REVISITING A POST FROM 10 YEARS AGO: MISSING 1976 KEN FRAILING

Good day all!

Revisiting a post from 10 years ago this week, my "missing" 1976 card for pitcher Ken Frailing, part of a "1976 Project" worked on for my buddy Jim:

Frailing squeezed 53 innings out of those 41 games, all in relief, posting a 2-5 record with a 5.43 earned run average and a single save.

The previous year he put in 125.1 innings over 55 games, 16 of which were starts, going 6-9 with a 3.88 E.R.A., a save and 71 strikeouts.

Those two seasons would be the bulk of his five-year career, the first two of which were as a Chicago White Sox player in 1972 and 1973.

The 1976 season would turn out to be his last, as he appeared in six games, going 1-2 with a 2.41 E.R.A., with three starts.

He'd play in the minors until 1978 before leaving the game for good, with his final Major League numbers: a 10-16 record with a 3.96 E.R.A., two saves and 136 strikeouts over 116 games, 19 of which were starts.

On a side note: I'm not too familiar with the Topps Vault and that whole "scene", but one thing that I wonder about is the fact that all of the photos are posed shots, and I wonder why there are no "action" shots in the Vault considering so many of the actual cards that came out in the mid-70's on up were awesome "in game" pictures (think Johnny Bench, Willie Horton, etc in the 1976 set for example).

So are all the "action" photos taken by someone other than Topps, which Topps then licensed from the photographer?

Just curious....I thank anyone in advance for any clarification!

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1973 KEN FRAILING

On the blog today, how about a "not so missing" 1973 card for former Chicago White Sox pitcher Ken Frailing, who made his MLB debut in 1972 as a 24 year old:

 

Frailing appeared in four games for the White Sox in 1972, going 1-0 with a 3.00 earned run average over three innings of work.

He'd appear in only 10 games the following year, throwing 18.1 innings while posting a nice 1.96 ERA with 15 strikeouts and seven walks.

In 1974 he found himself up on the North Side of the city, playing for the Chicago Cubs, appearing in 55 games and posting a record of 6-9 with a respectable 3.88 ERA over 125.1 innings, completing a game while also picking up a save.

The following year Frailing would appear in 41 games, all out of the bullpen, going 2-5 with a 5.43 ERA over 53 innings, yet Topps wouldn't give him a card in their 1976 set (something I created for the blog years ago).

The 1976 season would turn out to be his last, as he appeared in six games, going 1-2 with a 2.41 E.R.A., with three starts.

He'd play in the minors until 1978 before leaving the game for good, with his final Major League numbers: a 10-16 record with a 3.96 E.R.A., two saves and 136 strikeouts over 116 games, 19 of which were starts.

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1977 KEN FRAILING

Always love adding to the 1977 set, and today we have another, a card for former Cubs pitcher Ken Frailing, who pitched the last games of his five-year career in 1976:

Over six appearances, three of them starts, Frailing posted a record of 1-2 with a nice 2.41 earned run average in 18.2 innings.
That would give him a career 10-16 record on a Big League mound, all played in Chicago, with the White Sox in 1972 & 1973, then the Cubs the rest of the way, spread out over 116 appearances, 19 of which were starts.

MISSING IN ACTION- 1976 KEN FRAILING: "1976 PROJECT"

Here'a 1976 card for a guy who appeared in 41 games for the Chicago Cubs in 1975, yet was omitted from the set the following year, pitcher Ken Frailing:

Take a look at the card I came up with for "Reader Jim" and our "1976 Project":

Frailing squeezed 53 innings out of those 41 games, all in relief, posting a 2-5 record with a 5.43 earned run average and a single save.

The previous year he put in 125.1 innings over 55 games, 16 of which were starts, going 6-9 with a 3.88 E.R.A., a save and 71 strikeouts.

Those two seasons would be the bulk of his five-year career, the first two of which were as a Chicago White Sox player in 1972 and 1973.

The 1976 season would turn out to be his last, as he appeared in six games, going 1-2 with a 2.41 E.R.A., with three starts.

He'd play in the minors until 1978 before leaving the game for good, with his final Major League numbers: a 10-16 record with a 3.96 E.R.A., two saves and 136 strikeouts over 116 games, 19 of which were starts.

 

On a side note: I'm not too familiar with the Topps Vault and that whole "scene", but one thing that I wonder about is the fact that all of the photos are posed shots, and I wonder why there are no "action" shots in the Vault considering so many of the actual cards that came out in the mid-70's on up were awesome "in game" pictures (think Johnny Bench, Willie Horton, etc in the 1976 set for example).

So are all the "action" photos taken by someone other than Topps, which Topps then licensed from the photographer?

Just curious....I thank anyone in advance for any clarification!