sunday morning target dodgers - uncle robbie pays a visit

it must be sunday because here's another 15 cards from a sheet in the 1990 target dodgers 100th anniverary giveaway set. let's get right to it.

doyle alexander

alexander was part of the dodgers' hugely successful 1968 draft class.  he was taken in the 9th round and was pitching in the major leagues three years later.  after going 6-6 with four complete games for the 1971 dodgers, alexander was traded to the orioles in the frank robinson deal.  he may be best remembered for being traded by the braves to the tigers in 1987 for john smoltz.

lloyd brown

brown began his career with the robins in 1925, but found better success with the senators later on. in his lone year with brooklyn, brown was 0-3 in 17 appearances (five starts). from 1928-1932, brown was 58-49 for the senators, and he also pitched for the browns, red sox, indians, and phillies during his big league career.

hal gregg

gregg pitched for the dodgers from 1943-1947.  he won 18 games for the club in 1945 after losing 16 the previous season.  overall, gregg was 37-41 as a dodger during the regular season, and 0-1 in postseason play (he pitched in three games during the 1947 world series) before he was traded to the pirates in the trade that  also sent dixie walker to pittsburgh.

roy henshaw

the dodgers traded for henshaw in 1937 after he had gone 21-11 with a 3.68 era for the cubs over the previous three seasons. with the dodgers, however, henshaw was just 5-12 with a 5.07 era in 42 appearances.  as a result, he was dealt to the cardinals after the season ended in the deal that brought leo durocher to brooklyn.

george kelly

'high pockets' kelly belongs to that list of hall of famers (greg maddux and rickey henderson are recent examples) who are not typically remembered for their time with the club, but ended their career playing for the dodger organization.  for kelly, that was 1932, and he joined the dodgers after spending the 1931 season in the minors.  kelly hit .243 in 64 games for brooklyn, and netted his 1000th career rbi while doing so.  he was elected to the hall of fame in 1973 by the veteran's committee, although he is often cited as the least worthy hall of famer.

ken lehman

lehman was a september call-up in 1952, and struck out the first batter he ever faced in the big leagues (sam jethroe).  he was 1-2 in his four appearances that month, and impressed folks enough that he was added to the dodgers' postseason roster.  he appeared in one world series game against the yankees, and pitched two scoreless innings.  lehman returned to the majors in 1956, pitching in 25 games for brooklyn, but he appeared in just 3 games for them in 1957 before the orioles purchased his contract.

eddie miksis

speaking of the orioles, i think of miksis as one because his 1958 topps card (which featured him as an oriole) was one of the first '58 cards i ever owned.  anyway, miksis started his big league career as a dodger in 1944 when he was just 17.  he hit .220 in 26 games that year, and then returned to the majors in 1946 after a stint in the navy, but hit only .146 in 23 contests.  miksis improved in 1947, hitting .267 and appearing in the world series. he remained with the dodgers into the 1951 season until he was traded to the cubs in the andy pafko deal.

earl naylor

naylor, who had spent a couple of years with the phillies earlier in the decade, appeared in three games for the 1946 dodgers, although he did not play in the field. he pinch-ran and scored a run in his dodger debut, and then was used as a pinch-hitter twice - he grounded into a double play and struck out.

wilbert robinson

uncle robbie, who had a 17-year playing career as a catcher, was the manager of the brooklyn baseball club from 1914 through 1931.  as the team had no official nickname, it took on the name 'robins' during robinson's tenure in reference to the manager.  his robins teams won more than 90 games three times, twice claiming the national league pennant.  for his career, robinson won 1399 games as a manager (1375 with brooklyn and 24 with baltimore when he was a player-manager in 1902) and lost 1398 (1341 with brooklyn and 57 with baltimore).  he was elected to the hall of fame in 1945, and is one of seven brooklyn/los angeles managers so honored for their managerial careers.

dave sax

the older brother of steve sax, dave sax made his big league debut in september of 1982 - the year after his younger brother first played in the majors.  he appeared in just two games that year, going 0 for 2 and seeing action in left field in his second game (most likely due to the fact that it was the 16th inning and tommy lasorda was running out of players - luckily steve garvey hit a walk-off homer to win the game in the bottom of the 16th).  sax was back with the dodgers in 1983 and finally saw some action behind the plate at his regular position, and at the same time that his brother was playing second base.  unfortunately, he was 0 for 8 with an rbi during his stints with the dodgers that year, and didn't make it back to the majors until 1985 with the red sox.

