I Couldn't Resist Buying This

A lot of my favorite card from the first Kellogg's set that I assembled.

I didn't even get the cards yet and the image above is poor but I was just excited to be adding these to my collection.

Yes, it hurt that he got traded after the 1974 season. 

What Does 1,000 Mean in Baseball?

When someone gets a hit every time he is said to be batting 1,000 which is really 1.000.  This is my 1,000th post.  I still don't have my files copied from my old hard drive to the new one, so I am still short on pictures.  I'm too lazy to take new pictures for this post.

Only one player has exceeded 1,000 stolen bases.  Just ask him and he will tell you that he's the greatest ever.  Just don't expect Rickey Henderson to throw a ball into the stands at an All-Star game.

I found some stats for players that were 1,000 but they didn't appear on a Kellogg's card.  For players on a Kellogg's card there were a few close calls.

Tommy Agee managed to get 999 hits in his career.  Too bad he didn't get one more hit off of Tom Bradley who didn't get a Kellogg's card, but he gave up 999 hits.  They both were in the NL in 1973 but they didn't face each other.

Sam McDowell gave up 999 runs in his career.

Boog Powell recorded 999 walks in his career.   He batted 58 times against McDowell and received eight walks.  One bases-loaded walk off McDowell would have gotten both to 1,000.

Steve Rogers gave up 1,001 earned runs in his career.

In the 14 years from 1970 - 1983 only one MLB team didn't win 1,000 games.  Can you name that team?  Since the answer is only one team, Toronto and Seattle who both entered in 1977 are excluded from this.

Five other teams averaged less than 75 wins per season during that time.  Can you name them?  One surprised me a bit. 

1975 Kellogg's Baseball Card Backs #22 - 24

Three more 1975 Kellogg's baseball card backs. 



#24 - Steve Busby

He tossed no-hitters in both of his full seasons in the majors.  His manager thinks he's got a chance to be as good as Tom Seaver.

Not on the card - he had another strong season in 1975 but he didn't keep the no-hitter streak going.  That was about it for him after an injury in 1976.  The rotator cuff tear wasn't as easy to fix as it is today. 

#23 - Bill North

Nice to see that North listed some different hobbies - reading and pool.  He led the AL in steals in 1974.  The paragraph mostly focuses on his stolen bases in the minors as well. 

He was injured, so he missed the 1973 post-season. 

There is a surprising formatting issue on the card - "led the loop in SB      with 42".  I will check to see if that was changed. 

#22 - Fergie Jenkins

Jenkins had six 20-win seasons in a row with the Cubs, but after a losing season in 1973 he was traded to Texas.  In his first season with the Rangers he had his highest victory total - 25.   He led the league with 29 complete games in his 41 starts. 

Not on the card - he averaged eight innings per start.  You won't see that in the majors today. 

Not on the card - the Cubs got Bill Madlock in the trade with Texas.  After three years and two batting titles, Madlock was traded for Bobby Murcer. 

1975 Kellogg's Baseball Card Backs #25 - 27

They've got to give me something better to read about on at least one of these card backs. 



#27 - Joe Morgan

 Kellogg's mentioned that, like Rudi, Morgan was a perennial MVP candidate. 

Not on the card - unlike Rudi, Morgan had only been as high as fourth in the MVP voting at this point.  However, Morgan had already received MVP votes in four seasons.  He actually was named MVP in 1975 and 1976.

#26 - Nolan Ryan

At least Ryan's card talks about his strikeout records - single-season and single-game.  He struck out 19 in a game twice in one season. 

He led the league in innings pitched too.  That's probably why  he's has so many decisions as an Angel.  It also probably helps account for his mediocre career record of 91-86 at this point in this career. 

Not on the card - from 1972 - 1974 he had 72 complete games in 119 starts.  In those three years he didn't even lead the league in complete games.  He finished 6th, 2nd and 4th in that category, so it wasn't just him being beaten by a few knuckleball pitchers of that era.  Roger Clemens never exceeded 18 complete games in a season and when he notched 18 he led the league. 

#25 - Richie Zisk

Zisk drove in 100 runs for the Pirates in 1974.  He also has a .311 career average after two full seasons.  

