CAREER-CAPPER: 1981 VON JOSHUA

On the blog today, we have a career-capping 1981 card for Von Joshua, who had himself a decent 10-year Major League career between 1969 and 1980:

Joshua appeared in 53 games for San Diego in 1980, hitting .238 with 15 hits over 63 official at-bats, collecting seven RBIs while scoring eight.

Originally up with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he'd also play for the San Francisco Giants and Milwaukee Brewers, with his finest season easily 1975 when he hit .318 for San Francisco, pretty much setting career highs across the board with runs, hits, average, doubles, triples and stolen bases.

By the time he retired, he finished with a nice .273 career average, with 610 hits in 2234 at-bats over 822 games, hitting 30 homers while driving in 184 runs, scoring 277 himself.

 

"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: WILLIE McCOVEY

Going ahead and adding "Stretch", Willie McCovey to my long-running WTHBALLS set, "Classic Baseball", using a nice image of him during his days as a San Diego Padre:

When he got called up to the Big Leagues in 1959, all he did was tear the seams off the ball by hitting .354 with 13 homers and 38 runs batted in along with 32 runs scored in only 52 games, copping a Rookie of the Year Award and setting the tone for his 22-year career.

In 1969 he had his finest season, as he made his fifth All-Star team, on his way to taking home the league MVP Award after a year that saw him lead the league with 45 homers, 126 RBIs, a .453 OBP and a .656 slugging percentage, as well as a whopping 45 intentional base on balls.

The man put it ALL together that year!

By the time he retired in 1980, he crushed 521 home runs, collected over 2000 hits, drove in over 1500, and left his mark as one of the most feared sluggers of his generation.

In 1986, his first year of eligibility, he was voted into the Hall of Fame with 81.4% of the ballots cast.

Man, what a threesome McCovey, Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda made back in the 1960's for San Francisco, huh?

Just incredible.

REVISIT: OPC IMAGE VARIATION: 1977 DAVE ROBERTS

On the blog today, and interesting OPC image variation to spotlight, that the 1977 cards of former #1 overall pick Dave Roberts:

OPC Version

Topps Version

I covered the craziness of the Topps Blue Jays edition way back in 2013, explaining how Roberts never actually ended up playing for the them at all!

Funny story with that actually.
Roberts, who was the #1 overall draft pick by the San Diego Padres in 1972 out of the University of Oregon, never really panned out as the star infielder San Diego was hoping for.
In all fairness, that 1972 draft wasn't exactly teeming with stars. You have to go all the way to the third round to find a legitimate "star", those being Dennis Eckersley and Gary Carter. But you DID have Chet Lemon go late in the first round. Oh well...
Regardless, Roberts did manage to stick around with the Padres on the Major League level for four years, but in 1976 he spent the entire year in the minors, not really showing enough to be promoted before the year was up.
In October of 1976 San Diego sold Roberts, along with Dave Hilton and John Scott to the Toronto Blue Jays, seemingly giving up on their failed future star.
With that, Topps went ahead and airbrushed Roberts (along with Hilton, who I profiled earlier on this blog) in a Blue Jays uniform in anticipation of his new team for the upcoming season.
Only problem is Toronto then managed to turn right around and trade Roberts BACK to San Diego for pitcher Jerry Johnson in February of 1977, immediately making this an outdated card before it even came out!
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Topps must have been scratching their heads with this one.
Check out the airbrushed Blue Jay logo on Roberts' cap...a bit on the small side don't you think?

As for OPC, they had him in the correct uniform, that of the San Diego Padres, for whom he'd go on to play another two seasons before putting in two years with the Texas Rangers, followed by a year with the Houston Astros and one final MLB season with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1982.

All told, the former top pick finished his 10-year career with a .239 average, with 483 hits over 2017 at-bats in 709 games, with 194 runs scored and 208 RBIs, putting in time out in the field at every position except for pitcher.

 

1981 DRAKES BIG PITCHERS: ROLLIE FINGERS

Today on the blog we spotlight another card from my recent 1981 "Drake's Big Pitchers" custom set, this time Hall of Fame reliever Rollie Fingers:

Fingers was in his superstar prime at the time this card would have seen the light of day, unknowingly about to find himself with the Milwaukee Brewers that year on his way to both a Cy Young Award and a Most Valuable Player Award.

