Close but Missed It by That Much - One Year
The following are not correct because they appeared in 1970 and 1982 - Tom Seaver (11 cards - 1970 - 1974, 1976, 1978 - 1982, 1992 All-Star set), Johnny Bench (7 cards - 1970, 1974-76 and 1980 - 1982) and Don Sutton (6 cards - 1970, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1982 ).
After a poor 1982 season Tom Seaver returned to the Mets in 1983. If Kellogg's produced his card in 1983 it could have been as a Met like his 1970 card. His time on the White Sox and Red Sox didn't get onto a 3-D card.
Of the seven players pictured, Bench is one of only two that played for the same team on both cards pictured and for their entire career.
Don Sutton was traded to the Brewers during the 1982 season. Even though he won a combined 17 games in 1982 he didn't get a card in the 1983 Kellogg's set. Later stints with the A's and Angels didn't get pictured on 3-D cards. He finished with the Dodgers but he already had cards showing him in that uniform.
Also Close but Not Quite
Jim Palmer was close to being in the first and last sets as well. He appeared in 1971 and 1983 (1971-1974, 1976 and 1979 - 1983). Palmer also appeared in the 1992 All-Star sets for a total of 11 cards. Palmer was 16-4 in 1969, so he was probably considered for inclusion in 1970. His team featured 20-game winners Mike Cuellar and Dave McNally, so that didn't help his cause.
Like Bench, Jim Palmer is featured on the same team in his first and last cards. Also like Bench, Palmer spent his entire career with one team.
Finally - The Answers to the Question
Only the following three players found their way into both the first and last sets. In the 1983 set it almost looks like they honored them by having them in the first three cards, but they are card numbers 1, 3, and 6. Numbers 1, 2 and 3 would have been awesome.
Reggie Jackson appeared in 1970, 1972 - 1976 and then from 1978 - 1983. He had a drop-off from his stats in 1970 which might have caused him to be skipped over in 1971. He did manage his highest total times caught stealing with 17 which certainly didn't help. His average was only .237 in 1970.
In 1976 Jackson played his only year in Baltimore where he had a solid season but his numbers were a bit lower than usual since he missed 28 games during the season. There is no Baltimore card for Reggie in a Kellogg's set.
He signed with the Yankees after the season as a free agent. Did the free agency cause him to be excluded from the set? Jackson is included in 12 of the main Kellogg's sets.
Pete Rose appeared from 1970 - 1977 and then from 1979 - 1983. He was still on Cincinnati through the 1978 season, so it's hard to explain how he didn't end up in the 1978 set. In 1977 he amassed 204 hits and batted .311, so his performance wasn't the issue.
Rose is included in 13 of the main Kellogg's sets. He played with Montreal in 1984, so unfortunately his time there ins't commemorated with a 3-D card.
Rod Carew appeared in 1970 and then eleven consecutive times from 1973 - 1983. He missed most of the 1970 season and he batted "only" .307 in 1971 so that's probably why he missed those sets. A .307 average sounds great for most, but he hit .366 a few seasons early and his career average is an amazing .328. He later appeared in the 1991 Hispanic Legends set and the 1992 All-Star set giving him a total of 14 cards with 12 of them being in the main Kellogg's sets.
Carew is shown on the two teams that he represented in 18 All-Star games. He was named an All-Star every year except his last one.
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