 1978 Lynn started the season with the Giants (0-0, 4.97 ERA in five games) and was traded to the Chicago Cubs for Hector Cruz. The Cubs mostly used McGlothen in the bullpen in 1978 and he ended up 5-3 with a 3.30 ERA in 54 games (2 starts).
- McGlothen started the 1979 season as a starter, went to the bullpen for a few weeks in late April/early May, then spent most of the remainder of the year in the starting rotation. Lynn was 13-14 with two saves and a 4.12 ERA in 42 games (29 starts) in 1979. In 1980 McGlothen was 12-14 with a 4.79 ERA.
- Lynn started the 1981 season with the Cubs and had elbow problems that limited his effectiveness. He was 1-4 with a 4.77 ERA in 20 games (5 starts) before the strike. McGlothen pitched in one game for the Cubs after the strike and on August 15 he was sent to the Chicago White Sox for a player to be named later (the White Sox sent Bob Molinaro to the Cubs in March 1982). Lynn was 0-0 with a 4.15 ERA in 11 games for the White Sox in 1981. He was also involved in a divorce that year.
- McGlothen was released by the White Sox on April 12, 1982. He was signed by the New York Yankees a month later and assigned to AAA Columbus. Lynn came up to the Yankees in mid-August and pitched in four games (0-0, 10.80 ERA) before being released on September 20, 1982.
- McGlothen was killed in a mobile home fire on August 14, 1984.
- Liked to face: Jim Wynn (.045 in 22 AB); Omar Moreno (.077 in 39 AB); Bill Robinson (.105 in 19 AB)
- Hated to face: Garry Templeton (.483 in 29 AB); Dave Parker (.444 in 54 AB); Bob Horner (.421 with 3 HR in 19 AB)
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
1976 Topps #451 - Buddy Bradford
- Buddy Bradford was signed by the Chicago White Sox at the age of 17 in 1962. He played in the minors for several seasons and had a little bit of power (double figures in home runs) and some speed.
- Bradford got his first shot in the majors in 1966. In 14 games he batted .143 in 28 at bats. After spending most of the 1967 season in the minors Buddy batted .100 in 20 at bats for the White Sox in 1968.
- Buddy got a good portion of his major league playing time between 1968 and 1970. In 1968 he played in 103 games and batted .217 in 281 at bats. Bradford had his best year in 1969 when he batted .256 in 273 at bats and hit 11 home runs. Buddy started the 1970 season with the White Sox (.187 in 91 at bats) and was traded with Tommie Sisk to the Cleveland Indians on June 15 for Bob Miller and Barry Moore. Buddy finished the 1970 season batting .170 in 163 at bats for the Indians.
- Bradford was traded again in 1971. He started with the Indians (.158 in 30 AB) and was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for Kurt Bevacqua on May 8. Buddy batted .200 in 100 at bats for the Reds in 1971. Bradford was purchased by the White Sox during spring training in 1972.
- Buddy started the 1972 season in AAA . He was brought up to the White Sox in late July and batted .271 in 48 at bats, mostly as a pinch hitter and defensive replacement. Bradford was in AAA again in 1973 and came up to the White Sox in early July. He batted .238 in 168 at bats.
- In 1974 Buddy got his best Strat-O-Matic card. He batted only 112 times but he batted .333 with a .414 on base percentage and a .510 slugging percentage. It was an injury-filled season for him as he broke his collarbone in a collision with an outfield wall on May 17, came back in late July, and then tore a hamstring in mid-August.
- Buddy ended up playing for the White Sox three different times. In 1975 Bradford started wtih the White Sox and batted .155 in 58 at bats. On June 30 he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Bill Parsons. Buddy batted .272 in 81 at bats for the Cardinals in '75. After the 1975 season Bradford was traded back to the White Sox for Lee Richard.
- Bradford's last season in the majors was 1976. He batted .219 in 160 at bats. The White Sox released Bradford on his 32nd birthday on July 25, 1976.
In 1977 Bradford played for the Kintetsu Buffaloes in Japan. He tore his hamstring again stealing a base and ended up calling it quits.