He would put together a wonderful 17-year career which would see him lead the league in saves three times, post sub-2.00 ERA's 12 times and finish up with a sparkling 2.90 career ERA over 944 games and 1701.1 innings pitched.

He was named to seven all-star teams, both in the A.L. and N.L., before closing out his career in 1985, finishing with a 114-118 record with 341 saves.

One of the great characters of the decade! But a force out of the 'pen as well.

He was voted into the Hall in 1992, his second year on the ballot, garnering 81.2% of the vote.

 

"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: DAVE WINFIELD

The next ballplayer to get a card in my custom "Classic Baseball" set is one of my childhood favorites, Dave Winfield, though I decided on a photo of him with the San Diego Padres:

Before becoming a favorite among us New York City kids in the 1980s, Winfield would become the favorite player of many young kids in the San Diego area during the 1970’s, giving the Padres a new-look outfielder, bringing a whole new type of athleticism (along with Dave Parker of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Andre Dawson of the Montreal Expos), with speed, stellar defense, a gun for an arm, and power at the plate.
By the time he retired after the 1995 season, his 22nd as a Big Leaguer, he finished with eight 100-RBI seasons, 15 20-home run seasons, 3110 hits, 1669 runs scored and 1833 RBIs.
He made the All-Star team 12 times, took home seven Gold Gloves, finished Top-10 in MVP voting seven times and was awarded six Silver Slugger Awards.
Man I loved this guy! I’ll never forget his line-drive home runs deep into left field at Yankee stadium as a kid, wondering what he would do in a stadium like today where he wasn’t looking at 430 to left-center.
One of the game’s greatest all-around athletes!

 

1988 CAREER-CAPPER: STEVE GARVEY

On the blog today, a 1988 "Career-Capper" for a man I will always state should be in the Hall of Fame, Steve Garvey, "new-fangled analytics" be damned:

Garvey appeared in only 27 games for the San Diego Padres in 1987, hitting .211 with 16 hits in 76 at-bats with a homer and nine RBIs.

Garvey made his Major League debut in 1969 as a 20-year-old, appearing in three games, going 1-for-3 at the plate.

Of course, we all know that the man would go on to be a perennial All-Star first baseman, and for ME, a lock for the Hall of Fame.

The fact that he was the premier first baseman in the National League from the mid-70’s through the mid-80’s, an All-Star year in and year out doesn't seem to matter to most however.
Modern metrics be damned, the man topped 200-hits six times, took home the NL MVP in 1974, won four Gold Gloves and strung together a run of 1207 consecutive games played, which is still the NL record.
The anchor of the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers teams of the era, they took over from Cincinnati as the preeminent team in the Senior Circuit in the late-70s, reaching the World Series three times over five seasons between 1977 and 1981, winning it all that final year, beating the New York Yankees and exacting some sweet revenge for their two losses in 77/78.
I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a few hundred times: the fact that this man is NOT in the Hall of Fame, representing his era of Major League baseball, is a joke. Flat out nonsense. Beyond the numbers, the personality, the leader of a team that was shattering attendance records, helping popularize the game further, the man was an All-Star year in-year out.
In my book, seeing that the most support he ever received was 42.6%, which was in his second-year of eligibility in 1994, is nothing short of a mark on what the Hall of Fame is.

 

REVISITING MY "MISSING" 1974 CARD FOR GARY ROSS

On the blog today, we revisit my 10-year-old post of a "missing" 1974 card for former pitcher Gary Ross of the San Diego Padres:

For the 1973 season Ross appeared in 59 games for the Padres, finishing 29 of them with a total of 76.1 innings pitched.

He fashioned a 4-4 record with a 5.42 earned run average and 44 strikeouts.

I always remember him towards the end of his career when with the California Angels, for whom he pitched between 1975 and 1977.

Overall he played for the Chicago Cubs, Padres and Angels between 1968 and 1977, finishing with a 25-47 career record, with a 3.92 ERA and 378 K's over 283 games and 713.2 innings pitched.