joe simpson

simpson was a september call-up for the dodgers in each season from 1975 through 1978, although he did get a couple of midseason call-ups during that time as well.  he hit .188 in 71 games for the dodgers during that time, and had his contract purchased by the mariners prior to the 1979 season.  simpson is best known these days as one of the braves' broadcasters, as he's been performing that function since 1992.

milt stock

stock joined the robins in 1924 following 11 years with the giants, phillies, and cardinals.  he hit .242 as the team's third baseman his first year, and then moved to second base in 1925 and hit .328.  at one point that year, stock had four consecutive 4-hit games, which is considered to be a record.  stock finished his playing career with just three games in 1926 for the robins, and he went on to manage in the minors and eventually coach in the majors, including for the dodgers in 1949 and 1950.

bill sudakis

sudakis was a third baseman who was drafted by the dodgers in 1964 and made his debut for them in 1968. he was their primary third baseman in 1969, and his 14 home runs were second best on the team that year. in 1970, billy grabarkewitz got most of the playing time at third, and so the dodgers had sudakis play other positions, including catcher - a position that sudakis had not previously played at the big league level, and had only played for a handful of games in the arizona instructional league. it was also curious because he had bad knees.  the mets picked sudakis off of waivers prior to the 1973 season, and he went on to spend time with them, the yankees, the rangers, the indians, and the angels before retiring after the 1975 season.

elmer valo

the owner of one of my favorite non-dodger baseball cards was himself a dodger in 1957 and 1958.  acquired in a trade with the phillies, valo played in 81 games for the brooklyn dodgers in their final season.  in fact, he was the second to last dodger batter at ebbetts field, grounding out before gil hodges struck out to end the 8th inning on september 24, 1957.  the following year, valo played in 65 games for the los angeles dodgers in their first season. it was the second time that valo had played for a team that relocated while he was on the roster (he had previously played for the philadelphia/kansas city a's), and wouldn't be the last (he would later play for the washington senators/minnesota twins).

sandy vance

another member of the dodgers' 1968 draft class, vance pitched in 30 games as a major leaguer - all with the dodgers in 1970 and 1971. he was 7-7 as a rookie in 1970 with two complete games and a 3.13 era.  in 1971, however, he was just 2-1 with a 6.92 era. vance continued to pitch in the minors through 1973, but was unable to return to the majors.

there are only two sheets left in the 1990 target set to show, so we are definitely close to the end.  i'll have one of those sheets next week.  stay tuned….

pedro guerrero mail-in autograph success!

yesterday marked the 35th anniversary of the major league debut of pedro guerrero.  also debuting in the september 22, 1978 dodger game were rudy law, brad gulden, and dave stewart.  unfortunately, i still haven't received my triple threads stewart redemption so this post will just be a petey post.

a couple of years ago, i sent two cards to hall of fame sports for guerrero to sign.  the first was my custom 1978 topps burger king dodgers/update card that should have been

and the second was his official rookie card - the 1979 topps dodgers prospects card

that also featured law and joe simpson.  i also have versions of this card signed by law and by simpson, but not on the same card.

as a steve garvey fan, i was nervous about any dodger prospect whose position was listed as first base.  guerrero, however, was quickly moved to the outfield for the following seasons so i didn't need to worry about the garv being replaced.  not until 1983, anyway.

as for his debut that occurred 35 years ago yesterday, guerrero pinch-hit for rick sutcliffe in the 5th inning and singled against randy jones.  he eventually came around to score on a reggie smith sacrifice fly, and his career was officially under way.  and, for the record, law and gulden were both 0 for 1 that day, and dave stewart threw 2 innings, allowing a hit but no runs. he also struck out one while facing the minimum six batters (the single he allowed was erased by a double play).  35 years ago! i am old.

d'oh!

i got a pretty cool ttm return today - former dodger and current braves announcer joe simpson signed and returned my stuff in just about two weeks or so.  here's his 1979 topps card, which also features pedro guerrero and rudy law

that's his only card that features him as a dodger, a fact that i lamented when i made his 1978 topps dodgers burger king/update card that should have been.

