Good day everyone!
Up
on the blog today we have another 1975 "Stars Retire" card, this time
celebrating the fine MLB careers of Ron Santo and Norm Cash, who both
called it a career after the 1974 season:
Santo hit only .221 as mainly their Designated Hitter in what was his
15th and final Major League campaign, retiring soon after at only 34
years of age.
Of course it was his stalwart career with the Chicago Cubs that
eventually got him his rightful place in Cooperstown, hitting .277 with
342 home runs and 1331 runs batted in while playing stellar third base.
Between 1963 and 1973 Santo was selected for nine All-Star games,
received five Gold Gloves for his defensive work, and four-time finished
Top-10 in the National League MVP race, with a high of fourth in 1967.
Post-playing career, Santo moved on to broadcasting, where he was a
beloved color commentator over the years, working with guys like Harry
Caray, Thom Brennaman and Steve Stone.
But it was mainly his working relationship with Pat Hughes on the radio
that were enthusiastically known as the “Pat and Ron Show”.
Sadly, Santo would die from bladder cancer and complications from
diabetes in December, 2010, and would not live to see himself selected
for the Hall of Fame, as that would come almost a year later when he was
the only player selected by the Golden Era Committee.
Just a crying shame if you ask me.
Cash of course is generally remembered for that incredible 1961 season
when he led the American League in batting with a .361 figure, along
with an incredible .487 on-base-percentage.
Sadly for him however, he happened to have such a season the very same year a
couple of guys from the Bronx, Maris and Mantle, have a “chase to 61”,
leading to Maris taking home the MVP with Mantle not far behind.
Throw in a career year for Baltimore Orioles slugger Jim Gentile, and you have Cash ending up fourth in that season’s MVP race.
Incredibly, in Cash’s 17-year career, he never even reached a .300
batting average in any one season again! As a matter of fact if we’re
looking at full seasons, the next highest average he reached was .283 in
1971, when he had his last great year, hitting 32 homers and driving in
91 for Detroit.
Overall, by the time he retired after the 1974 season, Cash finished
with a .271 average, with 377 homers and 1104 runs batted in, with four
All-Star nods.
Five times he topped 30 home runs, while driving in over 80-runs six
times while scoring over 80 four times during what many consider a
“pitcher’s era”.
Two incredibly under-appreciated players from the '60's who hung up the cleats in 1974, proudly displayed on this 1975 custom.