For what it's worth, over the years I also created a 1975 and 1976 set of "missing" cards to help us "complete" our collections!

 

REVISITING MY "MISSING" 1978 VIC BERNAL CARD

Good day all!

On the blog today, we revisit another 10-year-old post, this time it's my 1978 "missing in action" card for San Diego Padres pitcher Vic Bernal:

Bernal appeared in 15 games during the 1977 for the San Diego Padres, the only games he'd ever suit up for on the Major League level.

He pitched 20.1 innings and posted a 1-1 record with a 5.31 earned run average and six strikeouts, all in relief.

After his Major League career, he'd go on to coach high school ball for many years in his home state of California.

Sadly, he would pass away at the young age of 52 in September of 2006.

 

OPC IMAGE VARIATION: 1977 GEORGE HENDRICK

Today on the blog, we take a look at the image variation between OPC and Topps for George Hendrick's 1977 cards, which include some really funny airbrushing going on for his Canadian cardboard:

OPC version

Topps version

Seems this San Diego Padres job was somewhat half-assed, though you can clearly notice the cool Cleveland Indians wind-breaker he's wearing.

After a couple of very productive seasons with the Indians, Hendrick found himself out West again, putting in a very nice 1977 year that saw him hit 23 homers with 81 ribbies, hitting .311 for San Diego.

Not bad for a trade that only cost the Padres Hector Torres, Johnny Grubb and Fred Kendall.

The following year he'd end up getting traded to the St. Louis Cardinals however, for pitcher Eric Rasmussen, a trade the Padres most assuredly would love to take back.

Hendrick would go on to play through the 1988 campaign, finishing up with 267 homers, 1111 RBIs, a .278 batting average and 1980 hits in 2048 games and 7129 at-bats.

He was an important cog in the Cardinals '80s machine that would net a World Championship in 1982, while taking home two Silver Slugger Awards and making two All-Star teams.

Apparently his nickname was “Silent George”, though I do not remember that, but perhaps I need to whip up a “nickname of the 1970’s” card for him as well!

OPC IMAGE VARIATION: 1977 FRED KENDALL

It's been a little while since I posted an OPC/Topps Image Variation card duo, so today we take a look at former catcher Fred Kendall and his two cards from 1977:

OPC version

Topps version

The fine folks at OPC scrambled to airbrush him into a Cleveland Indians cap, while the people at Topps had no time before the presses started rolling, so they went with a nice image of him still with the San Diego Padres.

After playing the first eight years of his Big League career with the Padres, Kendall was shipped to Cleveland along with two other players for George Hendrick, in December of 1976.

He'd appear in 103 games for the Tribe that year, hitting .249 over 346 plate appearances before heading off to Boston for the 1978 season, where he would only play in 20 games, hitting just below the "Mendoza Line" at .195.

He'd find himself back in San Diego for what turned out to be the last two years of his career in 1979 and 1980, playing in a combined 65 games before retiring.

Overall, his final numbers in the Majors were a .234 batting average, with 603 hits in 2576 at-bats in 877 games, with 31 homers and 244 runs batted in over 12 seasons.

But his biggest contribution to the game? He fathered a player I feel is a border-line Hall of Fame catcher, Jason Kendall, who starred on the Big League diamond between 1996 and 2010, hitting .288 with over 2000 hits and almost 200 stolen bases.

Way to go Fred!

OPC IMAGE VARIATION: 1977 DAVE ROBERTS

On the blog today, we take a closer look at the image variations for former #1 overall pick Dave Roberts and his 1977 OPC and Topps cards:

OPC version

Topps version

I covered the craziness of the Topps Blue Jays edition way back in 2013, explaining how Roberts never actually ended up playing for the them at all!

