1975 Topps Set Card 299/660 – #271 – Jerry Moses, Tigers

1975 Topps Set Card 299/660 – #271 – Jerry Moses, Tigers

Progress: 299/660

Card Number:  271

Player Name:  Jerry Moses

Team:  Detroit Tigers

Position:  Catcher

Image Style:  Posed Hitting

Years In The Major Leagues: 9 seasons, 1965, 1968-75

Notes From His 1975 Season:  Jerry Moses appeared in just 15 games during the 1975 baseball season, splitting time between the Padres and White Sox.  In 15 games, Moses went 4-for-20 with 2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 runs scored, and 1 RBI.

Notes From Career:  Moses played for seven teams during his nine-year career in major league baseball.  He is a lifetime .251 hitter with 269 career hits.  Of his 269 hits, Moses connected for 48 doubles, 8 triples, and 25 home runs.  He also drove in 109 runs while scoring 89 times.  Jerry Moses was chosen as an American League All-Star in 1970.

Did You Know…

The first New York Mets third baseman to be selected to represent the team during the MLB All-Star game was Howard Johnson.   Johnson’s first selection came in 1989.

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.

1988 HEADLINE: Kirk Gibson’s Blast Gives The Dodgers A 1-0 Lead In World Series

1988 HEADLINE: Kirk Gibson’s Blast Gives The Dodgers A 1-0 Lead In World Series

On this day in 1988, Kirk Gibson made baseball history with a walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.

In an improbable fashion, Gibson limped to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning to face off against the greatest closer in the game, Dennis Eckersley.  Hobbled by injury, Gibson was barely able to move his hips, but he did get wood on the ball.  And it sailed over the fence for a game-ending, legend-making home run.

Gibson’s blast is one of many World Series highlights that gets attention as the World Series begins.  It is one of the greatest moments in baseball history, and some of the men on the field that day have been considered the best of their era.

Amazingly, that would be Gibson’s lone at-bat in the 1988 World Series.

He sure did make the best of that one shot, huh?

Happy Anniversary Mr. Gibson!!!

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.

Happy Birthday Eddie Matthews!!!

Happy Birthday Eddie Matthews!!!

Eddie Matthews had a solid 17-year professional baseball career.  And while his individual achievements and team success were on par with the biggest stars of his era, it was his quiet approach to the game that kept him out of the limelight.  Playing alongside Hank Aaron for most of his career kept the spotlight off of him as well…

Still, Matthews was quite the slugger, and he put up very impressive numbers.  Clubbing 512 home runs during his career, Matthews hit 25 or more home runs in 11 consecutive seasons, and 12 in total.  A run-producer, Eddie knocked in 100 runs five times while also scoring 100 or more runs 8 times.

Matthews was a 9-time All-Star and perennial candidate for the MVP award.  He was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1978.

He helped lead his 1957 Braves and 1968 Tigers teams to World Series championships.

Happy Birthday Eddie Matthews!!!

Did You Know….

Alan Trammell was named the 1984 World Series MVP after hitting .450 in the 5-game match-up against the San Diego Padres.  In the series, Trammell went 9-for-20 with six singles, a double, and 2 home runs while scoring 5 times and driving in 6.

The Tigers won the series 4 games to 1.

1975 Topps Set Card 276/660 – #141 – Mickey Stanley, Tigers

1975 Topps Set Card 276/660 – #141 – Mickey Stanley, Tigers

Progress: 276/660

Card Number:  141

Player Name:  Mickey Stanley

Team:  Detroit Tigers

Position:  Outfield

Image Style:  Posed Hitting

Years In The Major Leagues:  15 seasons, 1964-78

Notes From His 1975 Season:  Mickey Stanley played in just 52 games for the Detroit Tigers in 1975.  He hit .256 on the year with 42 hits in 164 at-bats.  Of his 42 hits, Stanley connected for 7 doubles, 3 triples, 3 doubles, and 29 singles.

Notes From Career:  Mickey Stanley won four Gold Glove Awards for defensive excellence in the outfield during his 15-season major league career.  Stanley retired from the sport with a fielding percentage of .989 and he committed just 46 errors in 1,480 games played.  He is a lifetime .248 hitter with 1,243 career hits to his credit.  Stanley is a member of the 1968 World Series championship winning Detroit Tigers.

Here Is My 2014 MLB Playoff Bracket. Who You Got???

Here Is My 2014 MLB Playoff Bracket.  Who You Got???

Well, baseball’s second season is going to start up tomorrow night.

So, I thought it would be fun to quickly make and post my predictions through the playoffs to see either how close or how off my predictions (guesses) are.

First, I will start with my American League bracket:

		Kansas City Royals
Oakland Athletics
				LA Angels
		LA Angels
						Baltimore Orioles
		Detroit Tigers
				Baltimore Orioles
		Baltimore Orioles

And now, for my National League bracket:

Pittsburgh Pirates
		San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
				Washington Nationals
		Washington Nationals
						LA Dodgers
		LA Dodgers
				LA Dodgers
		St. Louis Cardinals

Yes, I have the Baltimore Orioles and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series this year.  I won’t tell you yet who I think will win it all, but what I will say is that I think the Orioles will breeze through a lot of the AL match-ups they face while the Dodgers are in for a fight against each and every team in front of them.

And now I want to hear how you think that this is all going to shake out too.  So, give me your picks for all of the AL & NL rounds of action as me march towards the World Series.

Enjoy the games, everyone!

1955 HEADLINE: Al Kaline Becomes Youngest Player To Win Batting Crown

1955 HEADLINE: Al Kaline Becomes Youngest Player To Win Batting Crown

On this day in 1955, Detroit’s Al Kaline won the American League batting title becoming the youngest player in major league history to do so.

At the age of twenty, and in his third big league season, Kaline hit .340 as he collected 200 hits in 588 at-bats.  He also led the American League in hits that year, and in total bases as well with 321.

His efforts from the 1955 season were handsomely rewarded – 2nd place in the MVP voting and an All-Star selection!!

Happy Anniversary Mr. Kaline!!!