1975 Topps Set Card 311/660 – #333 – Dick Drago, Red Sox

1975 Topps Set Card 311/660 – #333 – Dick Drago, Red Sox

Progress: 311/660

Card Number:  333

Player Name:  Dick Drago

Team:  Boston Red Sox

Position:  Pitcher

Image Style:  Posed Pitching

Years In The Major Leagues: 13 seasons, 1969-81

Notes From His 1975 Season:  Dick Drago appeared in 40 games for the Boston Red Sox in 1975.  He went 2-2 during the year with 15 saves.  In 72 innings of work, Drago gave up 69 hits and 31 runs en route to an ERA of 3.84.  He also struck out 43 batters while walking 31.

Notes From Career:  Dick Drago has a career record of 108-117 with 58 saves.  In 13 seasons of play, he pitched for five different clubs both as a starter and relief pitcher.  He has a lifetime ERA of 3.62 as he allowed 1,901 hits and 827 runs in 1,875 innings of work.

Happy Birthday Johnny Damon!!!

Happy Birthday Johnny Damon!!!

Johnny Damon turns 41 years old today.

While Johnny Damon is not named with the sport’s greatest players, he has certainly put himself into the category of ‘Winner’.  And some of the sport’s biggest stars cannot make that claim.

Relatively unknown until he joined the Red Sox, Damon was a quiet player that toiled around in both Kansas City and Oakland for the first 7 years of his career.  During that time, her perfected his craft as a solid hitter with a knack for collecting doubles and stolen bases.

When Damon arrived in Boston in 2002, his ability on the field as well as personality shined and he soon became a fan favorite.  Damon helped the Sox win the World Series title in 2004 and his new-found fame garnered him 2 All-Star team selections and MVP consideration.

Damon moved on to the Yankees in 2006, and again he helped them reach the pinnacle of the sport in 2009 as the Yankees collected another World Series title.

Johnny Damon has proven to be a very skilled baseball player.  His consistency on offense is remarkable, and his time in the major leagues has been relatively injury free – a true credit to a player that played as hard as he did!

Here’s to Johnny Damon!!  Happy Birthday!!!

1975 Topps Set Card 294/660 – #148 – Jim Rooker, Pirates

1975 Topps Set Card 294/660 – #148 – Jim Rooker, Pirates

Progress: 294/660

Card Number:  148

Player Name:  Jim Rooker

Team:  Pittsburgh Pirates

Position:  Pitcher

Image Style: Posed Pitching

Years In The Major Leagues: 13 seasons, 1968-80

Notes From His 1975 Season:  Jim Rooker appeared in 28 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1975.  He went 13-11 on the year, with 7 complete games and 1 shutout.  Rooker worked 196 innings over the course of the 1975 baseball season, allowing 177 hits and 80 runs.  He struck out 102 batters in that time while also giving up 76 walks.

Notes From Career:  Jim Rooker played for three different teams during his 13-season major league career.  He has a lifetime record of 103-109 with 66 complete games, 15 shutouts, and  saves to his credit.  Rooker has a career ERA of 3.46 as he allowed 814 runs over 1,810 innings pitched.  Rooker is a member of the 1979 World Series Championship winning Pittsburgh Pirates.

1975 Topps Set Card 293/660 – #495 – Nelson Briles, Royals

1975 Topps Set Card 293/660 – #495 – Nelson Briles, Royals

Progress: 293/660

Card Number:  495

Player Name: Nelson Briles

Team:  Kansas City Royals

Position:  Pitcher

Image Style: Posed Pitching

Years In The Major Leagues: 14 seasons, 1965-78

Notes From His 1975 Season:  Nelson Briles appeared in 24 games for the Royals in 1975, making 16 starts.  He went 6-6 on the year with 3 complete games and 2 saves.  Briles worked 112 innings in ’75, allowing 127 hits and 60 runs en route to a 4.26 ERA.

Notes From Career:  Nelson Briles is a career 129-112 pitcher with 14 seasons under his belt.  He has a career ERA of 3.44 and struck out 1,163 batters in 2,111 innings of work.  Briles won two World Series rings – 1 as a member of the 1967 Cardinals and 1 as a member of the 1971 Pirates.

1975 Topps Set Card 292/660 – #184 – Jorge Orta, White Sox

1975 Topps Set Card 292/660 – #184 – Jorge Orta, White Sox

Progress: 292/660

Card Number:  184

Player Name: Jorge Orta

Team:  Chicago White Sox

Position: 2nd Base

Image Style: Posed Portrait

Years In The Major Leagues: 16 seasons, 1972-87

Notes From His 1975 Season:  Jorge Orta was an All-Star for the Chicago White Sox in 1975.  Orta hit .305 over the course of the season, connecting for 165 hits in 542 at-bats.  Of his 165 hits, Orta had 26 doubles, 10 triples, and 11 home runs.  He also stole 16 bases during the season while scoring 64 runs and driving in 83.

Notes From Career:  Jorge Orta was a 2-time All-Star during his 16-season MLB career.  He is a lifetime .278 hitter with 1,619 hits on his resume.  Orta connected for 267 doubles, 63 triples, and 130 home runs.  He scored 733 runs over 16 years while also driving in 745.  Orta is a member of the 1985 World Series Championship winning Kansas City Royals.

