no. 133 - mickey lolich

Who is the man: Mickey Lolich was coming off his first season as the ace of the Tigers' starting staff but didn't fair so well. After two fine seasons serving as the No. 2 guy after Denny McLain, Lolich led the league in losses (19) and earned runs (115) in 1970.

Can ya dig it: Lolich looks like he's in the middle of nowhere on that field.

Right on: Take a look at this card:

I believe that photo is from the same photo session, if not the exact same photo.

You see this cat Lolich is a bad mother: Lolich won three games in the 1968 World Series, taking the spotlight from fellow pitcher McLain, who had won 31 games that season. If you can overshadow a 30-game winner, you're flat-out bad-ass.

Shut your mouth: Lolich was hassled for his "big belly." Lolich blamed it on his posture, saying, "When I'm going good, nobody says anything about it. If I lose a few games, they start saying I'm out of shape."

No one understands him but his woman: Lolich credits meeting his wife, Joyce, in 1964 for his breakout season. She was an airline stewardess and he called her before and after he pitched each game.

(A word about the back): I think Lolich got gypped with the card number. He should have received a number ending in zero or five, as he had the previous two years. Topps apparently saw those 19 loss and took away the honor. Lolich would show them though, winning 25 games in 1971.

no. 71 - 1970 american league strikeout leaders

Who is the man: Sam McDowell is the man for winning the A.L. strikeout title for the third straight year and the fifth time in six years. He fanned 304 batters, which was his second highest total ever.

Can ya dig it: Bob Johnson??? Yes, Bob Johnson. The 1970 season was his first full season in the majors and he struck out 206 batters (he also led the league in hit batters with 11). He would reach triple figures in strikeouts only one other time, in 1971, when he struck out 101.

Right on: Sudden Sam looks intense on every last one of his cards.

You see these cats are bad mothers: Yes indeedy. But we'll explore later.

Shut your mouth: Mickey Lolich, who grew up in a Croatian household, attended Columbia Prep, a Catholic high school, as a teenager. Lolich once used the Croatian phrase "Ida korgo" on his English instructor. But the instructor spoke Croatian. He took Lolich out in the hall and said, "If you ever tell me to 'go to hell' again, you're out of here."

No one understand him but his woman: The Cheers character Sam Malone was based on Sam McDowell. When asked about this in an interview, McDowell joked, "I would say I'm better with women than he was."

(A word about the back): That's quite a range from 77 strikeouts to 304. It looks like Topps changed the font near the end in a bid to keep it to only pitchers with 77 or more Ks.