1973 Topps Orlando Cepeda

A few posts back I remade the 1973 Topps Hal McRae card. I showed him in a Royals uniform and made his position "Designated Hitter". This was not one of the positions choices available in the 1973 set but it really should have been. Especially in the later series. While McRae was primarily a DH throughout his career, in 1973 the Royals used the DH position the way it is commonly used now. Most teams rotate their DH among a few players, using it to give them a rest. 

But that was not the case with Orlando Cepeda. He played DH in the very first game in the AL in 1973 along with Ron Blomberg. Blomberg's first at-bat was in the top of the 1st. Cepeda's was in the bottom of the 2nd. But Cepeda played in 142 games in 1973, every one of them at DH. Blomberg played 100 games for the Yankees in 1973, 56 of them at DH. 

Cepeda's 1973 card shows him as a 1st baseman for the A's. He never played in the field for the A's. He pinch hit in 3 games going 0 for 3 in 1972. The Red Sox signed him one week after the American League approved DH rule for the sole purpose of using him at DH. Cepeda delivered. He hit a respectable .289 with 20 homers and 86 RBIs and he played in more games than he did in the last 2 seasons combined. This card was from the final series of 1973 by which time I would think that Topps could have (A) recognized the existence of the DH, and/or (B) acknowledged a trade that took place in January.

1980 All Star Game Honorary Captains: Roy Campanella & Al Kaline

Rounding out my 2014 All Star Break set are the Honorary Captains of the 1980 All Star game in Los Angeles.

Representing the National League was 1969 Hall of Fame inductee and Dodgers fan favorite, Roy Campanella. Campanella appeared on one of the earliest "Card That Never Were" I am aware of, when Topps put him on a 1951 card as part of the 1975 MVP subset. A three-time MVP, Topps would also have to create a 1955 card of him (as well as a 1962 Maury Wills card).

Representing the 1980 American League All Stars in was 1980 Hall of Fame inductee Al Kaline. Kaline was a first ballot Hall of Famer with over 88% of the vote. He was also the youngest player to win the batting title in 1955. Signed by the Tigers in 1953, Kaline spent all 22 MLB seasons in Detroit. He retired at the end of the 1974 season just 1 homer shy of the 400 mark.

1979 All Star Game Honorary Captains: Carl Hubbell & Lefty Gomez

In honor of tonight's All Star Game here is another posting of past Honorary Captains.

35 years ago the All Star Game was held in the Kingdome in Seattle. The Honorary Captains were both Hall of Fame pitchers who appeaerd in the very first All Star game at Comiskey Park. The game was conceived as part of the 1933 Worlds Fair in Chicago and has been an annual affair ever since.

In that first game Hubbell pitched the final 2 scoreless innings in relief. He surrendered a a walk to Lou Gehrig and a single to Jimmy Dykes.

The American League's Honorary Captain was the starting pitcher in the 1933 All Star game. He pitched 3 scoreless innings and was credited with the win. The American League won the 1933 All Star game 4-2 in 1933 but lost the 1979 All Star game to the Nationals on a bases loaded walk to Lee Mazzilli in the top of the 9th. 

1978 All Star Game Honorary Captains: Eddie Mathews & Brooks Robinson

It's the All Star break and time to add to my collection of All Star Game Honorary Captains.

In 1978 Eddie Mathews was inducted into the Hall of Fame. He was also selected to represent the National League as Honorary Captain at the 1978 All Star game in San Diego. Mathews was the only player to play for the Braves in Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta and hit 493 of his 512 home runs in a Braves uniform.

The American League Honorary Captain was Brooks Robinson. "The Human Vacuum" had just hung up his cleats following the 1977 season. Robinson was a first ballot Hall of Famer with 92% of the vote in 1983.

1975 Kellogg's George Brett

Kansas City Royals CTNW Favorites #1

The 1975 Kellogg's set was a mere 57 cards deep. For the most part it was comprised of veteran players. George Brett wouldn't be found in cereal boxes until after he had won his first batting title in 1976. So despite finishing 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting in 1974, Brett was not part of the 1975 Kellogg's set. Still, how cool would it be to have a 3D rookie card of a future Hall of Famer? And following the line of thought from my previous post, Brett is the only player to go into the Hall of Fame with a Royals cap on his plaque. He was drafted by the Royals in 1971 and played his entire 21 season MLB career in Kansas City. While the other 4 of my picks can certainly be disputed, there can really be no other player at number one.