1975 Topps Set Card 288/660 – #437 – Al Cowens, Royals

1975 Topps Set Card 288/660 – #437 – Al Cowens, Royals

Progress: 288/660

Card Number:  437

Player Name: Al Cowens

Team:  Kansas City Royals

Position: Outfield

Image Style: Posed Hitting

Years In The Major Leagues: 13 seasons, 1974-86

Notes From His 1975 Season:  Al Cowens played in 120 games for the Royals in 1975.  He hit .277 on the year with 91 hits in 328 at-bats.  Of his 91 hits, Cowens connected for 13 doubles, 8 triples, and 4 home runs.  He stole 12 runs on the year en route to scoring 44 runs.  He also drove in 42 RBI for the club.

Notes From Career:  In 13 major league seasons Al Cowens played for four different major league clubs.  He is a career .270 hitter with 1,494 lifetime hits in 1,584 games played.  Cowens connected for 276 doubles and 108 home runs over the course of his career while driving in 717 runs and scoring 704 times.  He won a Gold Glove for defense in 1977.

1975 Topps Set Card 283/660 – #413 – Marty Pattin, Royals

1975 Topps Set Card 283/660 – #413 – Marty Pattin, Royals

Progress: 283/660

Card Number: 413

Player Name: Marty Pattin

Team:  Kansas City Royals

Position: Pitcher

Image Style: Posed Portrait

Years In The Major Leagues: 13 seasons, 1968-80

Notes From His 1975 Season:  Marty Pattin appeared in 44 games for the Royals in 1975, including making 15 starts for the team.  He compiled a record of 10-10 while throwing 4 complete games including 1 shutout while also recording 5 saves.  He worked 177 innings during the season while allowing 173 hits and 77 runs en route to a 3.25 ERA.

Notes From Career:  Pattin has a career record of 114-109 with 25 saves over 13 seasons.  He is a 1-time All-Star with 64 complete games and 14 shutouts to his credit.  Pattin struck out 1,179 batters while walking 603 in 2,038 innings of work.  He has a career ERA of 3.62

1990 HEADLINE: George Brett Becomes First Player To Win Batting Titles In Three Straight Decades

1990 HEADLINE: George Brett Becomes First Player To Win Batting Titles In Three Straight Decades

On this day in 1990, George Brett became the first player in major league baseball history to collect batting titles in three different decades.

A true testament to his dedication to the game and excellence as a hitter, George Brett separated himself from some of the game’s greatest hitters with this accomplishment.  To be able to remain at such a high standard for more than 20 seasons and in between three decades shows just how truly great Brett was at the plate.  Let’s not forget that the game changed, and the pitchers Brett faced during that time also changed.

A quick glance at the numbers shows this:

Year	Batting Average
1976	0.333
1980	0.390
1990	0.329

Now how awesome is that?

Congratulations on this magnificent achievement Mr. Brett!!!

1975 Topps Set Card 269/660 – #569 – Frank White, Royals

1975 Topps Set Card 269/660 – #569 – Frank White, Royals

Progress: 269/660

Card Number:  569

Player Name:  Frank White

Team:  Kansas City Royals

Position:  2nd Base, Shortstop

Image Style:  Posed Portrait

Years In The Major Leagues:  18 seasons, 1973-90

Notes From His 1975 Season:  Frank White played in 111 games for the Royals in 1975.  He hit .250 as he connected for 76 hits in 304 at-bats.  Of his 76 hits, White connected for 10 doubles, 2 triples, 7 home runs, and 67 singles.  He stole 11 bases on the year while also driving in 36 runs and scoring 43 times.

Notes From Career:  Frank White played his entire 18-season career with the Kansas City Royals.  He is a lifetime .255 hitter with 2,006 career hits.  White won 8 Gold Glove Awards during his career and 1 Silver Slugger Award as well.  He was selected as an AL All-Star five times and is a member of the 1985 World Series championship team.

1975 Topps Set Card 267/660 – #615 – Rookie Pitchers With Darcy, Leonard, Underwood, Webb

1975 Topps Set Card 267/660 – #615 – Rookie Pitchers With Darcy, Leonard, Underwood, Webb

Progress: 267/660

Player Name:  Pat Darcy, Dennis Leonard, Tom Underwood, Hank Webb

Card Number:  615

Team:  Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets

Position:  Pitchers

Image Style:  Posed Portrait

How these players fared in 1975:

Pat Darcy – Darcy went 11-5 in 22 starts for the Reds in 1975.  He had a 3.58 ERA in 130 innings of work.  Darcy struck out 46 batters in 1975 while walking 59.  He won a World Series ring with the Reds at the conclusion of the season.

Dennis Leonard – Leonard went 15-7 with the Royals in 30 starts.  He worked 212 innings allowing 212 hits and 98 runs.  Leonard struck out 146 batters in ’75 and finished the season with a 3.77 ERA.

Tom Underwood – Underwood went 14-13 for the Phillies in 1975.  He had an ERA of 4.14 over 35 starts with the club.  In 219 innings of work, Underwood allowed 221 hits and 110 runs while striking out 123 batters while walking 84.

Hank Webb – Webb appeared in 29 games for the Mets in 1975, 15 of which were starts.  He went 7-6 on the year, compiling an ERA of 4.07.  In 115 innings, Webb gave up 58 runs and 102 hits.  He struck out just 38 batters.