Funny story with that actually.
Roberts, who was the #1 overall draft pick by the San Diego Padres in 1972 out of the University of Oregon, never really panned out as the star infielder San Diego was hoping for.
In all fairness, that 1972 draft wasn't exactly teeming with stars. You have to go all the way to the third round to find a legitimate "star", those being Dennis Eckersley and Gary Carter. But you DID have Chet Lemon go late in the first round. Oh well...
Regardless, Roberts did manage to stick around with the Padres on the Major League level for four years, but in 1976 he spent the entire year in the minors, not really showing enough to be promoted before the year was up.
In October of 1976 San Diego sold Roberts, along with Dave Hilton and John Scott to the Toronto Blue Jays, seemingly giving up on their failed future star.
With that, Topps went ahead and airbrushed Roberts (along with Hilton, who I profiled earlier on this blog) in a Blue Jays uniform in anticipation of his new team for the upcoming season.
Only problem is Toronto then managed to turn right around and trade Roberts BACK to San Diego for pitcher Jerry Johnson in February of 1977, immediately making this an outdated card before it even came out!
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Topps must have been scratching their heads with this one.
Check out the airbrushed Blue Jay logo on Roberts' cap...a bit on the small side don't you think?

As for OPC, they had him in the correct uniform, that of the San Diego Padres, for whom he'd go on to play another two seasons before putting in two years with the Texas Rangers, followed by a year with the Houston Astros and one final MLB season with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1982.

All told, the former top pick finished his 10-year career with a .239 average, with 483 hits over 2017 at-bats in 709 games, with 194 runs scored and 208 RBIs, putting in time out in the field at every position except for pitcher.

FANTASY CARD: 1973 DAVE WINFIELD

Good day everyone.

Up on the blog, my 1973 "Fantasy" card for Hall of Fame outfielder Dave Winfield, one of my favorite players growing up in New York City during his tenure with the New York Yankees:

Of course, Winfield would never have gotten a card in that 1973 set, being drafted that June and skipping the Minors.

But I just could not resist using this wonderful image of him in that glorious mustard and brown San Diego Padres uniform!

Winfield would become the favorite player of many young kids in the San Diego area during the 1970’s, giving the Padres a new-look outfielder, bringing a whole new type of athleticism (along with Dave Parker of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Andre Dawson of the Montreal Expos), with speed, stellar defense, a gun for an arm, and power at the plate.
By the time he retired after the 1995 season, his 22nd as a Big Leaguer, he finished with eight 100-RBI seasons, 15 20-home run seasons, 3110 hits, 1669 runs scored and 1833 RBIs.
He made the All-Star team 12 times, took home seven Gold Gloves, finished Top-10 in MVP voting seven times and was awarded six Silver Slugger Awards.
Man I loved this guy! I’ll never forget his line-drive home runs deep into left field at Yankee stadium as a kid, wondering what he would do in a stadium like today where he wasn’t looking at 430 to left-center.
One of the game’s greatest all-around athletes!

OPC IMAGE VARIATION: 1977 JOHNNY GRUBB

Today on the blog we spotlight one of the best image variations between OPC and Topps, that of Johnny Grubb, who found himself airbrushed into a Cleveland Indians uni on his OPC card, while Topps went to press before his trade, thus giving us the card you see here, suited up with his original team, the San Diego Padres:

OPC version

Topps version

 

Really fun that the Topps image is the original image that OPC used for the airbrush job, really giving us a better understanding at how amazing the paint-job was to create an Indians version.

Amazing work here, especially for that era where we didn't have the advantage of Photoshop to create life-like images like we do in the present day.

In December of 1976 Grubb was traded to the Indians along with Fred Kendall and Hector Torres for slugger George Hendrick, leaving the only team he played for after five solid years.

Grubb had himself a very nice rookie campaign in 1973, finishing up the season hitting .311 with 121 hits over 389 at-bats, scoring 52 runs while collecting 33 extra base hits.

He would also hit .286 in 1974 and .284 in 1976, with a .269 season sandwiched in between, not too shabby in an era of "dead ball" as anyone growing up in that time period as yours truly could attest to.

He would hit .301 for the Indians in only 34 games in 1977, before coming back and hitting .265 over 113 games for the Tribe before getting traded to the Texas Rangers for two players to be named later at the deadline, Minor Leaguers Bobby Cuellar and Dave Rivera.