i sent a copy of that card along as well, hoping that he would sign it.  he chose not too, but unlike al downing who simply wrote back that it was not a real card, simpson made sure that i knew the card was not real

in my letter, i tried to explain that i was a big fan of the 1977 and 1978 teams, and that i created these cards as a way to complete my team set.  it is certainly their prerogative as to whether they want to sign these (or any) cards, so i don't mind at all.  in fact, i greatly appreciate the fact that simpson took the time to sign the 1979 card.

it's not like the old days where i could watch tbs and listen to simpson, don sutton, and skip caray almost every night, which is probably a good thing since simpson is paired with chip caray these days.

thanks for signing my card, joe simpson!

l.a. law

rudy law is still involved with the dodgers, which is good to know.  he found his way into tommy lasorda's doghouse at some point, and was shipped off to the american league.  he returned to the southland at some point, and now makes various appearances around town representing dodger blue.

law was the first player i remember seeing in a minor league uniform on a big league card, thanks to his 1979 topps rookie card.  that set had quite a few guys wearing their minor league hats, but i obviously think of law because he was a dodger prospect, sandwiched between pedro guerrero and joe simpson. 

since this is pretty much a standard 'through the mail success' post, i'll cut to the chase.  here are a bunch of cards that rudy law signed for me through the mail.

his aforementioned 1979 rookie card:

his 1981 donruss card

that may be my favorite of his cards.  a nice bunt on a nice sunny dodger stadium day.
here's his 1981 fleer card

not sunny.  and his 1981 topps card

beware the hatless pose, rudy!  it means you're on your way out.  and so he was.  law was traded to the white sox during spring training in 1982.  here's his 1984 donruss card

and finally, here's his card that should have been since he was a member of the 1978 dodgers

priceless.  thanks rudy!

the 1978 topps burger king dodgers/update joe simpson card that should have been!

joe simpson was drafted by the dodgers in 1973, and made his debut for the team as a late season call up in 1975. although he struck out in his first at bat (against the giants' ed halicki), he singled his second time up (which came almost 3 weeks later) for his first big league hit. over the next three seasons, simpson played the role of late or midseason call up, never appearing in more than 29 games for the dodgers, or getting more than 4 hits in any campaign. in fact, he had just one extra base hit (a double) and 2 rbi in his time as a dodger.

still, he appeared in 29 games for the 1977 nl champs, and 10 more for the 1978 pennant winners, so he deserves a 1978 topps burger king dodgers/update card that should have been:

complete with a back:

finding a color photo of simpson as a dodger turned out to be more difficult than i expected. in fact, i almost ordered one from brace photos before deciding to do some photoshopping. it should be noted that even black and white photos were hard to find. his 1990 target dodger card features a photo of him from his time in seattle, but i do have two black and white images of simpson as a dodger, one from the 1978 dodger yearbook, which i used to create this card

just as i did for ron washington, rick sutcliffe and others, and his 1979 topps card which feature fellow '1978 topps cards that should have been' members pedro guerrero and rudy law.

the interesting thing about the 1979 card, aside from the glasses, is that simpson spent the 1979 season in seattle (although he wasn't acquired by the mariners until late may 1979). he wound up playing in 120 games for the m's that season.

back to the card - i initially tried to use his 1981 donruss card

as the base, and worked to get dodger stadium in the background instead of comiskey. it turned out too dark with the shadows, although the uniform looked pretty good. his other cards that i found, including 1982 topps

and 1982 fleer

had too much blue and, in the case of the fleer, were poor quality images to begin with. so, i went with his 1983 donruss card.

i think it turned out ok.

simpson wound up playing for the mariners through the 1982 season hitting .252 in 445 games. he swatted all 9 of his career home runs as a mariner, and finished his big league career with a single season in kansas city in 1983, although he was in the angels' organization for the 1984 season. simpson may be best known for his announcing work with the braves, or maybe even being gaylord perry's 3000th strikeout victim while with the dodgers in 1978, but i'll remember him as a member of the 1977 and 1978 nl champs!

the 1978 topps pedro guerrero card that should have been!

