1980 Kellogg's Baseball Card Backs #37 - 38 Stearns & Mazzilli

I haven't done this since April.  I had two reasons for working my way through all of the Kellogg's cards and talking about the back.  First, I wanted to have a scan of every card.  Second, I want to go back to my early collecting days when I always read the back of every card - and everything on the cereal box too.

#38 - Lee Mazzilli

What do I remember about Lee Mazzilli?  One year he was near the lead league in batting average for a while.  It must have been 1979 to get him into this set.

I didn't remember hearing that his hobby was speed skating.  I read that he won some age-group nationals titles as a youngster.  

Back to 1979.  On July 4th he was hitting .336.  He did finish with a solid .303 for the season. 

That hot start in 1979 got him his only All-Star Game recognition.  He made the most of it.  Baseball-reference.com lists his two at-bats as the top two plays of the game.  In the eighth inning he tied the game with a solo homer and in the ninth he was walked and the go-ahead (and winning) run scored.  Dave Parker won the game's MVP award by throwing out a runner at third and another at home plate, the latter to end the eighth inning.    

I was surprised to find out that Mazzilli played for 14 seasons.  

Kellogg's reminded us about how the Mets had a "negative season".  Ouch, they won only 63 games.  Dave Kingman's 48 homers helped the Cubs finish 5th (of 6) and 17 games ahead of the Mets.

He added 34 stolen bases in 1979.  He notched a career-high the next year with 41.

My favorite comment on the back - "signed for a reported $50,".  Oh wait, they put the three additional zeroes on the next line.  

#37 - John Stearns

Two Mets in a row.  I don't like how that looks in my binder.  Stearns was a defensive back in college and had an offer from the Buffalo Bills.  

He was drafted out of high school but didn't sign.  Then was drafted in the first round of the June, 1973 draft as the second choice.  Lee Mazzilli was the 14th choice in the first round.  David Clyde was taken first and Robin Yount (3rd) and Dave Winfield (4th) followed Stearns.  A few other MLB guys were taken in that round including one of my favorites - Steve Swisher (21st to the White Sox).

The card notes that he can play almost any position.  

Stearns was a four-time all-star.  I would have guessed that Mazzilli had more than Stearns.  His football speed showed as he had 91 career stolen bases, which is solid for a catcher.  

Stearns came to the Mets from the Phillies in a trade that sent Tug McGraw to Philadelphia.