My 1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Team Set Is Complete!!!

My 1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Team Set Is Complete!!!

What a thrill – I have finally put together all of the pieces of this set.  And I can proudly say that this task was the most rewarding set I have put together since getting back into the hobby of baseball card collecting almost two years ago.

Personally I find the Reds team of the mid-1970s to be one of the most dominating and interesting dynasties in all of baseball.  A roster that was packed full of offensive superstars, ‘The Big Red Machine’ fired on all cylinders in 1975 en route to winning their first of 2 consecutive World Series titles.

In total the set contains 34 cards – each of them proudly boasting the Reds’ uniform and team colors.

Without further ado, here it is – My 1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Team Set:

Progress – COMPLETE!!!

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #260 – Johnny Bench

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #260 – Johnny Bench

Often regarded as the greatest catcher of all-time, Johnny Bench displayed all of the traits of being a dominant baseball player and ultimate competitor.

Bench was : A 2-time MVP Award winner, A Rookie of the Year winner, A 10-time Gold Glove winner, A 14-time All-star, and a member of the Cincinnati Reds’ “Big Red Machine” that won back-to-back championships in 1975 & 76.

Progress 34/34

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #320 – Pete Rose

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #320 – Pete Rose

Pete Rose was the epitome of offense for most of his playing days.  An absolute menace both at the plate and on the bases, Rose drove his opposition crazy.  And coupled with his top-notch skills as a hitter, Rose was the ignition that kept the Cincinnati Reds firing on all cylinders.

Rose played 24 seasons in the big leagues, spending 19 of them in Cincinnati.  The game’s all-time hits leader, Rose amassed over 3,300 hits with the club while also scoring 1700+ runs for the team.  During his days with the Reds, Rose was selected as an All-star 13 times while collecting 2 Gold Glove awards.  He was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1963 while winning the Most Valuable Player award ten seasons later in 1973.

Rose made it to the World Series four times with the Reds.  He was part of both championship winning teams in 1975 & 1976.

Progress – 33/34

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #622 – Ed Armbrister

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #622 – Ed Armbrister

More commonly known around the hobby as Fred Lynn’s rookie card, this card from the 1975 Topps set is also the first card featuring Reds’ outfielder Ed Armbrister.

A 5-year veteran that spent his full career with the Reds, Armbrister was used as a utility player for the team.  A decent hitter with good speed, Armbrister is a career .245 hitter.  He tallied 65 hits during his career while scoring 46 runs and stealing 15 bases.

Armbrister was part of the Reds’ championship roster for the 1975 World Series.

Progress – 32/34

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #284– Ken Griffey

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #284– Ken Griffey

A 19-year veteran, Ken Griffey Sr. was an integral part of the Cincinnati Red’s ‘Big Red Machine’ during the mid-1970′s.  The first 9 years of his career were played with the Reds and Griffey became an All-star on their star-studded line-up 3 times.  During his time in Cincinnati, Griffey hit .300+ in 6 of his 9 seasons while also 80+ runs 5 times.  Ending his career with a very impressive .296 batting average, Griffey was also able to swipe 200 bases and score 1,129 runs. 

A 2-time World Series winner on the Reds teams of 1975 and 1976, Griffey won championship rings in each of the World Series contests he participated in.

Progress – 31/34

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #65 – Don Gullett

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #65 – Don Gullett

Gullett enjoyed a nice 9-year big league career.  Spending 7 seasons in Cincinnati, as part of the Reds, he was able to enjoy the full run of ‘The Big Red Machine’.

A pitcher, used as both a starter and reliever, Gullett has a career record of 109-50.  During his time with the Reds, he went 91-44 – good for a 67.4 win percentage!  In 186 starts, he threw 14 shutouts and 11 complete games.  He also earned 11 saves in relief appearances with the team.

Don Gullett has appeared in 5 World Series, winning 3 titles.  He has 2 championships with the Reds(1975 & 1976) and 1 more with the New York Yankees(1977).  Not a bad stretch, huh???

Progress 30/34

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #204 – 1966 MVP’s w/Frank Robinson

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #204 – 1966 MVP’s w/Frank Robinson

1975 was the 25th anniversary of Topps baseball cards.  And in the set that year they issued cards to commemorate the MVP performances from that time.  As you could imagine, there are several Cincinnati Reds players featured in this little set, and Frank Robinson is honored twice.

This is the second of 2 cards featuring Frank Robinson and his amazing MVP campaigns.

Simply stated, Frank Robinson was a beast during the 1966 baseball season.  Offensively, he was as good as it got, and the numbers he put up during that campaign were awesome.  On the year, Robinson collected 182 hits in 576 at-bats – good for a .316 batting average.  He connected for 34 doubles and 49 homers while also driving it 122 runs and scoring 122 times well.  ‘The Judge’ had an on-base percentage of .410 in 680 plate appearances, and he only struck out 90 times.

Yes, this card features Robinson in a Red’s uniform.  But his 1966 season was spent in Baltimore.  And that debut year with the O’s landed him the Triple Crown Award!!!  I hope you would agree that his 10 seasons in Cincy primed him for that Baltimore debut…

Progress 29/34

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #621 – Rawly Eastwick

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #621 – Rawly Eastwick

Eastwick’s big league career spanned 8 seasons and 6 teams.  Playing for some of the sport’s greatest franchises during that time, Eastwick found himself as part of one of the most celebrated dynasties in all of baseball history during his first few years in the league – Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine”.

In four seasons with the Reds, Eastwick compiled a 18-10 record alongside a very solid 2.40 ERA.

A relief pitcher, Eastwick was a key part of the Reds’ bullpen success during their push towards their 1975 World Series victory.  He appeared in 5 games during that match-up with the Red Sox, earning 2 victories, while compiling a 2.25 ERA over 8 innings of work.  While on the roster with the Reds when they defended their championship in 1976, Eastwick did not appear in the 1976 Fall Classic.

Progress 28/34

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #308 – League Leaders w/Johnny Bench

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #308 – League Leaders w/Johnny Bench

The 1975 Topps set, like all Topps sets issued prior, included a small subset of cards that honored the league leaders in offensive and defensive categories during the 1974 season.

Johnny Bench is featured on the 1975 Topps League Leader card for his RBI totals from the 1974 baseball season.

During that campaign, Bench led the National League by accumulating 129 RBI.  This total would rank as his third best RBI season of his career – behind his 148 in 1970 and 125 in 1972.  Jeff Burroughs led the American League with his 118 RBI.

Progress – 27/34

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #615 – Pat Darcy

1975 Topps Cincinnati Reds Teams Set – Card #615 – Pat Darcy

Darcy’s brief 3-year career was spent with one of the biggest dynasties in baseball’s incredible history.  On the right team, at the right time, Darcy found himself partnered up with ‘The Big Red Machine’ during their prime.

Used primarily as a starting pitcher, Darcy started 28 games for the Reds.  He compiled a 14-8 record for the team while also collecting 3 saves.  In 186 innings of work, Darcy allowed 192 hits and 88 runs to score.  In total he struck out just 75 batters while walking 89.

Pat Darcy was a member of the 1975 World Series winning Reds.  In that match-up, he made 2 appearances – as a pinch hitter!!

Progress 26/34