He would go on to have a nice 16-year career in the Big Leagues, easily overlooked with his .278 batting average playing for the Padres, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers between 1973 and 1987.
Sadly for him, though he did stick around for 16 seasons as a Big Leaguer, that .311 batting average in 1973 turned out to be a career-high, and it was also arguably his finest season in Major League ball.
Nevertheless, by the time he retired he left the game with 1153 hits over 4154 at-bats, along with 553 runs scored and 475 runs batted in, while also being a member of the World Champion juggernaut 1984 Detroit Tigers team that went wire to wire.
Not too shabby...

REVISITING A POST FROM 2014: 1970 VAN KELLY MISSING IN ACTION

Fun card and post to revisit today on the blog, my 1970 "missing in action" card for former infielder Van Kelly, who got the spotlight here on April 5th of 2014 as one of the earlier "missing in action" creations by yours truly:

Here's the original write-up for the blog post way back when:

Kelly really should have had a card in the 1970 Topps set after playing almost half of San Diego's inaugural season the previous year, manning both third and second base.

Kelly didn't leave much of a mark in the Majors, playing in 73 games in 1969 and only 38 games the next.

But I'd like to think that 222 plate appearances in '69 would be enough to warrant a card, especially for a 23 year old who seemed to be on the verge of a "career", no?

All told, Kelly would play in 111 games in his career, finishing with a .221 batting average, 66 hits, four homers, 25 runs scored and 24 runs batted in during his short career.

But thanks to the world of baseball card geeks like me, his name lives on!

 

1977 N.L. CENTENNIAL: RANDY JONES

Time to add 1976 Cy Young Award winner Randy Jones to my on-going 1977 N.L. Centennial sub-set, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Senior League during our Bicentennial Year of 1976:

 

Jones’ season in 1976 was brilliant, as he cruised to a record of 22-14, with an ERA of 2.74, leading the league in wins, starts with a whopping 40, complete games with 25 and innings pitched with 315.1.
Along the way he also tossed five shutouts, starting the All-Star game for the N.L., and ending up 10th in MVP voting at the end of the year.

Jones made his Big League debut in June of 1973 and went on to post a record of 7-6, with a nice 3.16 earned run average over 20 appearances, 19 of them starts.
Though he would have a forgettable sophomore season in 1974 which saw him lead the National League with 22 losses, along with an ERA of 4.45, we all know how that could have easily been different had he pitched for a better team.
Regardless, over the next two seasons he arguably could have taken home the Cy Young BOTH times, as he’d go on to post records of 20-12 and 22-14, leading the league in ERA with a 2.24 in ‘75 and posting another nice 2.74 mark in his Cy season.

Though he’d play through the 1982 season, he’d never again taste success in the Majors, never winning more than 13 games in any season between 1977 and 1982, finishing with a record of 100-123, with a 3.42 earned run average over 305 appearances.

AIRBRUSHING THROUGH THE 1970'S: 1977 OPC GEORGE HENDRICK

Good day all!

Thought it'd be fun to take a closer look at the original image airbrushed by the fine people at Topps for the 1977 OPC card of George Hendrick, who was "put into" his new uni, that of the San Diego Padres:

Seems this job was somewhat half-assed, though if you're familiar with his 1976 Topps card you can clearly notice the cool Cleveland Indians wind-breaker he's wearing.

After a couple of very production seasons with the Indians, Hendrick found himself out West again, putting in a very nice 1977 year that saw him hit 23 homers with 81 ribbies, hitting .311.

Not bad for a trade that cost the Padres Hector Torres, Johnny Grubb and Fred Kendall.

The following year he'd end up getting traded to the St. Louis Cardinals however, for pitcher Eric Rasmussen, a trade the Padres most assuredly would love to take back.

Hendrick would go on to play through the 1988 campaign, finishing up with 267 homers, 1111 RBIs, a .278 batting average and 1980 hits in 2048 games and 7129 at-bats.

He was an important cog in the Cardinals '80s machine that would net a World Championship in 1982, while taking home two Silver Slugger Awards and making two All-Star teams.

Apparently his nickname was “Silent George”, though I do not remember that, but perhaps I need to whip up a “nickname of the 1970’s” card for him as well!

EXPANDED LEAGUE LEADERS: N.L. FIREMEN

Good day all!

