1976 Topps #234 - Mike Sadek

• Mike Sadek spent his entire career (1973, 1975-1981) as a backup catcher with the San Francisco Giants. I remember him more as a Phoenix Giant since he spent several years there.

• Sadek was originally drafted by the Giants in 1966, but he didn't sign. Mike was then drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1967. He spent three years in the Twins' system, but never played more than 81 games. After the 1969 season Mike was taken by the Giants in the Rule 5 draft.

• Mike played in the Giants' system from 1970-1972, never getting into more than 91 games. He made the Giants club in 1973 and stayed with them all season. Sadek played in 39 games and batted .167 in 66 at bats.

• In 1974 Sadek spent the entire season with AAA Phoenix, where he batted .251 in 117 games. In one of those "They Said It" blurbs in Sports Illustrated, here is what Mike had to say: " Mike Sadek, .132 batter for the Phoenix Giants of the Pacific Coast Baseball League before getting three solid hits in four at bats as 208 fans watched: "It was so quiet in the park, every time I came to bat I could hear the radio announcer giving my average. I was so embarrassed I decided to do something about it."

• He started the 1975 season in Phoenix and played 50 games there. Mike was brought up in early June and spent the rest of the season in San Francisco. He batted .236 in 106 at bats for the Giants in '75.

• Mike's seasons from 1976-1980 were similar. He played in 42-64 games a year, batted about 90-150 times a year, and usually batted somewhere around .230. In 1981 he played in 19 games and was batting .167 in 36 at bats when he was released on August 3.

• After his playing career Mike was involved in community relations with the Giants for several years.

• Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper were once asked their opinions about several things by Giants Magazine. About who was the worst-dressed Giants of all time, Krukow said, "Then there was Mike Sadek. He was so bad he was awesome. He would wear a pair of green pants with orange shoes and a gold shirt with a navy blue blazer. And he thought that looked good! It was like, whatever came up off the floor, he put on." (Baseball Digest, December 2002)

• Sadek has an autographed ball from Pope John Paul II. Apparently Mike sent Monsingior Lacey the ball and the Pontiff signed it as he was flying into San Francisco to celebrate mass at Candlestick Park on September 18, 1987. He signed it, "J.P. II."

1976 Topps #105 - Gary Lavelle

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  Gary Lavelle pitched in the majors from 1974--1987, mostly for the San Francisco Giants. He started in the Giants system in 1967 as an 18-year-old. He didn't pitch in very many games in 1968 (13) or 1969 (7). Gary spent 1970 and 1971 with AA Amarillo and then pitched three years for AAA Phoenix (1972-1974). It doesn't look like his stats merited a call up to the majors, but the PCL was a hitter's league so that probably distorted his ERA.

• Lavelle was a September call-up to the Giants in 1974 and then stuck with the big club in 1975. He was used exclusively as a reliever except for three starts in 1981. Gary was 6-3 with 8 saves and a 2.95 ERA in 65 appearances in his first full season in 1975.

• Lavelle had a lot of good seasons as a left-handed reliever. During his time with the Giants, Gary only had three years with an ERA above 3.00 (1978, 1980 and 1981) and his highest was 3.84. Gary was a two-time NL All-Star (1977 and 1983).

• He was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays after the 1984 season and had one good year with them (5-7, 3.10, 8 saves). Gary had chronic elbow problems and he didn't pitch in 1986. He didn't do so well in 1987 (2-3, 5.91 with Toronto and Oakland). Gary resigned as a free agent with the A's after the 1987 season but didn't pitch again.

• Lavelle was a pitching coach for the Yankees for five years. He is the baseball coach at Greenbrier Christian academy in Virginia. They have won three consecutive state championships. Here he is getting the Gatorade treatment. Gary also runs a summer baseball camp.

1976 Topps #31 - Len Randle

Len Randle was a utility player in the 70s and early 80s for five teams. He is probably best remembered for punching out his manager Frank Lucchesi in 1977 after Lucchesi gave the starting 2B job to Bump Wills. Randle was charged with assault and traded to the Mets. He went back to the minors in 1979 and played for the Phoenix Giants for part of that year. I went to a lot of those games, but I don't remember him being on the team.

Randle was one of those guys who had some value on an APBA or Strat-O-Matic team because he played so many positions.

1976 Topps #30 - John Montefusco

There have been a lot of blog entries about Mr. Montefusco lately, so there probably isn't a whole lot to say. I loved that nickname (The Count). He pitched for the Phoenix Giants (SF's AAA team) in 1974, right about when my father started taking me to ballgames. I don't have any memories of seeing John pitch, but I had a poster in my room that had line drawings of the players. I think he was on it.

John was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1975. He was the last Giants pitcher to pitch a no-hitter (9/29/76 vs. Atlanta).