Gary Matthews was the Giants 1st round pick in the 1968 draft. He steadily progress from A to AA to AAA from 1969-1972 and was a September call-up in 1972. He was the Giant's opening day left fielder in 1973 and put up some very respectable numbers for the season. He hit .300 with 12 homers and 17 stolen bases. He was awarded the Rookie of the Year ahead of several solid players including Ron Cey, Davey Lopes, Bob Boone, and Richie Zisk. There is a phrase among card collectors "Stars and Semi-Stars". The list of Rookie of the Year candidates in 1973 seemed to define "Semi-Stars" of that era. All solid players, occasional but not perennial All Stars. All of them are fan favorites and a nice pull from a fresh pack when we were still young enough to enjoy that stick of gum that came along with them.
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