On the blog today, we have the top firemen of the 1978 season in the National League, proudly displayed on a 1979 “expanded league leader” card:

 

We begin with hall of Famer Rollie Fingers, who had himself a wonderful 1978 season for the San Diego Padres, winning six games while leading the league with 37 saves, good for 43 “points”.

Fingers followed up a fantastic 1977 season, his first with the Padres, with an even better year in 1978, posting an ERA of 2.52 over 107.1 innings, appearing in 78 games and closing out 69, both high-marks in the N.L.

Three years later, back in the American League, he’d top both those seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, earning both the Cy Young and MVP Awards when he led the league with 28 saves while posting a microscopic 1.04 ERA.

By the time he was done in 1985, he put together what would be a Hall of Fame career that spanned from 1968 to 1985, winning three championships, and finishing up at the time with the all-time best 341 saves.

Behind Fingers with 39 points, the Pittsburgh Pirates great Kent Tekulve, who appeared in a staggering 91 games, saving 31 while picking up eight wins, pitching to a wonderful 2.33 ERA over 135.1 innings.

The previous year was his breakout season, posting a record of 10-1 while saving seven games for the Pirates, something he’d be doing for the next seven plus seasons, helping them finally take it all home with a championship in 1979 as part of the “We Are Family” team led by the great Willie Stargell.

Incredibly, even in 1987 at the age of 40, he’d lead the league with 90 appearances while with the Philadelphia Phillies, finally hanging them up after the 1989 season after one year with the Cincinnati Reds, totaling 1050 games over his 16 year career, with 184 saves and a very nice 2.85 ERA.

Tied for third with 35 points, Cincinnati Reds reliever Doug Bair and Chicago Cubs uber-star Bruce Sutter, who both put in All-Star caliber campaigns for their respective clubs.

For Bair, it was a wonderful year that saw him win seven games while saving 28, posting an excellent 1.97 ERA over 70 appearances and 100.1 innings of work.

The righty would put in 15 years as a Major Leaguer, appearing in 584 games generally as a middle-reliever as the game changed, using set-up men more and more in the 1980s.

He would be part of two World Champion teams, funny enough, one of those with the guy he tied right here, Bruce Sutter, the 1982 St. Louis Cardinals, while two seasons later he was part of the juggernaut Detroit Tigers team.

For Sutter, what really needs to be said about perhaps the dominant relief pitcher of his era?

After an incredible 1977 season that saw him save 31 games while posting a 1.34 ERA over 62 games and 107.1 innings, he came back in 1978 with eight win and 27 saves for the Chicago Cubs, striking out 106 over 98.2 innings.

The following year, he’d top all of that, winning the N.L. Cy Young Award by saving 37 games while winning six, striking out 110 batters in 101.1 innings and pitching to an ERA of 2.22, all this for a Cubs team that finished under .500 with a record of 80-82.

The man revolutionized the “closer” role, going on to lead the league in saves five of the next six seasons, setting a (then) record of 45 saves in in 1984 as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, finishing with 300 saves over his stellar career.

All of that eventually got him a Hall of Fame induction in 2006, and rightly so!

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION: 1979 JUAN EICHELBERGER

On the blog today, we have a 1979 "not so missing" card for seven-year MLB pitcher Juan Eichelberger, who made his Big League debut in 1978 with the San Diego Padres:

Eichelberger appeared in three games for the Padres, not factoring in a decision while tossing 3.1 innings in relief, giving up four earned runs on four hits and two walks.

He'd also appear in three games the following season before getting some regular playing time between 1980 and 1982, winning 19 games over that time across 71 appearances, now a starter, tossing a shutout while completing eleven games.

In 1983 he found himself with the Cleveland Indians, appearing in 28 games with 15 of those starts, completing two games and posting a record of 4-11 with a 4.90 ERA over 134 innings of work.

He would toil in the Minors between 1984 and 1987 before making a comeback at the age of 34, some five years after his last Big League action, pitching for the Atlanta Braves and appearing in 20 games, going 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in 37.1 innings, calling it a career soon after.

All told, he finished up with a record of 26-36, with a 4.10 ERA and 281 strikeouts over 125 appearances, with 14 complete games and 603.1 innings pitched.

