1977 Topps Carl Morton

Carl Morton's Rookie of the Year season in Montreal was followed by 2 sub .500 season. After the 1972 season he was dealt to the Braves for reliever Pat Jarvis. Morton then had 3 consecutive season with 15+ wins. After going 4-9 in 1976 he was traded along with 4 other players and $250,000 to the Rangers for the 1974 A.L. MVP, Jeff Burroughs.  Morton was released by the Rangers before the start of the season and was picked up by the Phillies. He spent the 1977 season pitching for their AA farm team. He went 9-12 and was released at the end of the season. He made an attempt to come back for the Pirates in 1978 but once again was released before the start of the season.

1975 Topps 1970 Rookies of the Year

In 1970 Thurman Munson was the near-unanimous Rookie of the Year. He received 23 of 24 votes, with the only other vote going to Roy Foster. Foster hit an impressive 23 homers while batting .268. His numbers and playing time dropped drasticly after the 1970 season and he was back in the minors by 1973. Munson went on to have what might have been a Hall of Fame career if it hadn't been tragically cut short.

The National League Rookie of the Year voting was much more diverse. Carl Morton got 11 of the 24 votes on the strength of an 18 win season for the last place Expos. Origianlly signed as an outfielder by the Braves, Morton helped his own cause by hitting a couple homers.  Others getting R.O.Y. votes were Bernie Carbo, Larry Bowa, Wayne Simpson and Cesar Cedeno. Although no Hall of Famers, the list reads like a who's who of '70s semi-stars. 

1970 Topps Carl Morton

Carl Morton was signed by the Braves in 1964 as an outfielder. He hit .250 with 13 homers in 1965 for the Braves single A club. In 1966 he hit another 13 homers but his average dipped to .227. In 1967 he was made a pitcher. He led his team in victories, strike outs and innings pitched in both 1967 and 1968. After the 1968 season, the Expos selected him in expansion draft.  In his first MLB start he pitched 9 scoreless innings against the Cubs. He got a no decision as the Cubbies won 1-0 in 12 innings. He lost his next 3 starts giving up 10 runs in 10.1 innings. His career year was 1970 with 18 wins. Not only did he win the NL Rookie of the Year award but also received votes for MVP and Cy Young awards.