Buddy invested his baseball money well and had a successful business career after his life in baseball. As of 1994 Bradford owned C&P Investments (a company that acquires apartment buildings) in Los Angeles. Here is a "where are they now" article about him from 1994.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
1976 Topps #426 - Bob Forsch
- Bob Forsch pitched in the majors from 1974-1989, mostly for the St. Louis Cardinals. Forsch was a good-hitting pitcher with a lifetime batting average of .213. Bob was drafted by the Cardinals in 1968. He didn't start pitching in the minors until 1970 and he stayed in the minors until the middle of the 1974 season. Forsch was brought up in July of 1974. He appeared in 19 games (14 starts) and had a 7-4 record with a 2.97 ERA.
- Bob became a main guy in the Cardinals' rotation and started 30 or more games every season (except the strike year of 1981) from 1975-1983. He was 15-10 with a 2.86 ERA in 1975. Bob also batted .308 during the '75 season. Forsch regressed in 1976 and went 8-10 with a 3.94 ERA.
- Forsch had his biggest year wins-wise in 1977. He went 20-7 with a 3.48 ERA. In 1978 Bob pitched the first of his two no-hitters against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 16. Forsch went 11-17 with a 3.70 ERA in the 1978 season.
- Bob's brother Ken threw a no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves on April 7, 1979 which made them the only brother duo to accomplish the feat. Bob and Ken Forsch: No-Hitters Are A Family Affair - August 1979 Baseball Digest. Bob had a record of 11-11 with a 3.83 ERA in 1979.
- Forsch went 11-10 with a 3.77 ERA in 1980. He also won the NL Silver Slugger Award that season. In 1981 he started only 20 games because of the strike and was 10-5 with a 3.18 ERA.
- Bob helped the Cardinals to an NL East (and eventual world) championship in 1982. During the regular season he was 15-9 with a 3.48 ERA. He pitched a 3-hit shutout in game 1 of the NLCS against the Braves. Bob started and lost games 1 and 5 of the World Series but the Cardinals still won the series in seven games.
- Forsch pitched his second no-hitter on September 26, 1983 against the Montreal Expos. Bob Forsch: The Game I'll Never Forget - December 1989 Baseball Digest. Bob went 10-12 with a 4.28 ERA in '83. Forsch missed three months of the 1984 season with an injury. He ended up 2-5 with a 6.02 ERA in 16 games (11 starts).
- Bob pitched out of the bullpen for about six weeks during the 1985 season. He went 9-6 with a 3.90 ERA in 34 games (19 starts). Forsch wasn't very effective during the 1985 playoffs. He started game 4 of the NLCS and gave up two runs in 3.1 innings. Bob got off the hook when Ozzie Smith hit that memorable home run in the bottom of the 9th inning to win it for the Cards. He started and lost game 5 of the World Series and had some mop-up duty in the game 7 blowout game.
- Forsch came back with a nice year in 1986. He went 14-10 with a 3.25 ERA in 33 starts. Bob went 11-7 with a 4.32 ERA in 30 starts in 1987 and also won the NL Silver Slugger Award (he batted .298 during the season). Bob was 1-1 with a 12.00 ERA in three relief appearances in the 1987 NLCS against the San Francisco Giants. In the 1987 World Series Bob was 1-0 with a 9.95 ERA in three games. The Cardinals released Forsch after the 1987 season but resigned him before spring training in 1988.
- Bob split time between starting and relieving for the Cardinals at the beginning of the 1988 season. He pitched in 30 games (12 starts) and was 9-4 with a 3.73 ERA. On August 31 Forsch was traded to the Houston Astros for Denny Walling. Bob went 1-4 with a 6.51 ERA in six starts for the Astros in 1988.
- Bob's last season was 1989. He went 4-5 with a 5.32 ERA in 37 games (15 starts) and retired after the season.
- After his playing career Bob spent a lot of time playing in charity golf tournaments and doing work for the Cardinals' charitable foundation. Here is a "where are they now" article from 2002.
- Bob wrote Tales from the Cardinals Dugout in 2003. Forsch thought Lou Brock was a first-class ballplayer because Brock would sit next to the younger players on the team bus and try to make them feel comforatble. Bob also said that he had something to brag about because he once pinch ran for Brock (Lou had a bad ankle). He is currently the pitching coach for the Billings Mustangs in the Cincinnati Reds' organization.
- Liked to face: Steve Jeltz (.042 in 24 AB); Ozzie Smith (.073 in 41 AB); Willie McCovey (.115 in 26 AB)
- Hated to face: Dickie Thon (.462 in 26 AB); Darryl Strawberry (.458 with 5 HR in 24 AB); Terry Kennedy (.455 in 33 AB)
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