Although he excelled in the minors, it took him some extra time to get to the majors because the Pirates didn't have a spot for him in 1972. 

This group had a little better information, but the 1975s are still not impressing me. 

1975 Kellogg's Baseball Card Backs #28 - 30

Back for more 1975 Kellogg's baseball card backs.  I hope the writers have something interesting to add for this group.

#30 - Andy Messersmith

I didn't know that he was a 20-game winner in both leagues.    He was involved in a trade for Frank Robinson.

Not on the card - he won 19 games in 1975 and a total of 18 more from 1976 to 1979.  He played his last game at the age of 33.

Not on the card - he was runner-up in the Cy Young voting to teammate Mike Marshall.  How's this for a pitching staff - Don Sutton finished fourth.  They got all of the first place votes but one, which went to Phil Niekro.

#29 - Jose Cardenal

On his sixth team, Jose "seems to have found a permanent home" according to Kellogg's.

Not on the card - he played two more seasons with the Cubs before moving on to four other teams. 

He led the Cubs in hits with 159.  That's not an impressive number for a team leader.

#28 - Joe Rudi

Rudi is mentioned as a consistent MVP candidate.

Not on the card - in 1972 and 1974 he finished as the runner-up in the MVP voting.  He received some MVP votes in 1975 and 1976.  

Once again, these cards don't offer a lot of great insight like the 1981s.  Bummer.

1975 Kellogg's Baseball Card Backs #31 - 33

Now that I'm back up to speed I need to continue with my look at the 1975 Kellogg's card backs.  I like checking out the backs of these cards because most of the fronts of these cards that I see are quite discolored and/or cracked.


#33 - Rod Carew

He won his fourth batting title in 1974, more than any other active player.  He has the highest batting average of any AL player.  

Not on the card - does that mean there is an NL player above his .323?

He stole 38 bases too.

Not on the card - he won three more batting titles and was an all-star in his first 18 (of 19) seasons.

#32 - Bill Buckner

Bill Buckner the 2nd?  I'd prefer Jr.  

He is One of many speedsters on the Dodgers.

Not on the card - that changed with his ankle injury.

It is mentioned in the paragraph that he stole 32 bases in 1974.  

Not on the card - baseball-reference.com credits him with 31 steals.  I guess I should see if this card was ever changed.  He stole 187 in his career.

UPDATE - Topps didn't have stolen bases listed on the backs of their cards from 1975 - 1980.  Buckner's 1981 Topps card credits him with only 31 steals in 1974.  I've got about five Buckner cards from 1975 Kellogg's, all damaged, and they all have the text that mentions 32 steals.  Does anyone have a corrected paragraph with 31 steals?

#31 - Willie Montanez

I guess every baseball player was the same size in 1974.  Carew - 6-0, 179 while Buckner and Montanez both admit to 6-1, 185.  I was right in that neighborhood at my old age until I started training hard again.  Too light; too late - way too late.

Willie came up in 1966 and then didn't return to the majors until 1970.  

I love that the card mentions the "ill-fated" Curt Flood deal in 1969.  Flood was traded by the Cardinals to the Phillies and he refused to report to his new team.  Montanez later became part of deal to compensate the Phillies for Flood not reporting,

Flood's saga became a Supreme Court case (Flood v. Kuhn, 1970).  It was in the courts until 1972 when it was ruled in favor of Kuhn and Major League Baseball.  To learn more about Curt Flood, the 10/5 Rule and the Reserve Clause visit your local library.    

I'm disappointed to read all of this factual stuff on the 1975 card backs.  At least half of the text should be reserved for mention of what Willie is best known for - being a hot dog.  He would catch foul balls behind his back, walk to first base when walked, take home run trots in an era when most just ran around the bases - entertaining stuff like that.  I want to read that.

Is There Such a Thing as Too Many Kellogg's Cards?

This box never really seems to get sorted.  Why?  There are lots of 1991s and 1992s.  Another row has too many Fernando Valenzuela cards.  That plastic case with Jorge Orta on the bottom also has Orto's 1976 Kellogg's card on the top.  Oh yeah and all of the cards in between are Ortas.

Whenever I get a bunch of 1980 - 1983 cards I figure it's time to work on another set.  Maybe it is that time.