1976 Topps Statistics

• Time for some numbers on the 1976 Topps Baseball set:
• If the Sporting News All Time All Stars are included, 43 Hall of Famers were featured in this set. If the All Time All Stars are removed, that number would go to 33. When I was originally collecting this set as a nine-year-old, I had no idea that many players would  make the HOF. There were some sure HOFers like Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson, but there were others who were just starting their careers like Robin Yount and Gary Carter.
• Six pitchers went on to win over 300 games -- can you name them? (answer is on the bottom of this entry).
• Eight players went on to get over 3000 hits -- can you name them? (answer is on the bottom of this entry).
• Eight pitchers in this set struck out 3000 or more batters in their career -- can you name them?
• Three players in this set hit over 500 career home runs -- can you name them?
• Excluding the Sporting News All Stars and the Father/Son cards, 44 players in this set are deceased as of 6 April 2011. :(
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• 300 wins: Tom Seaver, Don Sutton, Gaylord Perry, Phil Niekro, Nolan Ryan, and Steve Carlton.
• 3000 hits: Pete Rose, Hank Aaron, Rod Carew, Robin Yount, Carl Yastrzemski, George Brett, Lou Brock, and Dave Winfield.
• 3000 strikeouts: Tom Seaver, Don Sutton, Phil Niekro, Gaylord Perry, Steve Carlton, Nolan Ryan, Fergie Jenkins, Bert Blyleven
• 500 home runs: Reggie Jackson, Mike Schmidt, Hank Aaron

Oscar Gamble Traded -- 1976 Topps Card of the Year

• It was a close vote (13-11), but Oscar Gamble won.

• There were a LOT of great cards in this set. After reviewing the set, I have changed  my opinion. I used to rank 1976 about 4th or 5th in the decade of the 1970s. Now I would put this set at #1 or #2. The 1971 set is still a favorite of mine, as is 1974, 1975, and 1978. 
• What is your favorite 1970s Topps set? The poll is on the right. :)
• Some statistics on this set will be forthcoming in a future entry. Then it will be on to Kellogg's and Hostess.
• If someone else doesn't pick it up in the next couple of months, I'll do the 1977 Topps set next.

1976 Topps Card of the Year - Finals

• I added the results of the two polls together and the Oscar Gamble traded card beat out Johnny Bench by three votes. It kinda bums me out since the 1976 Bench is one of my favorites of all time.
• The finals will be between Pete Rose and Oscar Gamble Traded. Please vote for your favorite! :)

Pete Rose #240

Oscar Gamble Traded #74

1976 Topps Card of the Year - Semi-Finals II

• Pete Rose beat the Kurt Bevacqua Bubble Blowing card 14-10. Pete will be in the finals against the winner of:

Oscar Gamble Traded #74T

and

Johnny Bench #300

• Please vote for your favorite of these two cards. :)

1976 Topps Card of the Year - Semi-Finals

• Johnny Bench and the Oscar Gamble Traded card advance to the semi-finals

• The first semi-final round pits Pete Rose against the Kurt Bevacqua Bubble Blowing Champion card. Please pick your favorite. The top vote-getter will advance to the finals.

Pete Rose #240

Kurt Bevacqua Bubble-Blowing Champion #564

1976 Topps Card of the Year (Round 4, Group 2) - down to six!

Pete Rose and the Kurt Bevacqua Bubble Blowing card advance to the semi-finals.

This bracket is going to be a tough one. Please vote for your favorite out of these four cards. The top two cards will advance to the semi-finals.

Carl Yastrzemski #230

Steve Garvey #150

Johnny Bench #300

Oscar Gamble Traded (#74T)

1976 Topps Card of the Year (Round 4) - the final eight!

• We're down to the final eight cards. Steve Garvey, Johnny Bench, Oscar Gamble Traded, and Carl Yastrzemski advanced from round 3 group 2.

• Please vote for your favorite card from round 4, group 1. The top two vote-getters will advance to the semi-finals. Some really cool cards are going to be voted off in this round (especially in the other bracket)

Dave Parker #185

Pete Rose #240

Kurt Bevacqua Bubble Blowing Champion #564

World Series Champions #462

1976 Topps Card of the Year - round 3, group 2

• Pete Rose, Dave Parker, World Series Champs, and the Kurt Bevacqua Bubble Blowing Card will move on to the final eight. I had to make a decision between the Worlds Series Champs and the Luis Tiant cards since both had the same number of votes.
• Here are the cards from the "other side of the bracket." Please vote for your favorite card(s) from this group. The top four cards will move on to the final eight.

Steve Garvey #150

Carl Yastrzemski #230 

Jerry Reuss #60

Oscar Gamble traded #74T

Johnny Bench #300

Ray Fosse #554

Fred Lynn #50

Lou Brock #10

1976 Topps Card of the Year - on to round 3!

• Dave Parker, Pete Rose, Tito Fuentes, and World Series Champs advanced to round 3.
• We're down to 16 cards. We'll do two groups of eight. The top four cards from each group will advance to round 4.
• Here are the competitors in the first group:

Dave Parker #185

Pete Rose #240

Tito Fuentes #8

World Series Champs #462

Mike Schmidt #480

Rick Manning #275

Luis Tiant #130

Kurt Bevacqua Bubble Blowing #564

1976 Topps Card of the Year (Round 2, Group 4)

• Mike Schmidt, Rick Manning, Luis Tiant, and the Kurt Bevacqua Bubble Blowing card all advanced to the next round.
• Here is the last group for round 2. Please vote for your favorite(s). The top four from this group will advance to round 3.

Dave Concepcion #48

Pete Rose #240

Hank Aaron #550

Willie Horton #320

Manny Sanguillen #220

Tito Fuentes #8

World Series Champs #462

Dave Parker #185

1976 Topps Card of the Year (Round 2, Group 3)

• Oscar Gamble Traded, Steve Garvey, Carl Yastrzemski, and Jerry Reuss all made it to the next round. Jerry Reuss and Sal Bando were tied for the fourth spot so I made an "executive decision"
• Please vote for your favorite(s) from Group 3. The top four cards will advance to the next round.
• The following cards comprise Group 3 of round 2:

Greg Luzinski #610

Kurt Bevacqua Bubble Blowing Championship #564

Dave Lopes RB #4

Luis Tiant #130

Gene Tenace #165

Rick Manning #275

Al Oliver #260

Mike Schmidt #480

1976 Topps Card of the Year (Round 2, Group 2)

• The cards that will move on from group 1 are Johnny Bench, Ray Fosse, Fred Lynn, and Lou Brock
• Here are the cards for round 2, group 2. Please vote for your favorite(s). The top four from this group will make it to the next round

Steve Ontiveros #284

Oscar Gamble Traded (#74T)

Sal Bando #90

Brian Downing #23

Carl Yastrzemski #230

Steve Garvey #150

Bill Plummer #627

Jerry Reuss #60