pedro guerrero turns 55 years old today.  happy birthday petey!  and, since guerrero suited up in 5 games for the 1978 dodgers, let's celebrate by showcasing his 1978 topps burger king dodgers/update card that should have been:

here's the back - pedro gets the hero number, 750 in the set:

as with rudy law, i took the image from a 1980 dodgers police card.  i just couldn't pass up a dodger stadium image

speaking of law, guerrero first appeared in a topps set in 1979 alongside law and fellow 1978 dodger joe simpson

we'll get to simpson's card that should have been soon, but this post is supposed to be about the birthday boy. guerrero started in the minor leagues as a third baseman, but the dodgers moved him to first base when he went to aa in 1976.  he was promoted to aaa albuquerque for the 1977 season and played first exclusively until he was injured as mentioned on the card back above.  the dodgers, meanwhile, had a guy named steve garvey at first base, and the penguin at the hot corner, so guerrero was sol in that regard.  after a full year of aaa in 1978 as a first baseman, pedro played most of 1979 as an outfielder.

before that, however, he enjoyed a september call up with the big blue wrecking crew.  he debuted on september 22, 1978 as a pinch-hitter for rick sutcliffe and singled, later scoring on a reggie smith sac fly.  he next appeared four days later as a late-inning replacement at first for the garv, but didn't bat.  he went 1 for 2 in each of his next two games, and finished the season in game 162 with a 2 for 3 performance after taking over for garvey in the bottom of the first.  in all, guerrero's first taste of the big leagues resulted in a .625 average and on base percentage, three runs, a triple, and one rbi.  after his debut, all of his appearances were at first base in relief of garvey.  i will admit, i was a little concerned about this guy replacing my favorite player.  still, it was obvious that the dodgers had to find a place for him in the lineup.

in 1979, guerrero was called up in may and again in september.  he was a bench player in may, pinch-hitting and playing some first and third, but in september he made a number of starts, all in the outfield.  in 1980, he played all over the place - all three outfield positions, third, first, and even second base.  that led to some confusion, as in 1981, his dodgers police card showed him at first, but listed him as an outfielder.  it also referred to him as 'pete'.

topps went a different route and listed him as 'of-3b-1b' even though he made more appearances at second in 1980 than at first and third combined.  here's a copy of that 1981 topps card that he kindly autographed.

1981, of course, was when he came into his own and captured one-third of the world series mvp.  there was a feeling of a 'changing of the guard' with this young guy forcing his way into the veteran lineup, and soon davey lopes was gone and the team of my youth was forever changed.  i don't resent guerrero (or saxy) though - his 1985 season was a thrill to follow, and john tudor really helped out in '88 as well.

here's to you pedro!  happy birthday and thanks for the memories.  i'm glad you were a part of the 1978 dodgers.

the 1978 topps rudy law card that should have been

rudy law wasn't a member of the 1977 dodgers, but he did play for the team in 1978 which makes him a part of my 1978 topps burger king/update set that should have been.  here's rudy's entry into what would have been an awesome set.

complete with a back.

i really need to change up the 'play ball' thing - too many bases on balls with these cards that should have been.  i had originally used a team issued postcard (from 1980 i believe) for rudy's card,

but i much prefer the image from his 1981 dodger police card issued as a stadium giveaway.

i figure that as an update set, using an in game photo of a guy without any major league experience is forgiveable. just don't notice that he didn't play against the giants at dodger stadium in 1978.

law did show up in the 1979 topps set, along with fellow 1978 dodgers pedro guerrero and joe simpson,

both of whom will be getting their own entries into this set soon. unfortunately, law is shown in his albuquerque dukes uniform.

anyway, law made his debut on september 12 against the giants in candlestick. in a game the dodgers won 8-0, law was inserted as a pinch runner for joe ferguson in the 8th inning. he promptly stole second base, went to third on a bill russell single, and scored on a davey lopes double. all 3 of law's hits in 1978 came in the september 28 game against the reds. law made his first (and only) start that day, taking over in left field. he had 2 infield singles and another base hit to center, drove in a run, and stole a base. for the season, law hit .250 with 2 runs scored and 3 stolen bases.

he next appeared in the big leagues in 1980 when he was made the everyday centerfielder after a good showing in spring training. he set a dodger rookie record with 40 stolen bases that year, but was made expendable when the dodgers acquired kenny landreaux prior to the 1981 season. law wound up heading to chicago where he had some good seasons for the white sox. he is currently part of the dodgers' alumni speaking bureau, appearing on behalf of the team at various events.

here's to you rudy law, and your 1978 card(s) that should have been!