1976 Hostess #49 - Willie Stargell

• Willie's seasons from 1971-1973 constitute a great three-year run
• Willie should have been MVP in either 1971 or 1973 (or both)
• At this point in his career, Stargell was starting to struggle with injuries. He played in only 117 games in 1976 and 67 games in 1977
• Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak, but he still had a few good years left in him

1976 Hostess #36 - Brooks Robinson

• Brooks Robinson was at the end of a long and distinguished career
• Robinson won  his 16th (and final) Gold Glove in 1975
• Brooks lost his starting third base job on May 17, 1976
• Robinson returned to the Orioles for the 1977 season as a player-coach, but it was his last year.
• Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak

1976 Hostess #33 - Rod Carew

• Those are some really nice batting averages -- especially the last three years
• Rod won four straight batting titles (1972-1975)
• Carew barely missed out on a fifth straight batting title in 1976 --- he batted .331 and finished two points behind batting champion George Brett (.333)
• Rod won two more titles in 1977 (.388) and 1978 (.333)
• Before peak, peak, or after peak? peak

1976 Hostess #22 - Johnny Bench

• Look at all those RBIs!!!
• This set of stats doesn't show his monster 1970 season (.293, 45 HR, 148 RBI) in which he won the NL MVP award
• Bench was also the MVP in 1972 and finished fourth in MVP voting in 1974 and in 1975
• This shows the end of Johnny's peak. Injuries started to catch up with him in 1976 and he was used more often at other positions
• Before peak, peak, or after peak? after peak
• 
  

1976 Hostess #16 - Thurman Munson

• Thurman Munson had his best season to date in 1975.
• Munson had a very similar season (.302, 17 HR, 105 RBI) in 1976 and was the AL MVP
• His three best years were 1975-1977.
• Before peak, peak, or after peak? peak

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)

1976 Hostess #11 - Robin Yount

• Robin Yount was only 20 years old but already was entering his third major league season in 1976
• Robin's numbers weren't all that impressive in his first two years, but he was still very young and would improve greatly
• Before peak, peak, or after peak? before peak