EXPANDED LEAGUE LEADERS: 1979 N.L. VICTORIES

On the blog today, we move on to the National League’s top winners for 1978, shown on a 1979 “expanded league leader” card from my long-running thread:

 

 

We begin with the 40-year-old wonder, Gaylord Perry, who would stun everyone with a season like no other for a man of his age, taking home the Cy Young Award that year by going 21-6 in his first season with the San Diego Padres.

Perry  was just brilliant that year, leading the league with his 21 wins, while pitching to an excellent 2.73 earned run average, with two shutouts and five complete games while tossing 232.2 innings.

It was the 14^th season in a row that Perry topped 200 innings, while also reeling off five 300+ inning campaigns during the stretch. Just incredible!

By taking home the Cy Young in 1978, he became the first pitcher in major League history to win the award in both leagues, previously winning the award in 1972 when he posted 24 wins for the Cleveland Indians.

In second place with 20 wins, another pitcher who had a very successful first season with his new club, Ross Grimsley, who had what turned out to be the best year of his career in 1978 in his first year with the Montreal Expos.

Grimsley went 20-11 for Montreal that year, with a 3.05 ERA over 263 innings in 36 starts, with three shutouts and 19 complete games, looking like an excellent pick-up for the franchise.

Sadly however, Grimsley would begin to deal with injuries the following season, winning only 10 games in 1979, and lasting only parts of the next three years before retiring for good, winning only seven games between 1980 and 1982

In third place tied with 19 wins apiece, the Atlanta Braves Phil Niekro and the Los Angeles Dodgers Burt Hooton, who both had very nice seasons for their respective teams.

For Niekro, the 39-year-old just missed his third 20-win season by going 19-18 over 44 appearances, 42 of them starts, posting a 2.88 ERA over 334.1 innings while tossing four shutouts and completing 22 games.

He would follow that up in 1979 by becoming like Perry, a 20-game winner at that age, famously winning 21 games while also LOSING 20 games, though by no means his own fault, posting a very nice 3.39 ERA while throwing an amazing 342 innings for Atlanta.

If that wasn’t enough, it’s mind boggling that he was STILL to go one for another eight years before retiring after the 1987 season, pitching until he was 48! Just amazing.

For the Dodgers’ Hooton, the solid starter who is pretty much forgotten these days, he won a career-best 19 games that season, helping the Dodgers make their second-straight World Series, posting a very nice 2.71 ERA over 32 starts with three shutouts and 10 complete games, easily the best season of his 15-year career that began in 1971 with the Chicago Cubs.

By the time he hung them up after a brief stint with the Texas Rangers in 1985, he’d end up with 151 wins and a very nice 3.38 ERA over 480 games, 377 of those starts, striking out just under 1500 batters in that time.

Next week, the American League’s top winners of 1978!

1977 N.L. CENTENNIAL SPECIAL: DAVE WINFIELD

Today's blog post has us adding the great Dave Winfierld to my 1977 "Centennial Special" sub-set, celebrating the N.L.'s 100th season of 1976 (technically 101st huh?):

One of my favorite players growing up a Yankee fan in Brooklyn, NY during the 1980's,in 1976 he was still a young up-and-coming star with the San Diego Padres.

Winfield would become the favorite player of many young kids in the San Diego area during the 1970’s, giving the Padres a new-look outfielder, bringing a whole new type of athleticism (along with Dave Parker of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Andre Dawson of the Montreal Expos), with speed, stellar defense, a gun for an arm, and power at the plate.
By the time he retired after the 1995 season, his 22nd as a Big Leaguer, he finished with eight 100-RBI seasons, 15 20-home run seasons, 3110 hits, 1669 runs scored and 1833 RBIs.
He made the All-Star team 12 times, took home seven Gold Gloves, finished Top-10 in MVP voting seven times and was awarded six Silver Slugger Awards.
Man I loved this guy! I’ll never forget his line-drive home runs deep into left field at Yankee stadium as a kid, wondering what he would do in a stadium like today where he wasn’t looking at 430 to left-center.
One of the game’s greatest all-around athletes!